Kurt Busiek

Bill Dubay

Steven Grant

Mark Millar

Grant Morrison

James Robinson

Tom Sniegoski

Archie Goodwin is often considered the man who made Vampirella what she was always supposed to be. Although Forrest Ackerman was the original writer on the very first Vampirella story (Warren's Vampirella #1), his style was a little too 'camp' for James Warren. Warren knew what he wanted, and it was the combination of Archie Goodwin and Jose Gonzales who really created her (in Warren's Vampirella #12).

Sadly Archie Goodwin died on Sunday March 1st 1998. His death was mourned throughout comicdom.

Just after his death a story featuring Archie appeared in Vampirella/Dracula Centennial by James Robinson. The story shows Archie meeting Bram Stoker in a library, and the two of them discuss writing about vampires while their characters, brought to life, battle in the shadows. One or two of the frames in this story tell us how James Robinson felt about Archie's own emotions about Vampirella.

Archie was also featured in Looking for Mr Goodwin in Vampirella Monthly #18, a story about how Vampirella herself seduced him into creating her first stories to help make her a legend.

While Archie was with us, he brought a depth to Vampi when he took over writing in Warren's Vampirella #7, and held on long enough to put his unique 'mark' on her development, which became real with Death's Dark Angel, one of my all-time favourites. 

We have much to thank him for. Who can forget the nuances in the drawing of Vampirella's battle with her craving for blood while captive in W.W. Wade's dungeon (Death's Dark Angel) or the changing subtleties of Vampi's relationship with Adam van Helsing that Archie set up for so many others to build on.

Archie Goodwin was hired by Jim Warren in 1964 as an editor for the newly formed black and white horror magazine Creepy, and stayed until 1972. He wrote many stories for Creepy, Eerie (the sister magazine to Creepy), Blazing Combat ( a short-lived war magazine) and finally Vampirella. He began writing for Warren in Creepy and Eerie (as well as editing the entire line) but his greatest work were his stories for Vampirella, transforming the somewhat jokey character created by Forrest Ackerman into a woman of depth, beauty and character. As was stated in the tribute to Archie that was featured in Vampirella Monthly #6 - "although he did not create her ... he gave her a soul."

Archie's time writing Vampirella was all too brief, but he had to move on in 1972 for a number of reasons. He returned to Vampirella briefly in 1974 but things didn't work out for him at that time and his storytelling was done. Alas, we should have had more of his great ability in Vampirella, but it was not to be. Luckily for younger fans many of the reprints from the Warren days are Archie's stories, as you will see from the table below.

Below is a list of Archie's stories and the comics they have appeared in

Who serves the Cause of Chaos

Vampirella #008 (Warren)

Vampirella Classic #1

Vampirella Classic #2

Vampirella Classic #4

Vampirella vs the Cult of Chaos (TB)

The Testing

Vampirella #009 (Warren)

Vampirella vs the Cult of Chaos (TB)

Vampirella of Drakulon #1

Vampirella of Drakulon #2

Carnival of the Damned

Vampirella #011 (Warren)

Vampirella vs the Cult of Chaos (TB)

Death's Dark Angel

Vampirella Classic #1

Vampirella #012 (Warren)

Vampirella vs the Cult of Chaos (TB)

Vampirella #046 (Warren)

The Lurker in the Deep

Vampirella Classic #2

Vampirella #013 (Warren)

Vampirella vs the Cult of Chaos (TB)

Vampirella #055 (Warren)

Isle of the Huntress

Vampirella #014 (Warren)

Vampirella Classic #3

Vampirella vs the Cult of Chaos (TB)

Vampirella #046 (Warren)

The Resurrection of Papa Voodou

Vampirella Classic #4

Vampirella #015 (Warren)

Vampirella vs the Cult of Chaos (TB)

Vampirella #055 (Warren)

And Be a Bride of Chaos

Vampirella #016 (Warren)

Vampirella Classic #5

Vampirella vs the Cult of Chaos (TB)

Vampirella #055 (Warren)

Vampirella #081 (Warren)

She Who Waits

Vampirella #037 (Warren)

Call it Chaos

Vampirella #100 (Warren)

  All images on this site are copyright © 1999, Harris Publications, Inc.  VAMPIRELLA ® and other characters are trademarks of Harris Publications, Inc. Text and concepts ©1999 Mike Grace. All rights reserved.