Terror Tube



Tales From The Crypt

By Kraven The She Wolf



It was one of the very best horror anthology TV series of all time and ran from 1989 until 1996. It spawned three feature films that followed shortly after the series went off the air and even today it is remembered fondly as one of the most beloved horror TV shows of the 90’s. Tales From The Crypt made its television debut on June 10th, 1989 with the episode The Man Who Was Death. The 30-minute episode would kick start a seven-year season run with a total of 93 full episodes. The series ran on the cable juggernaut HBO and covered various genres such as horror, horror comedy, suspense, mystery, and dark fantasy. Each week the viewer was treated to a new dark tale that would sometimes be a straight-up horror story or it could be a comic satire with a darker tone featuring everything from monsters, vampires, werewolves, gangsters, mutants, aliens, circus freaks and even a serial killer dressed like Santa.


The title Tales From The Crypt comes from the 1972 British horror movie by the same name and even before that the true inspiration was the Tales From The Crypt bi-monthly horror anthology comic book published by EC Comics from 1950 until 1955. Like the comic and 70’s movie, the TV series would continue the Tales From The Crypt legacy by upholding the show as an anthology…..meaning each week we got to see a new story, with fresh characters, plots, and another tale. Since the series played on HBO, most restrictions that befall broadcast television were not a hinder and so Tales From The Crypt could indulge in stronger language and get more down and dirty than most of its Prime Time television contemporaries.


Linking each episode together was The Crypt Keeper, a corpse-like character with personality and wit who would introduce each week’s episode at the beginning of the show and set up the tale we were about to watch. The setup was The Crypt Keeper would introduce the episode the viewer would watch that week and then the episode would end with The Crypt Keeper wrapping up the show. He was funny, entertaining and most of all a blast to watch as the shows would always open with him in various costumes and locations within his castle crypt.



The Crypt Keeper himself was played by a puppet operated by puppeteer Brock Winkless who also brought to life Chucky in his first four films. His work made the creature seem very much alive with natural facial movement and expression. Think of a creepy Muppet and you get the idea. Voice actor John Kassir gave The Crypt Keeper his voice as he gave the finalization to the character as being alive……or at least living dead in the case of The Crypt Keeper. The actor was also the voice of Buster Bunny in the TV series Tiny Toon Adventures from 1990 to 1992.


The Crypt Keeper dates all the way back to the EC Comic days as even then The Crypt Keeper would introduce the comic books stories on the written page. The ghoul was also in the 1972 movie as well so there has always been a history of The Crypt Keeper in association with the Tales From The Crypt title.


While Tales From The Crypt was an adult series on HBO, a channel that did not water down its content, there was however an animated counterpart for children. Tales From The Crypt Keeper ran on ABC and later CBS and debuted on September 18th, 1993, and ran for 3 seasons with 39 episodes. The Crypt Keeper was once again voiced by John Kassir as the animated series ran a long side its HBO big brother. Here the horror stories were toned down with kids in mind but still giving them their horror in little bursts for their young minds.


The Tales From The Crypt opening theme music was composed by Danny Elfman who would go on to score The Nightmare Before Christmas and was also the man behind the score for the first four Batman movies. The opening music for the series is catchy and memorable as you know it in an instant. ​



Tales From The Crypt differed from other horror anthology series of its kind with A list of celebrities and big actors of the time to star in each of the show's episodes. Names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kirk Douglas, John Astin, Katey Sagal, Brad Pitt, Tim Curry, Tim Roth, Larry Drake, Benicio Del Toro, Lou Diamond Phillps, Demi Moore, Sandra Bullock, Michael J. Fox, Daniel Craig, and a host of others.


When Tales From The Crypt came to an end in 1997 after seven seasons and nearly 100 episodes, it seemed like the end for this scary and funny little horror host….but think again. Along with the spin-off, the animated series, Tales From The Crypt was also venturing into movies as well. In 1995, even before the series ended, we got The Crypt Keeper on the big screen with the motion picture Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight. Again with the voice of John Kassir as the creepy host, it was a full-length feature film starring Billy Zane as the leader of a horde of demons. Demon Knight was followed by Bordello of Blood in 1996 and again with Ritual in 2003 all under the Tales From The Crypt banner.


Today Tales From The Crypt is remembered fondly by those who got to experience it on its first run on HBO. Later it was broadcasted on other cable networks where new fans of the series were made. It was funny, it was scary and most of all, it was hosted by one of the most memorable horror personalities to ever grace the big screen or small screen. ​​