From VAULT OF HORROR # 35, from the pre-code Christmas of 1953, a seasonal classic that is bound to pop up on a dozen blogs today or tomorrow...In fact I'd been planning it for at least a couple of weeks. Hey, great comic book minds think alike...oh well! In fact, the beautiful black and white version is posted over at the always incredible Golden Age Comic Book Stories, and here (among other places) is the color version. (These scans from Gemstone reprint.) This story was also made into a pretty good 'Tales From The Crypt' TV episode. Story and art by the great Johnny Craig.
nice, i'd only seen the version from the 70's Tales From The Crypt movie. the maniac looks a little like Fess Parker to me!
ReplyDeleteYou can really tell that slooooooow working Johnny Craig was having a ball at EC~ especially with this one~!
ReplyDeleteApocolyte: I am so glad there is someone that remembers and loves Johnny Craig. You picked out a great story to exemplify is best. No one drew women in panic and anxiety like Craig (and no one can touch him for female zombies, either). Perhaps he studied the expressions of his editors who were awaiting his pages! As Lysdexicuss notes, he was perhaps the slowest comic book artist that ever lived, but man, his stuff was so chiseled and fine.
ReplyDeleteI love page 6. You can practically feel her fear. Great post! -- Mykal
One of the greatest!
ReplyDeleteHappy Horrordays Apocolyte!
Yet Another fine example of the greatness that was E.C.COMICS. Illustrators like Johnny Craig (who I think was one of the marvellous contributors to the EC horror and crime genres) really captures the mood and the subtleness that a good scary tale like this really needs. I also enjoyed the TV version of the story.They practically took the source of this as their storyboard.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I loved the TFTC episode from the HBO series. I plan to rewrite the story for fun and post it online. It's a classic. Thanks for the post!
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