Novelist sinks teeth into graphic storytelling with American Vampire series.
by: Alison Flood
Stephen King is the latest mainstream author to turn to comics with a new series about a distinctly American vampire, powered by the sun, set to launch next spring.
Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin and twist-in-the-tale novelist Jodi Picoult have both recently dabbled with comics, but although his bestselling books The Stand, The Talisman and the Dark Tower series have been adapted into graphic novels, the American Vampire series will be the first original comic-book writing King has done.
The five-book arc will tell the story of the first American vampire, the murderous, bank-robbing 1880s cowboy Skinner Sweet. His Wild West origins mean he has rattlesnake fangs, and unlike European vampires he is powered by the sun. The series was dreamed up by short story writer Scott Snyder, who approached King for a blurb only to find the bestselling author was keen to get involved himself.
"I love vampire stories, and the idea of following the dark exploits of a uniquely American vampire really lit up my imagination. The chance to do the origin story – to be 'present at the creation' – was a thrill," said King. "I owe big thanks to Scott Snyder for letting me share his vision, and sip from his bucket of blood."
Snyder's storyline will follow the adventures of Skinner's Jazz Age descendent Pearl, a frequenter of Hollywood's speakeasies and dance halls who dreams of becoming a star. Each of the first five issues will feature both Snyder and King's stories, with the ongoing series by Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque to trace the histories of Skinner's descendants in different periods of American history. The American Vampire series will be published monthly by Vertigo from March 2010.
From: the Guardian
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