Mad #30 for Sale - First Appearance of Elvis Presley - Where to Buy

Identification plate

Series: Mad (EC, 1952 series)
Issue: #30
Publication date: November-December 1956
Key date: 1956-11-00
Indicia publisher: E.C. Publications Inc.
Price: $0.25
Pages: 52

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance of Elvis Presley - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Pogo Possum - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Mickey Dugan - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Democrat Donkey - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Republican Elephant - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Little Nemo - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of The Little Hitchhiker - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Barnaby - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Mr. O'Malley - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Caspar Milquetoast - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Seq	Story	Type	Pages	Credits	Characters
0	Alfred E. Neuman Says "What - Me Worry?"	cover	1	pencils: Norman Mingo, Harvey Kurtzman, Bill Elder; inks: Norman Mingo, Harvey Kurtzman, Bill Elder	Alfred E. Neuman, Democrat Donkey First, Republican Elephant First
1	B. F. Goodnrich Autoless - Because You Don't Need a Car, Just Tires	comic story	1	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Reed Crandall; inks: Reed Crandall
2	Vital Features - Departments	table of contents	1	script: Al Feldstein
3	Elvis Pelvis	comic story	2	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Jack Davis; inks: Jack Davis	Elvis Presley First
5	Now... In Full color!	promo (ad from the publisher)	0.11	pencils: Norman Mingo; inks: Norman Mingo	Alfred E. Neuman
6	Random Samplings of Reader Mail	letters page	1.67	script: Albert B. Feldstein
7	Gunsmoked	comic story	4	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Jack Davis; inks: Jack Davis	James Arness [as Madd Dillinger]; Gambler Dan; Blacksmith Sam; Dennis Weaver [as Chestnut]; Milburn Stone [as Doc]; Amanda Blake [as Kiddie]; Mayor Melvin
8	Alfred E. Neuman Answers Your Questions	comic story	1	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Don Martin; inks: Don Martin
9	The Manly Art of Self Defense	comic story	2	script: Edmund E. Price; editing: Harvey Kurtzman
10	Scenes We'd Like To See: The Gladiator and the Empress	comic story	1	script: Phil Interlandi; pencils: Phil Interlandi; inks: Phil Interlandi
11	MAD Builds a More Civilized Mouse Trap	comic story	2	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Jack Davis; inks: Jack Davis
12	Motorist Beware!	comic story	2	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Bob Clarke; inks: Bob Clarke
13	MAD Establishes an... Old Comic-Strip Characters' Home	text article	2	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Wally Wood; inks: Wally Wood	Batman, Buster Brown, Casper, Denny Colt, Lamont Cranston, Eustace P. Dolan, Marla Drake, Mickey Dugan First, Dick Grayson, Ignatz Mouse, Krazy Kat, Emperor Ming, Miss Fury, Officer Pupp
14	Bowling	comic story	4	script: Nick Meglin, Al Feldstein; pencils: Jack Davis; inks: Jack Davis	John L. Lewis; Tommy Manville; Osgood Z'Beard
15	Collegiate Whimsey	comic story	3	script: Rice, Bill Davis, Parks, Ilnicki, Jerry Lee, Kent; pencils: Rice, Bill Davis, Parks, Ilnicki, Jerry Lee, Kent; inks: Rice, Bill Davis, Parks, Ilnicki, Jerry Lee, Kent	Galahad
16	Morbid Dick	comic story	4	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Wally Wood; inks: Wally Wood	Captain Aslob [Legory Peck]; Fishmeal [Richard Basehearted]; Queeg-Queeg; Father Maplesyrup [Osome Bells]; Morbid Dick; Mr. Starstruck [Lee O'Genn]
17	Alfred E. Neuman Answers Your Questions	comic story	1	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Don Martin; inks: Don Martin
18	A Medal for Horatius	text story	2	script: W. C. Hall; pencils: Wally Wood; inks: Wally Wood
19	What's Happened to the... Pulp Magazines?	comic story	4	script: James Blish; pencils: Bill Elder; inks: Bill Elder; editing: Harvey Kurtzman	Fenwick; "Red" Herring; Maren
20	A Saw Screams at Midnight	comic story	2	script: Carl Reiner	Carl Reiner
21	MAD Merit Badges	comic story	2	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Jack Davis; inks: Jack Davis
22	Walt Dizzy Presents Dizzyland	comic story	6	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Wally Wood; inks: Wally Wood	Walt Dizzy; unnamed fairy; Jimmy Dood; Ozgood Zeiss; Sigismund Sponk; Davy Crawcutt; Mike Finque; Walt Dizzy's animated characters
23	Alfred E. Neuman Answers Your Questions	comic story	1	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Don Martin; inks: Don Martin
24	Vital Items You Can Buy for a Quarter	promo (ad from the publisher)	1	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Jack Davis; inks: Jack Davis
25	Marginal Thinking	text article	0	script: Arnie Rosen, Coleman Jacoby
26	untitled	illustration	1	script: Al Feldstein; pencils: Norman Mingo, Harvey Kurtzman, Bill Elder, Jack David; inks: Norman Mingo, Harvey Kurtzman, Bill Elder, Jack David	Smilin' Jack, Nikita Khrushchev, Liberace, Little Orphan Annie, The Lone Ranger, Jack Martin, Groucho Marx, Mickey Mouse, Alfred E. Neuman, Popeye, Pogo Possum First, Elvis Presley First, John Reid, Dick Tracy

Plus 0.22 pages of advertisements and other matter across 1 sequence, as published.

Where to read it

Collection	Year
Mad about the Fifties #[nn]	1997	On eBay ›
The Worst from MAD #1	1958	On eBay ›
More Trash from Mad #1	1958	On eBay ›
Like, Mad #T4904	1970	On eBay ›
Mad for Keeps #[nn]	1958	On eBay ›
The Organization Mad #D2286	1963	On eBay ›
Mad for Decades #[nn] ISBN 978-1435101289; 1435101286	2007	On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

Check spine ticks and cover gloss in the photos; silver-age Marvels chip at the edges easily.
Look for tanning at the page edges and transfer stains on the inside covers.
Confirm the cover price against the plate; higher prices can mean a later or foreign printing.

Series context

‹ #2930 of 550#31 ›

Sources

Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com