Vault Launches Deathstalker Single Issue Series Presented by Guns N’ Roses’ Slash

Vault Comics, in partnership with Slash of Guns N’ Roses, Shout! Studios, and Raven Banner Entertainment, has announced a single issue comic book series of Deathstalker, an adaptation of the beloved cult classic sword-and-sorcery movie franchise, Deathstalker.

Presented by rock legend Slash, and based on a story by writer, director, and legendary creature effects artist Steven Kostanski (Psycho Goreman, The Void), the comic will reunite the team from Vault’s hit weird western series, West of Sundown, bestselling writer Tim Seeley (Grayson, Hack/Slash, Money Shot), acclaimed artist Jim Terry (Come Home, Indio), and legendary colorist Kurt Michael Russell (Brandon Sanderson’s Dark One, Money Shot).

“I’m excited to be kicking off a new era of Deathstalker,” said Slash. “From Tim Seeley, artist Jim Terry, writer-director-creature FX-wizard Steven Kostanski, and myself, our Deathstalker is a reimagining of that fine specimen of 80s sword and sorcery. With fantasy, you get a little of everything: horror, magic, sex, thrills, blood, guts, swords and weirdness. You know—all those things you can’t look away from. And that’s what we’re bringing. So—please—if you share my love of all things wicked, check it out!”

“We obviously adore sword and sorcery at Vault,” said CEO Damian Wassel. “So, when Slash approached us with the opportunity to relaunch a cult classic of the genre together with Steven Kostanski, and our friends at Shout! and Raven Banner, we couldn’t say no. The whole idea of this project is to balance nostalgia for the so-bad-it’s-good fantasy filmmaking of the 1980s with the storytelling sensibilities of our time. There’s no one we could trust more to turn that into a wickedly hilarious, fantastically epic comic than Tim Seeley and Jim Terry.”

“I’m a child of the 80s,” added Seeley. “I remember when my dad bought our first VCR in 1982. And I remember the slew of weird and imaginative sword and sorcery VHS tapes that followed. Deathstalker has been near and dear to my heart since I was completely disturbed and aroused by it at a far-too-young-age. And as a fan of the films of Steve Kostanski, I was thrilled to contribute to this project and the ongoing mythology of Deathstalker with my good friend and frequent collaborator, Jim Terry at Vault!”

“Some went to church, some had friends, I had the video store,” said Terry. “Being young at the birth of the VHS explosion was magic, and it felt like a time when folks were telling incredibly imaginative stories with limited resources – that charm and creativity would be hard to recreate today but it’s a thrill to bask in that energy with Deathstalker. I’m already enjoying myself, and very much looking forward to wandering in a world I’m very familiar with and making something that we hope will be an absolute blast to read. Thanks to all the folks involved and to my pal Tim Seeley for inviting me along to hang out in this universe for a while.”

“I can’t think of a collection of artists more capable of reigniting Deathstalker than Tim, Jim, Steve and Slash,” remarked Fields. “It’s a dream team that both honors the legacy and forges a new direction unique to their trusted creative credentials.”

Deathstalker issue #1 will hit store shelves in March, 2024. The debut issue will feature a line of variant covers from an incredible lineup of artists including the legendary original Deathstalker movie poster artist Boris Vallejo, Barbaric co-creator Nathan Gooden, series artist Jim Terry, Conor Boyle, Patrick Gañas, Angela Wu, and more. The full synopsis for Deathstalker #1 can be read below:

The cult-classic warrior-hero Deathstalker bursts into the comics scene from an all-star lineup of creators including Slash (Guns N’ Roses) and writer-director-creature-FX-wizard Steven Kostanski (Psycho Goreman, The Void)!

Deathstalker finds himself once again caught between forces larger than himself-a virgin worshiping cult, a sorcerer hell-bent on saving the world through mad science, and the pissed-off army of the Abraxeon kingdom…not to mention his ex-lover, Princess Evie. Monsters, magic, and mayhem abound…can’t a guy just swing his sword anymore?

ABOUT VAULT

Vault is a critically acclaimed entertainment company that curates bold new science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories. We have been committed to working with historically underrepresented talent since day one. Purpose-built to create enduring fans, our expansive catalog of more than ninety original titles attracts a diverse and growing fandom. Launching new stories first as comics and graphic novels, Vault has partnered with leading companies like A&E, BET, Boatrocker, CBS, Netflix, Paramount, and others, to adapt its story properties to film, television, video games, and more. In 2023 Vault will launch Headshell, a line of graphic novels in collaboration with some of the world’s most iconic recording artists like Metallica, Def Leppard, the Beach Boys, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, Redman, Slash, and more. Press inquiries should be sent to: press@vaultcomics.com Learn more at http://www.vaultcomics.com/

ABOUT SHOUT! STUDIOS

Launched in 2003, Shout! Studios is a multiplatform media company specializing in film and TV distribution, development, and production. The company has evolved with the changing entertainment landscape to excel in all forms of content distribution, including theatrical, digital streaming, broadcast and in-flight licensing, physical media, and more. Shout! Studios owns and manages a large portfolio of contemporary and classic feature films, series, animation, and documentaries. The company’s creative acquisition mandate has established it as a leading independent distributor, with partners and properties including Aardman Animations, ALF, The Carol Burnett Show, Stephen J. Cannell Productions, the Roger Corman New Horizons Pictures Library, GKIDS, ITV Studios, The Johnny Carson Show, LAIKA Studios, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (in partnership with creator Joel Hodgson), and Sesame Street, alongside many others. Shout! Kids focuses on live-action and animated kids and family properties including anime, and the company releases genre and horror films and television shows under the Scream Factory imprint. Shout! Studios also produces, acquires, and distributes new films, and operates the acclaimed streaming service Shout! TV and its family of FAST channels. Shout! Studios is based in Los Angeles, California. Shout’s upcoming new feature film releases include the dark comedic thriller The Kill Room, starring Uma Thurman, Joe Manganiello, and Samuel L. Jackson, action-comedy Showdown At The Grand, starring Oscar®-winner Terrence Howard and Dolph Lundgren, neo-Western thriller Head Count starring Aaron Jaukobenko, Melanie Zanetti, and Ryan Kwanten, feature documentary Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer, and horror thriller Succubus, starring Ron Perlman and Rosanna Arquette. For more on Shout! Studios, visit www.ShoutStudios.com.

ABOUT RAVEN BANNER

Raven Banner Entertainment is a fully integrated company specializing in innovative and compelling genre films from around the world and is the sister company to Raven Banner Releasing, Northern Banner Releasing, production arm Hangar 18 Media, and BerserkerGang – a newly formed partnership with Rue Morgue founder Rodrigo Gudiño and rock legend Slash. Recent productions include Steve Kostanski’s Frankie Freako, the Shudder hit original V/H/S/94, Nick Cutter’s The Breach, and Jason Lei Howden’s upcoming sequel Deathgasm 2: Goremaggedon. Some of the company’s successes have included Issa Lopez’s Tigers Are Not Afraid, André Øvredal’s box-office success The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Keith Thomas’ TIFF Midnight Madness hit The Vigil, Taiwanese zombie horror The Sadness, Gaspar Noe’s Climax, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead’s Spring, Don Coscarelli’s John Dies At The End, the Oscar® nominated Embrace of the Serpent, RKSS’ cult hit Turbo Kid, and Steve Kostanki’s PG: Psycho Goreman.

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Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!