Tales from the crypt 020,tales from the crypt 032,tales from the crypt 036,tales from the crypt 040

Page 1

NO.. .NO.. \T CAN'T BE' THAT ^ NAME HE’S CUTTING ON THE GRAVESTONE.. .THAT'S MY NAME! AND MY DATE OF BIRTHf BUT c THAT'S^ vTHE DATE OF DEATH. TODAY' '

-

.

X

KORDQ^'

.


/ The

Look For

following

complete

list

is

a

of

This Seal. titles, all

of

which bear the

Code-Seal of

The Association of Comics

Magazine

^

Publishers

ON EVERY COMIC MAGAZINE YOU BUY! This seal is used lieves in

magazine

by

the Association of

decency and good

distributors, wholesalers, printers

and engravers serving the

in censorship ...

you want the best comic magazines, always look

the front cover.

It is

TALES FROM THE CRYPT

The Association has been joined by leading

taste.

The Association does not believe If

Comics Magazine Publishers, which be-

your guarantee

of quality

it

industry.

believes in self-regulation.

for the Association seal

on

and entertainment.

HAUNT

THE

OF

FEAR

THE VAULT OF

HORROR •

WEIRD SCIENCE •

WEIRD FANTASY •

MODERN LOVE bert B. rk,

N.

Y.,

—elsewhere

—total 75c Frighted 1B00 by

1.

C.

Publist

L

C. PnbFeidBtein, Associate under the act of

Bi-Monthly by

$1.50.


'

f

TALE

m

WELL...HEH, HEH...I SEE IT’S TIME FOR ME TO TELL YOU ANOTHER SPINE-TINGLING TALE.. .ONE OF MY VAST COLLEC TION OF CHILLERS WHICH I KEEP HERE IN THE CRYPT THIS STORY IS A FAVORITE OF MINE. ..ONE THAT I GUARANTEE WILL MAKE YOUR BLOOD RUN COLD AND YOUR HAIR

STAND ON END

f

I

CALL

IT...

m. THE

YOU ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN A FRIGHTFUL ADVENTURE. ..CONCERNING a luxurious Ocean liner and THE STRANGE AND UNEXPLAINED EVENT? THAT WILL OCCUR IN...

STATEROOM

13


'

,

What wonderful

luck?' only ONE of the two berths in STATEROOM 13 HAS BEEN TAKEN.' YOU PAY THE PURSER AND BOARD THE SHIP' AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON... FOR AS YOU REACH THE TOP OF THE GANGPLANK, ,

CAST OFF THE ELL, AS A MATTER OF

BUT YOU MUST HAVE BERTH OPEN.

ONE

I'LL TAKE

.

ACT, SIR... THAT

.

ANYrs*

^CLASS'

1

FORWARD

MAKE HEADY FOR; \

DEPARTURE...

A

ASHORE....

NUMBErT

AH.. .WHAT

TUGS STRAINAND PUSHING THE GIANT LINER OUT INTO MIDSTREAM 'THEN-

STATEROOM DO YOU^^3T

AWAY... THE LITTLE

'last call... ALL ASHORE THAT'S GOING

YOU WATCH AS THE DOCK SLIPS ING

MAY I TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SHOW YOU TO YOUR r—

4

LINES..

IS...

YOU'RE NOT < SUPERSTITIOUS.

IF

WHY.

The color drains from the STEWARD* CHEEKS... HIS EYES HORROR A%HE STARES

FILL WITH

WHY. .THANK JOU, STE WARD?

WHY..

.

WHAT SEEMS

YOH...ER...’

TO BE THE TROUBLE^ NOTHING, A fc STEWA R D? SIR...

CAB IN .SIR’/

N0T HIN

The STEWARD SETS YOUR BAGS DOWN

IN

YOUR STATE-

ROOM, CHECKS THE PORTHOLE TO SEE THAT IT IS SECURELY BOLTED, AND THEN EDGES TOWARD THE DOOR < THERE IS A LOOK OF FEAR ON HIS FACE...

WHAT IS IT, OLD MA N ? WHAT IS THERE ABOUT THIS ^ ^CAB IN THAT FRIGH TENS

A

YOU

?

I... I... .

DON'T KNOW,

ONLY... ONLY..-

NO ONE WHO HAS EVER BEEN ASSIGNED THIS CABIN HAS COMPLETED HIS CROSSING IN ITT SOMETHING... SOMEONE. FRIGHTENS THEM INTO LEAVING \\ IT f WHY ONE PASSE N6ER EVEN ) WENT MAD FROM WHAT HE SAW HERE..^/ ’

.

.

^

j ’


^ The STEWARD MUMBLES SOMETHING ABOUT GHOSTS AND SLIPS FROM YOUR GRASP? YOU WATCH AS HE HURRIES DOWN THE CORRIDOR, AND THEN YOU CLOSE THE

TWO

BERTHS...

HMMM?

GHOSTS... BAH? HE'S PROBABLY PLAYING A TRICK ON ME... SUG-

GESTION AND STUFF...

WONDER WHO HAS THE HIS BAGGAGE IS HERE ? HE’S PROBABLY UP ON DECK SAYJNG GOODBYE TO THE GOOD OLD I

UPPER?

.

U. S. A.?

TOLD I'LL

TO

turnin' you are tireo, and THE FRESH SE A AIR HAS MADE YQU SLEEPY...

.

^ 4

HELLO? I SAME HERE? GUESS YOU MUSTS RATHER SMALlJ BE MY ROOM- ^STATEROOM, MATE? GLAD To) ISN'T IT? HAD 1 .MEET YOU? jflTO TAKE IT..-. ] ONLY ONE LEFT?] OH...

DOOR.

fc.

— After DINNER YOU DECIDE

You STOW YOUR BELONGINGS IN YOUR ASSIGNED BERTH AND SURVEY THE CABIN ? IT IS SMALL, WITH ONE PORTHOLE... AND THE

HE? TURN

.

J ME, TOO? GLAD WELL.. IN? I'M

GUESS PR ETTJ

YOU'RE HERE, THOUGH' t

MSI. T IRED

THE STEWARD TOLD ME SOME AWFUL YARN

ABOUT THIS ROOM...

YOU DON'T KNOW HOW CONG YOU'VE BEEN ASLEEP.. ONLY... SUDDENLY YOUR EYES ARE OPEN? YOUR STATEROOM SMELLS STRANGE? THE PECULIAR SMELL OE DAMPNESS-STALE SEA-WATER? AND YOU ARE COCO... A GUSH OF AIR IS COMING FROM THE OPEN PORTHOLE...

f——

BLAST? THE PORTHOLE IS OPEN? I'D BETTER CLOSE IT. OR RISK A NASTY COLD?

WOULDN’T TAKE SERIOUSLY? HE'S

OH, I

IT’

r YES-WELL. ^GOqp-NIGHT'

PROBABLY PULLING. your leg?

YOU GET UP AND STUMBLE TO THE PORTHOLE IN THE DARKNESS? THE BOLTS HAVE BEEN LOOSENED AND THE FINE SPRAY FROM THE SEA WETS YOUR FACE? YOU SLAM IT SHUT, BOLTING IT TIGHTLY... AND THEN, FROM THE BERTH ABOVE YOURS, COMES A " "’f BLOOD- CURDLING CRY.

WHAT

THE...?


-

With a single leap, your roommate springs FROM HIS BERTH TO THE FLOOR AND OASHES MADLY TOWARD THE STATEROOM POOR... what /S it? WHAT'S

YOU LISTEN TO

WR0N6JYn0.'N0'N0? 1

HIS FOOTSTEPS RUNNING FULL SPEED DOWN THE CORRIDOR? POOR OLD BOY? PROBABLY SEASICK? YOU SHUT THE DOOR AND GROPE YOUR WAY BACK TO YOUR BERTH? YOUR EYES CLOSE AND YOU SLEEP AGAIN? THEN, DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, YOU ARE AWAKENED BY A GROAN...

W&T

H

MM MM ? NOT A VERY GOOD

SAILOR...

IJBLtoo^hap? u^e^ojii^^^^_

rRp

1 The NEXT MORNING, THE SUN STREAMING THROUGH THE PORTHOLE AWAKENS YOU AND YOU DRESS QUICKLY f THE CURTAINS OF THE UPPER BERTH ARE DRAWN... YOU LEAVE WITHOUT DISTURBING YOUR ROOMMATE...

On DECK, THE STOPS YOU.

SHIP'S

DOCTOR

I WONDER IF YOU' / WHA...?YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT f MEAN.. HE HAPPENED LAST > didn't come BACK TOTHE NIGHT? WE FOUND YOUR ROOMMATE / STATEROOM’

I...

m NO' WE HAVE HIM IN THE SHIP'S ’ HOSPITAL? HE’S SUFFERING FROM SHOCK ? CAN YOU TELL ME cr— WHAT HE SAW THAT MIGHT? I...T HAVE CAUSED IT?_ j—/ HAVE N<

'

COWERING

IN

A

N

PASSAGE... BABBLING LIKE AN IDIOT f

LOOK?I HAVE A LARGE CABIN! WHY DON'T YOU BRING YOUR THINGS OVER THERE AND r SPEND THE REST OF YOUrJ

S TRIP WITH

MET^—-

OH, REALLY, DOCTOR? ARE YOU INFERING k

THAT THE RUMORS

^

( ABOUT STATEROOM

g\l3 ARE TRUE

I

YOU LAUGH, REFUSING THE DOCTOR'S INVITATION? YOU SPEND THE DAY RELAXING IN YOUR DECK-CHAIR. SWIMMING IN THE SHIPPS POOL. ..AND PLAYING CANASTA IN THE GAME ROOM AFTER DINNER? IT IS VERY LATE WHEN YOU RETURN TO YOUR ROOM... _ HO- HUM? GAD, l'M TIRED!

THAT BERTH CERTAINCC fe

LOOKS INVITING?^^


YOU CHECK THE PORTHOLE TO $££ THAT IT IS SECURELY BOLTED AND THEN YOU STRETCH OUTON YOUR BERTH' YQU LAY AWAKE THINKING ABOUT THE AGONIZING SCREAM OF YOUR ROOMMATE THE NIGHT BEFORE, WHEN.

WHAT

THE PORTHOLE IS OPEN AGAIN... AND. PHEW... THAT SMELL OF^ ^SEA-WATER AND DECAY..

YOU GET UP AND CLOSE IT' YOU ARE FRIGHTENEO' YOU DISTINCTLY REMEMBER CHECKING IT BEFORE YOU WENT TO BED' YOU TIGHTEN THE BOLTS WITH ALL OF YOUR STRENGTH AND STAND THERE FOR A WHILE-STARING' OUT TO sea' SUOOENLY. what’s that? a moan... COMING FROM THE UPPER

THE...?

..

It

YOU SPRING TO THE BERTH AND TEAR THE CURTAINS APART..’. THRUSTING YOUR HAND IN, TO D1SCOVER IF THERE IS ANYONE THERE...

THAT SMELL..:THAT NAUSEATING SMELL OF STAGNANT SALT-WATER' AND^^ and.,

YOU TAKE HOLD OF SOMETHING... SOMETHING COLD AND WET.. ICY COLD. ..SOMETHING LIKE A MAN’S ARM' ANO AS YOU PULL, THE CREATURE HURLS ITSELF FROM THE BERTH... A CLAMMY, OOZY MA$S<

aaaaaagh.'

AN INSTANT, THE HORRIBLE MONSTROSITY HAS DARTED OUT In

OF THE STATEROOM DOOR'

GOOD LORD' SO THAT'S WHAT IT IS' X...X'LL ^t... FOLLOW IT'

BERTH...

KEEP AWAY.' KEEP AWAY.'

YOU CHASE THE DARK SHADOW THROUGH THE DIMLY LIT PASSAGE’ AND UP TO THE COMPANIONWAY '

BLASTED THING.' IT’S

GETTING AWAY.'

YOU WATCH AS IT SEEMS TO GO OVER THE RAIL AND INTO THE SEA...

MUST BE DREAMING' THAT CURSED MEAL TONIGHT...IT... ^ IT DIDN T AGREE with

I...

!


.

'

YOU CANNOT RETURN TO THAT HORRIBLE ROOM SO YOU WALK THE

WELL FRANKLY, \' ' WHY DON'T YOU CAPTAIN, THERE LET ME FIX YOU /S' SOMETHING J UP IN THE OFFIVERY HORRIBLE N CERS' QUARTERS HAPPENED IN MY \FOR THE REMAINSTATEROOM LAST DER OF THE I

PECK. FINALLY CURLING Uf> IN A PECK CHAIR UNDER A STEAMER BLANKET TO SLEEP A DREAMLESS SLEEP? THE MORNING SUN BLINDS

YOU AS YOU ARE SHAKEN AWAKE-

'

NIGHT f

.

IT

MIGHT

HAVE BEEN MY

WENT TO YOUR STATEROOM? YOU WEREN'T THERE?

I

klS ANYTHING

\

LOOK HERE CAPTAINTYyOU ARE RIGHT,! CAN'T WE GET TO /SIR? ONLY, WHAT TO THE BOTTOM OF \CAN l DO? I*M J THIS? THERE MUST) INCLINED TO 4 BE A LOGICAL BOARD UP I EXPLANATION? ROOU'^M

TRIP?

IMAGINATION BUT...

.

WRONG? f*

THAT WILL SOLVE NOTHING? PERHAPS' IT alONLY A STOWAWAY... TRYING TO LIGHTEN PEOPLE OUT OF THAT STATEROOM SO THAT HE CAN SPEND > THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP IN COMFORT? A MANIAC PERHAPS (J

U

[hmmm?that\ TH0U6HT HAS \ (never OCCURED ] TO ME 'YOU MAY] I

BE RIGHT?!

YOU ARE RELIEVED THAT YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO SPEND ANOTHER NIGHT ALONE IN THAT ACCURSED STATEROOM? TOGETHER WITH THE CAPTAIN, T0NI6HT YOU MAY SOLVE THIS BAFFLING PROBLEM? ^SEE YOU THEn7\ ABOUT TEN?//

\

VAT

i

YES..

.

\ (stateroom 13A

A*: •••

<

TELL YOU WHAT?)

TONIGHT, I WILL STAND WATCH WITH YOU? IF HE SHOWS HIS FACE .WE'LL BE ABLE TO OVERPOWER HIM

TOGETHER?

GOOD, CAPTAIN? i'm glad YOU are TAKING A MORE , REALISTIC ATTITUDE THAN YOUR SUPERSTITIOUS

I

CREW?

Your day is spent anxiously... and towards evening, YOU FIND YOURSELF BECOMING NERVQUS?FIN ALLY, IT IS TEN O’CLOCK.. AND YOU MAKE YOUR WAY DOWN TO TH E i STATEROOM?


.

YOU CHECK THE PORTHOLE. YOU AND THE CAPTAIN. ..AND MAKE SURE THAT IT1S TIGHTLY BOLTED. I'LL SIT

HERE ON’

THE BERTH/ WHY DON'T YOU SIT

.

A

THEREON MY »

VALISE...

p

The rook is dark' only the hum OF THE ENGINES IS HEARD. FAR BELOW... AND THE MUFFLED ROAR OF |THE SEA, OUTSIDE / SUDDENLY... I

GOOD/

NOW... SHALL

WE TURN OUT THE

Mffl

LIGHT..

^J

THAT’S-.T HAT'S IT,

/Tf

LET'S

(NO? NO?

CAPTAIN?

BE r

YOU...

IT

L KILLED YOU. RIGHT THERE ^ ...IN THAT BERTH/ PUSHED YOU OUT THAT PORTHOLE... INTO 4 THE SEA/ YOU CAN'T BE...YOU J

CANT

CAN'T...

YOU'RE

DEAD' I MUR- * DERED YOU ' zM

Horrified, you watch? the captain SLUMPS TO THE FLOOR-WHITE AS CHALK? THEN, SATISFIED, THE TH/NR TURNS AND

HURLS ITSELF OUT OF THE PORTHOLE-

ROOD LORD/

HERE WE GO, A CAPTAIN/ THINGS^ ARE BEGINNING

r

You SPIN AROUNO/ THE TH/NO... THE HORRIBLE CREATURE OF LAST NIGHT IS RISING OUT OF THE TOP BERTH / THE CAPTAIN IS SHRINKING BACK...

^^3ET

YOU RUSH TO THE PORTHOLE AND SLAM IT SHUT... SOME STRANGE FORCE SEEMS TO RESIST YOU...

J bto pop' rT"

4

The captain is deao. .LITERALLY FRIGHTENED TO DEATH AND AS YOU TURN TO LOOK THING, YOU ARE .

AFTER THE

ASTOUNOEP TO SEE

THAT...

THE PORTHOLE IS CLOSED, fc AND. BOLTED / jgm .

.

'Heh, heh/ and that's y THE STORY, DEAR READ-

ER? THE CAPTAIN RECEIVED THE SHOCK OF HlS LIFE, EH? WELL, HE SHOULD HAVE REALIZED... YOU CAN'T GET AWAY WITH MURDER... NOT EVEN AT SEA... ON YOUR OWN

I

I

SHIP? OH, IF

BY"

YOU EVER

THE WAY?

REALLY

SAIL THE ‘OCEAN OUEENj

ASK FOR STATEROOM

t

|§SJ$j]\

DROP ME A FEW LINES' WRITE YOU LIKE MY TALES AND HAVE TIME TO KILL. THE CRYPT-KEEPER, RM. 706, DEPT. 20, 22S LAFAYETTE ST..N.Y.C. 12, N.Y.

IF

.

TO:

.

\

THIRTEEN? TELL 'EM T

\SENT YOU?

.


.

Xhe

sun had already gone down behind

the heavy jungle growth along both banks

sluggish

the

of

beached

when Canady,! aÂŤd staggered

stream,

boat

flimsy

his

ashore.

A hundred

swampy

water's

yards back from the

edge ivas a village he had

never seen before

...

a

primitive circle

oi

weathered huts he hadn't known existed on this

unmapped,off-shoot of the Orinoco

But there

caped

was good reason why

his notice

during

been managing the

all the

River.'

had

it

es-

.

.

sometimes searching

.

sometimes

to express himself,

sound. Drucker

... his

spection

led

a

to

the

1

manners

.

,

of the

who had .

One

guides rose from behind him,

of the

ensuing silence Canady watched

in the

cross the hut to the door.

f

pmd

hidden under the mat his grim-faced tribes-

being here."

( t

his belt, his fingers t<J

groping

its

holster. Just in case! "They're .

.

.

a

for his

.

.

.

.

wondering

Canady began and his hand .

touched the empty

it

.

it,

gun

holster.

they had watched his face

when he had seen

the object!

moving unoBtru-

certain that his revolver v

an ugly-

and they hate my barging

into their village as

find

They knew

himself,

he had seen

realized

trembled as

my

range

here!

several inches

it

art object

men

to rise,

thought to himself as he pretended

ively

looking bunch

Watched the

passed momentarily

and Canady braced whether the chief and

There was

fl

floor opposite the Chief,

in

it

former resting place.

people J

escorted

like

if

flame-colored moustache?

its

ing eyes that Watched him settl^ on the

make

.

in-

earth.

over a grass mat and moved

hardly noticed the cold .and appl:

"They don't

of .

.

.

and him

cotjj

r

gave only passing notice boat

words

He had come to find him would pay anyone who knew where Drucker was. Had they seen a tall man with red hair ... a man who had a swallowed up by the

longing Jo the village chief, i

natives

for

a surge

from sight as

Just ^vanished

trip.'

native's left foot as

Canady was

in

plantation foreman

had disappeared a week before on an

time he had

Plantation. In his fifteen

years in the tropics, he had never

ventured so for into jivaro

ady spoke

much as

But there's no choice

.

I

hate being I've got to

clue to Dfucker's whereabouts!"

And even as him. from

on the

floor,

began

they

sides of the

to close in

on

huh Canady was human head there

underneath the grass mat that

had been moved

.

.

the head, with the red

hair looking so ludicrous over th4 shrivelled skin

In the language of the jungle people

all

conscious of the shrunken

Can-

.

.

the

head with

ored moustached

the' bitshy flame-col-


.

There were four of them. rich, spoiled, bored? they had all the money they WANTED, THEY HAD BEEN EVERYWHERE AND DONE EVERYTHING? AND SO, WHEN SOMEONE SUGGESTED THAT THEY TRY THE MAGIC OF THE ANCIENTS, THEY BR EWED. .

.

.

4R4TAI l*AD

WHAT BOSHf YOU don't TAKE ANY STOCK IN rA'>»rjUNK,DO IH, WELL..

BE THAN

IT’LL

SITTING AROUND LISTENING TO

SOMEBODY’S


Yh*t night, in JIM Robert's rooms, the four got TOGETHER WITH SHOUTS OF LAUGHTER WHERE'D YOU EVER DREAM UP ALL f

BABY, IT TOOK ME HOUR* TO GET THESE THINGS?

MARYLYN? TOADS' TONGUES' A LAPWING'S EAR? THE FOOT OF>A DAY-OLD BAT?

THIS,

THE NAILS OF A DOG BORN

FIRST THE HAIR OF

A BABY MOUSE.

we're all sick of everything f

THOUGHT THAT WE COULO TRY SOME MAGIC SPELLS... OLD SPELLS WORKED BY CAGLIOStRO AND DEE? THEY WON'T WORK, Of COURSE...

I

BUT

!

"7 f

WHISPER

BELTANE, HOG'S BANE '

I

f )

iur . ti

j

DOG'S

TOOTH, w|TCH S

RUTH

TIP OF EAR AND SPIT OF TONGUE f MOSS FROM A DEAD MAN'S GRAVE? J

NOW ,

WORDS TO TOUCH THE EAR 1JJ

-

WILL 8E FUN TO "TRY...

THEN THE WING OF A BABY BAT?

DEAD...

STIR, STIR

IT

\

•

look.'**

PINCH OF DUST

FROM A MUMMY CASE!


f

/

Loud

in the dark room, mary,lyn screams' her hands beat up at SOMETHING VAST, UNSEEN' HER GREEN-TINTED FACE WRITHES EERILY IN STARK TERROR...

f

GOT TO.. HAVE LIGHT GOT TO .KNOW WHA... WHAT HAPPENED j

l-look' marylyn’s

.

.

SHOE...

..

^

AND STOCKING...

EEeeyyAM&HHff

LET'S GET ..OUT OF HERE* CALL THE POLICE' GET

(

HELP FROM...

SOMEBODY

WE CAN GET 1 HER BACK OURSELVES, OLDMAN* -RELAX* relax' MAYBE IT’S JUST A MATTER OF ANOTHER SPELL OR SOMETHING... ,

X DON’T LIKE THIS* MAYBE I'M... A SISSY OR SOMETHING... .

BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS LIKE THIS... THAT

SCIENCE HAS NEVER

GRAZ Yf

THIS

IS

WHY

DID

WE EVER THIS?

SHAKING,

OLD

MAN*

HER... J

RIGHT

OUT OF THEM'

OH, JIM DARLING, UP'

HUSH WE HAVE TO SAVE

MARYLYN

OUR FAULT, OLD

MANf HERE, THIS LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING...

A

SEANCE

TO SPEAK TO THE

V

dead'

EXPLAINED' WE'D .

START

WHATEVER...

WAS ...MUST HAVE RIPPED

IT

.

BETTER.

PE eEt ECrRR... PlEEEA&SE COOOOME TOOOo

CONCENTRATE IT'S

MARYLYN

SHE'S CALLING ’0 ME

'

OH. MY heaven' OHHHH...

M5/E


ME A HAND? HELP ME? SOMETHING ...HAS HOLD OF ME... CAN'T SEEM... TO FIGHT IT tfFF...

JIM? GIVE

HOLD Yl ME? I'M P so

HIS COAT-SLEEVE... RIPPED

SCARED ?J|

FOR'

HE'S... GONE,

JIM...

so...

m

heeelp ossss.., Lo ooOk INNN ™EEE BqOOOK.

ALL-RIGHT'

WE CAN DO

IT...

BY A DIFFERENT

I DON'T LIKE But I'LL GO

[CALM DOWN? hsTTR

J

SPELL...

t

IT.

THROUGH WITH

l|

STEADY, NOW'

TO READ THE

I'M GOING

SPELL..

ONLY...

GONE. ..TOO FAR...

I’LL DO... WHAT-

NO' NO.' NOT THE WINNIE, YOU’RE POLICE' X WOtfT L.CRAZY ' LET STAY HERE ALONE? GO OF ME? JIM, YOUAND.I... J’PLEASE..

TOO'

OFF ? NOW I AM GOING THE POLICE' THIS HAS

)

EVER I CANLISTEN TO ME' I won't LET YOU GO FOR THE POLICE' WE STARTED ALL THIS? WE CAN FINISH IT? BUT YOU MUST HELP ME? JIM —

DO YOU

HEAR? THEY ARE

CALLING TO YONDER... ,

US. ..FROM OVER FROM SOMEWHERE..

BEYOND THE

GRAVE...

BY THE SECRETS OF THE NINE, BY THE SWORD OF SAMECH AND THE SPHINXED CHARIOT? BY THE BAPTISM OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS AND THE KEYS OF

THE FIFTY GATES... I SUMMON YOU? APPEAR? BRING BACK THOSE YOU HAVE TAKEN?

.


COME' I COME AT YOUR CALL,ENCHANTRESS ' I COME... /

I'LL

I

L ATTTT.

I'LL

Panting, sobbing, his WORLD REELING AROUND

HIM,

ROBERTS STARES AT THE GIGANTIC THING THAT THEIR SPELLS HAVE SUMMONED UP JIM

SHEER HORROR EYES ...

IN

%

CAN JUST ABOUT... REACH

PHONE

BY MYSELF (YE/IF r

HIS

}

the...

SAVE YOU. SAVE YOU.

.

GGGGNNN N Y Y ya a a a a

f

TOO


'

His nerves exacerbated, jim COLL APES IN A ‘DEAD FAINT t HE DOES NOT SEE THE MONSTROUS HORROR BEND OVER HIM...

BEING LIFTED AND CARRIED-

JlM OPENS HIS EYES. ..TO FINO HIMSELF] RECLINING IN A COFFIN... JUST AS THE GLOATING MONSTER IS SHUTTING THE HEAVY LID OOWN ON HIM.? J

NO ...NO.' DON'T. DON'T...

M Wm

41- 1- RIGHT, I I

I

With

a thud, the coffin

IN

THAT" COFFIN. LET'S

S

5

PUFFS 5 PUFF I CAN'T GET

IIT

UPf

IT'S

STUCK?

M

TO BREATI'-

PETE? JIM WILL\ BESIDES... WE SUFFOCATE J TOOK A BODY IN THERE? OUT TO MAKE WE'VE GOT TO PUT IT BACK? COME pN BACK TO THE CAR. WE'LL GET

SOME TOOLS

THE

?

SURE, RIGHT AWAY ? BOY, WAS HE EVER

SOARED.' SURE FOR ALL THAT MUMBO-

NAILS... SUFFOCATE... IN HERE... GETTING HARDER

L

f

OPENj ^VJIM

|

(FEU

THE

L

PETE

JOKE'S GONE FAR ENOUGH.' HE LOOKED HALF DEAD WITH FEAR,

closes

HAMMERING ME IN... CAN HEAR THE HAMMER... HITTING

HE'S...

Et-

r

IJUMBOf WHEEEEI

YOU'RE NEXT, MISTER? AND YOU CAN REST ASSURED... I GOING TO BURY YOU.. DEEP.'

L


'

His nerves exacerbated, jim COLL APES IN A ‘DEAD FAINT t HE DOES NOT SEE THE MONSTROUS HORROR BEND OVER HIM...

BEING LIFTED AND CARRIED-

JlM OPENS HIS EYES. ..TO FINO HIMSELF] RECLINING IN A COFFIN... JUST AS THE GLOATING MONSTER IS SHUTTING THE HEAVY LID OOWN ON HIM.? J

NO ...NO.' DON'T. DON'T...

M Wm

41- 1- RIGHT, I I

I

With

a thud, the coffin

IN

THAT" COFFIN. LET'S

S

5

PUFFS 5 PUFF I CAN'T GET

IIT

UPf

IT'S

STUCK?

M

TO BREATI'-

PETE? JIM WILL\ BESIDES... WE SUFFOCATE J TOOK A BODY IN THERE? OUT TO MAKE WE'VE GOT TO PUT IT BACK? COME pN BACK TO THE CAR. WE'LL GET

SOME TOOLS

THE

?

SURE, RIGHT AWAY ? BOY, WAS HE EVER

SOARED.' SURE FOR ALL THAT MUMBO-

NAILS... SUFFOCATE... IN HERE... GETTING HARDER

L

f

OPENj ^VJIM

|

(FEU

THE

L

PETE

JOKE'S GONE FAR ENOUGH.' HE LOOKED HALF DEAD WITH FEAR,

closes

HAMMERING ME IN... CAN HEAR THE HAMMER... HITTING

HE'S...

Et-

r

IJUMBOf WHEEEEI

YOU'RE NEXT, MISTER? AND YOU CAN REST ASSURED... I GOING TO BURY YOU.. DEEP.'

L


WORKED OUT f PETER, PERFECTLY' ALL \HURRY? THOSE SCENIC SH) FT EFFECTS... SMOKE AND THINGS... JSmM BUT WE'VE GOT TO GET THAT •'We COFFIN OPEN f fcaBy

IT

X AM, I AM.' GOOD

WANT

GRIEF, I DON'T

ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO JIM EITHER, YOU KNOW'

WE'VE GOT TO WORK FAST? R UGGGH... DON'T SOMEBODY'S LIABLE TO REMIND ME 1 MY FIND THE DEAD BODY WE HANDS FEEL TOOK OUT OF THAT COFFIN FUNNY JUST AT AND CARRIED AWAY... kTHE THOUGHT OF IT' jg LOOK! THE COFFIN GONE ' * j

\

.

HURRY/

NOT \ NOBODY HERE, OVER (EITHER? WINNIE, HERE?) DO YOU... SEE IF gf ANYONE DIGGING 3 JH A GRAVE ? <

l

NO ? NO, X DON'T' BUT WE MUST FIND JIM' WE HAVE TO...

WHAT

CARETAKERDID YOU... just.:.

,-^UP' YOU HAVE TO... )

p

UP/ THE MAN

IN

IT...ISN'T

DEAD/

J \

1

WINNIE

MEANS A

DIGIT

BURY A COFFIN?

IS.

JOKE/

YOU KNOW YOU’VE

...

GOT TO OPEN THAT COFFIN'

1 WOULDN'T OPEN THAT COFFIN FOR ALL THE GOLD IN FORT KNOX ' 1 BURIED HIM PLENTY DEEP' THAT MAN DIED FROM... LEPROSY.' ANYONE WHO TOUCHES THE CORPSE WILL GET IT' Jg

I


SCIENCE FICTION

fans: FOR THE BEST IN THE NEW SCIENCEFANTASY FIELD.i.FOR A MAGAZINE JAMPACKED WITH ASTOUNDING, AMAZING.AND EERIE ADVENTURES INTO THE FANTASTIC ...FOR SCIENTIFIC SUSPENSESTORIES AT THEIR ILLUSTRATED BEST READ. ..

since she insisted on buying the dog,

he had hated the big golden animal

his wife

brought into the house! As far back as he could remember he had been afraid of dogs,

even the tiny wriggling pups he saw in the

Shop windows

Pet

.

.

.

but

monster she

this

had brought home was huge, even

for

a

Great Dane!

The savage hate he felt.toward the dog she

grew with each passing day

called Hamlet .

.

.

and

tear!

was matched by

the hate

Fear which multiplied

sight of the

was most

down

awful

mere

he wasn't careful

to start

his spine!

frightening of all

tion that his hatred If

his

until the

animal was enough

cold chills running

was

the

And what

his realiza-

was returned by Hamlet! .

mendously powerful

.

.

well, the

dog was

tre-

...

\

It

was

all set

from the house

room he had

@ON

SURE-FIRE

WINNER'^S^

SALE NOW

AT ALL NEWSSTANDS'

means ner

.

.

for

his wife

would be away

several hours! With me-

care he examined the basement

ticulous

ANOTHER "NEW TREND"

.

fixed

of escape!

was

all

to give the

up

.

in

.

.

the

room with no

The metal tub

set for the

dog

in

one

cor-

was going

bath he

a few minutes

.

.

.

Hamlet's

last bath!

He examined

the pipes leading to the tub.

With the faucets removed

which was even

at this

like this, the

water

moment splashing in


.

could be turned

And with the have

do would be

to

into the room.

and

out,

never have

to

he would unchain

and bring

right outside

With the door shut on his

the water running,

he would

worry about that animal again!

He whirled

at the

eyes wide with

sound behind him, The door

terror!

room had slammed shut

was no way

there

it

The plan

to get out!

to himself ...

Hamlet from the post him

he would

all

fail!

He smiled

way

way,

slam the door and

to

would be impossible couldn't

.

only from the outside!

off

lock fixed this

.

.

to turn

.

and off

it

his

to the little

the water

.

.

from in here!

232 BIG PAGES IN

144 BIG PAGES IN FULL

Here under one cover, in color continuity, reand arranged in edited chronological order, are all I he stories of the Old Testament heroes from the four issues of the magazine four colors Printed in full

throughout and bound varnished with brightly

heavy board covers.

illustrated.

Even standing on

on the edge

tip-toes

COLOR

FULL

COLOR

Containing the complete story of the Life of Christ and Peter and Paul and the founding of the Early Christian Church. Included are maps showing Palestine at the time of Jesus and chronological indexes of principal events and Scripture references to episodes

of

the tub the water reached almost to his lips!

There was scarcely six inches

and the surface

the ceiling

head

tilting his

far

between

left

the water

was

rising

keep

to .

.

but

.

by the second! For the

hundredth time he screamed, at the top lungs: "H-HELP!

By

the water!

of

back he was able

the air trickling in through his nostrils

of his

OLD TESTAMENT

HAMLET! HELP!"

No.

I— From

No.

2— More

the Creation

to Joseph

But the only sound he could hear in re-

sponse was the onrush that

of

water

.

.

.

mouth

into his

the flood

.

.

I5e

OLD TESTAMENT

Old Testament

Heroes

NEW

1.5c

TESTAMENT No. I— The

Early Life

I5e

of Jesus

was even now beginning

his ears

.

to .

.

surge up

to

pounding

.

^EDUCATIONAL COMICS. 225 LAFAYETTE

ST..

INC.

NEW YORK

12.

N. Y.

against his tightly-shut eyes! P

He opened help of

.

his

.

.

his

mouth

for

a

last

scream

for

COMPLETE OLD TESTAMENT COMPLETE NEW TESTAMENT

and there was the bruising impact head

striking

There was no air

left

the

cement

in the flooded

even the surging sound

of

ceiling!

room

the water

.

.

.

had Addr

stopped! All he could hear bling sound

.

.

.

was a

which seemed

in his strangling throat

.

.

thin

to start

bub-

deep

City.

L'r

’. .

,.7Sc 50c

OLD TESTAMENT OLD TESTAMENT

No.

I

.

.

.

1

No.

2

.

.

.

15c

NEW TESTAMENT

No.

I

...

1

5c

5c


Drag over that battered COFFIN, kiddies and stretch your palpitating CORPSES on the worm-eaten lid .. being very careful, of course, not to jar its worm-eaten contents!) ,

(

.

as

...

once, again time lor another of our discussions! The first item on my old list of things to DIG UP with you is TITLE of my now familiar magazine!

it's

GRAVE musty

O.K. Ed, there's your letter good luck! For 75c apiece, I'd send you my own personal copies ... but I've never kept them! Can't stand to have them around they scare the daylights outa me! .

.

.

.

.

.

NEW

the

As you no doubt are aware, my magazine has always been tops in TERROR the first word in HORROR and unsurpassed in SUSPENSE! So when my frightened pub.

.

.

.

.

.

agreed to publish my tales which I keep here in the CRYPT we called the magazine THE CRYPT OF TERROR! Lately, however, the old coot's ulcer has been acting up, and every time I've handed him lisher first

.

.

.

.

.

.

the latest issue, his seeing the word TERROR in the title has given him a bad case of hic-

cups! This, naturally, aggravated the old boy's tummy even more so tor his sake, as well as for the sakes of all my readers with weak tummies, 1 reluctantly agreed to change the title of my TERROR-IFIC mag to TALES FROM THE CRYPT! But do not be alarmed, all you FIENDISH FANS! To paraphrase a phrase, a CORPSE by any other

Dear Crypt-Keeper, I want you to know

CRYPT OF TERROR

is

that everytime a put on sale at my

candy-store, I will buy it you. You don't scare me! .

and

will

HAUNT

A. (NMI) Ghost (No address given!)

.

So haunt me, Ghost 1 1 dare you Only you better not show up -around the CRYPT! I I

might scare the SHEET off you! Go dissolve your ectoplasm in a vat of sulphuric acid!

.

name is still a CORPSE! And let me assure you. THE CRYPT OF TERROR by any other name will still be ... ah TERROR-BLE! Now let's dig into the MAIL MAUSOLEUM .

.

.

which,

.

gems

.

is

CHOKED

.

full of

a

Slab 13

hot-foot

.

.

.

your epistolary I say

CRYPT-KEEPER'S LITERARY SELECTIONS

A further listing of my favorite fine mystery

Dear Crypt-Keeper,

literature,

hate to admit this, you old geezer, but your magazine is the very best HORRORTERROR book I have ever read— barring none! I have an almost complete collection I

THE CRYPT OF TERROR. However.

not

of

Morgue Refrigerator Dodge City, Kansas

City

don't you give yourself with an acetylene-torch!

and peruse a tew! (Gad, did

THAT

of

Your magazine leaves me cold! The Occupant

Why

have issues No.

6,

No.

I

do

and Ng. 16. I them, and he in-

H. P. Lovecraft

:

Karloff, Boris:

And

Bram

at

your

Lurker-at the Threshhold the Darkness Falls

Stoker: The Mystery of the

Sea

9,

wrote to your publisher for formed me that these particular issues were am appealing to you. Please your "corner " I will offer

sell-outs! So I print this letter in

to pay as high as 75c apiece to anyone who can send me these issues in good condition! Ed Szep

10

which you can obtain

local library!

Ocean Parkway

Brooklyn. N. Y.

And so, dear readers, don't forget to tell all your friends about the new title of my magazine ... I wouldn't want anyone to miss this issue because he was still looking for the

CRYPT OF TERROR! And keep your letters pouring in tell me what type of stories you like best! lust write to: THE CRYPT.

.

.

KEEPER, Rm. 706, Dept. Street, N. Y. C. 12, N. Y.

20,

225 Lafayette

.


.

GOOD LORO /

OOM't look at it, MISS BENNETT? IT'S TOO HORRIBLE.'

Perhaps it was the fact that our childhood was MISERABLE... OUR PARENTS BEING POVERTY-STRICKEN? PERHAPS IT WAS THE FACT THAT I, JANET BENNETT; HAD REMAINED UNMARRIED, AND HAD CONTINUED TO LIVE KITH MY BROTHER GREGORY, THEREBY INCREASING HIS RESPONSIBILITIES? WHATEVER THE REASON, GREGG HAD SHUT HIMSELF OFF FROM THE WORLD TO STUDY. . TO BETTER HIMSELF. ..HIS LIFE,. . AND MINE. GREGG? YOU MUST "GET SOME SLEEP?

LEAVE ME ALONE, SIS? BE ALL RIGHT. . .

I'LL

His days occupieo in his regular JOB, GREGG SAT UP HALF THE NIGHT PORING OVER TEXT BOOKS ? I KNEW THAT SUCH HARO WORK. ., CONSTANT STUDY. .WOULO HAVE ITS EFFECT? HE GREW PALE. ..HIS EYES CLOUOEC .

~

GREGG? YOU MUST STOP

DRIVING YOURSELF? YOU [> WILL BECOME ILL.

.

.

M

I

AM TAKING CARE

OF MYSELF, JANET? DON'T WORRY ABOUT


But i could not HELP but worry?

gregg's condition

GREW PROGRESSIVELY WORSE? AT LAST I COULD RESIST NO LONGER? I BEGGED GREGG TO LET ME CALL IN OUR FAMILY DOCTOR f OH, YES, GREGG

'ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT? LET THE OLD COOT COME OVER AND EXAMINE ME IF IT WILL MAKE YOU ANY HAPPIER ?

Dr. WENTWORTH EXAMINED GREGG THOROUGHLY. .. AND AFTER HE HAD FINISHED, HE TOOK ME ASIDE ?

»

YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING RATHER

Q BAD LATELY!

DR. WENTWORTH GAVE ME THE PRESCRIPTION, AND LEFT f GREGG INSISTED THAT THE PRESCRIPTION BE FILLED BY A CHEMIST IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AN OLD MAN WHOSE SHOP WAS OLO TOO... OLD-FASHIONED AND DEVOID OF THE

GLITTEROF THE MODERN DRUG STORE? AS

X

WITHERED, BONEY HANDS AND STUOIED A MOMENT...

MADAM? WHAT

YES,

CAN

I

DO FOR YOU?

That

evening, the medicine ARRIVED, AND I SAW THAT GREGG TOOK IT BEFORE DINNER? ,

^

THERE r

?

DOES

TASTE BAD?

IT

J0.

'

RATHER

TASTELESS NOT TOO BAD, SIS?

I WAS CAREFUL TO SEE THAT GREGG TOOK HIS MEDICINE BEFORE EVERY MEAL, AND THEN. ONE EVENING ... r

GREGG? YOU'! NOT STUDYING.

IT

FOR

1

HAVE SOME OF IT? IF NOT.. I’LL HAVE TO ORDER IT? .

TO FILL THIS

LIKE —? I'DPRESCRIPTION? I...

"

f WELL THEN, WIL THIS PRESCRIPTION CONTAINS J A RARE DRUG! I HOPE X if YOU DEUVER IT

ENTERED

THE SHOP.

I...

I DON'T

FEEL LIKE IT, T0NI6HT, gf

JANET!

ft

He BEGAN TO r

PACE THE FLOOR AS

THINK I’LL GO OUT TONIGHT, JANET? TAKE IN A SHOW? DON'T WAIT UP FOR ME...ToH y . ALL < f RIGHT-

I ^

|ar-3^

W

GREGG?


1 REJOICED ? AT LAST GREGG HAO BROKEN AWAY FOR AN EVENING OF RELAXATION? I WATCHEO HIM AS HE SAUNTEREO OOWN THE STREET? I OON’T KNOW WHAT TIME HE CAME IN... BUT THE NEXT MORNING, AT BREAKFAST, HIS EYES GLEAMED. AND I FEEL IT, OH, GREGG ? YOU GRAND TIME < LOOK SO WELL ? MET SOME OLD COLLEGE CHUMS

The DAYS WENT BY AND GREGG

THAT NIGHT GREGG WENT OUT AGAIN, THE NEXT NIGHT.' HE WAS A CHANGED

AND AGAIN MAN... HE BECAME A LOVER OF PLEASURE... A HUNTER OF RESTAURANTS AND GAY PLACES? X WAS HAPPY... ANO YET... ALTHOUGH I KNEW NOT WHY... I WAS FRIGHT-

"

- —* WHY DO YOU LOOK AT X... 1 DON'T ) ME SO STRANGELY, SIS ? WHAT,/ KNOW. GREGG oo you see ? XTg

^

fcT.r-,

CON-

HORRIBLE LOOKING DIGIT

TINUED TO TAKE HIS MEDICINE...

IN HIS

HANDKERCHIEF AND STAMMERCQ-

RENEWING THE PRESCRIPTION FROM THE OLD CHEMIST WH EN IT RAN OUT? ONE MORN IN6-

1 BURNEO IT.. Iletme BANOAGE IT FOR YOU, LAST NIGHT... I..

B

I...

I

»

GREGG? I... X... /WHAT? YOU SAY SOMETHING, SIS?. GOOD LORD

GREGG

'MM

i

night, after grbcg went out, i called WENTWORTH... BUT HE HAD GONE OUT OF TOWN? HE WOULD NOT BE BACK TILL MORNING? X SAT STARING OUT OF THE WINDOW... AND ABOUT MIDNIGHT X WAS AWAKENED BY THE KEY IN THE LOCK-

That DR.


X

I CANNOT DESCRIBE THE FEAR THAT CREPT INTO MY HEART AS SRE66 SNAPPED AT ME? THERE WAS A STRANGE LOOK IN HIS EYES' A LOOK X HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE..,

WELL, WHERE DOES (AT THE OLO I < CHEMISTS' ON SCRIPTION FILLED? BROOM STREET. HE HAVE THE PRE-

.

myoear? you say yes' HE STILL takes^/regularly? .the stuff JTnf I

L AM GOING TO MY ROOM? BRING MY BREAKFAST TRAY UP IN THE MORNING AND LEAVE IT AT THE DOOR...

Dr. WENTWORTH GOT HIS COAT AND WE HURRIED TO THE OLO-FASHION CHEMIST SHOP' THE OLD MAN GREETED US AND THE OOCTOR PROCEEDED TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS...

MR BENNETT HAS BEEN IN REGULARLY TO FILLTHAT PRESCRIPTION' CONTAINS A RARE

IT

A

LONG T/ME

I'VE HAD FOR SOME TIME.

1...I...

llT

RIGHT...

IS

NOT THE DRUG.'

KNOW WHAT TO

JgE^

TOO..

The DOCTOR TOOK THE CANISTER, AND WE LEFT. DOCTOR WENTWORTH' SHOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT MY BROTHER HAS BEEN TAKING FOR THE . PAST MONTH OR SO J

PHEW' WHAT/.? THIS? THISIS\

MAYBE A ...FEW YES, I SEE THE LABEL IS BUT I TELL YOU THIS ) YEARS f I_I DON’T

I

^

DRUG WHICH I'LL HAVE TO ORDER, NOW' I ONLY HAD A LITTLE-

HAD

The old man went into the back and returned WITH A MUSTY CANISTER, WHICH HE PRIED OPEN FOR THE DOCTOR..

NOT WHAT I PRESCRIBED' OH

OH, YES'

FRANKLY, MISS BENNETT, X

,

DO NOT KNOW'

That evening my brother gregg did not go out AS usual' he CAME DOWN FROM HIS ROOM AND ANNOUNCED...

I

SHALL HAVE IT ANALYZED... BUT I HAVE A FEELING THAT THIS GOES BEYOND THE REALM OF CHEMISTRY AND MEDICAL SCIENCE?

Thave had my little

fling, but now it IS OVER? AM GOING BACK TO MY BOOKS' I DO NOT WANT TO BE DISTURBED? I WILL REMAIN IN MY ROOM.,. “S MY MEALS WILL BE SENT UP AND LEFT OUTSIDE?

I

rrr

IS

THAT CLEAR? Ij

.m

—T

-


Greg® went back to his room., and Ehe next MORNING, WHEN I PLACED HIS BREAKFAST TRAY BEFORE THE DOOR. "? AflY'iTYT'T T 1 T EtH .

GREGG? YOUR ARMS?

YOU'RE SPYING ON ME?; DON'T WANT YOU SPYING

GREGG? BREAKFAST?

I

tON ME?

I RUSHED TO HIM, BUT HE PICKEO UP HIS TRAY AND SLAMMED HIS DOOR... LOCKING IT... MpngS;

OH, GREGG?. . . SOB.. .GREGG

!

1 WENT DOWNSTAIRS, AND CALLED THE DOCTOR ...

.THEY'RE ALL BANDAGEO!

^

When

i did not see gregg Fok SEVERAL OAYS. I CALLED OR. WENTWORTH AGAIN. ANO TOLD .

£any newsTj i've sent it off, 'DOCTOR t MISS BENNETT? IT s> 1 r r WILL BE ABOUT A

—j

U

\

WEEK BEFORE WE KNOW? ___ C

.

HIM OF GREGG'S WRINKLED, ROTTED FINGER... HIS BANDAGEO HAND ANO HIS

BANDAGED ARMS...

fBWmimn!

HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THE LABORATORY YET, MISS BENNETT, BUT I I

JHINK

I'D

BETTER COME

OV.ER...

DOCTOR?

face with his hands as if to SHUT OUT A HORRID SIGHT. „ AND THEN HE TURNED

He covered his

Dr. WENTWORTH ARRIVED AND WENT UPSTAIRS ? HEARD HIM KNOCK AND GO IN? AFTER A WHILE HE CAME DOWNSTAIRS? THERE WAS UNUTTERABLE HORROR IN HIS EYES ? HE GULPED... STEAD YING HIMSELF BY GRASPING THE BANISTeR^^BBBl

DO NOT SEND FOR ME AGAIN, MISS BENNETT? I CAN DO NOTHING IN THIS HOUSE ?

SEEN HIM? CHOKE... I HAVE ...EXAMINED 1 AM IN MY SENSES? I HAVE DEALT 'WITH DEATH ALL MY LIFE... BUT I... NEVER.. 1 I

HAVE

HIM?

.

..

ANO

^

.

NOTHIN6

.

.

.

LIKE

THIS..

.

NO,

J

BUT.. .DOCTOR.

DOCTOR

?

:

J


.

.

The next day, as i was crossing the street in FRONT OF THE HOUSE, T HAPPENED TO GAZE UP AT Gregg's window.

.

.

tm

ff^ r TlfT

The blind was being drawn back, not by a hand, but A ROTTED STUMP... A BEASTS PAW SHAPELESS HORRIBLE? AND BEHIND IT, TWO EYES OF BURNING FLAME GLARED AT ME AMIDST SOMETHING AS FORMLESS, AS GHASTLY AS THE ROTTING PAW. '.WMMli .

.

.

.

.

>

I CALLED DR.WENT WORTH AS SOON AS I GOT INTO THE HOUSE. ..AND, ALTHOUGH AT FIRST -HE REFUSED, MY .FRIGHTENED TEARS FINALLY PERSUADED HIM TO COME ? WE SAT DOWN IN THE SITTING ROOM...

?THE CHEMIST I SENT THE DRUG TO WAS UNABLE TO ANAL/ZE IT.' IT’S CHEMICAL COMPOSITION < WAS UNKNOWN TO HIM ALTHOUGH THE RESULTS OF TESTS SHOWED THAT IT WAS SIMILAR IN ACTION

Something wet had fallen on my HAND? t LOOKED UP? THE CEILING

TO THE DIGESTIVE PLEASE, DOCTOR?] I AM AFRAID, ' YOU MUST TELL MISS BENNETT, THAT THIS WHOLE ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH EPISODE IS MOST UNNATURAL? THERE GREGG? ARE FORCES INVOLVED -| HERE SUPERNATURAL IT FORCES... THAT WE TODAY KNOW LITTLE

J

*

S

T WWl

.

\<

ENZYMES

< /

IN THE f iC'.y HUMAN BODY? YOUR ( BROTHER IS BE/NG\y\rf<£

DIGESTED ALIVE'

K

.

.

^Mlf/VABOUT'

Dr. WENTWORTH GRABBED HIS WALKING CANE AND HASTENED UP THE STAIRS ? IGNORING HIS ORDERS TO TO REMAIN IN THE SITTING ROOM, I FOLLOWE D 'AS HE BROKE DOWN THE DOOR, THERE BURST FORTH A FEARFUL ?,

There upon the floor was a dark putrid mass... NOR SOLID. .. BUBBLING. AND OUT OF THE MIDST OF IT SHOWN TWO BURNING POINTS,..LIKE EYES? AS THE THING LUNGED FOR US, DR. WENT WORTH... TEARS IN HIS EYES... STRUCK AT IT SEETHING... NEITHER LIQUID

WITH HIS CANE... AGAIN AND AGAIN ... UNTIL

.

IT

LIVED



LUVVA MIKE' WILL YOU LOOK AT THIS' WHY IN THE WORLD DID DRAW THIS FACE? DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE 1 WAS DOING IT f FUNNY... THE EXPRESSION IS ONE OF EXTREME.. FEARf J&rj l

^

I

.

OH, WELL... NO IT’S

USE WORRYING ABOUT

A SWELL DAY? TOO NICE A DAY TO I'LL TAKE A WALK?

GOSH,

IT?

WORK?^

.THINK

SURE IS STRANGE' MUST HAVE BEEN DAYDREAMING' MY MIND WAS A MILLION MILES AWAY' BUT WHY, ON SUCH A LQVEIY DAY, WOULD DRAW SUCH A... , A HORRIFIED FACE? I

Sometime LATER...

DOES A PERSON GOOD TO GET SOME CLEAN, FRESH AIR. .SUNSHINE? i've walked a good FIVE MILES AND I DON'T FEEL A BIT TIRED'

...

.

M

l

YES, SIR? NOTHING LIKE THE GREAT OUTDOORS? NATURE SURE IS WONDERFUL.. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN ARTIST TO <

APPRECIATED

IT.'

SAY... WHAT'S THAT NOISE?

1

SJ

SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE BANGING... OR HAMMERING ON SOMETHING? OH. OVER THERE... A HOUSE?


^ I WAS RIGHT* THERE HE IS WORKING ON A GRAVESTONE t THE^E MUST BE SAMPLES OF HIS WORK' j NICE DESIGN'

HMMM...ALEX KQRDOVA GRAVE - ) STONES f NICE CHEERFUL, -*r-\

YES,

.

OCCUPATION' SOUNDS LIKE THAT NOISE IS COMING FROM BACK

AROUND

IN

MUCH NOISE, HE DOESN'T HERE* WELL, THE MAN KNOWS HIS GOOD? WHAT'S HE WORKING . -2 JL

HE'S MAKING SO

KNOW

I'M

W JM

f

STUFF... HE'S

ONNOW?

’BORN APRIL 25, 1922

HMM

..LET'S

THEODORE

J.

SEE f HERE LIES WARREN"' ???

*

WHY, THAT'S MY NAME' “BORN APRIL 25 1922 .' HOLY SMOKE.' I WANT A CLOSER LOOK AT &} THAT GRAVESTONE ' ,


GOOD LORD' THIS IS FANTASTIC ?/ CALM DOWN, YOUR FACE YOU ARE THE MAN I l MISTER? TAKE IT [DREW' WHAT'S GOING ON? AM EASY ? WHAT'S I DREAMING ? THE MATTER?

H

?

m/

YOUR NAME ? HMM... THAT'S MY NAME / QUITE A COINCIDENCE! BUT, MY DATE OFT DON'T WORRY, MISTER... 1 BIRTH WHAT /THIS IS JU-ST A SAMPLE I'M MADE YOU PUT / DOING YOU KNOW, TO SHOW MY NAME AND V PEOPLE WHAT KIND OF A BIRTH-DATE ON WORK I DO y

THAT HEADSTONE THAT'S

AND

f

f

THAT THING

MAYBE SO, BUT \ THERE ISN'T ANYTHING TO YOU HAVE MY DATE \GET EXCITED ABOUT ? I OF DEATH AS JUNE ) JUST PUT TODAY'S DATE 9, 1950 ? THAT'S.../ BECAUSE I'M GOING TO FINISH IT TODAY? LIKE THAT'S TODAY.' * AND THEN THERE'S ) AN ARTIST DATES HIS THAT PICTURE /CANVAS WHEN HE FINISHES I DREW., A PAINTING?... WHAT'S THAT |. OU SA '° AB0UT A PICTURE?

\

?

COINCIDENCE' ..I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, BUT

IT'S...

IT'S

BOSH.' I'LL ADMIT IT'S ODD, ALL RIGHT? BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IN SUCH A THING

V

.

?

gO «

HERE? LOOK AT THIS? \ WELL, I’LL BE DARNED? IS THIS A DRAWING OF^SURE IS ME, ALLRIGHT? YOU, OR ISN'T IT ? YOU DIDN'T MAKE ME »w«A LOOK ANY TOO HAPPY, DID YOU ? illiil

J

/

fey

lt1taR08(H^lhI

THERE'S MORE TO THIS THAN JUST

J

THING JUST

HAPPENED, DEAR I f

I

WAS..

M

.


I

YOU TWO

WHY YES,

YES... VERY

MR.

KNOW ^ KORDOVA? YOUR EACH N WIFE AND I OTHER? WERE...ER... GOOD FRIENDS YEARS

After

AGO.'

FRIENDS?

'

A

FOR DINNER? WE ^ CAN TALK ABOUT ...OLD TIMES' a

WHY.. .ELLEN...

DON'T THINK I OUGHT TO IN- 4

TRUDE?

I

nonsense'alexTwhy, yes... WOULD LOVE TO OF COURSE' HAVE YOU STAY' ) DO STAY, MR. ^WOULDN'T YOUA WARREN' i

|R DEAR? r-"^

MEAN...

I'M HAPPY TO COOK FOR YOU, ME A l? WAS SUPERB' YOU ARE TRULY A J k TED? YOU ^’ CULINARY GENIUS' T ALWAYS WERE APPRECIATIVE' I didn't KNOW YOU J WERE SUCH A OF MY.. V TALENTS', y GOOD COOK'

AH-HJL.. ELLEN, THAT

dinner.

GOOD

IT'S

GRAND TO SEE 1 YOU AGAIN.TED? YOU MUST STAY A

,

.

^

ELLEN, PLEASE? YOU’RE EMBARRASSING OUR ij .

GUEST'

A

^

OH, KEEP QUIET' YOU.. .YOU

NINCOMPOOP.'l DON'T KNOW WHY! EVEN BOTHER TO

ANSWER YOU, YOU'RE SO t—, stupid'

1

NOT ARGUE' WE HAVE COMPANY,

REMEMBER'

^

.

r SAID, SHUT UP.' WHY CAN’T YOU BE NICE LIKE TED, HERE, FOR A CHANGE? HONESTLY, l DON'T KNOW j

WHAT EVER POSSESSED ME TO MARRY A FOOL

.

LIKE YOU'

A


'

NOW, SEE HERE? ) LOOK AT YOU? A MISERABLE^ I'VE HAD JUST J WRETCH/ YOU'LL NEVER BE \ ABOUT ALL ANYTHING BUT WHAT YOU ARE? 1 I

CAN TAKE

^

<

J

^V

Wf'mf lr

(

XI

DUMB GRAVESTONE CUTTER?* ^ TED'S A SUCCESS' HE HAS

A

MONEY' HE

YOUNG, HANDSOME, EXCITING.' YOU'RE NONE OF THOSE THINGS? m S

OH-H, THAT MAN? HE AH...^ AGGRAVATES ME TO / ELLEN... 1 DEATH? I CAN'T /PERHAPS HIM ANY I'D BETTER MORE ? ESPECIALLYALEAVE ... SINCE I'VE MET>wL AGAIN. TEDDY. •/Z'TllfTl I j

STAND

.

.

.

I'VE HAD ENOUGH' I'M GO AHEAD, RUN,YOU GOING OUT TO MY WORK ! SPINELESS SIMPLETON! SHOP? THERE ARE SOME / FOR ALL CARE YOU , THINGS WANT TO DO? CAN GO OUT AND iVfFf-f COME BACK? I

J

1

^

YES

FORGET ABOUT BUT.. .A TED? JUST THINK <1 HAVEN'T OF YOU... AND ME.' \ FORGOTTEN? THOSE HOURS? AND WE. )OH, THERE'S > ITS BEEN A LONG TIXC DllTvnil MICUTC <' NIGHTS. WE HAVE TO _-/ NO USE YOUR TALK ABOUT..) KIDDING MYSELF. KISSES. OLD TIMES? < ELLEN. I AM 7 GLAD TO SEE REMEMBER *7 YOU AGAIN? BUT r

NO, TED... DON'T GO? ALEX WON'T BE BACK FOR

AJ

.

.

.

ALEX,) NO

.

NO,

k

)

V

fc

l

WAS CRAZY

MARRY

ALEX? TO KNOWN ALL ALONG THAT IT V IT'S NOT WAS YOU I WANTED? AND YOU WANT'^ RIGHT? < YOUR ME, TOO ? I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EYES? IT’S NOT TOO LATE... WE HUSBAND. CAN STILL BE TOGETHER? KISS J# 4 ME, TED? KISS ME HARD I

I'VE

/

ELLEN...

I.

YOU'RE MARRIED..

KISS

ELLEN. ELLEN..

i


WHAT HAPPENED?

ALEX KORDOVA JUST KILLED .

SOME

GUY.

.

.

CAUGHT HIM

WITH MRS. KORDOVA? BEAT

^HIM TO

A PULP

.'


.

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MAGS MUST BE PRETTY FIENDISH TO GIVE THESE TWO GHOULOOTS A CHARGE' LOOK AT EM?

'Sitlo’n ta°t he i.

ruuimums

Ts

Urn^tottl

TO.

v,.

similarity between A any such similarity is purely coincidental, intended. ~"id

rrinteu Ontology


/

.

.

/

HEH.HEH? COME IN, FIENDS? COME INTO THE CRYPT OF TERROR/ ONCE AGAIN WE MEET FOR OUR SHIVERY r ES, IT’S TOUR HOST IN HORROR, THE CRYPT- KEEPER, OPENING HIS MAO-MAO WITH A TERR/FY/NQ TALE OUARANTEED TO CURL YOUR HAIR AND CURDLE YOUR BLOODf SEVERAL ISSUES BACK, I TOLD YOU A YARN ABOUT A BUTCHER WHICH PROVED VERY POPULAR/ ONE AVID FAN EVEN SENT ME A CLEAVER, WITH COMPLETE DIRECTIONS FOR WHAT HE WANTED ME TO DOWiTH IT,., BUT ITDiDN‘T SiHK IN/ 30 I DECIDED TO TELL you ANOTHER STORY ABOUT A BUTCHER ONE THAT I'M SURE WILL TICKLE YOUR SPARE-RiBSf I CALL THIS MEATY UTTL E MORBID MEL ODRAMA.

SESSION

.

I

AS THE

.

.

NAUSEOUS CANNIBAL REMARKED ON A PARTICULARLY HOT

DAY..

TAIN T rm MEAT... IT S THE HUMANITY!" No ONE PAID MUCH ATTENTION TQ.'zACH GRISTLE BEFORE WORLD WARE,' HE WA5 JUST ANOTHER SMALL TOWN BUTCHER BUT THAT WAS BEFORE THE WA R i SUDDENLY. WITH THE ADVENT OF MEAT RATION/NG ... RED POINTS AND CE/L /NO PRICES ZAC H GRISTLE BECAME VERY POPUL AR. _ .

IIUWUT,

mi

ZACHl^B

.

.

.

I

lull

WING,

~T MORNIN'/vMORNING,

MR- GRISTLE?

)

ZACH< ) FOLKS ?


r

OH, DEARY ONLY HAVE

HEH.HEH? YEP? SUDDENLY, Ol' ZACH GRISTLE FOUND HIMSELF THE MOS1 POPULAR MAN IN

TOWN

HEH,

HE WAS THE I

THEM TO YOU?

ES T

PERSON PRETTY

PER

MONTH/IT

AWFULLY^ 'no sirloin ' SORRY, STEAKS, MR. GRISTLE?

I

Aha*,

MR.

FUDDY ? I JUST SOLD THE LAST MR.CUSPI-

ONE TO

TORE? I COULD LET YOU HAVE A FEW

( THE MEAT MYSELF ?S COULDN'T. ) 00 THAT ’ a

\PORK CHOPS'

WAS

^

TOUCH... THE

SITUATION, THAT

I'M

'SORRY, MRS. VINKLE ? 1 NEED

POINTS LEFT, THOSE POINTS IN / ORDER TO BOY

MR. GRISTLE? CAN I ...OWE

THOSE DAYS,

RA TION BOOKS' SO MANY RED POINTS FOR EACH POUND OF MEATY SO MANY RED POINTS ALLOWED EACH Kl 0 D

l~Y

FORTY-ONE

HEH r WHY NOT ?

ONLY BUTCHERY

REMEMBER

IS...,

rT

TriiS SORRY, Mi33 DiCKLEBORG'V POOR M GRISTLE? ]RAT/ONlN& NOTHING BUT SALAMI LEFT? I EXPECT ANOTHER h£ TRIES / certainly SHIPMENT TOMORROW? BUT SO HARD'C IS HARD < ON HIM? ) YOU'D BETTER BE ON LINE , AND HE’S \ SO HONEST EARLY Y FIRST COME. FIRST SERVED, you Ag know ( jg-ffg/mKm

.

|

I

/

YeP' MEaT RATIONING MAS HARD OH Mfi.SRiSTLE f THAT IS UNTIL HE DISCOVERED AN INTERESTING ~ FACT. IF I COULD GET AT BUT... THAT'S OftHIDE STEAK, MR. GRISTLE, HONEST. MR. vAf / DERCLIFF? THAT': I'D... ER ... PAY: WE'D... SORT or... FORGET ABOUT THE CEIL INC PRICE Y a ,

)

,

NO TILLING HOW LONG THIS WAR BUT WHAT ABOUT WILL LAST, ZACH? MIGHT AS WELL \ THE... THE POOR MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES' 'PEOPLE, UH THERE ARE A FEW OF US WHOD iVANOERCLIFF?^ BE WILLING TO PAY ENOUCH TO 1

BET WHAT WE WANT Y

U

SUIT YOURSELF, ZACH ? YC ONE OF THEM, NOW Y YO

COULD BE PRETTY wEuw OFF IF YOU USED YOUR HEAD' THINK OVEN

H

I WILL. SIR? I'LL ..THINK

I...

IT OVER Y a

j


9

)

.

T SEVEN-

JUNIOR.' J I'M NOT

ONE THOUSAND' TWO THOUSAND f OH. ..PARDON HE.' I WAS JUST COUNTING MY LOOT FROM THE

EAT YOUR

1

HUNGRY'

rYOU SAY

TEEN

)

MEAT.'Jh^_^

HUM

i

NO'

OH'

I WAS JUST THINKING OEAR!

SOMETHING,

POINTS!

A-

ZACH?

,

BLACK MARKET OPERATION I WAS IN DURING THE WAR' HEH, HEH ' THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF CASKETS, y'know' I DUG UP AN IDEA ON HOW TO CASH /N'M-L I HAD TO DO WA S CLEAN OFF THE DIRT POLISH ’EM UP

^

AGAIN /HEH, GRISTLE.

HEH.'

AS FOR HR.

LOOK ON HIS

.WELL... LET’S IN

HOME LIFE'

.

YcP‘ MR. GRISTLE THOUGHT IT ALL OVER f A ND HE MADE UP HIS MIND... jgg ' WHY, MR GRISTLE' HAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. THERE ISN’T A DECENT MRS. GRUNDY f SHORTAGE, I

PIECE OF MEAT

IN

^

Y'KNOW'

YOUR

WHOLE SHOWCASE.'

'

BUT

^

WAITED ON

X

THAT'S ALL I've

LINE FOR TWO HOURS' I’M THE FIRST CUSTOMER YOU’VE P*§-

HAD

TODAY.'

MRS. GRurtDY

'

SOT

I'M

SORRY f

fc

,

^ |Tr|fffl

JjSgk

.

AT NIGHT, SHADOW Y FIGURES WOULD MR. GRISTLE'S STORE...

BUT

COME TO

BUT

I

CAN T GET ANYMORE, YOU COULD FIGURE FF.' X DON’T j SOMETHING OUT.MR.

MR. VANDERCLl

fj

HERE’S YOUR STEAK. y^Hi) HERE'S YOUR THIRTY f BUCKS , MR. GRISTLE' OH' MR. VANOERCLIFF' I’VE GOT AHOTHER CUSTOMER FOR YOU' HE L WANTS STEAKS, TOO '

^TEN POUNDS' A

-A

GET AS

ENOUGH POINTS/

IT IS,

I’M GIVING THE

LEFT-OVERS TO THE FOLKS

M ^

IN

TOWN/

^ T l

-A

GRISTLE.' IN

TOWN

THE FOLKS POINTS

RAY

FOR THEIR

MEAT.' ISNt

THER ANY MEAT THAT YOU CAN GET WITHOUT ^ RED POINTS*


?

..

junior' EAT TOUR

ER. ..MR.

GRISTLE

MEAT' J f

I'M

NOT

[HUH?

OH' ho? X WAS JUST THINKING. DEAR'

HORSE-

HUNGRY?

.

MEAT ?\

gee/yuh

ZACH'

'SPECT ME J

TO EAT LIKE A

HORSE.'

A

YOU

L ISTENING ?

J )

.

l

?

?

,

^

...AND AT THE THREE-QUARTER MARKER. IT'S FATHEAD. BY A FAT HEAD/ AND NOW, . AT THE STRETCH.. .IT'S... IT'S ...HOLD IT/ FATHEAD JUST STUMBLED/ 1 LOOKS LIKE ME BUSTED HIS LEG/ TOO BAD? NOW THEY’LL HAVE TO SHOOT HIM 'AND HE WAS SUCH A GOOD HORSE, TOO?

fog.

AnO WiTH THE PRECIOUS RED- POINTS, PROBLEMS' HE BEGAN BUYING HORSEMEAT, AND PAlMINB IT OFF TO HIS POOR CUSTOMERS AS THE THEREBY GETTING THOSE PRECIOUS"

REAL THING. RED-POINTS

"

.

r4

yJl MY.' YOU HAVE SUCH A NICE

SELECTION NOW, HR.

YES/ WHAT WOULD YOU I LIKE, MRS.

.

4

SHERD? SOME

-rfj

*0 PURCHASE MEAT WHiCH HE‘0 SELL AN THE BLAGK-MARKET] THESE STEAKS ARE GOINgY' OKAY, OKAY? NOW, LISTEN ? I NEED

GOOD

TO COST YOU MORE MONEY, VANOERCLIFF? MR. TAKING BIG

I’M

CHANCES

NOW ( F/YE DOLLARS A POUND FROM HERE

W

j

J TWENTY POUNDS NEXT

TIME.' I'M HA>

A BANQUET/ANON FRIEND NEEDS TEN

STEAK ? CHOPS

GRISTLE.'

SOON; THE HORSEMEAT WASN'T ENOUGH? MR GRISTLE FiNP OTHER AVENUES OF SUPPLY... LOOK; GRISTLE' I’M SUPPOSED AND HO TO SELL THIS MEAT TO EOOS POiHTS

HA&TO

IT'S TOO OLD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION' SEEN LAYING ’S AROUND THE WAREHOUSE ]fi TOO LONG' NOW FOR wm/ « PRICE, w, .jSSL.

J

\

rNO POINTS. GRISTLE*

TAKE IT* BUT, NOT A WORD, UNDERSTAND? NOT A WORD TO ANYONE?

I'LL

L

t


.

HU SBA NO TODAY, MRS.

TAINLY WAS SINKING LOWER AND LOWER? BUT HO OHZ SUSPECTED NICE MR. GRISTLE WHEN A FEW PEOPLE THE POORER PEOPLE .

!

HOW'S YOUR

HEH.HEH 1 FIRST HORSEMEAT. NOW MR. GRISTLE CER-

STALE MEAT?

IN

J

V.

BETTER, THANKS' NOW, 7 AIN'T

Bur

BEEN PEELIN'

ISN'T /A / HE'S OUT WALKING '.

.TOO

HORTON?

GOOD.'

one night

MR. GRISTLE'^

WELL JUST TELL 'IM HE CAN PICK UP ANOTHER LOAD OF THE

1

. .

TOWN... FELL SERIOUSLY ILL?

THE

THE. ..THE

WHAT 9

r

STALE NEAT ' THE JUNK

THE STUFF HE'S BEEN SELLIN' GOOD STUFF.' YOU KNOW ?

.

OH? Y-YES? I'LL I'LL TELL HIM'

Mrs. GRISTLE CLOSED THE DOOR AND STARED AT IT FOR A MINUTE/ THEN SHE WENT OUT.' SHE ARRIVED AT THE BUTCHER-SHOP A FEW MINUTES LATER"here's YOUR MEAT, VTHANKS ^DON’T TAKE IT, f

AzAChfJ

STALE.

.

.

k

meat? r

-

7

,

.

GOT SOME FOR iM,

'BYE?

W

SIX ^ DOLLARS' STUFF, MRS. GRISTLE? f BLACK I PAY SIX BUCKS A i market? / POUND FOR THIS STUFF? ZACH'S REGULAR CUSTOMERS GET THE JUNK:

'

OLD

MAT BE HORSE-

‘iM X

HOPSENSAT

SARAH.' JhEH.HEH? NOT THIS

A

MR. VANDERCLIFF? IT'S

^TELL

TOO ?

AS

MR. VANDERCLIFF

SLOP?

.

^


f

'

BRIGHT KID .This SARAH* OUICK W*TH PRICE

...

69%

NUMuERSXCEILING ' SIX OOLLARS TO

VANDERCUFFfBLACX MARKET* FIGURES* BUT SHE'S A GOOD KID, MRS. GRISTLE SHE'S

AND YOU'RE PASSING

.After zach's customer leaves. -YOU'RE

SELLING^'' YOU KEEP^

OUT Of THIS, MARKET* k. SARAH'

MEAT ON THE

'

IT

^

OFF HOR SEMEAT AND STALE MEAT TO YOUR CUSTOMERS FOR RED-POINTS* \H|

^

WE'RE •

TO BE

RICH,

SARAH*

.'

PROBAOLf WHO CARES ? ' I DON'T JKiJA'F THAT 'ANYWAY, I WANT THE MONEY' KIND OF MONEY? MR. HORTON WAS TERRIBLE j AFTER THE WAR I‘M GOING TO SICK* WAS IT FROM 1 RETIRE* I’VE SOCKED away GRAND ALREADY

^TOUR MEAT IJg^SiX

STOPWHAH*

YOU VE GOT TO THIS' lT‘S AGAINST THE LAN*

..

ASK OLD SHORE’

GASOLINE J MAN BUSINESS? Find OUT ABOIJT HIS

.ABOUT

FINCH'S TIRE RACKET * £PER TROOP'S OOin iT* J why shoulon t i 9 | •

So ZACH GRISTLE BOUGHT THE SPOILED MEAT YEP' MRS. GRISTLE WAS AWFUL MAO. AND SOLD IT TO HIS CUSTOMERS.. Igaaraa— COULDN'T TALK ZACH OUT OF IT * H Bj to MAKE HIS PILE... NO M t MY SISTER-IN-LAW IS HERE f HEH * JUST TRY SUFFERED. FROM OUT OF TOWN* SHE'S GOT A DEAL FOR 'Y'i NEED SOME TO DO MY BEST YOU, GRISTLE* GOT SOME TAINTED POINTS Bt.DLT *> A MAEED THAT WE CAN GET MRS. ABACROMBIE* \ MEAT* REAL BAD NO ONE'll GOT a BIO ORDER ALL THE MEAT WE WANT*/ .WHAT'LL IT BE** KNOW IT, THOUGH f GOT A PROCESS j TO FILL * OKAY ' THAT COPERS IT UP * THEY i I'LL TAKE IT' J

MINED

,


'

HEHiHEH ! DON'T TURN OVER THE PAGE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS' YOU'LL

GET

TO IT'

COMING'

IT'S

THE BEGINNING OF THE END COMMENCES TO START RIGHT NOW.' ER... FLOWERS FOR MRS. A ABAOROMB/EF WHAT FIND ? 1 WHY LILLIES. .OF COURSE.' DEAD, Y'KNOWF l.

HEART A8ACR0MB/E JUST DIED' POISONED.'

-y excuse AUTOPSr \ ME, MSS. GABBER' RIGHT NOW' a

THEY'RE PERFORM-

y POISONED'.

MSS

DID YOU

/

^

ING AN

\m

”|F THAT'S

THEY THINK HER SISTER-

IN-LAW

ALL YOU WANT...

OID IT

I'D LIKE

MR. GRISTLE SHOOED MRS. GABBER OUT OF THE STORE AND LOCKED IT UP? MR. GRISTLE WAS MR. GRISTLE WAS GOING TO HIT THE ROAD. TOWN... TAKE IT ON THE LAM...

UP EARLY, AIN'T CHA

SCARED OF THE

MANIAC

1

h .

,-*" r -=.

MANIAC

HOWDY, ZACH 'CLOSIN'

V

WHAT

?

MANIAC?

.

WHY, THE ONE'S 60IN' AROUND POISONIN' EVERYONE? MRS. ABACROMB/E... AND MRS. SNERD... ANO MR. SNERD... AND OL' man GRUNDY .' GOIN'

Mr. gristle ran all the WAY HOME 'first thing HE DID WHEN HE GOT THERE WAS TAKE HIS BLACK MARKET MONEY FROM ITS HIDING PLAC E? ELEVEN -wqae YOU'RE IN TROUBLE/] PACK YOUR THINGS V THEY FOUND OUT.'l... J SARAh' WE'RE

W

TOWN'. *

WARNED

YOU NOT TO SELL HORSEMEAT... I...X

Y’YES? WELL?

'

IT'S

HOME ,ZACH?

WORSE

THAN THAT,

SARAH? FOUR PEOPLE

ARE DEAD ALREADY.' I

SOLD THEM TAINTED

Ife*-.

MEAT '

r

./}

I

>

GOODNIGHT, .

PETE?

ALL

DEAD' WATCH YERSELF Jn

F]lfj

THOUSAND DOLLARS... LEA YIN'

TO

CLOSE UP'

M

I

YOU...

YOU

WHAT?


f

9

'

,

S'MSTTFTr SARAH? CAIN'T YOU HEAR HE KILLED ‘M‘

you're

MURDERER'

HE SOLO 'EM RO/SONEO

A

HEAT

AH f NOW IT'S SINKING INTO THAT FEMALE BRAIN.' AH' THAT'S IT! SET MAD.'BET

!

!

T

I OiO IT FOR saw ah ' FOR TOU AHO

OS

] I

HE

AND...

JUNIOR.'

JUNIOR \

^

I

JM

l

nOftTOn f

V SHE A

HE'S EATING AT HERBIE HORTON'S a

BOUGHT

some of IT-

m

HOUSE f

GOOD AND MAO' HEH..HEH...

At

that

KITCHEN

BILLS

f

Little junior collapsed on the kitchen floor-

moment junior staggered into the

,

HE'S DEAD ZACH DEAD' YOU KILLED

HE LOQJlCEO A..Ur TLE.9REEN ARpUftP TH£ J

1

.

'r~

JUNIOR / .

GULP'

sTraH! YRUT DOWN ?

HIM, TOO...

BABY.'

THAT

KNIFE

OUR SON ... EH...£H..'_

When

they unlocked zach gristle's butcher shop the NEXT MORNING, THEY FOUND MRS. GRISTLE STANDING BEHIND THE COUNTER... STARING INTO SPACE' SHE WORE A BLOODSMEARED APRON AROUND HER NECK ( BEFORE HER-. IN THE MEA SHOWCASE ..ZACH GRISTLE HAD BEEN CLUMSILY CARVED AND LAID OUT IN THE VARIOUS TRAYSj ...

|i

GOOD LORD

f

ALL RIGHT, SO YOU AIN'T HUNGRY f YOU CAN MINDOM SHOP, HAN'T YOU?

NOT INTERESTED, EH? BE INTERESTED

IN

BANQUET Given TAINTED MEAT

MAYBE YOU'D ATTENDING k FORMAL

BY THE

GHOULS

ZOMBIES, MEREMO LYES, AND YAMFIRES BLACK -MARKET- BODIES STHD/GATE IN HONOR OF EACH GRISTLE ? HE Will be SERVED f HMM*' STILL NOT INTERESTED, EH? HOW ABOUT GOING ON TO THE VAULTKEEPER THEN? HE'S NOT INTERESTING, TOO' GOT A BOR/NS STORY FOR YOU.' THEN I'LL DIG YOU LATER WITH ANOTHER

vBrFmuit

WA m /JFfllfm

)Wm

creepy-crtrtCOL LECTOR '$item'>

At


V

MEM. MEM

?

WELCOME to THE VAULT OF HOPE OH, FtENOS? yep. it's' your HOOT. THE VAULT EVER HEAR OF MOUNTAIN GLIMBENS ? SURE vot* HAVE? WELL, I'LL BET MOUNTAIN CRAWLERS, .SOUTH AMERICAN VARIETY /my STORY ONE!" 1 CALL this BRISTLING TALE OF TERROR... *

FEEPER, SHE/EN INOF

YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF

CONCERNS

The door

to the washer. ei JS- BUOKLY. AMD

MOR8AN C0N9T06TI0M COMPANY SWIMS* OPEN AND Tug STRAMSER ENTERS f ME LOOMS AROUND JtND THEN STEFS U* to rug reception DESK..

WILL YOU TELL MR. COMAL. TO STEF OUT HERS

MORGAN

FOR A MQMFmt .

f

CREDENTIALS

MY


The SECRETARY LOOKS DOWN AT THE STRANGER'S GLITTERING BADGE AND GASPS f SHE SWITCHES ON THE OFFICE INTER-COM AND

HE.. HE'S

FROM

THE POLICE

DEPARTMENT, SIR f

OH? ALL

Donald Morgan gomes out

RIGHT f I'LL BE RIGHT

OF

HIS OFFICE... J '

OUT'

.

WHISPERS... }

/

MR.

MORGAN YOU ,

WERE

COMPLETE

IN

CHARGE OF THE CONTRACT FOR THE C/TY

HAVE HIM 1 WAIT, MISS I

HOSPITAL, WERE YOU

V

BALLENTINE'I

NOT

?

I'M BUST... I

I

WAS.'

I

MR. MORGAN?

HANDLED

WHAT?

YOU

ARE UNDER ARREST!

THE ENTIRE CONSTRUCTION UOB

MYSELF .'WHY?

THERE’S NO MISTAKE, MR. MORGAN! THE UPPER FLOOR OF THE HOS-

BUT...

BUT THERE MUST BE SOME

PITAL

/

COLLAPSED

THIS MORNING?

MISTAKE ' // AN INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE CONCRETE USED WAS SUBSTANDARD f AL MOST ALL j

^

\ SAND.' BETTER COME

\

BUT THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE ' I ORDERED THAT CONCRETE MYSELFF I SPECIFIED

THE MIXTURE.' it WAS « ROOD MIXTURE? NO * LET

ME 90 .' I

WON'T...

WHAT'S going) WHAT IS THE ON HERE?

J

!NG ''''>*& llLO F .

TH,S ’

MORGAN f\ WHAT DOES HE k

j

I

ALONG QUIETLY

wan-

7

*

< f

WHAT?

fop HOMICIDE, [MORGAN! GENTLEMEN fYOUR, IS THIS

WINTV PARTNER, here. TRUE?' is RESPONSIBLE^-^ I

DEATHS OF TWENTY-ONE

FOR THE

HOSPITAL PATIENTS!

^

AH

__


^

l

f

GOOD

ELLIS

.LORD'

...

WAGNER...

After mr, Morgan is led FROM THE CONSTRUCTION (COMPANY OFFICE BY THE DETECTIVE, MR. WAGNER, THE SENIOR PARTNER OF THE CONCERN, TURNS TO THE OTHER TWO...

GENTLEMEN.'

I.

..

I

TH

Y-

WE SHOULD HAVE A CONIN MY SULTATION.

OFFICE

YES,

T

/

WHAT APE YOU COMF1. A'" 'HD ABOI.T.

DID / KNOW IT WOULD] PAP. COLLAPSE? rujr

YEAR..

^

OH, DEAR OUR THE REPU\SCAN- STATION?

\

I

V.

HEH.HEH? LOOKS LIKE MR. ELLIS, MR. BUCKLY, ANC WAGNER ARE SHOCKED OVER THIS LATEST TURN OF EVENTS, EH.KIDDIES* LOOK AT ‘EM... CHATTERING LIKE A BUNCH OF MONKEYS.' THEY

MR.

THE KIND

EH.

THAT ARE APPALLED BY DISHONESTY? .WELL, COME ON IN AND LISTEN / YOU’LL BE SHOCKED..

That's buokly screamin g

HANDLED LAST

>

A

M-i

HOW

JOB MORGAN

BETTER

MR. MORGAN? DAL .LET’S 60'S

SEEM NICE AND RESPECTABLE,

OF COURSE,

MR MR. WAGNER' WAGNER'i

IMMEDIATE

MIXTURE STOOD UP IN THAT SCHOOL

^

BUCKLY /BELIEVE COME ALONG ME.' I DIDN'T J QUIETLY, THIS'l...!

DO

'that

i

ELLIS? YOU GOT

HE SAVED.'

A

I'M

HOT

GOMPLAINI

A NICE PAT CHUNK OF THE D0U6H /

ING' ONLY

THEY'RE OR TO US NOW'

SO WHAT' WE'VE ONLY SUBSTITUTED CHEAP MATERIALS ON MORGAN ’S JOBS' HE 'LL TAKE THE RAP.' HE'S TRAPPED... TRAPPED WEM1L ( in A NEB OF C/RCUmK *EEF

STAHTJAL EVIDENCE/

WHOLE DEAL? they'll

NEVER ^SUSPECT k us !


A

GENTLEMEN OF THE YEP? THAT'S THE PICTURE, KIDDIES.' ELLIS, THE JURY.' HAVE YOU BUCKLY, AND WAGNER HAVE BEEN TAKING / REACHED A HIGH GRADE CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL VERDICT? ORDERED BY MORGAN ON EVERY JOB HE S HANDLED AND SUBSTITUTING CHEAP. INFER!OR\

,

A

YES.DONALDf YES ? THE WEB IS TIGHT? IT'S BEEN WOVEN WELL. YOU'RE I'M I

DONE FOR... TAKE HIM

INNOCENT

AWAY.'

TELL YOU...

INNOCENT?

,

\OF MANSLAUGHTER?

At THE OFFICES OF THE WAGNER, ELLIS, AND BUCKLY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. „ IT HAS WHY THE SUDDEN MEETING, WAGNER: NOTHING TO DO

.

'

<

WE FIND THE DEPENDENT, DONALD MORGAN .GUILTY

1

.

WE HAVE.TOW HONOR

'

|

WITH

DO YOU REMEMBER/ WHAT?J AND WHY /THERE'S THAT BOLIVIAN CONTRACT WE BID ) THAT'S ONLY ON? THE POWER / WORTH AXTNREE ( FORTUNE?j OF US PL ANT AND TO DAM? WELL... V SPLIT IT? GOT WE

JkM

A

MORGAN GENTLEMEN'

"when do we

WAGNER?

leave

TOMORROW * WE’RE FLYING DOWN IN THE COMPANY'S PRIVATE

,

>

...

.

PLANE f

^

small

four-seater TAKES OFF FROM THE AIRPORT JUST OUTSIDE THE LAJMX, OAPITQU&ta^ V^fttt AllitAVO I 7 uru ufhFvfqI ypOORMORGAN? HEr ALWAYS’ 'LOVED TO FLY WITH US? TOO L .BAD HE HAD TO MISS

And

so,

the next

day, a

aiTY-. Bourn, FC«

I

k

f

THIS TRIP f

~


The storm lashes at the air-

The mountain- top looms up BEFORE THE PLANE* WAGNER

The shock throws the three men forward? for Wagner peers out of the window f as the LIGHTA MOMENT, THE TINY PLANE VIBRATES OBAZ'LYNING FLASHES ONCE MORE, HF SCREAMS... WHAT .HAPPENED ? ) WE HIT BUT ...BUT WE WE’RE STILL RETWEEN WHAT? YYOU’RE SOMEDIDN'T CRASH.") THOSE TWO MOUNTAINS ' Jl RIGHT.' WE'RE JUST HANG!N6 THING.' IN MID -AIR / 1

\

^

A


?

?

Soon, the storm subsides' elus takes a FLASHLIGHT AND OPENS THE PLANE DOOR...

W LOOK? THE PLANE ITTBF’be CAREFUL ^^LyOU'EV FALL. I ON THESE CAUGHT

^

Ellis climbs from the tiny craft... onto the gableLIKE STRUCTURE. r

IT'S

.

NO, ELLI S f WAIT TILL

SOME SORT OF A

NETWORK ?V* V

CABLES?

to CLIMB

DAYLIGHT 'you DONY EVEN KNOW HOW HI6H

GOING

down's

UP VIE ARE?

|

But ELLIS DOES NOT LISTEN? HE STARTS DOWN THE CABLE NETWORK? SOON, ONLY THE GLOW OF HIS FLASHUGHT CAN BE SEEN...

inside their plane, wagner ANO BUCKLY STARE INTO THE DARKNESS...

From

SUDDENLY THE FLASHLIGHTGLOW BLANKS OUT, AND THE NIGHT IS FILLED WITH A BLOODCURDLING SHRI EK 0* HORROR-

WHAT... WHAT COULD HAVE

ELLIS? COME BACK: YOU CRAZY FOOL '

i

SCREAM OIOnY FADE AWAK'n

HAPPENED tgood\

TO HIM ? HE ... HE MUST HAVE

LORDA

FALLEN?

was CUT SHORT?

HE SAW SOMETHING

HE... .

i

network Bucket moves out over the cable WAGNER HANGS RACK. A SENSATION OF TERROR CRAWLING DOWN HIS SPINEKNOW C'MON, WAGNER ? YOU CAN’T STAY THERE

AS DAWN BREAKS 0VER THE ANDES, WAGNER AND BUCKLY BEHOLD A STRANGE AND TERRIFYING SIGHT; the STRANGE THEIR TINY PUNE HANGS ENTWINED CABLE-NETWORK, HALFWAY BETWEEN THE SHEER SIDES OF TWO MO UNTAINS AND HIGH OVER THE VALLEY FLOORv-r /CDKIWF CAN CLIMB WAIT. ( TO SAFETY' \T REACHES /BUCKLY l THE MOUHTA/H \ SIDES.

0

TILL YOU ,

STARVE'

OH,

MY LORD.


'

*

?

THING DARTS DOWN THE NETWORK FROM ITS EIGHT HUGE SPINY LEGS CARRY

Wagner scampers back

N RIDGE? G

? A HE AS THE GIANT CRAWLING THING

A AA Afi AAfiErc

REACHES BUCKLY...

LORD? IT... IT'S

OH.

DEVOURING

V

BUCKLY'S HYSTERICAL SHRIEKS OF PAIN FINALLY SUBSIDE? THE HUGE SPIDER TURNS AND MOVES

TOWARD THE

PLANE...

NOW ...HOW,

IT'S

giant spider crouches over the tiny plane

...WAITING FOR ITS TERRIFIED OCCUPANT TO WAITS PATIENTLY... HOUR AFTER HOUR...

COMING

ME?

Back in the uniteo states the WARDEN AND THE DOCTOR STARE DOWN AT DONALD MORGAN f HE THE CORNER ,

SITS IN

The

OF HIS CELL.

BEYOND HOPE '.A COMPLETE MENTAL BREAKDOWN. HE'S

,

EMERGE?

WUrT7.TuTTRAPPED 'TRAPPED!

l

,rs

While high in the andes. MORGAN'S EX-BUSINESS ASSOCIATE IS SUFFERING THE SAME FATE? HE, TOO, IS OUT OF HIS MIND,..

MUTTERINGWARDEN

.

HIM

IT IT...

TO GET

.

into the

TRAPPED PLANE AND SLAMS THE DOOR FROM WINDOW WATCHES

SPEED? WAGNER SCREAMS...

BUCKLY.' LOOK OUT' IT’S A GIANT SPIDER

EH

...EM ...EH..

SPIDER... EH.,

WilTINe...EH.

SITTING '"ERL. WAITING FORME

JtJST

f

HEH, HEH' YEP? SO AFTER WAGNER, ELLIS AND BUCKLY TRAPPED IN A WEB Of EVIDENCE, THEY WERE TRAPPED IN ONE THEMSELVES... A REAL WES

MORGAN

,

THAT IS? I SUPPOSE YOU'RE WONDERING IF A SPIDER LIKE THAT REALLY EXISTS? WELLNEXT T\Ht. YOU SEE A LOCAL SPIDER, ASK IT IF IT EVER HEARO OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN

MOUNTAIN CRAWLER? IT'LL PROB ABLY CURL UR ANO DIE Iw.

.

AT THE MERE

Mi NT /ON

iHP

fl,4k

Vl

1

l

Of

ITS name? 'BYE, NOW?

,


'

m

â‚Ź.D.

FA NS/ UNDOUBTEDLY THE ZANIEST WORTH Of IDIOTIC NONSENSE YOU COULD EVER 70 BUY I TRY IT ... FOR LAUOHSI

m

$

Ramsey squeezed the

trigger

and felt

the pistol buck violently in his hand. The young native guide in front of him spun around and crashed headlong into the heavy foliage. "I don't need him any longer, Ramsey muttered as he slipped his

gun back into its holster and stepped around the body sprawled beside the trail. “Now that he's revealed the hiding place of his peoples' treasure, I can go the rest of the way myself. As soon as I crack open the tomb

crude

where these buried their

monds and 3 of

superstitious,

a

loot,

rubies

is

savages

fortune in diamine!"

hours later ... 3 gruelling hours hacking through the

incessant

Ramsey stagmatted underbrush gered into a grassy clearing. Before him, rising grey and ominous as the auide had predicted, towered the mountain where the treasure of Molokko Island was hidden. A half-million dollars, intended as a sacrifice .

gods,

to primitive

.

.

was sealed up

in

those rocks!

The fatigue of the long trek from the painful lunging over the coast razor-backed ridges and through was forevilly-sucking swamps gotten by Ramsey in that moment of somewhere along ecstasy. Here the base of this craggy mountain was the secret entrance to a sacrificial chamber which housed a king's .

.

.

.

@ON

ANOTHER "NEW TREND"

SURE-FIRE WINNER'^53^

SALE NOW

AT ALL NEWSSTANDS!

.

.

.

.

.

.

ransom!

The sun had begun fading Vfhen Ramsey found the cryptic designs into the stone. A warning, the

carved


.

.

.

guide had whispered, that doom awaited anyone who dared invade the sanctity of the mountain! The only one who's perished because of that

Ramsey sneered, was

fool curse,

the

©

®

V

$i ftU

guide, himself!

a few minutes he had jammed a sticks of dynamite into fissures

In

dozen

beside the sealed entrance. From a distance, protected by a huge boulder, Ramsey heard the shattering blast and saw tons of rock shower in every direction. When the dust had settled he raced toward the gating hole now revealed in the mountain's side even from this distance he could see the glimmer of precious stones within the tomb. It was all his .

.

.

.

232 BIG PAGES FULL COLOR

IN

Here under one cover, in full color continuity, reedited and arranged in chronological order, are all the stories of the Old Testament heroes from the four issues of the magazine. colors Printed in four bound throughout' and with brightly

.

.

A deep

rumble made him stop in The ground began to wildly far above the mountaintop was disintegrating behis

tracks.

tremble

.

.

.

fore his eyes! Flames leaped madly toward the clouds hissing black lava gushed torrentially down upon .

him

.

.

.

Before Ramsey, in his terror, could flee across tho grassy clearing, the searing liquid was upon him Like fiery tar it bubbled around his legs, searing the tortured skin and tearing it loose in raw shreds. Pain stabbed instantly through his body, from head to toe ... he felt” stifling heat filling his

agonized lungs, choking

(Write for special school prices)

his breath

EDUCATIONAL COMICS. INC. ST.. NEW YORK 12. N.

in his throat.

225 LAFAYETTE

The treasure

...

a thought flickered

through his brain as he felt himself dissolving in that blanketing sea of molten lava buried in the side of a .

.

.

VOLCANIC MOUNTAIN! Dynamite .

. .

activated it

COMPLETE OLD TESTAMENT COMPLETE NEW TESTAMENT PICTURE STORIES PICTURE STORIES

.

The scorching lava rolled on, and Ramsey's body turned molten hot simmered and spit like meat broiled in a blast-furnace in its midst .

.

.

,

.

L'r r:

75c

£J

SOc

FROM SCIENCE (No. 2) FROM WORLD HIST. (No. 2)

(15c for each copy) .

£ £


:

CRYPT

CORNER So.

now you know! So maybe my two

Imagine a "comic" being COMIC.! a

HORROR

I

But C.K.! There s

"MAD"! -ed

story in

J

Who »!»

DO

«•

TELL WHO TELLS IT? Harvey Kumman tells it! -ed ) THERE! THAT'S WHAT MEAN! What does that WAR MONGER know abour HORROR? Where tell it?

Does O.W.

tell it?

IT?

1

I

1

WHOOSH Kurtzman come

does rOW, KA-BLAMM, (But this is different, C.K.. off writing horror stories? horror story! Why. we nearly died, This is a who -ed ) NEARLY, eh? Drat the luck! And anyway, story? (But C.K.! ever heard of a YoTboi.hck Darts, 4r,w is! —ed. THERE! THAT'S 'Jack Davis, What does

FUNNY

FUNNY HORROR

WHAT -ed.) (

1 MEAN! sob JACK

There

.

.

.

.

there. C.K.!

,

Prospects" you wrote the! the gold •uni the Cape of Good Hope. This hardly f/y

.

way

Does V.K.

Yonkers, N.Y.

BOUGHT

MAD

FUNNY

around India. Most of them didn't go \yway! They went to the Isthmus of d on loot to the other side, and got a wailing for them. James Slayden

idiot editors

my column won't be commandeering large portions of announcement any more to make some ridiculous couple about E.C.'s latest money-grabbing effort! A cover of the first of pages back, you probably saw the the I*C. tr^h heap. issue of the most recent addition to if you "MAD," they call it! You'd be things, this new mag is it' Of all the nauseating .. choke! How disgusting can one actually myself up with get? when 1 reluctantly agreed to tie allowed my Tales from the this miserable outfit, and magazines, Crypt to be published in the form of comic daymarcs dreamed that 1 would 1 never in my goriest associated with funny-type magazines. n any

.

.

.

» ............ Ail rignt, already: ou i idiot editors want? 1 should know geography? Besides, my should know should have caught the mistake! (So WE -Harvey Kurtzgeography? -td.) fl know geography ! wri u MONGER! unKTr.m

man)

WAR

i

Dear Crypt-Keeper, stone* reamea Probably you didn't think your honor to scare characters their lone tentacles acton the Atlantic take this opportunity like me over here in England May I horror and terror stones I've to say that yours are the best ambassadors of honor ever read. Let’s hope that your little their ghastly {your magazines ) keep managing to trawl

way over

here,

it

only to keep

We

>

MONEY'

.

offered .

.

me screaming.

Alan Cresswelt London. England

,

WHO?

BOY? sob DAVIS? MY how No tears ! -ed.) How

could he do this to me? Simple! —ed.) RUINING HIM

Blimey!

E's orff

is

bloody rocker, by Jc

him

THATS

RUINING HIM’ WHAT YOU’RE DOING DEAD BODIES AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH’ PICKLED WEREWOLF KNUCKLES AREN T .

.

GHOULASH GOOD ENOUGH? VAMPIRE GOOD ENOUGH? (HUNGARIAN STYLE)

ISN'T him with MONEY? ( You do we'll do business our way! -ed ) business your way CONTRACT! Remember? I QUIT! (Now, how! The

You have

td

spoil

My

friends think so too,

Mary"

.

Hmmmph!

(That's better!

-ed.) your column! -ed.) Ah, look at some mail

yes!

Now

go on with

The column! Well,

lets

1

Dear Crypt-Keeper,

discovered the mtstaee I suppose by now you’ve and have you made in Tales from the Crypt No. 30, But in case you received hundreds of corrective fetters. sailed around haven't, you said that the gold seekers Africa, when you the CaPe of Good Hope which is in obviously meant Cape

Horn

in

South America.

w

there s available ... and will be. for some time. So Few battered copies of rush! Mail your quarter in anytime! Likewise two bus! bubTales of Terror kicking around too. in six issues, . .six bits scriptions . . full year J5c Sepd complaints, coin of the realm t6 you unhep heaps! picture orders, T. of T. orders, subscription .

.

Kavanagh N. Bergen, N.J.

E.

...In your first story .. .1 found a big mistake It "...yeller -hungry critters'd taken clipper ship! ..." Ol round the Cape o' Good Hope an beaten us

laid,

course

looking For any of you other grateful ingrates who .are five by seven autographed for a way out, be advised that myself photographic reproductions of V.K., O.W., and Still

the fact that the Cape of Good Hope f •houldn't matter much, except that they would «*

compliments, orders, tnd short orders

.

.

( make mine on

rye.

)

to.

The Crypt-Keeper

Room

706, Dept 32 Lafayette St Y.C. 12. N Y.

225

N


f

READ OF THE STARK HORROR

TWO MEN FOUND

This story

GAME

IN A

MEAN THERE ISN'T ENOUGH V'YOU'BE bluffINS'.\ ROOM IN THIS WHOLE / BUS' OKAY' YOU’RE \ FOR BOTH OPUS, ON.' SHALL WE DRAW? \ LOU? AND I’M WILLIN' J HIGH CARD WINS' THE /

probably the most HORRIBLE,

is

I

BLOOD- CURDUNO TALE YOU WILL EVER READ' IT CONCERNS TWO PROFESSIONAL GAMBLERS... BUS FORNEY AND LOU GREBtSf GAMBLERS BIS -TINE

WORLD

...

TO GAMBLE TO SEE _ WHO LEAVES ITf

BUS AND LOU. APE IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES' SAMSUNG IS THEIR L/FE.'tHE WAGER THE BET... IS THEIR BLOOD BUT BUS EORNEY AND LOU CREBIS HATED EACH OTHER. ..HATED EACH OTHER 6 AMBLERS LIKE

LIKE POISON

.

.

.

ISN'T

.

I’M NOT

LEAVING,

rf

LOSER DIES.' the OF METHOD /

J \ CHOKE IS

.

ENOUGH ROOM IN THIS TOWN FOR BOTH . LkOF USi LOU? THERE

0

^

Gusfso,eooo-BYE... BET ON YOUR HORSE-

H/S.'

/


)

'

IT'S A

)

GUS SHUFFLEO THE CARDS

HERE’S THE

BET' J DECK' SHUFFLE l)Pf "EM

1

f

AND

SPREAD THEM OUT, FACE DOWN, ON THE TABLE... GO AHEAD' Yf OKAYf l‘LL

\

( S

PICK.'

J

PICK

(

LOU FINGERED THE

FAGE DOWN

CAROS, RUNNING THROUGH THEM! THEN...

...ER...

HE SPUN ONE OVER...

TOO

WAIT A MINUTE ' STILL DRAW.'

)

WS.y I

[~Y THERE ARE THREE ' THAT (V ACES LEFT IN DECK f ^

AT THE CARDS FANNED OUT HIM.' THE ODDS WERE SIXTEEN TO ONE AGAINST HIS PICKING ONE OF THE THREE REMAINING ACES' HE SPUN _A CARD OVER...

NO.' I GOT A SIMPLER -

GUS STARED DOWN BEFORE

WHY, YOU

LUCKY

HEH.HEH' AGE. LOU' SHALL WE DRAW AGAIN

METHOD ? GET YOUR

REVOLVER fx CHALLENOE YOU TO A

W

RUSSIAN GAME ROULETTE.'

OKAY, LOU f YOU'RE OH.

1

Mg?

m

M

THE REVOLVER LOU TOOK THE SIX-SHOT REVOLVER GUS TOOK HIS REVOLVER FROM LIFTED The BARREL TO H'S AND TWIRLED THE CHAMBER... THE DRAWER AND REMOVED aLl TEMPLE 'THE ODDS WERE FIVE ' BUT ONE BULLET FROM ITS SIX THERE'SHE’S STOPPED ITRIGHT TO ONE... CHAMBERS... SPINNING.' NOW REMEM- GIVE WE GO IN SEQUENCE.. ) OKAY WITH \ BERT ONE AFTER THE < IT TO ME... ALTERNATING.'I'LL J ME,ous'.I'LL\ OTHER. ..TILL SHE GOES OFF r SPIN THE \ p. GO FIRST.' r-Y '

GUS TOOK

,

CHAMBER.'



LOU LIFTED THE GUN AND STEELED HIMSELF FOR THE DEATH BLOW AS THE BULLET CAME CRASHING INTO HIS BRAIN

j

HE SQUEEZED

n

A A DUD .' WHY, YOU DIRTY tt# .‘!X YOU KNEW IT ALL THE T/ME' THAT'S .

WHAT?

IT... IT DIDN'T 60

WHY YOU WANTED TO GO FIRST: YOU THOUGHT I’D CRAWL... yrrrTft

OFF f.

YOU

CAN’T

YOUR WAY OUT OF

TWIRLED THE

THIS ONE.-GUS

J

IF

TALK

don’t be AN IDIOT, LOU' YOU

A SURE \h—yHADTHIRD '

y”'

.OUT/&IX1 I

!

NOBODY

GALLS 5 US FORNEY

A

CHEAT' CREBtS.l CHALLENGE

\

/

YOU justI l

IT'

I

NEVER^

WELSH WHEN

OFAY, YOU CRUMf YOU’RE

«- \\ONf ro * SAME OF GHOP-PQKERj)\

rbu

Y 6 I'D

.

Jr

VM AN

HONEST

K GAMBLER OR fNEVER HAVE FOUND

\

KNOW IT WOUL D COME

you're

NAME ino

f

CHAMBER.' NO MATTER WHEN HOW DID I J IT CAME UP, YOU

r\

LOSE

'

U/

I

i TO A FINISH? TO A FINISH.f! CALL YOUP doctor: ILL GET mine: r

'

-


^

f

THEN.FIENOS. BEGAN THE MOST

They sat at the green feltCOVEREO TABLE BENEATH THE LAMPfTHE MEAT CLEAVER SPARKLED BETWEEN

HORRIBLE CARD GAME IN THE HISTORY OF HODERH GAMBLING you've heard of STRIP poker? WELL, CHOP POKER IS ALMOST

.

T

I GOT THREE TENS, LOU.'

)

SORRY, GUS.'

pA jar

^GLARING

THREE LADIES/

m

;them' gus oealt the cards.,

LIKE THAT i ONLY INSTEAD OF LOSING AN ARTICLE OF CLOTHING ... YOU LOSE A LIMB CHOP POKER HAD BEEN PLAYED BEFORE. IT WAS TOLD. BUT ONLY ONE HAND .

T

e77tll

"i'll fa k

S

TW0 f -

three.'--

.

.

AT A TIME.' NEVER. ..TO A trtAIICU,

M-

Lou PICKED UP THE CLEAVER AND STOOD GUS...

OVER

JUS STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND/ HIS PERSON AL JOCTOR MOVED FORWARD WTO THE LIGHT ! LOU RAISED

r

I

1

WHICH

ONE, GUS

HE CLEAVER AND BROUGHT

r

THE PINKY... CHOKE.

LOU

?

_

IT

DOWN,..

.

**RRR.

WAS tig E A FIENDISH DUEL!' THE DOCTORS WERE ‘HE SECONDS' TIME WAS TAKEN OUT WHILE GUS S (ECONO SERVICED «•»/ THE BANDAGE WAS BLOTCHED Jr

-

itO

-

WHEN THEY BEGAN AGAIN. YOUR DEAL, LOI '

[

W/

LOU DEALT THE CAR DS.' HEY PISCAROEQ... HEN. " I GOT TWO PAIR, MY GAME, LOU' GUS. KING ’3 AND THREE FOURS' SIKES' 1

fc

.


PICKED UP THE CLEAVER IN IS GOOD HANO? LOU'S SECOND MOVED INTO THE LAMPLIGHT.

GUS

Lou STRETCHED OUT

HIS LEFT HAND? GUS TOOK

CAREFUL

THE... THE

<UU>JN Ne

/VMT...GUS!

Again time was taken out while lou's second SERVICED HIM f SOON, THE CARDS WERE SHUFFLED ONCE MORE-.

Hem, HEM? YEP, KIDDIES? THAT'S HOW THE GAME WAS PLAYED? IT CONTINUED ON LIKE THAT ...FAR INTO EACH HAND WAS PLAYED AND WON-

THE NIGHT ? AS

I

F

LET'S GO, GUS ate. YOU DEAL?

?

( V

LOU AND GUS NEVER DID PLAY CHOP POKED TO A PLAYED ALL NIGHT AND INTO THE NEXT DAY? BUT THEY HAD TO QUIT TOWARDS EVENING f SEEMS THAT

GUTt

'\

M,

LOU?

Bl!T

pmSH? OH, Yes? THEY

NEITHER OF THEM COULD DEAL THE CARDS?

GO AHEAD? it's YOUR HOVE? 5

0°OOoWw


THE

For a moment, the crowd under the big-top SAT DEATHLY SILENT f THEN, FROM THE BANDSTAND, A DRUM BEGAN TO ROLL... ITS OMINOUS STACCATO OF ANTICIPATION GROWING LOUOER AND LOUDER ' THE CENTER OF THE RING, THE HUGE ELEPHANT LIFTED A MASSIVE FORELEG ? THE SCANTILY CLAD WOMAN RECLINED ON THE TANBARK FLOOR? THE' ELEPHANT TRAINER BAR KED ORDE R S? THE RINGMASTER ANNOUNCED. AND NOW, LADi£SAND S GENTLEMEN... FOR THE MOST IN

1

<

DEATH- DEFY/N& FEAT EVER PRESENTED UNDER THE D/0 „ TOP .

x

J \ .


^

f

The WOMAN WfilGGLEO UNDER THE MAMMOTH UPRAISED FOOT OF THE ELEPHANT? THE TRAINER SHOUTED ABOVE THE ORUMROLL'S RISING CRESCENDO? THE ELEPHANT TRUMPETED... CURLING .ITS TRUNK.

r

I

£?oh 7 Thousand pounds AND GENTLEMEN* ONE SUP. CERTAIN DEATH' WATCH

.

IT

.

A

AH

-

'

ROLL THUNDERED...^

M.fcANS

THE ELEPHANT HOOF TOUCHED THE WOMAN'S NOSE'

acts qno

GIRL STARED UP AT THE HUGE HOOF? IT WAS DIRECTLY OVER HER FACE? THE TRAINER BARKED AN OROER''THE GOLIATH LOWERED ITS UPRAISED FORELEGfTHE DRUM-

T HE

CYMBAL CRASHED.

i

The trainer and the girl BOWED AGAIN and AGAIN? TH' 'CROWD CHEERED...

The elephant act was over ? the CIRCUS BAND STRUCK UP A HAPPY MARCH, AND THE CLOWNS SWEPT OUT ACROSS THE ARENA ? THE TRAINER AND THE GIRL DISAP-

PEARED THROUGH THE r

EXIT- WAY.

EMMA WAS GOOD\x~H AVE^P1HER { THAINED HER FOOT WAS STEADY/) WELL, RENE'

TONIGHT, MILO?

didn't YOU

|W

V

'

/'

Jfc

r

V

THINK THEY APPLAUDED

f

MORE USUAL.

J§ ,

\

I m

TO

j J.

The INSIDE OF THE TRAILER WAS CROWDED AND MESSY ? COLORFUL COSTUMES LAY STREWN ABOUT ? BOOKS ANO MAGAZINES SPRAWLED ON EVERY lA VAIL able s ur/ riinr TriTunur f NOT AT TONIGHT TnNWh / I'M NOT NOT TONIGHT TOO THAT 'S ALL X HEAR f WELL. / STOPPING FROM GOING , I'M NOT STAYING AROUND t INTO TOWN, RENE NIGHT AFTER NIGHT... NOT IN THIS DUMP? ||r, '

NOT TONIGHT, RENE? I'M T/RED...

1

iu

I

,

1


.

.

The woman slipped uut or SCANTY COSTUME AND INTO STREET-DRESS. £55?® .

Oh,

.

HECK OF a MARRIAGE / THEN 4 ISf X MIGHT AS WELlfiDIVORCE BE MARRIED TO YOUR ME, <

[a

.

\OURS

ELEPHANT/

/[\*ENE

f

NO/ NOT THAT

OKAY. rene'TTRene SLAMMED THE DOOR OF i easy, big boy 1 ( OKAY/ 'THE TRAILER IN ANGER AS SHE YOU’RE STUCK WE’VE BEEN / 'LEFT' FROM BEYOND, IN THE with i'd 4 ALL THROUGH SHADOWS, A FIGURE WATCHED HER NEVER GIVE l THIS BEFORE' 'ENTER THE CAR... YOU A DIVORCE iWITHOUT a EIGHTY it'd cost you $

/

fMrrY]|

I

PLENTY.

.

Y

[AS SOON ASRENE’D DRIVEN

OFF, THE' FIGURE (MOVED OUT OF THE SHADOWS' IT WAS A WOMAN Y E L£il .£4£ T£0 r QWARO MILO’S TRAILER _ LEETA / DARLING ...

CL

THEN

S~%J£_

'oIo’you TELL

HER?ABOUT US/

DARLING

WHAT. WHAT IF THERE f LEETA / WERE A TERR/BLE 'ACCIDENr<> / WHAT WHAT IF RENE WERE KILLED? J•ARE YOU

SAYING?

f

EACn 0rhEfi FOR *

NO/

IT'S

DON'T YOU SEE IT COULD BE?

HOW EASY

MOMENTS!

NO USE/SHED NEVER

GIVE ME A DIVORCE/ I KNOW ' WE'LL HAVE TO RUN AWAY. A

NO / EMMA WOULD NOT SUP/ *

SHE'S WELL

TRAINED/ SHE WOULD NOT PUT HER FOOT DOWN

*

UNTIL L SIGNALED HER...

.


f

IT..

BE

IT

K

f

TRAiN

YOU COULD I'D HAVE TO EXACTLY. MY DON'T ANOTHER. MY DARLING HAVE HER DARLINCf AND NO J SHOT.' C NEW WIFE... NEW _ 'KNOW.' ONE WOULD EVER JUST ELEPHANT... A KNOW.' YOU COULD DON'T [whole new life

WOULD

MURDER

LEETA

I

-

M

.

t

ACT SHOCKED BLAME IT ON EMUA.

L

Mk

KNOW...

FOR YOU...

CLAIM THAT SHE

DISOBEYED YOU-

Leeta smiled' she pursed her

LEETA'SfYES BURNED^ HER FACEJIARKENEP

IrfTHAT. OR

MILO'

NOT^^VE

.

meT^N

1

HER HA ND through MILO'S

HAIR-..

lips. __

ME, OF COURSE MY DARLINCf TILL THIS... THIS SECRET- /CHANCE TO THINK J-Z. TOMORROW NIGHT'S PERFORMMEETING NONSENSE.' I WANT LIT OVER, LEETA PLEASE / WJESi, ANGEfx* IT DOESN’T HAPPEN i you... ALL THE TIME.. OR fl I'M

S

The next evening, milo and ENtRMOE.WA* TO TEE BIG-TOP.

vZ&L

stood

in

m

I

'.

RIGHT...

S

OUR

-*>V.

THEN

.

BABY...

.

fanfare silenced the crowd'the ringmaster INTRODUCED THE ACT AS THE SPOT- LIGHT I SWUNG TO THE BOWING PERfORMERS...

The

AWAITiNG THEIB

SEEMED CUE-MU3ICf.EMMA TRUMPETED SOFTLY. SHE WAS WRONj^ TO -LS^rtlAT .SO METHING

ALL THERE. THERE, GIRL?' EMMA C SHE’S THERE SEEMS NERVOUS TONIGH T, ? C'MON CUE milo f

w

LEETA.

,

CUT OUT FOR

^

..

I I

NOW... M/LO...yut GREATEST ELEPHANT AND HIS WONDERELEPHANT, EMMA... ASSiSTEO BY THAT DEATHDEFYING' BEAUTY... RENE... \m

AND

TRAINER IN THE WORLD

..


P

ThE DRUM

BEGAN ITS ANXIOUS ROLL ONCE MORE? t HE THUNDER OF THE ROLLING DRUM GREW LOUDER MilOj BARKED AN ORDER AND EMMA LIFTED HER FOOT?/ AND LOUDER? EMMA'S HOOF HUNG MENACINGLY ABOVE £ RENE GOT DOWN ON THE RING FLOOR AND WRIGGLED J RENT'S WHITE FACE? MILO BARKED ORDER AND - yTHE HUGE FOOT LOWERED SLOWLY.. BELOW IT... I

Fora moment, emma's gigantic HOOF TOUCHED RENE'S WHITE FACE', THE DRUM ROLL HEACHED ITS

H

As THE CYMBOL CRASHED, MILO 0 ,Th£ SCREAM CAME TOO LATE ? ^ SHOUTED AT EMMA 'RENE SCREAMED? EMMA WAS WELL-TRAINED AND 'responded '

IMMEDIATELY

CRESCENDO...

?

MILO

WATCHED IN HORROR AS EIGHT THOUSAND POUNDS DESCENOED ON RENT’ S FEAR-TWISTE D FACE... JS ^nfXS ~LOM

Al

V

OUT?

j

;

'"*

LOUD.

.Emma trumpeted shrilly' she reared dp.,.snorting? FORWARD? THEY FIRED AT THE A FOR A MOMENT, THE STUNNED AUDIENCE WAS SHOCKED^ Two GUARDS RUSHED RED-EYED PACHYDERM EMPTYING THEIR SUNS INTO < BY THE 60RY SIGHT? THEN SOMEONE 3riRlEKED.„f7 HER TOUGH HIDE? THE CROWD SCREAMED AND SHOUTED,) PANDEMONIUM BROKE LO OSE f Ml LO HOLLERED AS IT BROKE FOR THE EXITS... LHORSElY some:Boot <1

DO

SO Art THitiS*

EMMA’S SONS

MAO f


.

Emma swayed and toppled over on her sid t DEAD? THE CIRCUS BAND BLARED IN DISCORD, ATTEMPTING TO RESTORE ORDER.'THE RING-MASTER RUSHED TO MILO AS HE STARED DOWN AT RENE’S CRUSHED REMAINS IN UTTggrevulsion. . Y>**>*\ ********* LOOK AT HER.MILO.y SOB...

leo mho to the exit- way' he i SOBBING SOFTLY.' BUT THAT NIGHT ...FAR THE CIRCUS GROUNDS ...HE AND LEETA L<

They

.

FT

/L

IT...

it’s

HORRIBLE' IRENE.'

Milo WAS FREE NOW FREE OF RENE FOREVER f HE AND LEETA .

IT'S

I ,

JAND I'LL / BEGIN MONTHS... JUST TO MAKE IT LOOK GOOD... ^TRAINING AND THEN WE'LL BE J ANOTHER

MARRIED'

FROM NOW ON SMOOTH SAILING FOR

I

M ADE PLANS'^Pll WAIT A FEW

)

ELEPHANT

-j

US, MILO?

J

SO

/I TOLD you,i SIMPLE' 1 l TOLD YOU _ V WOULD BE' .

>It didn't take long for mi lo to [train a new elephant to take iemma'S place ? within a year [the ACT WAS AGAIN THRILLING ^>* ,> <«J^ AUDIENCES I

.'

::>

DEATH -DEFYING REA UTY. ..LEETA'

by that

WEEK IS OVER AND {THINK LEAVE THIS BFRG'jABOUT it. ren£ is buried HERE AND MMA...J DARLING'

F

-

...

.

CUE^/' l^LL BEGLA D WHEn/dOnT W£

'

‘jr^AiVZ^wiTH HIS WONDER- ) ' ELEPHANT, BESSIE... ASSISTED)

k PREVIOUSLY? THE NIGHT OF THE OPENING PERFQRMANCE, MILO AND LE ETA STOOD BESIDE BESS IE, AWAITING THEIR

DARLING

V

1

The circus returned to the town where the s HORRIBLE ‘ACCIDENT* HAD HAPPENED ONE YEAR C* \

T OGETHER

Ar WAS SO SIMPL E l

vl

TM

The cue fanfare blared?the spot-light swung to the entrance-way to pick them up 'a dista nt 1— SHRILL,TRUMPETI NG SOUNDED...^ ?

1

STEADY, BESSIE, BABY'

fGASP ? THAT

WASN'T

DfSSIE. mto'

\

m


f

I

The low rumbling that echoed INTO THE NIGHT DID NOT COME FROM THE BAND-CTAMO* A CLOWN DARTED across t:i- arcta.ascreaming...

_

'tmof *

WHAT

.F

4

EMMA... AND

It lumbered toward the horrified trainer and HIS

NEW

WILDLY

...

_THE THING J3N

WIFE...

ITS

-

It BURST THROUGH THE EXIT-WAY ACROSS THE TANBARK FLOOR* IT TRUMPETED SHRILLY THE STENCH FILLED THE BIG-TOP* ITS ROTTING HIDE FELL AWAY IN SLIMY CLODS AS IT MOVED* HERE AND THERE, WHITENED BONES PROTRUDED THROUGH ITS MAGGOT-COVERED FLESH* PERCHED ON THE REMAINS OF ITS HEAD SAJJ’HE DECAYED FIGURE _ OF A WOMAN, URGING IT ON...,

HEAD POINTING -t-r

r

RENE!

It WAS TOO LATE FOR MILO TO

MOVE...

TOO LATE

TO RUN* THE THING WAS UPON HIM ...LIFTING HIM IN IT3 FOUL- SMELLING DECOMPOSING TRUNKfLEETA .WAS CAUGHT BENEATH ONE OF ITS HUGE ROTTED * HOOFS. _ - i r--

I

.

aaaaa aa aa

Milo was FLUNG TO the TANWITH THE FORGE OF A TWENTY- STORY FALLf LEETA WAS CRUSHED ft*?

BARN

THENrASTHE SCREAMS SUB-

PEANUTS... POPCORN... PUTRES-

CENT SLIME f

SIDED AND DEATH CAME TO MILO AND LEETA, THE HUGE THING AND

THE HUMAN-THING UPON IT SEEMED TO JUST FALL AWAY INTO A PILE OF PUTRESCENT SLIME...

HEY,

LADY' BUY

TER BRAT A BAG OF PUTRESCENT SLIME? HEE.HEtf YEP f THAT'S M'TALEiKIDDiES RENE i AND EMMA GOT THEIR REVENGE, AND MILO AND LEETA GOT THEIRS.

ft VJ

'.

--/—

TOO f

#

\\

BY THE WAT

VSELLING

*

I'm

COTTON

CANDY

GOT A WHOLE TRUNKFULf HEE.HEEf

B KWt.

/

*

WHAT ROTTENTASTING STUFF.' jal):' /^B'BrE.NOW!’ WE'LL all see you N£xr |N THE <

PjSE/

C

I

m

VAULT-KEEPER'S MAG, THE VAULT

OF HORROR.''


l

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was

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HI HI V NARROW-SHOULDERED IV IV V short-winded If IV I WEAK, HALF- ALIVE I I I 1 I

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ROGER,

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ADDRESS

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DEPT.EN-27

]



,

1

1

/& \ L

3! ****

xioaj/omH

FEATURING

E.C.’S

IN THIS ISSUE: ADAPTATION OF A STORY BY

RRV

BRn

DBURV

AMERICA'S TOP HORROR WRITER!

THE CRYPT-KEEPER

THE VAULT-KEEPER


THE ARTIST OF THE

"

ISSUE" •

GEORGE EVANS permanent addition to the E.C. family, George R. Evans was born 1920, in Harwood, Pa., of English and Pennsylvania Dutch ancesnine, his family moved to Kulpmont, Pa., a coalmining town. George's early art training came at fifteen from a correspondence course, which he paid for by working as a store clerk, coal-trucker, and mill hand. He also attended the Scranton Art School for one year. At 16, he had already started to sell illustrations to airplane pulp magazines, supplementing his income by sign-painting. Came the war, and George spent three years in the AAF, where, by diligence, application, and K.P., he rose to the grade of Pfc. Decorations: one (1) Good Conduct Medal, grudgingly awarded. While in the army, George was stationed for a spell on Long Island. He liked it so much that upon being discharged, he came back there to live with his bride, whom he'd married six months previously. After returning to civilian life, George's first job Latest

Feb. try.

5,

When George was

was as a

staff artist for

another comic publishing house.

He

also attended

night classes at the Art Students League in N. Y. C. George, his lovely wife Evelyn, and their four-year-old daughter, Carol, are now living in a cute little ranch house in Levittown, Long Island. His hobbies include: aviation

World War I vintage, loafing, sports of all kinds, loafing, which has loafing! George's work you guessed it eating, and appears in E.C.'s three been enthusiastically received by you readers horror mags, two war mags, and two SuspenStory mags! .

.

.

especially .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

a the Crypt, June-Jnly 1053— Vol. 1, No. 36 (formerly Crypt of Terror). Published Bi-Monthly by I. C. Publishing Jt 225 Lafayette Sr., New York 12. N. Y. William M. Gaines, Managing Editor. Albert B. Feldsteln, Editor. Be-entcred Co., second cIbbs matter June 20. 1050. at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1870. One year subScript Ion In the D. S. title plus 15c for packing and mailing— total 75c—elsewhere *1.00. Entire contents copyrighted 1953 by C Publishing Co.. Inc. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by Btumped return envelope. No similarity between any of the characters, names or persons appearing in this magazine with any of those living or dead is Intended, and any such similarity is purely coincidental. Printed in U. S. A. 1


-

AND QHOULS... WELCOME TO THE CRYPT OF TERROR. THIS la YOUR HORROR » INVITING YOU IN TO HEAR ANOTHER GHASTLY SELECTION FROM MY DISGUST I START my CHILLING TALE. YOU MIGHT like TO PLATA LITTLE X HAVE A REAL LITE OLD HAIDT NO? OH.. TOO DAD? THEN

perhaps, BEFORE

ME ’ LIKE. ..SAY.. .OLD HA/Dl BEGIN THE BLOOD-CURDLING YARN

1 CALL...

HIRE T0I1IEHT,

FOLLOWED BV mcREflsinc ILOTTVRESS. SLAM 00 WN THE TRUNK-LID OP YOUR TAXI-CAB AND LOOK AROUND. THE NIGHT IS DAMP AND A FAINT TRACE OF FOG DRIFTS IN FROM THE BAY. CHILLI N£ YOU TO THE BONE. YOU STAND THERE FOR A MOMENT, SHIVERING. YOU FUMBLE IN YOUR JACKET POCKET FOR A CIGARETTE PULL OUT A HALF EMPTY PACK AND SHAKE ONE BETWEEN YOUR LIPS. THE FLAME OF THE MATCH, FLARING UP IN THE GLOOM, BURNS YOUR EYES. AND EVEN AFTER YOU’VE BLOWN IT OUT, ITS GLOW STILL ,


f

.

You SHUFFLE AROUNO TO THE FRONT OF YOUR CAB, SWING OPEN THE DOOR, AND SETTLE IN8I0E ON THE MOIST COLO LEATHER DRIVER’S SEAT. YOU SIT THERE FOR A MOMENT, SUCKING IN THE DRY SMOKE FROM YOUR BUTT AND SWALLOWING IT WHOLE INTO YOUR LUNGS THEN YOU START THE ENGINE., THINK I’LL CRUISE THE WEST SIDE, TONIGHT f

^

The FO0 HAS SETTLED its blanket of obey mist upon YOUR WINDSHIELD, SO YOU SNAP ON THE WIPERS, INDUSTRIOUS LITTLE FINGERS WHIP BACK AND FORTH, SHAMING THE WATER AWAY. YOU PEER THROUGH THE CLEAR OPENINO AT THE DIS TORTED ASPHALT AHEAD.THE STREETS ARE DESERTED. NOT A SOUL AROUND.

CR/PESf WHAT A NIGHT TO TRY TO

fe^SCRAPE UP A FARE

YOU CRUISE FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER, SEARCHING THE SIDEWALKS FOR A SIGNALING PASSERBY... A HOMEWARD-BOUND CUSTOMER..BUT YOU SEE NO ONE. YOU SHRUG AND PULL UP TO A DESERTED HACK STAND.

WELL,,TM AT FINISHES IT ( I'LL NEVER GET A FARE .

now...

no use WASTING GAS. I'LL PARK HERE BY ONE SUBWAY EXiT-_w^

riders hurry off into the wet gloom. THE NEWSIE AT THE CORNER CALLS AFTER THEM,TRYINQ TO UNLOAD HIS NIGHT’S PAPER ORDER...

ALL

ABOUT

IT

sTU

.t

YOU SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND SIT BACK, EXTRACTING ANOTHER BUTT FROM YOUR EMPTYING PACK. A ROAR BELOW TELLS YOU THAT A SUBWAY TRAIN HAS PULLED IN. A FEW SECONDS LATER, FIGURES POUR FROM THE SUBWAY EXIT-

W

|

TAX/ f

>

TAX/, LADY?

TAXI?

J?

The subway

READ ALL ABOUT ITT ANOTHER BODY FOUND f ANOTHER MURDER ( READ

'

taxi™ tax/7?

The rushing shadows are gone, the night and the RAIN SETTLE DOWN AGAIN. YOU STARE ACROSS THE MIRRORED SIDEWALK TO THE NEWSTAND. ANOTHER MURDER. CURIOSITY GETS THE BETTER OF YOU. YOU SNAP OPEN THE CAB-DOOR AND DART THROUGH THE RAIN TO THE PROTECTION OF THE STAND’S OVERHANG... PAPER. MISTER'


Another murder, thirteen of THEM NOW. EACH BODY DRAINED

YOU SHIVER. THE WORK YOU LOOK AROUND UNCOMFORTABLY, PEERING OUT AT THE OOWNPOUR.THE RAIN POUNDS DOWN ON YOUR CAB- ROOF,

OF ITS BLOOD. YOUR EYES SWEEP OVER THE COLUMNS OF TINY PRINT.. THE SORY DETAILS. SUDDENLY, A PARAGRAPH CATCHES YOUR ATTENTION.. .fpi

SUGGESTION THAT A VAMP/RE MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE MURDERS WAS OFFERED BY OR.

•a

EGBERT MULLER, NOTED

MYTH-

OLOGIST. POLICE HAVE REFUTED r THIS POSSIBILITY.' J

The night swims in a torrent before your eyes. DARKNESS MELTS FROM THE BLACKNESS ABOVE AND SPATTERS DOWN ON THE ENGINE HOOD... THE WINDSHIELD IN SHEETS OF DANCING LIGHTS. HE IS BESIDE YOU, HIS BLACK OVERCOAT COLLAR TURNEO UP, COVERING THE LOWER PART OF HIS FACE.. .HIS BLACK HAT- BRIM TURNEO DOWN, SHIELDING THE UPPER PART. ONLY HIS EYES GLARE LIKE FIRE-LIGHTS FROM THE

His ANSWER is curt; ALMOST insulting, it is a brief ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HE CARES NOT TO CONVERSE. YOU SHRUG AND GUIDE YOUR HEAP THROUGH THE REFLECTIONS AND THE TORRENTS TOWARD THE ADDRESS HE'S GIVENYOU.

The STREET IN

I

THE

CITY.

ONE OF THE WORST NEIGHBORHOODS A NARROW, LITTER -STREWN, COBBLE-

IS IN

..

STONE ALLEY MESHED BETWEEN SAD- FACED, STARVING TENEMENTS. YOUR FARE STEPS OUT INTO THEDOWN-| ~ ~ POUR..

.

I

I

f maitmere FORME... L

KSri


f

He

scurries into a oarkeneo HALLWAY AND DISAPPEARS INTO THE SHADOWS. YOU SHRUG, GLANCE AT THE METER, AND SETTLE BACK TO WAIT. THE RAIN IS LETTING UP NOW. THE STREET IS A BLACK MIRROR REFLECTING THE SQUALOR THAT RIMS IT AT EITHER CURB. SOMETHING IN THE MIRROR CATCHES YOUR EYE...

You TURN AROUND AND STARE AT THE SHINY NEW LEATHER BRIEFCASE YOUR CUSTOMER HAS LEFT ON THE BACK SEAT. THE GOLD INITIALS PULSATE IN THE LIGHT FROM THE STREET LAMP-.f^^wB—ifiiiiai E.M.,PH.D.f EM^PH.D.f

WHAT /S THERE ABOUT

IT HE NEWSPAPER ROLLED UP BESIDE YOU REMINDS YOU. OF COURSE.. MULLEN... THE NOTED MYTH 0L06/ST...tm£ man who is TRYING TO CONVINCE THE POLICE THAT THE MUNDEPEN • IS A VAMPIRE.

l THOSE INITIALS?

YOU PULL OUT YOUR PACK OF BUTTS, FISHING FOR ANOTHER CIGARETTE. THE PACK IS EMPTY. YOU CURSE. FAR DOWN THE BLOCK, AT THE CORNER, A DIM LIGHT FILTERS THROUGH A STORE WINOOW, SILHOUETTING THE LETTERS PA INTEC ON IT... BAR' THEY’D HAVE A CIGARETTE

YOU SWING FROM THE CAB AND START DOWN THE LONG DARK STREET. THE RAIN HAS STOPPED. A MUDDY STREAM OF WATER RUSHING HEAOLONG AT THE CURBSIDE POURS DOWN INTO A FOUL- SMELLING SEWER, PULLING THE LAST TRACES OF RAIN WITH IT. UP ABOVE, THE CLOUDS ARE BREAKING UP-.ANO HERE AND THERE, A STAR BLINKS THROUGH A BLACK HOLE IN THE GREY COVER.

^^MACHINE...

VoU'RE ALMOST TO THE CORNER WHEN THE LIGHTS IN THE BAR-WINDOW DISAPPEAR AND BLACKNESS DESCENDS. THE SIGN IN THE DOOR LAUGHS AT YOU, AND THE LAUGH Echoes over the slick streets and off the grinning FACES OF THE .TENEMENTS

CLOSES

BLAST IT...

G0IN6 TO BE A M/CE NIGHT AFTER ALL...

T HE LAUGH DIES. SILENCE CLOSES IN. THICK, BLACK, FRIGHTENING SILENCE. STRANGE. NO RADIO PLAYING; NO 8ABY CRYING? NO SOUNDS OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE BEHIND THE MUTE TENEMENT FACADES? JUST "" ' SILENCE... m m imi. f jiy r '

'

I


B

'

.

Then why the bar? what business could a bar do IN A CONDEMNED TENEMENT DISTRICT? YOU START BACK TOWARD YOUR CAB. AND THEN YOU HEAR THEM. AT FIRST YOU THINK THEY'RE ECHOES OF YOUR OWN- BUT WHEN YOU STOP, THEY CONTINUE. .fj~ II

You QUICKEN YOUR

STEPS. THE CAB IS A M LLION MILES I

AWAY. BEHINO YOU, THE FOOTSTEPS INCREASE THI^IR TEMPO

TOO. YOU BEGIN TO RUN.

THE CAB' I'LL NEVER REACH IT

FOOTSTEPS. SOMEONE'S .FOLLOWING ME.

The open hallway yawns at YOU duck

YOU.

in,

cringing

in

THE SHADOWS. A FIGURE HURRIES

LACK OVERCOAT-BLACK

BY_.

HAT.

YOU HEAR

HIS FOOTSTEPS POUNDING UP IN YOUR CHEST, YOUR HEART POUNDING TOO. THEN THE FOOTSTEPS

THE BLOCK. IS

STOP- AND YOUR HEARtlSKIPS A BEATHE'S

.

CUSTOMER' MULLERL

COMING BACK:

IN TIME,

ppi

i

YOU BACK OFF INTO THE 6L00M. THE FOOTSTEPS APPROACH. HE STANDS FRAMED IN THE HALLWAY ENTRANCE. HIS EYES BURN ING LIKE TWO WHITET C 0ALS 2L°- ITyoU CAN rT ESCAP MY FRIEND'YOU'RE .

-

TRAPPED/

'

.

His eyes seem to pierce the darkness, seem to SEARCH YOU OUT OF THE SHADOWS. CAN HE SEE YOU THERE ? CAN HI S EYES PENETRATE THE NIGHT LIKE-LIKE. ~~ A BAT'S 0 ' LIKE J a >a s

YOU SHRIEK. YOU OPEN YOUR QUIVERING LIPS AND YOU I SHRIEK. AND YOU TURN ANl5 RUN-DOWN THE LONG BLACK CORRIDOR-STUMBLING, GETTING UP. RUNNING AGAIN-

rTr %no~use

your

r WAT no 'NO .'WWA


The cellar door hangs crazily ON BROKEN RUSTED HINGES. STEPS LEAD DOWNWARD INTO BLACKNESS. YOU LUNGE THROUGH

The STEPS, ROTTED AND OECAYEO, GIVE WAY BENEATH YOUR WEIGHT AND YOU PLUNGE INTO THE DARKNi-SS

...

f

,|

|

You STRUGGLE TO YOUR

FEET. ABOVE

YOU, YOUR CUSTOMER PEERS DOWN THROUGH THE CELLAR DOORWAY...

j

AAAA^Aa

|AnD HIS LAUGH ECHOES LOUDLY ITHROUGH THE DAMP DARK CELLAR.

Suddenly there are strange sounds about you... j CREAKING NOISES ...AND DEEP SIGHS .. AND FLUTTERINGS IN THE DARK. THE CELLAR IS FILLEO .WITH LONG EVILGASP...

[They stumble toward

THE LIDS HAVE COME ALIVE NOW, SLIPPING FROM THE COFFINS, SWINGING UPWARD, FALLING BACK.GHAUNTFACED FIGURES, WITH SLANTED EYES AND FANGED MOUTHS OOZING SPITTLE. RISE FROM THEIR DEPTHS-

COFFINS.

you, shrieking...

laughing.

VAMPIRES!

And THEN THEY ARE UPON

YOU, THEIR FANGS RIPPING AND TEARING AT YOUR FLESH.. -THEIR DRY LIPS CLOSIN' LIFE- FLUID THAT POURS RED FROM THEM...

OVER YOUR WOUNDS, DRAWING THE |

And YOU SCREAM, you are HELPLESS under then ONSLAUGHT. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO 00 BUT SCREA


.

The

The scream echoes and re-echoes in your eai YOU CLAW AT THE COLD LEATHER SEAT... AND YOU

rain chatters on your cab roof, people pour FROM THE SUBWAY EXIT, THE NEWSIE CHANTS AT THEM...

OPEN YOUR EYES...

READ ALL ABOUT JTf ANOTHER BODY FOUND? ANOTHER MURDER .' READ ALL ABOUT IT 1

HUH? WHA 2- WHERE

AM

^

I?

.

f

You're back at the hack-stand, SUBWAY EXIT. THE REAL-

1

You STARE DOWN AT THE OPEN PAPER ON YOUR LAP HIS NAME SEEMS TO RISE FROM THE BLOCKS OF TYPE... MA6NIFIED. ..BLACK AND SHINING..

BY THE

IZATION

DAWNS UPON YOUI

...I

I'VE

FELL ASLEEP.

^

And then

he

I DREAM ABOUT HIM? WHY. .

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT THE INITIALS ON THE BRIEFCASE HE IS CARRYING. YOU KNOW WHO HE IS. HE MUTTERS THE STREET AND NUMBER AND SLIDES INTO THE BACK SEAT. YOU MESH GEARS AND PULL AWAY. [=

—

.

.

*

WHY

DIO I

DREAM ABOUT HIM? AND THE

VAMPIRES... ATTACKING fc-

ALL MEAN j

?

ME? WHAT

DID IT

beside you, his

buck

NO SIREE: HOP WHERE TO?

WHY DID

^

is

OVERCOAT PULLED UP, HIS BLACK HATBRIM TURNED DOWN, AND HIS EYES GLARING LIKE FIRE-LIGHTS...

BEEN DREAMING.'

I

.

iUDDENLY, YOU KNOW. YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF YOUR IT's

A SHORT-CUT,

OOCTOR MULLER...


I

f

You STOP THE CAB.

IT'S ONE OF THE WORST NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU DREAMED ABOUT... ~L— YOU ...YOU YES, DOCTOR!

CITY.

KNOW ME:

GET OUT...

It's clear now. the whole DREAM IS CLEAR. DR. EGBERT MULLER IS A THREAT TO you. THAT'S WHY

YOU DREAMED OF HIM

FOLLOW/N6

„ TRACKING YOU DOWN. H^y.- MY BRIEFCASE? YOU

.YOU

..

And THE VAMPIRES .. THE ONES THAT ATTACKED YOU IN THE CELLAR. DOCTOR MULLER KNOWS ABOUT VAMPIRES. ALL ABOUT THEM. SOONER OR LATER HE’D CONVINCE THE

WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME? THIS HALLWAY...WS so DARK.

\KEEP GOING:

^

[It would be his vast knowledge of vampires that WOULD FINALLY MEAN YOUR ULTIMATE "DEATH. THE DREAM MADE SENSE. THE DREAM WAS WARNING '

...

WHO

A/ft touy

RO? NO f

HE STRUGGLES, BUT YOU ARE STRONG. YOU BEND AND SINK YOUR FANGS INTO HIS SOFT WHITE GURGLING NECK. ..DRAW* IN6 IN THE THICK RED LIFE-FLUID THAT YOU MUST HAVE...

YES, DOCTOR!

MY GOD

NOW SOME PEOPLE MIGHT ACCUSE SPINNING HACK YARNS BUT YOU WOULDN'T AGREE, WOULD YOU. KIDDIES? THE THING I'M GUILTY OF IS TAK/-NG YOUR IMAGINATION ONCE IN A WHILE. WELL, GOT TO METER FRIENO, SO I'LL TURN OVER TO THE VAULT-KEEPER FOR HIS OFFERING. WHO'S THE FRIENO. roo ASK? OH, SOME SUCKER I KNOW. THEY SPOTTED HIM AS A ,

HICK WHEN

HE

CAME

TO NEW YORK. SOLD HIM

THE VAMPIRE STATE BUILDING. ISN'T THAT A

BLOODY SHAME f


in HOWL S, fHE VAOU-XEEPM. hW.hch?7'ENTURE INTO THE VAULT, VULTURES. THIS is YOUR / ready to NARRATE ANOTHER NAUSEATING NOVELETTE F"OM ur CRAWLY COLLECTION. 90 COME IN. SIT DOWN ON THAT PILE OF SHOE-BOXES THERE. AND I'LL BEOIN THE BLOOD' C UROL /NO YARN I CALL...

CURIOSITY

KILLED...


9

.

First let me say that, ever since i'o known him, WALLACE DURAND HAD ALWAYS BEEN SHY, QUIET, AND COMPLETLY DOMINATED BY HIS WIFE, EMILY. THAT MORNING, HE SEEMED LIKE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PERSON. HE GRINNED AT ME.. EMILY'S GONE, MRS. CLAYTON. SHE'S TA KEN A TRIP. TO THE .

COAST.. .TO

VISIT

...

THERE..

SHOCKED f

COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT...

SHE DIDN'T

MENTION

IT f

.

RELATIVES.

HE SLAMMED THE DOOR .SLAMMED THE IT, MIND YOUfMR. OURAND MILQUETOAST... THE WEAKLING... SLAMMED THE OOOR IN MY FACE. I STOOD

OH

WALLACE DURAND STOOD STRAIGHT, LOOKING AT ME DEFIANTLY. HE SEEMEO TALLER SOMEHOW. .TALLER THAN HE'D EVER BEEN. ..LIKE HEAVY WEIGHTS HAD BEEN DROPPED FROM HIS TIRED SHOULDERS... Y-YES, MR, DURAND/ IT WAS SUDDEN, MRS. CLAYTON. I'M SORRY I SHE LEFT LAST N/OHT. and NOW IF YOU'LL EXCUSE U DISTURBED YOU...

I

EMILY'D GONE AWAY BEFORE. BUT

WALLACE DURAND HAO NEVER BEHAVED THAT WAY WHILE SHE'D BEEN GONE. IT WAS AS IF HE KNEW SHE WASN'T COM INS BACK...

RANG FOR THE ELEVATOR. A COLD SHIVER RAN UP MY SPINE. I GLANCED

I

IT...

OVER HIM? DIFFERENT MAN ACTED LIKE THAT'

WHAT’S COME

HE'S LIKE A HE'S

NEVER

SINCE

NINE P.M.

WRONG'.

DID YOU TAKE MRS. DURAND' DOWN LAST NIGHT, GEORGE?

EMILY DURAND? SHE WOULD MIAVE HAD A SUITCASE...^

\

NO, MA'AM f 1 BROUGHT YOU AND MRS. DURAND UP AT \ TEN P.M. LAST NIGHT, REMEMBER ? THAT'S THE LAST l SAW OF HER. OIDN'T TAKE HER DOWN LAST NIGHT.

^

AT

ALL F

J

SHE WALKED DOWN, GEORGE? WHO' 0 SEE HER?


)

? WALKED

down, mrs.

1rASK

HIM

\

FOURTEEN} FOR ME,WILL YOU, GEORGE? FLOORS? X HARDLY ASK JED IF WALK

CLAYTO N ?

i

I

THINK SHE'D

DOWN. BESIDES. ..IF SHE DID, JED WOULD HAVE SEEM HER. HE

/ HE

SAW MRS.

OR MR. DURAND \ LAST NIGHT (S

(

WAS AT THE DESK | I ALL NIGHT... WORKIN' THE SWITCHBOARD./

George nodded, the elevator DOOR SLID CLOSED , AND IT WHIRRED AWAY. I WATCHED THE HAND ABOVE SWING SLOWLY AROUND TOWARDS ONE. I WENT BACK TO MY OWN APARTMENT. MILTON WAS GETTING INTO HIS COAT. MILTON IS MY HUS-

giggle.'

WALLf? KILL EH/LY? Y HE'S ACTING SO STRAN8ELY, SILLY/ HE... SO RUOE. HE SAID EMILY , WENT

DON'T BE

THINK SO?

WT MR. DURAND/ HE'S (

HILLED EMILY/

V

I

knowxt.1

‘Cm/l TON/he's

Milton looked at me and began to

YOU

WHO ?

BAND..

)

HE WOULDN'T HAVE THE NERVE/ WHAT MAKES

'HUH?

/

,

ON A TRIP. BUT I

CHECKED. SHE HASN'T

I HEARD THE ELEVATOR DOOR OUTSIDE SLIDE OPEN. I PEERED OUT. GEORGE WAS COMING TOWARD MY APARTMENT

WELL, GEORGE? DID JED

WHAT

L

// LEFT THIS BUILDING

SINCE WE CAME HONE FROM THE WOMEN'S SOCIAL LAST

KILLED HER?

SAY?

WHE

SAID NOBODY CAME DOWN THOSE STAIRS LAST NIGHT, MA'AM. BUT NOBODY-

.

NIGHT.

HOW, MILTON? THAT'S JUST IT/ Y well, I'M LATE.

HOW

HE COULDN'T CARRY HER I'VE GOT TO GO BODY DOWN FOURTEEN FLIGHTS? TO THE OFFICE. BESIDES, JED SAID NOBODY CAME LOOK, HENRIETTA. THE STAIRS LAST NIGHT HE IF YOU'RE SO COULDN'T TAKE HER OOWN IN SURE, WHY don't theELEVATOR. and the FIREYOU CALL THE ESCAPE WOULD B E TOO RISKY '~jV POLICE? s' NO/ she's still IN there/j '

DOWN

'


\

Milton left and

i heard the elevator come AND TAKE HIM DOWN. I WENT TO THE PHONE. I PICKED UP THE RECEIVER. I HESITATED-

I PUT

DOWN THE PHONE ANO WENT TO THE KITCHEN. I TOOK A MEASURING CUP FROM THE CUPBOARD AND WENT DOWN THE HALL TO THE DURAND APARTMENT. I KNOCKED. I HEARD FOOTSTEPS MOVING AROUND INSIDE, AND WALLACE DURAND OPENED THE DOOR-

I..I CAN'T CALL THE POLICE. I HAVE NO PROOF. I'VE GOT TO HAVE PROOF.

COULD I BORROW A CUP OF SUOAR. MR. DURAND? I’M A LITTLE SHORT.'

I STARTED IN BUT MR. DURAND •LOCKED MY WAY. HE LIFTED THE CUP FROM MY HAND-

HE CLOSED THE DOOR AND LOCKED IT. HE WOULDN'T LET ME IN. HE WAS HIDING SOMETHING, ALL RIGHT.

I’LL GET IT FOR 'YoH... THANKS. YOU, MRS. CLAYTON.i

EMILY

WAS

IN

w

T PULLED A CHAIR UP TO THE APARTMENT DOOR AND SAT DOWN. I OPENED IT A CRACK SO I COULD WATCH THE DURAND'S DOOR. I WAITED. AFTER AN HOUR, MR DURAND CAME OUT-LOCKED THE DOOR CAREFULLY. .

BELL—

rALL

"

RIGHT, WALLACE

^

DURAND? ALL RIOHTfl’LL GET THE PROOF. YOU'LL SEE... >

SORRY to BOTHER YOU, MR. 0URAND.

JiNO PRESSE D THE ELEVATOR

HE SLAMMED THE OOOR.l WAS ALONE IN THE HALL. X WENT BACK TO MY APARTMENT. MY HAND SHOOK...

THERE? POOR EMILY.,

.

When he

was gone, i darted across the living ROOM AND OUT THE FRENCH DOORS. THE OURANOS ANO WE SHARED A TERRACE. I CROSSED THE LOW DIVIDINGWALL AND PEERED INTO THEIR APARTMENT. THE BLINDS WERE DRAWN. I COULDN’T SEE. THE DOOR WAS LOCKED ... I

WON'T GIVE UP. I WON'T HAVE TO TRY TO

HE’S GOING TO

GET RID OF HER BODY. ^

WHEN HE DOES...

AND ^4


— *.

Ie

slammed the door

in

my WAS OBVIOUS. I WAS DETERMINED TO PROVE HIS HORRENDOUS DEED. 80 IT

NOW, DON’T

BOTHER me/

1

y

I WATCHED EVERY DAY, HE WENT OUT in th E morni ng EMPTY HANDED.

SINCE EMILY’S YOU FOR A WHILE, PERHAPS

LEFT

.

YOU’D UKE ME TO

COME IN MO Dl/ST OR MAKE THE BED...

And every day he cam e back with an<

SHOE-

TWO MONTHS of this.. coins out EMPTY-HANDED AND COMING 8ACK TWO HOURS LATf* WITH THE INEVITABLE SHOE BOX... ACCOSTED HIM ONE DAY... , * NEVER

——

Finally after

——^1—— "L

;


/

f THOUGHT MY EARS WERE DECEIV1W ME. Z HEARD IT PLAIN AS DAY. A

I

SCRATCHING SOUND. ..INSIDE THE BOX HE WAS CARRYING.. N- NEVER MR. DURAND: ,

EMILY'S

LEFT HE

FOR GOOD.' NOW IF

YOU DON'T MIND.

?

I

MR

.

WAS A FLAPPING SOUND OUT ON THE TERRACE. X TIPTOED TO THE FRENCH DOORS. WALLACE DURAND WAS OUT THERE™ AND HE HELD SOMETHING IN HIS OUTSTRETCHED HANDS™

i went back to MY APARTMENT. X TRIED TO THINK. WHAT DID HE HAVE IN THAT BOX? WAS EMILY'S BODY STILL IN THAT APARTMENT, OR HAD WALLACE DURAND MANAQED TO GET RID OF IT? AND THEN, THAT NIGHT, AS I »CED THE

WHAT'S

i

T HERE

He went inside,

DURAND CHECKED THE SMALL CAN STRAPPED TO

WOKE UP SO

iM§

A~~A

PIGEON'

'V

THAT

MILTON.

WHAT?***!

I TOLD HIM WHAT I'D SEeTT

1

DOffT YOU SEE, MILTON? HE'S BEOT BLAZES HAS [ TO DO < GET TINS RID OF MILTS REMAINS WITH THE OTHER?) THAT WAY. a UTTLE BIT AT A

IN A...

HOMING PIGEON

E

ONE THING

TIME...

IN

THAT CAN STRAPPED

TO THE PIGEON'S LEG.

GOOD LORD

.

it

T

'

AND THEN NO.' WAIT.' IW'y CAN'T BE SURE.' I'LL SEE WHAT WHY DON'T YOU / HE DOES WITH FOLLOW HIM \ THE CONTENTS

I'M GOING

WOULD TAKE MONTHS') TO CALL THE POLICE.

fr,

OF THE CAN-

TOMORROW MORN-

.

ING? FIND OUT

i

WHERE HE GETS

1

THOSE BIRDS ?

THATLL BE THE Y PROOF YOU NEEDY/

.

.

-ggp

YES... YES.


,

TOOK MILTON'S ADVICE... AND THE NEXT DAY, J FOLLOWED WALLACE DURANO WHEN HE LEFT THE ROYAL ARMS APARTMENT HOTEL. HE TOOK A SUBWAY OUT OF THE CITY TO THE END OF THE LINE. THEN A BUS. I FOLLOWED THE BUS IN A TAXII

HE‘S

f

.

MR. DURAND WENT TO THE REAR OP A RUNDOWN SHACK. I COULD HEAR THE LOUD BARKING OF PQGSm so

THAT'S IT

. ..

.

It was all

so clear, i watched FROM THE HOMING PIGEON THAT HAD ARRIVED THAT NIGHT AND EMPTY THE CONTENTS INTO THE KENNEL FULL OF SLOB*

HIM UNTIE THE CAN

SETTING OFF ALL RIGHT, GET OUT HERE...

DRIVER. I'LL

he took ANOTHER pigeon from the coup. PLACED IT IN A SHOE -BOX, AND WENT AWAY. I WAITED UNTIL HE WAS GONE BEFORE I CAME OUT OF MY HIDING PLACE. I FELT SICK... NAUSEOUS . POOR EM/LY f WHEN I FI NALLY GOT BACK TO MY APARTMENT..

Then

a wild gleam in HIS USUALLY SAD EYES. EMILY AND I HAD BEEN ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER BECAUSE WE WERE SO MUCH ALIKEDOMINATING WIVES WHO LORDED OVER SHY, OUIET, MILQUETOAST HUSBANDS...

Milton looked strange, he had

f V.

NIL TONfWHA T. WHAT'S \A SHOE-BOX, THAT YOU HAVE THERE..?)

U/LTON .YOU'RE V^YES. EMILY ' HOME EARLYFA COME/W/I'VE V BEEN WAITING'

.

EMILY.,

I HEARD THE UNMISTAKABLE COOING OF A PIGEON. I SCREAMED AND RUSHED FOR THE BED-ROOM. I LOCKED MYSELF IN. I

WAS TRAPPED. MILTON GIGGLED...HIS VOICE DRIFTING THROUGH THE DOORWE PLANNED IT THIS WAY, HENRIETTA' FIRST WALLY. THEN NEf WE RENTED THE SHACK, THE DOGS, THE PIGEONS ... BUT YOU FOUND OUT... TOO SOON...

1

THE DOOR IS OPE NING. I'LL HAVE TO STOP WRITING... Un NOW, EVEN THOUGH WALLY ISN'T THROUGH GETTING RID OF EMILY'S BODY... Z'LL HAVE TO START, HENRIETTA., START BY KILLING YOU... THEN

CUTTING YOU UP INTO TINY LITTLE PIECES BIG ENOUGH

\TO FIT

...

IN CANS...

'AT THIS POINT OUR MANUSCRIPT

ENDS, KIDDIES... ENDS IN A BLOOOY SMEAR.' HENRI ETTA IS NOW... FOR THE BIRDS' HOW DIO I HOLD

W

OF THIS LITTLE YARN, YOU ASK? 90 DO YOU THINK OWNED THE SHACX ... THE DOGS. ..rut PIGEONS .THAT WAS THE DEAL/ IwALLY AND MILTON Igot the USE OF Ithem for the STORY RIGHTS.HtH.HEH I

WHO

NOW

I’LL TURN YOU

THE

,1

BACK TO

VI

CRYPT-KEEPER.

II

SEE YOU NEXT IN

1

MY MAG .THE VAULT

\0F HORRORfr\\.\. TtEBi

then -Cooqo ?j .


.

WE AT E C. ARE PROUDEST OF OUR SCIENCE - FICTION MAGAZINES! LOOK FOR...

SQUEEZE] Not ten seconds after Kendall had seized the payroll bag and started

toward the factory exit, he knew he was being pursued. He could hear their feet clattering along the concrete walk behind him, then a shot screamed along the corridor and ricocheted off the wall not five feet from and his head. They were armed they meant business. And from the sound their shoes were making, there were at least three guards tracking .

.

.

him.

Almost in panic, Kendall clawed at his coat pocket and fumbled his gun free as he ran. It was the three guards their lives against his against him .

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Then he saw the steel staircase spiraling up far overhead to the catwalk which ran the length of the factory. This might help him squeeze out of the trap, Kendall thought, as he raced frenziedly up the steps. In another moment he was scampering along the catwalk and could hear them pounding up the steps after him. In a second they’d have him cornered; he turned to fight, their bullets if would cut him down in the first exchange of hot lead. And if he surrendered, it meant conviction for the fourth time rest of his life! .

.

.

imprisonment

for the

He stopped momentarily, amazement on

his face. There, just

a short


.

jump below, was a small area surrounded by steel walls. II he could reach that haven, he'd be able to

just

shoot at the guards as they came alter him along the catwalk. And their own shots would be shrugged aside by those gleaming metal plates!

The jump jarred him more than he had expected: it was a half-minute before he recovered his balance and turned back to face the oncoming guards. The first of them reared up above him, leveled his gun. But he

Kendall crouched lower behind the heard the guards' bulploughing into the plates with a shrill whine, then bounce harmlessly aside. He was safe, Kendall grinned to himself. At least for the moment. They couldn't get him with their guns and if the two remaining guards steel walls

.

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232 BIG PAGES FULL COLOR

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Containing

never pulled the trigger, because a bullet from below sent him reeling backwards.

full

color

cover, in continuity, re-

edited and arranged in chronological order, are all the stories of the Old Testament heroes from the four issues of die magazine. four colors in Printed

bound and throughout varnished brightly with heavy board covers.

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lets

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.

gave him even he'd shoot to of the

A

kill!

guards

wanted

.

. .

the slightest target, Just one shot at each that

whirring sound

in fear.

was

all

Kendall

.

.

made him pause

He must be seeing .

.

| I I

I

EDUCATIONAL COMICS. INC* 22S LAFAYETTE ST, NEW YORK 12. N. I

.

,

FROM SCIENCE (No. 2 FROM WORLD, HIST. (No.2| )

(15c for each copy)

squeezing the and legs breath out of his tortured lungs .

V.

copies

(or

enclose $

COMPLETE OLD TESTAMENT COMPLETE NEW TESTAMENT

. .

PICTURE STORIES PICTURE STORIES

.

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mashing him into a bloody shadow on the sides of the huge steel vise he had heedlessly plunged into!

f

plainly.

No

C.O.O.

I

(or

IS#

. .

already they could not be stopped were pressing against him on each side. Already they were crushing his chest

— Europe* Struqqla

Civil,zation.

(Writ* for ipeefof sthoot prleo t)

.

.

No. 2

No. 2 Amaiing Disco vei.es lie ebejt Pood & Health.

he

things,

but no! The steel plates thought they were grindthat sheltered him ing toward one another, moving together ominously! He leaped to his feet and began to scream out his surrender, but it was too late! The walls


?

).

THE CRYPT-KEEPER’S CORNER THE WHITE

Heh, heh! Guess all you EVANS fans can stop howling now! Gruesome George's biography and pitcher, as you probably noticed, and if you haven't, why not?, is on the inside front cover of this miserable mag. And now YOU can stop howling TOO, George! Ye Gods, glory all they these egotistical artists! Glory want is fame and fortune! Now take ME! All / want and all I get is FAMOUS! (INis FORTUNE famous would be a BETTER word, C.K., old boy /— any editors I don’t see them handing YOU laurel wreaths, you money-hungry perverts! (Money? What’s "money," Al? Duntto, Bill. Sounds familiar, but there sure ain’t been none of that stuff 'round HERE in some timel—ed.1 Aw, you poor, poor boys! Isn't it a pity! You'll have to drive your LAST YEAR'S Cadillacs for a white yet! (Bur CK.' The ASH-TRAYS are FULL.'—ed.) Reefer-butts, I presume! (Of course and RING-SIZE, too!—ed.) Oh, DIG those CRA-ZY proof-readers! Andnowforthe .

.

.

.

.

.

.

ALL OF ME OF ME ..

MAN!

TWO

.

mail

.

.

,

,

DAD

Dick

that

Mummified Myrna

.

CRA-ZY

SQUAD CAR

The

story by

Woman,"

(T.C.

.

.

tory

.

1 .

LADY OP PAIN (l will gore you!) GONE SQUISHIN’

.

.

here

.

90 mph!

Ray Bradbury, "There Was an Old No. 34) was tops. I read the original,

more than

justice

with his fine

illus-

Warren A. Freiberg III.

love your mag, but I think that stunk! What happened?

Ray Bradbury's

Ed Redling Patterson,

B.'s

Graham

N.

J.

EVERYBODY! Anywho, Mr. be happy to find E.C's adaptation of also illustrated by Ghastly

can't please

will

"The Handler"

.

.

.

... in the wind-up spot of this issue. Before closing, a couple of "it's-gonna-cost-you-moneyif'n-yer-sucker-enough-to-bite' announcements: limited number (seven hundred fifty-two thousand one hundred and sixty-nine) of copies of the 3rd annual TALES OF TERROR, E.C.'s anthology of horror and SuspenStories, are now cluttering up the office. Help us unload! 25c! Also subscriptions to any E,C. mag 75c ... 6 issues! Address for either or both of the above, mail, poetry, kicks, kisses, or 1953 Cadillacs ij: Ingfcls!

-

.

.

Ralph Chapman Anchorage, Alaska

doin'

leave!

.

Well, ya

Mr.

I’LL DISMEMBER APRIL! CAN’T HELP LOATHING THAT CLAN

it

Cicero,

.

r

FREIBERG

your "horror hit parade":

.

.

Dear C.K.,

trations!

u/hen she read your book, and she's been in the regurgitarium (a coined word, so don’t throw it up to me!) for the past week. 1 personally think yop must be crazy, but then aren't we all Edwin Zuretch Sandusky, Ohio

Most Beloved Crypt-Keeper, I'm a steady fan of yours, and enjoy all of the E.C. mags very much! Here are a few additional titles for

.

NEVER

but Ingels did

My

it

(Hey C.K.! Ditch the butt

(O.K., C.K.! They’re gone!—ed.) I thought they'd

o-eds!

iceberg'

.

in a

MAN!

Dear Pudge-Face,

CRA-ZY

.

COPS

[ZOOOOOOMMMM! ]

Just Plain Joyse

All of your stories turned everyone in the house a lovely shade of green. Aunt Minerva was eating

M err

Brookline, Mass.

DIG conies

—ed.)

slimy Syd

that

Maura (Mo) Miller Chicago, III. battleship!

How do you like: OLD MACDONALD WAS EMBALMED WHEN YOU AND I WERE HUNG, MAGGIE/ Davg g ore) eti an j

We are three intellectual college ghouls who spend our evenings reading your degenerate literature. The

Of*"'™

REAL GONE!

.

Dear Crypt-Keeper.

DIG

is

DIG that CRA-ZY .

protagonists in your most horrible stories remind us of some of our long-lost dates. (Now we know what happened to them!) Due to our advanced education, we are prbperly equipped to fully appreciate your subtlety and sarcasm. Please print this or we boycott! Deyou,,.

That dog

JUMBLEDEYEBALLS

THE BLOODIEST BITE OF THE EAR WANT A GHOUL JUST LIKE tHE GHOUL THAT BURIED DEAR OLD l

.

those

Dick Duggan Dubuque, Iowa

how about these?:

.

.

PROTAGONISTS??? Man! DIG

WHY NOT EAT ALL MY DEAD DOG

.

ROVER

.

OP DOVER

STIFFS ..

.

PUKIN' OVER

I’M

.

.

.

.

The Crypt-Keeper Room 706, Dept. 36 225 Lafayette St.

N.Y.C.12.N.Y.

A


HERE'S A TERROR-TALE OF SPORTING LIFE! I CALL IT..

D30C3

SALESMAN HAD ENABLED ROBERT TO KEEP UP THE DECEPTION FOR THREE EXCITING His JOB AS A TRAVELING

YEARS, rr HAD BEEN SO SIMPLE TO CARRY ON HIS DOUBLE LIFE, SPENDING A WEEK WITH AMY, A WEEK WITH JEAN, AND TWO WEEKS ON THE ROAD. YES, ROBERT SMITH WAS A BIGAMIST...

MUST YOU

KNOW HOW

Jt

CO.

BOB? YOU l GOT TO EARN A YOU WHEN L/Y/NC, amy; honey. I WELL, COCO-BYE. SEE YOU IN A MONTH.

MISS

L YOU'RE AWAY. T

1

Robert looked down at slim, darkhaired a my. she SMUGGLED SLEEPILY IN THE BED, REACHIN6 TOWARD KISS

ME 600D m BYE and wish

ME LUCK. THE NATIONAL

/

S

SAY? I ALMOST FORGOT. YOUR

WOMAN'S AMATEUR ATHLETIC [ COLE TOURNAMENT, TOURNAMENTS ARE TWO WEEKS I BOUCHT YOU J

-—7

)

OFF... T

-7

SO METHING.


*

-

Robert went out to the

car.

he

_

UNLOCKED THE TRUNK. INSIDE WERE

TWO CAREFULLY WRAPPED PACKAGES. HE CHOSE ONE AND BROUGHT IT BACK INTO THE HOUSE TO THE

_

Amy

...

pot

down the package ahd

1

a

BEDROOM.

HERE, HONEY 1) FOR ME, FOR LUCK.' VI BOB? HOW SWEET.'

I

_

slipped her arms around Robert* WA/ T' oojrr opzn itI‘ 'you’re 5^ NECK NOW.' NOT UNTIL YOU GET TO YOUR 6QJ.F PUL, DARUNGM X REALLY HAVE TO ) BEASTf how GET SOINO, HONEY, /can BUSINESS TOURNAMENT, it’s [it’s Z^/F/pleaseI) be a SURPRISE.' IT ore MAY HELP YOU

Bgj;

\

)

-j

Srf

WIN...

<

-

h a* as it?

Robert slipped away ?rom Amy ano picked uphis BAGS. SHE FOLLOWED HIM TO THE OOOR... hi ATHLETIC WOMEN LITTLE DID I KNOW, when YOU'LL COME DOWN AND SEE \ OF COURSE, HONEY/ „ X SU66ESTED TO AMY that she TAKE UP OOLF ME PLAY, BOB? TWO WEEKS YOU KNOW X WOULDN'T WHILE I WAS AWAY ON THE ROAD, THAT SHE'D «*£ FROM TOMORROW.. .AT THE < MISS MYWIFE'S CAP- K ) BECOME SUCH AN EXPERT GOLFER. NOW N.WA.A.A. COURSE in SPR/NOA TURING THE WOMENS SHE'S ENTERED IN THE N.WA.A.A CHAMPION NATIONAL AMATEUR h DALE. I'LL be AT THE SHIPS... y HOTEL ? IVE RESERVED ) {.OOLF CHAMPIONSHIP ' ' DOUBLE I

,

A

i

ROOM?

The car roared north through small towns and over MILES OF HIGHWAYS UNTIL, THE NEXT NIGHT. BOB, MONEY.' I

THOUGHT,

YOU'D BE BACK TONIGHT? I

CAME HOME FROM

PRACTICE EARLY...

^T

.

Zar—tMTWC

I

w<

'JEAN, BABY.1

She tossed her book to the floor and he was HER ARMS. JEAN WAS HEAVIER THAN AMY. MORE MUSCULAR. HER HAIR FELL IN SOFT GOLDEN TRESSES ABOUT HER BARE SHOULDERS. AND X MISSED OH.OARUNG? I MISSED YOU, JEAN. I , YOU? MISSED YOU.' \

jM

,

I

I

DON'T LIKE THIS

ONE- WEEK- A-

MONTH DEAL ANY MORE THAN YOU . 20t

DO...


HEH.HEH? WELL, KIDDIES, THAT'S THE LOVER BOT COMMUTED

PICTURE.

BETWEEN WIVES. ONE WEEK WITH SLIM, SWEET AMY.. ONE WEEK WITH,

The WEEK WAS OVER. JEAN AND BOB WERE SAVjN6 GOOD-BYE.

whaT/5^B0B? ) DOfPTOPEN

.

BUXOM JEAN. FOR THREE YEARS, THIS LITTLE RACKET HAD BEEN GOING ON. AMY TOOK UP GOLF WHILE ROBERT DARLING WAS'ON THE

ROAD’-

KNOW WHAT JEAN TOOK UP? READ

Yes,

JEAN

GESTED

SURPRISE-

A

J FOR

i

ME? Sz

)

/Jf JEAN? YOU MENTIONED SOME-

TH,NG

AB0UT A

TOURNAMENT LAST 1 was

MoNTH when ^yi^i HOME-. 1^

had taken up BOWLING. Robert had sug-

OF COURSE, JEAN.

WHERE 'D

IT.

mg

THERE IS. AND TEHH/S COURTS. AND A POOL. THE HOLDS ALL

IT

/

YOU SAY

A.A.A.

[well I'll. i'll TRY TO MAKE IT, HONEY. AT LEAST I'LL STOP BY 7 YOUR HOTEL TO WISH

TOURNAMENTS

k

VFOH

A

OWBLE

j

.

J

l

YOU

SPRINGDALE'

(nW.A.A.A.'S

the

ALLEYS THERE-

WAS?

LUCKf^^^J

( OH, DARLING. ILL MAXI YOU SO PROUD OF ME. NOW... KISS ME GOOD-BYE-


f

?

B OB

SPEO OFF...^ heh.HEH.SO BOTH MY ATHLETIC WOMEN WILL BE IN THE SAME TOWN AT THE SAME TIME. WELL... THIS OUGHT TO BE FUN. I'M LUCKY THAT 'SMITH" IS A COMMON NAME. AMY AND JEAN WILL NEVER SUSPECT ANYTHING,

AND -*7

IF I

WORN

IT RIGHT...

WILL BE THE WISER.

IS

BUT THEN, HAVEN'T THE

NO ONE

r

J-

I'M MRS. ROBERT

WHY... SORRY.NO ROOMS. l.\ YOU HAVE A RESERl}HUH ALL FILLED UP. VAT!OH FOR ME... (MRS ROBERT SORRY... ms, ROBERT SM/TH.Y I SMITH checked I

Jr-' L RESERVATION... J -

J

-\mm

^

7

T

.

IN

TH/S

MORN!NO f

BUT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE

(

i

A OH, DEAR. THERE’S BEEN A

SMITH.) '

HERE'S YOUR LETTER

ACKNOWLEGING MY

M/STAKE. OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE

TWO

MRS. ROBERT SMITHS.

1 SEE TOORE FROM CENTER ONE THAT REGISJ CITYf THE MORNING IS FROM... TERED THIS LET’S see... LANE VIEW, mat [

fj j

tw il

LAKEVIEW? DID II OH, MRS. SMITH. 1'USOf SEEMS WE HAVE [ HEAR SOMEONE ,> GLAD YOU'RE HERE, r! THE SAME MENTION LAKE-\ THERE'S BEEN A TER- J NAME, HONEY.. ^ RIBLE ERROR. LET / AND the same / VIEW. THAT'S jf MY... ME INTRODUCE YOU TO l ROOM RESERMR8. ROBERT SMITH. VATION. '

LAST

f THREE TEARS

FUN

GOING TO BE

Springdale's one hotel was a bustle of excitement ON THE FIRST DAY OF TOURNAMENT WEEK, THE LOBBY WAS JAMMEO...

|

I

hmmm. SPRINBBALE probably HAS ONLY ONE HOTEL, they'll BOTH BE THERE. yes,sir?W/5

LADIES f X HAVE A WELL, MV / SO'S MINE. BUY BRILLIANT IDEA fl HUSBAND is WE COULD DOUBLE COMING DOWN UP UNTIL THEY WHY DON'T YOU TWO SHARE THE (TO SEE ME J STRAIGHTEN THIS ROOM? I SEE THAT [ PLAY... tt MESS OUT.. H I

I

IT'S

A DOUBLE...


/

FIX THINGS

THIS IS I

OUR

'

UR

<

AMY/ what's

YOURS?

HE

I PLAY

HONEY.'MY name's K

ALL

FAULT.

SEE HIM.

f

\

HERE, BOY/ THANKS.

I 0 N LY

MY HUSBAND GAVE ME THIS IT'S

A

SUR-

PRISE. X WAS SUPPOSED TO OPEN IT WHEN I j—

it

.

WELL, HONEY...

a COIN-

I

ROBERT SMITH ,

IS

AN AWFULLY

COMMON NAME 7

GUESS

SO.

MY BOB IS a TRAVELING SALESMAN...

!

IN HERE...

)

DID

YOU SAY

X GUESS

ONE WEEK

A MONTH? THAT'S ’

PACKAGE.

isn't

SAME MARRIED 'X name/

ROOM E04.

f

ONE WEEK A MONTH/

"—7 SOT HERE

SOLE

CIDENCE... X MEAN TAKE THESE J US HAVING THE EH.. .BOY/

fSP SO’S MINE

HARDLY

.

c'mon,

) I

i

I

OUR ARRANGEMENT J TOO/ }

THAT'S FUNNY* HAVE ONE. TOOf

SEE

?

J

i,

HERE/

-r—rf

ALL TRAVEUNG

SALESMEN'S WIVES HAVE IT ROUSH. THAT'S WHY I . TOOK UP GOLF, r

SAME HERE... with .

.

The two girls struggleo with their packages. TEARING THEM OPEN NERVOUSLY. .

WHAT THE-?

I

MY BOWLING. IT GAVE ME SOMETHING TO DO/\ OH, I POROOT

.

6000 LORD/.

J


/

.

Amt

stareo at the shoes i THE ONE RUBBER SOLE AND

ONE LEATHER

Jean stared at her WITH METAL CLEATS

ONE..

THESE. ..THESE ARE ’

Then it dawned upon them. THEY LOOKED AT EACH OTHER.

gift..

.

THESE ARE SOLE SHOES.

BUT.

AND...

1

.

..

BUT

*->

PLAY GOLF/

BOWLING SHOES..

In silence they each rummaged THEY WERE LOOKING FOR, THEY HELD THE TWO PHOTOGRAPHS UP.

THROUGH THEIR SUITCASES.TOSSING

[what THE?) HELLO,

And they found jean at the ALLEYS WHEN THEY CAME TO OPEN THEM up. she was practicing HER BOWLING

The NEXT MORNING, WHEN THE TOURNMENT STARTED, THE JUDGES FIRST GREEN OF

.

.

'

[

coheir)-.

OUR HUSBAND/)

BOai_lT>

( _

HEH.HEH. AND THE MORAL OF THE { i. STORY, KIDOIES, IS OON'TBE A WASHIE AND SPOON WITH a STUPE WIFE OR YOU'LL STRIKE OUT IN THE I LAST FRAME and nobody will < I

YELL FOUL, BECAUSE ONE WIFE IS PAR FOR THE COURSE, so IF YOU FEEL LIKE PINNING YOURSELF DOWN, DON'T SPLIT YOUR AFFEC- i TIONS. ONE BAG IS ENOUGH TGK

ANY DUFFER

HEH.HEHf AND NOW, THE OLD

WITCH

AWAITS TO windup MT

TERROR-MAG. 'BYE, NOW.

WJ&IUfL’ AJm

REM ember. old golfers NEVER DIE. .

A-

AS USING ROBERT'S EYEBALLS. j

J I

| I

V1 M


t

HEE.HEE' YEP, it's YOUR DIETICIAN OF DlSOUSftNO DRAMA. THE OLD MITCH. READ To S//R OH AWJThER 8TEHCH SHACK IN MY CAUlDROH HERE in THE HAUNT Of TEAR so COMETH. kiddies, AND SIT DOWN BY THE FIRE. THIS TIKE. MY MENU CONSISTS OF ANOTHER ADAPTION OF A TALE BY MT BOY. BRADBURY REVOLTING RAT. AS 1 AFFECTIONATELY CALL HIM. LISTEN TO RAT BRADBURFS SUPER*

M«. BENEDICT WALKED DOWN THE STEPS AND OUT THE SATE. WITHOUT ONCE L00KIN6 AT HIS LITTLE MORTUARY BUILDING. HE SAVED THAT PLEASURE FOR LATER. IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THINGS TOOK THE RIGHT PRECEDENCE. IT WOULDN'T PAY TO THINK WITH JOY OF THE BODIES AWAITING HIS TALENTS IN THE MORTUARY BUIL0IN8. NO, IT WAS BETTER TO FOLLOW HIS USUAL ,OAY AFTER DAY ROUTINE. HE WOULD LET THE CONFLICT i

BEGIN...

M«. BENEDICT KNEW JUST WHERE TO GET HIMSELF ENRAGED, HE SPOKE WITH MR. RODGERS, THE DRUGGIST. AND HE SAVED AND PUT AWAY ALL THE SLURS AND INTONATIONS AND INSULTS... COLD ONE

COLD one


And on

Mr. RODGERS ALWAYS HAD SOME TERRIBLE THING TO

0H, HELLO, BENEDICT. HOW'S BUSINESS 0 I'LlVeS, YES' AND HOW'S BET YOU'RE GOING AT IT TOOTH AND YOUR BUSINESS, NAIL. 010 YOU SET T? I SAID MR. STUYVESANT? TOOTH AND.. .

-X

I

it

went, person after person.

r

SAY ABOUT A MAN IN THE FUNERAL PROFESSION. AND OUTSIDE THE DRUG-STORE, MR. BENEDICT MET UP WITH MR. STUYVESANT, THE CONTRACTOR. r

,

.

SAY, HOW DO YOUR HANDS GET SO COLD, r GOOD, GOOD' BENEDICT. OLD MAN? THAT'S A COLD • WELL. ..GO 00 SHAKE YOU GOT THERE. YOU JUST GET t DAY' , DONE EMBALMING A FRIGID WOMAN ? HEH, THAT'S NOT BAD, YOU HEARD

\

WHAT

I

W

Mr. benedict was the lake into WHICH ALL REFUSE WAS THROWN .

PEOPLE BEGAN WITH PEBBLES, AND WHEN MR. BENEOICT DID NOT RIPPLE. THEY HEAVED A STONE... A BRICK... A BOULDER... 'THERE YOU ARE, MEAT CHOPPER' HOW ARE ALL YOUR CORNED-BEEFS AND PICKLED BRAINS?

_

^

SAID ?

That was mr. flinger, the delicatessen MAN. THERE WERE MORE, MANY MORE. THINGS WORKED TO A CRESCENDO. FINALLY, MR.BENEDICT

y/

T HE AWFUL PART OF THE DAY WAS OVER ...THE GOOD PART WAS NOW TO BEGIN f HE RAN EAGERLY UP THE STEPS OF HIS MORTUARY.

TURNED WILDLY AND RAN BACK THROUGH TOWN. H E WAS ALL READY NOW.. SOME BODY WAITIN' .

ON YOU, MR.BENEDICT? HEY ' OET /T* 1 SAID SOME F

He STOOD

FOR A LONG MINUTE IN THE VERY CENTER OF HIS THEATER. IN HIS HEAD APPLAUSe, PERHAPS,

THUNDERED. THEN HE CAREFULLY REMOVED HIS AND RUB-


.

I

He

walked along the sleeping rows of sheeted PEOPLE. IT HAD BEEN A PINE WEEKi THERE WERE ANY NUMBER OP FAMILY RELICS LYING THERE. HE NOTED EACH! NAME ON ITS WHITE CARD. .. (

W^MRs" WALTERS.

g

ANDREWS.

AH,

WAS YOUR TROUBLE. TOO MANY PROS TIES ANO SPONC/E CAKES and CREAM / CANDIES. YOU ALWAYS PRIDED YOUR- ^ SELF ON YOUR BRAIN, MRS. SHELLMUND. ,.J

BUT YOU KEPT THAT WONDERFUL PRICELESS BRAIN OF YOURS AFLOAT IN PAREA ITS AND FIZZES AND LIMEADES and SODAS AND WERE SO VERY SUPERIOR TO ME THAT NOW,

SHELLMUND, HERE SHALL HAPPEN.

MRS.

Then he put the skull back on and sewed it in AND HID THE MARKS WITH WAX AND POWDER AND WALKED ONTO THE NEXT TABLE. .. 4

^^GOOD

AFTERNOON, MR. WREN. AND HOW IS THE MASTER OF RACIAL HATREDS tdoay? PURE, WHITE LAUNDERED MR. wren. CLEAN SNOW, WHITE as LINEN. The man who hated JEWS and NEGROES, do you know what i'm going to DO to YOU, MR. WREN ? FIRST, LET US DRAW YOUR BLOOD FROM YOU, INTOLERANT FRIEND? _ /P?Z3

r

YOU'RE

MR. SMITH. MISS BROWN. MR.

GOOD AFTERNOON, ONE ANO ALL?

MR- BENEDICT PULLED UP A CHAIR ANO. REGARDED MRS. SHELLMUND THROUGH A M AGNIFYING GLASS. ^ /^MY DEAR MRS. SHELLMUND. DO YOU REALIZE, MY LADY.THAT YOU HAVE A SEBACEOUS CONDITION* F THE PORES? OIL and A CREASE PIMPLES, a rich.rich DIET

.

HOW ARE YOU TODAY, MRS. SHELLMUND? SPLENDID, DEAR LADY?

LOOKING

IS

,

WHAT

w

Mr. benedict did a neat operaTION ON HER. CUTTING THE SCALP IN A CIRCLE, HE LIFTED IT OFF, THEN LIFTED OUT THE BRAIN.THEN HE PREPAREO A CAKE CONFECTIONERS UTTLE SUGAR-BELLOWS AND SQUIRTED HER EMPTY HEAD FULL OF WHIPPED CREAM AND CRYSTAL RIBBONS.STARS AND FROLLIPS.IN PINK.WHITE AND GREEN, AND ON TOP HE PRINTED A FINE PINK SCROLL..

NOW... THE INJECTION OF, YOU MIGHT SAY,

v

EMBALMING FLUID.

/


R. BENEDICT MOVED ON. ANO HELLO TO YOU, EDMUND WORTH. WHAT A HANOSOME BODY YOU HAD. POWERFUL, WITH MUSCLES PINNED FROM HUGE BONE TO HUGE BONE, AND A CHEST LIKE A BOULDER WOMEN GREW SPEECHLESS WHEN YOU WALKED BY...MEN ENVY?

MR WREN, SNOW-WHITE, LINEN PURE, LAY WITH THE FLUID GOING IN HIM. MR BENEDICT LAUGHED. MR WREN TURNED BLACK ...BLACK AS DIRT... BLACK AS NI6HT..

IT HE

;

EMBALMING FLUIO WA5-/Atr/ it waS a growing and popular habit in the TOWN FOR PEOPLE TO BE BURIED WITH THE COFFIN LIUS CLOSED OVER THEM DURING THE SERVICE, THIS GAVE MR. BENEDICT GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO VENT HIS REPRESSIONS ON HIS HAPLESS GUESTS. HE HAO THE MOST UTTERLY WCNDROUS FUN WITH A GROUP OF OLD MAIDEN LADIES WHO WERE MASHED IN AN AUTO ON THEIR WAY TO AN AFTERNOON TEA. THEY WERE FAMOUS GOSSIPS, ALWAYS WITH HEAOS TOGETHER OVER SOME CHOICE BIT. AS IN LIFE, ALL THREE WERE CROWDED INTO ONE CASKET, HEADS TOGETHER

Since

Mr BFNEDlCT SEVERED WORTH'S HEAD, PUT COFFIN ON A SMALL PI LLOW, FAC ING UP. THEN HE PLACED ONE HUNDRED NINETY POUNDS OF BRICKS If THE COFFIN ANO ARRANGEO THEM TO LOOK LIKE A BODY. IT

WAS A

FINE ILLUSION

...

IN

The OTHER TWO CASKETS WERE

Not

FILLEO WITH PEBBLES AND SHELLS ANO RAVELS OF GINGHAM. IT WAS A ICE SERVICE. EVERYBODY CRIED—

JUSTICE, MR ( RICH MAN STAI

THOSE THREE INSEPARABLES, AT LAST SEPARATELY

ETERNAL COLD PETRIFIEO GOSSIP

lacking -

A POOR MAN HE BURIED WOUND IN GOLD CLOTH, WITH FIVE DOLLAR GOLD PIECES FOR BUTTONS ANO TWENTY DOLLAR GOLD COINS ON EACH EYELID-


MR. BENEDICT MOVED FROM BODY TO BODY IN HIS MORTUARY. THE FINAL BODY OF THE DAY WAS THE BODY OF ONE MERRIWELL BLYTHE, AN ANCIENT MAN AFFLICTED WITH SPELLS AND COMAS. MR. BLYTHE

SO

The olo man on the slab wailed, rolling his eyes ABOUT IN HIS HEAD IN WHITE ORBITS... r OH, YOU DARK DARK THING. YOU AWFUL THING, YOU ( NO.. FIEND. YOU MONSTER.GET ME UP FROM HERE/lU'w. TELL THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL AND EVERYONE, YJ OH, YOU DARK DARK THING" YOU DEFILER AND— /i SADIST you PERVERTED SCOUNDREL TOU^^yf ^ TERRIBLE MAN... J

TO THINK THIS HAS GONE ON IN OUR TOWN \SORRY... ALL THESE YEARS AND WE NEVER KNEW THE 1 THE THINGS YOU DID TO PEOPLE f OH YOU the things you SAID." THE THINGS YOU DO f

hm.

MONSTROUS MONSTER,

.

(MR. BENEDICT REACHED FOR A HYPODERMIC.

W^k


Mr. BENEDICT STABBED MR. BLYTHE IN THE ARM WITH THE NEEDLE. THE OLO MAN CRIED WILDLY TO ALL THE SHEETED FIGURES roilfHELP me' /j YOU OUf THERE.UNDER

THE STONES, HELP ME? LISTEN.'

T HE OLO MAN HE

FELL BACK. HE KNEW WAS DYING-.

all , Listen' he's done this TO ME, AND rou, AND you, all OF YOU. HE'S OONE TOO MUCH, TOO LON6. DON'T TARE it? OON'T, DON'T LET HIM DO ANY

MORE

TO ANYONE.'

|MR- BENEDICT STOOP THERE.

THEY

CAN'T DO r OUT OF YOUR ANYTHING TO ME. - GRAVES. HELP \ AND NEITHER CAN ME? TONMSHT, )

g 'OR TOMORROW. OR SOON. BUT COME AND FIX HIM. ..THIS

*

^ MANf ^ f HORRIBLE

The OLD MAN RAVED ON AND

ON, GETTING WEAKER. IT WAS NIGHT.

THE ROOM WAS SUDDENLY VERY DARK. IT

.-And

in the end, there was mr. benedict running ABOUT, RUNNING ABOUT, VANISHING, AND A TORTURED SCREAM THAT COULD ONLY BE MR. BENEDICT HIMSELFâ„¢

a


.

.

.

The town people entered the mortuary the next MORNING. THEY SEARCHEO THE MORTUARY SUILOING AND THEN WENT OUT INTO THE GRAVEYARO. ANO THEY FOUND NOTHING BUT 8L000, A VAST OUANTITY OF BLOOD, SPRINKLED AND THROWN AND SPREAD EVERYWHERE YOU COULD POSSIBLY LOOK, AS IF THE HEAVENS HAD BLED PROFUSELY IN THE NIGHT...

,

Walking through the graveyard, they stood in DEEP TREE SHADOWS WHERE STONES, ROW ON ROW, WERE OLO AND TIME-ERASED ANO LEANING. NO BIRDS SANG. THEY STOPPED BY ONE TOMBSTONE...

FRESHLY SCRATCHED, AS IF BY FEEBLY, A VILLAGER POINTED TO THE OTHER FRANTIC.HASTY FINGERS IN THE GRAVESTONES. UPON EACH AND OReVISM,MOS8- FLECKED STONE WAS EVERY STONE, SCRATCHED BY FINTHE NAME -MR. BENEDICT. GERNAIL SCRATCHIN0S.THE SAME MESSAGE APPEARED MR. BENEDICT. GOOO f LOOK. ..OVER LORD? HERE. THIS ONE TOO. . AND THIS ONE. AND THIS ONE„

i

HE TOWN PEOPLE WERE STUNNED. HE.

.

.

HE COULDN'T BE BURIED

UNDER ALL THESE GRAVESTONES ?

.

.

i

..

They stood there for one long moment, instinctively they ALL LOOKED AT ONE ANOTHER NERVOUSLY IN THE SILENCE AND THE TREE DARKNESS. THEY ALL WAITED FOR AN ANSWER. WITH FUMBLING SENSELESS LIPS.ONE OF THEM REPLIED, SIMPLY.

t

HEE.HEEf SO, THAT'S THE O/SH, DRIES. HOPE YOU FOUND IT A TASTY TALE. THIS BOY BRADBURY HAS QUITE AN IMAGINATION. WOULON'T YOU SAY? WELL, THAT ABOUT winds UP THE CRYPT -KEEPER'S MAS. I'LL POUR SOME BLOOD ON THE FIRE UNDER MT CAULDRON, L LAP UP THE LAST JUST

TRACE OF THIS ISSUE'S CULINARY CONCOCTION, AND GET READY FOR MY

NEXT HORROR HELPING, wh ICH WILL BE

IN

THE

VAULT-KEEPER? MAG, THE VAULT

OF HORROR f BYE. NOW?


^AZiMtc jz/im/ed

0/ c/im

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|

in

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THE CRYPT-KEEPER

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Tales from the Crypt, Feb. 1951-Mar. 1951—Vol. 1, No. 10 (formerly Crypt of Terror). Published Bi-Monthly by I. C. Publishing Co.. Ino., at S2S Lafayette St.. New York 12. N. Y. William M. Gaines. Managing Editor. Albert B. Feldstein. Editor. lie-entered as second class matter Jon* 1879. Eight lssue^ subscription In the U. 8 . $1.00. elsewhere $1.16. EnYork. N. Y. , under ’the act“ of March_3. 29. 1950, at the Post Office at ‘New ’ " * ” * "* * returned unless accompanied by stamped r I. C. Publishing Co.. Ino. Unsolicited manuscripts » tire contents copyrighted 1953 *' with any of those living or dead Is -*“ ... y of the characters, names or persons appearing lr relope. No similarity any such similarity bs purely coincidental. Printed in U. 8. A,

~

''


YOUR A PPETITE WILL BE HEH.HEHf I SEE YOU’RE HUNGRY FOR HORROR AGAIN. WELL.REST ASSURED. YOU will have. LOS SATISFIED. IN FACT, WHEN you're THROUGH with this PUTRID PERIODICAL, once MORE TO THE APPETITE ENTIRELY, so don't just stand there DROOLING. COME IN' * e ^c°me Y R CRYPT OF TERROR, this is your HOST in HOWLS, '(OW ^AUS£AT,NG /,l^>J^^ A fr OF ^'rF^^R TERROR TALE READY TO CHILL YOUR SPINE and CURDLE YOUR BLOOD with THE SPINE-TINGLING

.^

I CALL...

The evening performance is over and thecirci GROUNDS ARE SILENT SAVE FOR THE FLAPPING OF CANVAS AND THE OCCASIONAL SNORT OFA CAGED ANIMAL. OVERHEAD, A COLD MOON ILLUMINATES THE MIDNIGHT LANDSCAPE. SUDDENLY, A SHADOWY FIGURE EMERGES FROM ONE OF THE DARKENED TENTS AND GLI DES QUIETLY ACRO SS THE MIDWAY,, WHISPERING...

• .

||

.

>>


.

The woman peers into the SHADOWS, STRAINING TO SEE, HER HEART RACING. THE MAN STEPS INTO THE DIM COLD LIGHT, HIS ARMS EXTENDED.

l i

They embrace. ..warmly. PASSIONATELY... HUNGRY LI

EYES,

HOLDING CLOSE... I~Z±=

WHAT ABOUT YhE

->

OH, ERIC,

The man looks into the woman's GREY-GREEN

CARL? MY DEAREST..

\r^^sa<7

IS

J HE

BUT...

ASLEEP>

DREAMS OF PARIS AND THE

MjmmS^ouEN he

DARLING.

has

IN

WANTS

you

TO READ/

THE MAN SHAKES HIS HEAD SADLY, STROKING THE WOMAN'S SOFT FLOWING HAIR... T WHY DID YOU EVER IT WAS A MISTAKE,

^

I

T

ERIC.

MARRY HIM, MARTA? MISTOOK THIS FREAK OF JNATURE. ..this fc c— ONCE IN A

-W

THIS ABILITY OF CARL'S TO

SpgPj Ife:

I

LIFETIME occurance...

KNEW

.

ME WITH

THIS

POWER

HE HAS

OVER

J

ME.'

T AND YOU'VE BEEN

ACCIDENT maw YEARS

aw

PROJECT THOUGHTS mo MINE TO READ THEM. ..FOR LOVE / ?

1

ability

TAUNTS

ME, ERIC. HE HAS

ALWAYS TAUNTED

^ ^I

i

\

UNHAPPYEVER

CARL IMMEDIATELY RECOGSINCE. ITS GREAT VALUE. BEFORE I , 4 IT, WE'D TEAMED UPAS A M/NDthis traveling 'H int MARRIED...

NIZED

READING ACT, joined CIRCUS,

MISERABLE? I KNOW now that HE WOULD J CARL NEVER LOVED ME. I WAS NEVER LET HIS SUBJECT...MS THOUGHT-W YOU CO... PROJECTION RECEIVER... A PIECE WOULD HE 1 OF APPARATUS... NOTHING MORE. BUT NOW I KNOW WHAT REAL J LOVE IS... NOW THAT I'VE met YOU.. > .r^Jtk

_

we DISCOVERED this QUITE BY AGO.

THE.MOONUGHT.

he

YOU SAID

YOU CAN ONLY READ THE THOUGHTS IN HIS MIND HE

'

KNOWN

NEVER / if 1

1

.


?

'

7

i

SIGHS ACROSS THE CIRCUS GROUNDS, WHISPERS AROUND THE TENT ROPES GASPS AGAINST THE CANVAS. . .CARRYING THE SIGHS, THE WHISPERS, THE GASPS OF THE LOVERS IN THE SHADOWS. AND EYES.. HIS TENT, CARL STIRS UNEASILY.. . OPENS HIS

The WIND

,

I

Carl slips on a robe and comes out of THE WHISPERING, SIGHING, GASPING WIND. HfS VOICE ...AND VOICES.' COMING FROM MARTA'S/ BEYOND THE NEW ANIMAL . TRAINER'S TENT...

HER BED/ it IS EMPTY. WHERE COULD SHE BE?

MARTA, I, ..I... MARTA? MARTA

Carl moves through the moonlit NIGHT. .HIS EYES BURNING LIKE

HOT COALS. .LISTENING...

...LISTENING TO THE E/iGERNESS IN HIS WIFE'S VOICE...THE PASSION, THE

HUNGER...

' I

[

-

END OF THE MONTH WHEN I GET MY CHECK, WE WILL LEAVE... YOU and I. .TOGETHER...

...AND AT THE

,

^ )

HPy ffl

1L

BUT LET'S NOT

..

TALK ANYMORE,

V SWEET

1

1 MARTA... I

I.

r'w

LOVE WITH

HIM.

.|r=SB^=S

SHE

LEAVING ME. SHE... .1 MUST STOP HER.' .

TORN TO PIECES BY WILD BEASlA THAT'S HOW I CAN STOP HER FROM LEAVING. THAT'S ITf

OF COURSE.'

TERRED AT LOCAL GRAVE YARD... TORN TO PIECES AS IF ATTACKED BY WILD BEAST.'"

.

SHE. ..SHE HAS FALLEN IN

HOLD ME..CLOSE...

W r

HEARD ENOUGH.

IS

BLACK LETTERS ON IG ACROSS THE PR INT... j COLD WHITE. .THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER... WHAT'S THIS'? ‘BODIES DISIN^^ I

.AND THEN, SLOWLY, HE RETURNS HIS TENT ONCE MORE. HE HAS

TO

ERIC, DARLING,


f

.

^

Later, when mart* returns from her rendezv, AND CRA WLS BACK INTO BED, CARL PRETENDS HE IS ASLEEP-.lijaif-ai

-AND CROSS DIRECTLY TO THE NEW ANIMAL TRAINER'S TENT WITH IN HAND-| pii^ THERE 0 WHO

OF THIS,

\GET UP.' I

CARL? PUT

r

To RUN OFF WITH MY W/EE.f H, FPic?< WELL, WE'LL

;

SOUND.'

that'

They cross the tanbark floor of the big top UNTIL THEY COME TO THE LION CAGE. THE TAWNY BEAST PACES BACK AND FORTH HUNGRILY. MY LION.'? PUT YOU IN THE CAGE WITH HIM. WITHOUT YOUR WHIP WITHOUT ANYTHING.. JUST YOU AND YOUR w-r LION.' .

.

.

I, ERIC

?IM

~\

NOT GOING TO DO

S£E ABOUT

W.

.

eric out of the TENT AND DOWN THE LONG SILENT MIDWAY TOWARD THE BIG-TOP...

/ WERE GOING

DOWN THAT GUN...)

AND DON'T

MANE A

Carl motions

IIC STUMBLES TO HIS FEET. WHAT'S THE MEANING} SO YOU

3UN

WEThuh? WHO'S

.

MOVE

'

ANYTHINGf

YOUR LION i WILL DO THE A work'

L.

WITHOUT MY WHIP.'? I'D BE^ PITY IS AN EMOTION HELPLESS. ..PARALYZED. \ BELONGING TO THE

UNABLE

TO

DEFEND MYSELF'

FOR GOD'S SANE

,

IP*,

CARL'

HAYE PITY.' -

.

I ,

PITIFUL, ERIC.

WUfo

GET IN...

,

aBS


?

H

THE BLOODAND THEN, THE CIRCUS GROUNDS ECHO WITH CURDLING SHRIEKS OF A BEAST. THE RAZOR SHARP FANGS OF A BLOOD-CRAZED

Carl swings open the barred door

...

ERIC SCREAMS AND GOES SPRAWLING. TH SNARLS...

i

I

lf 11

1

Eric's anguished shrieks awaken A ND SHE LOOKS WILDLY.

MARTA

AROUND

|

CAPLf WHAT WAS THAT? CAPLf CA...

m

I

WITH THE REST OF TH UNTIL THEY COME TO THE LION

She RUNS

Carl's bed is empty.' outside THE TENT, FOOTSTEPS POUND UP THE MIDWAY TOWARD THE BIG-TOP. MARTA SUPS ON A ROBE AND BURSTS FROM THE TENT.

TRAINER’S CAGE...

|

EPICf

GOOD LORD'

ERIC'

WHAT IS IT? WHAT'S T DON'T KNOW:

HAPPENING

HIS name twice, and then she just STANDS THERE, WATCHING THE BEAST LICK AT THE SLASHED AND SHREDDED BODY UNTIL SHE HAS TO TURN AWAY AS THE NAUSEA SWEEPS OVER HER.. THE CRAZY FOOL / HE HOW DID IT HAPPEN?) MUST HAVE COME OUT HERE TO PRACTICE

/it's comin'

She SCREAMS

^

y

HIS ACT.'

^

r YOU

DID IT,

^

DIDN'T YOU i Jl YOU KILLED HIM' YOU

KNEW'

DIDN'T YOU HEAR

THEY SAID,

WHAT M ARTA?THEY SAID HE

MUST HAVE BEEN

PRACTICING HIS

M

ACT f


BUT THERE

IS NO DOUBT IN MARTA'S MIND AS TO HOW ERIC DIED. CARL'S BED WAS EMPTY WHEN ERIC'S SCREAMS

r YOU WILL GET

OVER

IT,

MARTA

The NEXT DAY'S PERFORMANCE IS CANCELLED BECAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY THE TENTS ARE LOWERED. THE CIRCUS PREPARES TO MOVE ON. ‘

The HEAVY POLE CRASHES DOWNWARD UPON CARL, CRUSHING HIM BENEATH

ITS

suddenly... without WARNING. CARL IS HELPING WITH THE DISMANTLING OF THE BIG-TOP WHEN THE MAIN SUPPORT TOPPLES..

It happens

GOOD LOGO'

LOOKOUT' CARL? I

MASSIVE WEIGHT...

And when the huge support is lifted, carl lies DEATHLY STILL ...HIS GLAZED EYES STARINGSOMEBODY TWO IN A ROW.' GET HIS THE CIRCUS IS s,

Marta is summoned, she stands impassively ove HER HUSBAND'S BODY, SHEDDING NO TEARS.SHOWING NO SIGN OF EMOTION. WW r HE...HE WILL HAVE ’ T IT. ..IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, MARTA f THE

WAIN

t

SUPPORT..

BURIED BEFORE WE CAN GO ON.' A

TO BE

Marta's voice

is

JINXED?

.

WIFE?A

cold... callous... as she asks.

SOMEBODY SEND FOR AN UNDERTAKER...


y

M

/

Marta looks down at the

still

form of her

HUSBAND LYING ON THE TANBARK FLOOR. AND EVE* THOUGH SHE REAOS HIS T HOUGHTS, SHE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF RECOGNITION.

MARTA

?

oaW&g.

.

MARTA, I AM ALIVE .' I'M

I'm

~

.

UNDERTAKER AND HIS ASSISTANT

INTO THE WICKER. MARTA MOVES FORWAfff. MARTA ' PLEASE.' SAVE ME' I'M ALIVE.' MARTA ' I'M ALIVE'

^©5*19

NOT DEAD/ MARTA ? LISTEN TO ME? PLEASE TRY TO HEAR what i am THINKING.'

f

AS THE

PARALYZED' NOT DEAD' PARALYZED MARTA? PLEASE.

WAIT:

%

PARALYZED,

I'm NOT DEAD ' I'M PARALYZED' I cahSEE.'x

MARTA?

JT

CAN'T MOVE.'

can HEAR.'

I

OH, MARTA.'

THANK

YOU.' THANK YOU'

^

YES, MA'AM'

PLEASE DON’T \ EMBALM HIM. BURY

'

HIM AS

HE IS. HE

WOULD HAVE WANTED IT THAT WAY ?

.

'anythingXmarta? you SAY, MARTA, ma'am ? J NO' . I.

Marta looks down into PARALYZED EYES THAT CAN STILL SEE. WHISPERS INTO PARALYZED EARS THAT CAN STILL HEAR,. fjgiwrw MARTA? GOOD-BYE, OH^GOD? L CARL? MARTA. 1

FUNERAL, MARTA STANDS, HER FACE A GRANITE BE LOW CARL'S COFFIN... MASK, BESIDE THE YAWNING YOU CAN STOP THEM, MARTA? THERE'S Sr/LLV LOWER THE TIME. I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME. I KNOW IT? PLEASE.' I BEG or you? DON’T LET £ coffin?

At THE


f

T HE

AFTERNOON WANES' THE NIGHT BREEZE COMES UP, WHISPERING OVER THE GRAVE MOUNDS. SIX FEET BELOW, IN HIS COFFIN, CARL CONCENTRATES AS THE PRECIOUS OXYGEN SLOWLY DISAPPEARS..

f

,

1

.

The stars come

out, white pin-points in a velvet shroud. A FIGURE MOVES OVER THE GRAVE MOUNOS... ||

I

IlSlftf g'MI

KNOW

A

you ARE RECEIVING

MY THOUGHTS, MARTA ?

I

KNOW

.

IM1

1 1

MARTA / COME BACKf COME SAVE MET I'LL DO ANYTHING/ ANYTHING/ HAVE J PITY ON ME' HAYE PITYf ...

A

The

SHOVEL DIGS INTO THE SOFT EARTH.

DIGGING CONTINUES, THE SHOVEL SCOOPING AWAY

THE SOFT EARTH. FINl SWINGS BACK— ItoTOwif

MARTA f MARTA, YOU DID

MARTA/ DARLING/ OH, LORD...

COME? YOU

DID/

And THEN AS CARL LIES HELPLESS. ..PARALYZED... LIKE A LION-TAMER WITHOUT A WHIP ...FEELING THE RAZOR SHARP TEETH RIPPING AND TEARING AT HIS FLESH. ..UNABLE TO SCREAM AT THE EXCRUCIATING PAIN, HE THINKS OF THE NEWSPAPER LYING IN THE MOONLIGHT... THE NEWSPAPER THAT FIRST GAVE HIM IDEA OF HOW TO KILL ERIC... wjy,

THE

'

'BODIES DISINTERRED AT LOCAL GRAVE YARD.. TORN TO PIECES AS IF ATTACKED BY SOME W/LD BEAST/' OH, LORD THEY WERE WRONG/

\TH!S

is

no BEAST'

it's A

GHOUL/

YOU'RE

NOT MARTA

;

i

rS

^4

HEH.HEH? YEP, KIDDIES? CARL ENDED up JUST LIKE ERIC BEING TORN TO BITS and UNABLE to DEFEND HIMSELF. AS FOR MARTA SHE READ CARL'S FINAL THOUGHTS, AND GOT QUITE A MENTAL PICTURE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON/ JUST ONE MORE THOUGHT ON THIS WHOLE SUBJECT! AS THE BOP CEMETERY FORE...

...

MAN KEEPS TELLING WORK CREWS, HIS

'D/6

THAT CRA-AEY


f

IMI

r, uucu(

S

CA! uTATintJS

SLIME SAVORERS'f NOW

'!?™

YELP-YARN FROM MY CREEP-COLLECTION. SO HAVE THE

THE TUMMY-TURNER

IT'S

TIME FOR A JAUNT INTO THE

VAULT OF HORROR^

BICARB READY AND ILL V SE

I CALL...

tt.WHEN^THE^ IB STORY BEGINS DURING WORLD WAR MARINES WERE SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY INCHING ACROSS THE SOUTH PACIFIC AREA, INVADING Af BATTLING FOR EACH BLOODY ATOLL, EACH JAPANESEINFESTEO CORAL ROCK. ONE INKY BLACK STARLESS THE NIGHT, A SMALL BOAT MOVED SILENTLY TOWARD CORAL REEF THAT RINGED THE PEACEFUL LAGOON OF

UNITED STATES

ONE OF THESE JAPANESE- HELD ISLANDS. INSIDE, TWO MEN CROUCHED QUIETLY, STUDYING THE DANCING FIRES BETTER DROP THE ANCHOR, PHIL. THIS IS ABOUT AS CLOSE IN AS WE DARE GO WITHOUT BEING SEEN. ,

side The anchor slid over the small boat's THE AND DROPPED WITH A MUFFLED SPLASH INTO BLACK PACIFIC. THEN, STRANGELY, THE TWO MEN

BEGAN TO UNDRESS... WHILE I'M CLEARING THE STEEL NETTING, YOU START SETTING DEMOLITION CHARGES, PHIU

THE

>£

CHECK


—

They stood almost naked

in the pacific MUSCLES RIPPLING. THEY BENT AND SUD THE WEIRDLY SHAPED BLACK RUBBER FLIPPERS ONTO THEIR FEET.. PULLED THEIR RUBBER MASKS WITH THE ROUND GLASS WINDOWS OVER THEIR FACES. .

NIGHT,

.

READY?

GOT THE

CHARGES. .TIMERS.

^RIGHTS GOT

.

R

WELL, TAKE IT JiAsr, Phil/,

SEE YOU

'

IN4V

JTH/LE, LARRY fjj

YOUR MIRE

'

.

Tf-a.

Silently, the two members of the united states NAVY'S UNDERWATER DEMOLITION TEAM... THE FABULOUS FROGMEN.. SLID OVER THE SIDE OF THEIR SMA LL BOAT AND INTO THE CHOPPY PACIFIC... T" 1*. ""

FUSES?

CUPPERS...

UNDERWATER LAMP. .HACK.

...ANO WENT ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS. ...THE BUSINESS OF CLEARING THE WAY FOR THE INVASION OF THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THE ONE NAMED LARRY GLIOEO DOWNWARD, FLICKING ON HIS LAMP, SEARCHING OUT THE TREACHEROUS PROfELLER-

And

THEN, SUDDENLY, HE SAW

BELOW HIM

IN

IT...

... AS THE OTHER, THE ONE NAMED BELOW THE SURFACE TO THE PILI NGS SUNK IN THE LAGOON FLOOR.

PHIL, SKIMMED

TION CHANGES, MIS LANTERN

BEAM

RUNNING ACROSS THE SANDY BOTTOM OF THE LAGOON..

STRETCHING AWAY

THE GLOOMY MURKY DARKNESS.

With the netting clipped and SAWED AND CUT AWAY AND RENDERED HARMLESS, LARRY SHOT TOWARDS PHIL TO HELP PLACE THE DEMOLI-

THE

As LARRY CIRCLED OVER THE

BED, STUDYING THE ABNORMALLY- LARGE SHELLED SEA CREATURES WITH THEIR PRICELESS GLOBED GEMS IMBEDDED IN THEIR QUIVERING MEATY BODIES, PHIL GLIDED TOWARD HIM.


'

f

The two men surfaced beside their

boat, gasping

W

DID YOU SEE IT; PHIL? THERE. ^5 GASP... THERE MUST BE A FORTUNE \FOOL, I LARRY ? I'VE IN PEARLS IN THAT OYSTER BED? I'M 60IN8 BACK. -GASP. DOWN...J' SET THE

'WE'LL

. .

-

assault BOATS STORMED THE QUIET LAGOON, AND PROPELLERS CHURNED BLOOD INTO THE WATERS ABOVE THE OYSTER BED. . .

SHIPPED ELSEWHERE TO OTHER ISLANDS. WITH OTHER LAGOONS.

THEY SAY THIS ATOM'

.

SURE...

1

PEACE? IT CAME SUDAFTER THE SECOND A-BOMB WAS DROPPED. THE JAPANESE SIGNED AN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER AND

V~J DAY? DENLY...

THE WAR WAS OVER. T

CHON 1

ABOUT THOSE

MAYBE THE JAPS'LL .

LARRY?

we'll be RICH/saTf,

BOMB WIPED OUT A ) STOP WHOLE CITY, phil. ' DREAMIN now.

BACK FOR THOSE PEARLS,

The beachhead was secured. THE DEMOLITION TEAM’S WORK WAS DONE. LARRY AND PHIL WERE

SURRENDER WXJHEN.

COME BACK,

PHIL? AFTER THIS CRAZY MESS IS OVER, we'll COME

CHAR6ES. c'mon.' let's GET OUT OF HERE? A

.

At dawn the next MORNING,THE

'

MlWUTES LATER, THE SMALL BOAT WAS HUMMING SEAWARD. BEHIND, THE DEMOLITION CHAR8ES EXPLODED BATTLE IN THE PLACID LAGOON SIGNALLING THE MIGHTY WAGONS OFFSHORE TO BEGIN THEIR BARRAGE. LARRY

HEY, PHIL!

\BusY/mm

SHIPPING

ORDERS' we're GOING HOME

PEARLS' NOW GET 1

WE'RE GETT/N6

OUT

LETS J


Larry tried to hide the jealous ANGER.. .THE HURT THAT HE FELT. GLADYS PREFERENCE HAD COME AS A GREA T SHOCK TO HIM . . .

/’"i-.I WANTEDY't. UNDERSTAND? TO TELL YOU, y'-\J5LA0Y. ( I LARRY / BUT. \ WELL... X. .

/fer

Phil hao won again, it had ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT. ..EVER SINCE THEIR COLLEGE DAYS. THEY'D BOTH COME OUT FOR THE SWIM TEAM.


'it'll be a LOVELY] OH...SURE.M And now they were back from SURE ? WELL, THE WAR, STANDING ON A JAMMED PLACE TO TAKE CONGRA TULAGLADYS ON OUR PIER FULL OF RETURNED SAILORS iT/ONS, YOU J \HONEYMOON, AND SOLDIERS AND HAPPY LOVED ONES, AND PHIL HAD WON AGAIN. T~V TWO? *r^E'RE...WEfeET WHEN, PHIL? '

.

)

I

IW

I MEAN...

Discharge? civilian clothes ? FREEDOM FROM REGIMENTADISCIPLINE? THEY WERE ALL LARRY'S NOW. AND A SECRET, TOO / A MILLION DOLLAR SECRET? JUST ONE THING... ONE THING WASN'T AGAIN

TION

.

..

HIS, YET?

GLADYS'...

I PICKED UP THESE SURPLUS FLIPPERS AND MASKS, PHIL. I THOUGHT WE'D

/what ABOUT

r

OUR BUSINESS. OUT THERE... f IN THE PACIFIC?

.

TRY THEN OUT ) TONIGHT.

^

LOOK, ^

y'

FELLER? I'M GETTING

MARRIED TOMORROW?

HAVE A HEART/

.

<

Larry convinced phil that after he was married THERE'D BE NO CHANCE TO TRY OUT THEIR EOUIPTMENT.ANO PHIL RELUCTANTLY AGREED. THEY DROVE OUT TO A LONELY BEACH .. ri PICKED this > YEAH? IT... IT SPOT BECAUSE IT'S /$/ WELL? LET'S eor SO MUCH LIKE THAT

LAGOON,

phil?

U

They struggled wildly, there in the foaming SURF OF THAT LONELY CALIFORNIA BEACH. LARRY HELD PHIL'S THROAT IN A VICE-LIKE GRIP, UNTIL PHIL'S BODY WENT LIMP AND LIFE1-EFT IT AND IT SLIPPED FROM LARRY'S GRASP AND SANK BENEATH THE OCEAN WAVES. 5, _ .

.

Larry had planned it all so carefully? with phil DEAO, GLADYS...THE SECRET OF THE PEARfcBED... EVERYTHING .WOU LO BE HIS... .

.

LARRY.' WHAT THE. \j*NNNG j»amm

IT'S

GOING TO BE SUCH

A PITY, PHIL... A

SWINNER LIKE

And LARRY CAME OUT OF THE WATER ALONE

GOOD

YOU.

M^DROWNING/

.

.

jggg

WITH

A GRIM SMILE ON HIS FACE AND TH E STpRY HE'D TELL GLADYS 90 CLEAR


7

Gladys listened to larry as he SOBBED OUT THE STORY OF HOW

It would take. time larry DECIDED.. .TIME FOR GLADYS TO FORGET PHIL. IN THE MEANWHILE,

THEY'D GONE SWIMMING.., HE AND PHIL.. .AND PHIL'D GONE DOWN. ..AND.

HE

WOULD GO TO THE SOUTH

PACIFIC. . .TO ITS FABULOUS

. .

.

\

THIS,

AND MAYBE

Were

his eyes DECEIVING him? was the foam and THE SPRAY AND THE CHURNING WATER BESIDE THE SHIP PLAYING TRICKS ON HIM.OR DIO HE ACTUALLY SEE

THE BLOATED WHITE BODY?. ;

WHAT IS ny LARRY?

.

THERE

.

THREE MONTHS,

STOPLOVING

GLADYS. PERHAPS, BY THEN, YOU WILL HAVE GOTTEN OVER

i

The

trip to the atoll was long. BUT LARRY DIDN'T MIND IT. ONCE ON BOARO.HE LOST NO TIME IN MAKING FRIENOS. .

THE TINY ATOLL WITH OYSTER BED. AND MAKE HIS FORTUNE. I'LL BE BACK IN i'll NEVER''

<

MOST GORGEOUS ON... don't DOLL ON THIS SHIP' JUST LEAVE X G ASP. i ME HANG- J I

^1...

.

.

..

.

vJNG.'j-c/

X...

And was the FOUL ODOR OF the SEA and DECAY AND ROTTING FLESH THAT SEARED HIS NOSTRILS WHEN HE OPENED HIS CABIN DOOR THAT NIGHT JUST LARRY'S IMAGINATION?. .

IN

.

^ BABY, YOU'RE THE C WELL ...GCT

HIM, LARRY,' SOB.' NEVER...

the MATER /

.

I

T3BBEII5

CAN'T BE/ I MUST BE SEEING THINGS? C...X...

NO/

IT

SSiSXS Was it a DREAM? or did larry actually SfifTHE WHITE PULPY FISH- PITTED FACE IN the porthole THAT NIGHT WHEN HE'D BEEN STARTLED OUT OF A SOUND

HUH? WHO.

.

.WHO.

..GOOD L ORDT

And was it the SEA, or did he actually HEAR THAT LAUGHTER ...THAT RlPPLING BLOOD-CURDLING LAUGHTER COMING IN FROM THE MURKY FOG BEYOND THE SHIP THE NIGHT HE STROLLED THE DECK ALONE. WHO...WHO'S

OUT.

^THEREV&r^i


The SHIP DOCKED AT TAHITI AND LARRY LOST NO TIME IN HIRING A TAKE HIM SOUTH TO THE

On that plane trip south... SKIMMING LOW OVER THE BLUE PACIFIC... WAS LARRY CRAZY..

The

A PEARL

DOWNWARD. HE PASSED THE OLD RUSTED NETTINGS.

THE SUNKEN ASSAULT BOATS. ..THE WATER-LOGGED BLASTED PILINGS. AND THEN HE SAW IT... THE OYSTER BED, he swam toward it,,.eagerly..

TO UNDRESS.

GOING ON? YOU GOING TO DIVE FOR SOMETHING? >

UP...

AGAINST A BLUE SATIN SEALINING. .. GUARDING ITS OWN PEARL TREASURE. LARRY CAST HIS FEARS FROM HIS MIND WHEN

Tiny fish scattered before him as larry shot

tiny seaplane came down gently and sat BOBBING QUIETLY IN THE BLUE LAGOON AS LARRY UNPACKED HIS GEAR, REMOVED THE FLIPPERS AND THE RUBBER GLASS- WINDOWED MASK, AND BEG AN

HEY/ WHAT'S

JhE ATOLL CAME

,

'

YEP.' IN

THERE'S AN

OYSTER BED

THIS LAGOON... WITH

PEARLS

I

THE SIZE OF YOUR FIST, and I'M GOING TO GET ME A FEW.

Larry was so busy wrenching the largest oyster he could FIND FROM THE SANDY BOTTOM THAT HE NEVER NOTICED THE PUTRID, SLIMY, WHITE FORM DRIFT TOWARD HIM. AND WHEN ITS BLOATED ARMS CLOSED AROUND HIS NECK, AND THE ROTTED FACE

GRINNED AT HIM, IT WAS

TOO LATE... PHIL... CHOKE..

\GLUGG

. .

.

j

HEH, HEH? YEP KIDDIES? THAT'S MY YARN. THE PILOT OF THE SEAPLANE WAITED AROUND FOR LARRY TO COME UP FOR

SEVERAL HOURS. FINALLY, HE SHRUGGED, WENT THROUGH LARRY'S PANTS, EXTRACTED THE MONEY FROM HIS WALLET TOSSED THE REST OF LARRY'S GEAR INTO THE LAGOON, AND TOOK OFF. MO YOU'LL TAKE OFF WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR KIT l^FROM THE E C. FAN- ADDICT CLUB, now "I I'LL TURN YOU BACK TO C.K.f i'll see you

NEXT IN MY MAG, THE VAULT of HORROR/

[

i

"BYE/ £.£,That is?

ft hi


:

THE GIZZARD OF OOZE GREAT EXPECTORATIONS (or) GREAT REGURGITATIONS AGONY AND CLEOPATRA ROMEO THE GHOUL HE ETI LORNA'S DOOM

Heh, heh! The crazy mail I'm getting lately! Nobody writes criticizing

me anymore

nobody

writes threat-

song titles ening letters! Now all I get is poetry and proverbs. Looks like the whole counbook titles as Lincoln said, "Ya gotta give try's gone arty Well the people what they want.” (Lincoln said THAT?— he runs a drive-in movie ed.) Yeah JOE Lincoln outside of Omaha. Nebraska. Specializes in 3-D pictures Only cars equipped with Polaroid windshields allowed. him We though! you meant IRVING Lincoln.— ed.) ( Ob IRVING Lincoln? What does HE do? (He goes around saying. "Ya gotta give the people what they want." —ed.) Oh, HIM! So anyway, here are the latest additions to E.C.'s HORROR HIT PARADE, suggested by Bernie and Stanley Ginsberg of Spring Valley, New York; Bill Basso and Joe Mignone of Brooklyn, N. Y.; Mike Luskin of Philly: P. Houle of Winooski, Vt.; Donald Kaczmarek of Chicago; Tony Egan and Gregory Bonomo of N, Y. C.; Danny Simons of Ardmore, Pa.; Maureen Bryan of Alexandria, Ind.; Dennis Bartenbeck of Ocean Springs, Miss.; and Peggy DeMars and Lloyd .

!

,

Gola

And now lor some MORBID MOVIES, produced by Grand Lake Stream, Maine; and Sue Campbell and Amelia Alexander of Waynes ville, N.C.: Darrel Gould of

A STREETCAR MAIMED MY THE AFRICAN S SPLEEN HIGH STREWN

HUNG

SIRE

BESS

CALL ME MAD MAN THE GREATEST CHOKE ON EARTH

of Detroit, Mich.

WRING SOLOMON S SPINE

TERRY'S SCREAM (from SLIME-LIGHT) BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL GROUND EYES

AFTER THE MAUL IS OVER SEVEN BLOODLESS NIGHTS (MAKE ONE VAMPIRE WEAK) I BELIEVE (THAT FOR EVERY DROP OF BLOOD THAT FALLS. A VAMPIRE GROWS) WITH A TONG IN MY HEART I'M SLITTING BY THE WINDOW WATCHING THE BLOOD-DROPS FALL) LYMPH-BOATS ARE A-COMIN WITH THESE GLANDS THE SQUEAL OF TORTURE I'M WINCING WITH SPEARS IN MY THIGHS RATTLE HYMN OF THE REPULSIVE TO THE VAULTS AGAIN WITH YOU ON THE TAINTED SIDE OF THE MEAT SQUISH YOU WERE HERE! WHO'S GORY NOW? DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEX WITH MY HEAD WIDE OPEN I'M SCREAMING WHEN YOU GORE HER TWO-LIPS YOU'D BE SO NICE TO COME GROAN TO

THE FARMER TAKES A Next

.

.

LIFE

PULSATING POGROMS, beamed

Andrews of Melrose, Mass.; Jackson, Miss.

in by Walt and Willard Johnson of

HATCHET SQUAD BUND MATE MENACE DAY MARTIN SLAIN SCARY MOORE BLOB HOPE DEAD SKELETON

I

xrft

ETRY:

and probably

< 3 BANQUET

some PER

least

?

We had some friends in to dinner Everything was perfectly swell But mother spoiled the party She simply didn't taste well

!

—Lou

Ellen

Orr

Brooklyn, N. Y. k

AUCTION L

LIKE APPLE CIDER

TASTES THE GIRL THAT IDA

.

.

.

I

BURY

SEND ME ONE DOZEN NOSES JUNE IS GUSHING OUT ALL OVER

watch outl Now that the entertainment's over Here come the commercials: E.C. FAN-ADDICT CLUB Don’t be a shzlub. join the club! Send in two bits get your kits. Turn to the cover, and you’ll disDig the cover the blank, crank! SUBSCRIPTIONS new rate, a dollar for eight! THIRD ANNUAL TALESThe best for you from '52. Send ir OF HORROR quarter, we'll mail out your order!

and

And

here are some more additions to oui LURID

LITERATURE LIBRARY, sent along by Jimmy Crow of Va.. and Dallas. Texas. Jimmy Teel of Pineville, Drury Mo roz of -Springfield. 111.

W

SQUISH FAMILY ROBINSON WITHERING SIGHTS HOW GREEN WAS MY SALLY THE LASH OF THE MOHICANS

.

The address

lor subs, annuals,

and mail

.

is:

The Crypt-Keeper

Room 706, Dept.

40

225 Lafayette Street

N.Y.C.

12.

N Y


The ground was

soft

and clinging

as Farraday

moved

slower, his body bent

slipped out of the thick forest surrounding the

swinging along the jungle

prison wall. There was a heavy mist rising from the ground, and all around him he could hear the incessant clamor of the jungle. The

stopped beating: a

long,

foliage swished eerily in the hot

dank

like

an ape

About 50

floor.

yards he proceeded, then his heart almost shrill whistle

had sounded

far back. His escape had been detected! In another moment the guards would be overrunning him and dragging him back to that in-

it would partially cover the sound night air of his feet moving through the oozy jungle

sea-infested hell behind the towering stone

lane*.

walls!

.

.

.

Farraday moved along stealthily, like a his plan of escape churning

hunted animal, his

in

mind.

If

he could creep through the

jungle into the miserable

little

seacoast

town

one of the grimy steamboats moored at the crumbling wharfs, in a week or so he’d probably be gone forever from this and hide

in

cursed tropical penal colony.

The discomfort

and pain of escaping through the jungle was nothing compared to the prospect of another five years in prison, Farraday thought to himto get away, at all cost, for he self. He

HAD

could never live through the prison sentence, anyway. The giant flies and vicious mosquitoes

and stinging, blood-sucking spiders swarming over the camp by the millions would eat him alive long before he was ready for release!

knew

Farraday

his

only chance was to dig

a shallow grave and slip into

sound of alarm. Then he

in-

praying that

a frenzy born of desperation he began

With

the earth at his feet; in a few mo-

up ments he had cleared a patch large enough for his body. He dropped face-down into it to scoop

without a second’s hesitation.

Almost

before

had

he

breath he was aware of a

spreading over his exposed

drawn another

clammy flesh. It

tingling

was

pitch-

knew without seeing what it was swarming over him: he had

black, but he

was

that

plunged headlong into a nest of white maggots! Already they were tearing at his skin, their stinging pincers

probing

jaw, sinuous lines trailing

and mouth. His eyelids Farraday paused momentarily, listening

it,

the darkness of the night would hide him.

caught

fire

.

.

.

his

cheeks and

into his nostrils

felt as

if

but Farraday didn't

they had

move a

straight-

muscle. Even as he felt the stabbing pain at his

ened up, ignoring the fact that his sweating hands were trembling with nervousness, and plunged on through the stifling undergrowth.

throat and realized that the skin of his chest,

tently for a

They hadn’t discovered .

yet that

he was gone

every minute he could gain would help im-

.

measurably

in his

getaway.

was being torn loose, he could think of only one thing. He was in fiery inside

his shirt,

agony, but

if

only he could stay here in

him!

And

as his

mind

reeled

twitched uncontrollably

He was coming

to clearer

ground now: the

this

shallow trench, the guards would never find

and his body

as his blood trick-

led from a thousand deadly wounds ... he was solaced by one thought, if the guards

earth was dry and sun-parched, the trees were spaced further apart and the grass was lower

couldn't find him, he wouldn't have to endure

less matted. He'd have to be careful here, he could be spotted as he moved through the open valley. He crouched again and

spiders!

and for

the horrors of prison life again

be assailed by giant

flies

wouldn't

and the savage


hey,

hasn't

^

7 THERE S'POSE T'SE A BIS- BOWL SAME HERE T'DAY, MELVIN ? 50 WHERE'S ALL THE PEOPLE? /

k.

s or

ycu^Ss:

=5%0

HAVEN'T 7 HEARP, IRVIHSf THE FIRST ISSUE OF E.C.'S \

NEW HUMOR MASOUT. THE

IS

PEOPLE ARE

ALL

POWN AT THE NEW55TANR..

kSUVINOfiJu,-/

i

THE PANICKY EDITORS OF:

YEP,

IS

KOO\tt<E.C-SmZHUM0KMA5.PMIC ON SALE, so HUSK POWN TO YOUR

NEWSSTAND AND SET VOUR HOWEVER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS ANY FOOTBALL GAMES... IF YOU WANT TO READ PANIC AND SIT IN THE BOWL AT THE SAME TIME ... SUBSCRIBE! FILL OUT THE COUPON AND MAIL TO... FAVORITE

COPY.

PANIC ROOM 7 Ob ZZ5 LAFAYETTE ST. N.Y.C., 12. N.Y.

PLEASE SENP ME THE NEXT 8 ISSUES OF PANIC FOR WHICH X ENCLOSE ONE COLLAR 0*1.00)

STATE


HERE'S A BUBBLY LITTLE tale TITANIC TERROR/ I CALL IT...

INTO THE PARLOR. ALWAYS ROOM FOR JUST A SHELL, YOU HERE, EZRA. YOU KNOW/ MILLY, JUST TILL HOW LONS WILL YOU I DECIDE WHAT I'M

r THERE'S

f THAT.

>•

STAY?

op

'retired

T

.EZRA.

I'M

.

.oh,

JO.

prJO/WK jg .

^^^^^^soin' Y DO next. * nm&tfTVY y'see...they TOOK NY SHIP, they i IfOC AWAY RETIRED ME. -jgt

^YEP,

MY

OVER,

SAIUN DAYS ARE

milly.

I'M A

LAND-

'

LUBBER, NOW. WEL L, where I STOW MY SEAR? jg

^DO


to live with

HIS SISTER MILDRED. AT FIRST, MILLY WAS VERY HAVE HIM. AFTER ALL, SHE WAS AN OLD MAID.. .AND EZRA WAS COMPANY. BUT AS TIME WENT ON. EZRA BEGAN TO 00 STRANGE THINGS...

HAPPY TO

'l SAID >

WHAT ARE

YOU LOOKING AT WITH YOUR

>

SPY-GLASS ? J

/n- nothing, J MILLY? X WAS MUST WATCHING THAT SHIP... ON

JHE HORIZON

^EZRAf WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT THROUGH YOUR SPY-GLASS*

One night, milly was roused out of a sound SLEEP BY HEAVY PAWS SHAKING HER ROUGHLY ...

I

^

,

f SHIP'? BUT.. EZRA.' this IS

KANSAS

THERE AREN'T ANY SHIPS ON THE HORIZON. THERE ISN'T < ANY WATER...

night on, milly was forced to “stand WATCH" SHE HAD TO MOVE THROUGH THE HALLS OF THE OLD HOUSE FROM TWO A.M. TO OAWN, CARRYING A LANTERN AND SHOUTING''EIGHT

BLITHERING IDIOT*,

It was obvious to poor MILLY THAT her older BROTHER WAS LL_. MENTALLY ILL. THE SHOCK OF BEING RETIRED HAD BEEN TOO MUCH FOR HIM. HIS MIND HAD SNAPPED. HE FANCIED HIMSELF AT SEA AGAIN... THE HOUSE, HIS SHIP-.AND SHE, HIS CREW... THIS CLEAN I WANT THIS DECK SCRUBBED TILL I CAN SEE MY REFLECTION' UNDERSTANDf?

'

From that

WLOUDER ,YOU^ LOUDERf Y

( YOU CALL

f

f

?

That was how ezra jackson came

''DON'T

"YES,

"EZRA" MEf IT'S CAPTAIN JACKSONf’

REMEMBER THAT/ NOW, YOU^^< VGET TO WORK, RATr>^XT t BILGE

BELLS AND

.


^

MlLLY HAD BEEN A SCHOOL TEACHER IN HER YOUNGER SHE'O WORKED HARD AND MANAGED TO SAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY. SHE'D USED PART OF IT TO BUY THE HOUSE SHE NOW LIVED IN. THE REST, SHE'D INVESTEO WISELY, AND SHE'D BEEN ABLE TO LIVE COMFORTABLY. BUT WITH EZRA'S ARRIVAL, HER MEAGER INCOME WAS NOT ENOUGH. f PHAAAH / YOU CALL THIS BEST FOOD f YOU DARE TO FEED AFFORD TH/S SLOP TO YOUR A EZRA? PLEASE CAPTAIN? YOU OUGHT W? TRY TO UNDERSTAND ' TO BE STRUNS UP AND

UNDERSTAND ONE THING, YOU SALLEY P/S. EITHER

X

YEARS.

HEAR?

1'

|,

JACKSON f

mu ||ft

M

INVEST MENTS. SHE HAD TO TAKE

k.

Y-YES, CAPTAIN

^

IT's

k IT'S

TEN JASHFS Jm.

SO MILLY WAS FORCED TO EARN EXTRA MONEY TO AUGMENT THE SMALL INCOME SHE DERIVEO FROM HER i^WHERE

1

i lb

THE FOOD IMPROVES, OR /RONS FOR YOU. AND "CAPTAIN JACKSON".'

.

V GIVEN

4

.

IN

BLAZES

YOU, YOU SLOPPY SEA COOK?

IN

THE CELLAR STAIRS SCREAMING. ,

'you RE "BELOW", YOU

WAS HING...

ARE "^""rM.INTHE CELLARS

DUMB

LANDLUBBER. NOT "IN THE CELLAR" "BELOW "t

Y-YES. CAPTAIN' I'M .BELOW.' ..

r

CAPTAIN. J

I'M OOING THE SNIP’S LAUNDRY 'jrf

Ezra stood

in the center of the cellar FLOOR, STARING ABOUT HIM WITH WIDE GLEAMING

MlLLY WAS HELPLESS. SHE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE ... EXCEPT, PERHAPS, TO HAVE EZRA PUT AWAY. SO SHE IN A CARPENTER-A PLUMBER ...

EYES-

CALLED

FPERFECT' PERFECT ' JUST THE PLACE FOR MY

QUARTERS. HERE. YOU.. SEND FOR THE SHIP'S CARPENTERS ..THE .gg .SHIP FITTERS JmI .

.

. .

AVAST, UP THERE

PLEASE ?/

1

GENTLEMEN. 'WoH.COURSEJ WE 1

REMEMBER. HUMOR HIM.' HE'S g

...

OtJ/TF

HARMLESS..

MI

MISS

(UNDER

JACKSONM STAND miss [jACKSON?


.

Ezra stormed about OUT

HIS

in

the cellar, shouting

AnO POOR MILLY WITHOREW HER

—>

IS

JACKSON

put

OCEAN

BEHIND THE PORT HOLES./ LANTEPNS around. >

hang SHIP'S

PUT in a BUNK. A SALLEY. A HEAD. MAKE EVERYTHING AUTHENTIC. THIS

taV

LIFE'S SAVINGS

FROM HER INVESTMENTS TO PAY FOR THE NONSENSE. THANK YOU, l. "*,990... 5,000 DOLLARS. . HERE YOU ARE, MR. GUNNER*/ MA'AM. I HOPE T YOUR BROTHER •

' CAPTAIN

SCENES

ORDERS-

Ship OUT THOSE windows. CLOSE 'EM UP. PUT UP FALSE WALLS. HA HA SONY PANELED WALLS. SET IN PORT HOLES. REAL PORT HOLES... THAT OPEN'

HAPPY WITH

'Below"

IS

MY

in his

SHIP/ -

ship's quarters, captain

MAN YOUR

STATIONS,. ON

<

MlLLY CAME "BELOW" CARRYING HER LAUNDRY BASKET FILLED WITH THE WASH SHE'O BEEN

DOING

L

IN

BLAZES ARE YOU WITH

DOWN HERE THAT?

I'VE >

IVE

STRUCK OUT SAVAGELY. ^YOU'LL DO THE LAUNDRY ON DECK, YOU SCULLION BEGGAR. 6ET OUT

OF MY QUARTERS...

60T TO DO

THE SHIP'S

<

LAUNDRY, CAPTAIN

^

THE DOUBLE..

DID', ( THE JOB WE

fWHAT

jackson belloweo-

YSTAND BY TO OAST OFF. ENGINE ROOM, FULL SPEED ASTERN, all HANDS,

J


\

With her investments wiped out and the INCOME FROM THEM GONE, MILLY HAD TO TAKE IN MORE WASH THAN SHE COULD HANDLE IN ORDER TO| MEET EXPENSES. ANO EZRA'S ABUSE BECAME WORSE AND WORSE. . . PfsCRUU UUI IIA ^TOS^Y-YES, CAPTAIN <3

/

I

I

Poor milly would escape, every chance she could GET, AND LOCK HERSELF IN THE UPSTAIRS BATHROOM IN ORDER TO DO THE WASH IN THE TUB. AND AS SHE SCRUBBED, SHE WOULD LISTEN TO EZRA'S RANTING AND RAVIN^^^__. y

WEAS£ THE HELM? Give EG MORE -^LsobJsobT/) r

DRUDGE.'

J

Suddenly milly clutched at the excruciating IN

TUB OVER THE SOAKING CLOTHES SENT UP CLOUDS OF STEAM WHICH FILLED THE LOCKED BATHROOM ...

head IN THE BATHROOM, MILLY PANTED OVER A LOAD OF WASH...

AHOY 'AHOY THEBE' SHIP AHOY' HOLD X EAST. STAND BY.'

PAIN

J/

While upstairs, directly over-

One HOT SUMMER'S DAY, EZRA 5T003 AT THE OPEN, PORT HOLE, SHOUTING OUT AT THE SEA-SCAPE SCENE BEYOND ... . -

RUDDER' STEAD/ AS YOU GO' HARD APORTf STEADY ' STEADY SO yT

HER CHEST, TOPPLING

OVER...

GASP.

AND AS HER HEARTTAltEB AND HER LIFE FADED WITH IT, THE BOILING WATER OVERFLOWED THE TUB.POOLINC ABOUT HER PROSTRATE BODY, SINKING THROUGH THE BATHROOM FLOOR v

W

.


p

mis cellar ship's'quarters, CAPTAIN JACKSON LISTENED AS THE WATER, LEAKING DOWN FROM THE OVERFLOWING BATHTUB ABOVE, FILLED THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FALSE MAHOGANY PANELED WALLS AND THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE

In

.

.

-

Slowly the water rose in the cellar, boiling, SCALDING, BLISTERING EZRA'S AGED BODY. BUT HE STUBB ORNLY S TOOD FAST...

THE CELLAR FILLEO WITH STEAM, CAPTAIN JACKSON STA66ERED TO THE PORT HOLES, SLAMMED THEM SHUT. THE PRESSURE OF THE WATER CRUMBLED THE PANELED WALLS -

^Kt^ABANDONSH/Pf THE CAPTAIN

t

£Wm(

'ABANDON SHIPS WE'RE SINKING.',

Until the rising hot water reached his chin..his neck_poured INTO HIS MOUTH AND STEWED HIS TONGUE... HIS TH ROAT- H IS LUNGS... ...

.

WSMtoi W^jrT^T*

16

*

/

/ l

GLUGG GLUGG.

Mi^T

{ HEE~HEE'

YEP, KIDDIES. THAT'S]

my MORBID MARINE OFFERING./ EZRA FINALLY ENDED UP...\H \

HOT WATER'/ J

;

M

REMAIN...

this

is

THtF/RSTl

RECORD BY THE WAY, OF j captain going down with / HIS SHIP IN THE MIDDLE OF A > KANSAS PRAIRIE... in a CELLAR)

iCASE ON ’a

AND NOW, i'll TURN YOU OVER TO ( ^.THE CRYPT-KEEPER ) IS WA!TINGTo( SSg8**aBI& WIND UP MY REEK-'

WsL

#^ J-fW

wWlif/'As 7

:

RAG 'REMEMBER.' ’

IF

V0U RE A FAN i

AN0 AN ADDICT,

JOIN THE

E.C.

j \

m&SA* JB FAN- ADDICTNOWf/ )

’BYE,


f

HEE.HEEf AND NOW, IT'S MORBID- MEAL- TIME. WELCOME TO THE HAUNT OF FEAR, CREEPS. THIS IS YOUR * REVOLTING RESTAURATEUR, THE OLD WITCH. READY TO SUNG SLIME ..AND WIND UP C.IC'S MUCKMA6 FOR THIS IDIOTIC ISSUE, care for some SEAFOOD well, here's A TASTY TERROR T/D-B/T J

TO TURN YOUR STOMACH. I CALL

THIS

SLOP-SERVING.

.

.

.

Calvin reached for a knife, he placed the STRUGGLING LOBSTER, BELLY UIJ ON THE HUGE WOODEN KITCHEN TABLE AND GRI NNED DOWN AT IT. ,,

IT SPUT YOU fH I HXlJ OPEN... FROM HEAD TO IM lyWr SlwJfcllk tail... like so... Am* i


The lobster squirmed. Calvin forced the knife BLADE AGAINST ITS SOFT-SHELLED UNDERSIDE AND, WITH A SUGHT SAWING MOTION, CRUNCHED IT THROUGH. THE LOBSTER, NOW PRACTICALLY SEVERED IN HALF, STILL WRIGGLEO ITS SPINEY LEGS ANO WAVED ITS HUGE CLAWS AWKWAROLY..^ r HEH,HEH. HOW XI WISH THAT X HAD SOME SENSITIVE INSTRUMENT SO that i . 1

.

COULD

HEAP

Calvin moved the thrashing split lobster onto A RACK AND SLID IT INTO THE STOVE BELOW THE XlCKBLUE FLAMES OF THE BROILER... ,

%D

NOW, WE BROIL YOU ALIVE. WE LISTEN TO YOU HISS AND POP UNTIL YOU TURN ORANGE-RED AND YOU STOP YOUR SQUIRMING..

-

YOUR BLOOD-

CURDLING SHRIEKS, LITTLE UGLY MONSTER..

Calvin stared into the stove AT THE BROILING LOBSTER. HIS EYES GLINTED ALMOST MANIACALLY AS HE WATCHED ITS STRUG GLING

J

Behind Calvin, the sea shell RESTAURANT'S CHEF SHOOK HIS HEAD as HE WATCHED HIS PJPLOYER-

Calvin grinned. "jTmusTIower THE FLAME SO THAT THE NEXT ONE WILL

r

DIE SLOWER f

ABATE...

DEAD,

A LOBSTER

UGLYf

AND HORRIBLE I HATE CREATURES? HORRIBLE CREATURES should JB

^

w

DIE HORRIBLY/

LIVING THING, MR. DUGAN. NO LIVING THING SHOULD BE S MADE TO SUFFER. .

•

it

WHY DO YOU TAKE such SADISTIC <

KILLING THOSE POOR LOBSTERS, MR. DUGAN?

>

HIDEOUS. -

DESERVES

SUFFER, JOHN.

ITS

i/tfZ Y

TO

OWN

UGLINESS MERITS

hv

THEM,

DELIGHT N

DEATH.. .

+ Jm

AN

I

JOHN?

PERHAPS... TO A E LOBSTER... IT IS YOU WHO ARE UGLY, MR. DUGAN?

to


?

1

Meanwhile, at that vert moment, a few MILES UP THE SEACOAST FROM THE SEA SHELL RESTAURANT, A FISHERMAN GUIDED HIS INBOARD OVER THE TOSSING OCEAN SWELLS TO A CORK FLOAT FROM WHICH FLEW A TATTERED FLAG... THE LAST ONE. IF THERE IS NOTHING, IN THIS ONE, WE WILL HAVE NO MONEY jr for FOOD/jf jpniy

y

.

The FISHERMAN PULLED UP

BESIDE THE BOBBING MARKER AND PULLED IT INTO HIS SEA SKIFF. SLOWLY, TEDIOUSLY, HE HAULED IN THE ORIPPING LINE THAT WAS FASTENED TO THE FLOATCORK

I CANNOT UNDERSTAND IT. ALL ALONG ) THE COAST, OTHER LOBSTER FISHERMEN ARE FINDING TWO, MAYBE THREE LOBSTERS IN EACH OF THEIR POTS. FOR TWO WEEKS NOW, I HAVE NOT FOUND ONE...^^^^^A

'

,

Finally, the lobster trap surfaced, and the FOUL SCENT OF THE FISH HEAD, PLACED WITHIN IT AS FISHERMAN'S BAIT,

SEARED THE

NOSTRILS...

EMPTY/ ALL EMPTY/ NOT ONE LOBSTER IN ART of my pots, if

The fisherman entereo his dingy SHACK AND SAT DOWN WEARILY...

W PERHAPS TOMORROW,

{TOMORROW

...

Sadly, the fisherman guided his inboard back to THE BEACH WHERE A WOMAN AND CHILD STOOD IN THE DOORWAY OF WIND-SCARRED A

ANY LUCK

The child began to POPPA ...SOB. I

SHACK, WAITING...

NOT A ONE, LUCY ! NOT ONE LOBSTER f I CANNOT jp-t UNDERSTAND IT. J

YELL, AMBROSE:

cry.

mW

£

'FISH/ the BUY

.

TOR

boy y'

perhaps

J

TOMORROW J YOUR LUCK A ) J WILL CHANCE,

needs MILK, LUCY.

LOBSTERS COULD HIM MILK.

AM HUNGRY.

TOMORROW ..WE

LOBSTERS bring/ AND YOUR POTS GOOD PRICE, jWill BE FULL,. BUT I CANNOT l AMBROSE.

AMBROSE-, j HAVE SAID THAT

a

TWO WEEKS :

^

CATCH THEMf MY POTS LIE

r

EMPTY/

T

'

A


\

THE SEA SHELL RESTAURANT WAS NOTED FOR ITS BROILED LOBSTER. PEOPLE CAME FROM MILES AROUND TO FEAST ON THE SUCCULENT WHITE MEAT DIPPED IN BUTTER SAUCE. CALVIN 'DUGAN DID ATHRIVING BUSINESS...

v,

:

—"

}.

THE LOBSTER was ESPECIALLY TtHANK YOU,

'

TASTY

ff

TODAY, MR. DUGAN,

After closing time that night, john, the chef, REMI NDED CALVIN...

>

^^wtrTeemHe louT^C x'liTrick some up . ON LOBSTERS,**. DUGAN. \ IN THE MORNING...*

V B

IF

WE HAVE A GOOD CROWD

L° N THE WAY IMP GOOD-

TOMORROW, WE LL RUN OUT' 1

night, john.

GOOD EVENING. COME

y.

MR. HINES.

I

AGAIN-

John nodded and left, calvin

After a while, Calvin left

LISTENED AS THE CAR MOTOR

THE RESTAURANT. HE LOCKED UP

He-MOVEO DOWN THE BEACH *0 WHERE A SEA SKIFF WAS MOORED.


F

F

Ambrose, the lobster fisherman,

Ambrose stopped

OF HIS DINGY SHACK. LUCY, HIS WIFE WITH SAD EYES... t

r COME TO BED, AMBROSE. [

YO U MUST GET UP EARLY.

Lf

I

A

A

J LUC

SEA SKIFF..OUT THERE.. in /T F

Ambrose was out of the DOOR OF HIS WEATHER BEATEN SHACK

OUT THERE\AMBROSEr. IN A FLASH^— \WAIT.'^ /^AMBROSE F I'LL GET COMEBACK.' 1 HIM, LUCY rLL G£T \

lobster POTS ARE ALWAYS EMPTY.

'

mffjg**.-

Suddenly calvin looked UP. SCARCELY ONE HUNDRED ANOTHER SEA SKIFF GLIDED TOWARD HIM YARDS AW* SILENTLY..

ITS THE LOBSTER FISHERMAN. HE MUST HAVE ROWED OUT. ‘ THATS WHY I DIDNT HEAR HIM OUT OF HERE ' > 1 VE GOT TO GET

f>

I

/

h/m

'

* ^9

WHAT /S IT, AMBROSE ?

Far OUT ON THE MOONLIT WAVES, CALVIN DUGAN LIFTED A LOBSTER POT INTO HIS SE AJ5KIFF -

.

/

THATS WHY my

SOMEONE IS STEALING J _ MY LOBSTERS. jnMR

.

THE NIGHT, so THAT'S

Ambrose pointed OUT TO SEA. ..OUT TO THE DISTANT TOSSING SWELLS... ^someone's

.

he listened, far away.ov, THE ROAR OF THE SURF POUNDING THE NEARBY BEACH, AMBROSE HEARD A SOUND- A DULL HUMMING SOUNDpacing

:

^M_

SETEH TECH ALREADY AND

I'VE

HALF

ONLY RAIDED

OF HIS TRAPS

'

Calvin struggled with his inboard, trying to start IT. THE OTHER SEA SKIFF PULLED ALONGSIDE . THE FISHERMAN IN IT GLARED AT HIM WITH BURNING EYES...

SO.' NO WONDER MR. DUGAN HASN’T BOTHERED TO STOF to SEE IF I HAVE ANY LOBSTERS TO

BY LATELY SELL. HE

KNEW

'


!

Ambrose snarled. PA\ fyou UGLY THIEF ^-JXl YOU HIDEOUS MONSTER!) TOU, MY CHILD HAS GONE WITHOUT MILK AND MEAT AND CLOTHES W BECAUSE OF YOUf

IN

'now', >

A

I WON'T TAKE j you YOUR MONEY/ IT'S Jr FORCE JAIL FOR YOU... .—7 ME TO DO/

?NOf

>

jail...

y

\„

THIS,

^

AMBROSE/

:

knife blade in calvin dugan's

The

GLINTED

Ambrose screamed.

<AMBROSI ( fLL PA

Ambrose's shriek echoed across the heaving water AS CALVIN PLUNGED THE KNIFE INTO HIS WRITHING B ODY

hand

THE MOONLIGHT.

AGAIN AND AGAIN...

x'llTave to KILL YOU,

AMBROSE... TO KEEP YOU

FROM TALKING ~

Then, calvin lashed Ambrose into his sea

skiff.

...And chopped a hole THE SEA WATER IN... f—?

in

the floorboards, letting^ .

M


-

Slowly, the boat, with Ambrose's SANK BELOW THE TOSSING •• OCEAN WAVES... f

Calvin started his inboard AND GUIDED HIS SEA SKIFF BACK

BODY,

—r

He'o started ROAD AT BREAKNECK SPEED

...WHEN

-CCURREO...

He

lay there, pinned, squirming,

LOADED THE BUTTERTUB WITH THE STOLEN LOBSTERS INTO HIS CAR

...AND

TO THE BEACH...

THE BLOW-OUT ;

TRUNK...

-"^7'

C^TST^P**-—-

As CALVIN'S LURCHING CAR SPUN OVER, THE STEERING WHEEL SHATTERED, RIPPING INTO HIS BODY.,. TEARING ... slashing...

-

his body almost split in two,

HEE, hYe.^ TH ATs

AS THE OVERTURNED CAR CAUGHT FIRE AND THE FLAMES LICKED AT HIM AND HE SCREAMED AND SHRIEKED AND WAS BROILED ALIVE...

STORY, kiddies'’

CALVIN ENDED UP like the LOBSTEPS -he’d BEEN STEALING. WHEN

-

I CAME UPON HIS BURNING CAR, HE was JUST ABOUT DONE. I WAS SO MAD. THERE WASN'T A DROP OF BUTTER SAUCE around.' and J TALKING ABOUT SAUCE YOU'D BUTTER hurry up and join THE \|

1

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HEH.HEH... ANO HEH< (JUST TO BE DIFFERENT.) CRAWL INTO THE CREEPY OLD CRUDDY CRYPT OF TERROR, TOUR MASTER OF CEMETERIES. -JJEADY TO^ is YOUR 6MOSTLY HOST, LE CRYPT-KEEPER. THRILL YOU, CHILL YOU, and KILL YOU with a SUMY SELECTION FROM my FIENDISH FILE OF FOUL FANCIES. READY WELL, HERE GOES WITH THE YOWL YARN I CALL fiends. THIS

. .

COMFORTABLE, philip? now let's RELAX AND ENJOY OUR CHESS 6AME.. just YOU AND I. AS WE'VE DONE THESE PAST TWENTY ODD YEARS. •

.

AHH... these QUIET EVENINGS TOGETHER, PHILIP. THEY'RE ALL we have LEFT. .

CUSPS 008608) VoM. No. 25. September «98. published quarterly in September. Oecember. Man* end June by Gemstone PiOHshing. #4 MO 65775-3532 Periodicals postage paid at West Plains. MO. Entire contents C 096 by WWam M. Gaines. Agent. Inc Tales From C S54 by 1C PubSshing Co, Inc, re e S79 by WWam M Gaines. Agent Inc A« rights reserved. Nothing herein contained may be reproduced permaswn of WWlam M. Games. New Ybrk, New York Annuel subscription rate *T) (*« outsde US payable in US funds) Printed m Canada Postmaster send address changes to Tales horn the Crypt. Gemstone. PO Bo> 469. West Plains, MO 65775-0469. Tales tram the Crypt

Court Square. West Plains.

The Crypt #41

without the Written


BEFORE HIMijaI

i

f

K

.

Doctor hobart placed the CHESSBOARO ON THE LOW TABLE

«

OTHERS might SCOFF, phiup, BUT I SAY OURS IS ONE OF LIFE'S RARITIES, a PERFECT A MEETING OF THE

f

.

The old doctor went on garrulously, ALWAYS THE MORE TALKATIVE OF THE TWO, HARDLY GIVING THE OTHER A CHANCE TO SPEAK. HIS VOICE DRIPPED ON... RICH WITH MELLOW MEMORIES. NOSTALGIC REMINISCENCE.. .

FRIENDSHIP

MINDS... A MENTAL MATINS FAR MORE LASTING mo REWARDINS THAN THAT OF MAN AND WIFE.

~

yes, Philip?

TJ LIKE YOU TOO,

' GOSH, ANDY' .

I LIKE YOU.J

PHIL. LETS BE

PALS FOR LIFE-

TWENTY

AND SEAL IT IN

YEARS OF THIS. REMEMBER HOW (TALL BEGAN, PHILIP? HOW, AS KIOS, OUR FAMILIES MOVED NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER? REMEMBER? j

BLOOD...

v

we

'Remember, phil? remember how

PWiniM HAS WAS A PACT or UtYUllUA ABLE TO TEAR APART IN ALL THESE YEARS? NOTHING L.'

inseparable WERE... I PLAYING TOGETHER. . .GOING PLACES TOGETHERFIGHTING TOGETHER.. .TWO OF U8 AGAINST THE WORLD?../

IT

|j I

r OKAY' OKNT I

I

e/VE

UPT

PROMISE f

OWWWWW...A

'ReMEMBER.PHILIP? WE WERE A MODERN OAHON AND PYTHIAS. ANO AS WE 6REW OUT OF BOYHOOD, WE BECAME EVEN CLOSER. IF A NYTH IN6. REMEMBER.IN HIGH SCHOOL, MOW EVEN THE PRETTIEST GIRLS FAILEO TO PULL US APART?...' im l

SORRY, JOAN f PHIL AND / ARE GOING TO THE MOVIES

OURSELVES tonight. TOGETHER /

M

.

i won't ASK you AGAIi ANDREW HOBART? YOU'RE-

YOU'RE NOT

HUMAN

.

|

'None of the girls UNDERSTOOD, phil. tmcouli THEIR CHEAP THRILLS OF DATING AND PETTING WERE SAWDUST TO THE PLATONIC ECSTASY OF OUR ~~ =

1

EMBRACING MINOS— |

7

I’VE DECIDED ON MEDICINE, PHIL? WHY DON'T YOU STUOY

V

v

IT1T/WME?

SORRY, ANDY: [

l

ELECTRONICS

MY MEAT?


?

.

'COLLEGE' THE SAME COLLEGE, OF COURSE. NATURALLY, WE COULD NOT BE EXACTLY ALIKE IN ALL THINGS. J PROBED LIVING MECHANISMS AND TOO PROBED COLD LIFELESS ONES. BUT EVEN HERE, WE FOUND COMMON BROUNP-J^

*BER WOW WE WORKED TOGETHER ON YOUR THEORY. TX CRAZY MACHINE WE BUILT. REMEMBER THAT ...HOW WE KEPT IT ALIVE IN THE BRINE WATER... LISTEN. ANOYf’

T

/ irSA WELL KNOWN FACT I WAS JUST THAT THE BRAIN EMITS ELEC' / WONDER/NS, ANOY. TRONIC IMPULSES, PHIL. SUPPOSE WE COULD < WHY DO YOU ASK CAPTURE THOSE IMPULSES AND REPRODUCE them AUDIBLE

.

LISTEN'

rr

1

WORKS, PMiL?/r

V WORKS'

^

I

SOUNDS ..ELECTRONICALLY.

TOGETHER. REMEMBER MOW WE FOUND THOSE TWO OFFICES SIOE BY SIDE? HUNG M.D. SHINGLE I

OUT MY

AND

YOU HUNG OUT TOUR ELECTRONIC ENS/NEERS SIGN../

^

Doctor anorew hobart stuoied THE CHESSBOARD BEFORE HIM AS IF ME WERE CONTEMPLATING THE MOVE HE'D HAD IN MIND WHEN THEY'O LEFT OFF THE PREVIOUS NIGHT... fj

=

=

WE BOTH MADE OUR MARKS, PHIL? YOU IN ELECTRONIC PATENTS. ..Z m SURGERY AND ALWAYS, from THOSE FIRST TEARS, LIKE NOW, WE SPENT EVERY EVENING TOGETHER. OUR FRIENDSHIP CEMENTING ITSELF FIRMER EACH TEAR. REMEMBER? .

‘AnO THEN CAME THOSE AWFUL WEEKS. I STILL SMUDOER AT THE MEMORY. PHILIP. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I FELT IT. EVERY EVENING YOU GREW

MAKE /T TOMORROW T SURE, Phil' f LGAN’T NIGHT, ANOY.' SOMETHING A I UNDERSTAND

M

CAME UP/

"1

'YOU STOPPED COMING. FIRST YOU SKIPPED ONE DATA WEEK. THEN TWO. THEN YOU HARDLY CAME AT ALL. I HAD TO KNOW WHY-' '

WHAT'S

WRONG, PHIL?

I

CAN^ 'how

FEEL SOMETHING STANDING

BETWEEN US' WHAT IS

V

TELL ME.'

I

IT?

MUST KNOW '

r. * .

WjNT'lh

can I TELL you,andy?x..j:...i ISN’T .

EASY.'


/

'

f MA*Rrrt*n PHIL? OUR™

'YOUR HE3ITATK>N-.Y0UR AVERTED EYES. A COLD CHILL SHIPPED ME ANO I STEELED MYSELF FOR THE SHOCK OF WHAT I COULD ALMOST GUESS..

f

' \

~f

1

OUR FR/END -

« .y

fM-I'MIN

NO, PHIL-

LOV£,AWv'

HER NAME

|

PLEASE, AHOY. DON’T MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A DOS' AFTER ALL, I AM SETTING ALONG IN YEARS? I'M ALMOST THIRTY? IT'S NORMAL FOR A MAN MY A6E TO WANT * A WIFE A HOME KIDS' AND OUR FRIENDSHIP ISN'T BREAKING UP. YOU'LL LIKE JONDRA. AND-

ALL THESE YEARS. YOU’LL BE BREAK

PRETTY?

*

NO, PHIL ? WON’T BE THE SAME WITH YOU

'Remember how

i pleaoeo with you, Philip... AR6UED -. RAVED... STORMEO GROVELED ON BENOED •— KNEES?./ l^. .

'

IT

.

v V

SHIP.. .AFTER

JONDRA? HERE. ..HERE'S HER PICTURE? ISN’T SHE 2 IS

L

f

do

it?

LISTEN i

|

MARRIED YOU CANT/ TO

N

i

ME.../

YOU TURNED A STONEY HEART

TO YOUR OLD FRIEND, ANO THEN, ONE DAY, YOU BROUGHT JONDRA TO MEET ME. SHE WAS LOVELY, ALL RIGHT- ON THE OUTW/TN/N...

YOUR FIANCEE

PHILIP.

X

EKASSER?- J PH/LLY? SMART? AW, IT IS J 6 'WON? HE’S SIS AN' HAMDIS THE t f SOME AN'.. .AND HE CAN PLAY A / MEAN SAME OF TENNIS, BUT SMART f REALLY? VER KIDOW ? t l PNtLLY? YOU SMART? A.

ATES, JONORA?

PHILIP WHO

SIDEf BUT A MENTAL VACUUM

SMARTER OF the .

TWO OF

US?

^4

<


AW THEN I SAT ALONE, PHILIP. MESS FOR YOU,

PHILIP...MISERY

FOR ME. I WAS YOUR SOB... THAT BIRL/ THAT. .JOB... FELINE/ ALL SHE WANTS OF MM A PLAYMATE KUO a LOVER. HIS PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES. WHILE HIS FINE MIND OOXOXO . WASTE/ IS

.

.

.

^

BEST MAM,

OF COURSE, BUT NO LONGER YOUR BEST E/f/EMD. .CLOSEST COMPANION../ fi .

S' LON®,

AMOY?

Those bitter lonely hours, philip... dragging BY. EACH AN ETERNITY. UNTIL I COULD STAND IT NO MOPE. I WAS BEADY to TAKE MY LIFE, PHILIP... READY TO SUT MY THROAT WITH ONE OF my OWN RAZOR-SHARP SCALPELS, WHEN / .

.

. .

.

two years tracking down the answerTHEN X FOU ND IX AND MY CHA NCE CAME WHEN YOU CAL '...Spent

LOBOTOMIES HAVE CUTAWAY WHOLE PORTIONS Of THE BRAIN THAT WERE DISEASED. ..ROTTED... TUMORED. THE PART OF THE BRAIN that was LEFT CONTINUED TO .

CARRY ON THE BODY PROCESSES..

i

WHAT? oh,I’m SORRY to HEAR that, phil?

NOT going WITH HER?

V

i'll

you're

then why not come HERE

AND SPEND THE TWO WEEKS WITH

EXPECT yol^then?

ME ?

6000/

6000-BYE...

A


^/

*

/

.

HOW YOU TURNED ON

T I... I

YOUR HOVE.

ANDY/ HEH, HEH. JUST LIKE OLD TINES, EH?

SEE THE SIGNS, PHILf MARRIAGE

\ '

POOR LOYAL

ARE YOU HAD, ANOY? WHERE 010 YOU SET SUCH A CRAZY IDEA? I LOVE HER-.EVEN IF SHE ISN'T 90 BRILLIANT: SHE'S FUN.Ntmf I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY... .

/jYOUR

PALLING OH YOU< JON ORA SICKENS I A. YOU. DOESN’T 1

(

PHILIP YOU DON’T WANT TO HURT HER, DIO YOU? YOU MOnY WANT to CAST HER ASIDE LIKE THE

TRASH

WAS

SHE

FOR

WAST/HS YOUR LIFE SUFFOCATING YOUR WONDERFUL HIND IN

DREARY

TRIVIALITIES, well, YOU OIDN'T FOOL HE, PHILIP. I PITIED YOU, FROM THE BOTTOH

OF HY HEART

\t

.

SHE...?

’And

i save

you warning, as

ANOTHER...' r

^

1 \

ONE friend

to

I

SUBJECT

OH, YES.' COME I'VE SET UP A

MB//!/

ALONGf \ WHY, YOU'VE GOT A GREAT DEAL > LA BORA- OF ELECTRONIC EQU/PHENT .

^

f

HY RACKET.

.

.

f

NO NEED

TO GET ANGRY/ THE

V SUBJECT ^ /J

IS

CLOSED'

)

A

Milk.

SO

STUBBORNf

^

YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT SOME EXPER/HENTS YOU'VE BEEN D0IN6, ANDY' y

OR...

WRY IN THE CELLAR. J DOWN HERE,ANDY DON'T tell THIS WAY. ME YOU'RE HORNING IN ON .

^

/ ALL RISNT, PHILIP (

\

.

V

'Too BAD. PHILIP' TOO BAD YOU WERE F I D ONL Y CONVINCED YOU-..'

I

IT, IF YOU KEEP UP WITH THAT WOMAN. \ DRAG YOU DOWN to HER )aNDY< THAT'S HORON/C DEPTHS. YOU WILL BE / ENOUGH/ EITHER WE DEGRADING YOURSELF DROP THE

LET HER

,

^

I’VE BEEN WORKING ON THEORIES RELATING TO BRAIN SURGERY, RECENTLY. IN FACT... I'M ABOUT READY TO PERFORM MY FIRST SEVENTY>

"^NO, PHILIP f

FIVE PERCENT LDBOTOHY

,


f

'

OH, BLASTf I FORBOTf IT'S THURSDAY f TMETRE HERE EON THEIR WEEKLY ^

,

GOING

i'll be BACK in as SOON AS THEY'VE 6ONE. PHILIP? THEN WE CAN

AH— RHILIRf \ JONOffA f CONE IN... CONE IN- 1

0ANCIN6

W

YEAH... 1 MEAN. ' NO, ANDY > *

/

Nt-CANTf

CONTINUE OUR SANE

VIS IT

AGAIN,

PHILIP? AN EN'T YOU SETTING A LITTLE OLD PON THAT?

WELL, WE REALLY MUST BE GOING f COME ALONG, PHILIP?

"HUH ? OH, YEAH? BYE, ANDY? SEE YOU... A .

Doctor hobart led them to the front door, :

YOU KNOW, PHILIP, I DON'T THINK JONDRA NOTICED THE LEAST DIFFERENCE WHEN SHE CANE THAT VISIT TO HER FANIL Y TWENTY YEARS ASO. SHE STILL HAS THE THINGS SHE HUNTS OF HER HUSBAND. THE PHYSICAL TH/NSS . SHE'S PERFECTLY SATISFIED WITH YOUR BODY, AND

HONE FROM

...


f .AMD TWENTY-FIVE PER-

CENT of YOUR BRAIN, and I VE sot THE REAL YOU, PHI LIP... THE IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR BRAIN. .YOUR

The brain floated lazily JAR OF AMBER LIQUIO., .

.

CREA T/VE ARTISTIC PART.

in

the

AND SO THE YEARS STRETCH ^ HAPPILY AHEAD OF US, PHILIP 1 YOU AND I TO 6ETHER TILL DEATH... IN MENTAL COMPANION-

*

. .

.

SHIP,

w

^

Doctor hobart flipped on the VOICE AMPLIFIER SWITCH FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT EVENING ... AND TUNED THE VOLUME-

ALL R/6HT, r OH, 60Of WHY / DID YOU DO IT? 00 AHEAD ' \ WHY? 1 LOVED RANT AND ) HER/ I WAS HAPPY RAVEf J WITH HER 'WHY OION*T

PHILIP?

.

YOU BELIEVE ME?

Doctor hobart shook

his head, smiling

AT THE BRAIN SUSPENDED OH, DON'T BE A

IN

warmly

THE BUBBLING LIOUIO-

FOOL, PHILIP / WHY MUST

WE

^

YOU WOULD HAVE LOST YOUR MIND/

IT'S

WHY,

IF

YOU WHO LOST YOUR YOU/ you're

MIND, ANDREW /

MAD/ MAO' AND, OH

LORD,

LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO ME/

ALWAYS 60 THR0U6H THIS. ..EVERY N16HT... BEFORE WE CAN SETTLE DOWN TO A NICE QUIET EVENIN6/T I DID THIS FOR YOUR OWN 6000 X RESCUED YOU FROM THAT NITWIT FEMALE. YOU HAO GONE ON L/V/N6 WITH HER FOR THE PAST TWENTY YEARS...

Doctor hobart reacheo for the voice amplifier switch. the brain SEEMEO TO TWIST SLIGHTLY AS IT MUST i TURN YOU OFF, Philip, OR will you BE 6000 SO WE CAN GO ON

HEH,

HEH i WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT A

WEDD/N6 OF MINDS?

CERTAINLY

SOUNOS LIKE THE MAD DOCTOR AND HIS BOTTLED BRAJNkHZ MARRIED. LISTEN TO THEM AR6UE ABOUT WHO 6CES FIRST AND YOU'LL ARGUE ABOUT WHO GOES FIRST... TO JOIN

THE

E.C. FANADDICTS ... THAT IS... WHEN YOU SEE THE STUFF YOU CAN GET, LIKE

BACK ISSUES WHEN YOU WRITE US FOR ORDERING INFO. NOW, THE

VAULT- KEEPER


.

NOW THAT C.K.HAS CHILLED YOUR BLOOD WITH HIS CRYPT CAPE*. IT'S TIME FOR METOFNEEZ, irs YOUR HOST IN THE VAULT OF HORROR, THE VAULT-KEEPEP. READY TO ENTEPTA/H YOU WITH A TO AN INSA HE ASYLUM I CALL THIS MAD (PLUG' I YARN- THIS TALE OF PAM/C (DITTO?) IN THE BOOBY-

HEH.HEHf ANO

f

tTP YEP, VISIT

HATCH.

COME BACK

LITTLE

LINDAS

The old man sat

in the damp darkness of his subterRANEAN ASYLUM CELL, SOBBING OUIETLY. HE SAT WITH WI0E STARING EYES ANO CLENCHEO FISTS AMID THE FOUL ODOR OF DECAY ANO ROT AND UNREMOVED HUMAN E XCREMENTS . ANO HE

LINDA' LINDA f COME TO ME, LINDA.

BACK

Doctor Morgan ullman, the director of the COUNTY INSANE ASYLUM, MOVEO SLOWLY THROUGH THE DARK DIM PASSAGEWAY UNED ON EITHER SIDE WITH ANCIENT OAKEN DUNGEON DOORS. ANO THERE WAS A FAINT SMILE ON HIS HARO COLD FACE. HIS ASSISTANT. ERIC HAGEN. FOLLOWED CLOSE BEHIND... IT

WAS A STROKE OF GEN/US, THESE

r

ERIC, MAKING USE OF

I

OLO DUNGEON CELLS. DID I EVER THANK YOU FOR GIVING

THE AfOHEY YOU PAY ME \S THANKS ENOUGH, DOCTOR

ULLMANf


The doctor inserted the key mto THE LOCK AND TWI8TE0. THE BOLT SNAPPED OPEN. THE DOCTOR

The ooctor shook the olo man. the olo man

The doctor inhaled the nauseating odor of the


They slammed the cell door SHUT AND MOVED BACK UP THE CORRIDOR. PERHAPS YOU'RE N/6HZ) I*LL HAVE ERIC f A DEAD INMATEJ THE MORE MEANS WE LOSE HIS r- NATIONAL AMO WE \/NMA7ES

ALLOTMENT

DON'T WANT THAT

/

DO THE

CLEANING,

OOCTOR. IT’LL

SAVE HAVIN6 TO HIRE

Far below the bleak grey insane asylum, down IN THE VALLEY, LIGHTS BLINKEO ON AS TWILIGHT TURNED TO NIGHT. THE PEOPLE IN THEIR CLEAN WHITE HOUSES SAT AT CLEAN WHITE TABLES AND ATE FROM CLEAN WHITE DISHES AND NEVER DREAMED


f YES? WE WOULDN'T 1 HAVE ANY TROUBLE IF THEY WERE ALL

OH, I

HARMLESS

THIS

AS

L /NBA f LINDA ,.7> IF THEY COME TO ME 1 ./WERE ONLY

WgfALL r

AND AS HELPLESS

S

y

ALMOST FORGOT.'

WHAT /

CAME

IT,

DOC? YOU'RE WHITE AS A

FOR YOU TODAY'

6HOST.'

LIKE

A CHILL CRAWLED UP DOCTOR ULLMANS

SPINE.

STATE BOARD DISCOVERED WHAT WAS GOING ON ASYLUM. HE ANO ERIC WOULD BE THROWN INTO

IN

.

FROM THE

\

THE THE 1

DOCTOR ULLMAN*

r ALL

RIGHT. LET'S

THERE'S

INTO THE PASSAGEWAY, ANO MARCHED UP INTO THE WARDS THAT HAD LAIN OESERTED AND EMPTY FOR TWO YEARS...

60 ^

UPSTAIRS' ON THE DOUBLE.'

DOf

WTmON OLOMANf .

'

BET MOVING.'.

WORN TO

A

OUT OF YOUR A CELL.' OUT.

Doctor ullman swung the heavy leather OUT AT THE OLD MAN...

UPSTAIRS I SAID* UPSTAIRS' U ,

NO.' NOf LINDA WlLLl . I DON'T WANT TO MISS HER* A LINDA...

IT'S

STATE BOARD OF HOSPITALS. ARRIVING

IF

Y-YES,

BE COMING

/

JAIL...

'

The INMATES WERE HERDED

•/

'THEY'RE

TOMORROW.-FOR an INSPECTION TOUR...

r. yr/^WHIM.EH.DOC^

<

]\

rNO< NO.'

whip...lashin6

I WANT MY LINDA /I WANT

.


Doctor ullman turned to the OTHER INMATES. HE BRANDISHED THE

ONE WORD.. ONE HINT FROM ANY OF TOO THAT YOU'VE BEEN MISTREATED IN THE SU6HTEST .

DEGREE- AND YOU'LL RE6RET/T..

in fear and terror, there was IN THEIR EYES. EACH ONE OF THEM KNEW THAT THE DOCTOR MEANT BUSINESS. THERE WOULD BE NO SLIPS OF THE TONGUE FROM ANY OF THEM.

The inmates cowered

UNDERSTANDS

.

.

X WANT MY L INDAS) (SHUT URT\ LEAVE X WANT

MY..

.

HIM

4 UpU OLD FOOL^_££ERtC.

Ad'


They noted the tempt ins odors drifting FROM THE KITCHEN. ..THE GLEAMING

MASS OF THE

BEOS ...THE IMMACULATE CONDITION OF THE WARDS...

FROM

They went from beo to bed-talking to the INQUIRING...

inmates.


-

.

T HE BOARD MEMBERS PEERED INTO THE CELL WHERE THE OLD MAN SAT COOING HAPPILY. THEY SNIFFED. THEY SAW THE TELL-TALE SIGNS... SMELLED THE TELL-TALE ODORSTHIS CELL WAS

USED

ONLY FOR A

DAY OR SO?

WHEN HE GOT VIOLENT 'J

Nw

I SWEAR

Behind them, the other inmates were coming down THE STONE STEPS, MARCHIN6 ALONG THE PASSAGEWAY, FILING INTO THEIR RESPECTIVE DUNGEON CELLS

fYOU'RE LY/NS, ULLMAN? THEY'VE ALL LIVED HERE FOR YEARS NOT DAYS ' STRONG ATTACH ..

MENTS AREN'T MADE in OAYS..J

WHAT WITH ST. THE TURN YOU BACK TO WHO'S GOT A CIRCUS YARN to PITCH IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO KNOW

NIGHTMARES ARE

IN

STORE FOR

YOU- IF YOtfD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO DIE OR


have two jUlion comics and a fan IN you) I’m a lucky dog!

I

am a very gutlove your comics and your taste of words love CRYPT #13. busting fan of your comics. For Horror!'. People should not let little kids “Grounds. work because just drives them crazy. They seem to! make up stories of who really did their killing.

-CK

I

.

I

_

To

^he Crypt-Keepers Comer.

.

it

Keep

printing your stories.

You have a very horror-hunger my address and zip

dub out here. It's o k. to print code. I’m dying for a gut-bustin' pal.

fan

Orlando Garcia

1729

W Superior ST

I

-CK

truss?

Hi!

It's

need

Shawn again. have almost all your comics. All 6 more. Anyway, how are you? wanted to ask you WHY is your show not on anymore? am very I

is

I

issue #24: 'Food for Thought" It

is

Marta

in

page

7 panel

7.

who

is

the other 47 panels

The caption on panel 6 page 4 of the story "Pearty to Dead" reads: "TheV both fallen in love with her. Who missed the "D" key on the typewriter? ."

.

quite a coincidence that in 1954

Titanic'

in

the

intro

to

the

because

in

1998

that

word

is

In

Dear Crypt-Keeper. 1

.

Martha?

It's

Chicago. IL 60622

May suggest a

Re

story

the

CK

used the word Schooner*;

"Prairie

talk of

the land.

"Half-Baked!* The Old Witch says that

membership

in

the EC FanAddict Club is limited to 250.000.000 people. Thats almost the entire population of the United States, thats a lot of Addicts!! It's a nationwide epidemic!!

I

something.

I

Kensington,

David Dellario

CT

disappointed. Let’s slip

My

brother threw a party when he heard you weren't on anymore, and got a huge poster of the H BO version of You’re the last thing see before go to bed! Well. I I

you

I

I

gotta go. .

you into a buried box and check YOUR enunciThe 'Titanic’ disaster was common

ation, David-baby!

in the popular mind lor the first B5 years. Imagour reprint of WEIRD SCIENCE 6 had appeared in

enough ine

if

-CK

the last six months!

Shawn Van

Philadelphia,

Elsis

PA

DearCK This

your late brother

Is

(I

-CK

promise).

Dear Crypt-Keeper, It

ts to

dining

the .,

savor,

on

each issue of your eerie oeuvre. Before #24, realized it represented 3 1/3% of

this one,

1

entirety.

On page

5 of "Food for Thought" there is an invisible robe Marta slips on. Perhaps it’s the emperor's new robe? Ya know, at the turn ol page 7. figured Marta was targeted for the final twist instead ol Cad. that

1

,

In "Pearly to

Dead",

I

guess Larry

finally

had

Bob Gorby

his

fill

of Phil.

Camarillo,

CA

"Undertaking Palor", #24, seems to touch on a lot of taboo subjects for a 50s comic; death and its consequences in the form of the mortuary, murder of innocents by an

unscrupulous druggist in collusion with the mortician, a child's loss of a parent and the subsequent revenging by a group of kids on the evil grown-ups (defying authority in the process) and, finally, violent assault and murder in a graveyard. The kids witnessing the graveyard murder is straight out of HUCKLEBERRY RNN. Quite an intricate plot for a 'lowly* comic book)

How original (and typical) of EC to have a story narrated by a grave (The Craving Grave!*)! This is one of the traits EC above all others in its day, and continues to 40

that put

years thence!

Dear Crypt-Keeper. I

EC's retelling resucit.

have two dozen comics and a toy of you.

.

of

"The

Anchorage,

AK

Sleeping Beauty!" resudt.

revives a tired old fairy tale with

a Transylvanian twist.

Jess Lovelace

snappy lingo and


Dear Crypt-Keeper,

Dear Crypt-Keeper, >s

from the Crypt" 24 was great. Here's

my

rt

It's

(

me, Monsterman. again.

I

just read

your

latest ish,

#23,

yesterday.

I I

The cover: Jack Davis does what Jack Davis does best, he impresses EC fans, and often even sells comics to fans of non-EC comics and people who watch the TV show. The

'

greatest of the

are pathetic, though.

fish

"Food

for Thought": This story

comic

this

is

TV episode, which has

than the

story.

The next three

good, and

pretty

very, very

little

stories are

is

to

..

is

like

how George Evans

line

and shadow.

I

a great story with great artwork.

carefully

really like

are clearing the way for the

and

LOVE the panel where

I

his stones with fine

drew

the part

I

when PhH and

US Navy

to

Larry

blow up Japan,

Larry sees Phil's rotted lace

through the porthole, because

it's

very creepy. Great

EC artists.

"The Craving Grave!" was good, but K just felt like a remake of that one about the trunk. Besides, that thing about earth wombs' was way too necrophilicish.

better

do with

about the

all

ocean, or at least have something to do the ocean. "Pearly to Dead": This

"Undertaking Palor" was great, up to the nice little poetic Stilt more proof that Jack Davis was the justice at the end.

Your version of "Sleeping Beauty!" was funny, particularly the character of 'Melvin?!'. look forward to see how they I

do

it

on your show.

‘Shadow

of a Doubt" was too good a story for that old bat, The Old Witch. Who'da thunk that a shadow could kilt That's something to try on those dog days of summer.

someone?

address unknown

Monsterman

story!

Schooner": This is not a bad story, but donl like art. It's boring and ugly. If an artist with like Jack Davis, Johnny Craig, Graham Ingels, George Evans or Jack Kamen illustrated this story it would have been much better. "Prairie

I

Bernie Kringstein's style,

Er, you mean “Shadow of Death", no doubt DONT try it during a solar edipse! Only the late Jack Benny could do complete justice to the 'Melvin?!' line (but that shouldn't be a problem for me, should it?). -CK

"Half-Baked": The creepy ocean thing is wearing off a little bit and yet this still manages to be the best story in the book! The ocean scenes are great. Graham Ingels is a wonderful artist.

Too bad he never drew you or The Vault-Keeper. Jack Davis, usually the artist who's supposed to draw you, has drawn The Vault-Keeper and The Old Witch before; Johnny Craig, who’s mostly known for drawing The VaultKeeper, has drawn (and painted) you and The Old Witch before; but Graham Ingels, who's known for making the stupid, annoying character some p>eople call The Old Witch worth looking at has never drawn you or The Vault-

How sad! You and The Vault-Keeper are much much more original characters than The Old Witch, and hate the title of her comic. A "Crypt of Terror" makes Keeper.

Also Available this month are PANIC and PIRACY *71 Watch lor VAULT, TWO-FISTED and VALOR neit month II Don't lorgel HAUNT, FRONTLINE COMBAT and CRIME. Gal them al your local comic book shop or

SUBSCRIBE

(sea our

ad

In this

comic lor

details)!

BACK ISSUES: CRYPT II, sold out; FRONT

11-4.

S3 each; PANIC 11-4.

$3.50 each; al others up thru Issue S3, $1.50 each; CRYPT 14-16, and VAULT. 2 FIST, HAUNT and CRIME S4-15, S3 each. All others, $250 each (Latest Issues: CRYPT Is up to *25. VAULT. 2FIST. HAUNT and CRIME are up to 24, FRONT to 13, PANIC to 7 and PIRACY to 7.1.

better, I

sense, a Fear" doesn't.

"Vault of Horror"

A

"haunt"

is

makes sense, but a "Haunt of not a type of creepy place.

1) Who's version of you is the most accurate, Al Feldstein, Jack Davis, Johnny Craig, Jack Kamen, the Amicus film or Kevin Yager, who created the TV version of you? 2) Are you related to The Vault-Keeper at all. even distantly? 3) Who is the oldest GhouLunatic? PLEASE

Questions:

ANSWER

THESE

QUESTIONS

SERIOUSLY

Don't forget: Ihe completed run of WEIRD SCIENCE-FANTASY/1NCREDIBLE SCIENCE FICTION, al II Issue*. SI-3 am $1.50 each, S4-11, S3 each; the completed run of SHOCK SUSPENSTORIES. all 18 Issues. II3 are $1.50 aach. S4-I6 are $2.00 each and Sf7-1B are $2.50 each; the com plated run of WEIRD SCIENCE, a* 23 Issue*. 11-3 am $150 each, 14-16 am $2-00 each and 117-23 am $350 aach; and the completed run of WEIRD FANTASY, al 22 issues. (1-3 am $150 each. S4-15 am $2.00 aach and (16-23 am $250 aach.

Add $5 par order ($10 outside US]

GEMSTONE POB469 WEST PLAINS MO 65775

CA

dip the entire mailorder staff In liquid Mylar twice

when we spray them

COVER a

FROM THE CRYPT “#41"

'

(#25,

"Mess W.

Only Jack Davis captured the pure physical power and athletic grace that is me! -CK

54)

Jack Davis

George Evans

Back, Little Linda!" "Current Attraction" I

APR/MAY

by Jack Davis

"Operation Friendship"

"Come

for ticks.

you were a habitue of The Old Witch's haunts, as unwillingly am, you'd agree they’re mighty creepy! It

THIS COMIC REPRINTS

TALES

says “Phil floating past the porthole?"

We

S4H

CRYPT Encinitas,

Did you know if you play Lennon saying, “Charlie and The Deafheads" from the LET fT BE album backwards he

year,

lor

AND

HONESTLY!!!!!

Zeke Stem

Jack

.,|.|.u

Kamen

Graham

Call" JJJ

,

L-XiliK.ilu.

liUlWII

Inaels


.

.

KNOWLEGE chow ended

Morphee's War, Morphee Brown. Morphee Bed, Mrs. Morphea’s Chowder, all must bow to.

eight

Morphee's Law

the Plutonian KOLLEGE OF PLUTONIC with the retirement of bandleader Cy Cesium, his entourage dispersed to the comers of the solar system to start solo careers. luck, we got Ishl N does explain much about the

When

Our

career of Jerry Lewis, however. Showbix tidbit from Frank ‘Fracture the People’ Mattson, Spring City, PA, to start

THE CRYPT-KEEPER’S PAGE

OF.

.

FINE ARTS .sb.

.

Mood

like

the weather,

sultry,

seeking.

Spies rumored vampire, strolls on. peeking. Scent of a victim, wafting fine Beckons this Dark One, keen to dine.

‘Some say you're evil,' comes her greeting. ‘People will say things,' her eyes meeting. Foundering in eyes hypnogogic. She falls to charms more than hypnotic. Buries his canines, glisfning. keen;

Sups from her Jug'lar, feast unseen. Vamp-eyes like onyx, grasping, glowing; Blood of the

victim, ebbing, flowing,

Touch of the vampire, rite unholy; A kiss for the living who's Death to the maiden, now undead; Bridge of a monster with earthy bed.

Here's a switch; go into the crypt to tail them, Brian Shea, Waltham, MA comes out of the grave to read them. Is there any way to cut out the middleman (you can use I

-CK

my axel)? Send your con tribe big,

legible

Warning-wo

(not returnable, not too long, not too

doublespaced

text

A/or bold black art

Shudd'ring transition, m eta morph ic. Resur-un-rection. grave-euphoric "Well come,' he says, *to

my

Necrology"

But she proves to be a prodigy.

She grabs

his cloak, gives him a smack. Bares his neck and bites him back

As

I

recover from surgery, here's a candidate for the Fine

Arts Page. Please print address.

adit) to:

THE CRYPT-KEEPER'S

PAGE OF FINE ARTS

R.C. Gorby, 2/27/98

0153 Sunny LN Camarillo,

CA

93012


/

CAL L THIS ELECTRIFYING

Jeam had been ten when her mother had mistimed HER DOUBLE FORWARD SUMMERSAULT AND INC DOWN TO THE Blfl TOP FLOOR. .. LEAVINB JEAN AN ORPHAN AND RUFE A WIDOWER. YEARS ABO.

.

.

f

THAT'S IT, HONEY' THAT'S ITT

REMEMBER.' TUCK.' TUCK


Jean sobbed as she climbed down from the net and REACHED FOR THE CAPE HER FATHER HELD OUT FOR HER...

ir#...irs

I'LL _ I'LL NEVER BE ANY GOOD, DADDY f NEVER/ SOB ? WHY DON'T WE 6/VE UP*/

all A/Mr,

tfONEY? RELAX RELAX mtYHENYOU H/T' _)/

J

YOU'LL 00 IT, HONEY? YOU'LL SEE/ YOU'LL j

BE A

STAR SOMEDAY '.-^A

k PLEASTHAT MAY? j TH/S IS . URE TO DADDY.' MEET TtC WHY, WHEN T YOUR )EVERYBODY, FATHER MOTHER)cALLsmt ( OF SUCH A 'RUFE*f — CHARM AND ME 1

MAN CAME STRIDING ACROSS THE 1

6 ROUNDS, GRINNING BROADLY.

,

.

.

\

YOU SO.' I SEE YOU I'U. HAVE BEEN PRAC-J NEVER) BE J/3/M6, LOVELY T BE ANY )6RL ;ONE? THAT IS —/ 0000, <SOI r-r 6000 j->f ENRICO?) DA [

OH DADDY/ ENRICO, AND MY EYE ARE ALL Rl

IT'S

W

YOU'RE

NEW

AROUNO HERE, AREN'T YOU? WHAT'S

YOUR

ACTS

1

'

m

ENRICO

IS

kSTAR DADDY? )

HE USUALLY GETS TOP B/LL/N6/ HE JUST JO/HED OUR CIRCUS

YES TERDAT A KNIFE-

HE'S

J < )

S

THROWERf

)

I

ALSO

THROW THE

MACHETE AND the CLEAVER.

1 WILL SEE YOU LATER. THEN ...AS WE PLANMED.

a

AU REVOIR..

e/RL,

MR...ER...

I

1

I

I

I

\

STARTED...

RUFE?.


f

'

HE'S «

VERY

SWEET, DADDY.

AND VERY MISUNDERSTOOD HIS ft WIFE.

f

\

Old rufe and his daughter WALKED ON IN SILENCE UNTIL THEY CAME TO THEIR TRAILER. THEN,.

MOT HAVE DON'T BE SILLY MY DAUGHTER jI) DADDY f WE'RE 80/N6 OUT JUST FRIENDS'

I'LL

W/FEff HE'S

HIS

^0 r

1

OH, YES/ HIS

MARRIED?* y WIFE is his PARTNER in the act' she STANDS UP

I

WITH A MAMHIED MAM/

M0TH/M6 MORE! he's VERY UM-

/

,

HAPPY'

r

Iw7 AGAINST A boardan °

I

a

he...

THAT'S JUST IT, DADDY i X AND YOU MEAN THEY DON'T GET ALONG! TO TELL ME J SHE LETS HIM HE'S NOT IN LOVE X, WITH HER ANY LONGER. STAND THERE BUT SHE REFUSES TO A NO THROW GIVE HIM A DIVORCE KNIVES AT [

BRAVO.'\

6REAT*1'TERRIFIC') 6000 7 ISN*T HE I'D HATE TO WMTLORD.'}WONDER-]d E his WIFE |

pV FUL, DADDY? AND HAVE Rramra FT HIM sore L V at me/ one P^r J

i

lU

1

\

"

ISN'T

SHE

HORRIBLE *

ENRICO IS A NERVOUS WRECK HE DOESN'T WANT

r\ sup. *

HER'?

wj


I'M SORRY, DADDY? I CAN'Tjust TURN MY

HEART OFF LIKE RAD/Of WHEN IT

\

/

ARM

AVOIO

LETT/MS IT

J

He could see them in the moonlight., meeting AND WALKING OFF.

YOU CAN

I

A r- '

HAPPENS, IT HAPPENS.' AND \ YOU CAN'T DO \

HAPPEN

IT'S

^

IT'S

ALREADY HAPPENED'

-

,r!

this

.

.

f

CANNOT 60 ON/ r

INSANE/ 1

iOT TO him., I'VE

ARM ...HIS DAUGHTER, AND

r MOf

NO, JEAN?

WP

I

^

WON'T

LET YOU RUIN TOUR LIFE? I'VE WORRIED TOO LONS ANO

1

TOO HARD WITH YOU TO LET YOU THROW IT AWAYf

That night, old rufus tried to wait up for his DAUGHTER TO COME HOME. HE REMENBEREO THECLOCK HANDS POINTING TO THREE BEFORE HE OOZED OFF AND WHEN HE AWOKE, IT WAS MORNIN6, AND JEAN WAS SLEEPING SOUNDLY.

^

LOOK FOR t ,T

AttyrmwADOUT

IN

ENRICO.,

TOO LATE.

DADDY?

f

YOU DON'T

HAVE TO

T

talk

! -

Jg

1 I

Rufe dressed angrily and hurrieo across the 'THE CIRCUS GROUNOS to the trailer MARKEO

SREAT ENRICO he hammered on the door YEAH? WHAT DO YOUR... YOUR HUSBAND. 7 YOU WANT? _ I WANT TO SEE HIM.. ALONE.* T r~ 1

,

.

,

.

I

LD RUFE LEANED OVER THE SNORING ENRICO AND

HUH? SURE, 0L0 MAN

?

ONLY YOtfLL HAVE TO

WAKE HIM UP. HE WAS OUT ALL N/6HT LAST NIGHT. HE'S^£r4l r

STILL ASLEEP.

^

WHO... WHAT...

YAWN ...WHAT DO

T YOU WANT?

)

I I

WANT TO TALK TO YOU? ABOUT MY DAUGHTER > WANT YOU TO LEAVE N&


f

'

Old

rufe left enrico's trailer and stamped ACROSS THE CIRCUS GROUNDS, FUMIN6 HE CAME THE .

INTO

BIS TOP, HIS MIND WHIRLING... _

WKf&t cah't let himVwreck my

Ml.

Fr

mnm Wi

'eahhies life? :ve 10 GET fi/D OF

mu'

sc-

I'VE

f

J

HMMPHf YOU CAN ALMOST OUTLINE THE SILHOUETTE OF ENRICO'S WIFE FROM ALL THESE KNIFE MARKS.' AND THE CLEAVER MARK IS...IS...

.

ft

OlO RUFE LET HIMSELF 1 FIND r

HER...

TOO

ATTRACTIVE.

OF COURSE' THAT'S IT* ATTRACTION' -g-r

THAT’S IT

.

INTO THE ELECTRICIAN'S SHED WITHOUTBEINQ SEEN. HE CHUCKLED SOFTLY TO HIM8ELE, EVERYONE FHOIVS ENRICO HO

LOHSER LOVES H/SW/FE. EVERYONE KHOWS SHE WON'T O/VE HIM A DIVORCE.

SO...

WHAT BETTER WAY TO SET am RID of her.. .

-i ,

!


^

/

I

RuFE CARRIED THE COIL OF FINE COPPER WIRE AND THE BAR OF SOFT IRON BACK TO THE SIS-TOI T0N/6HT... TOMGHT ENRICO THROWS THE CLEAVER DIRECTLY AT HIS WIFE'S HEAD.. SPLITTING IT OPEN ...F/LL/N6 HER. IT WILL BE SO OBVIOUS HE WILL BE CHARGED WITH MURDER f ALL THE EVIDENCE WILL POINT TO ITf EVEN JEAN WILL HAVE TO TESTIFY

THAT NIGHT, THE SHOW BEGAN AS USUAL. OLO RUFE STOOD BY, WAITIN6 FOR ENRICO'S ACT TO BEGIN... HE GOES ON ) IN

THIRTY

SECONDS '

\ k

HEY, RUFE / I GOT A JOB FOR

YOU • C’MON/

WOUND THE COPPER WIRE AROUND THE IRON CORE, CREATING A POWERFUL ELECTROMAGNET. THEN HE SECURED THE MAGNET TO THE REAR OF THE BEHINO WHERE ENRICOS WIFE'S

THERE? NOW...TO ATTACH WINDINGS TO A STRONG SET f

CURRENT... AND WE'RE

nsrE ROUSTABOUT FOREMAN LEO ACROSS THE CIRCUS GROUNDS. A

RUFUS OUT OF THE BIG TOP? BEHIND, THE DRUMS ROLLED-THE CYMBOLS

FIGURE STOOD

CLASHED..

WAI TING...

THAT'S ...THAT'S •

it

STARTING.* I WANTED, to iTf i ... -m

SEE

Q-r

MORE

i

IMPORTANT?

OW£

THE MOONU6HT,

LEAVIN' H H/M/lOW YDAUGHTER

THIS IS

r

IN

YOU.'J YES/ ME? I'M

SEE L, to*o/wow*)

YOU'LL

ENRICO 'S ACT

THIS

SOMEBODY A

\ favor/

RUFES'S BLOOD FROZE? THE DRUMS WERE BUILDING UP TO A CRESCENDO NOW. THE END OF THE GREAT ENRICO'S ACT WAS AT HAND. RUFUS COULD SEE THE CLEAVER RAISED ...SEE IT FLYING THROUGH THE AIR... SEE IT WAVER AS IT ENTERED THE MAGNETIC FIELO...SEE IT SWERVE INWARD... CUTTING- SPLITTING... THE BLOOD... THE RED RAW FLESH AND BONE... THE BRAINS

-

-J

SHE'S TAKIN6 MY PLACE IN

THE ACT,

fcg-T

TOO* C'MON*

LET'S GO*

—n

|M||

^HEH.HEH? SO

IF

A NY BOOTS

IN A SU6HTLY US£0SECOND - HAND FN/FE-THROWER'S BOARD, IT'S

AVAILABLE. ONLY THING

IS, IT'S

A BIT

STAINED f OF COURSE, AS FAR AS/'* CONCERNED, IT OUGHT TO BE USED THAT WAY* SORT OF ADDS SOMETHING, DON'T YOU THINK? AND NOW, IT'S TIME TO TURN YOU OVER TO THE OLD WITCH, WHO WILL WIND UP MY MORBID MAS FOR THIS ISSUE. OH*

REMEMBER THE E.C. FAN ADDICT CLUB/ooh T DO NOTHIN’* JUST

REMEMBER BYE* Behind them.cymbols crashed and a base-drum boomed. txcrcwo

IT *


HEE, HEEf WELL, DON'T JUST STAND THERE WITH YOUR T0N6UES HANGING OUT/ COME IN/ COME INTO THE I've 60T ANOTHER SL /ME- SERVING brewing in my CAULDRON, all READY TO DISH OUT. YE Pf IT'S ME, AGAIN. THE OLD WITCH HEE, HEEf HUNGRY FOR HORROR. ARE YOU? GOOD. THEN CLOSE YOUR DILATED NOSTRILS AND OPEN YOUR LITTLE LEERING MOUTHS ANO ILL SHOVEL IN FOUL FARE THIS is HANS GRUBER'S REEFING RECIPE vintage 1918. listen, now, to THE TASTY TALE

HAUNT OF FEAR/

.

.

.

.

OF TERROR HANS CALLS.

.

.

. .

.

a

Ahhh/ it is warm and dry here, it IS good to FEEL WARM ANO DRY. I AM SO TIREO...SO VERY TIRED. ANO MY EYES ARE HEAVY WITH SLEEP X CLOSE THEM. I SLEEP...

V

r

^M

CONE, CORPORAL/ WARE UP/ ON YOUR FEET/ I H A VE FOR YOU AN IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENT/\ COME AT ONCE/

^

I AM

GOING OUT THERE AGAIN. I DO NOT LIKE IS WET ANO COLD OUT THERE. HERE

THERE. IT

WARM ANO DRY

.

IT

OU

IT IS

|

HWF

T ..

YES, .YOU WILL PROCEED TO AREA 14 YOU WILL DATE YOUR REPORT NOV. OBERLEUTHl 81,1917... AND THE EXACT HOUR/JfmCT

that

IS

IMPORTANT/

‘

.

1


I AM FRIGHTENED. HIS ARMS SWING OUTWARD. Z PULL MY BAYONET AND THRUST A4AM... 8TABBINB... SL ASHINS... CUTTINS HIM TO RIBBONS. Z SEE HIS PACE... HIS EYES AND THE POURING... AND Z AM SICK... .

8LOOO



air is cool, but x am warm, we are walking to HERR HEINRICH'S SHOP. I FEEL OOOD-. ^

The

Sfi^*"v*E ARE SOON THERE, HANS? ONLY . UNTIL THE END OF THIS

W HUH? OH

..HERR

HEINRICH/A

T NARROW STREET?

.

'

ACH? OF COURSE YOU DON'T SEE IT, HANS? I AM EXCLUSIVE IF I WERE TO HAVE A BIG OPEN STORE, ALL 6ERHANY WOULD pCOME TO ME TOR ME AT... AND PROOF.. IN J .

ONE DAY... THEY WOULD CLEAN HE OUTf UNDERSTAND? ah?

XTW

A4

There is much meat in herr heinrich's shop and MANY PEOPLE COME TO BUY. f-

V

J

1 60 TO MY ROOM ANO UNDRESS AND LIE ON MY SOFT BED... SOFT AND WARM AND D RY... —

JHHRIIjfcOHE,

C ORPORAL

ilnflBrJP WAKE UP' ON YOU EAT ANY HERR

YOU?,..

HEINRICH?

I

^

...THERE YOU ARE, HERR ACH? NOT ONLY DO YOU ] LUD MEYER* 2 POUNDS? SELL ME HEAT BUT YOU CORRECT? ER.. -HOW INVITE HE TO YOUR ABOUT SOME SCHNAPPS HOUSE/ YES, I WOUU) I ) AT MY HOUSE TONIGHT? WE ENJOY THAT, HERR CAN TALK ABOUT THE HEINRICH?

^ /rU

HERE WE ARE

YOUR FEET '

J

I

A


f THERE.' THAT IS 6000' HA' HA'

NO ONE

ALL 6ERMANY HAS MEAT AS If AH..

IN

AS MUCH

ANOTHER CUSTOMER to- IS HERE'

AM STRONG.

I

VES, GUSTAV,

we MEED

FINE.' )

RELAXATION' YOU.. YOU .AlE IN RICK' ANO YOUR WIFE.' COME f FINEfx TO MY HOUSE TONIGHT. /BRING MY WE WILL HAVE /wiFE.' TELL ME' WHERE DO YOU SAY?f 00 YOU LIVE? .

M/

SCHNAPPS WHAT

IT IS

rOH, FRAU SHOTZ. YOU HAVE TASTEO NO THINS UNTIL YOU HAVE TRIED THE IMPORTED

MINES

'

YOU ARE A GENEROUS HEN RICH?

HOST; HERR

/

^X~.I AM VERY

%

GO TO BED, NOW' A Jl GOOONIGHT.

IN MY WINE CELLAR. COME, GUSTAV... FRAU —•'-'T} SHOTZ ' I WLL SHOW B1J you'

SLEEP Vf

I

WILL

OARK HERE' I AM DIZZY' EVERY-

«


It

is cold a no damp ano AMD MY TEETH CHATTER

i

shiver

..

THIS

WAY,

CORPORAL' THIS CAREFUL? THE

r LISTER,

WAY. BUT BE

ENEMY

IS

JUST OVER

^

HANS?

LISTEN?

THAT HILL...

TAKE THIS? YOUR

MAUSER-

An ENEMY

SOLDIER- X SWING AROUND, SEN0IN6 MY BAYONET INTO HIS SOFT BELLY.. .FEEUNG THE CRUNCHING BONE ...HEARING THE SUCKING SOUND-

THERE HE IS, HANS' SET HIM?* rjrT SET HIM? r-rTfl

'6000, HANS' 6000? NOW, SO TO WORK?

I PULL OUT MY BAYONET AND THRUST SLASHING -CUTTING HIM TO RIBBONS.

AGAIN... STABBING

CAREFUL. HANS .

CAREFUL?

..

I

SEE HIS FACE.. POURIM6.

i

ANO

I

-

HIS EYES.. SICK.

AM

.

AND TH E BLOOD POURING

.

WHY 00 YOU STOR?^%

FINISH? FINISH YOUR

work?


V

CHORE? THESE... THEBE IS A BODY ON THE BLOCK? IT IS...

CORPORALI] I_I_HAVE DONE A HORRIBLE I ORDER TERRIBLE THINS? BUT.. .RUT HOW ( i

A

) MANY OTHER TIMES HAVE Z DONE I yovtRH/SH J HERR SHOTZ'kHQ \ YOUR f lTHIS? HOW MANY OTHER TIMES THIS IS HO BAYONET! ASSIGN- U "hAS HE.. ME...? OOOOH...MY HEAD'^k THIS IS A CLEAVER i/ MENT.' If MY MEMORY HANS' J COMING BACK' M IN MY HANO? 1

^

)

WOH.LORD! A * BUTCHER'S 4

OH. HANS?

CHOPPING BLOCK !

RINISH!

V

.flVI

.

1

UPSTAIRS'*

1 REMEMBER^NOW? YES? YES? I WAS A BUTCHERT. A GOOD BUTCHER! THEN, A SOLDIER ? I WAS A SOLDIER AND I KILLED A MAN IN A SHELL HOLE!

THERE WAS AN EXPLOSHJH! EVERY N/SHT HAVE OREAMED OF THAT KILLINS? Y-YOU! YOU MADE ME DO THIS RIEHDISH WORK ..

I

^

<YE8f-.YES? YOU ROUND

.

OUT I WAS

A BUTCHER.'

LIKE HO OTHER SHOP IN ALL SERMAHY, YOURS IS PULL OR MEAT' ALL OF THE VISITORS YOU HAVE BROUGHT DOWN HERE! YES ! OR COURSE YOU*

^

^.EXCLUSIVE SHOP IS RILLED WITH

^HUUAN HEAT'rJtj

.

WHILE I DREAMED!

EUKH

V*o-Vl

^<

'hEE.HEE? WELL^iInOS? THAT'S my DELIRIUM DISH FOR THIS ISSUE 0 FCK.S MA6. POOR HANS? ] THAT BLOW ON THE H066/N CLEARED IT TOR A REW MINUTESBUT HE SOON SLIPPED BACK INTO THE OLD 6RIND! ANYWAY, HE WAS PUT INTO A NICE WARM DRYROOM. WITH CUSHIONED WALLS ANO BARRED WINDOWS AND HE NEVER J

*

J A

i

ROOD LORD!*

,

i

ATE ANOTHER HAMBUR6ER

V.

AS

{

LONG AS HE

i

LIVED? 'BYE, NOW. WE 'LL

1 1

ALL SEE Y0U

s‘" wr JUAiVJ

C '' i

NEXT '

J

IN

J

*. s 4,46 k THE VAULT >

v)Jwm\ or horror!


LET ME BRING YOU UP TO DATE! THE 32-PG FACSIMILE REPRINTS OF THE EC COMICS OF IS PROCEEDING APACE! GET UP TO SPEED! NEW TO THE LINE ARE PIRACY AND VALOR (THEY REPUCE WEIRD SCIENCE AND WEIRD FANTASY, WHICH HAVE COMPLETED THEIR 22-ISSUE RUN AND ARE AVAIUBLE AS BACK ISSUES). BRIM-FULL OF SAGAS OF THE

THE 50s

SEA. SHIPS.

PLUNDER AND MORTAL COMBAT! SO, WHAT ARE YOU SITTING THERE FOR?!

SUBSCRIBE! OIRECT FROM THE PUBLISHER TO YOU. IN A HANDSOME. STURDY MANILA ENVELOPE MAILED FLAT TO YOUR OWN MAILBOX!

GEMSTONE PUBLISHING POB 469 WEST PLAINS MO 6S77S 417-256-2224 1-B00-EC CRYPT AND ASK FOR THE ORDER DESK, USE THIS NUMBER FOR ORDERS ONLYI

OR CALL


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