Showing posts with label Harvey Kurtzman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harvey Kurtzman. Show all posts

Monday, October 7, 2019

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 9, 2019

DARK HORSE COMICS

JUN190301    BALTIMORE OMNIBUS HC VOL 01    $34.99
JUN190284    BLACK HAMMER 45 WORLD OF BLACK HAMMER TP VOL 01    $17.99
AUG190251    BLACK HAMMER JUSTICE LEAGUE #4 (OF 5) CVR A WALSH    $3.99
AUG190252    BLACK HAMMER JUSTICE LEAGUE #4 (OF 5) CVR B ROBINSON    $3.99
AUG190253    BLACK HAMMER JUSTICE LEAGUE #4 (OF 5) CVR C FRANCAVILLA    $3.99
AUG190254    BLACK HAMMER JUSTICE LEAGUE #4 (OF 5) CVR D WALTA    $3.99
AUG190255    BLACK HAMMER JUSTICE LEAGUE #4 (OF 5) CVR E CROOK    $3.99
JUN190369    DISNEY ZOOTOPIA SCHOOL DAYS (YA) HC VOL 01    $7.99
JUN190327    EC ARCHIVES FRONTLINE COMBAT HC VOL 02    $49.99
JUN190324    PLANTS VS ZOMBIES A LITTLE PROBLEM HC    $9.99
JUN190332    RAIN HC VOL 01    $24.99
AUG190297    TRIAGE #2 (OF 5) CVR A SEVY    $3.99
AUG190298    TRIAGE #2 (OF 5) CVR B CORONNA    $3.99
JUL190408    TROUT HOLLOWEST KNOCK #4 (OF 4)    $3.99

Monday, August 12, 2019

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 14, 2019

DARK HORSE COMICS

APR190293    ANTHEM HC STRONG ALONE STRONGER TOGETHER    $14.99
JUN190275    BLACK HAMMER JUSTICE LEAGUE #2 (OF 5) CVR A WALSH    $3.99
JUN190276    BLACK HAMMER JUSTICE LEAGUE #2 (OF 5) CVR B THOMPSON    $3.99
JUN190277    BLACK HAMMER JUSTICE LEAGUE #2 (OF 5) CVR C BERTRAM    $3.99
JUN190278    BLACK HAMMER JUSTICE LEAGUE #2 (OF 5) CVR D TEDESCO    $3.99
JUN190279    BLACK HAMMER JUSTICE LEAGUE #2 (OF 5) CVR E SCALERA    $3.99
APR190279    BORGIAS TP (MR)    $29.99
JUN190304    CRITICAL ROLE VOX MACHINA ORIGINS SERIES II #2 (OF 6)    $3.99
APR190323    DISNEY FROZEN TP REUNION ROAD    $10.99
APR190315    EC ARCHIVES CRIME SUSPENSTORIES HC VOL 04    $59.99
JUN190302    JOE GOLEM OCCULT DETECTIVE CONJURORS #4 (OF 5)    $3.99
JAN190466    LIGHTSTEP TP    $19.99
JUN190310    ORVILLE NEW BEGINNINGS #2    $3.99
JUN190305    SHE COULD FLY LOST PILOT #5 (OF 5) (MR)    $3.99
MAR190367    STAR BLAZERS TP VOL 01 SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199    $19.99
MAY190241    SWORD DAUGHTER #8 CVR A OLIVER    $4.99
MAY190242    SWORD DAUGHTER #8 CVR B CHATER VAR    $4.99

Monday, December 19, 2016

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 21, 2016

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT160023    ALIENS LIFE AND DEATH #4 (OF 4)    $3.99
OCT160044    BLACK HAMMER #6 LEMIRE VAR    $3.99
OCT160043    BLACK HAMMER #6 ORMSTON MAIN    $3.99
OCT160042    BRIGGS LAND #5    $3.99
OCT160052    BTVS SEASON 11 #2 ISAACS VAR    $3.99
OCT160051    BTVS SEASON 11 #2 MORRIS MAIN    $3.99
OCT160056    DARK HORSE PRESENTS #29    $4.99
OCT160024    DEAD INSIDE #1 MAIN CVR    $3.99
OCT160025    DEAD INSIDE #1 VAR HICKS CVR    $3.99
OCT160045    DEPT H #9    $3.99
AUG160111    EC ARCHIVES CRIME SUSPENSTORIES HC VOL 02    $49.99
JAN160177    ESSENTIAL KURTZMAN HC VOL 02 TRUMP COMPLETE    $29.99
OCT160046    ETHER #2    $3.99
AUG169378    GAME OF THRONES PIN HAND OF QUEEN    $12.99
AUG160047    GUN THEORY HC (RES)    $24.99
OCT160059    SPELL ON WHEELS #3 (OF 5)    $3.99
OCT160030    TOMB RAIDER 2016 #11    $3.99
OCT160061    USAGI YOJIMBO #160    $3.99
MAY160136    WITCHER 3 WILD HUNT FIGURE EREDIN    $29.99
MAY160137    WITCHER 3 WILD HUNT FIGURE YENNEFER    $29.99

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2015

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT150068     ANGEL AND FAITH SEASON 10 #21 MAIN CVR     $3.99
JUL158450     ART OF FALLOUT 4 HC     $49.99
OCT150040     BARB WIRE #6     $3.99
SEP158741     CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS III #1 (2ND PTG)     $3.99
OCT150016     CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS III #2     $3.99
OCT150071     DEAD VENGEANCE #3     $3.99
JUL158474     ESSENTIAL KURTZMAN HC VOL 01 JUNGLE BOOK LTD ED     $125.00
JUN150103     HALO COVENANT TRUTH & RECONCILIATION 7 INCH SHIP REPLICA     $39.99
AUG150030     HARROW COUNTY TP VOL 01 COUNTLESS HAINTS     $14.99
OCT150058     JOE GOLEM OCCULT DETECTIVE #2     $3.50
OCT150017     LARA CROFT FROZEN OMEN #3     $3.99
OCT150029     MYSTERY GIRL #1     $3.99
AUG150077     NEW LONE WOLF AND CUB TP VOL 07 (MR)     $13.99
AUG150031     STRAIN TP VOL 06 NIGHT ETERNAL (MR)     $19.99
OCT150072     THIS DAMNED BAND #5     $3.99

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Comics, Magazine and Books from Diamond Distributors for April 22, 2015

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

JAN151588     12 BEAST GN VOL 01 (MR)     $12.99
FEB158329     ADVENTURE TIME #36 (2ND PTG)     $3.99
FEB151188     ADVENTURE TIME #39     $3.99
DEC141575     ADVENTURES OF BASIL AND MOEBIUS HC VOL 01 (MR)     $19.99
FEB151740     AKAME GA KILL GN VOL 02     $13.00
JAN151673     ARMOR HUNTERS DLX ED HC     $49.99
JAN151088     BALLISTIC TP VOL 01 (MR)     $14.99
FEB151741     BARAKAMON GN VOL 04     $15.00
FEB151096     BART SIMPSON BLASTOFF TP     $15.99
FEB150976     BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DOUBLE DIGEST #233     $6.99
FEB150956     BLACK HOOD #3 REG FRANCAVILLA CVR (MR)     $3.99
FEB151216     BLAKE & MORTIMER GN VOL 20 SEPTIMUS WAVE     $15.95
JAN151393     CAPTAIN KEN GN VOL 01     $13.95
JAN151596     CAPTAIN STONE #5 (MR)     $3.99
FEB151477     CARTOON INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY TP     $17.95
FEB151784     CHARMED SEASON 10 #7 A CVR SEIDMAN (MR)     $3.99
JAN151305     CHASTITY TP VOL 01 LIFE DEATH     $19.99
JAN151584     CLAY LORD MASTERS OF GOLEMS GN VOL 01     $12.99
FEB151156     CLIVE BARKERS NIGHTBREED #12 (MR)     $3.99
FEB151133     CURB STOMP #3     $3.99
FEB151147     DAWN OF PLANET OF APES #6     $3.99
FEB151680     DEATH DEFYING DR MIRAGE TP     $9.99
SEP141395     DF ALL NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 GOLD ED ROMITA SR SGN     $299.99
OCT141448     DF AVENGERS X-MEN AXIS #1 DF EXC ROMITA SR SGN     PI
NOV141411     DF DAWN VAMPIRELLA #1 MIDTOWN EXC LINSNER     $15.00
NOV141404     DF JUSTICE #1 BCC ARTBOARD EXC ROSS SGN     $49.99
DEC141472     DF STAR WARS #1 REMARK HAESER JANGO FETT SKETCH     PI
DEC141480     DF WOLVERINES #1 REMARK HAESER SABRETOOTH COLOR SKETCH     $81.00
DEC141559     DISNEY 101 DALMATIANS CINESTORY TP VOL 01     $14.99
DEC141560     DISNEY PHINEAS AND FERB OMNIBUS TP VOL 01     $14.99
JAN158294     DIVINITY #1 3RD PTG     $3.99
FEB151664     DIVINITY #3 CVR A KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC (NEXT)     $3.99
FEB151665     DIVINITY #3 CVR B MULLER (NEXT)     $3.99
JAN151116     EVIL EMPIRE TP VOL 01     $14.99
FEB151010     FATHOM KIANI VOL 4 #3 DIRECT MARKET CVR A     $3.99
FEB151011     FATHOM KIANI VOL 4 #3 DIRECT MARKET CVR B     $3.99
FEB150881     FIGHT LIKE A GIRL LEARNING CURVE TP     $14.99
DEC141330     FRANK THORNE RED SONJA ART ED HC SGN VOL 03     $300.00
DEC141329     FRANK THORNE RED SONJA ART ED HC VOL 03     $150.00
JAN150979     GEARHEARTS STEAMPUNK MUSICAL SPECIAL #1 (ONE SHOT)     $3.99
FEB151768     GFT LITTLE MERMAID #3 A CVR KROME (MR)     $3.99
FEB151769     GFT LITTLE MERMAID #3 B CVR ANDOLFO (MR)     $3.99
FEB151770     GFT LITTLE MERMAID #3 C CVR MENDONCA (MR)     $3.99
FEB158330     GIANT DAYS #1 (2ND PTG)     $3.99
FEB151070     GOD IS DEAD #33 (MR)     $3.99
FEB151072     GOD IS DEAD #33 CARNAGE WRAP CVR (MR)     $3.99
FEB151074     GOD IS DEAD #33 ENCHANTING CVR (MR)     $3.99
FEB151073     GOD IS DEAD #33 END OF DAYS CVR (MR)     $3.99
FEB151071     GOD IS DEAD #33 ICONIC CVR (MR)     $3.99
FEB150912     HAUNTER GN     $15.00
DEC141429     HOLMES VS HOUDINI #5 CVR A CAMPBELL MAIN     $3.99
FEB151742     INU X BOKU SS TP VOL 07     $11.99
FEB151217     IRS TP VOL 06 BLACK GOLD WAR     $11.95
FEB151743     KAGEROU DAZE GN VOL 01     $13.00
FEB151218     KENYA GN VOL 02 ENCOUNTERS     $11.95
JAN151285     KING FLASH GORDON #3     $3.99
FEB151086     LADY MECHANIKA TABLET OF DESTINIES #1 MAIN CVRS (MR)     $3.99
FEB151328     LADY RAWHIDE LADY ZORRO #2     $3.99
FEB151361     LEGENDERRY GREEN HORNET #3 RARE DAVILA VIRGIN CVR     $50.00
FEB151272     LEGENDERRY RED SONJA #3     $3.99
FEB151489     LETS DANCE A WALTZ GN VOL 01     $10.99
FEB151529     LIFE AFTER #9 (MR)     $3.99
FEB151219     LUCKY LUKE TP VOL 51 PAINTER     $11.95
FEB151358     MASKS 2 #1 RARE WORLEY MISS FURY VIRGIN CVR     $50.00
NOV141179     MELUSINE GN VOL 01 HOCUS POCUS     $9.99
JAN151611     MONO V2 #1     $3.99
FEB150934     NATHAN HALES HAZARDOUS TALES HC VOL 05 UNDERGROUND ABDUCTOR     $12.95
FEB151651     NINJAK #2 CVR A LAROSA (NEXT)     $3.99
FEB151652     NINJAK #2 CVR B JOHNSON (NEXT)     $3.99
FEB151653     NINJAK #2 CVR C GUERRA (NEXT)     $3.99
FEB151334     PATHFINDER HC VOL 03 CITY OF SECRETS     $29.99
FEB151744     PUELLA MAGI TART MAGICA LEGEND OF JEANNE D ARC GN VOL 01     $13.00
FEB151166     REALIST ORIGINAL GN HC (MR)     $24.99
FEB151359     REANIMATOR #1 RARE FRANCAVILLA VIRGIN CVR     $50.00
MAR151253     RED SONJA TRAVELS TP VOL 02     $29.99
OCT140978     ROMAN RITUAL #4 (MR)     $3.99
FEB151587     ROOM FOR LOVE HC GN     $22.95
AUG141586     SCOTT PILGRIM COLOR HC VOL 06     $24.99
DEC141589     SCOTT PILGRIM COLOR HC VOL 06     $24.99
FEB151515     SEPARATORS #5     $3.99
DEC141593     SIXTH GUN GUNSLINGER ED HC VOL 02     $80.00
FEB151745     SO I CANT PLAY H GN VOL 01 (MR)     $13.00
DEC141372     SOLAR MAN OF ATOM #11 CVR A LAMING MAIN     $3.99
FEB150988     SONIC UNIVERSE #75 REG CVR     $3.99
FEB151157     SUICIDE RISK #24     $3.99
FEB151746     SWORD ART ONLINE PROGRESSIVE GN VOL 02     $13.00
FEB151747     TENA ON S STRING GN VOL 07 (NOTE PRICE)     $30.00
DEC141591     TERRIBLE LIZARD TP     $19.99
FEB151547     THRILLING ADVENTURES OF LOVELACE & BABBAGE HC GN     $28.95
FEB151498     TOWN CALLED DRAGON TP VOL 01     $14.99
FEB151346     TUROK DINOSAUR HUNTER TP VOL 02 WEST     $16.99
FEB151725     VAGABOND GN VOL 37 (MR)     $9.95
JAN150933     VAMPLETS NIGHTMARE NURSERY #1     $3.99
FEB151223     WISHER GN VOL 03 GLEE     $11.95
FEB151686     WITCHCRAFT WORKS GN VOL 04     $12.95
JAN150958     WOODLAND WELFARE MANIFESTO GN     $7.95
FEB151224     XIII CINEBOOK ED GN VOL 20 BAIT     $11.95
DEC148406     YOUR LIE IN APRIL GN VOL 01     $10.99
FEB150897     ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #10 MAIN CVR (MR)     $3.99

MAGAZINES
JAN151567     2000 AD PACK MAR 2015     $21.40
JAN151865     ALTER EGO #132     $8.95
JAN151866     BACK ISSUE #80     $8.95
FEB151085     BLEEDING COOL MAGAZINE #16 (MR)     $5.99
FEB151867     COMIC SHOP NEWS #1453     PI
FEB151869     COMIC SHOP NEWS FCBD 2015 SPECIAL #32     PI
JAN151872     DOCTOR WHO ESSENTIAL GUIDE #4 THE MASTER     $19.99
OCT141886     DRAW #30 (MR)     $8.95
FEB151885     LOCUS #651     $7.50
OCT141899     MEGAMI JAN 2015     $16.60
OCT141900     NEWTYPE JAN 2015     $16.00
FEB151877     SCARY MONSTERS MAGAZINE #97     $9.95
FEB151871     ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN MAGAZINE #3     $4.99

BOOKS
JAN151510     DAY OT DESTROYERS NOVEL HC JIMMIE FLINT AGENT X11 AMERICA     $23.95
FEB151748     DEVIL IS PART TIMER LIGHT NOVEL VOL 01     $14.00
JAN151847     ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE TALES OF TAMRIEL HC VOL 01 LAND     $34.99
FEB151417     HARVEY KURTZMAN HC MAD AND HUMOR IN AMERICA     $34.99
FEB151749     IS IT WRONG TRY PICK UP GIRLS IN DUNGEON NOVEL VOL 02     $14.00
FEB151828     JOSS WHEDON COMP COMPANION REVISED & UPDATED SC     $19.95
FEB151750     LOG HORIZON LIGHT NOVEL VOL 01     $14.00
NOV141244     MAGE WARS NATURE OF THE BEAST NOVEL     $12.99
FEB151830     NEIL GAIMAN INSTRUCTIONS POB HC     $8.99
FEB151751     NO GAME NO LIFE LIGHT NOVEL VOL 01     $14.00
FEB151752     SPICE AND WOLF NOVEL VOL 14 (MR)     $13.00
MAR151757     VOICES FROM KRYPTON UNOFF ADV OF SUPERMAN FILM & COMICS     $19.95
FEB152676     WARHAMMER 40K DAMNATION OF PYTHOS MMPB     $9.99
JAN152624     WARHAMMER 40K DAMOCLES TP     $16.00

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 3, 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT140111     ALIEN VS PREDATOR FIRE AND STONE #3     $3.50
OCT140018     ANGEL AND FAITH SEASON 10 #9 MAIN CVR     $3.50
AUG140114     ESSENTIAL KURTZMAN HC VOL 01 JUNGLE BOOK     $24.99
OCT140060     GHOST #10     $2.99
OCT140070     GHOST FLEET #2     $3.99
OCT140009     HELLBOY AND THE BPRD #1     $3.50
MAY140114     LEGEND OF ZELDA OCARINA OF TIME LIL LINK MUG     $14.99
MAY140115     LEGEND OF ZELDA OCARINA OF TIME LINK ON EPONA MUG     $14.99
AUG140084     MIGHTY TP     $19.99
AUG140124     NEW LONE WOLF AND CUB TP VOL 03 (MR)     $13.99
AUG140080     TIGER LUNG HC     $15.99

Monday, February 10, 2014

I Reads You Review: "Foul Play!"

FOUL PLAY! THE ART AND ARTISTS OF THE NOTORIOUS 1950S E.C. COMICS!
HARPER COLLINS/Harper Design

WRITER: Grant Geissman
COVER: Johnny Craig (Back cover by Graham Ingels)
ISBN: 978-0060746988; paperback (April 2005)
272pp, Color, $29.95 U.S.

Foul Play! The Art and Artists of the Notorious 1950s E.C. Comics is a 2005 non-fiction book.  Written by Grant Geissman, the book profiles the careers of the artists who drew for E.C. Comics in the early 1950s, focusing on the 14 artists most associated with the publisher.  This book also includes 14 E.C. stories drawn by these artists.

What was E.C. Comics?  Entertaining Comics was a comic book publisher that was first known as Educational Comics when it was founded in 1944 by Max Gaines.  Of course, Entertaining Comics is best known by its common name “E.C. Comics.”  Max Gaines died in a boating accident in 1947, and his son, William “Bill” Gaines, took over the company.  In 1949 and 1950, Bill Gaines began publishing a line of new titles that featured crime, horror, military, science fiction, and suspense comics.

Under the editorship of Al Feldstein and Harvey Kurtzman, this line featured the work of prominent and talented freelance illustrators like Jack Davis, Will Elder, Bernard Krigstein, and Wally Wood (to name a few).  Titles like Tales from the Crypt, Frontline Combat, Shock SuspenStories, Weird Science, and Weird Fantasy (to name a few) presented a fresh approach to comic book storytelling.  This line of comic books became a hit with readers.  Eventually, however, controversy and political backlash effectively ended E.C. Comics in 1954.

Originally published in April 2005, Foul Play! The Art and Artists of the Notorious 1950s E.C. Comics is a paperback book (8.5” x 11”) that profiles these artists who drew for E.C. Comics.  The book’s author, Grant Geissman, is an Emmy-nominated composer of music for television programs.  Geissman is also an expert on E.C. Comics and MAD Magazine (also originally published by Bill Gaines).

Foul Play! (which is out-of-print as of this writing) is practically a who’s who of mid-20th century popular illustration.  The book features such E.C. artists as Al Feldstein, Harvey Kurtzman, Johnny Craig, Jack Davis, (Ghastly) Graham Ingels, Jack Kamen, Wallace “Wally” Wood, Joe Orlando, Will Elder, John Severin, George Evans, Al Williamson, Reed Crandall, and Bernie Krigstein, among others. Geissman offers biographical details about the artists, describes how they came to work for Bill Gaines, and how their careers evolved after E.C. Comics.

Foul Play! also reprints 14 stories from various E.C. comics publications, each one showcasing the work of a particular artist.  Plus, the book includes, as a special bonus, a lost E.C. Comics story, entitled, “Wanted for Murder!”  Drawn by Al Williamson (with an uncredited assist from Angelo Torres), this was originally intended to be published in 1956 in Crime Illustrated, part of the E.C. Picto-Fiction magazine line.  The magazine was never published, and the story was forgotten and unseen until published in this book.

Over the years, I have had occasion to read reprint editions of various EC Comics.  I even have one of those Russ Cochran boxed sets (the four-volume Weird Science).  I had not heard of Foul Play! and discovered it on a wire book shelf in a comic book shop I was visiting.

I was actually at the shop to pick up some comic books that I was going to review for the Comic Book Bin.  But Foul Play! caught my attention the same way a nude photograph of Halle Berry or Charlize Theron probably would.  That was about nine years ago.  In that time, I have read this book a few times, read portions of it numerous times, and thumbed through it countless times (especially when I’m on the toilet).

Foul Play! The Art and Artists of the Notorious 1950s E.C. Comics is an evergreen book.  It is always going to be relevant because I think that comic book scholars and aficionados will never forget E.C. Comics.  They were a high-water mark in the history of comic books, especially American comic books; perhaps, they were the first high-water mark of American comic books.  Anyone who ever read them never forgot them, and for some, they were an inspiration.  Because some of the people this line of comics influenced went on to contribute to American culture (high, low, and pop), E.C. Comics may have ceased publication, but it never died.  So Foul Play! may be out of print, but it is still in play.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.






Monday, October 7, 2013

Review: SILVER #2 – Sledge

SILVER #2 – SLEDGE
DARK PLANET COMICS

CARTOONIST/CREATOR: Stephan Franck – @stephan_franck
COVER: Stephan Franck with Alan Bodner
32pp, B&W, $3.50 U.S.

I’m always looking for a comic book that reminds me of why I love comic books so much.  When I find one, as a comic book reviewer, I want to convince other readers to try it, hoping that they will like it – even if they don’t like it as much as I do.

Silver is a new 12-issue miniseries created by writer, director, and animator, Stephan Franck, and published by Dark Planet Comics.  Silver extends the fictional world of writer Bram Stoker, the author of the novel, Dracula (1897), into the 1930s.  The series focuses on a con man who plans to steal silver from the living-dead and his mission to assemble a crew that can help him pull off the biggest heist of the last ten centuries.

The story opened in New York City, 1931 at the Harker Foundation, a creation of the recently deceased Jonathan Harker and his late wife, Wilhelmina “Mina” (Murray) Harker.  There, con man and thief extraordinaire, James Finnigan, crashes an auction of rare silver pieces from the Harkers’ private collection.  Finnigan accidentally stumbles into a crypt where he finds an ancient bar of silver.

As Silver #2 (entitled “Sledge”) opens, Finnigan learns that he did not make quite the clean getaway from the Harker Foundation that he thought he did.  He left something behind, and now his partners, Mullins and Brantley, are none too happy about it.  Finnigan, however, is always a man with a new plan – a bigger and bolder plan... or so he thinks.  Now, he must find a young woman named Rosalynd Sledge, but wait until he learns what her line of work is.

Like The Black Beetle (Dark Horse Comics), Silver is a great new comic book series that harkens back to the classic past of comic books. Silver’s Stephan Franck and The Black Beetle’s Francesco Francavilla remind me of writer/artists and cartoonists such as Steve Ditko, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman and others who mastered the graphic storytelling sensibilities possible with comics.

Whether it is flashy page layouts or weird and imaginative compositions of splash pages or within panels, the masters of the Golden and Silver Ages of comic books made the narrative of sequential art an eye-popping, mind-bending experience.  But the art was not just pretty illustrations, but it was also story, and it conceived, heightened, and embellished the story, character, and setting.

This is Silver, the visual and graphical elements of comics unleashed as a gripping narrative.  Franck’s black and white art might also remind people of Frank Miller’s work in his Sin City comic books.  I hope readers embrace Silver the way they did Sin City.  Silver is the antidote for our comic book reading complacency.

A+

Readers can purchase Silver #2 here or http://www.darkplanetcomics.com/store

Readers can purchase Silver #1 on ComiXology: http://www.comixology.com/Silver/comics-series/10508

www.darkplanetcomics.com
www.facebook.com/DarkPlanetComics
www.darkplanetcomics.tumblr.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.


Thursday, March 28, 2013

Graphic Novel Review: ON THE ROPES

ON THE ROPES
W.W. NORTON & COMPANY, INC. – @norton_fiction

WRITER: James Vance – @authorjvance
ARTIST: Dan E. Burr
LETTERS/HALFTONES: Debbie Freiberg
COVER: Dan E. Burr
ISBN: 978-0393-06220-5; hardcover (March 2013)
258pp, B&W, $24.95 U.S., $26.50 CAN

James Vance is a comic book writer who has written for comic books such as The Crow and The Spirit. Dan E. Burr is an illustrator who has drawn comics for DC Comics’ Big Book Series. Together, Vance and Burr are pioneers of the American graphic novel because a particular work that was first published in 1988.

On the Ropes: A Novel is a 2013 hardcover, original graphic novel from James Vance and Dan E. Burr. It is the follow-up to their Kings in Disguise, a graphic novel that was originally serialized as a six-issue comic book miniseries and published in 1988 by Kitchen Sink Press. Kings in Disguise was a highly acclaimed comic book. At the time of its first publication, it drew praise from such comic book luminaries as Alan Moore, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman and Art Spiegelman. It won a Harvey Award and two Eisner Awards.

Set during the Great Depression, Kings in Disguise was the story of 13-year-old Manfred “Freddie” Bloch, a Jewish boy from the fictional town of Marian, California. Freddie and his older brother, Al, are abandoned by their father, a widower who can no longer support his family. In 1932, Freddie takes to the rails – traveling the country by train as a hobo – where he meets Sammy. Calling himself “the King of Spain,” Sammy is a sickly, older hobo who takes Freddie under his wing. Together, they travel through a scarred America, searching for Freddie's father.

On the Ropes opens in 1937, some five years after Freddie Bloch left home. Now 17, Freddie works in a traveling WPA circus. He is apprenticed to the circus’ star attraction, the escape artist, Gordon Corey. The act, called “Gordon Corey Escapes,” is a hangman’s illusion that plays it dangerously close to the edge.

After surviving the Detroit labor riots and violent anti-Communist mobs, Freddie has found home and has even befriended Eileen Finnerty, a gracious young woman who works at the circus. Could she become Freddie’s girlfriend? Before he started working for the circus, Freddie discovered that he has a talent for writing. Thus, he finds a kindred spirit, of sorts, in Barbara Woodruff, a WPA guide book writer who is interested in Gordon’s life story. In her own acerbic way, Woodruff nurtures Freddie’s talent.

Freddie also has a double life. He has joined the Workers Brigade, and he moonlights as a delivery boy for the different groups of workers trying to secretly coordinate their countrywide strikes. As “Jim Nolan,” Freddie receives and sends out secret letters as he travels with the circus. Freddie does not know that Virgil and Chase, two murderous union busters, are trying to find out who the “mailman” is.

Gordon sees that Freddie is playing a dangerous game, and although he is jaded and tired, Gordon wants to see his young assistant make something of himself. Both Freddie and Gordon, however, are haunted by the tragic past, which causes friction between the two. Each man can save the other or bring about their mutual destruction.

I will certainly be among the many reviewers and critics voicing great praise for On the Ropes. In the last decade or so, I have read few comic books that I felt in my heart as I read them. On the Ropes is one of those books. By the end of the year, On the Ropes will likely still be the best comic book or graphic novel of 2013; it will take a miracle for there to be a comic book that knocks On the Ropes off its perch.

James Vance’s story is unflinchingly human, telling a story that captures humankind both in stark contrasts and in perplexing shades of gray. The characters are basically stock characters, but Vance imbues them with humanity. Combine that with the intricacies of the narrative and with the various plot twists and these characters are largely unknowable, but have intriguing quantities that make them worth the effort to know. Vance delves so deeply into plot, setting, and character that his comic book script is more like a novel than a comic book script.

Dan E. Burr’s art is so earnest and heartfelt that it wrings the humanity out of Vance’s story. His compositions are painterly and reminded me of American art movements like American regionalism, social realism, and the Ashcan School. Thus, Burr’s graphical storytelling has more than twice the narrative heft than many of the best graphic novels of the last 30 years.

On the Ropes has a straightforward plot, and past and present are seamless in the way they move the story towards its conclusion. There is such complexity in this graphic novel that the entire time I read it, I thought of On the Ropes as a novel and not as a comic book (not saying comic books are junk).

Of course, the title, On the Ropes, is both literal and figurative. Vance and Burr take on the social and political turmoil of the Great Depression in ways that are intensely poignant and heartrending, but also ardently involved. Vance and Burr aren’t sitting on the sidelines, being dispassionate in recounting the past.

They have turned American history into great drama. This is a hypnotic account of who we were and where we came from that shows us who we are now and why we are where we are. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said, time is neutral. Then, On the Ropes is not only a timeless masterpiece, but it is also quite timely, especially if you’ve been paying attention to where we are now.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


Saturday, March 9, 2013

I Reads You Review: KINGS IN DISGUISE #2

KINGS IN DISGUISE #2 (OF 6)
KITCHEN SINK PRESS, INC.

WRITER: James Vance – @authorjvance
ARTIST: Dan Burr
INKS ASST.: Debbie Freiberg
COVER: Harvey Kurtzman and Peter Poplaski
32pp, B&W, $2.00 U.S., $2.60 CAN (May 1988)

Kings in Disguise was a six-issue comic book miniseries, published in 1988 by Kitchen Sink Press. Created by writer Jim Vance and artist Dan Burr, Kings in Disguise was a highly acclaimed comic book, drawing praise from such comic book luminaries as Alan Moore, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman and Art Spiegelman.

Kings in Disguise is set during the Great Depression. The story follows 13-year-old Manfred “Freddie” Bloch, a Jewish boy from the fictional town of Marian, California. His father becomes a victim of the Depression when he loses his job, and he subsequently abandons his sons. Freddie’s brother, Al, runs afoul of the law, leaving the boy alone.

Freddie takes to the rails – traveling the country by train as a hobo – where he meets Sammy. Calling himself “the King of Spain,” Sammy is a sickly, older hobo who takes Freddie under his wing. Together, they travel through a scarred America, searching for Freddie's father.

Kings in Disguise #2 opens after a stranger saves Freddie from the crazed hobo, Joker. Who is Freddie’s savior? Why, it is none other than Sammy, the King of Spain. Freddie discovers, however, that King Sammy is unstable. Though he is affable, Sammy could be friend, foe, or even annoyance.

Kings in Disguise has an attention to detail that results when a writer and artist are two separate individuals who can come together to become essentially one creative voice, sharing a singular vision. As a writer, James Vance is both human and humane. As an artist, Dan Burr has an old-fashioned sensibility that uses the bells and whistles of black and white magazine illustration to create texture and veracity. Ink turns the interplay of black and white space into graphics and images that are solid, so this world Burr draws has verisimilitude. Solidity births that which seems like something genuine to the reader, encouragement to buy into the world of Kings in Disguise.

Kings in Disguise is a great American story of true grit. It is easy to see why Kings in Disguise is considered one of the greatest graphic novels of all time.

A+

NOTES:
Harvey Awards
Best New Series
1989 Kings in Disguise, by James Vance and Dan Burr (Kitchen Sink Press)

Eisner Awards:
Best Single Issue/Single Story
1989 Kings in Disguise #1, by James Vance and Dan Burr (Kitchen Sink)

Best New Series
1989 Kings In Disguise, by James Vance and Dan Burr (Kitchen Sink)

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for October 31 2012

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
SEP120004 PREVIEWS #290 NOV 2012 CUSTOMER ORDER FORM PI
SEP120001 PREVIEWS #290 NOVEMBER 2012 [DIG] $4.50

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

JUL121147 ABELARD HC $22.99

AUG120793 ARCHIE #638 [DIG/D+] $2.99

AUG120794 ARCHIE & FRIENDS DOUBLE DIGEST #21 [DIG/D+] $3.99

MAY121058 ARMY OF DARKNESS ONGOING #6 $3.99

AUG121309 AUGUST MOON GN $14.95

JUL121221 AWKWARD SILENCE VOL 02 (MR) $12.99

AUG121209 AYN RAND ANTHEM GRAPHIC NOVEL $15.00

JUL128199 BILLY TUCCI A CHILD IS BORN HC $15.99

JUL121144 BUCKAROO BANZAI #2 (RES) $3.99

JUL121326 CALL OF WONDERLAND TP (MR) $12.99

SEP121090 CARTOON UTOPIA HC $24.99

JUL120716 CAVEWOMAN GANGSTER #2 $3.75

SEP120817 CHARISMAGIC DEATH PRINCESS #1 CVR A RANDOLPH $3.99

SEP120818 CHARISMAGIC DEATH PRINCESS #1 CVR B LOPEZ $3.99

SEP120819 CHARISMAGIC DEATH PRINCESS #1 CVR C OUM PI

AUG121253 CHARLES BURNS HIVE BOOKPLATE ED $21.95

AUG121305 CLINT 2.0 #5 (MR) $6.99

AUG120882 CRITTER (ONGOING) #5 $3.50

SEP120843 DAN THE UNHARMABLE #7 (MR) $3.99

SEP120844 DAN THE UNHARMABLE #7 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

APR121015 DARK SHADOWS #9 $3.99

APR121090 EC KURTZMAN CORPSE O/T IMJIN AND OTHER STORIES HC $28.99

APR121089 EC WALLY WOOD CAME THE DAWN AND OTHER STORIES HC $28.99

SEP120839 FASHION BEAST #3 (MR) $3.99

SEP120840 FASHION BEAST #3 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

SEP120835 FERALS #10 (MR) $3.99

SEP120837 FERALS #10 GORE CVR (MR) $3.99

SEP120836 FERALS #10 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

AUG121386 FLOWERS OF EVIL GN VOL 03 (MR) $10.95

SEP120755 FOXTROT KIDS ED VOL 01 AAAA $9.99

AUG121430 GFT MYTHS & LEGENDS #22 A CVR CAFARO (MR) $2.99

AUG121431 GFT MYTHS & LEGENDS #22 B CVR CAFARO (MR) $2.99

JUN120773 GOLD DIGGER #143 [DIG] $3.99

MAY121065 GREEN HORNET #30 $3.99

MAR111065 GREEN HORNET STRIKES #10 $3.99

SEP121134 HEAD FULL OF NOISE GN $8.99

AUG121144 HEADS OR TAILS TP $22.99

AUG120772 HEREVILLE HOW MIRKA MET A METEORITE HC $16.95

AUG120929 HIGHER EARTH #6 MAIN CVRS [DIG] $3.99

SEP120904 HIGHER EARTH TP VOL 01 $14.99

AUG120824 IDOLIZED #3 CVR A GUNNELL $3.99

AUG120825 IDOLIZED #3 CVR B PHOTO $3.99

AUG121395 INFERNAL DEVICES CLOCKWORK ANGEL GN VOL 01 $12.99

AUG120946 ITS TOKYO CHARLIE BROWN GN $13.99

AUG120800 JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #186 [DIG/D+] $3.99

SEP120939 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #23 (MR) $3.99

SEP120940 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #23 SULTRY CVR (MR) $3.99

SEP120941 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #23 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

AUG120884 LEGEND OF OZ THE WICKED WEST ONGOING #1 $3.50

JUL120991 LORD OF THE JUNGLE TP VOL 01 (MR) $19.99

JUL121114 METABARONS ULTIMATE COLL ED (MR) $59.95

APR120770 NAZI ZOMBIES #4 $3.99

AUG120833 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD AFTERMATH #1 (MR) $3.99

AUG120835 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD AFTERMATH #1 GORE CVR (MR) $3.99

AUG120834 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD AFTERMATH #1 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

AUG120781 OLD MCMONSTERS HAUNTED FARM BRIDE OF PORKULA GN $6.99

SEP120739 POPE HATS #3 (MR) $6.95

SEP121135 PURITY GN $8.99

AUG120749 RACHEL RISING #12 [DIG/D+] $3.99

AUG121048 RED SONJA ATLANTIS RISES #3 $3.99

AUG120778 RISE O/T GUARDIANS HIDDEN TRUTH & OTHER GN $6.99

AUG121420 ROBYN HOOD #2 A CVR GARZA (MR) $2.99

AUG121421 ROBYN HOOD #2 B CVR PATTERSON (MR) $2.99

AUG120885 ROOKIE SPECIAL (ONE SHOT) $3.50

AUG120968 SCAM #2 (MR) $3.99

AUG120897 SIMPSONS ILLUSTRATED #4 $3.99

AUG120809 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #242 [D+] $2.99

AUG120918 STEED AND MRS PEEL ONGOING #2 MAIN CVRS [DIG] $3.99

JUL121115 THROUGH THE WALLS HC (MR) $29.95

JUL121165 TICK #101 TICK MEETS MADMAN $6.99

AUG121011 VAMPIRELLA #24 $3.99

AUG120987 VAMPIRELLA VS FLUFFY ONE SHOT $4.99

JUL120986 WARRIORS OF MARS TP $19.99

AUG121234 WASTELAND #40 (MR) $3.99

AUG121422 WONDERLAND #4 A CVR CHEN (MR) $2.99

AUG121423 WONDERLAND #4 B CVR GOH (MR) $2.99

MAGAZINES
JUL121350 CLASSIC MARVEL FIG COLL MAG #184 HAMMERHEAD $14.00

JUL121351 CLASSIC MARVEL FIG COLL MAG #185 LONGSHOT $14.00

AUG121473 COMIC SHOP NEWS #1324 PI

JUN121401 DC SUPERHERO CHESS FIG COLL MAG #16 BLACK CANARY WHITE PAWN $16.00

JUL121352 DC SUPERHERO CHESS FIG COLL MAG #17 HARLEY QUINN BLACK QUEEN $16.00

JUL121354 DC SUPERHERO FIG COLL MAG #118 VENTRILOQUIST & SCARFACE $14.00

JUL121355 DC SUPERHERO FIG COLL MAG #119 ELONGATED MAN $14.00

AUG120658 DISNEY PRINCESS MAGAZINE #9 $4.99

AUG121449 HI FRUCTOSE MAGAZINE QUARTERLY #25 $6.95

SEP121411 STAR TREK MAGAZINE #42 NEWSSTAND ED $9.99

AUG121544 STAR WARS INSIDER #137 PX ED $7.99

SEP120733 TERRY MOORE HOW TO DRAW #2 EXPRESSIONS [DIG] $4.99

SEP120734 TERRY MOORE HOW TO DRAW #3 BEAUTIFUL [DIG] $4.99

SEP120735 TERRY MOORE HOW TO DRAW #4 FUNNY [DIG] $4.99

BOOKS
SEP121358 101 TOP TIPS FOR FANTASY PAINTERS SC $22.99

JUL121432 BRIEF GUIDE TO STAR WARS SC $13.95

MAR121361 DOCTOR WHO 100 SCARIEST MONSTERS HC $13.99

SEP121385 DRAWING BASICS AND VIDEO GAME ART SC $24.99

AUG121448 ELYSIUM ART OF DAARKEN SC $34.99

SEP121124 HEAVY METAL RELOAD SC (MR) $21.95

SEP121379 HOGARTHS DYNAMIC WRINKLES & DRAPERY $23.95

AUG121284 KITE RUNNER GN $19.00

SEP121093 LAST VISPO ANTHOLOGY SC $39.99

JUL121366 LAW OF SUPERHEROES HC $26.00

SEP121371 MASTERING MANGA W/ MARK CRILLEY 30 DRAWING LESSONS SC $22.99

SEP121386 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ANGRY BIRDS SPACE SC $13.95

SEP121363 PERPECTIVE FOR COMIC BOOK ARTIST SC $21.95

SEP121160 SHATTERED ASIAN AMER COMICS ANTHOLOGY TP $21.95

SEP120883 SIMPSONS HANDBOOK SECRET TIPS FROM THE PROS HC $39.95

AUG122105 WARHAMMER 40K PARIAH: RAVENOR VS EISENHORN HC $24.99



Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Fantagraphics Bookstore Holds EC Comics Event, Oct. 13th

The Horror: Selections from the EC Comics Library Opens Oct. 13 at Fantagraphics Bookstore 1

THE HORROR: SELECTIONS FROM THE EC COMICS LIBRARY seduces Seattle at Fantagraphics Bookstore on October 13.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery celebrates the legacy of these American masters in “The Horror: Selections from the EC Comics Library” opening Saturday, October 13 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. On display will be pages reproduced from the work of acclaimed EC editor (and creator of EC’s insurgent MAD magazine) Harvey Kurtzman, as well as Wallace Wood, among the world’s most admired cartoonists.

The exhibition celebrates the publication by Seattle-based Fantagraphics Books of the first two titles in the EC Comics Library series: Corpse on the Imjin! and Other Stories by Harvey Kurtzman and Came the Dawn and Other Stories by Wallace Wood. Visitors to the reception will be among the first in the country to receive complimentary copies of Fantagraphics’ Tales From the Crypt EC sampler featuring the work of incomparable cartoonist Jack Davis.

The lurid crime and horror comics of the fifties created nationwide hysteria. Unsubstantiated claims that comic books caused juvenile delinquency, circulated by psychiatrist Dr. Fredric Wertham in his book Seduction of the Innocent, led to sensational Senate hearings and the introduction of the Comics Code Authority – a self-censoring body that ended this age of classic American comics. At the peak of their popularity, crime and horror comics on the EC imprint sold millions of copies each issue despite being demonized by political opportunists. It was only later understood that these disposable publications were arguably the work of the greatest cartoonists of their generation.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Swedish-born, Berlin-based recording artist Molly Nilsson. Her haunting vocal delivery and lyrical approach perfectly complement the EC aesthetic. This event coincides with the colorful Georgetown Art Attack featuring visual and performing arts presentations throughout Seattle’s spookiest neighborhood. Celebrate the beginning of Halloween season in style on this extraordinary evening.

Listing information:

The Horror: Selections from the EC Comics Library
Opening reception Saturday, October 13, 6:00 to 9:00 PM
Performance by Berlin-based recording artist Molly Nilsson.
Exhibition continues through Halloween.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
2101 S. Vale St. Seattle, WA 98108
206.658.0110 www.fantagraphics.com
Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM. Sunday to 5:00 PM


Sunday, July 24, 2011

EC Comics Library Moves to Fantagraphics


FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS TO PUBLISH THE EC COMICS LIBRARY

Fantagraphics Books President and Co-Publisher Gary Groth announced today at Comic-Con International that it has entered into a publishing agreement with William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. to publish the EC Comics Library, be- ginning in Summer 2012. The announcement teams two of the most storied comics publishers in history and aims to reintroduce the timeless work of EC to contemporary readers.

Fantagraphics will re-package the EC Comics (with the exception of MAD, which is now owned by DC Comics/Time Warner) in a series of handsome hardcovers devoted to specific artists and writers. While virtually all previous EC collections have been published by comic book title, Fantagraphics will collect the comics by artist, allowing fans to finally own single-volume tomes collecting the work of their favorite creators.

“It pleases me greatly to be in partnership with such an influential company as Fantagraphics,” said Cathy Gaines Mifsud, President of William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. “It’s a pleasure to be working with a company that shares similar values, yet retains unique and distinct creativity. I trust them fully to carry on the iconic EC brand.”

Entertaining Comics may have been the greatest mainstream publisher in comics history, with an attention to quality and consistency that has never been rivaled. Under the stewardship of William Gaines (who took over the company from his father, Max Gaines, in 1947), EC’s “New Trend” line employed a Murderer’s Row of writers and artists including Harvey Kurtzman, Wally Wood, Jack Davis, Johnny Craig, Al Feldstein, Reed Crandall, Will Elder, Frank Frazetta, Graham Ingels, Jack Kamen, Bernard Krigstein, John Severin, Al Williamson, Joe Orlando, and many others.

“EC was the most consistently literate and quality-minded publisher in the history of mainstream comics,” said Groth. “Editors Al Feldstein and Harvey Kurtzman were aware that comics was an artistic medium in a way that few editors did, and publisher Bill Gaines was unique in taking a hands-on approach to his comics line, choosing his editors wisely, giving them such editorial freedom and latitude, and taking such personal pride —and responsibility— in his comics. This was simply unheard of in mainstream comics; if more publishers had had Gaines’ integrity, the history of comics would’ve been vastly different.”

Like most of its contemporaries, EC specialized in genre fiction, specifically horror, crime, science-fiction, war, and satire, with several titles that seeped into the public consciousness long after their demise, including Tales from the Crypt, Two-Fisted Tales, Weird Science, and of course MAD. Unlike most of its contemporaries, Gaines and his staff took great pride in crafting socially aware works that transcended their genres. “At a time when comics were consid- ered sub-literate junk by the reading public, Gaines and the EC creators were impressing people like Ray Bradbury with the aesthetic possibilities of the medium. That was no mean feat,” Groth added.

The first four books in the series will be:

• “Corpse on the Imjin” and Other Stories by Harvey Kurtzman. This will reprint all the war stories Kurtzman wrote and drew himself in Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat, including all 23 of his covers — each a masterpiece in its own right. This volume will also include all the war stories that Kurtzman wrote and laid out but were drawn by artists who weren’t regularly featured in his war books: Gene Colan, Joe Kubert, Alex Toth, Dave Berg, Ric Estrada, Russ Heath, and others. (The regulars were Jack Davis, John Severin, Wally Wood, and George Evans, each of whom will later be the subject of their own war comics collections). Kurtzman’s war comics are still considered to be the gold standard for the genre, with a devotion not only to historical accuracy but also to resisting any impulse to glamorize wartime; a WWII veteran himself, Kurtzman’s humanistic approach was in stark contrast to the simp- leminded, jingoistic efforts of EC’s rival publishers, and paved the way for other popular media to depict the true face of war.

• “Came the Dawn” and Other Stories by Wally Wood: Though often remembered for his science-fiction work, Wood’s heavy, noirish brushstrokes were perfectly suited for EC’s rough-hewn suspense stories in (the appropriately titled) Shock SuspenStories and this volume will collect them all for the first time.

• Jack Davis’s horror stories (exact title t.b.a.): Jack Davis’s gift for caricature has made him an icon in the advertis- ing world and helped define MAD magazine, but he was also one of the most versatile cartoonists of his generation; after “Ghastly” Graham Ingels, Davis was EC’s most prolific horror artist, appearing in all three of EC’s horror titles — Haunt of Fear, Vault of Horror, and Crypt of Terror. This will collect the entirety of Davis’s horror work, all of which was written by Al Feldstein.

• Al Williamson’s science-fiction stories (exact title t.b.a.): EC published two SF comics — Weird Fantasy and Weird Science — and Williamson was one of the stars, with an illustrative style that carried on the tradition of the great adventure comic strips like Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon. This volume will compile all 174 pages of Williamson’s SF stories.

“EC featured many of the best artists working at the time — innovators like Kurtzman, Bernie Krigstein, and Johnny Craig, illustrators like Al Williamson and Jack Kamen, and renaissance cartoonists like Wally Wood, Will Elder, and Jack Davis,” said Groth. “Many of these artists did the best work of their careers for EC, and that is directly attributable to the creative environment Gaines created.”

Fantagraphics will be publishing four EC collections a year, beginning in Summer 2012.

“Came the Dawn” and Other Stories
By: Wally Wood, Al Feldstein, et al.
Release Date: July 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60699-546-4
Black & White • Hardcover • 7” x 10”

“Corpse on the Imjin” and Other Stories
By: Harvey Kurtzman et al.
Release Date: July 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60699-545-7
Black & White • Hardcover • 7” x 10”

*The EC Comics bullet logo is a trademark of William M. Gaines Agent, Inc.
**Images © 2011 William M. Gaines Agent, Inc.