A paperfolding paradise

The website of writer and paperfolding designer David Mitchell

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This page attempts to record what is known about the inclusion of paperfolding in the American satirical magazine Mad. Please let me know if you find any errors or omissions in the information on this page. Thank you.

My thanks to Laura Rosenberg, David Shall and Michel Grand for identifying the original designers of some of the designs pictured on this page.

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In issue 86, published in 1964, Mad featured an innovative inside back cover illustration by Al Jaffee which was designed so that the picture folded inwards in a zigzag fashion to reveal another picture, with a satirical connection between the two. These 'Fold-ins' became a regular feature of the magazine. According to Wikipedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Fold-in ) 'From its debut in 1964, the Fold-In has rarely been absent from Mad's pages. Since issue #86, six issues (#121, #190, #212, #219, #353 and #360) did not feature Fold-Ins'.

Both forms of the third such fold-in, published in issue 88 in July 1964, on the occasion of the Beatles finishing their tour of the USA, are shown below. This is the only diagonal fold-in ever to have been published in Mad.

The Wikipedia article contains much more interesting information on this subject.

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Issues 110 of April 1967 to 115 and 117 to 121 of September 1968 included adverts for subscriptions to the magazine featuring origami designs folded from dollar bills. These designs were folded by, and in most cases probably also designed by, Giuseppi Baggi. These are the earliest adverts I know of which use paperfolding to advertise something that was not paperfolding related (though earlier examples possibly exist).

Issue 110 of April 1967

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Issue 111 of June 1967

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Issue 112 of July 1967

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Issue 113 of Sept 1967

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Issue 114 of October 1967

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Issue 115 of December 1967

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Issue 117 of March 1968

The top peacock is a design by Vicente Solórzano Sagredo and the lower is a design by Adolfo Cerceda.

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Issue 118 of April 1968

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Issue 119 of June 1968

This is, of course, The Pig.

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Issue 120 of July 1968

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Issue 122 of September 1968

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Issue 129 of September 1969 included a ' Mad Origami Zoo of Cliche Creatures', also folded, and many probably also designed by, Giuseppi Baggi, from media appropriate to the title of the design.

The Wall Street Bulls and Bears designs are 'Longhorn Bull' by George Rhoads and 'Polar Bear Cub' by Samuel Randlett.

The Song Bird is by Ligia Montoya.

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The Road Hog is by George Rhoads.

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The mailing wrapper of issue 376 of December 1998 proclaimed that it was designed to be folded into a Whimsical Swan.

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