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Ed Bluestone
Ed Bluestone
Ed Bluestone
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Ed Bluestone (1948 or 1949 – October 24, 2024) was an American comedian, writer and actor.

Key Information

Bluestone wrote for National Lampoon magazine and was the originator of the publication's most famous cover. He is also known for his role on the 1977 revival of the sketch comedy series Laugh-In.

Early life

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Bluestone was born in East Orange, New Jersey to a Jewish family.[1][2][3][4]

He studied speech and drama at Monmouth College (now known as Monmouth University) in West Long Branch.[3] He had the reputation of being the class clown,[5] and in a 1967 interview of Monmouth College students by the Long Branch Daily Record, students were asked "What do you think you will be doing five years from now?" Bluestone's response was "Selling subway tokens."[6] Bluestone eventually dropped-out and started performing stand-up comedy at 20 years of age.[1]

Career

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Bluestone got his start in stand-up in New York City, first in folk clubs and coffee houses in Greenwich Village,[5][7] before becoming a regular performer at the comedy clubs Catch a Rising Star and The Improv in Manhattan.[1][4] He is known for his wry, deadpan delivery and for one-liners.[1][4] He is also known for his dark sense of humor.[8][9] Bluestone admired comedians such as Woody Allen, Jerry Lewis, Rodney Dangerfield and Richard Pryor.[5][10]

In 1972 he started writing for National Lampoon magazine.[5] Bluestone conceived of the magazine's famous cover from their 1973 Death issue.[5] It featured a dog with a gun pointed to his head next to the title "If You Don't Buy This Magazine We'll Kill This Dog," which originated from a joke in Bluestone's stand-up act.[5] Bluestone also produced two pieces for the Death issue titled "23 Ways to Be Offensive at the Funeral of Someone You Didn't Like" and "Telling a Kid His Parents are Dead".[9] It was the magazine's best seller that year.[11] The Lampoon cover was ranked number 7 on the American Society of Magazine Editors' list of the "Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years", published in 2005,[12] and was also one of five covers listed in a 2018 article in The Guardian titled "The best magazine covers ever?"[13]

A syndicated column featuring Bluestone, called "My Favorite Jokes", appeared in American newspapers nationally from 1973 to 1978. Each column opened with note from an unnamed "editor" who would provide a bit of information about Bluestone, followed by a curation of Bluestone's stand-up material.[14][15][16][17][18]

By the mid-1970s Bluestone's name was included in articles on the "new breed" of comedians, alongside names such as Robert Klein, Lily Tomlin, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Richard Lewis, Andy Kaufman and Elayne Boosler.[8][19] He also became a paid regular at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.[20]

He appeared on the variety show Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell in 1975[21] and appeared on three episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1976.[3][22] Bluestone appeared on the Dean Martin variety series Dean Martin's Comedyworld in 1974[23] and Dean's Place in 1976,[24] in addition to serving as a roaster on the Gabe Kaplan and Peter Marshall episodes of The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast that aired in 1977.[25][26]

Laugh-In producer George Schlatter visited The Improv to find talent for the show's 1977 revival. Schlatter told the Washington Post: "He hit me with one line. The line was, 'He's a quadrasexual. That means he'll do anything to anybody for a quarter.' When I hear that. I went crazy, and the club went crazy."[27]

Bluestone dropped out of the public eye in the early 1980s. One of his last TV appearances was a 1982 episode of Late Night with David Letterman.[28]

During a Reddit AMA by filmmaker Douglas Tirola about his 2015 documentary Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon, Tirola was asked "Where is Ed Bluestone?", to which Tirola replied: "Ed Bluestone has a cameo in the movie visiting Los Angeles. And I believe he performs standup. He's still funny."[29]

Death

[edit]

Bluestone died from complications of a stroke on October 24, 2024.[2] He was survived by his ex-wife, brother, and three nieces.[2]

References

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Ed Bluestone

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Ed Bluestone (December 15, 1948 – October 24, 2024) was an American comedian, writer, and actor known for his dark-humored stand-up routines in the 1970s and for conceiving one of National Lampoon's most iconic magazine covers, featuring a dog held at gunpoint with the caption "If You Don't Buy This Magazine, We'll Kill This Dog." Born in East Orange, New Jersey, he built a reputation for his distinctive comedic voice and transitioned from performing to writing, leaving a lasting mark on satirical comedy before later focusing on screenplays and other works. Bluestone began his career in the 1970s as a stand-up comedian, performing at major venues including Catch a Rising Star and The Improv in New York City and The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. His material often featured a dark edge, as seen in routines such as "How to be Offensive at a Funeral," and he gained national exposure through appearances on television programs like The Tonight Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and the Dean Martin variety series, as well as serving as a regular performer on the 1977–1978 revival of Laugh-In. In 1972, Bluestone began writing for National Lampoon magazine, where he devised the widely recognized cover that has been frequently cited as one of the most memorable in magazine history. He later shifted to screenwriting for the remainder of his professional career and authored a children's book titled Rupert Weddington and His Small Dogs. Bluestone died on October 24, 2024, from complications related to a stroke.

Early life

Birth and family background

Ed Bluestone was born on December 15, 1948, in East Orange, New Jersey. He was the son of Sydney Bluestone and Eleanor Bluestone. Limited details are available about his early family life or childhood in New Jersey beyond these basics.

Career

National Lampoon writing

Ed Bluestone began contributing to National Lampoon magazine in the early 1970s, initially freelancing material starting around 1971 and writing more regularly from 1972. His most enduring contribution was conceiving the cover for the January 1973 "Death" issue (Vol. 1, No. 34), which depicted a dog with a revolver held to its head and the caption "If You Don't Buy This Magazine, We'll Kill This Dog." Photographed by Ronald G. Harris and art-directed by Michael Gross, the cover has been widely regarded as one of the magazine's most iconic and imitated images. In the same issue, Bluestone wrote several satirical humor pieces that exemplified the publication's dark and irreverent style, including "Humorrhoids," "23 Ways to Be Offensive at the Funeral of Someone You Didn’t Like," "Telling a Kid His Parents Are Dead," and "The Day the Animals Discovered Death." He also co-authored "Sermonette" with illustrator Frank Springer for the "Funny Pages" section. These contributions highlighted his role in shaping the magazine's provocative comedic voice during its early peak years.

Stand-up comedy

Ed Bluestone emerged as a stand-up comedian in the 1970s New York comedy scene, performing at prominent clubs including Catch a Rising Star and The Improv. He also appeared at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles during this period. His act featured a distinctive deadpan delivery, often described as dour and brainy, with material centered on wry observations about his Jewish upbringing. Bluestone's comedy was marked by a dark sense of humor, exemplified by one of his notable routines titled "How to be Offensive at a Funeral." Observers noted his unique style and distinctive way of thinking, which set him apart in the club circuit even if he did not achieve the broadest recognition.

Television and acting appearances

Ed Bluestone made a number of television appearances during the 1970s, primarily as a stand-up comedian and variety performer, though his most substantial on-screen role involved sketch comedy. He served as a regular performer on the 1977-1978 revival of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, appearing in six episodes of the sketch comedy series. Beyond that role, Bluestone was featured on several variety and talk programs, where he delivered his observational comedy routines. These credits include The Dean Martin Comedy World in 1974, Rock Concert in 1976-1977 across two episodes, and The Comedy Shop in 1978. He also appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in at least two episodes in 1976, performing his stand-up material alongside other guests. Additional talk show appearances encompassed The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and various Dean Martin variety specials. These televised spots stemmed from his active stand-up career during the era.

Personal life

Marriage and relationships

Ed Bluestone was married to Ann Stordahl. The marriage ended in divorce, and in his obituary Ann Stordahl is identified as his ex-wife among his surviving family members. In his later years, Bluestone lived in Sherman Oaks, California. No other marriages or significant relationships are documented in available sources, and details such as the date of marriage or divorce are not specified.

Death

Illness and passing

Ed Bluestone passed away on October 24, 2024, at the age of 75 due to complications from a stroke. He died in Sherman Oaks, California.

Legacy and tributes

Ed Bluestone's most enduring legacy stems from his conception of the January 1973 National Lampoon cover featuring a dog with a gun pointed at its head and the caption "If You Don't Buy This Magazine, We'll Kill This Dog," which is widely regarded as one of the magazine's most famous and iconic images. This cover has been described as one of the most-imitated in the publication's history, reflecting its lasting influence on satirical magazine design and humor. Following his death in 2024, tributes emphasized his distinctive comedic voice and dark sense of humor, which were central to both his stand-up routines and his National Lampoon contributions. Commentators noted that Bluestone possessed a rare originality in his thinking and material, which was often underappreciated during his lifetime and recognizable enough that other performers sometimes appropriated his lines. Obituaries and remembrances portrayed him as a brilliant writer of one-liners with quick wit and relentless sarcasm, with fans recalling his kindness and lasting impact on those who appreciated his work since the 1970s.
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