The First in a Series of All-New 112-Page Graphic Novels, Now on Kickstarter
(October 24, 2023) Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula introduced arguably the most famous character in horror literature, but the seminal story leaves much of the Count’s rich history and persona to the imagination. Now legendary GRENDEL creator Matt Wagner and superstar comic book artist Kelley Jones (BATMAN & DRACULA: RED RAIN, SANDMAN: SEASON OF MISTS) are revealing the secret history of Dracula in a series of all-new, 100+page graphic novels. Beginning with DRACULA—BOOK 1: THE IMPALER, this series of books will fill in these tantalizing gaps to provide a terrifying portrait of Vlad Dracula. For their first ever major collaboration, Wagner and Jones are launching a Kickstarter campaign with their brand-new company, Orlok Press. To support the project, head to Kickstarter.
DRACULA—BOOK 1: THE IMPALER explores Dracula’s bloody history and his tenure at Satan’s legendary seminary of the dark arts, the Scholomance. “The first graphic novel explores what led Dracula to seek out Satan’s tutelage and how he became the lord of the undead,” explains writer Matt Wagner. “This project is a real labor of love for Kelley and I,” says Wagner. “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.”
“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,” says Kelley Jones, who illustrated the seminal SEASON OF MISTS storyline for Neil Gaiman’s best-selling SANDMAN series from DC Comics. “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.”
“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,” said colorist José Villarrubia. “Wagner and Jones are pulling no punches here, with an aesthetic harking back to the Giallo films of the sixties. Prepare to be amazed!”
“Master storytellers Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones have rendered Dracula as never before experienced,” said letterer Rob Leigh. “If you’re half as entertained devouring this tale as I was lettering it, you’re in for a wonderfully wicked treat.”
“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,” Wagner continues. “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!”
The pre-launch page for DRACULA—BOOK 1: THE IMPALER is now live on Kickstarter. For updates, follow Matt Wagner on Facebook and X and Kelley Jones on Instagram and X.
About the writer:
Matt Wagner has enjoyed a career in comics for over forty years and is best known for one of comicdom’s most respected creator-owned titles—the centuries-spanning epic, GRENDEL and for his other, more personal, allegory, MAGE. As both a writer and an artist, Matt has also worked on a wide variety of established characters over the years which include several landmark projects starring DC Comics icon, BATMAN including two crossovers series with GRENDEL. His other mainstream work includes; SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE, DR. MID-NITE, GREEN ARROW, TRINITY, MADAME XANADU, ZORRO, GREEN HORNET; YEAR ONE, THE SHADOW; YEAR ONE, THE SHADOW: THE DEATH OF MARGO LANE, THE SPIRIT RETURNS, and DJANGO/ZORRO, which he co-wrote with renowned film-maker Quentin Tarantino. Matt recently returned his roots to pen the final arc in his acclaimed fantasy trilogy, MAGE: THE HERO DENIED.
Praised for his character-driven stories and his obvious love of world history and mythologies, Matt’s efforts have won multiple Eisner Awards. He has also enjoyed the distinction of being one of the only writer/artists to team his own creation with one of DC’s flagship characters in two successive BATMAN/GRENDEL crossover publications. He later continued the same motif in another critically acclaimed crossover event, writing and drawing GRENDEL VS THE SHADOW.
His most recent work has been a new GRENDEL series, DEVIL’S ODYSSEY.
About the artist:
Kelley Jones was born in 1962 and as soon as he could recall he was held spellbound by strange things and stories. This made him perfect to enter the world of comics and bring shadows and the sense of the unknown to everything he touched.His eerie and evocative version of Deadman was an award-winning hit at DC, and led him to the legendary run of stories on Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, notably ‘Dream of a Thousand Cats’ and ‘Seasons of Mist’. He followed these up with the now classic Batman graphic novel ‘Red Rain’, wherein Batman confronts….Dracula! This and a run of stunning covers for Batman and Detective for the ‘Knightfall’ epic led editor Denny O’Neil to assign Kelley the monthly Batman title which in the three years he drew it cemented him as one of Batman’s greatest creators and a comic art legend. He has continued his trailblazing style with SWAMP THING with Len Wein and the award winning series ‘Batman Kings of Fear’ and ‘Gotham after Midnight’. And now with Dracula, Kelley shows he still walks in the world of shadows and the unknown.
