By Eddie deAngelini
So far, 2016 is turning into the year of Stranger Comics. Stranger Comics emerged from the creative mind of founder and CEO Sebastian A. Jones almost a decade ago. With each comic book series they have released, Stranger’s nerd cred has continued to rise. Starting with their fantasy revenge epic The Untamed, their star continued to shine bright with their release of Niobe: She Is Life co-written by Amandla Stenberg of The Hunger Games hit film series. Stranger is gearing up for their next big thing, the return of the beloved cult classic Vampire Hunter D.
The series, which began in the 1980s as a collection of novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi, commands an avid fan base in both Japan and overseas. Set in a far-off, post-nuclear war future in which science and black magic have created supernatural beings, a macabre, high-fantasy adventure unfolds around the graceful and powerful D as he prevails, over and over again, against evil.
Recently, it was announced that Vampire Hunter D would return as a CGI anime series. While producers were researching material for the upcoming show, they uncovered a long forgotten and unpublished story of the character. Originally titled ‘Message From Cecile’, the story took place on the planet Mars. The producers decided that the story didn’t fit in with the direction of the proposed series, but was much too good to waste.
Enter Stranger Comics.
Retitling the newly unearthed story ‘Message From Mars, Stranger Comics recruited Marvel’s “Agent Carter” writer Brandon Easton and artist Michael Broussard to bring this new installment of the Vampire Hunter D mythos to life. The first issue of the new comic series hits the shelves on Nov. 16, but you have a chance to get a copy before anyone else! This Saturday at Hi De Ho Comics, The Stranger Comics crew takes over the shop to bring you a very exclusive Vampire Hunter D: Message From Mars Launch Party. Along with two food trucks and a DJ, this event will be your chance to get some very exclusive copies of the first issue that you won’t be able to find anywhere else!
You can meet Sebastian A. Jones of Stranger Comics and all of the creators of the new comic book series Vampire Hunter D: Message From Mars this Saturday Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. at the Vampire Hunter D Launch Party only at Hi De Ho Comics at 1431 Lincoln Blvd. This is a free event.
