Psychoanalysis #1

Credits:
Cover dated March/April 1955
Cover by Jack Kamen

"Freddy Carter (Session 1)" - Art by Jack Kamen/Story by Daniel Keyes
"Ellen Lyman (Session 1)" - Art by Jack Kamen/Story by Daniel Keyes
"Mark Stone (Session 1)" - Art by Jack Kamen/Story by Robert Bernstein

Probably the most unique of EC's New Direction titles, Psychoanalysis focused on three patients of a psychiatrist, the type of story you would never expect for a comic book. The title was unique from other EC stories for several other reasons as well, such as being the only EC title that was exclusive to one artist, Jack Kamen. Kamen was perfectly suited for the comic, where much of the activity occured in a psychiatrist's office. The title also brought in a couple of outside writers in Daniel Keyes and Robert Bernstein who weren't used for EC's other titles, at least until the picto-fiction era.

"Freddy Carter (Session 1)" - Freddy is a teenage boy that has acted out recently, including stealing a wristwatch from a friend. He also is failing in school and doesn't do well at sports. The psychiatrist soon notices that a lot of blame comes from his well to do parents. His father is obsessed with him being good in sports and going into the same field of work as him. His mother satisfies his interest in arts and other less manly things, but also smuthers him. This makes his father even more upset at him. All of this has caused Freddy to act out and to steal from his friend, whom he is jealous of because he has much better parents.

"Ellen Lyman (Session 1)" - Ellen is a young woman who is frequently having very sever migraines. She is also suffering from insomnia and whenever she does sleep has a bizarre dream. During the dream she is trying to get into a garden but is refused by a man standing there. He gives her a rabbit, which soon becomes worn and lumpy. She is told she can go through the gate if she gets a hundred on a test, but instead fails. She eventually finds the guard of the gate dead and heads into the garden, but finds the garden dark and decrepid. The psychiatrist works through Ellen's childhood, finding that a lot of these things stem from the poor household in which she grew up and the jealousy of her older sister.

"Mark Stone (Session 1)" - Mark Stone is an overweight writer who is frequently having pains in his chest that cause him to pass out. He is a successful writer, making a lot of money, but he typically spends it all and is sick with his work, thinking it is too commercialized. He is always down on any other writer whom he comes across who he thinks has done a better job than himself. Similar to Freddy, he also recounts a bad childhood during which his father was very critical of him.