MAD Magazine, the legendary American comedy publication that ran from 1952 until 2018, spent its final decades skewering politics, current events, and pop culture through its signature multi-page parodies. Now, more than 30 years after these issues first hit magazine racks, a look back at five of the magazine’s most brilliant 1990s satires reveals why that decade stands as one of the high-points in the publication’s history — and why several of these jabs at Gremlins 2, The Flintstones, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Wizard of Oz, and Edward Scissorhands have not only held up but, in some cases, grown sharper with the passage of time.
For generations, MAD was the greatest source of comedy in print. Every month, the influential magazine — which spawned numerous imitators — lampooned everything from high politics to lowbrow entertainment, aided by legendary artists such as Mort Drucker and writers such as Dick DeBartolo. Its comic-book-like parodies left nothing sacred and put everyone, including beloved franchises, on trial. While there was always something to love about each new issue, the 1990s arguably represented a creative peak, and these five parodies capture why.
A Flintstones Jab with a Vintage Punchline
In issue number 331 from 1994, artist Angelo Torres and writer Dick DeBartolo turned their attention to The Flintstones to coincide with the release of the live-action movie starring John Goodman as Fred Flintstone. The multi-page piece is packed with small, clever jokes — including Dino’s quiet resentment of Barney the Dinosaur — but the standout is a running gag about how much of a rip-off The Flintstones is of the 1950s sitcom The Honeymooners. The characters repeatedly and accidentally call each other by their Honeymooners names, a wink that lands just as well today as it did at the turn of the decade.
The Turtles, Star Wars, and a Merchandising Rant
Artist Sam Viviano and writer Dick DeBartolo took on the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film in issue #298 from October 1990. Much of the parody leans into the idea that the characters resemble rip-offs of Star Wars figures — Splinter echoing Yoda and Shredder echoing Darth Vader — but the sharpest jokes target the merchandising juggernaut the Turtles had become. The best line arrives on the first page, when Splinter chases Raphael for beating up a pretzel vendor, insisting the turtles must stay hidden from public view.
“We must not be seen anywhere!” Splinter shouts, “except on licensed lunch boxes, sweat shirts, hats, bendable dolls, watches, and our Saturday cartoon show and Nintendo games!”
Sam Viviano and Dick DeBartolo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles parody
The line remains a perfect distillation of 1990s toy-store culture, and it reads even more pointedly today as a critique of franchise over-commercialization.
Gremlins 2 and a Trump Prophecy
In the same October 1990 issue, artist Mort Drucker and writer Stan Hart took on Gremlins 2. As much as Gremlins 2 was itself already a parody, the MAD team managed to squeeze out jokes that actually play better in 2026 than they did in 1990. The secret lies in the character Daniel Clamp, played by John Glover in the film — an obvious stand-in for Donald Trump even then. In the five-page parody, the character is renamed “Donald Chump” and redrawn to look exactly like Trump, complete with gags about his greed and sleaziness. One panel, in which a female Gremlin becomes Chump’s secretary and he muses about taking advantage of her at the company Christmas party, echoes the behavior of the very real political figure the character was always meant to evoke.
A Wizard of Oz Recast That Only Gets Funnier
This is another parody whose comedy is enhanced by a quarter-century of context. In issue number 300 from January 1991, MAD delivered a 1990s take on The Wizard of Oz in which the movie was recast with celebrities of the era. Some names remain recognizable — Vanna White as the Good Witch of the North — while others have faded into near-oblivion, such as Tammy Faye Bakker as the Wicked Witch. The best casting choice, however, assigns the Wizard to Donald Trump. Rather than granting whimsical gifts at the story’s end, he hands the heroes a stream of loathsome advice, including encouraging the Scarecrow to get into selling junk bonds.
Edward Scissorhands and a Deadly Gag
Artist Angelo Torres and writer Dick DeBartolo spoofed Edward Scissorhands in issue number 304 from 1991. Most of the parody pokes fun at the film’s many idiosyncrasies — questioning why Edward was given scissor hands at all, or why any woman would bring him home in the first place. A fun running gag sees Edward cutting every hedge into licensed characters, including the Simpsons and Big Bird. But the best joke arrives in a flashback to the death of Vincent Price’s character, the Inventor: as the old man begins to choke on food, Edward attempts the Heimlich maneuver and slices him in half.
Looking Ahead
Though MAD Magazine ceased publication in 2018, these 1990s parodies continue to resonate with readers who remember the original releases and newcomers discovering them for the first time. The enduring appeal lies in the fact that the source material — blockbuster films and beloved franchises — remains culturally relevant, allowing the jokes to age gracefully. As fans revisit these issues online and in archives, the magazine’s signature irreverence proves once again why it earned its place as a comedy institution, leaving behind a body of work that, decades later, still has plenty of teeth.
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