Infusing a bloodthirsty vampire into the wild times of Woodstock in the summer of 1969, the cleverly named comic book series Woodstake invites you to take part in "three days of peace, music... and blood." With the final issue of Woodstake coming out in stores tomorrow from SHP Comics, we have a special treat for Daily Dead readers to sink their teeth into: the entire issue of Woodstake Prologue (aka issue #0) that you can read right now for free!
Created, written, and edited by Shawn Hainsworth (aka Darin S. Cape), and featuring artwork by Felipe Kroll, lettering by ES Kay, and proofreading by Kim Whitener, Woodstake Prologue is available to read in its entirety below, and we also have insights from Shawn about how he came up with the concept for the historical horror series:
The idea that popped into my head was the title and the concept, wood stake—Woodstake—a vampire at Woodstock. Immediately, I started to imagine comic scenes of a vampire encountering hippies, and of course reinterpreting Van Helsing as Van Halen. I loved the idea thematically because hippies are the incarnation of peace, love and optimism and vampires are the complete opposite: cynical, self-centered and utterly unconcerned with humanity except as a food source. The idea was an interesting way to revisit the 1960s but with a modern perspective and, of course, lots of blood. There are so many great permutations of the vampire story, but I decided to ground my vampire in the world of Bram Stoker's original novel. This would allow me to focus on the characters and the music festival without adding another element to the story (new or updated vampire lore).
I wanted to keep the narrative tight and fast-paced—Classic Vampires, Classic Rock. While my mind was overflowing with comic ideas, I didn't want the story to be a satire. I wanted to tell a genuinely scary story with well-developed characters in which the setting and the humor adds to but doesn't dominate the narrative. I had to educate myself on the details of the festival. I had seen the Woodstock documentary a long time ago, and was familiar with some of the iconic performances, but I wanted to get all the details right. I worked out the timing of the real events which are portrayed in the comic so that they happen at the correct time. I was surprised at how well some of the musical performances lined up with the story at the time they were supposed to happen, from Richie Havens' performance of "Freedom on Friday" to Creedence's performance of "Bad Moon Rising" late on Saturday night. And for the conclusion (no spoilers), Michael Lang really did try to convince Jimi to perform on Saturday night, and Jimi insisted on closing out the show on Sunday morning. This was exactly what I needed to bring my characters through the actual events in a way that made the conclusion work, and I got to have some fun with Jimi's inspiration for playing "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Shawn also discusses how the vampire's backstory is explored in Woodstock Prologue:
The big question I needed to answer was, "Why is there a vampire in upstate New York?" I could have avoided the question, and just had a vampire show up at Woodstock, but that did not feel very satisfying. I wanted to build the vampire’s backstory and make him a fully developed character. But I was worried I would lose readers who picked up a comic book about a vampire at Woodstock and find it takes too many issues to actually get to Woodstock. Originally, issue #1 was split between 1927 (the vampire back story) and 1969 (the introduction of the hippie characters). But after the issue was complete, I felt the backstory was not strong enough. So, I went back and expanded the events of 1927 into a prologue which became issue #0. This issue also has a different narrative style in that it uses an omniscient narrator, unlike the rest of the series. The narrator feels right in the scenes which take place in the distant past, and then fades out as the story moves into the present (1969). For me, each issue builds on the previous one, and the series really hits its stride in issue #3 when the festival begins. Issues #4 and #5 are 32-pages each of vampire slaughter and fun, the flesh of the series. So, gentle reader, have patience. This is true for all the stories I have written for SHP. It is very important for me to take the time to develop the story and the characters before releasing the whirlwind.
Additionally, Shawn shares his appreciation for Daily Dead readers who have supported Woodstake and SHP Comics:
I want to thank Daily Dead and our readers for helping us to get off the ground. It’s not easy launching a new publishing company, and we couldn’t have done it without passionate fans. Daily Dead has been an early champion of SHP Comics and Woodstake. THANK YOU! We are ready to take off in 2025, and look forward to bringing more fun and blood to your readers for many years to come.
You can read Woodstake Prolouge below, and to keep up on all things Woodstake and other exciting releases from SHP Comics, visit their official website!
Woodstake Synopsis: Sink your teeth into Woodstake a brilliant horror/comedy about three days of peace, music, and blood. In the summer of 1969, an old and deadly vampire awakens as hippies unknowingly gather for the historic Woodstock Festival. Amidst the backdrop of peace signs and protest anthems, festival-goers are hunted in a chilling but hilarious adventure filled with music, mayhem, and vampires tripping hard on hippie blood. Woodstake is a must-have series, masterfully blending 1960s counterculture, psychedelic imagery, vampire mythology, and biting humor into something truly special. Prepare for a wild ride of laughs and frights in Woodstake!
The Woodstake Prologue is a gripping saga of desire, fear, and fangs as the New World trembles under the stirrings of an ancient, sinister force. Thirsting for sustenance and driven by revenge, a formidable vampire lands on America's burgeoning shores, hunting for a fresh start and fresher blood. His dark desires fixate on a captivating young woman, standing on the threshold of her wedding. Prepare for a tale of ancient terror where love, fate, and death collide!
Featuring the art of Felipe Kroll.
To read the entire issue of Woodstake Prologue, click on the cover below or visit: https://dailydead.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Woodstake_Prologue.pdf
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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