Melissa Dejesus and Ed Power
mycagecomic@yahoo.com
Greetings,
Enclosed is a proposal for a color, one-shot, graphic novel entitled “Santa Versus Dracula”.
It is the story of legendary vampire, Count Dracula, invading Santa’s Workshop with an army of the world’s most famous monsters after deciding the North Pole would make a perfect winter home for him due to its 6 months of darkness each year.
The story will be drawn by Melissa Dejesus, of TokyoPop’s ‘Sorkora Refugees’ series of graphic novels, and written by her writing partner, Ed Power (Ed and Melissa are also the creative team behind the syndicated daily comic strip, “My Cage” from King Features Syndicate).
Accompanying this letter are the following:
• A one page overview of the story.
• A four page point-by-point synopsis of the full story, beginning to end.
• First several pages of sequential art.
• Character designs and descriptions.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Melissa Dejesus and Ed Power
mycagecomic@yahoo.com
Sunday, May 16, 2010
One Page Overview
The basic story is: “Dracula invades the North Pole during its six months of darkness, forcing Santa Claus and his crew of iconic Christmas characters to defend their home against an army of the world's most infamous monsters.”
We’re working the story on two levels. One is as a tongue and cheek spoof of over-the-top, big-budget, action movies (our Santa is part Sean Connery and our Dracula is in the mold of Alan Rickman’s ‘Die Hard’ bad guy, Hans Gruber).
The other is just straight out as the battle everyone has wanted to see play out: the forces of Halloween versus the forces of Christmas .
This allows us to have both (a) funny scenes and (b) just really cool, fun battles like the following:
• Santa vs Dracula – Our main event. The secular/pop-culture representations of good and evil.
• Mrs. Claus vs. The Hunchback – It’s unappreciated homemaker versus unappreciated homemaker (although to be fair, our Mrs. Claus is a strong, young, attractive, Africa-American woman who the frequently divorced, workaholic Santa)
• Flakey the Snowman vs. Frankenstein – Golem vs. golem, each with an aversion to fire.
• Randolph the Radiant-Nosed Reindeer vs. Mr. Hyde – An alcoholic Randolph faces his inner-demons when he faces the embodiment of inner-demons himself.
• Abominable Snowman vs. The Werewolf – Abominable must decide once and for all whether he’s a monster or one of Santa’s helpers.
• Jack Frost vs. The Invisible Man – Nude invisible guy versus the master of ice and snow.
We feel the project would sell well on a yearly basis due to its ties to both Halloween and Christmas and would easily translate into both toys and adaptations into other entertainment mediums.
Our title is also highly attention grabbing.
We’re working the story on two levels. One is as a tongue and cheek spoof of over-the-top, big-budget, action movies (our Santa is part Sean Connery and our Dracula is in the mold of Alan Rickman’s ‘Die Hard’ bad guy, Hans Gruber).
The other is just straight out as the battle everyone has wanted to see play out: the forces of Halloween versus the forces of Christmas .
This allows us to have both (a) funny scenes and (b) just really cool, fun battles like the following:
• Santa vs Dracula – Our main event. The secular/pop-culture representations of good and evil.
• Mrs. Claus vs. The Hunchback – It’s unappreciated homemaker versus unappreciated homemaker (although to be fair, our Mrs. Claus is a strong, young, attractive, Africa-American woman who the frequently divorced, workaholic Santa)
• Flakey the Snowman vs. Frankenstein – Golem vs. golem, each with an aversion to fire.
• Randolph the Radiant-Nosed Reindeer vs. Mr. Hyde – An alcoholic Randolph faces his inner-demons when he faces the embodiment of inner-demons himself.
• Abominable Snowman vs. The Werewolf – Abominable must decide once and for all whether he’s a monster or one of Santa’s helpers.
• Jack Frost vs. The Invisible Man – Nude invisible guy versus the master of ice and snow.
We feel the project would sell well on a yearly basis due to its ties to both Halloween and Christmas and would easily translate into both toys and adaptations into other entertainment mediums.
Our title is also highly attention grabbing.
Santa Claus
“Ripe jolly old elf”? Yeah right. Only one night a year.
Do you know the management skills it takes to focus a bunch of dancing, merry elves and talking reindeer into becoming the greatest manufacturing and delivery service in the history of mankind? Not to mention the pressure on him to deliver the goods on everyone’s favorite holiday celebrating the birthday of a man they actually restarted the calendars for.
It’s the world’s toughest job, and it takes a one tough, old, SOB to do it! Guess that just wouldn’t have sounded as good in the poem.
Count Dracula
Dracula, the immortal, soulless, bloodsucker…in more ways than one. Not only is our Dracula a vampire, he’s something far worse…spoiled, Euro-trash, trust fund royalty!
Egotistical and vain (not easy for someone who can’t appear in mirrors), Dracula thinks the world belongs to him, and he’s about to claim the North Pole as part of it.
He’s Santa’s polar (no pun intended) opposite. He’s youthful in appearance, dramatic, and has devoted his immortality to selfishness, over indulgence and partying.
(Ok…maybe there was a little pun intended)
Mrs. Claus
Not exactly what you had in mind for what Mrs. Claus looks like?
Well, Katherine isn’t the first Mrs. Claus. Turns out living with a year-round workaholic isn’t exactly a ‘winter wonderland’, and Santa has had more failed marriages then Henry the Eighth, Liz Taylor, and…well, Dracula combined.
Randolph the Radiant Nosed Reindeer
Once proud and cocksure with a future that looked as bright as his celebrated snout, Randolph is now a peppermint schnapps addicted alcoholic.
Most people think his drinking is from his anger over being ripped off by a songwriter who stole his story and changed just enough details to not have to pay him royalties, but the truth is the song only stands as a deeper reminder of the tormenting he went through as a fawn for the very appendage he is now praised for.
For a professional navigator, Randolph is one lost soul, wallowing in the only darkness his shiny nose can not penetrate…that of his own heart.
Flakey the Snowman
Just like Randolph, Flakey was also ripped off by ‘Big Christmas-Carol’, but unlike his best reindeer buddy, Flakey could care less. He’s also the one with the most to lose if global-warming is a reality, but he isn’t letting that get him down either
Despite his icy form, Flakey’s heart is as big and warm as the sun he fears will one day melt him.
Brought to life by playing children with a body consisting of millions and millions of individually beautiful flakes of fluffy snow, Flakey is the one being at the North Pole who realizes how special their little substitute family is. Mess with them and not only will he show you his cold side, you’ll see just how ‘abominable’ this snowman can actually get!
Frankenstein’s Creature
After centuries without a purpose Frank has spent the last few decades as Dracula’s bodyguard and hired muscle. He does it for the free vampire induced hypnotherapy in order to free himself from his rampant pyrophobia, but this mission holds a special place in the monster’s undead heart.
As told in the original novel, Frank lived in the North Pole. What wasn’t told was that for years and silently sat watching the Christmas Village with a hatred growing inside him.
Centuries ago the creature killed a little girl he had hoped would befriend him, giving up on humanity in general, and children specifically, in the process.
He hates Santa for thinking any child, or human, could possibly be ‘good’ or deserving of rewards, as well as for the joy he brings them.
He despises the light of human kindness, and looks forward to extinguishing it.
The Hunchback
Igor? Ygor? Fritz? He’s gone by them all (he’s even often been mistaken for Quasimodo).
He’s the lab assistant extraordinaire to all the super-stars of mad science over the years, and with Dracula as the Sinatra of his own personal Drac Pack, our twisted sycophant has offered his services to him, becoming the main neck-suckers main suck-up.
Mr. Hyde
Having destroyed his ‘better half’ after the ‘strange case’ that spawned him, and having been granted immortality by Dracula (who is amused by his antics) Edward Hyde is now the embodiment of a creature who has spent decades wallowing in the indulgences of the 7 Deadly Sins of Man.
With an appearance as horrifying as whatever shivered husk of a soul he may have left, Hyde spends his days and nights amusing Dracula, while egging the vampire prince on to more and more awful deeds for his own vile entertainment.
Together they are the world’s worst drinking buddies on a binge that won’t end until they’ve destroyed us all.
Gloria the Christmas Angel
Santa's right hand-entity for centuries now, Gloria handles all the day-to-day aspects of Santa’s Workshop as well as lending her angelic voice to being the official spokesperson to the outside world.
When a press conference needs to be held to sooth the concerns of poor children about why the rich kids always get better gifts then them, or Nightline wants a North Pole representative on their show to answer critics from either the ASPCA regarding the rights of anthropomorphic reindeer or the Anti-Jewish Defense League, Gloria is the face of the organization that the world sees.
Supporting Cast
Easter Bunny – Santa’s closest confidant, due to the similarities of their jobs. Fittingly, his own martyring is what kicks off the adventure in the beginning of the story.
Nick Frosty – Santa’s head of security and leader of ‘The Silent Bells’, Santa’s elite security force (named that because they have taken the balls out of the bells on their outfits, allowing them a stealth most elves do not have). Nick is an eye-patch wearing, cigar smoking tough guy who knows his way around a fight. His catchphrase is: “Don’t be such a pixie!”
The Werewolf – A smart-assed, teen-age werewolf who betrayed his lupine brethren to Dracula when he realized vampires get more women (especially since ‘Twilight’…I mean, my god!). He wants Dracula to see him as a son, but sociopaths can’t love. Oddly, he’s almost an amalgam of actor Seth Green’s two best known characters, Scott Evil from ‘Austin Powers’ and Oz the werewolf from ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Mostly though he’s a spoof of both 50’s horror film ‘I was a Teenage Werewolf’ and 80’s cult comedy ‘Teen Wolf’ while playing off the fact werewolves have never been as cool as vampires.
The Abominable Snowman – Basically just a big dumb yeti who is forced to make a choice as to whether he’s a cuddly or creepy.
The Invisible Man – A one joke character who show why someone who has to get naked for his powers to work should not be on a mission at the North Pole. When he is shown ‘in costume’ for a panel or two, he dresses in a surfing wet suit, S&M mask, and ‘Groucho Marx’ glasses.
Brides of Dracula – Three female vampire servants of Dracula. To put a modern spin on the soullessness of vampires, we’ve based them of today’s vapid ‘celebutantes’ such as Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Kim Kardashian. It’s hinted one of them is bloodlimic (a vampire eating disorder consisting of a cycle of leeching and purging, leeching and purging…)
Nick Frosty – Santa’s head of security and leader of ‘The Silent Bells’, Santa’s elite security force (named that because they have taken the balls out of the bells on their outfits, allowing them a stealth most elves do not have). Nick is an eye-patch wearing, cigar smoking tough guy who knows his way around a fight. His catchphrase is: “Don’t be such a pixie!”
The Werewolf – A smart-assed, teen-age werewolf who betrayed his lupine brethren to Dracula when he realized vampires get more women (especially since ‘Twilight’…I mean, my god!). He wants Dracula to see him as a son, but sociopaths can’t love. Oddly, he’s almost an amalgam of actor Seth Green’s two best known characters, Scott Evil from ‘Austin Powers’ and Oz the werewolf from ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Mostly though he’s a spoof of both 50’s horror film ‘I was a Teenage Werewolf’ and 80’s cult comedy ‘Teen Wolf’ while playing off the fact werewolves have never been as cool as vampires.
The Abominable Snowman – Basically just a big dumb yeti who is forced to make a choice as to whether he’s a cuddly or creepy.
The Invisible Man – A one joke character who show why someone who has to get naked for his powers to work should not be on a mission at the North Pole. When he is shown ‘in costume’ for a panel or two, he dresses in a surfing wet suit, S&M mask, and ‘Groucho Marx’ glasses.
Brides of Dracula – Three female vampire servants of Dracula. To put a modern spin on the soullessness of vampires, we’ve based them of today’s vapid ‘celebutantes’ such as Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Kim Kardashian. It’s hinted one of them is bloodlimic (a vampire eating disorder consisting of a cycle of leeching and purging, leeching and purging…)
Closing Comment
I hope you’ve enjoyed the above proposal, and we are looking forward to your response.
We are very proud of “Santa vs. Dracula” and hope that it is something you would like to be involved in. We think it is something that could prove very successful, both creatively and commercially.
Thank you for your time, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Included below are some examples of Ed and Melissa’s other work.
Sincerely,
Melissa Dejesus and Ed Power
mycagecomic@yahoo.com
We are very proud of “Santa vs. Dracula” and hope that it is something you would like to be involved in. We think it is something that could prove very successful, both creatively and commercially.
Thank you for your time, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Included below are some examples of Ed and Melissa’s other work.
Sincerely,
Melissa Dejesus and Ed Power
mycagecomic@yahoo.com
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