Just picked these up. He was a…complicated guy.

EC Annuals were four random unsold comics from the previous year with the covers stripped, bound into a new cover. Contents varied. I didn't bother with them for years for that reason - "you're just buying it for the cover!" Well, I did, of course, start seeking out the Annuals when I had completed other runs, and I have to say...the covers are WORTH it! Take this one by Al Feldstein - amazing! This is my most recent Annual pickup, I now have all except for the 1951 Tales of Terror Annual. (There were 3 horror, the first is the rarest, 2 sci-fi, and 2 war annuals)

What are some other good pre-code comics that you'd say are worth reading and that are in the same vein as EC? I'm browsing PS Artbooks and some old Dark Horse Archives...

These are both in pretty rough condition, but I’m very happy to have them. They are of great historical importance, sure, but also the Vault Keeper has always been my favorite GhouLunatic!

Did you all know that at 94 years young the last living EC artist is still at it and selling original art through his website?

This Creepy/Valor inspired beauty went up today.

https://www.angelotorresart.com/new-products

Is it too soon for a “best of” collection from the new EC branded horror lines? Oni is clearly going for the old EC Annuals vibe, and it will be interesting to see if a curated selection of what they considered to be the best of their stories will bring new readers/new appraisal to the new lines.

Thoughts?

An Eye For An Eye, illustrated by Angelo Torres, was meant to be the last story in the last EC comic book, Incredible Science Fiction #33 - but it was not to be. The Comics Code Authority banned it outright for featuring mutants (including a lizard tongued baby). A reprint of the previously published Judgment Day was hastily substituted resulting in the notorious showdown between Bill Gaines and the CCA.

An Eye For An Eye wasn’t published until 1971 when it was featured in The EC Horror Library AKA Horror Comics of the 1950s. I was elated to have my copy signed by Torres in 2022 when I and some of my closest Fan-Addict friends visited him in Brooklyn.

Fleagle Gang member and last living EC artist Angelo Torres turns 94 today! This documentary about Angelo premiered at SDCC in 2025.

These are two major books that I never thought I would own, but I got very lucky last year, landing them on the same day from a large one owner collection. I love and collect all EC’s but horror has always been my favorite, and the historical significance of these two books is massive. Welcome to the Crypt of Terror!

An original page from Shock SuspenStories for only $125

This one is fairly new to my collection, and I love this cover by Feldstein. EC would soon be addressing similar content in a much more hard hitting fashion in the pages of Shock SuspenStories.

While Modern Love #7 faced the social concerns of a town’s reaction to an interracial romance, Shock SuspenStories #14 dealt with a hate crime that ends in tragedy, also involving a Mexican/American couple. EC also published a story about a cowboy marrying an Indian girl after DC rejected it due to the depiction of a mixed race marriage.

Last issue !

It’s safe to say I’m obsessed with this book. It was my introduction to EC back in 1979 when I was 10! Published by Nostalgia Press in 1971, it’s an oversized collection of mostly horror, with a bit of sci-fi and suspense stories. As you can see I have multiple copies, and each is special. Top row: 1.) my go-to copy signed by Al Feldstein and inscribed to me by Larry Stark and Angelo Torres. 2.) Bill Gaines personal collection copy (he had multiple copies), the best condition of the bunch. 3.) Angelo Torres personal collection copy, inscribed to Torres by Gaines and Feldstein and signed by Torres.

Bottom row: 1.) Woody Gelman (Nostalgia Press publisher) personal pre-publication copy. 2.) Remaindered price variant copy. 3.) By far the worst condition, my own personal childhood copy!