This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2024)
Former American publisher
EC Comics
Company type
Private
Industry
Publishing
Genre
Romance
crime
War
Fantasy
Western
Talking animal
Horror
Science fiction
Satire
Adventure
Founded
1944; 80 years ago (1944)
Founder
Max Gaines
Defunct
1956 (1956)[a]
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
U.S.
Key people
Max Gaines William Gaines
Products
Comics
Owner
Gaines family[1]
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books, which specialized in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction, dark fantasy, and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series. Initially, EC was owned by Maxwell Gaines and specialized in educational and child-oriented stories. After Max Gaines' death in a boating accident in 1947, his son William Gaines took over the company and began to print more mature stories, delving into the genres of horror, war, fantasy, science-fiction, adventure, and others. Noted for their high quality and shock endings,[2] these stories were also unique in their socially conscious, progressive themes (including racial equality, anti-war advocacy, nuclear disarmament, and environmentalism) that anticipated the Civil Rights Movement and the dawn of the 1960s counterculture.[3] In 1954–55, censorship pressures prompted it to concentrate on the humor magazine Mad, leading to the company's greatest and most enduring success. Consequently, by 1956, the company ceased publishing all of its comic lines except Mad.
In February 2024, Oni Press announced that it will revive the brand,[4] starting with horror title Epitaphs from the Abyss and the science fiction title Cruel Universe.[5]
The titles are licensed by the Gaines state.[6]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
^"Tales from EC ComicsBehind the Bend". Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
^Groth, Gary (January 23, 2013). "Entertaining Comics". The Comics Journal. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
^Duin, Steve (April 30, 2016). "The enduring art of EC Comics". Oregon Live. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
^Kit, Borys (February 19, 2024). "After 70 Years, EC Comics Returns from the Crypt in Oni Press Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
^Johnston, Rich (February 19, 2024). "More Creators Oni Press EC Comics Revival Include Brian Azzarello". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
^Gustines, George Gene (February 19, 2024). "It's Alive! EC Comics Returns". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
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Bradbury's stories, particularly the authors of ECComics's line of horror and science-fiction comics. Initially, the writers plagiarized his stories...
American comics artist and colorist best known for her work for Marvel Comics and the 1950s' ECComics. She is an inductee of the Will Eisner Comics Hall...
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