Caricaturist and illustrator Mort Drucker has passed away at the age of 91. He was best known for his humorous cartoons with MAD magazine, where he used his art to satirise pop culture for decades.
The artist’s cause of death remains unknown, though his good friend John Reiner and the National Cartoonists Society have confirmed his death.
American MAD magazine cartoonist Mort Drucker has passed away at the age of 91. His cause of death has not been specified.
Tom Richmond, a member of The National Cartoonists Society, promptly wrote a tribute for the cartoonist.
“Mort was a true master of the craft of visual storytelling, and his work transcended the boundaries of the different applications of the comic medium. He could do it all, from realistic comic book work to the silliest of cartoons to everything in between.”
Drucker was a self-taught illustrator who joined the MAD magazine roster of artists in 1956. His illustrations helped the magazine grow to fame, making it one of the most widely spread and influential paperback mags in history. The magazine and its cartoons were among the most famous in the world throughout the ’60s and ’70s. Ducker’s illustrations portrayed satirical versions of celebrities, politicians, and many other famous figures. His images shaped the personality of the magazine.
“He had just a supernatural ability to capture the likenesses of political leaders, Hollywood stars and cultural figures,” said critic David Apatoff. “He was the centrepiece for that magazine. He was the glue that kept it together.”
Drucker eventually began to illustrate TV show and movie parodies, including Saturday Night Fever, Forrest Gump, and Star Wars. By 2000, Drucker revealed that he had drawn pretty much everyone in Hollywood.
While you’re here, check out an archive of every MAD cover ever made.
