Today in Comics History, March 22: Happy birthday, B. Krigstein!

Born on this day in 1919: the great comics and fine art illustrator Bernard Krigstein, best known by his usual signature B. Krigstein. One of the most lauded and acclaimed comics artists of the 1950s, epsecially for his work on EC Comics. Jorts the Cat, however, would be pleased to know that Krigstein was one of a group to attempt to form a major comics artists unions, "The Society of Comic Book Illustrators," in 1952. I'm pleased, too! Ahead of his time not only in skill but in social progress. It sadly ceased after a year, but while he got fewer assignments from Marvel/Atlas and DC/National because of his labor views, progressive-minded Bill Gaines at EC Comics gave him more work. His work was featured in booiks like Aces High, Mad, Vault of Horror, Impact, Incredible Science Fiction, Valor, Weird Science-Fantasy, and others.

Some portraits of Krigstein in the comics:

from "The Night Before Christmas" in Panic #1 (EC, February 1954), pencils and inks by Will Elder, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten
(Click picture to bowl-full-of-gelignite-size)

EC correspondence response, printed in Squa Tront (1967 series) #5 (John Benson, 1974), art by Wally Wood
(Click picture to Bill Gaines-size)

EC correspondence response, printed in Squa Tront (1967 series) #7 (John Benson, 1977), art by Will Elder
(Click picture to choke!-ack!-size)
Here's a single page from Krigstein's masterpiece, the short story "Master Race." If comics ain't art, then I don't know what this is. (Because, I should point out, it's art. And it's comics. So there.)


from "Master Race" in Impact #1 (EC, March 1955), co-plot by Bill Gaines, co-plot and script by Al Feldstein; pencils, inks, and colors by B. Krigstein; letters by Jim Wroten
You owe it to yourself to read more Krigstein stories and about the man, so here's a good start: I highly recommend the following books (Amazon ads):

• B. Krigstein, Vol. 1, 1919-1955 by Greg Sadowski (Fantagraphics, May 2002)
• B. Krigstein Comics (Fantagraphics, August 2004)
• Master Race And Other Stories (Fantagraphics, January 2018)
• Messages in a Bottle: Comic Book Stories by B. Krigstein (Fantagraphics, March 2013)

Happy birthday, Mr. Krigstein!