The Usual Gang of Idiots

Published Wednesday, August 11, 2021

William M. Gaines, the publisher of MAD magazine, used to take the folks who worked for him on an annual trip to some exotic place. It was a way, he felt, to engender loyalty and productivity and to take a trip with a lot of funny people and then write it off as a business expense. The gent labelled #13 above probably advised him on this.

A lot of folks online have been trying to identify all the folks in this photo taken on one of those trips. As a public service, I sent it to my partner Sergio Aragonés and asked him to help out.

The online folks are theorizing this photo is from the 1960 trip, which was the first.  1960 was when Alfred E. Neuman made his first real bid at the presidency; ergo, the campaign poster and pins suggest that year.  Well, maybe…but Sergio is also certain the man on the far left is Paul Coker, Jr. and Mr. Coker did not have work in MAD until 1961…so maybe this is '61 or '62 in spite of the poster and pins.  It would have to be one of those three years since Sergio isn't in it.  His first MAD trip was 1963 and he was a steady participant after that.

Bill Gaines later decreed that freelancers had to have contributed some specified number of pages to the magazine during the previous twelve months in order to qualify for each year's MAD trip but Sergio says that rule came along later.  (The policy led to a great quip by longtime MAD writer Arnie Kogen when Gaines' mother died.  Someone asked Arnie if he was going to the funeral and he said, "I can't.  I don't have enough pages.")

If you look at the photo, you can see everyone is numbered. Here are his identifications…

Joe Orlando (Artist)

Frank Jacobs (Writer)

Jerry DeFuccio (Editorial Assistant)

Nick Meglin (Editorial Assistant)

Almost Certainly John Putnam (Art Director)

Maybe Larry Siegel (Writer)

Al Jaffee (Writer-Artist)

Unidentified

Paul Coker, Jr. (Artist)

Leonard Brenner (Production Manager)

Unidentified

Unidentified

Sidney Gwirtzman (Gaines' Accountant)

Unidentified

Al Feldstein (Editor)

Bob Clarke (Artist)

Dave Berg (Writer-Artist)

George Woodbridge (Artist)

Nancy Gaines (Gaines' Daughter)

William Gaines (Publisher)

Sergio is reasonably certain that one of the Unidentified men has to be Gaines' lawyer Marty Scheiman, who was credited for years in the masthead where it said, "Lawsuits: Martin J. Scheiman, Esq." Sergio is also reasonably certain that this photo does not contain any of the following people who were contributing to MAD at the time: Don Martin, Wallace Wood, Mort Drucker, Sy Reit, Gary Belkin, Frank Kelly Freas or Tom Koch.  That is, unless one of them is the guy in the Alfred E. Neuman mask which seems highly unlikely.It might or might not contain Larry Siegel, who was one of MAD's most prolific writers.  MAD's photographer at the time was a gent named Lester Krauss so it's possible he took the picture.  Or maybe someone else did and he's one of the Unidentifieds.  Or maybe he isn't there at all.  Who the hell knows?

Obviously, if anyone knows for sure what year this was or has corrections or additions, send 'em in.  And hey, take another look at the photo.  Doesn't it look like this is a bad, all-male road company of Guys and Dolls and Dave Berg is about to start singing "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat"?

Review: John Lloyd Young, Cafè Carlyle

I like the idea of approaching each performance with fresh eyes, the wonder of experiencing the musical collaboration as though it’s the first one I’ve seen. It’s a sort of great paradox, because while listening to the songs that are so wonderfully familiar, at times I catch myself floored by how significantly JLY has the capacity to add artistic nuance, a kind of subtlety that brings a new appreciation to the song as though you’re hearing it for the first time. There’s nothing quite like experiencing it with a friend who’s there for the first time, and there’s also something pretty fantastic about sharing it with old friends.

Last things first: I have a confession, I arrived a little early opening night, inadvertently overheard the sound check from out in the lobby, and listened as they ran “To make You Feel My Love” - JLY had previously posted a rough cut edition on his tumblr blog, a version so beautiful and heartfelt beyond any other version, but you know, hearing him perform this live essentially rendered me speechless. If I’m honest this is truly my favorite, (I have a lot of favorites) but this is the sort of song that sticks with you - it’s still playing in the back of my mind as I’m writing this.

JLY opened with “Stardust” and the audience LOVED the drum roll, and dramatic pause that ignited the song. This song is divine, and a spectacular way to begin this great set.

(Memory of the exact song order may be a bit skewed) JLY introduced the awesome group of musicians, Tommy Faragher, (Musical Director), John Putnam on guitar, Paul Socolow on bass and Sam Merrick “on skins.”

“Alright, let’s open up a vein,” and launched into “Hurt.” Lyrics and vocals just damn near shoot through the heart. More favorites to follow, Say No More, Ooh Baby Baby, Show and Tell, Unchained Melody, Ebb Tide and My Prayer. Oh. my. God. That’s all. (Except, RANGE!! Oh my god).

He spoke of how the set came about by various performances at Clint Eastwood’s private club, The White House (the “president’s private club” - haha!) and shared the story of his encounter with a teenage artist who had won an award for his poetry that resolved conflict with his father - (I think this is one of the most remarkable things of the Turnaround Arts program), and the discoveries he’d made/shared with the young artist - but what was so interesting was what he said about tweeting in his world - how 140 words doesn’t capture the essence of a valuable moment in life, or the fact that just because he doesn’t tweet about it doesn’t detract from the worthwhile things.

Sherry!!!

I love the idea that JLY purposefully included this song for fans who had never seen him perform in the stage musical of JB - he also sang Can’t Take My Eyes Off You - and you know, simply put, (no bias as I’m very appreciative of anyone who can sing these songs) - there just isn’t anyone who has his extraordinary range when he performs Sherry & Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. It’s possible I love Sherry more as a solo than the quartet. Ok, more than possible. Not sorry.

The first time I heard JLY sing in another language, it was back in 2013, in Spanish, and I recall not fully understanding all the lyrics - but I understood the beauty of the melody. It was the same sort of feeling with the interpretation of the Mandarin song “Ming Ri Tian Ya” (if tomorrow comes) and it’s a feeling of quiet appreciation of the considerable amount of work and precision that must have gone into learning/performing this song, I may not understand the lyrics, but I was transported to a place faraway that comprised agony, heartache and despair. The arrangement and delivery of this song goes beyond.

Just One Smile

Another confession. This is a favorite, but predominantly for a friend, and each time the melody begins, my heart skips, because I know she is about to be reduced to a puddle of tears - The next night, when he sang this, I fell in my own puddle of tears, (but really who doesn’t - this song evokes emotion beyond articulation).

New music, collaborative efforts by Adam Zelkind, Tommy Faragher and JLY. Alone Together, Almost There, and Slow Dawn Calling - holy wow - the raw energy is so palpable when they perform these songs, it leaves you yearning for a CD to recapture it all; what they perhaps experienced when they created it, and each time they perform it. Music truly transcends.

Maybe I’m Amazed

Ok, so how is it possible to have so many favorites? What’s so amazing, is artists have such a limited amount of time on stage, and what they choose to perform speaks volumes - JLY dedicates this to the unrelenting support he has from his fans, and I think it touched every soul there. We don’t support him with the expectation of gratitude or reciprocity - we support him because we simply want to. We support his music, because he has the capacity to capture the lyric of an old standard - and leave a prominently unique mark of his own; we support him because his song writing and collaborative works are dynamite, and we’re excited for where it’s all heading. We support him because his growth as an artist over the years is something to be inspired by. We support him because of the way he inspires others. And when he sings this song, you don’t expect it, but he supports us for supporting him.

Congrats to John Lloyd Young, production/creative teams on this awe inspiring collaboration at the Carlyle. Simply the best.

Long ago five bloodlines were blessed by The Dark Lord with unimaginable power. The power of Demons on top of their birth blessed Witch powers. In return for these powers, these five bloodlines would be The Guardians of The Book of Damnation for all eternity, a book dictating everything about The Dark Lord, Satan, Lucifer Morningstar. From his birth to his fall, all his abilities and even his weaknesses. None were to read this book, only guard it. These bloodlines, Putnam, Danvers, Parry, Garwin & Simms took a vow of silence and formed The Covenant. At the age of thirteen males of these bloodlines are given a taste of the demonic power as to give their bodies time to grow accustom to the unholy power but females were given the full demonic ascension at the age of 16, while the males reached full ascension at age 18. These bloodlines were patriarchal and misogynistic, so they thought because their male offspring were given the power earlier, first, it meant that it was their Satan given right to subjugate the witches of their lines.....of course this did not go over well and a civil war was waged amongst the families. As a way to get rid of the witches of their lines, warlocks from four of the bloodlines instigated the Salem witch hunts and trials, but the Putnam Warlocks thought this was going too far, they spoke out saying by doing this they would be not only sending those Witch Hunters after their bloodline’s witches but also every witch in existence! The other bloodlines saw these words as traitorous and cast the Putnam line out of the Coven and ran them out of town. The Putnams fled the witch hunts. They settled in Greendale but did not join the witches there. They remained hidden in Mortal sight but still the Putnam line was patriarchal and misogynistic so any females born to their stock were culled at birth.....until Joe Putnam was told he would only have one chance at having a child before he went sterile. He prayed to Satan for a son but was ultimately given a daughter and because he knew his brother, Jesse would never sire children, His daughter Susie would be the only continuation of the Putnam lineage. So, he swore he would love her with all his heart no matter what and teach her all he knows to prepare her for the dark world around them.~

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This is all I’ve got......if anyone wants to pick this crossover idea up, you have no idea how happy that would make me! I thought maybe after CAOS part 2 Theo could come clean to the fright club and tell them he might know something that could help them truly defeat Satan and get Nick back (The Book of Damnation) They would go to Ipswich and meet the current Covenant.....Caleb, Pogue, Reid & Tyler....Chase could still be in here as a being from a different branch of the Putnam bloodline......and I don’t know, someone PLEASE pick this up *sobs*

365 Day Movie Challenge (2018) - #139: Trash (1970) - dir. Paul Morrissey

(Warning: some spoilers ahead.)

Following Flesh, the second film in director Paul Morrissey/producer Andy Warhol’s New York City trilogy starring Joe Dallesandro was Trash, a grimy drama that could easily serve as a public service announcement to keep people away from heroin forever. We follow addict Joe Smith (Dallesandro) as he drifts through his static life’s various mundane activities: walking his dog, shooting up, sleeping on the floor in his apartment while his libidinous girlfriend Holly (the great Holly Woodlawn) complains about his erectile dysfunction and satisfies herself with a beer bottle instead.

Joe and Holly do whatever they must to get a fix, which generally involves hooking up with an assortment of strangers. Joe’s conquests include go-go dancer Geri (Geri Miller), who replicates her nude stage show for Joe but cannot arouse him; LSD-obsessed Rich Girl (Andrea Feldman), who picks Joe up on the street and takes him back to her place (her voice must be heard to be believed; watch this clip if you dare); wealthy newlyweds Jane (Jane Forth, another actress with a fascinatingly grating voice) and Bruce (Bruce Pecheur), who argue about the state of their marriage while Joe comes close to fatally overdosing; and Johnny (John Putnam), a teenager whose plans to attend a concert at the Fillmore are derailed when he meets Holly and she convinces him to go home with her to score some drugs.

The specter of death hangs over Trash: Andrea Feldman, who also co-starred with Joe Dallesandro in Paul Morrissey’s Heat in 1972, committed suicide that year by throwing herself out of the window of her Greenwich Village apartment; Bruce Pecheur was murdered while protecting his wife from a burglar in his West Village apartment in 1973 (a tragic irony since his character in Trash meets Joe after the latter breaks into his apartment, hoping to steal some items to get him his next high). Even so, parts of Trash are really funny, particularly any of the scenes with Holly Woodlawn, a groundbreaking transgender actress who was one of the most genuinely talented performers among the Warhol Superstars. Most of the “acting” by Trash’s cast is flat, but Woodlawn radiated energy and emotion. She’s particularly funny in her first scene with teenage Johnny, quizzing him on his sexual history - “Listen, what kinda sex you like?” “Oh, just about anything.” “So what’s that? Anything covers a lotta territory.” - and in the aforementioned beer bottle masturbation segment, during which she tries to calmly continue a discussion with Joe about taking care of her sister’s baby and subsequently using public assistance checks to cover their drug habit, but her lust scrambles the connection between her mind and body and she suddenly shouts, “Oh, God, I want welfare!” I laughed pretty hard.

The ending of the film is an especial tour de force for Holly Woodlawn. After discovering Joe in bed with her pregnant sister (Diane Podel), Holly conveys the drama of betrayal with a bitter tirade that may have helped (reportedly) inspire the legendary director George Cukor to campaign for her to get an Oscar nomination. Despite the lack of industry recognition for Holly Woodlawn’s obvious talent, Trash remains a compelling document. It’s not a great film, but for those who are curious, it’s worth the time.

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, 1953