EC COMICS LIBRARY WEIRD SCIENCE Volume 1 Deluxe Edition

30-page Introduction by Grant Geissman with lots of rare original art, photos, special artwork and more. Reproducing the initial eleven issues of the world’s first true science-fiction comic, this seminal collection exemplifies the genre’s Golden Age. Full of vivid artistry and narrative twists, the trailblazing series features wildly imaginative tales of nuclear apocalypse, interstellar adventures, and glittering utopias. 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 issues, but freshly printed by a world-class press oversized, nearly twice the original size. Includes "Lost in the Microcosm," a classic story by Harvey Kurtzman; "Dream of Doom" which includes Bill Gaines and the EC artists; a story of flying saucers over Washington, two years before supposed UFO sightings; End of the World cover story by Al Feldstein; robot cover; War of the Worlds cover story; Atomic Explosion cover; Wally Wood's first story at EC in #9; a Jack Kamen bio in #11. Complete with an introductory essay by series editor and EC authority Grant Geissman, from whose collection these were photographed. Grant talks about the historical, cultural, and artistic context of the stories and their creators. This is the same huge XXL format as the sold out History of EC Comics by Grant Geissman, The Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta, and the recent Marvel Library editions. When Bill Gaines inherited EC Comics from his father, the legendary publisher M. C. Gaines, at just 25 years old, no one could predict the impact he would have -- not only on comics, but on global pop culture at large. Inspired by the pulp sci-fi stories and weird fiction of their youth, Bill Gaines and artist Al Feldstein drafted the initial issues of what would become the first true serialized science fiction magazine, delivering stories, creatures, and worlds unlike anything readers had ever seen. Far from the simplistic space adventures of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, the high-concept, morally ambiguous, and often-chilling tales of Weird Science resonated deeply with readers growing up in the Atomic Age under the shadow of the mushroom cloud. Nuclear threats, the ravages of science unshackled from ethics, and the creeping authority of world governments locked in a Cold War had begun seeping into the fabric of American life. The first issue of Weird Science appeared on newsstands in the spring of 1950, its cover boldly daring readers to pick it up. Subsequent bi-monthly releases pulled audiences into an ever-changing kaleidoscope of “Scientific SuspenStories,” featuring Martian invasions, murderous androids, time travel gone awry, planets inhabited entirely by women, and more. Bolstered by a growing stable of soon-to-be comic art legends like Harvey Kurtzman, Wally Wood, and Joe Orlando, Weird Science shaped the collective imagination of a generation. Gaines and Feldstein boldly tackled themes that were rarely addressed in serialized comics, while visionary artists like Wood went on to define the aesthetic and societal impact of the genre, depicting futuristic vistas and impossible technology with a level of detail as if not merely imagining them, but glimpsing into the very future itself. In Volume 1, Taschen presents the first eleven issues of Weird Science, meticulously recreating the comics in their original glory. Fold out, creator biographies, full credits, all ads and letters pages (each comic is reproduced cover to cover with color and registration remastered. Note: the carrying box these come in is meant as a shipping container. So they get bumped and scraped en route to us. We pass them on as-is. They are meant to be tossed after doing their duty and keeping each book pristine. We rebox each inside a larger box with padding, to keep this protective illustrated shipping box in the best condition for those hardcore collectors among you who may want to keep that intact also!! Each book inside is shrink-wrapped. Rush Service and International shipping could require an additional charge.