When picking up Murder Vibes from the Monster Dimension, you’d better pray for the Paranormal Playboy to rescue us all. Especially if he has to roll into an Orgy of the Blood Freaks. Professor Dario Bava reluctantly works with a hip Vatican in 1967 to save us all from dark forces. And as you might expect from a wild mash-up of Giallo, Hammer Horror, and a pinch of Gerry Anderson, it’s all got a bit of “demoni sexi.”
That’s a phrase picked up from the first time I encountered Phil Mucci and Ian Mackay, the men who make up Diabolik LLC. We actually met at Son of Monsterpalooza back in October, but they had an eye-catching booth at WonderCon so of course I had to stop and marvel.
The two joined forces almost 20 years ago to make horror films and music videos. After creating a horror comedy television pitch that was clearly ahead of its time, they turned to graphic novels to flesh out their vision. Enlisting top horror artists such as Mike Dubisch and Vicente Alcazar, the resulting Professor Dario Bava imprint may be the next big thing you need to discover before a studio does. Though I hope a studio does soon.
The character Dario Bava also carries a hint of Austin Powers, but the stakes in his adventures are much sharper. Teamed with a group of crack paranormal agents who are also gorgeous, he fights vampires, werewolves, and those who would misuse the powers God gave them. Each page drips color and imagination, while its sister book Gringo Loco melds spaghetti westerns with Italian zombie films. Because each volume packs such a bang for its buck, you can jump on now and be all caught up, though they promise the next volume is in progress.
It’s not so much that the books defy description as that if they seem like your cup of tea, you should just boldly go. But for a taste, here’s the pitch video for the Dario Bava animated series:
Seriously — this is dying to be turned into a series.
As a bonus, here’s a music video Mucci shot that clearly inspired him and Mackay to explore the (murder) vibe further:
Don’t take my word for it. Enter the world of Professor Dario Bava for yourself. If you dare…
