There are a number of horror fans who yearn for the days when vampires were the monsters that they were originally intended to be, and writers Steve Niles and Joe Hill are (separately) attempting to do something about it. In the case of Niles, he and IDW are holding the "Sparkles For Blood" promotion at San Diego Comic-Con. The idea is that fans of The Twilight Saga can come to the IDW booth and exchange copies of Stephenie Meyer's novels for a volume of Niles' 30 Days of Night.
Says Niles, "Real horror fans have watched vampires systematically turned into wimpy fodder for years now. It's time to fight back. I'm happy to be working with IDW on the 'Sparkles for Blood' event. Hopefully, working together we can put an end t this nightmare." 30 Days of Night have spawned numerous comic spin-offs (including a forthcoming ongoing series to be written by Niles) and a feature film version. The premise looks at what happens when vampires take over a remote Alaskhan town and those who remain for the night that lasts 30 days try and survive.
Best selling author Joe Hill (son of Stephen King and who has written the novels Heart-Shaped Box and Horns) says that he's working on a "sideways" vampire novel that will address the situation as well. He muses, "Nothing is more tired than the whole idea of the vampire, and I hate sexy vampires. How did that happen? Sexy vampires are like sexy leeches Really? Really?!"