Mad #429

Mad Magazine's May 2003 issue puts SpongeBob SquarePants front and center — literally — with a close-up cover image of the grinning, freckled, gap-toothed sponge in his white shirt and red tie, cheekily holding up a sign that reads "Inside: SpongeBob Squeezed Dry!" The cover also teases X2 outtakes and a 24 takeoff, signaling a packed issue of pop-culture skewering. Fans of Bikini Bottom absurdity will want to seek out the "Spongebob Scrapbook!!!" feature, written and drawn by Peter Kuper.