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Vampirella/Army of Darkness #1 Tim Seeley Cover
Mark Rahner is the writer of such comics as Dejah of Mars and Vampirella, and co-writer with Robert Horton of Rotten. Now, he engineers a meeting between Ash and Vampi in Dynamite’s Vampirella/Army of Darkness! Westfield’s Roger Ash talked to Rahner about this upcoming crossover.
Vampirella/Army of Darkness #1 preview page 1
Westfield: how did Vampirella/Army of Darkness come to be?
Mark Rahner: I felt as if I were possessed and unable to fight the urge to spew it out!
The idea was to make this a mini-adventure that takes place within the events of the army of Darkness movie. So Ash meets Vampi after the time he screws up the “Klaato verata nicto” incantation in the graveyard with the Necronomicon and before the substantial Deadite battle at the movie’s climax. and this story fits in seamlessly, I tell you! Seamlessly!
Vampirella/Army of Darkness #1 Jae Lee Cover
Westfield: What, for you, makes Ash and Vampirella a good pairing?
Rahner: They’re not! anybody who grew up with super-hero team-ups knows the formula by heart … that’s ripped from your chest and drips blood. two heroes meet, fight each other by accident, then realize they’re on the same side and become pals so they can fight the real bad guy. but Vampi doesn’t really like Ash at all. and she’s not necessarily a hero.
It helps you see Vampi’s point of view when you remember just how much of what happened in army of Darkness was because Ash is an idiot. She’s not the smallest bit amused that his idiocy has affected her. but he’s an idiot who’s very amazing when it’s action time.
By the way, if you think our promised One sticks out in 1300 A.D. with his grow stick and his chain saw, just think of what they’ll make of Vampi.
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Westfield: What can readers look forward to in the story and what other characters are involved aside from Vampirella and Ash?
Rahner: Slapstick and suspense. Chills, laughs, diabolical monks! A Giant, flying Super-Deadite! and a few curves you don’t expect. Also, Ash is drunk for a stretch.
You’ll meet a Black Friar Thomas, and I’m already making plans for the wealth that’ll accrue from the Black Friar Thomas action figures and spinoff movies. wonder if I ought to also have a plan B for getting rich …
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Westfield: You’re working with artist Jethro Morales on the book. What can you say about your collaboration with him?
Rahner: I’ve worked with him before on Dejah Thoris and The green men Of Mars, and his work just keeps getting better. He strikes a really good balance between scary and wacky. I don’t want Ash too cartoony. each time I saw his new pages for this one, there was at least one I wanted to frame and put on my office wall. Uh … hint … Jethro …
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Westfield: are there any other projects you’re working on that you’d like to mention?
Rahner: My newest issue of Twilight zone – shadow & substance is out now, and I hope people will give it a look. I love doing Twilight Zone, creating original, stand-alone, strange stories, and writing narration in Rod Serling’s voice. look out for another amazing Twilight zone project soon, too.
Vampirella/Army of Darkness #1 Tony Fleecs subscription Cover
Westfield: any closing comments?
Rahner: I wanted this story to have some real laughs in it and not just a bunch of scenes for Ash to repeat his catch phrases. Hey, I may be just as much of a buffoon as Ash is, but … Well, now I’m wondering if that’s why Dynamite had me write it. Huh.
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