April 8, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Vampirella is back in a new ongoing series by a blockbuster creative team, to celebrate her milestone birthday! Issue #1 will be on sale the same day and date as the iconic first magazine from 1969, and also coinciding with the first day of San Diego Comic Con’s 50th convention!
Following a Free Comic Book Day #0 issue shrouded in mystery, Vampirella is celebrating her big banner 50th Gold Anniversary in July 2019! And a new series is exactly what she and her fans need to celebrate this milestone! The one and only fan-favorite and critically acclaimed writer Christopher Priest (Black Panther, Deathstroke, Justice League) is bringing his trademark literary and inventive stylings to one of the most influential, beloved female characters in comic books. Don’t miss the debut of his run in Vampirella FCBD #0 on Saturday May 4th!
For those who still need the introduction, Priest’s own historic 40 years in the comics industry is marked by achievements and milestones both on and off the page. As the first African American editor in mainstream comics, he shepherded the Spider-Man titles through an innovative period which included kickstarting the careers of legends Peter David and Kyle Baker. In the years since, Priest has written a near endless list of classic comics from Deadpool and Captain America, to Green Lantern and Conan the Barbarian, and so many more! A monumental run on Black Panther during the boundaries-pushing Marvel Knights era influenced almost every frame of the Academy Award-winning, $1 billion-grossing film. With a still running 40+ issue run on Deathstroke and other projects, Priest’s legacy continues to grow!
Joining Priest on art (and colors!) is Ergün Gündüz. The well renowned Turkish talent is sure to impress fans around the world with his unique style. Lettering will be handled by the talented Willie Schubert (Deathstroke, Batman, Justice League). This experienced creative team will bring their all to the Scion of Drakulon’s new tales.
“This version of Vampirella is set in the real world, as real as I’m allowed to make it,” said Christopher Priest. “What if an alien from another planet were stranded here? What if that alien looked like one of the Kardashians and wore barely any clothing at all? And had fangs, drank blood and sprouted bat wings? We’d assume she was a vampire. But she’s not a creature of occult origins. She’s a Martian who’s now stuck here with us idiots who stereotype her as this THING because she looks and functions a certain way. That would seem to be an allegory for how we treat each other; for racism, xenophobia, homophobia and religious persecution.”
“Priest’s powerful storytelling pierced through my heart like a stake,” said artist Ergün Gündüz. “The story is so thrilling and delightful that I’ve set my hand free, it’s drawing by itself. Neither I nor readers can have enough of this Vampirella.”
Acting as hype man for his artistic collaborator, Priest had more to share, “I’m having a blast writing this thing and artist Ergün Gündüz is an absolute gift to me. His intuition, sensitivity, and stellar sequential art chops are simply amazing; a refreshing break from the superhero house style. His amazing color rendering takes the work to an even higher level, making me look and sound smarter than I actually am.”
The history-making series will feature cover after cover from the greatest artists today. For the first issue, fans can choose a wraparound cover featuring Vampi in a way only Frank Cho (Hulk, Avengers, Red Sonja) could render her, incorporating his recent acclaimed ballpoint pen techniques. Or pick up a cover from the peerless Alex Ross (Marvels, Kingdom Come). While Joe Jusko (Marvel Masterpieces, Conan) steps up to bat as another classic painter in the industry known for his work on Vampi and so many other titles. Guillem March (Harley Quinn, Gotham City Sirens) marks his first work at Dynamite with a jaw dropping cover. A blockbuster Women of Dynamite title is not complete without a talented cosplayer, with Erica Fett kicking things off for #1. A real treat for longtime Vampi fans is Adam Hughes (Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Justice League) recreating his own cover in an homage to 1992’s Vampirella #1 for an incentive variant. Going back even more old school, fans of the beautiful Warren era and the Spanish masters will be overjoyed to learn of a limited edition Sanjulian variant!
“Priest is a guy who loves to challenge conventions, that’s part of what makes him so great. As a kid, though, I’m sure he drove his mother insane,” said Senior Editor Matt Idelson. “This series is definitely going to challenge the readers, but not in a not-entertaining way. It’s been a blast to work on so far, and having a year-long plan with seeds being planted from the outset and watching them grow as we go along is incredibly fun and satisfying, and I think it’ll be that way for the readers as well. And I can’t say enough good things about Ergün. The quality of his work is pretty self-evident, and his storytelling and attention to detail are magnificent. I’m honestly in heaven working with this team.”
“Priest is a guy who loves to challenge conventions, that’s part of what makes him so great. As a kid, though, I’m sure he drove his mother insane,” said Senior Editor Matt Idelson. “This series is definitely going to challenge the readers, but not in a not-entertaining way. It’s been a blast to work on so far, and having a year-long plan with seeds being planted from the outset and watching them grow as we go along is incredibly fun and satisfying, and I think it’ll be that way for the readers as well. And I can’t say enough good things about Ergün. The quality of his work is pretty self-evident, and his storytelling and attention to detail are magnificent. I’m honestly in heaven working with this team.”
“This is a truly historic moment for Vampirella and Dynamite as each celebrates a landmark anniversary year in 2019! I have wanted to work with Christopher Priest forever and we had talked about it for years, but with his workload he couldn’t commit to a project. Finally, knowing that to get him I had to talk to him face to face, I drove up to see him at Terrificon, and basically said ‘this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write the new Vampirella series for her 50th Anniversary. Give it some thought on your flight home. You’re either in or out, and I hope you’re in. I know you’ll do her justice’ and thankfully, he said yes,” said Nick Barrucci, Dynamite CEO and Publisher. “Everyone knows, and if they don’t they should know, that Christopher is one of the most brilliant writers in the industry, and it’s a pleasure to treat fans to his inspired take on Vampirella. His story is fresh and inspired and he is taking her to places she’s never been. Priest’s body of work will stand the test of time like few others. I cannot think of many artists who can complement Priest’s scripts as well as Ergün does with his incredible execution. It truly is an honor to be working with these talented creators – a high water mark in my career.”
Vampirella #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ May 2019 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in July 2019. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more!
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