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Stephen King bites back with 'American Vampire' comic book

By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

Stephen King has seen enough of what he calls the "sweetie-vamp" craze. The master of horror is a proponent of bloodsuckers with a little more bite.

King is doing his part for that movement in the Vertigo/DC Comics comic book series American Vampire, which showcases U.S. history through the eyes of a newly immortal bloodsucker. The first hardcover collection arrives in comic shops today and bookstores next week, and it's the first time King has ever contributed original material to a comic book.
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In two connecting stories, writer Scott Snyder tells of a 1920s flapper in Hollywood who comes into contact with some nasty European vamps, while King contributes the origin of the ornery outlaw Skinner Sweet. He is killed in the 1880s-era Old West and turned into a vampire, becoming the newly evolved American version of the popular monster. Sunlight and crosses don't bother Skinner. And no, he doesn't sparkle, either.

"A traditional vampire is always a taker, and that's the story of American expansion and laissez-faire and the rise of industrialism," says King, adding that Skinner's violent streak is his most essentially American trait. "The idea that he wants to come back and get his vengeance and he wants to get it as fast as he can and as harshly as he can, that's a very American desperado thing."

While it's not exactly in vogue in current pop culture, King says there will always be an audience for the bloodthirsty vamp. "And when I say bloodthirsty, I mean thirsty for your blood. I don't mean necessarily a bottle of Tru Blood they get in a bar, or Edward and his family going out there and basically hunting caribou to suck their blood."

He refers, of course, to the likes of True Blood and Twilight, which for him are more about romance than unspeakable horror. Not exactly a Twihard by any stretch, King does respect True Blood and its themes of sex and intolerance. "It's about a lot of stuff, actually, and that makes it a lot of fun to watch," he says.

King says working on American Vampire reinvigorated him, and Snyder took note of the youthful hunger in King's writing. "When he gets his teeth into something, he seems to enjoy, he writes like a demon," Snyder says. "It's inspiring."

On Nov. 9, King releases Full Dark, No Stars, a collection of four novellas with retribution themes.

And he is toying with another comic book idea called Afterlife. "It's something I'd like to try," he says. "But then on the other hand, I'd also like to learn how to be a gourmet cook, so who knows?"

http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/2010-09-29-stephenking29_ST_N.htm