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From THE VAULT OF HORROR #30, EC Comics. Art by Johnny Craig.
SOCIO-POLITICAL NEWS, COMMENTARY, HUMOR, CURRENT EVENTS, and OTHER VARIOUS TIDBITS
SOCIO-POLITICAL NEWS, COMMENTARY, HUMOR, CURRENT EVENTS, and OTHER VARIOUS TIDBITS
I always loved Johnny Craig, although he was the artist that got EC in trouble most often. Did you ever see the cover on Crime SuuspenStories No. 22? The one with the axe murder carrying his wife's severed head (and the bloody axe)? That was the cover that drew the attention of the Senate Subcommitee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency - and ultimately resulted in the comics code. Great stuff! Craig is the perfect artist to usher in Holloween.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, for my money, the cover you have blogged was his most shocking (you can see the bone!). I love how nearly everyone is just staring at it, except the lady who is going into a faint. -- Mykal
Yes, and then theres the cover for VAULT OF HORROR # 32...a man answers the door to find a zombie/walking dead man. Now even though this was published pre-code, someone made the executive decision to censor Craig's original artwork by removing the meat-cleaver and brains that were prominently displayed sticking out of the corpse's head!
ReplyDeleteCraig did so much beautiful work for EC (check out his lovely wash paintings(?) he produced for EC's picto-fiction series')! You probably know that Craig was not the fastest of artists, he took his time (and I like the results!)...I was excited to see him pop up at Marvel during the 60's, but unfortunately, when they tried to squeeze Craig into the narrow 'Marvel' look at the time, they did a dis-service to the legendary artist. In particular I recall a horror story by craig that looks for all the world like Art Director John Romita re-drew almost every panel!
Apocolyte: I have all the EC stuff in the EC Library sets, but I don't have the Picto-Fiction - if there's more craig to be had I may get that as well.
ReplyDeleteHe was something, all right. -- Mykal
Mykal,
ReplyDeleteI actually posted some great examples of the EC Picto-Fiction in the future! (On your plane they should be visible in a week or so -- these chronoscans can be tricky)!! Thanks for the comments, sir!