The Campfire: The Argeneaus

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.comWelcome back to the Campfire — our special bonus section!In this episode, Hannah introduces Rebecca to the vampires that live at the Hotel Cortez in the fifth season of American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy’s horror TV series. While Hannah is 99% sure the word “vampire” is never mentioned once during the 12 episodes, the show features not only literal undead blood-drinking immortals, but also very vampiric people and places (plus some sadistic ghosts).Half a lifetime ago, Hannah used to force Rebecca to watch scary shows like American Horror Story so she didn’t have to be frightened alone. Today, Hannah saves Rebecca (and you) from the terror and happily recounts the crazy details and exciting allusions to the vampire media intertext. We discuss the harmony between horror and camp, our dislike of blood disease origin stories, and the contradiction of being immortalized in Hollywood. The moral of the story? Get your kids vaccinated!Come vamps, join us around the campfire.CW: brief discussions of sexual violence, brief mentions of suicide and an abortionMajor Spoilers:* American Horror Story: Hotel, 2015Other media mentioned in this episode:Fiction* Stainless by Todd Grimson, 19961* Milkteeth by Caitlin Starling, 2026Film* Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau, 1922* Daughters of Darkness, directed by Harry Kümel, 1971* The Hunger, directed by Tony Scott, 1983* Shadow of the Vampire, directed by E. Elias Merhige, 2000* The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 and Part 2, directed by Bill Condon, 2011-2012* Abigail, directed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, 2024* Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, 2025TV* The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2013* The Vampire Lestat, 2026* Brides of Blood, 2027– (pre-production)Liked this episode? You’ll also like…Comedy, Camp, and Parody: When Vampires Make Us LaughTo Live Forever and Never Grow Up: The Vampire ChildWomen Eating: Appetite, Desire, and the Female VampireAre All Vampires A Leetle Gäy?Crushing the Creation Myth: Explaining Vampires through ScienceThanksgiving Special: Romanticizing the Vampire & the Gothic StoryWant more vampire content in all your feeds?Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram and TikTok for podcast updates & vampire memes.Find us on Letterboxd and Goodreads for a peek at what we’re consuming next.This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever.Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a small commission if you purchase through our link — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time!

We bid you welcome — to our build-a-vamp workshop! We’re not doctors (of human OR vampire anatomy), but in this episode we’re doing our darnedest to give you an inside look at all the systems that make a vampire tick. From the blood to the guts to the not-actually-unprecedentedly-sparkly skin, we’ll dissect the stories that give us the tropes we know and love.We’ll be tackling burning questions like: Do vampires need to breathe? Can vampires get drunk? What does it even mean to be “undead” if you have brainwaves and a pulse? And how the f**k does Edward Cullen get an erection?If you’re a writer of vampire fiction (or a mad scientist with a penchant for deconstructing & reconstructing the undead), this one’s for you. Because beneath the giggles and the gasps lie the deeper questions: of intertextual legacy, of symbolic potency, and of what kind of vampire story you’re trying to tell. Sometimes, the real answers aren’t anatomical, after all.Come vamps, join us around the campfire. Let’s build a vampire.Major Spoilers:* The Poisoner by I.V. Ophelia, 2024-2026 (series)* A Blood as Bright as the Moon by Andrea Morstabillini, 2025* The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, 2025* Milkteeth by Caitlin Starling, 2026Other media mentioned in this episode:Fiction* Varney the Vampire: or, the Feast of Blood by James Malcolm Ryder and Thomas Pickett Prest, 1845-1847* Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872* “Manor” by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, 1885* Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897* I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, 1954* The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, 1976-2018 (series)* The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas, 1980* Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin, 1982* Sunglasses After Dark by Nancy A. Collins, 1989* The Awakening by L.J. Smith, 1991* Anno Dracula by Kim Newman, 1992* Covenant with the Vampire by Jeanne Kalogridis, 1995* Stainless by Todd Grimson, 1996* Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, 2001* Argeneau by Lynsay Sands, 2003-2025 (series)* Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, 2004* Peeps by Scott Westerfeld, 2005* Fledgling by Octavia Butler, 2005* Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, 2005* Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, 2007* House of Night by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, 2007-2014 (series)* The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, 2009-2011 (series)* The Passage by Justin Cronin, 2010* A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, 2011* The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, 2020* Crave by Tracy Wolff, 2020* Bride by Ali Hazelwood, 2024* Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen, 2025* Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab, 2025* Children of the Night: A Graphic Novel by Victoria Setain, 2026* Aubrey Wants to Die by Pip Knight, 2026* The Lion & the Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent, 2026* Mothersucker by Kim Bohyun, translated by Archana Madhavan, 2026Film* Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau, 1922* Vampyr, directed Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932* Not of This Earth, directed Roger Corman, 1957* Dracula, directed by Terence Fisher, 1958* The Hunger, directed by Tony Scott, 1983* Once Bitten, directed by Howard Storm, 1985* The Lost Boys, directed by Joel Schumacher, 1987* Cronos, directed by Guillermo del Toro, 1992* Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, 1992* Interview with the Vampire, directed by Neil Jordan, 1994* Dracula: Dead and Loving It, directed by Mel Brooks, 1995* Vampire in Brooklyn, directed by Wes Craven, 1995* From Dusk Till Dawn, directed Robert Rodriguez, 1996* John Carpenter’s Vampires, directed by John Carpenter, 1998* Blade II, directed by Guillermo del Toro, 2002* Queen of the Damned, directed by Michael Rymer, 2002* I am Legend, directed by Francis Lawrence, 2007* Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, 2008* Let the Right One In, directed by Tomas Alfredson, 2008* Jennifer’s Body, directed by Karyn Kusama, 2009* Daybreakers, directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig, 2009* Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, directed by Paul Weitz, 2009* The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, directed by Bill Condon, 2011* The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, directed by Bill Condon, 2012* Hotel Transylvania, directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, 2012* Morbius, directed by Daniel Espinosa, 2022* Abigail, directed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, 2024* Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024* Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, 2025* I Love Paris, directed by Nicky Murphy, 2026TV* Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1997-2003* Moonlight, 2007* True Blood, 2008-2014* The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017* The Strain, 2014-2017* American Horror Story: Hotel, 2015* Van Helsing, 2016-2021* Discovery of Witches, 2019-2022* What We Do in the Shadows, 2019-2024* V Wars, 2019* Vampires, 2020* Midnight Mass, 2021* First Kill, 2022* Interview with the Vampire, 2022-* Eternally Yours, 2026Liked this episode? You’ll also like…Crushing the Creation Myth: Explaining Vampires through ScienceWomen Eating: Appetite, Desire, and the Female VampireHow Many Vampires Does It Take to End the World?The Trials and Tribulations of the Vampire’s FamiliarAre All Vampires A Leetle GäyWant more vampire content in all your feeds?Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram and TikTok for podcast updates & vampire memes.Find us on Letterboxd and Goodreads for a peek at what we’re consuming next.Consider becoming a paid member of our Substack to get new bonus episodes and access to the full archive!This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever.Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a small commission if you purchase through our link — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe

We started this season listing all the reasons we wouldn’t want to be vampires, but there’s one big reason we would. When women are stripped of their bodily autonomy, the female vampire has the power to take it back.This is exactly what has always made her so terrifying to patriarchy: the way she defies the norms of the chaste maiden and the good mother, the obedient wife and the objectified body. She is a subject; she possesses her own agency and appetites. She is self-centered and pursues her own desires even to the detriment of the men and children she is meant to nurture. And this is why, as much as we may admire her, she is more often than not cast as the villain.In this episode, we explore the double standards plaguing the female vampire, trace the history of the real Countess Elizabeth Bathory and her legacy in vampire media, and unpack the grotesqueries that emerge when societal standards for the “good woman” are taken to the extreme. We’ll laugh, we’ll cry (a couple times), we’ll say Good for her!, and we’ll sit with the real life harms that occur when liberation is mistaken for an invitation.Come vamps, and join us around the campfire.CW: discussions of sexual violence, violence against women, rape, and body horror; brief mention of suicide. This episode is dedicated to Jane Doe.Major Spoilers:* Countess Dracula, directed by Peter Sasdy, 1971* Ganja & Hess, directed by Bill Gunn, 1973* Jennifer’s Body, directed by Karyn Kusama, 2009* Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste, 2022* Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda, 2022* Milkteeth by Caitlin Starling, 2026* Mothersucker by Kim Bohyun, translated by Archana Madhavan, 2026Other media mentioned in this episode:Fiction* “The Vampyre” by John William Polidori, 1819* “Wake Not the Dead” by Ernst Raupach, 1823* “Morella” by Edgar Allan Poe, 1835* Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872* Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897* The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice, 1988* The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, 2005-2008 (series)* The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, 2020* House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson, 2022* Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk, 2024* Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen, 2025* Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, 2025* Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab, 2025* Aubrey Wants to Die by Pip Knight, 2026* Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Bram Stoker and Robyn Ahern, 2026* Agnes, We’re Not Murderers! by Jessica Alexander, 2026Film* Dracula’s Daughter, directed by Lambert Hillyer, 1936* The Vampire Lovers, directed by Roy Ward Baker, 1970* Daughters of Darkness, directed by Harry Kümel, 1971* Dracula, directed by Dan Curtis, 1973* The Hunger, directed by Tony Scott, 1983* Once Bitten, directed by Howard Storm, 1985* Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, 1992* Vampire in Brooklyn, directed by Wes Craven, 1995* Bathory: Countess of Blood, directed by Jurag Jakubisko, 2008* The Countess, directed by Julie Delpy, 2009* Daybreakers, directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig, 2009* The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, directed by Bill Condon, 2012* A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014* Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024TV* The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017* Dracula, 2013* American Horror Story: Hotel, 2015* The Vampire Lestat, 2026Non-fiction* Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation by Silvia Federici, 2004* The Blood Countess: Murder, Betrayal, and the Making of a Monster by Shelley Puhak, 2026Further Reading* Monstrous B***h: A History of Terrifying Women by Eleanor Johnson, 2026Liked this episode? You’ll also like…Are You Sure You Want to Live Forever?: The Horrors of Immortality“Soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth”: A History of Sapphic VampiresWhen Did Dracula Become a “Love Tale”?The Hottest Newest Oldest Vampires: Nosferatu, Sinners, and AMC’s Interview with the VampireAn Episode of Fangs and FateWant more vampire content in all your feeds?Check out our Pinterest @vampirecampfirepod to capture the aesthetic of this episode.Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram and TikTok for podcast updates & vampire memes.Find us on Letterboxd and Goodreads for a peek at what we’re consuming next.Consider becoming a paid member of our Substack to get new bonus episodes and access to the full archive!This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever.Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a small commission if you purchase through our link — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.comWelcome back to the Campfire — our special bonus section!In this episode, we reminisce about our time watching the 2009 vampire not-so-mega-hit Cirque Due Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant so you never have to see it. We thought it was going to be relevant to our episode on the vampire’s familiar (given the title), but oh how we were misled!Plus: Hannah formally apologizes to Rebecca for not realizing how gay the movie was at the time of our viewing, we discuss the bizarre uncanny valley between self-aware and self-serious, and you’ll learn important life lessons lessons such as make sure to communicate with your friend when the circus comes to town, never steal a vampire’s spider, and maybe don’t touch fingertip to fingertip with an immortal who looks a little like a clown.Come vamps, join us around the campfire.CW: brief mentions of suicide in fictionMajor Spoilers:* Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, directed by Paul Weitz, 2009Other media mentioned in this episode:Fiction* Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897* Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, 2007* Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, 1976* The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren O’Shaughnessy, 2000-2004 (series)Film* Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau, 1922* Drácula, directed by George Melford, 1931* Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, 1931* The Hunger, directed by Tony Scott, 1983* Fright Night, directed by Tom Holland, 1985* Once Bitten, directed by Howard Storm, 1985* Blade, directed by Stephen Norrington, 1998* Shadow of the Vampire, directed by E. Elias Merhige, 2000* Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers, 2004* Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, 2008* Daybreakers, directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig, 2009* What We Do in the Shadows, directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, 2014* Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024* Vampire Carnival, directed by Justin Powell and David Charbonier, 2027TV* S5E1 “Buffy vs. Dracula,” Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2000* The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017* What We Do in the Shadows, 2019-2024* American Horror Story: Hotel, 2015Games* Castlevania, 1986-Non-fiction* Blood with Recipes by Jennifer McLagan, 2019Substack* Dracula DailyLiked this episode? You’ll also like…The Trials and Tribulations of the Vampire’s FamiliarAre All Vampires a Leetle Gäy?To Live Forever and Never Grow Up: The Vampire ChildFrom Monster to Muppet: Making Vampires for ChildrenAre You Sure You Want to Live Forever?: The Horrors of ImmortalityWant more vampire content in all your feeds?Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram and TikTok for podcast updates & vampire memes.Find us on Letterboxd and Goodreads for a peek at what we’re consuming next.This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever.Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a small commission if you purchase through our link — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time!

If, after listening to our last episode on the horrors of immortality, you thought it might be tough to be a vampire, try being the guy or ghoul behind the undead: the vampire’s familiar. This week, we break down these hardworking henchmen into a few popular archetypes, from the classic madman to everyone’s favorite loverboy. We discuss when a Renfield isn’t a renfield, defend an underrated episode of Buffy, and get a little heated over Midnight Mass’s bible-thumping Bev, all in pursuit of the question: What would make someone give up their human life to do a vampire’s dirty work (and probably eat bugs)?Plus, some history on where the term “familiar” came from, how it relates to and differs from the “ghoul” or “thrall,” and what Igor has to do with it.In short, we’ll give you all the tools you need to answer the most haunting question of all: Is Jacob Black Renesmee’s familiar?Come vamps, get to work, and join us around the campfire.CW: discussion of suicide, pedophilia, and ableist portrayals of mental illness in fiction.Major Spoilers:* Dracula’s Daughter, directed by Lambert Hillyer, 1936* Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin, 1982* Vampire in Brooklyn, directed by Wes Craven, 1995* S5E1 “Buffy vs. Dracula,” Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2000* What We Do in the Shadows, 2019-2024* Midnight Mass, 2021Other media mentioned in this episode:Fiction* Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, 1818* “The Vampire of Vourla” by Anonymous, 1845* Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872* Vampire City by Paul Féval, 1867 (trans. Brian Stableford, 2003)* Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897* ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King, 1975* The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith, 1991-1992 (series)* Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton, 1993-2023 (series)* Covenant with the Vampire by Jeanne Kalogridis, 1995* Stainless by Todd Grimson, 1996* Fledgling by Octavia Butler, 2005* Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, 2004* Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, 2007* *The Buffalo Hunter Hunter* by Stephen Graham Jones, 2025Film* Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau, 1922* Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, 1931* Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, 1931* Vampyros Lesbos, directed by Jesús Franco, 1971* Daughters of Darkness, directed by Harry Kümel, 1971* Love at First Bite, directed by Stan Dragoti, 1979* Fright Night, directed by Tom Holland, 1985* The Lost Boys, directed by Joel Schumacher, 1987* Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed Francis Ford Coppola, 1992* Nadja, directed by Michael Almereyda, 1994* Blade, directed by Stephen Norrington, 1998* Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers, 2004* Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, directed by Paul Weitz, 2009* The Twilight Saga, various directors, 2008-2012 (series)* Fright Night, directed by Craig Gillespie, 2011* Vamps, directed by Amy Heckerling, 2012* Only Lovers Left Alive, directed by Jim Jarmusch, 2013* Therapy for a Vampire, directed by David Rühm, 2014* Dracula Untold, directed by Gary Shore, 2014* Renfield, directed by Chris McKay, 2023* Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024TV* Dracula, 2013* The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017* Vampires, 2020* Dimension 20: City Council of Darkness, 2026Games* Vampire the Masquerade, 1991-Theater* Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein, written by Richard Brinsley Peake, 1823Liked this episode? You’ll also like…To Slay or Not to Slay?To Live Forever and Never Grow Up: The Vampire ChildAre You Sure You Want to Live Forever?: The Horrors of ImmortalityI Vant to Suck Your… EnergyAre All Vampires A Leetle Gäy?Want more vampire content in all your feeds?Check out our Pinterest @vampirecampfirepod to capture the aesthetic of this episode.Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram and TikTok for podcast updates & vampire memes.Find us on Letterboxd and Goodreads for a peek at what we’re consuming next.Consider becoming a paid member of our Substack to get new bonus episodes and access to the full archive!This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever.Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a small commission if you purchase through our link — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Season 3 of Vampire Campfire! We’re kicking things off this season by asking the biggest (vampiric) question of all: would you really want to live forever? We sure wouldn’t want to join the ranks of the undead, but there are plenty of vampires who aren’t so hot on the idea, either.While some stories paint immortality as a dream, the horrors are always lurking just below the surface — and today we’re breaking out the shovels. What haunting fears of loneliness lie beneath the promises of eternal romance? What nightmares emerge when you consider how it would really feel to never see the sun again? And what (God forbid) do you become when the promise of everlasting life doesn’t come with a dip in the Fountain of Youth?You don’t get to be immortal without making a deal with the devil. And these horrors don’t come with a return policy.Come vamps and join us around the campfire.CW: discussion of suicide, rape, and self harm in fictionMajor Spoilers:* The Hunger directed by Tony Scott, 1983* Cronos, directed by Guillermo Del Toro, 1992* Only Lovers Left Alive, directed by Jim Jarmusch, 2013* Therapy for a Vampire, directed by David Rühm, 2014* Aubrey Wants to Die by Pip Knight, 2026Other media mentioned in this episode:Fiction* “The Wood Devil” by Thomas Peckett Prest, 1836* Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872* Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897* The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, 1976-2018 (series)* Hotel Transylvania by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, 1978* Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin, 1982* Anno Dracula by Kim Newman, 1992* Stainless by Todd Grimson, 1996* My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due, 1997* Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, 2004* Fledgling by Octavia Butler, 2005* The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, 2005-2008* Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith, 2010* “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” by Karen Russell, 2013* The Vampire Gideon’s Suicide Hotline and Halfway House for Orphaned Girls by Andrew Katz, 2018* Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda, 2022* *The Buffalo Hunter Hunter* by Stephen Graham Jones, 2025* Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab, 2025* Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove, 2025* Brokeula by Michael J. Seidlinger, 2026* Children of the Night: A Graphic Novel by Victoria Setain, 2026Film* Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau, 1922* Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, 1931* Blacula, directed by William Crain, 1972* Dracula, directed by Dan Curtis, 1973* Nosferatu the Vampyre, directed by Werner Herzog, 1979* Once Bitten, directed by Howard Storm, 1985* Lifeforce, directed Tobe Hooper, 1985* Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed Francis Ford Coppola, 1992* Interview with the Vampire, directed by Neil Jordan, 1994* Blade, directed by Stephen Norrington, 1998* Dracula 2000, directed by Patrick Lussier, 2000* Blade II, directed by Guillermo Del Toro, 2002* 30 Days of Night, directed by David Slade, 2007* Let the Right One In, directed by Tomas Alfredson, 2008* Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, 2008* Daybreakers, directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig, 2009* Vamps, directed by Amy Heckerling, 2012* Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024* Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, 2025* Wes and Kyra, directed by Kevin V. Doan, 2025* Dracula: A Love Tale, directed by Luc Besson, 2025TV* Forever Knight, 1992-1996* Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1997-2003* True Blood, 2008-2014* The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017* The Originals, 2013-2018* The Strain, 2014-2017* What We Do in the Shadows, 2019-2024* Interview with the Vampire, 2022Games* Vampire the Masquerade, 1991-Correction: Forever Knight ran for three seasons, from 1992-1996.Liked this episode? You’ll also like…When You Get to Date Your High-School Boyfriend… ForeverTo Live Forever and Never Grow Up: The Vampire ChildWhen Did Dracula Become a “Love Tale”?Want more vampire content in all your feeds?Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram and TikTok for podcast updates & vampire memes.Find us on Letterboxd and Goodreads for a peek at what we’re consuming next.Consider becoming a paid member of our Substack to get new bonus episodes and access to the full archive!This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever.Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a small commission if you purchase through our link — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to a special ~un-paywalled~ episode of the Campfire! This is usually our subscribers-only section, but we wanted to make this episode available to all our subscribers as a (belated) thank-you for your support of Season 2, a teaser for the (upcoming) launch of Season 3, and a celebration of the vampire of all time.Welcome back to the Campfire — our special bonus section!Now that the dust has settled on AMC’s most recent season of Interview with the Vampire — retitled The Vampire Lestat — it’s time for us to step back and ask: Who exactly is Lestat de Lioncourt? And what did he do to get a whole TV series renamed after him?In this episode, we’re digging into the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of Lestat’s history; comparing his portrayals across adaptations (including some ~musical~ precedent); and unpacking what it is about him that seems to make everyone around him fall in love (including Anne Rice).Come vamps, join us around the campfire.P.S. This bonus episode is technically the encore of Season 2. Season 3 will be headed your way in just a few weeks!Major Spoilers:* The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, 1976-2018 (series)* Interview with the Vampire, directed by Neil Jordan, 1994* Interview with the Vampire, 2022–* The Vampire Lestat, 2026Other media mentioned in this episode:Fiction* Glenarvon by Lady Caroline Lamb, 1816* “The Vampyre” by John William Polidori, 1819* Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, 1887-1927 (series)* Hotel Transylvania by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, 1978* Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, 2004Film* Queen of the Damned, directed by Michael Rymer, 2002* Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024TV* The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017Theater* Lestat, 2006* The Lost Boys, 2026Fanfiction* My Immortal by Tara Gilesbie, 2006Liked this episode? You’ll also like…The Hottest Newest Oldest Vampires: Nosferatu, Sinners, and AMC's Interview with the VampireAre All Vampires a Leetle Gäy?When Did Dracula Become a "Love Tale"?From Egypt to Atlantis: How Vampires Explain Their OriginsWant more vampire content in all your feeds?Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram and TikTok for podcast updates & vampire memes.Find us on Letterboxd and Goodreads for a peek at what we’re consuming next.This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever.Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a small commission if you purchase through our links — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe

It’s the season 2 finale, and Vampire Campfire is headed out west to investigate stories that pit vampires against cowboys, set European undead in the American desert, and bring to life the haunting that lives on in the West’s blood-soaked soil. In this episode, Rebecca and Hannah explore how Bram Stoker ended up writing a bona fide Texan cowboy into Dracula (yes, really!) and how the Count ended up fighting Billy the Kid a half-century later. From there, they trace the vampire’s progress through the heart of the American West: slinging guns, dodging bullets, and (inexplicably) nesting in some of the sunniest states in the country.To balance out the absurdity of these movies, they share some favorite reads like the “anti-western” The Buffalo Hunter Hunter and the Mexican folklore–inspired Vampires of El Norte, proving that while many vampire Westerns are racist, misogynistic, and fail to grasp what makes vampires truly scary, that doesn’t mean the Western Gothic can’t be used to spectacular ends. Especially in a lawless land, there’s nothing more delicious than just deserts.Come vamps, cross the threshold of those swingin’ saloon doors, and join us around the campfire.CW: discussion of the Native American genocideMajor Spoilers:* The Curse of the Undead, directed by Edward Dein, 1959* The Devil’s Mistress, directed by Orville Wanzer, 1965* Billy the Kid vs. Dracula, directed by William Beaudine, 1966* Near Dark, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, 1987* Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas, 2023* The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, 2025Other media mentioned in this episode:Fiction* Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872* Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897 (check out Dracula Daily on Substack to follow the story week by week!)* Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams, 1960* Anno Dracula by Kim Newman, 1992Film* The Great Train Robbery, directed by Edwin S. Porter, 1903* House of Frankenstein, directed by Erle C. Kenton, 1944* House of Dracula, directed by Erle C. Kenton, 1945* The Iron Mask, directed by Joselito Rodríguez, 1960* Ghost Town, directed by Alfredo B. Crevenna, 1963* The Lost Boys, directed by Joel Schumacher, 1987* Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, 1992* Interview with the Vampire, directed by Neil Jordan, 1994* From Dusk Till Dawn, directed by Robert Rodriguez, 1996* John Carpenter’s Vampires, directed by John Carpenter, 1998* Dracula 2000, directed by Patrick Lussier, 2000* Abigail, directed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, 2024* Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, 2025TV* Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1997-2003* Penny Dreadful, 2014-2016Additional Reading* Billy J. Stratton, “Of Buffalo and Men,” Hollywood Reporter, December 23, 2023Liked this episode? You’ll also like…Why Do Vampires Love the South?To Live Forever and Never Grow Up: The Vampire ChildFrom Egypt to Atlantis: How Vampires Explain Their OriginsWant more vampire content in all your feeds?Check out our Pinterest @vampirecampfirepod to capture the aesthetic of this episode.Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram and TikTok for podcast updates & vampire memes.Find us on Letterboxd and Goodreads for a peek at what we’re consuming next.Consider becoming a paid member of our Substack to get bonus episodes — the first one is available now!This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe

We’re headed back to Atlantis this week to continue asking: if vampires are figments of the Gothic imagination, why do so many authors insist on examining them under a microscope? If our nightmares haunt us with fears of the unknown, what exactly do we gain from the paragraphs on paragraphs of exposition that tell us exactly how those monsters came to be? In other words, have sci-fi vampires been defanged (and are they just compensating with their big, nasty teeth)?In this episode, Hannah and Rebecca dive deep into the history of the mad scientist as brought to us by Mary Shelley and Universal Pictures, unpack the link between 20th-century B-films and the atomic bomb, and consider whether vampire-as-plague works better as a metaphor than a plot device. Hannah is traumatized by weird-ass ant brain fungus, Rebecca is scarred by having to discuss I Am Legend yet again, and they both demand to know what the hell a “nano” actually is.Come vamps, join us around the campfire.Major Spoilers:* The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, 1886* Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, directed by Charles Barton, 1948* Ultraviolet, directed by Kurt Wimmer, 2006Other media mentioned in this episode:Fiction* Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, 1818* The Family of the Vourdalak by Aleksey Tolstoy, 1839* Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872* Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897* I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, 1954* Anno Dracula by Kim Newman, 1992* Argeneau by Lynsay Sands, 2003-2025 (series)* The Passage by Justin Cronin, 2010* V Wars: A Chronicle of the Vampire Wars edited by Jonathan Maberry, 2014* Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice, 2016Film* Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, directed by F.W. Murnau, 1922* Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, 1931* Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, 1931* The Wolf Man, directed by George Waggner, 1941* House of Frankenstein, directed by Erle C. Kenton, 1944* House of Dracula, directed by Erle C. Kenton, 1945* The Vampire, directed by Paul Landres, 1957* Nosferatu the Vampire, directed by Werner Herzog, 1979* Nadja, directed by Michael Almereyda, 1994* From Dusk Till Dawn, directed by Robert Rodriguez, 1996* Blade, directed by Stephen Norrington, 1998* Shadow of the Vampire, directed by E. Eilas Merhge, 2000* Dracula 2000, directed by Patrick Lussier, 2000* Blade II, directed by Guillermo del Toro, 2002* I Am Legend, directed by Francis Lawrence, 2007* Daybreakers, directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig, 2009* Morbius, directed Daniel Espinosa, 2022* Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024* Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers, 2004TV* The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017* The Strain, 2014-2017* V Wars, 2019* Midnight Mass, 2021* Wednesday, 2022-2025Additional Reading* Catherine Pugh, “The Deathbird of Disease: Count Orlok and the Monstrous Virus,” in Nosferatu in the 21st Century, 2022Liked this episode? You’ll also like…The Hottest Newest Oldest Vampires: Nosferatu, Sinners, and AMC’s Interview with the VampireHow Many Vampires Does it Take to End the World?From Egypt to Atlantis: How Vampires Explain Their OriginsThe Campfire: The ArgeneausThe Campfire: MorbiusWant more vampire content in all your feeds?Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram and TikTok for podcast updates & vampire memes.Find us on Letterboxd and Goodreads for a peek at what we’re consuming next.Consider becoming a paid member of our Substack to get bonus episodes — the first one is available now!This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah SpiegelmanNote: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a small commission if you purchase through our links — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.comWelcome back to the Campfire — our special bonus section! In this episode, Hannah regales Rebecca with tales from Lynsay Sands’ long-running Argeneau vampire romance series. Yes, these are the vampires from Atlantis we mentioned in our last episode, and no, learning more details does not make it make sense! They discuss nanobiotech, Stockholm syndrome, …