Name

EC Comics

Legal name

William M Gaines Agent, Inc.

Website

https://eccomics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Comic Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Adult/Seinen/Josei Comics Publishing (MPAJAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Western Comic Books Publishing (Superhero, Indie) (MPAJAGAB), Art/Alternative/Underground Comics Publishing (MPAJAGAK)

Keywords

• Comic book publishing
• Horror comics
• Science fiction comics
• Graphic novels
• Comic book distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Comic Book Sales: EC Comics publishes comic books including Catacomb of Torment and Blood Type, sold through local comic shops and potentially digital formats. Individual issues are available for purchase at comic specialty retailers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

EC Comics is a comic book publisher of horror, science fiction, and fantasy titles. After being dormant since the 1950s, it returned to publication in 2024 through a partnership with Oni Press, releasing extra-sized, 40-page comic issues such as 'Epitaphs from the Abyss,' 'Cruel Universe,' 'Catacomb of Torment,' and 'Blood Type,' sold primarily through local comic shops.

Product overview

EC Comics is a comic book publisher offering a portfolio of horror and science fiction titles. The revived publishing line centers on new titles including "Epitaphs from the Abyss" and "Cruel Universe" released through a partnership with Oni Press beginning summer 2024, alongside current releases "Catacomb of Torment" and "Blood Type." The portfolio also includes legacy brands "Tales from the Crypt," "Vault of Horror," "Haunt of Fear," and "Weird Science" representing the publisher's iconic 1950s titles. The company publishes extra-sized, 40-page comic issues featuring contemporary creators including Brian Azzarello, Chris Condon, Stephanie Phillips, Jorge Fornes, Phil Hester, and Peter Krause across horror, science fiction, and fantasy genres.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mad: Mad was originally born as a 10-cent EC comic in 1952 before becoming a 25-cent magazine with its 24th issue. Mad specialized in 'Humor in a jugular vein.'

Products and services

• Epitaphs from the Abyss EC Comics' flagship new horror series debuting July 2024, the first official EC Comics series produced in nearly seven decades. An extra-sized, 40-page publication featuring tales of torment in the EC tradition, created by writers Brian Azzarello, Chris Condon, J. Holtham, and Stephanie Phillips with artists Jorge Fornes, Phil Hester, and Peter Krause. For horror comic readers.
• Cruel Universe EC Comics' new science fiction series released August 2024 through the Oni Press partnership, one of the first two new titles marking EC's return to publication after nearly 70 years. For science fiction comic readers.
• Catacomb of Torment Current horror comic series from EC Comics, marked 'OUT NOW' on the website and sold through local comic shops, continuing the publisher's terror tradition. For horror comic readers.
• Blood Type Current horror comic series from EC Comics featuring visceral horror content in the tradition of the publisher's 1950s titles. 'Blood Type No. 2' marked as 'OUT NOW.' For horror comic readers.

Quantifiable outcome

• First new EC Comics series in nearly 70 years

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Oni PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024EC Comics is returning to publication through a new partnership with Oni Press beginning in summer 2024. The first two new titles—'Epitaphs from the Abyss' in July and 'Cruel Universe' in August—will mark the first official EC Comics series produced in nearly seven decades. Oni Press handles the publishing and distribution of EC Comics titles.
• William M. Gaines Agent, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024William M. Gaines Agent, Inc., represented by Cathy Gaines Mifsud and Corey Mifsud, serves as the licensing and intellectual property partner overseeing the EC Comics publishing line in partnership with Oni Press. The company holds the rights to the EC Comics brand and works with Oni Press to produce new content.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Dark Horse Comics: Long-running independent American comics publisher known for mature, horror, sci-fi, and creator-owned titles (Hellboy, The Umbrella Academy). Direct comparable: similar indie Western comics publisher operating in adult horror/sci-fi with franchise IP extensions into film/TV.
• Titan Comics: Publisher of genre comics (horror, sci-fi, fantasy), often tied to media franchises. Comparable as an indie Western comics publisher operating with a similar genre-led, IP-adjacent strategy.
• IDW Publishing: Independent comics publisher with mature and licensed titles. Relevant because IDW has published the 'EC Archives' and 'Best of EC' line and 'Mad Archives' volumes, giving it direct product overlap with EC's legacy IP.
• Vault Comics: Independent comics publisher specializing in horror, sci-fi, and creator-owned genre titles. Comparable to EC Comics as a direct-market indie with an adult-leaning genre focus.
• Aftershock Comics: Independent comics publisher focused on horror, sci-fi, and thriller genres with prestige creator lineups. Direct comparable to EC Comics as a horror-leaning indie direct-market publisher.
• Dynamite Entertainment: Independent publisher with a mix of licensed and creator-owned titles including horror and pulp-style properties. Comparable as an indie publisher with similar genre mix and licensed-IP strategy.
• Boom! Studios: Independent comics publisher with a broad genre slate (horror, sci-fi, fantasy) and a strong Hollywood adaptation pipeline (e.g., Something Is Killing the Children). Comparable as a similarly sized indie publisher pairing genre comics with screen IP development.
• Oni Press: Independent comic book publisher with a comparable indie-press model spanning horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and YA. Direct strategic relevance: Oni Press is EC Comics' publishing and distribution partner for the relaunched EC line in 2024, handling editorial, production, and channel.

Broad incumbents

• Image Comics: Largest independent comics publisher in the U.S., with a wide creator-owned catalog spanning horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and superhero. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the indie/creator-owned space within which EC will compete for shelf space and creators.

Emerging players

• AWA (Artists, Writers & Artisans): Newer creator-owned comics publisher with a prestige creator roster. Comparable as an indie publisher pursuing a similar high-talent, creator-driven approach in the same genre space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat1 record

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ec_comics
• Facebookfacebook.com/eccomics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/williammgainesagentinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EC Comics