Vampirella #2
Just two months after the debut issue introduced Vampirella to the world, issue #2 (November 1969) rapidly expanded her fictional family by delivering the first appearances of two characters who would echo through every subsequent era of the franchise: Evily, her dark-magic cousin, and Draculina, her blonde twin sister. Both characters were seeded here in the lighthearted, pulp-fairy-tale register that Forrest J. Ackerman shaped for the early run — a tone that made the magazine feel distinctly different from Warren's grittier Creepy and Eerie siblings. Draculina in particular grew into a major ongoing presence, eventually anchoring her own Dynamite Entertainment solo series decades later, a trajectory that begins with a single story in this sixty-eight-page black-and-white magazine. The issue also illustrates how Warren, operating outside the Comics Code Authority, could deploy classic horror iconography — here Frankenstein's monster, Victor Frankenstein, and the Bride of Frankenstein — in self-contained anthology shorts alongside its original characters, a creative flexibility that defined the Warren model.
In "Ever wonder what it takes to be a woman of parts?," Vampirella faces a shocking twist when her cousin Vampi, long a figure of intrigue, openly challenges her for the throne. With Bill Parente’s sharp storytelling and Jerry Grandenetti’s dynamic art bringing the supernatural showdown to life, the issue delivers a bold, campy clash of wills that turns magic on its head—literally. The cover by Bill Hughes captures the moment with dramatic flair, making this a standout in the early Warren horror comics lineup.
In a twist of dark sibling rivalry, Evily faces off against her cousin Vampi, whose sudden ambition to claim Evily’s throne sets off a magical clash. When Evily unleashes a spell of evil, Vampi escapes by transforming into a bat—only for the magic to rebound through Evily’s own mirror, flipping the curse and turning her into a sweet, innocent white kitty. As Vampi departs with a smirk, Evily, now powerless and feline, swears revenge.
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Vampirella #2 was published by Warren Publishing in November 1969, just two months after the debut issue, as part of James Warren's strategy of building a third horror-anthology magazine alongside Creepy and Eerie. All stories in the issue were edited by Bill Parente, who served as the series' initial editor. The writing roster leaned heavily on Forrest J. Ackerman — a co-creator of Vampirella herself — as well as contributors Don Glut, Nicola Cuti, Bill Parente, and R. Michael Rosen, with art handled by Jerry Grandenetti, Mike Royer, Dick Piscopo, Ernie Colon, Billy Graham, William Barry, and Tony Williamsune (a pseudonym for the art team of Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico). The cover was painted by Bill Hughes, shifting away from the Frank Frazetta cover of issue #1.
Trivia · 7 facts
- First appearance of Evily, Vampirella's cousin, who serves as the featured antagonist in the lead story 'Evily,' written by Bill Parente with art by Jerry Grandenetti.
- First appearance of Draculina, described across multiple sources as Vampirella's blonde twin sister; she would later return in Harris Publications' Vampirella Quarterly (2008) and become a recurring figure in Dynamite Entertainment stories beginning in 2015.
- Second overall appearance of Vampirella herself, who at this stage in the series still functioned primarily as a horror-hostess rather than a serialized lead character.
- The issue's opening one-page 'Vampi's Feary Tales' feature spotlights the 1935 Universal film The Bride of Frankenstein, with Frankenstein's monster, Victor Frankenstein, and the Bride of Frankenstein all appearing in the issue's anthology content.
- Cameos by real-world figures: Forrest J. Ackerman and publisher James Warren both appear within the story 'Down to Earth!,' written by Ackerman and illustrated by Mike Royer.
- The full story lineup comprises seven features: 'Evily,' 'Montezuma's Monster,' 'Down to Earth!,' 'Queen of Horror!,' 'The Octopus,' 'One, Two, Three,' and 'Rhapsody in Red!' — a representative example of Warren's anthology format.
- Dynamite Entertainment published a limited replica facsimile edition of this issue around 2019–2020 as part of a 50th-anniversary celebration of the Vampirella character, reproducing all original stories and period advertisements.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Vampirella Annual #1 (1972), Vampus #19 (1973), Vampus #32 (1974), Vampirella #7 (1974), Vampus #46 (1975), Vampirella #[24] (1977), Dario Argento presenta Profondo Rosso #10 (1991), Vampirella: Silver Anniversary Collection #3 (1997), Vampirella Archives #1 (2010), Vampirella (1969), Facsimile Edition #2 (2019), Illustrators Special Issue #14 - First Edition (2022)
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