From IDW Publishing
July 21, 2011
IDW Expands Artist’s Edition Series with Wally Wood’s EC Stories
All-time great featured as never before in oversized, collector’s hardcover
Coming in October, available now for preorder through IDW
![[Wally Wood Cover Image]](http://gallery.mailchimp.com/5792cac24346d164eb0cf6ad2/images/WallyWood_CoverImage.jpg)
San Diego, CA (July 20, 2011)—Kicking off the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con with a bang, IDW Publishing today announced the latest expansion to the company’s revered art book series with WALLY WOOD’S EC STORIES: ARTIST’S EDTION. The third in the Artist’s Edition series, focuses on one of the all-time greatest comic book artists, and at the absolute peak of his creative powers: Wally Wood. What Bill Gaines achieved with EC Comics was quite likely, pound for pound, the finest comics line ever produced, and Wally Wood was one of their mainstays, who set an incredibly high artistic standard."It's wonderful to see such an amazing tribute to Wally Wood. IDW has done a top notch job," said Cathy Gaines-Mifsud. "My Dad would be thrilled, as would Wally."
An oversized, hardcover collection, WALLY WOOD’S EC STORIES: ARTIST’S EDITION will present Wood’s art the same size as it was originally drawn, and in a book measuring an amazing fifteen inches by twenty-two inches. As with all of IDW’s Artist’s Editions, the art presented will be scanned from the original pages to ensure the highest possible quality reproduction. While appearing to be in black and white, each page was scanned in color to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art—for instance, white-out corrections and blue pencil notations.
“I love EC Comics,” said Artist’s Editions Editor Scott Dunbier, “and Wally Wood is one of my all-time favorite artists—when he’s at his best, no one can touch him.”
WALLY WOOD’S EC STORIES: ARTIST’S EDTION is the third of IDW’s Artist’s Edition series, following DAVE STEVEN’S THE ROCKETEER and WALTER SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR, which is launching at the convention. Two more volumes will be announced throughout San Diego Comic-con.
WALLY WOOD’S EC STORIES: ARTIST’S EDTION ($125, hardcover, black and white, 144 pages, 15” x 22”) will be available in October. Pre-order through IDWPublishing.com or local retailer. ISBN 978-1-61377-098-6.
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Replies
Too bad Wood was so eccentric. His Daredevil run with Marvel was awesome. I loved his clean lines, which I preferred to the heavier hand of Kirby.
I seem to remember on of those EC stories in the back of my mind -- the climax was two ancient armies of men, centaurs and other creatures from fables lining up for an apocalyptic battle. That scene still sticks in my mind over 40 years later.
"Eccentric" is putting is mildly. From what I've read, Wood was a temperamental alcoholic with a talent for alienating publishers. He had severe health problems in later years that led to his 1981 suicide. He was drawing porno comics at the end. But he was a great, great talent for a long time.
"Eccentric" might better describe Steve Ditko (especially in his self-published "philosophical" work).
Oh, man, I've never seen a line Wood put down that I could find fault with. Just lovely, from top to bottom.
Doubt I'll be able to afford this, but you never know what'll turn up in used bookstores in 2022. Until then, I'll have to content myself with the odd EC archive every now and then.
www.twomorrows.com/alterego/articles/08adkins.html
Here's some memories from Dan Adkins of working in Wood's studio in the '60s. Adkins was clearly influenced by Wood, especially in his Marvel work of the late '60s. There's an X-Men issue credited to Adkins, from 1967, that is so close to Wood's style, I suspect Wally did some of the penciling or inking uncredited.