View source for Fiends of the Eastern Front

{{Short description|Comic by Gerry Finley-Day and Carlos Ezquerra}}
{{Infobox comics meta series
<!-- |title               = -->
|image               = Fiends of the Eastern Front.jpg
|imagesize           =
|caption             = {{Descript-cvr|Fiends of the Eastern Front|||2005|type=HC|art=[[Carlos Ezquerra]]}}
|alt                 =
|schedule            = Weekly<br />Monthly
|anthology           = ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'' and ''[[Judge Dredd Megazine]]''
|titles              = ''2000 AD'' #152-161<br />''Judge Dredd Megazine'' #245-252
|notable             = y
|lang                =
|Vampire             = y
|War                 = first
|multigenre          = y
|publisher           = [[IPC Media|IPC]]<br />[[Rebellion Developments]]
|date                = February–April 1980<br />May–December 2006
|startmo             = <!-- optional in lieu of date-->
|startyr             = 1980
|endmo               = <!-- optional in lieu of date-->
|endyr               = <!-- optional in lieu of date-->
|issues              =
|main_char_team      =
|writers             = [[Gerry Finley-Day]]<br />[[David Bishop (writer)|David Bishop]]
|artists             = [[Carlos Ezquerra]]<br />[[Colin MacNeil]]
|pencillers          =
|inkers              =
|letterers           = [[Jack Potter (comics)|Jack Potter]]<br />Colin MacNeil<br />[[Ellie de Ville]]
|colorists           =
|editors             = [[Steve MacManus]]<br />[[Matt Smith (comics editor)|Matt Smith]]
|creative_team_month =
|creative_team_year  =
|creators            = [[Gerry Finley-Day]]<br />[[Carlos Ezquerra]]
|nonUS               = y
|reprint             =
|relang              =
|TPB                 = Fiends of the Eastern Front
|ISBN                = 1-904265-64-2
|subcat              =
|altcat              = 2000 AD comic strips
|sort                = Fiends of the eastern front
}}
'''''Fiends of the Eastern Front''''' was a story published in the British [[comics anthology]] ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'', created by [[Gerry Finley-Day]] and [[Carlos Ezquerra]]. The series mixed [[vampire]]s into the general horror of the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern front]].

==Plot==
A diary found with an unearthed skeleton casts new light on a lost piece of history from [[World War II]]. It belongs to a young German soldier who was stationed on the Eastern Front alongside a group of [[Romanians|Romanian]] soldiers who always fought at night. Their true nature is soon revealed and when they change sides all Hell breaks loose.

==Characters==
===German===
* '''Hans Schmitt''' - The main [[protagonist]]
* '''Karl Mueller''' - Hans' friend
* '''[[Inspector]] Brandt''' -  A [[police officer]] in 1980 [[Germany]]

===Russian===
* '''The [[Rabbi]]''' - An unnamed rabbi who performs the [[ritual]]
* '''The [[Golem]]''' - Created by the Rabbi to destroy Costanza and his Vampyr
* '''Jesf Charnosov''' - A member of SMERT KROFPEET

===The Vampyr (Blood Pack)===
* '''Hauptmann Costanza''' - [[Vampire]] leader
** '''[[Colonel]] Grant''' - An [[Pseudonym|alias]] of Costanza's
* '''[[Corporal]] Gorgo''' - Costanza's chief [[lieutenant]]
* '''Corporal Cringu''' - Costanza's loyal [[thrall]]
* Fourteen other unnamed Vampyr followers

==Bibliography==
They have appeared in their own series (the original run being released as a [[trade paperback (comics)|single volume]] by [[Rebellion Developments]] in June 2006 and a new series starting to coincide with this) as well as cropping up elsewhere and now feature in a series of novels.

===Comics {{anchor|Collected editions}}===
*''Fiends of the Eastern Front'':
** "Fiends of the Eastern Front", written by [[Gerry Finley-Day]], art by [[Carlos Ezquerra]], in ''2000 AD'' #152-161, February–April 1980 (collected in hardcover, October 2005, {{ISBN|1-904265-64-2}})
** "Stalingrad", written by [[David Bishop (writer)|David Bishop]], art by [[Colin MacNeil]], in ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' #245-252, May–December 2006
** "1812", written by [[Ian Edginton]], art by [[Dave Taylor (comics)|Dave Taylor]], in ''2000 AD'' #2100–2105, September 2018
** "Fiends of the Western Front", written by [[Ian Edginton]], art by [[Tiernen Trevallion]], in ''2000 AD'' #2111–2115, December 2018 - January 2019
** "Costanta", written by [[Ian Edginton]], art by [[Tiernen Trevallion]], in ''2000 AD'' #2201-2211, September-December 2020
** "1963" written by [[Ian Edginton]], art by [[Tiernen Trevallion]], in ''2000 AD'' #2273-2285, March-June 2022
** "Fiends of West Berlin", written by [[Karl Stock]], art by [[Warren Pleese]], in ''2000 AD Sci-Fi Special'' 2022
** "Fiends of the Western Front: Wilde West", written by [[Ian Edginton]], art by [[Warren Pleese]] in ''2000 AD'' #2310, November 2022

====Cameo appearances in other series====
*''[[Judge Dredd]]'': "[[Helter Skelter (Judge Dredd story)|Helter Skelter]]" (with [[Garth Ennis]]; [[Carlos Ezquerra]] (1-7, 10-12) and [[Henry Flint]] (8-9), in ''2000 AD'' #1250-1261, 2001)
*''[[The Scarlet Apocrypha]]'': "Red Menace" (with [[Dan Abnett]] and [[Carlos Ezquerra]], in ''[[Judge Dredd Megazine]]'' #4.17, 2002)
*''Fodder'' (with [[Hannah Berry]] and [[Dani K]], in 2000AD [[Free Comic Book Day]] 2016)

===Novels===
[[Black Flame (publisher)|Black Flame]] released a series of novels based on the series, all written by [[David Bishop (writer)|David Bishop]]:

*''Fiends of the Eastern Front'':
** ''Operation Vampyr'' (December 2005 {{ISBN|1-84416-274-5}})
** ''The Blood Red Army'' (April 2006, {{ISBN|1-84416-325-3}})
** ''Twilight of the Dead'' (August 2006, {{ISBN|1-84416-384-9}})
** ''Fiends of the Rising Sun'' (July 2007, {{ISBN|1-84416-494-2}})

The first three books were collected in one volume, ''Fiends of the Eastern Front'' (672 pages, February 2007, {{ISBN|1-84416-455-1}})

The novel ''Fiends of the Rising Sun'' deals with the same premise but with vampire samurai in the [[Pacific War]].

==See also==
*[[Fiends of the Eastern Front: 1812]] prequel story in 2000 AD
*[[Fiends of the Western Front]] upcoming sequel
*''[[American Gothic (comics)|American Gothic]]'', another ''2000 AD'' story which features vampires

Other items that mix horror with the World Wars and/or feature [[undead]] Nazis include:

*[[The Keep (film)|The Keep]]
*[[Anno Dracula series#The Bloody Red Baron|The Bloody Red Baron]]
*[[Return to Castle Wolfenstein]]
*[[The Wolf's Hour]]
*[[Shock Waves (film)|Shock Waves]]
*[[Oasis of the Zombies]]
*[[Zombie Lake]]
*[[Deathwatch (2002 film)|Deathwatch]]
*[[Hellsing]]
*[[The Bunker (2001 film)|The Bunker]]
*[[30 Days of Night: Red Snow]]
*[[Dead Snow]]
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==Notes==
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==References==
*[http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=fiends ''Fiends of the Eastern Front''] at Barney <!-- the old database given its own site -->
*{{comicbookdb|type=title|id=16199|title=''Fiends of the Eastern Front''}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070227121206/http://www.2000adreview.co.uk/reviews/extra/2006/trades/fiends/fiends-eastern-front.shtml Review of the trade paperback], 2000 AD Review

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{{Use British English|date=October 2024}}


[[Category:Comics set during World War II]]