Following the release of Afterlife with Archie, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Jughead: The Hunger, Archie Comics’ has added yet another title to its growing horror imprint. As revealed via io9, Vampironica sees Riverdale’s hottest socialite Veronica Lodge transformed into a bloodthirsty vampire. But don’t worry, despite her newfound battle with insatiable hunger, Veronica is still the same spoiled rich girl fans know and love. Leading this all-new series is brother-and-sister team Greg and Megan Smallwood, with assistance on art by letterer Jack Morelli.
“Fans can rest assured that we’ll be staying faithful to the core of these characters. It was very important to Megan and I that Vampironica be the same Veronica that we all know and love, only now with fangs. Realistically, how would a narcissistic teenage shopaholic react to becoming a vampire? We found an equal amount of humor and horror in the answer to that question but the story also takes us to some amazingly heartfelt places,” said Greg.
“Greg and I were both very interested in exploring the concept of a vampire Veronica without getting rid of what makes Veronica such a special character. Ironically, Vampironica humanizes Veronica in a way that only horror can. Becoming a vampire is a humbling experience for her and she’s forced to open up and expose a little vulnerability,” said Megan.
“We let Veronica’s well-established personality lead the story at all times,” Megan continued. “Vampironica is Dracula, your BFF, and the most self-absorbed girl you know all rolled up into one. Veronica Lodge never lets anyone stand in her way and that definitely holds true for Vampironica. Veronica Lodge is not the kind of girl to join any ranks, let alone vampire ranks. True to form, Veronica instead relies on her own gut instincts. They haven’t let her down in life and they won’t let her down as she navigates the surreal world of the undead.”
Along with attempting to humanize Veronica, the horror series will also take time to find the humor in this new situation. “Megan and I grew up watching the same horror movies and reading the same scary stories so it was incredibly easy for us to hone in on a particular tone. I’d say that our biggest influences are American Werewolf in London and Fright Night. Both films can be quite horrific but there’s also a lot of strong characterization and humor to them. I think horror works best with a small dose of comedy for levity so we’ve used the same formula on Vampironica,” said Greg.
“I couldn’t get enough comics as a kid so my sister and I would trade comics to read,” Greg continued. “I’d give her Batman and she’d give me Archie. I’m a fan of the Archie characters thanks to Megan so when I was presented with the opportunity to do Vampironica, I knew she had to be a part of it. She’s a great storyteller in her own right but she also brings an encyclopedic knowledge of Riverdale’s denizens to the table.”
Vampironica hits shelves on March 14, 2018.