Jack Davis Haunt of Fear #21 From The Classic Story "Dig That Cat He's Real Gone" Complete 7 Page Story Crypt Keeper Host Original Art (EC, 1953)

This 7-page prime era EC Pre-code horror tale illustrated by the marvelous Jack Davis, one of the very best of the best of EC's all-star lineup of artists. One of EC's most known and classic Pre-Code Horror stories that later turned into one of the most popular episodes for HBO's hit series "Tales From The Crypt"...

"Dig That Cat...He's Real Gone!" tells the tale of an escape artist named Ulric the Undying. The story, narrated by the Crypt-Keeper, begins with Ulric getting into a sealed coffin which is then buried by grave diggers. We learn that a human in a sealed coffin can't live more than an hour, but Ulric plans to stay buried for three hours and expects to be pronounced dead. However, Ulric seemingly has the power to return from the dead, and this is his final opportunity to use such power. We then flashback to how it all began. Ulric was a wino living on skid row. An apparently wealthy man named Doctor Mansford approaches him and offers Ulric the chance to become richer than he could ever dream. Mansford claims to have discovered how to cheat death by tapping into the myth that cats have nine lives. A certain gland from a cat is placed into Ulric's body. Mansford proves his theory by killing Ulric with a bullet and then bringing him back to life. Ulric then uses up some of his lives with dangerous stunts in order to earn money. With Mansford as a passenger, he then decides to drive a car off a cliff so he no longer has to share the proceeds. Ulric then continues his dying stunts, working with a new assistant named Saxton. Soon Saxton gets greedy and tries to take Ulric's money, and they fight with Ulric losing another life after he takes a knife to the heart. The story then returns to Ulric in the buried coffin thinking he has one more life. He then realizes that the cat who gave up his gland died, so Ulric really only had eight lives to go, not nine. Ulric's death this time would be final!

The art has an image area of approximately 12" x 18". The chapter title and the image of the Crypt-Keeper on the first and last page are paste-ups. Art is in very good condition. 

Below, are all of the page scans for your viewing pleasure...