Mad #56

(July 1960)

Weak Coffee Sales Gives Us Growers Java Jitters! (Table of Contents)

League of Frightened Coffee Growers / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Al Jaffee

Pencils:

Kelly Freas (signed)

Inks:

Kelly Freas (signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Synopsis:

Parody of ad for a coffee growers organization.

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.
Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

Departments (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

various (see Notes)

Inks:

various (see Notes)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Synopsis:

table of contents

Indexer Notes

Art is excerpts from various stories in this issue.

Start Your Own Hall Of Fame (Table of Contents)

Alfred E. Neuman bust / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.25 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Lester Krauss (photo) ?

Inks:

Lester Krauss (photo) ?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Synopsis:

House ad for china bust of Alfred.

Campaign For The MAD Vote (Table of Contents)

Alfred E. Neuman For President Kit / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

? (photo)

Inks:

? (photo)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Synopsis:

House ad for kit containing poster, sticker, button, and hat.

Random Samplings of Reader Mail (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Albert B. Feldstein; Mike Cunningham; John Rogers; Robert Raymond; Gardner McKay; Linda Fertig; Sam Wohl; Gary Wolfersberger; Joyce Aldrich; Bob Rothstein; Joe Szymanski; Alan Silverman; Ronnie Perlman; Terry Bird; Terry Reed; Robert Higgins; Ives McCoy; Edna Thompson

Pencils:

? (photo)

Inks:

? (photo)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Characters:

Tony Randall; Lyle Bettger

Synopsis:

Letters of comment, many about issue #54, and a mention of the recent TV show "Four For Tonight" which featured a comedy sketch based on Don Martin's "Hair Tonic Commercial" cartoon.

Indexer Notes

Gardner McKay was the star of TV's "Adventures in Paradise."

A Little Knowledge Is A Dangerous Thing (Table of Contents)

MAD Magazine / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.2 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Synopsis:

House ad for subscriptions.

Put A Little Fun In Your Life! (Table of Contents)

Alfred E. Neuman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.05 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Norman Mingo (painted)

Inks:

Norman Mingo (painted)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Characters:

Alfred E. Neuman

Synopsis:

House ad for pinups suitable for framing.

Madison Avenue's Political Ad Campaigns (Table of Contents)

Hoke-Filled Room Dept. / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Gary Belkin

Pencils:

George Woodbridge

Inks:

George Woodbridge

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Characters:

Richard Nixon; Pat Nixon; John F. Kennedy; Adlai Stevenson; Lyndon B. Johnson; Hubert Humphrey [as Hubert Humphreys]; Stuart Symington; Norman Thomas; John J. Stickeyfingers

Synopsis:

Parodies of consumer product ads used as political ads.

MAD's Modern Olympic Games (Table of Contents)

Five-Ring Circus Dept. / text story / 3 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Tom Koch

Pencils:

Mort Drucker

Inks:

Mort Drucker

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Synopsis:

Olympic style events based on the skills of living modern city life.

The Chiropractor (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Don Martin (signed)

Pencils:

Don Martin (signed)

Inks:

Don Martin (signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Synopsis:

A chiropractor loosens up his patient a little too much.

MAD Bubble Gum Cards (Table of Contents)

Chew's Who Dept. / text story / 4 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Tom Koch

Pencils:

Joe Orlando

Inks:

Joe Orlando

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Characters:

Alfred E. Neuman; Ewald Wierhoffer; Clyde Reeber; Dr. Boris Acid; Dr. Herman Witheringpuss; Rosemary Winecoop; Walter Smitner; Carlyle Burnlash; Merrill Lynch Piercefenner; Dr. Neville Sternbrush; Enoch Saltzpritcher; Getyer Hanzoff; Seymour Verblanger; Rudy Gougewell; Omar Wintermutt; John Ward Heeler, Jr.

Synopsis:

Explores what bubble gum card statistics might look like if the cards featured people from professions other than sports.

The Good Woman In Africa (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Don Martin (signed)

Pencils:

Don Martin (signed)

Inks:

Don Martin (signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Synopsis:

A woman who has been counseling cannibals gets unusual results.

How Publicity Works (Table of Contents)

Bilking It Dry Dept. / comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Frank Jacobs

Pencils:

Bob Clarke (credited); Joe Orlando (actual)

Inks:

Bob Clarke (credited); Joe Orlando (actual)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Characters:

Senator Ardsley Stonehenge

Synopsis:

Phoney newspaper clippings showing how a good publicity man can get mountains of press from a molehill of an event.

Indexer Notes

Art credit in issue is wrong, as this is clearly Joe Orlando's work, matching that of the "MAD Bubble Gum Cards".

The Garbage Explosion (Table of Contents)

Letter-ly Speaking Dept. / comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Sy Reit

Pencils:

Bob Clarke (signed)

Inks:

Bob Clarke (signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Synopsis:

A look at how the population explosion will lead to a garbage explosion and MAD's solution.

The MAD "Comic" Opera (Table of Contents)

Song Of India Ink Dept. / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Frank Jacobs

Pencils:

Wallace Wood (signed)

Inks:

Wallace Wood (signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Characters:

Dick Tracy; Mickey; Tarzan; Dondi (cameo); Wimpy (cameo); Junior (cameo); Mandrake The Magician (cameo); Alley Oop (cameo); Phil; Little Orphan Annie; Rex Morgan M.D.; Dagwood Bumstead; The Little King (cameo); The Phanton (cameo); Henry (cameo); Jeff (cameo); Sandy; Flash Gordon (cameo); Superman [Clark Kent] (cameo); Steve Canyon (cameo); Daddy Warbucks (cameo); Smilin' Jack; Penny; Snuffy SMith; Lowizee Smith; Prince Valiant (cameo); Jiggs (cameo); Maggie (cameo); Pogo (cameo); Joe Palooka (cameo); Li'l Abner (cameo); Daisy Mae; (cameo); Shmoos (cameo); Mark Trail (cameo); Andy Gump (cameo); Archie Andrews (cameo); Veronica Lodge (cameo); Hans Katzenjammer (cameo); Fritz Katzenjammer (cameo); Moon Mullins (cameo); Linus Van Pelt (cameo); Popeye (cameo); Olive Oyl (cameo); Mary Worth (cameo); The Spirit (cameo); Pluto (cameo); The Jeep (cameo); Red Ryder (cameo); Mr. Dithers (cameo); Blondie (cameo); Dennis The Menace (cameo); Cheeta; Cicero's cat (cameo); Smokey Stover (cameo)

Synopsis:

A parody of Broadway musicals using comic strip characters. Rex Morgan has kidnapped Annie and intends to remove her unique eyes, but Sandy leads Dick Tracy and Tarzan to a rescue, which is aided by Snuffy Smith.

Reprints:

• in MAD Special [MAD Super Special] (EC, 1970 series) #36 (Fall 1981)

Indexer Notes

Many other comic strip characters that I do not recognize appear in cameos, especially in the big finale song scene. There is also a mid-page decoration featuring head shots of probably every contemporary comic strip character.

Scenes We'd Like To See: The Race Through The Jungle (Table of Contents)

Hollywood Dept. / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Mort Drucker

Inks:

Mort Drucker

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Synopsis:

A Tarzan-like man races through the jungle, swinging on vines, to an unusual destination.

Honest Ads (Table of Contents)

The Truth Blurts Dept. / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Tom Koch

Pencils:

Bob Clarke (signed)

Inks:

Bob Clarke (signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Characters:

Sammy Getzoff

Synopsis:

A look at how advertisements might be if they told the truth.

Indexer Notes

Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

Patty Play Dolls (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Dave Berg (signed)

Pencils:

Dave Berg (signed)

Inks:

Dave Berg (signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Synopsis:

Details the expenses of owning a doll as big as a child, and advises parents to ask Congress to declare such dolls as dependents so the parents can get a tax break.

Indexer Notes

One character on the last page looks like a young version of Berg's Roger Kaputnick character.

MAD's TV "Alfie" Awards (Table of Contents)

Clumsy Category Dept. / comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Sy Reit

Pencils:

Mort Drucker (signed)

Inks:

Mort Drucker (signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Characters:

Bert Parks; Jack Paar; Jose Melis; Dean Martin; Gale Storm; John Daly; Bennett Cerf (cameo); Dorothy Kilgallen (cameo); Desi Arnaz; Lucille Ball (cameo); Steve Allen; Gardner McKay

Synopsis:

TV stars receive awards for categories of dubious merit, in a parody of the Emmy Awards show.

The Tourist And The Italian Urchins (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Don Martin (signed)

Pencils:

Don Martin (signed)

Inks:

Don Martin (signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Synopsis:

A tourist takes a photo of some kids, one of whom has a strange growth.

The U.S. Army Chicken Officer's Field Manual (Table of Contents)

The Man In Command Dept. / text article / 5 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Larry Siegel

Pencils:

Bob Clarke (signed)

Inks:

Bob Clarke (signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Synopsis:

A phoney instruction book for army officers, showing how they are trained in all the things that annoy enlisted men.

The Chase (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Don Martin (signed)

Pencils:

Don Martin (signed)

Inks:

Don Martin (signed)

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Synopsis:

A man on horseback escapes some Indians when the horse leaps a chasm...sort of.

Indexer Notes

Noted as a "Scene We'd Like To See", but not listed as that Feature in Department title.

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

Marginal Marvin Dept. / filler / 0 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

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 22 pages.

Announcing...A Twin Launching From The MAD Pad (Table of Contents)

MAD books / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Lester Krauss (photo)

Inks:

Lester Krauss (photo)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Synopsis:

House ad for "The Golden Trashery of MAD" and "The Organization MAD."

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.
Props courtesy of Polk's Modelcraft Hobbies, Inc.

Crocked (Table of Contents)

Rummie Walker / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Kelly Freas (painted, signed)

Inks:

Kelly Freas (painted, signed)

Colors:

Kelly Freas (painted, signed)

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

satire

Characters:

Frank Kelly Freas; Rummie Walker

Synopsis:

Parody of a series of Johnny Walker liquor ads, featuring artists.

Indexer Notes

back cover