Tales from the Crypt #40

(February-March 1954)

Food for Thought (Table of Contents: 1)

The Crypt of Terror / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils

Jack Davis

Inks

Jack Davis

Colors

?

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Heh, heh! I see you're hungry for horror again.

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Crypt-Keeper (host); Eric (Marta's lover, animal trainer, death); Marta (Carl's wife, circus mind reader); Carl (villain, Marta's husband, thought projector, death); a ghoul (villain)

Synopsis

A woman plots to run away with the circus animal trainer because her husband, even though he can project his thoughts to her which they use as their act, does not love her. The husband tumbles to the plot and forces the animal trainer at gunpoint into the lion's cage where he is torn apart. The wife suspects him but has no proof and so when the husband is accidentally paralyzed when a beam lands upon him while the circus packs up, she ignores his thoughts for help and coldly advises them not to embalm him so that he is buried alive.

Reprints

• in Tales from the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1979 series) #4 (1979)
• in Gysertimen (Interpresse, 1987 series) #5 (13. november 1987)
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #2 [1988] (uke 11 1988)
which is reprinted
• in Iskalde Grøss pocket (Semic, 1996 series) #1 ([april] 1996)
• in Iskalde Grøss - Klassikerserien (Hjemmet / Egmont, 2006 series) #[nn] ([mai] 2006)
• in Tales from the Crypt (Gemstone, 1994 series) #24 (June 1998)
• in Biblioteca Grandes del Cómic: Clásicos del Terror de EC (Planeta DeAgostini, 2003 series) #4 (agosto 2003)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #4 - Tain't the Meat...It's the Humanity and Other Stories (March 2013) [Reprinted in black and white.]

Indexer Notes

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

Pearly to Dead (Table of Contents: 2)

The Vault of Horror! / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils

George Evans (signed as G. Evans)

Inks

George Evans (signed as G. Evans)

Colors

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Heh, heh! Salutations, slime savorers!!

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Vault-Keeper (host); Phil Cannon (death); Gladys (Phil's girl); unnamed college swimming coach; Larry Miles (villain, death)

Synopsis

Two navy divers discover a pearl bed while placing demo charges and make plans to go back for them after the war ends. One gets greedy and murders the other one whose corpse then surprises him while he is attempting to acquire the pearls.

Reprints

• in Tales from the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1979 series) #4 (1979)
• in EC Classics (Russ Cochran, 1985 series) #1 - Tales from the Crypt (August 1985)
• in I Classici Americani I Racconti del Terrore (Edizioni B.S.D., 1991 series) #v1#3 (marzo 1991)
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #3/1992 (uke 16 1992)
• in Tales from the Crypt (Gemstone, 1994 series) #24 (June 1998)
• in Biblioteca Grandes del Cómic: Clásicos del Terror de EC (Planeta DeAgostini, 2003 series) #4 (agosto 2003)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #30 - A Slight Case of Murder and Other Stories (April 2021) [Reprinted in black and white.]

Indexer Notes

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

Evans drew himself in as the pilot at the top of page 7.

Some of the story is told in flashback.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3)

The Crypt-Keeper's Corner / letters page / 1 page (report information)

Script

Al Feldstein ?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Rundown of song titles of the day retitled with humorous horror names.

Choice! (Table of Contents: 4)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The ground was soft and clinging as Farraday slipped out...

Reprints

• in Tales from the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1979 series) #4 (1979)

Prairie Schooner (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils

Bernie Krigstein (signed as B. Krigstein)

Inks

Bernie Krigstein (signed as B. Krigstein)

Colors

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Here's a bubbly little tale of titanic terror!

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Crypt-Keeper (host); Mildred Jackson [aka Milly] (death); Mr. Gunner (shop owner, cameo); unnamed plumber; unnamed carpenter; Captain Ezra Jackson (villain, sailor, death)

Synopsis

Old seaman Ezra is abruptly retired from his duties at sea and shows up at the home of his old time friend, Milly. Stranded in this Kansas home, away from all he ever knew at sea, the sailor goes mad and converts Milly's house into a ship in the middle of a prairie and she is made the one-man crew of the ship, until she drops dead.

Reprints

• in Tales from the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1979 series) #4 (1979)
• in EC Classics (Russ Cochran, 1985 series) #1 - Tales from the Crypt (August 1985)
• in Iskalde Grøss album (Semic, 1989 series) #1 ([november] 1989)
• in I Classici Americani I Racconti del Terrore (Edizioni B.S.D., 1991 series) #v1#3 (marzo 1991)
• in Tales from the Crypt (Gemstone, 1994 series) #24 (June 1998)
• in Sherpa select (Sherpa, 1999 series) (1999)
• in Biblioteca Grandes del Cómic: Clásicos del Terror de EC (Planeta DeAgostini, 2003 series) #4 (agosto 2003)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #21 - Master Race and Other Stories (March 2018) [Reprinted in black and white.]

Indexer Notes

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

Oddity: The Crypt-Keeper is clearly the host of this story. However, the final panel, featuring the Crypt-Keeper, has him stating that he is turning readers over TO the Crypt-Keeper for the final story in the issue.

Half-Baked! (Table of Contents: 6)

The Witch's Cauldron! / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils

Graham Ingels (signed as Ghastly)

Inks

Graham Ingels (signed as Ghastly)

Colors

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Hee, hee! And now it's morbid-meal-time.

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Old Witch (host); Calvin Dugan; John (restaurant's chef)

Synopsis

A man who enjoys tormenting lobster ends up in a car crash where the steering column disembowels him and the flames that erupt broil him alive.

Reprints

• in Tales from the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1979 series) #4 (1979)
• in EC Classics (Russ Cochran, 1985 series) #1 - Tales from the Crypt (August 1985)
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #6/1991 (uke 35 1991)
• in Tales from the Crypt (Gemstone, 1994 series) #24 (June 1998)
• in Biblioteca Grandes del Cómic: Clásicos del Terror de EC (Planeta DeAgostini, 2003 series) #4 (agosto 2003)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #29 - Accidents and Old Lace and Other Stories (January 2021) [Reprinted in black and white.]

Keywords

The Sea Shell Restaurant

Indexer Notes

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