The Vault of Horror
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The Vault of Horror was part of Bill Gaines' EC Comics line during the early 1950s. The bi-monthly horror comic, edited by Al Feldstein, began with an issue cover-dated April – May 1950. Over a four-year span, it ran for 29 issues, ending with the December 1954 – January 1955 issue. Johnny Craig was promoted to editor of the comic with issue 35 in February, 1954.
The Vault of Horror originated through the crime comic War Against Crime published by EC in the late 1940s. In 1950, Gaines and Feldstein experimented with horror stories in that title and its companion, Crime Patrol. The Vault Keeper made his first appearance in this title. With issue 12 of War Against Crime, the title was changed to The Vault of Horror, and it became a full fledged horror comic for the remainder of its run. Due to an attempt to save money on second-class postage permits, the numbering did not change with the title change, so the first issue of The Vault of Horror was #12.
As with its companions, Tales From the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear, The Vault of Horror had its own distinctive qualities and atmosphere due to its main artist, Johnny Craig. The front covers were illustrated by Craig for the entire run. Craig also did the lead story for all but two issues (13 and 33). Interesting of note is that except for his stories in issues 38 and 39, Craig also wrote all his own stories for this title, something quite rare at EC comics. Gaines and Feldstein wrote almost every other story until late 1953/early 1954 when outside writers like 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.
As with Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror was voluntarily killed by publisher Bill Gaines in September 1954 due to the increasing outcry over horror comics.
Stories from The Vault of Horror were adapted to motion pictures in Freddie Francis' Tales from the Crypt (1972) and Roy Ward Baker's The Vault of Horror (1973). Stories were also adapted in the Tales from the Crypt television series that aired on HBO starting in 1989.
[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 | Jack Kamen | 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] Trivia and famous stories
- And All Through the House from issue 35 is probably this comic's most famous story. It was adapted for both the movie version of Tales From the Crypt and the first episode of the television series.
- The following stories were used in HBO's Tales From The Crypt television series: Horror In The Night (Issue 12), Doctor of Horror (Issue 13), 99 & 44/100% Pure Horror (Issue 23), Report From The Grave (Issue 15), FItting Punishment (Issue 16), Werewolf Concerto (Issue 16), Revenge Is The Nuts (Issue 20), The Reluctant Vampire (Issue 20), Dead Wait (Issue 23), Staired in Horror (Issue 23), Collection Completed (Issue 25), Seance (Issue 25), Half-Way Horrible (Issue 26), People Who Live In Brass Hearses (Issue 27), 'Til Death (Issue 27), Split Personality (Issue 30), Easel Kill Ya (Issue 31), Whirlpool (Issue 32), Strung Along (Issue 33), Let The Punishment Fit The Crime (Issue 33), A Slight Case of Murder (Issue 33), Smoke Wrings (Issue 34), And All Through The House (Issue 35), Beauty Rest (Issue 35), Surprise Party (Issue 37), Top Billing (Issue 39), and The Pit (Issue 40).
- The story What the Dog Dragged In from issue 22 was an unauthorized adaptation of "The Emissary" by Ray Bradbury. Bradbury and EC eventually reached an agreement due to an unauthorized story in Weird Fantasy and two official adaptations appeared in The Vault of Horror, "Let's Play Poison" (#29) and "The Lake" (# 31).
- The early issues featured a couple of H.P. Lovecraft adaptations. The story Fitting Punishment in issue 16 was based on Lovecraft's In the Vault. The story Baby... It's Cold Inside in issue 17 was based on Lovecraft's Cool Air.
- R.L. Stine's collection Beware! R.L. Stine Picks His Favorite Scary Stories had "A Sock for Christmas" from issue 29.
- "A Grim Fairy Tale" (#27) was the first of many Grim Fairy Tales featured in EC's three horror comics over the last years of their existence. These stories were primarily either horror tales told in a medieval setting, or retellings of classic fairy tales, with a horror twist.
- The cover of issue 32, which featured a corpse with a cleaver stuck in its head was censored prior to publication in order to remove the cleaver. The corresponding story Out of His Head was also censored to remove the cleaver. The cover and story would eventually appear uncensored decades later when this issue was reprinted.
- Drusilla, hostess of The Vault of Horror made her first appearance in issue 37's Surprise Party. She appeared with the Vault Keeper for the remainder of the lead stories until the final issue.
[edit] Reprint History
Stories from The Vault of Horror were first reprinted in 1964 in the Tales From the Crypt paperback published by Ballantine Books. Featuring reprints of eight EC horror stories, this book reprinted three stories from The Vault of Horror, Let the Punishment Fit the Crime from issue 33, Whirlpool from issue 32 and And All Through the House from issue 35. Ballantine would print a similarly themed book titled The Vault of Horror in 1965 which again reprinted eight original EC horror stories, although only one, Star Light, Star Bright (issue 34) was from the comic of the same name. Finally, later in 1965 Ballantine published another book in the series featuring only Ray Bradbury adaptions which included the stories The Lake from issue 31 and Let's Play Poison from issue 29.
Stories would later be reprinted in the book Horror Comics of the 1950's. This book, published by Nostalgia Press in 1971, featured approximately 20 well known EC horror stories. The stories Pipe Dream (issue 36), Shoe Button Eyes (issue 35), and Star Light Star Bright were those from the Vault of Horror that were included in this book.
The 6 issues of EC Portfolio, published by Russ Cochran from 1971-1977 included reprints of many well known EC stories and covers. Content from the Vault of Horror included Let's Play Poison, and Shoe Button Eyes again, as well as issue 24's With All the Trappings. East Coast Comix reprinted the entire issue 26 in the early 1970's.
After years of only small portions of this comic being reprinted, Russ Cochran decided to reprint the entire comic from start to finish in The Complete EC Library. The Vault of Horror was reproduced in black in white in 5 hardbound volumes that were printed in the early 1980's. Cochran would eventually reprint the title in comic form, first jumping from issue to issue during the 1980's and early 90's and eventually doing them from start to finish later on in the 1990's.
