List of EC Comics publications

Last updated

Entertaining Comics, commonly known as EC Comics, was a major publisher of comic books in the 1940s and 1950s. The letters EC originally stood for Educational Comics. EC's Pre-Trend titles are those published by Max Gaines and his son William M. Gaines, who took over the family business after his father's death in 1947.

Contents

In 1950, with the addition of writer and artist Al Feldstein, EC found success with their New Trend line, including their horror titles Tales From the Crypt , The Haunt of Fear and The Vault of Horror . A line of science fiction titles soon followed, Weird Science and Weird Fantasy , illustrated by the best artists in the business, such as Wallace Wood, Reed Crandall, Johnny Craig, George Evans, Graham Ingels, Jack Davis, Bill Elder, Joe Orlando, Al Williamson and Frank Frazetta. In addition to original stories, the books also featured adaptations of Ray Bradbury's short stories.

The New Direction group was a response to the Comics Code Authority. Picto-Fiction was a short-lived line of heavily illustrated short story magazines. Beginning in 1958, EC published annual and special editions of Mad .

Publications

Pre-Trend

TitleGenreInitial RunIssuesNotes
Animal FablesComedy1946–1947#1–7
Animated Comics (1947)N/AN/A#1
Blackstone the Magician Detective Fights Crime!Superhero(1947)#1
Crime PatrolCrime1948–1950#1–16
  • Issues #1–5 titled as International Comics
  • Issue #6 titled as International Crime Patrol
  • Issue numbering continued as The Crypt of Terror
Dandy ComicsComedy1947–1948#1–7
Fat and SlatComedy1947–1948#1–4
  • Issue numbering continued as Gunfighter
Gunfighter Western1948–1950#5–14
  • Issue numbering continued as The Haunt of Fear
Happy HoulihansComedy1947#1–2
  • Issue numbering continued as Saddle Justice
Land of the Lost Adventure1946–1948#1–9
Modern LoveRomance1949–1950#1–8
Moon Girl Superhero1947–1950#1–12
  • Issue #1 titled as Moon Girl and the Prince
  • Issues #7–8 titled as Moon Girl Fights Crime!
  • Issues #9–12 titled as A Moon, a Girl...Romance
  • Issue numbering continued as Weird Fantasy
Picture Stories from the Bible (New Testament edition)N/A1944–1946#1–3
  • Old Testament edition published by DC Comics
Picture Stories from American HistoryN/A1945–1947#1–4
Picture Stories from ScienceN/A1947#1–2
Saddle JusticeWestern1948–1950#3–11
  • Issues #9-11 titled as Saddle Romances
  • Issue numbering continued as Weird Science
Tiny Tot ComicsChildren1946–1947#1–10
War Against Crime!Crime1948–1950#1–11
  • Issue numbering continued as The Vault of Horror

New Trend

TitleGenreInitial RunNumber of Issues
The Crypt of Terror/Tales from the Crypt HorrorApril/May 1950 to February/March 195530 issues
The Vault of Horror HorrorApril/May 1950 to December/January 195529 issues
The Haunt of Fear HorrorMay/June 1950 to November/December 195428 issues
Weird Fantasy Sci-fiMay/June 1950 to November/December 195322 issues
Weird Science Sci-fiMay/June 1950 to November/December 195322 issues
Crime SuspenStories CrimeOctober/November 1950 to February/March 195527 issues
Two-Fisted Tales WarNovember/December 1950 to February 195524 issues
Frontline Combat WarJuly/August, 1951 to January 195415 issues
Shock SuspenStories SuspenseFebruary/March 1952 to December/January 195518 issues
Mad ComedyOctober–November 1952 to April 2018, rebooted June 2018 with new numbering from #1. Ceased news stand distribution in December 2019 after 10 issues. Soon after switched to mostly reprinted contents550 issues
Three Dimensional E.C. Classics/Three Dimensional Tales from the Crypt of Terror N/ASpring 1954 to March 19542 issues
Panic ComedyFebruary–March 1954 to December/January 195612 issues
Weird Science-Fantasy Sci-fiMarch 1954 to May/June 19557 issues
Piracy FantasyOctober/November 1954 to October/November 19557 issues

New Direction

TitleGenreInitial RunNumber of Issues
Impact SuspenseMarch/April 1955 to Nov/Dec 19555 issues
Valor FantasyMarch/April 1955 to Nov/Dec 19555 issues
Extra! Slice of LifeMarch/April 1955 to Nov/Dec 19555 issues
Aces High WarMarch/April 1955 to Nov/Dec 19555 issues
Psychoanalysis Slice of LifeMarch/April, 1955 to September/October 19554 issues
M.D. Slice of LifeApril/May 1955 to Nov/Dec 19555 issue
Incredible Science Fiction Sci-FiJuly/August 1955 to Jan/Feb 19564 issues

Picto-Fiction

TitleGenreInitial RunNumber of Issues
Confessions Illustrated RomanceFebruary 1956 – July 19563 issues
Crime Illustrated CrimeDecember 1955 – April 19562 issues
Shock Illustrated SuspenseSeptember/October 1955 – Spring 19563 issues
Terror Illustrated HorrorNovember/December 1955 – Spring 19562 issues

Oni Press

TitleGenreInitial RunNumber of Issues
Epitaphs From the Abyss HorrorJuly 2024 – ongoing12 issues
Cruel Universe Science FictionAugust 2024 – December 20245 issues
Shiver SuspenStories SuspenseDecember 20241 issue
Cruel Kingdom FantasyJanuary 2025 – April 20254 issues
Blood Type HorrorMay 2025 – ongoing5 issues
Catacomb of Torment HorrorJuly 2025 – ongoing
Cruel Universe II Science FictionAugust 2025 – ongoing12 issues

Mad annuals and specials

Reprints

Many of these titles were reprinted during the past 30 years by publisher Russ Cochran, both independently and in conjunction with Gladstone Publishing and later with Gemstone Publishing.

Russ Cochran's reprints include The Complete EC Library in black and white but with full-color covers; EC Annuals in full-color, comic-book sized reprints with four to six complete comics in each Annual; and EC Archives , full-color hardcover books containing six complete EC comics.

In 2012 Fantagraphics Books began publishing a series of artist- and theme-based collections of EC stories titled The EC Artists' Library .

The full-color EC Archives project was taken up by Dark Horse Comics in 2013, both reprinting previous Gladstone and Gemstone volumes and producing new volumes collecting further EC Comics titles.

References