Nick Meglin

Nick Meglin
Born	(1935-07-30)July 30, 1935 Brooklyn, New York
Died	June 2, 2018(2018-06-02)(aged 82)
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Cartoonist,Writer, Artist, Editor
Notable works	Mad Superfan Tim and Scrooge Grumpy Old Men: The Musical

Nick Meglin(July 30, 1935 – June 2, 2018) was an American writer, humorist, and artist. He was known for his work as a contributor, comics writer, illustrator and editor for the satirical magazineMad.He also scriptedSuperfan,a 1970s comic strip byJack Davis.He was active as a lyricist of musical theatre,and had columns in various specialized magazines about culture and sports.

Biography

Meglin graduated fromBrooklyn Collegeand earned a certificate from theSchool of Visual Arts.

Meglin spent most of his career atMad,on whose editorial staff he worked for 48 years. His progress can be observed by studying the magazine's masthead, which moved him from "Ideas" to "War Correspondent" (during an army stint) to "Editorial Associate" to "Associate Editor" to "Editor," a position which he held for 20 years. His business cards used to identify him asMad's Tennis Editor. After retiring from that job in 2004, Meglin was listed as a Contributing Editor.During the course of his career withMad,he discovered and mentored artists such asSam Viviano.

Although he had fewer than ten official bylines in 48 years, Meglin was a major behind-the-scenes contributor to the satirical magazine's contents and direction.Following his death,MadSenior EditorCharlie Kadauwrote, "Through his guidance of the writers and artists for so many years, [he was] most responsible for that thing we call the “MAD Voice.” They sayMadinfluenced our culture. Well, it was Nick Meglin who influencedMad."

Madartists often caricatured themselves and their compatriots. Meglin was often portrayed as a tennis player due to his love of the sport, particularly bySergio Aragonesand inDave Berg's "The Lighter Side" feature.

In addition to his work onMad,Meglin wrote for the musical theater. He wrote book and lyrics forTim and Scrooge,a musical sequel toA Christmas Carolwith music by Neil Berg. He also collaborated with Berg and librettistDan RemmesonGrumpy Old Men: The Musical.Meglin was also an art instructor at theSchool of Visual Artsin New York City; his books includeThe Art of Humorous IllustrationandDrawing from Within.His marriage to Lucille Guerriero ended in divorce.

Later in his life, Meglin lived inDurham, North Carolina,where he taught illustration.On June 2, 2018, Meglin died of a heart attack at the age of 82.A two-page tribute to him, consisting of testimonials by his colleagues, was included in the October 2018 issue ofMad.