Storm King Comics are bringing a new spin on the vampire tale with writer/artist Sian Mandrake’s debut graphic novel Blood of the Taken this Fall. Published as part of the John Carpenter’s Night Terrors imprint, the 160-page horror tale of an obsessive maternal vampire looking to rebuild the family they’ve lost will release October 1, 2024, with an early release via the Storm King Comics website from September 18, 2024. It will retail for $24.99.
According to the publisher’s press release:
“Vampires have been mainstays of literature, movies, games and comics for centuries, but horror fans have never met a creation quite like Theo, the 500-year-old undead with a maternal instinct at the center of BLOOD OF THE TAKEN, writer-illustrator Sian Mandrake’s graphic novel that debuts this October from Storm King Comics as part of the John Carpenter’s Night Terrors imprint.”
Going further into the plot,
“After losing her own brood, Theo spends her nights stalking a small town in Western Massachusetts in search of just the right humans who she can bring back to her nightmarish, rotting mansion. Theo may have found the perfect pair in lifelong best friends Ed and Liam. But when the two men are ensnared in Theo’s bloody and violent web of intrigue, they learn that running is not an option—and that Theo has intentions that run much deeper than simply keeping them as fellow undead.
“Theo wants a family. Trouble is, Ed and Liam aren’t so sure they need this kind of family.”
Blood of the Taken is Sian Mandrake’s debut graphic novel. It debuted on Mandrake’s Patreon in May 2020 and developed a keen following. Mandrake is an alumni of the Kubert School and is the child of artistic greats Jan Duursema and Tom Mandrake. Prior to being picked up by Storm King Comics, Blood of the Taken had been released in single issue form – with three instalments of the story being made available digitally via Gumroad – and saw serialisation on Webtoon (since removed). The now-complete edition is edited by Storm King Comics founder Sandy King and lettered by Janice Chiang.
Speaking about the book, Sandy King said:
“The moment I discovered the work Sian had been doing on their own to create a crowdfunded version of this story, I knew that Storm King was the perfect place for this exquisite, fun and no-holds-barred approach. Sian has done nothing less than breathe new life into a classic horror tale, and I can’t wait for the world to see this gorgeous and captivating book.”
Formed by writer/producer and editor Sandy King in 2012, Storm King Comics is a division of Storm King Productions – which King runs alongside director-husband John Carpenter. Storm King Comics is currently having a boom year – this month it will release two new titles by hotshot horror creator Steve “30 Days of Night” Niles – The God List and Dark and Twisted: The Killing Hole; as well as other books in the pipeline come Fall. Mandrake’s Blood of the Taken will join a growing backlist that boasts work from Cullen Bunn and Heath Amodio (Long Haul); Amanda Deibert and Cat Staggs (Death Mask); and the Fetch duology by Mike Sizemore with Dave and Pete Kennedy – the latter of which earned the publisher a Gold Prize in the Graphic Novels & Comics category at the Forward INDIE Awards 2023. Its backlist is growing to the point it now has its own dedicated section on the Storm King website.
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