Mad #200

In a delightfully absurd twist on *Close Encounters of the Third Kind*, Mad #200’s “Clod Encounters of the Absurd Kind” turns alien contact into a nationwide spree of ridiculous behavior—where ordinary folks, including a man named Jo, start acting completely out of character, all because of a mysterious signal from the stars. The story’s satire unfolds with deadpan wit and typeset lettering that perfectly matches its mock-serious tone.

In a delightfully absurd twist on high school tradition, Mad #200’s "Graduating Class Pictures as Staged by Some of the World's Best-Known Picture-Makers" imagines the yearbook photos of a graduating class reinterpreted through the wildly distinct lenses of cinematic legends like Fellini, Hitchcock, and Spielberg—each director bringing their signature style to the mundane moment. The result is a satirical parade of exaggerated visual flourishes, from Busby Berkeley’s choreographed chaos to Peckinpah’s dramatic tension, all captured in the magazine’s signature deadpan wit.