TALESFROM THE

CRYPT

FEATURING

THE CRYPT-KEEPE1

THE OLD WITCH

THE VAULT-KEEPER

S3.95US

71896 45306

HEY, OLD WITCH, HOWLONG IS THE CRYPT-KEEPERGOING TO KEEP READING

V HIS FAN MAIL? A,

OH, LET HIM BE,

VAULT-KEEPER!

IT KEEPS HIM FROM TELLINGTHOSE INSUFFERABLE YARNSOF HIS! NOW IF HE WEREAS GOOD AS MY FAVORITEHORROR WRITER, VICTORIAPRICE, I WOULDN’T MIND!TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, THIS

. TALE OF GREED ANDBETRAYAL ENTITLED...

ALWYN IS ASMALL COLLEGEIN THE BERKSHIREMOUNTAINS OFMASSACHUSETTS.IT'S QUIET,PICTURESQUE ANDVERY OLD. MOSTOF THE STUDENTSON CAMPUS TALKABOUT THE USUALTHINGS THATYOUNG PEOPLETALK ABOUT....

THESE BOYSARE LIKE SOIMMATURE.' j

WHICH BRINGS US TO THE DORM OF TWO ROOMMATES,SALLY "SYBIL" MILLS AND TINA "TANITH" BENSON, WHOAnc TAI l/IU£ AOl~ll IT TUCTO CMlArtlTC ill in. 1C./-T

HEY, CHECK.IT OUT'

DAYS LATEP AT THELOCAL BOOKSTOPE.

WIN ANEVENING WITH THEQUEEN OF HOPPOP,VICTOPIA PPICE, ATW HEP MANSION.^

^OH, I'M 50^COINS TO WINiw THIS.' ^ I KNEW ^

f COINS TO’

COLLECE WOULDL EVENTUALLY ,^ PAY OFF. ^

victopia pace's wee -

SITE IS ANNOUNCINC THE. CONTEST WINNEP IN .^ TWO SECONDS..

A MONTHLATEP.,. r IT CAN'T ^

ee..! it's me.'

^ I WON' .

VICTORIA PRICE

r HMM...WHAT IP

TANITH WAS TOO WICKEDSICK TO GO? NAH, THATWITCH WOULD GO EVEN IF

SHE HAD PNEUMONIA' AND A TEMPEPATUPE J

OF no. y—

'

WHAT IF

TANITH HAD SOME KINDOP ACCIDENT OP EVENWOPSEP 6UT WHAT APE-THE CHANCES OF THAT

HAPPENING?

J HMM... MAYBE I

COULD 6IVE FATE ALITTLE PUSH? MAYBE, EVEN A SPEAT BIG

,^ SHOVE?

I CAN ALWAYS ^SET ANOTHER FRIEND, BUT

MEETING MY FAVORITE WRITERIS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME

OPPORTUNITY. WHAT IF TANITHSUDDENLY JUST 'VANISHED'?

7 BUT WHAT WOULD IDO BWITH HEP BODY?

P I KNOW, I KNOW.'IT'S PERFECT.' IT'S

SO OBVIOUS I CAN'TBELIEVE I DIDN'T

-t THINK OF THIS rV-» SOONER' /wlT

LIKE I COULD FOPSETABOUT THAT? C'MON, LET'5SO TO OUP SPECIAL PLACE

^ AND CELEBPATE.' ^FINALLY..

I'M SO EXCITED,TOMOPPOW IS

THE BIS DAY!

I'M KIND OF TIPED. X

THOUSHT I'D MAKE IT

LAN EAPLy NISHT. ^OH, IT'LL BE VEPy QUICK.

I SUAPANTEE IT.BUT WE HAVETO SO.' I, UH,MEAN, IT'S OUP^ PITUAL. ^

r OH, yOU'PE^SO SWEET. ALLPISHT. BUT LET'SMAKE IT QUICKV TONISHT, ut

ALAS, POOP TANITH, YOUWEPE ALWAyS TOO TPUSTINS.

I WAS 8ESINNINS TO FEELL PANSS OF SyMPATHy >

fop you.^^^^JreUT THEYPASSED Llk'S WS§ASUSTOr ISUMMEP^ WIND.

WELL, THAT'S IT, TANITH, DEAP.soppy i can't ppovide youWITH A SUITABLE SPAVESTONE,8UT I'M SUPE YOU CAN UNDEP-k STAND THE DELICATENESS

OF THE SITUATION.

SINCE, DEAP FPIENO, NO ONEHAS BEEN BUPIED IN THISOLD CEMETEPy SINCE THEPEVOLUTIONAPy WAP, IT

k IS HISHLy UNLIKELY i

THAT yOU WILL BE J§>NOTICED. '

WISH M£ LUCK, OEAP tanith, whepevep youAPE. AS THe VAMPIPE DUBOIS SAID, IN

CONNOlSSeUQ OF SLOOP, WHEN HE DPOVE. INTO BOSTON, TO MEET THE ILL-FATED

ELIZABETH VANDEPVEEP, THE ^LOVE OF HIS LIFE... _ &&&'

THE NEXT DAY, SYBIL,APMED WITH TANITH'SI.D., BESINS THE DPIVETO BOSTON.

COLLEGE 1

I'M TANITH,THAT IS, TINABENSON. YOU'PE A LITTLEr EAPLY, MS. BENSON. ^

MISS PPICE WILL BE WITH YOUIN A FEW MOMENTS, SHE'SOUST PUTTINS THE FINISHINGTOUCHES ON A CHAPTEP

%. POP HEP NEW NOVEL. JL

YES, ^PLEASE COME IN,

MS. BENSON. MIS!PPICE IS EXPECT-

INS YOU. ^

THAT IS' WAY COOL' EP... I

”MEAN, OF COUPSE. I

SHALL PATIENTLY AWAITK HEP PPESENCE. ^

LOOK AT ALL ^THESE AWESOME

BOOKS ON VAMPIPES.'AND APE THOSE VIALS^ OP BLOOD? COOL.

a Lime latfp.

miss ppice^will see youNOW, IN THe

^ LiePAgy.

w ULP/ THIS ^is it/ my oueeN^ AWAITS/ ^

THese peoPLelook eveN

ceeepiep thanMy eeLATives.

coMe in. youMUST 8e MS. eeNSON,^THe ILLUSTPIOUS WINNEPOF My LITTLe CONTEST,v I'M VICTOPIA yI’ht ppice.

WeLL, OFr COUPSe YOU Ape/ >THAT IS, UM, I'M SYS

—

I MeAN, TAN—, TINA...I'M

PLeAseQ to make youpL. ACQUAINTANCE.

HOW DAPLINS. COMEWITH ME AND I'LL

show you a euv OF My HOME. A

™ wny, you'PEPOSITIVELy SHAKING,My DEAP/ THEPE'S NO

PEASON TO BENEPVOUS. ^

r A SUIDED ^TOUP/ I'VE DIEDAND SONE TO^ HEAVEN/ A

^BUT, I'M yOUP^BISSEST—UH, I'MAN APDENT ADMIPEPOF yOUP LITEPAPy

PPOWESS. A

THIS IS THEr SOLAPIUM, AND THAT'S ^My PAFFLESIA BLOOM. IT'STHE SISSEST FLOWEP IN THEWOPLD. yOU'PE IN LUCK, IT

ONLY OPENS ONCE A y£AP,k. AT NISHT, FOP ONE S

WEEK.

SMELLS LIKEPOTTINSMEAT/ ^

HOW ASTUTE.^fIT'S MOPE COM-MONLy KNOWN ASk THE COPPSE^ FLOWEP. ^A

THIS IS

WHEPE I KEEPMy AMPHI8IANS.

CUTEFPOGS.

each onerHAS ENOUGH POISON'^IN THEM TO KILL ONEHUN0PE0 PEOPLE. IT'SWHAT INDIGENOUSTPiees use on

t THEM? 6LOWGUN yDAPTS.

I SO HOPEW you 'PE ENJOyiNG THIS ^r GUMPSE INTO SOME OF My0ISTPACTIONS. FEEL FP£E TOL ASK ME ANyTHING AT ALL.^ TONIGHT I'M HEPE A

fop you. ^^ UH...I WAS ^CUPIOUS, HOW DIDyou COM£ UP WITHTHE CHAPACTEPOF THE VAMPIPE

k. DU80IS?^AS IT HAPPENS,^* THE INSPIPATION 1

FOP DUSOIS CAMEFPOM WHAT'S IN THISL POOM. PLEASE, ABk. STEP INSIDE.

I PPOMISED MyY VAMPIPE BATS A SPECIAL ^

MEAL TO CELEBPATE THELAUNCHING OF My NEW BOOK.

IT'S A TPEAT I SIVE THEML ONCE A yEAP. IT SEEMS j

TO SPINS ME LUCK,

AND I'VE BEEN <W TOO Busy TO FEEDTHEM LATELy, ANDTHEy'PE OH, SO A

JN '

v\y. My. all^^BW THAT SCPEAMINS.^I DO BELIEVE I'M SET-TINS ANOTHEP IDEA FOP

A NEW BOOK. I SOk LOVE THE CPEATIVE j^ PPOCESS. DON'T ^

WHAT ABATTY ENDING!

•GROAN-

YES, SYBIL PAID ^^1Z QUITE A PRICE TO MEET NMRS. PRICE! JUST AS YOU’REPAYING THE PRICE OF EATING

TOO MANY CHOCOLATEK STUFFED FRUITY GRAIN a

BALLS!

r IT’S THE ONLY^THING THAT KEEPSTHE OLD VAULT-KEEPER VAULTINGV ABOUT

!

--

f JUST CHECK NOUT WHAT HAPPENS TOLITTLE JIMMY WHEN HESKIPS BREAKFAST, IN

^ THIS SHOCKER I

IK. CALL...z^dbiSTTEO

&

r AND I'M NOTOUST SAYINS THATbecause I'M yout?Ss. MOTHEC. Jji

/ SOMETIMES***

f I FEEL LIKE I

(DON'T DESEGVE

\ SUCH A SWEETV LITTLE SUy.^

) OH, NO, I

r fogsot to buy >

MILK LAST NISHT. DOyou MIND EATINS yOUGCHOCOLATE STUFFED

s. FGUITy SGAIN /N. BALLS DGY? S/ I HOPE \f BECKY AND \8UDDY KNOW ’

WHAT A SGEATSUY THEY

HAVE TO PAL ,

V AGOUND /\ WITH. Aewww.

DGY CEGEALSUCKS, MOM.

AW, SEEWHIZ. CUTIT OUT.

r eur they've sot ^THE FRUITIEST CHOCOLATE

TASTE IN THE LAND. IT'S SOTTHAT WILD X-TREME FLAVOR

. BLAST THAT'S OUTfN. OF THIS WORLD.' .x'

JK YOU ATE THEMf DPy ALL THE TIME WHEN >you WERE LITTLE. WHy, yOU'VEEATEN CHOCOLATE STUFFED

V FRUITy SPAIN BALLS EVERY Agv DAY OF YOUR LIFE-

^..WELL SINCEYOU'VE HAD ) ipy

TEETH. a W*

MOM, I'LL ^BE OKAY. I DON'TNEED TO EAT THEM

. bvepy pay. ^ JIMMY, \Y YOU NEED A \/ WELL-BALANCED \J BREAKFAST WITH >

fTHE SWEETNESS YOUCPAVE MELDED WITH

IT'S THE MOSTEPUITASTICALLYSU&AP BOMBEPSWEETNESS EX-PLOSION EVEP.'

LET'S QUIT THEMOLLYCODDLING.

po youp/ SKIPPING \f 6PEAKFAST WILLHAVE AN IMPACT ONYOUP TENDEP YOUNGMETABOLISM ANDMAKE YOU MOPE

V LIKELY TO GET /V FAT. y-YOU DON'TWANT TO GETFAT DO YOU?

THEN EAT YOUPGPEAKFAST/

/ SOMETHING WEIPD \’ IS COINS ON TODAy. IF >

THEY WANT ME TO EAT THATSTUPID CEPEAL SO SAD,THAT'S A PPETTy SOOO

K PEASON WHy I ./SHOULDN'T.

/ „,SO THEN HE >LETS ME SO TEN

MINUTES BEPOPE THELUNCH SELL SOES

. OFF. WHAT'S UPWITH THAT?

r HEy, ^WHAT'S WITH

.youp VOICE?

y£AH, you^SOUND PEAL

. MANLY, y

soodLOPD.'

>CHOk:e<

OIMMy?>&ASP'<JIMMy? APEyou OKAy?

/ AMI0 CHAOS \'AND TPASEDY IN out?PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THEPUBLIC ASKS "WHAT

V ABOUT OU(?CHiLoeeN?" y

—DENIESPEPOPTS OFA STUDENTSHOOTEP...

K WE DON'T

(KNOW THE SITU-

V ATION WITHk BECKY, .

V 5EEINSYOU MISHT MAKE YHIM FLIP AND /k ATTACK HEP. J\

Y WE ^CAN'T AFFOPDTO LOSE ONEV CHILD.' v

^ WE NEED A NDIVEPSION TO

SET HIM OUT INTOTHE OPEN SO I

CAN DELIVEP Av CLEAN SHOT. >

r LAoy,THAT THINS

is Noeooy'sV 8Aey a

IT'LL ONLyHUPT FOPA SECONDANyWAy.

I'LL SO.r I'LL SET HIM TO >STEP AWAy FPOM HIS

FPIEND AND SPINS HIM< out so you CAN,.. .

X. >CHOIC£< . .

.

so you <\( CAN SHOOT )V My eA8y. y

yOU WOULDN'T ^1

UNDEPSTAND, NONE OFyOU WOULD UNDEPSTAND.HE IS A WONDEPFUL SOy.HEALTHy, (NTELLISENT,

hv STPONS... M

WELL, HE'SALL SPOWNUP NOW.

AAAPPPSH.'

STAyS SACK, JIMMy. ^STAy SACK.' I'M soppyI DANCED WITH 8UDOyAT THE SPPINS FLINS,

. but i'll hit you IF I

rW SOTTA' 4

JIMMY.

7 COME TO ^MOMMY, JIMMY.MOMMY LOVESYOU, JIMMY.

'MOMMY

LOVES YOU,. JIMMY.

T MOMMYLOVES YOU.

MOMMY LOVESJN. YOU.

SOMETIMES I

Sv./ FEEL LIKE I DON'AKj^* W» n« DESERVE SUCH A )

IIX SWEET LITTLE /( SUY. fgSTV' Kf M. *F £ \

evepythins'sSONNA BE OKAY,v BABY. YOU APE THE

8E5T KID IN THEWOPLD. .

EVEPYTHINS'SSONNA BE SPEAT.

YOU'PE SOINS^TO EAT A NUTPITIOUS8PEAKPAST EVEPY

K. DAY.r PPOMNOW ON.

I PPOMISE.NO MOPEMISTAKES.

r EVEPYTHINS'S N,SONNA BE JUST

LIKE IT WAS BEPOPE,K I PPOMISE. y

>GASP!< GOODALL OUT OFCHOCOLATE l

V FRUITY Gl

w HAI AND ^THEY SAY WE’REA BAD INFLUENCE

. ON KIDS! .

LISTEN, V-K, YOU EAT TOOMUCH OF THAT STUFF! KEEPIT UP AND YOU’LL NEED TO

> JOIN JOHNNY CRAIG’S!

W I'M OUTTA ^HERE. I GOT MOREBACK AT MY VAULT

OF HORROR!k. COMING? ^

LIKE I’M GOINGTO STAY WITH

. C-K!?! .

I THOUGHTTHEY’D NEVER< LEAVE! .

WELL, KIDDIES, ^I’VE BEEN READING ALL YOUR

WRETCHED FANG MAIL AND DECIDEDWE SHOULD EMBARK ON A DARKER,SCARIER NEW DIRECTION! READ ALLABOUT IN THE CRYPT-KEEPER’SCORNER AND BE SURE TO TELL

US WHAT YOU THINK!

HEE

‘ /

Hidee-ho, honor-fans! It’s me again, the original ol’

Crypt-Keeper. Welcome to more CONDESCEND-ING CRITICISM, mixed in with a dollop ofMIND-LESS PRAISE

, for our previous inconsistent issues.

Let’s hear itfar the FEARLESS FANS willing to brave

the BITING WIT and CUTTING COMEBACKSfar which this politically inconect letters column is

becoming INFAMOUS!

Now, kiddies, this is where I’d normally reveal the

results ofyour votes on TALES FROM THE CRYPT#4, but the SHOCKING TRUTH is, at presstime we

still haven’t received any! So, it’s still up in the air what

you think about last issue’s TERROR TALES —

“CRYSTAL CLEAR” by Don McGregor and James

Rornberger and “Extra Life” by Neil Kleid and Chris

Noeth. For you ROTTING READERS living in the

United States, this is an election year, so it’syourDUTYto VOTE! Well give you one more chance, but when

TALES FROM THE CRYPT #6 hits the stands, the

voting on #4 will be OFFICIALLY OVER!

Ifyou somehow missed our FRIGHTENINGfourth

issue, the PENNY-PINCHERS over at Papercutz have

already collected “CRYSTAL CLEAR” and other

FF.AR-FAIil.F.S into paperback and hardcover collec-

tions entitled TALES FROM THE CRYPT #2 “CANYOU FEAR ME NOW?” You’ll have to wait far the

third CRYPT collection, entitled “Zombielicious” for

“Extra Life" to be collected, though! But TALES

FROM THE CRYPT #2, along with TALES FROMTHE CRYPT #1 “Ghoub Gone Wild!” should be on

shelves ofbetter BOOkstores now.

Okay, just wanted to say how much I like the

"TALES FROMTHE CRYPT" comics. Okay, I

like the stories, although die ait needs to look

more like the old comics from the fifties, ’cause I

lilted die way it looked back then. I really didn't

read the old comics, I only saw that art on the

first season DVD. But keep up the good work on

the comics; also maybe stay widi the tradition of

those comics.

Your Fan,

Ethan

Let us know whatyou think ofour most recent

issues, Ethan. Has the artwork taken a turn for the

WORSE or areyou DIGGIN’ theNEWDIREC-TION newcomer Noeth, rotten ol’ Rornberger,

and even the ever-popular Mr. Exes have taken?

Subject: I love Tales from the Crypt!!!!

Hi, you deadheads! I love the comic. I was

reading issue 43 and I was wondering where

you got the idea for a painting of a zombie

Mona Lisa? Can’t wait for the next issue! Can

I order a copy of issue #1 from you?

Sean Clagg

Myrtle Beach, SC

Sorry, Sean, but we’re SOLD OUT ofTALES

FROMTHE CRYPT#1 . You can order thepaper-

back or hardcover collections thatfeature both sto-

riesfrom 41. Andyou’llhave to read “ABODYOFWORK”byMarc Bilgrey andAir. Exes to learn the

SECRET behindZOMBIEMONA!!

Dear Crypt Keeper,

I thoroughly enjoyed the third issue. I feel 1

am in the minority, but in the end “A

Murderin’ Idol" eventually came out as myfavorite. “And may 1 make a suggestion? Dosomething about that hair!” Hcc, hee! Howmany demons do you sec making suggestions?

I have a feeling, though, that it will be beaten

by “Slabbed!” because everybody loves it when

comics make stories about comics. I appreciate

the insight as to how the comics industry feels

about this latest option of slabbing comics to

preserve them, but make them completely

unreadable. The blurb about #4 looks promis-

ing. Looking forward to #4,

Briony Coote,

Lower Hutt, New Zealand

Good to hearfromyou again, Briony!But it looks like

it takes a whilefor our mad-mag to make its way to

New Zealand, which is causingyou to miss out on the

voting. But take heart, (or take any organ ofyour

choice!) “A MURDERIN’ IDOL” did take top honors

over "SLABBED!”

Dear Crypt Keeper,

It looks like you are getting revenge on Dr.

Wertham and his “Seduction of the Innocent”

which killed off the original title. You had a visi-

tor called Wertham in #2 and your comment on

“Slabbed”: “Its juvenile delinquents such as

Derrick that give comics a really bad name!” was

unmistakable. Are you going to go the whole hog

and have a story that makes a real dig at the old

reactionary? If not, why don’t you think about it?

Briony Coote

Lower Hutt, New Zealand

Back again, Briony? In CRYPT #2, I may have

exclaimed “What the Wertham —?!” in a moment ofTERROR, but rest assured (and in peace) that no

visitor ofthat name has ever steppedfoot in THECRYPT OF TERROR!

Dear Crypt-Keeper,

You were asking readers if the HAUNT OFFEAR and VAULT OF HORROR should be

revived as well. Well, 1 reckon the reason the

Vault-Keeper and Old Witch keep goofing off

is because they don’t have a comic of their

own. Therefore I think reviving those titles

will be a good idea - ifyou feel the readership

is strong enough.

Briony Coote

Lower Hutt, New Zealand

You again? Well, we’ll need far more than one

reader in Lower Hutt, New Zealand before we

can even think about reviving HAUNT OFFEAR and VAUL'l 'OF HORROR!

Dear Sir;

1 am an avid collector of most comics. I doown a complete collection ofEC Comics (orig-

inals), including a Gaines file copy of WARAGAINST CRIME #10 9.8. Your attempt at a

revival of EC is a great challenge, lo me, the

ECs were and still are the best books ever to be

published. Most of those artists are now well-

known and well-collected (very valuable in

most cases). Williamson, Wood, Davis, Ghastly

Ingels, etc. What I think needs to be done to be

successful is “take” from the original format,

rather than take an “Archie” approach to your

revival. Attempt to do what the original format

brought to the media - excellent art and stories.

Then with the right formula, you can bring the

whole sci-fi line back and horror. 1 have a vast

knowledge of this business (1 own BATMAN#1, SUPERMAN #1, AVLAZING FANTASY#15, etc.) and lots of EC original art. Tty to

move toward the original format. Hey, AWilliamson is still out there, so is A Feldstein.

I would like you to be very successful, but as of

now your books are too tame. Granted, there

are no Frazettas or Woods out there, but with

the right approach you can be very successful.

Good luck.

Robert Metteis

Norwalk, CT

But, Bob, doyou have a copy ofPUREEVIL #I

?

So muchfor this issue’s DIVISIVE DISCOURSE!Be here next issuefor the story so SHOCKING we

can't even reveal the title, as wellas “GraveyardShift

at the Twilight Gardens” by Rob VoUmar and Tirn

Smith 3. “Ignoble Rot”by Fred Van Lente andSteve

Mannion, originally scheduled for this issue, has

been rescheduled to appear in CRYPT #7.

Keep those emails and letters comingj Tell us what

you thought ofourNEWDIRECTION, which is

FORWARD TO THE PAST. Sendyour letters to:

The Crypt-Keeper’s Corner

40 Exchange Place, Suite 1308

New York, NY 10005

Or email your RABID REVIEWS to our elderly

editor at: salicrup@papcrcutz.com.

€.D.FA NS/

YOO’Vt MITTMYOU'M B'MAIMPfYouwe pnom.fyoo'vtmmmv on

yoo'm Qtmmor(Ait we're coming out with these collections anyway.'

)

WCTURINO.

CRYPT-'

Qmco^1

COLLECTING STORIES BY BILGREY, MR.EXES, VOLLMAR, SMITH 3,

KLEID, MANNION, TODD, McGREGOR, MURASE, ROMBERGER,PETRUCHA, and HUDSON!

ON SALE NOW AT BOOKSTORES EVERYWHERE!