The Haunt of Fear
Encyclopedia
The Haunt of Fear was a bi-monthly horror comic
anthology series published by EC Comics
in 1950. Along with Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror, it formed a trifecta of popular EC horror anthologies. The Haunt of Fear was sold at newsstands beginning with its May/June 1950 issue. It ceased publication with its November/December 1954 issue, compiling a total of 28 issues.
. At this time young adult males lost interest in caped crime fighters. Also, returning GI
s demanded titillating sex and violence in their reading. One-shot Eerie Comics
(1947) is generally considered the first true horror comic. Its cover depicted a dagger-wielding, red eyed ghoul
who threatened a rope-bound
, scantily clad, voluptuous young woman
, beneath a full moon. In 1948, Adventures Into the Unknown
became the first regularly published horror title. It enjoyed a nearly two decade life-span.
, discovered they shared similar tastes in horror. They began experimenting with horror tales as features in their existing titles, such as Crime Patrol. The first issue of Haunt of Fear was a title change from an EC Western comic book series, Gunfighter. It was numbered where Gunfighter ended, #15. In the early 1950s comic book publishers, seeking to save money on second-class postage permits, frequently changed the titles of their comics, rather than start new ones. The numbering was reset after issue 17. This was explained in the letter column
of issue #4. "After publishing issues 15, 16 and 17, the United States Post Office requested that the fourth issue actually be numbered No. 4 rather than No. 18... Well, 'ya can't fight City Hall!'" The EC war comic Two-Fisted Tales
took over the numbering, starting with issue #18, and never ended up resetting its numbering.
took over the art duties of the Haunt of Fear starting with issue #4. He became the Old Witch's primary artist for the remainder of the comic's run, though his art had been appearing since the second issue. Ingels would take over the cover duty with issue #11, in February 1952. Other artists who contributed to the title were Feldstein, Johnny Craig, Wally Wood
, Harvey Kurtzman
, Jack Davis
, George Roussos
, Harry Harrison
, Joe Orlando
, Sid Check, George Evans, Reed Crandall
, Jack Kamen
and Bernard Krigstein
. Ingels' artwork on the eight page lead stories, and his splash pages, particularly on issues #14 and 17, set a new standard for horror illustration. These have rarely if ever been equaled since.
"Poetic Justice", in the twelfth issue, was adapted for the 1972 Tales From the Crypt film from Amicus Studios, in England
. The movie starred Peter Cushing
as the kindly old junk collector. Ingels drew "Wish You Were Here" from Haunt #22. It was also adapted for film. "Horror We? How's Bayou?" in issue #17 is considered by many E.C.'s best drawn horror story ever. Perhaps it is the best by anyone, in any era. The homicidal maniac's creepy visage was taken from an old movie still of the silent film, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920 film)
, which starred John Barrymore
. The story artwork won an award as best E.C. horror art at the 1972 E.C. Fan-Addict Convention.
Gaines and Feldstein were responsible for writing all of the stories until the end of 1953. An unauthorized adaptation of Ray Bradbury
in another one of EC's comics. eventually led to a series of authorized Bradbury adaptations. Features included "Grim Fairy Tales", horror based parodies of well known fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty
and Hansel and Gretel
. The parodies began appearing in issue #15, in 1952.
The title's most controversial story was "Foul Play" (#19, 1953). It was written by Feldstein and drawn by Davis. It featured a crooked baseball player being dismembered, with his body parts used to play baseball by his murderers. The story was singled out by Robert Warshow
in his 1954 essay "Paul, the Horror Comics, and Dr. Wertham". He described it as "the outer limits of ... 'good taste'." It was also one of many examples used by Fredric Wertham
in his book Seduction of the Innocent
. Author Grant Geissman
used the title of the story for his book on EC artists, Foul Play (2005).
After their unauthorized adaptation of one of Ray Bradbury
's stories in another magazine, Bradbury contacted EC about their plagiarism
of his work. They reached an agreement for EC to do authorized versions of Bradbury's short fiction. These official adaptations include:
Although EC's horror stable consisted of three separate magazines, there was little beyond their titles to distinguish between them. Each magazine had its titular host, but the hosting duties for any one issue were typically shared with the hosts of the other two. Thus, a single issue of The Haunt of Fear would contain two stories told by the Old Witch, one by the Crypt-Keeper (of Tales from the Crypt) and one by the Vault-Keeper (of The Vault of Horror). The professional rivalry between these three GhoulLunatics was often played for comic effect.
The Old Witch was the last to make her appearance. The first issue of The Haunt of Fear had no host. The second issue debuted The Witch's Cauldron feature, with the Old Witch introducing herself in a story drawn by artist Jack Kamen. The third issue featured a Craig cover depicting three GhoulLunatics stepping out of doorways and launched a letter column
, "The Old Witch's Niche." Thereafter, the Old Witch presided over the magazine as its comedic horror host
, delivering an irreverent and pun-filled commentary to lighten the horrific tone of the stories she introduced. In spite of her slow start, the Old Witch would prove to be the most visible of the GhoulLunatics in their initial run. Not only did she appear in virtually every issue of The Haunt of Fear, Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror, she also appeared in the final story of Crime SuspenStories
in every issue from #3 through #16.
The character of the Old Witch was inspired by Old Nancy, the witch of Salem
, host of Alonzo Deen Cole's radio series, The Witch's Tale
, which aired from 1931 to 1938 on WOR
and Mutual
, and in syndication. The Old Witch's own account of her origin may be found in The Haunt of Fear #14's "A Little Stranger!" which details the circumstances surrounding her birth.
. Hearings targeted violent comic books, which fared poorly in the proceedings. While the committee stopped short of blaming the comics industry for juvenile delinquency, they did suggest it tone down the product. Publishers were left reeling.
The industry deftly avoided outside censorship by creating the self-regulatory Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) and a Comics Code Authority
(CCA) that placed severe restrictions on violent comic book genres. Publishers were forbidden from using the words "terror" and "horror" in titles. They were forbidden from depicting zombies, werewolves, gruesome characters and outrè horror fiction
trappings. Gaines was fed up; he believed his titles were being specifically targeted and realized they were doomed to future failure. He cancelled The Haunt of Fear and its companion titles in September 1954. The last issue of Haunt was #28, November/December 1954. Since an issue of The Crypt of Terror had already been produced, it was published as the final issue of Tales from the Crypt, February/March, 1955.
reprinted selected Haunt stories in a series of paperback EC anthologies in 1964-66. The magazine was fully collected in a series of five black-and-white hardbacks by publisher Russ Cochran
as part of The Complete EC Library in 1985. In 1990/91, Cochran (in association with Gladstone Publishing
and solo) reprinted a handful of color issues. Between November 1992 and August 1998, Cochran and Gemstone Publishing
reprinted the full 28 individual issues. This complete run was later rebound, with covers included, in a series of six softcover EC Annuals. Cochran Publishing and Gemstone Publishing
planned to publish hardcover, re-colored volumes of The Haunt of Fear as part of the EC Archives
series, but Gemstone's financial troubles left this project in limbo. But the project may soon be revived under a new publisher. GC Press LLC, a boutique imprint established by Russ Cochran and Grant Geissman
, announced in a press release dated September 1, 2011 that it is continuing the EC Archives series, with The Haunt of Fear Volume 1 scheduled for November 2011 release.
Bill Gaines owned one of sculptor Steve Fiorilla
's latex masks of the Old Witch. In the second season of HBO's Tales from the Crypt anthology television series, a photo of this Old Witch mask was a prop. This was in the June 26, 1990 "Korman's Kalamity" episode, adapted from the EC story "Kamen's Kalamity." Illustrated by Jack Kamen
, the original self-satirical story is set in EC's offices, where the EC editors have a meeting with Kamen about his artwork.
The Old Witch appeared in animated form on Tales from the Cryptkeeper
, and was voiced by Elizabeth Hanna
.
Horror comics
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. Horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to...
anthology series published by EC Comics
EC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
in 1950. Along with Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror, it formed a trifecta of popular EC horror anthologies. The Haunt of Fear was sold at newsstands beginning with its May/June 1950 issue. It ceased publication with its November/December 1954 issue, compiling a total of 28 issues.
Origin
Horror comics emerged as a distinct comic book genre after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. At this time young adult males lost interest in caped crime fighters. Also, returning GI
GI
GI , Gi or gi may refer to:In science and measurement:* Galvanized iron, iron that has been electrochemically rustproofed with zinc* Gastrointestinal, a division of the human anatomy in medicine...
s demanded titillating sex and violence in their reading. One-shot Eerie Comics
Eerie Comics
Eerie is a one-shot horror comic book cover-dated January 1947 and published by Avon Periodicals as Eerie #1. Its creative team includes Joe Kubert and Fred Kida. The book's contents comprise six full-length horror feature stories and a 2-page humorous tale. The title went dormant for a number of...
(1947) is generally considered the first true horror comic. Its cover depicted a dagger-wielding, red eyed ghoul
Ghoul
A ghoul is a folkloric monster associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh, often classified as undead. The oldest surviving literature that mention ghouls is likely One Thousand and One Nights...
who threatened a rope-bound
Bondage (BDSM)
Bondage is the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity.- Private bondage :...
, scantily clad, voluptuous young woman
Good girl art
Good girl art is found in drawings or paintings which feature a strong emphasis on attractive women no matter what the subject or situation. GGA was most commonly featured in comic books, pulp magazines and crime fiction...
, beneath a full moon. In 1948, Adventures Into the Unknown
Adventures Into the Unknown
Adventures Into the Unknown was a horror and supernatural comic series from the Golden Age of Comic Books. The title was released in the fall of 1948 by B&I Publishing and enjoyed a run of 174 issues for nearly two decades, ceasing publication in August 1967...
became the first regularly published horror title. It enjoyed a nearly two decade life-span.
Horror features replace crime and western genres
In 1950, publisher Gaines and his editor, Al FeldsteinAl Feldstein
Albert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife...
, discovered they shared similar tastes in horror. They began experimenting with horror tales as features in their existing titles, such as Crime Patrol. The first issue of Haunt of Fear was a title change from an EC Western comic book series, Gunfighter. It was numbered where Gunfighter ended, #15. In the early 1950s comic book publishers, seeking to save money on second-class postage permits, frequently changed the titles of their comics, rather than start new ones. The numbering was reset after issue 17. This was explained in the letter column
Comic book letter column
A comic book letter column is a section of a comic book where readers' letters to the publisher appear. Comic book letter columns are also commonly referred to as letter columns , letter pages, letters of comment , or simply letters to the editor...
of issue #4. "After publishing issues 15, 16 and 17, the United States Post Office requested that the fourth issue actually be numbered No. 4 rather than No. 18... Well, 'ya can't fight City Hall!'" The EC war comic Two-Fisted Tales
Two-Fisted Tales
Two-Fisted Tales was a bimonthly, anthology war comic published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. The title originated in 1950 when Harvey Kurtzman suggested to William Gaines that they publish an adventure comic. Kurtzman became the editor of Two-Fisted Tales, and with the advent of the Korean War,...
took over the numbering, starting with issue #18, and never ended up resetting its numbering.
Artists and writers
Artist Graham IngelsGraham Ingels
Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig...
took over the art duties of the Haunt of Fear starting with issue #4. He became the Old Witch's primary artist for the remainder of the comic's run, though his art had been appearing since the second issue. Ingels would take over the cover duty with issue #11, in February 1952. Other artists who contributed to the title were Feldstein, Johnny Craig, Wally Wood
Wally Wood
Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he...
, Harvey Kurtzman
Harvey Kurtzman
Harvey Kurtzman was an American cartoonist and the editor of several comic books and magazines. Kurtzman often signed his name H. Kurtz, followed by a stick figure Harvey Kurtzman (October 3, 1924, Brooklyn, New York – February 21, 1993) was an American cartoonist and the editor of several comic...
, Jack Davis
Jack Davis (cartoonist)
Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories...
, George Roussos
George Roussos
George Roussos , also known under the pseudonym George Bell, was an American comic book artist best known as one of Jack Kirby's Silver Age inkers, including on landmark early issues of Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four.-Early life and career:George Roussos was born in Washington, D.C., the son of...
, Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green...
, Joe Orlando
Joe Orlando
Joseph Orlando was a prolific illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades...
, Sid Check, George Evans, Reed Crandall
Reed Crandall
Reed Crandall was an American illustrator and penciller of comic books and magazines. He was best known for the Quality Comics character Blackhawk and for stories in the critically acclaimed EC Comics of the 1950s.Crandall was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009.-Early...
, Jack Kamen
Jack Kamen
Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty...
and Bernard Krigstein
Bernard Krigstein
Bernard Krigstein , was an American illustrator and gallery artist who received acclaim for his innovative and influential approach to comic book art, notably in EC Comics. He was known as Bernie Krigstein, and his artwork usually displayed the signature B...
. Ingels' artwork on the eight page lead stories, and his splash pages, particularly on issues #14 and 17, set a new standard for horror illustration. These have rarely if ever been equaled since.
"Poetic Justice", in the twelfth issue, was adapted for the 1972 Tales From the Crypt film from Amicus Studios, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The movie starred Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
as the kindly old junk collector. Ingels drew "Wish You Were Here" from Haunt #22. It was also adapted for film. "Horror We? How's Bayou?" in issue #17 is considered by many E.C.'s best drawn horror story ever. Perhaps it is the best by anyone, in any era. The homicidal maniac's creepy visage was taken from an old movie still of the silent film, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920 film)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920 film)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1920 horror silent film, produced by Famous Players-Lasky and released through Paramount/Artcraft. The film is based upon Robert Louis Stevenson's novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and starring actor John Barrymore.The film was directed by John S....
, which starred John Barrymore
John Barrymore
John Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
. The story artwork won an award as best E.C. horror art at the 1972 E.C. Fan-Addict Convention.
Gaines and Feldstein were responsible for writing all of the stories until the end of 1953. An unauthorized adaptation of Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
in another one of EC's comics. eventually led to a series of authorized Bradbury adaptations. Features included "Grim Fairy Tales", horror based parodies of well known fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
and Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel
"Hansel and Gretel" is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister threatened by a cannibalistic hag living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery. The two children...
. The parodies began appearing in issue #15, in 1952.
The title's most controversial story was "Foul Play" (#19, 1953). It was written by Feldstein and drawn by Davis. It featured a crooked baseball player being dismembered, with his body parts used to play baseball by his murderers. The story was singled out by Robert Warshow
Robert Warshow
Robert Warshow was an American author, a critic and essayist, who wrote about film and popular culture for Commentary magazine and The Partisan Review in the mid-20th century...
in his 1954 essay "Paul, the Horror Comics, and Dr. Wertham". He described it as "the outer limits of ... 'good taste'." It was also one of many examples used by Fredric Wertham
Fredric Wertham
Fredric Wertham was a Jewish German-American psychiatrist and crusading author who protested the purportedly harmful effects of violent imagery in mass media and comic books on the development of children. His best-known book was Seduction of the Innocent , which purported that comic books are...
in his book Seduction of the Innocent
Seduction of the Innocent
Seduction of the Innocent is a book by German-American psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, published in 1954, that warned that comic books were a negative form of popular literature and a serious cause of juvenile delinquency. The book was a minor bestseller that created alarm in parents and galvanized...
. Author Grant Geissman
Grant Geissman
Grant Geissman is a crossover jazz, contemporary jazz and new age guitarist and an Emmy-nominated composer for network TV series and TV movies. An in-demand studio musician, he has recorded extensively for several labels since 1976, and he can be heard playing guitar on the theme for Monk and...
used the title of the story for his book on EC artists, Foul Play (2005).
Influences and adaptations
As with the other EC comics edited by Feldstein, the stories in this comic were primarily based on Gaines reading of a large number of horror stories and using them to develop "springboards" from which he and Feldstein could launch new stories. Specific story influences that have been identified include the following:- "The Wall" (issue 15 [1950]) - Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
's "The Black CatThe Black Cat (short story)"The Black Cat" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in the August 19, 1843, edition of The Saturday Evening Post. It is a study of the psychology of guilt, often paired in analysis with Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"...
" and "The Tell-Tale HeartThe Tell-Tale Heart"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1843. It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the...
" - "The Hunchback" (issue 4) - Robert BlochRobert BlochRobert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer, primarily of crime, horror and science fiction. He is best known as the writer of Psycho, the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock...
's "The Mannikin" - "A Strange Undertaking" (issue 6) - Ray BradburyRay BradburyRay Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
's "The Handler" - "Horror in the Schoolroom" (issue 7) - John CollierJohn Collier (writer)John Henry Noyes Collier was a British-born author and screenplay writer best known for his short stories, many of which appeared in The New Yorker from the 1930s to the 1950s. They were collected in a 1951 volume, Fancies and Goodnights, which won the International Fantasy Award and remains in...
's "Thus I Refute Beelzy" - "Hounded to Death" (issue 8) - Maurice LevelMaurice LevelMaurice Level , was a French writer of fiction and drama who specialized in short stories of the macabre which were regularly printed in the columns of Paris newspapers and sometimes staged by le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol, the repertory company in the Pigalle district devoted to melodramatic...
's "The Kennel" - "Irony of Death" (issue 8) - Bram StokerBram StokerAbraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
's "The Squaw" - "Warts So Horrible?" (issue 9) - Mark TwainMark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's The Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. The story is set in the Town of "St... - "Forbidden Fruit" (issue 9) - William Hope HodgsonWilliam Hope HodgsonWilliam Hope Hodgson was an English author. He produced a large body of work, consisting of essays, short fiction, and novels, spanning several overlapping genres including horror, fantastic fiction and science fiction. Early in his writing career he dedicated effort to poetry, although few of his...
's "The Voice in the NightThe Voice in the Night"The Voice in the Night" is a short story by William Hope Hodgson, first published in the November 1907 edition of Blue Book Magazine.The story has been adapted a number of times, most prominently in the 1963 Japanese film Matango....
" - "The Gorilla's Paw" (issue 9) - W. W. JacobsW. W. JacobsWilliam Wymark Jacobs , was an English author of short stories and novels.-Writings:Jacobs is now remembered for his macabre tale "The Monkey's Paw" and "The Toll House"...
's "The Monkey's PawThe Monkey's Paw"The Monkey's Paw" is a horror short story by author W. W. Jacobs. It was published in England in 1902.The story is based on the famous "setup" in which three wishes are granted. In the story, the paw of a dead monkey is a talisman that grants its possessor three wishes, but the wishes come with an...
" - "Ship-Shape" (issue 14) - William Hope Hodgson's "The Derelict"
- "Thump Fun" (issue 20) - Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"
- "Wish You Were Here" (issue 22) - W. W. Jacobs's "The Monkey's Paw"
- "Model Nephew" (issue 22) - H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
's "The Terrible Old ManThe Terrible Old Man"The Terrible Old Man" is a very short story by H. P. Lovecraft, written on January 28, 1920, and first published in the Tryout, an amateur press publication, in July 1921...
"
After their unauthorized adaptation of one of Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
's stories in another magazine, Bradbury contacted EC about their plagiarism
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
of his work. They reached an agreement for EC to do authorized versions of Bradbury's short fiction. These official adaptations include:
- "The Coffin" (issue 16)
- "The Black Ferris" (issue 18)
The Old Witch
The Old Witch was the last to make her appearance. The first issue of The Haunt of Fear had no host. The second issue debuted The Witch's Cauldron feature, with the Old Witch introducing herself in a story drawn by artist Jack Kamen. The third issue featured a Craig cover depicting three GhoulLunatics stepping out of doorways and launched a letter column
Comic book letter column
A comic book letter column is a section of a comic book where readers' letters to the publisher appear. Comic book letter columns are also commonly referred to as letter columns , letter pages, letters of comment , or simply letters to the editor...
, "The Old Witch's Niche." Thereafter, the Old Witch presided over the magazine as its comedic horror host
Horror host
Horror hosts are a particular type of television presenter, often tasked with presenting low-grade films to television audiences. This tradition is primarily American, though there have been a few international hosts over the years.-Film Packages:...
, delivering an irreverent and pun-filled commentary to lighten the horrific tone of the stories she introduced. In spite of her slow start, the Old Witch would prove to be the most visible of the GhoulLunatics in their initial run. Not only did she appear in virtually every issue of The Haunt of Fear, Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror, she also appeared in the final story of Crime SuspenStories
Crime SuspenStories
Crime SuspenStories was a bi-monthly anthology crime comic published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. The title first arrived on newsstands with its October/November 1950 issue and ceased publication with its February/March 1955 issue, producing a total of 27 issues...
in every issue from #3 through #16.
The character of the Old Witch was inspired by Old Nancy, the witch of Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, host of Alonzo Deen Cole's radio series, The Witch's Tale
The Witch's Tale
For the video game with a similar name, see A Witch's Tale.The Witch's Tale was a horror-fantasy radio series which aired from 1931 to 1938 on WOR and Mutual and in syndication. The program was created, written and directed by Alonzo Deen Cole, who was born February 22, 1897 in St...
, which aired from 1931 to 1938 on WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
and Mutual
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
, and in syndication. The Old Witch's own account of her origin may be found in The Haunt of Fear #14's "A Little Stranger!" which details the circumstances surrounding her birth.
Demise
In 1954, Gaines and Feldstein intended to add a fourth book to their horror publications by reactivating an earlier title, The Crypt of Terror. They were stopped dead in their tracks, however. Horror and other violent comics had come under scrutiny by parents, schoolteachers, clergymen, psychologists and others, who viewed the material as dangerous to the well-being of children. They believed comic books were a significant contributor to the juvenile delinquency crisis in America. Matters came to a head in April and June 1954 with a highly publicized Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile DelinquencySenate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency
The United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency was established by the United States Senate in 1953 to investigate the problem of juvenile delinquency.- Background :...
. Hearings targeted violent comic books, which fared poorly in the proceedings. While the committee stopped short of blaming the comics industry for juvenile delinquency, they did suggest it tone down the product. Publishers were left reeling.
The industry deftly avoided outside censorship by creating the self-regulatory Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) and a Comics Code Authority
Comics Code Authority
The Comics Code Authority was a body created as part of the Comics Magazine Association of America, as a tool for the comics-publishing industry to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. Member publishers submitted comic books to the CCA, which screened them for adherence to...
(CCA) that placed severe restrictions on violent comic book genres. Publishers were forbidden from using the words "terror" and "horror" in titles. They were forbidden from depicting zombies, werewolves, gruesome characters and outrè horror fiction
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
trappings. Gaines was fed up; he believed his titles were being specifically targeted and realized they were doomed to future failure. He cancelled The Haunt of Fear and its companion titles in September 1954. The last issue of Haunt was #28, November/December 1954. Since an issue of The Crypt of Terror had already been produced, it was published as the final issue of Tales from the Crypt, February/March, 1955.
Reprints
The Haunt of Fear has been reprinted on numerous occasions. Ballantine BooksBallantine Books
Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann AG in 1998 and remains part of that company today. Ballantine's logo is a...
reprinted selected Haunt stories in a series of paperback EC anthologies in 1964-66. The magazine was fully collected in a series of five black-and-white hardbacks by publisher Russ Cochran
Russ Cochran (publisher)
Russ Cochran is a publisher of EC Comics reprints, Disney comics and books on Hopalong Cassidy, Chet Atkins, Les Paul and vacuum tubes. He has been a publisher for over 30 years, after quitting his job as a physics professor....
as part of The Complete EC Library in 1985. In 1990/91, Cochran (in association with Gladstone Publishing
Gladstone Publishing
Gladstone Publishing was an American company that published Disney comics from 1986 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1998. The company had its origins as a subsidiary of "Another Rainbow", a company formed by Bruce Hamilton and Russ Cochran to publish the Carl Barks Library and produce limited edition...
and solo) reprinted a handful of color issues. Between November 1992 and August 1998, Cochran and Gemstone Publishing
Gemstone Publishing
Gemstone Publishing is a U.S. company that publishes comic books and collectors' guides. The company was formed by Diamond Comic Distributors President and Chief Executive Officer Stephen A. Geppi. Gemstone published licensed Disney comic books from June 2003 until November 2008. The company has...
reprinted the full 28 individual issues. This complete run was later rebound, with covers included, in a series of six softcover EC Annuals. Cochran Publishing and Gemstone Publishing
Gemstone Publishing
Gemstone Publishing is a U.S. company that publishes comic books and collectors' guides. The company was formed by Diamond Comic Distributors President and Chief Executive Officer Stephen A. Geppi. Gemstone published licensed Disney comic books from June 2003 until November 2008. The company has...
planned to publish hardcover, re-colored volumes of The Haunt of Fear as part of the EC Archives
EC Archives
The EC Archives are a series of American hardcover collections of full-color comic book reprints of EC Comics, published by Russ Cochran and Gemstone Publishing from 2006 to 2008....
series, but Gemstone's financial troubles left this project in limbo. But the project may soon be revived under a new publisher. GC Press LLC, a boutique imprint established by Russ Cochran and Grant Geissman
Grant Geissman
Grant Geissman is a crossover jazz, contemporary jazz and new age guitarist and an Emmy-nominated composer for network TV series and TV movies. An in-demand studio musician, he has recorded extensively for several labels since 1976, and he can be heard playing guitar on the theme for Monk and...
, announced in a press release dated September 1, 2011 that it is continuing the EC Archives series, with The Haunt of Fear Volume 1 scheduled for November 2011 release.
Media adaptations
Stories from The Haunt of Fear were adapted for the movie version of Tales From the Crypt as well as the TV series.Bill Gaines owned one of sculptor Steve Fiorilla
Steve Fiorilla
Steve Fiorilla was an American artist born in Paterson, New Jersey, who lived and worked in Buffalo, New York. Throughout his career, Fiorilla emphasized the grotesque and surreal in illustrations, sculpture and fine art. As a sculptor, he produced a variety of bizarre, malformed creatures...
's latex masks of the Old Witch. In the second season of HBO's Tales from the Crypt anthology television series, a photo of this Old Witch mask was a prop. This was in the June 26, 1990 "Korman's Kalamity" episode, adapted from the EC story "Kamen's Kalamity." Illustrated by Jack Kamen
Jack Kamen
Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty...
, the original self-satirical story is set in EC's offices, where the EC editors have a meeting with Kamen about his artwork.
The Old Witch appeared in animated form on Tales from the Cryptkeeper
Tales from the Cryptkeeper
Tales from the Cryptkeeper is an animated series aimed at children made byNelvana Limited, PeaceArch Entertainment, kaBOOM! Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television Animation. It was shown on TVO and ABC,and is still shown near Halloween on Teletoon. It was based on the live-action television...
, and was voiced by Elizabeth Hanna
Elizabeth Hanna
Elizabeth Hanna is a Canadian film and television actress, most notable for her voice acting work in animated films. She later complemented her voice acting skills by becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist.-Early history:...
.
Issue guide
| # | Date | Cover Artist | Story | Story Artist | Story Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15(1) | May/June 1950 | Johnny Craig | The Wall | Johnny Craig | None A man finds his wife's love for her cat Snooky unbearable, and finally decides to take care of the problem once and for all, but soon finds he's slowly slipping into insanity when his imagination gets the best of him... |
| House of Horror | Harvey Kurtzman Harvey Kurtzman Harvey Kurtzman was an American cartoonist and the editor of several comic books and magazines. Kurtzman often signed his name H. Kurtz, followed by a stick figure Harvey Kurtzman (October 3, 1924, Brooklyn, New York – February 21, 1993) was an American cartoonist and the editor of several comic... |
None A fraternity initiation goes eerily wrong, when the initiates are told to walk through a supposed haunted house...but never come out..... |
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| The Mad Magician | Wally Wood Wally Wood Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he... & Harry Harrison Harry Harrison Harry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green... |
None Boris Petaja, a skilled magician, begins to kidnap innocent townspeople to use in his experiments with a real "saw a man in two" trick, but finally meets his match after he kidnaps a young couple. |
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| The Thing in the Swamp! | Al Feldstein Al Feldstein Albert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife... |
None A swamp hermit relates a tale of a group of scientists that freed an amoeba that ate everything in its path to two boaters, but that's just a myth...right? |
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| 16(2) | July/Aug 1950 | Johnny Craig | Vampire! | Johnny Craig | None A doctor insists that the body he examined was killed by a vampire, but no one in town will believe him, so he goes to the mansion, the body came from and finds that there really is a vampire, but who's really the vampire...? |
| Horror-Ahead! | Wally Wood Wally Wood Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he... |
None A shopkeeper relates a story to a customer about his quest with his business assistant to Africa to collect some real shrunken heads from a native tribe, but when they are caught stealing, they learn the true punishment... |
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| The Killer in the Coffin! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
None Ernest Parker grows tired of his nagging wife Nan, and meets a young dame named Faye, together they plan going off and getting married, but they have to get Nan out of the picture, so Ernest coughs up a plan to pretend to die, but not everything goes as planned... |
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| The Mummy's Return! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch Over a thousand years ago, a jealous pharaoh king had one of his servants mummified after the girl he loved, fell in love with the servant, but the girl found out and tried to revive him with a scribe, only to be offed by the king. In the present, three friends stumble upon the crypt, and find that history has a nasty way of repeating itself! |
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| 17(3) | Sept/Oct 1950 | Johnny Craig | Nightmare! | Johnny Craig | None You as reader take the role of a man afflicted with recurring nightmares about being buried alive. Your psychiatrist assures you it's all in the mind but can you tell when your nightmares will begin to spill over into the day? |
| Television Terror! | Harvey Kurtzman Harvey Kurtzman Harvey Kurtzman was an American cartoonist and the editor of several comic books and magazines. Kurtzman often signed his name H. Kurtz, followed by a stick figure Harvey Kurtzman (October 3, 1924, Brooklyn, New York – February 21, 1993) was an American cartoonist and the editor of several comic... |
None An arrogant reporter does a story on a famous haunted house ... and learns the hard way that some things should just be left alone. |
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| Monster Maker! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
None Dr Ravenscar, a disgraced surgeon, retreats to his family castle to plan his comeback. He wants to prove he can bring a man back from the dead, but things take a turn for the worse when he damages the corpse's brain and has to make a last-minute substitution. |
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| Horror Beneath the Streets! | Al Feldstein Al Feldstein Albert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife... |
Old Witch The story of how Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein met the Crypt Keeper, Vault Keeper and Old Witch in a sewer, and were "persuaded" into giving them a publishing deal. |
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| 4 | Nov/Dec 1950 | Al Feldstein Al Feldstein Albert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife... |
The Hunchback! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch Roger Compton goes to a small town to visit his old college friend, Peter, but finds that his old pal in now the most feared recluse with a peculiar hump on his back, and an even more peculiar taste for human flesh... |
| The Tunnel of Terror! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
The Vault-Keeper A young woman takes her alcoholic, partying brother to Mexico for a relaxing vacation, but when he disappears into an underground club named The Tunnel, and numerous bodies are found partially eaten, she decides to find him on her own. |
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| The Living Mummy | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Old Witch A group of scientists working on an experiment to raise a mummy back to life, actually revive it, only to learn the true horror of the pharaoh's curse! |
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| Man from the Grave! | Wally Wood Wally Wood Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he... |
Crypt-Keeper Jon Wayland, a painter, returns from the grave to keep on painting, for all of eternity after committing a crime against his friend. |
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| 5 | Jan/Feb 1951 | Johnny Craig | A Biting Finish! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A jealous man murders a young man over a girl, and buries him in an old graveyard. But soon his little secret comes out, and he's forced to hide in an old civil war tunnel, a tunnel that leads him straight to a "biting finish"... |
| Horror in the Freak Tent! | Wally Wood Wally Wood Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he... |
Crypt-Keeper A crude, malicious circus owner mistreats and sabotages his circus freaks and employees, all until he blinds one of his famed employees, then the tables are turned... |
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| A Tasty Morsel! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Old Witch You're the main character story in which you seek shelter in a giant inn owned by an old, ugly man, and find out he has a little secret that's just DYING to come out! |
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| Seeds of Death! | Johnny Craig | The Vault-Keeper A hobo finds a hand in the garbage at a city dump, a hand that belonged to a ruthless abusive man who murdered his wife's hired farmhand... |
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| 6 | March/April 1951 | Johnny Craig | A Strange Undertaking... | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch Ezra, a vengeful caretaker decides to get back at his enemies when they die and are brought to his cemetery, by desecrating their bodies and refusing to bury them till spring, but not if the dead have anything to say about it! |
| So They Finally Pinned You Down! | Wally Wood Wally Wood Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he... |
The Vault-Keeper A man meets a beautiful girl after he arrives to a new town and moves in with her, but after being "drugged" by her, and having severe blackouts, he sets out to get revenge, problem is whenever he blackouts, a woman ends up dead... |
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| A Grave Gag! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch Jonah Westlake, the black sheep of the Westlake family, gets his kicks by playing practical jokes on his own kin, especially at funerals, but his latest joke may be his last... |
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| Cheese, That's Horrible! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt-Keeper Bradbury Prince assists for Henrick Villhem, the head owner of a cheese company, but when he won't tell Bradbury the secret ingredient, he decides to do away with Henrick, but something smells rotten... |
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| 7 | May/June 1951 | Johnny Craig | Room For One More! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch Rodney Whitman was just a young boy when his parents died and he was sent to live with his uncaring aunt and uncle, and their two mean sons. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of being buried with his family in the Whitman mausoleum, a mausoleum with just one more coffin, which Rodney is saving for himself at any cost... |
| The Basket! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt-Keeper A town full of curiosity at a strange man who always carries a basket on his shoulder, get the answers they've been searching for when they break into his house. |
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| Horror in the Schoolroom | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch A young boy's teacher doesn't believe the stories the kid comes up with about traveling with an imaginary monster named Magog, even when the boy tells him Magog will gobble him up for whipping him. The teacher should have heeded the warning... |
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| The Howling Banshee! | Johnny Craig | The Vault-Keeper A retired mob member marries into a superstitious Irish family who are convinced that a banshee wails when one of their kin will die soon, but that's just an old legend...right? |
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| 8 | July/Aug 1951 | Al Feldstein Al Feldstein Albert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife... |
Hounded to Death! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A jealous husband keeps his wife locked up in their mansion like one of the numerous hounds he uses to hunt foxes with, but when she falls for another man, the husband decides to take care of the problem, only to find he's barking up the wrong tree.. |
| A Very Strange Mummy! | George Roussos George Roussos George Roussos , also known under the pseudonym George Bell, was an American comic book artist best known as one of Jack Kirby's Silver Age inkers, including on landmark early issues of Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four.-Early life and career:George Roussos was born in Washington, D.C., the son of... |
Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... Three expeditors travel to an acursed crypt rumored to hold an evil being, but when they venture inside they find a perfectly preserved mummy, and soon find that he's not the only monster lurking about... |
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| Diminishing Returns! | Unknown | Old Witch Vincent Beardsley, a greedy New Yorker, seeking the fourth tribal diamond for his collection, takes his friend to Ecuador to claim the gem, but when they're caught by the tribe themselves, he gives up his "friend" to the vengeful tribalmen, only to find he must face the ultimate consequence! |
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| The Irony of Death! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper Jeff Slag, a conniving young man working at an iron mill, marries his boss's daughter, in order to become the head owner and boss of the mill, and murders his boss, only to find that there really is irony in death! |
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| 9 | Sept/Oct 1951 | Al Feldstein Al Feldstein Albert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife... |
Warts So Horrible? | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch Two men attempt to rob their wealthy uncle's grave as revenge for his not leaving them any of his money. They are witnessed by a pair of young boys who have gone to a graveyard to test out an old wives' remedy for removing warts - but is it just magic or can the boys really believe their eyes? |
| Forbidden Fruit | Joe Orlando Joe Orlando Joseph Orlando was a prolific illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades... |
Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... A man and his secretary are marooned on a deserted island following a plane crash. They ignore a warning not to eat any fruit from the trees growing on the island; with consequences neither of them could have foreseen. |
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| The Age-Old Story! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch Gold-digging Harriet plans to ditch her elderly husband to move in with a younger lover, but her husband has one final surprise for her before she goes. |
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| The Gorilla's Paw! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper A man acquires a gorilla's mummified paw and discovers it can grant him anything he wishes for. Unfortunately he doesn't always think before he wishes aloud. |
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| 10 | Nov/Dec 1951 | Al Feldstein Al Feldstein Albert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife... |
Grave Business! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A greedy undertaker extorts money from the families of the dead by charging them for the most overpriced funerals possible. He finds the tables turned when he uncovers a previously hidden talent of his own for "playing dead." |
| The Vamp! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... & Johnny Craig |
Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... While on holiday, a man begins a flirtation with a beautiful yet mysterious woman; but notices that she tends to appear whenever there is a murder in the local area. |
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| My Uncle Ekar! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch An abandoned child is taken in by the police. He tells them about his "Uncle Ekar" who has three eyes, a forked tongue and commits murders. The cops do not believe the boy's story ... until they find a body exactly where he described it ... |
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| Bum Steer! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper A washed-up bullfighter wants to get rid of a newcomer who has taken over both his spotlight and his sweetheart. The rival bullfighter dies and so does the bull, but now they are both set on revenge. |
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| 11 | Jan/Feb 1952 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Ooze in the Cellar? | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch An elderly miser hoards treasures in his cellar and refuses to give anything to anybody. He insists that his wife save canned food rather than give it away and when she is poisoned by a jar of rotted fruit, it and her body create a living ooze that soon swallows up the cellar and everything else in the house. |
| The Acid Test! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... Sylvia becomes so fed up with her fawning, over-devoted husband that she blinds him with sulphuric acid. He is so infatuated with her that at her trial he pleads for her to be released, but she hadn't considered that he might want justice outside of the law. |
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| Extermination | George Roussos George Roussos George Roussos , also known under the pseudonym George Bell, was an American comic book artist best known as one of Jack Kirby's Silver Age inkers, including on landmark early issues of Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four.-Early life and career:George Roussos was born in Washington, D.C., the son of... |
Old Witch A sadistic pest exterminator finds himself on the receiving end when he is surrounded by the creatures he once loved to torture. |
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| Ear Today... Gone Tomorrow! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper Two fertilizer salesmen face problems when no one will sell them the goods to fill a massive order for bone meal Bone meal Bone meal is a mixture of crushed and coarsely ground bones that is used as an organic fertilizer for plants and formerly in animal feed. As a slow-release fertilizer, bone meal is primarily used as a source of phosphorus.... . They decide to use bones from the local cemetery despite stories about the cemetery being haunted, but meet their comeuppance when their car breaks down near a field of corn. |
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| 12 | March/April 1952 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Poetic Justice! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A lonely old man is tormented mercilessly by a wealthy father and son who want him evicted from his house so they can build over the land. He is driven to suicide but returns from the grave exactly a year to the day he died - Valentine's Day. |
| ...On A Dead Man's Chest! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... Unaware that his wife is having an affair with his younger brother, an old sailor decides to have a picture of the three of them together tattooed on his chest. He is murdered by his wife and brother, who try to cover up their crime, only to find there's one piece of "evidence" they can't hide ... |
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| Till Death Do We Part! | Joe Orlando Joe Orlando Joseph Orlando was a prolific illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades... |
Old Witch Tommy and Ernie commit an armed robbery. Ernie is shot while escaping from the police and tries to send for help, but why does no one seem to listen to him? |
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| What's Cookin'? | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper Two failing restaurant owners manage to turn their business around with the help of a mysterious stranger. They become a roaring success, but when he demands half the profits, they decide to get him out of the way. Little do they know he has one more dish left to serve. |
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| 13 | May/June 1952 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
For the Love of Death! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A lonely man decides to take the place of the corpse at a funeral so he can enjoy the eulogies and ceremony for the deceased. Assuming, of course, that he can get out of the coffin again ... |
| Fed Up! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... A carnival sword-swallower pulls a unique trick on her husband when he spends all the money she was saving for a new sword on junk food for himself. |
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| Minor Error! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch A gang of neighborhood kids become friendly with a new boy in town. They believe his uncle is the vampire responsible for a string of strange killings nearby but how much do they really know about vampires? |
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| Wolf Bait! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper In early 20th century Russia, some hunters are being pursued by a pack of ravenous wolves and their sleigh is too heavy for them to escape. They soon run out of bullets, and decide there's only one way out of the situation. |
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| 14 | July/Aug 1952 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
A Little Stranger! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch The Old Witch recounts the story of how her dead werewolf father and dead vampire mother fell in love and brought her into the world. |
| Take Your Pick! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... Stuart Braden has always boasted about having a "heart of ice." When his brutal cruelty results in the deaths of his dog, his mother-in-law and his former business partner, his wife decides to make his words come ironically true. |
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| Ship-Shape! | Sid Check | Old Witch Four survivors of a plane crash are out at sea when they find an abandoned ship. They climb on board but the frightening oozy substance that covers the ship doesn't want them to leave. |
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| This Little Piggy... | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper During the rule of the British Raj in India, the grandson of an English governor is banned from hunting wild boar because the local tribesmen hold them sacred. He is determined to bring home the head of a boar as a trophy, but is unaware of just how far the tribesmen will go to stop him. |
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| 15 | Sept/Oct 1952 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Chatter-Boxed! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch An elderly man begins to suffer from catalepsy Catalepsy Catalepsy is also a term used by hypnotists to refer to the state of making a hypnotised subject's arm, leg or back rigid. "Arm catalepsy" is often a pre-hypnotic test performed prior to an induction into a full trance.-Causes:... , which makes him appear to be dead when he isn't. He leaves instructions to be buried with a telephone if he "dies", just in case he's not really dead. There's no way this plan could go wrong, or so he thinks. |
| All Washed Up! | George Evans | Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... Harry kills his wealthy love rival and decides to steal the corpse's ring so he can sell it and use the money to marry his sweetheart. But when trying to dispose of the body in a well, he drops the ring too, and now he's going to have to go down and get it ... |
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| Marriage Vows! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch A king agrees to marry off his daughter to the ruler of a neighbouring kingdom so they can obtain a loan and refill the royal treasury. The princess is unhappy and wants to marry Prince Dashing instead, but then remembers that she only agreed to give her "hand" in marriage. |
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| Death of Some Salesmen! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper A door-to-door salesman gets more than he bargained for when he goes to the home of a couple who like to test out the product in advance. |
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| 16 | Nov/Dec 1952 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Nobody There! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A prominent surgeon has spent his life repeatedly forcing a younger subordinate to perform a horrific operation that keeps the old man looking young, but what will happen when his subordinate refuses to take orders any more? |
| A Creep in the Deep! | George Evans | Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... Philip is devastated after his wife disappears during a fishing trip to their cabin, but when he tries to sell the cabin, no one will buy it because of the strange murders that have started happening around the lake. |
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| ...From Hunger! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch A royal chef is driven insane by the king, who is so gluttonous that he leaves no food for the people of the kingdom. And there's only one thing to do with a nice big fat pig ... |
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| The Coffin! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper Richard Braling's terminally ill brother is an inventor who seems determined to build a coffin for himself before he dies. Richard can't see anything special about the mechanical coffin, but when he tries to examine it so he can patent his late brother's invention, he discovers that all is not as it seems. |
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| 17 | Jan/Feb 1953 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Horror We? How's Bayou? | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch In a swamp, a man waits to lure victims for his insane serial-killer brother. He likes to get rid of the bodies by throwing them into the marsh, but what he doesn't know is that this might not be the end of them. |
| Gorilla My Dreams! | George Evans | Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... You are the protagonist in this story about a man who is abducted by a mad scientist and whose brain is transplanted into the body of an escaped gorilla! |
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| A Likely Story! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch A cantankerous queen terrorizes the staff who work in the royal household. Nobody's work can ever please her, until a painter comes up with a clever way to ensure the queen's official portrait will turn out just right. |
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| Garden Party! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper Geoffrey drives his wife Louella crazy by trampling all over her beloved garden. He discovers just how crazy Louella can be when he and his friends hold a raucous barbecue that destroys the lawn. |
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| 18 | March/April 1953 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Pipe Down! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A woman and her lover come up with a plan to dispatch her elderly, crippled husband. They succeed in making the murder look like an accidental death, but a new pet in the house is a little more suspicious. |
| Bedtime Gory! | George Evans | Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... On the eve of her corrupt, blackmailing husband's promotion to company president, an abused wife gives him a little surprise in the form of a new bed. |
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| Pot-Shot! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch A spoiled young nobleman who loves to drive at high speed devises an ingenious way to get an increase in his allowance from his wealthy father. It turns out to be his undoing in a more literal way than he could have imagined. |
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| The Black Ferris! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper Written by Ray Bradbury Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th... . Two young boys discover a sinister secret about the man who runs the ferris wheel down at the local carnival. |
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| 19 | May/June 1953 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Sucker Bait! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A brilliant young chemist on leave from university comes up with a plan to lure and kill the vampire that is terrorising the town, but finds that the vampire is a little too close to home. |
| Lover, Come Hack to Me! | George Evans | Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... A couple on their honeymoon encounter a storm on the road and are forced to stop in an abandoned house, where the groom discovers a shocking skeleton in his new family's closet. |
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| Double-Header! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch In a fictional European kingdom, three jealous ladies of the royal court conspire to usurp the new queen by exposing her as an adulteress. The king, however, doesn't hold the witnesses blameless ... |
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| Foul Play! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper Baseball players take deadly revenge on a corrupt rival found to have fatally poisoned a player from the opposing team. |
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| 20 | July/Aug 1953 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Thump Fun! | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A jealous man kills his brother for money and is suddenly tormented by the sound of a heartbeat. He thinks back to The Telltale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective... and believes the thumping sound is all in his mind. But when the local police show up to his house, he soon finds out just how wrong he was. |
| Terror Train | Al Feldstein Al Feldstein Albert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife... |
Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... Reprinted from the first issue of The Vault of Horror The Vault of Horror The Vault of Horror was a bi-monthly horror comic anthology series published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. Along with Tales from the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear, it formed a trifecta of popular EC horror anthologies... . Gloria is convinced her husband Ralph is trying to kill her, so she runs off and boards a train. Problem is Ralph keeps popping up everywhere she looks, even in a lonely cabin that contains a single open coffin. |
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| Bloody Sure | Reed Crandall Reed Crandall Reed Crandall was an American illustrator and penciller of comic books and magazines. He was best known for the Quality Comics character Blackhawk and for stories in the critically acclaimed EC Comics of the 1950s.Crandall was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009.-Early... |
Old Witch A man laughs off the townspeople who are convinced his new bride is a vampire, but just how can he be so sure? |
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| Hyde and Go Shriek! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper Myron and his girlfriend hatch a scheme to fleece her eccentric employer by pretending to create a potion to turn him into his hero: the villainous Edward Hyde. But the old story turns out to be more true than they thought. |
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| 21 | Sept/Oct 1953 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
An Off-Color Heir | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch Newly married Laura has learned to handle her suspicions about her husband's long business trips and the mysterious locked room in his house. However, there's something she can't put her finger on about the portrait of Baron Gilles de Rais Gilles de Rais Gilles de Montmorency-Laval , Baron de Rais, was a Breton knight, a leader in the French army and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He is best known as a prolific serial killer of children... that hangs in the hallway ... |
| Dig That Cat... He's Real Gone! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper A homeless man receives a partial brain transplant from a cat. He capitalizes on his newly acquired "nine lives" by becoming a star performance artist whose specialty involves cheating death, but his time may be running out faster than he thinks. |
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| Corker! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... & Bill Elder |
Old Witch Believing she is possessed by a demon, a woman seeks the advice of the fortune teller who first encouraged her interest in witchcraft. Her fiance will have none of it - should he have listened to her? |
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| The High Cost of Dying! | Reed Crandall Reed Crandall Reed Crandall was an American illustrator and penciller of comic books and magazines. He was best known for the Quality Comics character Blackhawk and for stories in the critically acclaimed EC Comics of the 1950s.Crandall was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009.-Early... |
Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... In nineteenth-century France, Henri has twenty-four hours to raise the money to bury his dead wife due to an ordinance from the town council, otherwise the Commissioner of Health will hand the body over for dissection by medical students and pocket a financial bonus. Thankfully, Henri manages to reach an agreement with him ... |
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| 22 | Nov/Dec 1953 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Wish You Were Here | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A couple facing bankruptcy discover that the statue they bought from a mysterious old store can grant them three wishes. When the first wish goes tragically wrong, they are reminded of the old story of The Monkey's Paw The Monkey's Paw "The Monkey's Paw" is a horror short story by author W. W. Jacobs. It was published in England in 1902.The story is based on the famous "setup" in which three wishes are granted. In the story, the paw of a dead monkey is a talisman that grants its possessor three wishes, but the wishes come with an... and soon find life imitating art. |
| Chess-Mate | George Evans | Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... Townspeople try to convince an eccentric local genius to take part in a chess tournament that will put their town on the map, but he has a sinister secret that may foil their plans. |
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| Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch Gruesome re-imagining of the original fairytale Snow White "Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm... . |
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| Model Nephew | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper Sidney was always eager to know how his wealthy, stingy old uncle had made his beloved model ship in a bottle. After murdering his uncle to claim an inheritance, Sidney realizes just how many secrets the model is hiding. |
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| 23 | Jan/Feb 1954 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Creep Course | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch Stella's history professor has a special interest in ancient Rome. When she attempts to seduce him to get better grades in the class, she's soon in for more than she expected. |
| No Silver Atoll! | George Evans | Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... Lovers Ruth and Clark are caught in a plane crash and stranded on a small island with the remaining survivors. Possessions containing silver start to go missing, mutilated bodies turn up, and the group remembers that there's only one creature to whom silver is fatal ... |
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| Hansel and Gretel! | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch A gory retelling of the original Hansel and Gretel Hansel and Gretel "Hansel and Gretel" is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister threatened by a cannibalistic hag living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery. The two children... story. |
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| Country Clubbing! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper An escaped convict finds himself in a chase through a swamp with a club-wielding maniac, but is everything really as it seems? |
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| 24 | March/April 1954 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes... | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch Bethy has always called her abusive, alcoholic husband a "creep" - but when she and her lover attempt to kill him by drowning him in a whiskey still, it becomes true in a terrifying way. |
| ...Only Sin Deep | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... A woman "sells" her beautiful looks to a sinister pawnbroker in order to raise the money to lure a wealthy husband, but finds her beauty fading faster than she thought. |
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| The Secret | George Evans | Old Witch An orphaned young boy is taken in by adoptive parents who are hiding a mysterious secret, only to find that their new son may be hiding a thing or two of his own. |
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| Head-Room! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper A landlady suspects that her frightening-looking new tenant is the serial "Ripper" who is murdering local women. |
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| 25 | May/June 1954 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
The New Arrival | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch During a storm, a man takes refuge in a derelict old house, but finds he is sharing residence with the devoted mother of a very unusual child. |
| Indisposed! | George Evans | Vault Keeper Vault Keeper The Vault-Keeper was the host for The Vault of Horror, a horror comic published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1954. The Vault-Keeper was one of three hosts for EC's horror comics , along with the Crypt-Keeper and the Old Witch... A man takes the arrival of his new garbage disposal unit as the perfect way to murder his nagging wife and get away with it, but "disposing" of her body turns out to be no easy task. |
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| Out Cold | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch A story with two endings! Ralph would have asked his beautiful new co-worker on a date, and discovered the horrifying reason for her dislike of cats, if only he hadn't gone "out cold" first ... |
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| The Light in His Life! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper Jake, stranded in his cabin by the long Alaskan winter, is joined by a new arrival sheltering from a snowstorm. To pass the time, Jake recounts his story of why it's never a good idea to be snowed in with one's wife. |
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| 26 | July/Aug 1954 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Marriage Vow | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch Martin would like to leave his wife, but she always reminds him that they vowed to stay together "till death do us part." Unfortunately he has a very pressing reason to keep that promise. |
| The Shadow Knows | Reed Crandall Reed Crandall Reed Crandall was an American illustrator and penciller of comic books and magazines. He was best known for the Quality Comics character Blackhawk and for stories in the critically acclaimed EC Comics of the 1950s.Crandall was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009.-Early... |
The Vault-Keeper When Eric murders his wife Mabel so that he can marry his rich girlfriend, he finds Mabel may be gone but her shadow is not. |
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| Spoiled | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch A wealthy, bored housewife begins an affair with a stranger, but doesn't count on her surgeon husband deciding to make them part of an experiment with a new anaesthetic. |
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| Comes the Dawn! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper A group of prospectors in Alaska unearth a vampire frozen beneath the snow. One of them decides to keep the money from their uranium stake for himself, and frees the vampire in order to kill his companions. He knows that vampires crumble into dust once dawn comes - but when will that be? |
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| 27 | Sept/Oct 1954 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
About Face | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch Jeff is the father of twins Penny and Olga. He loves Penny very much but has never met Olga, who on her mother's instructions is shut away in a locked room of the house. When Jeff's wife dies suddenly, he decides it is time he got to know Olga better, and discovers too late that there was a very good reason to keep her hidden. |
| Game Washed Out! | George Evans | The Vault-Keeper A Puritan man drowns his wife to prevent her from telling the village elders about his adultery, but he finds out that when she said she would "never let him go", she really meant it ... |
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| The Silent Treatment | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch The ruler of a mythical kingdom orders complete silence throughout the land, even forbidding his subjects to breathe. This leads them to take a very "timely" revenge on him. |
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| Swamped | Reed Crandall Reed Crandall Reed Crandall was an American illustrator and penciller of comic books and magazines. He was best known for the Quality Comics character Blackhawk and for stories in the critically acclaimed EC Comics of the 1950s.Crandall was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009.-Early... |
Crypt Keeper A ghoulish creature who lives in a swamp builds a shack where he can hide the dead bodies he feasts upon. |
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| 28 | Nov/Dec 1954 | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
The Prude | Graham Ingels Graham Ingels Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig... |
Old Witch A powerful nineteenth-century gentleman petitions the local authorities for increasingly stringent rules to protect public decency, but goes a little too far when he orders the graves of the dead to be moved so that men and women are not buried together. |
| Numbskull | Bernard Krigstein Bernard Krigstein Bernard Krigstein , was an American illustrator and gallery artist who received acclaim for his innovative and influential approach to comic book art, notably in EC Comics. He was known as Bernie Krigstein, and his artwork usually displayed the signature B... |
The Vault-Keeper A vicious jungle-dwelling hunter quite literally "becomes the hunted" when he accidentally falls into one of his own traps. |
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| Audition | Jack Kamen Jack Kamen Jack Kamen was an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York. His first professional job was as an assistant to a sculptor working for the Texas Centennial. He studied sculpture with Agop Agopoff and was a student of Harvey Dunn, George Brandt Bridgman and William C. McNulty... |
Old Witch Ethel Stark is desperate to join Phil Vitale's all-girl orchestra, but will she really do anything to be in the band? |
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| A Work of Art! | Jack Davis Jack Davis (cartoonist) Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories... |
Crypt Keeper An elderly mortician who takes great pride in his work goes to extreme lengths to ensure his hated son-in-law will not be the one to embalm him after his death. |
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Sources
- Goulart, Ron. Great American Comic Books. Publications International, Ltd., 2001. ISBN 0-7853-5590-1
- Overstreet, Robert M. Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. House of Collectibles, 2004.