Editor’s Note: The following entries are the winners and finalists from the Vampirella ReVamp contest, with prizes provided by Harris Comics. We received more than 100 entries! Our special guests this week are writer and Herstorian, Trina Robbins, creator of the original costume design of Vampirella; artist Joe Jusko, creator some of the most memorable art in Vampirella’s history, most notably his distinctive cover art and work in the fully painted book, Blood Lust; and Dan Brereton, cartoonist & creator of The Nocturnals, who is working on a 2008 Vampirella Quarterly Halloween Special. - Dean Trippe
GRAND PRIZE WINNER!
Ralph Niese
Composite Score: 93
Dean: Okay, I realize this is kinda of a departure for the character, but there really is nothing more fun in this contest than race-car driving Vampirella and her night-creature alter ego (demonstration illo here!). Holy smack, I’d buy this comic two times a week. Ralph has ditched a single uniform in favor of a red/white style theme and a scary/sexy (scary-sexy?) demon-bat alter ego. Extra points for the Vampimobile. Wow.
Joel: Wow, we have, what? three designs to choose from, here? I love the bat-form, which is appropriately creepy. Vampires seem to work best if there’s some element of revulsion there to balance out the predatory sexiness. Or is that just me? The first human design looks a little too much like 80’s Michael Jackson. I like the spirit of it, and think that just changing out the jacket would go a long way to bringing it up to speed. But the winner here is “Racecar Vampy!” I can hear the theme music!
Jon: Ten ten ten ten ten. Ten.
Rachel: Can someone please explain to me why Ralph Niese is not ridiculously famous?
Dan: So easy to give this a 10. This is my pick for winner.
Trina: 10. For both ideas!
Vito: There’s a lot going on here and while I love all of them, my eye just goes straight to Racecar Vampy. I mentioned it in Maris’ design, and I’ve said it a few times in the past, but this image, alone and without the other two, immediately gives me story ideas. Immediately! The design is Speed Racer meets Toth drag racing comics or Vampirella meets Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! The heart on the side is a great touch.
Chris: Man, this really works - it’d be a restyling of Vampirella to some degree but it really works as a modern-retro kind of thing. Could you get Christina Ricci to play Vampirella?
Jusko: I really like the red costume, but not the “Bratz” clothing or the demon-bat thingy. Vampi’s NOT a monster.
Jess: Racecar Vampy has won my heart completely, especially if she can change into the feral form from that outfit.
SECOND PRIZE WINNER!
Joe Quinones
Composite Score: 87.5
Dean: Well, you know, WOW. Joe’s work as usual, is so clean and sensible. This outfit is functional, cute, and clearly says Vampirella. The dress is an elegant solution to this challenge. I love the collar, the peek-a-boo opening (the diamond shape recalls her earlier costume), and the surprisingly sexy placement of the bat-emblem. This is crazy good work.
Rachel: This is a less dramatic restyling than many of the others, but those subtle changes make a surprisingly big difference. Joe manages to combine the sexy edginess of the original costume with a more updated, polished aesthetic, and the result is gorgeous. It also plays up the sci-fi nature of Vampirella’s origins, which I dig.
Joel: It’s hard to judge Joe’s designs, sometimes, because he draws so danged beautifully that he could sell me on anything. If Joe had drawn the IronSpidey suit, I’m pretty sure I would have cheered it. Trying to filter the design away from the drawing, I think it’s pretty good—spunky in a fun, retro, roller-derby kind of way—but I can’t really see it being adopted as Vampirella’s new look.
Rachel: Neither can I, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be!
Jon: This is such a fun design, it’s very reminiscent of her horror host origins - you could see her introducing some quirky old horror stories. There’s something about those boots and the collar in combination with the dress and hairstyle that gives her kind of a retro sci-fi feel, as well. Vampirella, Atom Age Vampiress…
Rachel: Jon, I think you’re thinking of Vampira, not Vampirella…
Jon: Vampirella originally served the capacity of “horror host” in the first eight issues of her eponymous book, before becoming the central character in the lead feature … I ALSO like Vampira, though!
Rachel: I fail at Vampire Horror Host Trivia.
Vito: Like Zacherly and Ghoulardi?
Dan: Great drawing, good design. Too much white leather and the hair- again, I suspect its short only to make her look different and to push the dragon lady motif, but the dragon lady motif doesn’t need to have short hair to work. Confounds me. It’s so close. There were several other similar designs, but they weren’t drawn half as well, but their costumes were stronger.
Trina: Sort of Vampi meets Mary Marvel, or Vampi meets Power Girl.
Vito: I love it. I don’t mind all that white in the costume, or rather, I don’t mind it with this costume. Some of the other designs in the contest used white, but they didn’t pop out at me like this one does (or rather, they popped out in the wrong way). To me, it’s a radical update and it’s fantastic. The less said the better…the design says it all! But can she hunt vamps in it?
Chris: 8. Joe’s art style really works for me throughout all these contests, and this one again doesn’t fail to impress me. I really like this but it feels like it needs something to make it right.
Jusko: 8. I like this a lot. I like that the gloves and boots are close to her skin color so that they don’t overwhelm the dress. While impractical, I would bring the heels back to elongate her legs and sleeken the design. I miss the identifiable split bangs, too.
Jess: Love it, love it, love it. I look at this design, and I just know she’s a vampire from space!
THIRD PRIZE WINNER!
Jemma Salume
Composite Score: 81
Joel: This is the Vampirella I’d like to read about. She looks ready for adventure! The short-legged body suit looks practical enough for, say, acrobatic werewolf hunting. The mini-jacket adds a nice note of elegance. The proportions of covered arms, torso, bare legs, and boots all balance each other out very nicely. And the yellow bat emblems at the shoulders and heels make for some bright little accents. The classic suit is paid homage to, but without any of its, uhm, excesses.
Jon: At first glance, I thought this was Hogwarts Vampirella. In a good way. This certainly makes Vampirella look younger, maybe more approachable as an adventure character. I love the flipped collar on the jacket, the cut of the boots, and - oh, I just noticed a little bat wing motif to the back of the jacket - nice! Really beautiful lines throughout the whole thing.
Dean: I think this is the first entry from Salume that just doesn’t work for me. It’s the shorts. They look like bicycle shorts or a wrestling singlet. The rest is solid. I like the micro-jacket, and the bat emblem on the shoulder. The boots are slick, and I like the seams. But I’d way rather have seen boyshorts or pants. Bike shorts just…I dunno…I can’t take the bike shorts.
Rachel: Solid design, and definitely a different spin on the character. My one concern is that it loses some of the self-conscious sexiness that I think is kinda essential to Vampirella.
Dan: I agree-this is great. This is evocative. As Joel said, you’d pick this book up. She looks ready for adventure and fun. If Vampi were to take a less adult direction, I could see this as the girl. The shorts are funky and the dagger is, too, but those are small considerations. I’d give her some kind of black utility belt with a bat symbol.
Trina: At last, something a human or vampire woman could really wear and move around in, without the costume falling off! Yes, I love it!
Vito: Jemma strikes again. I have to be honest, I didn’t think she’d be able to pull this off because it seems like so far out of her comfort zone, but God bless Jemma Salume! She is a force to be reckoned with! Jemma gets design and style and she understands the concept of functionality too. Dean is right…the shorts look a little odd, but it’s still a great design. I have to say though…this isn’t the Vampirella I’m used to and that’s great! This is a new direction!
Chris: Man o man. Or wo-man o wo-man. The costume, the jacket, the boots. I think Jemma could easily make this a 10 with some more thought put in into the bat placement… and more accessories.
Jusko: I don’t know. Looks very “schoolgirl” to me. Great for an alternate, more youth oriented approach, though. Lacks the sex appeal that’s inherent in Vampi.
Jess: I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but yeah, it’s not sexy enough. And it’s the bike shorts, which are among the least erotic of garments. They need to be either much longer or much shorter. I’d also like to see how the neck area is working - is it a halter top and a jacket? On the other hand, the jacket and boots are fantastic. If those shorts were pants, I’d be all over this.
Joel: Man, so much hate for the shorts! But look at the proportions of this costume: the arms to the torso to the upper legs to the lower legs. Those bottoms of those shorts are in perfect harmony with the rest of the design! It sometimes takes awhile to get used to innovative fashion—you guys will come around.
Vito: I’m already there with you, Joel.
RUNNERS UP!
Daniel Heard
Composite Score: 76.5
Dean: I’m totally sold on the main body of the suit. The peek-a-boo zipper with the bat-emblem pull is stellar. I can’t tell if the wings and extended arms are supposed to be physical or costume, but it looks super cool. The only big drawback in my book are the gold anklets. I think this look would be better served with some red and black boots.
Joel: My inner ten-year-old is always bugged by characters where the line between costume-design and body-design are blurred. Does the costume stretch over her wing-membranes, or are her wings red and black? My outer adult, oddly, is much more willing to overlook petty logic if the results are sufficiently cool, and this is a pretty cool look. The reversed coloring on the wings and collar is a really dynamic visual effect that adds a lot of motion to the character. And I like the bare feet and bangles. They give her a lightness, like this character is more at home in the air than on the ground. Speaking of which, does she some sort of adhesive sole stuck to the bottoms of her feet? Odd. I bet Daniel has something interesting in mind, there. I wish I knew what it was.
Rachel: I love it when designs take something that was originally purely visual and make it practical–the zipper-pull bat is a really, really cool idea. And I love the interplay of the red and black elements. Skip the anklets, though–they just don’t fit the rest of the look.
Dan: Very cool. The anklets seem a bit incongruous, but the rest of it is really cool. I’ve actually been toying with the idea of having her bikini top close over her chest like that- the bat zipper is perfect. I can see this design working- I wouldn’t crop her hair ( dont know why thats so often the first thing to go in these) and I’d give her boots, but the rest is spot on.
Vito: I initially had an 8 and had to change it to a 9. This is wonderful! The zipper is what changed my mind. The fact that the costume is versatile is a big big plus. There’s an edginess to this that is kind of deceptive…you don’t see it at first. But yeah, I’m a big fan of this one.
Trina: Yeah, the wings are definitely cool!
Chris: Definitely cool to add the wings to the wardrobe, and the pull-down zipper is an interesting concept but not practical… but was Vampirella ever practical?
Jon: I almost think this one could have been one of those choice Vampirella costumes which could have worked without the open panel in the front - I wish we had gotten a full frontal shot (think clean thoughts, folks) with the zipper closed and the collar raised. Also, there’s something simultaneously feral and controlled about having a full-sleeve top with high collar and gloves, and then bare feet. That’s possibly my actual favorite part of the design.
Jusko: Not a big fan of the anthropomorphic look. Not crazy about the hot pants and bare feet, either.
Jess: Oh man, I love this. I dig the bangles, the zipper (everyone loves the zipper!), and the color scheme. I only took a point off because I can’t tell if the wings are real wings or arms, because in the zipping inset it looks like she has regular hands. With a bit of clarification there this would be getting full marks from me.
Evan Bryce
Composite Score: 72.5
Dean: For me, this is the best update of the classic V-suit. It’s edgy, it’s rock, it’s wicked. The extended bat emblem is SO good. I love the way the red connects up with the leggings. This is immediately recognizable as Vampirella and the modifications are clever and stylish.
Jon: I’m glad that someone took on the task of translating the original costume. The … I guess we ought to just call it “The Crotch Bat,” because that’s where it always ends up … I like how it’s integrated into the cut-outs on the front and side. The boots work really well as thigh-highs, and I like the wide-open back and sides (Apropros of nothing, I think I’ve seen ladies dressed like this down at the Swap Meet). I’m taking points away for losing the collar (on every design that does), though, I think that removes something iconic from the silhouette and palette.
Rachel: I think that “Crotch Bat” may be one of the least okay phrases in the English language.
Jon: How about “Swimsuit Area Fledermaus?”
Joel: “Cootchie Chiroptera”?
Rachel: Honestly, this one just doesn’t do much for me. The squared-off lines look really awkward and boxy, especially in the back. The other problem I see is that it’s a costume that depends on drawing style to work - it looks gorgeous in Evan’s angular style, and I could see Stuart Immonen pulling it off, but not many others.
Dan: I like it all except the squared-off bat.
Vito: I’m with Dean on this one. It LOOKS like Vampirella, and is a great update of the classic costume. This is easily recognizable and I could see this one taking the big prize.
Joel: I like the bat, and the connection between boot-tops and bikini-bottoms, but the open back and half-mast butt-cover make makes me think more of a sad stripper than a supernatural adventurer.
Jess: Yes! Where is her butt crack? I mean, I don’t need this to be a Coppertone ad, but the back shot is very confusing to me. You can’t change the anatomy of the body to allow you to push the boundaries of the skin you show. The boxiness doesn’t work for me either, although I like the boots.
Trina: Just how would this stay on?
Chris: This gets points for taking the style of the current Vampirella and unapologetically bringing it forward. It’s really close. I could see a 9 or a 10 if the artist really brainstormed on this for a couple weeks.
Vito: I think it’s funny that the ladies scored lower than the guys here.
Rachel: Ladies like Joel?
Joel: Oh, great. Now I’m gonna have to thumping my chest and cleaning my teeth with a roofing nail until I get my he-man cred back. Again.
Jusko: My fave so far. I’m a bit of a Vampi purest, and I think this comes really close to keeping the character recognizable while updating it a bit. I never liked the high boots because I thought they threw the costume off balance, but by bringing the red down her thighs the costume flows nicely into them. I kinda miss the collar and bat wing earrings, though.
Ming Doyle
Composite Score: 71
Dean: Ming is one of our best regulars, and once again, she’s brought her A game, which, to be honest, just makes most folks’ A games look like C games. Okay, I don’t know if that metaphor makes any sense, so let’s get back to the design. Ming’s multi-section body suit is cool and looks ready for far more action-battling than her classic suit. I see this as leather, ribbed plastic sections, and spandex. The cut-out sections are more interesting than most, implying a sense of alien culture not seen in most takes on the character. The vibe is vampire, retro, and badass. Great stuff, though I miss the gold bat emblem.
Jon: If costume design was a watch, you could set it by Ming Doyle. She’s nailed all the iconic elements of Vampirella, captured the lines of the original costume, given her maturity, kept her sexy. The only reasons I’m not giving this a straight ten is that I miss having the golden bat silhouette somewhere on the costume (the belly panel seems to be crying out for it) and I don’t quite ‘feel’ the cut-out patches on the back of the legs - seems like that would allow the fabric to gather awkwardly whenever she sat down …
Vito: The term “belly panel” makes me shudder.
Rachel: I can’t shake the vague sense that this is a riding costume. I think it’s got something to do with the paneling on the legs and crotch. Love the neckline and sleeves and the way the collar is worked in.
Dan: [Rated Without Comment]
Trina: And just what is the purpose of the cut-out thighs?
Vito: I think the cool thing about this is the details Ming included. First, the different shades of red are really cool…they streamline the costume and force the eye up and down, so I feel like you’re taking in the character as well as the costume. There’s a classic feel here, but not retro. It feels like I’m looking at Ingrid Pitt or Caroline Munro in a Hammer vampire flick. The other thing I like is…I can look at this and see a vampire.
Chris: Ming comes in with a great piece of illustration, but I feel a little lost in terms of the costume. It doesn’t hit the ‘definitive’ mark that someone like Vampirella needs to keep going.
Joel: I’m always pleased to see a new submission by Ming, who brings the most wonderful and unexpected influences to her her designs. The palette of reds and the patterning of textures is working really well, here. The ribbed areas and the odd jodhpur-style thigh-and-crotch panel make this look a suit designed to move in—a real action-suit. But, like the others, I’m not sure I get the cut-outs. They seem a little arbitrary. I do love that weird snake/globe/driftwood thing, though.
Jusko: I like it a lot, with or without the cut out thighs, though the cut outs do help balance the suit. If a more action oriented Vampi is the desire then this works perfectly! I’d put the bat emblem back on her crotch. This would be a fun costume for me to paint.
Vito: High praise indeed, Joe!
Jess: For one I’m not feeling a Ming design - the cutouts just seem too random to me, and with the different shades and textures on the red the whole thing becomes too busy.
Fernando Alberto de Melo e Faro Lucas
Composite Score: 70.5
Dean: I love this clever revamp. Obviously, the cloth elements would have to be glued one to work like this, but again, I don’t think you can fault a Vampirella redesign on that count. I totally dig the jagged claw shapes, the emphasized bat-emblem, and the one full-panted left leg. Haha. Very cool.
Jon: I was hoping this one would make it to the finals. What a shocking design, incredibly innovative … practically alarming. I love the blood-red claw motifs - originally, I was bemoaning the absence of Vampirella’s signature flared collar, until I realized that the white tips on her hair evoke the same element. Smart! I do wish she had more of a distinctive silhouette, though - as it stands, if you saw her in the shadows, she’d just look like Victoria Beckham naked.
Dean: Oh man, Jon, I didn’t even catch the white tipped hair. That’s brilliant. This design deserves an anime action series.
Rachel: Damn, that’s sharp. I’d like to see how it works from more angles, though. Incidentally, I’m ordinarily a stickler about practicality, but I’m waiving that here, ’cause this is a character who has both sci-fi and mystical elements. As far as I’m concerned, normal limitations probably don’t apply.
Dan: Overall, very strong in concept. The short hair, again, eludes me, but the idea of her costume as an extention of her body, which exists in the book, is, um, well-suited to this concept. Glue isn’t needed, as Vampi can arrange it at will. The hint of an idea that the costume is arranged blood is fascinating as well. Solid and dramatic.
Vito: Too Witchblade looking for me. But it’s too strong of a piece to be scored lower. Dan’s right, it’s a strong concept, but looking at it, I didn’t see Vampirella; I saw a different character.
Trina: Sorry to keep being the practical one, but I want Vampi to wear something that stays on!
Dean: Considering the original costume’s practicality problems, I think most folks are willing to stretch believability a bit more than they would with another character, making the costume’s impracticality a feature rather than a hindrance. In this case, I don’t mind that at all.
Chris: This really pushes Vampirella to her more supernatural side and there’s nothing wrong with that. The white-tipped hair and the blood talons are really imaginative.
Joel: While the strong diagonal asymmetry of this costume works well with this pose, I don’t think it would translate well into others. Imagine this same costume in just a straight standing position—say, Vampirella waiting in line for a coffee. However, if, as Dan infers, the costume is magicked-up blood, then it could be constantly shifting around on her to create a similarly dynamic form for any pose.
Jusko: Nice, strong graphic design, but would need to be body paint or a “Venom” type of thing to work.
Jess: Very striking, but I would also like to see it from other angles and in other poses. It feels a little unbalanced to me right now.
Note: More Runners Up after the jump! - D.T.
