On EC Comics’ return with EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS and CRUEL UNIVERSE

EC Comics makes its return from the dead this summer courtesy of Oni Press. Kicking off with two brand new horror anthologies in Cruel Universe #1 and Epitaphs From The Abyss #1, the return of EC is created in partnership with William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. and will feature a murderer’s row of talented comic creators celebrating the long beloved brand with some spooky new stories.

We get into it more down below but what you need to know about this most epic of returns is that when EC Comics ended due to the Comics Code of Authority in 1954, from its ashes, a counter-cultural revolution had formed. Years of pushback against the possible in the industry led to the modern age of comics in the 1980’s, fighting up until the CCA itself was no more. 

Yet through it all, EC Comics was perhaps the biggest victim going from Golden Age darling to near-total non-existence. Making the comics themselves historical in that they became collector’s items that symbolized a moment of time of repression. Its influence in pop culture was huge thanks to series like Tales from the Crypt, and inevitably, what was gone had returned in a big way: as EC is back and horror comics today are bigger than ever before. 

EC’s Upcoming Summer Line Up

Thus far it’s been confirmed that EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #1 will be a 40-page testament to terror featuring such major names in comics such as Brian Azzarello, Chris Condon, Jorge Fornes, Phil Hester, J. Holtham, Peter Krause, Stephanie Phillips and Vlad Legostaev. There will also be covers by Lee Bermejo, Andrea Sorrentino, Dave Stewart, Jay Stephens, Rian Hughes, and Dustin Weaver. The series releases on July 24th.

“Due to the nature of my stories, I’ve been asked about EC Comics since I started in this industry,” said multiple Eisner Award winner Brian Azzarello. “Frederick Wertham and his asinine comics code knee-capped us. Thank God — or my grandmother, who didn’t throw out my father’s comics –— that I was able to discover EC in an attic I was forbidden to go in. That subsequent downward spiral has led me to where I am now.”

“I can’t imagine a better time for EC Comics to come back into the world,” said writer J. Holtham. “They’ve always been great at skewering (literally) the worst people in the world. We have a lot of folks who could use a good skewering. And then some.”

As for EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #2, that volume will feature originals by Jason Aaron, Matt Kindt, Tyler Crook, Klaus Janson, and Jorge Fornes. With covers by Lee Bermejo, Adam Pollina, Jay Stevens, and Rian Hughes. The series will be out on August 21st.

“As a kid I discovered the short story format from writers like Ray Bradbury and O. Henry” is what 2024 Eisner Hall of Fame nominee Klaus Janson had to say. “As a teen, I was introduced to EC Comics and fell in love.  Now, as an adult, I get to combine the two with the help of writer Matt Kindt to make the dream of doing an EC story come true!. We push the boundaries just a bit further for a modern audience and I couldn’t be happier!”

“What an honor to get to craft a new story in the gloriously twisted tradition of EC Comics,” said the Eisner-award winning writer Jason Aaron. “My frightful little ditty is very much a tale of modern horror, starring one of today’s most potent tools of misery and human suffering. But told in the same gleefully wicked style as the EC classics of yesteryear. Brace yourselves, all you freaks and fiends. EC is back.” 

Finally, CRUEL UNIVERSE #1, will feature such monolithic talents as Corinna Bechko, Chris Condon, Matt Kindt, Ben Winters, Jonathan Case, Kano, Artyom Topilin, and Caitlin Yarsky. With covers by Greg Smallwoord, J.H. Williams III, Jay Stephens, Tom Fowler and Bill Grabtree. This series will launch on August 7th. 

“There were so many twists and turns in the original EC stories that you never knew what you were in for until the last panel,” said Corrina Bechko.” Each was a masterclass in the economic juxtaposition of word and image to build a rich, wicked world in just a couple of pages. I’m willing to bet every creator on this project had as much fun as I did because the beauty of these anthologies is the ability to tell gonzo stories that really kick… And make you think.”

“There is only one word to describe an EC universe: cruel,” said writer Chris Condon. “So it only makes sense that this new science fiction-centered EC title, CRUEL UNIVERSE, is an appropriately twisted successor to the wildly speculative tales that appeared in the likes of Weird Science or Weird Fantasy.”

 

The Comics Code Authority

A bit of comic history. Seventy years the psychologist Fredric Wertham,  a pioneer in the fledgling field of psychology at the time and friend of Sigmund Freud, had released some critical studies which helped in a landmark case that helped end segregation in this country. That case was called Brown v. Board of Education, and as a result of his work, Wertham’s platform as a figurehead for good mental health helped propel his book: Seduction of the Innocent into the zeitgeist. 

The rest of course is history. Seduction of the Innocent saw comics as a source of juvenile delinquency, particularly amongst major titles represented by the EC brand such as The Vault of Horror and Tales from the Crypt. This lead to the creation of the Comics Code Authority, the biggest censor in comics history throughout its golden to bronze years. Without its infamous stamp of approval – it was nearly impossible to get your book sold in stores. 

A big reason that’s important is because this inevitably became somewhat of the bad guy in comics. And strangely, so much of modern comics today and its popularity created by giants such as Alan Moore and Frank Miller in the 1980s, were indirectly in due thanks to the big two and of course, Heavy Metal magazine’s disregard about the CCA seal – essentially opening the door for less-censorship and new ideas. Which is why so many big swings were taken at that time (because they finally could be without worry of being shut down).

EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #1

WRITTEN BY BRIAN AZZARELLO, CHRIS CONDON, J. HOLTHAM and STEPHANIE PHILLIPS

ART BY JORGE FORNES, PHIL HESTER, PETER KRAUSE and VLAD LEGOSTAEV

COVER A BY LEE BERMEJO

COVER B BY ANDREA SORRENTINO WITH DAVE STEWART

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY JAY STEPHENS

BLACK&WHITE ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY ANDREA SORRENTINO WITH RIAN HUGHES

EC ARCHIVE VARIANT (1:50) BY RIAN HUGHES

HORROR HOST VARIANT (1:100) BY DUSTIN WEAVER

GOLD FOIL VARIANT BY LEE BERMEJO

SILVER FOIL VARIANT BY ANDREA SORRENTINO WITH DAVE STEWART

BLANK COVER ALSO AVAILABLE

$4.99 (STANDARD) | $7.99 (FOIL) | 40 PAGES | FULL COLOR |

ON SALE JULY 24, 2024

 

CRUEL UNIVERSE #1

WRITTEN BY CORINNA BECHKO, CHRIS CONDON, MATT KINDT, and BEN H. WINTERS

ART BY JONATHAN CASE, KANO, ARTYOM TOPILIN, and CAITLIN YARSKY

COVER A BY GREG SMALLWOOD

COVER B BY J.H. WILLIAMS III

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY JAY STEPHENS

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY J.H. WILLIAMS III

SPA FON VARIANT (1:100) BY TOM FOWLER WITH BILL CRABTREE

FOIL COVER (SILVER) BY GREG SMALLWOOD

FOIL COVER (GOLD) BY J.H. WILLIAMS III

BLANK COVER ALSO AVAILABLE

$4.99 (STANDARD) | $7.99 (FOIL) | 40 PGS | FC

ON SALE AUGUST 7TH, 2024

 

EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #2 (of 5)

WRITTEN BY JASON AARON, MATT KINDT, TYLER CROOK

ART BY KLAUS JANSON, JORGE FORNES

COVER A BY LEE BERMEJO

COVER B BY ADAM POLLINA

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY JAY STEVENS

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY ADAM POLLINA

EC ARCHIVE VARIANT (1:50) BY RIAN HUGHES

$4.99 (STANDARD) |$ 7.99 (FOIL) | 40 PAGES | FULL COLOR |

ON SALE AUGUST 21st, 2024 

 

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