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Issue: Vault of Horror #38
Disclose Detail
Title:
Variant: unnamed
Rating: [no rating]
Publisher: FlagEC
Brand:
Indicia Publisher: L. L. Publishing Co. Inc.
On Sale Date: (not set)
Volume: 1
Pages: 36
ISBN: none
UPC/EAN: none
Price: $0.10 USD
Indicia Frequency:
Content Items: 9 (5 stories, 1 cover)
Editor(s):  
Disclose Notes:  
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Disclose Format
Publication Type: Comic Book
Color: color
Dimensions: standard Silver Age US
Paper Stock: newsprint interior; glossy cover
Binding: saddle-stitched
Publishing Format: was ongoing series
Format Notes:  
Disclose Reprinted From0
There is currently no data for this Issue being reprinted from anywhere.
Disclose Images3
Cover, Front
Original Artwork
Digital Edition
Adult Image
Title Page
Indicia on this Page
 
 

Cover, Front
Original Artwork
Digital Edition
Adult Image
Title Page
Indicia on this Page
 
 

Cover, Front
Original Artwork
Digital Edition
Adult Image
Title Page
Indicia on this Page
 
 
Assets0
 
The Catacombs

Illustration  on  Cover, Front
Credits
typeset
Subject Matter
horror
The Vault of Horror
The Vault-Keeper (inset); The Crypt-Keeper (inset); The Old Witch (inset)
Reprinting
FlagThe Vault of Horror #5 published January 1982
FlagVault of Horror #27 published April 1999
as [untitled] [Illustration on Cover, Front]
 
Miscellaneous
1
The cover title was taken from the 3rd story in this issue, from which the cover is based.
Are You a Red Dupe?

Text Article  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
?
Subject Matter
humorous, opinion
Melvin Blizunken
This editorial illustrated page purports that the Communists are the ones trying to destroy the comic magazine industry, citing the Soviet "Daily Worker" newspaper and Dr. Frederick Wertham.
Reprinting
FlagThe Vault of Horror #5 published January 1982
 
Miscellaneous
1
Inside front cover.

Tongue in cheek editorial parody in an attempt to link efforts to destroy comics to Communists.

Writer credits from Lyle Stuart himself, during an interview by Bill Spicer in Squa Tront (Fantagraphics, 2002 series) #12 (2007); and from Grant Geissman's book, Tales of Terror!: The EC Companion (Fantagraphics, 2000 series), who lists the writer as Bill Gaines; as well as Frank Jacobs' The MAD World of William M. Gaines (Carol Publishing Group, 1973 series) notes that Gaines worked with Stuart on the piece. Original indexer credited Albert B. Feldstein ? or Bill Gaines ?.
Any Sport in a Storm

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Subject Matter
horror
The Vault of Horror!
The Vault-Keeper (host); Drusilla [cameos]; Lon Shannon; Timothy O'Rourke
Heh, heh! Pile aboard the good ship Sarcophaghus, me horrible hearties!
During a stormy night, smuggler Shannon told his men about a ship offshore loaded with goods. His men were afraid of the legend of the "Sea Hag" and refused to go. Out at sea the stormy waters threw Shannon off course until he spotted a lighthouse. Shannon hooked up with Heather, the daughter of the lighthouse keeper, then fled early the next morning. The rough waters were tearing his boat apart when suddenly Heather appeared and came at him, wrapped her tentacles around him, and dragged him into the sea with her. Yes, Shannon found out too late that the stories of the Sea Hag were true!
Reprinting
FlagThe Vault of Horror #5 published January 1982
FlagIskalde Grøss #3/1992 published January 1992
as Havnevesenet! [Story on Interior Page(s)]
FlagVault of Horror #27 published April 1999
as Any Sport in a Storm [Story on Interior Page(s)]
 
Miscellaneous
8
Coffin Spell!

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Subject Matter
horror
The Crypt of Terror
The Crypt-Keeper (host); Janos; Nadyi
Heh, heh! Ghastly greetings, you old ghoulish gluttons!
Nadyi and Janos made a living digging up fresh corpses for Dr. Karolyi to use for his classes. But lately they can only find decayed corpses and not fresh ones that the doctor needed. Desperate to find fresh corpses, the men spotted a strange mausoleum filled with many new coffins. Nadyi left Janos behind to guard the coffins so he can get a bigger wagon. When he returned, the coffins sprung open and vampires came out of them. The men fled. Janos then revealed that one of the vampires had bit him and he was now going to bite Nadyi!
Reprinting
FlagThe Vault of Horror #5 published January 1982
FlagIskalde Grøss #3/1993 published January 1993
as På kistebunnen [Story on Interior Page(s)]
FlagVault of Horror #27 published April 1999
as Coffin Spell! [Story on Interior Page(s)]
 
Miscellaneous
7
Pinch!

Text Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
?
?
?
?
typeset
Subject Matter
horror
Captain Pritchard; Borley
From the stern of the little lobster boat...
Pritchard had caught Borley going through his wallet and had determined to turn him over to the harbor Police when they got back to shore. So Borley, a three-time loser, struck the Captain over the head with a lobster spike and dumped his body into the sea. Borley then planned to sell the lobsters aboard and then take it on the lam. He headed for the hatch to see how many lobsters he would be selling, but the ship pitched and in he fell. The lobsters set upon him, and tore him to pieces with their claws.
Reprinting
FlagThe Vault of Horror #5 published January 1982
FlagVault of Horror #27 published April 1999
as Pinch [Text Story on Interior Page(s)]
 
Miscellaneous
1
none

Advertisement  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
?
?
Subject Matter
E.C. Fan-Addict Club
Melvin
Illustrated informational house-ad on how to join the club for only 50 cents.
Reprinting
FlagThe Vault of Horror #5 published January 1982
 
Miscellaneous
1
[untitled]

Letters Page  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
typeset
Subject Matter
VK's column contains all letters this time, from Michael Vecchio, Rhonda Phillips, Ron Montana, Ronald Merlo, Jim Hannah, Donna Bowers, Joseph Wagner Jr., Maragaret Anne Conner, S. Schwartzberg, Judy Ford and John Stanley. Subscriptions were also pushed along w/membership in the E.C. Fan-Addict Club.
Reprinting
FlagThe Vault of Horror #5 published January 1982
 
Miscellaneous
1
The Catacombs

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
? (page 1)
Subject Matter
horror
The Vault of Horror
The Vault-Keeper (host); Pietro Miuta (villain, thief); Gino Alcari (villain, thief, death)
Heh, heh! You morbid meatballs want more, eh?
Pietro and Gino grabbed the sack of silver and fled the store they just robbed. They decided to hide the swag in the Catacombs until the heat was off and took their wine with them to mark a trail. Once they got deep enough inside, Pietro plunged a knife into the back of his partner, wanting all the loot for himself. Grabbing the treasure, he headed toward the exit, lamp in hand, became disoriented and hopelessly lost. He found his way back to Gino's body, and then the lamp's light went out!
Reprinting
FlagThe Vault of Horror #5 published January 1982
FlagB. Krigstein #1 published January 2002
FlagIskalde Grøss #5/1992 published January 1992
as Katakombene! [Story on Interior Page(s)]
FlagVault of Horror #27 published April 1999
as The Catacombs [Story on Interior Page(s)]
FlagMessages in a Bottle: Comic Book Stories by B. Krigstein #[nn] published April 2013
as [untitled] [Illustration on Interior Page(s)]Page 6, panel 3 only
FlagMessages in a Bottle: Comic Book Stories by B. Krigstein #[nn] published April 2013
as The Catacombs [Story on Interior Page(s)]
 
Miscellaneous
6
Gary Sadowski, in "Master Race and Other Stories", states in the introduction: "The splash page was originally laid out by Johnny Craig, but Krigstein asked for permission to break the opening into a series of panels, and sketched out what he had in mind. A reluctant Craig asked Bill Gaines for permission to do this and he agreed.....thus this is the only EC page ever completely laid out by Krigstein, and it was re-lettered according to Krigstein's specs."

Cover story.
Out of Sight...

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Subject Matter
horror
The Witch's Cauldron!
The Old Witch (host); Mr. Evans [The Great Brain]; Benny; Hulda Larson
Hee, hee! Well, here we are again...
The Great Brain is a carnival act who could identify any object, being held up by his slow-witted partner Benny, blindfolded. After Benny messes up the act, the Brain berates him. Benny then goes to see the only person who really cared for him: Hulda. When Benny tells Evans that he and Hulda are going to wed, the Brain heads straight for her and forces her to his will. When Benny sees this he becomes enraged. He exits the tent a few minutes later and addresses the crowd, lifting a red oozing mass up for the people to see, and tells them: "Here is the one and only....Great Brain!"
Reprinting
FlagThe Vault of Horror #5 published January 1982
FlagIskalde Grøss #7/1992 published January 1992
as Hjernedød [Story on Interior Page(s)]
FlagVault of Horror #27 published April 1999
as Out of Sight... [Story on Interior Page(s)]
 
Miscellaneous
7

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