Worst Things About the Mad Magazine Reboot

In April 2018, MAD Magazine decided to hit the reset button. After over 60 years and 550 issues of irreverent brilliance, it wiped the slate clean and called the next issue MAD #1. Sure, they claimed it was a fresh start. But to longtime fans, it felt more like watching your favorite sarcastic uncle shave his eyebrows, start saying "lit," and swap his cynicism for safe, recycled quips. Something's off. And you're not alone in thinking so.

The reboot didn't just tweak a few things. It bulldozed the old charm and tried to rebuild it using parts that didn't quite fit. What used to be a razor-sharp commentary machine now often sounds like it's trying to remember what made it funny in the first place. Some sections feel like time capsules from the 1950s. Others seem like they're auditioning for approval from Twitter teens. It's weird. Not weird in the good MAD way, just weird in the "Who asked for this?" kind of way.

So here's your chance to chime in. What annoys you most about the new version? What did they mess up, miss, or mangle beyond recognition?

The Top Ten

It was unnecessary

For me, issue #550 was THE final issue of MAD magazine in its original incarnation. I did not buy the premiere issue of the rebooted MAD magazine and I absolutely refuse to buy that issue or any further issues that follow. Makes no sense at all for this stupid reboot to be in existence. Of course, the dumbasses running MAD never had any sense to begin with. I don't want the new MAD and don't need it. It's just pure liberal communistic crap anyway!

The reboot is vile, humorless, and leftist. I say peddle your psychotic politics elsewhere. Although it has always been a left-leaning publication, I certainly miss the far tamer, hilarious Mad magazine of the 60s-90s. I am paid up for the next one and a half years, but honestly, I do not even want the remaining issues due to me. What a shame. Sergio Aragones is still on target, though, and I must admit, the art and characterizations are noteworthy. I have always appreciated Sergio's contribution to Mad magazine. What a shame.
It came out of nowhere

The only foreshadowing of the reboot of the well-known and idiotic magazine was in the very last issue before it. As far as I remember, there was no foreshadowing placed on their social media or anything like that, and no one thought it was doing badly either.
It focuses on what the magazine was like in the 1950s in many parts

Again, I did not ask for MAD Magazine to be like it was back in their very first decade. They keep placing articles in their magazine reminiscing about their issues in the 50s, which was not even a great decade for MAD. They have been making some of their comics styled like they were back then, and they even changed the font of their title to the way it was back then. I really did not think this was necessary back then.
They're trying to be trendy

You know, when I said they keep focusing on the 50s at an annoying rate in some parts, well, in other parts, there are these single panel comics on what used to be the Fundalini pages, I guess? What was in there was something you would usually see as a webcomic on Google images or one of those slideshow maker YouTubers, and they even referenced Tide Pods in one of the panels. This is not the Fundalini Pages I remember, and this better not be what we will be seeing in future issues.
Alfred's words of wisdom are weaker

The famous mascot of MAD magazine used to have very clever things to say like, "Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life - Because you will be unemployed", or "It is funny how no one is ever so busy that they cannot find the time to complain about how busy they are". Now, they are just spread between random panels using the inside jokes of the magazine itself. Yes, ha ha. Mad Magazine is dumb and idiotic, but this is too far.
The Fundalini pages were replaced

There used to be the best of the idiotical, which had dumb movie poster spoofs, startling similarities and differences, celebs without their makeup, etc. They later got merged with the Fundalini pages, which I could get used to. However, after being replaced with shorts and briefs, it is now filled with many single panel comics that do not even make sense. Just like I said in the "Trying to be trendy" part.
The Wisenheim Museum was added

Same thing that I said about the thing about MAD being just like they were in the 1950s.
The theming for each magazine is all over the place
They now include swearing
They moved Letters and Tomatoes to the end of the magazine