Al Jaffee Dead or Alive

Al Jaffee, the legendary MAD magazine cartoonist, wrote and drew this two-issue series for New American Library in 1980–1981. A playful, self-aware caper, it follows a hapless cartoonist who must keep his own comic strip alive—literally—by staying one step ahead of a murderous syndicate. Jaffee’s trademark wit and intricate, gag-packed artwork are on full display in this short-lived but inventive blend of metafiction and adventure.