Vault of Horror #18 Values

Title: Lend Me a Hand!

Characters: The Crypt-Keeper (cameo); Dr. Brown (Dr. Johnstone's assistant); Dr. Brown's nurse (cameo); a drunk (death); Dr. Harold Johnstone (villain, death)

Synopsis: Emminent physician Dr. Johnson is the victim of a car accident and loses his hand, which means his career if finished. After reading an article in a medical journal about keeping tissue alive by a chemical and mechanical apparatus, the doctor decides to kill a drunk to get a hand to replace the one he lost.....with some very unfortunate results!

Pages: 7.000

Script: Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils: Jack Davis (signed)

Inks: Jack Davis (signed)

Letters: Jim Wroten

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion. Colorist credit by Craig Delich.

Title: Trap

Characters: Inspector Mattern

Synopsis: Inspector Mattern, and his assistant, Sergeant Finch, were working homicide detail concerning four murders that had occured under a full moon in the previous four months. They laid a trap for the killer, which appeared to be some kind of wild animal....at least, the wounds on the victims indicated such to be the case. As Mittern sat waiting to spring the trap, he looked up at the full moon and a strange tingling began coursing through his body....and he lost consciousness. When he awoke, he became aware of a heavy weight on his chest, which he discovered to be Sgt. Finch, whose throat was slashed and who's wounds appeared to be that of a werewolf! Then he noticed his hairy hands were covered in blood....and realized that the trap he had set had worked and had caught the killer werewolf...and it turned out to be himself!

Pages: 2.000

Script: William M. Gaines

Pencils: ? (spot illo)

Inks: ? (spot illo)

Letters: typeset

Notes: This text story was printed on the inner halves of the two pages, and to each side were EC house ads One was for Weird Fantasy #1 [with a cover by Al Feldstein], and the other ad [with covers] promoted the Picture Stories From the Bible series: the Complete Old and New Testaments, the Old Testament #1-2 and the New Testament #1.

Title: untitled

Characters: The Vault-Keeper (cameo)

Synopsis: In this issue's column, the VK first gives the reader voting results for the best tales from last issue, then discusses the requests for back issues of the VOH. He concludes the column by once again promoting the picture of himself [for 10 cents] and subscriptions to his mag.

Pages: 1.000

Pencils: Johnny Craig (spot illo)

Inks: Johnny Craig (spot illo)

Letters: typeset

Title: The Mask of Horror

Characters: The Vault-Keeper (cameo); Ken Anders; Ander's fiancee; unnamed costume shop owner; unnamed woman vampire (villain, vampire, death)

Synopsis: Ken Anders stops off at an eerie costume shop to get a costume for a party, and the weird owner outfits him with a mask and costume that is supposed to represent his true self: that of a rotting corpse. His fiancee refuses to go to the party with him, so he leaves devastated. He puts the mask on and heads to the party, and meets a woman dressed as a vampire and falls for her. They head into the garden to unmask and he discovers she really IS a vampire, who then attacks him. Anders drowns her in a lily pond....but then notes his reflection in the pond with terrifying results!

Pages: 6.000

Script: Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils: Jack Kamen

Inks: Jack Kamen

Letters: Jim Wroten

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.

Title: Dying to Lose Weight!

Characters: The Old Witch (cameo); Mrs. Van Klege (wealthy woman, death); Pierre (dress fitter); Tom Adkins (hen-pecked husband, death); Leena Adkins (Tom's wife); Sally Bates (death); Sally's mother; Charlie Street (death); Dr. Perdo (villain, death)

Synopsis: In a small town populated by many fat people, a weird Dr. Perdo comes to town, offering to help those people through the use of a tiny weight-reducing capsule. Four accept his offer....and the capsule works on them to perfection. But then, the four people suddenly die horrible deaths....as if they had starved to death. Six months later, Perdo, in disguise, returns to the town, but is discovered and runs into the cemetery to hide....and into the mausoleum of one of his victims....where he comes face-to-face with the thing that had killed his victims: a giant tapeworm!

Pages: 7.000

Script: Bill Gaines (co-plot); Al Feldstein (co-plot, script)

Pencils: Graham Ingels

Inks: Graham Ingels

Letters: Jim Wroten

Notes: Script credit from Tales of Terror: The EC Companion.