Brian McConnachie, R.I.P.

January 9, 2024

Brian McConnachie in a photo that appeared in National Lampoon's August 1974 issue — Brian McConnachie, in a photo that appeared in the August, 1974 (Isolationism and Tooth Care) issue.

Brian McConnachie, editor and writer for National Lampoon from 1972-76, has died at the age of 81.

McConnachie was known for his offbeat style of humor, which tended toward the absurd. The former Madison Avenue ad man’s entree into writing for the Lampoon was sending poorly-drawn cartoons to the magazine, some of which were published. Eventually, at the invitation of Henry Beard, he joined the staff as a writer.

Some of McConnachie’s most memorable pieces were “Amish in Space,” a sci-fi comic parody, Guns and Sandwiches magazine, the ultimate special-interest magazine, Pamplemousse, an absurd and slapstick parody of Papillon, Kit ’n’ Kaboodle, a “funny animal”/Tom and Jerry-type comic book with realistic violence (very likely the inspiration for Itchy and Scratchy on The Simpsons), and Negligent Mother, a parody of women’s magazines.

After leaving National Lampoon, McConnachie joined the writing staff for Saturday Night Live and later SCTV. He also wrote for kid’s shows Shining Time Station and Noddy, and acted in over a dozen films, including Caddyshack, Strange Brew, and several of Woody Allen’s.

Most recently, he has been Head Writer for The American Bystander, a humor magazine he originally tried to launch in the early 1980s, but which was successfully re-launched in 2015 and continues to be published.

At the time of this writing, I haven’t found any obits for Brian. But when I do, I will append them here.

R.I.P., Brian.

Obit in the Hollywood Reporter (thanks to an anonymous commenter).

Obit at The Daily Cartoonist

Obit at The Wrap

Michael Gerber’s tribute at Alta online