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Content Items (8 total)

The Reluctant Vampire

Illustration on Cover, Front

Credits

Writer(s): ?

Colorist(s): ?

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Crypt of Terror

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (inset); The Crypt-Keeper (inset); The Old Witch (inset)

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #2 published January 1982

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #9 published October 1994
as [untitled] [Illustration on Cover, Front]

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 1

Notes: The cover title is taken from the 2nd story, from which the cover was based.

E.C. Fans!

Advertisement on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Colorist(s): ?

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

Feature(s): Weird Fantasy

Synopsis: The house ad promotes Weird Fantasy #15, and has other art not by Feldstein.

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #2 published January 1982

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 1

About Face!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Colorist(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Lydia Armstrong (animal trainer); King (lion); Steve (villain, Lydia's chauffeur)

First Line: Heh, heh! Well, gather 'round, kiddies...

Synopsis: Lydia was a circus lion tamer and considered the best, until one evening she was attacked and severely injured by a black panther. After her recovery, she took to wearing a veil and literally retired from the world. She began to pore over books on witchcraft, hoping to find a solution when her chauffeur, Steve, began to act as if he was in love with her. When he took her money and ran off with another woman, Lydia swore revenge and cast a spell restoring her face but, in Florida, Steve's face had become rotting flesh!

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #2 published January 1982

In Content Item: Flag

Iskalde Grøss #1/1991 published January 1991
as Maskespill! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #9 published October 1994
as About Face! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 8

The Reluctant Vampire!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Colorist(s): ? (see notes)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Crypt of Terror

Character(s): The Crypt-Keeper (host); Mr. Cross (blood bank director); Mr. Drink (villain, a vampire, death)

First Line: Greetings, ghouls! Yes, it's me... the Crypt-Keeper... again!

Synopsis: Mr. Drink, a vampire, has a job as night watchman at the local Blood Donor Center, and he has used this job to secure his daily supply of blood, then doctors the books to make everything appear legitimate. But one evening, the record book is missing, forcing him to kill someone to replace the blood he has supped on. When Drink discovers that the blood center is to be closed unless the facility takes in twice the amount of blood it does now, Drink decides to kill more victims to restock the shelves. The center's director reports this to the Police, bringing the case to an unusual end.

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #2 published January 1982

In Content Item: Flag

Iskalde Grøss #2/1991 published January 1991
as Den ulystne vampyr! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #9 published October 1994
as The Reluctant Vampire! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 7

Notes: Cover story.
Colors were previously attributed to Marie Severin, but it is unlikely that Severin had begun coloring at EC when this issue was colored (Cassell 2012, 33–34 and 171).
_________
Reference:

Cassell, Dewey, with Aaron Sultan. 2012. Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics. Raleigh: TwoMorrows Publishing.

Deception

Text Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Penciller(s): ? (spot illo)

Inker(s): ? (spot illo)

Colorist(s): ?

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

Genres: crime, horror

Character(s): Melton

Synopsis: As Melton flew along in his plane, he thought sure he was going to beat a murder rap for killing Paul Robson by staging the killing to have been perpetrated by a right-handed man. In his mind, even if the Police eventually discovered that Melton used his right hand to commit the crime, he'd be out of the country by then and out of their jurisdiction. He chuckled at the thought of his deception! Suddenly, the plane's engine sputtered and died on him, so Melton donned his parachute and jumped out of the plane....but he couldn't reach the rip-cord ring! Two days later, his body was found in a crater made by his body....his parachute still unopened and the rip-cord ring in its place on the left shoulder strap....waiting to be pulled by the right hand!

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #2 published January 1982

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 2

Notes: This text story was printed on the inner halves of the two pages, with EC house ads to either side. One promoted Weird Fantasy #8 [with an Al Feldstein cover] and the other promoted the Picture Stories From the Bible line: the Complete Old & New Testaments, the Old Testament #1-2, and the New Testament #1.

[untitled]

Letters Page on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Colorist(s): ?

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (head view)

Synopsis: The VK begins the column again pushing the photos of the three GhouLunatics for 25 cents, as well as subscriptions to his mag, followed by last issue's story popularity poll. Letters from Al Munchen, Alan Joseph and Gilbert Jarvis are printed as well.

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #2 published January 1982

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 1

Grandma's Ghost!!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Colorist(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); Peggy

First Line: Here's a chilling tale about little Peggy and her...

Synopsis: Little Peggy is awoken from her sleep by her Grandmother, who is having a heat attack. She asks for her pills, but they are not to be found on the nightstand, and by the time Peggy finds them in another room, her Grandmother has passed away. After the funeral, Peggy's Aunt Helen and Uncle Lawrence were celebrating with each other, thinking they have inherited all of the old woman's money. But at the reading of the will, they learn the money goes to Peggy....at the age of 22....so they plot to kill her. Meanwhile, Peggy is seeking out the friendship of the gardner, who pays more attention to her that her aunt and uncle. That evening, Peggy tells her "new folks" that Grandma came to see her and told her that the gardner was a fine man to associate with....but her aunt and uncle say NO! The next day, all three go on a picnic and Uncle Lawrence sees an opportunity to push Peggy off a cliff. Unfortunately, he goes over the cliff instead when Peggy "sees" her Grandma and moves out of the way. Later that day, Aunt Helen is already counting the fortune as hers, and grabs Peggy by the arm to the basement, opens the furnace door to push her in when Peggy sees her Grandma again.....as does Helen....and Helen falls back into the flames! Peggy then becomes the responsibility of the gardner.

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #2 published January 1982

In Content Item: Flag

Iskalde Grøss #3/1992 published January 1992
as Bestemors gjenferd! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #9 published October 1994
as Grandma's Ghost!! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 6

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
Based on the story "Mr. George" by Stephen Grendon.

Revenge is the Nuts!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Colorist(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Witch's Cauldron!

Character(s): The Old Witch (host); Doctor Blackpool

First Line: Hee, hee! I see by your leering faces...

Synopsis: At the eerie Croydon Insane Asylum, horrible screams are heard as patients are being whipped, and as Mr. Aldershot, a relative of a patient, is in Blackpool's office in response to a letter from his patient-relative. Blackpool tells him that these people are filled with evil spirits and his "treatments" are the only way to deal with the patients...and he kicks the man out. Blackpool then retreats to the dungeon-basement area and has the patient taken back to the ward, where the other patients are shocked by what has happened. As days drag by, Blackpool continues to tease and mistreat the patients, unknowing that the patients have decided to strike back. That evening, as Blackpool sat in his office, the door bursts in and the patients drag him to the dungeon, and to the cell of an insane patient named Olaf [many times maltreated himself], and gleefully watch as Olaf tears him apart!

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #2 published January 1982

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #9 published October 1994
as Revenge is the Nuts'! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 7

Notes: Writer credits confirmed by Johnny Craig (1982).