When I was a kid, Dracula lived in my closet.                      

Well, not the Dracula (Transylvania’s an awfully long commute to the boonies of North Carolina). Even I knew better than that.

No, Dracula wasn’t in my closet…but he did send one of his vampire minions to hide in there between the box of Mad Magazines and my “Castle Grayskull” playset. I was as convinced of it as I was my sister’s jump rope was a bullwhip and there were five-foot tall roadrunners clocking ninety throughout our nation’s deserts. After all, if a fat dude with a bag of merchandise (though I always wondered why stuff made by elves had name brands) could scooch down our non-existent chimney, then why couldn’t there be a beastie under my bed? In a world like that, anything goes, right?

But as afraid as I was of the Nosferatu in my room, I was equally fascinated by it. And not just vampires, but werewolves, zombies, ghosts--the entire Monster Mash Get Fresh Crew. See, I believe that even while kids are being traumatized by monsters, a small part of them (for some, a very, very small part) are having fun while it happens. Monsters are scary, yes…but they’re also pretty cool, too. Unfortunately, as you grow older and learn that roadrunners are 18-inch tall birds that sprint at the blistering speed of fifteen miles per hour, your perceptions change, and what qualifies as “scary” becomes something darker, more intense.

In short--the vamp in my closet’s suddenly out of work and in the blood bank line.

So imagine my surprise when I read the script for Dark Moon Diary, the very funny, very touching story of a newly orphaned young girl who’s been sent to live with her vampiric Aunt, Uncle and cousin in the monster-populated town of Natchwald. Priscilla is tasked with dealing with the normal anxieties/challenges that the average teen encounters…in a sooo not so normal environment. You think peer pressure is bad? Try species pressure. Priscilla’s problems range from the basic necessities (In a town filled with ghouls, what food is there for a human to eat?) to the emotionally driven (Priscilla’s longing for her deceased parents). Factor in her evil cousin Kitten placing Priscilla on her “To Maim” list…and Priscilla will be lucky to last a week in her new town.

I found myself laughing out loud a lot with Dark Moon Diary (Priscilla’s nearly epic search for food that doesn’t bite back will have you in stitches). And when I wasn’t laughing, I was smiling to myself. Che has created a rich, imaginative world, rife with unique characters and infinite potential. My feelings for it was similar to what I felt when I first read Harry Potter--there, too, the universe felt vast and, even though it is a fantasy, the mechanics and history of the world gave it a feeling of something tangible. The exact same applies to Dark Moon Diary; Natchwald is a town where your imagination is sparked around every corner. There is simply so much to discover here…volume 1 is like taking the first five steps of an Everest climb. 

And if Che is the mad scientist that provided the body, then Brett Uher’s fantastic art and Mara Aum’s excellent inks and tones zap it to life.  Much of the humor of the story relies on Priscilla’s reactions to the weirdness around her--and Brett nails it every single time. His character designs are fun, and instantly place you in the right mood needed for the story. Mara’s inks and tones compliment Brett’s work perfectly and really help to establish the mood from scene to scene. Her shojo flair provides an aesthetically pleasing contradiction to the weird creatures that inhabit the story--much like giving Freddy Krueger a feather boa.   

But the greatest compliment I can pay is to say that this story made me feel like that kid again, wishing I could happen upon monsters disco dancing in a graveyard on Halloween night. To that kid, monsters were fun first, scary second…and in Dark Moon Diary, they are fun once more. As a child, I always wondered where monsters went the other 364 days of the year. If only I had known that the Mummy and the Creature From the Black Lagoon were neighbors in Natchwald…

Either way…as long as they stay out of my closet, I’m cool beans.

 ~Troy Lewter, Editor

When 15-year-old Priscilla's parents pass away, she has nowhere to go but to her last "living" relatives in the European town of Nachtwald. But when she arrives, she learns that not only is Nachtwald populated by vampires, werewolves, witches and more preternatural beings than you can shake a stake at, but that her relatives are in fact vampires! If that wasn’t enough, Priscilla has to adapt to a new high school, as well as deal with her spiteful cousin, Kitten. Kitten wishes she could shove Priscilla onto the next cargo plane back to America…so when the most popular boy in school (and the guy Kitten secretly loves) develops a crush on Priscilla, the needle of Kitten’s “Hate-O-Meter” flies in the red.

Story by: Che Gilson

Born as a Capricorn in Montana, Che never knows what to write for her creator bio and wishes she had a publicist to do it for her. She is a writer and artist, and two of her comics “Hooch and Lovecraft” and “Seraph” appeared in Action Girl, an anthology published by Slave Labor Graphics. She also wrote Avigon (2001) and Avigon: Gods and Demons (2004) for Image Comics, both of which were illustrated by Jimmie Robinson. She likes peace and quiet, wide-open spaces, places that are warm, sheep and cheese. She dislikes food allergies, lost luggage and poor customer service. Currently she is obsessed with vampires, more cheese and PhotoShop.

Art by: Brett Uher

Born and raised in Alaska, Brett graduated from the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art in 2001. He worked for a graphic design firm before returning to Alaska in 2002. His first published comic was a short story featured in the 2004 Gold Digger Annual from Antarctic Press. Dark Moon Diary will be his first published manga. Brett presently resides in Eagle River, Alaska with his two ferrets, Optimus and Prime.

Priscilla Armitage

With her parents dead and her new guardians being (literally) blood-sucking vampires, Priscilla finds herself struggling for not only acceptance, but for a meal that doesn’t make her want to hurl. She is a tomboy at heart, the total opposite of her Gothic-Lolita styled cousin Kitten. Priscilla misses her parents dearly, and can’t imagine how she will ever fit into the creature-populated town of Nachtwald. Deep down she longs for acceptance and to have a family again.

Kitten Moriarty

Kitten is a girl of contrasts. On one hand, she is sarcastic, waspish and mean. On the other, she loves her family (parents; any Nachtwald relations) very deeply and will do anything she can to protect them (she has a strong loyal streak). Though Kitten can be fierce, her main weapon of choice is her words. Her cruel comments are usually enough to put people in their place, so she has never been in an actual fight. Kitten is rather shallow and self-absorbed, and is considered one of the prettiest and most popular girls in school (though not especially well-liked). Kitten takes Priscilla’s initial fear/shock of arriving in Nachtwald as a personal slight. Those feelings of animosity are intensified even more when her childhood crush, Prince Balthazar Sabinov, takes a liking to Priscilla.

Countess Lilith Moriarty

Priscilla’s Aunt and Kitten’s mother, Lilith is a traditional matriarch, fearless and devoted to her family. Optimistic to a fault, she doesn’t always notice other people’s feelings or problems. Though she never intends to be unkind, she can (and has) hurt others simply through ignorance. To her credit, she tries (in her oblivious way) to make Priscilla feel accepted.

Count Wolfgar Moriarty

Kitten’s father and Priscilla’s Uncle, Wolfgar is a homebody and excellent chef (by Nachtwald standards). He is shy, quiet and very domestic. Most of the household cleaning and cooking falls to him. He raises carnivorous roses and other exotic plants. He rarely speaks, but is more sensitive than Lilith to the emotions of others. Wolfgar is the heart of the Moriarty family and is the only one who really notices Priscilla’s anguish and alienation. 

Prince Balthazar Sabinov

Heir to the Kingdom of Nachtwald, Balthazar is a smooth playboy who is a legend in his own mind. The coolest boy in school, he has plenty of admirers and is Kitten’s friend (and secret object of her desire). But when he sets his sights on Priscilla, he angers not only Kitten, but his fan club, as well. Balthazar thinks he’s a lot cooler and smoother than he really is. In reality, he’s somewhat goofy…but in a charming, earnest way.

Diamante Darkling     

Diamante is Kitten’s best friend and number one henchman. Shallow and fashion-obsessed, she rules the school fashion club with an iron fist. She is something of a super-villainess in her own mind and loves to scheme the downfall of others.                                           

Lamia Hove

“I'd never encountered Gilson's writing before, but I very much want to see more. Gilson's created an intriguing world…”        

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