History Trivia / Cracked

** TenSecondFlashlight

** BrowserNarcotic

** Then-future ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' artist Tom Richmond seems mostly ashamed of his short tenure with ''Cracked'' at the TurnOfTheMillennium. His first approved piece was a parody of ''Film/Godzilla1998'' that he wrote himself with the intent of sending to ''MAD'' as a sample. After they turned it down, he sent it in to ''Cracked'', and was surprised when they actually ran it! However, Kulpa did not resize the art properly, causing it to appear vertically distorted. Two issues later, Richmond drew the art for a Barry Dutter-penned spoof of ''Film/XMen1''; while the parody itself seemed to go off without a hitch, Richmond was upset that Kulpa had repurposed its splash panel for the magazine's front cover -- ''without'' crediting or compensating, or even asking permission. Thankfully for Richmond, he would soon find a home at ''MAD'' only a couple years later.

** But then came Dick Kulpa (of ''Magazine/WeeklyWorldNews'' fame) Under his editorial oversight, many new artists and writers were brought in, and as a cost-cutting measure, payments were done flat-rate instead of page-by-page. As a result, veterans such as Walter Brogan and John Severin quit. Kulpa and former Marvel writer Barry Dutter (who would later take over as editor himself) also plastered the mag with a myriad of filler, including reprints of older articles, cheap gags done by themselves, and for some reason, a second ''Film/{{Godzilla|1998}}'' parody done by then-future ''MAD'' artist Tom Richmond. Many of the gags were extremely over-the-top gross or TotallyRadical, and there were several editing mistakes, ranging from typos to cut-off captions to improperly resized art. Kulpa was literally running the mag from his kitchen table, plastering it with tabloid-like covers, constantly [[ScheduleSlip delaying releases]], and overall ruining the mag through his lack of experience. Scott Gosar took over as editor in 2004, but by then it was too little, too late.

* OldShame: According to Facebook posts, Ed Steckley hated ''Mr. Precious'', saying that he only intended for it to be a one-shot but the editors kept pressuring him into making more.

* GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity: Averted when two dozen staffers, including writers who had been on the website almost from the start (such as Dan O'Brien and John Cheese), got fired in early December 2017.

* InMemoriam: The [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/8-bizarre-horrors-found-in-squarest-comic-book-ever/ 8 Bizarre Horrors Found in the Squarest Comic Book Ever]] by Creator/{{Seanbaby}} was a dedication to [[spoiler:[[Franchise/ArchieComics Archie Andrews]], who died via HeroicSacrifice towards the end of ''ComicBook/LifeWithArchieTheMarriedLife'']].

* RoleEndingMisdemeanor: Mack Leighty, aka "John Cheese", was fired and had all of his articles removed after it came to light that [[https://medium.com/@taliajane/how-i-became-my-own-ronan-farrow-87e847632d50 he was using his high position to sexually harass female writers on the site]].

** [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20158_the-6-most-baffling-video-game-spinoffs.html This article's]] #1 spot get's so much wrong about the Sonic franchise it get's more and more baffling the more you try and dissect it. To start with it manages to REVERSE the release order of two games and claim Shadow the Hedgehog was an attempt to make a darker game and "re-invent the franchise" after Unleashed did poorly. Unleashed was released THREE YEARS after Shadow the Hedgehog on a completely different generation of hardware. It also manages to claim Shadow is a re-tooled version of Sonic that tried to turn him into a gun-toting badass instead of a completely different character that's been around since Sonic Adventure 2.

* TooSoon: In order to be sensitive to the situation after the 2013 Boston Bombings, [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20384_the-5-major-cities-most-likely-to-be-spectacularly-destroyed.html 5 Cities That Will Be Wiped Off the Map by Natural Disasters]], an article on possible natural disasters that could take down cities was temporarily removed.
** Unfortunately, they fell victim to this when they added Creator/RobinWilliams to "Ten Celebrities You Didn't Know Were Huge Nerds" (spoilers: it's one of their anti-nerd articles) sometime shortly after his tragic death, mocking him being a fan of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' by saying it's an anime that "[[EvenNerdsHaveStandards people with body pillows]] [[DudeNotFunny say is for losers]]".

** The first few Nanny Dickering interviews were drawn by John Severin. Art duties were passed to John Langton, B.K. Taylor, and then Sururi Gümen before it became largely the domain of Bill Ward. After he left, it largely became the work of Rob Orzechowski, but a few other artists got a crack as well.

** "Shut-Ups" tended to go to Don Orehek more than any other artist, but it was by no means exclusive to him.

** Paul Laikin, an editor in the early days, was said to have had little concern for quality, and thus padded the magazine with a lot of his own writing. He returned for a brief period in 1985, but was kicked out after only two issues due to his refusal to have John Severin draw anything, submitting sloppy cover art painted by his son, and recycling content from ''Sick'' and other humor mags. His successor Mort Todd managed to turn things around a bit by attracting underground cartoonists like Dan Clowes, Bob Fingerman, and Peter Bagge, but publishers rejected his attempts to use such artists to make for a DarkerAndEdgier feel. Editor duties were passed onto Lou Silverstone (a former ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' writer) and Andy Simmons (son of ''Magazine/NationalLampoon'' writer Matty), and things seemed okay for a while.

** Paul Laikin, an editor in the early days, was said to have had little concern for quality, and thus padded the magazine with a lot of his own writing. He returned for a brief period in 1985, but was kicked out after only two issues due to his refusal to have John Severin draw anything, submitting sloppy cover art painted by his son, and recycling content from ''Sick'' and other humor mags. His successor Mort Todd managed to turn things around a bit by attracting underground cartoonists like Dan Clowes and Peter Bagge, but publishers rejected his attempts to use such artists to make for a DarkerAndEdgier feel. Editor duties were passed onto Lou Silverstone (a former ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' writer) and Andy Simmons (son of ''Magazine/NationalLampoon'' writer Matty), and things seemed okay for a while.

* FollowTheLeader: By far, ''Cracked'' was the most prominent ''Mad'' clone: a parody mag with an {{Expy}} of Alfred E. Neuman in Sylvester P. Smythe.

** The first few were drawn by John Severin, while John Langton and Sururi Gümen drew a couple each before the feature primarily became the work of Bill Ward -- only to go back to a rotating cast once Ward left.

** BeautyIsBest

** ATeamFiring

** {{Expy}}

** GrailInTheGarbage

* ColbertBump: If a writer posts an obscure Website/YouTube video, it's almost guaranteed to reach a million views, such as [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-9-most-brilliant-pieces-comedy-hiding-youtube/ The 9 Most Brilliant Pieces of Comedy Hiding on YouTube]].

** [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20158_the-6-most-baffling-video-game-spinoffs_p2.html This article's]] #1 spot get's so much wrong about the Sonic franchise it get's more and more baffling the more you try and dissect it. To start with it manages to REVERSE the release order of two games and claim Shadow the Hedgehog was an attempt to make a darker game and "re-invent the franchise" after Unleashed did poorly. Unleashed was released THREE YEARS after Shadow the Hedgehog on a completely different generation of hardware. It also manages to claim Shadow is a re-tooled version of Sonic that tried to turn him into a gun-toting badass instead of a completely different character that's been around since Sonic Adventure 2.

* LifeImitatesArt: The photoshop contest [[http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_85_if-video-games-were-realistic/ If Video Games Were Realistic]] included [[http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_85_if-video-games-were-realistic_p27#25 a photoshop]] of a ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' guitar with 18 frets (each with six sub-buttons) and six strum bars, [[DontExplainTheJoke mocking the fact that playing Guitar Hero is much simpler than playing a real guitar]]. Not a year later, Harmonix announces that ''VideoGame/RockBand 3'' will include a "Pro Mode" for instrument, which will use special controllers designed to perfectly simulate playing the actual instrument. Now take a look at their [[http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/06/rb3-pro-guitar-awesome-rm-eng.jpg Pro Mode guitar]]..

* TooSoon: In order to be sensitive to the situation after the 2013 Boston Bombings, [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20384_the-5-major-cities-most-likely-to-be-spectacularly-destroyed.html#ixzz2QeOKPbPz an article on possible natural disasters that could take down cities]] was temporarily removed.

* FollowTheLeader: By far, ''Cracked'' was the most prominent ''Mad'' clone: a parody mag with an {{Expy}} of Alfred E. Neuman in Sylvester P. Smythe.

** [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20158_the-6-most-baffling-video-game-spinoffs_p2.html This article's]] #1 spot get's so much wrong about the Sonic franchise it get's more and more baffling the more try and dissect it. It manages to REVERSE the release order of two games and claim Shadow the Hedgehog was an attempt to make a darker game and "re-invent the franchise" after Unleashed did poorly. Unleashed was released THREE YEARS after Shadow the Hedgehog on a completely different generation of hardware. It also manages to claim Shadow is a re-tooled version of Sonic that tried to turn him into a gun-toting badass instead of a totally separate character that's been around since Sonic Adventure 2.

* ExecutiveMeddling: What brought the mag down. Tabloid owner [[MeaningfulName Dick]] Kulpa bought the mag, and as a cost-cutting measure, turned most artists' and writers' pays to flat-rate instead of by page. As a result, many veteran writers/artists left, such as Walter Brogan and John Severin. Kulpa was literally running the mag from his kitchen table, plastering it with tabloid-like covers, constantly [[ScheduleSlip delaying releases]], and overall ruining the mag through his lack of experience.

* PlayingAgainstType: In the miniseries ''Rom.com'', Michael Swaim (best known as the sociopathic half of ''WebVideo/AgentsOfCracked'' and the dangerous, insane member of the foursome in ''WebVideo/AfterHours'') plays the ''[[OnlySaneMan voice of reason]]''.

* LifeImitatesArt: The photoshop contest [[http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_85_if-video-games-were-realistic/ If Video Games Were Realistic]] included [[http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_85_if-video-games-were-realistic_p27#25 a photoshop]] of a ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' guitar with 18 frets (each with six sub-buttons) and six strum bars, [[DontExplainTheJoke mocking the fact that playing Guitar Hero is much simpler than playing a real guitar]]. Not a year later, Harmonix announces that ''VideoGame/RockBand 3'' will include a "Pro Mode" for instrument, which will use special controllers designed to perfectly simulate playing the actual instrument. Now take a look at their [[http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/06/rb3-pro-guitar-awesome-rm-eng.jpg Pro Mode guitar]].
* RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor: Dan O'Brien's writing persona does things that would terrify UsefulNotes/CharlesManson; Dan O'Brien himself is a somewhat awkward nerd who has a talent for beatboxin' Team Plasma and Kyurem, the last of the regular reader commentators uses the name [[Magazine/{{MAD}} A.E.Neuman]].
** Subverted. After a while, Daniel switched to a persona that resembles his actual personality. Possibly, because one comedy article where he pretends to be a crazy terrorist got him on the no-fly list and was taken down. He even talked about the whole experience in an [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/how-comedy-article-got-me-placed-no-fly-list/ article]], citing it as the reason he didn't include any current presidents in his book, ''[[http://howtofightpresidents.com How to Fight Presidents]]''.

** One of the egregious is [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20158_the-6-most-baffling-video-game-spinoffs_p2.html this article's]] #1 spot get's so much wrong about the Sonic franchise it's get's more and more baffling the more try and dissect it. It managed to REVERSE the release order of two games and claim Shadow the Hedgehog was an attempt to make a darker game and "re-invent the franchise" after Unleashed did poorly. Unleashed was released THREE YEARS after Shadow the Hedgehog on a completely different generation of hardware. It also manages to claim Shadow is a re-tooled version of Sonic that tried to turn him into a gun-toting badass instead of a totally separate character that's been around since Sonic Adventure 2.