Weird Science #13

(May-June 1952)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

A Weighty Decision (Table of Contents: 2)

comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils

Wally Wood (signed as Wood)

Inks

Wally Wood (signed as Wood)

Colors

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

February 12, 1954: Today Colonel Thatcher, commanding officer...

Genre

science fiction

Synopsis

A three man rocket to the moon discovers a stowaway, whose extra weight jeopardizes the carefully calculated mission.

Reprints

• in Weird Science (Russ Cochran, 1980 series) #3 ([1980])
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #3 [1988] (uke 17 1988)
• in Weird Science (Gemstone, 1994 series) #13 (September 1995)
• in Weird Science Annual (Gemstone, 1994 series) #3 (December 1995)
• in Weird Science (001 Edizioni, 2006 series) #3 (maggio 2008)
• in Weird Science (Akileos, 2012 series) #2 (janvier 2015)

Indexer Notes

This story has been controversally cited by Lawrence Watt-Evans and A.J. Budrys, among others, as an inspiration for Tom Godwin's THE COLD EQUATIONS which appeared in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction 1954/08.
Script credit from "Tales of Terror! - The EC Companion" by Fred von Bernewitz and Grant Geissman.

Saving for the Future (Table of Contents: 3)

comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils

Jack Kamen (signed)

Inks

Jack Kamen (signed)

Colors

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Doctor Lloyd Brewster reached into one of the cages...

Genre

science fiction

Characters

Dr. Lloyd Brewster; Grace Brewster (Lloyd's wife, mention only); Ellen (Brewster's assistant and lover); Joe (a banker)

Synopsis

Dr. Brewster has created serum 129-A, which can put any creature, animal or human, into a state of indefinite suspended animation. When the good doctor's wife refuses to give her husband a divorce, Lloyd and his lover decide to use the serum on themselves, and remain in suspended animation until his wife has died. When they awaken 500 years later, things look great, until something they hadn't counted on occurs, putting the entire world in danger!

Reprints

• in Weird Science (Russ Cochran, 1980 series) #3 ([1980])
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #6/1992 (uke 36 1992)
• in Weird Science (Gemstone, 1994 series) #13 (September 1995)
• in Weird Science Annual (Gemstone, 1994 series) #3 (December 1995)
• in Weird Science (001 Edizioni, 2006 series) #3 (maggio 2008) [original title: Saving for the Future]
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #8 - Zero Hour and Other Stories (March 2014) [Reprinted in black and white.]
• in Weird Science (Akileos, 2012 series) #2 (janvier 2015)

Indexer Notes

Corrected script credits and letterer credit by Craig Delich.

Moonstruck (Table of Contents: 4)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Synopsis

A crew lands on the Moon and after numerous amounts of research and analysis, discover it's made of Green Cheese.

Reprints

• in Weird Science (Russ Cochran, 1980 series) #3 ([1980])

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 5)

Cosmic Correspondence / letters page / 1 page (report information)

Script

Al Feldstein

Pencils

Al Feldstein

Inks

Al Feldstein

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Letters from An Avid Reader, John Stevens, John Porcellana, Max C. Bolton, Jr., Rodney Joseph Drummond, Anthony Phillips.

He Walked Among Us (Table of Contents: 6)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils

Wally Wood (signed as Wood)

Inks

Wally Wood (signed as Wood)

Colors

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

In the year 2963, a rocket-ship...

Genre

science fiction

Synopsis

In the year 2963 Jerome Kraft lands on a planet to catalog various life forms with four years of provisions. The rocket that dropped him off expects to return in four years but will later be destroyed and all records of Jerome's mission lost. Jerome encounters a primitive society and, using advanced technology, heals the sick and feeds the hungry. The people proclaim him their Savior sent by God, but he tells them that he is simply a man from a far distant star who possesses greater scientific advancement. The high priest orders Jerome brought before him and denounces the idea of other worlds as heresy. He tells Jerome that he must cease working his miracles for the poor and benefit only the wealthy. Jerome refuses. Thousands of years pass before another rocket lands on the planet and they find an advanced civilization. Many people wear curious designs around their neck and the space explorers ask what they represent. They are told it is a religious symbol representing a stretch rack, upon which their Savior was put to death.

Reprints

• in Weird Science (Russ Cochran, 1980 series) #3 ([1980])
• in EC Classics (Russ Cochran, 1985 series) #2 - Weird Science (September 1985)
• in I Classici Americani Fantascienza Horror (Edizioni B.S.D., 1991 series) #7 (settembre 1991)
• in Weird Science (Gemstone, 1994 series) #13 (September 1995)
• in Weird Science Annual (Gemstone, 1994 series) #3 (December 1995)
• in Weird Science (001 Edizioni, 2006 series) #3 (maggio 2008)
• in Weird Science (Akileos, 2012 series) #2 (janvier 2015)
• in Home to Stay! The Complete EC Ray Bradbury Stories (Fantagraphics, 2022 series) (January 2023)

Indexer Notes

Script credit from "Tales of Terror! - The EC Companion" by Fred von Bernewitz and Grant Geissman.
Cover story.

Say Your Prayers (Table of Contents: 7)

comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils

Joe Orlando (signed)

Inks

Joe Orlando (signed)

Colors

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

*Glun's attennae twitched nervously as his exclamation exploded in my brain!

Genre

science fiction

Synopsis

A pair of human sized intelligent preying mantises come to Earth to study it and prepare for an invasion. When they see a bug collector's photo of his bug collection of many pinned preying mantis specimens, they flee back to their home world convinced that the Earth is populated by giants who will destroy them.

Reprints

• in Weird Science (Russ Cochran, 1980 series) #3 ([1980])
• in Weird Science (Gemstone, 1994 series) #13 (September 1995)
• in Weird Science Annual (Gemstone, 1994 series) #3 (December 1995)
• in Weird Science (001 Edizioni, 2006 series) #3 (maggio 2008)
• in Weird Science (Akileos, 2012 series) #2 (janvier 2015)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #34 - The Planetoid and Other Stories (July 2023) [Reprinted in black and white.]

Indexer Notes

Script credit from "Tales of Terror! - The EC Companion" by Fred von Bernewitz and Grant Geissman.
Inspired by the story "Expedition" by Anthony Boucher.