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The EC Archives
The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror, Vol. 1
Legendary publisher Bill Gaines provided the forum and creators like Al Feldstein, Johnny Craig, Wally Wood, Harry Harrison, Jack Kamen, Harvey Kurtzman, Graham Ingels, and Jack Davis provided the mayhem. Six full issues and 24 complete stories are collected in this full-color, deluxe volume.
212 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1950
82 people are currently reading
627 people want to read
About the author
Al Feldstein
368 books48 followersAlbert Bernard Feldstein was an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. After retiring from Mad, Feldstein concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
September 9, 2011
The followng review has NOT been approved by the Comics Code Authority
Remember the good old days when horror comics had absolutely no redeeming value except that they were completely awesome. Back before Dr. Fredric "UptightaDouche" Wertham got his panties all sweaty and bunched up and went accusing the comics industry of seducing the innocent. Back before the funny book publishers had their spines surgically removed and “voluntarily" adopted the CCA...which sounded the death knell of the “golden age” of comics.
Well here comes a breath of rewind because the EC Archives series is a time-machine back to a bygone age. Back to a time when kids could steal candy from the local drugstore, play hooky from school and sit around smoking their parents’ cigarettes (which were healthy back then) while they read the “good stuff.”
This first volume includes complete, full color reprints of the first 6 issues of the Vault of Horror published between April 1950 and March 1951. 24 stories in all (30 if you include the bonus vignettes which I do). This is pulp horror at its most pure without a shred of social conscience. Just nasty things happening to nastier people for no other reason than because. For example, you’ve got:
All of the stories were written by the legendary Al Feldstein based on story concepts conceived by Al and EC publisher, Bill Gaines. Oh…and did I mention the artwork by greats like Wally Wood and Johnny Craig?. Expressive, in your face and a perfect compliment to the stories. Just superb.
Bottom-line, this collection is definitely worth your time. So grab a copy, turn off (or at least down) your moral compass and just enjoywhoring horroring with tasty tales with plots like:
6 complete issues…
30 complete stories...
1 complete HORRORgasm of happy.
4.0 TO 4.5 stars. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Remember the good old days when horror comics had absolutely no redeeming value except that they were completely awesome. Back before Dr. Fredric "UptightaDouche" Wertham got his panties all sweaty and bunched up and went accusing the comics industry of seducing the innocent. Back before the funny book publishers had their spines surgically removed and “voluntarily" adopted the CCA...which sounded the death knell of the “golden age” of comics.
Well here comes a breath of rewind because the EC Archives series is a time-machine back to a bygone age. Back to a time when kids could steal candy from the local drugstore, play hooky from school and sit around smoking their parents’ cigarettes (which were healthy back then) while they read the “good stuff.”
This first volume includes complete, full color reprints of the first 6 issues of the Vault of Horror published between April 1950 and March 1951. 24 stories in all (30 if you include the bonus vignettes which I do). This is pulp horror at its most pure without a shred of social conscience. Just nasty things happening to nastier people for no other reason than because. For example, you’ve got:
-- A double dealing flesh stain acid-melting an artist’s face so he could steal his work and pass it off as his own;Yes, these stories are the very good stuff.
--An evil wifey and her homicidal boy toy killing hubby and then being terrorized by his boomerang corpse;
--An anatomy professor’s nefarious corpse-snatching scheme going completely FUBAR and ending with him as school supplies; and
--A freaky monster boy breaking out of his in-home dungeon so he can turn daddy’s face into a Scooby snack.
All of the stories were written by the legendary Al Feldstein based on story concepts conceived by Al and EC publisher, Bill Gaines. Oh…and did I mention the artwork by greats like Wally Wood and Johnny Craig?. Expressive, in your face and a perfect compliment to the stories. Just superb.
Bottom-line, this collection is definitely worth your time. So grab a copy, turn off (or at least down) your moral compass and just enjoy
--Mind-shattering premonitions of a double homicide haunt a motel clerk;EC Archives: Vault of Horror #1.
-- Eager beaver scientists try pulling a Frankenstein deep in the swamp and end up…doing just that;
-- A cuckolded husband rains down voodoo vengeance on his strumpet wife; and
--A werewolf hunter turns out to be the last man standing…upright.
6 complete issues…
30 complete stories...
1 complete HORRORgasm of happy.
4.0 TO 4.5 stars. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
September 2, 2021
Some horror stories and morality plays from some of the greats of the Golden Age. EC is one of the reasons the comics code was birthed. These stories might seem a bit timid today, especially since any violence happens off panel. Still they hold up well for having been written 70 years ago.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss.
October 27, 2021
Always a good time to dip into your childhood, i used to get reprint editions of the these comic books in the 70's. No Marvel or DC these were it with my limited budget. So glad Dark Horse is putting these out in these paper editions. The stories are timeless, the art is fantastic. So much fun!
May 26, 2021
I was just transported back to my childhood. I loved this collection.
August 20, 2021
Love this collection of horror stories from the original EC comics series. The illustrations are awesome and the stories were great! Another one for my Christmas list!! I received an e-ARC of this book by the publisher via Edelweiss. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
June 26, 2016
Ever since TNT announced they'd be returning the Cryptkeeper to our TV screens, I've been in the mood for some...
*Sigh* I'll never forget being 8 years old, buying a Tales from the Crypt VHS, and putting the tape in to see a woman being hacked up with an ax while in a restroom stall. Oh, and let us not forget that ghastly little Christmas story called "And All Through the House..."
Needless to say, I was a little too young to watch Tales from the Crypt at the time. So I settled for the children's animated version until I was a little older and less prone to being traumatized at the hands of HBO.
That being said, I think even as adults we're still traumatized at the hands of HBO... Anyway, when I was old enough, Tales from the Crypt wormed its way into my heart. I can't tell you how happy I am to know it's coming back to TV. Even though it is courtesy of M. Night Shyamalan... but we won't focus on that. Instead, I am celebrating by digging into the EC Archives and reading the original 1950s comics which the HBO show was based.
This is volume #1 in The EC Archives: Vault of Horror line. It is a big beautiful hardcover book combining the first six issues with newly produced colors. These editions are a little pricey, but totally worth it. You boils and ghouls get a great quality book with essays on EC's history and plenty of stories that are not for the faint of heart. Well... I guess the first few stories are innocent enough, but I could definitely see the slow progression of heightened grotesqueness from beginning to end.
For those who don't know, EC caused quite a bit of controversy in the 50s with these comics. Parents were outraged by the violence, gore, and dark subjects their kids were reading in these books. And while I love these comics and don't agree with censorship, there are some instances later in the books where I can kinda see where those parents were coming from...
The series did go a little far at times, but this first volume of the Archives is mild compared to those later stories. This is simply where EC began, using a lot of basic plot points like werewolves, vampires, and ghouls. Still, the stories are quite enjoyable, especially the last few issues in this book. The improvement of art and story was clear as I read along. Johnny Craig, the main contributor to The Vault of Horror, definitely improved as an artist and storyteller as he went along. Comparing his clean art in issue #1 to his darker, inkier art in issue #6 is quite a turnaround. The other artists who contributed to the Vault did great work as well.
I'm excited to read the later volumes in the EC Archives where EC was in its prime, creating unique stories and fiendish artwork. I'm so happy the publishers of the EC Archives has made the original comics so much easier to access with these amazing editions. Can't wait to collect the rest! This book gets my highest 5-star rating.
And to M. Night Shyamalan... do not disappoint me.
*Sigh* I'll never forget being 8 years old, buying a Tales from the Crypt VHS, and putting the tape in to see a woman being hacked up with an ax while in a restroom stall. Oh, and let us not forget that ghastly little Christmas story called "And All Through the House..."
Needless to say, I was a little too young to watch Tales from the Crypt at the time. So I settled for the children's animated version until I was a little older and less prone to being traumatized at the hands of HBO.
That being said, I think even as adults we're still traumatized at the hands of HBO... Anyway, when I was old enough, Tales from the Crypt wormed its way into my heart. I can't tell you how happy I am to know it's coming back to TV. Even though it is courtesy of M. Night Shyamalan... but we won't focus on that. Instead, I am celebrating by digging into the EC Archives and reading the original 1950s comics which the HBO show was based.
This is volume #1 in The EC Archives: Vault of Horror line. It is a big beautiful hardcover book combining the first six issues with newly produced colors. These editions are a little pricey, but totally worth it. You boils and ghouls get a great quality book with essays on EC's history and plenty of stories that are not for the faint of heart. Well... I guess the first few stories are innocent enough, but I could definitely see the slow progression of heightened grotesqueness from beginning to end.
For those who don't know, EC caused quite a bit of controversy in the 50s with these comics. Parents were outraged by the violence, gore, and dark subjects their kids were reading in these books. And while I love these comics and don't agree with censorship, there are some instances later in the books where I can kinda see where those parents were coming from...
The series did go a little far at times, but this first volume of the Archives is mild compared to those later stories. This is simply where EC began, using a lot of basic plot points like werewolves, vampires, and ghouls. Still, the stories are quite enjoyable, especially the last few issues in this book. The improvement of art and story was clear as I read along. Johnny Craig, the main contributor to The Vault of Horror, definitely improved as an artist and storyteller as he went along. Comparing his clean art in issue #1 to his darker, inkier art in issue #6 is quite a turnaround. The other artists who contributed to the Vault did great work as well.
I'm excited to read the later volumes in the EC Archives where EC was in its prime, creating unique stories and fiendish artwork. I'm so happy the publishers of the EC Archives has made the original comics so much easier to access with these amazing editions. Can't wait to collect the rest! This book gets my highest 5-star rating.
And to M. Night Shyamalan... do not disappoint me.
May 13, 2020
First volume collecting EC Vault of Horror in hardcover, 33's 12-17 (making me wonder what the book was for the first eleven issues.) Plenty of great Johnny Craig artwork here (on all covers, too), along with the handiwork of Jack Kamen, Al Feldstein, and the cadaverous gloom of "Ghastly" Graham Engels. Only one yarn apiece from Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis. Once in a while, a tale pencilled and written by Harry Harrison, with a glimpse of the inking style of Wally Wood his only appearance in this tome. Many unbearable puns from the hosts throughout.
The stories as fairly well-tread, especially some 70-years on, though they were certainly fresher in their time. A glint of things to come.
The stories as fairly well-tread, especially some 70-years on, though they were certainly fresher in their time. A glint of things to come.
April 9, 2020
An Alright Collection Of Horror Comics
This isn't the best nor the worst collection of horror comics. I like a lot of the old-school art, but most of the stories are nothing special. Themes repeat themselves, with multiple voodoo statues that kill the one they depict, werewolf stories, and stories with the stupid 'the dream becomes reality' twist.
There were some pretty good ones, but most were forgettable. It's not horrible, so I wouldn't steer you away if you wanted to check it out, but there are better books out there, like the first Vampirella archive collection.
This isn't the best nor the worst collection of horror comics. I like a lot of the old-school art, but most of the stories are nothing special. Themes repeat themselves, with multiple voodoo statues that kill the one they depict, werewolf stories, and stories with the stupid 'the dream becomes reality' twist.
There were some pretty good ones, but most were forgettable. It's not horrible, so I wouldn't steer you away if you wanted to check it out, but there are better books out there, like the first Vampirella archive collection.
October 18, 2021
SOOOOOO fun!! Blows my mind these horror comics are from the early ‘50s— still so funny and raunchy and, even though most of the blood and guts is implied not shown, gruesome. Love love love!! Makes me want to rewatch the Tales from the Crypt HBO show even more.
November 3, 2018
Most of the time when I read an anthology collection some of the stories bored me. Not the case with this title. While some of the stories were better than others, I didn't want to miss a thing. My favorite artists in this collection would be Al Feldstein, Johnny Craig and Wally Wood.
November 20, 2017
If you want classic comic horror before the Comic Code Authority watered everything down then EC comics was the publisher to goto. In addition to their excellent writing their comics were where some of the greats artists of the industry started or polished their work to master's level. Great read and visually stunning. Recommended
September 24, 2015
There was basically at least 1 werewolf tale in every issue... The first volume of the Vault of Horror was fun but lacking in creativity.
February 28, 2018
While the Humor and War titles at EC Comics were edited by Harvey Kurtzman, the Horror and Sci-Fi titles were in the capable hands of Al Feldstein. Although "Tales From The Crypt" is best known today, (mostly because of the TV series), "The Haunt Of Fear" and "The Vault of Horror" were equally well read in their time.
In the early issues featured in this volume, classic elements of the genre: Voodoo, Vampires, and a preponderance of Werewolves, are featured. Overtime the horror titles increasingly relied on "morality tales" wherein a killer or other baddie gets their comeuppance through some plot twist or supernatural means. This led to the more gruesome depictions of violence that eventually caught the attention of alarmed parents.
In Vol 1, it's still mostly in good fun without the graphic depictions later shown. Wonderful art by the talented stable at EC, including stories and covers by Johnny Craig and Al Feldstein, as well as (at the time) newcomers Graham Ingels and Jack Davis. By the final issue of this volume, the triumvirate of hosts, The Vault-Keeper, The Crypt-Keeper, and The Old Witch, are shown on the cover. A trademark that would make the EC horror titles instantly recognizable on the comics rack.
In the early issues featured in this volume, classic elements of the genre: Voodoo, Vampires, and a preponderance of Werewolves, are featured. Overtime the horror titles increasingly relied on "morality tales" wherein a killer or other baddie gets their comeuppance through some plot twist or supernatural means. This led to the more gruesome depictions of violence that eventually caught the attention of alarmed parents.
In Vol 1, it's still mostly in good fun without the graphic depictions later shown. Wonderful art by the talented stable at EC, including stories and covers by Johnny Craig and Al Feldstein, as well as (at the time) newcomers Graham Ingels and Jack Davis. By the final issue of this volume, the triumvirate of hosts, The Vault-Keeper, The Crypt-Keeper, and The Old Witch, are shown on the cover. A trademark that would make the EC horror titles instantly recognizable on the comics rack.
June 12, 2020
This... just isn't very good. Comics have clearly come a long way since these were first published. They're predictable, enormously simplistic, the art's not that appealing, and they're all a bit dull really. Mostly the stories here rely on old horror tropes of monsters and undead corpses and revenge from beyond the grave and so forth - and the last comic collected in this volume is entirely ripped off from Oscar Wilde. Now I don't mind retellings, and I love horror tropes generally, but this is so very basic in its approach that it's hard to find anything to admire about the story-telling.
March 29, 2022
Trip down memory lane
I read these comics as a kid and loved them. Reading them now brought back some very happy memories of lying around and going through comic after comic on a lazy weekend. While they may not elicit the same reaction they did then I am still in love with the concept.
The artwork was always good and the stories themselves always made sense as you read them. You could root for the bad guy if you wanted and sometimes they were not that bad. Great for those wanting a little nostalgia.
I read these comics as a kid and loved them. Reading them now brought back some very happy memories of lying around and going through comic after comic on a lazy weekend. While they may not elicit the same reaction they did then I am still in love with the concept.
The artwork was always good and the stories themselves always made sense as you read them. You could root for the bad guy if you wanted and sometimes they were not that bad. Great for those wanting a little nostalgia.
May 17, 2024
More delightful fun courtesy of classic EC horror comics. I finally learned in this volume that my favorite artist was Graham Ingels. His illustrations were uniquely macabre and stood out among the more solid line work of Johnny Craig and Jack Kamen. Great stories in here, including a take off of Lovecraft’s “Cool Air” with an especially gory finish by Ingels.
November 12, 2022
As usual with the EC horror line, here we have excellent art and weak scripts, often unacknowledged rewrites of familiar stories: Mystery of the Wax Museum, "Cool Air", "The Most Dangerous Game", The Picture of Dorian Gray, etc. Too bad Gaines wouldn't hire competent writers.
January 11, 2023
It’s great to finally read some of the EC horror comics! Great morality tales with creative twist (sometimes) and some good funny moments. The later stories in the book also started to be a little bit more morbid and I absolutely love that!
October 21, 2020
I loved these creepy old comic books when I was a kid. These early Vault Of Horror tales, while not the best example of EC's output, are still a real hoot. The artwork alone is worth the price of admission.
June 12, 2023
Delightfully scary stories from 1950-1951 with beautiful artwork.
April 22, 2024
Gave me a strange sense of nostalgia for a time before I was born.
May 8, 2024
Hit and miss stories with some good quick horror.
September 29, 2008
One of the greatest ever pop culture injustices is the ridiculous 1950's fearmongering by Estes Kefauver and Fredric Wertham regarding comic books. By instilling fear into the hearts of parents, these men laid the blame for juvenile delinquency squarely at the feet of comic books. So, the industry agreed to self-regulate, forming the Comics Code Authority. Many of the Authority's regulations forbade the use of words like Horror, Fear, and Terror in comic titles, and heavily censored violent stories and images. By strange coincidence, some of the most popular titles of the early 1950's were EC Comics' horror comics, which greatly outsold the comics of their competitors.
Faced with releasing watered-down product, William Gaines and Al Feldstein folded the horror titles (Tales from the Crypt, The Haunt of Fear, and The Vault of Horror).
What a shame for comic fans, because the EC horror titles were fantastic--scary, gruesome, funny, at times disturbing, and filled with some of the greatest comic art of all time.
I've read the Tales and Haunt collections previously, but just finished reading the black and white reprints of Vault of Horror. This is great stuff, and well worth tracking down.
Faced with releasing watered-down product, William Gaines and Al Feldstein folded the horror titles (Tales from the Crypt, The Haunt of Fear, and The Vault of Horror).
What a shame for comic fans, because the EC horror titles were fantastic--scary, gruesome, funny, at times disturbing, and filled with some of the greatest comic art of all time.
I've read the Tales and Haunt collections previously, but just finished reading the black and white reprints of Vault of Horror. This is great stuff, and well worth tracking down.
April 14, 2015
If you want to know where a lot of the visual clichés for horror started, you need to pick up one of these EC archive books; they didn't start in film or television, but comics that film and television directors read.
Aficionados of the genre will find a lot of old favourites in here. The artwork is beautiful, especially given the limitations of comic printing at the time these were originally out. The stories have that little twist of sick humour we all know and love. It even has an intro by RL Stine - if that doesn't tell you what you are in for them nothing will.
A very enjoyable nostalgia trip.
Aficionados of the genre will find a lot of old favourites in here. The artwork is beautiful, especially given the limitations of comic printing at the time these were originally out. The stories have that little twist of sick humour we all know and love. It even has an intro by RL Stine - if that doesn't tell you what you are in for them nothing will.
A very enjoyable nostalgia trip.
October 26, 2021
Reprints The Vault of Horrors #12-17 (April 1950-February 1951). Reprints The Vault of Horror #12-17 (April 1950-February 1951). The Keeper of the Vault of Horror has opened the door to the vault and within it stories of darkness and despair. From werewolves and vampires to monstrous babies, the darkness lying within the vault can be both inhuman and terrifying. Within the vault, the deepest and darkest recesses of the mind exist and the true depravity of humanity pours out. The Keeper of the Vault has invited you into his home, but the vault may not let you go!
Written by Johnny Craig, Gardner Fox, Harry Harrison, Bill Gaines, Al Feldstein, Richard Connell, Harvey Kurtzman, Henry Kuttner, and Jack Kamen, The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror—Volume 1 is a Dark Horse Comics reprinting of the classic EC series of horror and thriller comics. The collection features art by Johnny Craig, Harry Harrison, Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, Al Feldstein, Graham Ingels, and Jack Kamen and had previously been titled War Against Crime from early 1948 to February 1950.
The Vault of Horror and Tales from the Crypt were largely considered tied together by EC. Both titles possessed similar stories and similar “hosts”. While Tales from the Crypt ended up with a lot of the glory due to its title and later TV series, Vault of Horror was just as important and fun.
The stories are what you’d expect. Many of them end with a twist which probably even when they were being written was expected…but part of the fun of all the EC titles is seeing how they get to the twist. It isn’t necessarily the ending but the journey that is the fun. They are a blend of revenge, folklore, and classic aspects of horror.
One of the things lacking from the straight horror titles of EC which is present in some of their other titles is a bit more social commentary. Some of the EC titles were very progressive and out to make a statement (which was probably more dangerous than actually having a lot of gore and horror). The Vault of Horror for the most part stays in its lane which isn’t as fun as something like Shock SuspenStories which often mixed horror with societal politics of the time.
The Vault of Horror presents a classic and revolutionary time in comics. It might not have the daring nature of some of the EC titles, but in its gore and “terror”, it scared enough parents that a change was demanded. If you never read the actual series (like me), you are missing not only some good stories, but a moment in comic book history that reverberates even to today. The EC Archives present the stories in clean, affordable means for everyone to get their hands on them. The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror—Volume 1 is followed by The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror—Volume 2.
Written by Johnny Craig, Gardner Fox, Harry Harrison, Bill Gaines, Al Feldstein, Richard Connell, Harvey Kurtzman, Henry Kuttner, and Jack Kamen, The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror—Volume 1 is a Dark Horse Comics reprinting of the classic EC series of horror and thriller comics. The collection features art by Johnny Craig, Harry Harrison, Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, Al Feldstein, Graham Ingels, and Jack Kamen and had previously been titled War Against Crime from early 1948 to February 1950.
The Vault of Horror and Tales from the Crypt were largely considered tied together by EC. Both titles possessed similar stories and similar “hosts”. While Tales from the Crypt ended up with a lot of the glory due to its title and later TV series, Vault of Horror was just as important and fun.
The stories are what you’d expect. Many of them end with a twist which probably even when they were being written was expected…but part of the fun of all the EC titles is seeing how they get to the twist. It isn’t necessarily the ending but the journey that is the fun. They are a blend of revenge, folklore, and classic aspects of horror.
One of the things lacking from the straight horror titles of EC which is present in some of their other titles is a bit more social commentary. Some of the EC titles were very progressive and out to make a statement (which was probably more dangerous than actually having a lot of gore and horror). The Vault of Horror for the most part stays in its lane which isn’t as fun as something like Shock SuspenStories which often mixed horror with societal politics of the time.
The Vault of Horror presents a classic and revolutionary time in comics. It might not have the daring nature of some of the EC titles, but in its gore and “terror”, it scared enough parents that a change was demanded. If you never read the actual series (like me), you are missing not only some good stories, but a moment in comic book history that reverberates even to today. The EC Archives present the stories in clean, affordable means for everyone to get their hands on them. The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror—Volume 1 is followed by The EC Archives: The Vault of Horror—Volume 2.
July 26, 2019
Don’t try to cheat someone, murder someone, escape justice, steal from the dead, or create artificial life, or you will end up dying in a way which is not just gruesome or painful, but has the added indignity of amusing the readers of these comic book stories with its darkly humorous irony.
Here we have another collection of E.C. classics, drawn by such masters as Johnny Craig (who does all the covers here - No. 15 and 16 being real beauties), Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, Al Feldstein (who wrote most of the stories), Graham Ingels, Jack Kamen and Jack Davis. Some great little essays accompany the comics, giving a look behind the scenes of how the artists worked and how the comic evolved.
This volume is pretty werewolf heavy. Four tales of hairy-handed gents… or are they all what they appear to be? One of these stories seems like a bit of a cheat to me, but I can’t be too fussy.
How believable do horror stories have to be. It’s an interesting question. We cut them a lot of slack. We give them their monsters - vampires, werewolves, living mummies… We give them magic voodoo spells. But one of the stories here - Baby, It’s Cold Inside! asks us to accept a physical impossibility of staggering proportions without even bringing in the supernatural to possibly quell our skepticism. I’m not complaining. You have to give Feldstein and/or publisher William Gaines (who fed him plot ideas), credit for boldness.
A couple of the stories clearly have their inspiration in classic literature. Island of Death, illustrated by Harvey Kurtzman, is a variation on The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell. While Voodoo Horror illustrated by Jack Kamen, clearly takes its inspiration from Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Some highlights include : Horror in the Night (Harvey Kurtzmann), which has a sense of tragedy to it that makes up for the fact that the ending is a bit obvious; Voodoo Vengeance! (Johnny Craig), with a gruesome ending which is all the more effective for the fact that it takes place out of frame; Fitting Punishment (Graham Ingels), memorable for its gruesome closing image; and, Escape! (Al Feldstein), such a neatly constructed story, the ending no less perfect for the fact that you probably will see it coming.
Here we have another collection of E.C. classics, drawn by such masters as Johnny Craig (who does all the covers here - No. 15 and 16 being real beauties), Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, Al Feldstein (who wrote most of the stories), Graham Ingels, Jack Kamen and Jack Davis. Some great little essays accompany the comics, giving a look behind the scenes of how the artists worked and how the comic evolved.
This volume is pretty werewolf heavy. Four tales of hairy-handed gents… or are they all what they appear to be? One of these stories seems like a bit of a cheat to me, but I can’t be too fussy.
How believable do horror stories have to be. It’s an interesting question. We cut them a lot of slack. We give them their monsters - vampires, werewolves, living mummies… We give them magic voodoo spells. But one of the stories here - Baby, It’s Cold Inside! asks us to accept a physical impossibility of staggering proportions without even bringing in the supernatural to possibly quell our skepticism. I’m not complaining. You have to give Feldstein and/or publisher William Gaines (who fed him plot ideas), credit for boldness.
A couple of the stories clearly have their inspiration in classic literature. Island of Death, illustrated by Harvey Kurtzman, is a variation on The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell. While Voodoo Horror illustrated by Jack Kamen, clearly takes its inspiration from Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Some highlights include : Horror in the Night (Harvey Kurtzmann), which has a sense of tragedy to it that makes up for the fact that the ending is a bit obvious; Voodoo Vengeance! (Johnny Craig), with a gruesome ending which is all the more effective for the fact that it takes place out of frame; Fitting Punishment (Graham Ingels), memorable for its gruesome closing image; and, Escape! (Al Feldstein), such a neatly constructed story, the ending no less perfect for the fact that you probably will see it coming.
May 23, 2022
This review is for the Dark Horse Sept. 2021 re-print tpb edition!!
I love pre-code horror comics. They make me happy haha
Wax figures, deadly premonitions, murderers on trains, family curses, haunted houses, werewolves, vampires and so much more.
I took the deep dive into EC Comics' The Vault of Horror vol. 1 and was reminded of so many great horror short stories.
What's super rad about EC is that in-between the comic sotries are one-page prose stories. They really capture small moments of terror for sure.
These stories (despite being re-colored from how they were originally published*) are incredibly horrific, but also approached with a wicked sense of irony and humor. Fun for the whole family 😉
My favorite comic stories in this collection (in order of appearance)
- Portrait in Wax by Johnny Craig
- Horror in the Night by Harvey Kurtzman
- Terror Train by Al Feldstein
- The Dead Will Return by Al Feldstein
- The Curse of Harkley Heath by Wally Wood, Harry Harrison and Gardner Fox
- The Strange Couple by Al Feldstein
- Horror House by Johnny Craig
- Werewolf Concerto by Johnny Craig
- Baby... It's Cold Inside by Graham Ingles, Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein
- Voodoo Horror by Jack Kamen, Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein
*These comics were re-colored and often times it's changed to be incredibly dull. It looses so much of its character with these bland colors. The added gradients are fine, but I enjoy the hard reds and blues and yellows and would take them over a tasteless baige any day.
Overall I will say that as I got deeper and deeper into these stories I noticed the re-color less and less but it's still a miss in my book. I also think they went through and redid the inked line-work as well which is also okay, but I really wish it was more true to the original coloring.
I love pre-code horror comics. They make me happy haha
Wax figures, deadly premonitions, murderers on trains, family curses, haunted houses, werewolves, vampires and so much more.
I took the deep dive into EC Comics' The Vault of Horror vol. 1 and was reminded of so many great horror short stories.
What's super rad about EC is that in-between the comic sotries are one-page prose stories. They really capture small moments of terror for sure.
These stories (despite being re-colored from how they were originally published*) are incredibly horrific, but also approached with a wicked sense of irony and humor. Fun for the whole family 😉
My favorite comic stories in this collection (in order of appearance)
- Portrait in Wax by Johnny Craig
- Horror in the Night by Harvey Kurtzman
- Terror Train by Al Feldstein
- The Dead Will Return by Al Feldstein
- The Curse of Harkley Heath by Wally Wood, Harry Harrison and Gardner Fox
- The Strange Couple by Al Feldstein
- Horror House by Johnny Craig
- Werewolf Concerto by Johnny Craig
- Baby... It's Cold Inside by Graham Ingles, Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein
- Voodoo Horror by Jack Kamen, Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein
*These comics were re-colored and often times it's changed to be incredibly dull. It looses so much of its character with these bland colors. The added gradients are fine, but I enjoy the hard reds and blues and yellows and would take them over a tasteless baige any day.
Overall I will say that as I got deeper and deeper into these stories I noticed the re-color less and less but it's still a miss in my book. I also think they went through and redid the inked line-work as well which is also okay, but I really wish it was more true to the original coloring.
October 7, 2022
This year to prepare for Halloween, I decided to read some old EC horror comics. Seventy years later and these classic comics still hold up - for the most part. This book collects the first 6 issues of the Vault of Horror, starting with issue 12 (the first 11 issues were a completely different crime comic). Each original comic had 4 short stories so there are 24 stories in total. There are also short prose stories (a page or less) interspersed throughout. All the short stories are some version of 'bad person gets their comeuppance'. As the issues progress, we see more of the host, the Vault Keeper, as well as the host from the other EC horror comics.
The comics are well drawn and told with excellent pacing. I always knew who was who and what was happening. A lot of the endings I could see coming, but they were probably much fresher 70+ years ago when they came out. I'm guessing werewolves were all the rage in the early '50s because there are a surprising amount of werewolf stories. Many of the stories are based on other books like The Portrait of Dorian Gray or The Most Dangerous Game with a few changes to make it their own.
These comics pair nicely with Halloween. I have so many more to read. Vault of Horror, Tales from the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, Creepy, etc. I think this tradition will keep me busy for many Halloweens.
The comics are well drawn and told with excellent pacing. I always knew who was who and what was happening. A lot of the endings I could see coming, but they were probably much fresher 70+ years ago when they came out. I'm guessing werewolves were all the rage in the early '50s because there are a surprising amount of werewolf stories. Many of the stories are based on other books like The Portrait of Dorian Gray or The Most Dangerous Game with a few changes to make it their own.
These comics pair nicely with Halloween. I have so many more to read. Vault of Horror, Tales from the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, Creepy, etc. I think this tradition will keep me busy for many Halloweens.
April 24, 2025
Dark Horse Comics did a fantastic job compiling and refurbishing these classic pulp-horror comics. The artwork ranges from decent to top-notch and the story telling progresses throughout each volume as the VoH gathers its legs beneath it.
This is classic horror at its finest. Most often, characters drive the story and the bad guys pay the ultimate price at the hands of 'the monster' or their own selfish greed. But the horror is almost always 'off-screen,' capitalizing on the visceral reactions of characters to sell unspeakable acts of violence and depravity.
But there is so much more to these illustrated tales because EC Comics builds a community. In the present day, of course, we can't capitalize on much of what they were trying to develop, but it's still cool to see in hindsight. They asked readers to share their favorite tales from each issue, to write in letters, and vote on their favorites, including flash fiction and novel recommendations. But they also brought in "guests" from their other titles like the Crypt Keeper out of their "Tales From The Crypt" issues. Which, yes, is the impetus behind the show of the same name. This is the Crypt Keeper's origin. How cool is that?!
It would have been an amazing experience to grab each issue on release day, but they offer a fantastic, first-hand account of the pulp-horror scene that, mostly, still holds up to this day.
This is classic horror at its finest. Most often, characters drive the story and the bad guys pay the ultimate price at the hands of 'the monster' or their own selfish greed. But the horror is almost always 'off-screen,' capitalizing on the visceral reactions of characters to sell unspeakable acts of violence and depravity.
But there is so much more to these illustrated tales because EC Comics builds a community. In the present day, of course, we can't capitalize on much of what they were trying to develop, but it's still cool to see in hindsight. They asked readers to share their favorite tales from each issue, to write in letters, and vote on their favorites, including flash fiction and novel recommendations. But they also brought in "guests" from their other titles like the Crypt Keeper out of their "Tales From The Crypt" issues. Which, yes, is the impetus behind the show of the same name. This is the Crypt Keeper's origin. How cool is that?!
It would have been an amazing experience to grab each issue on release day, but they offer a fantastic, first-hand account of the pulp-horror scene that, mostly, still holds up to this day.
October 1, 2021
Old-school horror comics from pre-code days. This collects six issues of Vault of Horror, from 1950 to 1951. I've had the Gemstone hardback publication of this since it was first published several years ago. It's now been reprinted by Dark Horse Books in paperback and is available on kindle if that's your thing. These are old fashioned comics and nothing that kids today can't handle. I grew up reading (when I could sneak one from the prying eyes of my parents!) CREEPY and EERIE in glorious black 'n white. Vault of Horror and Tales from the Crypt were the granddaddies for those mags. I'm giving this a 5-star review for their historical significance and for the wonderful artwork. The actual stories are kid stuff but still a lot of fun if you put your maturity on the shelf. I also think these collections are nice gifts for those little monsters in your life. Or maybe not since they have no appreciation for the kind of stuff parents used to frown upon.
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