cryptofmadness

[cryptofmadness]

MAD magazine issue #44 Cover Reveal!

Peep this! The front cover to the upcoming MAD magazine issue #44 ! Artwork by Kerry Callen!

Out June 11, in comic shops (https://www.comicshoplocator.com ) or via mail subscription (http://madmagazine.com/subscribe )

[cryptofmadness]

CATACOMB OF TORMENT Issue #1 Cover Art Revealed!

By Chet Reams

The main front covers for the first issue of Oni Press’s new EC Comics series CATACOMB OF TORMENT just got posted on Instagram by Oni Press designer Rian Hughes .

Cover A by Jorge Fornes!

Art by Tom Fowler!

Art by Dustin Weaver!

Additionally, we also know of several other variant covers for CATACOMB OF TORMENT issue #1:

Cover G 1:50 - Patricia Martin Samaniego Archive Variant

Cover D - Blank Variant - for sketch cover commissions usage.

Tom Fowler Cover Art

Jay Stephens cover art

Jorge Fornes cover art - but it is a Foil Variant...

CATACOMB OF TORMENT hits comic shops on July 16, 2025!

NOTE: Provided cover preview images shown are subject to change before print!

[cryptofmadness]

COVER REVEAL: Epitaphs From The Abyss issue 12!

By Chet Reams

Here we have the covers for the upcoming 12th issue of Epitaphs From The Abyss!

Cover A is by Lee Bermejo.

Cover B is by Tom Fowler.

And, Cover C is by Albert Monteys.

Cover D is an "Artist Edition" Variant by Tom Fowler.

And cover E is the "Archive Edition Variant" by Rian Hughes.

Note that these are "Tentative Covers" from Oni Press, and that color schemes, art placement, text, etc are subject to change in the final printed product/comic book.

Epitaphs From The Abyss issue 12 is set to arrive in comic book stores on June 18, 2025!

[cryptofmadness]

COVER REVEAL: MAD Magazine #043

MAD #043 on sale in comic book stores April 16!

Or by mail subscription at madmagazine.com/subscribe

[cryptofmadness]

Cover Reveal: Epitaphs From The Abyss issue 11!

Posted by Chet Reams

The Covers for Epitaphs From The Abyss (ABYSS) issue 11 are out and they definitely are something to look at!

ABYSS Issue 11, Cover A by Lee Bermejo

ABYSS Issue 11, Cover B by Anwita Citriya

ABYSS Issue 11, Cover C by Albert Monteys

ABYSS Issue 11, Cover D by Anwita Citriya

One more issue is left for the first volume/run of ABYSS. But don't fear! Just as soon as EC's ABYSS comic book series quickly crawls to an end (with the upcoming issue 12), the series will be replaced by the series "Catacomb Of Torment", another new EC horror genre series!

EC's Epitaphs From The Abyss issue 11 drops in comic stores on May 21, 2025! Find your local comic stores here!

[cryptofmadness]

SHUDDER Issue 23 Cover Reveal!

The upcoming August 2025 edition of SHUDDER magazine features a cover by Vic Prezio! Check it out below!

SHUDDER mag can be found in comic shops as well as Barnes & Noble stores!

Direct Pre-Orders of SHUDDER can be placed on their official webstore at https://www.shuddermagazine.com/purchase.html

[cryptofmadness]

Exclusive Interview with Retro-a-go-go's Doug P'Gosh; Interviewed about EC Comics products!

Interview by Chet Reams

Chet Reams: Tell us at Crypt of MADness a bit about yourself to start off:

Doug P'Gosh: I’m an artist, illustrator and product designer. My full time job is working with my wife, designing products for Retro-a-go-go! I also design products such as statues and tiki mugs for Tiki Farm, Munktiki, Disney and others. Finally, I try to paint and draw every day and I love creating portraits of classic Hollywood stars and alternative movie posters for films. I’ve had a number of my illustrations licensed and released for Lucasfilm and Warner Brothers. I’m very lucky to live a very full, creative life. You can see a more detailed outline of my creative career and my paintings and illustrations at my personal web site PGOSH.com.

And when I’m not working, my wife and I like to travel and haunt antique shows and stores, where I always keep an eye out for old ECs among other things. A couple of years ago I found a nice copy of a vintage Weird Science for $10! Miracles can still happen!

Reams: Fill us in on Retro-A-Go-Go, the business!

P'Gosh: Retro-a-go-go! was started nearly 21 years ago by my wife, Kirsten. At the time, she was feeling pretty burned out by her corporate marketing career. She wanted a new challenge and to work for herself and to build her own business. She took a $100 investment and created a bunch of necklaces at our kitchen table. She utilized my collection of old 1920’s and 30’s film magazines, printing the covers at a miniature size and creating a fun product. She took a table full of the jewelry and some other items she created to a Rockabilly/Car show and quickly sold out of them all. She was off to the races after that. Belt buckles, t-shirts, wallet cases and business card cases, flasks and more all with retro related, fun, humorous images. 

I had my own corporate product design job at the time and after about 7 years of my wife growing the business, I left my job and joined her as a full time product designer.

About 8 years ago, we were feeling like the company needed to go in a new direction. We were no longer inspired to create more of the same types of products and then our factory for metal work closed. Around this time, I was developing a new product using vac form plastic to enlarge old Halloween masks from the 1960’s and 70’s into 2 foot tall giant wall decorations. We pretty much poured our last bucks into getting a series of wall décor masks manufactured for us. 

The first few days after we introduced our new Horror Décor, the line was met with indifference. Our present customer base just wasn’t looking for what we had created. But by some miracle, Pee Wee Herman saw our designs, blogged about them and his own 1980’s Pee Wee Halloween costume and our sales exploded overnight. Since then, we’ve created thousands of Halloween, Christmas and monster related vac form and other products. We’ve licensed with Universal for the Munsters, Mars Attacks, General Mills Cereal Monsters and more. We’re now a collectibles and décor company that creates products for people that are looking for something different from what you find in every big box department store.  The unique, different and unusual- as long as we have a passion for the product, we’ll create it. If we like it, we figure we’ll have customers that like it too. We’re usually right.

Reams: What initially led Retro-A-Go-Go to start producing officially licensed EC Comics merch?

P'Gosh: That was me. I pushed to get the license. I loved the comics since I was a kid and thought there was room for the kind of products that we can create. And I loved the idea of contributing to the EC legacy- if only in a small way.

Reams: Did you read EC Comics (reprints or originals) growing up? If so, what was your initial take-away from them?

P'Gosh: I have thought of this question a lot. It’s a bit fuzzy as to when I first was introduced to EC…or rather the artists I love so much that drew for EC and MAD. My Dad was in his early 20’s in the 1950’s, so I know I remembered him talking about “Tales from the Crypt”. But I think I found my way to EC through MAD. First it was the magazine, then someone gave me “The Brothers MAD”, the paperbook reprint of the early comic book MAD. I think that had the Wonder Woman parody in it and I couldn’t get enough of Bill Elder’s drawings. I was hooked. And that sent me down the rabbit hole of chasing down the early MAD comic books. First with the stitched in reprints, bound into the MAD Super Specials. Then it was discovering Jack Davis, Wally Wood and the rest of the gang. Then somewhere around that time (this is the late 1970’s/early 80’s and I’m in grade school) I was really into the Warren Magazine re-prints of Will Eisner’s the Spirit. In the back was an ad for the re-print set of EC comics. All of them for one price. Once those came in the mail and I got a taste of the EC line, it really demonstrated how great comics could be, as opposed to the stuff that was in print by the big houses DC and Marvel. The more EC I could find, the better. I loved the horror stuff, but the War and Sci-fi lines were fantastic too. All these years later, I have a stack of EC originals and a shelf full of various reprints, from the Cochran volumes to the recent GIANT Taschen book.

Reams: Fill us in on the EC Ghoul-unatics bust/sculpture of The Old Witch (which is currently up for pre-order on Retro-A-Go-Go)…

P'Gosh: Our first big EC intro was the “Tales from the Crypt” ornament set. Those sold out pretty quickly after we received our shipment, so we knew there is a passionate audience for the product. But I wanted to do more with the Ghoul-unatics. Last year we started a line of 5.5” Creep-tastic statues. They’re affordable, highly detailed mini statues of classic monsters and Halloween related characters. We started with Lagoon Creep, our version of the Creature, and then introduced the Trick or Treat Devil Creep, which is an homage to classic kids' Halloween costumes.  I really wanted to introduce the EC mascots in this series, and worked up a number of sketches. I landed on poses and looks that I thought captured the look of the Ghoul-unatic AND the artist that was most famous for each. The Old Witch is closely associated with Graham Ingels, of course. My personal design sensibility with these monsters is to have fun with their looks and proportions, while keeping the essence of each character. As I mentioned, I grew up on MAD and the over-sized head and hands and feet are inspired by all those years of reading the magazine and loving the art and artists that created the work.

Reams: What was the design process for the EC Old Witch piece … 

P'Gosh: Once we had drawings we were excited about, we submitted them to the licensee. Happily, they were as excited about the concepts as we were. The next step is to create digital sculpt and when the sculptor saw the drawings and was supper excited to work on the designs, I knew we were onto something great. Once we create a digital sculpt, it’s sent to the factory for creating a sample. I take my drawing and work on a detailed color break and indications as to how we want the finished sample to look. Some weeks later, we see photos of a painted sample, where we then make changes and adjustments. A few weeks after that, a revised sample is shipped to us for photography and promotion.

Reams: I am assuming from the design sketches you shared on the Facebook group “EC Fan-Addict Club” ..; That is, I’m assuming that there are also a Crypt-Keeper, and a Vault-Keeper in the works for this particular line of products?

P'Gosh: Yes, that is the plan. Our hope is to  give a 3-4 month lag between introducing the next Ghoul-unatic. We’ll probably start sculpting the next one in a couple of months.

Reams: What about Drusilla, the fourth EC Ghoul-unatic? Will she have an item in this series?

P'Gosh: I hadn’t considered her yet. I’m not sure she would lend her good looks to having her head oversized to match the rest of the mascots… let's say the jury is out on her at the moment.

Reams: Are there any plans .. plans to produce items of the new EC Comics horror hosts for EC/William M. Gaines Agent, Inc? The various new EC comic book titles (that Oni Press has been co-publishing with EC Comics), that is?

P'Gosh: Our present license does not include those characters. The new EC line came along after we had our agreement, so there’s no plan for that at this time. But never say never!

Crypt of MADness sends a Big Thank-You to Doug P'Gosh for lending his time to this interview!

Retro-a-go-go! can be found online at https://www.retroagogo.com.

EC Comics can be found online at https://www.eccomics.com.

[cryptofmadness]

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Grant Geissman talks about "The Complete Moon Girl"

Interview by Chet Reams  

Chet Reams: Tell us about Moon Girl, the character.   Grant Geissman: Princess Moon Girl hails from the kingdom of Samarkand, and according to her origin story, she was “a woman of sensational strength, superhuman speed and endurance, and surpassing loveliness.” Along with this, she was armed with her Magic Moonstone, which “gives her the power of ten ordinary men, and guards her against all harm.” Her companion, Prince Mengu, was “one of the greatest athletes of all time, a true son of Hercules. No living man or woman can match the Prince’s superlative strength—except Moon Girl.” The pair eventually made it to America, where they assumed secret identities—Moon Girl as Claire Lune, and Prince Mengu as Lionel Manning—and together they fend off invaders from other planets as well as fight crime, and “dedicate themselves to the task of creating a better world.” 

Reams: What led you to compile this collection?

Geissman: This is actually a book that I have long wanted to do. It’s quite interesting in the scheme of EC, because it’s the only superhero title they ever did. It’s well deserving of the high-quality book. Like I did on The Complete Junior and Sunny by Al Feldstein, everything is scanned from the original comic books, so the pages have that paper tone to them. Nearly all of the cover images were scanned from vintage cover proofs that were originally in Shelly Moldoff’s collection, and which I acquired many years ago.   Reams: Tell us about the artists and writers featured with in the book.   Geissman: Moon Girl is illustrated by Shelly Moldoff, who did the bulk of it, and Johnny Craig, who did the first couple of covers and a few interior stories, including “Zombie Terror,” which is considered to be EC’s first horror story. The writers are Dorothy Roubicek and Gardner Fox, a great writer who had a very long, important career in comics.   Reams: The book is being marketed as part of “The EC Archives” series, but it does not say “EC Archives” on the front cover. For those of us who have bought the other volumes, I want to ask will the book spine match up with the other “EC Archives” volumes?   Geissman: I liked the look of the cover without the “EC Archives” banner on the cover, and I also thought that since this book might appeal to readers that aren’t necessarily regular buyers of the “EC Archives” series, that it should also work as a stand-alone book. As far as the spine, and the back cover, I was aware of the fact that people do like things to match, and I think the Moon Girl spine matches the other titles well. The main difference is, because the full title is The Complete Moon Girl, there wasn’t room to put a little square with artwork towards the bottom of the spine. Inside the book, the design is somewhat different than the other recent EC Archives books, and I think it’s a hybrid between what Dark Horse has done and the original concept of the Russ Cochran versions of the “EC Archives”books, which had more additional illustrations.   Reams: Will there be any bonus features? Such as printing some of the original artwork, or EC related essays?   Geissman: Yes. Further to what I was saying above, my introduction (which is in all the EC Archives books) has much more illustrations than in the typical Dark Horse volume. And I also wrote a new foreword, which is has a lot of additional graphics as well. Throughout the book, there are examples of Moon Girl original art, hand-colored cover silverprints, vintage production material, Shelly Moldoff Moon Girl art commissions, and so forth. I think people will be pleased by all the extra material in this book.    Reams: What future EC related projects are you working on?   Geissman: As you probably know, Taschen is coming out with Weird Science XXL Vol. 1 (collecting issues 1-11). I helped on that book and wrote the introduction, the biographies, and all the story synopsis, and they have plans to do more. And I’m working slowly but surely to get Roger Hill’s book on Johnny Craig finished up and published, which will take a while, but it’s going to be a great project. 

Crypt of MADness thanks Grant Geissman for the interview! "The Complete Moon Girl" releases to book shops on July 1, 2025; The book will be available in comic book stores on July 2, 2025!

[cryptofmadness]

ComicsPRO 2025: Oni Press Bites into BLOOD TYPE #1 – A Monstrous New EC Comics Milestone from Superstar Creators Corinna Bechko & Andrea Sorrentino Beginning in June! 

PORTLAND, OR (February 19, 2025)  OUT OF THE PAGES OF EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS . . . A MONSTROUS NEW EC COMICS MILESTONE BEGINS THIS JUNE! In advance of this year’s annual ComicsPRO Comic Book Industry Meeting in Glendale, CA, Oni Press – the multiple Eisner and Harvey award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comic books and graphic novels since 1997 – and William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. are proud to announce that the next chapter in the blockbuster resurrection of the immortal EC Comics will be written this June in BLOOD TYPE #1 – the FIRST ISSUE of A TERRIFYING NEW KIND OF HORROR SERIES from Hugo Award-nominated writer Corinna Bechko (Cruel Universe, Green Lantern: Earth One) and Eisner Award-winning artist Andrea Sorrentino (Gideon Falls, Old Man Logan)! Rising from the pages of her first appearance in last fall’s EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #3, EC's own blood-splattered, bon vivant vampire will be making history as the first character to claw her way out of an iconic EC Comics short story . . . and into the first-ever standalone, serialized horror series from the most notorious name in terror!

“Since day one, it’s always been our intention to push the boundaries of the revitalized EC Comics line at Oni Press into new and unexpected territory. First came our fleet of new anthology series – beginning with EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS and CRUEL UNIVERSE – which shattered our own already-high expectations to become Oni’s best-selling new series in more than a decade,” said Oni Press President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson. “Now, with BLOOD TYPE #1, we’re gearing up for something even more radical: the first-ever continuation of EC Comics anthology short, picking up the thread of how one lone vampire lost at sea will soon wash ashore on a tropical isle, where she is not the only creature with a taste for flesh and blood. Trenaciously twisted and hilariously brutal in the true EC manner, Corinna’s cleverly killer instincts are a perfect accent for the macabre art of Andrea Sorrentino – one of the best horror artists anywhere today. You’d have to be dead already to justify missing this book!”

WHEN YOU'RE A VAMPIRE, EVERYBODY SUCKS . . . SOONER OR LATER! Meet Ada, an immortal vampire whose misdeeds have landed her on the doorstep of an idyllic Caribbean resort. . . . An island paradise teeming with wealthy tourists and superstitious locals—an ample food supply for the thirsty vamp looking to get away from it all!  But as Ada stalks the boundaries of her new hunting ground, she'll soon become embroiled in a deadly game of cat and mouse by moonlight . . . as an older, wiser, and entirely different kind of predator reveals its own carnal hunger for greed and power. Who will survive when a brand-new kind of BLOOD TYPE declares war on a cunning bloodsucker with nothing left to lose . . . and what will be left of them?!

Picking up in the immediate aftermath of Ada’s first appearance in the titular short story “Blood Type” from EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #3, BLOOD TYPE is intended to be the first in a new slate of semi-regular EC Comics limited series that will spotlight and continue a select few of the razor-sharp short stories introduced in the pages of EC’s monthly anthology titles – be they horror, science fiction, fantasy, or more. Before BLOOD TYPE #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere this June, readers can rediscover the killer short that first launched Ada into infamy inside the pages of EC PRESENTS BLOOD TYPE #0 – Oni’s 2025 Free Comic Book Day release by Bechko and artist Jonathan Case (Green River Killer), alongside other fan-favorite shorts from EC”s first year at Oni Press by creators Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Chris Condon (Ultimate Wolverine), Kano (Gotham Central), and Matt Kindt (BRZRKR, Mind MGMT) with an all-new cover by Eisner Award nominee Tyler Crook (Out of Alcatraz, Harrow County). 

“Horror has just always been where I've felt most at home, something Andrea and I have in common,” said writer Corinna Bechko “With BLOOD TYPE we've cooked up a wicked tale that expands on a character I fell in love with as soon as I put her on the page. Does she love me back? Not a chance, and that's her charm. She's a vampire, but that doesn't mean she sparkles or is ready for romance. She is, however, ready to take over a tropical paradise.”

“I think horror is just my thing,” said artist Andrea Sorrentino. “I've worked on many different things like superheroes and sci-fi in my career, but when it's up to horror, this is where I feel at home …The opportunity to connect with the deepest fears of the reader through some imagery is a great and satisfying challenge. This is why when I've been asked if I was up to collaborate with EC Comics (one of the greatest of the comic horror producers) for two short stories first and then the launch of this exciting new limited series, it has been an honor for me. I can't wait to join Corinna Bechko and my long time collaborator Dave Stewart on colors for this new, amazing project. It's going to be a lot of fun and I can't wait for readers to put their eyes on what we are doing here!”

As a revolutionary new entry in the EC Comics canon, BLOOD TYPE #1 will lead off a new wave of gloriously bloody new wave EC series at Oni Press across Summer 2025. Stay tuned for more news on EC’s upcoming SUMMER OF FEAR in the weeks ahead as BLOOD TYPE prepares to bite deep! 

“I can't wait for folks to read BLOOD TYPE,” said Bechko. “EC Comics are more relevant now than ever and I hope we've honored that tradition while doing something brand new with this longer tale. Won't you join us for the scariest vacation of your life?"

Featuring covers by Miguel Mercado (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Andrea Sorrentino (Bone Orchard), Albert Monteys (Universe!), and Naomi Franq (Black Hammer: Barbalien), BLOOD TYPE #1 seeps into comic shops everywhere on June 18th.

Blood Type #1

WRITTEN BY CORINNA BECHKOART BY ANDREA SORRENTINO

COVER A BY MIGUEL MERCADO

COVER B BY ANDREA SORRENTINO

ON SALE JUNE 18, 2025 | $4.99 | 32 PAGES | FC

COVER A BY MIGUEL MERCADO

COVER B BY ANDREA SORRENTINO

About Oni Press

Founded in 1997, Oni Press has a 25-year history as one of the industry’s most respected and acclaimed publishers of award-winning comic books and graphic novels with titles including Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim, K. O’Neill’s Tea Dragon Society, Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt's The Sixth Gun, Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Ezra Clayton Daniels' Upgrade Soul, Brenna Thummler’s Sheets trilogy, and many hundreds more. In 2019, Oni Press merged with Lion Forge Comics – the Eisner Award-winning independent comic book publisher founded by Academy Award-winning producer and entrepreneur David Steward II – to create one of the largest, independent libraries of comics content anywhere in media. The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group now exists as a publishing subsidiary of Steward’s diversified global media company, Polarity.

The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group publishes more than 60 original and licensed graphic novels annually, in addition to an extensive list of periodical comics.

About EC Comics

As the birthplace of TALES FROM THE CRYPT, MAD MAGAZINE, WEIRD SCIENCE, and more of the most influential and celebrated comic series ever published, EC Comics has cemented itself as one of the central nerves of American pop culture with a legacy that spans more than seven decades. From 1944 to 1956, EC – established as "Educational Comics" by founder M.C. Gaines and later rebranded "Entertaining Comics" under the leadership of Publisher & Editor William M. Gaines – led a creative renaissance for the comics industry that, for the first time, elevated the once-derided comics medium into the echelons of English literature and high art. Heralded as "one of the great explosions of vox-pop literature" by Time Magazine and "fiercely honest, politically adversarial, [and] visually masterful" by The Comics Journal, EC's line of comics books - which collectively sold more than 10 million copies annually at their peak – entertained and informed in equal measure, using brilliantly crafted tales of horror, science fiction, satire, and battlefield conflict to critique and subvert America's dark impulses toward violence, racism, inequity, environmental destruction, and war. 

Forcibly shuttered by the Comics Code Authority – a pro-censorship group specifically tasked with eradicating EC's illuminating influence from the American comic book industry – in 1956, EC's unique brand of subversive storytelling lived on through the continued success of MAD Magazine, which would fuel American counterculture through the death of Publisher William M. Gaines in 1992. EC's titles and stories have been adapted in a number of media – including the long-running HBO's long-running TALES FROM THE CRYPT franchise of television series and feature films – and continue to be celebrated by multiple generations of comic creators, filmmakers, comedians, and musicians as a seminal influence. 

Today, EC Comics' canon of classic stories can continuously be found in print through new editions at Dark Horse Comics, TASCHEN, Fantagraphics, and IDW Publishing. In 2024, EC announced a new partnership with multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher Oni Press to produce the first all-new EC Comics titles in nearly 70 years. 

[cryptofmadness]

Cover Reveal: MAD issue #42!

Cover Art by Tom Bunk.

[cryptofmadness]

COVER REVEAL: EC's Epitaphs From The Abyss #10

Posted by Chet Reams

Crypt of MADness is proud to reveal the Main Covers for EC Comics' Epitaphs From The Abyss ("ABYSS"):

"ABYSS" Cover A (shown below) is illustrated by Lee Bermejo!

And "ABYSS" Cover B (shown below) features art by Darick Robertson!

Of course, (most likely) there will be even more variant covers to come! Crypt of MADness will keep you updated!

[cryptofmadness]

Free Comic Book Day from EC /Oni - and EC Comics planning new series?

By Chet Reams

The Silver level comics for Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) have been revealed and EC Comics is involved! Introducing :"Blood Type" - This will be the second FCBD title to ever be released under the EC Comics banner, with 2009's "EC Comics Sampler " being the first.

Presenting... "Blood Type" FCBD Edition!

It appears as if EC Comics/Oni Press are also planning a stand-alone solo-character series. The concept of the upcoming series sounds like it will be based on the story "Blood Type" (from Epitaths From The Abyss issue #3) .

A statement emailed to us from Hunter Gorinson, of Oni Press: "..can confirm that FCBD will include a reprint of that story..." ("Blood Type").

Hunter hinted to us as well, that "..there will also [be] something new, also with the same title coming in the early summer..."

The "solicitation text" details for "Blood Type" FCBD Editon seems to also confirm the plans for a stand-alone-character EC Comics series:

"OUT OF THE PAGES OF EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS … BLOOD TYPE IS BORN! Before she rises from the grave and stakes her claim to EC's landmark, first-ever solo series this May, re-discover the perilous first appearance of the blood-thirsty, bon vivant vampire always in search of a good time … and a fresh kill! Plus: An encore presentation of some of this year's most shocking, fan-favorite EC Comics stories from EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS, CRUEL UNIVERSE and CRUEL KINGDOM … and an exclusive look ahead at next summer's sinister wave of horrifying new EC Comics titles!"

Exciting news for sure...

[cryptofmadness]

Cover Reveal: MAD magazine issue #041!

Posted by Chet Reams

Above: The cover to MAD magazine issue #041

The cover artist is Mark Fredrickson.

[cryptofmadness]

Cover Reveal: Epitaphs From The Abyss Issue #8

By Chet Reams

Cover A, art by Lee Bermejo

Cover B - with Naomi Franquiz' artwork

Cover D - This is the Naomi Franquiz "Black & White" variant cover!

And the solicitation text for this upcoming issue: Every tombstone tells a tale. . . . Maybe yours will be next?! This month¸ the most notorious name in terror—the undying EC Comics—chisels three more terrifying epitaphs in the tombstones that line The Grave-Digger's boneyard beyond the abyss! Join us¸ won't you¸ as positively poisonous writers Jeff Jensen (HBO's Watchmen) and Jordan Thomas (Skin Police) pair with the violent intentions of artists Valeria Burzo (Castle Full of Blackbirds) and David Lapham (Stray Bullets) to hold court alongside even more unsuspecting talents in celebration of the one thing we crave the most: FEAR.

Epitaphs From The Abyss issue 8 releases February 19th, 2025!

[cryptofmadness]

Cover Reveal: Cruel Kingdom #2 Main Covers!

Posted By Chet Reams

Cruel Kingdom, EC Comics' upcoming Sword-And-Sorcery series , has had its covers posted on several message boards. As such, Crypt of MADness is happy to present the main cover variants to Cruel Kingdom issue #2!

EC's Cruel Kingdom issue 2, Cover A by Adam Pollina.

EC's Cruel Kingdom issue 2, Cover B by Tom Fowler and Bill Crabtree

Cruel Kingdom #2 goes on sale February 5, 2025, at comic book stores worldwide.

And here's the Solicitation text: "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . BLOOD WILL BE SPILLED! Enter the lost aeon of brave knights, foreboding wizards, and gloriously skull-crushing brutality as EC Comics' first-ever dark fantasy title unleashes its next full-throated battle cry of all-out terror with spellbinding writers Corinna Bechko (Green Lantern: Earth One) and Chris Condon (Ultimate Wolverine) alongside enchanting artists PJ Holden (2000 AD), Andrea Mutti (Rebels), and more enthralling talents! No, this is no ordinary storybook—this is CRUEL KINGDOM!"

More info on Cover Variants for issue 2 of Cruel Kingdom:

CRUEL KINGDOM #2 (of 4) WRITTEN BY CORINNA BECHKO, CHRIS CONDON & MORE ART BY PJ HOLDEN, ANDREA MUTTI & MORE COVER A BY ADAM POLLINA COVER B BY TOM FOWLER WITH BILL CRABTREE HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY JAY STEPHENS B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY TOM FOWLER ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY RIAN HUGHES

[cryptofmadness]

Epitaphs From The Abyss #7 Main Cover Reveal!

Posted by Chet Reams

The main front cover for issue 7 of EC Comics' Epitaphs From The Abyss series has been posted on PREVIEWSWORLD. The cover artwork is illustrated by Lee Bermejo. Crypt Of MADness magazine is proud to share it with you below:

Keep in mind, readers, that EC's Epitaphs From The Abyss series is currently set to run for a total of 12 issues! This means we are getting near the end of what is projected to be the first run of EC Comics' first new series in seventy years!

Epitaphs From The Abyss issue #7 goes on sale at comic book shops on January 22, 2025!

Solicitation text is as follows: "SOMETIMES . . . NIGHTMARES DO COME TRUE! IN THE NEW YEAR, EC COMICS DARES YOU LOOK EVEN DEEPER INTO THE UNEXPLORED RECESSES OF YOUR IMAGINATION AS THE TOP-SELLING HORROR SERIES OF 2024 ENTERS ITS UNRELENTING SECOND ACT! This month: Our beloved hosts-the Grave-Digger, the Tormentor, and the Grim Inquisitor-usher you forth into three velvet-lined tales of darkness and deceit . . . and then seal you inside! Relax and embrace the decomposition yet to come as storytellers and fellow victims Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun), Chris Condon (Night People), and Matthew Rosenberg (DC vs. Vampires) gulp their last remaining breaths alongside grisly artists Tyler Crook (Harrow County), Dustin Weaver (Avengers), and more! STAY CALM, THAT RELENTLESS BANGING WILL ONLY WEAR YOU OUT MORE QUICKLY!"

And the comic book's Diamond Distributors Order Code, for comic shops to order it with, is NOV241720 .

[cryptofmadness]

TASCHEN Books To Issue EC Comics Reprints; Beginning With Weird Science Volume One!

By Taylor C. Mitchell

It has been made official and the rumors appear to be true! German publisher, Taschen, is in the business of reprinting EC comics! Taschen is a luxury book publisher known for making high-end boutique art books. They have recently begun a series called the Marvel Comics Library reprinting their earliest silver age stories. This EC Comics Library appears to be in the same vein.

We do not have all the details just yet, as Taschen themselves have not issued their own press release. There is an official listing in the up-coming Edelweiss catalog, however. Keep in mind, these details are all subject to change, but if they come to fruition this could be the best way these comics have ever looked.

In Taschen’s famous XXL Format, which is a hardcover format with the dimensions of approximately 11 inches by 15 inches, this will be a 462 page tome. This will collect the entirety of the first 11 issues of Weird Science, presumably, in the same facsimile style reprints as the Marvel Comics Library. If that is the case, then these will include any and all ads, letters pages, columns and ephemera that were inside the original issues. If done in the same treatment as the Marvel Comics Library then this book will have high gloss, thick paper stock covers with the interior pages of the comics being in Taschen’s signature matte paper stock that emulates newsprint.

The idea of a collection of this magnitude is to give you as close to the experience of pulling these comics off the newsstands, back in the early 1950s, as possible. Albeit, pulling them off the stands and putting them into a transmogrifier that only a Wallace Wood could design, to blow them up to 11 x 15 page size!

About the author: Taylor C. Mitchell. The host of Taylor Talks Comics! on YouTube where he covers comics from all eras and backgrounds. From EC to Marvel and DC. From Europe to Japan. To self-published underground comix! Taylor covers it all! Youtube.com/TaylorTalksComics