Set Description:
I was 10 years old when BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA premiered in cinemas in November, 1992. I remember the film's impact well, along with the accolades for costumes and makeup effects. I also remember The Simpsons Halloween Special: "Treehouse of Horror IV,” featuring the parody "Bart Simpson's Dracula.” In early 1993 my older brother, a college student at the time, brought home the movie on VHS. We sat down for a late night viewing where I became mesmerized by the striking visuals of the film's prologue. I recall vividly laughing out loud in shock at the sight of Prince Vlad impaling a Turk, while donning blood red armor. The carriage scene at the Borgo Pass also impressed my young imagination, with the mysterious coach driver draped in the armor of the armadillo, as well as the shadows of Dracula that never matched the actual movements of D himself.
I would not get to finish the movie that night, not long after a scene featuring Dracula's exotic, insatiable and barley clothed brides, my father appeared, who upon his discovery of what we were watching, decreed that such a film was inappropriate for me, thus ceasing my viewing pleasure. Several months later I was able to watch an edited version on network television, with Dracula's brides more clothed. A few years later I came across a VHS copy for myself and finally saw the film in all of its unedited glory.
I would go on to learn about the production of the film and its unique visual style, a result of naïve, in-camera tricks perfected by the magicians of golden age cinema. I've also read about Vlad Tepes, a.k.a. Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula, the prince of Wallachia, the historical influence for the character imagined by author Bram Stoker in In Search of Dracula: A True History of Dracula and Vampire Legends by Raymond T. McNally and Radu Florescu.
While visiting my brother in California in 2007, we came across a handsome hardback graphic novel at a comic shop, Stoker’s Dracula (Marvel 2005), a comic book adaptation of the original novel. The book was sealed in shrink-wrap, I told my brother that Roy Thomas (writer) and Dick Giordano (illustrator) were two legit name in comics, based on that my brother made the purchase. The gamble paid off, the 1970s black and white interior art work was beautiful and the story behind the making of the adaptation was just as good. Not long after I purchased my own copy I searched online for other Dracula comics, and discovered Topps Comics did a four issue comic adaptation of the 1992 film. When I saw Roy Thomas as the writer along with Mike Mignola (Hellboy) on art, I knew this adaptation would be good.
Each issue came sealed with four exclusive trading cards, and was only available in the direct market - comic book shops. Issue #1 has a second printing along with a Crimson Foil edition. This miniseries was also collected in a TPB, a.k.a. the Graphic Album (March 1993) with a unique wraparound cover. There is also a Diamond Comic Distributors exclusive TPB (1993) reusing the cover art from issue #1, which came sealed with a set of trading cards. This may have been a limited giveaway; I have yet to find any additional information. The Diamond TPB is interesting as is it is just the four actual individual issues bound together under a card stock cover.
I’m working to complete this set in 9.8 grade, it has been challenging as the front and back covers of these issues are affected by the seal lines from the poly-bag along with attrition from the trading cards included, dropping the grade significantly. The long out of print Graphic Album was also difficult to find in good condition but I was able to obtain a copy in 2021 that I submitted to CGC - it came back in 9.8 grade.
My Submission Timeline:
September 2021: submitted issue #2 to CCS/CGC, returned August 2022 in 9.8 grade.
October 2021: submitted the Graphic Album to CGC, returned in 9.8 grade.
November 2021: submitted the Diamond Comic Distributors exclusive TPB to CGC, returned September 2022 in 9.6 grade.
Check out my Self Submissions custom set to see both the graded Dracula Graphic Album and Diamond Comic Distributors exclusive, along with all of my other submissions.
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