| 0 | - | cover | 1 | pencils: Will Elder, Harvey Kurtzman; inks: Will Elder, Harvey Kurtzman; colors: Will Elder, Harvey Kurtzman | Alien, Alfred E. Neuman, Ellen Ripley |
| 1 | Subscribe to Mad and We'll Deck Your Halls with Books of Folly! | promo (ad from the publisher) | 1 | pencils: Don Martin; inks: Don Martin; colors: Don Martin | |
| 2 | - | table of contents | 1 | letters: typeset | |
| 3 | Creatures from a Hack Buffoon | promo (ad from the publisher) | 0.5 | pencils: Paul Peter Porges; inks: Paul Peter Porges | |
| 4 | - | letters page | 1 | letters: typeset | Regis Philbin (photo); Dick DeBartolo (photo) |
| 5 | Looking for a Fuse Laughs? | promo (ad from the publisher) | 0.5 | letters: typeset | |
| 6 | Fearless Buller's Day Off | comic story | 6 | script: Dennis Snee; pencils: Mort Drucker; inks: Mort Drucker | Pope John Paul II |
| 7 | New Clothing Care Symbols That Tell It Like It Is | text article | 2 | script: Charlie Kadau; pencils: Bob Clarke; inks: Bob Clarke | |
| 8 | If Society's Unwritten Rules of Behavior Were Actually Written Down | comic story | 2 | script: Mike Snider; pencils: George Woodbridge; inks: George Woodbridge | |
| 9 | The Lighter Side of... | comic story | 5 | script: Dave Berg; pencils: Dave Berg; inks: Dave Berg | |
| 10 | One Balmy November Morning | comic story | 1 | pencils: Don Martin; inks: Don Martin | |
| 11 | Typewri-Toons | text article | 2 | script: Desmond Devlin | |
| 12 | The Mad Guide to Various High School Types | comic story | 2 | script: Mike Snider; pencils: George Woodbridge; inks: George Woodbridge | |
| 13 | A Mad Peek behind the Scenes at a Terrorist Training Camp | cartoon | 2 | script: Lou Silverstone; pencils: Sergio Aragonés; inks: Sergio Aragonés | |
| 14 | Famous Stories as Told by Famous People | comic story | 2 | script: Lou Silverstone; pencils: Bob Clarke; inks: Bob Clarke | Ronald Reagan |
| 15 | One Glorious December Morning | text story | 1 | script: Don Edwing; pencils: Don Martin; inks: Don Martin | |
| 16 | The Karocky Kid, Part II | comic story | 5 | script: Dick DeBartolo; pencils: Angelo Torres; inks: Angelo Torres | Ralph Macchio (actor); Pat Morita; Three Stooges |
| 17 | More Logical Farewells to Replace the Dreaded Have a Nice Day! Have a Nice Day! Have a Nice Day! Have a... | comic story | 2 | script: Mike Snider; pencils: Paul Coker; inks: Paul Coker | |
| 18 | Spy vs Spy | comic story | 1 | script: Don Edwing; pencils: Bob Clarke; inks: Bob Clarke | |
| 19 | The Far-Out Ride of Edwin Meese | comic story | 3 | script: Frank Jacobs; pencils: Gerry Gersten; inks: Gerry Gersten | Edwin Meese |
| 20 | The Mad Richter Scale for Human Beings | comic story | 2 | script: Frank Jacobs; pencils: Al Jaffee; inks: Al Jaffee | |
| 21 | One Delightful January Morning | comic story | 1 | script: Don Edwing; pencils: Don Martin; inks: Don Martin | |
| 22 | Alienators | comic story | 5 | script: Dick De Bartolo; pencils: Jack Davis; inks: Jack Davis | Ellen Ripley |
| 23 | Santa Claus as Seen by… | comic story | 1 | script: Paul Peter Porges; pencils: Paul Peter Porges; inks: Paul Peter Porges | Santa Claus |
| 24 | What Do Experts Agree Makes Students Confused and Out of Touch with Reality? | illustration | 1 | script: Al Jaffee; pencils: Al Jaffee; inks: Al Jaffee; colors: Al Jaffee | |
| 25 | Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions at Richard M. Nixon High | comic story | 1 | script: Al Jaffee; pencils: Al Jaffee; inks: Al Jaffee; colors: Al Jaffee | |
| 26 | Drawn-Out Dramas | cartoon | 0 | pencils: Sergio Aragonés; inks: Sergio Aragonés | |