Charlton; July 1975
Cover by Tom Sutton

Title: “Read the Signs”

Synopsis: On a stormy night, a young man hitches a ride from a vampire – and lives to tell the tale!

Writer: Uncredited
Penciler: Enrique Nieto
Inker: Nieto

Review: Wow … this is an awful lead feature. Cliché plot. Awful scripting. Sub-par art. And a silly, twist ending in service of a bad pun. Creepy Things is not off to a good start!

Title: “The Lurker in the Pit”
Synopsis: A greedy nephew shows up to claim his inheritance – and instead finds the lurker in the pit!

Writer: Uncredited
Penciler: Dick Piscopo
Inker: Piscopo

Review: Slightly better art in service of a cliché Lovecraftian story. This one has a better twist ending – barely.

Title: “Indian Summer”
Synopsis: One autumn day, “injun speerits” take revenge on the “premier injun hunter” of the Dakota Territory.

Writer: Uncredited
Penciler: Enrique Nieto
Inker: Nieto

Review: This issue is now zero for three thanks to this simple revenge tale featuring more lackluster Enrique Nieto art. Weak.

Title: “The Well”
Synopsis: A man becomes wealthy listening to an unseen voice from a deep well – then finds his doom!

Writer: Uncredited
Penciler: Tom Sutton
Inker: Sutton

Review: The tale that inspired this issue’s cover. Not a great story, but Tom Sutton’s art stands out against the chaff.

Grade (for the whole issue): C-

Cool factor: Did you see that cover?!

Not-so-cool factor: There are some real stinkers in this one! (Tom Sutton’s art is this comic’s only saving grace.)

Notable: The “Creep Mail” letters page offers an introductory essay.

Character quotable: “Look, we don’t know what’s prowling in this house, so let’s split up.” — David Montegue, greedy nephew, cousin abuser and, obviously, one smart fella!

Copyright ©2014 Off the Wahl Productions, all rights reserved. Each week, T. Andrew Wahl takes a look at a Bronze Age Fantastic First. Note, this article original appeared in Scoop in October 2014.