Dracula, one of the most popular horror creations in literature, continues to stoke the insatiable desire of fans over a century after he first flew out of the pages of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel.

The vampire lord’s bloody adventures have graced not just books but comics, films, TV shows and other media. But few have looked under the cape to see how the undead man became the fearsome legend that entranced readers.

Now, just in time for Halloween, two veteran comic creators have teamed up to tell the story of how Dracula became Dracula.

Matt Wagner, the indie creator behind Mage and Grendel, and also known for his Batman work, and artist Kelley Jones, whose macabre stylings evoke horror artist Bernie Wrightson, are crowdfunding a graphic novel trilogy exploring the lore of the vampire king. The books will be 112-page Gothic epics, with the first one titled Dracula — Book 1: The Impaler. The book launches on Kickstarter later this month, but you can sign up here for updates.

“Our version of Dracula is bloody, sexy and monstrous,” Wagner tells The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “This is very much a horror story, with deep roots in Stoker’s novel. But this isn’t yet another retelling of the novel in comics form. We’re bringing you the never-before told stories behind the story, the sinister tales hidden in the shadows of the original novel.”

Impaler explores Dracula’s bloody history and his tenure at Satan’s legendary seminary of the dark arts, the Scholomance. The story reveals what led Dracula to seek out Satan’s tutelage and how he became the lord of the undead.

The project is a culmination of a 30-year friendship and came about when Wagner, tired of fantasizing about working together, said he would pitch Jones his idea. Jones was expecting a Batman or Grendel story, but instead, the writer came back with a vampire tale that attempts to fill in some of the gaps hinted in the original story.

“So much has already been done with the vampire lord,” states Jones. “Matt then wove his tale to me like a late night ghost story. My excitement when he told me his plans for the Wallachian Prince of Darkness was what every artist, hell, every fan of horror or just great comics wants.”

José Villarrubia will act as colorist on the graphic novel, with Rob Leigh on board as letterer.

Crowdfunding comics is a growing and trusted trend in indie comics in recent years, one even being embraced by publishers and established creators. Boom!’s Brzrkr, written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt, got its start on the platform, as did Cosmic Detective, Kindt and Jeff Lemire’s recent sci-fi noir graphic novel. The process allows creators to gauge interest from possible readers and also gives them freedom to work with form and stories in which they might not normally practice. 

Check out the moody first page from Impaler, a promotional piece, and cover below.

Dracula Comic

Courtesy of Orlok Press

Dracula Comic

Courtesy of Orlok Press

Dracula Comic

Courtesy of Orlok Press