The following is an interview with legendary comic book creators Matt Wagner (Grendel, Mage) and Kelley Jones (Batman: Red Rain, The Sandman) regarding their recent return to Kickstarter for the fourth and final installment in their Dracula graphic novel series, Dracula – Book IV: The Undead, through their publishing company, Orlok Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Wagner and Jones about their experience in bringing Dracula’s journey to a close, the incredible reward tiers available to backers of the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Matt, recently returned to Kickstarter for the fourth and final book in your Dracula graphic novel series, this time expounding upon Dracula’s story beyond the novel’s original conclusion. What most excited you about tackling the ending to this graphic novel series?
Matt Wagner: I’ve always been a huge Dracula fan. Out of the three monster archetypes–Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolfman–I’ve pretty much been on Team Drac. Part of that stems from the character’s elegance combined with the distinctly sexual overtones…but it’s also due to the fact that Dracula is the only monster that doesn’t lament his fate; he relishes his monstrosity and shows no remorse for his evil actions. That’s truly terrifying! So, I’d spent well over a decade or more trying to uncover a way to do something with the character that wasn’t just another adaptation of the original novel, of which there are many in all sorts of media – comics, film, theater, etc… When I finally hit upon the idea of telling the stories that are only hinted at and thus lurking in the shadows of the original novel, my excitement level for this project went through the roof. And when my longtime friend and maestro horror artist Kelley Jones agreed to join me for this ambitious endeavor, it all got even better. And I feel like we’ve really delivered on what we sent out to achieve. I feel like this version of Dracula is going to be well remembered in the years to come.
BD: You have spent more than 3 years with these characters. What can you tell us about your shared experience in bringing Dracula’s journey to a close?
MW: Well, it’s actually been more like six years. We’ve produced four volumes with a year of production in between each one but we’d been developing both the narrative ideas and designs, as well as how we were going to market and publish these books for some time before that. We both remember the frustration we felt at that point, feeling fairly certain that we had something great on our hands and not being able to tell anyone about it yet. But this collaboration has been an absolute creative dream team in every sense of the term. Kelley and I are so in sync on this narrative that it just feels like a perfect storm…a real Lennon & McCartney-type scenario. While scripting every volume of this epic tale, I was continually writing with Kelley’s incredible artistic talents in mind, thinking, “Oh, man…Kel is gonna fucking slay it on this scene!” And then, almost unbelievably, his pencils would come in and they were always so much better than I’d ever dreamed! Conversely, he claims my scripts felt so perfectly rendered to him…he says he doesn’t even have to think about how to draw them; it just comes naturally–like breathing.
Kelley Jones: I am a huge fan of all-things Dracula. I thought really everything had been done with the concept of a classical telling of the tale. The only things left would be silly ideas like Dracula is a private detective or he fights aliens. When Matt told me his plans, I was knocked out. Matt’s ideas are so great and his scripts simply draw themselves. I was always a great fan of what Matt does, and to get to make a terrific book like this,which is pure horror, was a dream come true. I’m really proud to be working with him and I highly recommend it.
BD: Throughout your respective careers, you have crafted incredible, new worlds and characters who have resonated deeply with readers. Looking back at the Dracula graphic novel series, why do you feel that it stands out in your award-winning catalog of work?
MW: I think one of the most remarkable things about our collaboration on Dracula is where it occurred chronologically in our respective careers. Kel and I are both in our 60s…and that’s the time when a lot of comic creators are laying down their pens and riding on their well-earned laurels. But both of us feel as invigorated by the process of working together as most anything we’ve ever done. And it feels like we’d already spent years collaborating prior to this. That kind of creative connection is incredibly special to both us as the creators and in the final results of our stories…and it shows.
KJ: I think every creative person wants the most recent, or work that they produce later in their careers, to not pale next to the work that made your reputation. You want the latest stuff to stand alongside and Dracula easily does that for me. I hear it all the time and it’s so good to get that reaction.
BD: In light of the Kickstarter launch, are there any particular backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
MW: As per usual, we’re offering three different editions of the book–one featuring Kelley’s main cover art, one featuring my variant cover art, and a signed & numbered edition limited to 666 copies. We’ve also done a very special extra with each of the previous volumes; with BOOK I, it was a B&W portfolio of Kelley’s interior art from that volume, with BOOK II, it was a gorgeous Gicleè-style print of a provocative image from the second book. And with BOOK III, we offered a full-color portfolio that featured a first-time artistic collaboration between Kelley and myself…ten portraits of Dracula that Kelley drew and inked and that I then painted. For this campaign we’ve got another incredibly fun extra to offer with BOOK IV–a Black Light poster! So, prepare to get totally psychedelic…it looks incredible!
KJ: I love them all. I have a collector mentality, so I have enjoyed how all the rewards have that extra special appeal because of how unique they are. Cool is best and they certainly all are.
BD: Finally, are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
MW: I’m currently in the middle of a lengthy GRENDEL project that is in publication from Dark Horse Comics. GRENDEL: DEVIL’S CRUCIBLE is a four-part epic, each comprised of four issues each. The current…and second…series in this saga, DEVIL’S CRUCIBLE–SEDITION, is on the stands now, with the third and fourth parts coming in 2027 and 2028. And Kelley and I also have plans for more projects from our imprint label, Orlok Press. It’s still a bit early to discuss what those projects might be…but we’ll be bringing the same level of inspiration and commitment to readers as we have with our DRACULA efforts.
KJ: The Elseworld Batman RedRain, the three-year run I did on monthly Batman, of course Deadman, Swampthing with Len Wein, and Lobo vs. the Roadrunner.
