The Ballad of Skinner Sweet: The Rebel, The Outlaw, The Vampire
Vertigo’s long running American Vampire series has given us one of the most iconic and complicated comic book characters of the decade.
When one thinks about the Wild West, very specific images come to mind such as cowboys, horses, stage coaches, and saloons. In this world, we are introduced to the machiavellian protagonist, Skinner Sweet and eventually sets the stage for the most engaging vampire story of the past decade.
Sweet is the creation of Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque from their 2010 Vertigo comic book series American Vampire which is still currently in production. The series follows Sweet and another vampire by the name of Pearl Jones as they navigate through the intricacies of the vampire world while avoiding the humans hunting them. We are initially introduced to Pearl and her tragic tale in 1925, but it’s Sweet’s story which occurs almost 50 years earlier that gives the audience some insight into this reckless and cavalier main character.
Upon first meeting Sweet, we can immediately see that he is an archetype of the traditional American outlaw with similarities to that of Billy the Kid and Jesse James. Skinner appears to have no qualms with killing anyone that happens to get in his way, which is also much like the outlaws of the past. It’s this very same American disregard for authority that creates tension in the vampire world after Skinner has been changed not just into a vampire, but into an American vampire.
We eventually find out that vampires have secretly controlled most of civilization and these bastions of power were all from the old world of Europe and Asia. When Skinner Sweet is accidentally turned into a vampire, he not only represents a disruption in the order of vampire society but is the ideal of America being the new young entity defiant of the old ways. Unfortunately, much like America, Sweet has caused equally as much chaos as he has caused good in the world. We follow various characters throughout the series hunting Skinner for the evil he has wrought amongst their families, while we also see him empowering the most downtrodden of society.
American Vampire was Scott Snyder’s very first creator owned comic book series. The fact that this series is still ongoing is a testament to the brilliance of this developed story and conflicted characters. Rafael Albuqurque’s art is equally as important to the creation of this world and the design of the titular character. Sweet’s Cobainesque locks and canine like smile sends shivers of lust and fear down the spines of his fans. The character of Skinner Sweet is so captivating that upon reading an outline for the series, Stephen King offered to write the first five issues of American Vampire.
When talking about Skinner Sweet, it is very important to not use terms such as hero or villain because he doesn’t quite fit under either of those classifications. Skinner has committed some of the most atrocious crimes throughout the entire series, while also showing bouts of mercy and even love at certain times. To say that Skinner is a complicated character is an understatement but he is absolutely engaging and is one of the most dynamic characters in comic book today.
