Vintage Science Fiction in the Comics - EC Books of the 1950s

[@slyfan77]

I know so little about the history of comics (and so much else) and I always enjoy hearing about them from someone knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. I sit cross legged on the floor eagerly hearing the wisdom of an elder.

[@kennyrh9269]

Thanks for your kind sentiments. Accumulated knowledge is no use if you can't pass it on and that's my aim on the channel. Thank you for watching.

[@paulcampbell6003]

GORGEOUS! 😍 I wouldn't be surprised to learn that those slipcased reprints are just as collectible - and worth just as much! - as the original issues! 😂

[@kennyrh9269]

Yes Paul, you might have a point. The slipcased editions are a bit pricey these days and just imagine the postage costs.

[@licketysplitz4241]

Awesome I love vintage stuff especially from the fifties!!!!

[@kennyrh9269]

Agreed. It's largely a forgotten time period in comics.

[@andrewhelm2813]

Al Williamson? He was my favourite artist for the Star Wars newspaper comic strips - although I had to wait until the '90's for the Dark Horse Comics reprints to collect them in their entirety. He and writer Archie Goodwin made an unbeatable team.

[@kennyrh9269]

When it comes to SF illustration in the comics Al Williamson is one of, if not, THE very best. His later Flash Gordon stuff for King Comics and the couple he did for Marvel were real highlights.

[@WestCoastBookAddict-zn8hu]

Fascinating video (as always) Kenny. Those 70s reprint sets look amazing. Over the last couple of years I've been getting more interested in EC Comics - for me especially the horror titles, but SF also. I started off with a large hardback called Choke Gasp! which celebrated the best of EC. I then bought a few in the EC Library series by Fantagraphic Books. These are nicely produced hardbacks each volume of which centers around a particular artist. But possibly the best is Home To Stay - The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories which is very big and is wonderful - Bradbury being one of my favourite authors. The Best of reprints the stories in colour but the Fantagraphics and Bradbury books are in B&W.

[@kennyrh9269]

Those slipcased sets are items I've been very pleased to have in my collection - just quality books. Which I could get that other flipping slipcase. I'm not really familiar with the other EC repro publications but the Bradbury stuff sounds very interesting. I don't know if you're aware but Ballantine did some very nice paperbacks in the mid 1960s of EC reprints. I'm not sure how many there were but I have two that reprint all Bradbury stories - The Autumn People and Tomorrow Midnight. I also have Vol 1 of Tales from the Crypt wnich, as you would expect, contains reprints of the EC horror titles. The repros aren't ideal but they are just nice books to have. All with Frazetta covers too. Regards Kenny.

[@expressoric]

The horror comics weren't suitable for kids and weren't intended for them of course, but "they" cast the same cold eyes on the science fiction comics, and they went into oblivion with them. Wally Wood's style was realistic and illustrative, but had depth.

[@kennyrh9269]

Well exactly. It was righteous indignation just for the sake of it because parents could stop their kids reading the Horrors. I think Wally Wood, arguably, did his best work in these books. It was a shame the SF titles had to fold because it didn't give Frazetta the chance to shine.