Actually I haven't been buying them.
Thank you to everyone for the comments.
Like others, the only reason I started getting this comic was because of SK and my compulsiveness to "collect" what he writes. It is a good story and I am enjoying it but as others have said I have to draw the line somewhere due to monetary reasons. I wish I knew how many more arcs/issues are planned to know what it would cost to see this thru. As lophophoras said, the compulsiveness in me wants to keep going so I have a complete set and on the off chance that SK comes back near the end to contribute I would definitely want to keep going.
For now my "comic guy" is still holding each issue for me. I guess we will see.....
King's 3-page intro to the hardcover ("Suck on This") is now up exclusively at EW.com
This is one GN I hope to grab. (Although I might wait for a paper-back cover if they do one.)
Speaking of King's criticism of present day vamp stories I do agree in part. I do like Angel and True Blood though. I think vampires as monsters are great, but I don't mind a bit more extra dimensionality as well. S'all good in different ways. Doesn't the female vampire in this very series have an added dimension outside the dark killer side of things? A human side that wars with the creature she has become? I haven't read any of the comics, but that was the impression I got from reviews.
Then again having a human side doesn't need take away the killer side to their nature. It can highlight it in fact. That picture of the lady 'vamping out' was actually pretty scary.
As for the Twilight series... I haven't seen or read any of them so I can't really judge. The whole teen angst romantic thing isn't really my cup of tea though, so I'll probably dislike it. I'm not all that keen on the romantic stuff in True Blood either but it adds a lot of dark humour which can be very funny. (I like horror with comedy.)
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
Today my comics guy gave me a two-sided poster that has Batman and Robin on one side and American Vampire on the other. It's very large (about 3' x 2'). The American Vampire side has the girl on the left with the statement "There's something wrong...I can feel teeth behind my teeth..." While the right side of the poster has the guy and the quote "I'm talking about evolution..." The poster also says "Monthly beginning March 2010."
John
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
Here's an eBay auction for the poster:
http://cgi.ebay.com/American-Vampire...item53e3f0cee9
John
Stephen King's vampire is anti-"Twilight" and evil
By MATT MOORE, Associated Press
.PHILADELPHIA – Skinner Sweet's his name, but the long, lean drifter is anything but.
The titular character in Vertigo's ongoing "American Vampire" series, the former outlaw turned bloodsucker is charting a course of decadent evil, pacing the expansion of growing United States as Hollywood moves from silents to talkies and Las Vegas begins its bloom of avarice, greed, lust and power.
Created by writer Scott Snyder, Sweet's story was augmented by Stephen King, the author whose literary creations have been creeping out readers since the early 1970s.
"Scott and I did each other a favor. I lent my name, which got the mag going with a little bit more of a higher profile, and he lent me his expertise," King said of the collaboration.
But unlike the wave of pop culture vampires in recent years — grounded, lovelorn, conflicted — Sweet is shiftless, selfish, utterly without redemption and pure evil.
King wouldn't have it any other way.
Sweet, he said in an interview, is the "anti-'Twilight' vampire, the anti-Edward," a "dissolute Kurt Cobain" with a mean streak a mile wide and a sweet tooth for hard candy to match.
He likens the story arc prepped by Snyder to the work of crime writer James Ellroy whose work has explored the "underbelly" of America.
"Scott put this thing together where you have a chance to see all these aspects of American life, American growth and American expansion," King said, and Sweet is "sucking the life out of everything."
The aim of the series — King helped write Skinner's origin in the first five issues, now collected in a hardback edition for sale at book stores and local comic book shops — is to chart how a new world means a new type of vampire. The art is done by Rafael Albuquerque.
The story concerns Pearl, a wannabe actress from the Midwest who is fed upon by a cabal of old world vampires from abroad and left for dead in 1920s.
Her story runs parallel with Sweet, the bank robber also left for dead and infected by the vampire virus in the late 1800s, his coffin below not just the ground, but a newly created lake. He's released when souvenir hunters dive down to reclaim his bones or hat or anything that they can sell to collectors.
King said he was exposed to the character when Snyder e-mailed him a draft of the initial script, seeking his thoughts and, maybe, a blurb for the cover. Snyder got more than that.
"I read it and I was turned on by the whole idea that it was the anti-'Twilight' vampire, the anti-Edward. I said I absolutely loved this and would like to be involved and he brought me on board," he said.
King said it was also a chance for him to get involved in a medium he had, until now, largely not been part of, comic books. Some of his works have been adapted for the format, including his "Dark Tower" series, along with others.
"The more that I came to it, the more that I saw, the more that I thought the whole comic book thing — there's such a tendency for people who are, particularly my generation — to think of comics as Caspar the Friendly Ghost and Little Lulu," King said. "But there's some amazing things. ... It's a serious format and I think a lot of people come to it expecting juvenilia and they find something that's a lot more sophisticated.
"If 'American Vampire' helps to open up people's minds to that, then I'm happy."
So far, King said, he's hooked and "American Vampire" won't be his last foray into comic books. He's mulling a creator-owned book for Vertigo and possibly another tale about Sweet, too, that he's discussed with Snyder.
"I did talk to him a little bit about doing a Skinner Sweet rock 'n' roll story. You know, around the time of Elvis and Carl Perkins and Little Richard and all that," King said. "That would be fun."
King said the format is ripe for storytelling.
"There's room to grow. I like new stuff. Short stories, novels, screenplays, all those things are great, but I've done them all and this is something new and it's kind of fun," he said.
___
Online:
Vertigo: http://www.dccomics.com/vertigo/
Stephen King: http://www.stephenking.com
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
Wow. I hadn't heard of this before, but I can't wait to pick up the first issues now that I read that article. Sounds awesome!
I am Daenerys Stormborn and I will take what is mine. With fire and blood.
Erin - the first 5 issues are the King issues. It's already out in hardcover now!
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
Woot! Christmas present!
I am Daenerys Stormborn and I will take what is mine. With fire and blood.
Last year, American Vampire artist, Rafael Albuquerque, attended a local comic con which included several guests like Jim Lee, Brian Azzarello, Will Denis, Humberto Ramos and several others.
When I met him I received American Vampire HC just one day before the event, and he was really kind to do two remarques in my two copies. I was able to film part of the process:
Wanted list:
Ubris
And another one
Wanted list:
Ubris
Is it true that the hardback of American Vampire 2 has an essay by King in it? I see no mention of it on Amazon. Thought I heard somewhere that he was writing something for it.
Thanks
Jon
I thought I had heard that also. I did a quick look thru my copy when it arrived the other day and i did not see anything. I will hopefully have time to take a closer look thru the whole book tonight.
I didn't receive my copy yet. As soon as I receive it I'll let you know.
Wanted list:
Ubris
I have had a chance to read thru my copy and there is no essay from King. Maybe it will be part of the third installment.
It's true that Snyder said in an interview that King was doing a little foreword for vol. 2 but it could be it's postponed for vol. 3.
I see that the 4th hardcover is due out in Oct on Amazon. It mentions the end of the story. Is there going to be a omnibus for this one you think?
"That which you think, becomes your world" Matheson
I'd say no. Snyder has become quite a heavy hitter in the comic book world since the first issue of AV but it's popularity is nowhere close to his Batman and Swamp Thing ongoing runs.
Just finished reading the last series. Despite being one of the best series made, it has a S. King reference. The car Skinner Sweet drives is a red Plymouth Fury with license plate CQB241.
Wanted list:
Ubris
Scott Snyder confirmed this series continues in 2014!
Wanted list:
Ubris