Cartoonist Al Jaffee has died at the age of 102 in New York.
The artist’s niece, Fani Thomson, confirmed the news for The New York Times on Monday, citing the cause as “multisystem organ failure.”
Jaffee, born in 1921, began his career as a comic book artist before starting a run on Mad in 1955.
One of the humor magazine’s most prolific illustrators, Jaffee was credited with inventing its iconic “Fold-In” feature. Bizarre back covers, originally a subversive twist on Playboy’s center pages, became one of the magazine’s hallmarks after their introduction in 1964.
Stephen Morton/Associated Press
Known for his wry humor and often salty style, he spent 65 years with the magazine until he retired in 2020.
Jaffee attributed his longevity to his sense of humor, telling Inspicio, “Serious people my age are dead,” in 2010.
Jaffee is survived by two children from his first marriage, Richard Jaffee and Deborah Fishman; two stepdaughters, Tracey and Jody Revenson; five grandchildren; a niece; and three great-grandchildren.
Comic book fans around the world mourned Jaffee’s loss on Twitter. Check out the best tributes below:
