SO LONG, MORT TODD

You had that special ability to tickle the funny bone and still send chills down one's spine. 

Cracked was one of your biggest accomplishments and more than held its own with Mad and National Lampoon, thanks to your vast, satirical intuition.  

Through your writing, artwork and editing, you helped sharpen and distinguish the likes of Looney Tunes, Superman, Spider-man, Skyman, Speed Racer, Sadistik, Simon N. Kirby (the Agent) and Barbie. You even treated fans to The Dead One (El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie) comic, lurid concepts for Psycho Comics, a heap of classic monsters and a blood-curdling, Tales from the Crypt revival, with blazing, animation contributions to Sesame Street, Disney, Comcast, MTV and a Christopher Walken, song-and-dance, cartoon pilot. 

While your influence within the pages of DC, Marvel, Charlton, ACE and G-Man has been revered and revisited, it's impacted the music world, as well, in particular through the brash and offbeat Crypt Records (with the Back from the Grave, CD series) and helmed publications for Kiss, AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and the estates of Elvis Presley and Bob Marley.   

You pleased the world with plenty of wild wonderment, Mr. Todd, and your colorful contributions will continue to captivate any one who sees them, whether they be lifelong fans or those waiting to leap beyond the horizon.