Crime SuspenStories #4

(April-May 1951)

Backlash! (Table of Contents: 1)

comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Johnny Craig (signed)

Pencils

Johnny Craig (signed)

Inks

Johnny Craig (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

I have it! I have it!

Genre

crime

Characters

Matthew Kee (locksmith, death); George; Jacques Harnold (newspaper publisher, mention only, death); Dave Wilton (villain, mystery writer); unnamed killer (villain)

Synopsis

Mystery writer Wilton believes he has come upon a logical, workable method of committing a crime behind locked doors of a sealed room. But one publisher after another rejects the manuscript at every turn.....so Wilton decides to commit the crime for real. Becoming quite smug that the authorities cannot locate "the killer," Wilton doesn't reckon with what happens next!

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #1 (1983)
• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #4 (August 1993)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #17 - Voodoo Vengeance and Other Stories (December 2016) [Reprinted in black and white.]
• in E.C. Archives: Crime SuspenStories (Gemstone, 2007 series) #1 (September 2007)

Keywords

Daily Mail; Globe; Harnold Publishing House; Herald; News-Star; Tribune

Premium Overdue! (Table of Contents: 2)

comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Al Feldstein

Pencils

Jack Kamen (signed)

Inks

Jack Kamen (signed)

Colors

? (see notes)

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

My name? What does it matter!

Genre

crime

Characters

unnamed insurance salesman; Sam Brenton (Thelma's husband, death); George Tosker (Thelma's new husband, death); Thelma Brenton [Tosker](villain)

Synopsis

To humor a good looking, young insurance salesman, Thelma takes out a double-indemnity policy on her good-for-nothing, worthless husband. After she kills him, she drives out on a country road to dispose of the body, fakes an accident, collects the money and then meets George. George changes his insurance policy to now include his new wife, but when a tragic accident, similar to the one that killed Sam, occurs, Thelma is nailed for murder.

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #1 (1983)
• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #4 (August 1993)
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #1/1994 (uke 8 1994)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #14 - Forty Whacks and Other Stories (November 2015) [Reprinted in black and white.]
• in E.C. Archives: Crime SuspenStories (Gemstone, 2007 series) #1 (September 2007)

Indexer Notes

The story title is an overt reference to the James M. Cain novel "Double Indemnity" and the movie version from Billy Wilder, released to acclaim in 1944.

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.

Stranger (Table of Contents: 3)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Al Feldstein

Pencils

? (spot illustration)

Inks

? (spot illustration)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

crime

Characters

unnamed radio station announcer; Mulligan (radio station guard); Cal Clinton (radio station employee, mention only, death); a stranger (villain)

Synopsis

Into a radio studio one night appears a strange man who predicts the deaths of several station employees.....in advance!

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #1 (1983)
• in E.C. Archives: Crime SuspenStories (Gemstone, 2007 series) #1 (September 2007)

Keywords

Edgeworth Emergency Hospital

Seaweed (Table of Contents: 4)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Al Feldstein

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The detectives stood staring at the body stretched out in the hallway.

Genre

crime

Characters

Mike Herzog (mention only, death); Detective Sergeant; Blackie Morton (villain, death); Al Werner (villain, death); Bing Sharkey (villain, death); Jack Bleeker (villain, death)

Synopsis

A gang of four crooks admit in a note to killing a Mike Herzog by dumping him into the ocean, and as he went down, the soon-to-be corpse swore revenge on all of them. Several detectives begin to believe in the curse when they find the last of the four dead.....with a piece of seaweed under the body!

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #1 (1983)
• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #4 (August 1993)
• in E.C. Archives: Crime SuspenStories (Gemstone, 2007 series) #1 (September 2007)

Keywords

San Fedora

Indexer Notes

Masthead is a typeset green bar.

Conniver! (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

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

Pencils

Jack Davis (signed)

Inks

Jack Davis (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

You think you're smart, don't you?

Genre

crime

Characters

Mr. Graynor (comic book publisher); Miss Crown (secretary for Mr. Graynor); Paul Lewis (comic artist); Carol (Paul's fiancee); Tom Brogen (villain, comic book editor)

Synopsis

A comic book editor has endured five years' worth of sweating and toiling for his publisher, and never is given the credit he believes is due him. Wanting to get the boss out of the way, Tom Brogen decides to use one of the artists to do the deed through a series of manipulations in which Tom worms his way into Paul's fiancée's life and blames "an affair" with Mr. Graynor. But the scheme backfires in an unusual way!

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #1 (1983)
• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #4 (August 1993)
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #4/1993 (uke 33 1993)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #16 - The Living Mummy and Other Stories (August 2016) [Reprinted in black and white.]
• in E.C. Archives: Crime SuspenStories (Gemstone, 2007 series) #1 (September 2007)

Indexer Notes

Script revision by Craig Delich.

Heads-Up! (Table of Contents: 6)

The Haunt of Fear / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

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

Pencils

Graham Ingels

Inks

Graham Ingels

Colors

?

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Hee, hee! Well... my cauldron is bubbling and steaming...

Genre

crime; horror-suspense

Characters

The Old Witch (host); Dora Butler (Fred's wife, death); Hal (Dora's lover, death); Fred Butler (villain, freak-show owner)

Synopsis

Dora gets fed up with her husband and his freak show occupation, and falls in love with another circus performer. When Fred discovers the affair and the fact that the pair intend to put him out of the way, he comes up with a plan......

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #1 (1983)
• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #4 (August 1993)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #23 - Doctor of Horror and Other Stories (December 2018) [Reprinted in black and white.]
• in E.C. Archives: Crime SuspenStories (Gemstone, 2007 series) #1 (September 2007)

Indexer Notes

Cover story.

Panels 5 and 6 on page 7 may contain self portraits of Ingels.