Former Mad Magazine Editor Nick Meglin interview with WUNC

I came across a great interview recently with former Mad magazine editor Nick Meglin. As a kid, I grew up reading this irreverent and absurd "rag," so guys like Meglin were and have always been heroes of mine.

In the interview, Meglin talks about his love of illustrating and how that got him a job as a student at Mad magazine. Nick also got into humorous writing, having many fellow artist friends who were interested in the comics field, and subsequently caught the eye of many who saw he could write for comics. Of course, this was back in the late 50's and the 60's, as Mad was in its infancy and comic books were at their height.

Interestingly, Nick Meglin felt he was talented at "writing funny" but not "drawing funny." Meglin calls cartooning, "...an art form totally isolated from anything else." He mentions long-time Mad man Sergio Aragones, whose "Drawn Out Dramas" have flooded the margins of the magazine for decades. According to Meglin, Aragones often doesn't know the gag until he starts drawing; the cartoon essentially creates itself. A fascinating concept, one which I think I would have a hard time doing. My cartoons are almost always based on a concept, person, or script first, and the drawing comes later.

I had the honor of meeting Mr. Nick Meglin in Cary, NC in 2004. I was a finalist in a political cartoon contest hosted by the Raleigh News and Observer, and Meglin was the honored guest speaker at the award ceremony (held at the prestigious Barnes and Noble book store on Maynard Road).

At 17, I was fascinated to meet a hero of mine, someone associated with the most notoriously absurd magazine in the country. Nick signed a copy of his book, "Humorous Illustration" and I told him I was an aspiring cartoonist. His advice to me was to stay original and stay drawing.

I try to keep his advice in mind everytime Mad magazine sends me another rejection slip.


Listen to the interview with Nick Meglin here, as conducted by Frank Stasio for "The State of Things" on WUNC North Carolina Public Radio.

Nick's book, "Humorous Illustration."