I har måske bemærket nogle nye EC genoptryk på amazon, hvor hæfterne ikke bliver genoptrykt i deres helhed som de var dengang i de magiske år i 1950’erne, men snarere er de tegner/forfatter orienteret, således at hver af EC’s legendariske tegnere bliver samlet i egne bøger. Dette er naturligvis skrupskørt og hamrende forkert, for EC var om noget en helhed, et forlag med en helt særegen udgivelses-politik, hæfterne skal naturligvis nydes som de var dengang, og helst i farver! Man skal følge udviklingen i disse hæfter, hvordan de skiftede titler og bevarede numereringerne, for slet ikke at tale om forsiderne, de prægtige forsider, som også er blevet udgivet som lithografier. Ja, det er sjældent, at jeg må skose vinder oldies kurator forlaget Fantagraphics, men her griber de det altså helt forkert an. Måske for at lokke os til at købe dette bibliotek endnu engang, efter 70’ernes sporadiske hæfter, 80’ernes Russ Cochran kassetter, 90’ernes Gemstone hæfter i farver, og 00’ernes ikke afsluttede farve hc’er. Det er altså stadig Russ Cochran’s kassetter i hc, der er standard bæreren for EC Library, og den eneste komplette. For Fanta’s nye projekt bliver heller ikke komplet, idet DC nu sidder på MAD, hvor vi stadig venter på den fjerde archive hc i farver. Der skal udkomme fire hc’er fra Fanta om året, i farver og hc (for nu at gøre det endnu mere rodet!).
Fantagraphics Books President and Co-Publisher Gary Groth announced today at Comic-Con International that it has entered into a publishing agreement with William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. to publish the EC Comics Library, beginning in Summer 2012. The announcement teams two of the most storied comics publishers in history and aims to reintroduce the timeless work of EC to contemporary readers.
Fantagraphics will re-package the EC Comics (with the exception of MAD, which is now owned by DC Comics/Time Warner) in a series of handsome hardcovers devoted to specific artists and writers. While virtually all previous EC collections have been published by comic book title, Fantagraphics will collect the comics by artist, allowing fans to finally own single-volume tomes collecting the work of their favorite creators.
“It pleases me greatly to be in partnership with such an influential company as Fantagraphics,” said Cathy Gaines Mifsud, President of William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. “It’s a pleasure to be working with a company that shares similar values, yet retains unique and distinct creativity. I trust them fully to carry on the iconic EC brand.”
Entertaining Comics may have been the greatest mainstream publisher in comics history, with an attention to quality and consistency that has never been rivaled. Under the stewardship of William Gaines (who took over the company from his father, Max Gaines, in 1947), EC’s “New Trend” line employed a Murderer’s Row of writers and artists including Harvey Kurtzman, Wally Wood, Jack Davis, Johnny Craig, Al Feldstein, Reed Crandall, Will Elder, Frank Frazetta, Graham Ingels, Jack Kamen, Bernard Krigstein, John Severin, Al Williamson, Joe Orlando, and many others.