▁M AD ▁# 3 ▁ ▁( J anu ary – F ebru ary ▁ 1 9 5 3 ). ▁The ▁first ▁letter ▁printed ▁came ▁from ▁a ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁corpor al ▁named ▁Eug ene ▁F . ▁Sh an lin , ▁who ▁said ▁he ▁" had ▁never ▁heard ▁people ▁laugh ▁out ▁loud ▁at ▁a ▁com ic ▁magazine ▁before !" ▁ ▁There ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁few ▁rec urr ing ▁sub - de part ments , ▁including ▁the ▁" Make ▁a ▁D umb ▁W ish ▁Foundation " ▁which ▁promised ▁to ▁make ▁readers ' ▁stupid ▁requests ▁come ▁true ▁( a ▁par ody ▁of ▁the ▁Make ▁a ▁W ish ▁Foundation ); ▁" Ant iques ▁Fre ak show ▁with ▁Hans ▁Br ick face ", ▁in ▁which ▁photograph s ▁of ▁readers ' ▁b izar re ▁household ▁items ▁were ▁app ra ised ▁by ▁the ▁slightly ▁psych otic ▁Hans ; ▁abs urd ▁one - sent ence ▁observations ▁called ▁" MA D ▁M um bl ings ", ▁which ▁were ▁typically ▁non ▁sequ it urs ▁posted ▁online ▁by ▁the ▁readers ; ▁and ▁celebr ity ▁" Two - Question ▁Inter views " ▁which ▁were ▁essentially ▁over ▁before ▁they ▁began , ▁thus ▁reve aling ▁nothing . ▁ ▁The ▁magazine ▁solic its ▁reader ▁photos ▁of ▁famous ▁people ▁pos ing ▁with ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁Mad . ▁Once ▁a ▁year , ▁Mad ▁publish es ▁" The ▁N if ty ▁Fif ty ", ▁listing ▁ 5 0 ▁famous ▁people ▁they ▁hope ▁to ▁see ▁in ▁up coming ▁" C ele br ity ▁Sn aps ". ▁A ▁reader ▁who ▁successfully ▁gets ▁one ▁of