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

Issue Details

Issue #40
Published July 1958
Cover Price 0.25 USD
Pages 52
Editing Albert B. Feldstein

Cover Details - "Wedding Cake"

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

1 page MAD For Keeps promo (ad from the publisher) "Hey Gang! At Last!"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis House ad for new hardcover book from Crown Publishers.
Pencils ? (photo); Wally Wood
Inks ? (photo); Wally Wood
Letters typeset
Notes Small figure at bottom of ad by Wally Wood is excerpt from previous issue. 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.

2 page Much Abbreviated Drivel Dept. story "Initials That Describe The Name"

Synopsis A look at the future overuse of acronyms.
Genre satire
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

Half page Mad Magazine promo (ad from the publisher) "These Twelve Great American Corporations Know The Value of Advertising In MAD"

Synopsis House ad for MAD subscriptions.
Letters typeset

Half page Alfred E. Neuman promo (ad from the publisher) "We're Running Out!"

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"

Characters Jerry DeFuccio
Synopsis Letters of comment, mostly about issue #39. Includes an explanation of magazine on-sale/off-sale dates, and a note that Scene Magazine recently ran a feature on MAD.
Script Albert B. Feldstein; Phyllis Altman; Bill Mattes; Craig Zahnow; Mrs. Robert Condit; Kenneth Barnes; Dennis Baron; Eric Shtob; Leon Harvey; Macy McFarland; Jeanne Brauns; Jim Crowley; Harry Stuldreher; Elmer Layden; Andrew Weissman; Bill Ewald; Bob Ewald; Jon Alexiou; Ercelia Kersane; Ezell Willard, Jr.; Harold Chamberlain (General Manager, Independent News Co.)
Pencils various; ? (photo)
Inks various; ? (photo)
Letters typeset
Notes Art is excerpts from issue #39, except for a photo of Jerry DeFuccio as a child.

Half page MAD Jewelry promo (ad from the publisher) "If You Wannem, We Still Gottem!"

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 Redeeming Feature Dept. story "MAD Trading Stamps"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis Fake premiums available for MAD trading stamps...also fake.
Genre satire
Script Tom Koch
Pencils Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

3 page Pass Another Napkin Dept. story "Pizza Pie"

Synopsis All the problems associated with pizzas, the new national dish.
Genre humor
Script Dave Berg (signed)
Pencils Dave Berg (signed)
Inks Dave Berg (signed)
Letters typeset
Reprinted in Dave Berg's Mad Trash (EC, 1981 series) #[nn]

2 page Don Martin Dept. story "The Paper-Pickers"

Synopsis The fate of a park maintenance person who shows off his skills at picking up litter.
Genre humor
Script Don Martin (signed)
Pencils Don Martin (signed)
Inks Don Martin (signed)
Letters typeset

4 page Boy Meets Ghoul Dept. story "Ecccchhh, Teen-Age Son of Thing"

Characters Strudwick Wickerwire; Alfred E. Neuman; [Doctor]; Morton Finster; Drake Carter; Louis Furd; Alan Freed
Synopsis The Doctor hypnotizes an average teenager to become an Elvis Presley clone.
Genre satire
Script ? [as Strudwick Wickerwire]
Pencils Wally Wood
Inks Wally Wood
Letters typeset
Notes Parody of rock and roll star bios and monster movies rolled together.

2 page Television Dept. story "TV Scenes We'd Like To See"

Characters Gladys; Cedric; Loretta Young; Gary Moore; Mr. X; Mouseketeers
Synopsis Scenes from the following tv shows with unusual outcomes: People Are Funny; The Loretta Young Show; I've Got A Secret; Anacin commercial; Mickey Mouse Club; The Lone Ranger; The Lineup.
Genre satire
Script E. Nelson Bridwell
Pencils Joe Orlando
Inks Joe Orlando
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit is from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

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

Characters Ambrose Fufnik; Prince Ladislaus
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)

2 page Student Bodies Dept. story "Alfred E. Neuman University"

Synopsis A map of a college campus designed to reduce the number of students attending by careful use of hazards.
Genre humor
Pencils Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters typeset

2 page Belly Laughs Dept. story "Inside Story"

Characters Floyd Patterson; Princess Margaret; Nikita Khrushchev; Hal March; Tommy Manville; Lawrence Welk; Richard Boone; John Foster Dulles; Richard Nixon; Adlai Stephenson; Elvis Presley; Ben Hogan
Synopsis Stomach shapes of celebrities, based on their lives.
Genre humor
Pencils Basil Wolverton (signed)
Inks Basil Wolverton (signed)
Letters typeset

4 page Black And White, And Red All Over Dept. story "Pravda"

Characters Alfred E. Neuman; Maxim Raskolinovski; Vladimir Pinsk; Boris Trepak; Vladimir Grovno; Insky Khonyak; Stepan Kiosks; Igor Bivorsky; Yetta Samovar; Nikita Khrushchev; Donaldovich Duckski; V. Molotov; G. Malenkov
Synopsis Parody of the Soviet Union's Pravda newspaper.
Genre satire
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils Wally Wood
Inks Wally Wood
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

2 page Let's Get Away From It All Dept. story "MAD Summer Vacation Guide"

Synopsis A list of festivals around the county to avoid on vacation.
Genre humor
Script Tom Koch
Pencils Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

3 page Bob & Ray Dept. story "The Cold Cereal War"

Characters Bob Elliott; Ray Goulding; Wally Ballew; General Fielding Maxwell
Synopsis A look at applying military strategy to creating cereal premiums.
Genre humor
Script Bob Elliott; Ray Goulding
Pencils Mort Drucker (signed)
Inks Mort Drucker (signed)
Letters typeset

2 page Don Martin Dept. story "The Bear Hunter"

Synopsis A man uses every weapon he has while being chased by a bear.
Genre humor
Script Don Martin (signed)
Pencils Don Martin (signed)
Inks Don Martin (signed)

4 page Join In Haste, Repent At Leisure Dept. story Future "Of-The-Month" Clubs

Characters Jerry DeFuccio; Tommy Manville; Roberto Rossellini; Porfirio Rubirosa; Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis A look at some possible future clubs inspired by Book-Of-The-Month type clubs.
Genre satire
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters typeset

4 page A Fare To Remember Dept. story "Coast-To-Coast For $16.75"

Characters Philo Ardwell; Irving; Suzie Grubbwickel; Velma Mae; Harry; Timmy Goober; Speedy Slim; Mr. Smeed
Synopsis An account of a cross-country trip booked by MAD using unconventional conveyances.
Genre humor
Script Frank Jacobs
Pencils Wally Wood
Inks Wally Wood
Letters typeset

2 page Key To The City Dept. story "How To Read A Chamber Of Commerce Folder"

Synopsis The hidden meanings between common phrases used on municipal promotional brochures.
Genre satire
Script Larry Yother
Pencils Joe Orlando
Inks Joe Orlando
Letters typeset
Notes Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

4 page Andy Griffith Dept. story "What It Was, Was Football"

Characters Andy Griffith
Synopsis An illustrated version of the comedy routine.
Genre humor
Script Andy Griffith
Pencils George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters typeset

1 page Don Martin Dept. story "A Drive In The Country"

Synopsis A couple on a drive barely misses disaster from falling rocks, but get hit by a falling tree.
Genre humor
Script Don Martin (signed)
Pencils Don Martin (signed)
Inks Don Martin (signed)

1 page MAD T-Shirts promo (ad from the publisher) "MAD T-Shirts"

Synopsis House ad for t-shirts with Alfred E. Neuman on front.
Pencils Larry Maleman (photo); Wally Wood
Inks Larry Maleman (photo); Wally Wood
Letters typeset
Notes On inside back cover.

Marginal Thinking Dept. filler "New Authors For Old Books"

Synopsis Pairing old books with celebrities that have something in common with the title.
Genre humor
Letters typeset
Notes Appear in the margins of 28 pages of the issue.

1 page Sailem Floating Cigarettes story "A New Idea In Smoking!"

Synopsis Phony ad for Sailem Floating Cigarettes from Chris-Craft Boat Co.
Genre satire
Pencils Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Inks Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Colors Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Letters typeset
Notes Parody of Salem Cigarettes ad. On back cover.
Reprinted in Mad About the Fifties (Little, Brown & Co., 1997 series) #[nn]