The Crate
Encyclopedia
"The Crate" is a short story
by Stephen King
, first published in the July 1979 issue of Gallery
. In 1982, the story was adapted as a segment in the movie Creepshow
, and included in comic-book form in the Creepshow
graphic novella.
, marked from an 1834 arctic
expedition
, beneath the basement stairs at the fictional Horlicks University by a janitor
. Dexter Stanley, the school's biology
professor
, has a look at it and they open it up to discover it contains an ancient monster. The creature kills and eats the janitor as well as Stanley's grad student Charlie Gereson, and Dexter flees to the home of his friend, English
professor Henry Northrup. He tells Henry the whole story, and Henry believes him, and sees the crate-dwelling monster as an excellent way to rid himself of his verbally abusive
, alcoholic wife, Wilma.
. Although there are numerous changes, the film version remains remarkably faithful to the written source material. The changes include the appearance of the monster, described as small and wolverine
-like in the story but is clearly ape
-like in the movie, and the janitor, unnamed in the story, is called Mike Latimer. Also, the story ends with Henry disposing of the crate in a 70 feet (21.3 m) lake, with the monster chained up inside safely securing it, apparently leaving no open ending, but the movie does things differently, ending the segment with the beast destroying the water-logged wooden crate and escaping to the surface, into the outside world.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, first published in the July 1979 issue of Gallery
Gallery (magazine)
Gallery is a men's magazine begun by Montcalm Publishing in 1972. It is one of the more popular "skin" magazines that arose on the Playboy magazine pattern in the 1970s...
. In 1982, the story was adapted as a segment in the movie Creepshow
Creepshow
Creepshow is a 1982 American horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. The film's ensemble cast included Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G...
, and included in comic-book form in the Creepshow
Creepshow (comics)
Creepshow is a graphic novella published by Penguin imprint Plume in July 1982, based on the movie Creepshow . The movie was directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King...
graphic novella.
Plot introduction
It concerns the discovery of an old wooden crateCrate
A crate is a large shipping container, often made of wood, typically used to transport large, heavy or awkward items. A crate has a self-supporting structure, with or without sheathing. For a wooden container to be a crate, all six of its sides must be put in place to result in the rated strength...
, marked from an 1834 arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
expedition
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
, beneath the basement stairs at the fictional Horlicks University by a janitor
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
. Dexter Stanley, the school's biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
, has a look at it and they open it up to discover it contains an ancient monster. The creature kills and eats the janitor as well as Stanley's grad student Charlie Gereson, and Dexter flees to the home of his friend, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
professor Henry Northrup. He tells Henry the whole story, and Henry believes him, and sees the crate-dwelling monster as an excellent way to rid himself of his verbally abusive
Verbal abuse
Verbal abuse is best described as a negative defining statement told to you or about you; or by withholding any response thus defining the target as non-existant...
, alcoholic wife, Wilma.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The story was adapted into movie form, as a segment in the film CreepshowCreepshow
Creepshow is a 1982 American horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. The film's ensemble cast included Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G...
. Although there are numerous changes, the film version remains remarkably faithful to the written source material. The changes include the appearance of the monster, described as small and wolverine
Wolverine
The wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
-like in the story but is clearly ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
-like in the movie, and the janitor, unnamed in the story, is called Mike Latimer. Also, the story ends with Henry disposing of the crate in a 70 feet (21.3 m) lake, with the monster chained up inside safely securing it, apparently leaving no open ending, but the movie does things differently, ending the segment with the beast destroying the water-logged wooden crate and escaping to the surface, into the outside world.
Publications
"The Crate" has not yet been collected in a Stephen King collection, but it has been printed a few times:- GalleryGallery (magazine)Gallery is a men's magazine begun by Montcalm Publishing in 1972. It is one of the more popular "skin" magazines that arose on the Playboy magazine pattern in the 1970s...
(July 1979, magazine) - Arbor House Treasury of Horror and the Supernatural - edited by Bill PronziniBill PronziniBill Pronzini is an American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories....
(Arbor House/Priam Books, 1980) ISBN 0-877-95309-0 - Great Tales of Horror & the Supernatural - edited by Bill PronziniBill PronziniBill Pronzini is an American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories....
(Galahad Books, 1981) ISBN 0-883-65699-X - Fantasy Annual III - edited by Terry CarrTerry CarrTerry Gene Carr was a U.S. science fiction author, editor, and teacher.Terry Carr was born in Grants Pass, Oregon...
(Pocket Books, 1981) ISBN 0-671-41272-8 - CreepshowCreepshow (comics)Creepshow is a graphic novella published by Penguin imprint Plume in July 1982, based on the movie Creepshow . The movie was directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King...
- as a graphic novella with art by Berni Wrightson (Plume, 1982) ISBN 0-452-25380-2 - Shivers VI - edited by Richard ChizmarRichard ChizmarRichard Thomas Chizmar is best known as the publisher and editor of Cemetery Dance magazine and the owner of Cemetery Dance Publications...
(Cemetery Dance PublicationsCemetery Dance PublicationsCemetery Dance Publications is a specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. It is associated with Cemetery Dance magazine, which was founded in 1988. They began to publish books in 1992.Cemetery...
, 2011) ISBN 1-587-67224-3