EXCLUSIVE! Troy Brownfield talks BLOOD QUEEN vs. DRACULA

Well my fellow fanboys and fangirls I was able to sit down and chat with Blood Queen creator, Troy Brownfield. And guess what? We talked about that new mini where Elizabeth is set to vs. the Prince of Darkness, Dracula!

UTF: I have to say I was ecstatic to see a new volume for The Blood Queen. What was your reaction when you found out that you get to go another round with your character?

Troy Brownfield: As you might expect, I’m very pleased to get to do more with Elizabeth. I think that there’s a lot of potential there, and the first series ended with major changes. I wanted to do more, and with this mini, we found a way to get some more attention for the Blood Queen.

UTF: The original volume introduced a complex political world. The dynamics therein were interesting to say the least, can we expect to see more of that?

Troy Brownfield: This mini picks up about two years after the first series. A lot of changes have occurred in Elizabeth’s world. Sharp-eyed readers will pick up clues to a few things, and it will probably leave Blood Queen’s regular readers with a lot of questions. That’s all I want to say right now.

UTF: Coming off of that first arc, were there any immediate regrets with the story or characters?

Troy Brownfield: I’m happy with everything that we did in that arc. Coming toward the end and knowing that we needed to wrap things up at #6, I shifted one event that would have happened later into that issue. Had we gone immediately to another arc of the regular series, I knew exactly what I was going to do; maybe we’ll get a chance to tell that story down the road. Again, there’s one definite Easter egg in BQ vs.D that would give a clue.

UTF: The last time we saw Lady Elizabeth she had pretty much come into her own, about how long after The Blood Queen #6 does this story take place?

Troy Brownfield: As I noted above, two years. A lot of Elizabeth’s concerns during that time have rested with trying to consolidate her power and doing what she can to blunt the eventual Ottoman advance.

UTF: With all the monsters out there, why use Dracula?

Troy Brownfield: Dracula makes sense on a number of levels. There’s the “power in the blood” connection. There’s the common enemy of Ottoman Empire/Turkey. There’s a loose association borne out of the Hammer films, which heavily influenced both Blood Queen and the Prince Dracula novel I wrote last year. Hammer did a Bathory movie, “Countess Dracula”, with Ingrid Pitt. It’s a classic. Of course, Dynamite has always had a version of Dracula in their books over the years. When thinking of another dynamic supernatural nemesis for the Blood Queen, Dracula just fits.

UTF: How do you see their relationship, The Blood Queen and Dracula, going forward? Will they be enemies or eventual allies?

Troy Brownfield: Well, you can’t have the vs. in the title without a little versus in the book. There are certainly reasons that the two of them should work together, particularly against the Ottoman advance, but they’re both schemers. And neither one of them is delighted with taking orders. I think that even in the best of circumstances, these two would clash. I’ll leave it with… things get messy.

UTF: On the illustrative side, I’m curious, how has it been working with Kewber Baal? We here at UTF are big fans of his Jennifer Blood work.

Troy Brownfield: Kewber is an excellent artist and an even better collaborator. He checks in all the time and gives me lots of looks at the work in progress. He’s also meticulous in terms of the period details; we shared a lot of reference images trying to nail down the armor, weaponry, etc. He wants to do his best to make it all look great. He’s also ably abetted by original Blood Queen team members Kirsty Swan, colors, and Marshall Dillon, letters. They really defined the overall look, and their fine work continues here.

UTF: Do you see a future for The Blood Queen beyond this mini-series?

Troy Brownfield: Absolutely. I think that Elizabeth is viable, whether it’s in further minis or one-shots. Maybe even a digital original. There is a lot that can be done with the character.

UTF: Are there any other supernatural threats that you want Elizabeth to face?

Troy Brownfield: Yes.

Wait, you want a longer answer? Okay. I think that the most significant challenges to Elizabeth would be others like her. Not necessarily users of blood magic, but other sorceresses that exist at cross-purposes. I steered the first series in that direction and would love to do more with it. If you enjoy Blood Queen, be sure to order early and let Dynamite and your retailers know that you’re interested. That’s the best way to get more.

That’s all sounds great but I want to take the time to thank Mr. Troy Bowfield for chatting with me. And man I’m absolutely excited for what everyone here at Unleash The Fanboy regards as worthy material! So by all means bring on more epic stories with The Blood Queen!

So what did you think of the interview my fellow fanboys and fangirls?

Sound off with your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.