Dracula Lives!



Dracula Lives! was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 13 issues and one Annual from 1973 to 1975, and starred the Marvel version of the literary vampire Dracula.

A magazine rather than a comic book, it did not fall under the purview of the comics industry's self-censorship Comics Code Authority, allowing the title to feature stronger content — such as moderate profanity, partial nudity, and more graphic violence — than color comics of the time featuring Dracula stories.

Running concurrently with the longer-running Marvel comic The Tomb of Dracula, the continuities of the two titles occasionally overlapped, with storylines weaving between the two. Most of the time, however, the stories in Dracula Lives! were standalone Dracula tales by various creative teams. Later issues of Dracula Lives! featured a serialized adaptation of the original Bram Stoker novel, written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Dick Giordano.

"Last Walk On the Night Side" Vol. 01. Issues # 08
Lou Garver, five years away from retirement and tired of the night time hours of a beat cop goes out on another round through the streets of New York City, unaware that this night Dracula also stalks the city. Lost in thought, Lou reflects on his career and realizes that he has grown tired of dealing with prostitutes, drug dealers, drunks and other scum that populate the streets on his beat. After a minor exchange of heated words with Gerdie, a local prostitute, Lou walks off asking her to say goodbye to all her John's for him.

Just as the officer leaves, Dracula pounces upon the prostitute and begins to feed upon her. The woman's dying screams brings Lou back to her corner where he witnesses Dracula feeding upon her. Attempting to stop Dracula, Lou strikes the vampire lord as hard as possible but succeeds only in breaking his night stick over Dracula's head. When Dracula attempts to attack him, Lou uses his broken nightstick to defend himself, impaling it into Dracula's chest. Wounded but not destroyed, Dracula flees and disappears in his mist form when Lou chases after him with gun blazing.

When other officers arrive of the scene, Lou, having had enough leaves the scene telling them that he's quit. Lou returns home unaware that Dracula has followed him and intends to get revenge. However, the vampire king is not the only one seeking to get revenge against Lou. Just as he is settling in at home, Lou's apartment is broken into by two crooks he put away for 10 years who have just gotten out of prison and are thirsty for revenge. Witnessing the situation, Dracula smashes through Lou's window and kills Lou's attackers before turning his attention to the ex-cop. When Dracula attempts to attack Lou, Lou's silver plaque -- commemorating 20 years of police service -- drives Dracula away.

Realizing that his wife was not present or awoken during all the commotion, Lou goes to check on her and finds her dead, drain of her blood by Dracula. Lou, then goes to the phone and calls his station to tell them that he isn't ready to quit as a police officer.

This story is continued next issue....

"Black Hand... Black Death!" Vol. 01. Issues # 08
Rome, 1926: At a fancy restaurant, Dracula takes a seat with a woman named Luisa Morelli. He charms her with a story about his "ancestry" when he is interrupted by a bunch of mobsters led by Nick Diablo. Diablo informs Dracula that he is sitting in his seat, with his girl and demands that he leave.

When Dracula refuses, Diablo and his men try to rough the vampire lord up, however they bite off more than they can chew when Dracula easily knocks aside Dialbo's men, and as a final insult to the mobster uses his hypnotic powers to make the crime boss whimper like a cur. Dracula then leaves with Diablo's woman and lures her to a dark alleyway where he feeds upon her blood. Nick Diablo and his men would recover from their encounter with Dracula, and the furious Diablo would call a hit on Dracula.

Some nights later, unaware that he has been marked for assassination, Dracula continues his usual evening routine of seeking out a fresh female victim to feed upon. However, as he is charming yet another victim, Diablo's men attempt to kill Dracula in a drive by shooting, succeeding only in killing the young girl that Dracula is with, while the vampire lord endures.

Furious that his evening meal has been killed before he can feed upon her, Dracula flies after Diablo's men to get revenge. Dracula would track down the driver and kill him. This wouldn't dissuade Nick from continuing his attempts at killing Dracula. The following night when trying to seduce Maria Petrella, Dracula would find that the woman is also in Diablo's employ when she attempts to stab him to death, he then feeds upon her as well.

Dracula calls Diablo to boast about his continued survival much to the ire of the mobster, and tells Diablo that he will sort things out on Friday night. Dracula is true to his word, however before being escorted to Diablo, Dracula would turn all of his staff and body guards into vampires, and sick them upon Diablo. With his revenge complete, Dracula flies off into the night, laughing over his latest victory.