Publisher New Baby Productions announces that a graphic novel adaptation of Derek Gunn’s acclaimed Vampire Apocalypse novel series is in the works. “I’m really thrilled with this new direction as I always felt that (Vampire Apocalypse) really lends itself to this format,” stated Gunn. Vampire Apocalypse was published in September 2006, and has been optioned by producer/screenwriter Richard Finney to be a feature film. A script has already been penned by Finney and Franklin Guerrero Jr. Fallout, the third book in the series, will be released this October from Black Death Books.

According to Gunn, “The stories are set in the near future in a world grown insular after a brief war has left the world depleted of resources. Fuel is rationed, states close their borders, communities die, and technology stagnates. As the world struggles to cope with these problems, the vampires come from the shadows and quietly begin to take over community-after-community. They offer power to those who will join them, and death to those who don’t. It doesn’t take long and, after a brutal but brief war, they take control. They use a serum and Thralls to control the population, wall the cities off, and breed humans as stock. The Thralls are humans who have been bitten but have not fully become vampires. They have enhanced speed and strength and guard the vampires during the day when they could be vulnerable.”

“In recent pop culture, vampires have been turned into beings that should be loved. Derek Gunn returns vampires to the blood-thirsty dangerous monsters that they should be,” stated New Baby Publisher Eric Mullarky. “This is the perfect story to launch New Baby into the horror genre.”

This new adaptation will be scripted by CJ Hurtt, an eclectic writer whose work has run the gamut from mainstream to horror to slipstream to political drama. His horror prose has been published in Lighthouse Magazine and Horrorfind.com; and his comic work has been showcased in the political drama One Last Song published by Brainscan Studios. He is the current Fiction Editor of Dark Recesses Magazine.

Assisting on the writing duties will be Gunn, an Irish author whose work has been widely praised on both sides of the Atlantic. His latest novel, The Estuary, was released in June 2009, and has been receiving some great reviews, including commendations from Fangoria, Flamesrising.com, and Horrornews.net. Gunn is a member of the International Thriller Writers Association and the Horror Writers Association.

Argentinean artist Federico Combi will be providing the art for the graphic novel. Combi fancies himself a “Fine Arts Technician;” an illustrator and artist specialized in multiple concepts and artistical aesthetics: fantasy art, pin ups, stories, children’s albums, youth novels, adult novels, paleo art, comics, and storyboards. He has worked for producers on several continents. Mullarky said that “Frederico’s realistic painted style will bring a unique visualization to this project that you will not want to miss.”

Vampire Apocalypse: the Graphic Novel is scheduled for an early 2011 release. A mini-comic preview edition will be available at various conventions during 2010 to start the pre-release marketing. Project updates will be posted on the New Baby Productions web site.

New Baby Productions is an independent comic book publisher formed in 2008 by Eric Mullarky with the intent to self-publish his Elemental Fources series. The follow-up series, Elemental Fources: Brothers in Arms, will be released in 2010.

Tags | derek gunn, horror comics, post-apocalyptic, vampires