Comicbooked’s own Jeff Hughes concludes his series of interviews with the women who portray the vampires in the upcoming “FANGS” comic book series. He talks with actress Michelle Shields, who talks about her role as the vampire “Sapphire” as the comic prepares to debut at Horror Hound Weekend.
For those that may not know about you and your acting career tell us a little about yourself.
I am an actress from Illinois. I have worked in film, TV, theater, voice over, print and I am a core member of Comic Book Divas. I also model from time to time. I’ve been doing this for many years and still love it! I’ve also helped out on projects doing special effects and directing.
What projects can we see you in currently?
Well people can see me in a number of projects that include playing a gangster’s girlfriend in Public Enemies, Pucci in Isle Of The Damned, Fred Claus, and also in The Dark Knight; you can also see me in past episodes of WOW Monster Show where I had the opportunity of playing various characters, I have also had the pleasure of being in short films such as Visiting Hours and Special Day.
What roles do you like to play and what roles do you relate to the most?
I like playing interesting characters. I always have an upbeat attitude so I play good girls very well. I’ve been told I have a blood curdling scream so I guess that’s a good thing lol. I also love playing deranged characters that have a lot of psychological problems.
Having a psych degree helps to really understand these characters and portray them well. I love doing comedies and telling jokes. Any type of character with humor I have a ton of fun with.
Who inspires you in acting and what films inspire you?
Whenever I work on a project with someone I either grew up admiring or have much respect for I find they inspire me to do my best and continue to do so in other projects. I love psychological thrillers and films with fantastic stories. Classic films really inspire me though because the acting was so different from today.
Today’s films try to be very realistic and actors portray reality to the best of their abilities. In classic films, from silent films to color, every actor gave a great performance. It was dramatic and unrealistic but amazing to watch and really took you to new worlds.
I am a big Vincent Price fan and that is one reason I love him. Every movie he made he gave a fantastic performance whether it was a comedy, horror, or drama.
Why did you want to be part of the comic book “FANGS”?
Anything Jeff Hughes and Comic Book Divas is involved in I am more than happy to be attached to! So when I was asked I readily accepted, plus it’s just plain cool to be a vampire in a comic book. A lot of film projects, especially in indie film productions, are vampire films now a days. But not many people can say they were a vampire in a comic book!
And my vampire is named “Sapphire”, how cool is that?
Can you relate to your character in the comic book?
Vampires have always been a big hobby for me and have done many research papers on the topic. Being one in “FANGS” is a real treat for me. The mythology of vampires always focuses on the darkness, fear, and evil about them but there is also a romantic side that I admire.
Humans in general have minimalistic tendencies that we use to show affection. Who hasn’t said, “You are so cute, I could eat you” or some people even give loved ones little love bites. So being Sapphire something I can talk about for hours.
What other comic book projects are you involved in with Comic Book Divas or other companies?
Joe Garcia‘s horror t-shirt themed comic book Deadly Threads , A Life Behind The Mask, WANTED: Red Riding, and FANGS.
I will also be at Horror Hound Weekend for Comic Book Divas and Fast Custom Shirts this year with Joe Garcia. selling and promoting his T-Shirt and talking about my character Vivian in “Deadly Threads”.
Is there a particular comic book and/or comic book character you would like to be part of in the future?
Well of course I love being a part of any Comic Book Divas projects! As far as type of character, I’m open to all possibilities and don’t like to limit my options.
Are you a comic book geek or did you used to them when you were younger?
Yes I am. I have a VAST collection of comics. I’ve been collecting them for years. I’m a huge fan of DC and Vertigo. I do like some Marvel too; if you like comics and grew up with them you will favor one company over another but you will still like other companies and characters too. Anything can happen in comic books!
It’s hard for me to keep up with them because I’m so busy these days so I usually grab the graphic novels.
What comics do you or did you used to read?
I love reading about anything Batman, Gotham City Sirens is a top one right now. I’m a big fan of the Elseworld comics and seeing characters in different lights. I also love Flash, Green Lantern, and even Plastic Man; Preacher is a great read and I will read anything Neil Gaiman writes; Death is one of my favorite characters.
I also really like reading Dazzler, Marvel Zombies, Howard the Duck, Mr. Stuffins, Zorro, Lone Ranger, Buffy, Fray, JTHM, Watchman, The Sprit, Question, and El Superbesto to name a few. And of course Comic Book Divas!!
What other interests do you have, what do you like to collect?
I have a wide variety of interest and hobbies. Just to mention a few: I have my superhero Barbie collection, I love video games, collect comic books, collect and build models of superheroes and movie icons, cup collection, have a bunch of action figures, a collection of weapons, and a mask collection.
We all have that one item we want to own to put in a collection or have a piece of memorabilia, what would that be and why?
Easy, Sandman and Death 20th Anniversary Bookends. I want those bad lol. I get wrapped up in collecting so many things I seem to always pass that up.
What projects are you currently working on this year?
I am currently starring in Frankenstein: Day Of The Beast and it should be premiering this summer. I also have Sister Mary premiering this summer as well.
Then on to my next film that I will be starring in is Mountain Of The Flesh Eaters plus some other projects still in the works.
Can fans see you at any conventions or other events?
Yes! As of right now I will be at Horror Hound Weekend, FlashBack Weekend, and possibly Day Of The Dead. Feel free to stop by my table and chat me up about comics and all my other projects; Please check my Facebook page for updates and new bookings.
Note: Michelle Shields will be at Horror Hound Weekend located at the Comic Book Divas/Fast Custom Shirts table debuting “FANGS” #1 with a limited edition Horror Hound Weekend Variant Cover; Michelle will be on hand to sign copies of the comic book; also talk with her about her role as “Vivian” in Joe Garcia’s “Deadly Thrwads” comic.
Where can we learn more about you and follow your career?
Facebook http://facebook.com/MichelleShieldsActress
YouTube Channel http://youtube.com/theMichelleShields
