Vampyre: A Costa Rican Folktale Preview

 

 

Vampires have a profound hold on the human psyche. While some fear these legendary creatures as predators or parasites, others admire them for transcending the limitations of mortality. How will Ricardo Delgado's new book add to the canon of vampire literature and art? And why are so many readers sinking their teeth into this Kickstarter project?

Here's all the info from Clover Press: 

Master Storyteller Ricardo Delgado is expanding the world of his acclaimed illustrated novel DRACULA OF TRANSYLVANIA with a brand-new project that draws from his own life and classic horror in equal measure. Told in Spanish and English VAMPYRE: A COSTA RICAN FOLKTALE will be presented in a beautiful hardcover, including over 200 pages crammed with historical maps, Delgado’s beautifully drawn creature designs, and photos of actual locations from the story - past and present. VAMPYRE tells an unforgettable story and offers great insight into the work of one of Hollywood’s leading conceptual designers, who has contributed to Apollo 13, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Incredibles, Men in Black, Wall-e, and many other beloved films. Fans can support Clover Press’ Kickstarter campaign now.  

“This is a very personal story for me, and it’s dedicated to my parents,” says Delgado of the one-of-a-kind tale of a small town's struggle in the face of a series of brutal murders perpetrated by a monstrous creature of the night. Set in the same world as Delgado's DRACULA OF TRANSYLVANIA, VAMPYRE: A COSTA RICAN FOLKTALE is a supernatural tale set in 1940's Costa Rica in the small town Delgado’s parents grew up in. 

“Part folktale. Part autobiography. This gruesome novel is a captivating celebration of urban legends, horror stories and the power they hold over us,” Says Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz.“Inspired by elements of the classic 1980's illustrated novella CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF by Stephen King and Berni Wrightson, Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, and Costa Rican folklore, Delgado weaves his family history into an ambitious new multi-media mythology that must be seen and read to be believed.”

VAMPYRE: A COSTA RICAN FOLKTALE features page upon page of original, never-before-seen designs of the terrifying, shapeshifting titular character, and offers an in-depth analysis of Delgado’s process as well as how his childhood influences impact the writing and design of VAMPYRE.  The creator also uses his decades of film knowledge to craft additional commentaries on the concept art from a modern Visual Effects perspective in BOTH Spanish and English. This in-depth reading experience even includes a set of maps that explain the real-life locations of the folktale, giving the experience a historical, geographically-based experience. 

A multi-talented artist and writer, Ricardo Delgado is one of Hollywood’s most prolific artists. He has contributed character designs and storyboards to countless beloved films including Apollo 13, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Incredibles, Men in Black, and Wall-e. In addition to his film work, Delgado has chronicled the prehistoric world in his Age of Reptiles graphic novels, which earned him the 1997 Eisner Award for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition. 

Here’s what people are saying about VAMPYRE: A COSTA RICAN FOLKTALE

"Lavishly illustrated by Ricardo Delgado, writer and concept artist, VAMPYRE: A COSTA RICAN FOLKTALE is a tour-de-force of horror writing and artistry. Annotated concept art accompanies this macabre historical story of a ferocious Nosferatu that terrifies a small town. Colorful characters provide the backdrop for the unspeakable terror that is woven throughout this creepy tale. Come aboard if you dare." 

— Floyd Norman, Disney Animation Legend

(Sleeping Beauty, Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, 101 Dalmatians, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc)

"VAMPYRE: A COSTA RICAN FOLKTALE is a thrilling journey through the supernatural and the macabre. Opulently written and illustrated by the creator of DRACULA OF TRANSYLVANIA, and chock full of concept art from Ricardo Delgado, one of Hollywood's most prominent creature designers. Encrimsoned words and images transport us into unforgettable vampire realm. Delgado's undead folklore leaves marks deeper than any fangs."  

— Gary Rhodes, Dracula scholar 

Author, Tod Browning’s Dracula 

 

Praise for DRACULA OF TRANSYLVANIA

“Ricardo Delgado does for vampires what he has done for dinosaurs! His elegant and bloody take on Stoker's classic tale is refreshingly original and scary.”

—John Landis, Director of An American Werewolf in London and Thriller

“Ricardo Delgado's reimagining of Dracula is strange and bold and brilliantly original. I love it and WOULD be stunned by it if it wasn't coming from Ricardo. But brilliant is pretty much what I've come to expect from him. Still... He may have surpassed his usual brilliance here.”

—Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy

 

Now, let's take a closer look at this new book:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fans can support VAMPYRE: A COSTA RICAN FOLKTALE on Kickstarter now. For more updates, follow Clover Press on Blue Sky, Facebook, Instagram, X, and  YouTube. 

ABOUT CLOVER PRESS Headed by IDW co-founder Robbie Robbins and former DC executive Hank Kanalz, Clover Press publishes a wide variety of collected and original content ranging from re-mastered reprints of classic newspaper strips to horror graphic novels, and high-quality art books. Clover Press is working with a wide variety of creators including Jorge Jimenez, David Mack, Alex Maleev, David Nakayama, Russell Dauterman, Michael Allred, Tyler Kirkham, Mike del Mundo, Kevin Eastman, Steve Niles, Gabriel Rodriguez, Ruben Bolling, Richard Bennett, Ray Troll, John K. Snyder III, Stewart Kenneth Moore, Aron Wiesenfeld and more.

ABOUT RICARDO DELGADO
Ricardo Delgado is a master storyteller. His Age of Reptiles graphic novels are universally acclaimed for their stunning detailed depiction of dinosaurs and prehistory. With his work as a storyboard artist and character designer for films including Apollo 13, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Incredibles, Men in Black, and Wall-e, Delgado is also one of Hollywood's leading conceptual designers. In 2021, he created an entirely new vision in the illustrated novel Ricardo Delgado's Dracula of Transylvania.

 

 

Thanks to Clover Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this announcement with us. 

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 Review

 

Writer: Danny Lore

Artist: Karen S. Darboe

Colorist: Cris Peter

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Karen S. Darboe & Cris Peter; Betsy Cola; David Mack; Joshua “Sway” Swaby

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 17, 2023

 

The teen years can be rough. But no one's life has changed more radically than Brielle's. Thankfully, her father has entered her life and explained her dhampir heritage. Can Blade help her hone her newfound powers to become a legendary monster hunter like him? Grab your wooden stakes, leap into Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 with me, and let’s find out!

 

Story

Who hasn’t lost someone important to them and wanted them back? In Brielle’s case, it’s a father she’s never known. Suddenly he’s there for her when she needs him most. He trains her to use her new powers and gives her presents. (Well, warrior presents). She can even hug him, and he'll hug back. Now she's got a real family like everyone else. Only she hasn't. Someone abducted her mom!

 

Blade plays the responsible dad and sends her to school the next day. Her friends Jay and Rebecca are there for her, but New Girl Whitney provokes her. Catfight! Meanwhile, Blade’s got his knives out at a cemetery. He may have more experience than Brielle, but neither fight goes according to plan in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4.

 

I had trouble understanding the events following Brielle and Whitney's fight. One aspect concerns Whitney. The second is how the school enforces the principal's decision. There's also a mention of cloning. Huh? Tell me more about how that works, please! Still, the biggest mystery is why Blade—a dhampir or Daywalker—wears his Sunglasses At Night.

 

What’s that? So he can keep track of the visions in his eyes? Thanks for that, Corey Hart!

 

 

 

 

Art

Karen S. Darboe certainly likes her inks. Instead of drawing fully-realized backgrounds, she often delivers black splatter. Some panels remind me of watching an inker apply inks mixed with varying amounts of water to paper at a recent convention. The effect suggests shadows, dirt, and smoke. She often centers smaller panels on pages. I found this distracting on one page, as Brielle’s black boot frames the left side of the page, and Whitney’s yellow tennis shoe stands out on the right. Still, showcasing the latter allowed her to capitalize on it in the bathroom scene.

 

Jay and Rebecca are Brielle's friends and her primary support group. Yet their features always look a little blurry to me. Likewise, Blade and Brielle's battles often blur, as if vampires and monster hunters move too fast to capture. Still, I liked how Darboe shows Brielle's emotions in the opening scenes as twinkling stars, an ellipsis, and a dragonfly. I also enjoyed how she shows Brielle's reflection in Blade's sunglasses.

 

 

 

The coloring in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 is fiery, feisty, and fun. You’ll see that immediately with Brielle’s purple and pink hair. Cris Peter paints scenes and characters in appealing colors and disguises all-too-many blank backgrounds with a textured color wash that seems like a colorist's response to an artist's love of ink blotting and spattering. Perhaps the white tears on Brielle's dark face aren't realistic, but they communicate.

 

Joe Sabino’s uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons is easy to read and follow. He displays Brielle's thoughts in pinky-purple narrative boxes that contrast with the black lettering. I particularly enjoyed how he expresses Brielle's shock at the damaged, blood-splattered kitchen.

 

As with the story, I didn't understand the art in a few panels in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4. These chiefly involved Blade. I don't want to throw out any spoilers, but twice he screams (or yells—sorry, Real Vampire Hunters don't scream). I'm not sure why. Was Blade in pain or merely trying to distract Deacon Frost?

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 delivers a teen-friendly story of family, empowerment, and the supernatural in an appealing, all-ages package. With a new Blade series hitting comic shops this July, there’s never been a better time to discover the world of Marvel’s night-stalking Daywalker.

 

Rating 8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Art of Vampirella

 

Lately, I've been sharing Vampirella art on Twitter. I like the ambiguity of the character. Yes, she's a vampire. Yes, she drinks blood. But she's a superhero. Like Spider-Man, she's got great power, and she uses it to go after the bad guys.

Okay, she's not Spider-Man. Forget I said that.

 

Anyway, Vampirella's been on my mind lately, for whatever reason. And it's fun to share great art. Twitter seems like an effective forum for that. Through the use of hashtags, people all over the world can also enjoy beautiful Vampirella art, whether or not they see the wisdom of following me at @DavidDunham_DC.

 

 

This volume from Dynamite Comics is stupendous. Weighing in at 250 pages, you get loads of Vampirella art. Plus, they throw in a little of the character's publishing history as well.

 

As Paddington would say, it's very good value indeed.

And yes, I know, Vampirella is not Paddington Bear. No hard stares, please!

Dragon Dave

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro on Adapting Our Beliefs

People once believed in protective house gods,
and Ugallu, the storm-demon,
depicted on this ancient Assyrian stone panel
in the British Museum.

In Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's novel A Flame in Byzantium, Captain Drosos of the Byzantine army puts off carrying out Emperor Justinian's orders to burn the Libraries of Alexandria for as long as long as he can. He sends back letters requesting clarification of his orders, and looking for any excuse not to destroy all this precious, accumulated knowledge. But finally he receives orders both explicit and final. He can delay no longer. He must raze these libraries, or someone else will assume command and do it for him.

With a heavy heart, Drosos follows Justinian's orders. As he watches the great libraries burn, he cannot believe that the Emperor knew the significance of his orders. In earlier discussions with Olivia, he argued that they must give the Emperor the benefit of the doubt, and trust his judgment in all things. He had been selected by God to lead all of Byzantium in the correct path to follow. He was the divine representative to humanity. How could he order such senseless destruction?

After his recall to Constantinople, he tries to suggest that Justinian misunderstood the situation, or had been ill-advised. The Emperor takes his comments for a lack of loyalty, and like General Belisarius, releases him from his command. Drosos wanders Constantinople in despair, having lost his military commission, the respect of society, and the trust of his emperor.

Drosos' life becomes a tragedy, because he steadfastly refuses to adapt his beliefs and principles in view of changing circumstances and others' actions. Like Drosos, we often clutch ideals to our chests long after the world has proven that they no longer apply to present circumstances. Refusing to release outdated beliefs can leave us irrelevant and alienated. Even if we're not vampires.

Dragon Dave

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro on the Power Books Wield

A 12th Century stain glass panel from a Church in France.
Might Satan be tempting Christ to read a novel involving vampires?
Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

In A Flame in Byzantium by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, General Belisarius' enemies in Emperor Justinian's court grow so convinced of his guilt that they contact one of his household servants. After threatening him with torture and a grisly death, he agrees to spy for them. This man, who resents his lowly position in life as a servant, let alone being castrated during childhood, goes through the General's library, and reports back on the books in his collection. A treatise on military tactics used in other lands? A book on all known breeds of horses? Books on World Geography or History? Well, Belisarius has traveled extensively, and met many foreigners. Inevitably, he has read their books, and been influenced by their teaching. If those books weren't written by Byzantine citizens, then they must surely be suspect. Who knows what dangerous philosophies, undetectable to the unwary, might lurk within those pages?

At least that's the position of the Court Censor and his staff, after hearing the report from Belisarius' slave. These advisors slowly exert their influence on the Emperor, who orders Captain Drosos, instead of his general, to command an army contingent in Alexandria. This historic city is one of the foremost of Egypt, and is known the world over for its extensive libraries. Egypt is also home to Coptic Christianity, a proponent of Monophysitism. So one day Drosos receives orders from his Emperor: he must burn the libraries, to prevent the spread of heretical teachings through seemingly innocuous scholarly works on subjects like Mathematics, Science, and History. As he believes his Emperor rules by divine right, he does so. But watching all that accumulated knowledge and art going up in flame infects him like a cancer, slowly eating away at him, until all that remains is the husk of his former self.

But then, all books hold power, nonfiction and fiction alike. Reading and studying them influence people in all sorts of unforeseen ways, hopefully for the better, but sometimes for the worse. Those books might be a textbook on Math or Biology, a graphic novel, an cozy mystery, or a story about vampires.

Dragon Dave

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro on Religion Part 2

Instead of despising their former beliefs,
4th Century Roman Christians celebrated them
in artwork like this Symmachi panel
displayed in London's Victoria & Albert Museum.

In Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's novel A Flame in Byzantium, the high officials in Emperor Justinian's court may seek to protect their faith, but they hardly seem to be living up to its ideals. They see the world through a prism in which only their view of the divine--their beliefs--are true, and all others are heresy. A popular brand of Christianity, Monophysitism, is currently gaining converts in Byzantium, and threatening to infiltrate the Emperor's household. This must be protected against at all costs. So any approach that could aid in the defeat of Monophysitism, or any view of life and the world other than those they embrace, is a valid approach. 

As court officials do not trust Belisarius, they cannot rely on him to support their wise counsel to the Emperor. So they use their influence with Justinian to suggest that Belisarius might use his popularity with the army to mount a bid for Justinian's throne. The fact that he is a friend to Olivia, a woman whom they already deplore, gives them something else to work with. As he is his own man, not theirs to control, these defenders of the faith begin manufacturing evidence to incriminate him in Justinian's eyes. Even if it means besmirching the honor of a loyal servant such as Belisarius. 

But then, this is a society that uses religion to justify slavery, the castration of the children of slaves, and prevents people from rising above the caste into which they were born. No wonder Olivia refuses to adopt their ways, or for that matter, their brand of religion. 

Like Olivia, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has chosen her own unique path to religion. Instead of accepting a traditional, ready-made religion such as Christianity, hers involves channeling spirits, astral planes, karma, and philosophical concepts like monads. In order to share her spiritual experience with others, she has written a series of nonfiction books. The first, Messages From Michael, also serves as the name of her group's website. There readers of her stories (or anyone else) can gain a greater understanding of her approach to the divine. 

One of her group's central teachings is that all life is a choice. Or, to quote from the group's website:

You cannot not choose. To say "I will not choose; I will do nothing" is a choice to do nothing. Rather than regard choices as terrible burdens and impositions, you would release much of your fear if you would realize that you are making choices all the time, and the process, rather than overwhelming you, is in fact the means to freeing yourself from the bonds of fear. Of course, you may choose to deny or ignore this as well. That is as much a choice as anything else in life. 

That's a teaching that sounds perfectly valid and useful in living out my life today and planning my future. If only it didn't spring from a belief system so radically different from my own! It sounds good on the surface, but it must be suspicious. Hm...maybe it's safer to choose to reject it, and spend the next few minutes reminding myself why it has to be wrong, and her beliefs must be wrong, and...

Ever wonder why those you seek to influence refuse to accept the validity of your views on life? Some of us will probably wonder about that all our lives. But then, it's always easier to see the hypocrisy in others than inequities in our treasured beliefs, or the inconsistencies in the way we put them into practice. Who knows? They seem so different from us: they might well be vampires!

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links
www.messagesfrom.michael.com

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro on Religion Part 1

Urns to house Olivia's native soil,
courtesy of the Museum of London

In A Flame in Byzanium by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Olivia flees the chaos and destruction of Rome for the ordered and civilized world of Constantinople. She finds a world there vastly different from her expectations. One difference proves pivotal to how people in her adopted city view the world, and that is their religion.

As a vampire, Olivia has take her own approach to everlasting life. She has brought with her containers of her native soil, which somehow sustains her undead body. She acknowledges the power and validity of others' religion, but refuses to be a hypocrite, and bow to others expectations of conduct, or make untrue declarations of her beliefs. As such, the leaders of Constantinople view her as degenerate, just like the Christian laity and clergy of Rome. 

The Christian Church of the first few centuries after Christ, was far more diverse than what exists today. Yet it changed as religious leaders narrowed down what believers were allowed to read, think, and practice. Many have argued that this effort to focus Christianity on its essentials was necessary to help it survive after the fall of the Roman Empire. Yet, as in Yarbro's novel A Flame in Byzantium (and also in False Dawn), all too often belief's in one's rightness have been used as an excuse to hurt and even kill others. 

Conformity has its place in any human society. But, unlike the days of ancient Rome, civilization is no longer crumbling. Today, people expect religions to find ways to accept, celebrate, and honor the beliefs of all those who seek to love, respect, and serve others. Even if those others talk, dress, and act so differently that, at first, they seem degenerate. 

Who knows? Those other people might even be loving, respectful, and charitable vampires like Olivia.

Dragon Dave

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro on Cozy Horror

Count Dalek-ula says
False Dawn is nothing like A Flame in Byzantium.
Uh, hold on. Is that a werewolf?

One aspect of Agatha Christie's mysteries is how her victims are murdered, sometimes horribly. But from my limited reading experience of her work, she rarely portrays the act of violence itself. Instead, Poirot or another detective discovers the body, and then goes off to talk with his friends or the suspects in a calming, civilized fashion. In the case of Miss Marple, this may be over tea and scones. Some people have labeled her work Cozy Mysteries. Perhaps that's the secret behind her fiction's astounding longevity. I'm sure lots of other authors of her time wrote more gritty, disturbing mysteries. But readers of all ages and sensibilities can enjoy her stories, because the underlying mysteries are so compelling. 

Count Dalek-ula says, "I like Cozy novels,
but Jammie Dodgers are cozier than other sandwich cookies."
So please, Master, buy me some Jammie Dodgers.
(Or you could find your life become decidedly
less cozy!)

If A Flame in Byzantium is in any way representative of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Horror fiction, perhaps this is the secret behind that community's affection for her stories. The novel certainly stands out, with Olivia unlike any other vampire I've ever encountered in fiction. I enjoyed learning what was happening in sixth century Rome and Constantinople, two bustling centers of civilization when barbarian hordes were sweeping the globe. 

But then, I enjoy reading the occasional historical novel. Even if it's a Cozy Horror novel featuring vampires.

Dragon Dave

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro on Sedate, Cultured Society

A Roman room for entertaining visitors,
courtesy of the Museum of London, England

In Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's novel A Flame in Byzantium, one of the things that surprised me was how ordinary her protagonist Olivia seems. Becoming a vampire has granted her a long life, and she has to be careful when she visits others' homes, or attends parties, that she kindly rebuffs all attempts to offer her food or drink. So she excuses her non-indulgence with protestations as to her "delicate constitution." As a vampire, she seems to exist on blood, but this is a minor point for most of the novel. Drosos makes mention of her biting him when they make love, but as an army officer, he's stationed outside Constantinople for most of the story. She's carted boxes of her "native earth" from her villa in Rome, and she somehow draws strength from this. But really, little attention is paid to her vampirism throughout the five hundred pages of the story. More than anything, she hungers for the affection and love of Drosos, and when she realizes that the tide of public opinion is turning against her, and that she should flee Constantinope, she stays behind in the hopes of being reunited with Drosos. Aside from her affection, she regards the blood she has taken from him as a bond between them, one that she would gladly repay by sharing the rest of her life with him.

In introducing General Belisarius, and focusing on his struggle to hold Rome against the Ostrogoth invaders, I had anticipated battle scenes on the order of JRR Tolkien or Robert E Howard. Given the politics and undercurrents sweeping through Byzantine politics, I expected to find the streets of Constantinople awash in blood, as happened several times in HBO's "Rome" TV series. Yet with a few exceptions, any fighting, deaths, or tortures occurred off-the-page, and were merely remarked on later in the narrative, or by one of the characters. What Yarbro instead focuses on is the customs and protocols the characters must observe, and how people of various strata in society interact with each other. So when something terrible happens, for the most part we don't witness it. Instead of the gritty and graphic struggle-for-life I remember from False Dawn, A Flame in Byzantium gives us a sense of how these people lived out their everyday lives. We see what they eat and drink, the comforts that surround them, and those they interact with. Along the way, we witness how the actions and choices affect others, or eventually rebound against them. But aside from a few scenes, the story unfolds in a cultured and sedate manner, more like the PBS adaptation of "I Claudius" than HBO's "Rome." 

But then, we all like wise, cultured, and loving protagonists. Even if they are vampires.

Dragon Dave

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro on Defying Others' Expectations

An Italian vase in the British Museum
shows the Greek Hero Theseus
defending his home city of Athens
from an invasion of Amazons.

In Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's novel A Flame in Byzantium, Olivia might have escaped the Ostrogoth invaders by moving from Rome to Constantinople, but as a woman and a widow, she enjoys few rights in Byzantine society. She must name Belisarius as her legal guardian. While he remains in Rome, she must petition for an exception to the rules every time she wishes to procure household staff, or do anything significant involving money or people. Thankfully, she is allowed to hire workers to furnish her new home. But when her bondsman discovers that goods from her plundered Roman villa have ended up in Byzantium, she cannot charge the sellers with theft, or compel the authorities to investigate the piracy.

Nor does she make the friends there that she anticipated. Drosos visits her a few times, but as an army officer, he has no control over where he is stationed. Belisarius returns home eventually, but as he has failed to secure Rome, he now lives in disgrace. For a time, Belisarius' wife Antonina moved in elite circles, and allowed Olivia to accompany her. But after Belisarius was recalled, and the death of her friend, the Empress Theodora, she finds herself alone and lonely, with no desire to leave her house.

Constantinople had seemed her best hope for the future: a redoubt in a world that seems to no longer value culture, stability, or civilization. Yet everyone there views her with suspicion. She refuses to remarry, join the Byzantine Church, or dress and act like a typical Byzantine woman. Her Roman practices and interests cause her to be branded a licentious, unprincipled unbeliever. They invent stories about her, shun her, and implicate her in scandals. The Court Censor orders her servants to spy on her (under threat of torture and death), and plant books proscribed by the Emperor in her library. His soldiers search her villa, carry away precious furniture and heirlooms, and claim their plunder as evidence. He relentlessly pursues a legal case against her. She can not even leave Constantinople, at least not openly. She would be arrested by soldiers along the road, or those guarding the docks. 

Nevertheless, Olivia refuses to relinquish her principles, way of life, and everything she holds dear. In this way, she becomes a person we can respect and emulate. Even if she is a vampire.

Dragon Dave