Mona the Vampire

Ahhhhhhhhh!

Yay! Mona!

A GREAT MAN ONCE SAID THAT COMIC BOOKS

OFFER A WORLD OF COLOR AND WONDER,

BUT THEY CONCEAL A DARK SIDE OF SHADOWS AND FEAR.

I THINK IT WAS CHURCHILL,

OR MAYBE MY UNCLE WALDO.

HE HATES COMICS.

AHHHH!

GRRR!

ANYWAY, IT'S THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION

TO AN ABSOLUTELY SCARILICIOUS ADVENTURE

VON KREEPSULA RUNS AMOK.

COMIC BOOK CONVENTIONS ARE THE BEST.

WHERE ELSE COULD YOU FIND SO MANY FAMOUS PEOPLE

IN ONE ROOM?

YEAH. WE'VE MET CAPTAIN ALABASTER,

FANCY CAPE MAN,

MOLE BOY, SQUIRREL GIRL...

OH! BACK ISSUES OF MY FAVORITE

THE DOUBLE Y MEN!

"DOUBLE Y MEN ADVENTURE CLASSICS."

OH, A NEW TITLE!

"FAVORITE FORGOTTEN RECIPES OF THE DOUBLE Y MEN!"

ZAPMAN, IT'S HIM!

WHOA! HEY!

AND BEFORE ANYONE COULD SAY "LOOK OUT, KID!

YOU'RE STEPPING ON MY COMICS!"

LOOK OUT, KID!

YOU'RE STEPPING ON MY COMICS! WAAA!

KREEPIEST REGARDS FROM VON KREEPSUL-

(CHARGING SCREAM) (PANICKED SCREAM)

AGH, GET OFF ME, KID!

IF YOU WANT AN AUTOGRAPH,

STAND IN LINE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

HEY, YOU'RE NOT MY MAIN NEMESIS

AND MOST HATED RIVAL VON KREEPSULA

KING OF THE EVIL VAMPIRES.

NO. I'M WALTER FISHMAN,

AN ACTOR HIRED TO WEAR THIS SUIT

AND SELL THE NEW VON KREEPSULA TOY LINE.

OH. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I SHOULD JUST STICK TO DINNER THEATER.

IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE FIRST TIME HE'S BEEN MISTAKEN

FOR THE REAL THING.

I'M SURE HE'S GOT PEOPLE TRYING TO STICK STAKES

THROUGH HIS HEART ALL THE TIME.

VON KREEPSULA #1 -

IN MINT CONDITION!

IT MUST BE WORTH A FORTUNE!

HOW MUCH?

I WANT TO BUY IT FOR MY BEST BUDDY HERE.

NO, CHARLEY, I-

150 DOLLARS!

OR, WE COULD WORK OUT A TRADE.

I SEE YOU COLLECT THE UNUSUAL DOUBLE Y MEN.

HAVE ANY OLD ISSUES?

I'VE GOT THEM ALL.

"GIANT SIZE UNUSUAL DOUBLE Y MEN NUMBER ONE."

DOUBLE Y MEN 94 TO 100.

DEAL!(GRUNTS)

WELL, UH, I DIDN'T REALLY WANNA TRADE ALL MY COMICS.

FORGET IT, CHARLEY.

YOU DON'T NEED TO GET ME VON KREEPSULA #1.

I ALREADY HAVE IT.

YOU DO?!

I HAVE TO SEE IT!

THIS IS WHERE I KEEP MY MOST PRIZED POSSESSIONS.

LIKE MY DIARY,

MY VAMPIRE VISION GLASSES,

A BALL OF 100 YEAR OLD BUBBLE GUM

RUMORED TO CONTAIN A WEREWOLF'S TOOTH,

AND...

THE VERY FIRST ISSUE OF VON KREEPSULA

IN MINT CONDITION,

SEALED IN PLASTIC!

I HAVE TO READ IT.

WELL, UH...

IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T TRUST YOU TO TAKE CARE OF IT, CHARLEY,

BUT, UH, YOU SEE...

I WOULDN'T WANT TO ACCIDENTALLY RELEASE THE EVIL VON KREEPSULA

FROM HIS COMIC BOOK PRISON.

HUH?

AGES AGO I DUELED THE DREADED VON KREEPSULA

IN THE ULTIMATE BATTLE OF GOOD VERSUS EVIL VAMPIRES.

TAKE THAT, KING CREEPY.

AAAAAGGH!

I IMPRISONED HIM IN HIS COMIC BOOK WORLD,

THE GATEWAY TO WHICH JUST HAPPENS TO BE THIS ISSUE

OF VON KREEPSULA #1.

HUH?

GEE, MONA, I THOUGHT WE WERE BEST BUDDIES.

BUT I GUESS IF YOU DON'T TRUST ME.

NO, CHARLEY, I DO TRUST YOU.

IT'S JUST THAT...

WELL, UH...

HERE. BRING IT BACK TOMORROW.

WOW! DO YOU REALLY MEAN IT?

I'M GOING HOME TO READ IT RIGHT AWAY!

TAKE YOUR TIME.

AND DON'T WORRY, 'CAUSE I SURE WON'T!

I REALLY SHOULDN'T BE WORRIED.

I MEAN, WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?

HMM...

(DIAL PAD BEEP, PHONE RINGS)

CHARLES!

IT'S FOR YOU.

AND AFTER YOU'RE DONE, COULD YOU TIDY UP A BIT?

HELLO?

HI-YA, CHARLEY!

HOW YA ENJOYING THE COMIC BOOK?

I'M JUST ABOUT TO START READING IT.

WELL, JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU

THAT THE PRINT OF THE PAGE IS VERY DELICATE

AND THE NATURAL OILS FROM YOUR FINGERS

COULD CORRODE IT.

OKAY, OKAY, I'LL WEAR GLOVES.

AH, DON'T WORRY, FANG.

CHARLEY'S MY BEST BUDDY.

HE'LL MAKE SURE NOTHING HAPPENS TO MY COMIC.

AAHHHH!

(DIAL PAD BEEPS, PHONE RINGS)

CHARLES! IT'S FOR YOU!

HELLO?

HELLO?

JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU TO PUT IT BACK IN THE PLASTIC

WHEN YOU'RE DONE. BYE!

CHARLES, WHY DON'T YOU GO OUTSIDE

AND GET SOME FRESH AIR!

OKAY, MOM!

CHARLES! LUNCH TIME!

I'M NOT HUNGRY!

I MADE YOUR FAVORITE -

FRANKS AND BEANS!

SUDDEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE USUALLY A SIGN OF TROUBLE.

HMM, I WONDER IF THIS HAS ANYTHING

TO DO WITH VON KREEPSULA?

I'D BETTER GET OVER TO CHARLEY'S PLACE

AND COME UP WITH A PLAN, JUST IN CASE.

AND, WHILE I'M THERE, PICK UP MY COMIC BOOK.

MMM! HI, MONA.

WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE?

I'VE GOT A FEELING VON KREEPSULA

IS PLANNING AN ESCAPE FROM HIS COMIC BOOK WORLD.

WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN.

AND I NEED TO GET MY COMIC BOOK BACK.

YOUR COMIC BOOK?! OH NO!

MONA, I'M REALLY SORRY.

I DIDN'T MEAN TO WRECK YOUR COMIC BOOK.

CHARLEY, DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE?

NOT ONLY DID YOU RUIN MY MOST PRIZED THING

IN THE WHOLE WORLD,

BUT BY LETTING THE INK RUN OUT OF THE COMIC BOOK,

YOU'VE RELEASED VON KREEPSULA

FROM HIS PRISON INTO OUR WORLD!

AAHHH!

UNGH!

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

I HAVE TO RECAPTURE VON KREEPSULA!

I'LL COME TO! I CAN HELP YOU!

NO THANKS, CHARLEY.

OBVIOUSLY, I CAN'T TRUST YOU ANYMORE.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR COMIC BOOK?

KEEP IT. IT'S USELESS NOW!

I HURRIED HOME FOR A QUICK EQUIPMENT CHECK.

FANGS, CHECK.

VAMPIRE VISION GLASSES, CHECK.

POCKET LIGHT, CHECK.

MONA, IT'S CHARLEY!

TELL HIM I'M BUSY!

COME ON, FANG.

SORRY, CHARLIE, SHE, UH, JUST STEPPED OUT.

CAN I LEAVE HER A MESSAGE?

AH... NO THANKS.

I STARTED MY HUNT FOR VON KREEPSULA

BY GOING TO THE MOST OBVIOUS PLACE.