Taschen EC Comics Library: Weird Fantasy. Vol. 1

When Bill Gaines unwillingly inherited EC Comics in 1947, he could have hardly foreseen the seismic shift he would bring to the world of comics. His first hire at the helm of the company was visionary artist, writer, and editor Al Feldstein, who didn’t just bring ideas; he tore up the rule book. Why follow conventions when they could boldly go where no comic had gone before? Weird Fantasy emerged as a companion to Weird Science, both birthed from EC's groundbreaking "New Trend" initiative in 1950. EC’s science-fiction stories took readers on an interstellar trip full of sentient machines, Cold War paranoia, and red flags about unchecked technology. The future never looked so thrilling―or so dangerous. This glorious collection invites readers into the eerie and thought-provoking headspace of a series that came to define Atomic Age storytelling. Stepping into any panel is to step out of this world: in “Space-Warp,” a team of cosmonauts experiences the cruelties of time dilation; “Henry and His Goon-Child” explores the dark consequences of artificial intelligence gone rogue; and “The Mysterious Ray from Another Dimension” eerily predicts society’s growing obsession with screens. The stories in Weird Fantasy weren’t just escapism― they were cautionary tales, debates, and mirrors reflecting human hopes and fears. Many decades later, Weird Fantasy’s influence is everywhere, with generations of sci-fi creations―from Futurama and E.T. to WALL-E―owing it a major debt of gratitude. The artistic brilliance of the series is undeniable, featuring gold standard artwork from comic legends including Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, and Frank Frazetta that pushed the boundaries of imagination. EC’s artists brought fantastical narratives to life with meticulous detail, inventive compositions, and dynamic characterization, crafting a visual language that would become foundational to the science fiction genre. In Volume 1, TASCHEN presents the first eleven issues of Weird Fantasy, meticulously recreating the comics in their original glory. Rather than recolor the artwork, this edition works with super-high-resolution photographs of each page as it was printed more than half a century ago, using modern retouching techniques to correct problems with the era’s inexpensive, imperfect printing. The result is a pristine product, keeping the character and feel of the classic pulp comic magazines, but freshly printed by a world-class press, produced without the economic or time constraints of the past. Complete with an introductory essay by EC authority Grant Geissman, which illustrates the historical, cultural, and artistic context of the stories and their creators, this collection is a celebration of the visionary storytelling that rocketed science fiction into the future, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of popular culture. Also available in a Collector’s Edition of 1,000 numbered copies