Since her debut in 1969 the Vampirella magazine contained some of the most dramatic and beguiling erotic artwork ever seen, but it was not until March 1978 that we saw Vampirella live and in the flesh! Her name was Barbara Leigh and she was the first official Vampirella model to showcase the classic red costume on the female figure.

Barbara Leigh was born in Georgia, and her life followed the traditional Hollywood pattern: fashion modeling, acting in commercials, then her first big break when Roger Vadim cast her in a film with Rock Hudson. She quickly became a red-hot rising star, dating icons Steve McQueen and Elvis Presley. In anticipation of a blockbuster six-picture deal between the publishers of Vampirella and Hammer Films, Barbara appeared on a series of sizzling Vampirella photo covers. Sadly, the Vampirella model deal fell through, leaving Barbara heartbroken. She soon retired from the film business, leaving a generation of devoted fans wondering what might have been.

Fast forward nearly twenty years to the mid-1990s. Harris Comics had revived Vampirella from her lengthy publishing slumber and revamped the character for a new era. Vampirella’s world was now a harsher place and she had to face up to a darker, more menacing brand of evil It was time for a new Vampirella model, someone who could effectively portray this new attitude....