Most know Stephen King for his books, or movies based on those books. But he's dipped his toes into comics as well. During the 1980s, he contributed to Marvel Comics' "Heroes for Hope" one-shot and pitted the X-Men against a villain right out of his horror novels.

In 2010, King had a brief stint co-writing the horror comic "American Vampire" with series co-creator Scott Snyder. Published by DC's Vertigo imprint (the home of "Sandman," "Preacher," etc.), "American Vampire" was created by Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque. However, King's role was still important; he wrote the backstory of the comic's anti-hero lead.

The first volume of "American Vampire" (issues #1-5) is split between two stories. The first is set in 1920s Hollywood and written by Snyder. The second is a prequel set in the old West, written by King. Albuquerque's cover for "American Vampire" #1 shows this bifurcation. Above the title is a scene of outlaws about to rob a train. Beneath the titles, and the image that probably captures your eye, is a brunette flapper with blood slipping out of fang marks on her neck.

The connecting tissue of the two stories is the outlaw vampire Skinner Sweet, who continues to appear again and again even as "American Vampire" moves through time and follows new leads. An easy comparison is "American Vampire" and Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles" -- both move through decades, following undying creatures of the night. Skinner is to Snyder's story what Lestat de Lioncourt is to Rice's. In temperament, Skinner is more like Severen (Bill Paxton), the black hat, leather-jacket-wearing vampire from "Near Dark."

Snyder had first conceived of Skinner Sweet before he even knew "American Vampire" would be a comic. Apparently, King was so entranced by Skinner too that he volunteered to write him.