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.
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 Title Genre Initial Run Issues NotesAnimal Fables Comedy 1946–1947 #1–7 Animated Comics (1947) N/A N/A #1 Blackstone the Magician Detective Fights Crime! Superhero (1947) #1 From Blackstone Master Magician #1–3 (1946) at Vital Publications; issue numbering continued as Blackstone the Magician at Timely ComicsCrime Patrol Crime 1948–1950 #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 Comics Comedy 1947–1948 #1–7 Fat and Slat Comedy 1947–1948 #1–4 Issue numbering continued as GunfighterGunfighter Western 1948–1950 #5–14Issue numbering continued as The Haunt of Fear Happy Houlihans Comedy 1947 #1–2 Issue numbering continued as Saddle JusticeLand of the Lost Adventure 1946–1948 #1–9 Modern Love Romance 1949–1950 #1–8 Moon Girl Superhero 1947–1950 #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 FantasyPicture Stories from the Bible (New Testament edition) N/A 1944–1946 #1–3 Old Testament edition published by DC ComicsPicture Stories from American History N/A 1945–1947 #1–4 Picture Stories from Science N/A 1947 #1–2 Saddle Justice Western 1948–1950 #3–11 Issues #9-11 titled as Saddle Romances Issue numbering continued as Weird ScienceTiny Tot Comics Children 1946–1947 #1–10 War Against Crime! Crime 1948–1950 #1–11 Issue numbering continued as The Vault of Horror
New Trend Title Genre Initial Run Number of Issues The Crypt of Terror/Tales from the Crypt Horror April/May 1950 to February/March 1955 30 issuesThe Vault of Horror Horror April/May 1950 to December/January 1955 29 issuesThe Haunt of Fear Horror May/June 1950 to November/December 1954 28 issues Weird Fantasy Sci-fi May/June 1950 to November/December 1953 22 issues Weird Science Sci-fi May/June 1950 to November/December 1953 22 issuesCrime SuspenStories Crime October/November 1950 to February/March 1955 27 issues Two-Fisted Tales War November/December 1950 to February 1955 24 issuesFrontline Combat War July/August, 1951 to January 1954 15 issues Shock SuspenStories Suspense February/March 1952 to December/January 1955 18 issuesMad Comedy October–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 contents 550 issuesThree Dimensional E.C. Classics/Three Dimensional Tales from the Crypt of Terror N/A Spring 1954 to March 1954 2 issuesPanic Comedy February–March 1954 to December/January 1956 12 issuesWeird Science-Fantasy Sci-fi March 1954 to May/June 1955 7 issuesPiracy Fantasy October/November 1954 to October/November 1955 7 issues
New Direction Title Genre Initial Run Number of Issues Impact Suspense March/April 1955 to Nov/Dec 1955 5 issues Valor FantasyMarch/April 1955 to Nov/Dec 1955 5 issues Extra! Slice of Life March/April 1955 to Nov/Dec 1955 5 issues Aces High War March/April 1955 to Nov/Dec 1955 5 issues Psychoanalysis Slice of Life March/April, 1955 to September/October 1955 4 issues M.D. Slice of Life April/May 1955 to Nov/Dec 1955 5 issueIncredible Science Fiction Sci-Fi July/August 1955 to Jan/Feb 1956 4 issues
Picto-Fiction Title Genre Initial Run Number of Issues Confessions Illustrated Romance February 1956 – July 1956 3 issues Crime Illustrated Crime December 1955 – April 1956 2 issuesShock Illustrated Suspense September/October 1955 – Spring 1956 3 issuesTerror Illustrated Horror November/December 1955 – Spring 1956 2 issues
Oni Press Title Genre Initial Run Number of Issues Epitaphs From the Abyss Horror July 2024 – June 2025 12 issues Cruel Universe Science Fiction August 2024 – December 2024 5 issuesShiver SuspenStories Suspense December 2024 1 issueCruel Kingdom Fantasy January 2025 – April 2025 4 issuesBlood Type Horror June 2025 – September 2025 4 issuesCatacomb of Torment Horror July 2025 - September 2026 15 issues Cruel Universe II Science Fiction August 2025 - July 2026 12 issues Outlaw Showdown Western October 2025 1 issueShiver SuspenStories II Suspense December 2025 1 issueTortured Hearts Despair February 2026 1 issueShellshock War August 2026 1 issueCruel Kingdom II Fantasy September 2026 – 6 issues
Mad annuals and specials More Trash from Mad, 1958–1969 (12 issues) Worst from Mad, 1958–1969 (12 issues) Mad Follies, 1963–1969 (7 issues) Mad Special, 1970–1973 (10 issues) Mad Super Special, 1973–1999 (131 issues) Mad XL, 2000–2005 (34 issues) Mad Color Classics, 2000–2005 (11 issues) Mad Classics, 2005–2009 (25 issues) Mad Kids, 2005–2009 (14 issues)
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
at the Big Comic Book DataBase