Tee Hee Hee!! It's Harvey Kurtzman's GIGGLING KILLER!

More great stuff from Harvey Kurtzman. 

This story was written and drawn entirely by Kurtzman for EC Comics CRIME SUSPENSTORIES #3, cover date Feb.-Mar. 1951. At this point, Kurtzman had been with EC for about a year and was starting to come into his own. His TWO-FISTED TALES had just come out a few months earlier, the first issue of his FRONTLINE COMBAT would emerge in July, and a little over a year later his creation MAD would transform humorous comics and impact popular culture irrevocably. 

His simple yet powerful imagery tells the story perfectly, as extraneous matter is eschewed for streamlined focus upon that which conveys the story only. This tale, as many others of his at this time, exemplified Kurtzman's masterful condensation of design, that feature becoming his trademark of sorts. As only he can, Kurtzman perfectly captures a mixture of humor, humanity, and horror, and he is able to shift these gears so fast that often the readers head spins. 

Kurtzman is aided and abetted  in this feat by Marie Severin, whose choice of simple, bold colors blend seamlessly to match Kurtzman's storytelling beautifully. Characters and objects are toned in solid primary shades, and all this compels us to relish the basic straightforwardness of presentation. It is laden with blocks of stark, contrasting hues, minimalist yet elegant. It is comparable to a simple hearty meal of  meat and potatoes, sans dainty frills, being in itself delicious and filling, and taking it in we find ourselves unmistakenly full and satisfied, needing absolutely no more to complete the sensory experience.

The end result is both fascinating and enjoyable. He is able to draw us in to the drama, and leads us through events that culminate almost too quickly, and we are left wanting more.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

"THE GIGGLING KILLER!"

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original cover - art by Johnny Craig

Originally published by EC Comics in 1951, 

my scans are from my reprint copy published by Russ Cochran in 1993.

One Of The Best - Kurtzman and Wood's Classic SUPERDUPERMAN! (+ Special Bonus!)

It is classic, an epitome of the genre, it's drawn fantastically, and it's uproariously hilarious.

Sure, I know it's been around, and many of you have seen it before somewhere, but it never goes out of style.

You just cannot go wrong with this one.

So, here you go. From MAD #4 (1953), published by EC Comics, with a story written and storyboarded by the legendary Harvey Kurtzman, and jaw-dropping artwork by the equally legendary Wally Wood, here you go.

The one, 

the only,

SUPERDUPERMAN!

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SPECIAL BONUS!!

Here's your bonus treat!

A very rare and special artifact  --  

Here is the original rough thumbnail storyboard layout for the SUPERDUPERMAN story!

Penciled by Harvey Kurtzman on a 8 3/4" X  6" piece of lined-ruled notebook paper is 

the kernel of genius for the story that would change comics forever!

Both Kurtzman and Wood were really at the top of their game here, 

and now we get a rare glimpse into the creative process

of this unbelievably awesome comic story!

See how tight Kurtzman thought out his stories, 

and see how much more Wally Wood brings to the party,

 making this a one of a kind gem!

Here it is in it's approximate original size!

(Actual size 8.75" x 6")

(click to see)

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Now here it is broken up / blown up so you can see it better...

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(original document courtesy Heritage Auctions)

So, that's that! Until next time,

Adios!

Sayonara!

Arrivederci!

Hasta la vista!

WAR: KILL OR BE KILLED - Atlas' "FIRST BLOOD!" and EC's "ENEMY ASSAULT!"

Cover art by George Tuska

Today I'm comparing two stories that address the subject of killing during wartime. While the two comics featured were both published during the Korean War, I'm sure the psychology of killing remains the same no matter what the era or conflict.

I found it interesting to compare the way each writer/publisher handled the subject. I have already made it clear in earlier posts that I find EC Comics war titles, as edited by Harvey Kurtzman, to be superior to most every other war comics, past or present, so naturally one of the stories here is a solid representative of those Kurtzman war titles. The other story is taken from Stan Lee and company's Atlas Comics.

Up first is a short story entitled "FIRST BLOOD!" from Atlas' WAR COMBAT #2, 1952 (I know what you're going to say, and no, there is no one named Rambo in this one). It concerns a soldier new to life-or-death combat, and the mental agonies he faces over the prospect of taking another man's life.

The art is by Norman Steinberg. The story is

"FIRST BLOOD!"

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As we've explored here before, many war comic stories can range from a serious, thoughtful look at the philosophies and ramifacations of war, to the basic patriotic near-propaganda type story. This interesting tale seems to start as one and end as the other. By the end of the story, quite suddenly, our protaganist has dropped any apprehensions he held for the first 99% of the story and adopts the attitude that his Sergeant has been trying to sell him, and as if he were a robot who realizes that his emotions were clouding his judgement, he dismisses his enemies as human beings and transforms them into 'dirty rats'. All of a sudden he becomes a killing machine, eager to find more 'symbols of tyranny' to gut.

To my friends who have served in the military and have faced such threats, I'll say that I can only try to understand how it must be to face a situation like this. From the harrowing true combat stories I've been told, I can understand that facing a deadly enemy who is out to kill you rather necessitates such a simplified outlook. I'm only saying here that this story seems to ignore the larger issues of having to kill a man for the very first time and wraps up the subject into a neat package wrapped in a red, white and blue bow. There are no hints here that he will later have nightmares about this. Hey, I know it's just a comic book, and no one really expects to find a deeper psychological understanding in a comic. Still, the story started out with promise that it just might delve a bit deeper...

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...Which brings us to our second tale, and true to form, Kurtzman's writing and layouts do offer a much more complex view on the subject of the 'enemy'. From FRONTLINE COMBAT #1, 1951,  we now look at a story drawn by the amazing Jack Davis. The story isn't focused on the soldiers first kill, but rather takes us to an uncomfortable place where we must face the fact that our enemy is a man, just as we.

Written by Harvey Kurtzman, art by Jack Davis.

"ENEMY ASSAULT!"

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To be honest, Kurtzman's story seems to end on the same type of patriotic note of duty over emotion. But it is far more complex than that, as we, through the American soldier's eyes, have learned a lesson that his companions were not aware of. As he turns once more to fire at the tiny figures as if they were no more than ducks in a shooting gallery arcade, we are profoundly aware of the incomprehensible emotional journey he has just made, the gut-wrenching burden that will likely haunt him for the rest of his life. This is an incredibly moving story, delving so much deeper into the subject than the Atlas story chose to explore. By comparison, our first story barely scratched the surface. The second story took us all the way into that dark pit and exposed us to a small glimpse into the true horror of war.

Remember,

The next time you meet one of our brave soldiers,

don't forget to give them the honor and respect that they deserve.

Frontline Combat #1 cover proof with signature by artist Harvey Kurtzman