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

Issue Details

Issue #16
Published October 1954
Cover Price 0.10 USD
Pages 36
Editing Harvey Kurtzman
Notes Cover mimics a newspaper page.

Cover Details - "Humor In A Jugular Vein"

Synopsis "Stories" on comic book artists being arrested and comics being sold on black market.
Genre satire
Pencils Harvey Kurtzman
Inks Harvey Kurtzman
Letters typeset
Notes Cover mimics a newspaper page.

1 page Panic; Mad promo (ad from the publisher) "Proof...Of 8 Brands Tested, Panic is Best Imitation of MAD"

Pencils Bill Elder (signed)
Inks Bill Elder (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes House ad for Panic and MAD subscriptions. On inside front cover.

8 page Crime Dept.; Shermlock Shomes story "The Hound of The Basketballs!"

Characters Shermlock Shomes; Dr. Whatsit; Arty Morty (cameo); Pru Basketball; Coolidge Basketball (corpse); the devil
Synopsis Shermlock captures the hound that has cursed the Basketball family.
Genre satire
Pencils Bill Elder (signed)
Inks Bill Elder (signed)
Colors Marie Severin
Notes Parody of Sherlock Holmes mystery.
Reprinted in Brothers Mad, The (Ballantine Books, 1958 series) #U2105; Brothers Mad, The (Ballantine Books, 1958 series) #267K; Brothers Mad, The (Ballantine Books, 1958 series) #267

7 page The Press Dept. story "Newspapers!"

Synopsis Various fake newspaper stories and ads.
Genre humor
Pencils Jack Davis
Inks Jack Davis
Colors Marie Severin
Notes Only the first page is colored.
Reprinted in Mad Reader, The (Ballantine Books, 1954 series) #93

1 page [Report From Abroad] text article "in hieroglyphics"

Synopsis An analysis of the Egyptian political situation -- in hieroglyphics.
Genre humor

1 page Piracy promo (ad from the publisher) "E. C. Went To Sea In Search Of Another New Trend..."

Pencils Wally Wood (signed)
Inks Wally Wood (signed)
Colors Marie Severin
Letters typeset
Notes House ad for Piracy comic subscriptions. Drawing may be caricatures of E. C. staffers.

1 page MAD Mumblings letters page "MAD Mumblings"

Letters typeset

6 page The American Scene Dept. story "Restaurant!"

Characters Mr. Sturdley; Mrs. Sturdley; Smurdley Sturdley; junior Sturdley; baby Sturdley
Synopsis The deprivations the Sturdleys suffer at a "typical" Sunday restaurant outing.
Genre humor
Pencils Bill Elder (signed)
Inks Bill Elder (signed)
Colors Marie Severin
Reprinted in Bedside Mad, The (Signet Books, 1959 series) #D2316; Bedside Mad, The (Signet Books, 1959 series) #P3520; Bedside Mad, The (Signet Books, 1959 series) #S1647

7 page Poetry Dept. story "Wreck of The Hesperus"

Characters Skipper; Skipper's daughter; Popeye (cameo)
Synopsis Relates the wreck of the ship Hesperus on the reef at Norman's Woe.
Genre satire
Script Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Pencils Wallace Wood (signed)
Inks Wallace Wood (signed)
Colors Monte Moore (painted)
Notes This is the text of the famous poem accompanied by humorous illustrations.
Reprinted in Son Of Mad (Signet Books, 1959 series) #S1701

1 page Stuart Greetings advertisement "Yours Free!"

Characters B. J. Stuart
Pencils ?; ? (photo)
Inks ?; ? (photo)
Letters typeset
Notes Ad for Stuart Greetings card sales outfits.

1 page Mason Shoes advertisement "Send for My FREE Outfit and start a Quick-Cash Spare Time Shoe Business!"

Pencils ? (photo)
Inks ? (photo)
Letters typeset
Notes Ad for sales kits for Mason Shoes. On inside back cover.

1 page Science-Fiction Book Club advertisement "The Book Club of Tomorrow Is Here Today!"

Pencils ? (photo)
Inks ? (photo)
Letters typeset
Notes Ad for Science-Fiction Book Club. On back cover.