Oni Press’ new EC Comics have pleased horror fans and critics alike with a number of anthology series, harkening back to the weird and controversial tales from the Golden Age of comics with a modern twist.
This June, Oni Press launch EC Comics first-ever standalone horror series by Corinna Bechko and Andrea Sorrentino called Blood Type about a resourceful and deadly vampire on a tropical isle.
Blood Type (spinning out of the Epitaphs from the Abyss anthology and available on June 11) will also be prominently featured on Free Comic Book Day this year (Saturday, May 3, and you can actually meet Bechko, Rodney Barnes, and Patrick Horvath at Collector’s Paradise in Winnekta, California from 11-2 pm).
In anticipation of the annual festivities and Blood Type’s red spotlight, we decided that it was probably a good idea to speak to Bechko about the new series and why she loves horror (and Fraggle Rock) in this exclusive interview.
What went into your initial creation of Ada in the Epitaphs from the Abyss anthology and did you expect her to break out into her own series?
Corinna Bechko: I honestly just wanted to read about a vampire who was a creative problem solver, who didn’t care what anyone thought of her, and who didn’t have any guilt about what she was. So I wrote one, and had a huge amount of fun doing it. Then, when Jonathan Case came aboard to handle the art for the short story, I was hooked. I knew Ada had more to say, but EC Comics had never had a long form story take place over multiple issues before. Happily for me, Oni and EC Comics wanted to see more of Ada too, and so Blood Type was born. I’ve never been more thrilled to write so many blood drenched scenes.
Ada is a particularly hungry vampire which makes her seem more predatory. Was this a particular choice made to separate her from other modern vampires?
Bechko: Absolutely. She probably doesn’t have to hunt as much as she does, but she enjoys it, so why would she deny herself that pleasure? It’s not as if she feels guilty about draining humans, or even killing them for sport. I do enjoy an introspective vampire, but I thought about what kind of monster I wanted her to be and I came down on the side of the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park and the Alien Queens. Or perhaps my cats. They all know they are beautiful and perfect and that nature has made them killing machines. And everyone knows you can not go against nature.
You get to work with Andrea Sorrentino on Blood Type. What has it been like to collaborate with Andrea?
Bechko: I can’t say enough good things about his work on this book! He’s a world class storyteller who imbues every page with a unique touch. And he knows how to make the visuals absolutely terrifying! I couldn’t believe my luck when his name came up as a possible collaborator. I honestly gasp when I see his pages in my inbox.
You recently said “Horror has just always been where I’ve felt most at home”. Can you explain this more?
Bechko: I find horror as a genre to be very freeing. Its conventions tend to be fairly elastic, allowing creators to tell all kinds of stories. I like that two people may love horror for completely different reasons. I know that there’s a popular myth that imbibing too much horror can be desensitizing, but I’ve found the opposite to be true. Many horror fans are among the most empathetic people you’ll ever meet. I don’t know if that’s because they are drawn to stories that don’t flinch from showing bad things happening yet make sense internally, unlike how the world often works, or if it’s because a good horror story produces empathetic bonds with the characters, but either way I’ve found it to be a paradoxically comforting space.
Thoughts on Blood Type being an official Free Comic Book Day offering and the preview story?
Bechko: I’m so excited about that! It’s an honor to have our book presented as an entry point on Free Comic Book Day. I’ll be signing at Collector’s Paradise Winnetka as part of a horror showcase on Saturday, so I hope lots of horror fans as well as comics fans will stop by. The short story is complete unto itself, so even if folks don’t intend to read the Blood Type miniseries I hope they’ll check out this free offering. I’m really proud of it and can guarantee it looks amazing.
Blood Type takes place in a tropical location, one not usually associated with vampires and gothic settings. Why did you select this location?
Bechko: I’m a big fan of turning over rocks to discover what might be wriggling underneath even on the brightest of days. I’m also from a beachside tourist community myself, so I’ve seen first hand how much darkness a supposed paradise can hide. It just made sense to me to put vampires on an island, too. It’s something of a closed ecosystem so events can quickly get out of hand without being noticed by the outside world for a while.
Upcoming work?
Bechko: The Blood Type mini-series, out in June from Oni, is the big one I’m looking forward to! In addition, Sister Imperator, created with Tobias Forge from the band Ghost, is out right now from Dark Horse. It’s another story about a woman who often chooses violence, with amazing art from Puste. In addition, I have a horror story in an upcoming anthology of “Shakespeare adjacent” stories. And, just to add some cognitive whiplash, I also have a Fraggle Rock story called “Free Radishes” in Jim Henson Presents, a comic from Boom!
Look for Blood Type #1 at your local comic shop on June 11. You can also check out our previous interview with Bechko about EC Comics return right here.
