Frank Jacobs

Frank Jacobs was an American satirist best known for his decades-long run at *Mad* magazine, where his parodic verses and song-lyric spoofs became a cornerstone of the publication. Born Franklin Jacobs on May 30, 1929, he contributed to *Mad* from 1957 until 2014, writing for over 40 issues of the magazine and its spin-offs such as *Mad Special* and *Tales Calculated to Drive You Mad*. His sharp, meticulously crafted light verse targeted everything from pop songs to classic poems, earning him a reputation as a master of the form. In 2009, he wryly called himself "the least-known writer of hysterical light verse in the United States." His 1961 parody "Blue Cross," a send-up of Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies," became a landmark in copyright law when it was part of the Supreme Court case *Berlin v. E.C. Publications*, which helped define the boundaries of parody. Jacobs's influence extended beyond the page; "Weird Al" Yankovic credited him with laying the template for his own career. Jacobs died on April 5, 2021, leaving a legacy as a quiet architect of American parody. He was inducted into the Harvey Awards' Hall of Fame in 2022.