The Crypt-Keeper

The Crypt-Keeper is a ghoulish horror host who serves as master of ceremonies for Tales from the Crypt, introducing macabre anthology stories with gleeful menace. He shares his role among a trio of iconic horror hosts alongside The Vault-Keeper and The Old Witch.

Few hosts in comics history have welcomed readers into darkness with quite the relish of The Crypt-Keeper, who first crept onto the page in 1951's Tales from the Crypt #22, conjured by the legendary Al Feldstein during the Golden Age's most gloriously macabre era. This ghoulish master of ceremonies became the presiding spirit of EC Comics-style horror, sharing his shadowy corner of publishing with equally iconic company — The Vault-Keeper, The Old Witch, and even the likes of Superman and Clark Kent passing through his world. With appearances stretching across an astonishing 73 years from 1951 to 2024, The Crypt-Keeper is one of comics' most enduring figures, popping up across Tales from the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, and even the comics-history celebration Comic Book Comics. If you love the Golden Age's wild, anything-goes spirit and the rich tradition of the horror anthology, this is a character whose long, strange journey through the decades absolutely demands your attention.