The EC Archives: Tales from the Crypt Volume 1
Various Authors
Dark Horse Books
June 23, 2015
Reviewed by Jess Landry
If you so happen to be a product of the 70s, 80s or early 90s, then chances are you may be most familiar with Tales from the Crypt in video format. There was HBO’s show of the same name for the more mature viewer, a show that spanned seven seasons and that managed to spew out a handful of enjoyable flicks. There was Tales from the Cryptkeeper, the animated series aimed at weird children like you and me. And last but not least, there was the short-lived but super fucking awesome kids game show, Secrets of the Cryptkeeper’s Haunted House (I desperately wanted to be on that and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?). Yet long before the terrible puns and John Kassir’s iconic Cryptkeeper voice, Tales from the Crypt existed in the form of a comic.
The nice folks over at Dark Horse (who no doubt had the same disturbed childhoods as the rest of us) have decided to resurrect past issues of Tales from the Crypt in some fine-looking hardcover collection. The EC Archives: Tales from the Crypt Volume 1 collects issues 20-22 of Tales and 17-19 of its sister comic, The Crypt of Terror, both originally released in the late 40s to late 50s. John Carpenter, deranged child of the 50s, gives a brief foreword about the influence of the EC line on his own childhood.
The stories are exactly what you’d expect them to be – pulpy horror with characters finding themselves in sticky situations. These characters go on to think they’ve gotten themselves out of trouble or that they’ve righted a wrong, that is until the signature twist ending we know and love rears its satisfyingly horrible head. There’s werewolves, murderers, madness and monsters a-plenty in these here pages.
The artwork is exactly what you’d expect, too – that kitschy 50s/60s-style comic art with heaps of vibrant colours, detailed illustrations and clean lines. Originally coloured by EC colourist Marie Severin, this edition has been digitally recoloured to enhance the quality of the art but maintains Marie’s colouring style to retain the integrity of the original EC comic books.
So, fellow unhinged children of years past, I suggest you pick this up. Whether you’re familiar with the original EC line or if you’re looking at it with fresh eyes, the heart of Tales from the Crypt remains the same. And guaranteed, you’ll be hearing the Cryptkeeper’s cackle in your head while you read.
