Divebin #3: EC Comics

Divebin is a column of random thoughts, inspiration, and images from the personal collection of BCKOMIX. If you like what you see, subscribe!

What else can I say about EC Comics? If you’re a student of comics history you already know the story, for those who don’t: In 1944, Max Gaines started EC as Educational Comics, printing Bible Stories and other family fare. After a boating accident in 1947, his son Bill took over the company and rebranded it as Entertaining Comics, eventually publishing classic horror, crime, science fiction, and war comics. The notorius Dr. Fredric Wertham attacked EC for corrupting the youth, leading to Senate hearings and the formation of the Comics Code Authority (developed by publishers to avoid regulation). EC then focused on the satirical MAD magazine (magazines could avoid the gaze of the CCA), ceasing to be a comic book publisher.

My first exposure to EC Comics were the Gemstone floppy reprints in the 90s (which I still come across in comic shop bargain bins pretty often). After coming back to the hobby in the last few years I fell back in love with EC, especially the work of Wallace Wood. RIP my bookshelves. I tracked down Artist’s Editions, reprints, and the Taschen History of EC Comics. I had to slow down for the sake of my bank account, there’s so much more to be had, especially now that Taschen started to make XXL editions of the comics. Taschen’s reprints are the best because they’re facsimiles of the original comics—beautiful benday dots, print imperfections and all. I have some close-ups here, photographed from the History of EC Comics and will likely showcase more in the future. Enjoy!

Details, from top to bottom: 1: Subscription ad from MAD #12 (1954), 2: Jack Davis, Hill 203! (1951), 3: Wallace Wood, cover of Weird-Science Fantasy #27 (1955), 4: Jack Davis, Bats in My Belfry! (1951), 5: Harvey Kurtzman, cover of Frontline Combat #7 (1952), 6: Al Williamson, Mad Journey! (1952), 7: Jack Davis, from EC Fan-Addict ad (1954), 8: Johnny Craig, Crime SuspenStories #16 (1953), 9: Bernie Krigstein, The Bath (1954), 10: Johnny Craig, Deadly Beloved! (1954), 11: Wallace Wood, Unterseeboot 113 (1951), 12: Al Feldstein, Child of Tommorrow! (1951)