Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #18
Published June-July 1950
Cover Price 0.10 USD
Pages 36
Editing William M. Gaines

Cover Details

Genre Horror
Pencils Johnny Craig
Inks Johnny Craig
Reprinted In Tales From the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #2 (December 1992)

8 page story "The Maestro's Hand"

Characters The Crypt Keeper (host)
Synopsis Dr. Hellman arrives at a cabin in the woods to forget the suicide of his ex-fiancee after he unnecessarily removed the injured piano hand of her lover and he killed himself. When he opens the package he finds upon his doorstep, the detached hand lunges for his throat. When police arrive later, they find the doctor dead from self-strangulation.
Genre Horror
Script Al Feldstein
Pencils Al Feldstein
Inks Al Feldstein
Reprinted In Tales From the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #2 (December 1992)

7 page story "The Living Corpse"

Synopsis A magician strikes his assistant while wearing a snake ring and then attempts to locate where her body was taken by playing dead himself as to remove the snake imprint evidence. He assaults the morgue attendant but is locked into the freezer while the attendant suffers a heart attack and is thus doomed to freeze to death.
Genre Horror
Script Al Feldstein
Pencils Wally Wood
Inks Wally Wood
Reprinted In Tales From the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #2 (December 1992)

1 page text story "Portrait of Life...and Death"

Genre Horror
Letters typeset
Notes Text story with illustration.
Reprinted In Tales From the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #2 (December 1992)

6 page story "Madness At Manderville"

Synopsis When Tom Mander and his wife lose their son Billy, Tom worries the strain may be driving her insane when she tells him that she sees and hears things he cannot. When they find a butcher knife soaked with blood in the kitchen and the dog in the cellar with its throat slashed Tom takes his wife in to see a doctor who has Tom committed to an insane asylum when his discussion reveals to the doctor that Tom cannot perceive sights and sounds that actually do occur.
Genre horror
Script Ivan Klapper ?
Pencils Harvey Kurtzman
Inks Harvey Kurtzman
Notes Script credit based on interview with William Gaines and Harvey Kurtzman in Squa Tront #9, 1983.
Reprinted In Tales From the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #2 (December 1992)

7 page story "Mute Witness To Murder!"

Synopsis A woman sees her neighbor doctor murder his wife and is struck dumb from the shock. Her husband summons the very same doctor and he realizes what she must have witnessed and has her committed to an asylum. He realizes that her voice may return at any time so he schedules her for a brain operation in which he plans to 'accidentally' kill her. Her voice does return and when his heart gives out without his medicine during their struggle, she chooses to let him die rather than summon aid in time.
Genre horror
Script Johnny Craig
Pencils Johnny Craig
Inks Johnny Craig
Notes Script credit from "Tales of Terror! -- The EC Companion" by Fred von Bernewitz and Grant Geissman. Original indexer credited Al Feldstein.
Reprinted In Tales From the Crypt (Russ Cochran, 1992 series) #2 (December 1992)