Blacula is experiencing a renaissance of sorts in many ways. The 1972 horror film changed the game in many ways with a Black-led vampire love story. It was a topic of discussion in the Horror Noire documentary and there’s a Blacula reboot film on the way too. Now, a graphic novel will explore this universe in a new way. Zombie Love Studios announced plans to release Blacula, a book aiming to bridge the gap between the 1970s and our current time with this iconic vampire.
The comic studio and publisher secured the rights for a novel from MGM. Eisner Award nominee, writer, producer, and graphic novel creator Rodney Barnes will pen the story. He expressed his joy over having a chance to put his own unique take on the story in a recent press release.
“I first saw Blacula as an 8-year-old at the Capital Theater in Annapolis, Maryland and it had a profound effect on me. To bring the character to today’s sensibilities is truly an honor,” says Barnes.
![image cover of Blacula graphic novel with black vampire holding a woman with a red dress in his arms. a pile of various skeletons appear underneath them.](https://legendary-digital-network-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/12214612/blacula-comic-book.jpg)
Zombie Love Studios/Jason Shawn Alexander
His Killadelphia collaborator and illustrator Jason Shawn Alexander will illustrate this book. The first-look image below shows his incredible work and sparks some serious curiosity about what this book will approach.
According to a press release, Blacula will release in February 2022 and explore issues in our current society. It’s an interesting take considering the ambiguous ending of Scream Blacula Scream. In the film, we saw Lisa stab his voodoo doll repeatedly but Mamuwalde’s fate isn’t clear.
We all know that so many horror characters don’t stay dead, especially when they are the undead. So perhaps this book will explore him in today’s times, still trying to understand the world around him. And maybe, he meets someone else and falls in love again.
No matter what, this story is going to be fire. It is in good hands with Barnes’ Zombie Love Studios. Through stories like Killadelphia, the collective brings a fresh and authentic perspective to stories, anchoring them in social commentary and cultural analysis. Bring on more Blacula.