Today in Comics History, March 21: Happy birthday, Al Williamson!

Born on this day in 1931: Al Williamson, comics artist on the Flash Gordon and Secret Agent X-9 strips, EC's Valor, Weird Science and Weird Fantasy, Warren's Creepy and Eerie, the Star Wars comic strip and book, and the proverbial many, many more!


text page from Crime SuspenStories (1950 series) #17 (EC, June 1953)

Today in Comics History, October 24: Happy birthday, Al Feldstein!

Born on this day in 1925: comic book writer, editor, artist and cover designer Al Feldstein (Haunt of Fear, Crime SuspenStories, Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Shock SuspenStories, Weird Science, Weird Fantasy, Weird Science-Fantasy, and many more) and executive editor of MAD magazine from 1956 to 1985. As the kid standing before the poster of superheroes said, wow!


from Crime SuspenStories (1950 series) #10 (EC, April 1952), text by Al Feldstein (signed as Wm. M. Gaines)

Today in Comics History, October 3: Happy birthday, Harvey Kurtzman!

Born on this day in 1924: the great Harvey Kurtzman, cartoonist and editor, founding editor of MAD, Humbug, and Help!, and writer/artist on so many great EC Comics and Timely's "Hey Look!".




from Harvey Kurtzman's Strange Adventures (Marvel/Epic (!), 1990), art by Harvey Kurtzman

Today in Comics History, June 17: Happy birthday, Wally Wood!

Born on this day in 1927: comics artist, writer, publisher Wally Wood, one of EC's greatest creators (Weird Fantasy, Weird Science, Tales from the Crypt, Shock SuspenStories, Two-Fisted Tales, Aces High and others) and a major figure at Marvel (Daredevil, Astonishing Tales, Tower of Shadows, more), DC (All Star Comics, The Unexpected, All-American Men of War, etc.), Warren (Creepy, Ererie, Blazing Combat, Vampirella, others) and in commercial art. He co-created Stilt-Man, THUNDER Agents and NoMan, Tigra, Power Girl, the Ani-Men, Sally Forth and Cannon — plus the famous "22 Panels That Always Work"!


from "Flight into Fear!" in Tower of Shadows #5 (Marvel, May 1970); script, pencils, and inks by Wally Wood; letters by Sam Rosen

Today in Comics History, June 7: Happy birthday, Graham Ingels!

Born on this day in 1915: "Ghastly" Graham Ingels, magazine and comics illustrator, best known for his macabre work on the EC Comics horror books like The Haunt of Fear, Tales from the Crypt, and The Vault of Horror!


from Haunt of Fear #10 (EC, November 1951), text by Al Feldstein

Today in Comics History, April 25: Happy birthday, Johnny Craig!

Born on this day in 1926: comics writer, penciller, and inker Johnny Craig! He worked primarily for EC on Crypt of Terror, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, Crime SuspenStories, Two-Fisted Tales, and more...


from Vault of Horror #24 (DC, April 1952)

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)

Today in Comics History, February 5: Happy birthday, George Evans!

Born on this day in 1920: comics artist George Evans, who did stories for Planet Comics, Wings Comics, When Worlds Collide for Dell and Captain Video for Fawcett, lots of Classics Illustrated issues, and of course EC Comics classics in Crime SuspenStories, The Haunt of Fear, Tales From the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Frontline Combat, Two-Fisted Tales, Shock SuspenStories, and much, much more!


from Fromline Combat #13 (EC, July 1953)
Wow, and I thought I used a lot of ellipses. Here's George and the whole dang EC Bunch in the original art for an EC subscription ad by Will Elder!

"The Board of Educational Comics" EC subscription advertisement by Will Elder
(Click picture to adult-education-size)
And here's a Christmas appearance by George, and again, all the ghouls and boils at EC!


from "The Night Before Christmas" in Panic #1 (DC, February 1954), adapated from the poem by Charles Clement Moore, pencils and inks by Will Elder, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten
Happy birthday, George!

Addition on February 5, 2023: New material printed in green.


from Squa Tront #3 (Jerry Weist, 1967), pencils and inks by George Evans