William M. (for "Mad") Gaines, twisted publisher of the perverted E.C. line, was born
on Feb. 30, 1922, in an abandoned cattle-car on a siding outside the Chicago
stock-yards. His father was an International Communist Banker of Persian, Iranian,
Egyptian and Danish stock, and his mother came from the Bronx. His early childhood
was relatively uneventful, having been spent in picking pockets, stealing gov-
ernment checks from mail-boxes, running errands for bookies, counterfeiting lead
nickels, and playing with Teddy-bears. Bill's formal education consisted of four years
in first grade, followed by nine years in reform school. Upon breaking out, he took the
alias of "Melvin" Gaines and began selling "cartoon books" (you know the kind!) on
dark street corners outside burlesque houses. When he had read them all, he turned
to peddling dope near nursery schools... took the cure... opened an establishment
in a district of scarlet illumination.. took the cure... and finally, seeking the ulti-
mate in depravity and debasement, quite naturally turned to the comic magazine
industry. Here he found a home! Utilizing his vast background of worldly and literary
experiences, coupled with the tidy fortune he had accumulated from same, Bill intro-
duced to the American public the notorious E.C. line... E.C. standing for Evil Comics.
His editorial policy is a reflection of his highly developed sense of immoral obliga-
tion. As he was heard to remark at his last biannual editorial conference: "I don' care
if it don't gotta plot! I don' care if it don't got grammar! I don't care if the pitchers ain't
from talent! All I care is get inta every story sadism, snakes, masochism, pyromania,
snakes, fetishes, snakes, necrophilia, phallic symbols, snakes, and all the rest of that
esoterica what I can't think of this minute." Today, Bill lives in a sixty-nine room
mansion in wholesome Westchester County, N.Y. He owns a grey Cadillac for
grey days, a blue Cadillac for blue days, a green Cadillac for bilious days, and
a pogo-stick for hopped-up days. Bill's hobbies include selling "cartoon
books" (you know the kind!) peddling dope, running his scarlet-illuminated
establishment, and collecting snakesú At this writing, he is single... having
been married and divorced 69 times. Don't send fan-mail . .. he can't read!