From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Nosferatu (1922)

Posted on October 2, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update that is truly going to be one epic and spooky one as we will be taking a look at the 1922 film Nosferatu and the adaptation of the film that is done by Tome Press. Covering one of the world’s most iconic silent horror films to kick off October 2026 is a great way to add a little more scares to this already spooky month. When choosing to cover Nosferatu, there were many different publishers that have done comics based on Count Orlok like Image Comics, Caliber Comics, Blood Scream Comics, Toonhound Studios, Viper Comics and Millennium Comics to name a very few, but to me Tome Press was one of the earliest publishers to do an adaptation so they should be the one to get this Rotten Ink treatment. So if you are ready, let’s get ourselves into the carriage as it’s heading through the deep dark woods, over the old wooden bridges and pass the field that the werewolf stalks to get to Castle Orlok as it’s time to be scared by classic horror!

Let’s start by taking a look at Count Orlok, a twisted vampire that has many ways of tormenting and killing his prey. First off, Count Orlok’s appearance is very ghastly as he is tall and skinny, has a bald head with pointy ears, big eyebrows, long nails and two very sharp front teeth, and this makes people feel very uneasy being around him and some downright scared. Count Orlok being a vampire that has lived for a very long time, can scare people with just the mention of his name as those who grew up near his castle have all heard the terrifying stories. Count Orlok has the power of making those who are around him feel weak and sick, with sometimes death coming to his prey that is often blamed on the rats and plague. He also has a very creepy slow walk but can move among the shadows making him a great stalker of his human prey, and it also allows him to creep up on them without them even knowing they are being targeted by a vampire. His main way of dealing death is with his fangs that he bites into human flash to drink of the blood and this leaves his victim dead. While Count Orlok is very powerful, he does have one weakness that will end his life and that is the sun as its rays turns him into dust. Not much else is known of his weaknesses and this makes Count Orlok a very deadly vampire and creature of the night.

So as you can see, Count Orlok is a very dangerous and deadly vampire who can deal death to so many people very easily, and truly is one of the oldest vampires only behind Count Dracula. And now that we have talked about him, I think we should take a look at the silent horror film he is from, Nosferatu! Like always, I will be taking the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB and then after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts. So if you are ready, let’s travel deeper into the castle and see what horrors awaits us.

Nosferatu (1922)

“Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter’s wife.”

Albin Grau and Enrico Dieckmann owned a film production company called Prana Film that was based out of Germany, and they were into making films and shorts centered around the macabre. And it is said that when Grau was in the war, he heard a farmer speak of his father being a vampire and this stuck with him causing him to also want to make a vampire film and along with the novel Dracula they started on creating their film. They hired Henrik Galeen to write the screenplay and based it off the Stoker novel. Galeen had already worked on many silent horror films that included The Golem (1915) and The Golem: How He Came Into The World (1920) showing he understood how to bring the frights in classic German silent horror cinema. The film would be directed by F.W. Murnau and would be filmed in Germany as well as parts of Slovakia including Orava Castle that was used as Count Orlok’s castle. F.W. Murnau was a wise choice to direct as he was already on his way to becoming one of Germany’s top film directors as he had already directed the horror films “Satanas (1919)”, “The Hand Of Janus (1920)”, “The Hunchback And The Dancer (1920)” and “The Haunted Castle (1921)” proving also that he knew how to frighten moviegoers. When casting the film such actors as Greta Schroder, Gustav Von Wangenheim, Alexander Granach, Ruth Landshoff and Georg H. Schenell were brought to fill out the main cast with Max Schreck being hired to play Count Orlok. Once done the films score was written by Hans Erdmann and was said to be a very wonderful soundtrack, as sadly over time most of the score music has been lost with only fragments remaining. The film was released to theaters on March 4, 1922 and was a big hit with both critics and fans as the spooky settings, creepy look of Count Orlok and over all horror of the shadows made it the talk of the town. But trouble was on the way when Florence Balcombe, the widow of Bram Stoker, sued Prana Film as they failed to get the rights to Dracula to make their film and she was mad and wanted this film company to pay. Prana Film claimed that they had made several changes from the novel for their film, but the judge did not accept this and ordered all prints of Nosferatu to be destroyed and this court order was put into effect with many of the prints being destroyed…but thank the Gods that several of the prints survived and made it so that horror fans could see this truly masterful film for themselves. The film over the decades has became one of the top silent horror films of all time and keeps finding new viewers thanks to home media as the film has been released on VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray. Nosferatu in 1922 was released alongside other horror films like Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages, The Headless Horseman, A Blind Bargain, The Ghost Breaker, One Exciting Night, Esmeralda and The Dungeon to name a few. I also want to say that Nosferatu has been remade twice: once in 1979 and again in 2024 and even had a horror drama film called “Shadow Of The Vampire” that was released in 2000 and acted as if Max Schreck was a real vampire…showing just how iconic this film really is.

I am a massive fan of silent horror films, and one of the best and most iconic hands down is Nosferatu from 1922 as it has such a legacy as well as one of the world’s most creepy vampires to haunt the silver screen. The film has a very special way of creeping you out as you watch Count Orlok glide through the shadows stalking his prey and with the right score music playing, the lights turned off in your house and a thunderstorm raging outside can truly mark one hell of a spooky viewing. Growing up, I remember truly being terrified of Count Orlok as when I was in kindergarten, I would have several of the same nightmare about him coming up from my family’s basement to get me, all the while walking up the stairs and scratching his fingernails on the wall it would make this scrapping noise, the strangest part about this nightmare is that I had not even seen the film yet! I do also remember seeing clips of the film on episodes of the cartoon Muppet Babies as I used to love that show and when they would open a closet door, a clip from an old silent film would play. The first time I got to see the full film of Nosferatu was when I bought a copy of it on VHS from a Dollar Tree as that place use to have all types of silent horror films on VHS and is how I first built my collection up, and it lived up to the hype I had created in my head as well as all the praise I had read about it in the horror books and magazines I was reading at the time. I can remember that I watched the film the moment I got home as I made myself a baked potato for lunch and popped it into the family VCR and was drawn into the dark creepy world it was showing me and it was great to finally see the vampire of my nightmares in the film that spawned him. Nosferatu really is one of those special films as I feel that it still to this day is considered one of the world’s scariest movies and the mystic and mystery around the film is still very strong. If you have not seen this film and enjoy silent horror films as much as I do, make sure to do yourself a favor and give it a watch as I truly think that this film and the 1925 version of Phantom Of The Opera are two of the best films of this era.

So now that we have talked about Nosferatu and the film’s deadly vampire Count Orlok and we find that we have been chilled to the bones by his spooky nature, I think that it’s time we take a look and review the comic adaptation by Tome Press. I want to thank Lone Star Comics for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. When looking back at Tome Press, they were a very strange comic publisher as they really enjoyed making comics based on classic mythology, art books and Sherlock Holmes, but also did do a few horror themed ones like H.P Lovecraft and Jack The Ripper. But with that, let’s head into Castle Orlok and see what terrors await us on these comic pages.

Nosferatu # 1 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.95 Tome Press # 1 of 2

The year is 1838 and the newly married Johann and Ellen Hutter are enjoying their new life together, but his job and boss Knock has been a bit of a burden by keeping him late at work and is now sending him to Transylvania to meet a Count Orlok who wants to buy the Montague Home in Germany. Before Johann starts his journey, he sets it up that his wife Ellen will stay with her best friend Annie while he is away. Once near the castle of Count Orlok, he stops at an inn for a quick meal and drink, only to be spooked by the villagers who beg him to stay there the night as they claim the area he is headed is haunted at night, and he does just that. In the morning a carriage takes Johann close to the castle but refuse to go any further, leaving him at the side of the road next to a bridge. Johann sits at the side of the road wishing another carriage would come by…and when the sun is down one does and takes him to the castle where he meets Count Orlok who has been waiting for him. While Orlok looks over the deed to his soon to be new home, Johann has a quick bite to eat and by accident cuts himself and the sight of blood causes Orlok to act super weird and keeps talking to Johann late into the night, and even gets weirder when he sees a picture of Ellen and is taken by her beauty.

The spooky 1922 film comes to the pages of a 1991 comic book and for the most part is really well done. The plot this far is newly married Johann Hutter is sent to Transylvania by his creepy boss Knock in order to have a Count sign a deed on a old rundown home in Germany, but things get strange for Johann on his journey as the town people are afraid of the land near the Count’s home and this spooks him. Plus once he is around The Count, he finds him to be very creepy as he is very much into the sight of blood as well as the sight of Ellen his new bride. Johann Hutter is man trying to move up in the real estate company he works for and even takes a very strange and far away job in order to lock a sale and get a nice commission that he can use to better the life of his new wife and himself. While Johann is brave and smart, he also seems to be a little spooked by the tales he is hearing from the locals about the area near his new client’s home. Ellen seems like a good wife who is waiting for her husband to return, she also seems to like to read books about vampires while she waits. Knock is the owner of the business Johann works for he is very untrustworthy and is clearly setting up his young worker by sending him to lock this sale, as he is very mean spirited and seems to almost get joy out of bullying his employee. Count Orlok is a very strange man and while we know that he is a vampire his real estate agent Jonathan does not. The Count is very much getting information out of Johann who has made the mistake of showing him a picture of his wife as it’s clear the vampire is now in love and really likes what he sees. So far the comic is doing it’s best to stay true to the film but is making some very odd choices as for one they are misspelling Count Orlok’s name as they have it Orloc and at the start they are oddly talking about Johann using the toilet twice during his journey to Orlok’s castle. While so far the comic is pretty bloodless, the horror is coming from the atmosphere as well as just the strange look of Count Orlok himself. The cover for this comic is pretty cool and eye catching if you’re a fan of the film as it showcases Count Orlok, and the interior art is done by Ken Holewczynski. While it is not a style I like at all, it some how fits for this adaptation. So to sum it up a solid spooky read that is making me look forward to reading the second issue.

Nosferatu # 2 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.95 Tome Press # 2 of 2

Johann Hutter is stuck at Castle Orlok and is feeling very weak and watches as this monster is loading up coffins into carriages for his voyage to his new home, as Johann himself caught Orlok asleep in one of them and he now knows that his host is a vampire and once Orlok leaves to set sail for his new place Jonathan escapes the castle to try and get home to warn Ellen of this monster. While back in Germany Ellen herself has fallen ill and was being taken care of by Doctor Van Helsing while his old boss Knock has lost his mind and is locked up in an asylum as he is eating flies and spiders and now has a craving for blood. Johann pushes himself hard and gets back home and warns Ellen of Count Orlok, and both share that they have been having terrible nightmares. But also now in Germany is Count Orlok who has moved into the old Montague Home, and this also gets Knock all worked up who is now calling Orlok his master and he escapes the asylum and causes panic in the town as they think that a plague is around when the ship that Orlok was on is found with all the crew onboard dead. Meanwhile Johann is trying to bounce back from his journey home as Ellen thinks she is the only one who can stop Count Orlok as that is what the vampire book she is reading says. Johann meets with Van Helsing and after a long talk the Doctor believes the tales of a vampire and they make plans the next morning to enter the Montague Home and find were Orlok sleeps. Later that night Ellen has fallen ill and Johann rushes to get Doctor Van Helsing for help…but it was a trick as Ellen lures Count Orlok to her and keeps him busy until the morning sun comes up and the rays burn him up into dust. Poor Johann and Doctor Van Helsing don’t make it in time and find the dust that was once Count Orlok as well as the body of Ellen who gave her life to save her city.

In this final issue of this adaptation of Nosferatu the plot becomes a race for time as Count Orlok is making his was to Germany and is spreading death and sickness while Johann himself has escaped the vampires castle and is racing back to Germany in order to warn his wife about the vampire that has just moved in next door! All the while its Ellen who finds that she must give her life in order to stop the creatures path of destruction and she does just that to end all the madness. Poor Johann he goes from getting high hopes of making enough money to help he and his new wife to live comfortably, to being stuck in a vampires castle plagued with terrible nightmares and rushing back home worn out in order to try and warn his village of the horrors that re coming. But in the end he looses it all as his true love is gone forever. Ellen Hutter is a woman who loves her husband deeply as well as the village she lives in and when she finds out that she must die to stop the evil, she makes the ultimate sacrifice and saves everyone from a slow and painful death. Doctor Van Helsing is around and is helpful trying to do medical stuff but is pretty useless when it comes to stopping the vampire. Knock is around and breaks free from the asylum for a moment to torment the villagers, only to be locked back up and never be spoken about again. While Count Orlok is wondering around Germany spreading death and fear, but he falls for a pretty ladies trick and ends up dying by the rising sun. This is a pretty good adaptation of a classic film, but some changes and even mood has been changed in order to fit the story into only two issues. And I do feel that Knock is really downplayed, the boat scenes is cut down to hardly nothing as is some of the dread that Ellen Hutter feels about her husband’s trip. The mini series is bloodless and really only shows two deaths in panels with that being of Ellen and Count Orlok, and like I said before it’s the atmosphere and dark brooding mood of the comic were the horror comes from…and yes of course the vampire Count Orlok. The cover for this issue showcases Count Orlok again this time its close on his twisted face, and the interior art once more is done by Ken Holewczynski and as I stated this is not my style of art as at times to me it seemed more like sketches and not finished panels. Over all if you love the story of Nosferatu, then make sure to check out this comic series by Tome Press as it really does make for a great read late at night and both issues would have gotten three stars if not for the art as I really was not a fan. Check out the art below to see the style of Ken Holewczynski used in this adaptation series.

Nosferatu is one of those very special films that has scared viewers for over 100 years and truly showed that in the silent film era they knew how to bring the frights without the use of blood, guts, gore and jump scares. And for me it was great to work alongside artist Damien Brunk as we at Blood Scream Comics released a comic based on this iconic film and have became a very small part of its legacy. I would also like to dedicate this update to the memory of F.W. Murnau, Max Schreck, Alexander Granach, Greta Schroder, Gustav von Wangenheim and the rest of the cast and crew that made Nosferatu. For our next update we of course will be staying in the world of horror and will be taking a look at Warlock the film from 1989 that starred the late great Julian Sands as the title character. So until next time read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update for a spooky great time.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter (1974)

Posted on July 25, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink, and our “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” updates continue for 2026 with this one being based on a true cult classic from Hammer Films called Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter that is considered by many to be their final great film before they would first go out of business in 1979. That is the thing about Hammer, they really loved making films about vampires as moviegoers at the time really did enjoy films about these blood drinkers. And when wanting to cover Captain Kronos I decided to choose the Titan Comics four issue mini series instead of making a custom comic of the adaptation by Top Sellers LTD. that that they did for an issue of their Hammer House Of Horror Magazine. So if you are ready, let’s grab some silver and stay away from the Durward estate and see what spooky adventures Captain Kronos has planed for us!

Let’s start by taking a look at Lady Durward and Hagen Durward, a vampire couple who enjoys dealing death to the living and striking fear into the hearts of the innocent. Lady Durward is a female vampire who is very old in appearance and the sight of her startles those who end up seeing her as she has long grey hair and a wrinkled pale face and wears a black hooded cloak when hunting her human prey. She is also very powerful as she is able to walk during the day and in the sun, she also is not scared of or hurt by crosses. She has sharp vampire teeth, and she mostly preys on young women as she drains them of their youth to make her young again and allow her to be more powerful in her vampire ways. Lady Durward when youthful is very charming and can trick those people she is hunting to trust her and fall under her charming spell. She also has two children Paul and Sara Durward that keep her safe and watch after her when she is in her old state. They are unaware that she is a vampire. Lady Durward also seems to get joy in her attacks on the youthful girls and even attacks one family killing every daughter a man has. She also has a stare that hypnotizes her victims and wears a mask to cover up her youthful look around her children and others. Her husband Hagan Durward passed away from the plague and was brought back to life by his wife. He suffers the scars of the disease that killed him but is still very skilled with a sword and has sharp teeth to kill his victims with. While the Durwards are vampire who can walk in the sunlight as well as avoid being hurt by the cross, they can still be killed with a sword blade that is made from holy metal and has been blessed, and once stabbed with the sword they shrivel up, turn into skeletons and die. While Lady Durward and Hagen Durward are not the deadliest or most powerful vampires we have covered here on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update, they still are dangerous and know how to deal death to the living.

Now that we have taken a look at The Durwards and their ways of drinking blood and stealing youth, I think we should now take a look at the film they are from Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter! And like always, I will be taking the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB and then after that I will write about the film’s production and then my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s hunt some vampires with one of the worlds best vampire hunters.

Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter (1974)

“Vampire hunter and expert swordsman Kronos finds himself in a small village where several of the local young women have been found in an advanced state of age, their youth drained from them by a vampire’s kiss. Kronos’ search leads him to the Durward estate where he is met by the effete children of the apparently aged and sick Lady Durward.”

In the 1970’s Hammer Films was having issues as many of their films were not doing as well in the theaters and some bad money decisions left them in a bad way. They needed a big hit, something that could spark sequels like Horror Of Dracula and Curse Of Frankenstein had for them many years before. Enter Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter, a character and film idea from Brian Clemens who had the idea to make this into the company’s next major franchise as he has a series of films in mind. Brian would not only write the script but would also produce and direct it with this being his first and only feature film. Hammer Films was behind this project as they were hoping that this adventure horror film would be the big hit they needed and it was given a budget of around £160,000. Horst Janson was hired to play Captain Kronos, and John Cater and Caroline Munro would be casted as the sidekick characters Grost and Carla. Other names joining the cast include Wanda Ventham, John Carson, Shane Briant, Lois Daine, Ian Hendry, William Hobbs and Lisa Collings among many others. The film would be shot in England and would try to not only cash in on the horror film craze but also that of the swashbuckling action genre. The film when released was met with mostly positive reviews and would be released by Paramount Pictures in America. The film’s soundtrack score was done by Laurie Johnson, and the film would be released in UK theaters on April 7, 1974. Over the years the film has gained a cult following, and to this day I have many friends who rank this high on their favorite Hammer Horror film lists. The film in 1974 was released alongside such other horror films as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Black Christmas, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Phantom Of The Paradise, Horror High, The Ghost Galleon, Young Frankenstein, Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell, It’s Alive, Killdozer, Beyond The Door, Sugar Hill, Scream Of The Wolf, The Bat People, The Night Of The Witches and many more, as 1974 was a great year for horror.

I first saw Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter on an episode of Commander USA’s Groovie Movies when I was a kid and found it to be a very fun action horror film and what is not to like about a skilled swordsman vampire hunter who is all business and will also defend his friends from not only bloodsuckers but also from rude people who want to do them harm. And the part is perfectly played by actor Horst Janson who had the look but had to be dubbed by Julian Holloway due to his thick German accent. And let’s be honest, every male my age who was a horror fan was taken by the beauty of actress Caroline Munro who played Carla and she was a true Hammer starlet and a great actress. One part that always creeped me out about this film is the look of Lady Durward when she was wearing her old woman mask as well as when she turned old as it was very weird looking. I also liked how the film had a twist as they make you think the vampire attacking young ladies is one character when it turns out to be another that for the most part you think is too old to even move out of bed. And I am happy to say that I even seen the film on the big screen thanks to a Horrorama event at a local cinema, and seeing it on the big screen was a really cool experience. And of course I had the film on VHS when I was building my horror movie collection and would later get the DVD for free from Paramount Pictures back in the day when they sent me films for review on a website I wrote for. In my opinion, the reason the film is such a cult classic and respected by fans is that it does a fantastic job of blending both swashbuckling action with horror and even has a dash of mystery to it that makes it very fun for viewers. And I feel if you want to see a vampire hunter sword fight a plagued infected vampire in a mansion castle, make sure to give this film a watch.

Now that we have taken a look at both the film and character Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter, we should now take a look at the comic series based around it that was released by Titan Comics starting in 2017. And no joke when Titan Comics announced that they were teaming with Hammer Films, I was really excited as the possibilities was endless on great series that could have been made that they acted like would be a Halloween yearly thing that readers would get into their hands. The first two released where comics based on Captain Kronos and The Mummy, and after those two series ended no more ever were released and this was a total bummer. But while Titan Comics might have let me down on not releasing any more comics based on Hammer Films, the fine folks at Mavericks Cards And Comics did not as they pulled these comics for me when released and made this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s go vamp hunting with Captain Kronos and his friends!

Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter # 1 ***
Released in 2017 Cover Price $3.99 Titan Comics # 1 of 4

Captain Kronos has hunted down the vampire named Porphyr and the two are in a battle to the death as the vampire calls in his goons that he has hypnotized to attack the hunter who in turn calls on his friends Professor Grost, an older man with a wooden leg and female hunter Carla, who is new to killing vampires, but is skilled in this trade. The three end up killing all the vampire using all the tools of the trade, and they even take down Porphyer with a well placed sword. After the carnage is over, the local law shows up and are about to arrest the three for murder, but once they figure out that Captain Kronos is a vampire hunter they take them to the small town of Sepechurch to meet Ermine who tells them of Slake, a vampire that has been tormenting them and that they need destroyed, and over breakfast they all speak on the details. Kronos learns that Slake appeared during a dark time when the plague broke out in the town and over the years as created his own clan of bloodsuckers that have over powered all attempts by the town to stop them. The town has gated off the part of the city that the vampires are in and Captain Kronos heads to the gate and with his sword carves a cross in the wood and this angers Slake who swears to his vampire clan that a war is coming.

This first issue is really great and does its job of hooking you into wanting to see how this series plays out as the war between Captain Kronos with his crew and Slake plus his vampire clan you know will be a bloody battle that will see lots of death and blood splatter. The plot for this issue has Captain Kronos killing a vampire that he has been tracking only to be hired by a small town to help them get rid of their vampire problem that seems to be more powerful than anyone is thinking. Captain Kronos is a skilled fighter and hunter who is very short with his words but his actions say much as he has sworn to kill all and every vampire that he crosses the path of. He also clearly has no fear as he is willing to go after a vampire and his clan that he knows nothing about, as his hatred for them runs that deep. Poor Carla is always being looked down on by not only the vampires she hunts, but also the people who hire them to rid the world of the vamps, as they misjudge her because she is female and are unaware that she is now a skilled fighter and hunter. While Professor Grost might have a wooden leg and a hunched back, he is a good fighter and his knowledge of vampires is priceless. As for the vampire called Slake, we know very little about him besides he showed up during the plague and that he has grown his vampire clan to army size and is ready for a war with Captain Kronos. The issue’s horror truly comes from the vampires as well as the very gloom feeling of the setting and mood of the story. And the issue has some blood being spilt but nothing major, but I would guess more will be splattered as we get further in this series. I am really liking the set up this far as a strange vampire that has no legend and backstory who seems to have taken over part of a town and who knows and does not fear Kronos is very interesting and makes me as the reader want to see how it all plays out. I would also say that thus far Titan and the creators of this comic have done a pretty good job of keeping true to the film and are doing it justice. The cover is pretty cool and has Kronos being surrounded by female vampires making it eye catching for horror comic readers. The interior art for the issue is done by Tom Mandrake and is solid stuff, but I will say that the characters only slightly look like the actors who played them but it works and his vampires look mean and badass. Over all a great first issue, and I am looking forward to reading the second issue.

Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter # 2 ***
Released in 2017 Cover Price $3.99 Titan Comics # 2 of 4

In the town of Sepechurch in a shelter Captain Kronos, Professor Grost and Carla are getting ready for battle as Grost checks the books, Carla gathers the supplies and Kronos heads out to survey the area as the hunter is getting antsy and is wanting to do battle with the undead. As Carla and Grost chat, she informs him that she is happy that they have trained her to become a vampire hunter as it has given her something more in life, and as Captain Kronos jumps the fence into the land of Slake, his friend Grost is looking into the town’s history as well as telling the townspeople how great Carla has been as a hunter and they still doubt this as she is a female. Meanwhile Kronos comes across a vampire who is walking during the day, silver has no effect on him and only by cutting it’s head off does it die, but his day just got worse as he finds himself surrounded by the vampires. Meanwhile Carla is gathering the supplies and has to put one of his military guards in check who is being perverted with her. Meanwhile Captain Kronos fights for his life as he finds that these vampires also can not be hurt by cross nor fire as they just keep on attacking him as he swings his sword at them cutting off body parts and keeping them at bay, and finds shelter to get out of the heart of battle only to find that he is now in the home of Slake who welcomes the hunter into his home.

The danger for Captain Kronos and his friends is amped up as Slake and his vampire clan has way more powerful than they could imagine as they cannot be hurt by silver, crosses, fire nor sunlight and they can only be stopped by having their heads removed. Slake also seems to be enjoying that Kronos is coming for him and it’s clear that he has lots of stuff planed when it comes to facing this hunter in a showdown in this small rundown town. And while professor Grost is spending his time trying to learn all he can about the town as well as dig up any and all information on the vampire Slake, poor Carla is once more being looked down on as only eye candy and people are doubting her skill when it comes to killing vampires…and she keeps proving them wrong. The vampires also seem to be very bloodthirsty and are hunting Kronos in a pack as they clearly were pushing him towards their master’s home, and he falls for it and the issue ends with that big cliffhanger. This is a very cool issue as it showcases the rash and careless way that Captain Kronos is now hunting vampires as he foolishly rushes in to the unknown and quickly finds that he was not prepared for them, and it’s clear that Carla is going to be the big hero here as she is showing that she is skilled and even Grost is backing her and seeing that she could become the best hunter of vampires in the world. I also don’t trust the townspeople of Sepechurch as I think they are hiding something and know what Slake really is, and they might just be as evil as the vampires…but that’s just a theory that I have right now. The issue also amps up the blood and the scares are coming from the vampires that are very creepy in appearance and are clearly blood thirsty and looking to kill. I am really interested to see how Captain Kronos is going to get away from Slake as he is stuck in a small home with him while outside is a horde of vampires. The cover showcases all three of our heroes standing around the bodies of dead vampires, and it is really cool and great stuff. Tom Mandrake did the interior art again, and it’s really great stuff as it has a true comic book feel to it, and again while the characters don’t look like the actors fully they have a charm to them that you know who they are. I am ready for issue 3 as I really want to see how this very bad situation plays out for Captain Kronos.

Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter # 3 ***
Released in 2017 Cover Price $3.99 Titan Comics # 3 of 4

Slake attacks Kronos as the home also starts to fill with other vampires all looking to end this hunters life, and during the start of the fight Kronos learns that the cross does hurt Slake. Professor Grost and Carla see smoke and hear the fighting and go past the gate in order to help Kronos in this fight and are shocked to see so many vampires walking around in the daylight. But with the numbers stacked against him, Captain Kronos dives out of the window and jumps onto the wagon being driven by Grost and Carla and they escape this part of the town, the hunters were defeated and forces to retreat by Slake and his vampires. Back at their base Grost goes off on Kronos for being sloppy and not only putting his life in danger but also that of his and Carla’s, but after the harsh words break they three head back into the bad part of the town this time via the sewer and they all have the goal to kill Slake and end his curse over this town. And while in the sewer tunnels they are talking about plans, but soon find themselves surrounded by vampires.

In this issue Captain Kronos finds that he has gotten himself into a very bad situation as he is being attacked not only by vampires that have no weakness but also Slake, their master who wants to take the hunters’ lives and is almost joyful in this battle they are having. And because of Kronos’s careless behavior, he has put the lives of his friend in danger when they have to go into the danger zone in order to rescue him. And because Captain Kronos is driven by his hate for vampires, he ends up going back to fight Slake after having harsh words with Grost over his behavior. And its clear at this point that something is truly bothers Kronos as he has become more reckless in his hunting and even seems to be brooding more often, but he still is very confidante in his hunting skills. Carla who is being trained by Kronos is staying loyal to him even though its clear that she knows that he has became a little careless with his safety. And 100% Grost is mad at his friend as he is pissed that his friend is playing with his life as well as the lives of others. And while Kronos and his friends are defeated in this first battle they are able to kill a few of the vampires as well as learn about the weakness that Slake has when it comes to the cross burning his skin and hurting him, plus it gives Kronos a chance to bust out his metal cross sword for the next fight. The issue has lots of vampire body parts being cut off and that is causing the blood to spill, and the fight that has Kronos having to fight for his life is very extricating and really draws you into the story and makes you want to see what the final showdown between Kronos and Slake will be like. Once more it’s clear that the writers of this series is pushing for Carla to be the new vampire hunter hero as she seems to have her act together and is having the backing of Grost who sees it in her to be a big hero hunter. The vampires are clearly just following the orders of Slake as they attack in waves and seem to almost guide you to a location that they want you to be in. The cover for this issue has Captain Kronos and Slake showing your readers what this demonic looking vampire looks like, and yep Tom Mandrake does the art once more for the interior and its good stuff like before. And with that, let’s see what the next issue that is the final issue in the series has in store for us and how this vampire hunting tale comes to an end.

Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter # 4 ***
Released in 2018 Cover Price $3.99 Titan Comics # 4 of 4

While in the sewer surrounded by vampires Captain Kronos, Carla and Grost fight hard and remove the heads of the vampires as they try and attack and are able to get to the trap door leading to Slake’s den and block it keeping the vampire horde at bay. And after looking around his den and calling him out Slake appears and attack Kronos who uses his cross sword to stab at the vampire leader and this kills him, but to their shock the vampires are still around and killing their master did nothing to slow them down. But back in the town of Sepechurch the town’s elders during dinner get the message that Slake has been killed and then enter Captain Kronos, Carla and Grost who front out the elders as they themselves are vampires and wanted them to kill one of their own that had gone mad with power and blood drinking. The elders deny the allegations for as long as they can until their dinner is shown to be blood and then they turn into their vampire appearance and know that they must kill these hunters before they are killed themselves. Kronos and the others make short work of the elders as some are killed with swords and later they all die when Grost blows up the town hall and the elders are all caught on fire ending them as well as the vampire curse of Sepechurch. But as Kronos, Carla and Grost are leaving the town they learn that the townspeople are not happy about the death of the elders as they felt these vampires had kept them safe, and in the end our heroes ride off leaving this town behind and the world with less vampires in it.

In this final issue of Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter by Titan Comics, we get the final battle between Kronos and Slake that ends with the vampire being taken out pretty easily, as our hero learns that he has been played all along as the elders of the town he is protecting are vampires and just sent him in to kill one of their own that has went rogue. And even after he kills all the vampires in the town of Sepechurch, he gets no thanks from the town people who are mad that they no longer live under the protection of the undead. Captain Kronos while always rushing into battle still proves that he is very skilled at vampire hunting and is prepared almost for every situation as he is able to slay as well survive a massive vampire attack. And it appears that his sword skills are sharp as is his detective skills and he figures out and kills the elders who have been the real terrors of the town. And by the end of the issue both Professor Grost and Carla put more trust and stand behind Kronos even if they are frustrated with his sometimes reckless behavior. They both also prove that they are very helpful and are skilled vampire hunters as they do their share of slaying vamps as well as putting together a plan for to bring down the Elders. Poor Slake as well as the elders while strong are no match for our vampire hunters and all of them end up meeting their maker and their terror being stopped once and for all. The great thing about this comic series is that if truly feels like a new adventure of Captain Kronos like a sequel that we never got. The action is high in the series as the hunters clash with the vampires many times and the horror comes of course with the vampires as well as just the over all dark mood of the story. This issues as well has blood being spilt, and I really do think that fans of the film will really enjoy reading this comic. The cover for this issue is cool as it showcases our three heroes looking ready for battle, and I do like the art style of interior artist Tom Mandrake as his style captures the feel of the film as well really has a horror comic art look. If you are a fan of this film, make sure to track down this series and give it a read as I am sure you will enjoy it. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by Tom Mandrake for this comic series.

Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter is one of those Hammer Horror characters that is perfect to make the leap into comic books as you can do lots with him and have him battle many different types of vampires all over England, and it’s a shame that Titan Comics pulled the plug of working with Hammer after only releasing two series in the line…I truly feel they have dropped the ball with us horror comic readers. But who knows what the future holds for Hammer Horror when it comes to comic books as I would like to see American Mythology or even Eibon Press take a crack at making Hammer Film comics as imagine a series based on Dracula that looks like Christopher Lee or a Frankenstein one were the mad doctor looks like Peter Cushing! But our time with Captain Kronos has come to an end, but do not fear our time with horror comics based on films has not as our next update will take us to the scary open waters as we try and avoid The Humanoids From The Deep! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update for a rampage of humanoids roaming the waterways and terrorizing the beaches.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)

Posted on May 12, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. For this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update we will be talking about a 2014 film that was spawned from a short film and would become a super popular indie horror film that is talked about to this day and respected by those viewers who like a little art in their spooky films. That film is A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night! This comic is very cool as most comics based on horror films that are about vampires are tied into Dracula and this one is not as it showcases a female vampire simply known as The Girl. This has been a update I have wanted to do for a while now and with this year being all about the From Horror Movie To Horror Comic, the time has come for it to finally get the Rotten Ink treatment. So if you are ready, let’s grab our skateboard and head into Bad City and see what horrors await us.

Let’s first take a look at The Girl and her ways of dealing death to humans that become her targets and victims. The Girl is an attractive Middle Eastern female vampire who has the charm to draw people in with her looks as her beauty gives them a security of no harming falling on them by such a woman. She is very quiet and watches and stalks her prey without them even catching on that their time on Earth is coming to an end by her hands. She is seductive and cold and has eyes that will both make you call in love as well as fill your heart full of fright. The Girl is a music lover, skateboarder as well as likes to dance and this keeps her in touch with her human side and allows her to somewhat bond with humans. She is strong and fast and can uses these skills to rip apart a human to get what she craves and that’s blood. Being a vampire her main way to kill is her razor sharp teeth that she plunges into skin to drink blood and rip apart flesh. She also has a way of attracting the scum of city the ones who wish to do harm to the weaker people of the city. When she speaks her words can be very fearsome and scary and this as well helps her strike total fear into her victims. Being a vampire, she does have weaknesses with he major one being sunlight that will kill her, she also has a weakness as she is looking for love and her own place in this twisted world. The Girl is very dangerous as she is a vampire who kills for blood to feed as well as sport when it comes to ridding her city of scumbags. The Girl is very deadly and can kill a person very fast making her truly a dangerous being.

Now that we have taken a look at The Girl, I think that its time that we take a look at the film she is from, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night that was released in 2014 and was a hit among indie horror fans. Like always, our friends at IMDB will supply the films plot and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts about the film. So with that, let’s head deeper into Bad City and see what this film is all about.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)

“In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.”

In 2011, Ana Lily Amirpour made a short film called “A Girl Walks Home Along At Night,” and it was a big success as it was traveling festivals and winning awards. In 2012 a crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo was launched as Amirpour had an idea to turn her short film into a feature, and she ended up getting over what she needed to get this film off the ground. The film would bring in such actors as Arash Maradni, Marshall Manesh, Dominic Rains and Sheila Vand would play the vampire The Girl. The film would be filmed in twenty-four days in California as it was cheaper and had fewer obstacles to over come if it was shot in Iran where the story takes place. Once the film was done, Bei Ru would score it and it would be released by Vice Films and Kino Lorber and would have a limited run in the theater released on November 21, 2014 and would bring in around $491,910.00 in America. The film would be well liked by both critics and fans and would gain even more praise and fans when released on home media. The film would be released alongside such other horror films as Tusk, As Above So Below, IT Follows, The Pyramid, Last Shift, Purge Anarachy, Annabelle, The Quit Ones, The Babaook and many more. Sadly this is one I did not get to see in the theater as I am not sure if any of the local theaters showed it.

The vampire genre in horror cinema has so many interesting films and one of the more artistic and well done in recent years is A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night as it brought the vampire into western cinema with an Iranian legend touch. The thing that made me very interested in this film, besides that fact it was in the horror genre, was The Girl, a vampire who tries to be like Dexter (from the Showtime TV show) and only deal death to those who are bad. Plus it is cool that she is a skateboarder in Iran who skates around at night looking for her next meal. I really enjoyed this film that I would end up having to watch on DVD as it reminded me slightly of one of my favorite Universal Monster films “Dracula’s Daughter” that was released in 1936, and by that I mean the atmosphere and beauty of the female vampire lead. The acting in the film is really good with Sheila Vand who plays The Girl really stealing the film as her performance is what makes it all work so well as I found The Girl to be haunting, scary, sympathetic, sad and stunning and that is perfect as that what a well played vampire should be like. The film does not rely on gore to bring the scares but more the fact that the world at times can be a very sad and depressing place and in the end all we want is to find our own happiness and place. The film also made the right choice of being shot in black and white as it truly adds to the films mood and feeling and brings out the city as well as the citizens that live in it. The film is slow paced and subtitled and that might scare away some viewers as will the fact that its very Indie, but if you like vampire films, I say that you should give this one a watch as you might just find yourself really into it…and I wish I would have gotten to see this one on the big screen.

So now that we have talked about The Girl as well as the film she is from A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, I think that it is time that we take a look at the comic book based on the film that was released by Behemoth Comics! This was original released as a graphic novel, but a few years later was released as two issue and those floppy issues are what we will be reviewing for this update. I would like to thank both Mavericks Cards And Comics and Bell Book And Comic for having these issues in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s walk together this night and see what The Girl and her vampire bite has in store for us.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night # 1 ***
Released in 2020 Cover Price $3.99 Behemoth Comics # 1 of 2

The Girl is soaking in the bathtub thinking about Bad City and how every night is the same for her as she heads into the night looking for a person to drain of their blood, and sadly this city is filled with bad people who she can pray on. The Girl also at night meets street cats as well as skateboards around in the darkness. She finds a young kid up late at night watching TV, but chooses not to take his blood as he is yet to show if he is a good or bad person…but she will wait and see where is life takes him and she will be waiting. A gay man is hanging around a fence putting on lipstick as a man filled with hate attacks him with the idea of doing him physical harm when The Girl arrives and drains him of his blood an stills his ring and ditches the body in a massive pile along with her past victims. We then join The Girl back in the tub as she is thinking about the sins of those lives she has taken as next to the tub is a large basket packed with all the rings of her victims.

I truly feel that this comic does justice to the film it’s based on as the plot of the comic is about The Girl, a female vampire skateboarder who lives in a rundown city in Iran who looks for victims by taking a look at their dark secrets they have, and she chooses those who have or are doing horrible things to become her next meal. The Girl is clearly a vampire who tries to live by her own code as she knows that she must feed on human blood, she tries her best not to hurt those who are innocent and only select those who are evil and just foul people. She is also very torn in nature as you can tell she enjoys aspects of her “life” but also very much loathes other parts of it as she is looking for something or even someone more…she is lonely. The Girl is almost like a protector of the innocent and weak in her own ways as she roams the streets saving people from the evil that mankind does. Her victim in this issue is a very nasty man who is homophobic and is walking the streets at night just looking for trouble, and he finds it when he messes with a gay man and ends up having his life taken by the fangs of The Girl who witnesses the attack. The comics horror comes from the mood and atmosphere of a rundown city that is filled with the down and out as well as criminals, and of course the main comes from the fact a vampire is loose on the streets. The comic does have some blood spilled but is by no means a blood bath, but for those looking for the red stuff via vampire bites will not be disappointed. The cover for this issue is very cool and eye catching and the interior art is really good and done by Michael DeWeese. And I have to say that this first issue is very well done and does justice to the film it’s based on and is making me look forward to reading issue two so let’s get to it.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night # 2 ***
Released in 2020 Cover Price $3.99 Behemoth Comics # 2 of 2

The Girl is in the desert buried under the sand she came there to die via the sun, but fear and instinct causes her to always hide right before the sun rays hit her undead skin. At night she rises and looks around at the skulls and bones of her past victims including a couple that were making love and she enters their room and slaughters them. The Girl wonders what her “life” is really about and even takes the life of a spider just cause she can and needed to feed, but her hunger is strong and she heads toward Bad City in order to find a life to take, and as she makes her way toward the city she remembers all the different countries she has been in and all the blood she has taken. And at the end she hits the city limits of Bad City and her hunt is about to start.

The second issue is just as good as the first issue and this time around The Girl is hiding out in the hot desert being upset over her own thoughts as she is conflicted about being a vampire as she both enjoys and hates the fact that she must kill a person for their blood in order to survive. And at times it seems like The Girl is looking for love and when seeing humans in love makes her more angry and makes their deaths more gruesome and painful. We also see that she will kill insects as in the first issue she shows that she cares about felines as she pets the animal instead of taking its life and here she chomps down on a big spider. This issue almost feels like the start of the story as well as it kind of has that vibe that this was her first time entering Bad City that she would end up making her “home” and hunting ground for some time. With this second issue it also is a very fast read with most of it being visual and very little dialogue, but this works so well for this issue as I feel this one is about finding oneself and coming to terms on who you are and what you have done. This issue as well has more blood and gore with the couples death aftermath being pretty gruesome as The Girl has their insides ripped out and even has removed heads! I really do think that this comic series did the film it is based on justice and I really do with that more Indie Comic Publishers would team up with Indie Horror Filmmakers and make comics like this more often. The Girl is a very interesting vampire and this issue really adds a new level to her as she is very torn about her existence but also loves her powers. The cover for issue two is also very cool and eye catching and has The Girls hand coming out of the sand, and like before the interior art is done by Michael DeWeese and his art style is really great and I love the way he draws The Girl as it looks mostly like the actress who played her. This was a very cool and entertaining series based on a very cool cult Indie Horror film that if you enjoyed you really should track down these comics as I think they will deliver some fright. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by DeWeese as his style is really spooky and truly captures the nature of the film and characters.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is clearly not a film nor comic that is for everyone as they both are a little artsy and having many hidden messages and meanings behind them, but I do think that fans of horror films from companies like A24 and IFC will truly enjoy it. And as you can see, our update and time with the vampire called The Girl has came to an end and with that I think we should take our leave from Bad City, but don’t worry our next update will have us remaining in the world of horror as we will find ourselves this time a tourist in the world of Turistas a 2006 gut stealing Horror Film that got the comic book treatment thanks to IDW. So until next time read a Horror Comic of three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. I wander what a kidney goes for now and days?

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Protégé Moi (2023)

Posted on February 28, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and, as you can see, to yet another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update that is also a SURPRISE bonus update. Yeah I know, we are having one pretty early this year, but this one is based around the 2023 fantasy horror film called Protégé Moi that was made by Robbie Lopez who also owns Crude Comics And Cinema. And what is really cool about this update is that both the film and the comic book were released by the same creator showing that Robbie knows how to use comics to help promote his film! I really wish more indie filmmakers would do this sort of thing as it gives fans of the films they make as well as horror comic readers something to collect and enjoy. So if you are ready, let’s start our journey into the world of Protégé Moi and see what terror awaits us.

Let’s start by taking a look at Ambrigio The Vampire King and his way of dealing death to the living that unfortunately cross his path. Ambrigio was cursed and turned into a vampire when he felt the wraith of the God Apollo when he fell in love with one of his ladies, and now he and his legion have set their sights on tormenting mankind. Ambrigio, who when human was kind, is now cruel as he lives in the dark shadows alongside his horde of female bloodsuckers preying on humans who they view as cattle. Ambrigio wears all black, has a crown, has sharp fangs, long fingernails and the look of evil in his eyes and all this is what makes people tremble with fear when they gaze upon him and that is not when he is in full Vampire King appearance that is demonic bat looking. He rules over his female vampires with an iron fist as they are his playthings, his protectors, his loves, his family, his objects and when disobeyed he will punish them by paddling their backsides. His main tools of dealing death to his victims are his fangs that he sinks into human necks to drain and drink their blood. Ambrigio can also fly through the air and is very sneaky this allows him to drop in on his targets that he has marked for death. His vampire ladies are (Soelene, Mercel, Lenora and Velka) and besides them he is also aided by bats, armed guards and a Oracle all who will do what they are asked by their Vampire King and that means kill and die for him. He also loves to cook people alive via the torture device known at the Brazen Bull. While Ambrigio is powerful, he can be hurt and destroyed, as like most vampires the light of the sun will burn him to a crisp, fire can also hurt him. Ambrigio can also feel the pain of his vampire ladies, meaning that if they are killed or hurt he feels it himself as they are truly connected. One way to truly kill him is if another vampire can remove his head as well as drink his blood. So while Ambrigio started out a regular person, he for decades has become a scary and deadly blood-drinking vampire.

So now that we have taken a look at The Vampire King and his cruel ways, we should now take a look at the film he is from and that is the 2023 indie fantasy horror film Protégé Moi. I will be getting the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB and then will write about the film’s production and my thoughts. So if you are ready, let’s dive into the world of Protégé Moi and its Vampire King.

Protégé Moi (2023)

“Medieval Vampire Horror on a Planet Ruled over by the Vampire King worlds oldest and most cruel vampire, his chained female servants terrorize as Soelene the outcast finds mortal love taking care of her sick human Mother.”

Protégé Moi is an indie fantasy horror film that is written and directed by Robbie Lopez who is best known for his work on such films as Texas Death Trippin’ (2019) and Nundead (2023) before making this one. The film’s production came via Crude Comics And Cinema with an estimated budget of around $80 thousand dollars. When it came to casting, such names as Dave Sheridan, Richie Ramone, Felissa Rose, Nadia White, Rick Daniels, Masuimi Max, Amber Dawn and Chris Wolfe to name a few would be hired for parts and filming took place in Kansas, and the film’s score was done by Marvin Maddicks Jr. who had also done some of the music for many indie horror films and also leant his voice in the film as an Island Spirit. The film uses lost green screen and animated effects to tell its story and this helped them add locations to make the budget look bigger. The film would be released on VHS and DVD in 2023 and would be meet with mix reviews bit would go on to gain a cult following. The film in 2023 would be released along side such other Horror Movies as Evil Dead Rise, Five Nights At Freddy’s, Malum, Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey, When Evil Lurks, Scream VI, Suitable Flesh, The Black Demon, Thanksgiving, Slotherhouse, SAW X, Cobweb, Beau Is Afraid and Cocaine Bear, to name a few.

I saw Protégé Moi in 2024 when I bought the DVD from Crude Comics website as I had to see it when I found out that a comic book was made around it, plus director Robbie Lopez is a good dude and puts his heart into all of his projects. One thing also that made me want to see the film is that is starred Nadia White, who I think is a very underrated actress in the world of indie horror and who made her name in the world of adult films, many of you may know her from being in the fright films “Don’t F*ck In The Woods (2016)”, “Killer Campout (2017)”, “WrestleMassacre (2018)”, “Daisy Derkins And The Dinosaur Apocalypse (2021)” and “Curse Of The Weredeer (2023)” to name a few. The film reminded me of one part Danzig music video, one part Suicide Girls with a dash of 90’s indie vampire film…and it’s a good mix of those as it is filled with blood, beautiful women and lots of creepy vampires on the loose in a village. Most of the reviews online I have seen complain about this one come from the use of the green screen backgrounds, but while some do stand out, it also give the film a bigger feel as well as adds to the overall nature. What also wins Protégé Moi points with me is that all the cast and crew clearly made this film with heart and believed in the production. And fans of the iconic punk band The Ramones will want to check this one out to see Richie Ramone as The Vampire King and he as well does music for the films soundtrack including covering the song “Cry Little Sister” from The Lost Boys. If you enjoy indie vampire films, like any of the actors in this film or just want to support a cool indie filmmaker make sure to track this one down and give it a watch.

So now that we have taken a look at Protégé Moi as well as Ambrigio The Vampire King, the main villain from the fright film, I think we are now at the point of this review that we take a look at the comic based around them. And I would first like to thank Robbie Lopez for not only making this comic book but also getting me a copy of the comic and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. And with that, let’s take a look at this comic and see what spookiness awaits us all.

Protégé Moi # 1 **1/2
Released in 2023 Cover Price $5.00 Crude Comics # 1 of 1

This tells the tales of Ambrigio The Vampire King, who is a powerful and cruel vampire as well as talks about his ladies who are Velka a gypsy who was down on her luck before being turned into a deadly vamp, Lenora a short sadistic sexy vampire, Mercel a dancer and fire blower vampire and lastly Soelene a sweet vampire who sneaks away to always visit her dying mother who named her after a witch she made a deal with and whose best friend is a bat named Gideon that watches after her. We also learn a little about monster killer Johan who travels around looking for vampires to slay and townie Andrade, a goof who wants to find a lady and some adventure. We are also introduced to the Royal Vampire Guards who are Igor and Ivan and the weapons they use.

This comic based on the film Protégé Moi does not tell a story and is more of a short character bios companion to the film much like “Who’s Who Of The DC Universe” and “Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe” just with far less written history for each character, but does allow you to sort of understand the basic traits of the characters that you will see in the film. We get a look at Ambrigio The Vampire King and his vampire ladies as well as a brief look at our heroes. The cover for this comic is interesting and could easily be the poster for the film and the interior art is really solid and is done by Sando Venditti and many of the pages feel like a classic spooky pinup page from a horror magazine or comic. Not much else to say besides if you are a fan of this film, this comic book is worth having as it has good art and shares a little about the characters. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Venditti used in this comic.

So as you can see, this comic based on the film Protégé Moi is a fun way to checkout the characters from the film, but those who are looking for a story based comic might be a little sad….while I myself wish it was more of a story comic, I still enjoyed this bio one. Well I think this surprise “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update has come to an end, but I hope that it as well helped build your excitement for this several year long look at these types of comics. Our next update will take us back to the planned update of Motel Hell as I know you Midnite Movie fans are looking forward to that one. So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we see what kind of critters really are used by Farmer Vincent!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: To Die For (1988)

Posted on August 24, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink as we continue our countdown to Halloween 2025, and as you can see, we are about to dive deep into another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update as I am sure many of you readers are like me and really enjoy reading Horror Comics and really enjoy them when they are based on a film. Today’s topic is an odd one as we will be looking at the 1989 erotic horror film To Die For and the comic adaptation done by Blackthorne Publishing to promote it, yeah it’s an odd one for them to make into a comic for sure but I feel it’s very cool that they did as I love when comic companies take chances on these smaller indie Horror Films to make comics based on them. But with that, let’s get ready to see what this version of Dracula is all about and what makes him different from the pack.

Let’s first start by taking a look at Vlad Tepish, the killer vampire from this film that not only drinks blood but also breaks hearts. Vlad, who is also known as Dracula, is a vampire so his main way of killing his victims is using his mind control and then drinking their blood by biting them on the neck with his razor sharp teeth that he can also use to rip flesh. His charm is also very dangerous as he can use it to bring his victims in closer and give them a sense of safety. He can also use it to make them spill their life story to him in order to use it to manipulate them. Vlad also has telepathic abilities and can lift and throw people around with but a glance. When a full vampire he takes on more of a monster appearance compete with demonic eyes, lots of long sharp teeth, claws and he makes animalistic growls and this as well can freeze his victims in fear. He is also strong and can manhandle those humans he wishes to. With Vlad Tepish as well comes lots of wealth and power over females that he charms who fall for his spell and will do whatever he wants, and let’s also not forget with him also comes Tom, a fellow Vampire that hates him and will kill people that are near Vlad in order to be a pain in his neck makes him even more dangerous to humans. Also let’s not forget that Vlad can turn humans into fellow vampires! But Vlad Tepish while immortal is not truly un-killable as a stake to his heart and sunlight can seal his doom, making him scary strong but can be defeated. I also feel that Vlad has a weakness for love as when he falls for a woman he kind of can turn into a softy and this can lead to his own death by leaving himself open for attacks or even with thoughts of suicide. Over all Vlad Tepish is a very deadly vampire and can deal death to those who cross him, but I will also say that he might not be the deadliest monster we have talked about on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update, he still is very powerful and can kill with speed if he chooses.

So as you can see, Vlad Tepish is a vampire who has charm but can also turn into a monster in order to get what he wants from the mere mortals of the world. And now that we have taken a look at Vlad and his death dealing ways, I think we should take a look at the film he is from To Die For! Like always we will be taking the film’s plot from IMDB and then I will write a little about the films production as well as my thoughts about the film. So if you are ready, let’s head to L.A. and see what is causing this vampire outbreak.

To Die For (1988)

“L.A. real estate agent Kate Wooten gets a new lease on life when she learns that her new client, a mysterious and handsome man named Vlad, is looking for a house isolated in the Hollywood Hills where he wants to live and doesn’t want to be disturbed. It doesn’t take long for Kate to fall in love with her new client and to learn that he’s a real vampire.”

Back in the 1980’s the video rental market was booming as were paid cable movie stations like HBO, Showtime, Movie Channel and Cinemax that were popular for movie lovers. And during this time erotic films were very popular in both ways of enjoying movies and ones with a dash of Horror were very much in demand and from this the world got To Die For, a Dracula film that was part horror and part erotic and was made fast and cheap. To Die For was produced by Brian Kumar and Lee Caplin as they wanted to make a profit off the Erotic Horror genre and they focused on Dracula and vampires and hired Leslie King to do the script and brought on Deran Sarafian who would go on to direct the film Death Warrant in 1990 and Terminal Velocity in 1994. When casting started they hired Brendan Hughes to play Vald Tepes aka Dracula and other actors hired included Sydney Walsh, Scott Jacoby, Amanda Wyss and Duane Jones of Night Of The Living Dead fame in his final film role. The film would be shot quickly with some cool practical special effects and would be distributed by Skouras Pictures and Cliff Eidelman was brought in to score it. When done the film had to be trimmed as it was on the verge of getting a X rating and this would have derailed the film from playing in theaters and even could have caused some issues with it airing on the paid cable movie stations. When completed the film would end up getting a very limited theatrical run in 1989 and would find its cult fan base on home media and cable. The film was released along side such other Horror Films in 1989 as Halloween 5, A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Puppet Master, Warlock, Friday The 13^th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan, The Dead Next Door and Silent Night Deadly Night 3 to name a few. While over the years this film is pretty much been forgotten by most, it still does have a small following and even spawned a sequel in 1991 that was called “Son Of Darkness: To Die For II”. I should also say that for some reason To Die For has other titles it goes by like “Bram Stoker’s To Die For” and “Dracula The Love Story To Die For” to name a few.

I want to start off by saying To Die For is one of those sleazy horror films that I feel like housewives in the late 1980’s would watch on late night cable and then tell their friends that they like horror and would use it as an example of the type of horror they like. And keep in mind, there is nothing wrong with that as erotic horror has its place on the Horror Family Tree. I first saw this film as a teenager when I bought a copy of it on VHS from a second hand store called Replay Media and was expecting a Dracula tale and got more of a Vlad in love with a real estate agent and a odd vampire fight between two long time enemies. While the film tries to be erotic, it’s pretty tame by today’s standards and it’s crazy to think that it was on the verge of getting a X-Rating. The film is very cheesy and I have to say that when Vlad Tepish is in human form, he is the most un-intimidating vampire I have seen in cinema! The film has great monster effects by the late great John Carl Buechler are great and kind of out of place for this style of film, but are very much a big welcome to add some spice to it. The film’s plot of having two vampires for over a hundred years fighting over the same woman every time she comes back to life is an interesting concept, it just is not fleshed out all that well here in this film. Most people who have seen this film gives big praise to actress Amanda Wyss that plays the character of Celia Kett as she is prefect in her roll, but I also feel that actor Steve Bond who plays Tom, the other vampire, is really good as he plays himself charming and also very cold blooded when needed. The odd thing about this film as well as it’s sequel is that in the modern age they kind of have disappeared with the first film having a very small release on DVD that is long out of print and now can only be found on a bootleg double feature release that is a terrible print, and the sequel I have yet to find on DVD or Blu-Ray besides copies on the grey market. Over all I have to say that I enjoy this film and while it’s very cheesy and fails at all levels at being erotic it does make for a good b-movie vampire film. If you like Dracula films, try and track this down and give it a watch as it will not change your life, but you might find yourself enjoying it.

To Die For is a interesting vampire film from the late 80’s that since released has gained a fan base from its limited theatrical run, home media release and of course cable airings. And now that we have talked about Vlad and the film he is from To Die For its time that we now take a look at the comic book based on the film that was released to help promote it. And I would like to thank Lone Star Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I also would like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to the castle of Vlad and see what horrors he has in store for us.

To Die For # 1 ***
Released in 1989 Cover Price $2.50 Blackthorne # 1 of 1

Katie is at a boat party in L.A with her friend Martin when she notices a man with long black hair that catches her eye, but he is gone just as fast. As Katie leaves the party for the night a friend of hers and Martin’s goes to his car to do a little drugs but instead is killed by a vampire. The next morning Katie goes to work, as she is a realtor and she finds out from her best friend and roommate Celia that she has a late night how showing scheduled for her and that Celia’s boyfriend Mike as asked her to marry him. As Katie leaves to the castle that she will be showing for sale, a homeless man asks her for change only for her to not have any and after she pulls out that homeless man is killed by a crazed vampire. Once at the castle Katie meets Vlad Tepish who is the man from the boat party she seen who ends up buying the castle, and seduces her and almost bites her as he is a vampire but because he feels a connection to her he does not drink her blood. Katie heads home and breaks the heart of Martin who has a crush on her, and alerts Celia that Vlad is buying the house and is looking for a security, and Celia takes the job and is quickly charmed by Vlad who bites her and has sex with her. Vlad also finds out that Tom a fellow vampire is in town and has his eyes set on Katie as well she looks like a woman the two have fought over on the past. Days later Vlad is holding a party at his castle and sends Katie a dress and an invite and this makes Celia jealous who has as well fallen in love with Vlad, and while at the party Tom appears and tries to scare Katie and argues with Vlad over who will turn her into one of them, Tom also bites and kills Celia and leaves her body to be found in a park and Martin who attends the party finds and steals a book from Vlad that tells of his history and that he is a vampire….and Katie is unaware of all of this and all she knows is that she is in love with Vlad. The next day the body of Celia is found and Katie meets with Mike and Martin to mourn the loss of their friend, and when Martin starts talking of Vlad being a vampire Katie storms out as Martin and Mike head to the morgue and have to fight and then kill Celia who is now a vampire with a wooden stake. Katie heads to Vlad’s castle and he alerts her to his true nature and she wants to become one of his so the pair have sex and he bites her, just as they finish Tom appears and the two vampires fight and Tom is killed when Vlad drops him onto a wooden spear bedpost. In the end Vlad takes Katie down the stairs and to end he nightmare and not make her become of the undead he walks out into the sun and dies just as Martin and Mike come to their friends side as she is heartbroken.

The Horror Comic version of To Die For is a pretty great read and while most of the elements of the film are there it also makes some changes to speed up the read and even removes some of the characters and scenes from the issue to achieve it. Like sadly I feel the comic downplays Celia who is one of the best side characters in the film as they have her die and turned by the hands of Tom way to early and they remove her venom laced speech that she gives to Katie and Mike when she feels she has lost the love of Vlad. Also it would have been nice to see Simon, the owner of the real estate company that Katie works for as in the film that was Duane Jones, the actor who played Ben in Night Of The Living Dead. The comic also at times moves past the gruesome kills and violence to fast and the final fight between Vlad and Tom is way to quick. The plot can be summed up really quickly as its this two vampires continue their blood feud in L.A during the 80’s when they both fall for the same woman who looks like a female from both of their pasts. Vlad while a vampire is fighting the urge to turn a mortal woman he has fallen for, he does however still has his killer and cold instincts as he kills Tom and plays with the heart and mind of Celia and when he gets closed to Katie he throws her to the side that leads to her death and turn. Katie seems lost through the whole issue as she is looking for love and falls for a stranger and once she meets him falls even more for him and even wants to be turned into a vampire in order to be with him, even after what he and his foe have done to her friends (Rich and Celia). Tom is super evil in this one and loves killing humans to drink their blood, has fun messing with Vlad and does his best to try and be the one to get Katie as a way for revenge. Martin and Mike are around and pretty much are used in the issue to kill Celia as well as figure out that Vlad is a vampire. The comic is filled with blood and nudity and my favorite kill of the issue has to be the death of Rich, who was their friend who is killed in his car after sniffing cocaine. The cover for this issue is really cool and eye catching for the time as it has that Indie Horror Comic appeal. The interior art is done by Edgar Martiarena and is really cool as I like the way he draws the vampires when they take their more monster looks. Over all this is a pretty quick and fun read and while it does change lots from the film it makes it feel kind of like a new tale for those characters, I would say if you enjoy the film its based on or just like vampire comics give this one a read. Check out the art below to see the style of Edgar Martiarena used for this comic.

To Die For is a late 80’s vampire film that is not a ground breaking and has a very micro cult following and it’s crazy to think that a publisher like Blackthorne Publishing that was a pretty big player in those days took the chance to make this comic in both 2D and 3D! That’s right, you can also find this comic in 3D as that was one of Blackthorne’s big gimmicks back then as they loved being the ones to do comics in 3D. But as you can see, this From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update is over and that means it’s time for me to tell you that out next update will be as it will continue in the Horror theme as we will be taking a look at the film Arachnophobia and the comic adaptation based around it. So until next time ,read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as I hope you don’t have a fear of spiders as they are the creepy crawly baddies that are looking for a quick bite.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Jezebeth (2011)

Posted on July 25, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Independent horror films are alive and well, and over the decades millions have been made with all types of budgets from backyard gore epics to bigger budget films being released by the likes of A24 and Neon. And all have delighted those of us who love the genre of horror. One thing that I always love is when these filmmakers and studios realize that comic books are an amazing tool to promote and expand on the film’s universe. One filmmaker who understood this is Damien Dante, who created a film series called Jezebeth that also got a comic book that helped explore more of the twisted mind of the demonic vampire lead killer! And as you guessed by now, I will be doing a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update all about Jezebeth! This is one of those indie films I am sure a large amount of you readers have not heard of, and to be honest, while I have heard of it, doing this review was my first time viewing! So if you want to find Hell with Jezebeth, let’s start our dark and twisted comic book journey with her!

Let’s first take a look at Jezebeth and her ways of dealing death to those who are foolish enough to cross her path. Jezebeth is a demonic being that was born to be evil and has extreme powers and carries a curse for all who summon and have contact with her. Jezebeth is a mix between a vampire and demon and is very cute in appearance. Her good looks can deceive those she comes across and has selected as her victim. She has razor sharp fangs and a deep menacing demonic voice, and yes, she does use the fangs to bite into human flesh. Once she bites you, she can also control you and you can become one of her mindless pawns in her demonic game of power that also can go out and kill with their fangs. She is abusive physically, verbally and emotionally to her victims as well and likes to strike fear into people’s hearts. She also likes dealing out both pleasure and pain and takes great joy in doing so to her scared and innocent victims. She is sadistic and pure evil and almost worships herself as she thinks she is the only higher being that matters as she is immortal. Oh and let us not forget, she will also use weapons like knives and hammers on her victims and has zero remorse for taking a human life. How can Jezebeth be stopped you are asking. As of the first film, she does not show any weakness once she is unleashed, making her very dangerous to all of mankind. It does seem that while Jezebeth plays tough she might have a fear of God himself. So in other words Jezebeth is very deadly and walks the line of being unstoppable and not knowing what to do with all her power.

So now that we have talked about the sinister Jezebeth and her blood thirsty ways, let’s take a few moments and talk about the film that spawned her! The film is of course called Jezebeth, and I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then I will write briefly about the film’s production and then about my thoughts about the film. So if you are ready, let’s take an occult filled walk with Jezebeth.

Jezebeth (2011)

“In the attic of an ancestral home, a devil worshiping sadist, Jezebeth Blandy, at war with God, unwittingly discovers a nineteenth century diary that details the summoning of a demon. Jezebeth succeeds in breaking a satanic code inside her hell room which creates for her two realities.”

Jezebeth is a film from 2011 that was made by director Damien Dante, an independent filmmaker who is known for being the creator of Jezebeth as he was also the writer for the film as well as much more on the set while the film was being made. Plus I am pretty sure Dark Star Records had a big hand in making this film as all of the songs used in the film are from that record company and the film even got its own theme song by the band Slam Bang. You see SGL Entertainment and Dark Star Records are owned by the same guy, and the film Jezebeth is released by SGL and that’s how they got access to all these songs. The film brought in such actors as Katie Auerbach, Colleena Corrigan, Galina Emmerich, Drake Mefestta and Bree Michaels as Jezebeth, and many of these actors’ only film credits is this film. The film was released in 2011 and even had a big theatrical premier and would have many of the cast doing signings as at local Hot Topic store in a mall. The film was your normal indie low budget production was also joined in the world of horror in 2011 by such films as Cabin In The Woods, You’re Next, Wrong Turn 4, Scream 4, The Howling Reborn, Laid To Rest 2 and Monster Brawl, to name a few. While the film is not super iconic in the world of horror films, it has built up its own cult following among fans of B-Horror Films.

Jezebeth is a film that I have heard of but took me way longer then it should have to check out as I have owned the DVD of the film for a while now but I did not watch it until early 2021! I have to say that the film’s acting is pretty rough in spots and it seems like the actors are reading from cue cards. I can look past it for the most part, but some parts are just so overly hammy that I found myself laughing out loud. The plot of a demon curse coming to live again in modern time over an old diary an occultist woman finds in her old family attic is pretty cool and classic horror stuff, but while to plot is fun, the filmmakers do seem to pad the runtime with long montages and strip club scenes that are filled with music from the record company that helped make the film. It tends to drag down the pacing of the film with slow motioned shots of graveyards and characters that mean nothing at all to the film’s overall story. I did like actress Bree Michaels who played Jezebeth as I feel she did well with what she was given, and I liked that the character’s voice would change deeper once the demonic vampire would take over her body. It reminded me a lot of the character Angela Franklin from the film 1988 film Night Of The Demons. And to be honest after seeing the first film, I went to Amazon and ordered the sequel as the film made me want to see more of what Jezebeth had in store for me! I think Damien Dante is a man who really stands behind his creation as he has gone all in on Jezebeth and not only did he make a sequel he also did a three episode TV Show, did a comic book as well as a novel series in the works showing that Damien is a man who loves the world and character he created, and to me that shows lots of heart and makes me respect this film a little more. While the film is far from perfect and is not a household name in horror, it is one that has heart from all those who made it and that counts for something. If you like horror movies that are like music videos, have lots of nudity, demonic vampires and rock music, then check out Jezebeth.

So now that we have talked about Jezebeth and the film that spawned her, we should now get to the indie horror comic that was released by Stigmata Studios in 2014 that brought her alive with ink on these pages. I would like to thank IndyPlanet for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind all you readers that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So with that, let’s crack open this diary and give it a read and see what this comic has in store for us.

Jezebeth # 1 **1/2
Released in 2014 Cover Price $2.99 Stigmata Studios # 1 of 1

At a club the all female band called The Sisters Of Solomon is on stage, and the crowd are loving them. The lead singer is Jezebeth, and she uses her powers to have two females meet her back stage and she and her band feed on their blood as her band is also made up of demonic vampire creatures. Meanwhile a female witch hunter crusader finds an abandon church that Jezebeth has taken over and has covered in satanic symbols. She summons a demon and with the power of God forces the creature to tell her where Jezebeth is hiding now. The demon alerts her that she is at another church making it her own. The female Crusader heads to the church and gears up in knights armor and rushes in and slaughters two of the band members before coming face to face with Jezebeth! As the two face off, Jezebeth uses her charm on the Crusader and makes her fall under her spell and then makes love to her breaking her bond with God and taking away her holy powers. Jezebeth thinks it funny and brags to the Crusader that her God has left her and with that the Crusaders uses her own sword to slit her wrists and as she is dying Jezebeth feeds on the warm blood.

This comic is a fast read and showcases the sinister power of the demon vampire known as Jezebeth and has her fronting an all female rock band and making old churches her home and even uses her powers to kill a Holy Crusader that was sent to kill her. Jezebeth uses her song lyrics as spells and is clearly traveling around America and using her satanic charms in order to lure women to her so that she can kill them and drink their blood. She is pure evil and even is strong enough to use her powers on holy warriors in order to corrupt them, and its crazy to think she loves being so evil! The other band members are evil as well and love to feed on the blood of those Jezebeth targets for death! And the Female Crusader Warrior comes from a long line of warriors who have fought and killed many witches, werewolves and other creatures over the centuries, but she is not ready for a demonic creature that is as strong as Jezebeth and her will is broken really fast and she is driven to suicide when her pure virginity is taken. The comic does a good job of capturing the weird and randomness of the film series and does a fantastic job of bring Jezebeth to the world of comic pages. The comic is also filled with blood and violent acts as well as some nudity making it a true horror comic. I also have to praise everyone involved in making this comic as I think more indie comic companies and indie horror film makers should team up and make comics like this as the world and readers need more comics based on horror films! The cover is pretty cool and is eye catching as it showcases both Jezebeth and the Female Crusader and draws you in with the design. The interior art is done by Jon Towers and is very classic indie comic style, and I have to say I like it as I find it raw and fitting for a comic based on this film. I think if you like the Jezebeth film series and TV show or even just like comics based on films, you should check this one out. Take a look at the artwork below to see the style of Towers and also see what Jezebeth looks like in this comic book.

Jezebeth the comic book was a fun read that helped add layers to the character that in this case I think the films left out and delivered a good horror comic based on a film that really did do justice to the over all character and universe created by Damien. While Jezebeth the film will not be every horror fan’s cup of tea it will bring joy to those who like cheesy Z-grade horror with hammy acting and a confusing and hole ridden plot. For our next update we are leaving Jezebeth behind and will be taking a look at The Crypt Keeper. I am not talking about the host of Tales From The Crypt, but I am talking about the hardcore Death Match wrestler from the late 1990’s! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next time as Crypt Keeper shows us some of his twisted tales of the wrestling ring.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Blacula (1972)

Posted on September 3, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update and this is also the start of our countdown to Halloween 2024! This one is going to be a truly spooky update as we will be chatting about the 1972 fright flick Blacula and the 2023 graphic novel based around it. It’s a great thing that Blacula has finally made his way to comic books as this is truly long overdue and he really should have gotten a comic series or at least an adaptation in the 70’s via Marvel, Dell or Charlton. I am really loving seeing so many classic horror films and even modern ones lately getting the comic book treatment as these comics help these characters live on in entertainment as well as give fans more of their favorites. I will never understand why indie filmmakers doing crowd funding never offer a comic book perk, it is just silly to me. So if you are ready, let’s travel to Los Angeles and see what Blacula has in store for us all.

To start off this update, let’s take a look at Blacula himself and his way of dealing death to the living! Blacula, who’s human name was Prince Mamuwalde was an African Prince around 1780 who was tricked and bitten by Count Dracula after a meeting at his castle. Dracula and turns Mamuwalde into a vampire and he’s given the name Blacula and is sealed in a coffin and his wife Luva is locked in a room with the coffin. It would be not until 1972 that Blacula would be discovered and he and his coffin sent to L.A. and his rise as a vampire king would start. Blacula has many ways of dealing death to his victims as first he is very charming and can use this charm to lure in females in order to drain their blood or make them into a vampire bride. He can also almost hypnotize you into trusting him and following his every word. While when looking normal he is a handsome man, but when he shows his vampire side his appearance shocks and scares those he comes in contact with. Blacula is stronger than a normal man and is able to shake off assault attacks, gunshots as well as even being hit by cars. He can also turn into a bat and fly away or faster to his targeted victim, not to even mention he can speak to people through their minds. He can also use his bare hands to kill a person but his main way of killing is his sharp teeth that he uses to drain the blood out of his victims or turn them into one of his mindless minions. But while Blacula is immortal for the most part he can still be killed by a stake to the heart, fire and of course sunlight like all vampires, and he can also be distracted by love as when a female reminds him of his deceased wife, he tends to make mistakes. Blacula’s anger as well as his need to cover his trail and what he is can also lead him to make mistakes that can lead to his true death. Blacula is a very powerful vampire with only maybe Dracula being more powerful than he, and that is why he is one of the most deadly undead monsters we have covered this far.

So as you can see, Blacula is a very powerful vampire and is one that is not only looking for his lost love but also to claim the throne of being the new King Of The Vampires. But now I think it’s time that we take a look at the 1972 film that he is from. And like always, we will be taking the film’s plot from our pals at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s see what horrors Prince Mamuwalde has in store for us.

Blacula (1972)

“An 18th century African statesman is transformed into a vampire, cursed with the name Blacula, and entombed in Dracula’s Castle after he fails to convince the Count to support him in his cause to end the slave trade. Two hundred years later, a pair of interior decorators transport his coffin to L.A. where he awakes with an unquenchable thirst for human blood. As Blacula pursues a woman who resembles his long dead wife, her brother-in-law, a pathologist, investigates the string of carnage that follows in the vampire’s wake.”

The 1970’s were a time for horror, cult, sci-fi and Blaxploitation films to shine at theaters and drive-in’s as they would show them and moviegoers seemed to not to be able to get enough. And one of the biggest producers of these type of films was Samuel Z. Arkoff who was another “King Of The B-Movies” along the likes of Roger Corman and Al Adamson and was known for such films as Teenage Caveman, Reptilicus, Fury Of Archilles, Die Monster Die, The Dunwich Horror, Abominable Dr. Phibes and so many more, and he teamed with Joseph T. Naar to create the film Blacula in 1972. The team of Joan Torres, Raymond Koenig and Richard Glouner were the script writers, and William Crain was brought in to direct and this was his first feature film as he had only worked on one episode of the TV Show Mod Squad before it. The producers then would hire such actors as Vonetta McGee, Denise Nicolas, Charles Macaulay, Emily Yancy and The Hues Corporation with William Marshall being hired to play Blacula, who is the world of cinema’s first Black vampire! Marshall as well worked along with the producers and crew to make sure Blacula was a powerful and respectable character. The film was shot in Los Angeles and filmed early in 1972 and once done Gene Page did the score that had a funk sound. Once done the film was released by American International Pictures (owned by Arkoff & James H. Nicholson) and hit theaters on July 26, 1972 and was meet with mixed reviews from critics but moviegoers liked it as the film would make over a million dollars and be one of 1972’s big hits. The film would spawn a sequel in 1973 called “Scream Blacula Scream” and would also start a rash of Blaxploitation Horror Films like “Blackenstein (1973)”,“Abby (1974)”, “Dr. Black And Mr. White (1976)”, “Black Devil Doll From Hell (1984)” and “Bones (2001)” to name a few, showing just how important Blacula is to the world of horror cinema. The film was released along side such other horror films as Tales From The Crypt, The Red Queen Kills Seven Times, Ben, Dracula A.D. 1972, Fury Of The Wolfman, Frogs, Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things, Last House On The Left, Horror Express, Vampire Circus, Rats Are Coming The Werewolves Are Here, Baron Blood, Moon Of The Wolf and Don’t Torture Duckling in 1972 and this is just a small amount released that year. The film is a cult classic and found even more fans via Cable TV and Home Media when released on those formats.

I am going to say it, I really do think that Blacula is one of the most underrated horror films of the 1970’s as it is often over looked and tossed aside mostly because people judge it by it’s name and not the quality of the film and that’s a shame as it is a very solid Horror film with a very cool vampire who has a hatred for his own creator Count Dracula. I saw this film when I was a very young kid as I believe it was playing on TBS and both my brother and I had to watch it, I am pretty sure my Dad as well watched it with us, and when the film was done I can remember playing with G.I. Joes and saying Roadblock was Blacula and he was on the prowl for some blood. The film is filled with some great classic style creepy moments and has a very 70’s feel and take on the Dracula story in general. The film’s score was also very different from the others at the time as Gene Page went more for a Funk sound over your normal eerie one, and this helped add to the L.A. feel of the fright flick. William Marshall was a very wise choice to play Prince Mamuwalde aka Blacula, as he is a fantastic actor and really did take the role seriously and delivers a powerful performance, as Marshall had been acting since the mid 1950’s and is known for his roles in such films and shows as Tarzan (1967), The Boston Strangler (1968), Abby (1974), Amazon Women On The Moon (1987) and Pee-Wee’s Playhouse (1993) where he was The King Of Cartoons! I have always had mad respect for William Marshall and he was truly an iconic actor and was truly apart of my childhood growing up as I had seen him in so many movies and shows. I also think that the film packs a few good scares as well as a very new take on the vampire folklore as it did a great job of bringing the classic monster into the 70’s setting. I also think that Blacula should have gotten more sequels as there were plenty of more tales they could have told with the character, and I do need to say that there is a rumor going around the a reboot to the series is in the works and while I wish William Marshall was still alive so he could have taken a role in the film I am interested to see what this film is like if it ever gets made. Say what you will about Blacula but for me it truly is one of 70’s best Horror Films and should be respected by fans just as much as Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Dawn Of The Dead to name a few.

So as you can see, Blacula is a film that you should check out and it was great that finally in 2023 he got his own comic book after all these decades of it truly being long overdue. And while I wish that the comic had been single issues and not a Graphic Novel, I am still happy to be reading it any way I can, and I truly hope that it is a great read as I have been looking forward to this since it was announced by Zombie Love. I would also like to thank Game Swap Kettering for ordering this GN for me and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s see what Blacula has in store for us in his first terror filled comic.

Blacula: Return Of The King GN ***
Released in 2023 Cover Price $19.99 Zombie Love # 1 of 1

In modern Los Angeles people have gone missing as vampires are stalking the streets at night and the name Blacula is being spray-painted around town. Tina Thomas is a blogger who is heading to the area that the disappearances are taking place and meets Kross, a man who is on the hunt for vampires! Meanwhile in Hell, Blacula is trying to get Lucifer to grant his request of returning to Earth and the ruler of Hell not granting his request. Kross informs Tina that he is the grandson of taxi driver and Blacula victim Juanita Jones and that he is now looking after young kids affected by the vampire attacks and his goal is to kill Blacula once and for all. Meanwhile Blacula has escaped Hell and is walking the Earth once more and even kills a group of gang members who try and hold him up. While Count Dracula is also around and lures a single mom working at a diner into his trap and drinks her blood even as she pleads for her life, and while draining all of the woman’s blood a news report about Blacula peeks his interest and he ends up calling in two redneck vampires to track down his vampire spawn and bring him back to him. While Kross along with his gang and Tina head to a graveyard looking for Blacula to kill, they only the find the vampire Juanita and they are forced to stake her, and worse Kross is shaken by this and this allows his grandfather who was also a vampire to escape. Meanwhile Blacula is stalking the streets on his quest to find Dracula and even kills a bunch of cops and when he finds safety he is thinks back to why he his killing his own race after he was always protecting them in his time as a Prince. As the two redneck vampires drive around asking fellow vampires if they have any clues to where Blacula is, he has been discovered by Tina, Kross and The Kids who end up listening to his tale of being turned into a vampire by Dracula and wants revenge…and the kids decide to help him! Blacula takes out the two redneck vampires that are tracking him and the kids stake Kross’s vampire grandfather and the group then heads to the location of Count Dracula and after taking out some of Dracula’s minions, Blacula finally gets his chance to fight with Dracula and after going back and fourth it’s Blacula that wins with a silver sword to the heart of Dracula! And after that Blacula leaves with Tina, Kross and the other kids with his future unknown. Meanwhile in Hell Lucifer is very mad about Blacula’s escape and with the help of a demon and Count Dracula himself they decide to send back a werewolf to Earth to get him back…and so this Graphic Novel ends on a cliffhanger.

First thing I have to say is that this Graphic Novel is pretty awesome and is a fantastic read and really does read like a sequel to the classic 1972 film and does so with respect for the character and his legacy and helps bring the Horror and complex nature of Blacula to the readers. The plot has Blacula escaping Hell in order to finally get his revenge on Count Dracula who is the one responsible for turning him into a vampire as well as taking his wife away from him. Also Count Dracula has lost all his wealth and is now hiding out in California and waiting for his spawn Blacula to attack now that he has returned…throw in some young adults who are hunting the vampire legends as well as Lucifer who is mad about the escape from Hell, and you have one heck of a great horror comic read! Blacula while a vampire, a killer and even a spreader of turning others into bloodsuckers feels bad about having to drain the blood of his own race in order to survive and truly hates what he has become as well as the name of Blacula as he would rather be called by his real name Prince Mamuwalde and not the name Dracula forced on him. Blacula also knows that he has angered Hell but does not care as he wants his revenge and even controls his anger and hunger when he meets a group of kids that are hunting him and other vampires down, and these kids are all effected by vampires as their families had been killed or turned by one causing them to want revenge of their own. Tina Thomas however is along for the ride as she is a blogger about the unknown and wanted to get to the bottom of the legend of Blacula and soon finds that the legend is true and she ends up helping him on his quest for revenge. Kross is also a interesting character as he is the grandson of the woman taxi driver that was bitten in turned in 1972 (as seen in the movie) and has made it his life goal to kill Blacula as well as bring together and watch over all the kids that have been effected by vampire attacks, and he ends up having a change of heart when he finally meets Blacula and soon decides to help him against Dracula’s horde. Speaking of Count Dracula, he is no longer surrounded by wealth and power and is now living in a trailer harvesting his own blood from victims and very bored with his immortal life, and is very much looking forward to a fight to the death against Blacula. And the final fight between Blacula and Dracula is fast paced it very much is a fun battle that leaves The Count dead and The Prince still feeling empty. The Graphic Novel does have some blood and violence and fans of Horror Comics will enjoy many of the kills that include lots of blood drinking and some stakes to the hearts of the undead. The cover is pretty dang great and creepy and has a raging Blacula showing his fangs of fright! The interior artwork is done by Jason Shawn Alexander and is great stuff and captures the mood of the film series as well as even the actors who played the characters. Over all this is a very cool and entertaining horror graphic novel read, and I cannot wait for the second volume as this one leaves us on a cliffhanger and we all want to see Blacula fight a werewolf and even possibly Lucifer himself who is pretty annoyed with the Vampire Prince who escaped the tortures of Hell! Do yourself a favor and if you like the film or just like vampire comics, give this a read as I am sure you will enjoy it. Checkout the artwork bellow to see the style of Alexander used in this comic.

Blacula: Return Of The King is a really great horror graphic novel that gave new media life to this classic iconic horror character from the 70’s. And with a new reboot sequel in the works (or so it’s said) I just wish William Marshall was still with us as it would have been great for him to see this rebirth and respect the character brought to life by him is now getting from modern horror fans. With that this From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update is over, but our time with horror is still going as our next update will take us to the Rotten Ink Arena as a “R.I.W Legend” update event will be taking place and will feature The ECW Zombie, so make sure to comeback for that one. So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as I wonder if The Zombie will cut one of his iconic moaning and groaning promos?

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Wolf Blood (1925)

Posted on May 2, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. This time around we will be taking a look at a silent horror film that is also very much a romantic drama that was made in 1925 and is the oldest surviving werewolf film known as of this update’s posting. I am talking about Wolf Blood, a film that is often overlooked when people speak of early silent horror cinema. Now this update is going to be a little different as Blood Scream Comics the company I own and am the editor-in-chief of is the one who released this comic series, so I will not be giving the issues any kind of star ratings as I feel that would be very cheesy of me to do so. So instead I am just going to talk about the plot of the issue and “review” what is going on after as well as some of the twists that we added to spice it all up. So with that, let’s hike ourselves into these woods and let’s talk about a werewolves and people who get blood from wolves!

Before we dive too deep into this spooky update, let’s take a look at the “werewolf” named Dick Bannister! Dick is the foreman at Ford Lumber in the woods of Canada and is kind of new at his post but does have the respect of his men as he shows them respect and gives them chances even after they make mistakes. He also knows some basic medical care, and when his men are injured, he cares for them or sends for help in order to truly treat them. He is a skilled fighter with his fists and he very loyal to his co-workers as well as his boss Edith Ford who he gets a crush on, even though she is set to be married to her doctor boyfriend soon. But after a bad fight that leaves Dick almost dying, he has the blood of a wolf transfused into him to stay alive and this is when he starts having some mental issues as people fear him when word gets out. He also starts to get more angry and violent as he thinks the wolves of the woods are calling to him. But even in his state of madness, he is not dangerous and does not kill a living soul and is more of a danger to himself as he almost leaps off a cliff! Not a danger to a living person at all and not a werewolf, Dick Bannister is just a normal man who for a brief time has a mental break and can be killed like any normal person from shooting, stabbing, beating or burning making him one of the weakest killers or monsters we have covered on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update…but while he might not be a killer, he does throw a mean punch and that has to count for something.

So while Dick Bannister might just be a man with a mental breakdown for a short time, he still made his mark on werewolves in cinema. And now let’s take a look at the film that he is from and that’s the 1925 film Wolf Blood. Like always, we will be taking the film’s write up from our pals at IMDB and after I will write about the film’s production and my thoughts. So if you are ready, let’s wander into those woods and keep our eyes open for wolves as we chat about this underrated silent horror classic.

Wolf Blood (1925)

“In this tale of the great Canadian forest, Dick Bannister, the new manager of the Ford Logging Company receives a transfusion of wolf blood, followed by strange reactions that he begins to think he is neither beast nor man.”

Wolf Blood is a silent film from 1925 that was produced by the Ryan Brothers and was released by Lee-Bradford Corporation. It was based on the story by Cliff Hill with the screenplay by Bennett Cohen. The film is set in Canada and is about two feuding lumber companies that lead to a man being injured and to save his life he gets a blood transfusion from a wolf and this causes people to think that he will turn into a werewolf after false rumors are spread around and this drives the man mad. The film is a mix of drama, horror and romance and directing the picture was the team of Bruce Mitchell and George Chesebro, who would also play the lead role of Dick Bannister. And sadly the horror aspect is really cut down as they focus more on the romance aspect. Other actors brought into the cast include Marguerite Clayton, Raymond Hanford, Milburn Morante and Frank Clark. The main star George Chesebro was known for being a western actor and would have a very long career in Hollywood and would pass away on May 28, 1959 at the age of 70 and was pretty much active almost to his death. The film, while a werewolf film, more plays up on the mental madness of a man after getting some wolf blood to stay alive. He thinks that he is becoming a wolf even chasing after phantom wolves that act as his pack, so those who are looking for a transformation will be disappointed. The film was met with mixed reviews, and to this day it has that same reaction as many enjoy the simple story of love finding a way, while others wanted more scares with their horror. The film was released with such other horror films in 1925 as The Phantom Of The Opera, The Lost World, The Monster and The Unholy Three to name a few. While not a full fledged horror movie, thanks to home media this film as gained a cult following over the decades. And at some point I will be doing a Forgotten Reels update about this film.

I am going to start off saying that I am a big fan of Wolf Blood and can see what impact it had on early werewolf cinema as it deals with the mental strain that a person goes through when they fear the moon and what they may become once the beast side takes over. Actor George Chesebro plays the role of Dick Bannister so well that you believe his confusion and pain throughout his mental breakdown. I really think that George Chesebro is a silent actor that should get more credit as he was fantastic at his art and had that classic Hollywood leading man look. Actress Marguerite Clayton plays Edith Ford in this film, and she has that classic beauty to her. She does a great job in the film as many of the film’s key moments also fall on her performance, and she knocks it out of the park as she and Chesebro seemed to have good chemistry on the screen. And yes, I would have loved to have seen an early transformation from man to wolf in this film, but I can also step back and enjoy that the film plays more up on the mental disease of lycanthropy as well as the power of persuasion of how planting a seed in someone’s mind can grow to truly affect them and others around them as they might believe a little white lie that will grow into a full fledged nightmare. While the horror elements of the film are pushed to the back in order to play up the romance aspect of love can conquer all, there are still some truly great moments that are spooky for the time like Dick’s decent into the madness and even the phantom wolves that run around the woods can add a classic chill to viewers of the more early horrors of the world. One aspect that makes me laugh when watching this film that Edith Ford and Doctor Eugene Horton are slated to be married and quickly Edith falls for Dick Bannister and by the end of the film Edith acts as if Eugene owes Dick the apology for telling a lie that the wolf blood might effect him to her that Dick overhears…when in this film Dick steals Eugene’s lady, chokes him and without Eugene he would be dead…owed an apology indeed! The film’s finale is also very well done as Dick who is filled with madness after thinking he killed a man who was found dead in the woods runs with his phantom wolf pack to the edge of a cliff. If not for Edith, the crazed man would have fallen to his death, but it is she who holds him back and risks her own safety. This is such a fun film that is a quick watch as it only runs a little over an hour. While it’s not as iconic as many other silent horror films, I do think that it is one that is often over looked. If you have interest in seeing it you can find it on YouTub,e but I would suggest watching it on Physical Media as you can get it on DVD from Alpha Video or Grapevine Video. While not fully horror, I feel the aspects are there and because of its ties to early werewolf cinema it’s worth a watch for sure.

Now that we talked about not only the film Wolf Blood but also Dick Banister, the man who thought he was cursed to become a wolf, I think it’s time we talk a little about the comic based on the film by Blood Scream Comics that was written by me! That’s right, I wrote the story and along with artist Jeff Potter, did the dialogue. And boy did we make some changes, but I will save that for the “review” part of this update. Like I said before and just like with The Giant Gila Monster, I will not be giving these comics any kind of star rating as that just seems silly as I worked on the comic. But I wanted to cover this comic for two reasons: I am a fan of the film and wanted to chat about it and the other being that I had a blast working on this comic series and wanted to share it with you readers. I would like to thank Jeff Potter for creating this comic alongside me for Blood Scream Comics and making this update possible. I should also warn you that this will spoil some of the big surprises we have in this comic adaptation so you have been warned: read on at your own risk. So of you are ready, let’s head into the woods of Canada and see if we can find the old Ford Lumber Company so that we can talk about the tale that is known as Wolf Blood.

Wolf Blood # 1
Released in 2022 Cover Price $3.99 Blood Scream # 1 of 2

The Ford Lumber Company and Consolidated Lumber Company are at war with each other in the woods of Canada as they are very close to one another and their mangers Dick Bannister and Jules Deveroux have different ways of dealing with the job as Bannister wants his people to work safe and Deveroux is giving orders to his men to sneak into the woods and shoot to wound the lumberjacks that work for Ford. After another attack and having to give the camp’s guard, Pop Hadley who has a track record of drinking too much and passing out, another chance, Bannister sends a message to the Ford Company’s owner that they need help as well as need a doctor to take care of these bullet wounds. And meanwhile in a small town bar Deveroux and his men celebrate the attack and even attack an old man looking for work and his son at the bar just to be cruel. The call for help is answered as Ford Lumber owner Edith Ford, her doctor fiancé Eugene Horton as well as her Uncle head to the camp and start helping the wounded. This is when Bannister sees that his boss is a beautiful young woman, and he falls in love with her fast. Bannister at this time also is almost stabbed and crushed by a tree by Jacques Lebeq, who is a bootlegger and has been entering the camp and selling his liquor to his workers, and this makes the two men truly hate one another. Late at night Edith Ford also hears the howls and growls of the wolves that are all around in the woods, and this frightens her as it reminds her of a time in the city when an unknown man stalked her in the streets until she got home, and this is a story she shared with Bannister the next day after they toured the camp. As Bannister and Edith head into town with the camp’s Cook, the wolves attack and slaughter one of the Consolidated Lumber Company’s lumberjacks. In town Edith tells Bannister that she is to be married to Eugene and that their attraction needs to stop, and this breaks Bannister’s heart as once back at the camp he goes alone to investigate the Consolidated Lumber Company and learns that they are building a dame to block the Ford lumber on the river. When Deveroux sees Bannister, he orders his men to kill him, and after a big fight, Bannister is beaten badly and then tossed off a cliff where he is then bitten by wolves! When Bannister does not return, Pop and the lumberjacks set out to find him and it’s Eugene that finds Bannister who is dying from blood loss and is able to get the wounded man to a cabin that is owned by Jacques Lebeq who refuses to give his blood to save Bannister and the Doctor has to make the decision to use the blood of a wolf to save his life. The next day Eugene is able to get Bannister back to the Ford Camp where he is able to recover and tells Edith that he is in love with her! The next day Edith, Eugene and Pops all head into town when Jacques Lebeq enters the Ford Camp and spreads the rumor that Bannister is a werewolf due to the wolf blood, and this causes the Lumberjacks to riot and armed with axes they kill the Uncle and as the moon gets full Bannister turns into a werewolf and busts out of a cabin looking to kill!

This was such a fun issue to work on, and the plot is simple as we have two feuding lumber camps at war with one another and things get out of hand when attempted murder comes into play and that act causes a good man to have to get wolf blood in his veins and this turns him into a beast at the Full Moon! You also have a love story brewing as Edith Ford must choose her doctor fiancé or her new love, the rugged lumber boss that works for her company. And we leave you on a big cliffhanger as the Ford Lumberjacks are armed with axes and are worked up into a fearful rage of their boss who now is a werewolf with bloodlust in his eyes. Dick Bannister is a good man that is a great boss as well as will fight for the rights and lives of his men. He also is tough as nails and is a good fist fighter and has the heart of a champion…he also has a soft spot and that is his boss and the lumber company owner Edith Ford who seems to be all he can think about after meeting her. Bannister also proves he has the will to live as after being beaten badly, thrown from a cliff, bitten by wolves and getting a blood transfusion from a wolf, he still lives…but he is also now cursed to live his life as a werewolf! Edith Ford is a kind hearted woman who owns a big company and has a fiancé that is a doctor, but while her life sounds perfect, it is not as she is confused as she finds herself loving Bannister who is her employee. She is also living with a secret that she does not share with many and that is she fills her life with late night parties with friends out of fear as she was one night stalked by Nosferatu! Pops Hadley is a drunk that is trying to change after he failed at his job and allowed workers to be shot. Eugene Horton is a good doctor who helps the wounded and saves Bannister’s life, and Cook really loves talking about the deals he got on food from town! The comic has three real “bad guys” as first you have Jules Deveroux, a scumbag who is a bully and also a coward who gives orders to hurt and kill others that stand in his way. You have the bootlegger Jacques Lebeq who sells his liquor as well tries to kill Bannister and sets up the Ford workers to turn on their boss. And lastly you also have to say that the wolves are one of the biggest dangers in those woods as they kill anyone that they can surround and rip to shreds. The comic is very bloody and the kills are gory with my favorite kill in this issue being the death of lumberjack Henrique who is ripped apart by a pack of wolves! The cover is really cool and the art was done by Jeff Potter with the colors by Jason Gilmore and the interior art is done by Potter and is 100% what I was looking for when I wrote this adaptation story. To sum it up, this was a blast to write and is one of the Blood Scream Comics projects that I am the most proud of! Now let’s talk about the second issue in this series and see how this twisted tale of love, horror and lumber ends!

Wolf Blood # 2
Released in 2022 Cover Price $3.99 Blood Scream # 2 of 2

Dick Bannister is now a werewolf and is killing all the Ford Lumber Camp workers and his howling has also brought the wolves to join in the bloodshed. Giovanni is a lumberman who runs past the bodies of his friends and finds an old train freight car in the woods and uses it as shelter to get away from the werewolf and his wolf minions. While at the cabin of Jacques Lebeq the bootlegger has a visitor; he is selling Deveroux the boss of Consolidated Lumber tons of whiskey as he wants to have his workers to celebrate the downfall of Dick Bannister, but the two are quickly greeted by the werewolf who bites the head off Deveroux and then burns the face of Lebeq on the stove before throwing his body to the wolves to be ripped apart. The next morning Edith Ford, Eugene Horton and Pop Hadley arrive back at camp to find the massacre, and when Eugene finds Dick still alive and asleep in bed, he tells the others the truth about the wolf blood flowing through the veins of Dick and that maybe he did turn and cause all this death! Pop does not want to hear it and heads into the woods to hunt the wild animals he thinks did the killing while Edith tells Eugene that she is in love with Bannister and wants to be with him, and the confused lumber man hears this all and runs into the woods as he does not want to change in the coming full moon and hurt anyone else, and Edith goes after him. Meanwhile a lumberjack from Consolidated rides up and says that they are closing down for good after they found the mangled bodies of Deveroux and Lebeq and he warns Eugene and Edith that they should leave as well. As Giovanni takes supplies from the now dead Lebeq’s home in order to survive and wait for help in the rail car, while Eugene thinks of his life without Edith and decides to end it with one bullet. Meanwhile in the woods Edith runs into Pops, and they two are surrounded by wolves. As Pops tries to fight them off, he is overwhelmed and ripped to shreds as Edith runs from them and ends up meeting the werewolf and she knows that her love Bannister really is a beast now…she tries to talk to him to bring the human side back…she fails and gruesomely pays with her life. The next night Dick Bannister is back human and is about to leap off a cliff to end his life when he is stopped by Nosferatu himself, Count Orlock, who informs him that he has need of a man with his talents.

The second issue of Wolf Blood is all about the slaughter as our hero Dick Bannister truly loses control and becomes a werewolf and slaughters almost all his workers (minus one who escapes and hides away in a steel trail freight car) and after he is done making Ford Lumber a slaughterhouse who makes sure to swing by his enemies home and kill both of those who wished him death as a man with that being Deveroux and Lebeq who are both killed very brutally. And even a little later in the issue the werewolf rips apart his true love and allows his wolves to attack and kill his best friend Pops! And all of these werewolf and wolves attacks are done super gory to truly show you the savage nature of these creatures as their bloodlust is out of control and it also shows that once the moon is full the caring and hard working Dick Bannister is not longer in control and in his place is a killing machine that wants to annihilate all that’s in his path. And poor Doctor Eugene Horton is another victim of Dick Bannister and while he is not killed by razor sharp teeth and claws he is broken spiritually as his whole world is taken away by Bannister as he steals his lady love away, and she cruelly has fallen out of love with the man who has given her everything…and he thinks his only way to find a way to end his pain is by a self inflicted gunshot to the head. Deveroux and Lebeq are truly two scumbags who enjoyed trying to not only take Dick Bannister’s life but also try to ruin everything about him, but they really do get their comings when the werewolf comes howling around and they find themselves begging for their lives to the one person who is now a creature that they never showed any mercy to. Poor Pops Hadley stays loyal to his friend Bannister and does not believe the tales of him being a werewolf, and even before dying by a pack of wolves, he still tries to save the life of Edith…poor drunk old fool. You have to also feel bad for Cook as he is killed during the slaughter at the Ford Lumber Camp, and by the looks of it, he really was ripped apart! And for those wondering about the fate of Giovanni, you will find out what comes of him in a future comic as his tale is not yet finished and his fate is yet to be shared. This issue really was a blast to work on as artist Jeff Potter and myself were able to showcase the idea of Bannister becoming a fully fledged werewolf, something sadly the classic silent film did not do as they played up more on the aspects of it all being in his feverish mind. And while the first issue was bloody, we upped the gruesome level to 11 with this second issue! I am sure you also have noticed that in the Silent Film Universe by Blood Scream Comics, the one and only Count Orlock has been appearing and is almost recruiting people for some sort of sinister plan, and this will unfold in every issue of these comics based on Silent Horror Films. The cover for this issue showcases The Werewolf as well as Edith Ford and the colors by Jason Gilmore make it pop! The interior art is done by Jeff Potter who is a fantastic artist and who has brought many comic alive for Sparkle and Blood Scream Comics as his work includes such titles as Adventure Man, Curse Of The Beast, Spring Heeled Jack, Eternal Sleep, Farmer Joe and Shocking Macabre Theater, to name a small few. The way Potter draws the werewolf is fantastic and reminds me of the classic Creepy and Eerie Magazines, and the gore we draws rivals that of the indie horror comics from the late 80’s and early 90’s. While Nosferatu # 1 started the Silent Universe for Blood Scream Comics the Wolf Blood series is amping up the chills and blood spills, and this is just the start as you readers have not seen nothing yet. Check out the art work from Potter below to see his style in this series.

So as you can see, we truly put the horror first in this reimagining of Wolf Blood as we have Dick Bannister turning full force into a werewolf and he ends up killing everyone at the Ford Lumber Camp and also his true love Edith Ford, and by the end is taken away by Nosferatu himself Count Orlock as this is just one of several issue we have in store for you as Jeff Potter and I have more twisted tales in our Silent Universe to bring you! We released “Haunted House 1908” for Halloween 2023, and we screened the movie with a new score by musician Todd The Fox at Horrorama! If you have interest in ordering Wolf Blood # 1 and 2 you can do so here, while it remains in print that is. And yes, I will also do a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update for Haunted House 1908 as I love sharing my love for silent horror cinema with you readers. Well as you can see, this update has come to an end and for our next update we will be heading to the world of cartoons as we will be talking about the 1966 Captain America series. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a silent horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. Oh and remember when Captain America throws his mighty shield, All those who chose to oppose his shield must yield!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Nightwing (1979)

Posted on October 31, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink, and Happy Halloween! For this update, we are heading to the desert of New Mexico and will have to be on the watch out for a pack of wild killer bats as we have a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update about a 1979 Horror Film that got a Fotonovel as well as tanked at the America box office. I am of course talking about Nightwing! This spooky nature Horror flick was slated to be a massive hit but after failing to bring in moviegoers turned into an almost forgotten dud. But here at Rotten Ink we are going to give Nightwing some respect and showcase that even films that are not solid gold should and could have gotten the comic book treatment. So let’s keep our eyes on the sky and head into the desert and look at those killer bats that make up Nightwing.

The Vampire Bats are the death dealers to humans in Nightwing, and these flying creatures have many ways to end lives, so let’s take a look at their methods of killing. The bats’ main source of dealing damage is their razor sharp teeth that can puncture skin and leave bite marks that can make the victim lose blood as they go down to the bone, causing pain and could lead to death. They can fly and are super fast as they catch up to a running human with ease. They can also use sonar hearing to pinpoint the location of their intended victim, and because of this sonar, they can even see in the dark. They drain and drink the blood of their victims and could even spread sickness like the plague that kills humans very painfully. They also attack in massive packs and swarm their victims and keep on biting and causing the human targets to panic and lead to accidents as fear takes over. But while these Vampire Bats are very dangerous, they can be killed easily as they are just living creatures, so you can smash them, burn them, shoot them, stab them, gas them, poison them and any other way you could kill a living animal. Also noises and frequencies can throw off their sonar and cause them to be confused. While they might not be the most deadly or vicious killers we have covered on a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update, one thing is for sure they are mean cold blooded killers that attack in packs and spread sickness and death.

So as you can see, these bats are deadly and are thirsty to murder. Now let’s take a look at the film these little night creatures are from. The film’s write up will be taking from our pals at IMDB and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s chat about the 1979 fright film Nightwing.

Nightwing (1979)

“A colony of vampire bats terrorize a small Indian community in New Mexico. Standard “Nature goes berserk” plot takes a twist toward the end when supernatural forces are discovered working through the bats.”

Jaws was one of the biggest Horror Movies of the 1970’s, and when it was unleashed on movie goers in 1975, many other filmmakers and writers rushed to cash in on the Nature Run Amok film craze as theaters and drive-ins were flooded with films like Grizzly (1976), King Kong (1976), Orca (1977) and Piranha (1978) to name a few. In 1977, a novel called Nightwing was written by Martin Cruz Smith about killer bats, and in 1979 the novel was turned into a feature film! Martin Ransohoff would produce the film and the team of Martin Cruz Smith, Bud Shrake and Steve Shagan wrote the movie script, and they thought that they could have the next mega summer movie hit on their hands. Columbia Pictures would come on board to distribute the film and Arthur Hiller would direct. He was known for films like The Out-Of-Towners (1970), Silver Streak (1976) and W.C. Fields And Me (1976) and was not known for directing Horror at all. The film was shot in New Mexico and special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi would do the bats for the film, and he had made a name for himself on the films King Kong and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. Actors brought into the cast was Nick Mancuso, David Warner, Ben Piazza, Stephen Macht and George Clutesi and the score was done by Henry Mancini who is known for his work on the Friday The 13^th film series and other music from Kenny Rogers and Crystal Gayle was used in the film. The film would be released in theaters on June 22, 1979 and was such a bomb at the box office that it was taken off screens really fast after its release the film was panned by critics and fans alike. The film in 1979 was released with other Horror Movies like Zombi 2, Alien, Amityville Horror, Phantasm, Tourist Trap, Driller Killer, When A Stranger Calls, Dracula, Savage Weekend, The Brood, Prophecy and many more, and I think that’s why it was lost in the shuffle as 79 was a good year from Horror Flicks! But in more recent times the film is starting to gain a cult following thanks the it getting a DVD and Blu-Ray release allowing fans to rediscover it.

Nightwing is one of those movies I remember watching when I was a kid but over the years had forgotten all about it. I am sure I saw the film on TBS or USA when I first seen it and was always into the Nature Runs Amok Horror Films from that time. The thing about Nightwing is that because it failed so bad at the box office as well as did not get much fanfare when released on home media is just kind of slipped through the cracks for many, I mean most of my friends who are pretty big fans of Horror Films have never even heard of this film showing that over the decades Columbia Pictures has done a really bad job of promoting and getting this film seen by fans of the genre. Bats have always been a symbol for fear in American as they are used in Halloween decorations, horror themed video games as enemies, have been the subject of other spooky films, and are always a symbol of the vampire. That is why it’s shocking that in the 70’s a film like this would bomb at the box office as moviegoers seemed to love the Horror Genre at this time and films based with animals as the killers were all the rage, but then again, this could have lead to this film failing as the market was flooded with these films and it could have been lost in the shuffle or just viewers had fatigue over these films and had enough. And the thing that they did with Nightwing to try and keep it different is add a layer of supernatural horror to the mix and you have to respect that they tried to make it standout from the pack. While Nightwing is not a household name for 99% of fans, those Horror fans that dig deep into the well and love classic Nature Runs Amok fright flicks they know the cheesy delight that is this film. And I watched this film again after not seeing it for decades and I have to say I really enjoyed it, as I liked the characters, the vampire bats and the effects are super silly and yet charming and the score is really great work from Henry Mancini and I made sure to order the score CD that same day.

So now that we have taken a few moments to talk about the film as well as the killer bats in the film, I think that it’s our time to take a look at this photo comic novel based on it. I have to say that I do wish that more companies would take the time to make comics based on Horror Movies and while I would prefer ones that are drawn, even photo comics would do and if you are a Horror moviemaker please get in contact with a comic artist and get a comic made based on your fright flick. And with that I want to thank LaCreeperieBookshop on Etsy for having this Fotonovel in stock and making this update possible. I want to also remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, grab a fly swatter as this is bat country and we are taking a walk through it.

Nightwing # 1 **1/2
Released in 1979 Cover Price $2.75 Fotonovel # 1 of 1

Early in the morning Abner, a tribe’s priest calls out for help to protect his people, and he tells deputy Youngman Duran that the old ways need to rise and that people need to die in order to protect them, and because Abner raised Duran like a son he ignores it. Later on a Hopi Indian reservation in New Mexico, a horse is found with bite marks all over its body and the deputy Youngman Duran is called in but quickly leaves when tribal councilman Walker Chee shows up and takes over the investigation with the none tribal law. Duran’s girlfriend is Anne Dillon who works what she can medicine and she might be leaving town to learn more and this stresses Duran who truly loves her. More animals turn up dead and they have the same bites and worse Anne is taking a Missionary Group out into the desert and are going to a rain dance that is happening soon. While Adner is found dead and has the same bite marks, and when buried by Duran he witnesses the body bleeding and later it even goes missing from its grave. And he also meets Phillip Payne, a man whose whole mission is to kill vampire bats as the alerts the deputy that they are what is causing the deaths. Meanwhile Walker Chee and some tycoons want to start drilling for oil and gas on the sacred mountains, even after Payne warns them that the bats are spreading a deadly plague in their bites and Duran wants nothing to do with it and is not told of the danger of the bats by Chee. Anne’s group she is leading is attacked by the bats and three of the members die and one dies later from the bites as Anne is stuck out in the desert during a heat wave, and the tribe council are the ones who dug up Abner and they all pass away from being near the body that had the plague do to the bat bites and are found by Duran who is at odds with Chee over his handling of this situation and his pure goal of getting the gas. In the end Duran finds Payne and the two save Anne and then the three end up stopping the vampire bats in their cave by setting the oil on fire and burning them alive and stopping the drilling as this fire will forever burn.

This is a pretty fun photo comic novel that captures the slow burn pace of the film and delivers the chills of the Vampire Bat attacks and the lore of the Native America legends that fuel the subplot of the story of if Adner has cursed the tribe and mankind and brought the plague and bats that is killing the tribe as well as the animals. Our hero is deputy Youngman Duran a man who is the law and walks a line between modern beliefs as well as that of the old, he even uses the datura root to see into the spirit world and does a ceremony to close a circle around a painting that ends up setting the fire that kills off the bats as well as saves the land from oil drilling. Anne Dillon is a good woman who has a big heart and who loves her boyfriend Duran but also wants to learn medicine more in order to help the tribe, she also does what she can to save lives and even stands with her man in the end against a cave full of blood thirsty plague caring bats. Phillip Payne is a strange man but is also a good man as his goal is to kill all Vampire Bat clan he can as he knows the death and danger they bring, and he as well is a hero who does what he must in order to save lives. Councilman Walker Chee is a man who is more worried about money and power and does not do the right thing when it comes to these Vampire Bat attack and deaths, and this shows that he is driven by greed but hides behind the word that he is doing this to better the tribe. The Vampire Bats are vicious and attack in packs and bite and spread their disease like crazy, and they attack man, woman, child and beast and there is hundreds of them! The story is slow paced and for those looking for lots of Vampire Bat attacks you do not get a lot just like in the movie you get a small amount as the story is more of a character driven movie and is about our main leads and how they all interact with one another during this emergency and matter of life and death. The photo comic novel is pretty much bloodless and the Horror moments come with the attack as well as the shocking deaths of those attacked and infected. This also does a good job of capturing the film on the pages and the cover does not scream Horror at all, but it is still really cool. Check out the photo below to see the style of this novel, and to sum it up if you like the film you should also enjoy this Photo Comic based on it.

Nightwing is one of those forgotten gems of Horror from the late 70’s, and I feel it is overlooked by many do to the fact that it is a very slow moving film and the effects are very dated and cheesy even for that time in cinema. But I do find that it was well acted and the idea of plague spreading Vampire Bats seems fitting for these modern times in the world. And while Photo Comics are not for everyone, I really am starting to warm up to them and have enjoyed reviewing many on this blog and make sure to check out my update for “Love At First Bite,” another Fotonovel release. Well as you can see, we made it out of this bat attack and will be leaving them behind as our next update will take us to the world of Horror Hosts as we spend some time with NJ host Angus! So once more Happy Halloween and make sure to read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! Oh and also watch out for crazed bats as who knows what they are up to this spooky night!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Love At First Bite (1979)

Posted on September 23, 2022 by bloodlinematt

It’s almost October and that means we are so close to Halloween 2022 and I have to bring you readers and friends another Countdown To Halloween update and of course that also means another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update and for this one I choose one of my favorite Horror Comedy films that I have enjoyed sense I was a kid and was even released the year I was born in 1979, a film that spoofs Count Dracula and I am talking about Love At First Bite a super silly, super fun look at Dracula coming to New York. And something I am sure many of you are not aware of is that Love At First bite was given the Photo Comic treatment in a paperback book, and that’s what we will be reviewing! So if you are ready lets put on our best cape, slick back our hair and head to a New York dance club and see what Count Dracula is up to as I proudly bring to you From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Love At First Bite!

Lets take a look at the one and only Count Dracula from this film and his way of dealing with humans that cross his path or ones he sets his sights on to become one of his vampire brides. Count Dracula has many ways of dealing with the living like he can change into a bat or dog and cause fear and chaos to those that cross him. He can use his cool and calm voice to help put his victim into a trance and make them do his bidding like fall asleep. He also has the ability to control devises like phones and TVs causing distractions and cutting off those from calling for help. He can call on “The Children Of The Night” like bats, rats and wolves to use against his victims, as he can also call on his faithful butler Renfield to help attack, get information from and subdue the target. He can also use a very powerful breath to push back against attackers as well as keep them off balance making them easier to bite. He has a super charm that makes humans feel at ease as well as draws them to him. And his main way to deal death is via his sharp fangs that he can drain the blood of his victim or even turn said person into a vampire and be under his control. But Dracula does have weaknesses like sunlight that will burn him up, he also can be killed with fire as well as a stake to his heart, he can also be stunned by a cross and garlic as both are very irritating to him. He also is very much out of touch with the times, is egotistical and sarcastic and this also leads him to trouble and can give his attackers a chance to stop him once and for all. Also this version of Count Dracula lacks the killer instinct and makes him less likely to take an innocent life and therefore not a massive threat as all he wants is love from his chosen lady, and that as well is a weakness. While this Count Dracula is not the most dangerous creature I have covered here on Rotten Ink he still is one that can deal death as well as charm the pants off any woman he wants.

Count Dracula from Love At First Bite is more of a lover then a killer but we have to keep in mind he still is a blood drinking vampire so he is dangerous. Now that we have taken a look at Count Dracula lets now take a look at the movie he is from and I will be taking the films plot from our friends at IMDB and will then write about the films production as well as my thoughts on it. So if you are ready lets take a night on the town with Count Dracula in New York!

Love At First Bite (1979)

“This vampire spoof has Count Dracula moving to New York to find his Bride, after being forced to move out of his Transylvanian castle. There with the aid of assistant Renfield, he stumbles through typical New York City life situations while pursuing Cindy Soundheim. But her boyfriend, Doctor Jeff Rosenberg, realizes she is under the influence of a vampire, and tries his bumbling best to convince police Lt Ferguson of what is going on, and to help him stop Dracula.”

This Horror Comedy started out when George Hamilton was doing an impression of Bela Lugosi for screenwriter Robert Kaufman and the pair laughed and decided that they should write a Romantic Horror Comedy that was about Count Dracula! The story they created had Count Dracula in New York during the 70’s falling in love with a woman who is engaged. When shopping the script around Melvin Simon was interested and bought the script for $1000,000.00 and while he was only a man who made his money from shopping malls he had a passion for films. Melvin Simon was the money man behind many cult classic films like The Manitou, When A Stranger Calls, The Stunt Man, Zorro The Gay Blade and all three Porky’s films, but later in life Melvin Simon would say producing films was a mistake as he lost millions of dollars doing so. When casting of course actor George Hamilton was hired to play Count Dracula and actress Susan Saint James was hired to play his love Cindy Sondheim and fellow actors Richard Benhamin, Dick Shawn, Arte Johnson and Ralph Manza were brought on to complete the main cast. The director brought on was Stan Dragoti who would go on to direct Mr. Mom and Charles Bernstein was hired to do the score, and he would go on to score such films as The Enity, Cujo, A Nightmare On Elm Street, Deadly Friend, April Fool’s Day and Rumpelstiltskin. The film brought in $43,900,000.00 at the box office on a $3 million dollar budget and was the 13^th highest grossing film in 1979 in America. It was released alongside other Horror Movies that year like The Amityville Horror, Phantasm, Tourist Trap, Nosferatu The Vampyre, Alien, Driller Killer and The Brood to name a few. The film was met with mostly positive reviews from critics and fans and was the top grossing indie film until the release of Amityville Horror that same year. The film would gain a following when released on cable and home media and is still well loved by classic Horror Comedy fans to this day.

Love At First Bite no joke was a film that I have loved sense I was a kid and I cannot count how many times I watched it when it aired on HBO or regular TV! I can remember laughing at how silly the film was and this flick also made me a life long fan of actor George Hamilton as he was perfectly silly as Dracula and played the part straight faced for the most part no matter how goofy the world around him started to get. And for years a rumor has been going around that a Love At First Bite sequel was in the works and that George Hamilton got the rights for the film back in 2009 and it would take place in modern times and have Count Dracula going to Hollywood for his sons wedding and meeting the brides family that are TV preachers…sadly as of this update the film has not been made. The scene in Love At First Bite that always gets me is when the character Dr. Jeffrey Rosenberg goes to visit his one time fiancé Cindy Sondheim at her apartment and she tells him that she is marring Count Dracula and were they have registered for wedding gifts and he is a rage is screaming about how they will get nothing from him as he leaves on the elevator, no kidding I laugh every time. Also actor Arte Johnson who plays Renfield does a great job of being creepy, spooky and his laugh is based on Dwight Fryes with a touch of his own style. Richard Benjamin who plays Dr. Rosenberg is hysterical and next to Dracula almost steals the show with his crazy humor. And even Susan Saint James is funny as hell as Cindy Sondheim, and Susan I remember mostly from TV Show “Kate & Allie” as I remember my parents use to watch that one in the 80’s. I think that when it comes to straight Horror Comedies I would place Love At First Bite over such films as Dracula Dead And Loving It, Shaun Of The Dead and Dead Don’t Die but would say its not as funny as Young Frankenstein and Zombieland to name a few on both sides of the fence. If you like Dracula, Horror Comedies, George Hamilton and just having a good time make sure to check out love At First Bite.

So as you can see Dracula from Love At First Bite is both dangerous as well as humorous and this really is a fun and silly film that I am glad got the Photo Comic treatment so that I can make this From Horror Movie To Horror Comic possible. I would like to also thank an Ebay seller for having this FotoNovel in stock. I would also like to remind you readers that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready lets head to New York and spend some time with Count Dracula.

Love At First Bite # 1 **1/2
Released in 1979 Cover Price $2.75 Fotonovel # 1 of 1

Count Dracula is in his castle in Transylvania with his assistant Renfield who delivers the mail including a fashion magazine that has model Cindy Sondheim on the cover and Dracula has fallen in love with her even though he never meet her, but yet maybe he has because her soul is an old one and keeps being reborn! At one point in time Cindy was even Mina Harker and many other loves of Dracula. Later that night Dracula get a visit from the Government who informs him that he must leave his castle as they are taking it over as a training camp for athletes. In two days time Dracula walks to his carriage as the towns people insult him and this forces him to use his breath to keep them at bay. Dracula and Renfield head to New York to find Cindy and while in his coffin in the luggage area Dracula tries to read up on the lingo of the 70’s in order to fit in. And once in New York a mix up happens and Renfield takes the wrong coffin with him to the hotel and Dracula ends up in a church in Harlem and has a run in with some people before finally finding his hotel and Renfield. The next day Renfield gets Cindy’s location from her agent thanks to his pet cobra and Dracula shows up and when held back by the cops as Cindy models he turns into a dog and gets close to her, but it taken to the pound for his efforts. Dracula is depressed as he drank the blood of a drunken homeless man that made him sick and has decided to just give up, that is until Renfield gives him the address of a club that Cindy is at and when meeting her the two fall in love and start an affair as Cindy is the girlfriend of Doctor Jeff Rosenberg who is a descendent of Van Helsing and when he notices the bite on the neck of Cindy he knows he has to stop Dracula before biting two more times as if he does so she will be damned to be a vampire forever. Cindy is in love with Dracula and while at a dinner out Jeff comes along and he and Dracula have a showdown at the dinner table, and their argument leaves Cindy to leave the pair and Jeff alerts Dracula to who is bloodline is. Later that night Dracula comes to Cindy’s apartment and tries to bite her for the second time but sunrise stops him, and this causes Jeff to have to try and get the help from the police and even breaks into Dracula’s hotel room and sets his coffin on fire with him still inside! Jeff is then arrested and taken to an Asylum and once out he tracks down Cindy and Dracula at a restaurant and shoots three silver bullets into the chest of Dracula and this attack fails and causes Cindy to faint and as Jeff is arrested Dracula takes his soon to be bride away and bites her for the second time. Jeff is taken back to the asylum and along with the cops tries to stop Dracula from taking Cindy back to England for the third time, and they even have a run in with Renfield. In the end Jeff confronts Dracula at the airport but before he can drive a stake through his heart Dracula bites Cindy for the third time and the pair turn into bats and fly off into the night as Jeff can do nothing but watch, and well take Dracula’s cape that he left behind.

This is a fun Photo Comic Novel that does a pretty great job of capturing the film’s goofy nature, but in comic form I do have to stress that much of the film’s humor is lost and does not pack the belly laughs. The plot is very simple: Dracula is kicked out of his castle and comes to New York to fund a Super Model he has a love for only to win her heart and must fight off her boyfriend and the cops in order to have his blood drinking happy ending with the love of his afterlife. Count Dracula is a vampire who is sick of being lonely and finds his true love in a model form New York and travels to try and win her heart, and yes along the way drinks a little blood from those who are in his way. He is not pure evil, but does have a little bit of an ego that tends to flare up. Renfield is loyal and dimwitted and does whatever Dracula tells him to do, but also it’s clear that he and Dracula are also friends. Cindy Sondheim is a magazine model who is a party girl who loves the night life and is drawn and falls for Dracula even though she is the on again off again girlfriend of a Van Helsing! And Doctor Jeff Rosenberg is our hero of the story a psychiatrist who is the grandson of Van Helsing and is part crazy, but also will do whatever he can to save his lady from the bite of Dracula, but does also have his folklore mixed up and fails many times to kill Dracula. As I stated before the humor is there, but is a little lost on the pages as the delivery from the actors is lacking. The Horror parts are still intact as they are light hearted to begin with and I do really like the parts in this Photo Comic Novel that has Dracula and Redfield stealing from the blood bank as well as the moment of him waking up in the coffin at the funeral in Harlem. The Photo Comic is bloodless and that’s fine as the film is as well, and for the most part this was a fantastic and fun read and a great way to kick off of Halloween Season for 2022! While elements of the film are missing in order to fit in this comic and at times the story jumps very awkwardly it is a must-read for fans of this very underrated 1979 Horror Comedy film. The cover is very cool and eye catching and the photos used in side are well selected. Give this one a read if you can find it, and check out the photo below to see the style of this Photo Comic Novel.

The Fotonovel version of Love At First Bite is a fun read and while it does not fully capture the silliness of the characters humor and feel of the film fully, it does do a great job of entertaining the reader. I for one would love to see a full comic book done based on the film with a solid artist on board like Jeff Potter, but sadly I don’t think that would ever happen. Well for our next update we will be leaving Count Dracula and New York behind and will be covering something that I have been working on for a very long time and that’s my list of my Top 20 Lost Silent Horror Films! This is something I really have wanted to talk about for so many years now and I think my blog’s 10 Year Anniversary is the perfect time to do so. Plus let’s be honest, it’s a great way to kick off October 2022 and I hope helps bring awareness to these lost films and one day they become found films. So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Comedy or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next time for a talk about Silent Horror Cinema.