Cracke was a long-running American humor magazine. Founded in 1958, Cracked proved to be the most durable imitator of the popular Mad Magazine. The Smythe character was Cracked's "janitor." An article on Cracked.com, the magazine's official website, drolly explained 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."