Any Similarity to Persons Living or Dead Is Purely Coincidental #[nn] [3rd & 4th printings] - First Appearance of Fred Mertz, Printings and Contents

Identification plate

Series: Any Similarity to Persons Living or Dead Is Purely Coincidental (Fantagraphics, 1985 series)
Issue: #[nn] [3rd & 4th printings]
Publication date: September 1986
Key date: September 1986
Indicia publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Price: $12.95
Pages: 92
Barcode: 978056097043251295
ISBN: 093019327X

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

Why this issue matters

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

First appearance (reprint) of Ted Healy - the earliest appearance on record is a reprinted story; the original printing may be indexed elsewhere and predate this.

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	-	cover	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; colors: Jim Woodring	Bud Abbott, Shemp Howard, Tor Johnson, Vampira
2	-	credits, title page	5	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman
3	Foreword	foreword, introduction, preface, afterword	1	script: Harvey Kurtzman
4	Fred Cleans His Ear	credits, title page	1	letters: typeset
5	Fred's Night Out	comic story	2	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Fred Mertz First
6	Honeymooner	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	The Simpleton [Ed Norton]; Ralph Kramden; Alice Kramden
7	The Commies Are Coming! The Commies Are Coming!	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Jack Webb
8	The Joe Franklin Story	comic story	3	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Woody Allen, Joe DiMaggio, Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand
9	Game Show Hosts Walk Among Us!	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Jack Narz; Bill Cullen; Wink Martindale; Bob Eubanks; Bob Barker
10	Bob Hope's 100th Birthday	comic story	1	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Bob Hope
11	Crazy Deadie – His Prices Were Insane!	illustration	1	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Crazy Deadie
12	The Andy Griffith Show	comic story	2	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Sheriff Taylor; Deputy Fife; Aunt Bea; Goober
13	Tor Like Oatmeals	credits, title page	1	letters: typeset
14	Tor Johnson At Home	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Tor Johnson
15	The World, The Flesh, & Robot Monster	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Robot Monster; Arnold Stang
16	Attack of the 50 Foot Stinky	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Stinky
17	Tor Johnson's Hollywood Tour	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Tor Johnson
18	Oodles of Doodles	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Doodles Weaver
19	Rat City	comic story	1.58	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Bud Abbott, Lou Costello
20	-	illustration	0.13	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman
21	Frat Facts	comic story	0.29	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Bulu
22	Jimmy Durante Boffs Young Starlets	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Jimmy Durante
23	Dining With Mutants (With Arthur Godfrey)	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Arthur Godfrey
24	Larry Finearama Nitemare	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Larry Fine
25	Tor's Nightmare	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman, Johnny Legend; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Tor Johnson
26	William Bendix Sightings	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	William Bendix; Sandy Dennis
27	June 2050	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Ernest Borgnine; Ernestine; George Kennedy
28	The Duke is Coming (Dawn of the Duke)	comic story	1	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	John Wayne
29	The Incredible Shrinking Joe Franklin	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Joe Franklin
30	Tor in New York	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Tor Johnson
31	But Really, You're a Great Audience	credits, title page	1	letters: typeset
32	Mr. Excitement! The Living History of Wayne Newton	comic story	3	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Elvis Presley
33	Joe DeRita of the Apes	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Curly Joe DeRita
34	The Lou Costello Jr. Story	comic story	1	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Lou Costello Jr.; Lou Costello; Bud Abbott; Jimmy Durante
35	Laugh Makers	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Bud Abbott, Curly Joe DeRita, Oliver Hardy
36	Joe Franklin is a Dream Walkin'	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Joe Franklin
37	Laugh Makers (Second of a Series)	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Larry Fine
38	Strange Bedfellows	comic story	1	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Doris Day (unnamed); Rock Hudson (unnamed); Jim Nabors (unnamed)
39	Laugh Makers (Wallowing in Their Wacky Despair...)	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Joe E. Brown
40	Whatever Became of... Our Gang?	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Alfalfa; Spanky; Buckwheat; Butch; Darla; Chubby; Farina; Wheezer; Porky; Waldo; Stymie; Scotty
41	Old Bud Abbott	comic story	0.5	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Bud Abbott
42	A Hollywood Love Supreme	comic story	0.5	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Rock Hudson; Gina Lollobrigida; Jim Nabors (unnamed)
43	The Saga of Frank Sinatra Jr.	comic story	2	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Frank Sinatra
44	More Laugh Makers (Those Irrepressible Funsters...)	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Shemp Howard
45	Cover Girls	credits, title page	1	letters: typeset
46	New York Elevator Men- A Vanishing Breed	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman
47	Borgnine's Bowels Exposed!	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Ernest Borgnine
48	Hot Psycho Sex Pix!	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman
49	Shemp's Sinful Sex Secrets	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Shemp Howard
50	Moe, Larry and Curly	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Moe Howard
51	Larry's Crystal Ball	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Larry Fine
52	Young Larry	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Larry Fine
53	Onstage With Ted Healy	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Larry Fine, Ted Healy First
54	Stooges With Eddie Cantor	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Larry Fine, Moe Howard, Shemp Howard
55	-	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Larry Fine
56	Portrait: Abbott and Costello	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Bud Abbott, Lou Costello
57	The Abbott and Costello Story	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Bud Abbott
58	The Edward D. Wood, Jr. Players Trading Cards	illustration	2	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Tor Johnson, Vampira
59	Plan Nine From Outer Space	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Tor Johnson, Vampira
60	Paul Henning Amongst His Characters	illustration	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Paul Henning
61	Eight Devil Postcards	illustration	2	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Adolf Hitler, Tor Johnson
62	They'll Never Own a Yacht	illustration	0.5	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Door Man; Barber; Fisherman; Bus Boy; Janitor; Bar Keep; No Trade; Plumber; Bank Dick; Milk Man; Postman; Butcher; Cabbie; Druggist; Locksmith; Retired; Waiter; Geek
63	Fat, Bald, Bitter & Angry- Crosby, Stills & Nash in the Eighties	illustration	0.5	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Dave Crosby; Graham Nash; Stephen Stills
64	Go, Lord, Go!	credits, title page	1	letters: typeset
65	The Lord of Eltingville in “What I Like”	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Lord of Eltingville; Johnny Carson (unnamed)
66	Solitary Blues	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman
67	The Lord of Eltingville On the Merits of Ed Platt	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Lord of Eltingville; Ed Platt; The Contessa
68	The Day Chet Huntley Died	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Farmer; Edna; Ed; Ed's Father; Ed's Mother; Louie
69	The Lord of Eltingville His Life and Times	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Frank Sinatra
70	All This and Frank Sinatra, Jr., Too	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Frank Sinatra Jr.
71	They Need Your Designer Jeans	illustration	0.21	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman
72	Now Side Show Freaks Can Be Fashionable Too!	illustration	0.23	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman
73	Gloria Vanderbilt for Coonskins	illustration	0.56	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Gloria Vanderbilt
74	Ugly Baseball Cards	illustration	1	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Ron Yubba; Yank Custis; Marnin Rosenberg
75	Marnin and Morgan- A Romance the Media Missed	comic story	2	script: Josh Alan Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Larry Fine
76	The Lord of Eltingville's European Vacation	comic story	1	script: Drew Friedman; pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Lord of Eltingville
78	Glossary	foreword, introduction, preface, afterword	1	pencils: Drew Friedman; inks: Drew Friedman; letters: Drew Friedman	Larry Fine, Vampira
79	Drew Friedman / Josh Alan Friedman	text article	1	pencils: ? (photo); inks: ? (photo); letters: typeset	Bruce Jay Friedman (photo); Drew Friedman (photo); Josh Alan Friedman (photo); Bruce Friedman (photo); Kipp Friedman (photo)
81	-	promo (ad from the publisher)	1	pencils: Drew Friedman, Kip Lott; inks: Drew Friedman, Kip Lott; colors: Jim Woodring	Larry Fine, Moe Howard, Shemp Howard, Tor Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Vampira

Where to read it

Collection	Year
National Lampoon Magazine #7/1986	1986	On eBay ›

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

Before you buy

Confirm the UPC box: a publisher mark instead of a barcode means direct edition, a barcode means newsstand.
Glossy covers of this era show edge chipping easily. Check black edges closely in the photos.
Check the staples and centerfold; heavily read anniversary and key issues loosen there first.

Series context

‹ #[nn] [First Printing]2 of 2

Sources

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

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