Shock SuspenStories #1

(February-March 1952)

Shock Talk (Table of Contents: 1)

foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page (report information)

Script

Bill Gaines; Al Feldstein

Letters

typeset

Reprints

• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1981 series) #1 (1981)
• in The EC Archives (Gemstone Publishing, 2006 series): Shock SuspenStories Volume 1 (July 2006)

Indexer Notes

Found on the inside front cover.

Script addition of Gaines by Craig Delich.

The Neat Job! (Table of Contents: 2)

A Crime SuspenStory / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

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

Pencils

Jack Kamen (signed)

Inks

Jack Kamen (signed)

Colors

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Brace yourself for the impact of the shocking wind-up to this yarn!

Genre

crime

Characters

Arthur Berdeen (Eleanor's husband, death); two unnamed detectives; Eleanor Berdeen (villain)

Synopsis

An abused housewife married to a neat freak snaps one day and neatly dices the sections of her husband's body into small jars.

Reprints

• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1981 series) #1 (1981)
• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #1 (September 1992)
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #1/1993 (uke 6 1993)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #14 - Forty Whacks and Other Stories (November 2015) [Reprinted in black and white.]
• in The EC Archives (Gemstone Publishing, 2006 series): Shock SuspenStories Volume 1 (July 2006)

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit per Russ Cochran and added by Craig Delich 2013-12-1. Feldstein reports that Wroten used a K & E Lettering Stylus to do all the lettering with.

Yellow! (Table of Contents: 3)

A War SuspenStory / 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

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Here is a tale of tension with an electrifying finish!

Genre

war

Characters

Sergeant Maurer (radio man); unnamed sentry; Captain Millikan ("B" Company Commander); Lieutenant Martin Henderson (the Colonel's son, death); Sergeant Hefner; Colonel Clark Henderson; The Nazis (villains, named only)

Synopsis

A Colonel's son faces the firing squad for cowardice under fire, and is court-martialed and found guilty, sentenced to die by firing squad. Later, the Colonel lies to his boy, telling him that the rifles are loaded with blanks so that his son will go to his death like a man.

Reprints

• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1981 series) #1 (1981)
• in EC Classics (Russ Cochran, 1985 series) #4 - Shock SuspenStories (December 1985)
• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #1 (September 1992)
• in Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1982 series) #8/1992 (uke 51 1992)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #22 - Death Stand and Other Stories (August 2018) [Reprinted in black and white.]
which is reprinted
• in The EC Archives (Gemstone Publishing, 2006 series): Shock SuspenStories Volume 1 (July 2006)
• in Choke Gasp! The Best of 75 Years of EC Comics (Dark Horse, 2019 series) (2019)
which is reprinted
• in The EC Archives (Gemstone Publishing, 2006 series): Shock SuspenStories Volume 1 (July 2006)
• in The EC Archives (Gemstone Publishing, 2006 series): Shock SuspenStories Volume 1 (July 2006)

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit per Russ Cochran and added by Craig Delich 2013-12-1. Feldstein reports that Wroten used a K & E Lettering Stylus to do all the lettering with.

Story was possibly based on one of Gaine's favorite sources for plot elements, "Try and Stop Me" by Bennett Cerf.

Last Will (Table of Contents: 4)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Al Feldstein

Pencils

? (spot illustration)

Inks

? (spot illustration)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

His uncle planned to change the provisions of his Will.

Genre

crime

Characters

Wendell Canfield (Uncle of Meredith Canfield, death); Meredith Canfield (villain, death)

Synopsis

Discovering that the provisions of the will of his Uncle are going to be changed to cut him off completely, young Canfield, wanting half of his Uncle's estate, decides to kill his Uncle and drag the corpse to the attic. Unfortunately for him, his Uncle's blood leads literally to his downfall and eventual death, but not before he spots a piece of paper indicating that his Uncle was going to leave the entire estate to him!

Reprints

• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1981 series) #1 (1981)
• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #1 (September 1992)
• in The EC Archives (Gemstone Publishing, 2006 series): Shock SuspenStories Volume 1 (July 2006)

Alibi! (Table of Contents: 5)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Al Feldstein

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

As they trudged through the rain in single file...

Genre

crime

Characters

Merrick's unnamed partner (prospector, death); Merrick (villain, prospector, death)

Synopsis

Two prospectors, on their way to cash in $2000 worth of gold dust, run afoul of one another, when one of them, Merrick, decides to kill his partner for his gold. But his plan will soon backfire, with tragic results.

Reprints

• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1981 series) #1 (1981)
• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #1 (September 1992)
• in The EC Archives (Gemstone Publishing, 2006 series): Shock SuspenStories Volume 1 (July 2006)

The Monsters! (Table of Contents: 6)

A Science-Fiction SuspenStory / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

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

Pencils

Joe Orlando (signed as J. Orlando)

Inks

Joe Orlando (signed as J. Orlando)

Colors

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

This science fiction story with its surprise ending should give you a jolt!

Genre

science fiction

Characters

Hinkel (scientist); Alex (scientist); Herman (scientist); Jennings (stenographer); two mutants

Synopsis

Aliens deposit their mutant births on Earth which, to them, appear as horrible monsters, but appear as regular human beings to the Earth men.

Reprints

• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1981 series) #1 (1981)
• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #1 (September 1992)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #34 - The Planetoid and Other Stories (July 2023) [Reprinted in black and white.]
which is reprinted
• in The EC Archives (Gemstone Publishing, 2006 series): Shock SuspenStories Volume 1 (July 2006)
• in The EC Archives (Gemstone Publishing, 2006 series): Shock SuspenStories Volume 1 (July 2006)

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit per Russ Cochran and added by Craig Delich 2013-12-1. Feldstein reports that Wroten used a K & E Lettering Stylus to do all the lettering with.

The Rug! (Table of Contents: 7)

A Horror SuspenStory / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

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

Pencils

Graham Ingels (signed as Ghastly)

Inks

Graham Ingels (signed as Ghastly)

Colors

Marie Severin

Letters

Jim Wroten

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Here is a story, tinged with terror, with a startling blood-curdling climax!

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

Conrad "Connie" Cartwright (wealthy socialite); Reggie (playboy, Cartwright's companion)

Synopsis

Conrad and his friend Reggie head up to the big woods for some relaxation, as well as going hunting for a grizzly bear. However, Reggie voices his loathing for Cartwright's hunting of big game and then making rugs out of them. But Conrad is due for a surprise one night after he bags one grizzly and then hears another one out in the darkness.

Reprints

• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1981 series) #1 (1981)
• in Shock Suspenstories (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #1 (September 1992)
• in The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library (Fantagraphics, 2012 series) #13 - Grave Business and Other Stories (June 2015) [Reprinted in black and white.]
• in The EC Archives (Gemstone Publishing, 2006 series): Shock SuspenStories Volume 1 (July 2006)

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit per Russ Cochran and added by Craig Delich 2013-12-1. Feldstein reports that Wroten used a K & E Lettering Stylus to do all the lettering with.