M*A*S*H*UGA

You're looking at an odd piece of Americana.  First time I recall not seeing Alfred E. Neuman's face on the cover.

As you might suspect, parents - at least in my small town - were a bit upset when their kids were bringing this particular issue of MAD home.  My own parents must have thought that I knew nothing of what this hand gesture meant and that I would begin doing it at random.  My dad's solution?  Rip the cover off.  Then I believe that pressure was put on the town's Rexall Drug Store to take this issue off the stand.

This, then, is NOT the issue I bought in 1974.  It is, instead, a gift from MAD founder and publisher, the late William M. Gaines.  I wrote him a nice letter once and told him how this issue shook up our sleepy little town.  Apparently he appreciated my letter and decided that I should have this "unmolested" issue. 

Here's one of their M*A*S*H* parodies.