Mad #26

(November 1955)

Armstronger Tire Knock-Down Punch Socko for Skids! (Table of Contents: 1)

Armstronger Tire / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Bill Elder (signed)

Inks

Bill Elder (signed)

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody

Synopsis

Phony ad for Armstronger Tires.

Reprints

• in The Mad Reader (ibooks, 2002 series) (March 2002)

Indexer Notes

Parody of ad for Armstrong Tires. Inside front cover.

Contents (Table of Contents: 2)

table of contents / 1 page (report information)

Script

Harvey Kurtzman (signed)

Pencils

Bill Elder

Inks

Bill Elder

Letters

typeset

Genre

non-fiction

Characters

Mario Labonza

Indexer Notes

Includes a brief summary of contents with excerpts of art from this issue. Illustration of Mario Labonza is the complete art for the cropped illustrations used in the article "Confidentially."

Sure Fire Dialogue (Table of Contents: 3)

Education Dept. / text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Harry Purvis

Letters

typeset

Genre

humor

Synopsis

Snippets of stereotypical movie dialog.

Indexer Notes

Noted as "Copyright 1955 by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Inc."

Letters Dept. (Table of Contents: 4)

Letters Dept. / letters page / 1.875 pages (report information)

Script

Harvey Kurtzman ?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Letters

typeset

Characters

Alfred E. Neuman

Indexer Notes

Art is various versions of Alfred E. Neuman from historic sources. He is not named, and "What? Me Worry?" is sometimes shown as simply "Me Worry?"

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 5)

The MAD Reader; MAD Strikes Back! / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.125 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

? (photo)

Inks

?

Letters

typeset

Synopsis

House ad for MAD paperback books: "MAD Strikes Back!" and "The MAD Reader."

The Dave Garrowunway Show (Table of Contents: 6)

TV Dept. / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Jack Davis

Inks

Jack Davis

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody

Characters

Dave Garrowunway; J. Floyd Gluggs

Synopsis

Dave gets locked out of the studio and J. Floyd continues the show.

Reprints

• in The Brothers Mad (Ballantine Books, 1958 series) #5 (October 1958), #5 (U2105) (December 1963), #5 (24331) (January 1975), #25283 [5] (June 1976)

Indexer Notes

Parody of the "Today" tv show with Dave Garroway.

[Davy Crockett Merchandising Ideas] (Table of Contents: 7)

Davy Crockett Dept. / text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Bill Elder

Inks

Bill Elder

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody

Synopsis

Various missed opportunities to tie merchandise to the Davy Crockett fad.

Indexer Notes

Presented as a group of newspaper and magazine ads torn from pages.

Confidentially (Table of Contents: 8)

Confidential Information Dept. / comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Bill Elder (signed)

Inks

Bill Elder (signed)

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody

Characters

Mario Labonza

Synopsis

Phony articles from various confidential exposé magazines showing how they are all the same.

Reprints

• in The Brothers Mad (Ballantine Books, 1958 series) #5 (October 1958), #5 (U2105) (December 1963), #5 (24331) (January 1975), #25283 [5] (June 1976)

The Conquest of Tillie's Lookout (Table of Contents: 9)

Adventure Dept. / text story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

I. Wallach (credited as Ira Wallach)

Pencils

Wally Wood (signed)

Inks

Wally Wood (signed)

Letters

typeset

Genre

humor

Characters

Peter Wheaten; Larry Memmerson; Will Yaeger; Mitchel Hackney

Synopsis

An account of climbing a minor hummock at a New England resort, narrated as if climbing Mt. Everest.

More Sure Fire Dialogue (Table of Contents: 10)

Education Dept. / text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Harry Purvis

Letters

typeset

Genre

humor

Synopsis

Snippets of stereotypical movie dialog.

Indexer Notes

Noted as "Copyright 1955 by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Inc."

Let's Go for a Ride! (Table of Contents: 11)

How We Live / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

Harvey Kurtzman (sourced)

Pencils

Jack Davis (signed)

Inks

Jack Davis (signed)

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody

Synopsis

Exaggerated versions of the problems of a Sunday drive, with the family finally deciding home was more peaceful.

Reprints

• in Mad for Keeps (Crown Publishers, 1958 series) (July 1958)
• in Son of Mad (New American Library, 1959 series) #S1701 (October 1959)
• in Son of Mad (Warner Books, 1974 series) #7 (88-760) (January 1979)
• in The Son of Mad (ibooks, 2003 series) (August 2003)

The Strange Cruise of the Buttercup (Table of Contents: 12)

Poetry Dept. / text story / 3 pages (report information)

Script

David W. Donaldson

Letters

typeset

Genre

humor

Synopsis

The ship never sets sail and fires cannon at the Admiralty building.

Indexer Notes

Small illustrations around the article appear to be clip art from old sources.

The Prodigious (Table of Contents: 13)

Movie Dept. / Movies Dept. / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Wally Wood (signed)

Inks

Wally Wood (signed)

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody; humor

Characters

Mikellah; Sanforized; Flash Gordon (cameo); Shazam

Synopsis

Review of a movie, showing major plot turning points.

Indexer Notes

Parody of movie "The Prodigal."

At Home with Lorelei Latour (Table of Contents: 14)

Movie Dept. / Movies Dept. / text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Ernie Kovacs

Pencils

Gustave Doré (original); Wally Wood (embellishments)

Inks

Gustave Doré (original); Wally Wood (embellishments)

Letters

typeset

Genre

humor

Characters

Ernie Kovacs

Synopsis

Essay on how "simple" and "unassuming" Miss Latour's estate and home are, in contrast to the expected extravagance of Hollywood stars.

Indexer Notes

Art credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

The Seven Itchy Years (Table of Contents: 15)

Movie Dept. / Movies Dept. / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Bill Elder

Inks

Bill Elder

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody; humor

Characters

Marilyn Marone; Thomas Eawrl; Victor Moo; Robert Animal; Sunny Tuffy

Synopsis

Scenes from the movie with a review.

Reprints

• in Mad for Keeps (Crown Publishers, 1958 series) (July 1958)
• in Mad about the Fifties (Little, Brown, 1997 series) (1997)

Indexer Notes

Parody of movie "The Seven Year Itch."

[Today's Criminal Investigating Game] (Table of Contents: 16)

Roger Price Dept. / text article / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Roger Price

Pencils

Roger Price

Inks

Roger Price

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody; humor

Characters

Elton Parsons; Roger's uncle Frank; Jerome Clendenin; Rachel "Hoghead" Skinner

Synopsis

Roger discusses "The Sissonville Fiend Case", how to surround and capture a criminal whose location is known, obtaining information, identifying criminal types, stake outs, fingerprints, marksmanship, and delinquent youth assistance programs.

More Sure Fire Dialogue (Table of Contents: 17)

Education Dept. / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

Harry Purvis

Letters

typeset

Genre

humor

Synopsis

Snippets of stereotypical movie dialog.

Indexer Notes

Noted as "Copyright 1955 by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Inc."

A Guide to Better Understanding the Fine Old Art of Boxing (Table of Contents: 18)

Sports Dept. / text story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Al Jaffee

Pencils

Jack Davis (signed)

Inks

Jack Davis (signed)

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody; humor

Synopsis

Insight into the sport of boxing.

Reprints

• in Mad (EC, 2018 series) #21 (October 2021)

Indexer Notes

Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

My Secret (Table of Contents: 19)

Sports Dept. / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Al Jaffee (signed)

Pencils

Al Jaffee (signed)

Inks

Al Jaffee (signed)

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody; humor

Characters

Benn Ogen

Synopsis

Shows the details of famous golfer Benn Ogen's swing.

Reprints

• in Mad for Keeps (Crown Publishers, 1958 series) (July 1958)
• in Son of Mad (New American Library, 1959 series) #S1701 (October 1959)
• in Son of Mad (Warner Books, 1974 series) #7 (88-760) (January 1979)
• in Mad about the Fifties (Little, Brown, 1997 series) (1997)
• in The Son of Mad (ibooks, 2003 series) (August 2003)
• in Mad for Decades (Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2007 series) (2007)

More Sure Fire Dialogue (Table of Contents: 20)

Education Dept. / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

Harry Purvis

Letters

typeset

Genre

humor

Synopsis

Snippets of stereotypical movie dialog.

Indexer Notes

Noted as "Copyright 1955 by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Inc." The "Totally MAD" CD collection lists writer credit for this 4th page as Al Jaffee.

Tense Tycoons and Lucky Bucks (Table of Contents: 21)

Best Seller Dept. / text story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Bernard Shir-Cliff

Pencils

Bernie Krigstein (signed); Wally Wood (final illustration)

Inks

Bernie Krigstein (signed); Wally Wood (final illustration)

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody

Characters

Crash McCool; Austin Grant; Larraine Grant; Phil Sheridan; Waldon Conman; Malt Moulton; Miss Vorple; Bessemer; Grafton Garfoltz

Synopsis

Parts of a story about a corporate raider and the people of one of the companies he buys.

Indexer Notes

Presented as a 5-page excerpt from the novel: "Crash McCool." Final illustration is the final illustration from the story "The Conquest of Tillie's Lookout" in this issue. Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

[Sanofranized] (Table of Contents: 22)

Sanofranized fabrics / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Bill Elder (signed); Thomas Nast

Inks

Bill Elder (signed); Thomas Nast

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody

Characters

The Addams Family; Alfred E. Neuman

Synopsis

Four single panel cartoons in different art styles, as Sanofranized ads.

Reprints

• in Mad for Keeps (Crown Publishers, 1958 series) (July 1958)

Indexer Notes

Parody of Sanforized fabric ad. Inside back cover.

It's High Adventure (Table of Contents: 23)

Canadian Clubbed / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Bill Elder (signed)

Inks

Bill Elder (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

satire-parody

Synopsis

Phony ad for Canadian Clubbed whiskey.

Reprints

• in Mad for Keeps (Crown Publishers, 1958 series) (July 1958)
• in Mad about the Fifties (Little, Brown, 1997 series) (1997) [back cover]

Indexer Notes

Parody of ad for Canadian Club whiskey.