Vampires » bloodthirsty

Five Vriggin’ Vild Vampire Comics

annimi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:00:37 +0000

Vampirella, 1969 – So, you’re a hot alien vampire chick from planet Draculon, why not wear a red thong suit that fits like a surgical glove, thigh high boots, and go hunt the evil kind of vampires? Forrest J. Ackerman thought this was a great idea, and then created Vampirella, who started out as a horror host, but went on to become hero of her own story. And on, and on, and on, –her first appearance was in 1969, in Warren Publishing, till 1983. Then she was snapped up by Harris Publishing in 1991, where she lives on today. She also inspired the spin-off manga character Vampi, who thank god, appears to be much more short-lived.

Tomb of Dracula, 1972 – Tomb existed in the Marvel universe from ‘72, to ‘79, and featured probably the most notorious big bad of the known world, –Dracula! The vampire hunting team constantly battles Dracula, who in turn, fights other occasional guest stars, like Jack Russel from Werewolf by Night, Blade, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and even Solomon Kane (who doesn’t really even count as a Marvel character!). Once in a while, Dracula and the vampire hunters team up to fight a common threat, but mostly of the time, he prefers to maintain his supervillain status.

I…Vampire, 1981 – I… Vampire was part of the horror comic anthology House of Mystery, which is one of those comic books that just won’t die! It was recently revitalized in May ‘08, and is still being published today. I… Vampire appeared in 24 issues, from ‘81 to ‘83, and revolved around the depressed, flamboyantly depicted blood-aholic vampire Lord Andrew Bennett, just under 400 years old. Bennett turned his lover, Mary Seward into a vampire, and Mary created a group of vampires, then they all ran off to take over the world. Bennett refuses to kill for blood and instead drinks it from bottles. He’s also suicidal; charming guy, no? The story follows him through bouts of depression, suicide attempts, and battles with his ex, now supervillain.

Cassidy in Preacher, 1995 – Cassidy is the best friend, sometimes foe, of Jesse Custer, the hero and the Preacher. Jesse has the power of the ‘Word of God’, a command that forces other to obey, as a results of being possessed by an angel/demon named Genesis. Cassidy gets involved in a love triangle with Tulip; Tulip in love with the oblivious Custer, Cassidy in love with Tulip. Cassidy has various substance abuse issues, though he doesn’t kill for blood, –he doesn’t even have to have human blood, and instead, prefers booze. I wouldn’t recommend the comic to anyone unless you’re in the mood for some seriously depressing stuff.

30 Days of Night, 2002 – Wanna hear something funny? Before 30 Days of Night was a movie, it was a comic book miniseries, that was actually inspired by a failed attempt at a 30 Days of Night movie. Apparently, your comic book has to succeed before your movie can; Hollywood is truly a bloodthirsty little city, no? The original series was only three issues long, however, there are a ton of sequels, and returns to the original series. Dark Days is the sequel in which Stella strikes a deal with some vampires from L.A. in order to bring her husband back, –the sheriff who saved the town by infecting himself with the vampire “disease.”

Kali; Vampire Goddess

holiday — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:24:47 +0000

The Hindu myths contain a lot of stories of vampire like demons. The bloodthirsty goddess Kali is, essentially, a vampire. She’s similar to the also bloodthirsty Egyptian goddess, Sekhmet.
Kali is most often depicted with four arms, wielding weapons and severed limbs, and with black skin. She wears a necklace constructed of human skulls. A skirt of human limbs from those she has destroyed, hangs around her waist. Her long black tongue hangs out of her mouth, dripping with blood. She’s usually carrying a severed head in one of her four hands in icons of the goddess.
Some myths of Hinduism say that the goddess was born out of another goddess; Durga. Kali was said to have sprung out of Durga’s forehead in a moment of crisis, to help Durga defeat the demons of this world. Some Hindus believe that Kali has existed from the beginning of time.
Kali’s thirst for blood originated in her killing of the great demon Raktabija. Raktabija had a magical ability; every drop of blood that fell from his body was able to create thousands more demons like him. Kali destroyed him by piercing him and drinking all of his blood as it gushed out.
There are stories of Kali dancing a bloodthirsty dance of destruction, much like Shiva in his Nataraja avatar. So deadly and destructive, Kali nearly destroyed the whole cosmos in her thirst for blood and devastation, before the god Shiva was able to stop her.
This vampire goddess is still worshipped in temples today, by millions of Hindus around the world. She is also recognized by some Indian Muslims, and has been incorporated into various Obeah traditions of the Caribbean. Her devotees regard her as a loving mother goddess, who can destroy death itself. The goddess would traditionally be honored with a blood sacrifice. Animals are still sacrificed in her honor, especially in Calcutta, the city named after the goddess, “Kali Ghat.”

Vampire Subculture: Sanguinarians

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:31:06 +0000

The vampire lifestyle, or subculture has existed for many years, although it’s been growing over the last few decades. Many believe that the lifestyle has grown out of and stemmed from the Goth subculture, while still retaining elements and mannerisms of those participating in the S/M lifestyle. The two types of vampires in the subculture are psychic vampires, or energy vampires, and sanguinarian vampires. Sanguinarian derives from a Latin term, that means bloodthirsty; so the sanguinarians feed on small doses of human blood. They believe that they need the blood in order to sustain their health. In the sanguinarian division of the vampire lifestyle, there are donors, vampires, and those who practice autovampirism. Autovampirism is the act of drinking one’s own blood.

Other members of the vampire community, or lifestyle, frown on the act of autovampirism because they believe that it possesses no benefits that can be passed to the drinker. It’s also viewed as a type of physical self abuse, by those in the community, and also by the majority of those outside the vampire lifestyle. Other members of the sanguinarian division of the vampire subculture are the donors. Just as the term implies, a donor is a person either romantically linked, or not to a vampire who allows he or she to drink blood from them. Usually no more than a couple teaspoons worth is taken. Often, there will be a vampire/donor contract drawn up to help set the perimeters of the relationship, as well as protect against any wrongful accusations of assault that may occur.

There are other groups, usually consisting of teenagers who claim to be vampires, roleplaying games, and many other media outlets for the vampire of history. Some are debilitating, and dangerous, such as the much debated Renfield’s syndrome while others just healthy outlets for a creative imagination. Vampires have held us, as a species, fascinated, horrified, and romanticised for hundreds of years. A world without them… would be bloodless.

Vampires » bloodthirsty

Five Vriggin’ Vild Vampire Comics

Related Reading:

Kali; Vampire Goddess

Related Reading:

Vampire Subculture: Sanguinarians

Related Reading: