Dynamite's newest VAMPIRELLA series is in full effect. Written by Nancy Collins and featuring art from Patrick Berkenkotter, this series has Vampirella taking on unimaginable creatures. Mark Waid talked to Nancy Collins about this series and the character of Vampirella.
Mark Waid: You’ve got some Vampirella under your belt now, Nancy. What is it about this character you love?
Nancy Collins: I like that she’s action-oriented but also has a head on her shoulders. She’s also fairly emotionally & mentally stable, which is something of a surprise given her situation. She has problems, sure, but not a lot of angst. She’s a vampire and she’s okay with that, and it doesn’t conflict with her desire to protect humanity.
MW: What surprises you about her, her cast, her story?
NC: So far what surprises me the most is how much of her background is relatively untold. Sure, she’s had her origin tinkered with at least three times, but a good deal of the world she lives in and its rules re supernatural creatures and their place in it are fairly amorphous, even after 45 years. There’s a lot to work with, speaking as a writer. I’m going to be expanding her supporting cast with not only new characters such as Coleridge, Drago, and Father Nicodemus, but also characters that first appeared in the original Warren run. Some with be exactly the same, while others will be retooled for modern readers. Look for these characters to start making their appearances after issue #7.
MW: What is it that makes you personally passionate to tell this specific story?
NC: Vampirella #3 is probably the closest I’ve been able to come to recapturing the old Warren horror atmosphere—gruesome, gory, sexy and just a little twisted. I’m proud of it, especially Patrick Berkenkotter’s interpretation of the krasue, a ghastly Southeast Asian species of vampire that has to be seen to be fully appreciated.
MW: How sick are you of being asked about her outfit?
NC: I’m at CDC outbreak levels about now.
MW: As loathe as I am to ever describe my own work as “it’s X crossed with Y!”, it’s not unfair sometimes to suggest to new readers what it might be in the vein of if they like [blank] or [blank]. Help me fill in the blanks.
NC: I’d say if you like the TV show Penny Dreadful and the Hellboy comics, then you’ll like Vampirella. It’s not a perfect analogy, but it’s closest I can get.
Make sure to check out Vampirella from Dynamite! Issue #3 is currently available at your LCS. Check out an extended preview of issue #3 here.