'Tales from the Crypt' Quiz

In the 1950s, EC Comics first developed the concept for "Tales from the Crypt." There were 27 total comics created in five years.

The superhero age of comics ended after World War II, ushering in a gorier era with more violence and sex. "Tales from the Crypt" was one of numerous edgy comics that found an audience.

In the 1950s, Congressional hearings found that some comic books were corrupting young minds. "Tales from the Crypt" was a casualty of the culture wars.

The show made its first freaky appearance in 1989. Many of the show ideas were lifted straight from the comic books or from other comics made by EC Comics.

The Crypt Keeper was a terrifying creature in the beginning, but then evolved into a more humorous host.

The show was broadcast on premium cable channel HBO. It almost goes without saying that because it was on HBO, the show's creators pushed content into adults-only territory.

Hammer, who became famous for creating the "Miami Vice" theme, also contributed his talents to a soundtrack album released for the TV series.

Tom Cruise didn't make it into any episodes, but dozens of other A-list celebrities did. The show was a magnet of sorts for big stars.

Zombie wasn't on the album, but other big bands were, like Anthrax, Prong and Judas Priest.

Steven Dodd was the creator and the mastermind behind many of the quirks of the TV series.

There were five segments in the film, which starred Joan Collins and Ralph Richardson.

Kassir gained fame for his eerie voicing of the Crypt Keeper. He reprised his role in several of the spinoff productions, too.

There were at least 13 in the works, but only eight made it to airtime. The concept simply didn't fare well in a radio format.

The series was so successful that it managed to survive for seven seasons, or 93 total episodes.

HBO always envisioned the show being broadcast on regular TV networks, but to make it happen, the show's creators had to make a version without nudity and overt violence and profanity.

The cartoon made its appearance in 1993. It was, of course, devoid of the gore and profanity that were ever-present in the TV show.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was only paid about $15,000 to direct an episode, but said it was about as much fun as he'd ever had in Hollywood.

In 1996 and 1997, there really was a kid's game show called "Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House." To win the game, kids had to successfully navigate numerous physical challenges.

The non-gory, non-scary version of the concept just didn't work for the cartoon series, and it didn't find audience.

There was never any continuation -- each episode was a standalone story with a beginning and end.

In the comics, the Crypt Keeper was a living man. In the TV show, he was a corpse brought to life long enough to share his frightening tales.

To make the Keeper's spindly limbs flail about, there were a whopping six puppeteers involved. And yet, he still looked very, very dead.

Elfman, of Oingo Boingo fame, has made music for many Hollywood productions, including the theme for "Tales from the Crypt."

Saturday morning cartoons are supposed to be fun, not terrifying. Producers nixed the idea of using the puppet when they realized it was just too scary for kids.

M. Night Shyamalan, who directed "The Sixth Sense" and "Signs," is slated to reboot the TV series.

There were three movies, released in 1995, 1996 and 2001, although the last one was initially released only in international markets.

"Tales from the Crypt" was short and sweet -- the episodes were generally between 22 and 29 minutes and made to fill half-hour slots on HBO.

Kevin Yagher, the designer responsible for the killer doll named Chucky, used Chucky's eyes when he began assembling the Crypt Keeper.

The episode used computer effects to insert Alfred Hitchcock and Humphrey Bogart into various scenes. It was the first time computers had been used to this extent.

The creators went through so many actors that they needed to tap into a new source of talent. So they moved all the way to London.