Vampirella lost another "father" last week, when her definitive artist, Jose "Pepe" Gonzalez passed away from a long illness. He was 70 years old. Gonzalez's interpretation was exactly what co-creator/publisher Jim Warren had envisioned when the idea for Vampirella first occurred to him: "The minute I took one look at Pepe Gonzalez's artwork, I knew we had it! We survived 12 issues but there it was. This is what I wanted for the first issue but couldn't put together." (The Warren Companion, Two Morrows Publishing, 2001, p. 261.)Vampi's legion of fans felt the same way. Gonzalez's realistic, detailed, expressive art catapulted Vampirella to cult star status, helping the character gain a popularity that has led her to appear in a movie, a series of paperback novels, and a host of comicbooks. The stunning beauty Gonzalez was able to imbue Vampirella with gained him a legion of admirers and artistic followers, as well. Who doesn't remember the iconic pose from the cover of Vampirella #19 (July 1972), used on so many covers, in so many ads--and on that awe-inspiring six foot tall poster? Or the stunning splash pages and front pieces he provided issue after issue?
I couldn't think of a better tribute to the man than to run his Vampirella debut, written by the late, great Archie Goodwin. From Vampirella #12 (April 1971), here's "Death's Dark Angel".
