Kickstarting Comics: Matt Wagner And Kelley Jones Tell The Bloody Origin Of Dracula In ‘Dracula Book 1: The Impaler’

Grendel creator, Matt Wagner and gothic horror art legend, Kelley Jones (BATMAN & DRACULA: RED RAIN, SANDMAN: SEASON OF MISTS) are to reveal the secret, untold history of the king of all vampires, Dracula, in a series of all-new graphic novels. The first volume in this series, Dracula Book 1: The Impaler, has just launched its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter through their new company, Orlok Press.

Dracula Book 1: The Impaler explores Dracula’s bloody history and his tenure at Satan’s legendary seminary of the dark arts, the Scholomance.

Taken from the campaign page itself,  Wagner elaborates on the brief synopsis:

“The first graphic novel explores what led Dracula to seek out Satan’s tutelage and how he became the lord of the undead. This project is a real labor of love for Kelley and I. We are enormous fans of Dracula and the many interpretations of his mythic story. Our version of Dracula is bloody, sexy, and monstrous; this is very much a horror story, with deep roots in Stoker’s novel. But this isn’t yet another retelling of the novel in comics form. We’re bringing you the never-before told stories behind the story…the sinister tales hidden in the shadows of the original novel.

I’ve been at the forefront of the indie comics scene for over forty years. And Kelley has carved a popular mainstream niche with his uniquely individual style. So launching this project via Kickstarter seems like the perfect fit for maintaining that mutual spirit of independence. Kelley and I are insanely proud of this project and can’t wait for our readers to see and enjoy our take on this infamous antagonist who has transcended all boundaries to become one of the most famous fictional characters the world has ever known…the vampire lord, DRACULA!”

Jones adds:

“Matt Wagner has been a great friend of mine for over thirty years and I always regretted that we never got to collaborate on something together and told him that many times. I love Dracula from the novel on down and, after our first conversations about this project, I knew that Matt would tell the tale no one had told before and no one would ever forget. Being able to bring this to life has been the most rewarding achievement in my career and I think it shows.”

Not to be left out, colourist Villarrubia says:

“DRACULA: BOOK I—THE IMPALER achieves what seems impossible: to present the vampire in a fresh way that is at the same time deeply rooted in its true bloody origins. Wagner and Jones are pulling no punches here, with an aesthetic harking back to the Giallo films of the sixties. Prepare to be amazed!”

And the last word goes to letterer Rob Leigh:

“Master storytellers Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones have rendered Dracula as never before experienced. If you’re half as entertained devouring this tale as I was lettering it, you’re in for a wonderfully wicked treat.”

For more on the campaign and the various pledges you can back, check out the Kickstarter page now.