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Content Items (40 total)

[untitled]

Illustration on Cover, Front

Credits

Colorist(s): ?

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

Synopsis: Cover with two illustrations by Johnny Craig.

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Pages: 1

The Woman Who Loved Life

Credits on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): ?

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Pages: 1

The Woman Who Loved Life and Other Stories

Credits on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 2

Notes: Introductory pages with vignette images from stories in this book.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): ?

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 2

Notes: Table of contents with close-up images from stories in this book.

Slow and Steady Wins

Text Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

First Line: Dangerous dolls, deranged deviants, dashing detectives...

Synopsis: Essay on the stories including in this volume along with a photo of and art by Craig.

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Pages: 11

The Rustlers of Ransom Gap!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: science fiction, superhero, western

Character(s): Moon Girl [Claire Lune]; Lionel Manning; Mayor Haskins (villain)

Synopsis: Clare and Lionel are on their way to Ransom Gap, which has invited Clare to be Queen of the Harvest Festival. However, she gets embroiled in a cattle rustling caper, discovering the town's Mayor to be behind the scheme.

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Pages: 6

Notes: Bill Black reports the pencils are by Johnny Craig as well as inks, added with ? by Craig Delich 2010-7-8.
Sheldon Moldoff pencil credits from Lurid Little Nightmare Makers (Boardman Books, 2014 series) #5.
Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion. Source also lists Johnny Craig as sole artist, no Moldoff on this sequence.
This was Johnny Craig's first published EC story.
Script and art credits confirmed by Thommy Burns in the 2019 volume "The Woman Who Loved Life and Other Stories", published by Fantagraphics Publications. Question marks and Moldoff credit on penciling removed.
Colorist and lettering credits added by Craig Delich.

Portfolio of Death!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime, non-fiction

Character(s): Emil Antonescu (shop owner, business partner of Martine); J. S. Maxim (Police Commissioner, mention only); Dmitri Martine (villain, death); Fabros (villain, death)

Synopsis: Dmitri Martine spent much of his time cooperating with arch criminals and international bandits as well as with the Police, looking to make a fast buck any way he could. One day he was told that the Police had secret evidence against him and that all the members of his organization had been arrested. Dimitri sent his men to Police HQ to grab this info, but discovers it was bait used to bring an end to the arch criminal.

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Pages: 5

Notes: Colorist and letterer credits added by Craig Delich.

The Field-Marshal of Murder!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): ?

Letterer(s): ? (Leroy lettering)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Feature(s): Captain Crime!

Character(s): Captain Crime [aka "Trigger" Hancock] (introduction); General Grimmler [aka The Field Marshall of Murder] (villain, escaped Gestapo Chief, introduction, death); Grimmler's gang [Ape Benson (death); others unnamed] (villains, introduction for all)

First Line: A reign of terror drops like a grim shadow...

Synopsis: Crime first ran into Grimmler in the Balkans, but the criminal had friends in this nation who hid, fed and clothed him, and was surrounded by a gang of cutthroats and bandits. In order to battle Grimmler, Crime establishes an alias of Trigger Hancock and challenges Grimmler with his own gang. When Grimmler decides to put Hancock in his own gang, and proposes they take Fort Knox. Hancock readily agrees, but Grimmler doesn't know it is a carefully designed trap to catch him.

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Pages: 7

Notes: Only appearance of Captain Crime.
Captain Crime was a former U.S. Army paratrooper turned hard-boiled G-Man.
According to Tales of Terror: The EC Companion, Johnny Craig thought this story was written by either Gardner Fox or Ivan Klapper.
Some of the story is told in flashback.

Zombie Terror

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Character(s): Shore Patrol Captain; Juan (island native, death); unnamed natives (all die); zombies; Blackie (villain, smuggler, death); Devoe (villain, death)

Synopsis: Blackie and his gang are on a West Indian isle called San Carlos, awaiting a shipment of diamonds. When it arrives, Blackie orders natives out to pick them up, but Juan warns them of an approaching hurricane. Blackie shoots Juan and sharks take care of the rest of the natives. The shore patrol discovers the carnage and swear to track the gang down. Meanwhile, the natives call forth a group of zombies to deal with the smugglers.

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Pages: 5

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.

Murder By Appointment!!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Feature(s): The Slaughter Syndicate

Character(s): unnamed policemen; Big George Gurnsey (villain, death); Scar Ralston (villain, death); The Slaughter Syndicate [Lew; Mike] (villains); Slim Daggett (villain); Mac (villain); Lefty (villain)

Synopsis: The Syndicate members spot a wealthy guy and decide to roll him for his dough. Once done, they discover they just killed an infamous gangster. Turning, they are confronted by another thug, enemy of Big George, named Ralston, who hires the syndicate members to work for him as executioners. He sends them out to kill Slim Daggett, who, in turn, offers Lew and Mike $5000 to rub out Ralston, which they do. The gang of Lew, Mike and Slim now plan to rub out crooks named Mac and Lefty, but are captured by the police on a routine card game raid!

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Pages: 10

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
The Murder Syndicate is said in the story to be one of the predecessors to Murder, Incorporated.

Little Miss Mob Marker

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Character(s): Policemen [Bill; other unnamed]; Betty Zalman [aka Mob Marker; Miss Swenley] (villain, death); Happy Gordon (villain, racketeer); Marker's Gang (villains, some die)

Synopsis: Betty was a drugstore counter girl who was not content with an easy, slow life. She wanted things and wanted them now, so she resorted to using a gun and hopped up gunmen to get them for her. Her first target was found at the Fifty-Four Club and she was then on a roll of crime and murder, teaming up with racketeer Happy Gordon. Having banked most of her loot, Betty wants to retire, but fears Gordon will not allow it, so she decides to betray Gordon to the law. Wounded, Gordon decides on payback and gets his revenge.

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Pages: 9

Notes: Thommy Burns, in his hard cover October 2019 volume "The Woman Who Loved Life and Other Stories", published by Fantagraphics Books, mentions that by this time in Craig's career, Craig was scripting almost all the stuff he was illustrating.
Script credit by Thommy Burns, added by Craig Delich.

The Woman Who Loved Life

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime, non-fiction

Character(s): Ed Calhoun (policeman, Midge's husband); unnamed warehouse guard (death); Midge Calhoun (villain, death); Pete Halladay (villain, death)

Synopsis: Bored with her daily routine, Midge wanted furs, jewels and nice clothes, and when offered the opportunity, she went for it with strong greedy fingers, using robbery, murder and mayhem. Getting tips from her policeman-husband in order to tip off gang members where to pull jobs, and taking on a partner, Pete Halladay, all seems great until her husband begins to suspect his wife is behind the recent robberies. Then her partner drills her husband and he ends up in a coma, leading to an unexpected conclusion.

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Pages: 10

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
Craig essentially repeated "Little Miss Mob Marker" from the previous issue, except he improved on the plot by adding a few effective elements.

The Scavenger Siren

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Character(s): Toni Bassett (villain, death); Mike Malott (villain, death); Mike's mob [Spud; rest unnamed] (villains, all die); Butch (villain, death); Turk (villain, death); unnamed villain (death)

Synopsis: Toni was tired of the life of a waitress, so she decided to change all of that, yearning excitement; anything that that would get her fun and money. Then, one night, a Mike Malott walked into the restaurant, leaving his wallet behind accidentally. When she follows him, she sees him gun down three fellow gangsters, and from that point on, they team up for a life of crime.

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Pages: 9

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.

I Fight Crime

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime, non-fiction

Character(s): Ken Weston (policeman, reformed criminal); Ken's mother (death); Ken's father (death); Police Chief; Johnny; Chick Blaine (villain, racketeer, death); Charlie Brandon (villain, death); "Fingers" Davis (villain, cameo)

Synopsis: Ken, witnessing a racketeer shooting down a stool pigeon on the street, dreams of the day when he would own a car like Chick Blaine's. So he and a pal, Charlie, joined Blaine's operation. But when Ken's parents find out, they are furious, and in the next minute, a grenade, thrown from Blaine's car, explodes, killing Ken's parents. Ken reforms, joins the police force, and asks to be assigned to Blaine's territory to seek revenge and justice for his parents.

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Pages: 9

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
Dissatisfied with Craig's slow output of work, editor Feldstein tried a short-lived experiment where he and Craig teamed up on some stories, using the pen name of "F.C. Aljon" (derived from the initials of their last names and compounded first syllables of their first names. In an interview in 1983 with John Benson, Feldstein, speaking of these stories, said "I penciled and John would ink it. He would straighten out my lousy drawing." But the stories themselves cast some doubt on such a precise division of labor.
For example, in this story, it seems that Feldstein inked the story; maybe the entire story with very little, if any, of Craig's hand recognizable in the art.
Feldstein fictionalized all of the names of the true persons appearing in the story.

Sunday Above, Hate Below

Text Article on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

First Line: When Johnny Craig drew the story that we know as "Edna Sunday..."

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Pages: 1

Notes: Explanation of the alternate splash page for "Edna Sunday" used on the next page.

Hate!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): ?

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

First Line: It was raw hate that dominated Edna Sunday.

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Pages: 1

Notes: Alternative splash page for "Edna Sunday."

Edna Sunday

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime, non-fiction

Character(s): Edna's stepfather (in flashback); Albert (Edna's stepbrother, image only, in flashback); Edna's boss (death); Johnny (Edna's fiancee); Edna Sunday (villain, death)

Synopsis: Edna was a woman filled with raw, red hate: hate for all men who she thought vindictive and cruel (like her stepfather), and she eagerly went after her victims with a rope. Early in life she ran away from home, and her stepfather sent her to a reformatory, which led more hate to build up within her as she was considered a bad girl who could do nothing right. She walked out of that job, found a rope and trailed her boss to the Staten Island Ferry, where she strangled him. Then she met Johnny, whom she loved and agreed to marry, until he jilted her.

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Pages: 8

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
All names used in this story are fictitious.
Some of the story is told in flashback.
This story was originally titled "Hate". However, the gory scene drawn to the splash made Bill Gaines re-do the splash and re-title the story. Michael Catron reports that, over time, the rubber cement holding the new splash to the artwork dried out and fell off, revealing the original splash. The original splash can be seen in the Fanatgraphics' volume "The Woman Who Loved Life and Other Stories" (October 2019).
Dissatisfied with Craig's slow output of work, editor Feldstein tried a short-lived experiment where he and Craig teamed up on some stories, using the pen name of "F.C. Aljon" (derived from the initials of their last names and compounded first syllables of their first names. In an interview in 1983 with John Benson, Feldstein, speaking of these stories, said "I penciled and John would ink it. He would straighten out my lousy drawing." But the stories themselves cast some doubt on such a precise division of labor.

Two-Faced Woman: The True Story of Hazel Caro

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime, non-fiction

Character(s): Pete Caro (Hazel's brother, death); Hazel Caro (villain, death); Slick Joe Becker (villain, death); Becker's mob (villains, some die); "Grips" Hobart (villain, gang leader, death); Hobart's gang (villains, many die); Smiling John Jones (villain, villain); Jones gang (villains)

Synopsis: Hazel was a black-haired, gentle art student and musician who loved beautiful things. But when she donned a blonde wig, she turned into a cruel and ruthless killer after her brother was shot down by Slick Becker's trigger men. She takes over "Grips" Hobart's mob and heads out to take on Becker and his gang, and succeeds in killing him and some of his gang before the police move in. The funny thing is that Hazel has no killer tendencies unless she is wearing the blonde wig. When Smiling Jones moves into the city, Hazel pulls a neat trick to have him arrested, but he has the last laugh on her.

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Pages: 9

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
Dissatisfied with Craig's slow output of work, editor Feldstein tried a short-lived experiment where he and Craig teamed up on some stories, using the pen name of "F.C. Aljon" (derived from the initials of their last names and compounded first syllables of their first names). In an interview in 1983 with John Benson, Feldstein, speaking of these stories, said "I penciled and John would ink it. He would straighten out my lousy drawing." But the stories themselves cast some doubt on such a precise division of labor.
Thommy Burns, in the Fantagraphics book, "The Woman Who Loved Life and Other Stories" (October 2019), he states that this was one of the Feldstein-Craig collaborations in which Feldstein apparently did all the art except for the Police officer's face in the last panel which is clearly Craig.
Feldstein fictionalized all the names in this story.

The Curse of the Jessie James Treasure

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: non-fiction, western

Feature(s): Saddle Justice

Character(s): Tom (railroad engineer); unnamed telegraph operator; Carl Dornson (telegraph operator); Sheriff's posse; Robert Ford (cameo); Fred Bader (surveyor, death); Carl Harper (irrigation engineer, death); Jessie (sic) James (villain, death); the James Gang [Frank James; Hank Catell (death); John Liddle (death)] (villains); Charlie (villain, death); Charlie's partner (villain, death)

Synopsis: The James Gang had a remarkable career of robberies and killings, but the search for the treasure loot of the gang collided with the legend of the curse that hovered over that treasure and those who sought it out. Including the $37,000 in gold taken from a train and buried near a dead tree that was later struck by lightning and the gang was unable to locate its hiding area again. Various people later to discover the gold all met with death, leaving the treasure undiscovered to this date.

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Pages: 8

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
It's obvious that Feldstein misspelled the first name of James (should be Jesse).
Much of story told in flashback to July of 1875.
Dissatisfied with Craig's slow output of work, editor Feldstein tried a short-lived experiment where he and Craig teamed up on some stories, using the pen name of "F.C. Aljon" (derived from the initials of their last names and compounded first syllables of their first names. In an interview in 1983 with John Benson, Feldstein, speaking of these stories, said "I penciled and John would ink it. He would straighten out my lousy drawing." But the stories themselves cast some doubt on such a precise division of labor.
Thommy Burns, in the Fantagraphics book, "The Woman Who Loved Life and Other Stories" (October 2019), states that it is impossible to determine who penciled and who inked this story. Art credits revised to reflect both men as possible penciler and/or inker.
Feldstein fictionalized some of the names in this story.

I Craved Excitement!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Dorothy Doran (story)

Subject Matter

Genres: non-fiction, romantic

Character(s): Bill Davis (pilot); Dorothy 'Dotty' Doran; Al Davis (mechanic)

Synopsis: A love triangle has two brothers desiring the same woman. When Bill enlists for the armed services, Al sees his chance to move in and eventually asks Dotty to marry him, and she agrees. But when Al loses his job, the wedding is put off until another job can be found. When Al finally gets a job, he is rarely around to see Dotty, and as days and months drag on, Dotty gets more resentful of Al being away. Then Bill comes home and the spark is rekindled, leaving Al in the lurch or so it seems.

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Pages: 10

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
Feldstein fictionalized the names of all people in this story in his adaptation, as originally told by the fictionally named Dorothy Doran.
Parts of the story are told in flashback.
Dissatisfied with Craig's slow output of work, editor Feldstein tried a short-lived experiment where he and Craig teamed up on some stories, using the pen name of "F.C. Aljon" (derived from the initials of their last names and compounded first syllables of their first names). In an interview in 1983 with John Benson, Feldstein, speaking of these stories, said "I penciled and John would ink it. He would straighten out my lousy drawing." But the stories themselves cast some doubt on such a precise division of labor.
Thommy Burns, in Fantagraphics "The Woman Who Loved Life and Other Stories (October 2019), states that Feldstein is the dominant artist here, although Craig is evident in most of the faces in profile throughout the story.

Three Clues to Terror

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime, non-fiction

Character(s): Joe Daniels (constable); Bill (policeman); The Mad-Man Gang [Sport Oblen; Chuck Killinger; Bob] (villains)

Synopsis: The bank of Harker Falls is robbed of $20,000 by the Mad-Man Gang, but in making their getaway, the gang left tire tracks behind. So Constable Daniels has plaster casts made of them and takes them to the FBI laboratories, and they are able to reconstruct the crime to a tee as well as identifying the getaway vehicle as a Palmer car. A clue of a thread from an expensive suit is then traced back to Sport Oblen, and before long the gang is tracked down and arrested.

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Miscellaneous

Pages: 9

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
The names and places of this true story are fictitious.
Colorist and letterer credits by Craig Delich.

Scott Edwards Treasury Agent

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime, non-fiction

Character(s): Scott Edwards (special investigator); unnamed secretary (cameo); Chief George Garland; Enid Browne (San Francisco Globe reporter); Dora Mayfield (death); Dr. Kane (villain, hotel doctor, head of a narcotics ring); Torp (villain); Chimp (villain)

Synopsis: After being released from the hospital, Scott reports to the Chief of the U.S. Treasury narcotics division to give his report into the mysterious death of one Dora Mayfield and his tussle with a narcotics ring.

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Pages: 8

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
Craig used fictitious names for all involved in the story.
Most of the story is told in flashback.

Woman's Treachery!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): ?

Letterer(s): ? (see notes)

Subject Matter

Genres: romantic, western

Character(s): unnamed Indian Chief (father to Grey Fawn); Grey Fawn (Indian Princess); Hal Talbot (government surveyor); Monica (mining company secretary)

Synopsis: From the day they were introduced to one another, Grey Fawn and Hal Talbot fell in love, and she requested that she be allowed to be his guide. He discovers a rich ore lode, which will make the Indian tribe very wealthy, but when the mining company sends up a team to start extracting the ore, along comes a woman named Monica, who was in love with Hal. Monica, having an innate mean streak to her, decides to lie to Grey Fawn in order to get her to end her relationship with Hal.

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Pages: 8

Notes: Art credits from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion, per interview with Johnny Craig.

On a December 1955 visit to the EC offices, EC historian Fred Bernewitz recorded an interview with Bill Gaines in which Gaines recalled that "it was an interesting story. DC wouldn't buy it because, at the end of the story, a white man marries the Indian, and this is mixing of the races, which up at DC they apparently didn't go for. Somebody came in in here with a script, pencils and lettering already done, and we bought it from him. Craig inked it, and we had it re-lettered in our own machine lettering."

The Idol's Revenge!

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): Steve Murray; Dotty Garand (Steve's date); Ed (villain, thief, Steve's friend, death)

Synopsis: The story is told of Malnat, the shadow god of an old Samarkand temple, and how a young American stole its ruby eye, bringing it back to America. But the curse of Malnat seemed to follow him until one day he discovered that his friend, Ed, was using a flashlight with an image of Malnat on it to frighten Steve. It was then that Malnat exacted his revenge: not on Steve, but on Ed because Ed dared to imitate Malnat!

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Pages: 7

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
Colorist and letterer credits by Craig Delich.

Murder Writes a Policy

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime, non-fiction

Character(s): Mrs. Hubert Stonely (death); Ed (insurance man); Hap Shanahan (police inspector); Madge (Hap's wife); Babs (villain, Stonely's secretary); Stonely's maid; Hubert Stonely (villain, manufacturer)

Synopsis: While Mrs. Stonely, attempting to take a shower and is electrocuted when an electric fan falls into the bathtub, her husband is off entertaining his beautiful secretary. To all concerned, the famed manufacturer was above suspicion, but a crafty police inspector thinks otherwise.

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Pages: 8

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
Names in story are fictitious.
Some of the story is told in flashback.
Colorist and letterer credits by Craig Delich.

Madman!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: crime

Character(s): Frank Jameson; Janice (Frank's girlfriend and neighbor); Ugo (sic Hugo) Jameson (Frank's brother)

Synopsis: Frank cared for his crazed brother Hugo, who had the mind of a baby and did not really understand the difference between right and wrong. This was a fact Frank wanted to keep from Janice, but when she learned of the situation she ran off, but for just a little while. Meanwhile, Ugo binds up Frank and walls him in down in the basement. When Janice comes looking for Frank, Ugo tells her what he did to Frank and, through a trick maneuver, notifies the authorities and Frank is saved.

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Pages: 7

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.

Colorist and letterer credits from Craig Delich.

This story, according to author Thommy Burns in "The Woman Who Loved Life and Other Stories", an October 2019 book by Fantagraphics, strongly feels this particular story is not really a crime story at all, but the precursor to the EC New Trend SuspenStories.

Frank's brother in the story is sometimes called Hugo and sometimes Ugo.

The Corpse in the Crematorium

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Character(s): Al Gregory (an artist); Jane Walton (Al's fiance)

Synopsis: A man subject to cataleptic fits is brought to a crematorium while his wife-to-be searches frantically for him. She fails to find him before he is scheduled for cremation, but what saves him is that the attendant notices beads of sweat forming on his brow before the gaping maw of the blast furnace.

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Pages: 7

Notes: Colorist credit by Craig Delich.
Story foreshadows a 1955 Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV episode titled "Breakdown", wherein Joseph Cotton plays a paralyzed man lying on a morgue slab mistaken for a dead body (episode directed by Hitchcock).
Thommy Burns, in Fantagraphics' October 2019 volume, "The Woman Who Loved Life and Other Stories", reports that the script is by Craig, not Feldstein. Placed a ? by Feldstein's name and Craig's name added.

Curse of the Full Moon!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Character(s): Ralph (death); George (villain, a werewolf)

Synopsis: Ralph thinks he's become a werewolf after being scratched by the Wolfsbane plant and after people in town are horribly murdered, that belief nearly drives him crazy.

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Pages: 7

Notes: Script credit from "Tales of Terror! -- The EC Companion" by Fred von Bernewitz and Grant Geissman.
Letterer and colorist credits by Craig Delich.
Some of the story is told in flashback.

Portrait in Wax!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror

Character(s): The Vault Keeper (host); Robert [aka Jules Vendette] (artist, death); unnamed art buyer; Lord James Cherringwood; Henry (villain, Robert's friend, death)

Synopsis: Henry was jealous of his artist friend Robert for not selling his etchings. One day Henry began selling Robert's work to an art buyer. Robert found out and confronted Henry, who threw acid in his face then dumped the body into an acid vat. Henry almost used up the wealth of Robert's drawings until he met a wax statue maker and opened a museum with him. When one of the statues' arms was damaged Henry found a human hand beneath it. Henry confronted the sculptor, who removed a wax mask from his face, revealing himself as Robert.

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Pages: 8

Notes: Colorist credit by Craig Delich.
This story features Craig's first depiction of the Vault-Keeper.

Mute Witness To Murder!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): SuspenStory From the Crypt of Terror

Character(s): Steve; Pam (Steve's wife); Dr. Bask's wife (death); Heanigson (hospital worker); Dr. Bask (villain, death)

Synopsis: A woman sees her neighbor doctor murder his wife and is struck dumb from the shock. Her husband summons the same doctor and he realizes what she must’ve witnessed and has her committed to an asylum. He realizes that her voice may return at any time so he schedules her for a brain operation in which he plans to 'accidentally' kill her. Her voice does return and when his heart gives out without his medicine during their struggle, she chooses to let him die rather than summon aid in time.

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Pages: 7

Notes: Script credit from "Tales of Terror! -- The EC Companion" by Fred von Bernewitz and Grant Geissman. Original indexer credited Al Feldstein.
Colorist credit by Craig Delich.

The Wall: A Psychological Study

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Haunt of Fear

Character(s): Clara Harper (Neal's wife, death); Neal Harper (villain); Snooky (a cat)

Synopsis: Clara is always harping to Neal about tending to the cat's needs, even if they supercede those of him as her husband. When Neal accidentally kills Clara instead of Snooky, he decides to wall up his wife's body in the cellar. Unfortunately, Neal's conscience and the cat gets the best of him!

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Pages: 8

Notes: A story similar to Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat with a few themes from "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Black Cat" and "The Cask of Amontillado" mixed in.
Letterer credit per Russ Cochran and added by Craig Delich 2013-12-8. Feldstein reports that Wroten used a K & E Lettering Stylus to do all the lettering with.
Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
Colorist credit by Craig Delich.

Cave Man

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Character(s): Homer Perry (assistant curator, death); Mr. Yardley (institute director); Professor Greer (anthropologist); the caveman

Synopsis: Homer is notified that a famed anthropologist has made the astounding discovery of a perfect specimen of a Neanderthal Man, and his boss wants Homer to stop work on his exhibit and create a special exhibit for the caveman immediately. However, Homer feels he will lose all fame and honor for what he had accomplished on his own exhibit, so he decides to get rid of the caveman by placing him in the sunlight in order for the specimen to begin to decompose. However, the caveman comes to life and goes crazy, killing Homer, then takes his place back in his own exhibit.

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Miscellaneous

Pages: 7

Notes: Script credit from "Tales of Terror! -- The EC Companion" by Fred von Bernewitz and Grant Geissman. Original indexer credited Al Feldstein. Colorist credit by Craig Delich.

Zombie!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Character(s): Mr. King (plantation guest, photographer); Mr. Richards (plantation owner); Jason Morgan (former owner of Richard's plantation, death); Marie Morgan (Jason's wife, death, resurrected as a zombie, death)

Synopsis: A former plantation owner with a young wife hates the kindness she shows to the natives. He bursts into one of their voodoo dance rituals and shoots her dead for partaking. The natives turn her into a zombie and send her after him for revenge. Firing useless bullets, he flees into the jungle where he falls into a bog of quicksand and she joins him in eternity.

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Miscellaneous

Pages: 7

Notes: Script credit from "Tales of Terror! -- The EC Companion" by Fred von Bernewitz and Grant Geissman. Original indexer credited Al Feldstein.
Craig repeats several elements from his earlier tale, "Zombie Terror" from Moon Girl #5 (Fall 1948), in this story.
Some of the story is told in flashback.
Colorist credit by Craig Delich.

[untitled]

Illustration on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Synopsis: Illustration of William Gaines and Al Feldstein guillotining Craig.

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Pages: 1

Johnny Craig

Text Article on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

First Line: I admired Johnny's artwork.

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Pages: 4

Behind the Panels

Text Article on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

Synopsis: Biographies of Al Feldstein, Gardner Fox, Bill Gaines, Richard Kraus, and Louis Morales.

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Pages: 1

[untitled]

Illustration on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Character(s): Crypt Keeper

Synopsis: Illustration of the Crypt Keeper by Craig.

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Pages: 1

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

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

First Line: M.C. Gaines was both a practical man...

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Pages: 3

The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library

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

Credits

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 1

Murder, Mayhem - and Zombies, Too!

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

Credits

Writer(s): ?

Colorist(s): ?

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 1

Notes: Back cover.