Long before comic book adaptations clogged the movie multiplexes and grossed billions of dollars, there was Creepshow.

Creepshow (1982) is the work of Stephen King, director George A. Romero, and special-effects wizard Tom Savini. The movie isn't based on a particular book but rather on a comic book genre: 1950s horror comics. The film consists of five different tales that come to life through the animated pages of a discarded comic book. In the live-action stories, Romero uses comic book imagery for dramatic and humorous effect – in these sequences, Creepshow is truly a comic book brought to life.

The movie was catnip for a comic book and monster obsessed boy. But when I discovered the comic book adaptation of the movie, I was in horror heaven – I loved that book even long after the pages broke away from the glued binding.

In the episode The Crate, an unwitting academic awakens this long-dormant fanged monster, who promptly goes on a killing spree. The prof resolves to rid the world of the beast – but not until he uses it to solve a small problem that's been nagging at him. If you like horror movies with extra pulp, you will love Creepshow!