Artist, pin-up model, and avid Star Wars fan Holly Golightly’s list of work ranges from Nightmare Theatre (for Chaos! Comics) to Sabrina (for Archie Comics) to her creator-owned work like Vampfire and School Bites. Well this time around, Golightly is bringing her Shadow Academy to the world of web-comics.
Newsarama: So Holly, if you wouldn’t mind, summarize what School Bites is all about for those that aren’t familiar with it?
Holly G: Sure. It’s a romantic comedy, sort of like Harry Potter with fangs. It follows the adventures of Cherri Creeper who is made a vampire accidentially. So, she attends this academy that teaches young vampires how to drink responsibly. Also teach them on how to be a positive influence on our world and so it’s like DeGrassi Junior High with vampires. It has a sort of John Hughes feeling, he was a huge influence on me growing up, so this has a tribute to him.
Newsarama: What were the main influences for School Bites? I mean, vampires are in the spotlight more and more these days.
Holly G: Well, this started in ‘04. So it’s not like the media inspiried me, it had more to do with my childhood and growing up in a British school system, so I wore uniforms and when I was fourteen my mother gave me Interview with The Vampire and that influenced a lot of my fantasy life. Almost all the stories I write, have to deal with vampires. Vampfire was more for the grown-up genre, while [School Bites] is a bit more younger and funner idea of what vampirism can be or should be. I got really really tired of “wah wah” vampires complaining about their immortality. “Wah, I’m going to live forever. Poor me.” Dude, get a grip. So, that’s why I created School Bites.
Newsarama: Why did you want to make the transition to a web-comic?
Holly G: I felt that I couldn’t keep the schedule for what I would have to be on for distribution, because we do have a bi-monthly comic that comes out , Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose, that has to be on shelves and “Bites” is more of a fun project and outlet. [Jim and I] are workaholics, so how we relax is work and I wanted this to be fun and not stressful. So I thought it would a be a good way for me to be creative and also keep up with the people who enjoy it. Because it started in 2004 and people want more and now I have time to really generate those strips in a fun and interesting format. I just love the whole “your audience is there” part. I grew up in a theater background so when you put out a web-comic, I feel like your audience is live and they can talk right to you. I just love that feedback.
Newsarama: So when several panels or strips are made, will they be collected in book like the first three?
Holly G: Well yeah, the first three are already out and I’m starting from the beginning because I know there is an untapped audience out there that may have not heard of it, or never seen it. Then, of course after I’ve gathered enough, I’ll put it out as a graphic novel. That part’s easy [laughs] I know how to do that part.
To check out this new strip, click here. Now, it may not seem much at first, but keep your eyes peeled for future updates.
