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Content Items (8 total)

Till Death...

Illustration on Cover, Front

Credits

Colorist(s): ?

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault of Horror!

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

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #3 published January 1982

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #28 published January 1953
as Till Death... [Illustration on Cover, Front]

In Content Item: Flag

Iskalde Grøss #4/1990 published January 1990
as [untitled] [Illustration on Cover, Front]

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #17 published October 1996
as [untitled] [Illustration on Cover, Front]

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 1

Notes: Cover title taken from the 1st story, from which the cover is based.

[untitled]

Advertisement on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): ?

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Feature(s): Mad

Synopsis: Promotional ad for MAD #2 [with cover by Jack Davis].

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #3 published January 1982

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 1

Till Death...

Story on Interior Page(s)

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)

First Line: Heh, heh! The doors to the Vault of Horror are open, fiends!

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!

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #3 published January 1982

In Content Item: Flag

Iskalde Grøss #1 [1988] published February 1988
as Til død ... [Story on Interior Page(s)]

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #17 published October 1996
as Till Death... [Story on Interior Page(s)]

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 8

Notes: Letterer credit by Craig Delich.
Cover story.

The Chips Are Down!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Crypt of Terror

Character(s): The Crypt-Keeper (host); Sigmund Darby; Averill Henning; Dilbert Field; Colonel Turner

First Line: Heh, heh! Once I saw a saw-mill!

Synopsis: Sigmund was buzzed on his intercom that Colonel Turner was there to see him and his two partners, Henning and Field. The Colonel was there to tell them that their sawmill had been chosen ror a highly secret government contract to produce thin wooden discs, at a rate of 60,000 per month. They agreed, but then wondered how they could produce that many until Field arrived at a solution with a new type of saw. Later, Henning and Darby muse over a way to keep all the profits for themselves, cutting Field out by engaging him in poker matches and taking him to the cleaners by winning his share in the saw mill.....which they did. After he walked out of the game, he shot himself and was buried.....and as Darby and Henning walk away, they muse over the marked deck they had used on Field. What they didn't see was a rotting hand rising from Field's grave that followed the two back to the mill, where screams are heard. The next morning, the mill foreman walked into open up and saw Darby and Henning standing stiffly next to the cutting machine in a pool of blood. When he touched them, they fell over.....minutely sliced into thousands of thin layers!

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #3 published January 1982

In Content Item: Flag

Iskalde Grøss #1/1989 published January 1989
as Rått parti [Story on Interior Page(s)]

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #17 published October 1996
as The Chips Are Down! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 7

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

The Defiler

Text Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Penciller(s): ? (spot illo)

Inker(s): ? (spot illo)

Colorist(s): ?

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Character(s): Trader Trask

First Line: From Tabou on the French Ivory Coast...

Synopsis: Trader Trask, an unscrupulous trader on Africa's west coast, used whiskey to cheat the natives out of their valuable ivory, gold, timber and raw rubber. His ship was full of this cargo after his "dealings" with the natives and was preparing to sail off when he saw a tempting silver pendant hanging around the neck of an Arab. He was able to see a strange writing on its reverse and wanted to buy it....but the Arab refused. The next day, Trask walked into the Arab's tent, grabbed the pendant, slit open a pig and shoved the pendant inside....defiling the object. He then pulled it out and threw the pig at the merchant and left. The next morning, Trask was found in bed....his stomach ripped open and the pig stuck into his belly.....while the Arab once more proudly wore the pendant.....able to do so because of what was written on the back of the pendant: it said that only a swine would defile this object....so to cast away sacrilege, it could be annointed with a larger swine's bile: that of Trader Trask!

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #3 published January 1982

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 2

Notes: This text story is found on the inner halves of the two pages, with EC house ads to either side. One promotes Weird Fantasy #16 [with cover by Al Feldstein], while the other promotes, with covers, the Complete Old and New Testaments of the Picture Stories From the Bible series, Picture Stories From Science #2 and Pictures Stories From World History #2.

[untitled]

Letters Page on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Colorist(s): ?

Letterer(s): typeset

Subject Matter

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (spot illustration)

Synopsis: VK features letters from Willy Reith, Robert Goldstein, B.D. Velvin, Jr., Walt Bowart, Mrs. C.H. Lindles, Gene Schaffel, George Salaida and Bobbie Kelley. Barbara Matson sent in some "torrid terror tunes" for the E.C. Horror Hit Parade, then told readers that writer Ray Bradbury has given permission to EC to adapt some of his stories. VK also pushed subscriptions to EC mags.

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #3 published January 1982

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 1

For How the Bell Tolls!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Vault-Keeper's Grim Fairy Tale!

Character(s): The Vault-Keeper (host); unnamed King; unnamed Queen; unnamed bell ringer (death); unnamed apprentice to the bell ringer (villain, death)

First Line: Heh, heh! In the last issue of the Vault of Horror...

Synopsis: Long ago, in a far-away land, there was a castle which had a belfry and a large bell hanging in it. Every time there was a special occasion, the royal bell ringer plied his trade, watched for over 34 years by his apprentice, but never given the chance to ring the bell once in all that time! On the Queen's birthday, the royal bell ringer, now very old, was told to ring it all day long, but his apprentice wanted to do it. When he was told no, he pulled down an axe from the wall and killed the royal bell ringer just as the King walked in. But the paid for the crime as the clapper for the bell.

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #3 published January 1982

In Content Item: Flag

Iskalde Grøss #7 [1988] published January 1988
as Klokkene ringer med deg! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #17 published October 1996
as For How The Bell Tolls! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 6

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

This is the first "Grim Fairy Tale" by Evans.

Evans draws in his own portrait on panel 4 of page 5.

We Ain't Got No Body!

Story on Interior Page(s)

Subject Matter

Genres: horror

Feature(s): The Witch's Cauldron!

Character(s): The Old Witch (host); Henry Bodwin (Norton's brother, department store owner, death in flashback, a walking corpse); Mr. Yeson; Flaggerty (policeman); Norton Bodwin (villain, also in flashback); Charlie (villain, death, in flashback); Sidney (villain, death, in flashback)

First Line: Hmmph! First the Crypt-Keeper steals my 'grim fairy tale' idea!

Synopsis: The rotting corpse of Henry Bodwin confronts his brother Norton, and reminds him about when his two buddies and he conspired to kill him over the will in which Henry had made Norton his beneficiary: for $20,000 with double indemnity. The trio pushed Henry under the wheels of a train, killing him, but all they ever found was the man's torso....no arms or legs. The check for $40,000 was a reason for the three to celebrate, until strange events led to retribution by Henry and peace in the grave at last.

Reprinting

In Issue:

The Vault of Horror #3 published January 1982

In Content Item: Flag

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

In Content Item: Flag

Vault of Horror #17 published October 1996
as We Ain't Got No Body! [Story on Interior Page(s)]

Reprint Notes:

Miscellaneous

Pages: 7

Notes: Script and letterer credits by Craig Delich.

Loosely based on "The Return of the Sorcerer" by Clark Ashton Smith.