By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
CLOVER PRESS
To back this project, please visit the Kickstarter page.
No matter which publication and or interpretation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula readers love, to have the vision of Ricardo Delgado adding to the lore will no doubt add to the appeal! This storyboard artist and character designer is well known for his work in films like Apollo 13, The Incredibles, and Men in Black. His Age of Reptiles graphic novels are acclaimed for their stunning depiction of dinosaurs and prehistory. But Delgado’s latest creative endeavour may well be his most ambitious to date: a fresh and unsettling take that reimagines Bram Stoker’s classic ghost story.
“Dracula of Transylvania supports and builds upon Stoker’s classic, haunting original story, but this is not your parents’ Dracula or your grandparents’ Dracula,” says Delgado. “This personification of the Nosferatu king is dark and powerful, a malevolent antagonist who suffers no fools, accepts no failure and crushes anyone in his path. This Dracula is not a romantic. He’s a complete horror. Just the way I always wanted him to be.”
This work will no doubt be inspired by the original Eastern European terror of what the vampire represents more so than anything Stoker penned. It’s also set to coincide with the 90th anniversary of Universal Studios’ own take of the vampire. Whether you’re in love with Bela Lugosi or Vlad Tepes, each personality–including artists visions–contributed to the legend all have a place.
To see what Delgado offers is a lot more: his work features over 20 lavish illustrations and an introduction by Donald F. Glut. It just needs the support of fans to get it through the last hurdle, printing it! This edition looks like it has an exclusive crowdfunded pricing, so catch it while you can before it requires a sacrifice to own!
From the Press Release:
Dracula of Transylvania is footnoted throughout with historical facts from the ancient to the modern world that bring texture to the sprawling and haunting adventure. Murder among English tombstones! Daring chases through the infamous underground Paris Ossuaries! A spectacular gladiatorial battle within Rome’s Colosseum during the Witching Hour! And finally, a fever-pitch chase through Europe to the most terrifying place on earth: Castle Dracula.
The Kickstarter campaign will have multiple tiers and rewards available for backers, including signed leather-bound hardcover copies of the book, limited edition prints, original sketches, postcards, leather bookmarks, and an exclusive clamshell/bookplate.
