EC tried to put on a brave face and launch comic books in new directions like Piracy, Pschoanalysis. With Impact #1 (January 1955), the emphasis was on surprise or twist endings. In “The Master Race”, Bernard Krigstein gives us the tale of an old man who fled Germany during World War II and lives in […]
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In 1955, all DC and Marvel comics began having the “Approved by the Comics Code Authority” seal displayed prominently on the cover. The CCA was voluntarily put into effect by many players in the comics industry in response to Senate hearings around juvenile delinquency, championed by Dr. Wertham. This spells the end to EC comics, […]
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In EC’s Haunt of Fear #28 (Sept 1954), a story called “The Prude” tells how Mr. Forbisher, a twisted council member with ties to powerful businesses in an 18th century town, tries to establish a law against kissing in public. The council members stand up to him, so he vainly attempts to coerce the press […]
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In DC’s Watchmen timeline, superheroes did not have a resurgence in popularity in comic books in the late 1950s. Instead, pirate-themed comic books took over the industry with “Tales of the Black Freighter” being popular. This apparently is based in some reality: EC’s Crypt of Terror #45 (August 1954), includes the above ad where they […]
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Another tale about drug use from EC’s Shock SuspenStories #12 (September 1953): The Monkey. This one is a pretty brutal take on a young man who goes from marijuana user to heroin addict within a year. He ends up stealing from his parents who discover his habit. He storms out after hitting his father with […]
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In Weird Science #21 (June 1953), the story “EC Confidential!” depicts Phineas T. Fables, the president of the fictional Fables Publishing Company calling Al Feldstein and William Gaines to his office to discuss the many weird coincidences of EC comic stories coming true. The president plans to fire them when Martians abruptly burst in and […]
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Ah, another socially relevant, moral-driven Shock SuspenStory! “… and so shall ye reap!” appears in Shock SuspenStories #10 (June 1953) and tells the tale of a young man on death row who ruminates on his life choices at the same time that his parents do. The parents’ reflect in a positive way on how they […]
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The Vault of Horror #20 (March 1953) features a pretty gruesome cover. It depicts a man beaten to death with a sledgehammer, which appears to be taken from the story titled “Easel Kill Ya!”. By early 1953, EC was definitely pushing the boundaries of what Gaines called “good taste”.
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Ray Bradbury’s story-telling prowess makes another very memorable appearance with “The October Game” in Shock SuspenStories #9 (March 1953). I love it a lot because it’s dark and scary in ways that are completely different from other bits of horror schlock that EC comes up with because it’s about the real and true horror within […]
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In EC’s Weird Fantasy #18 (January 1953), the now-infamous story of “Judgment Day!” appears. This tells the story of an astronaut from Earth who lands on a planet populated by sentient robots to see if the planet is ready to enter the great Galactic Republic. After being taken through the orange robot’s society, the astronaut […]
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