Legendary comic creators Matt Wagner, Kelley Jones, and José Villarrubia present the secret history of Dracula
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Reminder--YOU'RE INVITED TO JOIN US TONIGHT!
5 months ago
– Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 04:37:37 PM
Hey gang…this is just a reminder of the exclusive Zoom chat with me and Kelley that is scheduled to take place this evening by invitation only to you, our Kickstarter patrons! The chat begins tonight—10/29—at 6:00pm PST and you can join in by following this link;
Kel and I will be fielding any questions you might wanna fire at us in regards to our DRACULA saga in general and our latest volume, BOOK III—THE COUNT in particular. So come dig deep into our sinister brains and discover what makes us rise from our coffins every night to bring you these secret histories of the infamous vampire lord!
We’re very excited about this session and hope to hear from you.
In the meantime…
If you’d care to maybe indulge in an adult beverage over the course of the chat, we’ve got the perfect cocktail to accompany this experience…one that’s directly inspired by our DRACULA epic!
Bret Macris, Co-Chef and Owner of Shift restaurant in New Orleans has crafted and offers this recipe to put you in the mood for all things vampiric. He’s christened it…The Count’s Descent!
The Count's Descent
1.5 oz Rye Whiskey
½ oz Cherry Liqueur
½ oz Sweet Vermouth
A splash Absinthe
4 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 ea Blood Orange Rind
Add wet ingredients to a mixing glass of ice. Stir until nicely chilled and thoroughly mixed. Strain into a highball glass with a big ice cube. Express blood orange peel and add as a garnish.
Many thanks to Chef Bret for this amazing concoction, sure to delight any blood-thirsty craving! If you're ever in New Orleans, make sure to check out Shift! https://www.shiftnola.com/
Hope to hear from you all this evening, OH YOU CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT!
MATT WAGNER~
YOU'RE INVITED!
5 months ago
– Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 09:22:24 AM
Hey gang…as the campaign for DRACULA: BOOK III—THE COUNT enters its final 2 days, we’re here to announce a very special event that is exclusive to you, our backers.
Tonight -- Wednesday, October 29, 2025 -- at 6pm PST, Kelley and I will be hosting a special Zoom session that is an INVITATION-ONLY event for our Kickstarter patrons!
Follow this link and tune in to this dedicated Q&A session where Kel and I will be taking your comments and directly trying to answer as many questions as you might have in regards to our DRACULA epic overall and this volume in particular. Here’s your chance to dig deep into our motivations, methods and working relationship…a real behind-the-scenes exclusive access to our creative process.
Follow this link and tune in to this dedicated Q&A session where Kel and I will be taking your comments and directly trying to answer as many questions as you might have in regards to our DRACULA epic overall and this volume in particular. Here’s your chance to dig deep into our motivations, methods and working relationship…a real behind-the-scenes exclusive access to our creative process.
Frankly, we’ve never done anything like this before so it might be a bit chaotic at first…but we treasure your enthusiastic support for this project and look forward to hearing directly from you. Since this is our first time attempting this format, we have no idea what to expect and how many people might show up. Zoom Pro has a limit of 300 participants during any particular session and, if we’re lucky enough to have that many of you show up, we’ll try to keep things organized but lively. If the turnout is a much smaller attendance, we’ll have a more intimate exchange that might likely end up being more in depth. Again, this session is exclusive to our backers and NOT open to the general public.
As always and even if you can’t hop on board during this live chat, Kelley and I are incredibly thankful for your patronage of this project that is so very special to both of us. After decades of us talking about someday working together on something significant that would make a real and noteworthy mark in both of our careers, we finally stumbled into what I feel is a perfect collaboration.
And, to prove that fact and as a further celebration of this campaign getting ready to wrap up its funding stage…here’s a sneak peek at Kelley’s amazing B&W art for the first 30 pages of DRACULA: BOOK III—THE COUNT! Kelley’s art should be wonderfully familiar to you by this point but is also drastically different from the scenarios he had to render in the first two volumes—we’ve switched for a remote and isolated area of the world, replete with legends of spirits, monsters and demons to one of the world’s most metropolitan cities. As per usual…the Maestro’s results are stunning! I’m sure you’ll agree and we can’t wait for you all to read the book in its completed form.
Lastly, and as per usual, we’d like to end with (this time) a pair of other projects that we’d like to promote. These two are both special to us because their sponsors are both part of Team Dracula and crucial to us launching and managing our campaigns.
First up, we’ve got an all-new project from Monstrous Books.
First published in 1923, the iconic pulp magazine Weird Tales defined the horror and fantasy genres and helped give rise to icons such as H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Ray Bradbury, and C.L. Moore. A century later, Monstrous is teaming up with Weird TalesMagazine to publish the first-ever official Weird Tales graphic novel. — an ambitious adaptation and expansion of the legendary magazine — featuring covers by legendary artists Kelley Jones (Dracula, Sandman) and Eric Powell (The Goon, Dr. Werthless). Fans can follow the pre-launch page now to get an email when the campaign launches, to make sure that they don’t miss early bird specials and limited edition tiers.
The Weird Tales graphic novel features adaptations of seminal stories, including:
Michael Avallone’s “The Man Who Walked on Air” — adapted by Chilling Adventures of Sabrinaartist Robert Hack and David Avallone, the acclaimed writer and son of Michael Avallone.
Ray Bradbury’s “The Scythe” — adapted by artist J.K. Woodward and acclaimed novelist and creator of the Joe Ledger series JonathanMaberry.
Allison V. Harding’s “The Damp Man” — adapted by acclaimed artist Marco Finnegan (Calavera, PI) and award-winning novelist Nancy A. Collins, who was the first woman to write Swamp Thing and also the first woman to write Vampirella.
Robert E. Howard’s “Skulls in the Stars” — adapted by 30 Days of Night co-creator Steve Niles
An original Lovecraft Mythos Story by Peabody Award-winning screenwriter and producer Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia) with art by Lukas Ketner (Count Crowley)
C.L. Moore’s “Shambleau” — adapted by artist GeorgeQuadros (Sumerian) and Blake Northcott (Catwoman)
Anthony M. Rud’s “Ooze” — the first story published by Weird Tales, in 1923 — reimagined by Weird Tales president, director, and producer John Harlacher (Urchin, Ninja Escape, Nightmare NYC), with art by ZacAtkinson.
The Weird Tales graphic novel also features original stories, including:
“Doctor Satan vs. Jules de Grandin” by James Aquilone, winner of the Bram Stoker Award-winning Kolchak: The Night Stalker: 50th Anniversary and the anthology Shakespeare Unleashed, with art by Dave Swartz
“The Cthulhu Project” by Richard Krepit, with art by EV Cantada
Next up…Have you heard about the Superfan Podcast, where the people who make the comics you love talk about the things that they love… that aren’t comics. Join co-hosts Christian Gossett (Story Artist, Eyes of Wakanda, The Red Star), Kristen Simon (Executive Editor at Mad Cave Studios’ Nakama Press), and Superfan Promotions founder David Hyde, as they interview superstar comic book writers and artists about what they’re passionate about — outside of comics.
In the pilot, Peabody Award-winning screenwriter and producer Rodney Barnes(Blackula, Killadelphia) reflects on what makes for a seminal Stephen King story. Rodney also opens up about his own creative journey, which was forever transformed in unexpected ways by his up-close and personal experience on the film The Green Mile, with his favorite novelist. Other guests include Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Marc Guggenheim on Billy Joe, Eisner Award-winning and Hugo Award-nominated writer Kelly Sue DeConnick onAlan Alda (and her decision to get Alan Alda knuckle tattoos) Harvey Award-winning and New York Times bestselling cartoonist Matt Kindt decoding the joy of John le Carré’s spy novels, Eisner Award-winning writer Marjorie Liu on why gardening is her obsession, and New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor-winning cartoonist (and former musician) Patrick McDonnell (Mutts) reveals why he’s fascinated by Frank Zappa. For each episode, the co-hosts also share a conversation-appropriate dessert recipe, as well as a cocktail and/or mocktail inspired by the interview. You can check out the Superfan podcast on most platforms:
Okay, gang…that’s it for now. Thanks again for your interest and support annnnd…WE HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU FOR THIS EXCLUSIVE CHAT!
Hoping your Halloween is haunted and happy.
MATT WAGNER~
London after midnight...DRACULA style!
5 months ago
– Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 03:41:52 AM
Hey gang…as the campaign for DRACULA: BOOK III—THE COUNT winds down, here’s a peek at some of Kelley’s in-freaking-credible art from this volume!
I mean…WOW, right?
Working with Kel on this project has been an unbelievable privilege and an utter joy. He is SUCH an amazing draftsman as well as being an absolute master of drama and mood. Black and white lines are the notes and chords in his visual symphonies of terror! I don’t think there can be any doubt that this project will someday become known as Kelley’s magnum opus.
For those of you who haven’t yet backed BOOK III—THE COUNT, only two days remain for you to secure one of these beautiful European album-style books. Don’t wait another minute to join us on this in-depth journey into the shadowy and untold histories of the most famous literary character or all time—Count Dracula!
And to those who’ve already come on board for this volume as well as the previous two books, we can’t thank you enough for your continued and enthusiastic support for this very special project. Kelley and I had dreamed for decades about someday crafting a bold, resonant and enduring narrative together. Our passion for this ongoing tale is what led to its creation and gestation…but it’s your patronage that helped ensure its fruition.
If you’d like to delve a little deeper into our motivations, working relationship and philosophies about our sinister title character, check out this incredibly lively discussion with Brad and Lisa Gullickson from Comic Book Couples Counseling! These two always have lots of great questions to fire our way and we have a great time providing the answers. Always a great time on CBCC!
Lastly, here’s a reminder of what legendary film-maker John Carpenter has to say about our series of DRACULA graphic novels.
Incredibly kind words from an absolute maestro of horror narratives! We are truly humbled by and grateful for his gracious endorsement!
BLOODY FUN--all in one!
6 months ago
– Sat, Oct 11, 2025 at 12:17:57 PM
Hey gang…just a quick update to say that we’ve added a tier in the campaign for DRACULA: BOOK III—THE COUNT where you can order ALL THREE volumes with a single click! This bundling applies to both the print and digital versions.
And, in honor of a special day (no…not John Lennon’s birthday), our friends at 13th Dimension ran a spotlight overview of all three books in our ongoing epic history of the vampire lord! Check it out here to see how things have progressed.
Lastly, we wanna give a special shout-out to one of our very favorite podcast—LAST PODCAST ON THE LEFT! If you’ve never tuned in to this long-running, informative, hilarious and incredibly popular cast, now’s the perfect time to check it out as the boys have just started a multi-episode series in an all-new Portraits Of Evil theme. Their first subject is the Third Reich’s number two mother-fucker, Heinrich Himmler, truly one of the most vile human beings to ever exist! LPOTL is available on Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts.
And…LPOTL has a very special episode coming up soon! More info to come…
Spooky is season is upon us, you Children of the Night!
MATT WAGNER~
THE COUNT is risen!
6 months ago
– Thu, Oct 02, 2025 at 02:57:44 PM
Hey gang! We’re coming atcha with another update about the launch of the KS campaign for DRACULA: BOOK III—THE COUNT!
Kelley Jones and I are now three volumes into producing an ongoing epic saga that unveils the secret history of the world’s most famous literary character…the vampire lord, Count Dracula! As most of you probably know, this project’s origins are based in our long-running friendship and a deeply held desire to one day produce something extraordinary together! After decades of knowing each other and making the same sort of wish/promises, I was finally able to call Kel and tell him that I had the perfect idea that suited both of us to a goddamn T! Now, we’re finally seeing it all come to fruition and it couldn’t possibly be more satisfying…a true labor of love for the both of us.
Most of you have been along for this exhilarating ride through our previous volumes…BOOK I—THE IMPALER and BOOK II—THE BRIDES…and we can’t thank you enough for backing these campaigns. We’re hoping we can count on your continuing support as this grand and sinister narrative will continue through our originally planned four volumes…and possibly even beyond!
With this new campaign, we’re also thrilled to be able to offer you a vibrant array of additional rewards with the campaign, from the premium original art levels to prints and portfolios and even other merch…t-shirts and an incredibly cool hat! All of which you can add on at any point during the campaign’s active period.
We also love being able to bring you the occasional behind-the-scenes look at our mutual creative processes. Here’s a look at Kelley’s cover art for BOOK III—THE COUNT in its original B&W format and the final version as colored by the amazing José Villarrubia!!
DRACULA: BOOK III-THE COUNT is off to a fantastic start and, as I said, we’re hoping your support will continue for this volume. We’ve had an incredible outpouring of glowing comments and reviews in response to the first two books and, I can assure you…this volume only keeps bringing that vampiric magic to life (er…undeath)!
As you know, we like to give a shout out to other campaigns and today the spotlight is on.... Spider-Man. No, not Renfeld, the original spider man.... We mean Mr. Peter Parker.
The Amazing Spider-Man swung into newsprint on Monday, January 3, 1977, bringing Marvel’s most popular hero from comic pages to newspapers worldwide. Through Stan Lee’s storytelling and John Romita’s masterful art, the strip delivered dramatic storylines that pitted Spidey against classic foes while introducing brand new characters, helping make Spider-Man a household name beyond the comic book stands. Now, for the first time ever in softcover, Stan Lee and John Romita’s THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN CLASSIC NEWSPAPER COMICS will return to print as a part of Clover Press’s spectacular new line of deluxe slipcase editions. The Kickstarter campaign is now live.
We’ll have more updates as the new campaign continues and then further notices as the actual production, printing and shipment phases of the book unfold. Thanks, again!
