"50 Girls 50" and Other Stories (The Fantagraphics EC Comics Artists Library, 4)

Some of the best of EC Comics, in a great package. Al Williamson is one of the finest to do it; and this one goes in and out of print every so often. Don't sleep on it!

This is a beautiful book and well worth the time for anyone interested in Williamson's art or EC comics. I have the entire Russ Cochran EC library, which reprinted almost the entire line in black and white directly from the original artwork in a series of 50+ over-sized volumes, and this edition is much more compact and easy to handle, while retaining the clarity and line definition. The essays and introductions are excellent and provide plenty of insight.The entire EC Library that Fantagraphics is putting out is wonderful, and breaking it down by artist instead of by title establishes some consistency in each volume, while EC's anthology format provides plenty of variety in most of the titles. Williamson focused on science-fiction and this volume is chock-full of most of his classic stories; I'm not sure if there is enough remaining for a second volume, but that would be welcome.My copy arrived with some corner damage from the printer. Amazon quickly sent out a replacement copy.

Like the other reviewer, my copy arrived with minor damage to the corners, so that is a concern for anyone looking to collect and archive this volume. However, for 45% off the list price, I will only reduce my review by one star to four stars. Because, a lot of this material is nearly impossible to find, and all together in one volume? If you want to read these stories and enjoy the art without paying hundreds of dollars for multiple reprint volumes, then this is a very affordable way. The books themselves are gorgeous and the publisher clearly put some pride into the finished product. Someone in the packing process, Amazon or the shipping company that sent them the books, are not protecting the corners during transport. That's a shame, but for me, a smaller concern, as I would likely crack the binding and blunt the edges during my reading of the book.

This would ordinarily be a must have item for any fans of Al Williamson (and Frazetta and Krenkel). This particular edition is well designed, the printing is flawless (crisp and centered on every the page), the binding is solid and does not intrude on any of the illustrations or text and the extras (essays, observations, etc. by various artists) are both interesting and entertaining. Unfortunately, for all of that, I was disappointed with the item delivered. Why? Because, YET AGAIN, the item arrived DAMAGED! Had it been listed as damaged or a return, it wouldn't be that big a deal (I also wouldn't have bought it), but it was listed as 'new'. If one purchased a collectible sports card, no one would expect it to arrive creased or with the corners bent. So why, oh why, is it so difficult for the folks at the warehouse to understand that people purchasing collectible BOOKS deserve the same level of service? Given the volume of printed editions packed at all the Amazon fulfillment centers on a daily basis, I fail to understand why Amazon is unable to train (or adequately supervise) their packers so that those items are packed in such a way as to ensure they arrive undamaged! This is a beautiful edition! If not for the damage to the corners, I would have given it 5 stars. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened and it's getting pretty old. My advice to anyone looking to purchase this particular item for their collection (as opposed to just a quick read) would be that they try their local comic shop or some other brick and mortar source. Amazon just doesn't get it.

Book was a withdrawn library copy whose cover was a bit the worse for wear, but the interior was in great condition. A perfect example for "not judging a book by its cover." After all... it was quality of the content I was interested. A most own for any aficionado of the great Al Williamson and EC.

Tales of the Incredible, a paperback edition of EC's sci fi stories, was where I first encountered 50 Girls 50. That book inspired much admiration for and copying of the artwork of Al Williamson, and his EC co-worker Wally Wood by teenaged me. Seeing the art presented once more in this splendidly produced volume still inspires that sense of wonder -- and awe that anyone ever drew comics this well.

I have loved Al Williamson's work since the 80's when he seemed to be primarily an inker for Marvel. This book is lovely, the stories are great (though short and almost always with a zinger in the last panel, though i suppose that is the format). I've wanted to read the 50s EC horror comics for 20 years now and I'm happy to say they don't disappoint. I realize that some people have had some shipping issues with Amazon but I don't think that should reflect on Fantagraphics fine work on this beautiful book.

I GREW UP WITH THESE ILLUSTRATORS, GOT TO KNOW THEM PERSONALLY IN THE MID- 1960's AND WAS ALWAYS IN AWE OF THEM BOTH. THEIR WORK FOR E.C. WAS ALWAYS WHAT YOU EXPECTED AND RARELY WERE YOU EVER LET DOWN. THEY WERE MASTERS OF THEIR DOMAIN AND THEY ARE BOTH GIANTS IN THEIR FIELD. SADLY, THEY ARE BOTH GONE NOW BUT I BELIEVE THAT THEIR WORKS WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR YEARS TO COME.

Like the other volumes in Fantagraphics' EC Library series, what you get here is a selection of beautiful monochrome reprints, supplemented by useful editorial material, with all the books offering excellent production values, handsome hard covers and great value for money.Unlike the other volumes, with this one, you get the lot. Krigstein excepted, Al Williamson was the last of the major artists to arrive at EC, and not particularly prolific, so in this book, you get his entire comic book story output for the company, covering not just his famous SF work but also stories from the horror and crime genres (one story manages to straddle the horror, crime, romance and Western fields, which must make it the most genre-mashing story in the whole EC canon). Williamson has considerable assistance on inks and backgrounds from his "Fleagle Gang" pals Krenkel, Frazetta and Torres, and their own solo stories for EC (just one each) are also included, along with a previously unpublished collaboration between Williamson and the vastly under-rated George Evans. So while all the books in this series are great value for money, this one is, by virtue of being so comprehensive, exceptional value for money.The format - pin-sharp printing on high quality matt white paper - makes all the artists in this series look superb, but Williamson may benefit from it more than most, as his exquisite, delicate line work can be swamped by colour and muddied when printed on poorer quality paper. Here, his majestic technique is presented in the best possible light, and the reader can appreciate not just the illustrative prowess but also his storytelling skills. As the book's introductory essay points out, the contrast between Williamson's lush, romantic style and the "bitter, often pessimistic" in-house EC tone made for exceptionally powerful work.The stories themselves are mostly written by Al Feldstein (including three Bradbury adaptations) though some other writers are also present, including a very young Harlan Ellison. The story quality is inevitably variable but there are more hits than misses, and a number of acknowledged classics are here, including the title story, "Space Borne", "By George", "The Aliens", "The One Who Waits" and "A Sound of Thunder". Frazetta's "Squeeze Play" is also very good.Overall, while all the books in this series are excellent, this one is by far the easiest on the eye - a true thing of beauty, and wholeheartedly recommended to anyone who cares for comic book art from the illustrative end of the stylistic spectrum.Caveats: as with the other books in the series, the original publication details for the stories aren't provided, which is frustrating, and some readers may find the page size - slightly smaller than the original comics - disappointing.

A slice of 50s sci fi art that has its roots twenty years earlier. Al Williamson's beautiful art should be in every collector's library and certainly in the library of all comic artists.

Llevaba descatalogada años, este 3er volumen de la Biblioteca EC de Fantagraphics y no había forma de conseguirlo... Era la única que se me había escapado y no la encontraba ni en eBay. Ahora, ya la tengo junto con los veintitantos volúmenes de la imprescindible colección para todo amante de comics...Espero que haya sido útil mi valoración

Fantástico producto. Recomendado.

En bok som man förmodligen oftast köper för att man vill ha den. Och för egen del, blev jag inte besviken.