Mad #55
(June 1960)

EC, 1952 Series
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Volume
1
Price
0.25 USD
Pages
52
Indicia Frequency
monthly except February, May, August and November
On-sale Date
1960-03-29
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
E.C. Publications Inc.
Editing
Al Feldstein (credited as Albert B. Feldstein) (editor)

Issue Notes

On-sale date from 1960 Periodicals, Copyright Office, Library of Congress.

[Fair / Foul] (Table of Contents)

Alfred E. Neuman / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Kelly Freas (signed) (painting)
Inks
Kelly Freas (signed) (painting)
Colors
Kelly Freas (signed) (painting)

Genre
humor
Characters
Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis
Alfred is part of a weather indicator...erroneously indicating the weather.
Reprints

[What? You Say I'm Not Covered?] (Table of Contents: 1)

Safe Form Mutual / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Al Jaffee
Pencils
Lester Krauss (photo)
Inks
Lester Krauss (photo)
Letters
typeset

Genre
satire-parody
Synopsis
Parody of ad for State Farm Mutual Insurance.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

Departments (Table of Contents: 2)

Vital Features / foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
various (see Notes)
Inks
various (see Notes)
Letters
typeset

Synopsis
table of contents

Indexer Notes

Art is excerpts from various stories in this issue.

Have Your Own MAD Show With This Half-Baked Cast (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Alfred E. Neuman bust / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Here's The Seventh Wonder Of The World! (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Son of MAD / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.17 page (report information)

Random Samplings of Reader Mail (Table of Contents: 5)

Letters Dept. / letters page / 1 page (report information)

Script
Al Feldstein (credited as Albert B. Feldstein); Mike Brown; Bob Davis (credited as Robert Davis)
Pencils
Wally Wood (credited as Wallace Wood); George Woodbridge; ? (photo)
Inks
Wally Wood (credited as Wallace Wood); George Woodbridge; ? (photo)
Letters
typeset

Characters
unnamed Marine; Alfred Hatchplot
Synopsis
Letters of comment, many about issue #53, along with a pitch for back issue sales.

Indexer Notes

The letters were written by George Rinehart, Don Schumacher, Henry Kirchner, George Hewitt, Ann Thomas; John Swift, and Mickey Olsen.

You'll Have A Duece Of A Time With Your Subscription To MAD (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

MAD Magazine / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.17 page (report information)

Feeling Low Lately? (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

MAD hardcover books / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.28 page (report information)

This Is The End Of Them! (Table of Contents: 8) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.05 page (report information)

Pictures The Editor Left Out (Table of Contents: 9)

Accentuate The Positive Dept. / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script
Al Jaffee
Pencils
Joe Orlando (signed)
Inks
Joe Orlando (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
humor
Characters
Mary Lou Va Voom; Melvin Goodslob; Holbrook "Home-Run" Harney; Senator Vernon T. Balotstufer; Mrs. Balotstufer; Mr. Balotstufer (father); General Klod; Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis
Compares the photos used in magazine articles with unused photos that might have been taken just afterwords.
Reprints

The concert (Table of Contents: 10)

Don Martin Dept. / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Don Martin (signed)
Pencils
Don Martin (signed)
Inks
Don Martin (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
humor
Characters
Mandrake S. Bach
Synopsis
Problems occur when a man who is both a musician and magician carries his equipment for both professions on stage.
Reprints

MAD Beats The TV Plug Crackdown (Table of Contents: 11)

Memorably Mentioned Dept. / text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Paul Krassner
Pencils
Bob Clarke
Inks
Bob Clarke
Letters
typeset

Genre
humor
Characters
Gary Moore; Mr. Shnook; Chester Riley; Mrs. Riley; Bob Hope
Synopsis
MAD introduces some products with brand names that will inadvertently be sprinkled throughout normal speech.

The MAD Madison Avenue Primer (Table of Contents: 12)

Hard Spell Dept. / text story / 3 pages (report information)

Script
Larry Siegel
Pencils
Wally Wood (credited as Wallace Wood) (signed)
Inks
Wally Wood (credited as Wallace Wood) (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
satire-parody
Synopsis
An attempt to make the world of advertising understandable by seven-year olds.
Reprints

The Arthur Money Party (Table of Contents: 13)

R.S.V.I.P. Dept. / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script
Larry Siegel
Pencils
Mort Drucker (signed)
Inks
Mort Drucker (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
satire-parody
Characters
Kathleen Money; The Arthur Money Dancers [Rhoda Pfeffer; Lewis Eskin]; Jawaharlal Nehru; Mrs. Nikita Khrushchev; Fred Astep; Ed Sullivan
Synopsis
Parody of the Arthur Murray Party TV show.

Cigarette Geography (Table of Contents: 14)

Durham Bull Dept. / text story / 3 pages (report information)

Script
Sy Reit
Pencils
Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks
Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
satire-parody
Synopsis
MAD takes the trend of cigarette manufacturers' focus on various parts of the cigarettes to ridiculous extremes.
Reprints

Literal Translations of Figurative Speech (Table of Contents: 15)

Idiom's Delight Dept. / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Dave Berg
Pencils
Lester Krauss (photo)
Inks
Lester Krauss (photo)
Letters
typeset

Genre
humor
Synopsis
One-panel gags of people acting out common expressions such as "Won't you join me in a cup of coffee?"
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Some people are MAD staffers recognized from previous promo ads.

I.B.M. Cards (Table of Contents: 16)

Punch And Booty Dept. / text story / 4 pages (report information)

Script
Frank Jacobs
Pencils
Joe Orlando
Inks
Joe Orlando
Letters
typeset

Genre
humor
Characters
Melvin Blecch; Selma Blecch; Nikita Khrushchev; Jack Benny; Fidel Castro; Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis
Interpreting the punches on computer billing cards.
Reprints

In A Greasy Spoon Diner (Table of Contents: 17)

Don Martin Dept. / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Don Martin (signed)
Pencils
Don Martin (signed)
Inks
Don Martin (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
humor
Synopsis
The cook provides an unappetizing condiment.
Reprints

Popular Politician (Table of Contents: 18)

Vote's My Line Dept. / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Gary Belkin
Pencils
George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks
George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
satire-parody
Characters
Adlai Stevenson; Charles DeGaulle; Nikita Khrushchev; David Ben-Gurion; Richard Nixon; Hubert Humphrey; Pat Nixon; Drouella Pearsons; Wayne Morse; Margaret Chase Smith; Nelson Rockefeller
Synopsis
What a celebrity magazine based on politicians might look like.

The Jackie Talented Story (Table of Contents: 19)

comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script
Sid Caesar (credited)
Pencils
Wally Wood (credited as Wallace Wood) (signed)
Inks
Wally Wood (credited as Wallace Wood) (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
satire-parody
Characters
Sid Caesar [Jackie Talented]; J. P. Starmaker; Jackie's father; Tony; Vera Brassy; Helen Zigfried
Synopsis
A parody of all the "unknown makes it big in show business" movies.

Barber Shop (Table of Contents: 20)

Berg's Eye View Dept. / comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script
Dave Berg (signed)
Pencils
Dave Berg (signed)
Inks
Dave Berg (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
humor
Synopsis
Special chairs at the barber shop so men can enjoy a fantasy while having their hair cut.
Reprints

Mother's Day Cards (Table of Contents: 21)

Panned Parenthood Dept. / text article / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Frank Jacobs
Pencils
Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks
Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
satire-parody
Characters
Al Capone; Benedict Arnold; Emperor Nero; Eddie "Blackbeard" Teach; John Wilkes Booth; Lizzie Borden
Synopsis
Ridiculous Mother's Day cards through history that might have been sent by kids who didn't turn out so well.
Reprints

The "Hip" Raven (Table of Contents: 22)

Poe-Etic Injustice Dept. / text story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Paul Laikin (translation); Edgar Allan Poe (original)
Pencils
Mort Drucker (signed)
Inks
Mort Drucker (signed)
Letters
typeset

Genre
satire-parody
Synopsis
A translation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" into hip slang.

Indexer Notes

Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

More MAD "Y'OX" (Table of Contents: 23)

Marginal Thinking Dept. / text story / 0 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Letters
typeset

Genre
humor
Characters
Marginal Marvin
Synopsis
Captions with arrangements of "X"s and "O"s as the art.

Indexer Notes

Appears in the margins of 25 pages.

Have Yourself A Political Party (Table of Contents: 24) (Expand) /

Alfred E. Neuman For President Kit / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

How Many Ways Can He Hurt Himself Today? (Table of Contents: 25)

Goldbrick & Goldbrick / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Kelly Freas (signed) (painting)
Inks
Kelly Freas (signed) (painting)
Colors
Kelly Freas (signed) (painting)
Letters
typeset

Genre
satire-parody
Synopsis
Parody of a Johnson & Johnson first aid products ad.

Indexer Notes

back cover

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [Fair / Foul]
    Alfred E. Neuman
  2. 1. [What? You Say I'm Not Covered?]
    Safe Form Mutual
  3. 2. Departments
    Vital Features
  4. 3. Have Your Own MAD Show With This Half-Baked Cast
    Alfred E. Neuman bust
  5. 4. Here's The Seventh Wonder Of The World!
    Son of MAD
  6. 5. Random Samplings of Reader Mail
    Letters Dept.
  7. 6. You'll Have A Duece Of A Time With Your Subscription To MAD
    MAD Magazine
  8. 7. Feeling Low Lately?
    MAD hardcover books
  9. 8. This Is The End Of Them!
  10. 9. Pictures The Editor Left Out
    Accentuate The Positive Dept.
  11. 10. The concert
    Don Martin Dept.
  12. 11. MAD Beats The TV Plug Crackdown
    Memorably Mentioned Dept.
  13. 12. The MAD Madison Avenue Primer
    Hard Spell Dept.
  14. 13. The Arthur Money Party
    R.S.V.I.P. Dept.
  15. 14. Cigarette Geography
    Durham Bull Dept.
  16. 15. Literal Translations of Figurative Speech
    Idiom's Delight Dept.
  17. 16. I.B.M. Cards
    Punch And Booty Dept.
  18. 17. In A Greasy Spoon Diner
    Don Martin Dept.
  19. 18. Popular Politician
    Vote's My Line Dept.
  20. 19. The Jackie Talented Story
  21. 20. Barber Shop
    Berg's Eye View Dept.
  22. 21. Mother's Day Cards
    Panned Parenthood Dept.
  23. 22. The "Hip" Raven
    Poe-Etic Injustice Dept.
  24. 23. More MAD "Y'OX"
    Marginal Thinking Dept.
  25. 24. Have Yourself A Political Party
    Alfred E. Neuman For President Kit
  26. 25. How Many Ways Can He Hurt Himself Today?
    Goldbrick & Goldbrick
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • mcomics
  • Steve Coates
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Katy Hayhurst
  • Donald Dale Milne