Mad #440

Mad #440 features a wonderfully exaggerated caricature by Mark Fredrickson of a big-headed man reading a copy of Mad magazine, set against a sparkling blue stage-lit background — with a speech bubble cheerfully informing readers that this "dreadful magazine only appeals to morons like you." Inside, the April 2004 issue promises satirical takes on American Idol, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, The Apprentice, Joan of Arcadia, and more. It's a quintessential Mad package — self-deprecating, gleefully irreverent, and packed with targets ripe for skewering.