Tales from the Crypt, #5: Yabba Dabba Voodoo

Tales from the Crypt Graphic Novels #5

by Various

Just when you thought Tales From The Crypt couldn’t get any scarier, the Crypt-Keeper, the Old Witch, and the Vault-Keeper return with four more all-new "fear-y tales" to frighten the Bejeezus out of you! A man receives telepathic signals from a young beautiful woman, but it all turns out terror-ably wrong in “Glass Heads.” And speaking of dangerous women, wait ‘till you meet “She Who Would Rule the World,” with powers far beyond those of mortal men! She makes the Frankenstein Monster look like a pussycat! Plus a couple of Voodoo tales that’ll make your head spin ― right off! “Chicken Man” and “Voodoo Redeux.” Too scary? Don’t worry, the GhouLunatics are always on hand to get you through the gruesome goings-on!

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Humor

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2008

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[Karl]

This installment of the "Tales From the Crypt" series contains the story "Virtual Hoodoo" by Joe R. Lansdale and John L. Lansdale drawn by artist James Romberger.

This being number five in the series of 'mini' graphic novels.

[Arthur Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5 stars, only because the stories are more than "just okay" for sick, twisted individuals like me, but the writing in general was simply too atrocious at points to earn a solid 3. Some of it was so bad it was good, which probably bumped up the score a little as well.

I recently snagged this on a whim (along with volumes 6 and 7) from Black Cat Comics in SLC. The wife and I had been in there a week or so prior, but all we did was mess up the shelves before leaving empty handed, so I felt kinda obligated to actually BUY something this time around...

Having such fond memories of EC's vintage Vault of Horror (not to mention the TV series it spawned), I was probably expecting a bit more from this quick little half-hour read, so either my tastes have matured over the years, or it's just plain harder to shock these days. Most likely, it's a combination of the two.

Honestly, I think that part of me supports this kinda stuff just to spite the pricks behind 1953's Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency. As if the fucking McCarthy hearings weren't bad enough!

"Yabba Dabba Vodoo" doesn't contain a single Flintstones reference outside its subtitle, but it does open with "Ignoble Rot", a fairly decent revenge piece involving the stereotypical (if effective) misrepresentation of the religion known in Haiti as Voudon. I also really enjoyed the humor and twist ending of "Glass Heads", which closes the collection. Open strong and close strong, I always say, but it's nice to have a little more substance in between as well...

For what it's worth, I am looking forward to reading/reviewing the other two volumes currently in my possession - makes a nice break from some of the higher brow shit I tend to read.

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last Tales from the Crypt volume I have, and I'm really pleased to say that it's the best one. I enjoyed all four stories, quite a bit

Here are my thoughts:

IGNOBLE ROT by Fred Van Lente introduces a man who isn't having a good night. After all, he's falling apart, but he knows where he has to go to break the curse...

What an intriguing story! Not only is there a mystery while this guy is trying to find his way back to where he believes the curse started, but every step of his zombification is also coupled with the scientific breakdown of decomposition. And that ending was perfect! 😅

VIRTUAL HOODOO by Joe R. Lansdale and John L. Lansdale features Sidney, a quiet man who works in the mail room. When his boss steals his game idea, he decides to get revenge...

Oh! This is a clever little story that starts out with sympathy towards Sidney, but slowly morphs into something else. I mean, victims can become the monsters they fear if they have access to power. And this was a great example.

SHE WHO WOULD RULE THE WORLD by Christian Zanier is about two gifted doctors who want to save the life of a dying woman using an experimental procedure that works too well and unleashes Apep Nephthys into the world...

Wow. EVERYTHING about this story is stunning. Starting with the artwork, which is absolutely beautiful. The story is so interesting and bizarre, with echoes of Frankenstein's failures. It's also sad.

GLASS HEADS by Fred Van Lente features Chandler, a guy who doesn't need to work and is always trying to get the attention of his friends. But when he starts having visions, he finds a different purpose...

Yikes! I started to have a bad feeling about this one pretty early on, and was genuinely concerned for Chandler. But what happens to him is a lot worse than I expected... 😳


I'm SO glad that every single one of these stories was great. In their own way. I mean, they definitely intersect in the experimentation, dealing with death and having to face hard facts, but each one has its own set of intriguing problems and a mystery I couldn't wait to unravel.

Best volume I've read today!

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stories of mystery and horror, presented by the Crypt-Keeper, the Vault-Keeper and the Old Witch.
A man is cursed for his philandering ways, another is betrayed by his own creation, a woman is cured from a terminal disease but gains astonishing powers and a man receives psychic visions of a young woman in danger.

I really wasn't expecting much of this book but I was very pleasantly surprised.
The stories here are all clever tales with dark twists that are every bit the cautionary tale that Tales from the Crypt is famous for. I grew up as part of the Goosebumps generation (although for me it was actually John Whitman's 'Star Wars: Galaxy of Fear' books, plus the TV show Eerie, Indiana), so this really hit the right notes for me.

My favourite of the four stories was definitely 'She Who Would Rule The World', in which two doctors use unethical procedures to save a woman dying of AIDS, only for her to become a ruthless killer with superhuman abilities.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Barry Hammock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read of four delightful horror tales, all with the usual surprise twist endings. The interactions of the ghoulish hosts are half the fun of the book itself.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently snagged three of these TALES FROM THE CRYPT issues from a bargain bin for a buck apiece. The first one I read, ZOMBIELICIOUS, struck me as pretty childish, so I wasn't too keen on checking out the others.
However, this particular issue promised a story by champion mojo storyteller Joe R. Lansdale, so I couldn't help but give the series another shot.
YABBA DABBA VOODOO surprised me for two reasons: 1) It was a huge improvement over ZOMBIELICIOUS, and 2) Mr. Lansdale's contribution was the weakest story in the bunch. I especially want to give a shout-out to whoever wrote the story "Ignoble Rot," which was darn near perfection for this sort of format.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting enough but certainly for juvenile, sadistic children. I mean why do things like this exist? Well, I give it one thing, these are fun stories, and slightly if not very disturbing. If Stephen King had his way with these, a whole new generation could be insomniatic.

I still enjoyed it, but the sub plot was cheesy and unoriginal. Just weird really.

And I found these stories to be far more graphic in the sense of blood and guts, and the stuff your head conjures up in relation to what is happening - gross!

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story is about a guy who uses women. He comes on to one and acts like he plans to marry her, but he sees her aunt and ends up leaving. Her's aunt's a witch and gets her revenge, but at a price. The second story is about a cheating business man who steals another man's idea. The other man uses a computer to get even, but sometimes programs can become too alive.

The next story is about an AIDs cure that goes horribly wrong. The last story has to do with Russian paranormal experiments during the Cold War and their ramifications today.

Good stories all.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

In honor of All Hallows Read I gave the PandaBat two more of these, which we sprawled warmly together on the sofa reading yesterday. This is a tradition I'll be keeping, and, with luck, celebrating in much the same way.

***

Well, I finally got around to finishing it. It's been so long I had to start over. I've always loved scary comics, so silly and over-the-top. These fit into that tradition nicely.

Tosh's copy

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four stories in this slim volume of comics inspired by Tales from the Crypt. "Glass Heads" was my favorite, with a surprising ending.