Dracula vs. Nazis in ‘Operation: Iron Coffin’ with Kenny Porter and Tyrell Cannon

On this week’s AIPT Comics Podcast, we’re joined by writer Kenny Porter and artist Tyrell Cannon to talk all things Operation: Iron Coffin, the wild new IDW Dark series that drops Dracula onto a Nazi war train in one of the year’s coolest high-concept comics. During the interview, the duo digs into balancing horror and action, Dracula’s internal struggle, the grindhouse inspirations behind the violence, and how the book evolved into a monster-filled gauntlet packed with occult science, anime influences, and brutal fight choreography. Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon! 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Dave: Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 (Werther Dell'Edera Card Stock Cover) Alex: Wiccan & Hulkling: Raid of Ultron #1 Interview - Kenny Porter, Tyrell Cannon - Operation: Iron Coffin - July 8th - FOC June 1 Asking for an elevator pitch usually feels a bit cliche as an interviewer, but then Operation: Iron Coffin feels like it deserves it since it kind of has the perfect tight setup, care to share one? Earlier this year you mentioned to Chris Coplan Dracula isn’t really a hero here, even if he’s the protagonist. How important was it to frame this as a redemption story without ever sanding off the uglier truths about who Dracula is and what he’s done?  Tyrell, you talked before about Dracula wrestling with the cost of his immortality and violence. Visually, how do you show that internal conflict in a character who often presents himself as cold, confident, and almost unstoppable? The first issue moves at a breakneck pace, but there are key flashbacks and supernatural moments that hint at something deeper under the grindhouse chaos. Kenny, how did you approach layering emotional depth into something that’s also designed to feel like an adrenaline-fueled action movie? The Nazi train setup creates this perfect “one nightmare after another” structure where every car can introduce a new horror. Was the book always designed like a deadly gauntlet, or did the train concept evolve as you built the story? There’s a fascinating tension between nature and science in the issue, especially with Dracula as this ancient evil crashing into engineered horrors and wartime experimentation. Was that thematic contrast something you wanted front and center from the beginning? Tyrell, one thing I loved was how physically dominant Dracula feels. He’s ripping people apart, shrugging off attacks, and moving through scenes like a slasher villain unleashed. What were the biggest influences behind the choreography and sheer brutality of the action sequences? Hazel and Ivy immediately make a strong impression, especially because they seem to understand Dracula in ways others don’t. What can you tease about their dynamic with him and why they’re such dangerous opponents specifically for this version of Dracula? Kenny, the issue somehow makes Dracula sympathetic without asking readers to forget he’s a monster. Were there any versions of Dracula in film, literature, or comics that influenced your take, or did you intentionally try to move away from previous interpretations? Fun/silly question: if your Dracula had a playlist blasting while he fought his way through the Nazi train, what songs or bands would absolutely be on it? Fun/silly question to cap things off: Dracula has now fought through a Nazi train like the star of the wildest action movie never made. If you could drop your version of Dracula into any other movie genre or setting next, where would you send him?