Writer: Kit Lively

Kit Lively has been writing for MAD Magazine since 1996. He writes for the German, Australian and American Editions. I met up with him at Comic Con, and I have to say it was the funniest interviews that I've had in a long time. I couldn't stop laughing the entire interview. If you’re not familiar with his work check him out!! He even signed a sweet sweet issue of MAD for Boogie Bot Monthly. Here’s the man, the myth, the hilarious Kit Lively…  

Artist: Scott Nickel Author: Kit Lively

BBM: What’s your name and what do you do?

KL: Kit Lively and I’m a writer for Mad Magazine. I write for the American, German, and Australian editions.

BBM: Very cool so do you know those languages or you have a translator?
KL: No, no. I barely know English. I send the jokes and they make them work.

BBM: I would imagine its hard being a writer at MAD. We all grew up with it and a lots been done do you ever get writer's block?
KL: Every now and then I tend to struggle it’s never a long term thing. The most difficult thing writing for MAD is that it’s very competitive. A lot of stuff isn’t going to make it in, you have to keep at it.

BBM: What was your first experience with writing and how did you know it was for you?
KL: I first started making my own humor magazine and it was sent through the mail and then people started noticing and using my work. So I started working for a smaller humor magazine and moved up to MAD.

BBM: You were doing it way back when it took a lot of dedication. What kept you so motivated?
KL: I always loved comedy as how for whatever reason I’ve always gone towards humor and print.  You know magazines, books, comics just the love for it, and the lack of anything better to do. It’s just sorta something I’ve always loved doing, almost like a sickness you know? I just gave in and let it take me over.

BBM: (laugh) That’s really cool I would imagine working with MAD is a blast. Do you have any funny or memorable career moments you want to share?
KL: You know I’ve only hung out with a couple other MAD guys in person a handful of times. We’re all just kinda weird and socially awkward ,and we just kinda sit there and stare at each other uncomfortably until someone gets up and leaves. I do hope to make it into the offices and enjoy the barrage of insults. That’s sorta a long standing MAD tradition, if you work for them and are involved in the magazine they waste no time tearing into you.

BBM: Do you have any other projects you work on?
KL: I do a lot of ghost writing. I ghost write for several newspaper comic strips. I also ghost write for a comic book and the SpongeBob comic book and the 3 MAD’s keep me pretty busy. Every now and then I freelance project or another magazine.

BBM: Where do you find humor in life?
KL: Everywhere, uncomfortable situations seem to provide the most for me. Sorta like a defense mechanism. I find something that actually bothers me  and I find a way to cope with it, and make it funny. Regurgitate it and make it fun. Kinda get rid of it like eating ranch flavored potato chips all day and you pop a mint. Comedy is my mint, it helps me kill the funk.

BBM: I love that, that’s great. So what are some words of wisdom you would give a youth wanting to be a writer?
KL: I would say if its something you I don’t mean to sound discouraging but if its something you really want to do because. You have to start small and work your way up build your resume do work for smaller publications and keep at it.

BBM: MAD came back with a big blast!
KL: Yeah, they're really doing well. In addition to their tv show, you can get the magazine on the Ipad now, and I think if you subscribe to the mag you get the Ipad app free. I think they’re working on a Spy Vs. Spy movie.

BBM:That’s amazing.
KL: Yeah, and they just came out with a book called ‘Totally MAD’, which is 60 years of MAD so its a huge coffee table book. It’s coming out almost every month.

BBM: MAD’s a pop culture icon we all grew up with. Did you grow up with it?
KL: Oh yeah, I discovered when I was like 9 or 10 years old. From that point I was lost, there was no turning back.

BBM: Where can readers find the latest new about you?
KL: I do have a Facebook and I would be delighted if anyone wanted to friend request me. I don’t like to have many friends out in the really world, because people frighten me so through the computer it ideal. I guess if you did a Google search of Kit Lively that would bring a lot of examples of my work. MAD itself is anywhere you can buy magazines.

BBM: What are your other passions?
KL: I spend most of my recreational time watching movies. Comedy is my biggest interest as a whole, but I also like to watch horror movies. They are kinda like closely related cousins, they both are a surprise and they also mix so well you have comedy horrors and horror comedies . having friends over and watching horror movies.

Artist: Scott Nickel Author: Kit Lively

BBM: What brought you down to comic con and hows it been so far?
KL: Today (Sunday) and Friday have been kinda just mellow but
yesterday was great, it was packed. Sold most of my stuff. Annie Gaines who was married to William Gaines one of the founders of MAD and he was a publisher till his death in 92’. She came and hung out for a while and brought me some MAD stuff. I never met her before so that was awesome.

BBM: That’s really cool she’s an icon.
KL: Oh yeah I kinda felt like the Godfather had come down and gave the nod of approval. I've been meeting a lot of fans, some people were surprised to find someone from MAD.

BBM: Yeah! I didn’t expect that at all I was like wow cool.
KL: I think MAD is really starting to get back into cons they had a big one in New York and San Diego.
BBM: Any last words anything you want to add on?
KL: Nothing comes to mind but theres nothing odd about that I'm usually in an anxiety brain freeze at any given moment. Oh I should say MADmagazine.com.

BBM: Your awesome!

Artist: Scott Nickel Author: Kit Lively