Mad's Al Jaffee Spews Out Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions

by Al Jaffee

Cartoons suggest humorous comebacks to stupid questions and show how they can sometimes backfire

Genres: Humor, Comics, Fiction, Childrens, Cartoon

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1968

About the author

Allan Jaffee was an American cartoonist. He was notable for his work in the satirical magazine Mad, including his trademark feature, the Mad Fold-in. Jaffee was a regular contributor to the magazine for 65 years and is its longest-running contributor. In a 2010 interview, Jaffee said, "Serious people my age are dead."
With a career running from 1942 until 2020, Jaffee holds the Guinness World Record for having the longest career as a comic artist. In the half-century between April 1964 and April 2013, only one issue of Mad was published without containing new material by Jaffee.
In 2008, Jaffee was honored by the Reuben Awards as the Cartoonist of the Year. Cartoonist Arnold Roth of The New Yorker said, "Al Jaffee is one of the great cartoonists of our time." Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz wrote, "Al can cartoon anything."

Reviews

[Phil]

A very fun, snarky read. Al Jaffee presents (as the title suggests) sarcastic replies to stupid questions. A guy emerging from a body of water and another guy says "did you go swimming?" and the replies are "no, I just walked from Europe" or "no, I was walking my pet fish"-- you get the picture! While published in 1969, this does not have a dated feel. 3 snarky stars!

[Camilla]

This is a one-sitting kind of read, and I was chuckling most of the way through it. I especially appreciate the outlandish, sarcastic comebacks. I'll be trying some of them out next chance I get.

[Canavan]

✭✭✭½

[Elisa Kemp]

My rating on this represents every book I've read with this title or any variant of it!
http://www.lambiek.net/artists/j/jaff...

[Pachyderm Bookworm]

From the meticulous mind and the fastidious free hand of MAD magazine's auspicious Al Jaffee comes this quintessential quagmire of a book, the first of many a voluminous volume of "snappy answers" to "stupid questions," said inquiries being all too continually and ubiquitously apparent, despite said first appearance of this edition in 1968.

[Mark]

Everyone of us has been asked a really stupid question (Are you awake?). This book offers suggestions on responses to those questions. I read this book for the first time in 1968 as a kid. Great book.

[Meredith]

Before memes, this is how people entertained themselves.

[Ulrike Bungert]

:-)

[David Thomas]

I inherited a yellowed old vintage copy of this from the 60's from my old man. Took about 20 minutes to read and delivered a good handful of chuckles.

[Nicholas Tanek]

I loved this book when I was a kid. Then, I grew up and figured out life is absurd, and we need a sense of humor to survive. I love this book even more now.

[J.S. Bratton]

Yecch!!!

[Brenna]

It all began one day back in the 1960s, according to Al Jaffee, when he was struggling with a television antenna atop his humble abode. After much time had passed, Mr. Jaffee - batched in sweat, cursing his source of frustration - heard the voice of his young son, fresh home from school:

"Where's Mom?"

The answer came to Jaffee instantly, and without regret: "I've killed her, and I'm stuffing her down the chimney!"

The world's very first official snappy answer to a stupid question. And this is the first official book dedicated to such.

A "stupid question" is, according to Jaffee, the kind fo question to which the answer is painfully obvious; Try asking a drenched pedestrian, "Is it raining?" or a man wading ashore toward the sunny beach, "Did you have a swim?" If all signs point to "Yes!", then a snappy answer is in order.

Sarcasm, being the lowest form of humour, can also be the funniest - if properly pointed. And Jaffee displays a collection of snappy answers which fail, too. They're not all winners, especially not if the recipient has no sense of humour.

And, as always, each scenario comes with no fewer than three zinging comebacks, as well as the ubiquitous space for readers to insert their own retorts:

"------------
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Or, perhaps, Jaffee is suggesting a long, silent, slow burn...?

No. Not a chance! Snap 'em out while they're hot!

[David]

Loved this book when I was a kid and loved that Bill from Freaks and Geeks did a book report on it and loved that I found it so I can read it again. Totally for geeks and nerds, I don't think others will "get it".

[Imran]

One of my all time favorite book. If you haven't read it.. read it!

[TagReads]

One of my favorite books ever!

[Naomi]

Let's just say that I read this book when I was 10 and still quote not only the book, but the title! A must read for any sarcastic person looking to fine tune their skills.

[FranklinTV]

The classic MAD book by Al Jaffee which started all the numerous sequels. A book I read repeatedly when I was young and still enjoy now.

[Michael P.]

This book is a combination of reprints from MAD magazine and some new material, but taken together the execution is quite perfect.

[Allie]

I was obsessed with this in middle school. My dad gave me all his old Peanuts and Mad books and I absolutely tore through them, but this was a particular favorite.