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but having heard over the years what a great artist Harvey Kurtzman is, I was shocked at how crude it was when I finally saw some samples of his work - talk about the emperor's new clothes!


I doubt you've ever heard Kurtzman described as a Foster or Frazetta. Instead, his genius was in his storytelling skills. Not writing, but storytelling -- the use of visuals to convey the story. And, at that, he is a true genuis.

Frankly, I also like his drawing style, which certainly is cartoony, because I believe he does a much better job of conveying emotional content than many more "realistic" artists. It sort of like the difference between Miller and Byrne. Byrne is the better draftsman, but Miller is superior at layout and conveying emotion.

I love DCs 50s science fictions books, and Frazetta worked for DC just as Toth worked for EC, so there is some overlap in content. But, DCs not archiving MIS, so that's not a choice I have to make. I do think that DC and ECs early 50s sf books are better than Atlas' late 50s sf books, although I certainly think the TTA and TOS volumes are worth getting. Stan obviously recognized the quality of EC and tried to emulate EC in his storytelling and also by acquiring former EC artists after the EC line shut down.

In any event, I don't think anyone who picks up Two Fisted Tales will (1) be unhappy or (2) able to put it down once they start reading. It's just that good a book.