Vault of Horror #21

(October-November 1951)

One Last Fling! (Table of Contents: 1)

The Vault of Horror! / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Johnny Craig (signed as Johnny Craig [circle])

Pencils

Johnny Craig (signed as Johnny Craig [circle])

Inks

Johnny Craig (signed as Johnny Craig [circle])

Colors

? (see notes)

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Heh, heh! You're right on time!

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Vault-Keeper (host); Olga (villain, Harry's wife, a vampire, death); Harry (knife thrower, death)

Synopsis

A knife-throwing act in Hungary was extremely popular. Harry woke up the next day and couldn't rouse Olga, whom he thought was dead. He made burial arrangements, then discovered that Olga was a vampire. Harry decided the act would change and go to the U.S. where Harry became her victim. She continued to feed on him, until one night, at the end of the knife-throwing act, he announced he was going to commit a murder, then threw a wooden stake at his wife's heart before collapsing in death on the stage!

Reprints

• in The Vault of Horror (Russ Cochran, 1982 series) #2 (1982)
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #1/1990 (uke 4 1990)
which is reprinted
• in Iskalde Grøss pocket (Hjemmet / Egmont, 1998 series) #5 ([mars] 1998)
• in Vault of Horror (Gemstone, 1994 series) #10 (January 1995)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #5 - Fall Guy for Murder and Other Stories (July 2013) [Reprinted in black and white.]
• in The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror (Dark Horse, 2021 series) #2 (May 2022)

Keywords

monsters

Indexer Notes

Letterer credits by Craig Delich.

Colors were previously attributed to Marie Severin, but it is unlikely that Severin had begun coloring at EC when this issue was colored (Cassell 2012, 33–34 and 171).
_________
Reference:

Cassell, Dewey, with Aaron Sultan. 2012. Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics. Raleigh: TwoMorrows Publishing.

That's a 'Croc'! (Table of Contents: 2)

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

Script

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

Pencils

Howard Larsen (signed as Larsen)

Inks

Howard Larsen (signed as Larsen)

Colors

?

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Hee, hee! So, who else?

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Old Witch (host); "Crazy" Coogan (zoo-keeper)

Synopsis

At the local zoo, people crowd around the newest attraction: a pit with four crocodiles in it, and along comes Mr. Coogan, the zoo keeper and lover of these ferocious animals, to feed them their daily ration of meat. But when a young boy reminds him that these animals are MAN eaters and maybe they don't like being fed other types of meat, it makes him stop and think. That evening, he heads to town and kills someone and feeds them to his charges. Meanwhile, at the home of Norman Simms, family members discover him to be missing and they begin to backtrack his steps to locate him, without success. Back at the zoo, "Crazy" Coogan is over-seeing the cleaning of the crocodile pit when one of the men, Lou, discovers a ring on the floor and pockets it secretly. Later, in town, Lou stops in for a drink and sits down next to Norman Simm's relative, who has just learned others have disappeared in town mysteriously....then he sees Simm's ring on the finger of Lou, who tells him where he got it. Two and two are added together, and the angry men in the bar head for the zoo to confront Coogan. When Coogan sees them coming, he jumps into the crocodile pit, thinking these creatures will protect him.....instead, they devour him!

Reprints

• in The Vault of Horror (Russ Cochran, 1982 series) #2 (1982)
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #5/1993 (uke 43 1993)
• in Vault of Horror (Gemstone, 1994 series) #10 (January 1995)
• in The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror (Dark Horse, 2021 series) #2 (May 2022)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #33 - Deadly Beloved and Other Stories (January 2023) [Reprinted in black and white.]

Indexer Notes

Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.
Cover story.

Now or Never! (Table of Contents: 3)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Gaines

Pencils

? (spot illo)

Inks

? (spot illo)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

horror-suspense; military; war

Characters

Lt. Edward Cragg

Synopsis

Lt. Edward Cragg’s submarine, "The Dolphin," was stuck in the muck 40 fathoms below the sea. But Cragg was determined to survive this situation, even if the others didn’t. There was just enough compressed gas to fire the torpedo tube once more, and he ordered his crew to fire him to the surface to get help. They did as he requested, but his speed slacked off to get to the surface. As he looked back, he discovered to his horror that the blast had freed his sub and it was rising to the surface. And the last thing saw through the glass into the ship were his men, in formation, saluting him!

Reprints

• in The Vault of Horror (Russ Cochran, 1982 series) #2 (1982)
• in The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror (Dark Horse, 2021 series) #2 (May 2022)

Indexer Notes

This text story was printed on the inner halves of the two pages, with EC house ads to either side. One side promoted Weird Fantasy #9 [with a cover by Al Feldstein], while the other side promoted the Picture Stories From the Bible line: the Complete Old & New Testaments, the Old Testament #1-2 and the New Testament #1 [all with covers].

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

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

Script

?

Pencils

Johnny Craig (spot illo)

Inks

Johnny Craig (spot illo)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Characters

The Vault-Keeper [cameo]

Synopsis

In this issue's column, VK first pushes the photos of the three GhouLunatics for 25 cents, then provides results of reader's voting on the last issue's stories. Then letters from Laurence Finley, Joan Shaffer and Al Munchen are printed, followed by a plea NOT to buy other company's imitation mags.

Reprints

• in The Vault of Horror (Russ Cochran, 1982 series) #2 (1982)
• in The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror (Dark Horse, 2021 series) #2 (May 2022)

Child's Play (Table of Contents: 5)

The Vault of Horror / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

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

Pencils

Jack Kamen (signed)

Inks

Jack Kamen (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Ever been chased away from in front of that mean old crabby guy's house down the block?

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Vault-Keeper (host); Milton Collins; Emma Collins

Synopsis

As a group of boys were playing football in front of Mr. Collin's house, they were rudely told by him to get away from the front of his home or he'd call the Police. So they moved down the street, but when the football accidently fell into his yard, he wouldn't give it back. Later. Collin's wife, Emma, gave it back to the boys when Milton was asleep.....but he found out and slapped his wife around. The next day, as the boys were passing by the Collin's home, they yearned for some apples off his tree, but when they attempted to get a few, he came out, took his belt off and was going to hit them when his wife came out to put a stop to it.....and Collin's struck her instead. The next day, feeling sorry for Emma Collins, the boys waited until Milton left and then went to the door to surprise her with some candy.....but they were told she was dead. The next day, they watched the funeral and interment from a distance....and then plotted to scare the pants off Mr. Collins. That night, as Collins was resting on his backporch, he glimpsed movement in the darkness and an eerie voice, purporting to be that of his wife, began calling to him. As he walked out into the yard, a ghostly apparition suddenly appeared, asking him why he had killed her. He apologized for doing it, then pitched forward....stone dead!

Reprints

• in The Vault of Horror (Russ Cochran, 1982 series) #2 (1982)
• in Vault of Horror (Gemstone, 1994 series) #10 (January 1995)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #20 - Daddy Lost His Head and Other Stories (November 2017) [Reprinted in black and white.]
• in The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror (Dark Horse, 2021 series) #2 (May 2022)

Indexer Notes

Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.

Trapped! (Table of Contents: 6)

The Crypt of Terror / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

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

Pencils

Jack Davis (signed)

Inks

Jack Davis (signed)

Colors

? (see notes)

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Heh, he! Well! Finally... it's my turn to 'entertain' you!

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Crypt-Keeper (host); Bud Harrison (hobo, death); Marty (villain)

Synopsis

Inside a moving railroad boxcar, Marty encounters an old hobo, who informs Marty that the Smoky Mountain area is haunted. Soon a railroad policeman forces them to jump off the train, and the hobo dies. Marty makes his way to a farmhouse inhabited by an old man, whom Marty kills and buries. A mysterious, screaming fly follows Marty back to the house, so he decides the place is cursed, grabs his bag of swag, and runs out, getting caught in the sticky earth of the grave.....just like a fly gets stuck on flypaper!

Reprints

• in The Vault of Horror (Russ Cochran, 1982 series) #2 (1982)
• in Vault of Horror (Gemstone, 1994 series) #10 (January 1995)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #16 - The Living Mummy and Other Stories (August 2016) [Reprinted in black and white.]
• in The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror (Dark Horse, 2021 series) #2 (May 2022)

Indexer Notes

Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.

Colors were previously attributed to Marie Severin (see Indexer Notes for “One Last Fling!,” above).