Name monsters more iconic than Dracula, Frankenstien, The Mummy. I dare you to try, but I doubt you’ll be able to find a group of monsters more famous than these.
These famous monsters arguably gained a large part of their popularity from the classic Universal horror films they starred in. Being cinemas first cinematic universe, (crazy right?) these monsters have existed on screen for almost a century, yet they continue to scare even to this day.
Their popularity has never really died down. Every Halloween, regardless of where you are, you’re bound to see a child in a long black and red cape running around with fake plastic fangs. They exist outside of horror as undeniable cultural icons that surpass their fictional bounds, however, they also transcend mediums perfectly.
Returning these icons to the page was no easy task. They’ve been adapted, re-adapted, pulled apart and put back together again so many times that their original versions are likely lost to many people.
So what’s a person to do? You could explore the original Universal films – though many of those aren’t on any streaming platforms. Then why not the original books many of these monsters came from? Well if you’re not a fan of literature you’re in for a tough time getting through classics like Dracula and Frankenstien.
What’s left then? If there’s no easy way to consume these icons in their purest form then where can the general public look? Well, have I got an answer for you!
Introducing: Universal Monsters, published by Skybound Comics. These modern adaptations of the classic monster stories have taken the comic world by storm. Each monster gets a dedicated five issue series, that covers their entire story with gorgeous art, whilst preserving the original story told all those years ago.
They are perfect for fans of horror, and fans of comics alike. If you’ve got a love of art and a burning itch to read some well crafted horror, these comics might be your next favourite thing.
So far the series contains comics for Dracula, Frankenstein, Creature From The Black Lagoon and The Mummy. Each series is tackled by different writers and artists but they all have on consistent simialrtiy between them. That being their use of the on-screen versions of the classic monsters.
Each monster is done in the style of the original actors that brought them to life. Dracula wears the face of Bella Lugosi, the man that practically pioneered the iconic look the Count of Transleyvani is known for. Frankenstein’s Monster is represented perfectly with the face of Borris Karloff, the character actor known for his iconic portrayal of what happens when man plays God.
These reinventions comes in the wake of Universal Studios slowly bringing their cast of monsters back from the dead. You’ve likely seen the advertisnemnts for Univeral’s “Dark Universe” section of Universal Epic Universe theme park, set to open this coming May.
It’s clear the studio are making a big push for the monsters, bringing them back into the focus through the release of the Skybound published comics, and their own theme park. We horror fans can only hope to see more Universal horror films in the coming years though as nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
Featured Image Credit: Gene Colan and Tom Palmer
Fourth year Film and Journalism student
Deputy editor
Contact - deputyeditor@brignews.com
