Press Release
Dynamite Entertainment proudly celebrates the 45th anniversary of horror hostess and comic book heroine Vampirella with the upcoming October release of Vampirella: Feary Tales #1, the first chapter in a collaborative miniseries event spearheaded by acclaimed novelist and ongoing Vampirella series writer, Nancy A. Collins. An anthology series held together by a unique, cohesive framework, Feary Tales will feature the creative talent of Gail Simone, Stephen R. Bissette, Elmo Eklabuz, Ronilson Freire, Devin Grayson, Jack Jadson, Joe R. Lansdale, Elaine Lee, Stuart Moore, Steve Niles, John Shirley, Denis St. John, and Eric Trautmann.
“Seeing as this is the 45th anniversary of Vampirella‘s creation, Dynamite has decided to mark the occasion by taking her back to her roots,” says writer Nancy A. Collins. “We’ve got some of the best writers in comics slated to deliver the short, sharp shocks that the Warren magazines were famous for. I am both excited and humbled that these incredibly talented creators have signed on to celebrate Vampirella’s birthday.”
Nancy A. Collins, the bestselling author renowned for her horror fiction in comics (Swamp Thing) and novels (Sunglasses After Dark, VAMPS), assembled a team of today’s most accomplished writers to contribute “twisted tales, bizarre bedtime stories, and fearsome fables” in the tradition of the classic Warren Vampirella magazine publications. In Feary Tales, a dimensional rift traps Vampirella in an alternate dimension where an enigmatic Storyteller forces her to live out classic tales of terror and whimsy, providing the context for a wealth of creative interpretations of the beloved character.
“Today’s comic book fans still recognize Vampirella, but many don’t realize that she wasn’t just a fanged and buxom adventuress,” says author Nancy A. Collins. “Like her fellow Warren Publications horror hosts, Vampirella served as ‘ghostess with the mostest’, lacing her introductions to the various stories that graced her black-and-white magazine with puns and double entendres.”
Devin Grayson (comic book writer of Nightwing, Batman: Gotham Knights, and Titans) and John Shirley (award-winning horror and science fiction author, and screenwriter for the 1994 cult classic film, The Crow) join Collins on Vampirella: Feary Tales #1. In the debut issue, Vampirella is surprised to discover herself married to an infamous wife-killer in “Bluebeard’s Blood” (penned by Grayson), and then finds herself both the belle and the bête of the ball in “Cinderella? Vampirella!” (by Shirley). Artists on issue #1 include Jack Jadson, Ronilson Freire, and Elmo Eklabuz.
Subsequent issues will include writers Gail Simone, Stephen R. Bisette, and Denis St. John (issue #2); Elaine Lee and Joe R. Lansdale (#3); Stuart Moore and Eric Trautmann (#4); and Steve Niles (#5).
“We first started working with Nancy when she was a part of the Legends of Red Sonja series that Gail Simone oversaw with Joe Rybandt – an incredible event celebrating Sonja‘s 40th Anniversary. When Nancy took over as the writer of the new Vampirella series, she asked if she could do the same Legends-style concept for Vampirella‘s 45th Anniversary. How could we say no? Nancy has brought her ‘A’ game, and has brought together an all-star line-up of writers to help celebrate the occasion. Feary Tales is an incredible series with fantastic writers, and the diversity of its creative voices will bring new audiences to our femme fatale,” says Dynamite CEO/Publisher Nick Barrucci.
Dynamite will celebrate the new Vampirella: Feary Tales #1 with a variety of cover options, including a Main cover by Jay Anacleto (Warlord of Mars); Variant covers by Joe Jusko, Art Adams, and Fabiano Neves; and a “Warren Years Homage” Subscription cover by David Roach reserved for those hardcore fans who place preorders with their local comic retailers.
Vampirella: Feary Tales #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ August Previews catalog, the premiere source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in October. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of Vampirella: Feary Tales with their local comic book retailers. Vampirella: Feary Tales will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.
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About Dynamite Entertainment:
Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, The Shadow, Red Sonja, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, A Game of Thrones, and more. Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such as Vampirella, Pantha, Evil Ernie, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Chastity, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Kevin Smith, Alex Ross, Neil Gaiman, Andy Diggle, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Jae Lee, Marc Guggenheim, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner, Gail Simone, Steve Niles, James Robinson, and a host of up-and-coming new talent. Dynamite is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles – including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger’s Project Superpowers – have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005, Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%) and again in 2011. The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards.
All characters, names, logos, etc. are ™ and © their respective owners. Press release written by Keith Davidsen.
