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Content Items (32 total)

[untitled]

Illustration on Cover, Front

Credits

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig

Inker(s): Johnny Craig

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

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Pages: 1

Fall Guy for Murder and Other Stories

Credits on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): ?

Penciller(s): Behind the Panels

Inker(s): Behind the Panels

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 3

Notes: Title pages, credits and indicia.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): ?

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig

Inker(s): Johnny Craig

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 1

Brilliant Good Guys, Even More Brilliant Bad Guys

Text Article on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Bill Mason

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig

Inker(s): Johnny Craig

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 7

Notes: Article about Craig's career at E.C., including a photo of Craig and his wife and art by Craig.

One Last Fling!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Olga (villain, Harry's wife, a vampire, death); Harry (knife thrower, death)

Synopsis: A knife-throwing act in Hungary was extremely popular. Harry woke up the next day and couldn't rouse Olga, whom he thought was dead. He made burial arrangements, then discovered that Olga was a vampire. Harry decided the act would change and go to the U.S. where Harry became her victim. She continued to feed on him, until one night, at the end of the knife-throwing act, he announced he was going to commit a murder, then threw a wooden stake at his wife's heart before collapsing in death on the stage!

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Pages: 8

Out of the Frying Pan...

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Feature(s): Crime SuspenStories

Character(s): Old Charlie (patient); Herb (patient); Hank's girlfriend (cameo); Hank's girlfriend's lover (death); Hank Bowers (villain)

Synopsis: Old Charlie's efforts to describe the sights outside of the hospital window are really appreciated by two paralyzed patients. But soon, a new patient, Hank Bowers, being held for murder and supposedly blind, is put into the room and he does not appreciate such talk. Until Hank gets an idea for escape.

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Pages: 8

Fountains of Youth!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig

Inker(s): Johnny Craig

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Kenneth Martin; Eileen Martin (Kenneth's sister, death); Miss Blanchard; Madam DuBois (villain, death)

Synopsis: Eileen responds to a newspaper ad asking for a traveling companion for a heavily veiled Madam DuBois, who is traveling abroad, even though her brother Ken is not too happy with the idea. Then she and Madam DuBois board a cruise ship. Unfortunately, Eileen mysteriously passes away, and Ken investigates. A shipboard doctor informs him that Madam DuBois is similar to a human vampire, who prolongs its life by sapping the youth of their victims. By the time the pair get to DuBois' cabin, her next victim is already withering and dying before their eyes!

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Pages: 8

Understudy to a Corpse!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Character(s): Brad; Alice (Brad's wife); Cyrus Klitch (miserly hypocrite, death, in flashback); Myra (villain, Klitch's nurse, in flashback); Jeremy (villain, Klitch's nephew, death, in flashback)

Synopsis: Brad and Alice discover an old trunk in the attic of their new home....a trunk containing the bones of a corpse. And the story concerning those bones involves several murders over money.

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Pages: 8

Notes: Most of the story is told in flashback.

A Stitch in Time!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); sweatshop workers; Mr. Lasch (villain, sweatshop owner, death)

Synopsis: An old-fashioned sweatshop, run by Mr. Lasch, makes the women work 14 hours a day, 6 days a week, for a salary of $6, using dangerous, outdated machinery, and being treated like slaves. Complainers were forced to go the "scrap box: a place where scraps of cloth and thread were thrown together and they would have to untangle it all and re-spool the thread....a job that usually drove the woman insane. But they had a plan to get even, much to Mr. Lasch's regret!

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Pages: 8

Notes: Letterer credit by Craig Delich.

...Rocks in His Head!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Colorist(s): Marie Severin

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Character(s): Cynthia Andrews (Charle's wife); unnamed police officers; Dr. Charles Andrews (villain)

Synopsis: Cynthia shows Charles her new $4000 mink coat and he goes ballistic, not knowing how he can afford such a luxury on his income. He rushes to the hospital and discovers an emergency operation that he is to do, and before he starts to operate, he spots that his lady patient is wearing a valuable diamond ring; he takes it. Later, the woman notes the ring missing and a search of the hospital begins. To cover his tracks, Charles places the ring in the skull of a dying patient, hoping later to retrieve the ring from the man's grave. Is he in for a surprise!

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Pages: 8

Notes: Cover story.

A Bloody Undertaking!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Colorist(s): Marie Severin

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Gilbert Podges (undertaker, death); Charlie Drayne (Gilbert's assistant, death); Wilma Podges (villain, Podge's wife, a vampire)

Synopsis: Mortician Gilbert Podges gives a young girl a ride from the train station and ends up marrying her. His mortuary business, however, takes precedence over a honeymoon. After he hires a new assistant, Gilbert notes the blood drained from the bodies is disappearing, and stories of a vampire on the loose worry him. The townspeople, however, believe Gilbert's new assistant to be the vampire, and so they track him down and kill him. Gilbert relaxes.....but not for long.

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Pages: 8

...On a Dead Man's Chest!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Steven Anderson (wealthy steamship line owner, death); Helen Anderson (villain, Steven's wife); Larry Anderson (villain, Steven's brother, death)

Synopsis: A man's younger brother begins an affair with his wife, and, after a night on the town, the elder brother gets a tattoo on his chest of himself, his brother, and his wife arm-in-arm. The younger brother and the married woman hatch a plot to murder the husband where it will look accidental, but what they don't realize is that the tattoo will reflect the murder scene to the authorities.

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Pages: 7

Notes: Revised letterer credits by Craig Delich.
Script credit from "Tales of Terror! - The EC Companion" by Fred von Bernewitz and Grant Geissman.

Stiff Punishment!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Character(s): Dean Martin (Fred's friend, cameo); Gibbs (a student); Jo Ann (Fred's wife, death); Fred (villain, medical college Professor)

Synopsis: Jo Ann, fifteen years the junior of her husband, is sickened by his profession: a college professor in anatomy, and cannot stand his fascination with dissecting bodies and the like. After an argument, the two split up, but Fred decides on a fool-proof plan to kill his wife... or so he thinks!

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Pages: 8

Seance!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Penciller(s): Jack Davis

Inker(s): Jack Davis

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Character(s): The Crypt-Keeper (host); Alan Bitsby (owner of Bitsby and Company); Martha Bitsby (Alan's wife, death); Walton Farnum (Bitsby and Company accountant); Agnes Farnum (Walton's wife); Mrs. Dober; Paul Dober (death); Doctor Podos (medium); Harvey Hatch

Synopsis: Alan Bitsby sets out to prove that a medium is faking by asking him to raise the spirit of his 'departed' wife. Unbeknownst to the medium at the time the seance begins, Bitsby's wife is very much alive. The medium goes into a trance, and, with a great deal of effort, does succeed in summoning up the spirit of Bitsby's wife, at which point Bitsby triumphantly accuses the bewildered medium of being a fake and leaves. Upon returning home, however, Mrs. Bitsby is found dead as a doornail.

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Pages: 6

Fed Up!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Bill Gaines (plot); Al Feldstein (plot, script)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Alex (death); The Great Galago (sword swallower); Sandra (villain, sword swallower, Alec's wife)

Synopsis: A sword-swallower marries a man who becomes obese over time by spending all the money she earns with her act on food. She gets revenge by encouraging him to learn the act and when he's got the blade down his throat, she binds his hands in the dressing room and leaves him to the inevitable gas his gluttony has made him liable to.

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Pages: 7

The Execution!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Feature(s): Crime SuspenStories

Character(s): Alvis (stranded motorist, prison's Chief Engineer); Inmate #82562 (death); Warden Johnson; unnamed prison doctor; inmate's wife; inmates's children (cameo); unnamed inmate's lawyer; unnamed girl (cameo, death); prison chaplain

Synopsis: A man stops for a standed motorist who has skidded into a snowbank. At about the same time, a young woman is murdered, and from the description of the killer and the getaway car, it seems that the man who aided the stranded motorist is guilty. He is imprisoned and faces the electric chair unless the man he helped out comes forward the clear him.

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Pages: 8

Two of a Kind!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig

Inker(s): Johnny Craig

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Willow Dree (actress, vampire); Al Bolton (photograhper, in flashback); Bradbury Phillips (actor, ghoul)

Synopsis: Actress Willow Dree never had been successfully photographed, all attempts ending with a photo displaying only the background. Fellow star, Brad Phillips, suggests the two get away from all photographers and go on a skiing trip together. Unfortunately for the pair, they get snowbound in a cabin after a blizzard. Several days later, when a rescue team comes upon the cabin, they discover a horrifying scene inside.

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Pages: 8

Silver Threads Among the Mold!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Cedric Harrington (sculptor); Christine (villain, model, death); Gary (villain, Christine's lover)

Synopsis: Cedric, a sculptor in love with his model Christine, offers to silver-plate a life-sized statue of her as a gift, hoping she will accept his marriage proposal. One day, he accidentally over-hears a phone conversation between the model and her lover as they conspire to kill Cedric and run off with his money. When Gary comes to Cedric's studio one day looking for Christine, he finds her, but not exactly the way he had hoped.

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Pages: 8

Sweet Dreams!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Feature(s): Crime SuspenStories

Character(s): Pamela Kaine (Martin's wife, death); Dr. Firestone (Pamela's doctor); Martin Kaine (villain)

Synopsis: Martin was sorry that he ever married Pamela, and Pamela's medical condition gives him a great opportunity to do away with her. But the idea backfires in a way that he'd never suspect.

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Pages: 8

Till Death...

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Donna (Steve's wife, death); Steve (death); Jebco (servant)

Synopsis: Steve's new wife falls ill, dies and is buried. Steve's servant, Jebco, tries to fill the void, but the despair is too great. But Jebco says there is a way to have her back, and secretly he removes the corpse of Donna from her grave and puts it through a voodoo ritual.....and she walks again....as a zombie! Steve is overjoyed until she begins to decompose. When Steve, in vain, tries to kill her, he drinks poison to end it all. But loyal Jebco puts him through the same voodoo ritual, and he returns as a zombie....to be with his love....forever!

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Pages: 8

While the Cat's Away...

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Al Feldstein (co-plot, script); Bill Gaines (co-plot)

Penciller(s): Jack Davis (signed)

Inker(s): Jack Davis (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Crypt of Terror

Character(s): The Crypt-Keeper (host); John Younger; Frank Weston

Synopsis: John & Frank had been working their little travel agency scam for almost a year. They would book trips for wealthy clients, then clean out their homes of valuables while they were away. This time they scheduled a little trip for a Mr. Kingman, who lived alone in the suburbs, and when his plane for Ecuador took off, they went over to clean out his house. The place was a run-dwon wreck, with nothing of value they could see. They went down the cellar steps and found a metal door warning them not to enter, signed "T.C.K." They broke in and entered a library and founded a secret passage, which they entered, and came upon a group of zombies. They fled down another passage and ran into a room of vampires, then headed down yet another hall and ran into werewolves and then into another with mummies! By the time John and Frank reached the front door entrance, they were stark raving mad......and never noticed that the owner had just returned: the Crypt-Keeper!

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Pages: 7

The Mausoleum!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Howard Martin; Mr. Weatherby (owner of a castle, death); Nathan Weatherby (villain, Mr. Weatherby's nephew)

Synopsis: When Howard Martin made an offer to buy the castle from its owner, Mr. Weatherby, then dismantle it and re-assemble it back in the states, the owner wouldn't sell and Martin left. But Weatherby's nephew Nathan saw a chance to get some money, so he murdered his uncle, carried him out to the family mausoleum and buried him, then notified the authorities that his uncle had stepped into a quicksand bog on the property and died. Martin was then allowed to buy the property --- then strange things began to happen and the castle soon became a tourist attraction.

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Pages: 8

Rendezvous!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jimmy Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Feature(s): Crime SuspenStories

Character(s): Ruby (Joe's secretary); Nickie (Joe's girl); Charlie (a gambler); Mr. Holmes (Book Keeping department head, death); Joe Haines (villain, book keeper, embezzler, death)

Synopsis: Joe and his office companions are taking bets that Charlie will have an airplane accident.....just as a lark. Then, when Joe's boss suspects that the company's books are being juggled, Joe devises a plan to make sure his boss will have a plane accident himself. He does, but with disastrous results for Joe.

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Pages: 8

Split Personality!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); The Blair sisters [Amy; Susan] (villains); Ed King (villain, racketeer, death)

Synopsis: Ed King was a racketeer trying to find a way to bilk the Blair sisters out of their millions. When he saved their cat, he was invited into their home, and since both ladies liked him, he decided to pretend to be twins and marry the both of them, using excuses to be away a week at a time in order to be with his other wife. Ed made a huge mistake while tanning one day, and the sisters soon discovered what was going on, and decided to deal with this bigamist. They took an axe and split him right down the middle....so each would have "half a husband"!

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Pages: 8

Touch and Go!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ray Bradbury (original); Johnny Craig (adaptation)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig

Inker(s): Johnny Craig

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Feature(s): Crime SuspenStories

Character(s): Arthur Huxley (death); William Acton (villain)

Synopsis: Acton had killed Arthur Huxley and now tried to remove any clue that he had been at Huxley's home and had committed the crime. But his fixation with eliminating evidence of his presence had its consequences.

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Pages: 8

Notes: Adapted from the short story "Touch and Go" (later retitled "The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl") by Ray Bradbury.

Some of the story appears in flashback.

Easel Kill Ya!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault Keeper (host); young artist; artist's fiancee (death); art enthusiast; unnamed doctor (death)

Synopsis: The man went to a bridge he intended to jump from to his death at age 29. He was a lonely, unappreciated artist who was going to end it all when a car slammed into a barrier and from the crumpled wreck a woman staggered out. He was inspired to paint the scene, then sold it to a certain gentlemen. This scenario played out again and again as horrible accidents gave him inspiration to paint until he met a girl he was to marry. When she had a horrible accident and needed an operation, the artist killed someone for inspiration to paint the picture to sell, but inadvertently made a horrible mistake.

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Pages: 8

Fall Guy for Murder

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): William Gaines (plot); Albert B. Feldstein (plot; script)

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Inker(s): Johnny Craig (signed)

Letterer(s): Jim Wroten

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Feature(s): Crime SuspenStories

Character(s): Edith Wilson [Edith Colby] (Harry's wife, death); Gregg Saunders (private detective, death); Phil (city coroner); Harry Wilson (villain)

Synopsis: Harry calls in his good friend, best man and private-eye, Gregg Saunders, to investigate the sudden disappearance of his wife, Edith. He finds a clue in a murder mystery novel called "Fall Guy For Murder", but, in the end, it is Gregg who turns out to be the fall guy!

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Pages: 8

[untitled]

Illustration on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig

Inker(s): Johnny Craig

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Pages: 3

Notes: Panel enlargements from interior stories.

Johnny Craig

Text Article on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): S. C. Ringgenberg

Penciller(s): Johnny Craig

Inker(s): Johnny Craig

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 6

Crime, Horror, Terror, Gore, Depravity, Disrespect for Established Authority - and Science Fiction Too! The Ups and Downs of EC Comics

Text Article on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted White

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 3

Behind the Panels

Text Article on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Tom Spurgeon; Janice Lee

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 1

Notes: Biographies of Ray Thomas Bradbury; Albert B. Feldstein; William Maxwell Games

Twenty-Three Slick Noir Masterpieces from EC's Prime Crime Auteur!

Promotional Material (from Publisher) on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): ?

Penciller(s): ?

Inker(s): ?

Colorist(s): ?

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 1

Notes: Back cover blurb.