Mad #4

(April - May 1953)

MAD Mumblings (Table of Contents)

MAD Mumblings / letters page / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Harvey Kurtzman; William Gaines

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Letters from readers, with illustration. On inside front cover.

Superduperman! (Table of Contents)

Superduperman / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Wally Wood (signed)

Inks:

Wally Wood (signed)

Colors:

Marie Severin

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Characters:

Superduperman [Clark Bent]; Lois Pain; Copy Boy; W. Twitchell; Captain Marbles [Billy Spafon]

Synopsis:

Superduperman defeats Captain Marbles by causing Marbles to punch himself out, but Superduperman still can't make it with Lois.

Reprints:

• in The Mad Reader (Ballantine Books, 1954 series) #93 (November 1954)
• in A Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics (Smithsonian Institution / Harry N Abrams, 1981 series) #[nn] (1981)
• in Mad About the Fifties (Little, Brown & Co., 1997 series) #[nn] (1997)
• in Tales Calculated to Drive You Mad (EC, 1997 series) #2 (Winter 1997-1998)

Indexer Notes

A parody of both Superman and Captain Marvel.

Flob Was A Slob! (Table of Contents)

Romance Dept. / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Jack Davis (signed)

Inks:

Jack Davis (signed)

Colors:

Marie Severin

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Characters:

Ramona Snarfle; Sheldon Flob; Rackstraw Him

Synopsis:

Ramona is engaged to slobby, boring Flob but is smitten by the newcomer Rackstraw and follows Rackstraw into a life of crime.

Reprints:

• in Tales Calculated to Drive You Mad (EC, 1997 series) #2 (Winter 1997-1998)

Indexer Notes

A parody of romance comics.

We At E.C. Are Proudest of Our Science-Fiction Magazines (Table of Contents)

E.C. comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

Marie Severin

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

House ad for E.C. comics. Printed as two ½ pages in bookend fashion around text story sequence.

The Parole (Table of Contents)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jerry DeFuccio

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

Marie Severin

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Characters:

Tumblers Tympannus; Tiberious O'Leary

Synopsis:

Tumblers is temporarly paroled from prison to help free someone from a bank vault, but the police don't hold up their end of the bargain and he is reimprisoned.

Reprints:

• in Tales Calculated to Drive You Mad (EC, 1997 series) #2 (Winter 1997-1998)

Indexer Notes

Text story with an illustration. Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

Let's Deplore Your Mind (Table of Contents)

Cosmo McMoon / text story / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

Marie Severin

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

satire; humor

Characters:

Cosmo McMoon

Synopsis:

A fake letters column with Cosmo answering the letters.

Reprints:

• in Tales Calculated to Drive You Mad (EC, 1997 series) #2 (Winter 1997-1998)

Indexer Notes

Text story with an illustration. Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

Robin Hood! (Table of Contents)

Hysterical Historical Dept. / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

John Severin (signed)

Inks:

John Severin (signed)

Colors:

Marie Severin

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Characters:

Robin Hood; Big John; Sparkie; Alan Adaile; Friar Tuck; Little John; Happy; Sneezy; Sleepy; Doc; Dopey; Bashful; Grumpy; Maid Marion

Synopsis:

After robbing a sheriff's posse, Robin Hood and his gang rob Big John and Sparkie of their last two cents.

Reprints:

• in Utterly Mad (Ballantine Books, 1956 series) #178 (October 1956)
• in Utterly Mad (Ballantine Books, 1956 series) #U2104 (December 1963)
• in Tales Calculated to Drive You Mad (EC, 1997 series) #2 (Winter 1997-1998)

Indexer Notes

A parody of Robin Hood.

Shadow! (Table of Contents)

Crime Dept. / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Bill Elder (signed)

Inks:

Bill Elder (signed)

Colors:

Marie Severin

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Characters:

Margo Pain; Lamont Shadowskeedeeboomboom

Synopsis:

Lamont kills Margo to preserve the secret of his identity.

Reprints:

• in The Brothers Mad (Ballantine Books, 1958 series) #267 (October 1958)
• in The Brothers Mad (Ballantine Books, 1958 series) #267K (May 1960)
• in The Brothers Mad (Ballantine Books, 1958 series) #U2105 ([post-1963])
• in The Brothers Mad (Ballantine Books, 1958 series) #24331 (January 1975)
• in Tales Calculated to Drive You Mad (EC, 1997 series) #2 (Winter 1997-1998)

Indexer Notes

A parody of The Shadow.

Electronic Walkie-Talkies! (Table of Contents)

C. G. G. Products Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?; ? (photo)

Letters:

typeset

Editing:

?

Indexer Notes

Ad for Remco walkie-talkies and Magic Leaf tarnish remover. Drawn in comic style.

I Gained 60 lbs. of Handsome Hard-Hitting Muscles! (Table of Contents)

Jowett Institute of Physical Training / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

? (photo)

Inks:

? (photo)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Characters:

John Sill; George Jowett

Indexer Notes

Ad for body-building method. On inside back cover.

How To Fix Any Part of Any Car (Table of Contents)

Motor's Auto Repair Manuals / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Editing:

?

Indexer Notes

Ad for auto repair manuals. On back cover.