jooajajm-i
GRUESOME THREESOME is now a REVOLTING FOURSOME, as 'THE CRYPT OF TERROR" joins with "TH VAULT OF HORROR, THE HAUNT OF FEAR? mo TALES FROM THE CRYPT * TO BRING YOU HEAPING HELPINGS OF HORROR in the OFT-IMITATEO E.C. TRADITION. I trust you'll BE AMPLY S/CKENEl LATEST COLLECTION of CADAVEROUS CAVOR TINGS, as Of NOW. all IS at PEACE at the EC
BY THIS
OFFICES, but x EXPECT TROUBLE whin THE VAULT- KEEPER mo THE OLD W/TCH realize that
£ NOW, HAVE TWO MUCK-MA6S TO THEIR ONE / OH, WELL, THERE'S NO USE SLAUGHTERING YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE YOU COME TO THE BURNED BRIDGES so, COME into THE CRYPT OF TERROR AND YOUR HOST in HOWLS AND HEAVES YOUR CRYPT-KEEPER will launch my NEW NAUSEATING NEWSPRINT- NARCOTIC with the BLOOD-CURDLING. SPINE-TINGLING YELP- YARN I Call:
wmSMmmmfi
Chester wayne truooeo tremulously along the macadam roao LEADING FROM PLAINSVILLE. HIS HIGH* POWERED RIFLE WAS REAO% HIS NERVOUS FINGER ON THE TRI68ER. ABOVE, A FULL ROUNO MOON THREW A PALE U8HT ON THE COUNTRYSIDE, SILHOUETTING EACH SHAOOWY BUSH INTO AN OMINOUS CROUCHING FIGURE. AROUND HIM EACH FAINT WHISPER OF WIND WARNEO. "QO BACK? GO BACK?*.^ X SWORE OVER MAMIE'S NAKED BONES I'D SETrnt ONE who D/D\t to her. I've got to -r keep TRriNSf ive sot to:. ^
THINKING OF MAMIE MADE CHESTER MAO ANO OROVE HIM ON. HE WAS ROUNOIN6 A TURN WHEN HE SAW (T NOT FORTY FEET AHEAD. HE STOPPED ABRUPTLY AND CALLEO OUT TO THE BLACKCLOAKED HULK IN THE SHALLOW ROAD^
SIOE DITCH.
-
WHO WHO'S THERE
.
The startleo creature turned FROM ITS HUMAN PREY. A CLAMMY SWEAT BROKE OUT ON CHESTER WHEN HE SAW THE HAIRY FACE, THE BLOOO DRIPPING FROM ITS LIPS AND CHIN... GAGGGf ON, LORD*
The werewolf bareo its fangs AT THE HUNTER ANO SNARLED. CHESTER DROPPEO TO ONE KNEE THREW THE RIFLE TO HIS SHOULDER AND SOUEEZEO THE TRIGGER. A HOLLOW- NOSED .SS SHRIEKED ACROSS THE ROAD AFTER THE NOW- FLEEING BEA$I„
W/T HIT HIM 1 FOR MAMIE < 1 RIP HIM OPENf M.
Loath to look upon the gory remains that lay in the DITCH, CHESTER WAS NEVERTHELESS DRAWN TOWARD THEM AS THOUGH BY SOME MAGNET OF MORBIDITY. HE APPROACHED ON TREMBLING LEGS.. LOOKED. .THEN RECOILED IN HORROR AT THE SIGHT OF B ARE BON E ANO RAW, HALF-EATEN FLESH... chcki .
.
.
He was numb with horror, halfBLINO WITH RAGE AS HE BLASTED AWAY AT THE DISAPPEARING MONSTER TILL THEJIAGAZINE WAS EMPTY ANO THE HAMMER CLICKED OEAO ON THE EMPTY RIFLE CHAMBER.
MISSED
I
HIM. .
.
.
SOB.
SOB.
.
.
.
.
.
MAMIE
MISSED.
j
The MEN IN MARLEY'S TAVERN LEAPED TO THEIR FEET AS CICSTER BURST THROUGH THE DOOR, HEADED FOR THE BAR. THEY SAW THE RIFLE AND THE LOOK ON HIS FACE AND THEY KNEW. .
Chester tossed off a double BOURBON ... AND WHILE IT WAS STILL BURNING OOWN.HE PANTED OUT THE TERRIBLE OETAILS OF HIS HARROWIN6 EXPERIENCE.
THIS TIME, CHET?
IT
^—^M
.
If
7* FARMER
.
T QUICK, FRANK? J POUR ME SOME-
has A PLACE THREE MILES
TELL US WHO
WHO.. .WHO WAS
IT
WAS/ WEVE
ALL GOT
thin' STRAIGHT'
^
!
OUT.. .SEEN HIM IN TOWN... NICE BUY.. OU/ET. HE'S GONNA
BE OUIETA LONS,
LONGTIME now... LIKE MY MAMIE'
At FIRST THE MEN EXCHANGED GUILTY GLANCES OF RELIEF, BUT AFTER A FEW MOMENTS OF BRCOCHNG SILENCE, PAUL MYERS CLIMBED ONTO A TABLE ANO SHOUTED. . . THAT MAKES FIVE VICTIMS IN A MANY MONTHS. ANO WHY/ AIN'T WE PAYIN’ FOR PROTECTION IN THIS ROTTEN TOWN? ALL WE GET FROM MAYOR HANSON IS PROMISES DO WE WAIT TILL THAT WEREWOLF GRABS SOMEONE CLOSE TO US BEFORE WE MAKE HANSON DO .
.
SOMETH!N6ff
it ALREADY \ THAT gives you SOT SOMEONE MORE RIGHT TO CLOSE TO ME TELL THE MAYOR PAUL? MY / OFF, CHET. YOU LEAD THE WAY Mb WE'LL WIFE I
1
MAMIE ' / BACK YOU UR f
A
Fifteen minutes later, mayor cLWOOD HANSON WAS AWAKENED BY SHOUTS OF HIS NAME. HE LEANED UNEASILY FROM THE BEDROOM WIN-
Soon, his portly pajama-clad figure wrappeo in a silken robe, THE OISNIFIED MAYOR OF PLAIN3-
OOW OF IS COLONIAL HOME AND LOOKED 00 WN AT THE ANGRY C R OWD
VILLE STOOD BEFORE HIS TOWNSPEOPLE, LISTENING TO THE FRIGMT-
FUL NEWS.
PLEASE, GENTLEMENf/TMENC£l*f£ MY WIFE IS ASLEEP? J ON DOWN, -< «, -rmk, MAY °”?
^ I'LL
FAT LOT OF GOOD THATLL DO, MAYOR? WHAT ABOUT
THE
^
PROTECTION YOU PROMISED US?
^
WHAT CAN I
WAYNE
?
X DO, MR.
FOR
ONE
THING, THIS FIENDISH
ATTACK TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE Of TOWN. .
T/ON '
-vA.A
.
-
V
MY WIFE'S BODY WAS RAVAGEO R/SHT HERE
A
IN
.
to his
THE MORN.
.
VMORE WE WANTON? than 1
WIDOW
.
WHAT'RE ' YOU GOING
ON THE STREETS OF WORDS, MAYOR' TO DO -< ABOUT IT, a* Y PLAINSVILLEf ,
BEYOND MY JURlSDIC
.
TERRIBLE / TERRIBLE f SEND OFFICIAL CON-
DOLENCES
-
HANSON?
Mayor
man son tried to pacify
PLEASE
;
gentle- jSILVER.'
WAS VERY ADEPT AT SELF.
I
/ DON'T GET
MEN! NOW, MR.
WAYNE, YOU SAY
<
WELL, I MIGHT HAVE
AT THI9 WEREWOLF... / JJ'JL .
THEY
.
LEAD
I
WERE SILVER NOT SILVER.
BULLETS, OFCOURSE *
-
J
-
KNOWN
SOMEONE WOULD GO OFF HALFCOCKED! MY DEAR MR. WAYNE... IF YOU'D TAKEN THE TROUBLE TO READ UP ON WEREWOLVES.AS HAVE, YOU'D KNOW THAT ONLY A S/LYER BULLET CAN KILL A j WEREWOLF.* ^
YOU, MAYOR.
YOU FIRED SEVERAL^ I USED HOLS/LYER BULLETS ) LOW- NOSED THEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE LIKE
DUM-DUMS...
The mayor WENT BACK INTO
HIS STATELY HOME, THE CROWD DISPERSED, AND CHESTER WAYNE JOINED PAUL MYERS AND
CHICK, ROGERSJN A
THERE NEVER
6-- 0 0MYJ ESSION WAS A MAN BETTER AT
HOT SPOT MAYOR HANSON
SQUIRMIN' OUT OF A
AT MARLEY'S TAVERN...
THAN
.
will BE
WORRYING ABOUT
i
.
~~
fr=
i
l
I'LL WELCOME ANYONE OF YOU TO MY L/BRANY WHO'D CARE TO
INFORM HIMSELF QNTwtHAB/TS OF THE L YCANTHROPE. MEANWHILE, MY FELLOW CITIZENS, BE
CALM
C ESTE R WAY
.
.
and.
GOOD-NIGHT
. .
.
E SRI M A CEP.
WE ARE * WE HAVE TIME... A WHOLE BEFORE THE NEXT FULL MOON. WE CAN START MELTIN' DOWN S/LYER COINS * WE
r YES,
MONTH
BULLETS! can BE READY the NEXT TIME THAT WEREWOLF SHOWS HIMSELF...
io MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF PLAINSVILLE LIVED OREAD OF THE COMING FULL MOON.. AND THE NIGHT IT ARRIVED. EVERYONE STAYED BEHIND LOCKED DOORS ANO 9HUTTERED WINDOWS. ONLY CLARA HANSON, THE MAYOR'S WIFE, VEN TURED OUT TO VISI T HER AGED ANO AILING MOTHER , l^-LLL'j^r rvE GOT to BE RUNNING ALONG, mama WHAT ELSE
ELWOOD
PATRONIZINGLY. ..
FOR
-
ME* PROMISE you'll TAKE IT EASY
The crowd fell silent with EMBARASSMEN^ FOR NO MAN WISHED TO ADMIT IGNORANCE TO HIS NEIGHBOR. MAYOR HANSON SMILEO
/
COULD I DO THIS IN
WHEELCHAIR, CLARA?
HOUSE TO THE HANSON HOME. CLARA WALKED, UNAFRAU UNTIL SHE SAW THE FULL YELLOW MOON HANGING HIGH ABOVE THE VILLAGE SQUARE... tpST
Q
r
FAN
-
/
.
f
ClAR* HANSON HURRIED HER
STEPS. FINOIMG SOME LITTLE COMFORT AS The OuiCK CLICKING Of THE DESERTED SI OEM ALA KEPT TIME WITH THE RAPID SEATING Of *«R RACING HEART SHE ’0 ONL» ONE BLOC* FROM HOME. * HEN SHE HEARD THE TERRIFYING SNARL SHE SPUN AROUNO INO TO ICE IN HER VEINS .
.
Her attempted scream came forth as no MORE THAN AN ASTHMATIC WHEEZING SQUEAL. THE FLESH-STARVEO BEAST SPRANG... SINNING ITS GLEAMING FANGS INTO HER THROBBING THROAT. . RIPPING IT OPEN. . . FOUNTAININ8 THE 8LOOO OVER ITS HAIRY FACE.. .INTO ITS RED BOILING EYES...
JUST ACROSS THE SQUARE, IN MARLEY * TAVERN, CHESTER WAYNE AND PAUL MTERS WERE FORTIFYING SELVES AT THE BAR.. f» 1
WE RE READY FOR 'IW TIME, FRANK' YEPf GOT
SHYER BULLETS OU^lFiES...
,
THA'S
RIGHT
\ HMMPHf FAT LOT OF GOOO TOU'RC
FRANKS /DOIN'
in
IT
.
TALKIN’
ABOUT
HERE/ IF YOU’RE AETER him,
»Oin'
SO/
>f
YOU'RE
SCARED. THEN
ADMIT IT ako QUI T BULL IN*
Sheepishly..THEY PICKED UP THEIR SILVER-8ULLETLOAOED CARBINES AND STALKEO FROM THE TAVERN. ACROSS THE SOUARE. THEY GOT NO FURTHER THAN WHERE THE GHASTLY SKELETON OF CLARA HANSON LAY IN A POOL OF CONGEALING GORE, HER BLOOD SOAKED CLOTHES STREWN ABOUT. ' ^-gi "
—
.
'*W...CHO«T^^'wFRE...WE
WQHAl
Mayor hanson was plainly troubled when he FACED THE TWO WHITE -FACED MEN ACROSS THRES HOLD. .
—
Rf
TOO LATE/
c ‘MOM/ let's get THE MAYOR. - Er * Mi 'E hiu SEE FOR
mmself.'
HIS
.
i
STRUCK ASAIHI* OH. LORD no.' MO/ I just PHONED MY MOTHERIM- LAW/ CLARA hasn’t COME
HOME
\RAUL!
^
fl ^ mm .
>
i
YEAH/ I M YHINKltf THE
SAME
THIHSf
rou BETTER SE T
DRESSED.
MAfCR'
WOMAN
1m
At last the mayor arose ano
CLARA...'Tall that jCARRYIN ON
I
\
^^HER none... /
BODIED MAN
HIM ALONE,
this
in
TOWN
NOW.
.
%
.
REMEMBER
' '
'
.
AT
MIDNIGHT
HUNTING
IN
THE DARK
A
IS
DANGEROUS BUSINESS, MR. WAYNE.
SAFE
m BE WAITIN6/
9
^M
*E‘Ll y
T?
.STAY CLOSE TOGETHER and make SURE OF WHAT YOU'RE SHOOTING AT.' WHEN .
YOU
SEE
IT ISN'T
SOMETHING MOVE, MAKE CERTAIN ONE OF YOUR OWN PARTY. PAIR
UP! ONE MAN USE A LIGHT WHILE THE O THER MAN DOES TH E SHOOTING WE OON'T WANT ANY INNOCENT PEOPLE KILLED/
Yw
^
.
It WAS TWILIGHT WHEN MAYOR HANSON, WEARING a RED SUEDE SHOOTING JACKET AND SCARLET HUNTER'S CAP, CLIMBEO FROM MIS CAR AT THE RENDEZVOUS SP OT FO R HIS GROUP. CHESTER — WAYNE GRINNED. . PIPE THE FANCY OUTFIT ON HIS HONOR, RAUL. YOU COULD SEE IT in A COAL
NEXT FULL MOON
OTHER FOOT/
'
.
INTO 6R0UPS COMB THE COUNTRYSIDE! COME THE
on the |
)
AFTER IT'/
paul.'
Within twenty- eight days, every capable man in plainsVILLE HAD RECEIVED A RIFLE AND FIVE SILVER BULLETS. EVERYONE HAD PRACTISED WITH MOVING TARGETS. EVERYONE WAS READY. THE AFTERNOON BEFORE THE NIGHT OF THE FULL MOON, HE MEN THRONGED BEFORE MAYOR HANSON'S MAN SION... * £ LL START NOW in groups of 5/*..: IN DAYLIGHT.. SO WE can ACQUAINT ourselves with EACH AREA/ JS&Z .
^ ^
WE'LL HAVE' WE'LL OIVIDE
T leave
1
CLARA Jwon't help
MINE
will be ARMED / THERE'LL BE SILVER BULLETS FOR ALL f A VI 61L ANTE COMMITTEE, THAT'S what
Tevery man
HIS TEAR-REOPENED ETESBLAZECl
—
STRIPPE O BON ES.._. SOB...
f
^
«
T
The mayor recognized his wife's CLOTHES AT ONCE. WITH MUCH LOUD WAILING AND ANGUISHED SOBS, HE FELL ACROSS HER FLESR.-
X'D RATHER BE than SORRY. . .
.
When oarkness came.tne men were alert AND JUMPY/ MATT STEVENS, WITH HIS 6R0UP IN TOWN, SAW A SUSPICIOUS FIGURE, SCREAMED OUT AFTER IT. AND BEGAN SHOOTING... CUT THAT OUT, matt/ SAID TO MAKE
SURE WHAT
SHOOTING AT/
i
J
Luckily, matt's shots
WELL.WHAT'oJl AIN'T SHO you RUN -/ SOUSED I'M FOR IF YOU / GONNA BE A AREN'T < S/TT/N' DUCK THE WERE-] WHEN SHOMCONE
WOLE? J'-OPENSH UP „
_
A
.
were
f
Meanwhile, mayor hanson and HIS PARTY‘0 SURROUNDED A STRANGE OLD WOMAN WALK INC ALON6 A LONELY PARK ROAD. -|
THE FIGURE TURNED OUT TO BE A FAMILIAR DRUNK THEY ALL KNEW WELL. 1
WILD,
HOLD ON,
a CHANCE BEING OUT TONIGHT' r BETTER LET US
^
SEE YOU
\
HOME/
y
1
j
I DON'T
NEED
MAYOR'
!
MAYBE YOU'VE
WHO SATS THE 'GOT SOMETHING WEREWOL E ‘S < THERE, M Y ERS. I
.
LADY, YOU'RE TAKING
R
GOT TO BE A MAN9
HADN'T THOUGHT THIS i OF a FEMALE '
I'VE SEEN QUEER DAME AROUND I NEVER L/KED HER LOOKS f
t'be
SEED home'
I
AIN’T SNEERED.'
y
ON
WEREWOLF I
^^ME.MATT SHTEVENS'
Mayor hanson and paul myers revealed THE ORY TO THE O THERS OF THEIR PARTY.
.
their
.
HOW CAN WeTwE'LL TAKE HER BACK TO MY ^ IF SHE IS THE PLACE? I HAVE THAT BOOK? WEREWOLF? IT TELLS HOW TO REC06NIZE
WELL,
TELL r
)
A WEREWOLF.. . EVEN SHUMAN FORM?
IN
YwrW
THE OLD MAO FOUGHT THEM AS THEY TRIED TO PUSH HER IN. SHE EVEN BJT PAUL 'S H AND. . OWWRT THE DIRTY I AIN’T QO/N'.' YOU
Paul solved the problem, he swung his rifle- butt, clouting the old woman across the sioe of h er head..
.
JT
Cain't
MAKE
go?
IS KIDNAP P!N6' V" AHH, CLIMB OFF mi WE STILL have no SACK, mayor' ano YOU shouldn't J STEP ON ITf SHE'S HER. our COLD!
THIS. ..THIS
.
r/W
Krti,,
AFTER ALL
PROOF!
me L
HAVE
HIT
.
.
V M
J
f
Mayor hanson
ST/LL THINK YOU'RE CRAZY, HANSON 'IN LESS
y'
I
BOOK ANO COME ) RIGHT OUT' j HOLD HER' THAN THREE MINUTES THE
— m
h
MOON WILL BE -3k FULL... AND THEN
|Mr
WE'LL
KNOW
FOR SURE '
1*5^
TO THE OARK STOPPED SUODENLY AS HE REACHED THE DOOR. ..AND STARED AT THE GLEAMING EYES BURNING IN THE BLACKNES S BEYOR D
F' rn.
LIBRARY. HE
KILL
THIS
I
HE SCREAMED...
'ns
^
M
^
BULLETS' THEY UONT a COULDN'T MISS- NOT AT
RANGE
IN THERE IT'S..
THE SILVER
HIM '
;
I
m
“
[j
MYGOO?
Mayor hanson moved forward SLOWLY, HIS RIFLE READY. THEN, ALL AT ONCE, HE SAW IT.. THE HAIRY FACETHE GLEAMING FANGS FLASHING FROM BEHIND THE SNARLING CRUEL MOUTH.
WHAT THE-' SOMECNE
3
He FIRED. POINT-BLANK, AGAIN AND AGAIN. THE VILE FEROCIOUS BEAST JUST STOOD THER E -SNA RLNG AT HIM _ I
into
UT MALL
.
I'LL GET THE
the
hurried HOUSE, STUMBLING DOWN THE DIMLY
It took him over fifteen minutes TO REACH THE MAYOR S HOUSE BY THAT TIME .THE OLD IN TOWN HAG HAD REVIVED ...
_
Outside, the men heard the shots and tore for the house ...THE MAYOR STUMBLED TO THE LIBRARY LIGHT SWITCH, FLICKING IT ON. HE SHRIEKED AS THE GL O W FLOODED THE ROOM..
7,4.
M
.
,7 .11,,## ''in THERE
Y&A &AAHHHHHff, THE LIBRARY' /ZA^£\\
Mayor elwooo hanson stood before the full-len&th library
mirror, snarling AND SHRIEKING .STARING IOIOTICALLY AT THE BULLET HOLES -N^|j HE'D MAD E W MEN HE'D SHOT AT "IS OW N REFLECT ON
M
GOOD LORD:
Y
^
Y
,
IT‘S
THE
mayor'
HE'S PROBably A T TACKED BY »l ?E*Vi >
w ,
ANO THAT'S THE FIRST SCREAMin my NEW PUTRID PERIODICAL, FIENDS. NATURALLY. THEY SHOT MAYOR WEREWOLF AFTER THAT. IN FACT THEY PUMPED HIM SO FULL OF SILVER BULLETS, ME MAO TO BE LOWERED INTO HIS GRAVE WITH A DERRICK 'THEN A COUPLE OF GRAVE-ROBBERS heard ABOUT THE SILVER ANO .BUT THAT'S
STORY
_
.
.
ANOTHER STORY/ THAT UP
I'll 010
K
7,
Td
wh, A A" Ff>Vr5*\ ? U,VTKi-li i
HhErigHB
vKVBwV
SOME OTHER TIME. NOW THE VAULT-
KEEPER AWAITS HIS CREEPY
WITH
CONTRIBUTION TO THIS MORBID MESS. I'LL BE BACK. LATER. BYC N0W '
-
AHEH, HEH? ANO NOW THAT C.K. HAS CURDLED YO UR ANEMIC BLOOD, IT'S TIME FOR YOUR HOST IN THE VAULT OF HORROR. THE VAULT-KEEPER namely, ME... TO ENTERTAIN you with a SPINE- TINGLING, NAUSEATING NOVELETTE from MY CREEP COLLECTION, let's see? Oh... let's NOT SEE? YES' A THIS is a GOOD SORT ONE.' itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calleo...
The "home- was old ano paint- star veo ano orafty AND BADLY IN NEEO OF REPAIR. THE ROOF LEAKED AND THE WINDOWS RATTLEO AND WERE COVEREO WITH YEARS OF OUST AND GRIME. THE INMATES OF THE HOME WALKEO GRIM-FACEO ANO SILENT THROUGH CRACKED PLASTER HALLS, OR SAT IN DINGY ROOMS ON CRAWLING BEDS. THEY SHIVERED IN THE COLD WHEN WINTtR C AME .. -WHEN THERE WAS NO STEAM TO WARM THE RUSTED RADIATORS.
...AND THEY SWEUEREO IN THE HEAT WHEN SUMME* BURNED.. .WHEN LONG-BROKEN FANS LAY IOLE AND
.
But they could not SEE the PAINT-PEELED WALLS... THE DIRT CLOUOEO WINOOWS... THE DUSTY AND COB-WEBBED HALLS OF THIS, THEIR HOWE.. -THESE INMATES. THEY COULD NOT SEE THE ROACHES AND THE RATS SCAMPERING ACROSS
THE UNWASHED FLOORS.
E
AS THIS WAS A "HOME" FOR the BUND. .FOR WRETCHED SOULS who L IVED in worlds of DARKNESS who stared
...
.
with UNSEEING EYES ATT* MISERY AROUND THEM... AND VETjy/llAND HATED ALL OF IT.
.
T HEY COULD TOUCH THE STICKY. FILMY COBWEBS...!**. DUST LAYERS COVERING EVERVTHIN8—
IThEV COULD SMELL THE FOUL ODORS OF MILDEW AND PAUL TY PLUMBING AND POOR SANIYA \t/on and negl cr.^Jtt’ - ip -
And they coulo hear OTHER creaturi OTHER creatures of filth that moveo.
For the loss of one sense only tends TO SHARPEN THE OTHERS. TO TUNE THEM MORE FINELY... TO MAKE THEM MORE ACUTE. THE INMATES KNEW BECAUSE THEY COULO TASTE... AND TOUCH... and SHELL ANO HEAR. THEY COULO TASTE THE SPOILED ANO ROTTED FOOD Pl ^cp BEFORE THEM AT MEALTIMES-
T HEY COULO HEAR THE RATS SCAMPERING ANO THE ROACHES CRAWLING AND THE TERMITES BURROWING ANO THE LICE AND BED-BUGS and FLIES and a THOUSANO OTHER CREATURES OF FILTH THAT MOVED-
HEAR HIS ALMOST MANIACAL LAUGHTER CLINKING OF CHAMPAGNE GLASSES .THEY COULD 5UTH-WATERING ODORS OF THE LAVISH
COULD SEE,
IN
HE'D
.
.
Wh y LAUNDER SHEETS and BLANKETS AND
Yes, gunner orunwalo had INDEED surrounoeo himselfwttm luxuries... paid tor with the ALLOTMENTS GIVEN HIM TOR EACH BUND INMATE. WHY PAINT and PLASTER DREARY HALLS THAT THEY'D HE COULO HAVE AN AIR-CONDI-
CLOTHES or
OIRT^SMEARS AND SWEAT- STAINS THAT
THEY'D NEVER SEE WHEN HE COULO HAVE A HEATER
NEVER SEE, WHEN
Why crvE
those poor miserable BEAUTY XT THEY
BLIND FOOLS
COULO NOT APPRECIATE BEAUTY? GUNNER GRUNWALO'D FELT THAT WAY? SO HE'D SKIMPED on THE inmates... CUT
CORNERS HERE..
DENIED THERE.. AND WITH the SURPLUS, me'c S upplied HIMSELF WITH BEAUTY.
And
Fine FURNITURE .GOOD BOOKS PLUSH RUSS. EXPENSIVE DRAPES. AN OCCASIONAL EVENING Of FEMALE
For ounncr'd known that ANOTHER SENSE HAD REPLACED THE INMATES' SENSE OF SIGHT... A DEER-SEEDED
COMPANIONSHIP THEY WERE ALL GUNNER'S TO ENJOY. HE'D
SENSE.. .BROMINS EACH DAY. HE'D SEEN IT IN THEIR WEBBED- BLINO EYES, IN THEIR SILENT GRIM FACES. HE'D SEEN THEIR GROWING HATE SO HE'D BOUGHT THE DOG fop PROTECTION .
.
..
.
EVEN BOUGHT A DOS. 00G.
HE'D
HAD
A
,
.
A
VICIOUS
Q OOP REASON
.
with the dog at mis sioe. ounncr'd walked SELFCONFIDENTLY before them.knowing that hiss«6ht AND THE OOG'S STRENGTH WOULD KEEP HIM FROM
.
.
And
so.he'd been able to CONTINUE to enjoy his FIENOiSH LITTLE AMUSEMENTS. .LIKE TRIPPIN6 HEIPLESS UNSUSPECTING INMATES AS THEY'D TOTTER .
B LINDLY B Y HIM.
( OOOPHf )
.
.
fgk
r ’ncMiJ
a
- OR REM0V/H6 SOMETHING THAT TMEV'o COME TO KNOW WAS THERE
AND
COUNTED OR.
"the
BANNISTER f WHERE'S THE .BA
OR ADDIN6 SOMETHING NEW.
OR
BE:
NG JUST
OWWWWf
MEAN HAM.HAW/J^
"her' HEHf
QHHH..
CHARGES'
YES.GUNNER'D AMUSED HIMSELF WITH HIS WITH HIS INABILITY TO SEE. HE'D BEEN SADISTIC OENIALS. TORTURES. AND HE'D GROWN FAT ON HIS ANO HIS CHARGES HAD SAT IN THEIR WORLD OF OARKNESS and WAITED LISTENING-
GUNNER ... PLEASE f IT'S THE DOB! HE MAKES ME
NERVOUS!
—
"
i
I'M
of dogs'
ISTENING FOB THEIR wo.. STAY OUT KYOU
Ugk,
IS
0P/>0ffTUMrK
».| n MklUFD THERE TILL GUNNER
WUL m ..
I
THROUGH f
-g-f-
I'M SORRY, BABY' HERE, BOY! HERE!
AFRAID
'
r*m*m
and TON/SHT.. their OPPORTUNITY came. DOGGY?
HERE, DOGGY,' HERE'S SOME UEATf
SO THEY LURED THE DOG DOWN INTO THE 0L0 MUSTY CELLAR HOME WITH SOME MEAT-SCRAPS THEY'D SAVEO FROM THEIR SCANT MEALS..
.
..
OF THE
I
HERE, DOGGY/ COME, B
QUICKLY! LOCH)
IH/M UP.TjM
1 A WO THEN THEY WAITED. THEY WAITED FOR GUNNER'S FRIEND OF THE EVENING TO LEAVE .
.
6 OOO NIGHT' GUNNER J THANK ANO THANKS rou.tn f
^ I
^
FOR GUNNER TO MISS
BRUTUS'? where ARE YOU! BRUTUS? BRU-
.
.
.
no' PLEASE' BRUTUS, HELP ME' WHERE ARE YOU?^A
»*•
.
WHAT IS
WHAT 00 YOU WANT?\ GO BACK TO YOUR R00US ALLA TT=r?< OF YO Uh IT?
^
u
ANO ORAGGEO HIM TO THE CELLAR TOO...TO ANOTHER WAITING CUBICLE . . .
.. .AND THEN THEY STRUCK/ BUNOLY. UNSEEING. .. THEY SURROUNOEO THEIR HATED ENEMY. .
^ BRurusfrnM
But gunner's only answer was the soft THE 006
IN
THE AOJOINING CUBICLE.
BRUTUS'
THEY'VE
.
.
60 T YOU TOO',
-
GUNNER LISTEN CO TO THE HAMMERING ECHOING THROUGH THE CELLAR. HE LI5TENED TO THEIR WHOLES AND CHATTER, AND HE WONDERED. .
.
And HE LISTENED AS THE NIGHT PASSED ANO MWN CAME AND THE DOG IN THE CUBICLE NEXT DOOR GREW HUNGRY AND PACED ANO GROWLEO AND SCRATCHED AS ITS STOMACH GNAWED...
FEED BRUTUS, you he'll get wild don't/ he'll be
if
fools you
WE KNOW, MR. G RUN WALD/
1
DANGEROUS
i% The day passed and night came AGAIN. GUNNER'S OWN STOMACH ACHED WITH HUNGER. AND STILL THEY HAMMERED ANO SAWEO ANO
The dog
in the next cubicle ALL THAT NIGHT SLOBBER
Dawn came again anothe SECOND DAY PASSED. NEXT DOOR, THE DOG WAS FIGHTING WITH ITSELF, THROWING ITSELF AGAINST THE
THET STOOD BEFORE HIM.. DIRTY, SWEATED, TIRED FROM LONG HOURS OF LABOR... THE INMATES. .. THE BLIND UNSEEING CARPENTERS. GUNNER BUNKED OUT AT .
!
'
G UNNER STOOD UP AS THEY OARTEO OPT. HE COULD HEAR THEIR FOOTSTEPS FADE AS THEY ROUNOEO CORNERS AND RAN OOWN LONG CORRIDORS THAT TURNEO _ANO_TWISTED AND DOUBLED BACK. GUNNER STARED. .
THEY BUILT A HAZE A PUZZLE.' I HAVE TO
THEY...
And then gunner saw the gleaming glittering SLIVERS OF STEEL EMBEOOEO IN THE MAZE WALLS HURRY, W GRUSWAL
RAZOR BLADES r JVC. WALLS ARE LiNEO with RAZOR BLADES' ) 'THEY WANT ME TO CUT /SELF'LL
H
HURRY
F/6URE IT OUT'
A
Gunner laughed to himself as he STARTED OUT OF HIS CUBICLE... '
THE FOOLS IF I'M CAREFUL I TAKE MY TIME. . I'LL
IF
.
NEVER HAVE TO TOUCH THE WALLS... JUST WALK SLOWLY LIKE THIS CAR
v
SOUND BEHIND GUNNER FROZE
Gunner began to run. he hao to
HIS BLOOO' A SNARL AND A SOUEAK
PEACH FREEDOM BEFORE THAT STARVED 006 CAU6HT HIM f HE RAN OOWN THE TWISTING MAZE CORRIOORS. THE SOUNO OF THE LOPING SNARUNG OOG BEHINO HIM
-A POOR OPEN IBS
HE BRUSHED
...
.
BRUTUS' THtY'YE FREED HIM .TOOf,
OH,
.
AGAINST THE RAZOR BLAOES SLASHING .
LORD
..LORO
bOPS' WRONG ..
Tt .GUNNER' NOW. HOW 'BOUT 80 TO “/ECES.'krrtn all it's
ALMOST LIKE WELL
.
KIDDI E3.
BEING BLIND? THAT'S MV
S ICFENIHG -STORT tor this FIRST ISSUE OF C K. S HEW
WAS' NOW
IT'S
W/ VW ly K' iVAI v Rrr/^f
TIME TO CLOSI
THE VAUL T
OF horror and turn you back to him.
as the
PARTS OF A CORPSE SAID WHEN THEY WERE SHIRPEO TO THE
UNDERTAKER If.. “WE'LL SET
TOGETHER i
AGA/H.'“'%'fV
It
was back-breaking work, but
done. Right away, too.
He
it
had to be
was he getting
asking mighty dangerous questions.
Dan Gret knew,
urgent, right
now,
No
coming
He
grown
to
crop!
up and surveyed
straightened
his
work
His eyes popped: one of
a critical eye.
Emily’s hands was sticking up out of the
Emily
He
soil!
for
sense in leaving a mur-
dered wife around for the law to
with
was
It
to dispose of
he was plowing
in this field
spring planting.
rid of this devil he’d
hate ... he was also helping to fertilize the
couldn’t risk hid-
ing the body of his wife in the cellar any longer . . . one of the farm hands might accidentally stumble over the corpse and start
lunged forward
.
.
.
and heard, with
dread, the sound of voices approaching. Those
bums who worked
find!
for
him were coming
across the field in his direction!
.
Dan
over
Gret heard the farm hands chattering the next
in
field
.
.
Dan Gret sprang
he’d have to bawl
.
If
'em out about time.
But
all this
at the
horsing around on his
moment he was
At
trouble.
much
The motor
much made
noise that those loafers working for
him wouldn't pay him any mind. And the bulk of the machine had been carefully maneuvered into place so that
it
acted as a shield
men seeding Dan Gret had re-
between him and the overalled the adjoining acre. This, solved,
was
averted. tell-tale
of the idling plow
toward the droning plow.
the machine sideways just a directly over Emily’s
it
the danger of the
into the earth,
but that had been taken care of without
so
...
moment
body
could be
first
he’d been worried about the noise his shovel
would make as he burrowed
move
he could
few feet ... set
too busy try-
ing to gouge a hole in the ground.
under as
he
He
turned once, to look back at the
mound
him'.
.
.
.
and his foot
His arms
flailed
out from
slid
the air frantically
tried to regain his balance:
his
crashed sharply against the gear lever.
plow bling
started immediately to
swing
because of the
circle,
in a
hand
The rum-
way he had
cramped the steering wheel. In motionless horror he saw the glittering blades bearing
down on him!
to be a private Burial!
Dan Gret
Then the
screeched in alarm.
razor-sharp metal slashed through his flesh
Dan Gret managed
qrouched low, in the shadow of
By
the plow.
stretching out full length,
to tug the corpse
he
from behind the
grumbling machine and nudge makeshift grave. There would be
into the
it
less
foot of dirt blanketing Emily’s body
.
.
.
the ponderous steel crunched over his
writhing body ... the huge wheels groaned over him so that he was drenched
in his
own
gushing bloocf
than a
but
By the time the farm-hands reached him,
soon as the hired hands got a day off he’d
the corpse. Within a few weeks the seeds’d be
Dan Gret was slashed almost beyond recognition. With gaping wonder the hired men stared down at Dan Gret’s corpse buried
sprouting and the
alongside that of his wife Emily, in the gory,
as
.
.
.
hurry back and dig a good deep hole to house
ous bloom.
field
Dan Gret
would burse
into furi-
grinned as he patted
the last shovelful of dirt into place.
Not only
.
blood spattered grave. plot!
It
was
.
.
a real family
umofi.
mm AND WE CAME UP WITH
. .
NOW YOU SEARCH FOR IT/
BUT IF YOU CAN'T FIND PIRACY AT YOUR LOCAL NEWSSTAND, YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE 1 JUST FILL OUT THE COUPON ANO MAIL, TOGETHER .
ONE HUNDRED PIECES OF CENT C THAT'S ONE BUCK, LAND-
WITH
LUBBERS/), TO:
THE SEASICK EDITORS
OP
225 LAFAYETTE STREET
OKAY. BILGE RATS' YOU SHANGHAIED ALE 1 6Ni,l °g E
*‘.0O FOR THE NEXT EIGHT ISSUES
OP P/RACV* NAAAE
ADDRESS CITY
STATE
“2*
A POINT OP ORDER/ IF YOU'RE EXPECTING E.C.S NEWEST HORROR MAG TO BE BETTER THAN TALES PROM THE CRYPT THE VAULT OP HORROR, MV THE HAUNT OP PEAR, YOU'LL BE SADLY DISAPPOINTED.' IPS ONLY JUST AS GOOD/
INVESTIGATE YOUR FAVORITE
!
NEWSSTAND FOR THE FIRST " JUSTAS- 600D "ISSUE/ HOWEVER IF yOU' RE TIED UP WITH RED TAPE ("ADHESIVE, THAT IS/) AND VOU'D RATHER SUBSCRIBE, FILL OUT THE COUPOH AND SEND IN, TOGETHER WITH AN UNDOCTORED F*HOTO OF GEORGE WASHINGTON ON A A 1.00 BILL
YOU'LL RECEIVE
UNCROPPED
ISSUES
IN
8
THE CRYPT- KEEPER
ROOM
(
70t>
225 IAFAYETTE STREET •
N.Y.C. 12, N.Y. , »
*
HERE'S MY BUCK. SENO ME THE NEXT 8 ISSUES OF YOUR NEWEST MAG, THE
CRYPT OP TERROR
.
NAME f
t
% • •
ADDRESS
ZONE NO
I
•
THE
STATE
CITY
*
AAAIL.
L
-
J
HERE'S HOW ONE FAILURE {MISERABLE LIFE INTO A
The police surgeon inserted the hollow needle into Elmer's arm and seconds later the sodium PENTOTHAL SOLUTION WAS FLOWING INTO HIS BLOOOSTREAM, TAKING ITS EFFECT. ELMER S SHRILL MANIACAL LAUGHTER FADED INTO A WHEEZING GASP THE RABID FURY OF HIS CONVULSIVE STRUGGLING SUBSIDCO INTO HELPLESS EXHAUSTION. TMe THREE BRAWNY POLICEMEN RELAXED THEIR HOLO THEN. AND MOPPCO THEIR SLUMPED LIMPLY ON THE SHABBY SOFA, HIS FLACCIO FACE CHAINED EYES WERE GLAZED ANO STARING NOW. ME
'MAYBe WE COULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY TOGETHER
IN
OUR
-
.
'SURE YOU WONDERED,' 7
'
V
ONE
^
I SHOULO HAVESAIO, "NO THANK BUT I SAW NO HIDOtN TRAP AT THE MOMENT. AND WHEN .EXUDING GOOD WILL, MR. WALLACE OFFERED ME HIS HANOJ CLASPED IT GRATEFULLY. /
WELL, SON.. .WE’VE GOT THOUS. ) A SURPRISE/ WE RE / WHY, MR.1 GIVING YOU A START ON/ WALLACE.'] A HOME OF YOUR HARDLY,
‘NOW THAT I THINK BACK, IT SEEMS THAT IDA MUST HAVE KNOWN ALL
YOU.'*
/LI
OWN? ONE THOU-} KNOW what < SAND DOLLARS A. to SAY ...)
JUST 'bCqOODtoJ'th-THANR ,
MY OAUGHTER, A. YOU, SIR. ELMER. ..AND BE
.
.
THE TIME. BUT THAT NIGHT; SHE RAN TO HER FATHER, THREW HER ARMS AROUND HIS NECK, AND WEPT FOR JOY.
.' .
I
OH DADDr.' DADD Y.
I
YOU'RE so
WON-
DERFUL
TO US...JFICE TO GIVE Y0U AND euier -
HAPPY
t
fs
For an ecstatic two weeks.ida and i house HUNTED. WE FOUND THIS PLACE. . .SMALL, COMFORTABLE, A DREAM COTTAGE. THE DOWN PAYMENTS FURNISHING THE PLACE EMPTIED MY BANK ACCOUNT, BUT X WAS BLISSFULLY HAPPY. THE SUNOAY AFTER WE MOVED
WALLACES CAME TO SEE OUR NEST. .' ’you REMEMBER I SAIO MIN AND J THE UNDERI WERE MAKING A SACRIFICE 7" POINT, IN, THE
STAND, MR. WALLACE...
.
TO HELP YOU GET STARTED YOUR OWN HOME, ELMER.
^
F
^ \v
THE POINT IS, ELMER. WE HAO TO GO INTO HOCK TO GET THAT"
THOUSAND
DOLLARS FOR YOU. AND THEN MY BUSINESS SLOWEO DOWN, AND.. V RIGHT NOW. WHAT WITH WHAT I TT-. »imt owe... i...x i PB .
.
.
\
it’s
worth'',
rANYSACRIOUR CHILDREN
PROPER START
r-WELL, WE'RE
HAVING T TROUBLE
WARING
ENDS WEET, Elmer'
‘
IN
HERBERT' / GET TO
f
THE POINTY
I WAS BEING TAKEN FOR A WELL-PLANNED RIDE.. AND MY LOVING BRIDE HAD THE STEERING WHEEL IN HER
OWN LITTLE CLUTCHING HANDS../ WE CAN'T LET MOTHER AND OADDY
HAVE UNTIL THINGS ARE rr'-r" "re Turn-
WHAT WE
r
‘That was the first faint rumbling of the tempest YET TO COME. THE WALLACES GAVE UP THEIR APARTMENT AND MOVEO IN WITH US. IDA WAS A MOST GENEROUS DAUGHTER../
'
SUFFER. .NOT AFTER ALL THEY’VE DONE FOR US ,CAN WE, dear? tell \ THEM THEY'RE WELCOME TO SHARE .
THAT'S
.
.
.
\
THAT'S RIGHT/'
of
COURSE/J
IN HERE, mother W RIGHT THEM OUR LET
CLOSER
(ITS
and daddy' we’ll HAVE ROOM, ELMER. IT'S TO THE BATHROOU. and SINCE ] ONLY TEMPORARY <t—
_
I
BEL live
‘
I
INCOME.
I
CAN'T AFFORD A T.V SET, MR. WALLACE. NOT EVEN A SMALL-
BUT,
SCREEN SET
y THAT'S I )
GRATITUDE'
GIVE YOU
$1000
L
FOR A HOME. ANC YOU EXPECT ME TC
j
'
Vf
ME, I'M GRATEFUL.. BUT THEN A F£W THAT MONEY WAS JUST ENOUGH TO LET MOPE DOLLARS ME 00 INTO DEBT FOB THE NEXT TWENTY J A MONTH WON'T YEARS. SADOLEO WITH A MORTGAGE. I'VE HURT.' TELL YOU got PAYMENTS TO MEET... ON THAT.. J WHATf I'LL AN 0 THE OTHEB FURNITURE... AND «. PUT THE TEN BUCKS DOWN ON THE
T EMPORARY, SHE SAID? BUT BEFORE 1 KNEW it. THEY'D BEEN THERE FIVE WEEKS. 1 COULD JUST ABOUT MANAGE TO MEET MY BILLS. IF THERE WEREN'T OTHER DEMANDS ON MY SMALL
’
PUPN/SN IT, TOO
T.V. SET.'
*
'Months went YOU'LL SEE, ELMER' WITH WHAT YOU SAVE ON LAUNDRY FOR THE FOUR OF US. THIS WASHING MACHINE WILL PAY ITSEL F '
^
W FOR^^M,
by, my buroen GREW AND WEIGHED UPON ME LIKE A MILLSTONE. ONE OAY Z FOUND THE COURAGE TO TALK TO IDA..' I LIKE TOUR FOLKS, IDA,
WSUPPORTINGf*
SUPPORTING THEM FOR
AFTER WHAT
I
BUT I CAN’T ^ GO ON
THEY'VE \
I
.
DONE.'
WHAT A LOATHSOME WAY TO REPAY THEM FOR THEIR
GENEROSITY F
YOU'RE BLAMING MOTHER AND DADDY BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT A
GOOD PROVIDER,
you might AS WELL KNOW IT, ELMER I’M NOT SATISFIED...HOT AT ALL SATISTHOUGHT YOU HAD AMBb I THOUGHT YOU'D BO PLACES ...GET AHEAD IN THE
FIED. Z
T/ON/
WORLO. INSTEAD, YOU'RE IN
Ida spoke bitterly and loudly._louo enough for HER PARENTS TO HEAR. THEY ACCEPTED IT AS AN INVITATION TO JOIN HER FIERCE HARANGUE,.,'
SOMETIMES I wish ioa HADN'T.. .RILL, I’O BETTER NOT SAY WHAT I'M THINKIN6f
r
I THOUGHT YOU HAD GUTS, SON? I THOUGHT WANT TO GET 1
YOU'D
AHEAD?
STUCK
A POOR RAYING JOB
‘Driven MORE BY OESPERATION AND OEBT THAN BY THEIR SCORN, I FINALLY GATHERED THE COURAGE TO ASK MY BOSS. MR. BENTLY, FOR A RAISE. BUT THE MIN' UTE I ENTERED HIS PLUSH OFFICE. I'VE BEEN MEANING TO
TALK TO
y
I... I
DIDN'T
REAL HE. MR YOU ABOUT YOUR WORK, PRESTON, YOU'VE BEEN GETTING CARE\ BENTLY? I'M SORRY.
A
LESS
.
LATELY... SLOPPY...
VERY SLOPPY
1
^*1
oo GETTER THE FUTURE? I a
SIR'I'LL IN
| PROMISE.*
f 'I H AO UNCORKED A DAM BY COMPLAINING AGAINST IDA'S FOLKS, ANO FROM THAT DAY ON. A SPITEFUL TORRENT OF CRITICISM POURED THROUGH
‘...ANO
I'O
ALWAYS GET THE SAME
I'D FORCE MYSELF TO EAT, ANO THE JASTELESS FOOD WOULD SOUR ON THF WAY DOWN '
’
RESPONSE...*
IWU-DIDN'T.
GOOD
LORD,
MAH'
>—
DON’T YOU WANT TO 6ET AHEAD • THIS WORLDff
^./N
I
,
if
Y
J
J
llR-SW-BmiWm,
A
ALL
Mr
LIFE I
STAND a FOUGHT TO FAILURE *JlljGET AHEAD...
' SuODENLY THERE'O BE A VIOLENT CHURNING IN THE PIT OF MY STOMACH ANO 1*0 HAVE TO RUN FROM THE ROOM...* GO ONf RUN IF/ WERE SEE /? you try to '<&' IN YOUR SHOES,/ WOULONT TELL HIM SOMETHING I ] WANT TO HEAR THE TRUTH FOR H/S OWN GOOD £3 ABOUT MYSELF, EITHER f ANO HE RUNS OFF IN >
If
y
YOU'RE A FAILURE, ELMER' I CAN'T >/
L
HUFFfHVS INSULTED/
DON’T WASTE YOUR BREATH, S HERBERT* YOU CAN’T TURN A
JELLY-FISH INTO A T/SER ,SHAR/f.
I
ALWAYS SAY*
’I'D MAKE IT TO THE BATHROOM. .MOST OF THE TIME ..AND ALL BUT HEAVE UP MY INSIOES-.*
HE'LL
NEVER
AMOUNT TO ANYTHING?
_j
Y
J
No* DIB THE TORMENT STOP WHEN WE WENT TO BED. IOA WOULD NAG ME TILL SHE WAS HOARSE, AND X'O COVER MT HEAP WITH MV PILLOW. BUT I'O STILL HEAR.' '
ONLY SIXTY-SEVEN MISERABLE PLEASE. 00 L LAPS A WEEP... IN THESE DAYS. \ I'M ASHAMED TOR MOTHER ANO DADDY TO KNOW... BUT OF COURSE THEY DO *
YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU BOUGHT THAT WASHING
|
1
W
HEN I'o HEARD ALL I COULD STAND, I’D HURRY FROM THE LIV-
E VEN A LOCKED DOOR WAS NO GUARANTEE OF PRIVACY.
ING ROOM.,.’
ARE YOU GOING TO STAY IN THERE ALL NIGHT, ELMER? LISTEN.. .ABOUT THE TV. SET?
^
msEsr
t
1
aA
<
.
THREADBARE..JUNK?
NEVER MIND, MOTHER ( FROM NOW OH, I'LL 00 THE BUYIN6f WE AFFORD MUCH, MAYBE. BUT WHAT WE DO GET WILL BE THE 4 / j
>
LONELY THERE,
MACHINE? I TOLD YOU N. BELIEVE ME. IT'LL ITOIDN’T PAY TO BUY CHEAP?] HAVE THAT STINKING WELL, IT'S READY FOR THE TWELVE - NCH -SCREEN T. V. SET FOR JUNKHEAP?
KNOW. THEY KNOW THE KIND OF CLOTHES I WEAR. THEY SEE THE FURNITURE. .
CAN T
’’ll
A
__
COMPANY
...
-J
1
.
I
WAS
ING
DOWNTOWN
TODAY. TALK-
TO A DEALER ABOUT A
TRADE-IN ON
A
LARGER
SCREEN, AND ...
jgn
I OON'T SEE
WHY DADDY.
SHOULD HAVE TO KEEP
P0UND/N6 IT INTO
YOU/ WANT
f
^ V
YOU SHOULD TO GET AHEAD YOURSELP, ELMER.^®
'This morning, as always, we sat at the break-
’
And
TODAY, for the first TIME IN YEARS,! DIDN'T
:
.
"When i got home that night, late for
dinner,
'T HEN, SUDDENLY, THE STORM TORE LOOSE -HOWLING.. .SCREAM
THEY OUST STARED AT ME.. IDA AND MR. WALLACE AND MRS. WALLACE. THE STORM RUMBLEO AROUND-
ME-THUNOER1NG...WILO TEMPEST- FURY
THREATENING ...THREATENING TO BREAK. ..THERE... IN
MY
*1 RAN OUT- BUT NOT TO THE BATH' ROOM THIS TIME. I RAN TO THE KITCHEN -THROUGH THE RAGING STORM. I CAME BACK WITH THE MEAT CLEAVER../
'The storm shrieked BRAIN
in
my
Elmer preston stareo straight AHEAD, SMILING. THE WILD GUAM RETURNED TO HIS EYES, AND HE CHOKED OUT MORE WORDS BETWEEN SHORT, HIGH-PITCHED BURSTS OF
WHITE BLINDING LIGHTNING FLASHES EXPLODED. THE BLACK FURY TURNED RED- RED-SPURTING RED AS I SWUNG THE CLEAVER.. .
1
!
LAUGHTER.
ELMER
.
SO YOU SEE, 1...EH.EH..
DID GET AHEAD. AFTER ALL f
And SLOWLY, THE POLICEMEN FOLLOWED ELMER'S WILD GAZE TO THE OINNER TABLE... TO THE NEAT PLACE SETTINGS ... ANO THE PLATES WITh THEIR HARROWING FARE STARING BACK AT THEM...
r HEAD - X — EH, EH... I GOT
THREE HEADS f
YOU were a
PRESTON f
HEH.HEH. A f/llPLE
HIa61B,
EH,'
KIDDIES? SO, IDA AND HER FOLKS DROVE ELMER BATS, BUT THEY WENT OUT ON STRIKES... IN ONE. TWO, THREE ORDER... ALL RIGHT OVER THE PLATE, well, The
~1
REAL SUCCESS, Ifc
I
J
OVER NOW, CALLED ON ACCOUNT OF MENTAL STORM f AND YOU AND/ WILL TAKE A RA/NCHECK TILL NEXT WE MEET. HOPE GAME'S
YOU L/KED MY NEW MAG. NOW THE OLD WITCH awaits TO WIHO UP
THE FIEHDISHTIVITIE5. THIS IS ...^ your CRYPT-KEEPER. BIDDING YOU 6000BTE ANO WISHING V0U N0THING BUT the best
u(ij£/r
* \M
^
[
.
NIGHTMARES
'
.
HEE.HEE/ AND NOV* IT'S WIND-UP SPOT IN WITCH.lS READY TO STIR up HER CRUDDY
THIS TASTY TALE OF TERROR -TREMORS V
THE DELIRIUM
DISH HE
C.IC'S NEW CREEPS COMIC, AND YOUR SHIVER- CHEF, THE OLD CAULDRON and LADLE OUT a LURID L/rCRARY LUNCHEON.
TOLD BY ONE TONY BARRETT. LISTEN, NOW. as HE gasps OUT
IS
CALLS...
Met
I’m TONY BARRETT. I’M NOT A BAD-LOOKIN' GUY I'M YOUNG. TOO THIRTY- FOUR. OKAY. SO HOW COME I COULD SIT AROUND ON A ROT-REEKIN' COUCH, HOLDIH ‘ HANDS with a snaggle-tootheo hag hameo FANNY OGDEN? HOW COME I COULO STAND THE MILDEW-YELLOWED WALL PAPERS.. .THE CRACKEO CEILINGS. THE WHOLE HOUSE STINKIN' LIKE THE INStOE AND THE STINK OF FANNY HERSELF? yeah, THAT'S R/6HTf YOU GOT the PfCTUREfnmi OGDEN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LOADED? ' I...I OH, TONY f I'VE BEEN BEEN MEANIN' T' ASK YOU, FANNY. I JUS’ PRAY/NG YOU'D ASK ME oon't know HOW? x... DREAMING OF IT. BUT I BEEN MEANIN' T' ASK NEVER REALLY BELIEVIN6 YOU IF YOU'LL MARRY YOU WOULD/ OH, YES. TONY/ YES! I WILL MARRY YOU/ “ Ef .
.
OF A DUG-UP COFFIN..
.
.
.
.
m
^
.
.
OMASTbV SURE I WANTED THAT WOEBEGONE WITCH FORA WIFE. I WANTED TO MARRY THE HUNDRED BRAND FORTUNE I'D HEARD ABOUT.. .THE OOUGH HER FIRST HUSBAND had LEFT HER. THE MISERABLE MISER WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE EYERY LAST CENT of \t.:.H!D... THERE- w that foul-smellino FILTHY HOUSE... THEN I GUESS ...CHOKE... THIS CALLS FOR A KISS?
BEEN SO LONS SINCE IVE 8EEN KISSED, TONY?
IT'S
Well, i'll skip the disgustin' DETAILS EXCEPT TO SAY THAT FANNY ICCAME MRS. TONY BARRETT, AND I STARTEO HITTIN'THE BOTTLE TO
BRACE MYSELF AGAINST
LIVIN' WITH
H».y
^"XREN'T
YOU COMING UP. HONEY-SUN? IT'S
’
BUM STEEN FROM
.
.
SUT
The
t
cat
TONY*
IS
/tmBEGINNiN' r TMJNK TVS BEEN A SUCKEN-.tMW.tH' MTSELF WITH
THERE
WKON6 ? 1
'
(
told Jj
!
A DRIED-UP WITHEREO EXCUSE ‘ > FOR A FEMALE. I'LL MAKE UP \ > ONE OAY AND FINO OUT THERE
f
J
C AIN'T NO HUNOREO B'S...WELL, j ( in A p/S S EYE 1 WILL
So Z WENT UR WTO THE BEDROOM WHERE FANNY SAT WITH THAT STRAGGLY MOP OF HERS UP IN CURLERS. BUT DIDN'T LOOK AT FANNY TWICE. I HEADED FOR THE CLOSET.. FOR MYSUITCASE... / «s SOMETHING
two weeks, i got
HI NTQF
J
/"'fanny f
I f
first
REAL DISGUSTED. THERE WAS NO THE DOUGH.. ^
—
a
J AHEAD.
LATE.
After thi
Trouble with drink in' was it USED TO GET ME DOWN. I'D WORRY. WORRY REAL BAP. .( y MAYBE THERE A/NY NO DOUGH MAYBE I GOT .
I'O
YYOU 60
YOU ANO MEf I'M CLEANIN' OUT
TEAM. BABY f
.
tony I KNOW Tm U6LV ugly and ^OKAY.BABY'l OLD. SUT I'M RICH. I NEVER TOLD OKAY? you YOU, £/£ I? I'VE GOT A LOT OF TALKED ME < MONEY. AND I LOVE you, tony. INTO TTf J AS MUCH AS I CAM. 'RE HANDSOME. Y0UN6. I HAVE JUST A FEW YEANS LEFT STAY W/TH ME ANO MAKE THEM HAPPY YEARS.OEAR, AND WHEN I'M SOME, ALL J THAT MONEY WILL BE YOUNS? .
1 BOUNCED MY SUITCASE ONTO THE BED ANO TOSSED MY CLOTHES INTO IT. MY BRIDE JUMPED UP LIKE A BEE 'D STUNG HER, ANO SHE THREW HER BONEY ARMS AROUNO ME...
r
^
vv*
rTONYf PLEASEf DON'T / WE made a MISTAKE LEAVE MEf PLEASE yFON6ET ITf FORGET
^
ME. fanny?
DON'T..
J
y/
Well, it turned out there WAS money after all. THE guy'o been RiSHT. so I did my NEST to make FANNY HAPPY. I STAYED BUT I WONDERED WHAT SHE LIVED ON, IF SHE NEVER SPENT ANY OF HERDOUGH AND ONE OAY, J FOUIID OuT. MBS 06ULNJ&{VI >JUf THE GUY I MET/ “ PTHE GUY THAT TOLD ME ABOUT HER...^^* |H|| II 1 .
'IS Tf AT HO--...
.
•
I'M 4 RA6MAN.' MRS. 060EN ALWAYS SELLS ME HER OLD A
YOU HAVE A M/CE | MAYBE I'M WIFE, SIR. SHE'S BUT
V
)
f
rass
..
mJ
But at that minute, fanny trunOLEO DOWN THE STAIRS WITH A LOAD OF OLO RAGS.. .MEN'S SUITS.. . WOMEN'S ORESSES... (CIOS' CLOTHES.
WWW
VERY 6000 TO ME. ( I COULO SHE ALWAYS HAS JI SWEAR IT RA6S TO SELL was rou ME. rM A J I MET THAT (
/
y
Ay
RAGMAN
’
NIGHT...
*
THE RAGMAN GRINNEO LIKE AN IDIOT WHEN HE SAW THEM.
. [
FINE, MRS. BARRETT* Ts£YEW
VERY FINE
/BUCKS
ro u
.
SEVEN OOL- \FO*THATO LANS for THESEfJ garbage? GET
After the ragman
The olo creep stoppeo cold and gave me a FISHY STARE, LIKE 1*0 INSULTED HIM. FANNY TRIED TO COVER UP. WSRN / DIDN'T
MEAN ANY-
r WHAT'S WITH THIS NAS BUSINESS, BABY? WHERE
TOUR WIFE HAS
YEAH, MAC
J
*
THING. HE \FEEUN6Sf just DOESN'T /if you want
i
BEEN
6000
ME...
AND
'TO
TO
I TRY
paio fanny, he left,
i felt pretty
SICK INSIDE... YOU CAN IMAGINE.
gT*
WNO HAND .
TONY
i
00 YOU
SET THEM ?
why TONY.
W
NICK THEM UN.
J .
.
HERE AND
THERE.
BE 6000 TO
UNDERSTAND >0 OVENNAY. \HER. HERE YOU IT'S YOUR ARE, MRS, 0GD-...
r I
wE2m M
BUSINESS.
|
.
.
*
MRS. BARRETT.'
Nice, huh? bein' married to an old hag was ENOUGH' NOW I HAD TO FINO OUT SHE WAS A RAG PICKER BESIDES. THAT WAS THE LAST STRAW. I'D MADE UP MY MINO WHEN FANNY
ANNOUNCED AFTER LUNCH I'M GOING OUT, DEAR DON'T BE TOO LONELY WHILE I'M GONE' ,
Fanny didn't say what she was coin out for, but i knew IT WAS TO 00 SOME RAG- PICKIN'.' WELL THAT WAS OKAY WITH ME. THAT GAVE ME TIME TO RUMMAGE THROUGH THE RUBBLE CRAMMED ATTIC AFTER SOME PlCKIN'S OF MY OWN.
* .
.
I GOT TO FIND THAT DOUGH!
.
r
YEAH. FANNY
SURE/
dough and
SET AWAY! ME
I’ll 60 NUTS LIVIN' WITH HER,'
RA6-N/CKER!
L
I got to find that married to a TDAD-FAC, _ IF I have T'keep on
«
I TURNED THAT IUT
IT
ATTIC UPSIDE
,
DOWN
—
WAS WO SOAP I OlDN T FINO
a thino...
rirs eor to be in the HOUSE SOMEWHERE ' YOU JUST DON'T HIDE * HUNOREO BRAND IN A
MOUSEHOLE f
W.PINO
IT
I’LL
'
TONY J WHERE APE you, ) '
TONY?
J
It NAS FANNIE-..CAUJN'
i
couldn't stano the
MESS
LOOKIN' AT HER. ..THAT PATCHEO ANO FAOEO DRESS. THE TWO DIFFERENT COLOREO COTTON STOCK IN'S ...ANO ON HER FEET ..NO K DOIN' f -.SNEAKERS. SHE HAO A OIRTY SACK STUFFEO FULL OVER
HOUSE ANY MORE SO I STARTED
AROUNO THIS
IN
...
in
the
^
THE
attic'
*
<
OH, WELL-.
.
CLEANIN'
up
THAT'S
j
awc.^
g.
NlCE.
\
y
I
HER SHOULDER...
>F ...Mgftf
ME- X
WENT DOWN AND SOT NAUSEOUS
f— -
LOOKS LIKE HUNTIN' WAS
PRETTY 6000
TOOAY,
«
FANNY. HOW MUCH YOU COT E/SHT BUCKS WOPTH... MLJ6C TENT
Fanny didn't seem disturbed about me nos in AROUNO UP IN THE ATTIC, SO I FIGURED THAT'S NOT WHERE THE HUNDRED S'S WAS STASHEO AWAY. I WAS ALL ON EOQE WAITIN' FOR HER TO CO OUT AGAIN BO'S I COULD START LOOKIN' SOMEWHERE ELSE. BUT FIRST THE RA6MAN TURNED UP... r I COULD SWEAR 'SUCH NICE PASS. MRS. HE'S THE SAME GUY BARRETT. SUCH BEAUTHAT TOLD ME ABOUT MA TIKUL RAGS
Finally fanny left with her racsack ano i went to WORK ON ONE OF THE UPSTAIRS ROOMS FEELIN' THROUGH BATTEREO MOTH-EATEN FURNITURE PLOWIN' THROUGH THE TRASH -STUFFEO CLOSET... .
.
WWtTT
IT'LL r
TAKE ME
MONTHS
TO FINO THAT OOUGH.
A YEAR, MAYBE. ..UNLESS I'M
LUCKY
»
After a while : dot mad ano ripped open the MATTRESS ON THE OLD BRASS BED I WAS SO BUSY, t DIDN'T HEAR FANNY SNEAK UPSTAiRSANO CREEP INTO THE ROOM LIKE A SCRAWNY OLO CAT BUTSUOPCNLY I FELT HER THERE., p Ml
—
FANNY- ' )( I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU RE STILL Ic KCLEAN/NS UP, TONY
fc
I
I COULD TELL SHE KNEW WHAT I WAS UP TO. ‘CAUSE SHE MAO A SMILE INSIDE THAT GLINTED THROUGH HER EYES. SHE WAS LAUGHIN' IN HER OUTS ‘CAUSE I COULON'T FINO
HER HOARO. AND
IT
MADE ME MAO..
I
YEAM. THAT'S WHAT IM DOIN' ..CLEANIN' up this filthy pigstye' maybe you don't LIKE THAT.
—
-A
I
SAID
6 LAO. HONEY..
I'M ’
That's how
it went ton weeks. RAGMAN CAME ANO practically delirious over
ijEVERY OAY THAT •;got ‘
some foul rags my WIFE solo I GOTTA FIND LOVELY...
ABSOLUTELY
'
LOVELY, MRS. BARRETT.
IT
I,
!
MINUTE I STAY
IS
[
TIME OUTTA MY LIFE. WORSE! IT'S TORTURE*, 5
Finally x couldn't take it no more, i couldn't STAND FANNIE 6IVIN' ME THE HORSE-LAUGH. I COULDN'T STAND LOOKIN' AT HER. SO ONE OAY. I WENT DOWN THE CELLAR AND STARTED 01 GGI N* BUT NOT FOR HER MONEY.. ...
NOW, LET HER
COME DOWN HERE-
JUST LET HER COME.,
r—
cold uke and whispered
^
'
YOU MEN ARE ALL ALINE. WHEN YOU TRY TO TtDT UP A HOUSE, IT LOOKS WORSE THAN WHEN YOU STARTED...
And when she got home that HER CALL ME, BUT NOISE AND WAITED [why, TONY!
X
day, x listened to
OION'T ANSWER. I
MADE SOME
-
HOW CLEVER f
YOU'RE GOING TO SORT ALL THE OLD TRASH INSTEAD OFj, [having TO CARRY ITJSl
mr
Fannie looked at me real
And she'd come back...knowin' WHAT X WAS UP TO, BUT 1 DIDN'T GIVE A HANG EXCEPT THAT SHE WAS ALL THE TIME LAUGHIN' AT ME ANO I'D SET ALL CHOKED UP WITH HATE " " FOR HER'
SOON* I GOTTA GET ^ OUT OF HERE EVERY
i
AW,
COME OfF IT,
BABY* YOU
KNOW
THAT'S NOT WHAT
.I'M
DOIN'...
outside..
Fanny coulo see by my face i was levelin'.it was LIKE SHE'D NEVER EXPECTED THIS TURN OF EVENTS. SHE LET OUT A LITTLE SQUEAL SWUNG
f
f
.
After
i finished i dumped her bloody boot into the GRAVE AND COVERED THE WHOLE THINS OVER WITH OlRT.
WELL.ZABt! GUESS YOU KNOW WHO I^ThE LAST LAUSH NOW I
GOT
WAS DOG-TIRED FROM WHAT I'D J HIT THE HAY EARLY THAT ANO SLEPT UNTIL I HEARD A KNOCK ON THE FRONT DOOR. IT WAS THE RAGMAN. j
I WAS READY
TO SLAM THE DOOR IN HIS FACE BUT, JUST TO GET RIO Of THE PEST, I ORAGGED DOWN SOME OLD TOWELS FROM A CLOSET HE DIDN'T SEEM HAPPY WITH THEM.
I SPENT DAYS COMBIN' THROUGH THE REST OF THE HOUSE. I EVEN TORE UP THE KITCHEN, SMASHEO APART THE OLD STOVE. NO DOUGH' IT WAS GETTlN' ME DOWN gg^LH
MY WIFE ^CAN'T J TOOK OFF ON A LONS TOO * TRIP SHE WON T BE 7 SELL ME SACK FOR A COUPLE \ SOME OF WEEKS. COME BACK J RAGS? THEN,
'these aren't ^ r FORQET it, VERY NICE RAGS, PAL ' TAKE mr. Barrett' i 'EM AS A
r
1
00 NE SO NIGHT
.
m
LOOK, PAL.
J
v
.
you
can't pay
MUCH F OR THEM.
.
.
j
{/
GO AWAY AND
,
I'VE BEEN OVER THIS DUMP FROM ] MRS ATTIC TO CELLAR/ I GAVE YOU Ibarrett EVERY RAG X COULD FIND X WOULD
GOT NO MORE RAGS/ FOR GOD'S SAKE, LEAVE
ALONE/
now,
ME
J
®
HAVE RAGS FOR ME ...
TO
SOT
TO BE HERE
I CAN'T QUIT' CAN'T..
..
If
jtML
4
DON'T
BOTHER
Ano to top it all off, that crummy creep kept COMIN’ BACK, TILL THIS MORNIN' I FLIPPED MY LID..
|T'S
SOMEWHERE/ ITS SOT
6IFT/ now.
i
|\Jow I'M A GUY WITH A STRONG CONSCIENCE, SO WHAT WITH THE RAGMAN PESTERIN' ME AND FANNY LAVIN' OEAO THE CELLAR, I COULDN'T SLEEP TONIGHT. AROUND MIONIGHT OR SO, I HEARD A NOISE IN THE HOUSE. I GOT A GUN OUT OF MY SUITCASE ANO WENT DOWNSTAIRS FOR A
LOOK
...
MT3i^
L.
I
1
A* PUMP £Z= TOLD YOU I NOPE f SOT NO
HIM.
.
Hass' no*
ONCE.
' J BUT YOU DO'
'
.
.
.
TWICE.
EVEN WINCE.
NICE PASS
.
.
r
.
HE DIDN'T
I
AT SUCH
SHE NEEDED
NOPE ThAN/COULO
GIVE HER. ..SOMEONE YOONS...
^
SOMEONE LIKE YOU THAT'S WHY I TOLD YOU ABOUTYDIFf HER NONEYT I wantedX. u S QT HER TO BE HAPPY' /'you C/Y
.
LOVED her, COULDN'T miss / MR. BARRETT' CLOSE RANGE' I HIT T WANTEO HER TO BE HAPPY you TWICE ) I CAN SEE THE ) I didn't
THE CLOTHES - on HEP' .
r
X EMPTIED THE GUN AT MUTT.FOUM MOPE SHOTS. BUT HE JUST STOOO THEME ...
He was pointin' to fanny's grave. HE KNEW I‘0 KILLED HER AND Z KNEW THEN I'O HAVE TO KILL Z PULLED THE TRIGOER.
Tie -».! WAS COMIN FROM THE CCLLAR. I WENT DOWN. IT WAS HIM A,AiN IN 41Y HOUSE. ..NOSIN'
fI
S
.
.
_
HOLES,../
I KEPT STARIN' STUPIOLY AT THE SIX HOLES BORNEO INTO MIS CHEST. THEN I SNATCHEO UP THE PICK. X IT, CATCHIN HIM BELOW THE SHOULDER-SINKIN' INTO HIS BACK. / 1
SWUNG IT r
.
YOU'RE NOT HUNAN YOU'RE NOTf THERE'S NO BLOOD YOU'RE NOT EVEN FLESH i
w
AND
AT ME, WRAPPING HIS HANOS AROUND MY THROAT-. FUNNY KINO OF HANOS, SOFT ANO STRINBYLIKE HE KEPT CHOKIN' ME-CUTTIN' OFF MY AIM. I TOME T' MAKE HIM LOSE MIS' MOLD, ANO MY HANOS CAME AWAY WITH CHUNKS OF SOFT FOUL-SMELL -
He LEAPED .
AT HIS BOOT, TRYIN’
.
PASS' YOU'RE NOTHING BUT CHOKE RAGS'.
BONE
BUT X KNEW SHE COULO NEVEP LOVE A RAGMAN'
V.
COUPSE NOT, MR. BARRETT
OF
EXPECT THIS'
TS6nNnHN6G 6&
THAT'S WHY I SENT YOU TO HER f SHE NEEOEO MOPE THAN MEf I LOVED HER-^
t
she's discin' PAS- TIME MUSIC, ‘ FEEL BAD' ... NO DOUBT, TOMY* WELL, DON'T THAT YOl/RE DEAD .YOU WON T HAVE ro'D/S/r.' THEYlL WG YOU
NOW
.
6PAVE, THAT ISf W EL L, KIDDIES ... NEXT Time you hear the old expression...
A
’CL
OTHES MAKE THE AW-V/'pemembER
i
the BAGMAN.' OLD CLOTHES DIDN'T < HIS CASE WELL, I'VE 80T TO BE { SHOVELING OFF! HOPE you ENJOYED THE CRYPT- KEEPERS new morbio muckMAG. WE THREE ! £mouZ.unatics will J "rlw SEE YOU NEXT IN IN
.'
x
PTr BAA
,
XL
S
MY
PUTRID PERKXXCAL
K 1 (^*> j Y the HAUNT OF Br 7'Vavi fear
l
1
f
F|
*>
till then.
'K^$l*£EP A STIFF,
f
<
New Christmas
-*Q1
feotur*
n
«*•
iTo
QrlMlnfi
t
Showing 0T to V°
tf.lovety
ch , w«o‘“^
Stverl
,oW*
n :on s°'
w
,h
A moling Get-Acquainted
Offer For
MEN! WOMEN! BOYS! GIRLS! Imagine! This big box of 21 beautiful new Christmas Cards is you without one penny's cost to you. You won't be asked to return tl off cards or pay for them, now or erer. We're making this amazing to s|iow you how easily you can make as much as $75.00 and mo with our exciting new Christmas Cards!
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I
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STUART GREETINGS,
It's
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Deal. FB-117
to
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easy. 'Four
sell
them-
+436 N. CLARK ST CHICAGO 40. ILL. I
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sample assortments. Rush
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ON
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*1 feoture Christmas Assortment TREE, per your offer-
STUART GREETINGS, INC. +436 N CLARKST-
..
Dept. FB-117. Chicago^Otll
EAPERCUTM PROUDLY PRESENTS THE NERVE-WRACKING, PALIN-FREE NINTH ISSUE OF THE ALL-NEW...
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'EFKlg
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO WILLIAM M. GAINES, AL FELDSTEIN, REED CRANDALL, JOHNNY CRAIG, JACK DAVIS, WILL ELDER, GEORGE EVANS, GRAHAM INGELS, JACK KAMEN, BERNIE KRIGSTEIN, HARVEY KURTZMAN, JOE ORLANDO, GEORGE ROUSSOS, MARIE SEVERIN, AL WILLIAMSON, AND WALLY WOOD. “GLASS HEADS”
“CHICKEN MAN”
JOHN
L.
FRED VAN LENTE WRITER
LANSDALE
WRITER
RYAN DUNLAVEY
JAMES ROMBERGER & MARGUERITE VAN COOK ARTISTS
ARTIST
MARK LERER LETTERER
GHOULUNATICS SEQUENCES JIM SALICRUP
WRITER RICK
PARKER
ARTIST/TITLE LETTERER /CO LOR
TERRY NANTIER
JIM SALICRUP
MARK LERER LETTERER
STEVEN MANNION COVER ARTIST CHRIS NELSON & SHELLY DUTCHAK
PRODUCTION MICHAEL PETRANEK EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
THE PUBLISHER
Caricatures by Rick Po
TALES FROM THE CRYPT, Vol. 2, No. 9. November 2008. Published bimonthly by Popercutz, 40 Exchonge Ploce, Ste. 10005. Copyright ® 2008 William M. Games, Agent, Inc. The EC logo Is a registered trademark of William M. Gaines’, permission. Nothing may be reprinted, reproduced, or posted on the internet or in chat groups in whole or port without w the publisher.
Any
unsolicited materials.
similarity to reol
people and pieces
in
fiction
Return postage must accompany submissions.
and semi-fiction Terry Nanfier.
is
purely coincidental.
CEO and
Sotryb, Art Director; Tony Shenton. Sales Manager; Martha Samuel. Traffic Manager. Printed
Publisher;
m
Canada.
Publisher
{
U] 73
73
0 73
FEATURING
THE CRYPT-KEEPER
THE VAULT-KEEPER
71896 45306
CHICKEN MAN BY LANSDALE & ROMBERGER!
!
WELCOME BACK, BOORS AND GHOULS, TO THE NEW AND IMPROVED CRYPT OF TERROR FEATURING MY CAULDRON OF CHILLS! IF YOU WERE EXPECTING THE DECREPIT CRYPT-KEEPER AND THE VACUOUS VAULTKEEPER TO GREET YOU, THEY’RE HELPING ME . COOK UP A REAL POT-BOILER FOR YOU!
^
>GLASP! GLUGG CHOKE!< 4
^
QUIET!
V
PESKY INGREDIENTS'.
BUT
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE COOKING UP CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE HORROR FAN? „ AND ToNWti
DOG
J
IT’S
NOT GETTING CHICKENS! JUST ASK WILL BENDER, BETTER KNOWN AS...
*
My
^
NAME'S WILL senoep.
.
^
I
HEAPD
^
VOODOO MAN WAS IN NEED OF SOME CHICKENS, SO HEPE I AM.
THE
^
.
If#/-
c
f
lOW DO l\ KNOW THAT, MAN? V
I
i
-Oâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;
L.
~T~^rr/J
<y
I
CAN'T
A
L
^
W
THESE * 7 APE THE BEST BLEEOEPS
YOU EVEP SEEN. POP OFF THEIP HEAD AND THE BLOOD A
L
poups.
Jm
\
' CHECK WITHOUT BLEEOINS ONE.
/ r
you WANT ME TO DO THAT?
/
T TAKE My fop
W OPD > sell
you A DOZEN FOP A HUNDPED DOLLAPS APIECE. L.
A
yOU THINK NED SSTUPID, \ MAN? NO WAy I
PAy you THAT KIND OF MONEy. I SO SEE OLD
MAN
SMITH. HE SELL ME CHICKENS FOP FIVE
DOLLAPS
S.
S I
NOT ANyMOPE, > eOUSHT HIM OUT.
THESE APE THE ONLY CHICKENS WITHIN
LIVE
MILES OF VA HUNDPEO y HEPE.
y MAyee you > SHOULD HAVE STAyED
IN HAITI
...TAKE IT
V
LEAVE
OP
IT
>
APIECE.
/
TAKE fALLOKAY, OF THEM, MAN.
>.
I
MASIC DON'T WOPK WITHOUT THEM. I FIX
V
yOU
v
LATEP.
you know^v ^NOTHING. WOULD I
8E MOPE CAPEFUL WHAT I SAY, WILL N. 8ENDEP. .
T
.
^ VOODOO THAT
NONSENSE DON'T WOPK
^ ANYWAY, y WE
BOTH KNOW^ Y YOU'PE JUST '
HOODWINKINS PEOPLE.
I
DON'T
CAPE THOUSH, EVEPYSODY *o vi*e /
!
\
/1
f/
)
A<
/'
k
â&#x20AC;&#x2122;
-JR
BJ^ryou may r
r
^
IT. PUT T THE CHICKENS ON
PESPET
L MY
TPUCK.
^
MSmi
WHAT DID you do?
NOTHING. I NOTHING, MAN.
DO s.
Keoy, x could use soMe eASy MONey LIKe THAT. My OLD exUAC>y IS PUSHINS
Bjw
Me
FOP AUMONy.
THepe's
MOPe if you ^ SOT THe 6ASKeowe pop it. Hetp Me S6T IT AND
f
^ L
I'LL SPLIT
IT
WITH you.
^ A
^ AeOUT^ peAoy fop ANyI'M
THINS, THe
WAy
THAT WOMAN'S
\
HOUNDINS Me.
^
I SAW THe MONey THIS AFTePNOON. you SOT
>
A SUN?
.X
1
"'yeAH, I SOT A > SUN; THIPTy-eiSHT
My OLO MAN S.
sAve Me.
ri
Keep
it
V
hid >
so My papolc OFFICeP DON'T Sv KNOW,
r
THE ©UN'S
^
OUST FOP SHOW PISHT? I DON'T
WANT TO SHOOT ^
ANyeooy.
WHATEVEP IT
TAICES.
a
1
III 1
* i-
,$• p
.
„
*
k;'-j \
firUm jmh
.
no mope do you CHEAT ON yOUP MAN. .
"we soins TO DO THIS, OP NOT?
^
I'M
^
LOOKING THE
PLACE OVEP.
^
SHHH.
s
MONey weu, 5PBST.
JA.
x-r
-s
ML
'
I
WANT THAT ^
t?OU- OF BILLS I THIS AFTEt?-
SAW
NOON, VOODOO
MAN—
—AND HUl?1?y L
y
nevep/ you >v nevep know whepea NED'S MONEy IS.
J
(
SO AHEAD, > MAN, KILL ME IF yOU HAVE A MIND TO. >
V
UP/ J
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M COINS TO PO, IP YOU PON'T COME UP
WITH THAT MONEY.
NOW WHAT? HOW YOU 6OIN6 TO FIND THE MONEY NOW?
WHAT
THEâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;?
t
Vv {
KNOW
I it's Heee.'
1
(
®/>A
l
Of
Cidvi OWWW
h&rti
Vpj
i
WE AGREED TO LET YOU COOK DINNER— NOT FOR US TO BE YOUR CANNIBALISTIC CULINARY >£>_
CONCOCTION!!
^ SAID
HEY, IT
I
^
WOULD
BE POT LUCK
>GASP!!< >CHOKE!<
r
REALLY OUGHT TO GET A MICROWAVE
k
|
OVEN! WHILE THESE TWO SIMMER AND STEW, HERE’S A PSYCHIC .
SHOCKER FOR YOU THAT CALL... . I
'
FORGET
IT,
>
CHANDLER. TUOSE
r
of us wrruour trust FUNDS HAVE TO (30
GO HOME?
>
WHAT ARE yOU
V
TO WORK
IN
/
ABORNING.
v'
v
\
>
WHEN ARE YOU NO TO DECIDE THERE ACTUALLy 15 SOMETHING you WANT TO DO WITH yOUR )
(301
TALKING ABOUT? IT'S ONLy MIDMIGHT/
yEAH,
CHANDLER,
THE
J l
\
LIFE?
/
(3000
LORO UER PROBLEM?
WI4AT
.VUA-UUU?
SINCE WUEN DO EMPTY TABLES UAVE A GENDER, DUDE?
YOU DEALOUS WAGE SLAVES TRYING TO PULL A PRAM OfJ ME OR SOMETHING? YEA14...
^
SUE
MUSTA OUST.
t¥UOA... GO EASY ON THE CttA/ R/CE M/UC LATTES, THERE, PARDNER.. THERE'S NOBODY
,
X
THERE''
^
I
DON'T THINK
THERE WAS ANYBODY THERE, UNLESS SUE WALKED BY REAL FAST, OR
EITHER.
V
SOMETHING...
J
SOMCTUlhG.
'VETTE I C'MOW/ IS OUT!
TUE 5UW
^ Ml
\
TUE BIRDS ARE RINGING' IT'S APRIL ) IKI AJEW YORK/
^
17-
V
wuy do you WAWT TO WA5TE IT Ik) TUE LIBRARY?
BECAUSE > Y DOWT WANT TO I
WASTE My UFE FLIPPING BURGERS,
CUAWD'
>
RATS/
^
GOT My ANALYTICAL P5C«yE FINAL Ik) TWO
I
^
0AY6! TUERE'S GOTTA BE D02EN5 OF PEOPLE YOU COULD ASK TO TUE PARK
< .
yEAU,
BUT
TUEtO
I
WOULDNT UAVE TUE PLEASURE OP CORRUPTING TUEM AWAy FROM TUEIR STUPID BORING UEU-UEU...S
'
>
UA, UA.
ALL I'M SAyikJG
WUAT
IF
15,
TUI5
I6WT A .
VI5I0N?
WUAT IF POOR
.
TUI 5
CUICK REALLy
TO CONTACT
15 TRyikJO v
you?
>
' IF 5ME 5 REAL, TUEN 5UE'5 IN REAL TROUPU. AND 5UE'5 Rt&UT ONLy you
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
V
CAtJ UELP UER.
/
> "WE BREATHE MATURALLy, PREFERABLY
f
TUROUGU TUE
/UOSTR/L5,
WITUOOT ATTEMPT! MG
\
TO CONTROL OUR BREATH..."
"..AMD
WE
N
TRY TO BECOME AWARE OF TUE 66N6AVOK OF TUE BREATU AS IT EMTERS AMD LEAVES TUE
V
MOSTRILS."
WAAAAIT... I
BET
y
WETTE AMD TUE
GCJY5 ARE ALL LA<J<3UIM<3 TUEIR
BUTTS OFF RIGHT NOV! TUAT SUE WAS ABLE TO COM ME IMTO
w
BUYING TUIS DUMK.
r > THEY'RE ALMOST FINISHED
^
WITH ME!
WYEAAAA6UUW!
a
UNLES5 you come POR ME
WAIT...
AM
I...
TOTALLY
LOSING
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CHANDLER WELLS WAS JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER - A SUCKER FOR A PRETTY FACE! a
MAN .
SPEAKING OF SUCKERS, THE CRYPT-KEEPER ^ AND THE VAULT-KEEPER SEEMED TO HAVE HAD SOME UNFORTUNATE MY CAULDRON’S CREEPY CASSEROLE
^
.SIDE EFFECTS TO
!
^ >BBLLARGHFF!!<
”
w C-K
WHILE OL’ UP-CHUCKING IN HIS INNER IS
SANCTUM
K.
>BLAA RRRFFF!!< ~
~
—
V-K HAS SUDDENLY BECOME ALL WARM AND
‘
FUZZY!
^
I’LL GET YOU FOR THIS, OLD WITCH!
IF
r
BARF-BREATH
IS
^
ABLE TO GET HIS ACT TOGETHER HE SHOULD BE READY TO HOST HIS CRYPT-KEEPER’S CORNER COLUMN, FEATURING YOUR COUNTLESS REQUESTS TO DUMP HIM AND THE FAULT-KEEPER, AND TO HAVE ME TAKE OVER TALES FROM THE CRYPT ON A PERMANENT ^ BASIS! BE HERE NEXT ISSUE TO SEE IF JUSTICE PREVAILS.
.
.
BUUUURRPPU
“Palin,
‘Scuze me, kiddies, your of pal the Crypt-Keeper just had the most DREADFUL DINING experience, thanks to The Old Witch! Would you believe she made me SICK and the Vault- Keeper RAT-ATOUILLE! Ifshe ever invites
you to lunch, LIFE!
RUN FOR YOUR
.
.
were
still painfully
issue's
SCARY
Press
a conversation about
mayor of
GOP
and
Wasilla, Alaska.
ban books
candidate has said
who
book banning
is
even entertains
a natural
enemy
from the Crypt,’ according to Jim Salicrup,
editor-in-chief of Papcrcutz, the publisher that revived title
about 16 months ago. ‘This was not
a
partisan thing. People tend to think of everything as
black and white these days
one of the
parties
special editorial received!
history of
EC
1
— you are either for or against
00%. But
for us this
was about the
Comics, the original publisher of
‘Tales
from the Crypt.’ Anyone who knows that history knows of whiff of banning books is going to get us that even
angry.”
which was picked up by the Associated
it,
and SPLATTERED
Geoffy wrote.
“The cover
as
on two occasions she asked ‘a rhetorical question’ about removing objectionable books from shelves, but that she never pursued it or mentioned specific titles. that
CATHY GAINES MIFSUD'S
For example, GHOULISH GEOFF (THE BUTCHER) BOUCHER of the L. A. Times wrote a GHASTLY
PIECE about
1996 while
a local public library, the
the classic
SARAH PALIN cover (drawn by Ricko “the Sicko” Parker)
from
to ‘Tales
(don’t
try this at home!) over all the
attention last
in
Criticized after reports that she sought to
“But any White House candidate
Meanwhile, back at the
CRYPT.
PINCHING ourselves
meanwhile, has taken heat for some overtures
made
she
Well,
across newspapers world-wide.
la-dee-dah!
Who knew
Salicrup
was such a
PUN-DIT? GRUESOME GRAEME McMILLAN writing the Political Science (Fiction) column
POLITICAL .
is
a reference co cwo instances of content
debate, one that played out on a national stage and the
other a seemingly minor
made major by
moment in Alaska
on io9 asked “Are Comics Part of the Left-Wing Media Conspiracy?” as well as. .
that has been
the current political season.
“You may be wondering exactly what Sarah
Palin’s
personal policies arc, ahead of tonight’s Vice Presidential '“Tales
names years
from the Crypt’ became one of the signature and American pop culture after five
in horror
That was
after
mayhem
ended in 1955. months of intense pressure and new
of memorable
that
industry regulations targeting the lurid comics, spurred
by televised Senate subcommittee hearings on juvenile delinquency and
its
causes.
Debate, and we’re happy to help you with she’s anti-witch... or, at least, that’s
that:
Apparently,
the message that
we
from the October issue of the revived TALES FROM THE CRYPT. And, as this year’s US Presidential election nears, this one previously nonget
from
this cover
partisan genre staples
the Republican ticket arc trying to get in
move is
into editorializing against
only one
on the
action.”
way
in
which comics
^VVAVV<^^Vvv^Vy^AiwVV\ But the
POLITICALLY INCORRECT INSANE
bestest
Skeleton
Man
just three pages earlier... pretty
funny!
observation was online at Gawker.com, where
In closing.
IAN SPIEGELMAN wrote:
back
“The
highlight
guest spot front
of Sarah
on SNL, or her
of screaming crazy
page.
scary
not her
It’s
stump speeches
The
lettered
comicbooks, and so few ...
two
CO
SHOCK-
we did receive a couple of RIOTOUS
REACTIONS... (In
have them.
Sincerely,
Colorado Springs, that! There were
FILLED STORIES in TALES FROM THE CRYPT if8 as well. And while were still tabulating the votes on which SCARE-TALE was our ROTTEN
READERS fave,
still
a
such a great aspect of
Mark Robinson
Tales from the Crypt.”
But enough about
thank you for having
is
in
cover for
racists. It’s this
thank you for bringing
just like to
I’d
this classic title. Also,
letters
Palin’s career?
the meantime, go to the
TALES
Hey, Mark, did you ever think that those other comics don't have letter
columns
my
to write 'em in
face
how can
it,
‘cause they can’t get Yours Truly
HORRIFIC style? Let's
world-famous
they really compete with
me?
FROM THE CRYPT section of www.papercutz.com and vote online for your favorite story from
THIS
issue!)
Dear Crypt-Keeper, Hello
Subject:
TALES
editorial
fan of F.C
Comics,
welcome the
I
FROM THE CRYPT
and the guest
and
by Cathy Gaines Mifsud.
a long-time fan
of
EC
Comics,
it’s
interesting
Ray Bradbury “Home to #13). You forgot to acknowledge Stanley G. Weinbaum’s (writing as John Jesse!) oft-reprinted “The Adaptive Ultimate"
how can
I
am
I
(WEIRD FANTASY
(originally published in
1935) or
its
Astounding
film adaptation
source of “She
Who Would
Stories,
comics.
I
loved
it.
but
hard to get hold of your comics.
subscribe? first
6
And also
will
I
be able ro back
issues as well as future ones.
Brett Stephenson
England
November
SHE DEVIL
(1957) Rule the World.”
wish you the best of luck
as the
What’s the matter, Brett? Too lazy to travel to the to get
your horror comics fix? Fortunately for you
US
there’s
milehighcomics.com for back issues, and barnesandnoble. comfor our CADAVEROUS COLLECTED EDITIONS,
in the future.
Leonid Doroschenko
available in both soft
and (for those who collect STIFFS...)
hard covers.
CREDS as DANGEROUS! Sadly,
If only we had an editor with the SCI-FI
LEONID,
wed
then
really
be
and he lamely pleads that TALES FROM THE CRYPT
we're still stuck with Salicrup,
the correct credits in both
comic
8 and graphic
ff
novel
ff
5 should have
Keep those emails and
BY STANLEY ADAPTED BY
G.
letters
any Pcpto, we could use that
coming
-
Send
too.
and
you've got
if
letters to:
read:
The
“SHE WHO WOULD RULE THE WORLD” (BASED ON “THE ADAPTIVE ULTIMATE”
Crypt-Keeper’s Corner
40 Exchange
WEINBAUM)
CHRISTIAN ZANIER
Place, Suite
New York, NY Or
email your
comments
to the
1308
10005 Old Editor
at:
salicrup@papercutz.com
WRITER, ARTIST, LETTERER, COLORIST,
MARVIN MARIANO COLORIST
Dear Crypt-Keeper, Just wanted to make a few comments about TFTC #8. Who Would Rule the World” was very well done. Both the story and the art were great. Very enjoyable. As for “Virtual Hoodoo,” it was passable, but did not do much for me. One thing I found hilarious... Barts left hand shot up from the crypt when the monsters called upon him. In and of itself, not funny. However, when you consider his left arm was ripped off by Crazy
;“She
a
purchased number 7 of the new
it is
order and get the
England, and
the return of the
see
Stay” precedent
I
in
FROM TOE CRYPT
here in England
So
As to
just recently
I
TALES
I live
FROM THE CRYPT comics
big fan of the old TALES
FROM THE CRYPT #8
TALES
As a long-time revival of
my name is Brett,
SUBS ©WTff IONS! For a one yeor (six-issue) subscription to
FROM THE CRYPT, order, in
Send
to:
just
TALES
send o check or money
US funds only, for $24.00. subCRYPTions, PAPERCUTZ,
40 Exchange
Place, Suite 1308,
10005. Make checks payable Or call 1-800-886-1223.
to
MC, VISA, and AMEX accepted.
New NBM.
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â&#x201A;¬.C. FA NS/
YOU'VE WRITTEN! YOU'VE E-MAILED! YOU'VE PHONED! YOU'VE THREATENED US!
you've (
mmtw
BUT WE'RE COMING OUT WITH
THESE COLLECTIONS ANYWAY!)
PROM THE
CRYPT
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TALES FROM THE CRYPT. Copyright
Nothing
Any
° 2009
may be
Vol. 2, No.
!1,
March 2009.
William M. Gaines, Agent, Inc.
reprinted, reproduced,
similarity to real people
and places
Published bimonthly by Papercutz,
The EC logo
Is
in fiction
Return postage must accompany submissions.
and semi-fiction
Terry Nantier,
is
40
Exchange Place.
Ste. 1308,
a registered trademark of William M. 6aines, Agent,
or posted on the Internet or in chat groups
In
purely coincidental.
CEO and
Tony Shenton, Sales Manager; Martha Samuel, Traffic Manager. Printed
Publisher
Publisher; Jim Sallcrup, In
Inc.
New
York,
NY 10005.
used with permission.
whole or part without written permission from the publisher.
assumes no
VP and
Canada by Lebonfon
responsibility for unsolicited materials.
Editor-in-Chief; Martin Satryb, Art Olrector;
Printing, Val-d’Or,
QC. www.papercutz.com
This comicbook
FEATURING
THE CRYPT-KEEPER
THE OLD WITCH
THE VAULT-KEEPER
896 45306
rot
your brain!
will
HEE, HEE! BACK AGAIN, EH? BET YOU’RE WONDERING WHAT THE OLD WITCH
r
^ IS
DOING HERE? YOU WERE EXPECTING THE DECREPIT CRYPT-KEEPER AND HIS PARTNER-IN-SLIME THE J ** VAULT KEEPER, RIGHT?
THE SHOCKING TRUTH IS THAT THEY’RE BOTH HERE-VICTIMS OF CRYPT-FEVER!
^
THEY’VE TOTALLY FREAKED OUT! TOO MUCH TIME SPENT IN THE CRYPT OF TERROR WATCHING YOU TOOMB! WORST CASE EVER SAW! THEY EVEN HALLUCINATED SEEING ME j Ik. DRESSED IN A FRENCH MAID’S I
.
IMh.
UNIFORM!*
r
NOT TO WORRY— I’M
BREWING UP A
CURE RIGHT NOW! “HAVE CAULDRON-WILL TRAVEL!’’ THAT’S MY MOTTO! v*
v
WHILE THIS SIMMERS,
^
LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT ANOTHER LADY WHO HAD TO TAKE CARE OF A LITTLE BOY, A REGULAR...
*YOU SAW IT TOOL AST ISSUE!
MRS. SANOteZ, TH1C \S HUMAN. SDPJty
to vwa^
YOU. UAV/E am SAKE RC?£NCy. 1
HUMAN, P© you kKjou/ WHAT TiA*£ ir is ?
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7T F77
couecme stories by bilgrey, CABRAL, MR. EXES, GNIEWEH, HUDSON, HARLAN, HLEID, LANSDALE, LOBDELL, MANNION, MARTINEZ, McGREGOR,
â&#x201A;¬.D. FA NS/
MURASE, NOETH, PETRUCHA, ROMBERGER, SIMMONS, SMITH 3, TODD, VELILLA AND VOLLMAR!
#3 ZOMBIELICIOUS
#2 CAN YOU FEAR ME NOW?
#1 GHOULS GONE WILD!
|TlA7UEJN3
CRYPT
CRYPT
#4 CRYPT-KEEPING
IT
#6 YOU TOOMB
#5 YABBA DABBA VOODOO
REAL
CRYPT
www.papercutz.com
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TALK ABOUT A TALE WITH BITE!
>GASP!
^
CHOKEH
STRANGE! SWEAR HEAR THE OLD WITCH.. I
I
^
SHE PROMISED TO CLEAN-UP CRYPT-BUT HER WICCA-WARES ARE EVERYWHERE!
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE SHE’S HERE-TALKING ABOUT
THIS s
s.
SNAKE! SNAKE! IT’S KILLING ME!
fW
“HALLUCINATING”!
AS
IF...!
-
PISLCAIMBP/ THIS IS /vor a commentary on wiccan beliefs, but a cautionary TALE OF WHAT BEFALLS THOSE WHO USE WHAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND FOR SELFISH ENDS'
7/THEM.' PEOPLE ^ IGNORE
GROSS.
SOMEONE
..PLEASE..
HELP ME.
FASHION
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CORNER COLUMN BEFORE COMPLETELY KICKS IN!
IT
'CHOKE!'
TO BE CONTINUED...?
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED® Presents:
Featuring Stories by the World’s Greatest Authors
Other Poems By
Inc
Edgar Allan Poe
Classics.
Illustrated by
First
20(19
Gahan Wilson
© is
1 1
Coming
In
April
2009 From
PAPERCUTZ Special preview on the following two pages...
Copyright
0 1990
All
First Classics, Inc.
Illustrated name and logo is ÂŽ 2009 First Classics, Inc. Rights Reserved. By permission of Jack Lake Productions Inc.
The Classics
Then
— — in my childhood — in the dawn — was drawn
Of a most stormy life
From ev’ry depth of good and ill The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain, From the sun that In its
'round
me roll’d
autumn tint of gold
From the lightning in the sky
As it pass’d me flying by From the thunder and the storm, And the cloud that took the form (When the rest of Heaven was blue) Of a demon in my view.
Don’t miss CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #4 “The Raven and Other Poems” by Edgar Allan Poe, adapted by Gahan Wilson. On sale soon.
?
.
The Old Witch
and
time keeping
much
and
right!
The Vault-Keeper
Crypts,
much time and not enough
SANE! Maybe
contact with our
Fan-Addicts!
Toomb?
it's
from
Or watching it’s
too
INSANE EC too
BIONICLE graphic series from
novels, the biggest-selling
Papercutz! Perhaps
SEVENTH TOA ? Or maybe I’m
hallucinating again
my
time once again to present
CRAZY COMMENTS and INSANE
FEAR-Y TALE from
To vote for your fave
the issue you now grasp in your FETID FINGERS, just go to www.papercutz.com,
FROM THE CRYPT
INSIGHTS!
find the TALES
now that MY sanity is in how do I know that these are really YOUR letters ? Or in the case of our ONLINE READERS POLL, how do I know these are really the correct results? Well,
for your favorite story from
section,
Although,
question,
outside of a quick crossover with the shrinks from PSYCHOANALYSIS, there’s no way to test let’s
my state
just live
we should’ve
mentioned that Murder M.A.I.D. was actually the
much You
Well, despite the great risk to
mental health,
your
is
I have been spending too
keeping Vaults
of mind at the moment,
so
DANGEROUSLY, and accept
and
and click on
it really
computer machines
this issue!
Oh,
of those
to get online.
And don’t PANIC or get MAD ifyou somehow missed a TERROR-FILLED issue of the
TALES FROM THE CRYPT comicbook,
you can
still find
the
same scary
stories
collected in equally scary, but albeit smaller-
sized paperback
whatever comes our way!
this issue’s cover to vote
helps ifyou have one
and hardcover
editions,
available from booksellers everywhere!
According
to
our
PUTRID POLL,
Brain
"
Food” by Rob Vollmar and Tim Smith 3 won an overwhelming 61 % ofyour votes, leaving
Murder M.A.I.D., ” by Greg Farshtey and
"
39% of the vote. That’s SHOCKING when you
Mr. Exes, a paltry actually rather
consider that Mr. Farshtey
is
the writer of the
TALES
FROM THE CRYPT Graphic
Novel #6 " You Toomb”
is
features all your favorite
on
sale now,
and
BRAIN-EATING
MONSTERS, VOODOO HITMEN, KILLER ROBOTS, and BABY VAMPIRES! But ifyou’re looking for FIENDISH FANS, here they are.
.
,
Subject:
Dear Crypt-Keeper,
new
have a
I
you on TV.
story for
It’s
a
nasty tale about a boy who likes to draw horror pictures and put them on the wall.
One day call
come
his pictures begin to
alive.
I
stuff
great.
is
remember reading
1
reprints of the originals back in the ‘80s,
came
so as a 35 year-old reader that this
new
series,
absolutely love
I
love the tales and
“'The Wall of Horror.”
it
This
TALES FROM THE CRYPT
across I
it.
enough.
can’t get
I
just
finish
I
#1 each book and #2 and have read about your plans for CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED, which I think is great. Keep up the good work! thirsting for more. I just read
Love Your #1 Fan,
Tony Chavez
may
We’ve established that I
CRAZIER your
tiny
be even
UNOFFICIALLY
ANNOUNCE that there’s an all-new TV movie in
the works based on
FROM THE CRYPT. especially for
It’s
TALES
being created
our younger fans, so you
BLOOD-THIRSTY GEEZERS will just have
to stick
series
on the
with the reruns of the
HBO
CHILLER channel! But if BOILS and GHOULS watch
enough ofyou the all-new
TV movie,
starring me, the
A fan, Steven Ortiz
than usual, so keep that in
minds when I
an all-new
ORIGINAL
TV series
Crypt-Keeper
Speaking of ROTTING
UNAWARE,
original issues of TALES
FROM THE CRYPT
all the
are being collected in a series ofgreat, big, full-color hardcover volumes by
But
Publishing.
Gemstone
a particular Jack
there’s
we may
be including
Davis-drawn
tale that
in one of our
upcoming Papercutz
All we can say
now
collections.
may
that it
is
CRYPT tale
requested
could be in your future!
REPRINTS,
Steven, in case you were
be the most
oj all (by me)!
Stay tuned!
Dear Crypt-Keeper,
And what better way
looovwe the new TALES FROM THE series! Cool cover on issue #10. I also have a request. Can you reprint some
CRYPT OF TERROR
to stay
than
tuned
to the
to subscribe?
I
CRYPT
of the old TALES FROM THE CRYPT stories in your new mag? And try to make your stories kind of like the old ones. Keep up with the stories of monsters! But please, no art like the art in issue #9, the story “Chicken Man.” Again, try to make the
SUBS tWfWT IONS!
more horror-science fiction, if you I mean. Anyway, keep up the gruesome work!
10005. Make checks payable Or call 1-800-886-1223.
stories
know what
For a one year (six-issue) subscription to
FROM THE CRYPT, order,
Send
40
US funds
in
just only,
TALES
send a check or money for
$24.00.
subCRYPTions, PAPERCUTZ,
to:
Exchange Place, Suite 1308, New York, to
NY
NBM.
MC, VISA, and AMEX accepted.
Your Fan, Jared Hershman,
So prove that you’re actually ALIVE out
Age 10
and send your own CRYPTIC
The Well, Jared, ifyou
want
us to keep
up the
“gruesome work” then we gotta keep using
James Romberger! We’re thrilled
(and
others were
on
—
“ Chicken
” “the Sicko Parker!
Or email your comments
Comer 1308
10005
to the
Old Editor at:
salicrup@papercutz.com
including
fellow CRYPT-contributors John L. Lansdale
and Rick
New York, NY
there,
COMMENTS to:
Place, Suite
sorry you weren’t
chilled) by his art
Man” but so many
Crypt-Keeper’s
40 Exchange
And if any let
ofyou are licensed psychiatrists
me know
if I’m
NUTS or not!
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED DELUXE® Presents:
6
Vz
x
9,
144 pages,
$13.95/$15.50
full-color.
CAN
ISBN-13: 1-59707-131-4
Also available in hardcover.
Available
Now
At Bookstores Everywhere Send
Or order from Papercutz: Please add
$4.00 postage and
Make Check payable
to
NBM
handling.
Publishing.
Papercutz,
New
York,
www.papercutz.com
to:
40 Exchange Place, Suite 1308 NY 10005, 1-800-886-1223