[ComicMike]

"Vampirella" is a comic book vampire superheroine, created by Forrest J. Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine Vampirella #1 (Sept. 1969).

For more information, please read the Wikipedia page directly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampirella

"Vampirella" appeared in Germany for the first time between 1973 and 1974, with only 15 issues. Almost all of the stories were in color. I was a boy at the time and very impressed by the pretty vampire and I thought, that this is a vampire, that I would like to be bitten by.

Volumes 9-11 of the German edition were indexed in 1974, by the "German Federal Testing Office for Writings Harmful to Young People", they was placed on the "List of writings harmful to minors". The publisher 'Pabel' then discontinued the series with issue 15. The indexing was only automatically canceled in 2002 by a change in the law. Meanwhile there are many different editions of "Vampirella" in Germany: http://www.comicguide.de/search?search=Vampirella

In 1973 there weren't many comics in Germany, that were aimed at a more adult audience and many parents forbade their children to read "Vampirella", but we did it anyway! We bought the comics in neighboring villages, where no one knew us, and hid them then at home behind cupboards, under dressers, or in the attic.

Today Germany is a comic paradise, but it took a long time to get there. Until the 1970s, comics were considered "bad for children" and "trash" in Germany, only "Fix and Foxi" and "Mickey Mouse" were tolerated, but not by all parents either. It wasn't an easy time for comic fans. The path to a better Comic-Germany began in 1980, with the publication of the first number of "Schwermetall", the German edition of "Heavy Metal". I had never seen comics like this before, it was a miracle. The wave, that the publishing house 'Volksverlag' triggered with the first edition of "Schwermetall", was slow at the beginning, but it could not be stopped.

For all "Vampirella" fans who have not seen it yet, there is wonderful news: 106 of the 112 "Warren issues" are available on 'archive.org'. Have fun with it.

[Andrew999]

That's a terrific link - thanks.

I was also a big Vampirella fan in the 70s - I even read the four paperback novels by Ron Goulart - terrific stuff