Tales from the Crypt #5
"Operation Friendship" delivers a deliciously twisted twist on a game show format, as a seemingly ordinary guest on a guessing segment baffles the panel with his evasive answers—until the host reveals the real prize: a coffin. Written by Al Feldstein and illustrated by George Evans, with inks by Evans and letters by Jim Wroten, this 1979 tale from Tales from the Crypt thrills with suspense and dark irony. The cover, a chillingly stylish piece by Jack Davis, perfectly captures the story’s macabre charm.
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A television show about guessing the guest's occupation brings on a manufacturer of red ink. As the panel asks more questions of the guest, they begin to grow annoyed with the host, as the answers seem to dance around the idea that the guest may be a vampire. The host assures the panel that the man has a legitimate occupation, but they feel the host has double-crossed them. The host is delighted he has stumped the panel and reveals to the guest what he's won, a coffin, which surprises the guest. The panel descend upon him and drain his blood, relieved that he's not one of them.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).