Grant Geissman

When I was a kid, I had a friend who had a lot of horror comics. I used to get an illicit thrill from going over to her house to read them, as there were no comic books in my home. Although the EC comics covered in Foul Play! were published quite a while before I was born, they are the genesis of the comics I enjoyed.

This book is a real delight. A brief biography of each artist builds a picture of the history of comics, and the challenges the publisher faced. I particularly appreciate that each artist is highlighted with a complete reproduction of one of his comics. Comics are best appreciated as whole cloth, and it is really nice to be offered more than just the single page out-takes that most overviews of the field offer.

This book would be a fine read for both the comic enthusiast and the person interested in the society and culture of the mid-20th century.… (more)