| 0 | 1959 | cover | 1 | pencils: Norman Mingo; inks: Norman Mingo; colors: Norman Mingo | Alfred E. Neuman; Father Time 1957 |
| 1 | I Don't Want To Be A King | comic story | 1 | pencils: Kelly Freas; inks: Kelly Freas | Edward, Duke of Wales |
| 2 | Departments | foreword, introduction, preface, afterword | 1 | pencils: various; inks: various; letters: typeset | |
| 3 | Realistic Comic Book Heroes | comic story | 2 | script: Ron Goulart; pencils: Mort Drucker; inks: Mort Drucker | Garbage Man; Postman; Boris Soiloff; Ivan; Laundry Man; B.J.; Yes Man; Playboy; Mr. Miltown; Insurance Man; Fuller Brush Man; Milkman; TV Repairman; Fire Man |
| 4 | Bunk! | promo (ad from the publisher) | 0.33 | pencils: Norman Mingo, Bill Elder; inks: Norman Mingo, Bill Elder | Alfred E. Neuman |
| 5 | They're Going Fast! | promo (ad from the publisher) | 0.17 | pencils: Norman Mingo; inks: Norman Mingo | Alfred E. Neuman |
| 6 | Random Samplings of Reader Mail | letters page | 1.17 | script: Albert B. Feldstein, Bob Thompson, Walt Disney, John Olson, Leon Harvey | |
| 7 | You'll Make This A Merry, Mad Christmas | promo (ad from the publisher) | 0.33 | pencils: Carl Klein, Romeo Serry; inks: Carl Klein, Romeo Serry | Alfred E. Neuman |
| 8 | MAD's Xmas Toys | comic story | 2 | script: Paul Krassner; pencils: Bob Clarke; inks: Bob Clarke | |
| 9 | Secret Sportalk | comic story | 1 | pencils: Wally Wood; inks: Wally Wood | |
| 10 | Three Strange Tales | comic story | 4 | script: Don Martin; pencils: Don Martin; inks: Don Martin | |
| 11 | Strangely Believe It! | comic story | 1 | script: Ernie Kovacs; pencils: Wally Wood; inks: Wally Wood; letters: Wally Wood | Ernie Kovacs; Toulouse LaFeinstein; Erma T. Gribney; Frantic C. MaCann |
| 12 | Distinctive Rejection Slips | text article | 2 | script: Frank Jacobs | |
| 13 | Report To Russia | comic story | 4 | script: Dave Berg; pencils: Wally Wood; inks: Wally Wood | Ivan Slobotnavitch |
| 14 | Ambiguous Signs Inc. | comic story | 3 | script: Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding; pencils: Mort Drucker; inks: Mort Drucker | Bob Elliott; Ray Goulding; Wally Ballew; Oscar K. Ruprecht |
| 15 | Scenes We'd Like To See: The Bank Examiner | comic story | 1 | script: Frank Jacobs, George Mandel; pencils: Joe Orlando; inks: Joe Orlando | |
| 16 | MAD's Xmas Games | comic story | 4 | pencils: Bob Clarke; inks: Bob Clarke | |
| 17 | See Them Now | comic story | 2 | pencils: George Woodbridge; inks: George Woodbridge | Goldilocks; Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm; Tarzan; Jim Hawkins; Tiny Tim; Alice; the White Rabbit; Lord Fauntleroy; Amboy Dukes; Oliver Twist; Dondi; Captain Ahab; Don Quixote; Charlie Brown; Tom Sawyer; Huck Finn; Brer Fox; Hansel; Gretel; Rip Van Winkle; Dopey; Sluggo; Nancy; Henry; Dennis The Menace |
| 18 | Strangely Believe It! | comic story | 1 | script: Ernie Kovacs; pencils: Wally Wood; inks: Wally Wood; letters: Wally Wood | Ernie Kovacs; Armand Robespierre; Beulah Swoose; Burrell H. Calhoun; Franklin Q. Fangly |
| 19 | How To Wage Peace | comic story | 3 | script: Dave Berg; pencils: Dave Berg; inks: Dave Berg | |
| 20 | Strangely Believe It! | comic story | 1 | script: Ernie Kovacs; pencils: Wally Wood; inks: Wally Wood; letters: Wally Wood | Ernie Kovacs; Peter J. Eversham; Urdhaba Rahgoon; Myron T. Wendell |
| 21 | MAD Goes Hi Fi | comic story | 5 | script: Frank Jacobs; pencils: Bob Clarke; inks: Bob Clarke | |
| 22 | The Seven Blunders Of The World | comic story | 2 | script: Frank Jacobs; pencils: Joe Orlando; inks: Joe Orlando | Lemuel T. Egypt; Eric Lanyard; Lancelot O. Zeus; Diana Dregs; Ardsley Swill; Renfrew Rhodes; Otis Bailiwick |
| 23 | Orson Bean's Civil War | comic story | 4 | script: Orson Bean; pencils: George Woodbridge; inks: George Woodbridge | Orson Bean; Cornelius Bean; Zachary Bean; Ulysses S. Grant |
| 24 | Shakespeare Up-To-Date | text article | 1 | script: Paul Laikin; pencils: Dave Berg; inks: Dave Berg | |
| 25 | A Very Merry Christmas...And A Happy New Year! | comic story | 2 | script: Don Martin; pencils: Don Martin; inks: Don Martin | |
| 26 | Subscribe to MAD | promo (ad from the publisher) | 1 | pencils: Al Feldstein; inks: Al Feldstein; letters: Al Feldstein | Slobby Bobby; Silly Tillie; Smarty Marty |
| 27 | Christmas Gifts That Will No Doubt Be Returned | text article | 0 | letters: typeset | |
| 28 | Seems Like Somebody Always Butts In When You Talk About...Winsten | comic story | 1 | pencils: Larry Maleman; inks: Larry Maleman; colors: Larry Maleman | Nick Megliola (postman); Jerry DeFuccio |