Yes, Fright Rags, more baseball tees!

The horror clothing and collectibles site just opened up preorders on a line of shirts and hoodies inspired by classic EC Comics, with three new designs making their debut alongside a collector’s edition box set.

This year actually marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the An Entertaining Comics line. The brainchild of Max Gaines, the label was originally home to funny critter comics and bible stories until his death. When his son Will took over editorial duties, the line turned toward lurid, “true” crime stories, and tales of horror, featuring attention-grabbing, gruesome covers featuring the dead, dying, and monsters.

EC’s wild popularity was also the genesis of the Comics Code following a series of Congressional hearings sparked by fears that comics were leading to delinquency among the nation’s youth (and a famous subject for anti-comics crusader and psychologist Frederic Wertham).

The three designs from Fright Rags are all based on some of the publisher’s original covers, including Jackie Davis’ Tales From the Crypt #37 (that would be the one with the sap about to meet his end at the hands of a zombie); the legendary Al Feldstein’s Tales From The Crypt #24 sees a poor schmoe about to meet his end in a pit of quicksand; and the cover everyone knows – Johnny Craig’s CrimeSuspenStories #22 is here, a “cut” above all of the other designs.

Each of the designs is available separately, or in a Collector’s Box Set, which includes not just the three shirts, but an EC Logo baseball tee, a collector’s box, a patch, and a replica EC fan wallet card. That will set you back $115 bucks, though.

Tales From the Crypt #37
Tales From The Crypt #24
CrimeSuspenStories #22
Collector’s Box Set