Foul Play!: The Art and Artists of the Notorious 1950s E.C. Comics! [Paperback]

Grant Geissman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 2005

Legendary publisher Bill Gaines is perhaps best remembered as the founder of MAD Magazine, but in the opinion of many dedicated comic book fans, his greatest achievement was E.C. Comics, a line of adventure, horror, and science-fiction comics whose influence on American graphic novels is undeniable, even today. Foul Play! is the perfect book for anyone wanting to understand the special place E.C. holds in the comic fan's heart -- or who just wants to read some real good comics!

Foul Play! celebrates the fan-favorite creators of E.C. Comics, profiling their artists -- a veritable who's who of mid-20th century popular illustration -- and describing how they came to work with Bill Gaines and how their careers evolved after E.C.. Among the comics art legends profiled are Al Feldstein; Harvey Kurtzman; Johnny Craig; Jack Davis; Graham Ingels; Jack Kamen; Wallace Wood; Joe Orlando; Will Elder; John Severin; George Evans; Al Williamson; Reed Crandall; Bernie Krigstein; and more! Plus, the book includes a special bonus: a lost E.C. Comics story "Wanted for Murder!" originally intended to be published in 1956 but forgotten and unseen until now.

When originally published, E.C. Comics titles like Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror, and Weird Science became best-selling titles, embraced by readers for their macabre wit and stunning illustration. Eventually, E.C. Comics ran afoul of a full Senate Subcommittee investigating (but never proving!) the link between comic books and juvenile delinquency, but not before winning a legion of fans that still treasure E.C.'s output. Foul Play! demonstrates -- in glorious, gory detail -- exactly why these are among the most beloved comics stories ever published.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Driven out of business by self-appointed moral guardians a half-century ago, EC comics have acquired near-legendary status. EC scripts may have been several notches better than those of the competitors, but EC's stellar roster of artists is what makes fans so esteem the EC line. It is fitting, then, that this coffee-table tribute focuses on those illustrators. Geissman, coauthor of Tales of Terror (2000), an exhaustive overview of EC, provides informative, insightful biographical sketches of 14 leading lights; full-color covers, story pages, and panels (including rare pre-EC work) by the subject and photos and other memorabilia illustrate, and a complete story concludes, each sketch. Geissman's coverage extends post-EC, when such artists as Wally Wood and Al Williamson maintained successful careers in comics, while others, such as Jack Davis and Johnny Craig, moved to commercial art; one EC mainstay, Graham Ingles, disappeared altogether. A colorful, in-depth survey that will grab EC's many devotees, comics fans who have enjoyed its subjects' subsequent work, and generalist pop-culture vultures alike. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Three and a Half Stars: “A great introduction to E.C. history.” (Brent Frankenhoff, Comics Buyer’s Guide )

“A colorful, in-depth survey that will grab EC’s many devotees and generalist pop-culture vultures alike.” (Booklist )

“A fresh look at the story of Entertaining Comics, the company that brought you Tales from the Crypt and MAD.” (Asbury Park Press )

“Here’s an easy review: If you have any interest in E.C. Comics, you need a copy of Foul Play.” (Mark Evanier, author of MAD ART )

“A beautiful and long overdue art book, but more than that—a fascinating look at the artists behind the art.” (Michael Mignola, creator of Hellboy )

“A monument to the achievements and enduring influence of an American institution that briefly shook up the staid ’50s.” (Charlotte Observer )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Harper Design; 1 edition (April 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006074698X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060746988
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #955,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ANOTHER MASTERPIECE OF EC SCHOLARSHIP, May 23, 2005

By 

popular culture lover (Travelers Rest, SC United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Foul Play!: The Art and Artists of the Notorious 1950s E.C. Comics! (Paperback)

Grant Geissman hits another one out of the park with this book. FOUL PLAY is the perfect melding of good ol' gory EC fun and the EC research we've come to expect of Geissman. He provides fresh insights into the EC stable of artists, rather than just regurgitating what's already known. That's quite an accomplishment for subject matter that's 50 years old and already mined extensively. Geissman even dares to confound the traditionalists by not choosing "Master Race" as Bernard Krigstein's story example.

My only quibble (and it's a tiny one) is his story choice for the criminally under-rated Johnny Craig. One would almost think "Touch and Go" was Craig's only masterpiece. It would've been nice to pick a different, under-appreciated gem such as "The Sewer" from Crime Suspenstories #5 or Johnny's tour de force "Mausoleum" from Vault of Horror #29.

The care lavished on this book, along with its quietly elegant production values, makes it a must-buy for any EC fan. Or for anyone who knows the idiom of comics can spawn work as timeless as any other art form.

David Burlington

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book by an E.C. fan with insight and taste, April 30, 2005

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n0s4a2 (Burbank, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Foul Play!: The Art and Artists of the Notorious 1950s E.C. Comics! (Paperback)

To be perfectly honest, I've spent all of 15 minutes looking at this book in a comic shop less than 20 minutes ago, but I can tell you it's good. Whole stories have been reprinted (photographed from printed comics rather than from original art, but the reproduction is good), as well as individual panels and examples from other aspects of their careers. Each artist is well represented with his best work, and the images are chosen with knowledge and taste. The biographies are well researched, giving an overview of each artist's career arc. I could lay in bed for hours looking at this thing, and I intend to.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, December 1, 2005

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love books (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Foul Play!: The Art and Artists of the Notorious 1950s E.C. Comics! (Paperback)

Such a beautiful book....For someone who doesn't know much about EC comics (or for that matter comics printed during the 50s-80s),this book was an eye-opener.It describes the art and lives of the artists and creaters of EC in such a beautiful manner that once I started this book ,I was hooked.What a shame that these very interesting comics were stopped from being published only after a short run at the printing press.The book is done in a beautiful manner with about 14 EC comics stories included.The whole package is very nicely done.Highly recommended,even if you are not a big EC comic fan.Buy it just for the art.If I had a choice I would give it ten stars,one of the best books I own.