Arnie Kogen

Arnie Kogen is an American comedy writer best known for his decades-long tenure at *Mad* magazine, where he penned over a hundred film and television parodies. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish parents, he began contributing to *Mad* shortly after graduating from New York University. His early career included writing for top stand-up comics such as Don Adams, Morty Gunty, and Jan Murray, before moving into television for *Candid Camera*, *The Les Crane Show*, *The Jackie Gleason Show*, and *The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson*. In 1965, he co-wrote the feature film *Birds Do It*, starring Soupy Sales.

Relocating to California in 1968, Kogen amassed an extensive list of variety and sitcom credits, including *The Dean Martin Show*, *The Carol Burnett Show*, *The Mary Tyler Moore Show*, *The Rich Little Show*, *The Tim Conway Show*, *The Golden Globes* (1972–1975), *Donny and Marie*, *An Evening at the Improv*, *Newhart*, *Empty Nest*, and *MADtv*. He also crafted material for entertainers like Steve and Eydie, Totie Fields, Flip Wilson, Jackie Vernon, Sammy Davis Jr., Debbie Reynolds, Connie Stevens, and Shelley Berman.

Kogen earned three Emmy Awards from seven nominations and one Writers Guild of America Award from three nominations. His son, Jay Kogen, is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and an original writer for *The Simpsons*; his late daughter, Jill Arons, worked at *The Bingo Bugle*.