The EC Archives: Two-Fisted Tales Volume 3

Harvey Kurtzman (1924–1993) was a cartoonist, writer, editor, and comics genius. He is probably best remembered for MAD, which he founded in 1952. He created 28 revolutionary issues for E.C. publisher Bill Gaines (for whom he also created Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat) with such talent as Will Elder, Jack Davis, and Wally Wood before leaving in 1956. Kurtzman then created the short-lived satire magazine Trump for Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner in 1957. He followed with the comic-size Humbug in 1958, then Help! magazine. During his Help! tenure he discovered such diverse talent as Terry Gilliam, Gloria Steinem, Gilbert Shelton, and R. Crumb. In 1962 he and collaborator Will Elder began producing the long-running and elaborate Little Annie Fanny comic for Playboy. In the 1970s he became known as the “father-in-law of underground comix” for inspiring a new generation of media-bending cartoonists.

Jack Davis was born on December 2, 1924, in Atlanta, Georgia. After serving in the Navy, Davis enrolled in night classes at the Art Students League and began working on The Saint syndicated newspaper strip. It was in 1951 that he began working for EC Comics on their horror, war, and suspense titles. The juxtaposition of Davis’s “cartoony” style with the grim and at times gruesome EC scripts quickly made him one of the line’s most popular artists. Shortly thereafter he began his decades-long association with MAD, where his humorous, over-the-top style meshed perfectly with MAD‘s zany irreverence. Davis has worked in virtually every area of commercial illustration, including movie posters, advertising campaigns, album covers, magazine covers, and illustrations.