Press Release:
Boston Comic Con celebrates its fifth anniversary with its largest guest list ever! Once again at the Hynes Convention Center in the Back Bay the con will be held on April 21-22, 2012! One of most highly anticipated events for this year is the MAD-Men Reunion! Legendary creators of MAD Magazine Al Feldstein, Paul Coker Jr., Al Jaffee, and Sergio Aragones will appear together to talk about their long and storied history on the iconic humor mag. This is a rare opportunity for MAD fans to meet them and laugh at their outrageous stories.
Al Feldstein
At EC Comics, Al Feldstein created, wrote, illustrated and edited a popular line of titles which are now collectors’ items. These included horror, such as Tales from the Crypt (which was adapted for TV by HBO), sci-fi, and suspense.
In 1955, he became editor of MAD Magazine, one of EC’s titles. He took the magazine’s circulation from 375,000 to a high of almost 3 million by gathering a staff of talented artist and writers: supervising every phase of operation, editing and re-writing every word, designing layouts, and creating the format that led to MAD’s success, including christening its trademark Alfred E. Neuman.
Paul Coker Jr.
After a successful stint as an illustrator for Hallmark, Paul Coker Jr. moved to New York City and began contributing to MAD, Esquire, Playboy, and other magazines.
Coker’s first appearance in MAD was 1961. He has since gone on to illustrate over 400 articles for the magazine. His drawings encompass a wide range of characters, expression, and forms. And although they may appear simple, they reflect considerable sophistication and talent. Coker’s proudest accomplishments for MAD have been “Horrifying Cliches” and the MAD Pet Book.
Al Jaffee
In 1955, Al Jaffee received his first assignment for MAD. Since then Jaffee has become MAD’s reseident artist for elaborate gimmicks and gadgets, including the popular MAD inside back cover fold-ins and the feature “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions.” Jaffee is a true artist who’s led an amazing life. He remains a regular in the magazine after 55 years and is its longest running contributor.
Sergio Aragones
Soon after he moved from Mexico to the United States in 1962, the “World’s Fastest Cartoonist” started contributing to MAD with his special brand of non-verbal gags, which often appeared in the margins of the magazine. He quickly became one of MAD’s featured artists. He also created several books and co-created the humorous magazine Plop for DC comics. During the early 1980′s he created Groo the Wanderer with Mark Evanier.
The Boston Comic Con is a 100% independently run comic book show committed to bringing the biggest and best comic creators to New England. Run by fans for fans, Boston Comic Con is not affiliated with any other convention tour or corporate interests. Hosting over 40,000 square feet of vendors selling comic books, toys, posters, trading cards, and other pop culture memorabilia, this is a destination event for geeks of any stripe. The convention will be held Saturday April 21st and Sunday April 22nd at the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, Boston, MA from 10am to 5pm each day. For more information please go to our website at www.bostoncomiccon.com and follow us on Twitter (@BostonComicCon) and Facebook!