Postcards
I always thought it was a bit of a silly idea to produce Vampirella postcards - as a collector it would the utmost sacrilege to actually stick a stamp on one and send it someone! However, I am not all people, I am me.
And I am sure a few people did actually use these as postcards. And I'm also sure that they attracted the momentary attention of some of the postal workers who handled them on their journey as well as the recipient(s).
I don't know whether these were actually retail items or were freebies to dealers and the like, but I wouldn't consider them to be an ideal form of mass promotion for Vampirella comic books. But what do I know?
Mystery Walk Postcard - 1995
This post card came out in 1995 as a promotional item for Vengeance of Vampirella #0.
Harris postcard set - 1997
Now, I think that this is a neat idea. Nine postcards on a tear off strip.
Each postcard features a distinctive piece of art and provides a showcase for nine of Harris' top Vampirella artists.
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| CARD #1: Text reads: Artwork by JOE JUSKO. Cover art for: Vampirella: Sad Wings of Destiny. | CARD #2: Text reads: Art by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL and ALEX GARNER. Digital colour by BRIAN HABERLIN. Cover art for: Vampirella Lives #3 | CARD #3: Text reads: Art by AMANDA CONNER . Digital colour by DAN KEMP and BRIAN HABERLIN. Cover art for: Death of Vampirella: Memorial Edition |
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| CARD #4: Text reads: Art by LOUIS SMALL, JR. and CAESAR. Digital Colour by BRIAN HABERLIN. Cover art for: Vampirella Strikes Annual #1 | CARD #5: Text reads: Painted by MARK TEXEIRA. Cover art for: Vampirella vs Pantha #1 | CARD #6: Text reads: Art by JOHN BOLTON. Cover art for: Vampirella: Blood Red Queen of Hearts |
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| CARD #7: Text reads: Art by JOE QUESADA. Cover art for: Vampirella Lives #1 | CARD #8: Text reads: Painted by MARK BEACHUM. Cover art: Vampirella Strikes Anniversary Collection #2 | CARD #9: Text reads: Painted by JIM SILKE. Cover art: Vampirella Strikes Anniversary Collection #1 |
The back of the card(s) are quite simple with the Vampirella logo and a credit for the art.
I decided against scanning all nine reverse sides, as they are all exactly the same barring a couple of lines of small text, which I have documented above. I have one sample reverse side above from card #9 by Jim Silke. Click on the thumbnail to see the full sized card and use your imagination to transfer the credit information for each card!
TOPPS promo card - 1994
This is a promotional Vampirella postcard published by TOPPS Trading Cards and mailed out exclusively to retailers to promote their impending Vampirella Trading Card Set. These were impossible to get unless you were a retailer!
The back of this card displays a list of the artists appearing in the card set along with a beautiful, original colour portrait of Vampirella, hand rendered and signed by Louis Small, Jnr. Louis is well known for his work on the Harris Comics' VAMPIRELLA comic book series and famed for his good girl/bad girl art!
In addition, the front of the card has a printed image of a black and white watercolour study of Vampi by painter Ray Lago and it is autographed in silver pen by Ray.
The postcard measures 4.25" x 6".
Heroes and Angels promotional postcard - 1998
Another Ray Lago picture from the Visions of Vampirella trading card set graces the front of this promotional postcard. It also shows two of Lago's colour paintings of the Predator and Spider-Man and it is autographed in white pen.
Published by Ray Lago himself back in 1998 and mailed out exclusively to retailers and collectors on his mailing list in order to promote the publication of his art book, Ray Lago: Heroes & Angels. 
These were impossible to get unless you were a retailer or on Ray's mailing list!
The back is an advertisement for Ray Lago's Heroes and Angels book, and, again, sports a one off portrait drawing by Ray Lago in the area left for the address ... a much more sensible use for postcards than sending messages through the post.
I have included two samples of Ray's work, one in colour and one in black and white - both are stunning!
The postcard measures 4.25" x 6".
Ray is well known for his beautiful work on Vampirella, as well as his DC and Marvel trading card illustrations, and his work on Magic the Gathering and Playboy Magazine's "Little Annie Fanny".
Claudio Aboy Post Card Set
Based in Argentina, Claudio Aboy is a talented illustrator with a prolific portfolio of Vampirella images sold on eBay. Though the originals fetch top rates his prints are quite reasonable.
Unfortunately, I have bought prints in the past (with the original artists' signatures), but have always been a little dissatisfied with them - prints are OK, but once you start getting some original art then they hold little or no interest!
To promote his work (perhaps for the odd people like me who don't want prints but can't afford original art work) Claudio produced a couple of sets of Vampirella postcards with six images in each set.
I was very tempted, but it was a case of bad timing when they were listed on eBay.
However, the good thing about eBay is that if you are patient enough everything turns up - sooner or later!
One day I'll have these sets in my collection... just not today.
Michael Golden Post Card - 2007
This exclusive 4" x 6" post card was available at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con, and was (presumably) to promote Michael Golden's latest book.
Taken from the cover of the 2004 Halloween Special, this is one of my favourite Vampirella images - it is simple, but very effective.
Claudio Aboy Hallowen postcards
Claudio Aboy produced a new set of Vampirella postcards for Halloween 2008. Basically, these are a couple of his recent works with a Halloween message and pumpkin overlaid upon them. Nice, though.