Mad #436 December 2003

• Cover Artist: Mark Fredrickson
• Cover Writer: Ray Alma

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• Contents Page
• Letters (photos of John Ficarra, Dick DeBartolo, and
  Drew Friedman at New York is Book Country book signing)
• Sergio Aragones Drawn-Out Dramas
  **various places around the magazine
• Is Our World Really All That Different From The Matrix?
  (written by Greg Leitman / Tom Richmond art)
• Mad Readers Fondly Remember Their Favorite
  Dysfunctional Family Thanksgiving Moments (John Caldwell)
• 2-Letter Video Labels MTV Should Use
  (written by Desmond Devlin)
• More Pleasant Little Thoughts That Might Help You Sleep Better at Night (written by David Shayne / Ray Alma art)

• Monroe and... The Matrix (written by Anthony Barbieri / Bill Wray art)
• A Series of Uneventful Misfortunes - The Similar Sequel - by Lemony Snicket
  (written by Dave Croatto / Gary Hallgren art)
• Spy vs. Spy (Peter Kuper)
• Sure Signs That Your School is Under-Funded (written by Jacob Lambert / Hermann Mejia art)
• Absolute Latest, Up-to-the-Minute Pick-Up Lines (written by Mike Snider / Tom Bunk art)
• The On-Screen / Off-Screen Videogame Sound Effects Comparison Guide
  (written by Russ Cooper / Scott Bricher and Kevin Pope art)
• A Mad Look at Bars (Sergio Aragones)
• An Urgent Warning For all Internet Users From AOL (ad parody) (written by Dick DeBartolo)
• Mad's Unreal Outtakes from The Matrix Revolutions (written by Greg Leitman)
• Norigami - The Ancient Japanese Art of Paper Unfolding (written by Danno Sullivan)
• If 24 Really Depicted What Life Would Be Like for America's First Black President
  (written by Mike Mikula / Timothy Shamey art)
• Fold-In -- What has turned out to be this year's biggest work of fiction? (Al Jaffee)