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

Issue Details

Issue #48
Published July 1959
Cover Price 0.25 USD
Pages 52
Editing Albert B. Feldstein

Cover Details - "I Want You"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman; Uncle Sam
Genre humor
Pencils Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Inks Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Colors Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Letters typeset

1 page Awaysis Cigarettes story "Awaysis Takes You Away From The Everyday!"

Synopsis Parody of ad for Oasis cigarettes.
Genre satire
Pencils Kelly Freas (painted)
Inks Kelly Freas (painted)
Letters typeset
Notes Inside front cover.

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

Pencils various
Inks various
Letters typeset
Notes Art is excerpts from this issue. There is a writer credit for Gary Belkin and Bill Dixon, but uncertain what article(s) it is for.

Half page MAD Straight Jacket promo (ad from the publisher) "A Revolutionary New Idea In Casual Wear"

Characters Leonard Brenner
Synopsis House ad for fake straight jacket.
Pencils ? (photo)
Inks ? (photo)
Letters typeset
Notes Leonard is the model with back turned to the reader; named in letters column of MAD #49.

Half page The Bedside MAD promo (ad from the publisher) "Books That Can Do What They Look Like They Can Do"

Synopsis House ad for sixth MAD paperback book.
Pencils ? (photo)
Inks ? (photo)
Letters typeset

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

Characters George A. Orndorff; Seward McCain; Brett Maverick
Synopsis Letters of comment, mostly about issue #46. Barbara Forrester suggest that Alfred's girlfriend be named Moxie Cowznofsky, and the editor agrees.
Script Albert B. Feldstein; Merwyn Nelson; Josh Zerlin; Jack Marin; Alan Peikin; Charles Allen; Joseph Lipari; Tommy LeClair; Ken Luciani; Russ Durham; Howard Arnberg; David Colton; Seward McCain; Jim Fautus; Wayne Montgomery; Jarl Johansson; Barbara Forrester
Pencils ? (photo)
Inks ? (photo)
Letters typeset

Half page MAD Magazine promo (ad from the publisher) "Have MAD Mailed To Your Home"

Synopsis House ad for MAD subscriptions.
Letters typeset

Half page Musically MAD promo (ad from the publisher) "You'll Have A Million Laughs"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis House ad for first MAD record album, from RCA Victor.
Pencils ? (photo)
Inks ? (photo)
Letters typeset

4 page Famous Funnies Dept. story "Comic Strip Heroes (Taken From Real Life)"

Characters Conrad Hilton; Werner Von Braun; Queen Elizabeth II; Prince Philip; Prince Charles; Hymie Rickover; Richard Nixon; Pat Nixon; Gamal Abdel Nasser; Nikita Krushchev; Mrs. Krushchev; Alfred E. Neuman; Jimmy Hoffa; Charles DeGaulle; Hubert Humphrey; Adlai Stevenson; Harry Truman; General Douglas McArthur; Li'l Abner (cameo); Daisy Mae (cameo); Snuffy Smith (cameo); Snuffy's wife (cameo); Kayo Mullins (cameo); Moon Mullins (cameo); Steve Canyon (cameo); Alley Oop (cameo); Beetle Bailey (cameo); Killer (cameo); Pogo (cameo); Howland Owl (cameo); Lucy Van Pelt (cameo); Charlie Brown (cameo)
Synopsis Comic strips about currently famous people, in styles similar to current comic strips.
Genre satire
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils Wally Wood (signed)
Inks Wally Wood (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

3 page Pressured Groups Dept. text article "Little Known Organizations"

Synopsis Ads for organizations that would oppose actual organizations, such as Alcoholics Unanimous, and Committee To Encourage Juvenile Delinquency.
Genre satire
Script Paul Laikin
Pencils Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

3 page The Man Who Sinks For Himself Dept. story "Skin Diving"

Synopsis Problems with skin diving, new developments, and the ultimate return of man to the sea.
Genre satire
Script Dave Berg (signed)
Pencils Dave Berg (signed)
Inks Dave Berg (signed)
Letters typeset

2 page Don Martin Dept. story "The Cavemen"

Synopsis A cavewoman who is resistant to being clobbered on the head falls for a man with an unusual approach.
Genre humor
Script Don Martin (signed)
Pencils Don Martin (signed)
Inks Don Martin (signed)
Letters typeset

4 page Sid Caesar Dept. story "For The Life Of Progress Hornsby"

Characters Sid Caesar; Ed Ralphwards; Progress Hornsby; Euphoria Hornsby; Bosley Mandiville; Shorty Bubble; Doornet Jaguar; One-Stick Haverstraw; Particular Frosty; 7892-450-37;
Synopsis Progress appears on the tv show "For The Life Of You", a parody of "This Is Your Life."
Genre humor
Script Sid Caesar
Pencils Mort Drucker
Inks Mort Drucker
Letters typeset

3 page Trick-Or-Cheat Dept. story "Bridge: The Aristocrat of Card Games"

Characters Charles Groan
Synopsis Defines common bridge terms, gives advice and shows the pitfalls of playing bridge. Includes a phony newspaper bridge column.
Genre satire
Script Al Jaffee
Pencils Bob Clarke
Inks Bob Clarke
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

1 page Don Martin Dept. story "The Old Salt"

Synopsis A man delicately solves the problem of his parrot going to the bathroom in his shirt.
Genre humor
Script Don Martin (signed)
Pencils Don Martin (signed)
Inks Don Martin (signed)
Letters typeset

2 page On The Sunny Side of The Sheet Dept. text article "The Daily Optimist"

Characters Bosley Skagg; Penelope Skagg; T. Finster Moody; Felix Farquahr; Lydia Farquahr; Ethel Frong; Herman Frong; Philo Fosdick; Weldon Wembley; Hector Sedgewick; Tommy Goober; Glenn Pladde; Fenwick Gribble
Synopsis Sample of a newspaper that prints all news with a positive spin...no matter how bad the news is.
Genre satire
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils Joe Orlando
Inks Joe Orlando
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

3 page 4/4 Time-And-A-Half Dept. text article "On-The-Job Marching Songs"

Synopsis Spirit and loyalty building songs for various industries' employees, set to familiar melodies.
Genre humor
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters typeset

4 page A Switch In Crime Dept. story "The Night That Perry Masonmint Lost A Case"

Characters Perry Masonmint; Lieutenant Drag; District Attorney Burgerbits; Judge Sam; Paul Dreck; Della Sweet; Harry Townes; Emil Freebish
Synopsis Perry finally loses a case, because he only wins on Saturday nights.
Genre satire
Script Dee Caruso; Bill Levine
Pencils Mort Drucker (signed)
Inks Mort Drucker (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Parody of Perry Mason tv show. Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

1 page Confession Is Good For The Sale Dept. story Future "Confession" Books

Characters Perry Como; Eleanor Roosevelt; Dizzy Gillespe; Oscar Levant; Alfred E. Neuman; Jack Paar
Synopsis Future celebrity confession books.
Genre satire
Script Gary Belkin ?
Pencils George Woodbridge ?
Inks George Woodbridge ?
Letters typeset

2 page Face Value Dept. story "How You Look To Other People"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis How you might look to people you deal with daily, based on your value to them.
Genre humor
Script Buddy Basch
Pencils Bob Clarke
Inks Bob Clarke
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

4 page And Then I Re-Wrote Dept. story "How A Television Script is Born"

Synopsis Follows a script from the original author through various rewrites, showing how all the meaning and creativity is gradually watered down.
Genre satire
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils Wally Wood
Inks Wally Wood
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

2 page Summa Cum Louder Dept. story "Graduation Speeches...That Somebody Listened To"

Characters Jack Benny; Steve Allen; Ed Sullivan; Dick Clark; Richard Nixon; Fidel Castro
Synopsis Possible graduation speeches that could have helped form the philosophies of some celebrities.
Genre humor
Script Arnie Kogen
Pencils Joe Orlando
Inks Joe Orlando
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

2 page Honestly This Is The Best Policy Dept. text article "Insurance Policies For Teen-Agers"

Synopsis Ideas for insurance policies against common hazards of teen-agers, such as blind dates and flunking school.
Genre humor
Script Sy Reit
Pencils George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

4 page Ready-To-Swear Dept. story "Miracle Fabrics"

Synopsis The good and bad points of modern synthetic fabrics.
Genre satire
Script Al Jaffee
Pencils Bob Clarke
Inks Bob Clarke
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

1 page Don Martin Dept. story "How To Play Croquet"

Synopsis An unusual way to play the ball when it lands in a kid's mouth.
Genre humor
Script Don Martin (signed)
Pencils Don Martin (signed)
Inks Don Martin (signed)
Letters typeset

1 page MAD Forever promo (ad from the publisher) "Who Says Lightning Never Strike Twice In The Same Place?"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis House ad for hardcover book from Crown Publishers.
Pencils ? (photo); Wally Wood
Inks ? (photo); Wally Wood
Letters typeset
Notes Wally Wood credit is for small image of Alfred at bottom of page. Inside back cover.

Marginal Thinking Dept. filler "News Stars For Old Movies"

Synopsis Casting ideas for remakes of old movies.
Genre humor
Letters typeset
Notes Appear in the margins of 24 pages of the issue.

1 page Park-David story "Great Moments In Medicine"

Synopsis Parody of Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Company ads.
Genre satire
Pencils Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Inks Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Colors Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Back cover.