EC Comics
EC Comics was founded in 1944. While it lives on due to licensing deals and reprints, it largely ended by the mid-1950s as a publisher. Originally standing for Educational Comics before becoming Entertaining Comics, EC is known for groundbreaking horror and science fiction stories. EC also expanded into humor when it created MAD Magazine in 1952, a magazine that continues to be published as of 2020. However, EC’s impact on the comics industry and its legacy are greater than just being another publisher with some still-relevant intellectual properties. In the world of comics studies, EC is often associated with issues of juvenile delinquency and censorship, while in the worlds of horror and humor, EC is often seen as a disruptive and influential brand that shaped the minds of many entertainment creators. In EC’s short life, it impacted the foundation of the comic book industry and created a legacy that continues to inspire.