The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library #29

In "Where There's a Will...", the Old Witch hosts a chilling tale of deception and irony, where Dr. James Crotty and lawyer Millard Walker orchestrate a macabre test of greed. As the relatives of dying Harold Farber gather, the two men stage his funeral to expose the true nature of his family—only to find their scheme undone by a very much alive Farber, who turns the tables with a final, shocking act of justice.

In "Wish You Were Here," a grieving wife, Enid Logan, grapples with the aftermath of her husband Jason Logan’s tragic death—prompted by a fateful wish tied to a jade statue from Hong Kong. When a lawyer, Bart Shiner, delivers news of a life insurance payout, he warns her not to wish Jason back, citing a gruesome tale of a cursed object. As Enid confronts the horror of her choices, the line between memory and nightmare blurs in a story that lingers long after the final page.

In "Half-Baked!", The Old Witch spins a chilling tale of a man whose cruel amusement with lobsters leads to a gruesome fate—caught in a fiery car crash where the flames turn him into a living roast. The story’s darkly ironic twist unfolds with grim precision, as punishment takes a form both grotesque and oddly fitting.

In "Shoe-Button Eyes!", a chilling holiday tale from The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library #29, the Old Witch spins a haunting story of loss, love, and a boy born blind who finds sight in the most unexpected way. After his mother’s death and his step-dad’s cruelty, the boy’s final act of devotion—sewing new buttons onto his bear—unlocks a grim, otherworldly transformation. The story lingers in the quiet dread of Christmas morning, where innocence and vengeance blur, and a child’s first sight is not of this world.

In "Creep Course," a sorority girl attempts to ace her ancient civilizations class with charm, only to find her professor has a far more… preserved interest in the subject. The Old Witch hosts a tale where history takes a chilling turn, and beauty may not be enough to survive the final exam.

In "Mess Call," a haunted German soldier from the trenches of WWI is drawn into a grim and unsettling arrangement with a butcher who runs a cellar with a dark purpose—where meat isn’t what it seems. The Old Witch, ever the unsettling guide, sets the stage for a tale of war, hunger, and the thin line between man and monster.

In 1900, little Dickie witnessed a brutal murder that left him unconscious—and when he awoke, the crime remained unsolved. Fifteen years later, the man he’s become, now known as Tom, finds himself repeating the violence he once saw, confronting his cheating wife in the woods. As the past and present collide, he’s forced to face a terrifying truth: the boy watching him wasn’t just a memory, but a moment he never escaped. The Old Witch hosts this chilling tale of guilt and return, where the line between victim and perpetrator blurs in the firelight.

In "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes...", the Old Witch recounts a chilling tale of betrayal and transformation, where a mountain man’s rage and grief fuse with the dark alchemy of a moonshine still, turning him into a vengeful, shifting form of pure malice—born from betrayal, drowned in lye, and reborn in fury.

In "Hoodwinked!", the Old Witch spins a chilling tale of betrayal and twisted retribution: a young woman’s tragic end sets off a gruesome chain of events when her fiancé’s brother, consumed by rage, takes a horrifyingly literal gift from the dead. The story unfolds with a cold, unsettling precision, blending sorrow and dread in a haunting, unflinching narrative.

In "Oh! Henry!", a haunted detective named Lionel Hart confronts a chilling reckoning when a past case resurfaces with terrifying personal stakes. After a lifetime of dismissing the desperate pleas of the guilty, Hart is forced to face the consequences of his rigid justice when a mysterious encounter with an old woman leads him down a path of dread and retribution. The story unfolds with quiet dread, blending psychological tension and gothic horror in a tale where guilt takes a very literal form.

In "The New Arrival," the mansion itself becomes a living witness to a chilling ritual as the Old Witch, long unhinged since her husband’s death in WWI, faces the end of her twisted custody over her uneducated, shackled child. When a passing traveler is brutally subdued and awakens to find himself bound in the same chains, he realizes too late that he’s become the new arrival—her next captive in a cycle of isolation and madness that shows no sign of ending.

In "Accidents and Old Lace," a ruthless art dealer tries to spark the creative fury of three reclusive sisters by staging a murder—only to find their genius demands something more authentic. When he confesses his crime, the sisters, unimpressed, remind him that true inspiration comes not from murder, but from accident—like the time they sent their father to his death under a train. Now, they turn their skill to a new design, and the dealer’s fate becomes the final thread in their tapestry.

In a grim circus sideshow, the Great Brain, Mr. Evans, dazzles the crowd with his uncanny mind, while his anxious partner, Benny, struggles under his constant scorn. When Benny finds solace with Hulda Larson, the tension escalates—especially after Evans learns of their secret plans. As the night unfolds, secrets spill and loyalty is tested, leaving Benny caught between fear and fury. The Old Witch watches it all, her presence a silent witness to the moment the act turns deadly.

In "Marriage Vow," the Old Witch hosts a chilling tale of love and vengeance, where a woman returns from the grave not to haunt her husband, but to reclaim her role as his wife—body and soul. Bound by a vow that outlasts death, she refuses his desperate pleas to leave, whispering that "till death do us part" means both must stay, even in undeath.

In a grim corner of the French Revolution’s Terror, a conflicted executioner is haunted by the head of a man he killed for money—now returned again and again, defying disposal. When he finally resorts to chopping it to pieces, the corpse comes calling, demanding its head back, and the price of guilt becomes horrifyingly literal.

In "All for Gnawt," Millie Mumford, nursing a bottle and a string of failed marriages, answers a lonely hearts ad from an elderly man with deep pockets—only to find his mansion overrun by rats. The Old Witch, ever the sardonic host, sets the stage as Millie confronts her own desperation and the unsettling truth behind the man’s wealth. Alvin Tuttle watches from the shadows, a silent witness to the strange bargain being struck.

In "About Face," a father’s world unravels when he confronts the horrifying truth behind his daughter’s twin—only to discover a secret buried in the past, one that reshapes everything he thought he knew. The Old Witch hosts a tale of love, deception, and a monstrous duality that challenges the very idea of what a family can be.

In "The Switch," a wealthy man desperate to win the heart of a young woman disguises his fortune and undergoes a series of increasingly extreme surgeries to transform his body—first his face, then his torso, and finally his legs—only to find that his true identity may be the one thing she never truly wanted. The Old Witch, host of this chilling tale, guides the story with a knowing gaze as vanity and obsession unravel in a twist that redefines what it means to be seen.

In "Ashes to Ashes!" from The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library #29, Emil Frankenstein reflects on the twisted legacy of his father’s experiments, recounting how he created a life from swamp miasma—only to conceal the truth of its origins. When his daughter Louisa, raised in secret, falls in love, a drunken visit from Emil at her engagement party unleashes a horrifying revelation. The Old Witch (host) presides over this tale of inherited sin and unnatural beginnings.

In "The Prude," a man consumed by guilt over his mistress’s suicide enacts a radical campaign to ban public affection, culminating in a law that mandates separate cemeteries for men and women. When the women refuse to be silenced, they rise from their graves at night to reclaim their places beside their lovers. The Old Witch hosts this chilling tale of retribution, where denial meets the dead, and the past refuses to stay buried.

In "Good Boy," a father’s love takes a terrifying turn when his son, Paul, spirals into crime after being drawn into dangerous schemes. As Paul’s actions grow more reckless, Jim Ward—once a strict but devoted parent—faces an unthinkable choice that tests the very limits of paternal loyalty.

In "Tatter Up!", a young man’s greed leads him to marry a wealthy but withered old woman, only to kill her when her fortune proves elusive. But vengeance comes from an unexpected source—the ragman, a being woven from scraps she’d long donated, who exacts a brutal, otherworldly retribution.

In "The Diamond Pendant," a modest couple's evening at a high-society party takes an unexpected turn when Millie insists on wearing a borrowed diamond pendant to impress her husband's boss. Her joy turns to dread when the jewel vanishes, leading to a costly attempt to replace it—only to uncover a truth that reshapes everything they thought they knew about the night.

In "The Suit," Karen and Ralph take her father, Mr. Edison, to a tailor shop to commission a custom suit, a gesture tinged with quiet significance. When the suit is delivered, the tailor, Mr. Durley, returns days later to fix a forgotten detail—only to learn Edison has died and his family intends to bury him in the very garment he’d so reluctantly agreed to pay for.

In "The Good Fairy," a gruff old man known for his stinginess secretly refills a young girl’s lemonade pitcher each night, driven by a quiet kindness he refuses to admit. Though he insists there’s no magic at work, his actions speak louder than his gruff demeanor—especially when the girl’s daily stand becomes a mystery he can’t quite explain.

In "Fall In Winter," a man teeters on the edge of the Fremont Building, one hundred feet above the ground, his mind racing through a day that unraveled in moments: the crushing news of being laid off, a brief, painful encounter with a woman who mistakes his kindness for theft, and the spiral that led him to the ledge. As he plummets, the weight of the day collapses into memory—only to be caught mid-fall by a fireman’s net, and then, unexpectedly, offered a second chance when his boss witnesses the scene and calls him back.

In "The General," a man reflects on the path that led him from humble beginnings as a serf to the rank of military commander, driven by ambition and a relentless desire to rise above his station. Though he earned honors and climbed the ranks, his journey was never about glory—it was about proving he could reach the summit, no matter the cost.