Vampire Campfire

About Vampire Campfire

This is Vampire Campfire: the podcast where we explore the intertextual nature of vampire media from the spooky to the sparkly and the scary to the campy. vampirecampfirepod.substack.com (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Vampire Campfire

Category

fiction · tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Jul 2025

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   The Campfire: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

   This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) Welcome back to the Campfire — our special bonus section! In this episode, we reminisce about our time watching the 2009 vampire not-so-mega-hit Cirque Due Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant so you never have to see it. We thought it was going to be relevant to our episode on the vampire’s familiar (given the title), but oh how we were misled! Plus: Hannah formally apologizes to Rebecca for not realizing how gay the movie was at the time of our viewing, we discuss the bizarre uncanny valley between self-aware and self-serious, and you’ll learn important life lessons lessons such as make sure to communicate with your friend when the circus comes to town, never steal a vampire’s spider, and maybe don’t touch fingertip to fingertip with an immortal who looks a little like a clown. Come vamps, join us around the campfire. CW: brief mentions of suicide in fiction Major Spoilers: * Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, directed by Paul Weitz, 2009 Other media mentioned in this episode: Fiction * Dracula (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780141439846) by Bram Stoker, 1897 * Vampire Academy (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781595141743) by Richelle Mead, 2007 * Interview with the Vampire (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780345337665) by Anne Rice, 1976 * The Saga of Darren Shan (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780316606844) by Darren O’Shaughnessy, 2000-2004 (series) Film * Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau, 1922 * Drácula, directed by George Melford, 1931 * Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, 1931 * The Hunger, directed by Tony Scott, 1983 * Fright Night, directed by Tom Holland, 1985 * Once Bitten, directed by Howard Storm, 1985 * Blade, directed by Stephen Norrington, 1998 * Shadow of the Vampire, directed by E. Elias Merhige, 2000 * Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers, 2004 * Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, 2008 * Daybreakers, directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig, 2009 * What We Do in the Shadows, directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, 2014 * Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024 * Vampire Carnival, directed by Justin Powell and David Charbonier, 2027 TV * S5E1 “Buffy vs. Dracula,” Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2000 * The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017 * What We Do in the Shadows, 2019-2024 * American Horror Story: Hotel, 2015 Games * Castlevania, 1986- Non-fiction * Blood with Recipes by Jennifer McLagan, 2019 Substack * Dracula Daily (https://draculadaily.substack.com/) Liked this episode? You’ll also like… The Trials and Tribulations of the Vampire’s Familiar (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/the-trials-and-tribulations-of-the?r=5lznr0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) Are All Vampires a Leetle Gäy? (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/are-all-vampires-a-leetle-gay?r=5lznr0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) To Live Forever and Never Grow Up: The Vampire Child (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/to-live-forever-and-never-grow-up?r=5lznr0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) From Monster to Muppet: Making Vampires for Children (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/from-monster-to-muppet-making-vampires?r=5lznr0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) Are You Sure You Want to Live Forever?: The Horrors of Immortality (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/are-you-sure-you-want-to-live-forever?r=5lznr0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) Want more vampire content in all your feeds? Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram (https://instagram.com/vampirecampfirepod) and TikTok (https://tiktok.com/vampirecampfirepod) for podcast updates & vampire memes. Find us on Letterboxd (https://letterboxd.com/vampirecampfire/) and Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/192806109-vampire-campfire) for a peek at what we’re consuming next. This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever. Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org (http://Bookshop.org) and earn a small commission if you purchase through our link — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time!

2. 

   29 Sept 2026

   The Trials and Tribulations of the Vampire’s Familiar

   If, after listening to our last episode on the horrors of immortality, you thought it might be tough to be a vampire, try being the guy or ghoul behind the undead: the vampire’s familiar. This week, we break down these hardworking henchmen into a few popular archetypes, from the classic madman to everyone’s favorite loverboy. We discuss when a Renfield isn’t a renfield, defend an underrated episode of Buffy, and get a little heated over Midnight Mass’s bible-thumping Bev, all in pursuit of the question: What would make someone give up their human life to do a vampire’s dirty work (and probably eat bugs)? Plus, some history on where the term “familiar” came from, how it relates to and differs from the “ghoul” or “thrall,” and what Igor has to do with it. In short, we’ll give you all the tools you need to answer the most haunting question of all: Is Jacob Black Renesmee’s familiar? Come vamps, get to work, and join us around the campfire. CW: discussion of suicide, pedophilia, and ableist portrayals of mental illness in fiction. Major Spoilers: * Dracula’s Daughter, directed by Lambert Hillyer, 1936 * Fevre Dream (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780553577938) by George R.R. Martin, 1982 * Vampire in Brooklyn, directed by Wes Craven, 1995 * S5E1 “Buffy vs. Dracula,” Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2000 * What We Do in the Shadows, 2019-2024 * Midnight Mass, 2021 Other media mentioned in this episode: Fiction * Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780141439471) by Mary Shelley, 1818 * “The Vampire of Vourla” (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781954321755) by Anonymous, 1845 * Carmilla (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781941360385) by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872 * Vampire City (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780974071169) by Paul Féval, 1867 (trans. Brian Stableford, 2003) * Dracula (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780141439846) by Bram Stoker, 1897 * ‘Salem’s Lot (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9798217007134) by Stephen King, 1975 * The Vampire Diaries (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780062373144) by L.J. Smith, 1991-1992 (series) * Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780515134490) by Laurell K. Hamilton, 1993-2023 (series) * Covenant with the Vampire (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780440215431) by Jeanne Kalogridis, 1995 * Stainless (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781961341456) by Todd Grimson, 1996 * Fledgling (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781538724583) by Octavia Butler, 2005 * Let the Right One In (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780312355296) by John Ajvide Lindqvist, 2004 * Vampire Academy (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781595141743) by Richelle Mead, 2007 * *The Buffalo Hunter Hunter (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781668075098)* by Stephen Graham Jones, 2025 Film * Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau, 1922 * Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, 1931 * Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, 1931 * Vampyros Lesbos, directed by Jesús Franco, 1971 * Daughters of Darkness, directed by Harry Kümel, 1971 * Love at First Bite, directed by Stan Dragoti, 1979 * Fright Night, directed by Tom Holland, 1985 * The Lost Boys, directed by Joel Schumacher, 1987 * Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed Francis Ford Coppola, 1992 * Nadja, directed by Michael Almereyda, 1994 * Blade, directed by Stephen Norrington, 1998 * Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers, 2004 * Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, directed by Paul Weitz, 2009 * The Twilight Saga, various directors, 2008-2012 (series) * Fright Night, directed by Craig Gillespie, 2011 * Vamps, directed by Amy Heckerling, 2012 * Only Lovers Left Alive, directed by Jim Jarmusch, 2013 * Therapy for a Vampire, directed by David Rühm, 2014 * Dracula Untold, directed by Gary Shore, 2014 * Renfield, directed by Chris McKay, 2023 * Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024 TV * Dracula, 2013 * The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017 * Vampires, 2020 * Dimension 20: City Council of Darkness, 2026 Games * Vampire the Masquerade, 1991- Theater * Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein, written by Richard Brinsley Peake, 1823 Liked this episode? You’ll also like… To Slay or Not to Slay? (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/to-slay-or-not-to-slay) To Live Forever and Never Grow Up: The Vampire Child (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/to-live-forever-and-never-grow-up) Are You Sure You Want to Live Forever?: The Horrors of Immortality (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/are-you-sure-you-want-to-live-forever) I Vant to Suck Your… Energy (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/i-vant-to-suck-your-energy) Are All Vampires A Leetle Gäy? (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/are-all-vampires-a-leetle-gay) Want more vampire content in all your feeds? Check out our Pinterest (https://pinterest.com/vampirecampfirepod) @vampirecampfirepod to capture the aesthetic of this episode (https://www.pinterest.com/vampirecampfirepod/the-vampires-familiar/). Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram (https://instagram.com/vampirecampfirepod) and TikTok (https://tiktok.com/vampirecampfirepod) for podcast updates & vampire memes. Find us on Letterboxd (https://letterboxd.com/vampirecampfire/) and Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/192806109-vampire-campfire) for a peek at what we’re consuming next. Consider becoming a paid member of our Substack to get new bonus episodes and access to the full archive! This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever. Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org (http://Bookshop.org) and earn a small commission if you purchase through our link — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

3. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Are You Sure You Want to Live Forever?

   Welcome to Season 3 of Vampire Campfire! We’re kicking things off this season by asking the biggest (vampiric) question of all: would you really want to live forever? We sure wouldn’t want to join the ranks of the undead, but there are plenty of vampires who aren’t so hot on the idea, either. While some stories paint immortality as a dream, the horrors are always lurking just below the surface — and today we’re breaking out the shovels. What haunting fears of loneliness lie beneath the promises of eternal romance? What nightmares emerge when you consider how it would really feel to never see the sun again? And what (God forbid) do you become when the promise of everlasting life doesn’t come with a dip in the Fountain of Youth? You don’t get to be immortal without making a deal with the devil. And these horrors don’t come with a return policy. Come vamps and join us around the campfire. CW: discussion of suicide, rape, and self harm in fiction Major Spoilers: * The Hunger directed by Tony Scott, 1983 * Cronos, directed by Guillermo Del Toro, 1992 * Only Lovers Left Alive, directed by Jim Jarmusch, 2013 * Therapy for a Vampire, directed by David Rühm, 2014 * Aubrey Wants to Die (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781335001436) by Pip Knight, 2026 Other media mentioned in this episode: Fiction * “The Wood Devil” by Thomas Peckett Prest, 1836 * Carmilla (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781941360385) by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872 * Dracula (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780141439846) by Bram Stoker, 1897 * The Vampire Chronicles (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780345456342) by Anne Rice, 1976-2018 (series) * Hotel Transylvania by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, 1978 * Fevre Dream (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780553577938) by George R.R. Martin, 1982 * Anno Dracula (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780857680839) by Kim Newman, 1992 * Stainless (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781961341456) by Todd Grimson, 1996 * My Soul to Keep (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780061053665) by Tananarive Due, 1997 * Let the Right One In (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780312355296) by John Ajvide Lindqvist, 2004 * Fledgling (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781538724583) by Octavia Butler, 2005 * The Twilight Saga (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780316327336) by Stephenie Meyer, 2005-2008 * Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780446563079) by Seth Grahame-Smith, 2010 * “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780307947475) by Karen Russell, 2013 * The Vampire Gideon’s Suicide Hotline and Halfway House for Orphaned Girls (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781941360200) by Andrew Katz, 2018 * Woman, Eating (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9780063140899) by Claire Kohda, 2022 * *The Buffalo Hunter Hunter (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781668075098)* by Stephen Graham Jones, 2025 * Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781250320520) by V.E. Schwab, 2025 * Of Monsters and Mainframes (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781964721132) by Barbara Truelove, 2025 * Brokeula (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781968043094) by Michael J. Seidlinger, 2026 * Children of the Night: A Graphic Novel (https://bookshop.org/a/123999/9781419762635) by Victoria Setain, 2026 Film * Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau, 1922 * Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, 1931 * Blacula, directed by William Crain, 1972 * Dracula, directed by Dan Curtis, 1973 * Nosferatu the Vampyre, directed by Werner Herzog, 1979 * Once Bitten, directed by Howard Storm, 1985 * Lifeforce, directed Tobe Hooper, 1985 * Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed Francis Ford Coppola, 1992 * Interview with the Vampire, directed by Neil Jordan, 1994 * Blade, directed by Stephen Norrington, 1998 * Dracula 2000, directed by Patrick Lussier, 2000 * Blade II, directed by Guillermo Del Toro, 2002 * 30 Days of Night, directed by David Slade, 2007 * Let the Right One In, directed by Tomas Alfredson, 2008 * Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, 2008 * Daybreakers, directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig, 2009 * Vamps, directed by Amy Heckerling, 2012 * Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024 * Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, 2025 * Wes and Kyra, directed by Kevin V. Doan, 2025 * Dracula: A Love Tale, directed by Luc Besson, 2025 TV * Forever Knight, 1992-1996 * Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1997-2003 * True Blood, 2008-2014 * The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017 * The Originals, 2013-2018 * The Strain, 2014-2017 * What We Do in the Shadows, 2019-2024 * Interview with the Vampire, 2022 Games * Vampire the Masquerade, 1991- Correction: Forever Knight ran for three seasons, from 1992-1996. Liked this episode? You’ll also like… When You Get to Date Your High-School Boyfriend… Forever (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/when-you-get-to-date-your-high-school?r=5lznr0) To Live Forever and Never Grow Up: The Vampire Child (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/to-live-forever-and-never-grow-up?r=5lznr0) When Did Dracula Become a “Love Tale”? (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/p/when-did-dracula-become-a-love-tale?r=5lznr0) Want more vampire content in all your feeds? Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram (https://instagram.com/vampirecampfirepod) and TikTok (https://tiktok.com/vampirecampfirepod) for podcast updates & vampire memes. Find us on Letterboxd (https://letterboxd.com/vampirecampfire/) and Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/192806109-vampire-campfire) for a peek at what we’re consuming next. Consider becoming a paid member of our Substack to get new bonus episodes and access to the full archive! This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever. Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org (http://Bookshop.org) and earn a small commission if you purchase through our link — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe (https://vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

11 ratings