SKETCHY CHARACTERS DEPT.
Today's "Usual Gang of Idiots Spotlight" is on artist Anton Emdin! Below is his illustration for "The Real Reasons Pope Benedict Resigned," written by Jeff Kruse.
To read the full piece, pick up MAD #521, on sale now at newsstands AND on your iPad! But don't stop there: subscribe to MAD today! Get the print edition here and the iPad version here!
CARNIVAL KNOWLEDGE DEPT.
IT’S A GOOD ZING DEPT.
With high-profile stars like Zach Braff pitching projects on Kickstarter, it was inevitable that other sites would also begin hosting notable celebrities desperately in need of...not money, but companionship! It seems that even a one-person conglomerate like Martha Stewart needs some help meeting the guys! (At least she didn’t go to Craigslist!) Of course, on dating sites, being truthful is prized, and that’s why we think “glue gun” Martha should go with our suggestions for a tell-it-like-it-is approach!
Recently, Donald Trump posted a tweet about Jon Stewart that many felt was anti-Semitic. We don’t want to go after Trump for being religiously insensitive — after all, there are so many larger reasons to hate him! This is really just the tip of the disgusting, attention-whoring iceberg. Still, if he’s going to be active on social media, he should really go for the full experience. And we’re happy to help with our new feature, "A Selfie We'd Like to See."
REESE IN PIECES DEPT.
When Reese Witherspoon’s husband was pulled over for DUI over the weekend, she acted as any normal human being would: by pulling out her fading “celebrity card,” informing the officer that he was “about to find out who I am.” Despite an apology today — in which she blamed her rant on “one drink too many” — it’s now pretty clear exactly who she is.
A FLU GOOD MEN DEPT.
Time magazine recently revealed their "100 Most Influential People." And that’s exciting — but what we’re really psyched about is next week’s issue — just in time for the end of cold and flu season!
DON’T MESS WITH TAXES DEPT.
Today is tax day! And you know what that means: um...it’s the day you pay your taxes! (Sorry, the name is kind of a giveaway...) Anyway — even though it’s a terrible, boring and wallet-draining time, there’s one sure-fire way to make it more enjoyable...see what the stars are doing! So, to help ease the pain, we thought we’d take a look at what some celebrity taxpayers are writing off as deductions this year!
BUSY AS A BIEBER DEPT.
Justin Bieber is a teenage multimillionaire who’s constantly in the public eye — that’s a lot of pressure to be under. Fortunately, he’s found a way to cope...by going completely ape-poop bonkers! Just in the last few weeks, he’s been two hours late for a concert, tried (and failed) to fight paparazzo, spat in his neighbor’s face and had his pet monkey confiscated (we’ve all been there on that one). They say that fame is fleeting — apparently, so is Justin’s grasp on reality.
GOOD SWILL AMBASSADOR DEPT.
Who do you think the first American to meet with North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un would be? The Secretary of State? Our U.N. Ambassador? How about ex-basketball wacko and noted hair color and piercing enthusiast Dennis Rodman? After watching basketball and eating sushi together, Rodman said he thought Un was a "great guy,” even though the teeny despot is a known human rights violator. (Rodman may not have noticed that, since he is used to dealing with NBA team owners!) An incoherent interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos by Rodman cinched the notion that he and Un are cut from the same cloth — a mentally-challenged, clownbird crazy cloth.
