‘Interview with the Vampire’ to be released as graphic novel, told from Claudia’s point of view

Drawing by Ashley Marie Witter

Are not the child vampires the most horrifying and intriguing?  As fine a job that Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise did as Louise and Lestat, respectfully, it could very well be said that Kirsten Dunst stole the show with her portrayal of Claudia in the 1994 film adaptation of Anne Rice’s, Interview with the Vampire.  At first a terribly sympathetic orphan of the black plague, she soon becomes a indiscriminate bloodsucker under the tutelage of Lestat.  Those lovely, never able to be straightened, golden curls above blood stained lips and ravenous eyes allowed her to become #8 on Time.com’s best vampires to hit the silver screen.  This November 2012,  Yen Press will release Interview with the Vampire: Claudia’s Story, with art and adaptation by Ashley Marie Witter.

Anne Rice appears fully on board with the project, and is happy with the results.  She is quoted in Publishers Weekly, “I am looking at the drawings, they have such wonderful detail in the costumes, and in my work costumes are almost like a character…They are part of the work, and they got that. What I look for in a movie or a book like this is the essence—baroque detail, sensuality, luxurious hair, faces that are intriguing and deep—and they got it here.”

The novel will be Ashley Marie Witter’s first full length graphic, although, she has penned two webcomics, Reign of Adeodatus and Scorch, and contributed to the comics anthology, The Eternal Sad.  The image gallery from the pages of the upcoming graphic below, pulled courtesy of Io9, look slightly manga-esque, which doesn’t surprise since the work is being published by Yen Press, however, the gorgeous artwork and sketches found on Witter’s website suggest a much broader stroke of talent than the panels may imply.  A visit to the 27-year-old Madison, WI native’s net portal is highly recommended.

If you have time checkout this interview Anne Rice did with io9’s Kaila Hale Stern. In it Anne Rice talks about the creative process behind the graphic novel and her partnership with Yen Press to make it all happen.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Here is a taste, pun intended, of Claudia in the feature film, for those of you who are unaware, foggy, or have not been inclined to see her in action.

If you find yourself intrigued with the character of the child vampire and desire to see more, there is another great film out there for you to seek out.  The Swedish film, Let the Right One In, is fantastic and was voted movie of the year by Empire magazine in 2008.  For those who wish to skip the subtitles, it was remade for english speaking audiences in 2010, titled Let Me In, starring Chloë Grace Moretz of Kick Ass fame and the upcoming remake of Carrie.

You are officially invited to follow my posts on Twitter @HugoSchoen or engage in some more light reading here.  Like us on Facebook when you get the chance.