{"product_id":"ec-comics-the-new-trend-1950-ai54-45th-ed-9783836597944","title":"EC Comics: The New Trend 1950–54. 45th Ed.","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 1947, Bill Gaines inherited his father's publishing  company, EC Comics. Over the next eight years, he and his team reinvented the comic book with legendary titles like Tales from the Crypt, Weird Science, and MAD. Featuring all covers from the New Trend era, interior pages, and original artwork, this is a must-have for any comics enthusiast.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1947, \u003cb\u003eBill Gaines\u003c\/b\u003e inherited \u003cb\u003eEC Comics\u003c\/b\u003e, a new venture founded by his legendary father \u003cb\u003eM. C. Gaines\u003c\/b\u003e, who was responsible for midwifing the birth of the comic book as we know it during his tenure at All-American Comics, bringing the likes of Wonder Woman and Green Lantern to the world. Over the next eight years, Bill Gaines and \u003cb\u003ea \"who's who\" of the era\u003c\/b\u003e including \u003cb\u003eAl Feldstein, Harvey Kurtzman, and Wally Wood\u003c\/b\u003e would \u003cb\u003ereinvent the very notion of the comic book\u003c\/b\u003e with titles like Tales from the Crypt, Crime SuspenStories, Weird Science, and MAD.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e EC delighted in publishing \u003cb\u003egory, morbid horror and crime\u003c\/b\u003e comics that had snap, ironic endings-but they also pioneered \u003cb\u003ethe first true-to-life war comics\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003efirst \"real\" science-fiction stories\u003c\/b\u003e,  and a series of tales about such then-taboo subjects as racism,  bigotry, vigilantism, drug addiction, police corruption, and  anti-Semitism. Too good to last, they were eventually caught up by  various 1950s guardians of morality, who were convinced that EC's often  over-the-top content was causing juvenile delinquency. A year or so  after a full inquiry investigating horror and crime comics, the  incredible EC Comics were no more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter publishing the full, fascinating story behind this fabled company in XXL size in 2020, TASCHEN now presents in full the story of what is considered to be EC's prime period, the New Trend, plus the complete covers of that era-including those of Tales from the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear, Weird Science and Weird Fantasy, Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat, Panic and MAD. Many of the cover images are reproduced from Gaines File Copies, which  are widely regarded as the best surviving copies of the EC Comics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlso included are \u003cb\u003einterior pages and panels\u003c\/b\u003e,\u003cb\u003e photos\u003c\/b\u003e,\u003cb\u003e vintage original artwork\u003c\/b\u003e, and some of\u003cb\u003e the most celebrated stories \u003c\/b\u003eever to be printed in four colors for a dime. In short, this is a must-have for any comics enthusiast or pop culture historian.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9783836597944\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 512\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 11 Apr 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Taschen GmbH\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: Cologne, Germany\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 21.7(H)x15.6(L)x3.4(W)1140\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 1140\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003eGrant Geissman is one of the world’s leading experts on EC Comics and Mad magazine, and the author and designer of several books on the subject, four of them nominated for an Eisner Award. He is also an Emmy-nominated guitarist and composer who co-wrote the music for the hit television series Two and a Half Men and Mike \u0026amp; Molly. His most recent solo album, BLOOZ, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2022.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003eWeird! Incredible! Mad! * The Economist *","brand":"Grant Geissman","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48781324452057,"sku":"9783836597944","price":54.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/91wjcHMPWKL._SL1500_ac0572d0-61e0-423d-9561-43e1290f7a77.jpg?v=1780589085","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/ec-comics-the-new-trend-1950-ai54-45th-ed-9783836597944","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}