Fantastic Fears #5

(January 1954)

My Coffin Must Wait (Table of Contents: 1)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

drama

Characters

Seth Bates; Martha Bates; Doc Wilcox; Mr. Townsend

Synopsis

Seth is informed that his wife Martha is dying. He vows to fulfill her last wish, driving her through a blizzard, defeating some bank robbers who want to hijack his car, and crashing through a police roadblock to reach town. Seth says he promised Martha she'd have her photograph taken one last time, and he gets Mr. Townsend to do it just before she dies.

Reprints

• in Midnight (Farrell, 1957 series) #2 (July 1957) [retitled and revised for Code-approval]
which is reprinted
• in Horror Tales (Eerie Publications, 1969 series) #v1#8 (August 1969)
• in Mystic (L. Miller & Son, 1960 series) #17 (1962), #60 ([no date])

Indexer Notes

Iger Shop artwork previously credited to Robert Webb.

Caught in the Graft (Table of Contents: 2)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Howard Nostrand ?

Inks

Howard Nostrand ?

Colors

?

Letters

Ben Oda

Genre

crime; horror-suspense

Characters

Sam Green; Maxie; Jim

Synopsis

Corrupt city official Sam is caught and sentenced to prison. Since he suffers from claustrophobia, Sam can't tolerate confinement. Working in the prison morgue, Sam learns the bodies are subsequently sent to the city morgue, a building constructed under his crooked supervision. Sam climbs into a coffin and escapes from prison, but when his henchman Maxie arrives at the city morgue to free him, he discovers there are thousands of "ice boxes" (morgue drawers) and he doesn't know which one Sam is in.

Reprints

• in Spellbound (L. Miller & Son, 1960 ? series) #17 (1962)
• in Mystic (L. Miller & Son, 1960 series) #58 (1965 ?)
• in Witches Tales (Eerie Publications, 1969 series) #v1#8 (September 1969) [retitled with new splash panel]

Indexer Notes

Possible Nostrand art per Nick Caputo, April 2013. Previous indexer credited Rudy Palais.

Ghost Gift (Table of Contents: 3)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure

Synopsis

Dan finds his war comrade Don in Africa, now in possession of a valuable jewel mine.

Stretching Things (Table of Contents: 4)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

Bruce Hamilton

Pencils

Steve Ditko

Inks

Steve Ditko

Colors

?

Letters

Ben Oda

Genre

horror-suspense; science fiction

Characters

Lawrence Dawson (first appearance, death); Dr. James Doyle; Dr. Harrell

Synopsis

Dawson suffers from brittle bone syndrome, but Dr. Doyle invents "muiclac" to cure him. He discovers this makes him "elastic" and murders Doyle to keep his secret. However, Dawson's face becomes permanently twisted and he goes to scientist Harrell, who has a formula to restore him to normal. Dawson kills Harrell before he learns the proper dosage. When the police arrive to arrest Dawson, he's just a puddle on the floor.

Reprints

• in Spellbound (L. Miller & Son, 1960 ? series) #17 (1962)
• in Mystic (L. Miller & Son, 1960 series) #58 (1965 ?)
• in Weird (Eerie Publications, 1966 series) #v2#8 (July 1968)
• in Witches Tales (Eerie Publications, 1969 series) #v2#2 (April 1970)
• in Terror Tales (Eerie Publications, 1969 series) #v3#4 (July 1971)
• in Horror Tales (Eerie Publications, 1969 series) #v5#2 (April 1973), #v8#2 (May 1977)
• in The Rocket's Blast Comicollector (James Van Hise, 1974 series) #143 (June 1978) [in black & white]
• in Doc Stearn...Mr. Monster (Eclipse, 1985 series) #6 (June 1986)
• in Steve Ditko: Edge of Genius (Pure Imagination, 2008 ? series) (2008)
• in The Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics, 2009 series) #1 - Strange Suspense (October 2009)
• in Los Archivos de Steve Ditko (Diábolo, 2010 series) #1 - Strange Suspense (Diciembre 2010)
• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1420-A - A Steve Ditko Readers Treasury - 1954

Indexer Notes

This was Ditko's first sale to a publisher, although not his first published work. Info per Robin Snyder and Bruce Hamilton.
"Muiclac" is "calcium" spelled backwards.

Escape from Hell! (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Jack Abel ?

Inks

Jack Abel ?

Colors

?

Letters

Ben Oda

Genre

fantasy-supernatural

Characters

Richard Benton; Satan

Synopsis

Criminal Richard Benton dies and goes to Hell. He's sentenced by Satan to drag a boulder around for eternity. Benton struggles to climb a mountain to freedom, plagued by demons and hindered by the boulder, only to learn "there is no escape from Hell!"

Reprints

• in Mystic (L. Miller & Son, 1960 series) #17 (1962)
• in Spellbound (L. Miller & Son, 1960 ? series) #58 (1965 ?)
• in Weird (Eerie Publications, 1966 series) #v3#2 (May 1969)
• in Tales of Voodoo (Eerie Publications, 1968 series) #v3#5 (September 1970)
• in Terror Tales (Eerie Publications, 1969 series) #v4#2 (March 1972)
• in Crypt of Horror (AC, 2005 series) #2

Temple of the Beast (Table of Contents: 6)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

Sam Graves; Anne Graves; Sivak [as Kavis]

Synopsis

In Siam, American tourists Sam and Anne buy "the hand of Sivak," a local god. The vendor later buys it back from Sam but the hand comes alive and strangles him. Anne recovers the hand and mails it to the USA. On the ship home, a mysterious man demands the hand from Sam and throws the American overboard when he learns the hand isn't there. Back home, Anne is greeted by fellow passenger Kavis, who reveals himself to be Sivak. Anne is strangled and Sivak can now go home with his hand.

Reprints

• in Mystic (L. Miller & Son, 1960 series) #17 (1962)
• in Spellbound (L. Miller & Son, 1960 ? series) #58 (1965 ?)
• in Weird (Eerie Publications, 1966 series) #v2#4 (October 1967)
• in Terror Tales (Eerie Publications, 1969 series) #v1#9 (July 1969) [with changes]
• in Crypt of Horror (AC, 2005 series) #2