What happened to Al Jaffee?

Al Jaffee, who had the longest-ever career as a cartoonist, has been reported dead. He holds the Guinness World Record for having the longest-ever career as a comic artist. He was an active cartoonist for 78 years; from 1942 to 2020. He worked for Mad Magazine for 65 years and was the company’s longest contributor.

He died at a Manhattan hospital on Monday, April 10, 2023, due to several organ failures. He was 102 years old at the time of death.

Jaffee started his career professionally in 1942 as an established and talented cartoonist who worked for several publications. He first worked for Jokers Comics in December 1942 and then moved to other publics like Timely Comics, Atlas Comics, and more. He once worked for Marvel Comics during the early part of his career.

He once shared that he considered himself an artist, strictly until editors and directors reviewed his portfolio in his early years.

“When prospective clients laughed and asked ‘Who wrote the gag?’ my response was, ‘I did, Sir.’ Which was very confusing since I didn’t realize any writing had taken place. I mean, writers used typewriters, smoked pipes, and wore scarves, right? When enough of them said, ‘Oh, you are a writer too?’ I took their word for it. Who was I to argue with my prospective employers?” he once shared during an interview.