Crime SuspenStories #7

(October-November 1951)

Hatchet-Killer! (Table of Contents: 1)

Crime SuspenStories / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Johnny Craig (signed)

Pencils

Johnny Craig (signed)

Inks

Johnny Craig (signed)

Colors

? (see notes)

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The sleeping suburb of Westfalls lies huddled under a drenching torrent of rain...

Genre

crime

Characters

Tom North; Tom's wife; Hilda (the North's part-time maid, death)

Synopsis

Concerned about the number of hatchet murders in the community, Mrs. North begins to believe that her part-time maid may indeed be the culprit, and circumstances around the house seem to verify her conclusion. Later, scared to death, she murders the maid when suddenly her husband enters the home and tells her that the real killer had been caught hours before.

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #2 (1983)
• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #7 (May 1994)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #17 - Voodoo Vengeance and Other Stories (December 2016) [Reprinted in black and white.]

Keywords

Star (newspaper); Westfalls

Indexer Notes

Cover story.

Colors were previously attributed to Marie Severin (see Indexer Notes for this issue’s cover, above).

Revenge! (Table of Contents: 2)

Crime SuspenStories / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

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

Pencils

Jack Kamen (signed)

Inks

Jack Kamen (signed)

Colors

? (see notes)

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

I had gotten pretty fed up after two years of splitting fingernails...

Genre

crime

Characters

William Aikley [aka Willie] (Texas oilman); Carlson (employee of Mr. Aikley); unnamed District Attorney (cameo); Aikley's servants (cameos); Lila Aikley (villain, Willie's wife); Phil Keenan (villain, death)

Synopsis

Lila was desperate for money and married a Texas millionaire oilman to get it. But when she met Phil, one of the workers at the oil wells, the two conspired to kill Lila's husband in an auto accident. The accident only paralyzed Mr. Aikley, however, but Phil threatened to blackmail Lila, and if she didn't come forth with money, he would tell the district attorney all about the accident.

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #2 (1983)
• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #7 (May 1994)
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #3/1994 (uke 25 1994)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #14 - Forty Whacks and Other Stories (November 2015) [Reprinted in black and white.]

Indexer Notes

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

Colors were previously attributed to Marie Severin (see Indexer Notes for this issue’s cover, above).

Inches (Table of Contents: 3)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Al Feldstein

Pencils

? (masthead illustration)

Inks

? (masthead illustration)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

crime

Characters

unnamed scientist (death); Mulrain (lab assistant); Bennett (lab assistant)

Synopsis

A scientist begins an experiment with the arsenic derivative called "arsene" and purposely allows a drop of it on his hand, knowing well the compound would cause full paralysis. When his lab assistants found him, they believed him dead and yet, the antidote which would save him was nearby and believing their boss dead, they did not administer it.

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #2 (1983)

Keywords

arsene

Phonies (Table of Contents: 4)

Crime SuspenStories / 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

? (see notes)

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Frank Shantly sat dejectedly in his shabby hotel room...

Genre

crime

Characters

Baker's girlfriend; Frank Shantly (villain, thief); "Leech" Baker [as Ed Adellis] (villain)

Synopsis

Faced with funds running out from his last safecracking job, Frank Shantly poured over a newspaper and eyed a story about a wealthy gambler having to go to Washington D.C. to testify before the Senate Committee. Immediately, he thinks that this is a neat set-up for another big payoff, but is confronted by a man claiming to be Adellis the minute he steps into the house. Convinced no one can break into his safe, "Adellis" bets Shantly $1,000 and his freedom that the crook can't get into the safe. Shantly wins the bet, but doesn't realize he has unwittingly helped the Feds round up a real crook!

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #2 (1983)
• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #7 (May 1994)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #16 - The Living Mummy and Other Stories (August 2016) [Reprinted in black and white.]

Keywords

Journal News

Indexer Notes

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

Colors were previously attributed to Marie Severin (see Indexer Notes for this issue’s cover, above).

Horror under the Big-Top! (Table of Contents: 5)

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

Script

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

Pencils

Graham Ingels (signed as G. Ingles)

Inks

Graham Ingels (signed as G. Ingles)

Colors

? (see notes)

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Hee, hee! Greetings again, kiddies!

Genre

crime; horror-suspense

Characters

The Old Witch (host); Carlo (circus human cannonball, death); unnamed ringmaster; Aldar (villain, circus trapeze artist, death); Wanda (villain, Carlo's wife, death)

Synopsis

Wanda is having an affair with "The Flying Aldar", famed circus performer. But when her husband suspects, the two plan to kill him by changing the angle of the cannon her husband will be fired from so he misses the safety net. Unfortunately, the body of Carlo hits his wife outside the tent, killing her. Justice is later served when Aldar attempts to do his act without a safety net, not knowing the late Carlo had cut his trapeze rope the night before!

Reprints

• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1983 series) #2 (1983)
• in Crime Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #7 (May 1994)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #13 - Grave Business and Other Stories (June 2015) [Reprinted in black and white.]

Indexer Notes

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

Colors were previously attributed to Marie Severin (see Indexer Notes for this issue’s cover, above).