Al Jaffee, longtime Mad magazine cartoonist, dead at 102

NEW YORK – Al Jaffee, Mad magazine’s award-winning cartoonist and ageless wise guy who delighted millions of kids with the sneaky fun of the Fold-In and the snark of “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions,” has died. He was 102. Jaffee died Monday in Manhattan from multiple organ failure, according to his granddaughter, Fani Thomson. He … Read more

Mexican ballad singer Julián Figueroa dies at 27

MEXICO CITY – Mexican ballad singer Julián Figueroa has died at the age of 27, his mother confirmed Monday. Figueroa was the son of actress Maribel Guardia and singer Joan Sebastian, who died in 2015. Guardia wrote that Figueroa died of a heart ailment. Like his father, Figueroa sang northern-inspired ballads backed by a traditional … Read more

Graphic version of Anne Frank book removed by Florida school

ORLANDO, Fla. – A high school along Florida’s Atlantic Coast has removed a graphic novel based on the diary of Anne Frank after a leader of a conservative advocacy group challenged it, claiming it minimized the Holocaust. “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” was removed from a library at Vero Beach High School after a … Read more

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is a box office smash

Audiences said let’s go to the movie theater for “ The Super Mario Bros. Movie ” this weekend. The animated offering from Universal and Illumination powered up with $204.6 million in its first five days in 4,343 North American theaters, including $146.4 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday. With an estimated … Read more

Show stopper: Singalong fans ejected, ‘Bodyguard’ halted

MANCHESTER – A British performance of “The Bodyguard” musical ended in unrequited love for some audience members who couldn’t refrain from singing along to the anthemic finale. The show at the Palace Theatre in Manchester screeched to a halt Friday when two unruly patrons were ejected for joining the lead in singing “I Will Always … Read more

Chasing Horse sex abuse charges upheld, drug crime dropped

LAS VEGAS – A Nevada judge has thrown out a drug trafficking charge against a former “Dances With Wolves” actor but upheld a Las Vegas grand jury’s sweeping indictment on 18 sexual abuse-related felony crimes. In an order issued late Friday afternoon, Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny said state prosecutors presented enough evidence … Read more