For the kidnapped missionary, see Chet Bitterman.

Bitterman is a comic strip appearing in MAD Magazine. It focuses around Mr. Joe Bitterman, a surly, wild-eyed man who hates his life and everyone he knows. Oddly, his bitterness often works to his advantage, and after applying for a job as a security guard he was made a sergeant on the spot. He has a sister, and her two kids frequently visit his house. He hates them all. Bitterman occasionally attempts a substantial undertaking of some kind (such as teaching his niece and nephew the facts of life using toys), and these are generally far more disturbing than when he just sticks to hating the world.

His history has been explained in fits and starts. His father is Wheeler Bitterman, who lives in a nursing home. According to one of the nurses at the home, they share very similar personalities. They hate each other.

The strip appears regularly in the "Fundalini Pages" section of the magazine. Fundalini is a potpourri which features several small items, cartoons, or premises (as many as 6 per page), as opposed to the longer articles which MAD is better known for publishing. Many of these short-burst contributions are one-time-only, but other recurring features such as "Bitterman" anchor the section from issue to issue.