Last night, DC Entertainment threw a big birthday party in New York for Al Jaffee, who is 95 years old. Of course, if you fold-in that number, he's only 14…or about the mental age you need to be a successful cartoonist. Al — who still creates his Fold-In page each month for MAD and does other things as well — is a successful cartoonist and has been for a long time.
How long? Well, a highlight of last night's celebration was this announcement: The folks who compile the Guinness Book of World Records have now certified Al as the record holder for the longest career as a professional comics artist. It's 73 years and 3 months…and it grows greater with each passing day.
This certification was the result of extensive research into Al's long time at the drawing table, plus statements of support from prominent experts in the field, myself included. I wish I could have been there last night but I am annoyingly proud to have helped make that recognition possible.
The room at Sardi's was packed with Al's friends and co-workers, plus New York City Major Bill de Blasio was there to officially declare March 30th, 2016 as Al Jaffee Day in New York. I hope they had the decency to close the banks and have a big parade with everyone yelling out Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions. You can see photos of the event over at Tom Richmond's site.