Issue Details

Issue	#41
Published	September 1958
Cover Price	0.25 USD
Pages	52
Editing	Albert B. Feldstein

Cover Details - "Dear Editor"

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

1 page MAD For Keeps promo (ad from the publisher) "If You're A New Fan You're Lucky!"

Characters	Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis	House ad for new hardcover book from Crown Publishers.
Pencils	? (photo); Bill Elder
Inks	? (photo); Bill Elder
Letters	typeset
Notes	Small figure at bottom of ad by Bill Elder 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. There is a writer credit for Albert Meglin, Steve Tuttle and Marguerite McClain, but unknown for what stories.

2 page Aide-De-Camp Dept. story "MAD Answers Questions Most Asked By Camp Counselors"

Synopsis	Questions summer camp counselors might have...but no answers.
Genre	humor
Script	Mel Lazarus (signed)
Pencils	Mel Lazarus (signed)
Inks	Mel Lazarus (signed)
Letters	Mel Lazarus (signed)

Half page Mad Magazine promo (ad from the publisher) "Don't Be A Shnook!"

Characters	William M. Gaines
Synopsis	House ad for MAD subscriptions.
Pencils	?; Bob Clarke
Inks	?; Bob Clarke
Letters	typeset
Notes	Art is excerpts from issues #5 (Gaines) and #40 (all others).

Half page The Brothers MAD promo (ad from the publisher) "Hot Off The Press!"

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

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

Characters	Wally Wood; The Gay Philosopher
Synopsis	Letters of comment, mostly about issue #40. Includes a photo of Wally Wood receiving the "Best Comic Artist of 1957" award, and a painting of The Gay Philosopher by Henry Major.
Script	Albert B. Feldstein; Marge Duffy Devine; George Leeman; Miriam Frank; R. Leland; New York Graphic Society; Merrill Lifton; Peter Torvik; Robert Ryan; Allen Standish; John Bruck; Samuel Northcross; Paul Vervisch; Jim Stripling; Clifford Kent; Bob Lilienthal; Rollins Turner
Pencils	various; ? (photo); Henry Major
Inks	various; ? (photo); Henry Major
Letters	typeset

Half page Alfred E. Neuman promo (ad from the publisher) "Just A Limited Amount Left!"

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

Half page text article "Statement of Ownership"

Synopsis	For October 1, 1957.
Genre	fact
Script	William M. Gaines
Letters	typeset
Notes	Publisher = Willaim M. Gaines; Editor = Albert B. Feldstein; Owner = E.C. Publications, Inc. [Willaim M. Gaines; Jessie K. Gaines; Virginia E. MacAdie]

1 page Bet Telephone System story "It's Fun To Phone!"

Synopsis	Parody of Bell Telephone System ad, showing how it's fun to phone your bookie.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Wally Wood (signed)
Inks	Wally Wood (signed)
Letters	typeset

3 page Throw The Book At 'Em Dept. story "The MAD Primer"

Characters	Irving; Schlep; Farmer Brown; Miss Furd; Sadie; Irving's father; Bobbie Smith; Mr. Johnson
Synopsis	Parody of a reading primer, with a rather psychotic family.
Genre	satire
Script	Tom Koch
Pencils	Joe Orlando
Inks	Joe Orlando
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.
Reprinted	in Mad About the Fifties (Little, Brown & Co., 1997 series) #[nn]

2 page Don Martin Dept. story "At Large In A Haberdashery"

Synopsis	Don sniffs (or worse) the handkerchiefs and coats before buying.
Genre	humor
Script	Don Martin (signed)
Pencils	Don Martin (signed)
Inks	Don Martin (signed)
Letters	typeset

2 page Free-Loading Dept. text article "How To Put Out An Imitation of MAD"

Characters	Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis	Instructions to other publishers and editors on how to imitate MAD.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Harvey Kurtzman (frame, signed); Bill Elder (frame, signed); Norman Mingo (Alfred); Jack Davis (main cover illustration)
Inks	Harvey Kurtzman (frame, signed); Bill Elder (frame, signed); Norman Mingo (Alfred); Jack Davis (main cover illustration)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Includes the Departments page from this issue.
Reprinted	from MAD (EC, 1952 Series) #27 [cover]

2 page Look In The Yellowed Pages Dept. story "Rare Old Magazines"

Synopsis	Possible modern style magazines as they would have existed in history.
Genre	satire
Script	Frank Jacobs
Pencils	Wally Wood (signed)
Inks	Wally Wood (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

2 page 3:10 To Yuma Dept. story "Go West, Old Format"

Characters	Joe Friday; Dead-Eye; Mike Wallace; Blackjack Cohen; Bob Cummings; Chuck; Georgia; Phil Silvers; Pvt. Doberman
Synopsis	Ways to punch up old tv shows by turning them into westerns.
Genre	satire
Script	Albert Meglin
Pencils	George Woodbridge
Inks	George Woodbridge
Letters	typeset
Notes	Shows parodied are: Dragnet; Mike Wallace; Bob Cummings; Phil Silvers. Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

2 page 3:10 To Westport Dept. story "Go East, Old Western"

Characters	Pallidin; Mr. Kitzel; Mr. Wessel
Synopsis	Turning a western tv show into a Madison Avenue concept, Pallidin is hired to create an advertising campaign and when it doesn't work, forces a merger of two companies.
Genre	satire
Script	Albert Meglin
Pencils	George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks	George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of tv show "Have Gun, Will Travel." Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

3 page Lower The Pitch Dept. story "Snob Appeal vs Slob Appeal"

Synopsis	Phony ads for Rancid's Deluxe Whiskey, Whammo Watchbands, Breezy of California jackets, and Aardvark Carpets, that show two different advertising approaches.
Genre	satire
Script	Frank Jacobs
Pencils	Bob Clarke
Inks	Bob Clarke
Letters	typeset

1 page Don Martin Dept. story "The Chess Game"

Synopsis	Fatal results from cheating at chess.
Genre	humor
Script	Don Martin (signed)
Pencils	Don Martin (signed)
Inks	Don Martin (signed)
Letters	typeset

4 page Henry Morgan Dept. text article "The New, Improved, Rotten Circus"

Characters	Henry Morgan
Synopsis	Henry compares modern circuses to old-fashioned ones...unfavorably.
Genre	satire
Script	Henry Morgan
Pencils	Wally Wood (signed); Bob Clarke (signed)
Inks	Wally Wood (signed); Bob Clarke (signed)
Letters	typeset

3 page Tee And Sympathy Dept. story "How To Play Golf"

Characters	Alfred E. Neuman
Synopsis	Bad tips on golfing, including giving up the game.
Genre	satire
Script	Tom Koch
Pencils	George Woodbridge (signed)
Inks	George Woodbridge (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

2 page Help Needed Dept....Help Heeded Dept. text story "One Day's Advice Columns...The Next Day's Headlines"

Characters	Sidney Fawnover; Ozgood Z'Beard; Kate Potchka; Helen DuBois
Synopsis	What might be happening when people follow the advice they receive from newspaper columnists.
Genre	humor
Pencils	Wally Wood
Inks	Wally Wood
Letters	typeset
Notes	Includes article noting Kelly Freas has been fired from Time Magazine, which ties in with the cover of this issue.

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

Characters	Ernie Kovacs; J. Daniel Frump; Frembish K. Fair III
Synopsis	Parody of Ripley's Believe It Or Not.
Genre	satire
Script	Ernie Kovacs
Pencils	Wally Wood
Inks	Wally Wood
Letters	Wally Wood

2 page Movies Dept. story "The Wrong Lions"

Characters	Christian Diesel [Marlo Brandin]; Michael Wiffycur [Dean Martini]; Noah Ackermoan [Montgomery Cleft]; Irwin Shaw
Synopsis	Parody of movie The Young Lions with twist ending involving the author of the book.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Mort Drucker (signed)
Inks	Mort Drucker (signed)
Letters	typeset

1 page Don Martin Dept. story "The Great Mail Robbery"

Synopsis	A robbery goes bad when the mail carrier seems to be indestructible.
Genre	humor
Script	Don Martin (signed)
Pencils	Don Martin (signed)
Inks	Don Martin (signed)
Letters	typeset

4 page Two Years Before The Mess Dept. story "Boating"

Synopsis	A look at when the boating craze gets out of hand and common traffic problems and situations will apply to boating.
Genre	humor
Script	Dave Berg (signed)
Pencils	Dave Berg (signed)
Inks	Dave Berg (signed)
Letters	typeset

2 page Bob & Ray Dept. story "The Count-Down Man"

Characters	Bob Elliott; Ray Goulding; Wally Ballew; Dr. Adolph Von Schmutz
Synopsis	Wally interviews the man who counts down rocket launches for NASA.
Genre	humor
Script	Bob Elliott; Ray Goulding; Bill Levine; Dee Caruso
Pencils	Mort Drucker (signed)
Inks	Mort Drucker (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credits from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

5 page Around The World In Eighty Pictures Dept. text story "The National Osographic Magazine"

Characters	Roger Sternwallow; Evelyn Sternwallow; Birdie Ugnew; Neville Brooks-Brother
Synopsis	Parody of National Geographic Magazine.
Genre	satire
Script	Tom Koch
Pencils	Wally Wood
Inks	Wally Wood
Letters	typeset
Notes	Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection.

1 page Don Martin Dept. story "In A Penny Arcade"

Synopsis	When two men finish playing a boxing game, the mechanical characters take over.
Genre	humor
Script	Don Martin (signed)
Pencils	Don Martin (signed)
Inks	Don Martin (signed)
Letters	typeset

1 page MAD T-Shirts promo (ad from the publisher) You'll Be A "Knockout" In A MAD T-Shirt

Characters	Alfred E. Neuman
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 "Edited Advertising Slogans"

Synopsis	Advertising slogans with a punch line following.
Genre	humor
Letters	typeset
Notes	Appear in the margins of 25 pages of the issue.

1 page Chesterfind Cigarettes story "The Skid-Row Bums"

Synopsis	Phony ad parody of Chesterfield Cigarettes ad.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Inks	Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Colors	Kelly Freas (painted, signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Back cover.