The Vault of Horror (comics)

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title=The Vault of Horror


caption=Cover, issue #13
schedule=Bi-monthly
format=Anthology
publisher=EC Comics
date=April/May 1950 - December/January 1955
issues=29
main_char_team=Crypt Keeper, Old Witch, Vault Keeper
writers=
artists=
pencillers=
inkers=
letterers=
colorists=
creative_team_month=
creative_team_year=
creators=William Gaines
Al Feldstein

"The Vault of Horror", "Tales from the Crypt", and "The Haunt of Fear" are three bi-monthly horror comic anthology series published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. "The Vault of Horror" hit newstands with its April/May 1950 issue and ceased publication with its December/January 1955 issue, producing a total of twenty-nine issues. The title was popular, but, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, comic books came under attack from moralizing parents, clergymen, schoolteachers, and others who believed the books contributed to illiteracy and juvenile delinquency. In April and June 1954, highly publicized Congressional subcommittee hearings on the effects of comic books upon children left the comics industry shaken. With the imposition of the highly restrictive Comics Code Authority, EC Comics publisher William Maxwell Gaines canceled "The Vault of Horror" and its two companion titles in September 1954. All three titles have been reprinted at various times since their demise and have been adapted for television and film.

Origin

Horror comics emerged as a distinct comic book genre after WWII when young adult males lost interest in caped crimebusters, and returning GIs wanted titillating sex and violence in their reading. One-shot "Eerie Comics" (1947) is generally considered the first true horror comic with its cover depicting a dagger-wielding, red eyed ghoul threatening a rope-bound, scantily clad, voluptuous young woman beneath a full moon. In 1948, "Adventures Into the Unknown" became the first regularly published horror title, enjoying a nearly two decade life-span. In 1950, publisher William Gaines and his editor Al Feldstein discovered they shared similar tastes in horror and began experimenting with such stories in EC's crime comic "War Against Crime" and its companion title, "Crime Patrol". With issue #12 of "War Against Crime", the title was changed permanently to "The Vault of Horror". The Vault Keeper became the title's sardonic host and commentator, occasionally sharing duties with The Old Witch and The Crypt Keeper. Due to an attempt to save money on second-class postage permits, the numbering, however, did not change with the title — the first issue of "The Vault of Horror" was #12.

Artists and writers

Like its horror companion titles, "Tales From the Crypt" and "The Haunt of Fear", "The Vault of Horror" had its own distinctive qualities and atmosphere — in this case, created by its main artist, Johnny Craig. Craig illustrated all the covers for the entire run and was responsible for the lead story of all but issues #13 and #33. He also wrote all his own stories (save two) in "Vault", something rarely done at EC, and became editor with issue #35 (February, 1954). Gaines and Feldstein wrote almost every other story until late 1953/early 1954 when outside writers Carl Wessler and Jack Oleck were brought in. Other contributing artists to "The Vault of Horror" were Feldstein, George Evans, Jack Kamen, Wally Wood, Graham Ingels, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Sid Check, Al Williamson, Joe Orlando, Reed Crandall, Bernard Krigstein, Harry Harrison and Howard Larsen.

The Vault-Keeper

With The Crypt Keeper and The Old Witch, The Vault-Keeper was one of the hosts for EC's horror comics (known as the GhouLunatics), He served as narrator, and added a lighter touch to the often gruesome stories by using a number of puns. In addition to appearances in his own book, he also had a guest story in each issue of Tales From the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear. Although The Vault-Keeper was originally designed by Al Feldstein, Johnny Craig is the artist most associated with the character, having drawn all his lead stories in the "Vault of Horror" with the exception of two. Craig would also draw The Vault-Keeper in his guest appearances in the other comics, although another artist frequently drew the rest of the story. For the final four issues of "The Vault of Horror", The Vault-Keeper was joined by Drusilla, hostess of the book. The Vault-Keeper appeared in animated form on Tales from the Cryptkeeper and was voiced by Dan Hennessey.

Demise

In 1954, Gaines and Feldstein intended to add a fourth book to their horror publications by reactivating an earlier title, "The Crypt of Terror". They were stopped dead in their tracks, however. Horror and other violent comics had come under scrutiny by moralizing parents, schoolteachers, clergymen, psychologists, and others who viewed the material as dangerous to the well-being of children and a significant contributor to the juvenile delinquency crisis in America. Matters came to a head in April and June 1954 with a highly publicized Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency. Hearings targeted violent comic books — which fared poorly in the proceedings. While the committee stopped short of blaming the comics industry for juvenile deliquency, they did suggest it tone down the product. Publishers were left reeling.

The industry deftly avoided outside censorship by creating the self-regulatory Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) and a Comics Code Authority (CCA) that placed severe restrictions on violent comic book genres. Publishers were forbidden from using the words "terror" and "horror" in titles, for example, and forbidden from depicting zombies, werewolves, and other gruesome characters and outrè horror fiction trappings. Gaines was fed up; he believed his titles were being specifically targeted and realized they were doomed to future failure. He threw in the towel, canceling "The Vault of Horror" and its companion titles in September 1954. The last issue of "Vault" was its twenty-ninth, (#40, December/January 1955). Since an issue of "The Crypt of Terror" had already been produced, it was published as the final issue of "Tales from the Crypt", February/March, 1955.

Reprints

Ballantine Books reprinted "Vault" stories in 1964 and 1965, and a book featuring only Ray Bradbury adaptions in 1965. Other "Vault" stories were reprinted in "Horror Comics of the 1950s" by Nostalgia Press (1971). Publisher Russ Cochran released six issues of "EC Portfolio" from 1971-1977. East Coast Comix reprinted issue #26 in the early 1970s. "Vault" was reproduced in black in white in five hardbound volumes in the early 1980s. Russ Cochran would eventually reprint the title in standard comic book format (out of sequence, however) during the early 1990s in association with Gladstone Publishing. Cochran eventually reprinted the run in sequence order in the later 1990s with Gemstone Publishing. In 2007, as part of the "EC Archives" series, Gemstone and Cochran printed Volume 1 of "Vault of Horror" with an introduction by R. L. Stine.

Media adaptations

"The Vault of Horror" stories were adapted to motion pictures in Freddie Francis' "Tales from the Crypt" (1972) and Roy Ward Baker's "The Vault of Horror" (1973).

"Vault" stories were also adapted for the "Tales from the Crypt" television series that aired on HBO (1989). The following stories were used in the television series: "Horror In The Night" (Issue #12), "Doctor of Horror" (#13), "99 & 44/100% Pure Horror" (#23), "Report From The Grave" (#15), "Fitting Punishment" (#16), "Werewolf Concerto" (#16), "Revenge Is The Nuts" (#20), "The Reluctant Vampire" (#20), "Dead Wait" (#23), "Staired in Horror" (#23), "Collection Completed" (#25), "Seance" (#25), "Half-Way Horrible" (#26), "People Who Live In Brass Hearses" (#27), " 'Til Death" (#28), "Split Personality" (#30), "Easel Kill Ya" (#31), "Whirlpool" (#32), "Strung Along" (#33), "Let The Punishment Fit The Crime" (#33), "A Slight Case of Murder" (#33), "Smoke Wrings" (#34), "And All Through The House" (#35), "Beauty Rest" (#35), "Surprise Party" (#37), "Top Billing" (#39), and "The Pit" (#40).

Issue Guide

References

*Goulart, Ron. "Great American Comic Books". Publications International, Ltd., 2001. ISBN 0785355901.
*Overstreet, Robert L. "Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide". House of Collectibles, 2004.