Editing National Lampoon (magazine) (section)

=== 1975 founders exit ===
In 1975, the three founders Kenney, Beard, and Hoffman left the magazine,<ref name=NYT2005 /> taking advantage of a [[buyout clause]] in their contracts for a shared total of $7.5 million<ref>{{cite magazine |last = Hendra | first = Tony | author-link = Tony Hendra | date = June 1, 2002 | title = Morning in America: the rise and fall of the National Lampoon | magazine = [[Harper's Magazine]] | url = http://www.harpers.org/archive/2002/06/0079207}} {{Subscription required}}</ref> (although Kenney remained on the magazine's masthead as a senior editor until about 1976).

At about the same time, writers Michael O'Donoghue and [[Anne Beatts]] left NL to join ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', as did Chase, Belushi, and Radner, who left the troupe to join the original septet of ''SNL''{{'}}s [[Not Ready For Prime Time Players]].<ref name=Wayne />{{efn|As described in multiple sources, including the documentary ''[[Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (film)|Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead]]'', [[Matty Simmons]] "didn't bite when NBC invited him to work on its planned Saturday night comedy show. This, of course, became ''[[Saturday Night Live]].''"<ref name=NJcom>{{cite web|title=National Lampoon's rise and fall |website=[[NJ.com]]|department= Jersey Retro: ENTERTAINMENT |date=Apr 22, 2016|first=Mark |last=Voger |agency=NJ Advance Media |url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2016/04/national_lampoon.html}}</ref>}} Bill Murray replaced Chase when Chase left ''SNL'' after the first season, and Brian Doyle Murray later appeared as an ''SNL'' regular.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present|edition=8|date=2003|isbn=9780345455420|last1=Brooks|first1=Tim|last2=Marsh|first2=Earle|publisher=Ballantine Books}}</ref>

Harold Ramis went on to star in the Canadian sketch show ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'' and assumed the role as its head writer, then left after season 1 to be a prolific director, writer, and actor, working on such films as ''[[Animal House]]'', ''[[Caddyshack]]'', ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', ''[[Groundhog Day (film)|Groundhog Day]]'' and many more. Brian Doyle Murray has had roles in dozens of films, and Belzer was an [[Emmy Award]]-winning TV actor.