TALES FROM THE CREEP

TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972)
dir: Freddie Francis

TALES FROM THE CREEP
Spoof #2, November 1972
w: Marv Wolfman
a: Marie Severin & Jon Costa

Anthology film from Amicus, a British production company that released dozens of horror films, based on the EC comic book from the 50s. The movie adapted five of the stories used in the comic, this parody used three.

The movie has five people who find themselves wondering where they are. They are in the Crypt of Terror and each one is revealed the reason they are there in a story told to them by the Crypt Keeper (Ralph Richardson) about how they will die.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and Willard were two horror movies.

In the first story a woman (Joan Collins) has killed her husband for the insurance on Christmas Eve. She also hears a report that a homicidal maniac dressed as Santa Claus is on the loose, and finds herself trying to dispose of her husband's body and hide from the killer at the same time. Her daughter, who she thought she'd put to sleep, wakes up thinking the killer actually is Santa Claus and invites him in.

The next story is a retelling of The Monkey's Paw. A man (Richard Greene) is financially ruined, but his wife (Barbara Murray) discovers a statue and wishes for more money. The couple comes into money and upon going to get it, he dies in a car crash. She wishes he were still alive and he comes back badly mutilated.

The final story in the movie is about a man who runs a home for the blind and lives in luxury with his German shepherd while the residents all keep getting increasing financial cuts in meals and heat, which leads to one of their deaths. They get revenge by first luring his dog into the basement, thenthrowing him into a room next door. They eventually let him out but to exit he has to get through a series of mazes which include walls covered with razors and a hallyway with his dog that has been starving for two days.

Here he's portrayed as Hitler running a concentration camp that's actually a camp. The real story is in the video below.

The Crypt Keeper reveals they're all in the afterlife.

HBO 1989-1995

TALES FROM THE CREEP
Cracked #250, December 1989
w: Archie Falbo (Lou Silverstone)
a: Bill Wray

It later became a series on HBO, also using the same pool of stories from the comic book.

This comic is about the rivalry between MAD and Cracked. Before MAD, Bill Gaines had been publisher of Tales from the Crypt. Cracked was aware of his business practices in keeping and hoarding original art and though paying well, earning dollars on every penny the creator made. It was a coup for Cracked when they were able to poach long-time MAD contributor Don Martin, luring him by allowing him copyrights on his material and giving back his art. MAD writer Lou Silverstone was writing for Cracked simultaneously under a pen name before eventually becoming editor himself, and Bill Wray became one of the regulars at MAD.

The signature parodies “Ghastly”, the way Graham Ingels signed his work.

This also parodies the story And All Through the House that was used in the movie. (original story below) The Crypt Keeper is portrayed as Gaines. Jack Davis' signature is parodied in the upper left, while the story mimics the art of Johnny Craig.

THE PUTRID FAMILY

THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY
1970-1974 ABC

THE PUTRID FAMILY
MAD #150, April 1972
w: Arnie Kogen
a: Angelo Torres

Sitcom about a single mother, Shirley Partridge (Shirley Jones), and her five children Keith (David Cassidy), Laurie (Susan Dey), Danny (Danny Bonaduce), Chris (Brian Forster), and Tracy (Suzanne Crough), all of whom had a band and traveled by bus she drove around.

David Cassidy, the actor who played Keith was a teen idol independently of the program (As was his brother later. They were the real-life sons of Shirley Jones), so both he and the show needed each other to succeed. The actor who played the youngest son was replaced after the first season.

“I Think I Love You” (below) was their big hit.

Shirley Jones had been a star in many Broadway shows before this. Movie actors often ended up on TV when they're considered too washed-up for the movies, though she was not yet forty when she was “greylisted”. Dave Madden was Reuben Kincaid, the band's manager.

Butch Jenkins was a child actor in the 40s.

THE POT-RICH FAMILY
Cracked #107, March 1973
a: John Severin

Hubert Humphrey was the 1968 Democratic candidate for President.

Bernie Cornfield was the Donald Trump of his time before the politics.

Clifford Irving wrote a biography of Howard Hughes that was later revealed to be a hoax.

From The Effect of the Energy Crisis on the Entertainment World in Cracked #119, September 1974, art by John Severin

From The Final Episodes of Soured Sitcoms in #232, November 1987, by Frank Caruso.

Susan Dey later played a lawyer on L.A. Law. A reference is made to pop star Boy George.

Cover to German edition of Cracked.

THE PART-RICH FAMILY
Spoof #3, January 1973
w: Steve Gerber & Bruce Carlin
a: Henry Scarpelli

I don't think they knew both incarnations of the Beatles were the same people. Or that Tom Jones' fans were the same age or older than the average Marvel staffer. Or is that the Beatles? They had the same hair as the Osmonds but they hadn't been a boy band for quite some time.

The Osmonds, the Jackson 5, and Bobby Sherman were other teen idols then. References are made to other bubblegum pop songs from the late 60s and early 70s.

Rick Nelson was “old” at 32.

Their actual items were just as cartoony.

NUT GALLERY

NIGHT GALLERY
1969-1973 NBC

NUT GALLERY
Spoof #5, May 1973
w: Stu Schwartzberg
a: Marie Severin & Herb Trimpe

Rod Serling's follow-up to Twilight Zone, where he hosted a trio of science-fiction or horror stories, introducing them in a night gallery, where each story was told through a painting.

Not only are Pat Boone, Joe Namath, and Woody Allen all still alive as of this writing, and Woody still wears the same fishing hat fifty years later.

575 Madison Ave. was the office of Marvel Comics.

ODD SQUAD

MOD SQUAD
1968-1973 ABC

ODD SQUAD
MAD #127. June 1969
w: Dick DeBartolo
a: Mort Drucker

The premise of this show was that three runaway youths, Pete Cochran (Michael Cole), Linc Hayes (Clarence Williams III), and Julie Barnes (Peggy Lipton), were taken under the wing of Capt. Adam Greer (Tige Andrews). They were arrested for various offenses and Andrews let them serve their time by being undercover cops.

This was Jack Rickard's marker rough for that cover.

From Talking Animals Take Over TV in Cracked #91, March 1971. Art by John Severin.

CLOD SQUAD
Sick #66, March 1969
w: Fred Wolfe (Paul Laikin)
a: Bill Robinson

Apologies in advance for another watermelon joke, which kind of redeems itself with yet another George Wallace joke. These guys were really obsessed with George Wallace.

CLOD SQUAD
Spoof #1, October 1970
w: Len Wein
a: Marie Severin

In the foreground of the party is William F. Buckley referring to Gore Vidal.