Pop Culture Chronicles

Return of Barnabas Collins

You just can't keep a good vampire down! The Dark Shadows TV series has spawned many multi-media spin-offs including movies, comics, board games, novels, and audio plays on cd. In a post entitled Retro Revival in the Fall of 08, I expressed eager anticipation at the coming of Kolchak Tales Annual # 1 with guest-star Barnabas Collins.  

It was all I hoped it would be: a suspenseful story which accurately captured the mood of both the Night Stalker and Dark Shadows TV series. Both Kolchak and Barnabas were portrayed in perfect character and the artist's renditions of these characters looked like the actors who played them on television. The cover art was awesome!

My aforementioned post was mistaken when I assumed that this was the only appearance of Barnabas in comics since the 70s. It was, however, the only appearance of Barnabas in actor Jonathan Frid's likeness since the 70s. There was a four-issue comic mini-series in 1992 and 93 which coincided with the short-lived Dark Shadows revival series featuring Ben Cross as Barnabas. 

At any rate, in addition to the recent return of Barnabas Collins in 2009's Kolchak Annual, where else might the aristocratic vampire be showing up in the near future? First, Hermes Press will be reprinting the entire Dark Shadows comic book series originally published by Gold Key from 1969-1976. These volumes willl be in hardcover archives format and will hopefully be released next month. 

Second, Johnny Depp has signed on to play Barnabas Collins in a big screen version of Dark Shadows. Depp says it's a dream come true given his love for the character and for the original series. I personally cannot wait to see one of my favorite actors playing one of my favorite characters.  

Third, the entire Dark Shadows TV series is available from Netflix with some seasons in streaming video and others in DVD format. The entire revival series is also on DVD. So if you're looking for a Dark Shadows fix, help is on the way.

Universal Monsters and Men

As a child I was allowed to stay up late Friday nights to watch classic horror movies. I especially loved the monster movies produced by Universal Studios: Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, and the Mummy. These would air Friday nights at 11:30 on The Plenty Scary Movie, which came to us on cable from KTUL-TV, channel 8, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We eventually had our own local horror movies in Western Arkansas, complete with horror hosts Dr. Boo and Dummy Mummy. 

Strange as it may sound, when I watch those old black-and-white horror movies today I feel rather cozy and secure--like a child lost in the world of make believe. Here are some fascinating facts about the Universal Monsters and the actors who portrayed them. 

Bela Lugosi: Lon Chaney, Sr. had played both the Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback of Notre Dame in the silent era. He was to be Dracula, but he unexpectedly died before filming began. So Bela Lugosi got the job  in 1931 and set the bar for interpreting the Count. His trademark accent has become a vampire staple. 

It is said that Lugosi turned down the role of the Frankenstein monster. But he did go on to play Ygor in Son of Frankenstein and Ghost of Frankenstein. In 1941 Lugosi was a gypsy in The Wolfman. He finally portrayed the Frankenstein monster in Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943) and reprised his role as Dracula in Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). 

Boris Karloff: He was the original Frankenstein monster in 1931 and in the first two sequels Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein. He did not reprise his role as the monster again until an episode of Route 66 in 1962. Karloff did appear as a mad scientist in House of Frankenstein (1944) and coached Glenn Strange through his performance as the monster. Karloff was also the Mummy in 1931. 

Lon Chaney, Jr.: Chaney, Jr. was the only actor to play all four monsters. Between 1943 and 1948 he played the Wolfman in five movies. He was the Frankenstein monster in Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Dracula in Son of Dracula (1943), and the Mummy in three sequels from 1942-1946. 

John Carradine: Having turned down the opportunity to be the first Frankenstein monster, Carradine was also considered to be Dracula, but the part went to Lugosi.  Carradine did, however, go on to play Dracula in House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945). 

Glenn Strange: Better known for his roles as Sam the Bartender on Gunsmoke and Butch Cavendish on the Lone Ranger, Strange was the Frankenstein monster in three movies: House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, and Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein.    

Retro Revival

So much of what's coming out is a revival of bygone characters and concepts. Here is a list of soon-to-be-released stuff that interests me:

Science Fiction Heroes

- Flash Gordon (A new comic from a publisher called Ardden).

-Buck Rogers (reprints of the newspaper strips) 

- Star Trek Key Collection (trade reprints of Gold Key Star Trek series) (22.95 from Checker publishing).

Silver Age Heroes

- Final Crisis: Resist (features former JLA mascot, Snapper Carr) (October)

- Age of the Sentry - While this character has only been around since the beginning of this decade a Marvel publicity stunt preceded his first appearance. He was billed as a never-before-published Silver Age hero. This was a hoax, but the Sentry now has his own mini-series, set in the Silver Age era. The comic is appropriate for all ages. Kids will find it high adventure, but adults will love the campy satire of Marvel's Silver Age. 

Golden Age Heroes 

- Archie Super Heroes- DC will be publishing adventures of these heroes including the Shield, the Fly, the Black Hood, and others. Eighties and Nineties revivals by both Archie and DC (under the Impact banner) will be forgotten. The fresh start begins in Brave and the Bold after Michael J. Straczynski of The Twelve takes the helm, continuing his practice of reintroducing the heroes of old.

- Phantom Annual# 1 (with Mandrake) Moonstone's version of Lee Falk's creation. Perhaps the earliest Golden Age hero, pre-dating even Superman. The Phantom was the first to wear the cowl and the skin-tight costume. He also donned the non-pupil-revealing mask which has become such a standard of super hero fare. He began as a newspaper strip but has since been published by nearly every famous comic book publisher. (November)  

- The Phantom (Dynamite's version of Lee Falk's creation with covers by Alex Ross) (Jan 09)

- Project Super Powers Spin-offs - The Black Terror will be getting an ongoing series and Masquerade will be getting a mini-series. Death Defying Devil will get one or the other. I'm looking forward to seeing some of these heroes branch off into their own titles. The main title has had Golden Age super heroes coming out of the woodwork (or the urn) leaving little room for any serious character development. 

- Marvels: Eye of the Camera - Long awaited sequel retelling Marvel's Golden and Silver Age through the eyes of a photojournalist. This time without Alex Ross. Starts in December. 

- Justice Society of America - Three Kingdom Come one-shots in November.  

- Captain America: Theater of War: Operation Zero Point - World War II one-shot. 

Film and TV Heroes  

- Mr. T Graphic Novel - Return of a retro character appropriately published by Mohawk Media.

- Kolchak Tales Annual 1 - Based on the TV movies and short lived 70s horror series, Kolchak now hunts monsters in the comics. This annual features Kolchak and Barnabas Collins of Dark Shadows fame. The latter, to my knowledge, has not appeared in comics since the 70s. Both Dark Shadows and the original Kolchak movies were Dan Curtis productions. Both these shows terrified me as a child and I am pleased to see these characters returning. (November)

Collected Newspaper Strips (All in the Fall, probably October)

- Blondie: Bumstead Family History (29.99 from Nelson)

- Complete Little Orphan Annie (No mask, but still no pupils) (hc, v. 2, 39.99, IDW)

- Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace (1959-1960; hc, v. 5, $25)

- Milton Caniff's Steve Canyon (1955; 19.95, Checker)  

- Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy (hc, v. 5)

Literary Characters

A Christmas Carol Graphic Novel (19.95, Classical publishing)

Disney All-Ages Comics

Boom Studios has cut a deal to publish various comics based on Pixar characters including The Incredibles (illustrated by Darwyn Cooke), Wall E., Nemo, Cars, Monsters Inc., and the Toy Story toys. These will begin as mini-series and be reprinted as collected editions. While the characters aren't old enough to be retro, the concept is very retro: Disney comics for all ages. And these promise to be truly all ages, kid friendly, but not just for kids. 

So there you have a good list of some retro stuff coming out. I'm hyped!