Description

Tales from the Crypt: The Official Archives                        Leather Hardcover
Limited to 36 – Featuring the “Publisher’s Proof Edition – Bleached Bones” Leather Edition.
By: Digby Diehl
Designed by: David Kaestle & Rick DeMonico

National Public Radio commentator Diehl recounts the history of Tales from the Crypt, which has scared horror fans through comics, television, and movies for 40 years.

Tales from the Crypt Official Archives limited edition hardcover centers on four special sections, each of which is worth the price of the whole book: there are biographies of 13 artists from the E. C. stable; glossy, full-color covers for all 105 E. C. horror comics; 4 beautifully reproduced, complete tales in their original form (on creamy white paper stock); and a never-before-seen “Picto-Fiction” story from E. C.’s heyday, illustrated by Jack Davis. All of this and more has been lovingly put together by literary correspondent and columnist, Digby Diehl.

Tales From The Crypt: The Official Archives by Digby Diehl as published by St.Martin’s Press and Hamilton Comics Ltd, 1996.  This is one of the limited signed genuine leather hardcover editions published by Bruce Hamilton’s Hamilton Comics Ltd, with a signed bookplate inside the front cover.  This “Bleached Bones” off white publisher’s leather edition is signed by seven of the original EC Comics artists and writers; Jack Davis, Joe Orlando, Johnny Craig, Al Feldstein, Al Williamson, Marie Severin, and George Evans. It is also hand-signed & hand-numbered by Digby Diehl.  Finally, this awesome very limited publisher’s edition is also numbered (low number) out of 36 and states that it is a publisher’s proof. A real EC treasure!

While St. Martin’s Press published the hardcover trade editions and softcover editions, Bruce Hamilton had the rights to publish the limited-edition versions.  With the interior pages and contents being exactly the same, Hamilton Comics published four different; “Pricey Editions”, each one limited and with different colored covers.  Each of the four colored editions had EC ghoulish names attached to them:

The red cover version was called “Stripped Flesh” mottled red
The green cover version was called “Swamp water Slime” mottled green
The Brown cover version was called “Rotting Corpse” mottled brown
The off-white cover version was called “Bleached Bones”

Each of the 500 copies (the copies were not individually numbered) was bound in gold foil stamped, glossy Skivertex (which is much more durable than the trade edition’s chipboard and paper binding) and printed in full color on off white slick paper. Each of “Pricey Edition”, “colored”, limited editions contains a special bookplate inside the front cover.  The bookplate is Hand-Signed by seven of the original EC Comics artists and writers; Jack Davis, Joe Orlando, Johnny Craig, Al Feldstein, Al Williamson, Marie Severin, and George Evans.

This “Publisher’s Edition” was limited to only 36 leather copies world-wide. Although, all the other editions were never actually numbered (for reasons unknown), the publisher’s edition is extra special because, it was the only “edition” that was actually numbered out of its exclusive limited size (which was only 36). It is also extra special because, it was the only “edition” that was specially hand-signed by Digby Diehl (which all the other copies DO NOT include).

This book is not strictly about the television show, as a matter of fact, it’s 75-80% about the history of EC Comics, the trials and tribulations of Bill Gaines and the US Senate hearings, the fan publications and reprints that lead to EC Comic’s resurgence, and finally how all this lead to Hollywood and the TV series and several motion pictures.

Also features:
The official biography of the Crypt Keeper and the history of EC Horror Comics
A previously unpublished picto-fiction horror story drawn by Jack Davis
All 105 EC Horror Comic covers reproduced in full-color
A pictorial “filmography” of the award-winning HBO and Fox Television series featuring credits, synopses, and episode guide
Four original (and complete) stories by Jack Davis, Al Feldstein, Graham Ingels, and Jack Kamen reprinted from the actual art and reproduced in color in their original size
Brief biographies and portfolios of the key EC artists
Collectible section highlighting the coolest and most valuable Crypt merchandise.

Special features include:
Bound in “Bleached Bones” gold-stamped off-white leather finish
Limited to 36 World-Wide
A hand-signed signature of Digby Diehl
Book plate states that it is a publisher’s proof
Numbered (low number) out of 36

The Publisher’s Edition does NOT include:
A hand-inked art signature, with the famous “little man” autograph of the now-deceased genius behind MAD and one of the principal early artists for Tales from the Crypt, Harvey Kurtzman
A frameable 8′ x 10″ glossy photo of the television Crypt Keeper, individually autographed in gold by the old ghoul himself

Collectible Entertainment comment: This was a Special Edition especially made to be given out to E.C. Artists, writers, and contributors to the book. It was never originally offered for sale!

Hardcover is bagged and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

Limited to 36
First Edition
Publisher: Hamilton Comics / St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: October 1996
Format: FC, 256 pages, HC, 12″ x 9″
ISBN-10: 0312144865
ISBN-13: 9780312144869

Collectible Entertainment note: Leather Hardcover is in Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful!  Please See Scans!! A must have for any Tales from the Crypt and/or Classic Horror collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Highly Recommended.

Please read return policy.