# MAD's Al Feldstein has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 1, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407 "2014-05-01T00:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/21 "2014-05-02T00:29:21Z")
_Mad_ certainly did plant a bit of healthy cynicism in many impressionable young minds, which I call a civic service to the Republic. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/22 "2014-05-02T01:35:09Z")
Being a bad parent, I bought my daughter a subscription to Mad when she was twelve. She loves it. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/23 "2014-05-02T01:58:19Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Funeral arrangements by Veeblefetzer, Inc. Before the explosion. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/24 "2014-05-02T02:32:56Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > MAD was instrumental in imparting a certain **bent** to my worldview that’s still in evidence Well-chosen word! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/25 "2014-05-02T17:41:12Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Before the explosion. “So long, suckers!” ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/26 "2014-05-02T21:41:19Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > > [@ftg](#): > > > > Funeral arrangements by Veeblefetzer, Inc. > > Before the explosion. Has the president of North American Veeblefetzer _ever_ disclosed what a Veeblefetzer is used for? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/27 "2014-05-02T21:51:10Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > Has the president of North American Veeblefetzer _ever_ disclosed what a Veeblefetzer is used for? For fetzing veebles, what else? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/28 "2014-05-03T00:26:29Z")
And a furshlugginer is a man who shluggins furs. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/29 "2014-05-03T10:56:46Z")
This thread is suitable for framing. Or wrapping fish. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/30 "2014-05-03T13:49:16Z")
Let’s all hope he made it on board that big zeppelin in the sky! :o ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/31 "2014-05-03T23:19:44Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > Has the president of North American Veeblefetzer _ever_ disclosed what a Veeblefetzer is used for? It’s for pitting potrzebies, of course! ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/32 "2014-05-03T23:42:11Z")
#@%®¢& ! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/33 "2014-05-19T03:21:01Z")
Poit! ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/34 "2014-05-19T21:27:10Z")
Wow, I missed this the first time around. I didn’t appreciate the effect you had on me at the time, Al. In retrospect, you were indispensable. See ya, old timer! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/35 "2014-05-20T13:48:29Z")
I loved _Mad_ when I was a kid. Rest in peace, Al, and thanks for all the laughs. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/36 "2014-05-20T16:28:53Z")
Are potrzebie and fershlugginer Hebrew words? Or maybe just Hebrew-sounding words? I remember Mad also had “spa fon” as an exclamation, but never found out what it meant. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/37 "2014-05-20T16:35:31Z")
Actually “Spa Fon” originated in the pre-Mad magazine EC science fiction comics. It was an exclamation that some aliens said. Here’s an (maybe the original) example. > **[Spa Fon – Mars Will Send No More](https://marswillsendnomore.wordpress.com/tag/spa-fon/)** > > Posts about Spa Fon written by Mars Will Send No More In the 60’s both “Spa Fon” and “Squa Tront” were used as the titles of EC fanzines. Edited to add - the statement on that page I linked to that reads: “They were the names of fanzines put out by Frank Frazetta in the 1950s.” is incorrect. The fanzines were published in the 60’s and, although they frequently featured work by Frazetta, they were not put out by him. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/38 "2014-05-20T16:52:04Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Are potrzebie and fershlugginer Hebrew words? Or maybe just Hebrew-sounding words? Potrzebie is a Polish word, meaning something like “as needed” (it originally appeared in Mad as a cut-and-paste from the multilingual instructions accompanying a bottle of Aspirin). It is pronounced something like “pot SHEB ya,” although to me it is forever “POT-ra-zee-bee.” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/39 "2014-05-20T16:56:17Z")
\*Furshlugginer \*is Yiddish. \*Axolotl \*is Nahuatl. Thanks for helping make me who I am today, Al. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407/40 "2014-05-27T14:54:25Z")
Just remember, though, that it’s crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mads-al-feldstein-has-died/687407.md?page=1)