I like it when people I’ve worked with go on to do interesting and successful things.

I worked with Dave de Vries years ago when Malibu Comics published some of his comics, done in association with artist Glenn Lumsden. The Southern Squadron was a repackaged series that originally appeared in their native Australia, and Bodyguard was a collection of short strips that were originally done for Australian Penthouse. Dave and Glenn were able to get some additional bucks from work that had already been done, published and paid for. Here’s to creator ownership!

At that time, Malibu also had the rights to The Puppet Master, a film from Charles Band’s low-budget movie studio, Full Moon. Dave and Glenn adapted it into a four-issue mini-series and since Band’s company was ponying up some of the cash, it was a chance to do a book in color for a change. It was a really nice book and one of our better sellers in the day. Dave and Glenn were also great guys, but we lost touch as times changed.

Thanks to the magic that is Facebook, I’ve discovered Mr. de Vries again. And he’s now an Australian movie-maker: the writer, director and co-producer of the indie thriller Carmilla Hyde. [If you need some help, Carmilla was the name of Le Fanu’s female vampire; Hyde would be from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. So the title alone gives me anticipatory frights.]

In the movie, Sara’s best friend Britt wants to be her roommate, but Sara’s already got one: Millie Jackson. No problem. Britt hatches a horrible plan to push Millie out but the plan backfires and unleashes a long-repressed personality of Millie’s: Carmilla Hyde, who knows how to fight back.

If you’re in the Adelaide area – that’s in Australia for you No Child Left Behinders – on August 13th, you can attend a special fundraiser screening for the film at the Mercury Cinema (13 Morphett Street, next to The Jam Factory), at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 7:00. Dave will be there too, and I’m pretty sure there’ll be pints hoisted and conversation spouted post-screening.

If you miss it, there’ll be another screening on September 10th. I love a good, twisty psychological thriller and this sounds just like one.

[Artwork: The poster for Carmilla Hyde]