Issue Details

Issue	#39
Published	May 1958
Cover Price	0.25 USD
Pages	52
Editing	Albert B. Feldstein

Cover Details - "Special April Fool Issue"

Characters	Alfred E. Neuman; Harry Piel; Bert Piel; Judy Garland; Bing Crosby; George Gobel; Louis Armstrong; Floyd Patterson; George Burns; Gracie Allen; Imogene Coca; Sid Caesar; Bob Hope; Ed Wynn; Steve Allen; Ed Sullivan; Jackie Gleason; Jerry Lewis; Dave Garroway; Elvis Presley; Rosemary Clooney; Jose Ferrer; Lucille Ball; Desi Arnaz; Liberace; Jayne Mansfield; Yul Brynner; Frank Sinatra
Genre	humor
Pencils	C. C. Beall Jr. (painting)
Inks	C. C. Beall Jr. (painting)
Colors	C. C. Beall Jr. (painting)
Letters	typeset

1 page recap "April Fool!"

Characters	Harry Piel; Bert Piel; Judy Garland; Bing Crosby; George Gobel; Louis Armstrong; Floyd Patterson; George Burns; Gracie Allen; Imogene Coca; Sid Caesar; Bob Hope; Ed Wynn; Steve Allen; Ed Sullivan; Jackie Gleason; Jerry Lewis; Dave Garroway; Elvis Presley; Rosemary Clooney; Jose Ferrer; Lucille Ball; Desi Arnaz; Liberace; Jayne Mansfield; Yul Brynner; Frank Sinatra
Synopsis	List of celebrities used in the cover painting, with a black-and-white copy of the cover as an index.
Genre	fact
Pencils	C. C. Beall Jr. (painting)
Inks	C. C. Beall Jr. (painting)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Inside front cover.

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

Genre	fact
Pencils	various
Inks	various
Letters	typeset
Notes	Art is excerpts from this issue.

2 page The Key To Success Dept. story "Typewriters To Fit Your Trade"

Synopsis	Several typewriters with specialized keys to make typing faster for various trades.
Genre	humor
Script	Frank Jacobs
Pencils	Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks	Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit is from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

Half page Mad Magazine promo (ad from the publisher) "Test Your Eyes!"

Synopsis	House ad for MAD subscriptions.
Letters	typeset

Half page Alfred E. Neuman promo (ad from the publisher) "Positively The Last Offer!"

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 #38.
Script	Albert B. Feldstein; Dennis Gormley; Steve Spiegel; Janet Bowers; Bob DeMello; Mike Conners; Jon Hartzell; Steve Ellerbroek; Nat Weber; Kenny Cohen; Johnny Schmon; Sigma Alpha Mu; I. A. Rosenthal; Bob Wade; The Boys; Gene Tortora; Everett Spencer; Robert Rickover; Steve Albers; Robert Ebenroth; Dale Anderson; Dean Martin; Michel Steinfeldt; Jay Hunt; Steve Davidson
Pencils	various
Inks	various
Letters	typeset
Notes	Art is excerpts from issue #38.

Half page MAD Jewelry promo (ad from the publisher) "Finish Off Your Easter Outfit"

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

4 page Scramble Them Eggheads Dept. story "How To Make America's Kids...Science Conscious"

Characters	Spudd Nick; Aygg Haid; Smiley; Phiz Hicks; Butch Proton; Spike Molecule; Charlie Brawn
Synopsis	Ideas to incorporate science lessons into various media.
Genre	humor
Pencils	Wally Wood
Inks	Wally Wood
Letters	typeset

2 page Memo Randoms Dept. story "Scratchpad Doodles"

Synopsis	Supposed doodles from the desks of famous people, with pop psychoanalysis.
Genre	humor
Pencils	Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks	Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Doodles from: Robert F. Wagner; Joe E. Lewis; Edward R. Murrow; Richard M. Nixon; Ed Sullivan; Pablo Picasso; Frank Costello; Alfred E. Neuman.

3 page Home Is Where THe House Is Dept. story "The Suburbs Are On Their Way Out!"

Synopsis	Discussion of the theory that the suburbs will keep moving so far out and get so crowded that eventually people will move back into the cities.
Genre	humor
Script	Dave Berg (signed)
Pencils	Dave Berg (signed)
Inks	Dave Berg (signed)
Letters	typeset

2 page Poetry Dept. story "Woodman, Spare That Tree!"

Synopsis	Illustrated version of the famous poem, with a twist ending.
Genre	satire
Script	George Pope Morris
Pencils	Don Martin (signed)
Inks	Don Martin (signed)
Letters	typeset

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

Characters	Romeo; Juliet
Synopsis	The balcony scene from Romeo & Juliet, Act II, Scene II, along with a modern beat poetry version.
Genre	satire
Script	William Shakespeare (original); Paul Laikin (adaptation)
Letters	typeset

2 page Big Brother Is Motivating You Dept. story "Sneaky Advertisements"

Characters	Alfred E. Neuman; Alfred's girlfriend
Synopsis	New places to use subliminal advertising.
Genre	humor
Script	Paul Krassner
Pencils	Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks	Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters	typeset
Reprinted	in Mad About the Fifties (Little, Brown & Co., 1997 series) #[nn]

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

Characters	Art Barker; Bob Hope; Steve Allen; Gene Rayburn
Synopsis	Scenes from the following tv shows with unusual outcomes: You Asked For It; a Bob Hope special; Steve Allen Show.
Genre	satire
Script	E. Nelson Bridwell
Pencils	Joe Orlando
Inks	Joe Orlando
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit is from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

2 page High "C". Low Neckline Dept. story "Opera Record Albums"

Synopsis	Phony record album covers for opera, drawn in the style of paperback novels.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks	Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters	typeset

2 page Etaoin Shrdlu Dept. text article "High School Paper"

Synopsis	A parody of a typical high school paper.
Genre	satire
Letters	typeset

2 page Postage Overdue Dept. story "Commemorative Stamps"

Synopsis	Phony U.S. postage stamps for people and events that would never be commemorated.
Genre	satire
Script	Tom Koch
Pencils	George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks	George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit is from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

3 page Bob & Ray Dept. story "Big Big Earth"

Characters	Bob Elliott; Ray Goulding; Dave Sturdley; Walley Ballew; Mrs. Farber; C. C. Harkmore; Mrs. Grebinger; Hunt Brinkley; Harpley Winters; Mrs. Winters
Synopsis	Several roving correspondents interview people across the country during their spring cleaning.
Genre	satire
Script	Bob Elliott; Ray Goulding
Pencils	Mort Drucker
Inks	Mort Drucker
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of tv show; unsure of name.

2 page Patent Pending Dept. story "Accidental Inventions"

Synopsis	Inventions over the ages that were not quite what the inventors had in mind.
Genre	humor
Script	Paul Krassner
Pencils	Joe Orlando
Inks	Joe Orlando
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit is from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

4 page Play's The Thing Dept. story "Party Games"

Characters	Edwin
Synopsis	Instructions for three impossible, illegal, and dangerous party games.
Genre	humor
Script	Frank Jacobs
Pencils	Wally Wood (signed)
Inks	Wally Wood (signed)
Letters	typeset

2 page Opportunity Knocks Dept. story "Why I Changed My Job"

Characters	Dexter Yinckley
Synopsis	An accountant's story of the road to failure as he changes jobs and takes the fall for the boss's embezzling.
Genre	humor
Script	Frank Jacobs [as Dexter Yinckley]
Pencils	George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks	George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit is from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

1 page Don Martin Dept. story "The Window Trimmer"

Synopsis	While dressing a mannequin, a window trimmer is assaulted.
Genre	humor
Script	Don Martin (signed)
Pencils	Don Martin (signed)
Inks	Don Martin (signed)
Letters	typeset

2 page How Now Bow-Wow Dept. story "MAD Dogs And Their Owners"

Synopsis	Another take on the age-old idea that people and their dogs look alike.
Genre	humor
Script	Frank Jacobs
Pencils	Kelly Freas
Inks	Kelly Freas
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit is from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

1 page The Line Is Dizzy Dept. text article "A Page From The MAD Phone Book"

Synopsis	A page of Cowznofski listings from a fake phone book.
Genre	humor
Letters	typeset

6 page Post-Mortem Dept. story "The Saturday Evening Pest"

Characters	Tugboat Annie; Dietrich Dunstan Drizzle; Fenwick Overshot; Eugene Ogg; Dr. Irving Belknap
Synopsis	Satire of the magazine The Saturday Evening Post.
Genre	satire
Script	Tom Koch
Pencils	Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks	Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit is from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

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

Characters	Jerry DeFuccio
Synopsis	House ad for t-shirts with Alfred E. Neuman on front. Parody of both Maidenform Bra and Arrow Shirt ads.
Pencils	Larry Maleman (photo); Wally Wood
Inks	Larry Maleman (photo); Wally Wood
Letters	typeset
Notes	Model credit from Letters page of MAD #40. Inside back cover.

Marginal Thinking Dept. filler "Movies' Secret Sponsors"

Synopsis	Movie titles paired with unlikely advertisers, such as "Noah's Ark" - Nabisco Animal Crackers.
Letters	typeset
Notes	Appear in the margins of 27 pages of the issue.

1 page story "MAD Windshield Stickers"

Synopsis	Car windshield stickers that look like official signs that would allow free parking.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bob Clarke ?
Inks	Bob Clarke ?
Letters	typeset
Notes	Back cover.