He picked a magazine off the coverlet which showed an incredibly endowed young woman in a skintight costume who was sucking the blood of a young man…. The name of the magazine—and of the young woman, apparently—was Vampirella.—Stephen King, ’Salem’s Lot
Incredible, isn’t it? Twenty-nineteen isn’t just the 30th anniversary of when SWC’s Lorelei made her small-press-comic debut in 1989, it’s also the 50th anniversary of the horror femme fatale who inspired her creation: Vampirella, the huntress from the stars!
On July 15, 1969, the Warren Publishing Company—at the time already the home of popular horror magazines Creepy, Eerie, and Famous Monsters of Filmland—released Vampirella #1, in which writer/co-creator Forrest J Ackerman, artist Tom Sutton, and cover painter Frank Frazetta introduced horror-comic fans to the scantily clad survivor from a planet of vampires who would travel to Earth in her next issue and begin a series of adventures that have inspired writers and artists for five decades (including, of course, yours truly)—not to mention generations of cosplayers!
So why are we so excited about this momentous occasion? Well, if you read yesterday’s post about our publishing plans this year, you know it’s because we have a project in the works that ties directly into Vampi’s anniversary. (What, you thought I was just gonna plug some other publisher’s character for no reason? You should know me better than that by now!)
Coming in July is From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, from author Steven A. Roman (hey, I know that guy!). In its pages you’ll find a breakdown of every Vampirella story that appeared during her Warren Publishing days from July 1969 to December 1982 (plus a list of the modern-day books that reprinted them); essays on related spin-off material; an examination of the awful 1996 movie that starred Talisa Soto of the Mortal Kombat movies as Vampi and featured a scenery-gulping performance from rock-god Roger Daltrey as Dracula; and a pretty extensive look at the history of Hammer Films’ Vampirella movie, announced in 1975 with model/actress Barbara Leigh and Hammer legend Peter Cushing as its stars, but which was never produced.
From the Stars…a Vampiress will be available for pre-order through Diamond Comic Distributors in April. Stay turned for further information!
