Mad #85 (Albert Feldstein) - Beastlies Issue - March 1964

Paul Coker returned to Mad as a regular.  He had only contributed one drawing since issue 61.  See Mad Beastlies and the letters page suicide.  Coker and Phil Hahn introduced one of the most clever word-play features of Mad with their magic interpretations of words as monsters.  The best one in this issue was "bugaboo".

This issue started with the Jacobs classic parody Mannie Get Your Ghoul (drawn by Jack Rickard) and finished with the Mort Drucker/Stan Hart Strange Interlude with Hazey.  Ghoul would have been much better if drawn by Wood but I love the classic monsters which include Nick Adams, Jacobs, Batman and Howard Keel.  Drucker's talent continues to amaze me in retrospect.  He can draw any facial expression with a few simple lines.

Wally Wood drew Dick Tracy, Joe Palooka, Popeye and Mary Worth one more time. [MADlog #13]

Monster is drawing Frank Jacobs in a blonde wig from Mad #80. (page 5)

Departments:
Downbeast - Mannie Get Your Ghoul
And the Bans Play On - Famous Protest Campaigns
Don Martin - At a Matinee; The Sunday Drive; The Hunter
Word Game Preserve - Mad Beastlies
Claws and Effect - The Rescue
The Other Side of the Corn - The Minute After That TV Show Is Over
Joke and Dagger - Spy Vs. Spy; Spy Vs. Spy Vs. Spy
Berg's-Eye View - The Lighter Side of the College Crowd
No. - When They Use Numbers for Everything
Funny Pitches - Future Educational Comic Pamphlets
Candid Camerawork - A TV Ad We'd Like to See
A Ward to the Wise - The Mad Hospital Primer
Stop the Pressures - The Real Story Behind the News
Maid in U.S.A. - A Strange Interlude with Hazey