Rare Book & Manuscript Library
 

Al Jaffee Papers, 1945-2018

Summary Information

Abstract

Al Jaffee (born March 13, 1921) is a comic artist best known for creating MAD magazine's iconic Fold-In feature. The collection contains extensive original artwork, including sketches, tracings, and proofs documenting Jaffee's creative process. Publishing and commission contracts, correspondence, clippings, and a small amount of programs and ephemera from fan conventions and other public appearances are also included.

At a Glance

Call No.: MS#1658
Bib ID 10277813 View CLIO record
Creator(s) Jaffee, Al
Title Al Jaffee Papers, 1945-2018
Physical Description 50 linear feet (7 record cartons, 9 manuscript boxes, 24 flat boxes, 1 tube, and 3 map case folders)
Language(s) English .
Access You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

The following boxes are located off-site: Boxes 1, 22-28, and 32-40. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least two days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions.

Arrangement

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 4 series. Materials in each series are arranged in chronological order.

Description

Summary

The collection contains includes artwork, correspondence, fan mail, contracts and publishing records, news clippings, inscribed books, and ephemera documenting the career of the comic artist and frequent MAD Magazine contributor Al Jaffee. Though Jaffee's career in comics spans eight decades, the bulk of the collection dates from the 1990s through the 2010s.

Series I and II contain extensive original artwork, including sketches, tracings, and proofs documenting Jaffee's creative process. Some additional artwork created for friends and family members, most notably a group of handmade cards for Joyce Jaffee, is included in Series IV.

  • Series I: MAD magazine, 1964-2018

    Materials documenting every stage of the creative process are present in Series I for most of the Fold-Ins Jaffee created for MAD magazine between 2004 and 2018. Some cartoons used for Jaffee's MAD feature "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions" and other, smaller MAD projects are also included.

  • Series II: Other comics and illustrations, 1945-2014

    Series II contains original art created by Jaffee for other entities than MAD. These include the New York Herald-Tribune-syndicated cartoon "Tall Tales" (1958-1965) and several other unpublished cartoons that were created for potential newspaper syndication. The series also includes illustrations and background research for Jaffee's 2009 biography, Al Jaffee's MAD Life, and illustrations for the Moshiach Times' "The Shpy" dating from circa 1990s to 2013. Sketches, proofs, and tear sheets of advertisements and other contract work done by Al Jaffee are included as well.

  • Series III: Panels, conventions, exhibitions, and press, 1964-2017

    Series III includes materials related to Jaffee's appearances in public events and in the press. Clippings of interviews with Jaffee and reviews of his work are included. Some material related to Jaffee's 2006 retrospective exhibition, "Is This the Al Jaffee Art Exhibit?" at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art is also included. In addition, there are programs and other ephemera from panels, fan conventions (cons) at which Jaffee appeared, and comic arts industry award ceremonies circa 2000s-2010s. Publishing and commission contracts and related correspondence are also included, as is a small amount of documentation related to the sale or donation of original artwork by Al Jaffee.

  • Series IV: Correspondence and personal materials, circa 1970s-2017

    Series IV includes correspondence with other cartoonists and fan mail. It also includes books inscribed to Al Jaffee by his colleagues. Materials related to Al Jaffee's 90th and 95th birthday parties—large events attended by many of Jaffee's colleagues in comic arts—are also included. Finally, Series IV includes a group of birthday and anniversary cards made for Joyce Jaffee by Al Jaffee, and several boxes of books inscribed to Al Jaffee.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

The following boxes are located off-site: Boxes 1, 22-28, and 32-40. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least two days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Al Jaffee Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Selected Related Material

Oral History interview with Al Jaffee, 2016: Interview of Al Jaffee by Suzanne Snider on March 18, March 21, and December 21, 2016.

Al Jaffee Sampling of Correspondence, 1962-2002: At the Ohio State University's Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. Contains fan mail, Jaffee's correspondence with other cartoonists, and an audiocassette of an interview with Toni Mendez regarding her role in founding the National Cartoonists Society.

Accruals

The first group of materials was received in May 2013. Additional accretions were received in November 2013, April 2014, December 2014, and July 2018. Additions are expected.

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library by Al and Joyce Jaffee in installments between 2013 and 2018.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Inscribed books processed ceh 06/21/2013.

Collection processed by Celeste Brewer. Finding aid written by Celeste Brewer in September 2018 and January 2019.

Artwork is physically arranged by size. Much of the collection's research value is in its demonstration of Jaffee's artistic process; as such, materials from individual projects were physically grouped together whenever possible.

Revision Description

2019-01-25 File created.

2019-01-31 xml document instance created by Celeste Brewer.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

2020-06-24 Restriction on folder in Box 21 lifted. Contents were closed to researchers until after publication in MAD magazine.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form

Heading "CUL Archives:"
"Portal"
"CUL Collections:"
"CLIO"
"Nat'l / Int'l Archives:"
"ArchivedGRID"
Greeting cards Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Illustrations Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Letters (correspondence) Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Proofs (printed matter) Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Sketches Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
tear sheets Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID

Subject

Heading "CUL Archives:"
"Portal"
"CUL Collections:"
"CLIO"
"Nat'l / Int'l Archives:"
"ArchivedGRID"
Cartoonists -- United States Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Comic books, strips, etc Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Lithuania -- Personal narratives Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Jaffee, Al Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Al Jaffee, born Abraham Jaffee on March 13, 1921, is an American cartoonist best known for his work for MAD magazine, and in particular the intricate Fold-In pieces he creates for the magazine. Other popular works by Al Jaffee include the MAD feature "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions" and the comic strip "Tall Tales," which was syndicated by the New York Herald-Tribune between 1958 and 1965. He illustrated his biography, Al Jaffee's MAD Life, the text of which was written by Mary-Lou Weisman. Jaffee also writes and illustrates "The Shpy," published in the Brooklyn-based children's magazine Moshiach Times. As of 2016, he holds the Guinness World Record for the longest career as a comic artist.

Abraham Jaffee was born in Savannah, Georgia, to Mildred and Morris Jaffee, who were both Lithuanian Jewish immigrants. Six years after his birth, Mildred Jaffee returned to Zarasai, Lithuania, with Abraham and his three younger brothers. Mildred and her sons moved back and forth between Savannah and Zarasai until 1937, when Morris brought his three oldest sons to live in the United States permanently. The youngest Jaffee brother, David, was able to escape from Europe in 1940, but Mildred Jaffee did not. Her family had no contact with her after 1940, and she is presumed to have been killed in Nazi-occupied Lithuania.

After returning to the United States, Jaffee attended the newly established High School of Music and Art in New York City. His classmates included future MAD magazine staff members Will Elder, Harvey Kurtzman, John Severin and Al Feldstein. Jaffee worked as an artist for the U.S. military during World War II, during which time he changed his name twice—first to Alvin, and then to Allan Jaffee. After the war, he worked with Stan Lee at Timely and Atlas Comics. He sold his first work to MAD in 1955.

Jaffee's first Fold-In, published in 1964, was intended as a one-off satire of double- and triple-fold-out pages in glossy magazines. Instead, it became MAD 's longest-running feature, appearing in almost every issue from that date forward. Jaffee won a Special Features Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society for the Fold-In in 1972. Among other honors, Jaffee holds a Reuben Award (2008) and an Eisner Award (2013). He lives in New York City with his wife, Joyce Jaffee.

All external visitors, including alumni, must meet the University's primary COVID-19 vaccination series mandate and are required to adhere to the University's COVID-19 policies . After clicking 'Submit Request', users will login with their UNI and password (Columbia affiliates) or their special collections account (external users). Appointments are required and will be arranged according to each individual repository's policy.


Series I: MAD magazine, 1964-2018

Materials documenting every stage of the creative process are present in Series I for most of the Fold-Ins Jaffee created for MAD magazine between 2004 and 2018. Some cartoons used for Jaffee's MAD feature "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions" and other, smaller MAD projects are also included.


Subseries I.1: Fold-Ins, circa 1970s-2018



Box 26 Foreign language versions of Al Jaffee MAD Fold-Ins, circa 1970s-1990s



Box 19 Fold-In proofs, 1997-2010


Box 19 Mixed tracings for Fold-Ins, circa 2000s



Box 20 Tracing of a large person in a small chair, for a Fold-In, circa 2000s


Box 20 Tracings of scientists, for a Fold-In, circa 2000s



Box 22 MAD Fold-In tear sheets, circa 2000s-2010s



Box 26 List of Fold-In questions and answers MAD issues 1-436, 2003



Box 18 The student's body Fold-In, 2004


Box 18 Pocket rockets Fold-In, 2004


Box 18 Fan giveaways/spectator beatings Fold-In, 2004


Box 18 Barry Bonds/steroids Fold-In, 2004


Box 18 Wet t-shirt contests Fold-In, 2004



Box 19 O. J. Simpson Fold-In, 2004


Box 19 Ken Jennings Fold-In, 2004


Box 19 The Apprentice Fold-In, 2004


Box 19 Democratic primary Fold-In, 2004


Box 19 The Reagan funeral Fold-In, 2004


Box 19 Lindsay Lohan Fold-In, 2004



Box 30 William Hung Fold-In, 2004



Box 26 Reference images: Obama, politics, American military, 2004-2012



Box 4 Public surveillance cameras Fold-In, 2005



Box 18 Summer school Fold-In (#455), 2005


Box 18 Hurricane Katrina/Bush's approval rating Fold-In, 2005


Box 18 Gas prices Fold-In, 2005


Box 18 Intelligent design Fold-In, 2005


Box 18 Suicide bombers Fold-In, 2005



Box 19 Stealing iPods Fold-In, 2005


Box 19 Ashlee Simpson Fold-In, 2005


Box 19 XM vs. Sirius satellite radio Fold-In, 2005



Box 30 Poker Fold-In, 2005


Box 30 R. Kelly Fold-In, 2005



Box 4 Appallingly skinny actresses Fold-In, 2006



Box 13 Energy drinks Fold-In, 2006



Box 18 Government bugs Fold-In, 2006


Box 18 Bush's Cabinet Fold-In, 2006



Box 19 Heelys Fold-In, 2006


Box 19 Hillary Clinton Fold-In, 2006


Box 19 Losers on prom night Fold-In, 2006


Box 19 Osama bin Laden Fold-In, 2006



Box 30 Parents snooping on MySpace Fold-In, 2006


Box 30 Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey divorce Fold-In, 2006


Box 30 Exploding Dell laptops Fold-In, 2006



Box 4 Mark Foley/Al Jaffee Fold-In, 2006-2007



Box 15 The Sopranos finale Fold-In, 2007


Box 15 Twelve Step Programs Fold-In, 2007


Box 15 High School Musical Fold-In, 2007



Box 18 The family pet Fold-In, 2007



Box 19 Rachael Ray Fold-In, 2007


Box 19 Michael Vick Fold-In, 2007


Box 19 George W. Bush Fold-In, 2007


Box 19 Rocky Balboa Fold-In, 2007


Box 19 Sanjaya's solo album Fold-In, 2007


Box 19 World of Warcraft Fold-In, 2007


Box 19 Sudoku Fold-In, 2007



Box 4 Summer school Fold-In (#491), 2008


Box 4 TMZ Fold-In, 2008



Box 15 WALL-E Fold-in, 2008


Box 15 Global warming Fold-in, 2008


Box 15 Celebrity baby bumps Fold-In, 2008


Box 15 Maternity ward Fold-In, 2008


Box 15 John McCain Fold-In, 2008



Box 19 Jamie Lynn Spears Fold-In, 2008


Box 19 Dr. Phil Fold-In, 2008


Box 19 Major monkey humiliations Fold-In, 2008


Box 19 Amy Winehouse Fold-In, 2008


Box 19 Guitar Hero Fold-In, 2008



Box 4 500 issues of MAD Fold-In, 2009



Box 15 Jim Cramer stocks Fold-In, 2009


Box 15 Denny's Grand Slam breakfast Fold-In, 2009


Box 15 Snappy Answers snowboarding conversation Fold-In, 2009


Box 15 Conan O'Brien vs. Jay Leno Fold-In, 2009



Box 14 Tiger Woods Fold-In, 2010


Box 14 Kim Kardashian Fold-In, 2010



Box 15 Jersey Shore Fold-In, 2010


Box 15 Pop Idols Fold-In, 2010



Box 19 Al Jaffee's greatest fear Fold-In, 2010


Box 19 Watching MAD TV Fold-In, 2010



Box 20 Royal Flush Fold-In poster, 2010



Box 26 Fold-In ideas from MAD magazine, 2010



Box 30 Luggage Fees Fold-In, 2010



Box 23 The MAD Fold-In Collection boxed set production, 2010-2011



Box 30 The MAD Fold-In Collection cover proof, circa 2010



Box 2 Obamacare Fold-In, not used, circa 2010s


Box 2 Fold-In accessories: small sketches, lists, etc., circa 2010s



Box 14 Angry Birds Fold-In, 2011



Box 15 The Flip-Flop Fold-In, 2011


Box 15 Miami Heat Fold-In, 2011


Box 15 Xbox Fold-In, 2011



Box 30 Spider-Man on Broadway Fold-In, 2011


Box 30 Gay unions Fold-In, 2011


Box 30 Derek Jeter Fold-In, 2011



Box 14 Tan Mom Fold-In, 2012


Box 14 College debt Fold-In, 2012


Box 14 Privacy on the Internet Fold-In, 2012



Box 15 Snooki's pregnancy Fold-In, 2012



Box 30 Popular Science Fold-In, 2012



Box 6 Mitt Romney's tax returns Fold-In, 2012 December



Box 5 March Madness Fold-In, 2013



Box 14 Snooping Fold-In, 2013


Box 14 Uncle Sam on Kickstarter Fold-In, 2013



Box 2 Retracted Fold-In: The Next Mass Shooting, 2013



Box 21 The Last Fold-In, 2013


Box 21 Fold-In proofs, 2013-2017



Box 8 E-Cigarettes Fold-In, 2014



Box 14 Bieber Fever Fold-In, 2014


Box 14 The Cold War Fold-In, 2014


Box 14 Binge-watching Fold-In, 2014


Box 14 Botched Executions Fold-In, 2014


Box 14 Chemical Warfare/Alex Rodriguez Fold-In, 2014



Box 18 Presidential campaign commercials Fold-In, 2014



Box 2 Anti-vaccination parents Fold-In, 2015



Box 5 Weird Al Yankovic Fold-In, 2015


Box 5 Jon Stewart Fold-In, 2015


Box 5 Passwords Fold-In, 2015



Box 8 Bill Cosby Fold-In, 2015



Box 2 Drones Fold-In, 2016


Box 2 Flint, Michigan Fold-In, 2016



Box 5 Female Ghostbusters Fold-In, 2016



Box 6 Football Concussions Fold-In, 2016


Box 6 Texting While Driving Fold-In, 2016


Box 6 Trumpcare Fold-In, 2016



Box 5 Chicago Cubs Fold-In, 2016



Box 6 Fake News Fold-In, 2016


Box 6 Alex Jones/Info Wars Fold-In, 2017


Box 6 Fracking Fold-In, 2017


Box 6 Fidget Spinners Fold-In, 2017



Box 4 Selfie Fold-In, 2018



Box 6 Dentists Fold-In, 2018


Box 6 Flat Earth Fold-In, 2018


Box 6 Bulletproof Vest Fold-In, 2018


Box 6 Rising Sea Levels Fold-In, 2018



Box 4 April Fool Fold-In (not used), undated


Subseries I.2: Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions, 1989-2015



Box 23 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions contract with E.C., 1989-2001



Box 20 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions proofs, 1990, circa 2000s



Box 12 MAD's All New Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions proofs and overlays, missing pp. 81, 105, 67, 65, 9, 5, 109, 35, circa 1991



Box 26 Holy Cow! Not Another MAD Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions photocopies, 1992



Box 8 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions calendar sketches, circa 2000s


Box 8 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions calendar photocopies, circa 2000s



Box 26 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions book contents list, circa 2000s


Box 26 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions photocopies, circa 2000s



Box 13 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions sketches, 2011


Box 13 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions sketches and tracings, 2011



Box 27 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions copies, 2011



Box 5 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions tracings, original art, proofs, and tear sheets,, circa 2011



Box 4 Weird Al Yankovic Snappy Answers tracings, 2015



Box 6 Weird Al Yankovic Snappy Answers full-color original art, 2015



Box 29 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions copies and overlays, undated


Box 29 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions original art and overlays, undated



Box 7 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions book art, pp. 8-17, 36-39, undated


Box 7 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions book art, pp. 72-87, undated


Box 7 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions book art, pp. 88-105, undated


Box 7 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions book art, pp. 106-121, undated


Box 7 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions book art, pp. 122-137, undated


Box 7 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions book art, pp. 138-153, undated


Box 7 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions book art, pp. 154-171, undated


Box 7 Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions book art, pp. 172-187, undated


Subseries I.3: Other MAD magazine work, 1964-2017



Box 23 MAD magazine contracts, 1964-2011



Box 8 Tracings for Al Jaffee's MAD Monstrosities, circa 1990



Box 23 Writer/artist MAD contracts and payments, 1990-2012



Box 22 MAD magazine, 1999, 2001-2002, 2006-2014



Box 8 Alfred E. Neuman collectible coin preliminary work, circa 2000s



Box 20 Mixed tracings, circa 2000s


Box 20 Tracings for a multipanel comic, circa 2000s



Box 21 MAD magazine layout sheets, circa 2000s



Box 22 MAD tear sheets, circa 2000s



Box 23 MAD Writers Guidelines, circa 2000s



Box 26 MAD magazine work for Tim Johnson, circa 2000s



Box 30 Life Savers Kickerz Fold-In advertisement, 2002



Box 22 MAD Kids tear sheets, 2005-2012



Box 8 MAD Kids art, 2006-2007



Box 18 Dodge Fold-In advertisements, 2006-2007



Box 31 2009 Al Jaffee Calendar proof, 2008



Box 8 2009 Al Jaffee Calendar, 2009



Box 20 "Brawl at the Wall Peace Fights" tracings, 2009



Box 21 "Brawl at the Wall Peace Fights" original art and proof, 2009



Box 6 MAD's Asshole of the Month full-color original art, circa 2010s



Box 13 MAD magazine Al Jaffee's 90th birthday thank you card, 2011



Box 14 "What if Batman were Jewish?" tracings, 2012



Box 4 "Boy Scout Merit Badges for the Digital Age" sketches, 2013



Box 26 Batman and Superman MAD magazine special edition comics, 2013 June



Box 22 MAD magazine inscribed to Al Jaffee by Weird Al Yankovic, 2015 June



Box 2 MAD sketches for Fundalini pages: National Donut Day, 2016



Box 4 "MAD Redesigns the U.S. Map" back cover art, 2016



Box 20 "Yet Another Fairy Tale Scene We'd Like to See" art for MAD back cover art, 2017



Box 4 MAD Follies #7 Nasty Card, undated



Box 20 Templates for cards and "Thank You for Writing" stationery, undated


Object:



Box 41 Model rocket made out of sheet metal which Jaffe built for MAD Magazine #76, January 1963

Jaffee designed a feature called "If Kids Designed Their Own Xmas Toys." This rocket is as an example.

Also includes an Al Jaffee "Certificate of Authenticity" and a photocopy of a page from MAD Magazine, May 1963 (featuring the rocket).

Series II: Other comics and illustrations, 1945-2014

Series II contains original art created by Jaffee for other entities than MAD. These include the New York Herald-Tribune-syndicated cartoon "Tall Tales" (1958-1965) and several other unpublished cartoons that were created for potential newspaper syndication. The series also includes illustrations and background research for Jaffee's 2009 biography, Al Jaffee's MAD Life, and illustrations for the Moshiach Times' "The Shpy" dating from circa 1990s to 2013. Sketches, proofs, and tear sheets of advertisements and other contract work done by Al Jaffee are included as well.


Subseries II.1: Syndicated comics, 1950-2009



Box 17 Syndicate cartoon specs: Art for unidentified comic, circa 1950s-1960s



Box 13 Syndicate cartoon specs: TV or Not TV, 1950



Box 16 Syndicate cartoon specs: Klumsy Kat/Alex, 1952


Box 16 Syndicate cartoon specs: Clem N' Tiny (first version), 1957


Box 16 Syndicate cartoon specs: Clem N' Tiny (another version), 1957



Box 32 Tall Tales proofs, 1958


Box 32 Tall Tales proofs, 1959


Box 32 Tall Tales proofs (may be unused), 1959



Box 34 Tall Tales Sundays, 1959-1963



Box 27 Tall Tales Sunday proofs, circa 1960s



Box 33 Tall Tales daily proofs, circa 1960s


Box 33 Tall Tales newspaper, mostly unused, circa 1960s


Box 33 Tall Tales pulled for Al Jaffee's MAD Rejects book, not all used, circa 1960s



Box 34 Tall Tales proofs (used in book), circa 1960s



Box 33 Tall Tales proofs (not used, may be extras), circa 1960s


Box 33 Tall Tales proofs (not used, may be extras), labeled "hold", circa 1960s


Box 33 Tall Tales proofs (not used, may be extras), labeled "rejected", circa 1960s



Box 34 Tall Tales proofs used in Tall Tales book, circa 1960s


Box 34 Tall Tales proofs, not used, circa 1960s


Box 34 Tall Tales Sundays photostats, circa 1960s



Box 30 AFTERthoughts strip copies, circa 1960s



Box 17 Syndicate cartoon specs: Finkelstein's Monster, 1960



Box 13 Syndicate cartoon specs: Finkelstein's Monster, 1960



Box 32 Tall Tales proofs, 1960



Box 16 Syndicate cartoon specs: Gerald, 1961



Box 32 Tall Tales proofs, 1961


Box 32 Tall Tales proofs, 1962



Box 16 Syndicate cartoon specs: Georgie's Dragon, 1963



Box 32 Tall Tales proofs, 1963



Box 33 Tall Tales proofs, 1964



Box 17 Syndicate cartoon specs: Jaffee's Spot, 1965


Box 17 Syndicate cartoon specs: Mr. Showbiz, 1965



Box 33 Tall Tales proofs, 1965


Box 33 Tall Tales proofs, 1966



Box 26 Tall Tales book contents list and afterword, 2007



Box 23 Tall Tales book contract, 2007, 2012



Box 13 Tall Tales book signing sign, circa 2008



Box 4 Tall Tales book introduction and title art, 2008


Box 4 Tall Tales book tracings, 2008



Box 23 Tall Tales book production, 2008



Box 26 Tall Tales book proofs, 2008 March



Box 31 Tall Tales book proofs, 2008 April



Box 29 Barnes and Noble Tall Tales book signing poster, 2008 December



Box 23 Abrams Books catalog with Tall Tales entry, 2008-2009 Fall/Winter


Subseries II.2: Der Shpy, 1986-2017



Box 22 Moshiach Times tear sheets, 1986-2002



Box 26 Der Shpy templates, references, and tear sheets, circa 1990s-2010s


Box 26 Der Shpy printed material with art by Al Jaffee, circa 1990s-2010s



Box 11 Moshiach Times Der Shpy artwork, circa 2000s



Box 22 Moshiach Times , 2005, 2009-2017



Box 5 Der Shpy tracings, circa 2010s


Subseries II.3: Al Jaffee's MAD Life, 1995-2010



Box 28 "Z" research, 1995-2008


Box 28 "Z" research: illustration sketches, chapters 1-5, circa 2008


Box 28 "Z" interview notes and research, circa 2008



Box 35 Research for "Z" (Al Jaffee's MAD Life), circa 2008


Box 35 Rough book notes for Al Jaffee's MAD Life, circa 2008


Box 35 Al Jaffee's MAD Life script and color pages, circa 2008


Box 35 Al Jaffee's MAD Life final color illustrations set, corrected, circa 2008


Box 35 Al Jaffee's MAD Life color illustrations, uncorrected, circa 2008


Box 35 Al Jaffee's MAD Life color illustrations, uncorrected, numbered and titled, circa 2008


Box 35 Al Jaffee's MAD Life illustrations, extras and early versions, circa 2008


Box 35 Al Jaffee's MAD Life illustrations, notes and reference, circa 2008


Box 35 Al Jaffee's MAD Life proofs, circa 2008



Box 23 Al Jaffee's MAD Life production, 2008-2010



Box 25 Correspondence about Al Jaffee's MAD Life, 2008-2010



Box 9 Al Jaffee's MAD Life sketches, circa 2009


Box 9 Al Jaffee's MAD Life original art: tracings, circa 2009


Box 9 Al Jaffee's MAD Life original art: ink line drawings, circa 2009



Box 10 Al Jaffee's MAD Life original art: photocopies, circa 2009


Box 10 Al Jaffee's MAD Life original art: prints, photographs, etc., circa 2009


Box 10 Al Jaffee's MAD Life original art: tracings, circa 2009


Box 10 Al Jaffee's MAD Life original art: ink line drawings, circa 2009


Box 10 Al Jaffee's MAD Life original art: rough cover sketches, circa 2009



Box 23 Al Jaffee's MAD Life publishing contract, 2009-2011



Box 10 Borders book signing poster for Al Jaffee's MAD Life, 2010 September 29



Box 23 Press and reviews of Al Jaffee's MAD Life, 2010-2011



Box 28 Photocopies of art for Al Jaffee's MAD Life, circa 2010


Box 28 News clippings and reviews of Al Jaffee's MAD Life, circa 2010


Subseries II.4: Advertising, contract work, and commissions, 1945-2016



Box 26 "Howl While You Heal,", 1945



Box 27 Benson and Hedges advertisement proofs, circa 1960s


Box 27 Lambs Club short films advertisement proofs, circa 1960s


Box 27 Passport Scotch advertisement proofs, circa 1960s



Box 21 Metropolitan Sunday Newspapers advertisement proofs and tear sheet, 1960



Box 20 Playboy magazine cartoon proof, 1964



Box 26 Playboy magazine tear sheets and copies, 1964 December-1986 September



Box 23 Celebrity book blurbs, 1967, 1997, 2010



Box 21 Nation's Business advertisement proofs, 1969



Mapcase 15-J-14 Inforex dinosaur advertisement two-page spread, Wall Street Journal, 1969 May 14



Box 21 Ohrbach's advertisement proofs, 1970



Box 27 Population Institute tear sheets, circa 1970s



Box 20 Inforex advertisement proofs, circa 1970s



Box 21 Inforex advertisement proofs, circa 1970s



Box 15-J-14 Printed poster of gorilla for Inforex ad, circa 1970s



Box 26 Magazine clippings with art by Al Jaffee, circa 1970s-1990s



Box 27 Fold-Ins by others, circa 1970s-2010s



Box 26 Esquire magazine tear sheets, 1972 April



Box 4 Advertising proofs, circa 1980s



Box 1 T-shirts with Al Jaffee art, 1985, 2011



Box 26 University of Cape Town Hedgehog Stampede cartoon, 1987



Box 27 BBDO Chicago Fold-In advertisement proof, 1989



Box 23 Gallery shows, 1989-2013



Box 26 Al Jaffee Hallmark cards, circa 1990s



Box 23 Mark Cohen correspondence and contracts, 1990-1999



Box 26 MTV Fold-In advertisement proof, 1991



Box 20 Cape Kong poster, 1993, 1998


Box 20 Provincetown Public Library Fun-Raiser posters and other Provincetown fundraiser posters, 1993-2009



Box 26 Contract work for corporate promotional publications, 1993-2010



Box 20 Provincetown Tennis Club poster design, 1999



Box 23 Licensed Al Jaffee art, 1999-2010


Box 23 Magazine commissions: contracts and payments, 1999-2011



Box 4 The Rock Snob's Dictionary art, circa 2000s


Box 4 Panels for Puck magazine, circa 2000s



Box 20 Mixed tracings on politics: Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, pig spec art for Greta Morgenstern New York Times column, circa 2000s



Box 27 Honorariums to other artists and art commissioned for books, circa 2000s



Box 26 Film: GQ Giuliani article, Al Jaffee at easel, "Whale Watch," and Passport Scotch advertisement, circa 2000s


Box 26 "Rudy Giuliani's Cranky Answers to Constituent Questions" GQ magazine clippings, 2000 February



Box 23 Al Jaffee books: foreign, 2000-2001


Box 23 Humbug artwork agreement, Kurtzman, 2002-2009



Box 18 Vh1 "Bands Reunited" Fold-In, 2003



Box 27 Vh1 "Bands Reunited" Fold-In ad campaign, contracts and tear sheets, 2003



Box 20 Wolf, Greenfield and The Johnson Group Fold-In holiday cards tracings and proofs, 2003



Box 27 Wolf, Greenfield and The Johnson Group Fold-In holiday cards, contracts and proofs, 2003



Box 23 Book commissions, contracts, and payments, 2003-2012



Box 20 Alter Ego magazine cover proofs, 2004



Box 22 Alter Ego magazine, 2004 April, 2014 July



Box 20 Hooked on the Cape poster, 2005



Box 23 Personal commissions: contracts and payments, 2005, 2009



Box 20 Vice magazine "Chair Party" art, 2006


Box 20 Vice magazine comics issue cover art, 2006


Box 20 Vice magazine "Rollicking Responses to Inane Inquiries" art, 2006



Box 21 The Complete Humbug book jacket proofs, 2008



Box 23 PLAZM t-shirt design, 2009



Box 19 Squa Tront/Jerry Weist Fold-In, 2009



Box 23 Personal commissions: photocopies and correspondence, 2009-2013



Box 18 Javits Center, NYC ComiCon 2010 Fold-In, 2010



Box 19 San Diego Comic Con Fold-In, 2010



Box 20 "X Marks the Spot!" Fold-In for Scholastic Math, 2010



Box 26 "X Marks the Spot!" Fold-In commission for Scholastic Math, 2010



Box 20 Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art "Is This the Al Jaffee Art Exhibit?" poster sketches and proof, 2010



Box 4 Captain Rochester sketches, 2010



Box 23 The Art Hustle artist trading cards and Captain Rochester trading cards, 2010



Box 31 Captain Rochester collector card press sheets, 2010



Box 36 The Art Hustle Artist trading cards, series 1 and 2 factory sets, 2010


Box 36 Captain Rochester collector cards, sets 1 and 2, 2010



Box 4 Mixed sketches by Al Jaffee, circa 2010



Box 22 Royal Flush magazine, 2011



Box 4 Garfield #9 cover, 2012-2013



Box 23 Garfield #9 cover commission, 2012-2013


Box 23 Spongebob Comics , 2012-2014



Box 26 Spongebob Comics reference images, 2012-2014



Box 4 Rube Goldberg tribute art, 2013



Box 21 Batman comic book special Fold-In cover, 2013



Box 8 Action Comics variant cover sketches and reference images, 2014 December



Box 18 Smoke Signal Fold-In full-color original art and tracings, 2014-2015



Box 20 Fantagraphics 40th anniversary multipanel comic, 2016



Box 2 Various pieces for Columbia, 2016



Box 8 Kingsman Fold-In print ad for the New Yorker, 2017



Box 4 "The Highwayman (Updated)" cartoon, undated


Box 4 Super Rabbit tracings, undated


Box 4 Anti-smoking devices cartoon tracings, undated



Box 8 Marx Brothers art for Hirschfeld/Daniel Kinske, undated



Box 20 Tracing of stairs, undated



Box 21 Proof of MAD cover art commissioned by Al Jaffee's dentist, undated



Box 23 Al Jaffee book advertisements, undated



Box 26 Willie Weirdie continuity, undated



Box 20 Art for pp. 44-45 of unidentified book, undated


Subseries II.5: Art sales and donations, 1992-2015



Box 23 MAD art sales, 1992-2012


Box 23 Sotheby's auction, 1995-1996


Box 23 Ohio State University gifts, 1995-2012


Box 23 Al Jaffee art auctions, 2000-2015


Box 23 Donated art, 2006, 2009

Series III: Panels, conventions, exhibitions, and press, 1964-2017

Series III includes materials related to Jaffee's appearances in public events and in the press. Clippings of interviews with Jaffee and reviews of his work are included. Some material related to Jaffee's 2006 retrospective exhibition, "Is This the Al Jaffee Art Exhibit?" at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art is also included. In addition, there are programs and other ephemera from panels, fan conventions (cons) at which Jaffee appeared, and comic arts industry award ceremonies circa 2000s-2010s. Publishing and commission contracts and related correspondence are also included, as is a small amount of documentation related to the sale or donation of original artwork by Al Jaffee.


Box 23 Articles in Provincetown and Cape Cod papers and magazines, 1991, 1993, 2000


Box 23 Berta Walker Gallery, 1993, 1998


Box 23 East End Gallery, 1998


Box 23 Articles Al Jaffee is quoted in, 1998-2008


Box 23 Articles about MAD magazine, 1999-2009



Box 22 Journal of MADness , 2000



Box 27 Boston Globe Magazine , 2000 August


Box 27 Mixed clippings mentioning Al Jaffee, 2000s-2010s



Box 23 Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, 2001-2006



Box 27 Cape Cod Voice , 2003 July


Box 27 Village Voice , 2004 January 14-20



Box 23 Beck Fold-In music video, 2005



Box 22 Vice magazine, 2006



Box 23 Vanity Fair/Mike Sacks interview, 2006



Box 21 Layout proof for New York Times story on Al Jaffee, 2008



Box 23 Congratulations on New York Times article, 2008



Box 24 San Diego Comic Con, 2008


Box 24 Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, 2008



Box 27 New York Times Magazine Will Elder story, 2008 December


Box 27 New York Times Al Jaffee stories, 2008 March, 2008 May, 2010 October



Box 24 Reuben Awards, 2008, 2012, 2018


Box 24 All other Cons, 2008-2013


Box 24 National Cartoonists Society, 2008, 2015-2016



Box 30 King Con Brooklyn poster, 2009



Box 24 New York Comic Con, 2010



Box 23 Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art exhibit, 2010 October 5-2011 January 20



Box 24 Panels and appearances, 2010-2012



Box 30 It's a MAD MAD SCAD Weekend poster, circa 2010



Box 1 Comic Art Professionals Society Sergio award bandanas for Al Jaffee, 2011



Box 23 Strips borrowed by James Sturm, Center for Cartoon Studies, 2011



Box 24 CAPS Las Vegas, 2011


Box 24 Savannah College of Art and Design, 2011



Box 30 Comic Art Professional Society Honoree 2011 poster, 2011



Box 22 Stay Tooned magazine, 2011 March


Box 22 Draw! , 2011 Spring



Box 27 Connect Savannah , 2011 November



Box 24 Scripts: Tom Gammil, "NCS at Roths" and Laura Terusso, "Bum Future", 2011-2013


Box 24 Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art ArtsFest, 2011, 2014


Box 24 Comic New York Columbia University symposium, 2012


Box 24 Authors Out Loud, Washington, D. C., 2012 December



Box 22 FilmFax, 2012-2013 Winter



Box 24 Rube Goldberg's Foolish Questions, 2013



Box 27 Wall Street Journal , 2013 April 20-21



Box 24 Celebrating Al Jaffee panel at Columbia University, 2014


Box 24 92nd Street Y Rube Goldberg panel, 2014



Mapcase 15-J-14 National Cartoonists Society Christmas party poster, 2014



Box 20 AARP Magazine article proofs, 2016



Box 27 Forward , 2016



Box 24 Baltimore ComiCon, 2016 September



Box 23 New York Waste interview, 2017

Series IV: Correspondence and personal materials, circa 1970s-2017

Series IV includes correspondence with other cartoonists and fan mail. It also includes books inscribed to Al Jaffee by his colleagues. Materials related to Al Jaffee's 90th and 95th birthday parties—large events attended by many of Jaffee's colleagues in comic arts—are also included. Finally, Series IV includes a group of birthday and anniversary cards made for Joyce Jaffee by Al Jaffee, and several boxes of books inscribed to Al Jaffee.



Box 3 Handmade cards for Joyce Jaffee, by Al Jaffee, circa 1970s-2010s


Box 3 Handmade cards for others, by Al Jaffee, circa 1990s-2010s



Box 25 Letters to Al Jaffee, 1997,1999-2014



Box 20 Art made for family members, circa 2000s



Box 15-J-14 Al and Joyce Jaffee 150th birthday signed poster, circa 2000s



Box 3 Al Jaffee birthday art from other cartoonists, 2006, 2011, 2016-2017



Box 25 Letters to Al Jaffee from other cartoonists, 2008-2013, 2016-2017



Box 21 Congratulations from other cartoonists, circa 2009



Box 20 Tributes to Al Jaffee by other cartoonists, circa 2010



Box 13 90th birthday art for Al Jaffee from other cartoonists, 2011



Box 24 Birthday wishes from your fans, 2011


Box 24 Birthday wishes from your colleagues, 2011



Box 15-J-14 "Happy Birthday, Al" signed poster, 2011



Box 24 90th birthday fan mail, 2011 March



Box 25 Fan mail, 2011-2017


Box 25 Cards and notes from other cartoonists, 2012-2014



Box 20 Proof of Republican presidential primary candidates artwork, not by Al Jaffee, circa 2016



Box 4 Signed print of MAD #1 cover concept by Harvey Kurtzman, undated



Box 37 Inscribed books, undated



Box 38 Inscribed books, undated



Box 39 Inscribed books, undated



Box 40 Inscribed books, undated