Mad #523

Mad's October 2013 "Special War on Privacy Issue" arrives with a cover by Mark Fredrickson that pulls no punches: a grinning caricature of President Obama in a wide-brimmed hat and trenchcoat parts his coat to reveal MAD's beloved Spy vs. Spy duo — the black spy and the white spy — armed with surveillance cameras, binoculars, and ray guns, all set against the unmistakable backdrop of the Oval Office. It's a sharp, timely visual gag that captures the era's heated national conversation about government surveillance and personal privacy. Also inside, Peter Kuper handles writing, art, and inks for "The Fundalini Pages," plus parodies of Homeland, Planet Tad, and 50 Shades of Grey round out what looks like a thoroughly satisfying issue.