Archie Goodwin « The Comics Journal

In the conclusion of this three-part interview, Groth and Giordano ponder comics as an artform, consider the strengths and weaknesses of comics creators circa 1980, and discuss the joy of comics.

Pages: 1 2 3

Blazing Combat

Posted by Robert Martin on March 15th, 2010 at 10:00 AM

Archie Goodwin, et al.; Fantagraphics Books; 216 pp., $22.99 (hardcover), $19.99 (paperback); B&W (Hardcover ISBN: 9781560979654, Paperback: 9781606993668)

A major goal of publisher James Warren’s 1960s comics was to recreate the glory of the 1950s EC line for a new generation. Blazing Combat was his answer to the Harvey Kurtzman-edited Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat, the war comics that were EC’s most highly regarded titles after Kurtzman’s Mad. The series’ writer/editor, Archie Goodwin, followed Kurtzman’s approach very closely. The stories were set in various wars throughout history, and they emphasized human drama over jingoism and sensationalism. Goodwin even corralled several of Kurtzman’s illustrators, including John Severin and Wallace Wood, to contribute work. The series only lasted four issues, but it is among the high points of 1960s comics, and this handsome collection is one of the most welcome reprint volumes of the last few years.