Issue Details

Issue	#24
Published	July 1955
Cover Price	0.25 USD
Pages	68
Editing	Harvey Kurtzman
Notes	Characters noted are in the frame around the page. Alfred L. Neuman bears no physical resemblance to Alfred E. Neuman, whose image does appear unnamed. Phrase "What? Me Worry?" is used for the first time in MAD. First 25 cent, magazine size issue.

Cover Details - "This New Magazine Is Vital For You To Read..."

Characters	Socrates; Napoleon; Sigmund Freud; Marilyn Monroe; Alexander The Great; Rembrandt; Galileo; Lassie; Tom Swift; Columbus; Caesar; Buffalo Bill; Alfred L. Neuman; Melvin Cowznowski [Alfred E. Neuman]; Copernicus; Louis Pasteur; Ludwig Van Beethoven
Genre	humor
Pencils	Harvey Kurtzman (frame, signed)
Inks	Harvey Kurtzman (frame, signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Characters noted are in the frame around the page. Alfred L. Neuman bears no physical resemblance to Alfred E. Neuman, whose image does appear unnamed. Phrase "What? Me Worry?" is used for the first time in MAD. First 25 cent, magazine size issue.

1 page Bofforin story "Headache? Cold Misery?"

Synopsis	Phony ad for Bofforin pain reliever.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of Bufferin ad. Inside front cover.

1 page story "Extremely Important Message From The Editors"

Synopsis	Message is, "Please Buy This Magazine."
Genre	humor
Script	Harvey Kurtzman ?
Pencils	Harvey Kurtzman
Inks	Harvey Kurtzman
Letters	typeset

1 page Gluggle! story "She Wanted To Drown Her Troubles"

Characters	Jane Outsell
Synopsis	Phony ad for movie "Gluggle!"
Genre	satire
Pencils	Wally Wood
Inks	Wally Wood
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of ad for movie "Underwater!" Also mentions movie credits for: Howard Huge; Eli Lectric; Manny Tshark; Myrtle Turtle; Eben Tide; Ty Dalwave.

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

Characters	Roger Price; Bernard Shir-Cliff; Ernie Kovacs; Ira Wallach
Pencils	? (photo)
Inks	? (photo)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Includes a brief summary of contents with photos of some contributors. Layout appears similar to Playboy table of contents pages.

Half page Ironmaidenfit story "I Dreamed I Walked Down 5th Avenue In My Ironmaidenfit"

Synopsis	Phony ad for Ironmaidenfit bras.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Jack Davis (signed)
Inks	Jack Davis (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of Maidenform bra ad.

1 page Letters Dept. letters page "Letters Dept."

Script	Harvey Kurtzman ?
Pencils	various
Inks	various
Letters	typeset
Notes	Art is excerpts from previous issues.

Half page MMboy story "Are You Ever Lovely To Love?"

Synopsis	Phony ad for MMBoy Cream Deordorant.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	typeset

10 page Science Dept. story "Is A Trip To The Moon Possible?"

Characters	Dr. X Fline Saucer; Captain Buck Roger; Melvin Cowznowski; Commander Zork Argh
Synopsis	A humorous look at the problems and joys of travel to the moon.
Genre	humor
Pencils	Wally Wood
Inks	Wally Wood
Letters	typeset

1 page News Dept. text article "Report From Russia"

Synopsis	A supposed look into Russian thought...in Russian (Cyrillic script).
Genre	humor
Script	Hans Christian Andersen
Letters	typeset
Notes	Includes a propaganda cartoon, "This Is A Tel-Tapper-Phoner." Writer credit from "Totally MAD" CD collection, may indicate the text is actually a story by the Danish author, written in Russian.

3 page Literature Dept. text story "Out of The Frying Pan And Into The Soup"

Characters	Ernest "Pappa" Heminghaw; Private First Class; Pierre; Mignonette; a driver
Synopsis	A tangled story of a retired army private and his granddaughter.
Genre	satire
Script	Ira Wallach
Pencils	Bernie Krigstein (signed)
Inks	Bernie Krigstein (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Billed as, "The first part of a ½ part novel." Author listed as "Eli Wallach" in issue but "Totally MAD" CD collection lists as "Ira Wallach", same as a story in issue #26.

10 page Sports Dept. story "Wrestling"

Characters	Kid Kindyouth; Offensive Herman; Art Rottencore; Reggie Spoilsport; Tom Strongheart; Dick Stoutfellow; Yukon Klondike; Antonio Rockingchair; Gomez Addams (cameo); Morticia Addams (cameo); Pugsley Addams (cameo); Frankenstein's monster (cameo)
Synopsis	A humorous look at professional wrestling matches, using all the stereotypes in the sport.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Jack Davis (signed)
Inks	Jack Davis (signed)
Letters	typeset
Reprinted	in More Trash From MAD (EC, 1958 series) #1

2 page Newspaper Comics Dept.; Brunette; Little Orphan Melvin; Smilin' Melvin; Lil' Ab'r; Dick Tracing; Popcorn; Manduck The Magician story "Comics Digest"

Characters	Brunette; Dogwood; Punjoke; Little Orphan Melvin; Daddy Peacebucks; Little Melvin Rooney; Smilin' Melvin; Upwind Johnson; Lil' Ab'r; Mammy Jokeum; Dick Tracing; Chief; Junior; Popcorn kids; Manduck The Magician; Loathar
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Notes	Single strip parodies of newspaper comics: Blondie; Little Orphan Annie; Smilin' Jack; Lil' Abner; Dick Tracy; Peanuts; Mandrake The Magician. Title from contents page.
Reprinted	in Brothers Mad, The (Ballantine Books, 1958 series) #U2105; in More Trash From MAD (EC, 1958 series) #1 [retitled]

3 page Crime Dept. text story "Classy Crimes #138: Who Put The Strichnine In Mrs. Murphy's Husband?"

Characters	Dr. Milo Quackenbush; Francis L. Guteberger; Alfred L. Neuman; Seamus Murphy; Voona Murphy; Vasily Vaselodovich Orang-outang; Fothergill; Rosencrantz
Synopsis	Detective Francis L. Guteberger investigates the murder of Seamus Murphy.
Genre	humor
Script	Bernard Shir-Cliff
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Alfred L. Neuman bears no physical resemblance to Alfred E. Neuman, whose picture also appears with no name.

3 page Do It Yourself Dept. story "Anyone Can Build This Coffee Table"

Synopsis	Bogus instructions on how to build a coffee table complete with a potted plant sitting on the table.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Jack Davis (signed)
Inks	Jack Davis (signed)
Letters	typeset
Reprinted	in Mad About the Fifties (Little, Brown & Co., 1997 series) #[nn]

9 page Television Dept. story "Is This Your Life?"

Characters	Raoul Phedwards; Melvin Furd; Shiloh Culpepper; Sabrina Voom; Sheldon Scrounge; Alfred L. Neuman; Brunhilda Furd; Furd children; Furd's mother; Furd's father; Furd's sister; Furd's brother; Lone Ranger (cameo); Snap (cameo); Crackle (cameo); Pop (cameo); Santa Claus (cameo); Smith Brothers (cameo); Quaker Oats Man (cameo); Edward R. Murrow (cameo); Winston Churchill (cameo); Joe McCarthy (cameo); Harry Truman (cameo); Liberace (cameo); Abraham Lincoln (cameo); Bing Crosby (cameo); Bob Hope (cameo); Marlon Brando (cameo); Marilyn Monroe (cameo); Joe Friday (cameo); Aunt Jemimah (cameo); Arthur Godfrey (cameo); Jackie Gleason (cameo); Douglas MacArthur (cameo); Groucho Marx (cameo); Donald Duck (cameo); Dean Martin (cameo); Prince Albert (in a can, cameo); others (cameo);
Synopsis	Melvin Furd is nearly killed during the show, which features family, friends, enemies and someone he doesn't even know.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bill Elder
Inks	Bill Elder
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of tv show "This Is Your Life." Alfred L. Neuman bears no physical resemblance to Alfred E. Neuman.

2 page Classics Dept. text story "Tom Swifft And His Electric Ping Pong Ball"

Characters	Tom Swifft; Professor Harding; Six-Torso [Ramona Popkin]
Synopsis	Tom's invention is stolen by a Russian spy.
Genre	humor
Script	Ernie Kovacs [as Victor Applesauce]
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	typeset

1 page Education Dept. story "A Guide For Future Job Hunters"

Synopsis	A series of phony graphs explaining employment statistics.
Genre	humor
Letters	typeset

2 page Education Dept. text article "How To Get The Job You Want By Thinking Positively And Also Get Ahead By Learning My Five Rules That Will Give You A New And Unbelievable Positive Personality And Help You Achieve Success"

Synopsis	Five foolish rules for building a positive personality for yourself.
Genre	humor
Script	Roger Price
Letters	typeset
Notes	Includes one illustration.

10 page Movie Dept. story "Vera's Cruz"

Characters	Burt Lambaster; Gary Chickencooper; Seezer Romeo; Emperor Maxamillion; Denice Parcel; Melvin Cowznowski; Sarita Vavavoom
Synopsis	Two men sign on to guard a gold and guns shipment, but are also out to steal it for themselves.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Jack Davis (signed)
Inks	Jack Davis (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	A parody of the movie "Veracruz."

Half page Anasprin story "If You Suffer Pain"

Characters	Melvin Coznowski [Alfred E. Neuman]
Synopsis	Phony ad for Anasprin.
Genre	satire
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of both Anacin and aspirin ads. Character is unamed.

Half page The MAD Reader promo (ad from the publisher) When The Talk Turns To Books Do You Find Yourself Saying: "Hoo Hah?"

Letters	typeset
Notes	House ad for The MAD Reader paperback.

1 page Puzzle Dept. activity "Pictoquiz"

Characters	Alfred E. Neuman; Wanda Furd
Synopsis	A quiz where none of the answers makes sense.
Genre	humor
Pencils	Jack Davis
Inks	Jack Davis
Letters	typeset
Notes	Alfred E. Neuman is name given to several celebrities pictured, one of which is actually him.

Half page Rubbaban story "Are You Walking Around Like A Human Queston Mark?"

Synopsis	Phony ad for Rubbaban women's foundation garments.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bill Elder
Inks	Bill Elder
Letters	typeset

1 page Pund's Cold Cream story In These Danger Periods Your Skin "Dies" A Little

Characters	Camenbert, Duchess of Fromage
Synopsis	Phony ad for Pund's Cold Cream.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Jack Davis
Inks	Jack Davis
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of Pond's Cold Cream ad.

1 page Bind-Aig story "Never Before A Bandage That Sticks Like This!"

Synopsis	Phony ad for Bind-Aig adhesive bandages.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of Band-Aid ad. On inside back cover.

1 page Jell-y story "When I'm Eating Jell-y I Wish I Were A Human Being"

Synopsis	Phony ad for Jell-y dessert.
Genre	satire
Pencils	Bill Elder (signed)
Inks	Bill Elder (signed)
Letters	typeset
Notes	Parody of Jell-O ad. On back cover.