Incredible Science Fiction

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Incredible Science Fiction, published by EC Comics in 1955 and 1956, was a retitled version of the comic Weird Science-Fantasy, which changed its title in 1955 in order to be accepted under the Comics Code, which did not allow the use of the word "Weird". The comic changed its title with issue 30, but due to attempts to save money on postage, the numbering did not restart (and hence, issue 30 is actually the first issue of this title).

Aside from the title change, Incredible Science-Fiction was also different from its predecessor because it now had to follow the tight standards of the Comics Code, which was created in 1954 to censor the controversial comics of that time. Eventually the Comics Code would spell the end of not only this comic, but all comics produced by EC. When a story in issue 33 did not meet the standards of the Code, publisher Bill Gaines and editor Al Feldstein decided to reprint the story "Judgment Day!" (originally in Weird Fantasy #18). A powerful anti-racism story, "Judgment Day!" was also rejected because Judge Charles Murphy, the Comics Code Administrator, demanded that the black astronaut be removed. Gaines refused and threatened to take the matter to the Supreme Court. The Comics Code backed down, and Gaines then printed the story without any changes.

Incredible Science-Fiction ran for four issues, boasting a number of skilled artists including Jack Davis, Wally Wood, Bernard Krigstein, Joe Orlando and Roy Krenkel. Three of its covers were done by Davis, with the final issue's cover by Wood.

The title resurfaced in a 1974 fantasy story, "Present Perfect", by Thomas F. Monteleone. The story focuses on William Rutherford, who is the editor of a speculative fiction magazine titled Incredible Science Fiction. After rejecting one story after another, he picks up a manuscript which is Monteleone's "Present Perfect". This tale was published in Fantastic (September 1974). ^[1] Such recursive plotting was employed several times by EC, notably in "The Aliens," illustrated by Al Williamson for Weird Fantasy 17 (January-February 1951).

1 Issue guide
2 Reprints
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Issue guide

#	Date	Cover Artist	Story	Story Artist
30	July/Aug 1955	Jack Davis	Clean Start	Wally Wood
			Marbles	Bernard Krigstein
			Conditioned Reflex	Joe Orlando
			Barrier	Jack Davis
31	Sept/Oct 1955	Jack Davis	You, Rocket	Wally Wood
			Fulfillment	Bernard Krigstein
			Time to Leave	Roy Krenkel
			Has-Been	Wally Wood
32	Nov/Dec 1955	Jack Davis	Fallen Idol	Joe Orlando
			Food For Thought	Al Williamson
			The Ultimate Weapon	Bernard Krigstein
			Marked Man	Jack Davis
33	Jan/Feb 1956	Wally Wood	Big Moment	Wally Wood
			Kaleidoscope	Jack Davis
			One Way Hero	Bernard Krigstein
			Judgment Day!	Joe Orlando

[edit] Reprints

Incredible Science Fiction has been reprinted by EC-fan and publisher Russ Cochran on a couple of occasions. It formed part of his Complete EC Library (in either 1982^[2] or 1992^[3]), published (in black and white) as a slipcased hardcover two-volume set alongside Weird Science-Fantasy. It was also reprinted issue-by-issue between August 1994 and May 1995 by Cochran (in association with Gemstone Publishing).