LDAAS = SALAD

PUTIL = TULIP

COSTEK = SOCKET

SIFLOS = FOSSIL

CARTOON ANSWER:

THE MAGAZINE’S EMPLOYEES DIDN’T WORK WELL TOGETHER AND HAD – – –

SLATUISOEFOS = A LOT OF ISSUES

Good Thursday morning everyone! The first two clue words were no trouble at all and were instantly visible at first glance. Out of the remaining two anagrams, SOCKET took a few extra seconds of staring at it before it came into view while FOSSIL jumped right out at me. With the clue words out of the way, I was now ready for the intriguing cartoon that caught my eye the moment I opened the comics section of my paper this morning.

Before going wild and explaining all of the intricate detail in this piece, I must mention (before I forget) that it was an instant blind solve for me. The layout was in a 1-3-2-6 format making A or I the obvious first word. I went with A as it made the cartoon sentence flow naturally. Noticing all of the magazine covers, which I’ll talk about in a moment, ISSUES came to mind leaving me to figure out if the 3-letter spot was TON or LOT. There wasn’t a single “N” in the clue words so I deduced that LOT would be the logical choice.

Now the main event, and my favorite part of the Jumble, Jeff’s cartoon! Seated at a desk is a man who is noticeably older than the other two characters. He exercises his position of authority by pointing his finger while exclaiming “You two need to work things out.” Reading the dialogue between the bickering employees, it’s evident that they both think their cover is the better choice for the magazine. Although every character has their hand partially covering the name of the magazine, MADLY can be figured out. Jeff is a big fan of MAD magazine (which is surprisingly still in print) and he tell’s us in today’s comments that the setting for this panel is in the office of Editor Bill Morrison.

The fictitious character and mascot on almost every issue of MAD magazine is Alfred E. Neuman. For this cartoon, Jumble artist Jeff Knurek swaps places and taglines with him from “What? Me worry?” to “What? Me Jumble?”

My final observation is the little head on the desk. Although we can’t see the face, the classic jug ears are a distinctive feature of Alfred’s head leading me to believe that Jeff added it as a touching tribute to the character and magazine that means so much to him.

Have a terrific Thursday, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

*Edited on 01/25/2018 to correct the name of MAD Magazine editor from Al Feldstein to Bill Morrison.