You know you're a world class author when your work is rejected by the usual gang of idiots. What's worse, though, is that it was the post-Gaines MAD magazine that rejected it. The MAD magazine that, after 30 years, sold out to advertising and has been the lap dog for Warner Brothers ever since. They've really gone downhill and have, basically, turned into a hypocritical, pop culture, advertisement riddled dung-pile. And that's the best compliment MAD has received in years! William M. Gaines' is probably wretching in his grave and turning over in it. I don't buy the magazine anymore, but since I pretty much grew up on MAD's political and social commentary and satire, I figured I would be remiss if I didn't try to show them good, hard-hitting humour. It would be a good start, at least.

This was my first real rejection. I had an e-rejection from a literary magazine before, but this, really, was the baby that started it all. The funny thing is, I had to work my ass off to get this rejection letter. I sent three or four different things to MAD magazine over a span of three years and never heard back at all. Some of the ideas I remember submitting were Space Grandpa in the year 2054...form subscription letters from a variety of magazines, Movie Poster Rarshack tests... I guess this was the only one bad enough to deserve a rejection in hopes that I would never submit again.

My Rebuttal: Actually, this is a pretty decent rejection letter. Not only is it a FULL PAGE! but it is also rather collectible. I mean, if you get rejected from MAD, you must be really terrible! Of course, if MAD was as terrible as they claim, they'd publish my crap, right? Maybe I'm too good. That's probably it. The letter also has a couple of decent MAD graphics and a wide variety of feedback responses...although they are still vague. The rejection even kind of reads like a MAD article. Decent for an impersonal rejection letter. Too bad I can't say the same for MAD magazine.