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 genocide
Major 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, 20231
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, 2025
Other 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
Vampire$ by John Steakley, 1990
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman, 1992
Film
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, 2025
TV
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1997-2003
Penny Dreadful, 2014-2016
Additional Reading
Billy J. Stratton, “Of Buffalo and Men,” Hollywood Reporter, December 23, 2023
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This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman
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