It came to my attention that today is a very important day in spooky, horror history.
It is perhaps an even more important day in my own personal spooky history.
Thirty-one years ago today, Tales From The Crypt premiered. And if I had to make a list of the horror that has impacted me the most, Tales From The Crypt would likely be at the very top.
I was two years old at the time it premiered. You’re probably wondering how a two-year-old could possibly have had any interest in a horror anthology series, but I was already a huge Beetlejuice fan, for what it’s worth. I don’t remember how, exactly, I even learned about the existence of Tales From The Crypt, but once I got a glimpse of it, I was hooked. The opening sequence still gives me goosebumps. My parents, of course, didn’t allow me to watch the full episodes until I was much older, but I lived for the Crypt Keeper’s introductions. He may have actually been the first fictional character that I developed a deep attachment to.
I don’t know what it was about this show that I loved so much at such a young age. Even though I was into Beetlejuice, and the Crypt Keeper’s humor was similar, I always did get the sense that this was somehow much darker fare. Some part of me knew, even when I was so young, that there was a line about to be crossed here, from the goofy-spooky I was used to, into something...else. And my love for the house shown in the opening sequence...I got the sense that very bad things could happen there, yet I wanted to explore it. Live in it, even. I truly don’t understand where my love for that sort of spooky imagery came from at that age. As I got older I would, obviously, say that the house reminded me of Halloween, but at two years old, I had never even been trick-or-treating! And there were other, less intense things that scared me far more. I guess the only real explanation is that I didn’t choose the spooky life; the spooky life chose me, and chose the Crypt Keeper as its first real “prophet”!
I was also absolutely elated when, in 1993, ABC premiered a cartoon version of the show, aimed at children, called Tales From The Cryptkeeper.
I distinctly remember seeing a preview of this show during a TV special highlighting what new Saturday morning cartoons would be premiering in the fall, and I was so excited I nearly fell out of my seat. For years I’d longed to actually hear the stories that my favorite character had to tell, but I still hadn’t been deemed old enough by six years of age. A kids’ version was a dream come true for me. The only complaint I had was that the Crypt Keeper didn’t quite look like what I was used to here, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the show. I hold a very special place in my heart for kids’ horror anthologies, and this was truly the one that started it all for me. I wish more still existed today, as I truly believe these are the types of shows that help build a foundation for spooky kids, and make them feel more accepted and comfortable. As I mentioned in a previous post, I wish there had been more of this in my childhood, as maybe it would’ve given me more strength to be myself. Tales From The Cryptkeeper was sadly short-lived, lasting for just two seasons and a brief reboot in 1999, and it doesn’t seem like that many people even remember it. It is available to stream on Tubi TV now though, if anyone’s interested.
In my adult life, Tales From The Crypt marathons have, at times, been an essential thing. At one particular point I can recall, during a period of anxiety, Tales From The Crypt was the only thing that could truly calm me. I also tend to have very interesting, vivid dreams after watching several episodes (Most notably Abra Cadaver and Revenge Is The Nuts), some of which I should probably attempt to write as their own little horror stories someday. But even the most interesting of episodes that I’ve watched and analyzed as an adult, don’t quite hold a candle to just the overall feeling of those brief glimpses when I was small.
As I think back to being a toddler, bouncing up and down on my parents’ couch as that spooky intro played, excited to see that ghoulish character and wondering what he’d be doing this time, I can’t help but think that Tales From The Crypt may in fact have been the first true stepping stone on the path to becoming me.
Do any other boils and ghouls out there have sentimental memories of the Crypt Keeper? Or maybe it was another horror icon, or a different set of spooky imagery that first showed you who you were destined to be? I would love to know!
Stay spooky, my friends.
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