Cracked is a discontinued American humor magazine. Founded in 1958, Cracked proved to be the most durable imitator of the popular Mad Magazine.Cracked blatantly aped Mad's layouts and subject matter, and even featured a dumb, wide-jowled mascot named Sylvester P. Smythe on its covers (see Alfred E. Neuman). The Smythe character was Cracked's "janitor." An article on Cracked.com, the magazine's official website, explains that the magazine was "created as a knock-off of MAD magazine just under 50 years ago," and it "spent nearly half a century with a fan base primarily comprised of people who got to the store after MAD sold out."
Cracked's publication frequency was reduced in the 1990s, and was erratic in the 2000s. In 2006, the magazine was revived with a new editorial formula that represented a significant departure from its prior "Mad Magazine" style. The new format was more akin to "lad" magazines like Maxim and FHM. The new formula, however, was unsuccessful and Cracked again canceled its print magazine in February 2007 after three issues. As of 2009, the brand exists as a Web site.
