The Vault of Horror (comic)
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| The Vault of Horror | |
 Cover, issue #13 |
|
| Publisher | EC Comics |
|---|---|
| Schedule | Bi-monthly |
| Format | Anthology |
| Publication date | April/May 1950 - December/January 1955 |
| Number of issues | 29 |
| Main character(s) | Crypt Keeper, Old Witch, Vault Keeper |
| Creative team | |
| Creator(s) | William Gaines Al Feldstein |
The Vault of Horror, Tales from the Crypt, and The Haunt of Fear are three bi-monthly horror comic anthology series published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. The Vault of Horror hit newstands with its April/May 1950 issue and ceased publication with its December/January 1955 issue, producing a total of twenty-nine issues. The title was popular, but, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, comic books came under attack from parents, clergymen, schoolteachers, and others who believed the books contributed to illiteracy and juvenile delinquency. In April and June 1954, highly publicized Congressional subcommittee hearings on the effects of comic books upon children left the industry shaken. With the subsequent imposition of a highly restrictive Comics Code, EC Comics publisher William Maxwell Gaines canceled The Vault of Horror and its two companion titles in September 1954. All three titles have been reprinted at various times since their demise and have been adapted for television and film.
Contents |
[edit] Origin
Horror comics emerged as a distinct comic book genre after WWII when young adult males lost interest in caped crimebusters, and returning GIs wanted titillating sex and violence in their reading. One-shot Eerie Comics (1947) is generally considered the first true horror comic with its cover depicting a dagger-wielding, red eyed ghoul threatening a rope-bound, scantily clad, voluptuous young woman beneath a full moon. In 1948, Adventures Into the Unknown became the first regularly published horror title, enjoying a nearly two decade life-span.
In 1950, publisher William Gaines and his editor Al Feldstein discovered they shared similar tastes in horror and began experimenting with such stories in EC's crime comic War Against Crime and its companion title, Crime Patrol. With issue #12 of War Against Crime, the title was changed permanently to The Vault of Horror. The Vault Keeper became the title's sardonic host and commentator, occasionally sharing duties with The Old Witch and The Crypt Keeper. Due to an attempt to save money on second-class postage permits, the numbering, however, did not change with the title — the first issue of The Vault of Horror was #12.
[edit] Artists and writers
Like its horror companion titles, Tales From the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear, The Vault of Horror had its own distinctive qualities and atmosphere — in this case, courtesy of its main artist, Johnny Craig who illustrated all the covers for the entire run and was responsible for the lead story of all but issues #13 and #33. Craig also wrote all his own stories (save two) in Vault, something rarely done at EC, and became editor with issue #35 (February, 1954). Gaines and Feldstein wrote almost every other story until late 1953/early 1954 when outside writers Carl Wessler and Jack Oleck were brought in. Other contributing artists to The Vault of Horror were Feldstein, George Evans, Jack Kamen, Wally Wood, Graham Ingels, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Sid Check, Al Williamson, Joe Orlando, Reed Crandall, Bernard Krigstein, Harry Harrison and Howard Larsen.
[edit] Demise
In 1954, Gaines and Feldstein intended to reactivate an earlier title, The Crypt of Terror, thus adding a fourth horror book to their three existing horror titles. They were stopped dead in their tracks, however. Horror and other violent comics had come under scrutiny and were demonized by parents, schoolteachers, clergymen, psychologists, and others who viewed the material as dangerous to the well-being of children and a significant contributor to the juvenile delinquency crisis in America. Matters came to a head in April and June 1954 with a highly publicized Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency. Hearings targeted violent comic books — which fared poorly. Publishers were left reeling.
The industry deftly avoided outside censorship by creating the self-regulatory Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) and a Comics Code Authority (CCA) that placed severe restrictions on violent comic book genres. Publishers were forbidden from using the words "terror" and "horror" in titles, for example, and forbidden from depicting zombies, werewolves, and other gruesome characters and outrè horror fiction trappings. Gaines was fed up; he believed his titles were being specifically targeted and realized they were doomed to future failure. He threw in the towel, canceling The Vault of Horror and its companion titles in September 1954. The last issue of Vault was its twenty-ninth, (#40, December/January 1955). Since an issue of The Crypt of Terror had already been produced, it was published as the final issue of Tales from the Crypt, February/March, 1955.
[edit] Reprints
Ballantine Books reprinted Vault stories in 1964 and 1965, and a book featuring only Ray Bradbury adaptions in 1965. Other Vault stories were reprinted in Horror Comics of the 1950's by Nostalgia Press (1971). Publisher Russ Cochran released six issues of EC Portfolio from 1971-1977. East Coast Comix reprinted issue #26 in the early 1970's. Vault was reproduced in black in white in five hardbound volumes in the early 1980's. Russ Cochran would eventually reprint the title in standard comic book format (out of sequence, however) during the early 1990s in association with Gladstone Publishing. Cochran eventually reprinted the run in sequence order in the later 1990's with Gemstone Publishing. In 2007, as part of the "EC Archives" series, Gemstone and Cochran printed Volume 1 of Vault of Horror with an introduction by R. L. Stine.
[edit] Media adaptations
The Vault of Horror stories were adapted to motion pictures in Freddie Francis' Tales from the Crypt (1972) and Roy Ward Baker's The Vault of Horror (1973).
Vault stories were also adapted for the Tales from the Crypt television series that aired on [[]]HBO (1989). The following stories were used in the television series: Horror In The Night (Issue #12), Doctor of Horror (#13), 99 & 44/100% Pure Horror (#23), Report From The Grave (#15), Fitting Punishment (#16), Werewolf Concerto (#16), Revenge Is The Nuts (#20), The Reluctant Vampire (#20), Dead Wait (#23), Staired in Horror (#23), Collection Completed (#25), Seance (#25), Half-Way Horrible (#26), People Who Live In Brass Hearses (#27), 'Til Death (#28), Split Personality (#30), Easel Kill Ya (#31), Whirlpool (#32), Strung Along (#33), Let The Punishment Fit The Crime (#33), A Slight Case of Murder (#33), Smoke Wrings (#34), And All Through The House (#35), Beauty Rest (#35), Surprise Party (#37), Top Billing (#39), and The Pit (#40).
[edit] Issue Guide
| # | Date | Cover Artist | Story | Story Artist | Story Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | April/May 1950 | Johnny Craig | Portrait in Wax! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| The Werewolf Legend | Wally Wood & Harry Harrison | None | |||
| Horror in the Night | Harvey Kurtzman | None | |||
| Terror Train | Al Feldstein | None | |||
| 13 | June/July 1950 | Johnny Craig | The Dead Will Return! | Al Feldstein | Vault Keeper |
| The Curse of Harkley Heath | Wally Wood & Harry Harrison | None | |||
| Doctor of Horror | Graham Ingels | None | |||
| Island of Death | Harvey Kurtzman | None | |||
| 14 | Aug/Sept 1950 | Johnny Craig | Voodoo Vengeance! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Werewolf | Jules Feiffer & Harry Harrison | None | |||
| Rats Have Sharp Teeth! | Graham Ingels | None | |||
| The Strange Couple! | Al Feldstein | None | |||
| 15 | Oct/Nov 1950 | Johnny Craig | Horror House! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Terror in the Swamp! | Al Feldstein | Old Witch | |||
| Report from the Grave | Jack Kamen | None | |||
| Buried Alive! | Graham Ingels | None | |||
| 16 | Dec/Jan 1951 | Johnny Craig | Werewolf Concerto | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Fitting Punishment | Graham Ingels | None | |||
| The Grave Wager | Jack Kamen | None | |||
| Escape! | Al Feldstein | Old Witch | |||
| 17 | Feb/March 1951 | Johnny Craig | Terror on the Moors! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Baby... It's Cold Inside! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| The Beast of the Full Moon! | Jack Davis | Vault Keeper | |||
| Voodoo Horror! | Jack Kamen | Crypt Keeper | |||
| 18 | April/May 1951 | Johnny Craig | Sink-Hole! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Lend Me a Hand! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| The Mask of Horror | Jack Kamen | Vault Keeper | |||
| Dying to Lose Weight! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 19 | June/July 1951 | Johnny Craig | Southern Hospitality | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| The Jellyfish! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Daddy Lost His Head!! | Jack Kamen | Vault Keeper | |||
| Reunion! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 20 | Aug/Sept 1951 | Johnny Craig | About Face! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| The Reluctant Vampire! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Grandma's Ghost! | Jack Kamen | Vault Keeper | |||
| Revenge is the Nuts'! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 21 | Oct/Nov 1951 | Johnny Craig | One Last Fling! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Thats A 'Croc'! | Howard Larsen | Old Witch | |||
| Child's Play | Jack Kamen | Vault Keeper | |||
| Trapped! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| 22 | Dec/Jan 1952 | Johnny Craig | Fountains of Youth! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| The Monster in the Ice!! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| Gone... Fishing! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| What the Dog Dragged In! | Jack Kamen | Vault Keeper | |||
| 23 | Feb/March 1952 | Johnny Craig | A Stitch in Time! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| 99 44/100% Pure Horror! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Dead Wait! | Jack Davis | Vault Keeper | |||
| Staired... In Horror! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 24 | April/May 1952 | Johnny Craig | A Bloody Undertaking! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| ...With All the Trappings! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| Impressed by A Nightmare! | Joe Orlando | Vault Keeper | |||
| The Death Wagon! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| 25 | June/July 1952 | Johnny Craig | Seance! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Kickin' The Gong A Round! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Practical Yolk! | Jack Kamen | Vault Keeper | |||
| Collection Completed! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 26 | Aug/Sept 1952 | Johnny Craig | Two of a Kind! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Graft in Concrete! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Half-Way Horrible! | Sid Check | Vault Keeper | |||
| Hook, Line and Stinker! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 27 | Oct/Nov 1952 | Johnny Craig | Silver Threads Among the Mold! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| People Who Live in Brass Hearses... | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Strictly From Hunger! | George Evans | Vault Keeper | |||
| A Grim Fairy Tale! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 28 | Dec/Jan 1953 | Johnny Craig | Till Death... | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| The Chips Are Down! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| For How the Bell Tolls! | George Evans | Vault Keeper | |||
| We Ain't Got No Body! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 29 | Feb/March 1953 | Johnny Craig | The Mausoleum! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Let's Play Poison! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| A Sock For Christmas | Jack Kamen | Vault Keeper | |||
| Pickled Pints! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 30 | April/May 1953 | Johnny Craig | Split Personality! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Who Doughnut? | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Practical Choke! | George Evans | Vault Keeper | |||
| Notes to You! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 31 | June/July 1953 | Johnny Craig | Easel Kill Ya! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| A Peach of a Plot! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| The Lake | Joe Orlando | Vault Keeper | |||
| One Good Turn... | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 32 | Aug/Sept 1953 | Johnny Craig | Whirlpool | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Out of His Head! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| An Ample Sample | George Evans | Vault Keeper | |||
| Funeral Disease! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 33 | Oct/Nov 1953 | Johnny Craig | Together They Lie! | Reed Crandall | Vault Keeper |
| Let the Punishment Fit the Crime! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| A Slight Case of Murder! | George Evans | Vault Keeper | |||
| Strung Along! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 34 | Dec/Jan 1954 | Johnny Craig | Star Light, Star Bright! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| While the Cat's Away... | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Smoke Wrings | Reed Crandall | Vault Keeper | |||
| Where There's A Will... | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 35 | February/March 1954 | Johnny Craig | ...And All Through the House... | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Tombs-Day! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Beauty Rest | Jack Kamen | Vault Keeper | |||
| Shoe-Button Eyes! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 36 | April/May 1954 | Johnny Craig | Twin Bill! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Witch Witch's Witch! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Pipe Dream | Bernard Krigstein | Vault Keeper | |||
| Two-Timed! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 37 | June/July 1954 | Johnny Craig | Surprise Party! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Chop Talk! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| Take Care | Al Williamson | Vault Keeper | |||
| Oh! Henry! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 38 | Aug/Sept 1954 | Johnny Craig | Any Sport in a Storm | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Coffin Spell! | Jack Davis | Crypt Keeper | |||
| The Catacombs | Bernard Krigstein | Vault Keeper | |||
| Out of Sight... | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 39 | Oct/Nov 1954 | Johnny Craig | Deadly Beloved! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| Top Billing | Reed Crandall | Crypt Keeper | |||
| The Purge | Bernard Krigstein | Vault Keeper | |||
| All for Gnawt | Graham Ingels | Old Witch | |||
| 40 | Dec/Jan 1955 | Johnny Craig | Old Man Mose! | Johnny Craig | Vault Keeper |
| An Harrow Escape! | Joe Orlando | Crypt Keeper | |||
| The Pit! | Bernard Krigstein | Vault Keeper | |||
| Ashes to Ashes! | Graham Ingels | Old Witch |
[edit] References
- Goulart, Ron. Great American Comic Books. Publications International, Ltd., 2001. ISBN 0785355901.
- Overstreet, Robert L. Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. House of Collectibles, 2004.
