XMas in the Emergency Room WITHIN OUR REACH "Home for Christmas"

Our Yuletide Tale Involves a Hospital and Terminal Illness...

...but there's no involvement by the patients with a doctor or other medical practitioner!

This tale, written by Shair and illustrated by Eric Shanower appeared in the Yultetide-season charity benefit book Within Our Reach (1991) with proceeds going equally to AmFAR and Sempervirens.

Besides AIDS patients, the comic ran stories about the poor and homeless, undocumented immigrants, and the clinically-depressed, all set at Christmastime.
The one-shot was the final publication by independent publisher Star*Reach, which became a "packager" providing editorial and art services for other publishers through the 1990s.

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year

We're taking next week off, but we'll be back the week after New Year's Day.

M.D. "Point of View"

What If a Tragedy in Your Life Could Help Someone Else...

...but you didn't know who it was?

In the 1950s, transplant surgery had a lower than 50% success rate.
It was usually considered a last resort when all else had failed.
Add that to the idea that a recently-deceased loved one would be "mutilated" or "disfigured" by contributing organs for transplant, and the emotional reaction you see in this story, done before organ donor consent cards began to be issued, is understandable!
On an artistic note: if this was the notorious pre-Comics Code EC Comics, you can bet the tale would end with the kid sitting there with empty eye sockets screaming something like "DADDY??? WHERE ARE YOU??? I CAN'T SEE YOU!!!"

And "Ghastly" Graham Ingels would've done something like this...

But, it's not, and Ingels ends up presenting a kinder, gentler, happier conclusion in EC's M.D. #4 (1955)!

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M.D.

Volume 1

The First Newsstand Comic Dedicated to the Medical Profession!

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Military Medicine FRONTLINE COMBAT "Combat Medic!"

Sometimes a Dedicated Medic...

...at the front is the only person standing between life and death for a wounded combatant!

And, sometimes, no matter your dedication and determination, and even if you follow all the correct procedures, your efforts just aren't enough!

This tale from EC's Frontline Combat #4 (1952), was written by Harvey Kurtzman and illustrated by Jack Davis (both WWII-era veterans, though neither saw combat).

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EC Archives

Frontline Combat

Volume 1

Which Reprints this Story!

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TRUMP MAGAZINE "Common Cold"

The Dreaded Deadline Doom Caught Us on Black Friday...

...so we hope a re-presented kool short will tide you over until we get back on schedule!

This feature from Playboy Press' Trump Magazine #1 (1957) was written by either Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder (or both) and illustrated by Al Jaffee.

After leaving MAD magazine, Kurtzman and Elder convinced Playboy creator/publisher Hugh Hefner to finance an even more adult humor magazine with the same high-quality production values as Playboy (but in black and white, not color, to keep down costs).

Though the magazine was selling, and the audience increasing as of the second issue, an economic downturn forced Hefner to cut back on titles, so the magazine ended its' run with #2...though the third issue was in preparation at the time.

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TRUMP

Complete Collection

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DOCTOR DAN DAZZLER "Dial EMERGENCY..."

Tucked behind the comic book adventures of TV's Ben Casey...

...was a strip about a young interne (as they spelled it back then)!

This premiere appearance from Dell's Ben Casey Comics #2 (1963) was scripted by Carl Memling and illustrated by Norman Nodel who did several chapters before moving on to other assignments.

BTW, Doctor Dan Dazzler is our new ongoing feature, appearing monthly.

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M.D.

Volume 1

The First Newsstand Comic Dedicated to the Medical Profession!

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