Description

EC Archives: Two-Fisted Tales – Volume 1               Hardcover w/ Dust Jacket
Powerful stories of struggle and humanity that are considered to be among the best war stories ever told.
Writers: Harvey Kurtzman & Al Feldstein
Artists: Johnny Craig, Wally Wood, Jack Davis, John Severin & Others
Editor: Harvey Kurtzman
Cover by: Harvey Kurtzman & Marie Severin

EC Comics (Entertaining Comics) were all published from the late 1940s until around 1956, when the Comics Code Authority whitewashed all comic books to remove all themes of horror and violence. Psychiatrist Fredric Wertham and Senator Estes Kefauver’s Committee on Juvenile Delinquency attacked horror comics as causes of the rise in juvenile delinquency and crimes by minors. These comic books were accused of having no redeeming value to society and were effectively banned by the actions of these groups in creating the Comics Code. EC Comics were superior to other comics of the 1950s because of a higher quality of writing and artwork, and they were widely imitated by other comics publishers. The subject matter for EC Comics were horror, science fiction/fantasy, crime stories, war stories, and stories with a social message that generally had a twist or “shock” ending. This volume reprints the first six complete issues (24 stories) of the comic book Two-Fisted Tales, originally published in 1951, and features stories of fighting men and war, usually told from the viewpoint of the futility of war. These were really anti-war stories, and were characterized by their historical accuracy in depicting events of the Civil War, World Wars I and II and the (then-current) Korean War. Written and edited by Harvey Kurtzman, the creator of MAD Magazine. MAD was a comic book in the EC line for 23 issues before becoming a magazine.

Two-Fisted Tales began in 1950 with issue #18 (its numbering was picked up from the early issues of Haunt of Fear, a continuation itself of Gunfighters.) Edited by Harvey Kurtzman, Two-Fisted Tales was easily one of the most remarkable war comics of all time.

The stories featured Kurtzman himself, as well as Wally Wood, John Severin, and others. Kurtzman’s art in particular conveyed an anxious feeling perfect for depicting the emotions of frontline soldiers. Two-Fisted Tales also had a real knack for bringing global conflicts down to a personal scale, allowing the reader to identify with soldiers on both sides of the struggle. In one story, “Hungnam!” the writer employed the unique device of illustrating the chaos of a troop withdrawal through the eyes of a town mutt. The dog’s incomprehension of the various artillery barrages and explosions made it seem all the stranger when it woke up in a suddenly empty town.

Hardcover reprints/collects: Two-Fisted Tales (1950) Issues #18-23.  EC Comics

Sealed Hardcover w/ Dust Jacket is bagged and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

First Printing
Publisher: Gemstone Publishing
Publication Date: 2007
Format: FC, 212 pages, HC, 11.25″ x 8.5″
ISBN-10: 1888472561
ISBN-13: 9781888472561

Collectible Entertainment note: Hardcover w/ Dust Jacket is Brand New & Factory Sealed (tear in shrink wrap at top of hardcover).  Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Two-Fisted Tales and/or War collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining.  Highly Recommended.

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