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Tales from the Crypt was a bi-monthly horror comic anthology series from 1950 to 1955. This was published by Bill Gaines (William Gaines) through his company, EC Comics (E.C. Comics), which he inherited from his father in 1947. It traces its origin to a horror story from EC's Crime Patrol #15 comic book. The next issue of Crime Patrol featured even more horror stories, and the title was changed to The Crypt of Terror for #17. After another title change, Tales From the Crypt debuted with issue #20. Along with its sister titles, The Haunt of Fear and The Vault of Horror, Tales from the Crypt 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. With the subsequent imposition of a highly restrictive Comics Code, E.C. Comics publisher Bill Gaines cancelled Tales from the Crypt and its two companion horror titles in September 1954. At the beginning of 1955, Bill Gaines was going to add a fourth horror title, and he decided to name it "The Crypt of Terror" (the original name of Tales From the Crypt; see above), and the first issue was all set for publication. But this was at the time of the Senate investigation, and Gaines realized he could not publish a new title, so he instead published the comic as the last issue of Tales From the Crypt (#46). 18 years later, Ron Barlow and Bruce Hershenson published the issue as their first East Coast Comics reprint, and the original title was restored, so it finally saw publication as was intended in 1955! All E.C. titles have been reprinted at various times since their demise, and stories from the horror series have been adapted for television and film.

Artist: Johnny Craig

Important Added Info: Note that we have never before auctioned this comic book, which is the very first issue (it is numbered 20, because there were three issues of Crypt of Terror before this and other issues under different titles, but #20 is the very first issue of this most famous EC title)!

Contents: First issue of the series (continues from The Crypt of Terror). Cover by Johnny Craig. "The Thing From the Sea," script and art by Al Feldstein; During a sea voyage a passenger discovers that stateroom 13 has the reputation of being haunted. "A Fatal Caper," script by Al Feldstein, art by Jack Kamen; Teenagers remove a body from a casket in order to dress as a mystically-summoned monster and place one of their own inside as a prank; the undertaker is unaware of this and buries the body. "Backfire" text story. "Rx...Death," script by Al Feldstein, art by Graham Ingels; A sister worries that her brother is under too much stress and so asks a doctor to write a prescription for some medicine. "Impending Doom," script by Al Feldstein, art by Johnny Craig; An artist draws a frightened face with a circle around it; Thinking it odd, he goes for a walk encountering a grave-stone cutter who looks like the picture he drew carving a tombstone with his name on it. 36 pgs., full color. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Please note that we don't use a "comic guide" grading system, and OUR grading scale is completely different from standard comic book grading. Our "very good" is completely different from a comic book graded "very good". Note that this comic book will be sent to the winning bidder in a brand new Mylite4 protective sleeve and a full-back 100% acid-free backing board.

Note: We have 19 images of this comic book, but due to a space limitation, only TEN of the 19 images are displayed above. However, there is a "supersize" link to the right of those images that lets you see the other 9.

Note that due to the greater interest in this comic we have pictured EVERY single page of this comic, which means that you can see EVERY defect the comic has, AND get a good sense of its condition. While we gave the comic an overall condition grade (and sometimes describe the defects in words) please rely on the actual images of the comic to help you decide what YOU think its condition is, and then bid or not bid based on what you are seeing in the images. And if you have ANY doubt as to what the condition of the comic is, or whether you want it in the condition it is is, then please do not bid, as we do not want any retracted bids or returns if at all possible. If in doubt, do not bid!.

Our address for UPS or FedEx only is:
Bruce Hershenson,
306 Washington Avenue, West Plains, MO 65775