Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #37
Published January 1958
Cover Price 0.25 USD
Pages 52
Editing Albert B. Feldstein

Cover Details - "1959"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman; Father Time 1957
Genre humor
Pencils Norman Mingo (painted, signed)
Inks Norman Mingo (painted, signed)
Colors Norman Mingo (painted, signed)
Letters typeset

1 page Kings Man Close Shave Lotion story "I Don't Want To Be A King"

Characters Edward, Duke of Wales
Synopsis Phony ad for Kings Man liquors.
Genre satire
Pencils Kelly Freas (signed)
Inks Kelly Freas (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Parody of ad for Kingsman after-shaving products. Inside front cover.
Reprinted in More Trash From MAD (EC, 1958 series) #1

1 page Vital Features foreword, introduction, preface, afterword "Departments"

Genre fact
Pencils various
Inks various
Letters typeset
Notes Art is excerpts from this issue. Masthead quote is from Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1878). Lists Frank Jacobs, Albert Meglin, Paul Krassner, George Mandel, Ron Goulart, and Paul Laikin as writers and Nick Megliola for ideas, but unknown for which articles.

2 page So's Your Old Super Man Dept. story "Realistic Comic Book Heroes"

Characters Garbage Man; Postman; Boris Soiloff; Ivan; Laundry Man; B.J.; Yes Man; Playboy; Mr. Miltown; Insurance Man; Fuller Brush Man; Milkman; TV Repairman; Fire Man
Synopsis Ideas for everyday workers as comic book superheroes.
Genre satire
Script Ron Goulart
Pencils Mort Drucker
Inks Mort Drucker
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

Half page MAD books promo (ad from the publisher) "Bunk!"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis House ad for MAD paperback books.
Pencils Norman Mingo; Bill Elder
Inks Norman Mingo; Bill Elder
Letters typeset
Notes Art is stock Alfred E. Neuman head and a body figure excerpted from a previous issue.

Half page Alfred E. Neuman promo (ad from the publisher) "They're Going Fast!"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis House ad for pinups suitable for framing.
Pencils Norman Mingo (painted)
Inks Norman Mingo (painted)
Letters typeset

1 page Letters Dept. letters page "Random Samplings of Reader Mail"

Synopsis Letters of comment, mostly about issue #36.
Script Albert B. Feldstein; Dean Scott; Bob Thompson; Walt Disney; Pete Hech; Ellis Lesack; David Ames; Burt Lancaster; Kirk Douglas; Richard Skibski; Larry Skarin; Jim Billington; Billy Stebbins; Jack Selcovitz; Gerald Joss; Perry Lerner; John Olson; Michael Devlin; Dale Goble; Bill Priestly; Leon Harvey; James Jakubowski; Bob Leuten
Pencils various
Inks various
Letters typeset
Notes Art is excerpts from issue #36.

Half page MAD Jewelry promo (ad from the publisher) "You'll Make This A Merry, Mad Christmas"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis House ad for Alfred E. Neuman jewelry designed by Astrahan of NY.
Pencils Carl Klein (photo); Romeo Serry (photo touchup)
Inks Carl Klein (photo); Romeo Serry (photo touchup)
Letters typeset

2 page Under The Spreading Christmas Tree Dept. story "MAD's Xmas Toys"

Synopsis Modern reality based toy kits.
Genre humor
Script Paul Krassner
Pencils Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

1 page Bzz-Bzz-Bzzt Dept. story "Secret Sportalk"

Synopsis Things that might be said in sporting events when you can't hear the players.
Genre humor
Pencils Wally Wood
Inks Wally Wood
Letters typeset

4 page Don Martin Dept. story "Three Strange Tales"

Synopsis Stories are: In A Tavern, In King Arthur's Kitchen, In Another Tavern.
Genre humor
Script Don Martin (signed)
Pencils Don Martin (signed)
Inks Don Martin (signed)
Letters typeset

1 page Ernie Kovacs Dept. story "Strangely Believe It!"

Characters Ernie Kovacs; Toulouse LaFeinstein; Erma T. Gribney; Frantic C. MaCann
Synopsis A parody of Ripley's Believe It Or Not.
Genre satire
Script Ernie Kovacs
Pencils Wallace Wood (signed)
Inks Wallace Wood (signed)
Letters Wallace Wood (signed)
Notes Toulouse LaFeinstein looks like "The Gay Philosopher" and Erma T. Gribney's entire family resembles Alfred E. Neuman.

2 page Punch In The No's Dept. text article "Distinctive Rejection Slips"

Synopsis Phony contributor rejection slips written in the styles of the magazines they come from.
Genre satire
Script Frank Jacobs
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

4 page Red Carpet Dept. story "Report To Russia"

Characters Ivan Slobotnavitch
Synopsis Pictures taken by Ivan along with his captions to show Russians how horrible life in the United States is.
Genre humor
Script Dave Berg
Pencils Wally Wood
Inks Wally Wood
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.
Reprinted in Mad About the Fifties (Little, Brown & Co., 1997 series) #[nn]

3 page Bob & Ray Dept. story "Ambiguous Signs Inc."

Characters Bob Elliott; Ray Goulding; Wally Ballew; Oscar K. Ruprecht
Synopsis Wally interviews the owner of a company that makes purposefully confusing signs for highways.
Genre humor
Script Bob Elliott; Ray Goulding
Pencils Mort Drucker
Inks Mort Drucker
Letters typeset

1 page Hollywood Dept. story "Scenes We'd Like To See: The Bank Examiner"

Synopsis A banker is being audited and trouble is found, but he successfully bribes the bank examiner.
Genre satire
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils Joe Orlando (signed)
Inks Joe Orlando (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

4 page Shake, Rattle, And Roll Dept. story "MAD's Xmas Games"

Synopsis Three phony board games: Draft Dodger; Make-Out; Alimony.
Genre humor
Pencils Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters typeset

2 page Characters That Grow On You Dept. story "See Them Now"

Characters Goldilocks; Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm; Tarzan; Jim Hawkins; Tiny Tim; Alice; the White Rabbit; Lord Fauntleroy; Amboy Dukes; Oliver Twist; Dondi; Captain Ahab; Don Quixote; Charlie Brown; Tom Sawyer; Huck Finn; Brer Fox; Hansel; Gretel; Rip Van Winkle; Dopey; Sluggo; Nancy; Henry; Dennis The Menace; Little Orphan Annie; Frankenstein monster; Alfred E. Neuman; Mickey Mouse; Peter Piper; John Darling
Synopsis A look at a village where literary characters go when their stories are done, to see what becomes of them.
Genre satire
Pencils George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters typeset

1 page Ernie Kovacs Dept. story "Strangely Believe It!"

Characters Ernie Kovacs; Armand Robespierre; Beulah Swoose; Burrell H. Calhoun; Franklin Q. Fangly
Synopsis Parody of Ripley's Believe It Or Not.
Genre satire
Script Ernie Kovacs
Pencils Wally Wood (signed)
Inks Wally Wood (signed)
Letters Wally Wood (signed)

3 page War Is Heck Dept. story "How To Wage Peace"

Synopsis What might happen if games and sports were used to settle what are now armed conflicts.
Genre humor
Script Dave Berg (signed)
Pencils Dave Berg (signed)
Inks Dave Berg (signed)
Letters typeset

1 page Ernie Kovacs Dept. story "Strangely Believe It!"

Characters Ernie Kovacs; Peter J. Eversham; Urdhaba Rahgoon; Myron T. Wendell
Synopsis Parody of Ripley's Believe It Or Not.
Genre satire
Script Ernie Kovacs
Pencils Wallace Wood (signed)
Inks Wallace Wood (signed)
Letters Wallace Wood (signed)

5 page Sound Thinking Dept. story "MAD Goes Hi Fi"

Synopsis Glossary of hi-fi terms, tips on how to beat the high cost, where to place hi-fi equipment, and phony reviews of recordings.
Genre humor
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters typeset

2 page We Couldn't Think of A Dept. story "The Seven Blunders Of The World"

Characters Lemuel T. Egypt; Eric Lanyard; Lancelot O. Zeus; Diana Dregs; Ardsley Swill; Renfrew Rhodes; Otis Bailiwick
Synopsis The ancient seven wonders of the world as reimagined by modern builders.
Genre humor
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils Joe Orlando (signed)
Inks Joe Orlando (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

4 page Orson Bean Dept. story "Orson Bean's Civil War"

Characters Orson Bean; Cornelius Bean; Zachary Bean; Ulysses S. Grant
Synopsis The exploits of Zachary Bean, who during the Civil War was a aide to Ulysses S. Grant.
Genre humor
Script Orson Bean
Pencils George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters typeset

1 page The Bard of Birdland Dept. text article "Shakespeare Up-To-Date"

Synopsis Marc Antony's funeral oration from Julius Ceasar, Act III Scene II, along with a modern beat poetry version.
Genre humor
Script Paul Laikin
Pencils Dave Berg ?
Inks Dave Berg ?
Letters typeset
Notes Face illustrations as a frame around the page. Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

2 page Don Martin Dept. story "A Very Merry Christmas...And A Happy New Year!"

Synopsis A sad Christmas, as a man buys himself a present he doesn't like, and an angry New Year, when none of the hats and noisemakers work.
Genre humor
Script Don Martin (signed)
Pencils Don Martin (signed)
Inks Don Martin (signed)
Letters typeset

1 page Mad Magazine promo (ad from the publisher) "Subscribe To MAD"

Characters Slobby Bobby; Silly Tillie; Smarty Marty
Synopsis House ad for subscriptions to MAD.
Pencils Albert B. Feldstein [signed FF]
Inks Albert B. Feldstein [signed FF]
Letters F F (signed); typeset
Notes Inside back cover.

Refund Dept. filler "Christmas Gifts That Will No Doubt Be Returned"

Synopsis Gift ideas that celebrities would not want.
Genre humor
Letters typeset
Notes In margins of 19 pages of the issue.

1 page Winsten cigarettes story "Seems Like Somebody Always Butts In When You Talk About...Winsten"

Characters Nick Megliola (postman); Jerry DeFuccio
Synopsis Parody of Winston cigarette ad.
Genre parody
Pencils Larry Maleman (photo)
Inks Larry Maleman (photo)
Colors Larry Maleman (photo)
Letters typeset
Notes Models identified in Letters column of issue #38. Back cover.
Reprinted in Mad About the Fifties (Little, Brown & Co., 1997 series) #[nn]; in More Trash From MAD (EC, 1958 series) #1