It was only a matter of time before someone decided to publish new EC Comics. A creative powerhouse in the late 1940s and into the mid-50s, EC Comics crafted progressive, controversial, and visually stunning comics. So it’s no surprise Oni Press has revived the name for new comic anthologies 70 years later.
Discover everything you need to know about the EC Comics revival in this guide. You’ll learn all about the comics, the creators involved, and how this new line differs from the classic comics, so you can easily dive into reading.
What is Oni Press doing with EC Comics?
Oni Press has entered into a published partnership with the William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. – the rights owners to the EC Comics name and material. This will see a slate of new EC Comics in comic book shops and bookstores.
Who was EC Comics?
Known as “Educational Comics” at the time, EC Comics was founded by Max Gaines in 1944 as a shell company of All-American Publications. However, it splintered into its own publisher the following year when All-American merged with DC Comics. As the name suggests, Educational Comics published comics about science, history, and the Bible – marketing them to schools, churches, and families.
However, this would drastically change after a boating accident killed Max Gaines in 1947. His son, William Gaines, inherited the publisher. And with this direction, new, more mature titles were introduced in 1949-1950. (EC Comics also became known as “Entertaining Comics”.) These comic book anthologies focused on horror, suspense, war, science fiction, and crime. These comics would push the boundaries of the time with controversial content, progressive themes, and biting satire. These were so forward-focused that they’re still celebrated 70 years later.
Unfortunately, this legendary run would not last for long. A double whammy of Dr. Fredric Wertham, who led a moral panic on the content in comics, published Seduction of the Innocent and a 1954 congressional hearing on juvenile delinquency painted comics in a poor light. This resulted in the introduction of the Comics Code Authority, a guideline for self-censorship for comic book publishing. This took a lot of bite out of EC Comics. In the end, they decided to focus on publishing Mad Magazine instead.
During their short time, EC Comics published anthology titles such as Tales from the Crypt, Weird Fantasy, Frontline Combat, Weird Science, Two-Fisted Tales, Crime SuspenStories, and many others.
EC Comics material has been reprinted many times throughout the decades, with Dark Horse Comics and Fantagraphics reprinting stories in different formats.
Capturing the spirit of EC Comics through a modern lens
So, how do these new EC Comics differ from the original run? Oni Press president and publisher Hunter Gorinson and editor-in-chief Sierra Hahn discussed this with AIPT Comics. For them, it’s about capturing the spirit of EC Comics without it being a pastiche. An approach that’s more “what would an EC comic in the Modern Age be like?” instead of replicating what came before. Gorinson goes even further by saying:
“We would consider this to be a failure if we simply did a retro-obsessed, nostalgia-facing ‘all the stories have to be set in 1954.’ Or, we’re going to try and do our best to find artists that draw exactly like Graham Ingels and Johnny Craig and Reed Crandall…”
That being said, some distinctly visual elements of EC Comics will be present in this new generation of comics. The most notable are the covers, which follow the same template as the originals by dedicating the top-third to the title. It wouldn’t be EC Comics without it.
Additionally, the original lettering has been recreated and will be used in these new comics.
The EC Comics of the 1950s drilled in on anxieties of the post-World War II and Cold War eras. While some of the themes are just as relevant today, the new comics will focus on tackling the anxieties of now. As mentioned earlier, the comics are less concerned about being retro-obsessed and aiming to be a natural evolution.
What comics will be part of the new EC Comics?
Find details below for the comic series part of the revived EC Comics line. Where possible, I’ll include the list of stories in each issue and the creative teams as well.
Epitaphs From The Abyss
Epitaphs From The Abyss is a horror anthology in the vein of classic EC titles Tales From The Crypt and Vault of Horror.
Those series had horror hosts in The Old Witch, The Vault Keeper, and The Crypt Keeper. Each introduced the stories and added additional flavour to each issue. Epitaphs From Abyss will continue that tradition with new hosts, as designed by artist Dustin Weaver. These are Grave-Digger, the Tormentor, and the Grim Inquisitor. Check them out below.
Epitaphs From The Abyss was announced as a five-issue series but strong orders has expanded it to twelve. Find out more details about the stories and creators featured in each below.
Epitaphs From The Abyss #1 stories:
- “Us Vs. Us” by Brian Azzarello and Vlad Legostaev
- “Killer Spec” by J. Holtham and Jorge Fornes
- “Family Values” by Stephanie Phillips and Phil Hester
- “Senator, Senator” by Chris Condon and Peter Krause
Epitaphs From The Abyss #2 stories:
- “Sounds and Haptics” by Jason Aaron and Jorge Fornes
- “Gray Green Memories” by Tyler Crook
- “Pattern Recognition” by Matt Kindt and Klaus Janson
Epitaphs From The Abyss #3 stories:
- “A Crossroads Repetition” by Chris Condon and Charlie Adlard
- “A Hand In It” by Jay Stephens and Leomacs
- “Blood Oath” by Corinna Bechko and Jonathan Case
Epitaphs From The Abyss #4 stories:
- “Dead From Exposure” by Jay Stephens and David Lapham
- “The Perfect Pearl” by Amy Roy and Claire Roe
- “Under the Influence” by J. Holtham and Leomacs
Epitaphs From The Abyss #5 stories:
- “Forever Home” by Matt Kindt and Leomacs
- “Some Things You Lose, Some Things You Give Away” by Matthew Rosenberg and Kano
- “All-New You” by Joanne Starer and Alexandre Tefenkgi
Epitaphs From The Abyss #6 will be published on 18th December and will feature stories by J. Holtham, Mark Russell, Tim Seeley, Charlie Adlard, and David Lapham.
Epitaphs From The Abyss #7 will be published on 22nd January and will feature stories by Matthew Rosenberg, Cullen Bunn, Chris Condon, Tyler Crook, and Dustin Weaver.
Epitaphs From The Abyss #8 will be published on 19th February and will feature stories by Jordan Thomas, Jeff Jensen, David Lapham, and Valeria Burzo.
Epitaphs From The Abyss #9-12 will be published monthly between March-May, 2025.
Buy Epitaphs From the Abyss from: Amazon/Kindle | eBay | Things From Another World
Cruel Universe
Cruel Universe is the science fiction anthology of the revived line, similar to classic EC Comics like Weird Fantasy and Weird Science. The series will run for five issues.
Discover more information about each issue, including the creative teams and stories featured below.
Cruel Universe #1 stories:
- “The Champion” by Matt Kindt and Kano
- “Solo Shift” by Corinna Bechko and Caitlin Yarsky
- “Drink Up!” by Chris Condon and Jonathan Case
- “Priceless” by Ben H. Winters and Artyom Topilin
Cruel Universe #2 stories:
- “Organic” by Stephanie Phillips and Riley Rossmo
- “Profit” by Chris Condon and Javier Fernandez
- “Ray Gun” by Christopher Cantwell and David Lapham
- “Homage” by Ben H. Winters and Leomacs
Cruel Universe #3 stories:
- “Automated” by J. Holtham and Kano
- “We Drown on Earth” by Zac Thompson and Dan McDaid
- “The Deleted Man” by Ben H. Winters and Carson Thorn
- “Behave” by Cullen Bunn and David Rubin
Cruel Universe #4 stories:
- “By the Book” by Matt Bors and Daniel Irizarry
- “Doomsday Particle” by Matt Kindt and Alison Sampson
- “Peer Review” by Cecil Castellucci and Andrew Mutti
- “The Hero of Venisu” by Ben H. Winters and Kano
Cruel Universe #5 will be published on 4th December and will feature stories by Corinna Bechko, Cullen Bunn, Amy Roy, Daniel Irizarri, and Claire Roe.
Buy Cruel Universe on: Amazon/Kindle | eBay | Things From Another World
Shiver SuspenStories
Shiver SuspenStories #1 will be a 56-page holiday-themed anthology, which will include a blend of horror, science fiction, and war stories.
Stories include:
- “Ghost in the Machine” by Ben H. Winters and Peter Krause
- Others to be announced
Creators featured in this one-shot include Jason Aaron, George Northy, Jay Stephens, Valeria Burzo, Kano (Gotham Central), David Lapham, and Caitlin Yarsky.
Shiver SuspenStories #1 will be published on 11th December.
Cruel Kingdom
After Cruel Universe’s five-issue run is complete, it will be replaced with Cruel Kingdom – a four-issue dark fantasy anthology.
Cruel Kingdom #1 will be published on 8th January and feature stories by Al Ewing, Chris Condon, Greg Pak, Kano, Leomacs, and Charlie Adlard.
Cruel Kingdom #2 will be published on 5th February and feature stories by Corinna Bechko, Chris Condon, J.P. Holden, and Andrea Mutti.
Future issues of Cruel Kingdom will be published in 2025.
Blood Type
Not much is known about Blood Type yet. What we do know is that it will be a serialised limited series, which is a first for the EC Comics brand.
Blood Type #0 will be released on 3rd May as part of Free Comic Book Day. This gives a preview of the Blood Type series plus reprints some stories from Epitaphs From The Abyss, Cruel Universe, and Cruel Kingdom.
Will there be more new EC Comics?
Only the two EC Comics have been announced so far. However, we know that the line will expand over the coming years. As quoted by The Wrap, Hunter Gorinson has mentioned that Oni Press has a “secret roadmap that goes for maybe two or three years into the future of ideas of what we’re going to do.” He goes on to say that not all the series not every title will be an anthology. Additionally, the line will explore other genres, including “some that EC dabbled in, but specifically never devoted titles to independently before.”
Oni Press will host the EC Comics Lives Again At Oni Press panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday July 26, 2024, at 5:00pm. We will have to keep a close eye to see if they announce any upcoming titles there.
This guide will be updated when new titles are announced.
Where can I read the original EC Comics material?
The original EC Comics material has been reprinted many times over the decades. Currently, Dark Horse Comics and Fantagraphics publish reprinted material in different formats.
Dark Horse has the EC Archives line, collecting issues of the classic anthologies in oversized trade paperbacks and hardcovers. The comics have been restored with digital colouring and feature forewards by notable names in comics, Hollywood, and beyond.
Fantagraphics has taken a more artist-led approach to reprinting EC Comics. The EC Artists’ Library collects stories based on artists and themes instead of the chronological approach of the EC Archives. The art has been digitally restored but presented in black and white to highlight the work each artist contributed to the visually stunning comics. These also include contextual essays from comic historians and introductions by notable figures.
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