Published by EC Comics, Tales From The Crypt is one of the most fondly-remembered horror comics books of the 1950s.  The series actually began under the title International Comics and went through several other title changes before becoming Tales From The Crypt.  A horror anthology series that was hosted by The Crypt Keeper, The Vault Keeper, and the Old Witch, Tales From The Crypt ran from 1950 to 1955 and was so popular with young readers that a psychologist named Fredric Wertham claimed that reading the comic book could lead to juvenile delinquency and other deviant behavior.  The resulting moral panic led to a Congressional investigation and the adaptation of the Comic Book Code.  It also led to the cancellation of all of EC’s horror titles, including Tales From The Crypt.

In the decades since, issues of Tales From The Crypt have been highly sought after by collectors and the comic book even inspired a television show on HBO.  Below is a selection of the covers of Tales From The Crypt, the series that corrupted America’s youth.

It’s always interesting to see what used to be controversial.