Famed as one of the great innovators in comics history, Krigstein was one of the first cartoonists to consciously experiment with pacing and layout for psychological effect. This impressive coffee-table book follows his development from his heavy-handed crime and romance comics of the late 1940s to his expressionist masterpieces for EC Comics a few years later. Employing a variety of artistic styles and inking techniques, Krigstein emerges as a restless trendsetter, moving from a loose, sketchy style to a dense horror technique, depending on the story. Unfortunately, the reprinted comics stories also show how Krigstein was handcuffed by the period's trite themes and "shock" endings. Many of the stories are so hackneyed they're barely readable today, and when editor Sadowski mentions that a story about a pirate with an ape for a sidekick was a Krigstein favorite, one can only wonder why. However, at EC, Krigstein found writers similarly dedicated to pushing artistic boundaries, and these collaborations are the book's finest: "Key Chain," in which a crime in a key-making shop leads to madness, or "In the Bag," a gruesome story of a cop following a suspicious character whom Krigstein elevates to art with his moody storytelling and withering ability to capture human weakness with a few lines. The quality is heightened by Marie Severin's masterful recolorings throughout.

About the Author

Bernard (B.) Krigstein (1919–1990) was trained as a classical painter, but early on he recognized the artistic potential of the comics medium. He was inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2003.

Greg Sadowski is a writer, editor and designer (B. Krigstein, Supermen!, Four Color Fear, Setting the Standard: Alex Toth; Action! Mystery! Thrills!) living in Washington State.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

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M & M Books
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Georgia residents please add 7% sales tax. Please include $5.00 (US) for media
mail within USA: $1.00 more for each additional item. Books are sent via US
Postal Service unless other arrangements are requested. For INTERNATIONAL
PURCHASES, PLEASE contact M & M Books at mandmbks@gmail.com at the time of your
order and we will email you the exact cost quoted us by the shipping agency.
NOTE: USPS NO LONGER SHIPS SURFACE MAIL TO OVERSEAS. We will ship GLOBAL
PRIORITY where possible, minimum charge o...

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Please include $5.00 (US) for media mail within USA, 5-14 days; $1.00 more for each additional item. Books are sent via US Postal Service unless other arrangements are requested. For INTERNATIONAL PURCHASES, PLEASE contact M & M Books at mandmbks@gmail.com at the time of your order and we will email you the exact cost quoted us by the shipping agency. NOTE: USPS NO LONGER SHIPS SURFACE MAIL TO OVERSEAS. We will ship GLOBAL PRIORITY where possible, minimum charge of $11.00, maximum weight 4 pounds. For packages over 4 pounds, we will contact you via email with exact charges. Georgia residents please add 7% sales tax. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we will contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.

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