EC (Indicia: "Educational Comics, Inc."). February, 1955. VG- (3.5). "Composition Book" cover by Harvey Kurtzman. Kurtzman scripts. Art by Bill Elder, Jack Davis, Wally Wood.

Kurtzman and the gang mock Paul Revere, the Katzenjammer Kids, detective fiction and the phoniness of Hollywood westerns. By the time the child reader reaches the back cover ad ("Prizes Given! Make Money!"), the advertiser's promises ring empty, the sham of hucksterism having been revealed.

"[EC] struck a nerve precisely because teenagers hungered for something that wasn't 'good for you.' Mad was an irreverent beacon to youth that made fun of relentless consumerism.... Kurtzman's comic book came as a bolt from the blue. Published alongside mainstream material, MAD was so unusual that it seemed like a cult publication." -Bill Schelly, Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America.

A limited edition of 100 softcover and 15 hardcover catalogues are available. Over 200 pages, fully illustrated. Fun reference, great keepsake. Softcovers $40, dust-jacketed hardcover with limitation plate $200. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com or call 415-989-2665

R. Crumb says, "I found [PBA's catalogue] so interesting that I am saving it for the texts that accompany the comics which were put up for auction. This is some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of comic books. I especially enjoyed the reviews of the post-war horror comics. Great. Priceless."

Consignments welcome for PBA's Spring 2021 Comic Book sale. Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age and Silver Age comics, original art and ephemera sought. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com or call 415-989-2665