Vamps #2

Vamps #2, published in 1994 by Vertigo, is part of a five-issue miniseries written by Elaine Lee and illustrated by William Simpson. Emerging from the height of the Vertigo imprint's success in the 1990s, the series was designed to offer a mature, subversive take on vampire lore, moving away from traditional gothic tropes toward a gritty, contemporary aesthetic. The narrative follows a group of female vampires who escape their mundane lives to travel across the American landscape, blending elements of the road-trip genre with horror.

William Simpson’s visual approach for the series utilized a stark, atmospheric style that complemented the dark, cynical tone of Lee’s scripts. The artwork sought to emphasize the isolation and moral ambiguity of the protagonists, framing the vampire condition as a metaphor for social alienation. Upon its release, the series was received as a stylistic addition to Vertigo's experimental catalog, noted for its focus on character-driven storytelling within the darker corners of the fantasy and horror genres.