Issue Details

Issue	#28
Published	July 1956
Cover Price	0.25 USD
Pages	60
Editing	Harvey Kurtzman
Notes	Issue printed with 3 different covers available. Last issue edited by Harvey Kurtzman.

Cover Details - "Spring Issue [Useful Income Tax Guide]"

Genre	humor
Pencils	?; Harvey Kurtzman (frame, signed); Bill Elder (frame, signed)
Inks	?; Harvey Kurtzman (frame, signed); Bill Elder (frame, signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Issue printed with 3 different covers available. Last issue edited by Harvey Kurtzman.

Cover Details - "Spring Issue [Useless Income Tax Guide]"

Genre	humor
Pencils	?; Harvey Kurtzman (frame, signed); Bill Elder (frame, signed)
Inks	?; Harvey Kurtzman (frame, signed); Bill Elder (frame, signed)
Letters	typeset

Cover Details - "Spring Issue [Guided Missiles]"

Genre	humor
Pencils	?; Harvey Kurtzman (frame, signed); Bill Elder (frame, signed)
Inks	?; Harvey Kurtzman (frame, signed); Bill Elder (frame, signed)
Letters	typeset

1 page Billows Cotton Pick story "They Wanted To Call It Partners Pick"

Characters	Cotton Billow; George Company
Synopsis	Phony ad for Billows Cotton Pick whiskey.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of ad for an unknown brand of whiskey.

1 page Table of Contents foreword, introduction, preface, afterword "Contents"

Characters	Ed Suvillan
Synopsis	Masthead quote: "In the present state of the world it is difficult not to write lampoons." - Juvenal (100 A.D.)
Genre	fact
Script	Harvey Kurtzman (signed)
Pencils	various
Inks	various
Letters	typeset
Notes	Art is excerpts from this and previous issue. Includes the first quote under the masthead, though it is not by Alfred E. Neuman.

2 page letters page "Letters Dept."

Characters	Mel Haney [Alfred E. Neuman]
Script	Harvey Kurtzman; DeWitt Wallace
Pencils	various
Inks	various
Letters	typeset
Notes	Includes letter from DeWitt Wallace, Publisher of Reader's Digest.

2 page Movie Dept. text article "He Rose Tattooed"

Characters	Scallopini Rosa [Anna Lasagna]; Rosario Rosa [Burt Lambaster]; Antipasto Monticello; Rosa Rosa
Synopsis	Highlights from the movie "He Rose Tattooed."
Genre	satire
Pencils	Wally Wood
Inks	Wally Wood
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of movie "The Rose Tattoo."

2 page Hobbies Dept. text article "Stamps"

Synopsis	A brief look at stamp collecting, focusing on printing errors.
Genre	humor
Script	Al Jaffee
Pencils	Al Jaffee
Inks	Al Jaffee
Letters	typeset
Reprinted	in Mad About the Fifties (Little, Brown & Co., 1997 series) #[nn]

1 page Best Toothpaste story "Triumph Over Tooth Decay"

Synopsis	Phony ad for Best Toothpaste with Frammistan.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of ad for Crest Toothpaste.

4 page Science Dept. story "The Race Is On For The Super Guided Missile"

Characters	Gallup; Kerbang; Blitz; Pick; Back; Buck Roger; Waldo; Zork Argh; Dashkin; Propelnik; Schmidt; Beelzebub; Buck Rojinikoff; Plotkin; Watchova
Synopsis	Shows various parts of the space race between the US and USSR, with ultimate consequences of missile use.
Genre	humor
Script	Al Jaffee (signed)
Pencils	Al Jaffee (signed); Jack Davis; Wally Wood
Inks	Al Jaffee (signed); Jack Davis; Wally Wood
Letters	typeset
Reprinted	in More Trash From MAD (EC, 1958 series) #1

3 page Education Dept. text article "Children's Primer"

Characters	Sluggo; the Double Bubble gum kid; Dennis The Menace; Jughead; Little Lulu; Nancy; Henry; The Captain; Hans Katzenjammer; Fritz Katzenjammer
Synopsis	Excerpts from phony old-fashioned children's reading primer.
Genre	satire
Script	? [as Eugene Field]
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of the type of poetry written by 19th century poet, Eugene Field, The Children's Poet.

4 page Literature Dept.; Black And Blue Hawks story "Comic Books [Black And Blue Hawks!]"

Characters	Saddlesore; Saurbratten; Robespierre; Boss Hawk; Yonny Yohnson; Chop Chop Chop; woman in red
Synopsis	The Black And Blue Hawks stage a mutiny.
Genre	satire
Script	Harvey Kurtzman
Pencils	Wally Wood [as Woodhawk]
Inks	Wally Wood [as Woodhawk]
Notes	A parody of Blackhawk comic books. Pages reproduced smaller than original.
Reprinted	From MAD (EC, 1952 series) #5

4 page Fashion Dept. text article "Young Men's Spring Fashions for 1956"

Synopsis	Comparison of fashions for Ivy League class with those worn by street gangs.
Genre	Satire
Pencils	Jack Davis
Inks	Jack Davis
Letters	Typeset

4 page Do It Yourself Dept. text article "Your Income Tax"

Synopsis	Bad advice for filling out your federal income tax return.
Genre	Satire
Script	Bernard Shir-Cliff
Pencils	? (photo); Bill Elder
Inks	? (photo); Bill Elder
Letters	Typeset

2 page College Dept. story "Collegiate Whimsey"

Characters	Galahad
Synopsis	Gag cartoons from the following college publications: Syracusan; Flat Iron; Texas Ranger; Columns; Chaparral; Cornell Widow; Showme
Genre	Humor
Script	various; Bill Davis
Pencils	various; Bill Davis
Inks	various; Bill Davis
Letters	Typeset
Notes	Uncredited, but the following signatures are readable: Wilson; Spavey; BK; Noel; C. Jacobson. Letters Dept. in issue #29 notes that cartoon credited to Smoke Signals is actually from Chaparral, featuring character Galahad by Bill Davis.

7 page History Dept. story "The Life of General Homer T. 'Old Hominy' Shotbag"

Characters	Homer T. Shotbag; Simeon D. Shotbag; Flora Brocklebone Shotbag; Marie d'Ewlappe Shotbag; Abraham Lincoln; Ulysses S. Grant
Synopsis	Highlights of the life of Civil War general Homer T. Shotbag, from childhood to fame.
Genre	Satire
Script	Ed Fischer
Pencils	Ed Fischer (signed); Seltz
Inks	Ed Fischer (signed); Seltz
Letters	typeset

5 page Talk Dept. story "Talk"

Characters	Shirley; Lance Cowznofski; Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis	Comparisons of what you think overseen conversations are, with what they actually are.
Genre	Humor
Pencils	Wally Wood
Inks	Wally Wood
Letters	Typeset
Notes	Alfred E. Neuman does not resemble the MAD trademark character.
Reprinted	in Son Of Mad (Signet Books, 1959 Series) #S1701

2 page Collector's Dept. story "Rare Old Cartoons"

Synopsis	Man has trouble with a tube of glue.
Genre	Humor
Script	Henry Mayo Bateman
Pencils	Henry Mayo Bateman
Inks	Henry Mayo Bateman
Letters	Typeset
Notes	English cartoon from the World War I period.

4 page Sports Dept. story "Million Dollar Horse"

Characters	Naushea; Shorty Yech; Wastrel P. Prodigal
Synopsis	Story of a celebrity race horse, showing the care taken with him versus the poor working conditions of his caretakers.
Genre	Humor
Script	Al Jaffee
Pencils	Jack Davis
Inks	Jack Davis
Letters	Typeset
Notes	Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

1 page Book Review Dept. text article "The Good Old, Old Days!"

Characters	Borey Mernstein; hypnosis subject
Synopsis	Excerpt from and review of fictitious book.
Genre	Satire
Script	B. Wiseman
Pencils	B. Wiseman
Inks	B. Wiseman
Letters	typeset

5 page TV Dept. story "Medical"

Characters	Konrad Strainer; Smilby; Lance Follicle; Amanda
Synopsis	Lance needs a tonsillectomy, from which he recovers in great shape, but still can't play the violin well.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bill Elder
Inks	Bill Elder
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of tv show "Medic."
Reprinted	in Bedside Mad, The (Signet Books, 1959 series) #P3520; Bedside Mad, The (Signet Books, 1959 series) #D2316; Bedside Mad, The (Signet Books, 1959 series) #S1647

Half page text article "Real Advertisements"

Synopsis	A notice the the remainder of the page contains real advertisements.
Letters	Typeset

Half page San Francisco Records advertisement "Mad Records For Mad Readers!"

Synopsis	Ad for hi-fi records.
Letters	typeset

Half page Viking pipe set advertisement "Looks Cooler - Is Cooler"

Synopsis	Ad for Viking smoking set from R. S. Leber.
Pencils	? (photo)
Inks	? (photo)
Letters	Typeset

Half page Silly Putty advertisement "She'll Love You If You Buy Her A Glob of Silly Putty"

Synopsis	Ad for Silly Putty.
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	Typeset
Notes	Shows a Basil Wolverton drawing being lifted by Silly Putty.

Half page In One Head And Out The Other advertisement "Roger Price"

Characters	Roger Price
Synopsis	Ad for book by Roger, from Ballantine Books.
Letters	typeset

Half page Alfred E. Neuman promo (ad from the publisher) "What? Me Worry?"

Characters	Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis	Ad for drawings suitable for framing.
Letters	Typeset
Notes	Drawing is historical picture and Alfred is not named.

1 page Mad Magazine promo (ad from the publisher) "You Don't Have To Fight Over MAD"

Synopsis	House ad for MAD subscriptions.
Letters	typeset
Notes	Art appears to be an old painting, possibly of Custer's Last Stand.

2 page Things To Make & Do Dept. activity "Paper Doll Page"

Characters	Pete Paperdoll; Pat Paperdoll
Synopsis	Paperdolls with unusual accessories.
Genre	humor
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Page 2 is inside back cover.
Reprinted	in Mad About the Fifties (Little, Brown & Co., 1997 series) #[nn]

1 page story "The Heathy Girl"

Synopsis	Parody of a Varga Girl.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Russ Heath (signed)
Inks	Russ Heath (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Back cover.