American Vampire
Encyclopedia
American Vampire is an Eisner Award
-winning comic book
series
created by writer Scott Snyder
and Rafael Albuquerque.
The series imagines vampires as a population made up of many different secret species, and charts moments of vampire evolution and inter-species conflict throughout history. The focus of the series is a new American bloodline of vampires, born in the American West in the late 1800's. The first of this new species is a notorious outlaw named Skinner Sweet, who wakes from death, after being infected, to find he has become a new kind of vampire, something stronger and faster than what came before, impervious to sunlight, with a new set of strengths and weaknesses. The series goes on to track his movements through various decades of American history - along with the movements of his first and only known progeny: Pearl Jones, a young woman working as a struggling actress in the 1920's silent film industry when she is attacked by a coven of European vampires hiding in Hollywood. Sweet saves her (uncharacteristically) by giving her his blood, thereby turning her into an American vampire like him, at which point she seeks revenge on the classic vampires who attacked her in life. The complicated and charged relationship Jones has with Sweet is another focus of the series.
The first five issues featured two stories — one by Snyder and the other by Stephen King
, both drawn by Rafael Albuquerque
. As of the sixth issue, Scott Snyder has taken over as sole writer. In its second year of publication, American Vampire spawned a spin-off mini-series titled American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest, drawn by Sean Murphy
, which focuses on the case files of the V.M.S., the vampire-hunting organization of the series' mythology.
The first story arc (issues #1-5) begins in 1925, from the point of view of an aspiring actress in L.A. and of a writer at a book conference due to the reediting of his book Bad Blood. Here, the author claims that his work which has been long considered a fictional western/terror story is actually based on true events which he has either witnessed or has collected reliable information on. The second story arc (issues #6-9) follows the chief of police of Las Vegas in 1936.
scripting. Stephen King is contracted to the initial five issues; it has not been stated whether he will return to the series.
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
-winning comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series
Ongoing series
The term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
created by writer Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder is an American writer best known for his 2006 short story collection Voodoo Heart, and his work in comic books, including American Vampire, Detective Comics, Batman, Batman: Gates of Gotham and Swamp Thing.-Career:...
and Rafael Albuquerque.
The series imagines vampires as a population made up of many different secret species, and charts moments of vampire evolution and inter-species conflict throughout history. The focus of the series is a new American bloodline of vampires, born in the American West in the late 1800's. The first of this new species is a notorious outlaw named Skinner Sweet, who wakes from death, after being infected, to find he has become a new kind of vampire, something stronger and faster than what came before, impervious to sunlight, with a new set of strengths and weaknesses. The series goes on to track his movements through various decades of American history - along with the movements of his first and only known progeny: Pearl Jones, a young woman working as a struggling actress in the 1920's silent film industry when she is attacked by a coven of European vampires hiding in Hollywood. Sweet saves her (uncharacteristically) by giving her his blood, thereby turning her into an American vampire like him, at which point she seeks revenge on the classic vampires who attacked her in life. The complicated and charged relationship Jones has with Sweet is another focus of the series.
The first five issues featured two stories — one by Snyder and the other by Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, both drawn by Rafael Albuquerque
Rafael Albuquerque
Rafael Albuquerque is a Brazilian comic book creator primarily for his artwork on books such as DC Comics' Blue Beetle and American Vampire. Though primarily a penciler and inker of interior comic art, he has also done work as a cover artist, colorist and writer.-Career:Albuquerque begun his...
. As of the sixth issue, Scott Snyder has taken over as sole writer. In its second year of publication, American Vampire spawned a spin-off mini-series titled American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest, drawn by Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy (artist)
Sean Gordon Murphy is an American animator and comic book creator known for work on books such as Batman/Scarecrow: Year One, Teen Titans, Hellblazer, Shaun of the Dead and Joe the Barbarian.-Early life:...
, which focuses on the case files of the V.M.S., the vampire-hunting organization of the series' mythology.
Plot
The series will explore notions of vampire evolution and trace the bloodline of a new kind of vampire, an American species, with new powers and characteristics, through various decades of American history.The first story arc (issues #1-5) begins in 1925, from the point of view of an aspiring actress in L.A. and of a writer at a book conference due to the reediting of his book Bad Blood. Here, the author claims that his work which has been long considered a fictional western/terror story is actually based on true events which he has either witnessed or has collected reliable information on. The second story arc (issues #6-9) follows the chief of police of Las Vegas in 1936.
Publication history
This series publication began on March 17, 2010. with the release of American Vampire #1. This is the first comic which features original Stephen KingStephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
scripting. Stephen King is contracted to the initial five issues; it has not been stated whether he will return to the series.
Characters
- Skinner Sweet - An outlaw who lived in the Wild West. He was turned into a vampire when the blood from Percy, a vampire banker, fell into his eye during a fight while he was escaping from being hanged. After being trapped into a coffin sunken sixty-six feet into water, he escaped and hunted the vampires who tried to kill him. In 1936, Sweet has relocated to Las Vegas, where he opened a brothel, using the name Jim Smoke.
- Pearl Jones - An aspiring actress in the 1920s who was ambushed by a group of vampires led by a vampire director named B.D. Bloch during one of his parties. She was left for dead at a pit in the desert, but was saved by Sweet when he dropped his blood on her eye, turning her into a vampire. She has relocated to Arrowhead, California, using the surname of her husband, Henry Preston, while she is hiding from the other vampires.
- Henry Preston - Pearl Jones' husband, he's a jazz singer who decided to help Pearl to enact her revenge against the vampires who almost killed her. He isn't intimidated by Pearl's vampirism, but sometimes he feels some sadness by the fact that while he's getting older, Pearl isn't.
- James "Jim" Book - A detective who worked for Pinkerton Agency, he hunted and arrested Skinner Sweet, who turned him into a vampire in retaliation. Before being consumed by his vampiric instincts, he extracts a promise from Abilena, she is to kill him in exchange for fathering her child that same night.
- Abilena Camino/Book - Daughter of Felix Camino, her mother died at birth. She is James Book's god-daughter, though she professes an unrequited love for him once she grows up. After his death, she takes his surname and together with her daughter Felicia Book hunts Skinner Sweet for an organization called The Vassals of the Morning Star.
- Felicia Book - Fathered by James Book and his god-daughter Abilena on the night he dies. She is a member of The Vassals of the Morning Star, an organization which hunts vampires. She seems to have unique abilities due to her father's vampirism, though the extent of her abilities are yet to be seen.
- Jack Straw - Another member of the Vassals of the Morning Star, Straw was partnered with Felicia Book while investigating vampire activity in Las Vegas.
- Cashel "Cash" McCogan - As Chief of the Las Vegas Police Department, Cash became involved with Jack Straw and Felicia Book while investigating the grisly murders of several persons responsible for the construction of the Hoover Dam (then called the Boulder Dam).
Collected editions
The first hardcover collection of American Vampire was published on October 5, 2010, and on October 15, 2010, it debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List for Graphic Books. A second hardcover collection of American Vampire is expected to be published and made available for purchase on May 25, 2011.- American Vampire Vol. I (200 pages, collects American Vampire #1-5 ISBN 978-1-4012-2830-9)
- American Vampire Vol. II (160 pages, collects American Vampire #6-11 ISBN 978-1-4012-3069-2)