Dynamite and Playboy magazine have teamed up to celebrate everyone’s favorite Daughter of Draculon—Vampirella! The exclusive standalone story will be featured in the magazine’s Spring 2019 Freedom of Speech issue available now.
Written by Gail Simone (Red Sonja, Wonder Woman, Domino) and drawn by Joyce Chin (Xena Warrior Princess, Wynonna Earp), the story centers on Vampi protecting professional cosplayers from crazed cannibal peers. Cosplay, cannibalism, and no kink-shaming—what more could fans want? The tale is actually a long-awaited reunion for Simone and Chin since their collaboration on the Witchblade/Magdalena/Vampirella crossover by Top Cow in 2004.
Colorist Addison Duke (Barbarella/Dejah Thoris, Curse Words) and letterer Taylor Esposito of Ghost Glyph Studios (Batman, Aquaman, Elvira) round out the team for this six-page story. The magazine’s cover is shot by photographer Kelia Anne MacCluskey.
“Vampirella is the original monster girl of comics. It’s always a joy to tell stories with her, looking good and being bad,” says Simone. “There were two major enticements to do this story; one was to work with the wonderful Joyce again who draws sexy evil like few can, and the other was to be part of that amazing legacy Playboy has had with comics and cartoons. The publisher was a known fan of the medium, wanted to BE a cartoonist at one time, and provided a platform for the brilliant work of people like Harvey Kurtzman, Gahan Wilson, and so many more. It’s fun to bring Vampirella into that mix!”
Chin explains, “Vampi is a nostalgic ‘60s hero for me, fun and campy. That great, classic Trina Robbins costume design and the incredible art from people like Jose Gonzalez, Frank Frazetta, Esteban Maroto, and so many more. There’s a lot to love there. That she was having her own adventures and kicking monster butts in an era when very few female characters were prominently doing so meant a lot.”
The issue is available on newsstands and digitally at Playboy.com today. Vampirella #0 launches the first Saturday in May for Free Comic Book Day.
