The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library #25
"The Rustlers of Ransom Gap!" is a standout entry in the Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library series, showcasing Al Feldstein’s masterful storytelling and artistry—both in the interior and in collaboration with Johnny Craig on inks. This 1950s-style crime thriller follows Hazel, a gentle art student whose transformation into a ruthless killer is tied solely to her blonde wig, as she takes on Slick Becker’s gang and outsmarts a new rival, Smiling Jones, in a tale of identity, vengeance, and deception. The cover, by Johnny Craig, captures the story’s sharp, noir-tinged tension with its bold, expressive lines.
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Hazel was a black-haired, gentle art student and musician who loved beautiful things. But when she donned a blonde wig, she turned into a cruel and ruthless killer after her brother was shot down by Slick Becker's trigger men. She takes over "Grips" Hobart's mob and heads out to take on Becker and his gang, and succeeds in killing him and some of his gang before the police move in. The funny thing is that Hazel has no killer tendencies unless she is wearing the blonde wig. When Smiling Jones moves into the city, Hazel pulls a neat trick to have him arrested, but he has the last laugh on her.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).