Founded by Maxwell Gaines in 1944, the Entertaining Comics brand (a.k.a. EC Comics) initially specialized in educational comics and stories aimed at children. But after Gaines died in a boating accident in ’47, his 25-year-old son William took control of the company and changed its direction, exploring the genres of horror, sci-fi, and satire while bringing us classic titles like Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror, The Haunt of Fear, Weird Science, Weird Fantasy, and Mad. Sadly, EC Comics was at its peak when parents started to worry about the negative effects reading comic books could have on their children, leading to things like a Congressional hearing that blamed comic books for juvenile delinquency – a claim that was backed up by the book Seduction of the Innocent, written by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham. So by 1956, EC Comics ceased publishing all of their titles except for Mad. Those classic EC...
- 2/20/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
What do "Happy Days" and "M*A*S*H" have in common? Well, for one thing, they're both era-defining TV shows of the 1970s that took place in the 1950s. "M*A*S*H" was set during the Korean War (even if its satirical target was the more recent Vietnam War), which unfolded from 1950 to 1953. It's a well-known joke that thanks to its 11-season run (1972 to 1983), the series lasted longer than the war it was set in.
That's not the only historical incongruity in "M*A*S*H" — there's a small but telling one in season 4, episode 21, "The Novocaine Mutiny," as first noted in "TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book" by Ed Solomonson and Mark O'Neill. In this episode, Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) is left in command and predictably behaves like a tyrant. He begins searching officers' quarters for "stolen" (actually gambled) money. When he gets to Radar's (Gary Burghoff) office,...
That's not the only historical incongruity in "M*A*S*H" — there's a small but telling one in season 4, episode 21, "The Novocaine Mutiny," as first noted in "TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book" by Ed Solomonson and Mark O'Neill. In this episode, Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) is left in command and predictably behaves like a tyrant. He begins searching officers' quarters for "stolen" (actually gambled) money. When he gets to Radar's (Gary Burghoff) office,...
- 1/10/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Just in time for Halloween reading, Fantagraphics will publish The Atlas Comics Library No. 1: Adventures Into Terror Vol. 1 on October 31st. A hardcover collection containing the first eight issues of pre-Code horror series Adventures Into Terror from Atlas/Marvel, this full-color volume contains scans taken directly from the original printings that have been meticulously restored and is a must-have for fans of EC and vintage horror art. Ahead of the book's Halloween release, we have an exclusive preview of "The Unknown Partner,” illustrated by Ed Winiarski, that you can read in its entirety below!
"Fantagraphics is embarking on a project to reprint Marvel Comics' 1950s genre titles — war, crime, supernatural, funny animal, Western — under its new Atlas series with the first eight issues of the pre-Code horror series Adventures Into Terror.
Atlas holds a special place among aficionados of the genre, producing more horror titles and issues by far,...
"Fantagraphics is embarking on a project to reprint Marvel Comics' 1950s genre titles — war, crime, supernatural, funny animal, Western — under its new Atlas series with the first eight issues of the pre-Code horror series Adventures Into Terror.
Atlas holds a special place among aficionados of the genre, producing more horror titles and issues by far,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
On February 6, 2006 — just a little over three months after the release of "Saw II" — critic David Edelstein published an op-ed in New York Magazine entitled "Now Playing at Your Local Multiplex: Torture Porn." It's one of those catch-all "state of the cinema" pieces that critics, journalists, and other culture commentators love to write every so often, attempting to point out a media trend as it's happening; I myself have written several such pieces during my career.
Sometimes these articles are thoughtful observations on what the medium is doing and where it may be heading. Sadly, more often than not, they act as glorified dog whistles, seeking to stir up controversy and public opinion against the oh-so-scary New Thing We Don't Like. As such, it almost doesn't matter that Edelstein spends the bulk of the piece attempting to reconcile with post-9/11 horror films, gliding over and seemingly missing the point of...
Sometimes these articles are thoughtful observations on what the medium is doing and where it may be heading. Sadly, more often than not, they act as glorified dog whistles, seeking to stir up controversy and public opinion against the oh-so-scary New Thing We Don't Like. As such, it almost doesn't matter that Edelstein spends the bulk of the piece attempting to reconcile with post-9/11 horror films, gliding over and seemingly missing the point of...
- 10/3/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Groot appears in different forms in every "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie, but whether he's baby-sized or 10 feet tall, Marvel fans probably know his key characteristics: he's an anthropomorphic humanoid tree, best friends with Rocket Raccoon, and can only say "I am Groot." However, the original Groot was quite a different beast (and had a much larger vocabulary).
Groot's comic debut was "Tales to Astonish" #13, published in 1960. This means he predates every modern Marvel hero barring Captain America and Namor the Sub-Mariner — only he wasn't a hero at first. Co-created by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and his brother Larry Lieber, the original Groot was a malicious alien invader.
"I Challenged Groot, the Monster from Planet X!" was the eight-page chapter 1 of a four-chapter issue. This means Groot got to be on the cover; his cover appearance was brown in the original coloring, but grey in the modern recolor despite the...
Groot's comic debut was "Tales to Astonish" #13, published in 1960. This means he predates every modern Marvel hero barring Captain America and Namor the Sub-Mariner — only he wasn't a hero at first. Co-created by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and his brother Larry Lieber, the original Groot was a malicious alien invader.
"I Challenged Groot, the Monster from Planet X!" was the eight-page chapter 1 of a four-chapter issue. This means Groot got to be on the cover; his cover appearance was brown in the original coloring, but grey in the modern recolor despite the...
- 4/30/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Any fan of the pulpy genre publications of the 40s and 50s will tell you that comic-books have always had a love affair with horror. Unfortunately, the eventual rise of the Comics Code Authority meant that publishers could no longer depict mature subject matter in their books, resulting in an industry-wide shift to more accessible stories. This act of politically motivated censorship (which was mostly inspired by the ill-researched work of psychiatrist Fredric Wertham) is partially responsible for family-friendly superheroes dominating the once-diverse world of comics, something that the industry still hasn’t quite recovered from long after the “code” was deemed irrelevant.
However, there were some subversive writers like Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman that managed to spin legitimately chilling comic-book yarns without necessarily escaping the confines of super-hero stories, often exploring the dark side of these popular power fantasies. Stories like Watchmen and the Miracleman reboot paved the...
However, there were some subversive writers like Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman that managed to spin legitimately chilling comic-book yarns without necessarily escaping the confines of super-hero stories, often exploring the dark side of these popular power fantasies. Stories like Watchmen and the Miracleman reboot paved the...
- 8/9/2022
- by Luiz H. C.
- bloody-disgusting.com
Producer Charles Band discusses a few of his favorite films with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Re-Animator (1985) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Puppet Master (1989)
Dollman (1991)
Trancers (1984)
Corona Zombies (2020)
Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle of Death (1989)
Frankenstein (1931) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Wolf Man (1941) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Alex Kirschenbaum’s Wolf Man power rankings
I Bury The Living (1958) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Face of Fire (1959)
Hercules (1958)
The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad (1958) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
Jason And The Argonauts (1963) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary
King Kong (1933)
King Kong (1976) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Exorcist (1973) – Oren Peli’s trailer commentary
Star Wars (1977)
The Omega Man (1971)
Castle Freak (1995)
Tourist Trap (1979) – David DeCoteau’s trailer commentary
Laserblast (1978)
Crash!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Re-Animator (1985) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Puppet Master (1989)
Dollman (1991)
Trancers (1984)
Corona Zombies (2020)
Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle of Death (1989)
Frankenstein (1931) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Wolf Man (1941) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Alex Kirschenbaum’s Wolf Man power rankings
I Bury The Living (1958) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Face of Fire (1959)
Hercules (1958)
The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad (1958) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
Jason And The Argonauts (1963) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary
King Kong (1933)
King Kong (1976) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Exorcist (1973) – Oren Peli’s trailer commentary
Star Wars (1977)
The Omega Man (1971)
Castle Freak (1995)
Tourist Trap (1979) – David DeCoteau’s trailer commentary
Laserblast (1978)
Crash!
- 3/22/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
By Giacomo Selloni
The United States of America brought to the world many amazing things. To this reviewer the top three are baseball, jazz and comic books, although I must admit I prefer comic books to jazz. Let's face facts here, whether you love, despise, or are just 'eh' about comic books they are among the very first things that children read. I loved them before I could read. Consider that a disclaimer for the review about to follow.
Anthony Desiato is a life-long (so far) comic book fan, podcaster and documentary filmmaker from Westchester County in New York. His company is called Flat Squirrel Productions. In 2017, through Kickstarter, he reached his goal of $15,000 to make the film he promised "will take you behind the scenes and capture the business, culture, and fandom of the local comic book store on a national level." He succeeded with the release of "My...
The United States of America brought to the world many amazing things. To this reviewer the top three are baseball, jazz and comic books, although I must admit I prefer comic books to jazz. Let's face facts here, whether you love, despise, or are just 'eh' about comic books they are among the very first things that children read. I loved them before I could read. Consider that a disclaimer for the review about to follow.
Anthony Desiato is a life-long (so far) comic book fan, podcaster and documentary filmmaker from Westchester County in New York. His company is called Flat Squirrel Productions. In 2017, through Kickstarter, he reached his goal of $15,000 to make the film he promised "will take you behind the scenes and capture the business, culture, and fandom of the local comic book store on a national level." He succeeded with the release of "My...
- 4/18/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Every few years, the American public is stricken with a full-blown moral panic, and we’re in the midst of one now over Todd Phillips’ “Joker.” The paranoia that the movie will drive a lurking army of incels and troubled young men to fits of violence is not just pure fantasy. It also reflects a refusal to look at the real problems of our society — including untreated mental illness, endemic poverty and drug addiction.
This isn’t the first moral panic in America. In the 1950s, comic books were widely seen as dangerous to young minds, and psychiatrist Dr. Fredric Wertham argued that comic books would drive children to lives of addiction and delinquency. The public was so captivated by Wertham’s subsequently debunked proclamations that the Comics Code Authority was created to censor comic books and enforce moral standards. It remained in operation until 2011.
At various times, Dungeons & Dragons,...
This isn’t the first moral panic in America. In the 1950s, comic books were widely seen as dangerous to young minds, and psychiatrist Dr. Fredric Wertham argued that comic books would drive children to lives of addiction and delinquency. The public was so captivated by Wertham’s subsequently debunked proclamations that the Comics Code Authority was created to censor comic books and enforce moral standards. It remained in operation until 2011.
At various times, Dungeons & Dragons,...
- 10/10/2019
- by Benjamin Reeves
- The Wrap
This week I want to do a very condensed version of how the Comic Code came in affect, who the major players were, how it changed the industry and how the code evolved over time. Then I will look at the value of some Pre and Post Code comics and also look at some comics that went against the code or missed the code completely. So it began in 1954 when Fredric Wertham wrote a book titled ‘The Seduction of The Innocent.’ The punchline of the book was that comics were the cause of juvenile delinquency. The book started a crusade and soon Wertham wasn’t acting alone. There were comic book burnings, protests and eventually later in 1954 the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency. The hearings came to such obscene conclusions lie Robins outfit gave boys homosexual tendencies. Wonder Woman was a work of fetishism and generally that violent...
- 2/28/2019
- by Ian Wells
- Nerdly
Aaron Sagers Jan 23, 2019
Brian Michael Bendis breaks down the first issue of Naomi, and how this new characters fits in the DC Universe.
This interview contains some mild spoilers for Naomi #1. It has been edited for length and clarity.
The story of Superman began with him crashing down in a little town. In Naomi #1, the new DC Comics series from Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker, and Jamal Campbell, another hero’s journey begins when a battle between the Man of Steel and Mongul leads to a collision course with a small town, and leaves a big impact.Naomi (last name a mystery) is a young adopted woman of color, and a Superman super-fan. The story of the Kryptonian baby adopted by Earth parents fuels Naomi’s fantasy that she may also be special. But when the high school student twice misses the hero’s appearance in her sleepy home of Port Oswego,...
Brian Michael Bendis breaks down the first issue of Naomi, and how this new characters fits in the DC Universe.
This interview contains some mild spoilers for Naomi #1. It has been edited for length and clarity.
The story of Superman began with him crashing down in a little town. In Naomi #1, the new DC Comics series from Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker, and Jamal Campbell, another hero’s journey begins when a battle between the Man of Steel and Mongul leads to a collision course with a small town, and leaves a big impact.Naomi (last name a mystery) is a young adopted woman of color, and a Superman super-fan. The story of the Kryptonian baby adopted by Earth parents fuels Naomi’s fantasy that she may also be special. But when the high school student twice misses the hero’s appearance in her sleepy home of Port Oswego,...
- 1/23/2019
- Den of Geek
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