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Fifty years ago, there was a line of comics so terrifying that it changed the comic book industry… forever. EC Comics, like many of its best known subjects, has died and been resurrected multiple times in the last five decades. EC, originally Educational Comics, was founded in the mid-1940s as the home for wholesome, educational yarns, often comic book adaptations of Bible stories, before pivoting away from those at the start of the ’50s and becoming the premier home for gruesome, shocking horror books.
In fact, these titles (and their often brilliantly illustrated covers) were so shocking and gruesome that they played a role in the moral panic around comics inspired by Fredric Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent, a book that blamed violent imagery for contributing to juvenile delinquency—that kids would read these books and become violent maniacs. This book and Wertham’s testimony before a congressional hearing about “public morals” eventually led to the adoption of the Comics Code Authority, a comics industry organization dedicated to self-censorship so the feds wouldn’t do it for them. The first major impact the CCA had on comics was to effectively end EC’s run as the best horror publisher of the Golden Age.
But the enduring appeal of EC’s horror line has kept the company popping back up from time to time—first with periodic reprints of the original material, and then with a new relaunch every few years, most recently in February 2024 as an imprint of Oni Press. EC earned that affection because it employed some of the best creators to ever work in comics—greats like Frank Frazetta, Otto Binder, Al Williamson, Wally Wood, and John Severin. And because these books are 70 years old, there are exceedingly few copies left in circulation, which, if you’re a collector, means you should prepare to shell out some serious dough—especially for high-grade copies.
Prepare to shiver in terror as we walk through the best horror comics to add to your collection.
Mad #1-4
We start with the most expensive comics on the list: the first four issues of MAD Magazine. Yes, that MAD Magazine. MAD started out as one of EC’s standard books—a pair of stories from Harvey Kurtzman (who would eventually turn MAD Magazine into what we all know and love) and Marie Severin (legendary long-time Marvel colorist). You see in these books Kurtzman’s cartooning and storytelling style: these are horror-ish, but with a sharp undercurrent of social commentary and satire that would develop into the off-the-wall humor that exemplified his future work.
Like all books from the Golden Age, most remaining copies of these issues are in awful condition, so finding something with a 7.5 from CGC is huge.
The Vault of Horror #12
The first issue of The Vault of Horror (issues 1-11 shipped under the title War Against Crime and then changed with issue 12, a common occurrence with Golden and Silver Age books) hit with what EC became known for: shocking covers that often told most of the story right at the start of the book. This issue had several stories, but the first, by Johnny Craig, was the tale of a wax museum that wasn’t quite all wax. This is a key issue in EC’s shift to horror comics, and finding one in great condition certainly justifies a five-figure price tag.
Buy The Vault of Horror #12 on eBay
Weird Fantasy #13
The “Brain in a Jar” trope took off with H.P. Lovecraft in the ’30s, but comics is a special medium. The marriage of illustration and narration takes a trope and elevates it into something eerie, as you see here with the classic Al Feldstein cover. Weird Fantasy was a book heavily influenced by the popular science fiction stories of the time, full of aliens and nuclear fears and thinly veiled “cover versions” of popular literature, sometimes so close to the original that EC would get sued by Ray Bradbury for plagiarism. But even if the subject matter was trite (or largely copied from better work), there was a wit and a sharpness here that made these stories endure. Copies for under $7500 are, believe it or not, a bargain, so $6600 is very reasonable.
Crime SuspenStories #22
Yet another classic cover, this issue of Crime SuspenStories features a decapitated head and a bloody axe, probably causing thousands of parents to rifle through their kids’ comics and throw them away in disgust. Covers like this are precisely why the Comics Code came for horror books in particular—this is gruesome stuff, incredibly well drawn, but shocking for any era of comics. Hence the huge cost! At $10,500 for a CGC 5.5 copy, this is probably a little on the pricey side, but like other Golden Age comic investments, this should continue to grow in value within a couple of years.
Buy Crime SuspenStories #22 on eBay
The Haunt of Fear #15
The numbering here is confusing, because The Haunt of Fear started out as Gunslinger and was renumbered after four issues, but the numbering doesn’t really matter—this is the first issue of the retitled Gunslinger and is widely considered one of the scarcest, most valuable horror comics of all time, which is why the price is still pretty high for a book in not-great shape.
Buy The Haunt of Fear #15 on eBay
Tales from the Crypt #46
Tales from the Crypt originated not as an HBO show in the mid-’90s but as an EC comic in the ’50s—Crypt-Keeper and all. Just like the show, the Crypt-Keeper was the framing device, and just like all the best EC comics, this had a horror cover from Feldstein, but with interior art from Joe Orlando, Feldstein, and others. The show is due a revival sooner or later, so a cheap, high-grade copy like this is almost certainly a solid investment.
Buy Tales from the Crypt #46 on eBay
Shock SuspenStories #1
The shocking part of this book is that such a key issue is selling for such a low price. The first issue of the series that launched as a “sampler” of EC’s offerings, according to publisher Bill Gaines, is yet another example of the lurid covers EC was famous for—this one showing a death by electric chair. This is a classic cover on a high grade first issue and there’s really no reason why this shouldn’t be selling for $7500. Jump on it if you can afford it.
Buy Shock SuspenStories #1 on eBay
The Haunt of Fear #8
The numbering here is ESPECIALLY confusing, because after The Haunt of Fear ran for a few issues, apparently the postal service asked EC to renumber, so after #17 the next issue to come out was #8. But the numbering doesn’t really matter. The shrunken head cover is the important part—this is a classic EC image that you’ve likely seen reprinted multiple times, and a 9.2 graded copy is an incredible find.
Buy The Haunt of Fear #8 on eBay
Tales of Terror Annual #1
Back in the day, comics used to be returnable—any books that didn’t sell would be returned to the publisher, limiting the risk on the newsstands. Every year, EC would take the comics sent back to them, strip the covers off, bind four of them up with new trade dress and sell them as “annuals.” We don’t know what stories are in this issue, because it could be any four comics that Al Feldstein had lying around in 1952. That’s why these are so collectible—there are many permutations of Tales of Terror Annual #1, so even one in fairly poor condition will cost a lot.
Buy Tales of Terror Annual #1 on eBay
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