In 2024, the character of Vampirella celebrates 55 years of publication and being a pop culture staple. Not only is her design striking and her origins filled with twists and turns, but she is a character that has much about our fascination with sex, death, and empowerment in our literature and our world.
As part of that 55 year celebration, Dynamite Entertainment recently launched a Kickstarter as part of its Dynamite Originals imprint to bring to life Vampirella: Black, White, & Blood, a compilation of Vampirella stories spearheaded by the artistic vision of Mirka Andolfo. Contributing to the collection is a stacked team of some of comics’ most talented writers, artists, and innovators, including Tim Seeley, Alessandro Amoruso, Steve Orlando, and so many more. It’s an embarrassment of riches for any fan of Vampirella.
I spoke with Steve Orlando about his history with Vampirella, his contribution to the Black, White & Blood collection working with the creative team, and why readers are drawn to the character.
Dynamite Entertainment has been doing incredibly well by Vampirella for the past several years, and this book looks to be no exception. And it’s no secret that we’re big fans of Steve Orlando’s work; every creator on the collection is a powerhouse in their own right. We’re very excited to see the final product and how everyone involved puts their indelible mark on the Vampirella legacy.
FreakSugar: Before we get into the Kickstarter, what is your history with Vampirella?
Steve Orlando: I’m a lover of the Silver Age, there’s no doubt. And the original Vampirella books fell right in there, while being on the cusp of the Bronze Age and the horror it would reinvent. I love the classic origin, her being from the Planet Drakulon where rivers run with blood. I love the pulpy, sexy, horror–in fact, I wrote a final paper on Vampi when I was in college for a class examining the intersection of sex and death in literature. And of course, I’ve got my DVD of the 1996 film where Talisa Soto plays Vampi and Roger Daltry plays her nemesis–WHO ARE YOU if you haven’t seen it?!
FS: What can you tell us about your story in the collection, “The Ballad of Blind Love”?
SO: Our story frames Vampirella as a force of nature–as powerful and mysterious as a tornado. And as such, we focus on a man who believes he can love her, believes he can understand her, or even maintain a relationship of any kind with her at all. In fact, he builds his life around it after a chance encounter with Vampi in his youth. But as he soon finds out–one can love nature, but nature does not love one back, nature doesn’t consider humanity at all…and that hurts.
FS: The preview art on the Kickstarter page is gorgeous. What’s the collaboration with the creative team been like?
SO: I’ve been lucky enough to work with Studio Arancia for a long time, and part of that is their amazing ability to build creative teams. Alessandro Amoruso made this story his own, and my job most of all was to set him up for wild, exciting visuals that make the most out of the spot color motif. Once that happened, it was time for me to pass the baton to Alessandro and let him cook. And folks, as you’ve seen–his work is meaty, it’s raw, and it’s just perfect for this story! So, the collaboration was joy–that’s the answer.
FS: Vampirella has always been a favorite among fans and creators. What is it about the Vampirella character that appeals to you?
SO: I hinted at it above, but to me–it’s that she embodies that alluring line between sex and death that we as a society have been writing about, imagining, and examining for years. She is beauty, she is brutality. She answers to no one. I truly do see her as a force of nature–you can see her, your eyes can take her in, but you can’t know her. And that? That’s mystery my friends–and there’s nothing we as mortal enjoy more than an unknowable mystery, than gazing into the abyss. It’s characters like Vampirella that invite us to gaze on.
FS: Does this give you the itch to explore Vampirella’s world again down the road?
SO: Oh without a doubt–I would love to return to the world of VAMPIRELLA! She’s a powerful character, a powerful personality, and deserves a spotlight as a foundational creation who is much more than her iconic, albeit somewhat sparse, costume. Born in 1969, Vampirella is comics history–and I would gladly celebrate her again.
FS: What do feel makes Vampirella such a long-lasting comic book staple?
SO: People love what they can’t have–they love to break the rules and misbehave–they love the danger of the dark. They love the unattainable. And that, at her core, is Vampirella–a being of power, agency, and beauty from afar who we can see but never know, meet but never understand. She embodies the dark, sexy mystery of every nighttime street, of every chance encounter. And there’s a draw there that’s fascinated us long before she existed, since we were first huddled around the fire and looking out into the night. We can’t look away, we want to know–and that’s why Vampirella has and will always intrigue us.
As of press time, the Kickstarter for Vampirella: Black, White & Blood has almost doubled its initial funding goal with 13 days left in the campaign. Fans of Vampirella, the creators involved, and great characterization mixed with carnage should give this book a look!