EC Horror Comics Archive

Tales From the Crypt #22 (Feb/March 1951)

Crypt Keeper — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:00:06 +0000

Stories in this issue…
“The Thing From The Grave!” cover by Al Feldstein, story hosted by The Crypt Keeper.

“Blood Type ‘V’!” by Graham Ingels.

“Death’s Turn!” by Jack Kamen, hosted by The Old Witch.

“The Curse Of The Arnold Clan!” illustrated by Johnny Craig and hosted by The Vault Keeper.

The Crypt of Terror #19 (1950)

Crypt Keeper — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:00:09 +0000

“…blasted voodoo drums! They’ve been beating incessantly ever since the night I murdered my wife!…I wonder what those natives are up to?”

Johnny Craig, Illustrator

Crypt Keeper — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:07:43 +0000

Johnny Craig was a comic illustrator and writer whose work appeared in many comics, but is most closely associated with the classic EC horror comics.

Johnny Craig at E.C. Comics in the Fifties

Craig had no formal training, but managed to get a job working as an assistant for M.C. Gaines, publisher of All-American Comics, and later Eduational Comics (EC). Over the course of several years, he gradually learned the craft of drawing comics. Never a very fast drawer, he was nevertheless respected by his peers for his craftsmanship and care. When William Gaines took over EC Comics after the death of his father, he deciced to focus on the more popular horror and science fiction comics.

Craig became the editor of “The Vault of Horror”, writing and drawing many stories for that line, as well as designing the “host”, the Vault Keeper. Craig and EC became the center of controversy in the 50s after the publication of Dr. Wertham’s “Seduction of the Innocents” and the subsequent Congressional hearings investing the link between juvenile deliquency and comics. Ironically, while Craig’s work was generally staid compared to other EC artists, it was his cover to “Crime SuspenStories #22″ that was diplayed in the Senate as an example of the depravity of horror comics.

After the collapse of EC’s horror comics line, Craig temporarily left comics and worked in the advertising industry. He found this unsatisfying, though, as it left him with little time for drawing. In the 1960s, he returned to comic illustrating, first unsuccessfully in the super-hero line, but later finding his niche in the 1970s revivals of the horror comics. After retiring from comics in the 80s, he supplemented his income by drawing recreations of his famous 1950s EC covers and characters for comic art collectors.

Johnny Craig in a Promotional Photo as The Crypt Keeper

The Crypt of Terror #18 (October, 1950)

Crypt Keeper — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:00:16 +0000

This second issue was one of the first New Trends to hit the stands. It boasted a Johnny Craig cover, and interior art by Craig, Al Feldstein, Wally Wood, and Harvey Kurtzman. It had the first EC horror story for both Wood and Kurtzman.

The Crypt of Terror #17 (1950)

Crypt Keeper — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:46:06 +0000

Johnny Craig – The Crypt of Terror #17 Cover Original Art (EC, 1950). Certainly one of the most historic pieces of horror comic art, this is arguably the first horror cover ever produced by EC. The last two issues of War Against Crime and Crime Patrol are decidedly EC horror books, but Gaines still hedged his bet; they remained crime comics, if only in title. However, with Crypt of Terror #17 and Vault of Horror #12, Gaines threw caution (and, some would say, good taste) to the four winds and took the plunge. He let his imagination, and the talents of his artists, run rampant, and comic book history took a dramatic turn. The result was that EC’s graphically violent covers and stories sold very well. Of course, this bred myriad imitators, all trying to out-do one another in the grue-and-gore department. Ultimately, psychologists, social reformers and Senator Kefauver’s Senate hearings put a stake in the heart of Bill Gaines’ horror-based empire. Often imitated but never duplicated, their like has not been seen since. The cover here, while not as graphic as later efforts, is one of Craig’s finer pieces. The detail is exquisite, particularly the alley cat foraging for its dinner. All of the type, including the logo, is hand drawn.