Today in Comics History, April 25: Happy birthday, Johnny Craig!

Born on this day in 1926: comics writer, penciller, and inker Johnny Craig! He worked primarily for EC on Crypt of Terror, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, Crime SuspenStories, Two-Fisted Tales, and more...


from Vault of Horror #24 (DC, April 1952)



...and also at ACG (Unknown Worlds), DC (House of Mystery, The Brave and the Bold), Atlas and Marvel (Vault of Horror, Sub-Mariner, Iron Man), and Warren Comics (Creepy and Eerie).


from "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated November 1969
That's right, Johnny Craig! One of the more sane creators at Entertaining Comics.


from Tales from the Crypt (1950 series) #31 (DC, August 1952), co-plot by Bill Gaines, co-plot and script by Al Feldstein, pencils and inks by Jack Kamen, except for portrait of Johnny Craig: pencils and inks by himself, colors by Marie Severin (?), letters by Jim Wroten
Here's Johnny and the whole dang EC Bunch, in art for a reader letter acknowledgement card by Will Elder!

EC correspondence response, printed in Squa Tront (1967 series) #5 (John Benson, 1974), art by Wally Wood
(Click picture to Bill Gaines-size)
And another one!

EC correspondence response, printed in Squa Tront (1967 series) #7 (John Benson, 1977), art by Will Elder
(Click picture to choke!-ack!-size)
From a Christmas story:

from "The Night Before Christmas" in Panic #1 (EC, February 1954), pencils and inks by Will Elder, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten
(Click picture to bowl-full-of-gelignite-size)

If you were smart enough to send your two bits into EC during their heyday (this little stuffed bull wasn't old enough, boo!), you'd get three signed portraits of the EC horror hosts! All three of 'em were Johnny Craig in makeup!




(However, this gangster in this crime-doesn't-pay comic is not him!)



from "Lefty Schwartz" in Gangsters Can't Win #4 (DS Publishing, August 1948), creators uncredited
But here's an interesting Johnny Craig story incorporating his own birthday, which is of course Today in Comics History! I hope this did not actually happen to you, especially on your birthday, Mister Craig!





from "Impending Doom!" in Tales from the Crypt #20 (EC, October 1950); script, pencils, and inks by Johnny Craig; colors by Marie Severin; letters by Jim Wroten
Happy birthday to the great Johnny Craig!


from Fantastic Four Annual #7 (Marvel, November 1969)
Aw, geez (looking up at the first image in this post)...they couldn't even take a new photo of him.