ATLAS COMICS LIBRARY Volume 1 Adventures in Terror

The Fantagraphics Atlas Comics Library is the first attempt to publish a carefully curated line of Atlas titles. This first volume includes a treasure trove of stories drawn by many of the most stylistically accomplished artists of the Golden Age including Joe Maneely, George Tuska, Carl Burgos, Mike Sekowsky, and Joe Sinnott-- highlights include Russ Heath’s two-part story "The Brain"; Basil Wolverton's classic "Where Monsters Dwell" from issue #7; Gene Colan's moody "House of Horror" in issue #3; and Don Rico’s wild layouts are on display from #4’s "The Torture Room." The stories are written firmly in the tradition of the pulpy, perverse, borderline deranged style that brought Fredric Wertham, the United States Senate Sub-Committee, and public opinion down like a sledgehammer on comics in the early ‘50s. Atlas holds a special place among aficionados of the genre, producing more horror titles and issues by far than anyone in the industry. While the quality of EC's six horror/sci-fi titles was unsurpassed with their elite cadre of talent, Atlas was the equivalent of the B-movies studio, churning out anywhere from 8 to 12 different horror titles a month, giving a wider array of artists, including some of the best craftsmen of the era, a chance to show off their talents: future volumes will include Bill Everett, John Romita, Bernie Krigstein, Jerry Robinson, Harry Anderson, and Matt Fox. Stories from Marvel’s Atlas line have barely been reprinted. Edited by Atlas scholar Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, scanned directly from the published comics, and meticulously restored by Allan Harvey, the first volume of the new Fantagraphics Atlas Library series is an event among comics lovers, collectors, and historians.