Elusive jigsaw puzzle - Mad Magazine related?

November 16, 2009 9:25 AM

Seeking old jigsaw type puzzle from my childhood. Possibly Mad magazine related, or drawn by Al Jaffee... slim details inside.

When I was a kid I had this puzzle. It was a small one, perhaps 5x7 inches or so when complete. Each piece was a strange character, and it was accompanied by a poem that gave clues as to how they all fit together. One piece was either Alfred E. Neuman's face or a face very similar to his. Other pieces included a cartoony type white dog with one arm held high, a woman in heels, a desk cluttered with several things, a seemingly drunk man with a party hat (I think he was reclining, with legs sprawled, on the floor at the bottom of the puzzle), a red telephone, and various other people/cartoon-ish animals. I lost it some years back. It's been nagging at me over the last year or so, but my google fu is failing me. I expect my search terms are too broad (mad magazine jigsaw, mad magazine puzzle). I've tried doing some searches on ebay but come up empty. We kept it in a plastic box, but I can't guarantee its the box it was sold in - it was just a non-descript little box that it happened to fit in, and we kept the poem folded inside with the pieces. The pieces were cardboard - not prime jigsaw puzzle material, but not paper, and it didn't seem thin enough to be a bonus Mad Magazine insert.

I was born in '73, but had older siblings/step-siblings and my older brother collected Mad Magazine for some years. From what I remember of the artwork (the pieces I remember, I remember vividly) it was probably put out in the mid to late 70's or early 80's.

I suspect I'm out of luck, but generally I don't give up without trying the hive mind. Also - is there a name for a jigsaw puzzle where each piece consists of a character or item, or are they all just... "Puzzles"?

posted by routergirl to grab bag (6 comments total)

I had a bunch of "character" jigsaws when I was a kid (early 70s) but they weren't Mad Magazine related. Good news is that I have some still and can go check them out and post some pictures when I get home.
posted by chairface at 10:49 AM on November 16

I'm pretty sure you're talking about Jumble-Fits Puzzle #2 "Figments". Sorry about the glare.

It just happened to be in a box of stuff that my parents gave me this year.
posted by donpardo at 6:41 PM on November 16

If not, it might be listed here: http://www.azplerp.com/
posted by donpardo at 6:47 PM on November 16

Shoot. I just took the picture. I have 5 of these and will hopefully post images of them all.
posted by chairface at 7:32 PM on November 16

Oh wow. The Jumble-Fits is SO CLOSE, but not it. However, that helps hugely, as I'm positive the one I had was in the same series. Thank you!
posted by routergirl at 6:56 AM on November 17

Also? You guys are geniuses. The one I had IS listed on the azplerp site.
posted by routergirl at 6:58 AM on November 17