The Original Graphic Novel Dracula

Having been too young to remember the EC Comics Publications I was old enough to enjoy the company's homage offspring published by Warren Publications.

 

Warren published a number of black and white magazines among them Eerie, Creepy and Vampirella.

 

Creepy and Eerie founding editor Russ Jones, along with writers Otto Binder and Craig Tennis and illustrated by Al McWilliams, were responsible for the paperback adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula published in the mid-1960s by Ballantine Books. It was the first Dracula graphic novel adaptation ever.

 

Vanguard Publishing has revised and expanded the historic first Dracula adaptation in all of its black and white gory glory into a high-quality hardcover with bonus material.

 

This beautiful hardbound book, Dracula - The Original Graphic Novel includes not only a history of Dracula and the graphic novel adaptation but also the history of illustrated Dracula stories in comics and graphic novel form provided by author J. David Spurlock. His new historic overview includes art examples from a who's-who list of legends including Steranko, Neal Adams, Bernie Wrightson, Al Williamson, Basil Gogos, Jack Davis, Manuel Sanjulian, Gene Colan, Gray Morrow and more.

 

Sir Christopher Lee, who famously portrayed Dracula in several Hammer Films from the 1950s to 1970s, provides an introduction while artist extraordinaire Frank Frazetta contributes an oil painting to adorn the cover as well as multiple interior works.

 

It's a beautifully designed and printed adaptation with a square-bound, Smyth Sewn hardcover binding, and lush, coated paper interiors that complements both the full color and black and white art.

 

The horizontal format of the book provides the best vehicle to showcase the art as originally produced.

 

Vlad the Impaler never looked so good.

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." — 1 Corinthians 13:6-8