Shock SuspenStories
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shock SuspenStories was part of the EC Comics line in the early 1950s. The bi-monthly comic, published by Bill Gaines and edited by Al Feldstein, began with issue 1 in February/March 1952. Over a four-year span, it ran for 18 issues, ending with the December/January 1955 issue.
Shock SuspenStories originated as an "EC Sampler". The first issue featured a story from each genre, one horror, one sci-fi, one crime and one war. The war story was immediately phased out with the second issue, replaced with a message story -- the "Shock SuspenStory". The sampler format remained for approximately a year and a half, but eventually the comic was phased entirely into a shock/crime comic. Shock SuspenStories was one of five comics voluntarily killed by publisher Bill Gaines in 1955 due to the current outcry over horror and crime comics.
Front covers were by Feldstein, Wally Wood, Johnny Craig, George Evans and Jack Kamen. Kamen was the comic's most prolific artist, usually doing the lead eight-page story in each issue. Other stories were illustrated by Craig, Evans, Wood, Graham Ingels, Jack Davis, Al Williamson, Joe Orlando, Reed Crandall, Bernard Krigstein and Frank Frazetta.
Some stories from this comic were adapted for the Tales From the Crypt television series.
[edit] Issue guide
| # | Date | Cover Artist | Story | Story Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb/March 1952 | Al Feldstein | The Neat Job! | Jack Kamen |
| Yellow! | Jack Davis | |||
| The Monsters! | Joe Orlando | |||
| The Rug! | Graham Ingels | |||
| 2 | April/May 1952 | Wally Wood | Kickback! | Jack Kamen |
| Gee Dad... It's a Daisy! | Wally Wood | |||
| The Patriots! | Jack Davis | |||
| Halloween! | Graham Ingels | |||
| 3 | June/July 1952 | Wally Wood | Just Desserts! | Jack Kamen |
| The Guilty! | Wally Wood | |||
| The Big Stand Up! | Joe Orlando | |||
| Stumped! | Jack Davis | |||
| 4 | August/Sept 1952 | Wally Wood | Split Second! | Jack Kamen |
| Confession | Wally Wood | |||
| Strictly Business! | Joe Orlando | |||
| Uppercut! | Jack Davis | |||
| 5 | Oct/Nov 1952 | Wally Wood | Well-Traveled! | Jack Kamen |
| Hate! | Wally Wood | |||
| What Fur?! | Joe Orlando | |||
| Cold Cuts! | Jack Davis | |||
| 6 | Dec/Jan 1953 | Wally Wood | Dead Right! | Jack Kamen |
| Under Cover! | Wally Wood | |||
| Not So Tough! | Joe Orlando | |||
| Sugar 'N Spice 'N... | Graham Ingels | |||
| 7 | Feb/March 1953 | Al Feldstein | Beauty and the Beach! | Jack Kamen |
| The Bribe! | Wally Wood | |||
| Infiltration | Joe Orlando | |||
| The Small Assassin! | George Evans | |||
| 8 | April/May 1953 | Al Feldstein | Piecemeal | Jack Kamen |
| The Assault! | Wally Wood | |||
| The Arrival | Al Williamson | |||
| Seep No More! | George Evans | |||
| 9 | June/July 1953 | Al Feldstein | The October Game | Jack Kamen |
| Came the Dawn! | Wally Wood | |||
| The Meddlers! | Joe Orlando | |||
| Carrion Death! | Reed Crandall | |||
| 10 | Aug/Sept 1953 | Jack Kamen | The Sacrifice | Jack Kamen |
| ...So Shall Ye Reap! | Wally Wood | |||
| Home Run! | Joe Orlando | |||
| Sweetie-Pie | Reed Crandall | |||
| 11 | Oct/Nov 1953 | Johnny Craig | The Tryst! | Johnny Craig |
| In Gratitude... | Wally Wood | |||
| The Space Suitors | Reed Crandall | |||
| ...Three's A Crowd | Jack Kamen | |||
| 12 | Dec/Jan 1954 | Al Feldstein | Deadline | Jack Kamen |
| The Monkey | Joe Orlando | |||
| The Kidnapper | Reed Crandall | |||
| Fall Guy | Wally Wood | |||
| 13 | Feb/March 1954 | Jack Kamen | Only Skin-Deep | Jack Kamen |
| Blood-Brothers | Wally Wood | |||
| Upon Reflection | Reed Crandall | |||
| Squeeze Play | Frank Frazetta | |||
| 14 | April/May 1954 | Wally Wood | The Orphan | Jack Kamen |
| The Whipping | Wally Wood | |||
| You, Murderer | Bernard Krigstein | |||
| As Ye Sow... | George Evans | |||
| 15 | June/July 1954 | Jack Kamen | Raw Deal | Jack Kamen |
| The Confidant | Wally Wood | |||
| For Cryin' Out Loud! | Reed Crandall | |||
| Well Trained | George Evans | |||
| 16 | Aug/Sept 1954 | George Evans | ...My Brother's Keeper | George Evans |
| The Hazing | Joe Orlando | |||
| A Kind of Justice | Reed Crandall | |||
| The Pen is Mightier | Jack Kamen | |||
| 17 | Oct/Nov 1954 | George Evans | 4-Sided Triangle | Jack Kamen |
| In Character | Reed Crandall | |||
| The Assassin | George Evans | |||
| The Operation | Joe Orlando | |||
| 18 | Dec/Jan 1955 | George Evans | Cadiallac Fever! | George Evans |
| The Trap | Jack Kamen | |||
| In the Bag | Bernard Krigstein | |||
| Rundown | Reed Crandall |
[edit] Trivia and famous stories
- Issue 13's Squeeze Play was the only solo story Frank Frazetta would do for EC.
- Issue 7's The Small Assassin and issue 9's The October Game were official adaptations of Ray Bradbury short stories.
- Issue 14's The Orphan and The Whipping were controversial stories that Gaines was questioned extensively about during congressional hearings.
- The following were used in HBO's Tales From The Crypt television series: Yellow (Issue 1), Split Second (Issue 4), Confession (Issue 4), Dead Right (Issue 6), The Bribe (Issue 7), Carrion Death (Issue 9), Came The Dawn (Issue 9), Three's A Crowd (Issue 11), Deadline (Issue 12), Kidnapper (Issue 12), The Sacrifice (Issue 13), As Ye Sow (Issue 14), You, Murderer (Issue 14), For Cryin' Out Loud (Issue 15), My Brother's Keeper (Issue 16), Four-Sided Triangle (Issue 17), The Assassin (Issue 17), and The Trap (Issue 18).
