SWORD OF DRACULA BECOMES A VIDEO GAME

**MattBrady** · 02-20-2004, 06:06 PM

The little book that could keeps doing it. Sword of Dracula creator Jason Henderson has told Newsarama that the Image series has been acquired by game developer Critical Mass Interactive to develop into a first person shooter, carrying over the military-horror feel of the series.

CMI’s track record includes the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award winner for 2003 Favorite Video Game, "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman" for the PS2, and according to VP of Development, Billy Cain, when they saw the comic, they knew they had to have it.

“We knew this was the franchise to jump on,” Cain said. “We’re talking a commando-vampire war in fierce, cinematic, Call of Duty-style gameplay. You could see it from the first issue. We knew we had to make this happen.”

While the comic series has a broader narrative, in the game, the player will be an agent under the command of Veronica “Ronnie” Van Helsing, who leads a UN-connected and armed to the teeth covert operation called the Polidorium. Unlike traditional vampire stories, the Cain said the CMI creators have patterned Sword of Dracula after games like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty, where action is wide, relentless and highly technological.

Henderson told Newsarama: “Just today I was over at CMI and saw the model for Dracula, it's amazing! We're busy finishing a game demo for the Game Developers Conference in San Jose. The fun part is developing all those assets-- the right helicopters, guns, building Ronnie herself. Very cool. A lot of work. It's just like working on the comic-- you lay the groundwork and then hand it off and let the competent be competent.”

jasinmartin · 02-20-2004, 08:58 PM

Hey, cool for them!
It's great to see creators find success, in and outside the industry. Every bit helps us all.

jasonhenderson · 02-20-2004, 10:23 PM

Thanks! We're just keeping our eye on the ball.

And don't forget! SWORD OF DRACULA #3 comes out in a few weeks-- and this is our best, most exciting issue yet, with art from William Belk and an AMAZING cover by Tony Harris. (Here's hoping he does the game box!)

Check out the preview at http://www.swordofdracula.com/sod3preview !

-Jason Henderson
http://www.swordofdracula.com

Chris Hunter · 02-20-2004, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jasonhenderson
Thanks! We're just keeping our eye on the ball.

And don't forget! SWORD OF DRACULA #3 comes out in a few weeks-- and this is our best, most exciting issue yet, with art from William Belk and an AMAZING cover by Tony Harris. (Here's hoping he does the game box!)

Check out the preview at http://www.swordofdracula.com/sod3preview !

-Jason Henderson
http://www.swordofdracula.com

Congrats, Jason!! You deserve it!!

hughfore2004 · 02-21-2004, 12:32 AM

This series absolutely deserves all the exposure it can get! After too many "horror" titles that have either turned out to be tittering camp or splatter books with the subtlety of freight trains, a book that actually scares me. The one reviewer called Dracula as he was meant to be - amen to that. "So you think to play your wits against mine.."

Aaron Weisbrod · 02-21-2004, 11:55 AM

AWWWWWWWWWW YEAH!!!

I'm all about the horror writers doin' well for themselves!

When this comes out it will be the second video game I own!

Congrats, Jason!!!

Axiously awaiting part three,
Aaron Weisbrod

jasonhenderson · 02-21-2004, 12:06 PM

For my part I'm just tickled that the producer's name is "Cain."

jessiegarza · 02-22-2004, 03:49 PM

Jason,

Congrats on the game....i had a feeling it was only a matter of time before someone picked up on the potential of " Sword Of Dracula "....Good Book! keep up the good work....

jessie

jasonhenderson · 02-22-2004, 05:17 PM

Thank you, fellow texan! You guys' work on DEAD@17 has been truly inspiring-- a completely independent color book, consistently selling and improving. It's been great watching the Viper team, and I value your praise highly.

Sean Fahey · 02-22-2004, 09:26 PM

Video game sounds very cool - but this book needs some movie or television treatment!!

I'll take what I can get though.

jasonhenderson · 02-22-2004, 11:36 PM

Well, you can see there from here, I think. But everything in its time!

jessiegarza · 02-22-2004, 11:57 PM

Jason,

I'm also anxiously waiting for the Sword of Dracula Movie..

jessie

jasonhenderson · 02-23-2004, 12:15 AM

I'm also anxiously waiting for the Sword of Dracula Movie..

Are you kidding? Me too. That's not a huge surprise because I write scripts like screenplays and always picture things in cinematic terms. As a geek, I wanna see it!

I mean, we're a damn site different than VAN HELSING.

Luckily all we gotta do, Jessie and Sean, is keep producing comics, and these other media things will hopefully be done by competent people who care about that as much as we care about this. Just like with the game-- as long as they "get it," let the competent be competent. Meanwhile we'll keep hurling ourselves against the steel doors of this industry! (Do you know it took me, gosh, about ten years submitting before I landed a comics writing gig? I did SOD mainly because I wanted to produce something myself so I could force myself to hire me. )

But with adaptations-- games, cartoons, whatever-- to me what makes those things good or bad depends greatly on whether the makers "get" what made the original series cool in the first place. It doesn't have to be the *same,* but it has to reward the people who loved the work in the past. I love the X-MEN movie because it rewarded long-time fans even as it dumped continuity. I cheered when Kitty showed up for a brief second. There was no reason for that than as a high-five to the X-MEN fans. So they made Rogue younger. It was still apparent they LOVED X-MEN. Do an adaption and shift around really *fundamental* things, and you get pissed off fans, and those projects often fail. It's just not as fun. For me, for instance, I wasn't offended greatly that the Joker and not Joe Chill killed Batman's parents, but I was kind of perplexed that Mina in LXG was a vampire.

Wait-- I'm sorry. We were talking about games. The rocking thing about the game CMI is working on is it's EXACTLY what Greg and I wanted from the start of the series-- SAVING PRIVATE RYAN with vampires. First person. Vampires, zombies, blood dogs, shoot 'em and they go FWOOSH.

Most excellent.

Absorbing Man · 02-23-2004, 02:54 PM

Don't let those game developers get by with a shoddy product. A good video game is so appreciated by gamers and would do wonders for the property.

hughfore2004 · 02-23-2004, 06:03 PM

We also need some really kickin' action figures. I myself favor the "Mego homage"style. You know, 8 or 9 inches tall with cloth costumes and really cool accessories, instead of overly sculpted, non - mobile action statues that are only good for blasting apart in the back yard?

jasonhenderson · 02-23-2004, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Absorbing Man
Don't let those game developers get by with a shoddy product. A good video game is so appreciated by gamers and would do wonders for the property.

We're on it! Don't forget I come from games in the first place... I trust the team!

jessiegarza · 02-23-2004, 08:48 PM

Jason,

Quote:

Luckily all we gotta do, Jessie and Sean, is keep producing comics, and these other media things will hopefully be done by competent people who care about that as much as we care about this. Just like with the game-- as long as they "get it," let the competent be competent.

I couldn't agree with you more....i'm just happy to be working on comics....

jessie

ThePope · 02-24-2004, 02:19 PM

Congrats Jason on the video game deal.

You're quickly becoming Comics' master of all media with the film deal, writing novels, writing video games, doing a voice over in a video game. And wasn't that you I saw in a Katz's commercial the other day?

jasonhenderson · 02-24-2004, 08:30 PM

Yes, I am the guy who likes bread that hurts his mouth. (Sigh.)