Mad #295

Mad #295 (June 1990) takes direct aim at Back to the Future II with the magazine's signature absurdist wit. John Caldwell's cover sets the satirical tone perfectly: a cameraman hoists his equipment behind a Director's chair while a bewildered Producer looks on — and between them, an unfortunate "Special Effects" guy has been crammed upside-down into a wooden crate, golf clubs rattling out the top. It's a sharp, cheerfully chaotic gag about Hollywood filmmaking that makes the promise of "smacking" the blockbuster sequel feel very well earned.