Mad #369

Mad #369 (May 1998) takes aim at one of the biggest pop-culture moments of the year with a cover that's equal parts gorgeous and ridiculous — a dramatically sinking ocean liner rendered in vivid detail, while in the foreground a lone "Titanic" life preserver bobs in the dark water with nothing but a pair of sneakered feet sticking out of it. Cover artists Angelo Torres and Mick McGinty nail the parody perfectly, delivering a painterly night scene that's genuinely striking before the absurdity of those sneakers hits you. Inside, the magazine promises to "sink" Titanic, Hanson, The X-Files, and Pop-Up Videos, making this issue a sharp satirical snapshot of 1998 in full swing.