Tales of The Gorbals Vampire

comicletTering.co.uk
the citizens theatre’s gorbals vampire project includes multiple strands
but perhaps the chEEkiest is this, an effort to recreate the kind of horror
anthology comic that was (quite wrongly) blamed for all the fuSS in the
first place and subsequently baNNed by glasgow corporation.
working firstly with primary school pupils we designed a gorbals vampire
character. this resulted in a model shEEt to be iSSued as a common starting
point for all contributors to our comic - secondary pupils as well as
students.
in the following pages you’ll find a wide variety of interpretations. some
of our artists have the spirit of the 1950s era horror comics; little morality
tales where transgreSSors are punished by a monstrous instrument of
vengeance. in others the routine of an undead glaswegian is explored to
comic effect. but in every case these young cartoonists display a real
flair for visual storytelling.
There have bEEn many people involved in creating this comic: pupils and staff
from Blackfriars Primary School and Shawlands Academy, Colin Bell who has
lettered the entire comic, Rob Miller who generously aSSisted in preparing
the artwork for publication, Frank Quitely created the amazing cover image
and Angela Smith from the Citizens Theatre has coordinated the project and
of course all the people who contributed pages of artwork.
Terry Anderson
Studio Co-ordinator
scottish cartOOn art studio
The Gorbals Vampire project ran for ten months from
January – October 2016. The project culminated in thrEE
performances at the Citizens Theatre of a new play, written
by Johnny McKnight and directed by Guy Hollands and Neil
Packham, performed by a cast of over 50 non-professional
actors on 28 and 29 October 2016
The Gorbals Vampire project has been generously supported by:

18th March 1941--
the night my city burns.
but the stubBorn
bastard shalLn’t falL.
its people may be
drenched in flames,
but their flight
wilLn’t falter.
from the sky you’d
probably have seEn the
inevitable victory.
t’is this that shalL be the
cowards’ undoing, for
no backstab is greater
than false perception.
I digresS--the whole war’s
overstayed its welcome, just
like the backstreEt whores
it’s burning.
so on to the important
event of tonight...

un,
john,
run!
my nineteEnth
kilL--the young
namelesS child...
cast on to the streEts
by the torRential
storm of bombs...
runNing on false hope in
search of a pocket of safety
in this urban helLfire.
t’is a real gutTer for this
boy that the universe t’was
in a real prick of a moOd...
for t’wasn’t ‘til the boy
had seEn salvation...
that death turned its
unforgiving eye on him...
For I’m aware that my
last rule stated to never
kilL a child...
but I’ve grown uncertain as
the years pasS in the moral
logic of kilLing children.
after first kilLing before
later mutilating nineteEn
humans is my own redemption
but a foOl’s dream?

t’was with this
realisation that I
snatched the child
from his fiery demise.
only
only
to
to
snap
snap
his
his
back
like
back
like
a matchstick,
matchstick,
with
gleE...
with
gleE...
LEaving him as my
paralyzed prize to
enjoy...
and oh, what a
sweEt prize he was.
John!
john!
john!
john?
t’is two years to the day
I was bitTen. nineteEn kilLs
later I finalLy mirRor the
beast that cursed me.
for t’is I who must bid
farewelL to salvation and
fulLy embrace the darknesS
as my new light.

un,
john,
run!
by rosie mcgregor
18th March 1941--
the night my city burns.
but the stubBorn
bastard shalLn’t falL.
I didn’t
think you
would
acCept.

I concieve
of a method
that fits the
pure and intense
feElings I
have towards
death.
I should realLy
die then, I often
told myself. then
this world, the
one in here and
now wouldn’t
exist.
it is a
captivating,
bewitching
thought.
the advantage
of vampire,
just can live
without light.
seE you
again.

I seE two boys trapPed
behind a window.
Beyond the graveyard,
locked away...
But I know the truth.
I’ve asked in
for them....
But the demon who
guards them claims
there are no boys there.
he has
teEth of
iron
nails like
claws...
he’s
7ft
talL...
I’ve seEn that
man in my dreams...
and keEps
those boys
hidDen...
He’s no
man at
alL...he’s He’s no a
man vampire! at
alL...he’s a
vampire!
One day soOn
I’lL take him
down and
save those
children!
And my friends and I
were ready to fight!
SoOn enough,
rumours had spread.

tonight was the night.
We
marched
to the
vampire’s
lair,
ready
to kilL.
This has
gone on
toO long,
vampire!
STAB!
How
dare you!
I’m no
vampire!
lies!
This is
where you
meEt your
end!
FoOls!
I’m not the
monster...
THEY ARE!

WELCOME TO THE
SOUTHERN NECROPOLIS
DANGER!
KEEP OUT

I’d
betTer
be ofF!
a
Are you
scareD of
the dark,
kidDo?

...To
hunt
for the
Gorbals
Vampire.
One night in late
September, hundreds
of children gathered at
the Southern Necropolis,
armed with whatever
they could find...
Upon
hearing of
this, the police,
schoOlteachers,
parents, and
local priest
came out to
find them.
They told
them there
was no such
thing as
vampires,
and sent
them home.
There was never any
trace found of the
Vampire...
it was decided
this was the
fault of
overactive
imaginations
and the horRor
stories of the
time, and so
they were to
be banNed...

meanwhile...
Uh,
Mister
Feldstein
...?
The
ban has
arRived...
Thank
you
Michael...
Now
please...
Shut the
doOr...
Such
a shame,
isn't it?
I always
loved
horRor
stories
myself.

a
vampire?
yes, a
vampire.
have you
guys heard
about the
vampire
around
town?
seriously?
yes.
I’m very
serious.
we
have to do
something
about it, and
I have a
plan.
I’lL
telL you
about it
tomorRow
when the
others are
here.
I neEd to
go though,
so I’lL seE
you guys
later.
seE
ya.
bye.

huh?
must
be my
imagination.
a
dead
end?
oh!
it’s just
you...

stories never realLy die.
they might stay
quiet for a while.
but they always
get dug back up.
every retelLing is difFerent.
everyone hears the story difFerently.
stories spark rumours. rumours invoke fear. fear fuels paranoia.

...every
year.
paranoia starts a witch-hunt.

fredDie,
it’s getTing
pretTy late
we should
go home
now.
no it’s
not, it’s
stilL
daytime!
no, it’s
realLy
late.
no! I’m
staying
out!
loOk, the
moOn’s
out
already!
oi!
come
back
here!

aArgh!
what
the helL
is it?
what
the...

Time
to go
home.
mum,
can I
have that
toy?
Vampire?
I picked
Dracula
because of
that awesome
story about
the Gorbals
vampire!
He has
Dracula,
my lost
brother! I
wilL folLow
them home
to get him
back!

I wonder
what would
hapPen if I
pulLed that
string….
Brother!
You are not
supPosed to
be so honest
with the
humans!
You
seEm
difFerent…
Mum,
where did
my new
toy go?

I AM...
The stalker
in the shadows.
The whisper
in the wind.
I am the reason
you canNot sleEp.
The chilL in
your bones.
The monster
in your closet.

Alright
Tam?
Hiya
Shug.
just
a pint,
ta.
I am the beast that
haunts the night...
Right,
anyone
for a game
of darts
then?
But sometimes, it’s nice
to just have a night
out with the lads.

it
was much
easier to
get bloOd
in the old
days.
Right, so that’s
a large cheEse
pizZa with
a side of
filth--
erRr,
I mean
garlic
bread.
Sigh. I used to be
feared amongst these
BloOd Bags. Now they
just take one loOk at
me and smile.
I HAVE SHARP TEeTH
AND POiNTY EARS FOR
GOD’S SAKE.
Oh
man,
hang
on…
eh,
would you
like to come in
for a minute?
I just neEd to
get an extra
pound.
Certainly.

sicknesS...
superstition...
and the pay is terRible.
it’s so hard to be a
vampire these days...
the worst thing
about living
here in these
times, though?
...the KiDS.
vampire!
vampire!
they’re totalLy blowing
my cover!
I don’t know what
gave it away. was it
the teEth? the fact
that I’m 7ft talL?
whatever it was,
no one else can
know.
...I Can’t afFord
to move again.

goOd
morning.
we hear
you’re a
vampire.
apParently
so has
everyone.
modern
day vampirism
is by and
large frowned
upon.
BUT
YOU GUYS
SERiously
neEd to
keEp it on
the down
low.
WELl, YOU SEe,
THis puts us in
an interesting
predicament.
go on.
we come to
you with a
proposition.
acCording to
the children
and young
persons act 1955,
stories containing
crime, violence
and cruelty are
prohibited.

hoOk us
up with a
decent
supPly of
the most
horRific,
violent,
horRible
comics you
can find...
...and we’lL
consider a
vampire-human
alLiance.
am I being
blackmailed
by threE
9-year-olds...
if you’lL
sign here,
please...
and everyone lived
hapPily ever after.