Mad #216

Jack Rickard's cover for Mad #216 (July 1980) delivers a perfectly deadpan visual gag: two elevator doors open side by side, each revealing a uniformed bellhop in red jacket and cap — one standing upright with a sour expression, the other tumbled sideways as if the car stopped at a very unexpected floor. The up-and-down arrow panels above each elevator only deepen the joke, suggesting nobody in this building has any idea where they're going. Inside, the usual gang of idiots promises parodies of Star Trek, the TV show Benson, and contributions from Don Martin, Dave Berg, and Al Jaffee — all for a very honest 75¢.