Author: Darin S Cape
Art: Felipe Kroll
First Published: 2026 (tpb)
Contains spoilers
The Blurb: A blood-soaked mashup of vampire myth, rock history, and the counterculture of the late 1960s
Woodstake is a wickedly clever spin on the Dracula legend, reimagined against the backdrop of the iconic Woodstock festival of 1969. When a vampire descends on the summer of love, a generation of hippies is forced to survive three days of peace, music, and blood in this darkly funny, genre-bending thrill ride. A razor-sharp blend of satire, horror, and '60s nostalgia, Woodstake offers a wildly original story brought vividly to life through the bold, evocative artwork of Felipe Kroll. It is a must-read for fans of classic rock, genre mashups, and blood-soaked storytelling.
With its unique blend of Woodstock-era atmosphere and vampire horror, Woodstake stands out as a wild, cult-horror crossover that feels both nostalgic and fiercely original. This gripping graphic novel delivers a character-driven narrative paired with a bold visual style that brings the late '60s to life, complete with period-authentic detail, psychedelic flair, and sharp dark humor. Ideal for readers of horror comics, supernatural thrillers, and music history, Woodstake bridges genres in a way that is fresh, immersive, and unforgettable.
The review: Woodstock had been and gone before I was born and yet, after discovering the movie (as an aside, which is seen briefly in the Omega Man) and soundtrack as a teen, there is something about it that plays in my heart, a view of a moment where the future genuinely seemed bright. To merge that in with vampires, which obviously are a firm favourite for me, is a stroke of genius (even if the title is a touch on the nose). Woodstock invokes a bright moment, the vampire a moment of rot and decay in that idealised moment, an evil to be fought.
The opening of the story, however, goes back to 1927 and the awakening of an evil from the Old World. Weak he uses persuasion to draw prey to him, starting with a squirrel. The nature of the creature is revealed when he makes the squirrel bow before him before he takes it. A moment of ego and elitism. He grows in strength slowly but begins to get his powers back and then finds a hunter and feeds on human blood. The vampire’s strengths and weaknesses are pretty much textbook, with shape shifting, mental dominance, a need to sleep in native soil (he has boxes around the area), religious items are apotropaic, sunlight and stakes destroy. He turns his attention to a young woman, Lucy, but luckily Marius Van Helsing, town doctor, recognises the signs though too late for her. They track her and the vampire down and give her peace but the vampire escapes and goes to ground. Van Helsing changes the family name. The vampire remerges in 1969…
The graphic from this point is steeped in late 1960s counter-culture, music permeates the experience (you could really pull a playlist together to listen to as you read). The son of Van Helsing is the doctor in the area (he had been present as a youngster during the events) and the sheriff is the son of the sheriff present during Lucy’s story (though he is unaware of what occurred). It is quite telling that the sheriff has his will dominated and is forced to be the daylight servant. With the thousands attending the festival, the vampire is able to spread his disease, but a few understand and fight back…
Let me talk art for a moment. The story follows familiar genre rhythms, perhaps, but well told enough to warrant the entrance fee with the setting being fabulous, but the art would be reason to get this alone. Absolutely gorgeous throughout, with a vibrant colour scheme. This one is recommended, 8.5 out of 10.
In Paperback @ Amazon US
In Paperback @ Amazon UK
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