Vampirella () is a vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine Vampirella #1 (Sept. 1969), a sister publication of Creepy and Eerie.
Writer-editor Archie Goodwin later developed the character from horror-story hostess, in which capacity she remained through issue #8 (Nov. 1970), to a horror-drama leading character. The magazine was published continuously until 1983, when Warren Publishing ceased operations and its assets were bought by Harris Publications. Vampirella comics, both new and reprints, have continued through various publishers into the 21st century.
Publication history
Warren Publishing Vampirella initially appeared in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror-comics magazine Vampirella #1 (Sept. 1969), running to issue #112 (March 1983),Vampirella (Warren, 1969 Series) at the Grand Comics Database. plus a 1972 annual reprinting stories from the series,Vampirella Annual (Warren, 1972) at the Grand Comics Database. and a 1977 special with color reprints of José González stories.Vampirella Special #1 (Warren, 1977) at the Grand Comics Database. The title was a sister magazine of Warren's horror anthologies Creepy and Eerie. Like those magazines' respective mascots, Uncle Creepy and Cousin Eerie, Vampirella hosted horror stories, though unlike them, she would also star in her own story, which would headline each issue. Vampirella was initially edited by Bill Parente. It was later edited by Archie Goodwin (issues #7–12, 34–35), Billy Graham (#13–16), Bill DuBay (#21–50, 87–95, 101–102) and Louise Jones (#51–86).
According to comics historian Richard J. Arndt, "Forrest Ackerman created, or at least had a strong hand in creating, Vampirella and he clearly had a major influence in shaping the lighthearted bad-girl story style of this issue as well." Her costume and hair style were designed by comics artist Trina Robbins. The character's first story artist was Tom Sutton. Artist Frank Frazetta's first-issue cover was a substitute for the original cover by European artist Aslan. Additional Webcitation archive.
José González became the character's primary artist starting with issue #12. Other artists who drew Vampirella during her magazine's original run included Gonzalo Mayo, Leopold Sanchez, Esteban Maroto, José Ortiz, Escolano, Rudy Nebres, Ramon Torrents, Pablo Marcos, Jimmy Janes, John Lakey, Val Lakey, and Louis Small Jr.
Backup features appearing in Vampirella included "Tomb of the Gods", "Pantha", and "Fleur". Vampirella herself appeared in a story with fellow Warren characters Pantha and the Rook in Eerie #94–95, and with most of the Warren characters in a company crossover special in Eerie #130.
Harris Publications Upon Warren's bankruptcy shortly afterward, Harris Publications acquired the company assets at auction in August 1983, although legal murkiness and a 1999 lawsuit by Warren publisher James Warren resulted in his reacquisition of the rights to sister publications Creepy and Eerie. Harris Comics published Vampirella stories in various series and miniseries from 1991 to 2007, beginning with Vampirella #113 (1988), a one-issue continuation of the original series, containing Vampirella reprints and one unrelated new story.Vampirella #113 (Harris Comics, 1988) at the Grand Comics Database. Harris subsequently published the all-reprint one-shot Vampirella vs. the Cult of Chaos,Vampirella vs. the Cult of Chaos at the Grand Comics Database. and the four-issue miniseries Vampirella: Morning in America (Sept. 1991 - April 1992) by writer Kurt Busiek and penciler Louis La Chance.Vampirella: Morning in America at the Grand Comics Database. Three ongoing series followed: Vampirella #1–5, followed by #0 (Nov. 1992 – Dec. 1994), primarily by plotter Busiek, scriptwriter Tom Sniegoski, and penciler Louis Small Jr.;Vampirella (Harris Comics, 1992 Series) at the Grand Comics Database. Vengeance of Vampirella #1–25 (April 1994 – April 1996) by writer Sniegoski and artist Aldrin Aw (under the pseudonym Buzz), and later pencilers including Kirk Van Wormer, Kevin Sharpe, David Perrin, Chris Batista, and Amanda Conner.Vengeance of Vampirella at the Grand Comics Database. Vampirella Strikes #1–7 (Oct. 1995 – Oct. 1996) by writers Sniegoski, David Quinn, Mark Millar, and Ian Edginton, and pencilers including Ed McGuinness, Karl Moline, and Rudy Nebres.Vampirella Strikes at the Grand Comics Database.
The three-issue miniseries Vampirella Lives (Dec. 1996 – Feb. 1997) featured writer Warren Ellis and penciler Conner.Vampirella Lives at the Grand Comics Database.
Additionally, Harris published several one-shots: Vampirella Summer Nights (title per its trademarked cover logo) / Vampirella's Summer Nights (as in the indicia's copyright information) (1992), by writer Steve Englehart and penciler Joe Brozowski (under the pseudonym J. J. Birch),Vampirella's Summer Nights at the Grand Comics Database. Vampirella/Shadowhawk: Creatures of the Night (Feb. 1995),Vampirella/Shadowhawk: Creatures of the Night at the Grand Comics Database. Vampirella Pin-Up Special (Oct. 1995),'Vampirella Pin-Up Special at the Grand Comics Database. and Vengeance of Vampirella: The Mystery Walk (Nov. 1995).Vengeance of Vampirella: The Mystery Walk at the Grand Comics Database.
Harris also published many reprints. The 1993 trade-paperback collection Vampirella: The Dracula War reprinted a serialized story from Harris' Vampirella #1–4.Vampirella: The Dracula War at the Grand Comics Database.Vampirella: The Dracula War at Vampilore.co.uk]. The 1994 Cain / Vampirella Flip Book reprinted a 1993 Vampirella story by writer Busiek and artist Arthur Adams from Harris' Creepy 1993 Fearbook.Cain / Vampirella Flip Book at the Grand Comics Database."Bugs" in the Creepy 1993 Fearbook at the Grand Comics Database. The five-issue Vampirella Classic (Feb.–Nov. 1995) reprinted Warren stories.Vampirella Classic at the Grand Comics Database. Vengeance of Vampirella: Bloodshed (March 1995) reprinted a serialized story from the Vengeance of Vampirella series.Vengeance of Vampirella: Bloodshed at the Grand Comics Database.
The publisher additionally reprinted Warren stories in the trade paperback Vampirella: Transcending Time & Space (1992),Vampirella: Transcending Time & Space at the Grand Comics Database.White, Robin. Vampirella: Transcending Time & Space at Vampilore.co.uk]. Vampirella: A Scarlet Thirst (1993),Vampirella: A Scarlet Thirst at the Grand Comics Database. and Vampirella & The Blood Red Queen of Hearts (1996);Vampirella & The Blood Red Queen of Hearts at the Grand Comics Database. and the series Vampirella of Drakulon #1–5, followed by #0 (Jan.–Nov. 1996).Vampirella of Drakulon at the Grand Comics Database.
At the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors convention in January 2007, Scott Licina, editor-in-chief of Fangoria Comics, announced his company had acquired the character from Harris. However, on April 30, 2007, Harris editor Bon Alimagno denied there had been such an arrangement in place and that Fangoria's claim was "not factual". Harris subsequently launched the title Vampirella Quarterly.
Dynamite Entertainment On March 17, 2010, Dynamite Entertainment acquired the rights to Vampirella from Harris Comics. The publisher started a new ongoing series with Vampirella #1, in November 2010. A new monthly series, Vampirella and the Scarlet Legion, was released in May 2011 following the main title. The series lasted 38 issues before concluding in January 2014.
The title was rebooted in June 2014 with Vampirella vol. 2, #1 by author Nancy Collins. A third volume debuted in March 2016, which was noted for giving Vampirella a new costume.
A fourth monthly series, Vampirella vol. 4, debuted in 2017. The series was initially written by Paul Cornell, and later by Jeremy Whitley.
A fifth monthly series, written by Christopher Priest and Ergun Gündüz, began publication in July 2019 in celebration of the character's 50th anniversary.Dynamite® Vampirella Vol. 5.htmlVampirella (2019-) #0. ComiXology. The run lasted 25 issues long and ended with Vampirella's marriage to Dracula. That same year, Dynamite debuted Vengeance of Vampirella, which had been the name of a Harris-era comic, and hired the original writer of that series, Thomas Sniegoski, to write a continuation of the original series for the character's 50th anniversary.
In 2020 Dynamite published several other series and one-shots fearing Vampirella, including Die!namite (2020), Vampirella vs Purgatori. In 2021 it published Vampiverse and Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy!
A sixth monthly Vampirella series launched in February 2024.
In 2022 Dyanmite published the spinoff The Vamp, Vampirella: Mindwarp, Vampirella vs. Superpowers, and Vampirella: Year One.
In celebration of the character's 55th anniversary, Dynamite announced it would renumber the book starting with issue 666, counting runs and one shots throughout Vampirella's history, with the first new story arc, "Beyond", written by Christopher Priest, who has been writing Vampirella since 2019 and is the longest writer in the character's history This brought Volume 5 to an end with 25 issues and the sixth relaunch started with legacy numbering 666 the legacy renumbering ending with issue 675.
A seventh relaunch debuted in March 2025, with a new issue #1 (legacy number 676). In April 2026, an eighth volume of the monthly Vampirella series, written by Christopher Priest with art by Davis Goettenm, debuted with a new issue #1. The storyline would explore themes of race, politics, gender, and humanity through both the titular main character, who would experience a loss of her powers and a resurgence of her bloodthirst, and Draculina. The debut issue was designated with the legacy number of #688, with Dynamite planning for the milestone issue #700.
Mike The Pike Productions On March 2, 2021, Mike The Pike Productions, Inc.'s subsidiary Arowana Media Holdings, Inc. acquired the worldwide film, television and streaming rights to Dynamite Entertainment's Vampirella. Including stories, characters, and derivative works of the Vampirella universe.
Fictional character biography
Vampirella originally hails from the planet Drakulon, a world where blood flows like water and where the natives, called the Vampiri, share traditionally vampiric characteristics. Drakulon orbits a binary star which causes continuous droughts throughout the year. These droughts gradually dry up the Vampiri's blood supply; threatening them with extinction. Vampirella's journey begins when an American space shuttle crashes on Drakulon. Hoping to save her people, she travels to Earth and begins hunting dark remnants of her own race. Earth's vampires originate from Dracula, a forgotten member of the Vampiri race who left his homeworld centuries ago only to be corrupted by the demonic entity known as Chaos.
Harris continuity After relaunching Vampirella with the miniseries Morning In America, written by Kurt Busiek, Harris Comics published the story "Mystery Walk", which revised Vampirella's origin. She learns she is, in fact, the daughter of Lilith, whom popular medieval lore depicts as the first wife of Adam. Lilith would not submit to Adam and, cast out of Eden by God, spawned demons. She later repented and went to Eden to bear children to fight the evil she had created. Her first attempt was Madek and Magdalene, who turned to evil; Vampirella was her second. Madek and Magdalene brainwashed her into believing she was from Drakulon.
Further retcons were presented in Vampirella Lives and in Blood Lust. Drakulon is real, but is a place in Hell. Vampirella was brought to Eden, not born there. It was Lilith, not Madek and Magdalene, who made believe Drakulon was another planet. Vampirella restores the rivers of blood to Drakulon, which weakens Lilith, who is killed by the hand of God.