Frank Jacobs | |
|---|---|
| Born | Franklin Jacobs[1] (1929-05-30)May 30, 1929 Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.[2] |
| Died | April 5, 2021(2021-04-05) (aged 91) Tarzana, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Satirist |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Satire, music |
| Years active | 1957-2014 |
| Notable works | Mad |
Franklin Jacobs (May 30, 1929 – April 5, 2021[3][4]) was an American author of satires, known primarily for his work inMad, to which he contributed from 1957 to 2014. Jacobs wrote a wide variety of lampoons and spoof, but was best known as a versifier who contributedparodies of famous song lyrics and poems.[5] In 2009, Jacobs described himself as "the least-known writer of hysterical light verse in the United States."[6]
In 2021, musical parodist"Weird Al" Yankovic told theWashington Post, “I absolutely devoured every issue [ofMad], and Frank Jacobs was a big reason for that obsession. I can’t swear that Frank’s work was my first-ever exposure to the art form of parody, but it was definitely the first time I had seen the craft approached with that much skill, wit and attention to detail. Frank laid out the template for me — he irrevocably changed my DNA.”[7]
Jacobs appeared in the sixth chapter ofPBS' comedy documentary,Make 'em Laugh: The Funny Business of America singing "Blue Cross", his own 1961 parody ofIrving Berlin's "Blue Skies". That lyric was one of 25 that were the subject ofBerlin v. E.C. Publications, Inc., a precedent-setting case that was appealed to theSupreme Court and helped to define the boundaries ofparody in American law.[8][9]
Bored by his work in a public relations firm, Jacobs found a copy of the magazine and thought "I can do this." When the firm folded Jacobs went toMad.[10]
Jacobs' first submission to the magazine, "Why I Left the Army and Became a Civilian," resulted in an immediate sale and a request for more material. It was one of five Jacobs pieces to appear in issue #33 (June 1957), marking a prodigious debut for theMad contributor. His byline subsequently appeared in more than 300 issues of the magazine, second only toDick DeBartolo amongMad writers who did not also illustrate their own work.[11] Jacobs had more than 575 credits for the magazine, more than any other writer and second only to writer/artistAl Jaffee.[12] At his peak, Jacobs was writing a fifth of the magazine's content. "My top year, I sold 60 pages... so you get an idea of the roll I was on," Jacobs told an interviewer.[6] 165 separate issues ofMad include multiple articles written by Jacobs.
Jacobs established numerous recurring features inMad, including fabricated obituaries for fictional characters from various genres, and the "Do-It-Yourself Newspaper Stories" which offer a series of fill-in-the-blank options.[13][14]
Jacobs wrote 13 paperback books under theMad imprint, includingMad for Better or Verse, a collection of poetry parodies, as well as the biographyThe Mad World ofWilliam M. Gaines.[5]
One of Jacobs' non-Mad-related projects was the 1965Alvin Steadfast on Vernacular Island, a gentle spoof of post-Victorian boys' books. The titular hero is a ten-year-old boy, who joins an adult explorer on Vernacular Island, a place populated by bizarre and wonderful creatures such as the Standing Ovation, the Ill Omen, the Glowing Report and the Ugly Rumor. The two humans go in search of the Doubt, and as their adventure takes them into the jungle, even more fabulous creatures are encountered. The originalDial Press edition was illustrated byEdward Gorey, in a non-characteristic whimsical style unlike his usual gleefully dark drawings. Jacobs' writing is only lightly cynical, with more of an emphasis on wordplay, puns and gentle humor.[15]
Jacobs contributed to other magazines, includingOui,Playboy,Town and Country,New York,Sports Illustrated,Saturday Review,Punch andSignature.
At the 2009San Diego Comic-Con, Jacobs received the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing.[5]
Jacobs' work appears in most of theMad reprint compilations. TwoMad compendiums containing only reprinted work by Jacobs have been published: "MAD Zaps the Human Race" in 1984, and "Mad's Greatest Writers: Frank Jacobs - Five Decades of His Greatest Works" in 2015.
He wrote 13 paperback books of new material under theMad brand name:
Jacobs also contributed scripts toDon Martin's original paperbacks. In 2000, he provided the commentary for "'Mad' Cover to Cover," a book of the magazine's cover images.
Jacobs, Frank, 1929-
Jacobs, Frank, 1929-
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