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Retro Scans: 1993's Tales From The Crypt Trading Cards

Tales from the Crypt was a series that ran on HBO from June of 1989 to July of 1996 for 93 episodes.  Based loosely on the 1950s comic book series of the same name, the show was hosted by The Cryptkeeper, a wisecracking corpse puppet. The puppet was operated and voiced by John Kassir.

Thanks to the premium cable subscription service that is HBO, "Tales From the Crypt" was free from censorship from the FCC and the network's standards and practices department. HBO allowed the series to include content like graphic violence, profanity, and nudity.  

Most of us, myself included, first learned of the series in 1994 when edited reruns began to air on the FOX Network on basic cable.  If you want to read a little about Fox's Halloween Bash, CLICK HERE NOW!


Each episode would begin with the Cryptkeeper's famous "Hello, Boils and Ghouls" or "Hello, Kiddies." Each episode was self-contained and bookended by an outro sequence featuring The Cryptkeeper's antics.  

In 1993, a Saturday morning cartoon called "Tales from the Cryptykeeper" was spun off the HBO series. The violence and gore were toned down and, at times, entirely omitted due to the target audience. Child psychologists were hired to review the scripts to make sure they were suitable for young audiences. The Cryptkeeper was animated as they felt the puppet would be too frightening for children. The cartoon lasted for two seasons on ABC with a total of 26 episodes.

In 1995 and 1996, two films were spun off the popular TV series. "Demon Knight," the first was a commercial success, but "Bordello of Blood" was a box office bomb panned by critics and fans alike. The lack of success for the second film caused the third in the trilogy to be shelved for good.  

As I write this, due to licensing issues, Tales from the Crypt is not a\vilable on any of the HBO or Fox-owned streaming services. 






















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