MAD #49 — June 2026

Article title links go to original source issues

NEW = First appearance of original material

Contents

• Contents Page — Johnny Carson set and guests

  MAD #266 — Mort Drucker art
  C2–1
• Drawn-Out Dramas

  Marginal Thinking Dept.

  Sergio Aragones
  (various places around the magazine — new and reprinted)
• A MAD Look at Late Night TV NEW

  Serge-In General Dept.

  Sergio Aragones / Color by Carrie Strachan
  2–4
• The 38 Worst Things About Late Night TV!

  All Hams on Desk Dept.

  Written by Desmond Devlin, Scott Maiko and Jeff Kruse / Art by Hermann Mejia and Ward Sutton
  5–9
• Spy vs. Spy vs. Spy — nitroglycerine make-up / Spy vs. Spy — machine gun studio camera / stage desk deadly props NEW

  Joke and Dagger Dept.

  Peter Kuper
  10–11
• Subscription Ad

  MAD #88 — Antonio Prohias spies
  12
• One Fine Day at a Television Station

  Time for an Inflation Break Dept. (Don Martin Dept. Part II)

  Written by Charlie Kadau / Art by Don Martin
  13
• Tricks of the Trade in Local TV News

  Eyewitness Ruse Dept.

  Written by Tom Koch / Art by George Woodbridge
  14–15
• Where Else But on TV...?

  Telly Like it Is Dept.

  Written by Tom Koch / Art by Jack Davis
  16–19
• TV Warnings We Really Need

  Viewer Discretion Despised Dept.

  Written by John Prete / Art by Paul Coker, Jr.
  20–21
• MAD Deconstructs TV Talk Shows — The Colbert Report

  The Chat N' the Stat Dept.

  Written by Desmond Devlin / Art by Sam Viviano
  22–24
• A CBS-TV Summer Memo to The Smothered Brothers

  Tom, Dick, and Harried Dept.

  Written by Ronnie Nathan / Art by Jack Rickard
  25
• A Eulogy for Colbert's Late Show NEW

  Lord of the Zings Dept.

  Written by Paula Sevenbergen / Art by Hermann Mejia
  26–27
• MAD Deconstructs TV Talk Shows — The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

  The Chat N' the Stat Dept.

  Written by Desmond Devlin / Art by Drew Friedman
  28–31
• My Pill-Ow!

  Sleep Depravity Dept.

  Written by Dick DeBartolo / Art by Mike Loew
  32
• Nutwork (movie satire)

  Tele Like It Is! Dept.

  Written by Stan Hart / Art by Mort Drucker
  33–38
• General Realistic TV (ad parody)

  Art by Kelly Freas
  39
• Boob Tube Mash-Ups We Can't Wait To See

  The Regurgitation Will Be Televised Dept.

  Written by Brockton McKinney / Art by Kerry Callen
  40–41
• MAD's Exclusive Backstage Tour of The Family Guy

  Quahog Wild Dept.

  Written by David Richards / Art by Tom Richmond
  42–44
• Ad for MAD About DC comic
  45
• The Lighter Side of The Television Set

  Looney-Tuners Dept.

  Dave Berg / Color by Raven Juergensen
  46–49
• Guest Types You'll See on Late Night TV NEW

  Next Guest Thing Dept.

  Ivan Ehlers
  50–51
• Spy vs. Spy — octopus TV

  Joke and Dagger Dept.

  Antonio Prohias / Color by Carrie Strachan
  52
• Audition Tapes of Talk Show Hosts Who Never Made It

  Aspiring Squad Dept.

  Written by Dan Birtcher / Art by Sam Viviano
  53–55
• How Different Networks Would Cover the Story of a Giant Meteor Heading Toward Earth

  And So it Woes Dept.

  Written by Megan O'Leary / Art by Sam Sisco
  56
• Fold-In — What is perhaps the greatest threat to late night shows' long-term survival? NEW

  Johnny Sampson
  C3
• Back Cover — The Television Studio

  Art by Al Jaffee
  C4