Dracula in popular culture
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The character of
Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...
from the 1897 novel ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' by
Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...
has remained popular over the years, and many forms of media have adopted the character in various forms. In their book ''Dracula in Visual Media'', authors John Edgar Browning and Caroline Joan S. Picart declared that no other horror character or
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
has been emulated more times than Count Dracula. Most variations of Dracula across film, comics, television and documentaries predominantly explore the character of Dracula as he was first portrayed in film, with only a few adapting Stoker's original narrative more closely. These including borrowing the look of Count Dracula in both the Universal's series of ''Dracula'' and Hammer's series of ''Dracula'', including the character's clothing, mannerisms, physical features, hair style and his motivations such as wanting to be in a home away from Europe.


Stage


Drama

A limited stage adaptation of Stoker's story was performed to a small audience at the Lyceum Theatre in the year of the book's publication, in order to protect Stoker's copyright. The script for this four-hour performance is lost. In 1924, the British producer Hamilton Deane premiered a stage version of ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' at the Grand Theatre in Derby, England. This version of the play was a modernized retelling of Stoker's story. The play's success led to Deane taking it on tour for the next three years. The play opened in London's Little Theatre on 14 February 1927, where it sold well while not being critically well received. After seeing the play in London, American producer Horace Liveright bought the rights for Broadway, and hired John L. Balderston to Americanize Deane's text. The Broadway version featured actors who would later be cast into the Universal film, including
Bela Lugosi Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...
as Dracula,
Edward Van Sloan Edward Van Sloan (born Edward Paul Van Sloun; November 1, 1882 – March 6, 1964) was an American character actor best remembered for his roles in the Universal Studios horror films such as ''Dracula'' (1931), ''Frankenstein'' (1931), and '' Th ...
as Prof. Van Helsing, Herbert Bunston as Dr. Seward. ''Dracula'' opened at New York's Fulton Theatre on 5 October 1927, where it ran for 265 performances finally closing in May 1928. Gary Don Rhodes described the play as "taking America by storm", a statement backed up by a 1930 article in the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' claiming that the play "has been rolling around the country ever since its first vogue two or three seasons ago, coaxing money into box offices that had abandoned hope of the drama, and of the shriek-and-shudder plays of the last five years it easily leads the list." O. D. Woodward purchased rights to present ''Dracula'' on the West Coast, and the play opened at the Biltmore Theater in Los Angeles on 25 June 1928. The play was originally booked for a four-week engagement, but proved so popular that it was held over, closing on 18 August 1928. The play would continue in other countries in 1929 such as
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. Lugosi would return to act in the play in 1933 after his appearance in the film ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' (1931) and would return again to the play in 1941 for a two-year tour and again later in 1947. A revival of the play by Leo Shull called Genius, Inc., opened in December 1942 featuring a Dracula with a
Toothbrush moustache The toothbrush moustache is a List of facial hairstyles, style of moustache in which the sides are vertical (or nearly so), often approximating the width of the nose and visually resembling the bristles on a toothbrush. First becoming popular in ...
.
John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later J ...
took to the stage as Dracula in the early 1950s. When the play performed in Detroit, several accidents happened on stage leading audiences to laugh at what were supposed to be scary moments.
Frank Langella Frank A. Langella Jr. (; born January 1, 1938) is an American actor. He eschewed the career of a traditional film star by making the stage the focal point of his career, appearing frequently on Broadway. He has received four Tony Awards (out of ...
took on the role of Count Dracula, beginning 7 August 1967, an adaptation that
William Gibson William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as cyberpunk. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, his ear ...
, director of the Berkshire declared to be "the worst play of the season". The Deane-Balderston adaptation of ''Dracula'' was described by Bruce Scivally as "seemingly in performance every year since its debut". Variations involving Count Dracula were performed as plays in parody such as ''Fangs Ain't What They Used to Be'' in 1969 and ''I'm Sorry, the Bridge is Out, You'll Have to Spend the Night'' in 1970. Other plays like ''Dracula Sabbat'' from 1970 was basically a scripted black mass featuring nudity and simulated sex acts. For the plays 50th anniversary in America, it was developed again with Langella in the lead. On the play's reveal it was praised for its sets designed by
Edward Gorey Edward St. John Gorey (February 22, 1925 – April 15, 2000) was an Americans, American writer, Tony Awards, Tony Award-winning costume designer, and artist, noted for his own illustrated books as well as cover art and illustration for book ...
and Langella's performance which Scivally proclaimed "reclaimed the vampire from a decade of camp and parody and presented Dracula with grace, dignity and a healthy dose of sex appeal." It was sold out for the first two weeks leading to merchandizing of the play with Gorey-themed wallpaper, a toy theatre, and short-lived fashion of men wearing capes in
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
. Scivally stated that after the 1970s ended an "explosion" of vampire plays continued into the next decades. Other ''Dracula'' plays continued through the 1980s to the 21st century in Chicago and New York with several being variations on the Deane-Balderston adaptation, new stories or parodies featuring actors like
Raul Julia Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. He was known for his intense and varied roles on stage and screen. He started his career in the Public Theater before transitioning to film. He ...
,
Daniel Day-Lewis Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957) is an English actor. Often described as one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Daniel Day-Lewis, numerous a ...
and
Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's '' North by Northwest'' (1959). His career breakthrough c ...
performing as Count Dracula.


Musical

Early musical adaptions of ''Dracula'' played for camp. At the Dublin Theater Festival in 1965, there was a musical comedy ''Dearest Dracula''. The musical contained 15 songs and received a positive review from Robert B. Byrnes of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''. Other musical adaptations would follow such as ''Dracula, A Musical Nightmare'' (1978) starring Joe Spano. Musical adaptations continued with Jack Sharkey's ''Dracula, The Musical?'' in 1982, which was written under the pen name of Rick Abbot. ''Possessed, The Dracula Musicalll'' was produced off-Broadway with a production of $1 million. The story is re-imagined inside a modern-day asylum. It received a negative review by Alvin Klein of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', who suggested that "Perhaps there are no bad ideas for musicals, only bad musicals, like this one." The United Kingdom had ''Dracula, Another Bloody Musical'' which opened at the Westminster Theatre in London. In 1998, Halifax's Neptune Theatre debuted '' Dracula: A Chamber Musical'', which ran for six months at Canada's Stratford Festival in 1999. This version was not a parody or based on the Deane-Balderston play, but more of an iteration of the original novel. In 2001, ''
Dracula, the Musical ''Dracula, the Musical'' is a musical based on the original 1897 Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. The show had its regional premiere at the La Jolla ...
'' premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse staged by Des McAnuff. McAnuff stated believed that "there's been a tendency to parody raculaor to not trust it. We all felt that if we really tapped into what made the book powerful, that really would translate on stage." The musical received poor reviews from the ''Los Angeles Times'', ''The San Diego Union-Tribune''. Joop van den Ende saw a workshop of ''Dracula, the Musical'' and opened it on Broadway in 2004 adding new songs and different staging. This version was also not received well by critics. The show closed after 154 performances, but proved to be a hit in Europe.


Opera

Prior to Stoker's novel, there were operas based on vampire fiction such as Heinrich Marschner's '' Der Vampyr'' composed in 1828 based on
John Polidori John William Polidori (7 September 1795 – 24 August 1821) was a British writer and physician. He is known for his associations with the Romanticism, Romantic movement and credited by some as the creator of the vampire genre of fantasy fiction. ...
's short work "
The Vampyre "The Vampyre" is a short work of prose fiction written in 1819 by John William Polidori, taken from the story told by Lord Byron as part of a contest among Polidori, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley. The same contest produced the n ...
" (1819). The later half of the 20th Century had Count Dracula had composers attempting vampire themed operas with Count Dracula, such as Sue-Ellen Case "non-opera" ''Johnny Appleseed/Dracula – The Universe in Infancy'' performed in April 1970 in Los Angeles. John Deak of the
New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...
presented two scenes of his ''Lucy and the Count'' for string quintet at
Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly known as Cooper Union, is a private college on Cooper Square in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-s ...
in February 1983. A review in ''The New York Times'' declared the presentation as "amusing and a little more – intentionally absurd" Composer Robert Moran was commissioned to create ''The Dracula Diary'' in 1994 which received a negative review in ''The New York Times'' by K. Robert Schwardz who found it to have "Generic chord progressions, clumsy text setting and cheesy synthesized sound effects" In March 1999, David Del Tredici's Dracula premiered based on Alfred Corn's poem ''My Neighbor, the Distinguished Count''.


Ballet

*The popular and successful balletic ''Dracula'' adaptation by Michael Pink and Christopher Gable premiered in 1997, to commemorate the centenary publication of the novel. It was created for the Northern Ballet Theatre in the United Kingdom. The production stays as faithful to the book as possible in non-verbal theatre. Original music was composed by Philip Feeney, the
Naxos Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...
recording of the score has remained a top seller. Sets and costumes were designed by Lez Brotherston, whose career as a designer for dance began with NBT. Lighting was by Paul Pyant. The production has been seen throughout the world, most companies presenting the work more than once during the last decade. It is the lure of the novel that makes this as popular in the dance world as the film industry. This same production team is responsible for many successful adaptations of popular novels. * ''Dracula'', a balletic adaptation of Houston Ballet by choreographer Ben Stevenson, set to the music of
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...
, with costumes by Judanna Lynn and set design by Thomas Boyd, premiered in 1997. The ballet saw many US productions since its premiere. The ballet's plot features a set of original characters and happens entirely in Transylvania. *A new Northern Ballet Theatre production of ''Dracula'' was created by choreographer David Nixon in 2005 and has become popular at
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
among many companies in the US and England. Originally Nixon choreographed his "Dracula" ballet in 1999 for Ballet Met, then redesigned production in 2005 for Northern Ballet. The ballet uses music of Alfred Schnittke and Sergei Rachmaninoff. *In November 2013, Turkish State Opera and Ballet premiered a new ballet adaptation entitled ''Kont Dracula'' at Ankara Opera House. *In 2018, choreographer Krzysztof Pastor and librettist Pawel Chynowski created the ballet ''Dracula'' which premiered in Perth. The ballet draws heavily on music from the 1992 film ''Bram Stoker's Dracula''. The film's composer, Wojciech Kilar, also contributed original pieces to the ballet.


Live-action films

It is rumored that an early Russian film adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula was theatrically released in 1920. The existence of this film adaptation is disputed, as there exists very little information or proof of its existence. The earliest provable source for it is the June, 1963 edition of
Famous Monsters of Filmland ''Famous Monsters of Filmland'' is an American film genre, genre-specific List of film periodicals, film magazine, started in 1958 by publisher James Warren (publisher), James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman. ''Famous Monsters of Filmland ...
, where it is written "Eric Jason, specialist in stage monsters, once told me he was sure there'd been a Russian version of DRACULA". An early adaptation of Dracula is the Hungarian silent movie '' Dracula's Death''; directed by Karoly Lajthay. The film allegedly premiered in 1921, though this has been questioned by some scholars who instead list 1923 as the earliest verifiable release date. The film is currently considered lost in its entirety. Director F. W. Murnau made an adaptation of ''Dracula'' with ''
Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' () is a 1922 silent film, silent German Expressionism (cinema), German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who ...
'' (1922). Newman declared that this adaptation as "the only screen adaptation of ''Dracula'' to be primarily interested in horror, from the character's rat-like features and thin body, the film was, even more so than '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'', "a template for the horror film." In June 1930,
Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...
officially purchased the rights to both the play and the novel ''Dracula''. ''Dracula'' premiered on 12 February 1931 at the Roxy Theatre in New York again with Lugosi in the title role. Contemporary critical response to ''Dracula'' was described by Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas and John Brunas, the authors of the book ''Universal Horrors'', as "uniformly positive, some even laudatory" and as "one of the best received critically of any of the Universal horror pictures." Film historians have differed on what films belong to the series. Ken Hanke wrote in ''A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series'' that Universal produced only three films (''Dracula'', '' Dracula's Daughter'', and '' Son of Dracula'') that "can properly be called part of a loosely grouped Dracula series" though ''Son of Dracula'' is really a distant cousin and that the films where Dracula makes "token appearances" were more incorporated into the ''
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...
'' series. Gary D. Rhodes wrote in his book ''Tod Browning's Dracula'' that Universal had produced five films in their classic era whose plotlines assume the audience would be familiar with the ''
Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...
'' character from either viewing or being aware of the 1931 film. Rhodes noted that the later films that include Dracula such as '' The House of Frankenstein'' and '' House of Dracula'' have the character portrayed differently, as a Southern gentleman with a moustache with only limited appearances in the films, such as his character only appearing for 15 minutes in ''The House of Frankenstein''. In the 1940s and 1950s, Dracula usually appeared as a supporting character in a handful of films. Hammer originally began developing American-styled science fiction films in the early 1950s but later branched into horror with their colour films ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' and ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' (1958). These films would birth two horror film stars: Christopher Lee and
Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage and radio roles. He achieved recognition f ...
. Hammer's Dracula series would continue up to the 1970s where it was updated to contemporary settings with '' Dracula A.D. 1972'' (1972) and its sequel '' The Satanic Rites of Dracula'' (1973), after which, Lee retired from the Dracula role. In the late 1970s, remakes of ''Dracula'' were made, including
John Badham John MacDonald Badham (born August 25, 1939) is an American film and television director, best known for directing the films ''Saturday Night Fever'' (1977), ''Dracula (1979 film), Dracula'' (1979), ''Blue Thunder'' (1983), ''WarGames'' (1983), ...
's ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' (1979) and
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; né Stipetić; born 5 September 1942) is a German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author. Regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema, his films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unusu ...
's '' Nosferatu the Vampyre'' (1979). Other European productions enhanced the eroticism of the ''Dracula'' story such as
Paul Morrissey Paul Joseph Morrissey (February 23, 1938 – October 28, 2024) was an American film director, known for his early association with Andy Warhol. His most famous films include ''Flesh (1968 film), Flesh'' (1968), ''Trash (1970 film), Trash'' (197 ...
's '' Blood for Dracula'' (1974). In the 1980s, Dracula rarely appeared in film outside nostalgia-themed films like ''
The Monster Squad ''The Monster Squad'' is a 1987 American horror comedy film directed by Fred Dekker, and written by Dekker and Shane Black. Peter Hyams and Rob Cohen served as executive producers. It was released by Tri-Star Pictures on August 14, 1987. T ...
'' (1987) and '' Waxwork'' (1988). Following the release of
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...
's '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'' (1992), a small wave of similar high-budgeted gothic horror romance films were released in the 1990s.
Gary Oldman Sir Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, various accolades, including an Academ ...
's portrayal of Count Dracula in ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'' helped include new staples to the character such as long hair and a more prince-like appearance opposed to a Count-like one. Further feature film installments featuring Count Dracula would continue into the 21st century with films like '' The Last Voyage of the Demeter'' (2023), '' Renfield'' (2023) and ''
El Conde El Conde is an archeological site located at Ozumba Street, El Conde, three block north the Mayo 1 Ave., in the municipality of Naucalpan, Mexico State. The site was formally declared a prehispanic historical monument on December 28, 2001. H ...
'' (2023).


Pornography

The character of Dracula has been an inspiration throughout the history of
pornographic film Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, adult films, blue films, sexually explicit films, or 18+ films, are films that represent Human sexual activity, sexually WIKT:explicit, explicit subject matter in order to sexual arousal, arouse, fasci ...
in various high and low budget productions. The character is usually represented by emphasizing the combination his sexual and dangerous aspects. Dracula and Dracula parodies has continued to appear in pornography as production of these films moved from theatres, to home video to the internet. Dracula often appeared in various
sexploitation A sexploitation film (or sex-exploitation film) is a class of independently produced, Low-budget film, low-budget feature film that is generally associated with the 1960s and early 1970s, and that serves largely as a vehicle for the exhibition o ...
and hardcore adaptations from the 1960s onward. In these films, Dracula is not always exclusively
heterosexual Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions ...
or male. During these periods, pornography films would often parody popular genres leading to Dracula making brief appearances in pseudo-documentary films like '' Kiss Me Quick!'' (1964) and later in narrative sexploitation films like '' Dracula (The Dirty Old Man)'' (1969) and ''Sex and the Single Vampire'' (1970). Dracula appeared in the early
hardcore pornography Hardcore pornography or hardcore porn is pornography that features detailed depictions of sexual organs or sexual acts such as sexual intercourse, vaginal, anal sex, anal, oral sex, oral, or Non-penetrative sex#Manual sex, manual intercourse; e ...
film ''Dracula and the Boys'' (1969) as the first
homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...
vampire in film.


Television


TV adaptations

''Dracula'' has been adapted for TV several times, with some adaptations taking many liberties and others trying to stay faithful more or less to original source. * Thames Television's (UK) anthology series '' Mystery and Imagination'' ran a ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' episode based on the book in 1968. It featured Denholm Elliott as Dracula. * In 1971, '' Hrabe Drakula'' directed by Anna Procházková (the first adaptation to be directed by a woman), was broadcast on Czechoslovakia television. It was reasonably faithful to the novel, except for the exclusion of Renfield. It was the first adaptation to show on screen blood-exchange scene between Dracula and Mina. Ilja Racek played Dracula. * CBC-TV's (Canada) anthology series '' Purple Playhouse'' featured an hour-long adaptation, ''Dracula'' based on the book in 1973. It starred Norman Welsh as Dracula. * In 1973, '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'', starring Jack Palance, was produced by Dan Curtis, best known for producing the gothic
soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
''
Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American Gothic fiction, Gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulatio ...
'', and who worked from a script by sci-fi favorite
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
. Filmed in
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
and England, it was relatively faithful to the novel, though it tried to paint Dracula as a tragic, rather than evil, character in search of his lost love. It also drew the connection between Dracula and the historical figure of
Vlad the Impaler Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ) or Vlad Dracula (; ; 1428/31 – 1476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian hi ...
, which was a popular notion at the time (see above). In these respects, it is also a close forerunner of Coppola's later film. * 1977 saw a BBC television adaptation titled ''
Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...
'' directed by
Philip Saville Philip Saville (28 October 1927 – 22 December 2016) was a British director, screenwriter and former actor whose career lasted half a century. The British Film Institute's Screenonline website described Saville as "one of Britain's most prolifi ...
. It starred Louis Jourdan as the Count and
Frank Finlay Francis Finlay, (6 August 1926 – 30 January 2016) was an English actor. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Iago in ''Othello'' (1965). His first leading television role came in 1971 in '' Casanova''.
as Van Helsing. This version is one of the more faithful adaptations of the book. It includes all of the main characters (only merging Arthur and Quincey into the same character) and has scenes of Jonathan recording events in his diary and Dr. Seward speaking into his dictaphone. * In 2002, the Italian telemovie ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' was broadcast starring Patrick Bergin as Dracula. In the U.S., it was released on VHS and DVD as ''Dracula's Curse''. It updates the events of the novel to the present day. * In 2005, an Indian
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
-language adaptation of the novel aired on Asianet, directed by Wins Dieus. * Wins Dieus made another Indian television series in 2008, also titled ''Dracula'', this time in Telugu which aired on
Gemini TV Gemini TV is an Indian Telugu language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Sun TV Network. It is the first satellite TV channel in Telugu. It was launched on 9 February 1995 by the Gemini Group of Hyderabad (run by Akkineni ...
. *2006 saw a revisionist BBC TV adaptation of ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
''. It starred Marc Warren as Count Dracula, who was brought to England by Arthur Holmwood in attempt to cure his syphilis, which made it impossible for Arthur to consummate his marriage to Lucy Westenra. * Dracula was portrayed as the lead character in
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
's 2013–2014 TV series ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
''. This reimagining depicted Dracula (played by Jonathan Rhys Myers) posing as Alexander Grayson, an American entrepreneur who is willing to bring modern science to the Victorian society. In reality, Dracula seeks revenge on those who had betrayed him centuries earlier. As his plans are set into motion, he falls in love with a woman who may be a reincarnation of his deceased wife. * A 2020 ''Dracula'' miniseries for the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
in partnership with
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
, from the creators of '' Sherlock'',
Steven Moffat Steven William Moffat (; born 18 November 1961) is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the second showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi television ser ...
and
Mark Gatiss Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. Best known for his acting work on stage and screen as well as for co-creating television shows with Steven Moffat, he has received ...
. Dracula is portrayed by Claes Bang. In this version Dracula draws plans against Victorian London, but he gets stuck in his coffin under the sea after destruction of the ship ''Demeter''. Dracula finally reaches England in 2021, where he continues his battles with Van Helsing's descendant. This version of Dracula has a special ability to learn new skills by simply drinking the blood of people and it is revealed later that all his traditional vampire weaknesses are in fact linked to his deep feelings of shame and his death wish, and are entirely self-imposed.


TV appearances

* ''
The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom about the home life of a family of benign monsters that aired from 1964 to 1966 on CBS. The series stars Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster (Frankenstein's monster),Episodes referring to the fact that Herman is ...
'' (1964–1966) featured "Grandpa" Sam Dracula (played by Al Lewis), a vampire, who identifies himself as being ''the'' Count Dracula in one episode, although he has found a way to sustain himself without blood and is no longer vulnerable to sunlight. He is portrayed as a friendlier mad scientist-type. He still retains his abilities to turn into a wolf or a bat. Instead of the quasi-Eastern European accent usually associated with Dracula, Grandpa Munster speaks with a Brooklyn accent. * In the ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' story " The Chase" (1965),
the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...
, his companions and the Daleks came across Dracula and Frankenstein's monster, although later both were shown to be robots. * ''
Gilligan's Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells. It aired for th ...
'', "Up At Bat" (1966) – After being bitten by a supposed vampire bat, Gilligan believes he is turning into a vampire. A dream sequence that spoofs Gothic horror films has Bob Denver portraying a Lugosi-like Dracula. *'' F Troop'', "V is for Vampire" (1967) –
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor. He was known for his work in the horror film genre, mostly portraying villains. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price ...
does a humorously hammy turn as Transylvanian Count Sforza, who dresses and speaks like Bela Lugosi's Dracula. He travels by hearse, carries a pet crow on his arm and moves into a supposedly haunted mansion on the outskirts of town. Everyone is terrified of him, but in the end he turns out to be a harmless eccentric. * In the
Sid and Marty Krofft Sid Krofft (born July 30, 1929) and Marty Krofft (April 9, 1937 – November 25, 2023), known as The Krofft Brothers and born as Cydus and Moshopopoulos Yolas, were a Canadian sibling team of television creators, writers and puppeteers. Through ...
series '' Lidsville'' (1971–1973), one of the evil HooDoo's Bad Hat Gang was Bela the Vampire Hat, a bat-eared top hat with a fanged cowl. * In the episode of ''
The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired five seasons from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three gir ...
'' "Two Petes in a Pod" (1974), Peter dresses up like Dracula for a costume party. * In 1976, Dracula appears in the Saturday morning series, Monster Squad and works with
Frankenstein's Monster Frankenstein's monster, commonly referred to as Frankenstein, is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' as its main antagonist. Shelley's title compares the monster's ...
and the Wolfman as superhero crimefighters. * '' Draculas ring'' (1978) is a Danish TV miniseries, written and directed by Flemming la Cour and Edmondt Jensen, starring Bent Børgesen as Dracula, who journeys to Denmark on a quest to reclaim his stolen ring. * In 1979, Michael Nouri portrayed the Count in the "Curse of Dracula" segment of the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
television series ''Cliffhangers''. * At the end of the holiday TV special ''
The Halloween That Almost Wasn't ''The Halloween That Almost Wasn't'' is a 1979 American television special that revolves around Dracula ( Judd Hirsch) trying to save Halloween from the Witch ( Mariette Hartley) who threatens it. It won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Individua ...
'' (1979), Count Dracula ( Judd Hirsch) gets into a disco suit similar to Tony Manero from ''
Saturday Night Fever ''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American Dance in film, dance Drama (film and television), drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian Americans, Italian-America ...
'' after the witch (
Mariette Hartley Mary Loretta Hartley (born June 21, 1940) is an American film and television actress. She is possibly best known for her roles in film as Elsa Knudsen in Sam Peckinpah's '' Ride the High Country'' (1962), Susan Clabon in Alfred Hitchcock's '' M ...
) transforms into a realistic person resembling Stephanie Mangano from the 1977 disco film of the same name. * British comedy legend
Benny Hill Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill (21 January 1924 – 18 April 1992) was an English comedian, actor and scriptwriter. He is best remembered for his television programme, ''The Benny Hill Show'', a comedy-variety show whose amalgam of slapstick, bu ...
played Dracula in a skit "Wondergran Meets Dracula" on his series, ''
The Benny Hill Show ''The Benny Hill Show'' is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill that aired on the BBC and ITV between 15 January 1955 and 1 May 1989. The show consisted mainly of sketch comedy, sketches typified by slapstick, mime, parody, and ...
''. * The enormous house in the
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...
'' Finders Keepers'' (1987–1989) occasionally featured a room titled "Dracula's Den", which was constructed to resemble a room in a
castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
with windows with boards nailed across them (presumably to keep out the sunlight), cobwebs,
bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
s and a Gothic-style chair and roll-top desk. The room also featured a full-sized
coffin A coffin or casket is a funerary box used for viewing or keeping a corpse, for burial, entombment or cremation. Coffins are sometimes referred to as caskets, particularly in American English. A distinction is commonly drawn between "coffins" a ...
, in which a cast or crew member usually hid dressed as a
mummy A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and Organ (biology), organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to Chemical substance, chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the ...
or as Dracula himself. * Count Dracula made two appearances in the live-action superhero show ''
Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...
'' (1988–1992), played by Lloyd Botchner. One of these episodes was a backdoor pilot featuring the heroic half-vampire son of Dracula. * Dracula appeared in the self-titled 1990 syndicated series '' Dracula: The Series''. The series lasted only 21 episodes and featured the adventures of Gustav Van Helsing and family versus vampire/business tycoon Alexander Lucard. * Dracula appeared in one of the commercials for '' Energizer'' in 1993. He emerges from his casket to get the battery off the Energizer Bunny, only to be locked out of his castle when the wind blows the front door closed. When he gets his spare key, the sun comes up and Dracula is vanquished. * Dracula, renamed " General Mattias Targo" (
Bob Peck Robert Peck (23 August 1945 – 4 April 1999) was an English actor who played Ronald Craven in the television serial ''Edge of Darkness'', for which he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor, BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. He ...
), appears in ''
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' (sometimes referred to as ''Young Indy'') is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" ...
'' "Transylvania, January 1918" (later edited into the second half of the film Masks of Evil, with the events being moved towards the end of the war). He is first mentioned as a Romanian General from Transylvania, who wants to crush the invaders of his country, before being revealed to be a vampire. The episode indicates that General Targo was once
Vlad the Impaler Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ) or Vlad Dracula (; ; 1428/31 – 1476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian hi ...
, and is shown having impaled many of his victims like Vlad. General Targo is destroyed by Allied spies
Indiana Jones ''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...
and Maria Straussler, who drive a stake through his heart. * Dracula (voiced by
Dan Castellaneta Daniel Louis Castellaneta ( ; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, ...
) makes a one-time guest appearance on ''
Animaniacs ''Animaniacs'' is an American Animated series, animated Comedy television, comedy Musical film, musical television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation. It originally aired on Fox Broadcasting Company ...
'' in 1996. * Dracula has also appeared as a villain in the Season 5 of the TV series ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...
'', in an episode called " Buffy vs. Dracula" (2000) with Dracula portrayed by Rudolf Martin. Dracula admits to
Buffy Summers Buffy Anne Summers is the title character of the ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' before going on to appear in The WB/ UPN 1997–2003 television series and subsequent 1998 ...
that he is intrigued and charmed by her legacy as she is of him. He also clarifies the origin of her powers, regardless of his attempt to lure her to evil. Buffy, having "seen his movies", waits after first killing him, noting that he "always comes back." He reappears in the canon post-finale comics '' Tales of the Vampires: Antique'', and later the '' Season Eight'' story " Wolves at the Gate" (both written by Drew Goddard). Outside the canon, Dracula appears in '' Spike vs Dracula'', which reveals that Dracula has connections to the Gypsy clan that cursed
Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
with a soul. As established by his appearance in "Buffy vs. Dracula", he is an acquaintance of
Anya Jenkins Anya Christina Emmanuella Jenkins (born as Aud) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Portrayed by Emma Caulfield, she appears as a recurring guest in the third and fourth seasons ...
, and Spike claims he is a sell-out of the vampire world, fond of magic and Hollywood. The vampire popularized by
Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...
in the novel ''Dracula'' is also used as a basis for the ideas in the show, primarily the methods in which vampires are killed. * In 2000 Rudolf Martin also held the starring role in TV movie '' Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula''. Shown on United States Networks on October 31, it tells the origins of Vlad III, also known as Vlad Dracula, "the Impaler", who gave Bram Stoker's Dracula his name. * In several episodes of the TV show '' Scrubs'' (2001–2010), the main character J.D. makes references to a movie he is writing called ''Dr. Acula'', the story of a "vampire doctor". *''Emmanuelle vs. Dracula'' is a 2004 adult (softcore) TV film about Emmanuelle (played by Natasja Vermeer) having a bachelorette party at her house which is interrupted by vampires and Dracula (played by Marcus DeAnda) himself. * In 2006, a successful U.K. children's
comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
, '' Young Dracula'', started on
CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...
, featuring the Count and his two young children, Vladimir and Ingrid, trying to live discreetly in rural Wales. * A mysterious vampire called
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
appears in the Brazilian
telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar Drama (film and television), drama genres around the w ...
'' Os Mutantes: Caminhos do Coração'' (2008–2009). In fact, he is a mutant vampire created by mixing his DNA with
vampire bat Vampire bats, members of the subfamily Desmodontinae, are Phyllostomidae, leaf-nosed bats currently found in Central and South America. Their food source is the blood of other animals, a dietary trait called hematophagy. Three extant bat species ...
DNA. Unlike in the novel, this Dracula is neither invincible nor undead, but he does possess superhuman strength and the ability to fly, and he also transforms some female characters into his vampire brides. His lieutenant is a ghoulish vampire called Bram, in homage to the original author. His nemesis is psychokinetic (and psychotic as well) vampire hunter Christiano Pena, who is bent on destroying Dracula, even if he has to kill innocents to do so. * In a skit of '' Attack of the Show'' (2005–2013), Dracula reviews the 2008 film, ''
Twilight Twilight is daylight illumination produced by diffuse sky radiation when the Sun is below the horizon as sunlight from the upper atmosphere is scattered in a way that illuminates both the Earth's lower atmosphere and also the Earth's surf ...
'', criticizing how Edward Cullen is not a true vampire. * In the '' Season 4'' episode "Monster Movie" (2008) of the television series ''
Supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
'', a shape-shifter being hunted by Sam and Dean hides under the guise of Count Dracula and considers Dean to be Jonathan Harker and a girl he met and fell in love with to be Mina. *'' The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice'' is a 2008 TV film in ''The Librarian'' trilogy of movies starring Noah Wyle as a librarian who protects a secret collection of artifacts from Vlad Dracula and his vampire hordes. * An episode of the British TV series '' Demons'' (2009) called "Suckers" tells the future story of Mina Harker and Quincy Harker. * Episode 50 called "Bloodlust" (2011) of '' The Murdoch Mysteries'' concerns vampire-like attacks at the time of the first publication of Stoker's book. * Dracula is the main antagonist of the 3rd season of ''
Penny Dreadful Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular Serial (literature), serial literature produced during the 19th century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typical ...
'' (2014–2016), where he is portrayed by Christian Camargo as a fallen angel and the brother of
Lucifer The most common meaning for Lucifer in English is as a name for the Devil in Christian theology. He appeared in the King James Version of the Bible in Isaiah and before that in the Vulgate (the late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bib ...
. He poses as a kind and somewhat eccentric zoologist named Dr. Alexander Sweet in order to seduce Vanessa Ives, the series' protagonist, and use her power to take over the world. * Dracula is the main antagonist of '' Gregg Turkington's Decker vs Dracula'' (2015), the third season of
Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
action spoof series '' Decker''. Portrayed by Ralph Lucas (credited as
James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...
, as part of a metafictional storyline involving Dean faking his own death), Dracula has constructed a doomsday device called the Destructicon, and employs characters from the
Universal Monsters The Universal Monsters (also known as Universal Classic Monsters and Universal Studios Monsters) is a media franchise comprising various horror film series distributed by Universal Pictures. It consists of different horror creature characters o ...
roster as his henchmen; he is eventually defeated by the ghosts of the Three Stooges (all played by Mark Proksch). * Tricia Helfer plays gender-bent Dracula in season 4 of '' Van Helsing'' (2016-), where she is portrayed as the Dark One who is the ruler of the vampire species. * Dracula appears as Vlad the Impaler in season 3 of '' Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'' (2018-), where he is portrayed by Michael Antonakos. The series presents him as the first vampire. This version dresses like the historical Vlad and looks exactly like his famous portrait. He is confronted by series protagonist Sabrina Spellman. * Dracula will appear in pilot episode of ABC drama series ''The Brides'' and will be played by
Goran Višnjić Goran Višnjić ( ; born 9 September 1972) is a Croatian actor. He is best known for his roles as Dr. Luka Kovač in '' ER'' and Garcia Flynn in '' Timeless'', both NBC television series. For ''ER'', he and the cast were nominated for two Scre ...
. The series will be a contemporary reimagining of Dracula, as a family drama about empowered, immortal women and the things they do to maintain wealth, prestige, legacy — and their nontraditional family. Dracula is left for dead at his destroyed castle in the Carpathian mountains while his three vampire brides — Cleo, Renée, and Lily — flee to start a new life together.


Animation

Dracula would show up in animation sporadically following the release of ''Dracula'' (1931). This included appearances in Disney's
Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...
cartoons (''
Mickey's Gala Premier ''Mickey's Gala Premier'' is a Walt Disney cartoon produced in 1933, directed by Burt Gillett, and featuring parodies of several famous Hollywood film actors from the 1930s. It was the 58th Mickey Mouse short film, and the eighth of that year. ...
'' (1933)),
Terrytoons Terrytoons, Inc. was an American animation studio headquartered in New Rochelle, New York, which was active from 1929 until its closure in December 1972 (and briefly returned between 1987 and 1996 for television in-name only). Founded by Paul Te ...
' '' Gandy Goose'' (''Gandy Goose in G-Man Jitters'' (1939), and ''Gandy Goose in Ghost Town''). Dracula would make appearances in animation around the 1960s such as the Japanese series '' The Monster Kid'', and one-off appearances in episodes of the British series ''
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
'', the American series ''
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera for CBS. The series premiered as part of the network's Saturday morning cartoon schedule on Septem ...
'' and the American stop-motion film ''
Mad Monster Party? ''Mad Monster Party?'' is a 1967 stop-motion animated musical comedy film produced by Rankin/Bass Productions for Embassy Pictures. The film stars the voices of Boris Karloff, Allen Swift, Gale Garnett and Phyllis Diller. It tells the story ...
'' (1967). Dracula would appear in animated television such as Filmation's '' The Groovie Goolies'' which was broadcast in 1971. Dracula in this series was described by historian Hal Erickson as removing anything potentially horrifying about the character, as it resembled '' The Archie Show''. Dracula would make brief appearances in animated series such as '' The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie''. Other appearances in animated media include Japan's '' Dororon Enma-kun'' by
Toei Animation is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...
, and episodes of '' The Pink Panther Show'' and '' Challenge of the Superfriends''. Teenage descendants of Dracula appeared on '' Drak Pack'', which featured monsters as the good guys. the show featured the great-grandson of Dracula who thwarted his enemies by super-powered versions of their ancestors. Variations of younger family relatives of Dracula would re-appear alter in ''
The Comic Strip The Comic Strip are a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series ''The Comic Strip Presents...'', which was labelled as a pioneering example of the alternative comedy scene. The c ...
'' (1987) from Rankin-Bass/Lorimar-Telepictures featured "The Mini-Monsters" featuring the offspring of Dracula and other monsters at a summer resort Camp Mini-Mon, and
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
's ''Monster Tails'', part of ''
Wake, Rattle, and Roll ''Wake, Rattle, and Roll'' (retitled ''Jump, Rattle, and Roll'' when it aired on The Disney Channel on weekday afternoons in 1991''The Disney Channel Magazine'', Vol. 9, no. 5, September/October 1991: pp. 20, 36, 45.) is an American live-action/ ...
'' (1990) and the Japanese '' Vampire Hunter D'' (1985). Other humorous variations of Dracula's extended family included short-lived series like '' Little Dracula'' and '' Rick Moranis in Gravedale High''. Dracula made casual appearances in other animated television series in the 1980s, including Japan's '' Don Dracula'' and a second series on ''The Monster Kid'' and the British animated series ''
Count Duckula ''Count Duckula'' is a British children's television series, children's animated comedy horror television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Films, Cosgrove Hall Productions and produced by Thames Television as a spin-off of ''Dang ...
''. The 1990s featured Dracula appearing in television, such as brief appearances in episodes of '' Mina and the Count'', ''
Animaniacs ''Animaniacs'' is an American Animated series, animated Comedy television, comedy Musical film, musical television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation. It originally aired on Fox Broadcasting Company ...
'', ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' and ''
Case Closed ''Case Closed'', also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' since January 1994; its chapters are collected in 10 ...
''. The first decade of the 21st century also had Dracula appearing in animated television series, in episodes of the American series ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' (also branded with different #Alternative titles, alternative titles for seasons 8–11), is an American adult animated television series created by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late night progra ...
'', ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animation, adult stop motion, stop-motion animated sketch comedy television series created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The twelve-minute ...
'', '' Grim & Evil'', Japan's ''
Hellsing ''Hellsing'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. It was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's Seinen manga, manga magazine ''Young King OURs'' from April 1997 to September 2008, with its ...
'', and France's '' Titeuf''. Feature productions such as '' The Batman vs. Dracula'' were also released. The animated film series '' Hotel Transylvania'' featuring
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
as "Drac." gave the actor his biggest global hit. The first three films were large financial successes world-wide.


Books

*'' Makt Myrkranna'' (Powers of Darkness, 1901) by
Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...
and Valdimar Ásmundsson (10. July 1852 – 17. April 1902), is a rewritten Icelandic version of Stoker's novel, and also contains an original preface written by Stoker himself. First appeared in serial form in the newspaper ''Fjallkonan'' (The Lady of the Mountain) between January 1900 and March 1901, before being published in book form later the same year. New characters include detective called Barrington and a whole group of villainous aristocrats: Romanian Prince Koromesz, his sister, the beautiful Countess Ida Varkony; Margravine Caroma Rubiano, a medium; and Madame Saint Amand, an elegant young woman noted for taking a number of distinguished lovers. *A Swedish version from 1899, serialized in the country's newspapers ''Dagen'' and ''Aftonbladet'' under the title '' Mörkrets Makter'' which, just like the Icelandic title, means Powers of Darkness. The translations contains parts not present in neither ''Dracula'' or ''Makt Myrkranna'' and was translated by someone who used the pseudonym "A—e." *''Dracula'' has also inspired many literary tributes or parodies, including
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
's '' Salem's Lot'', Kim Newman's '' Anno Dracula''-which features a world where Dracula defeated Van Helsing's forces and took over England-,
Fred Saberhagen Fred Thomas Saberhagen (May 18, 1930 – June 29, 2007) was an American science fiction and fantasy author most famous for his ''Berserker'' series of science fiction short stories and novels. Saberhagen also wrote a series of vampire novels in ...
's '' The Dracula Tape'' and its many sequels, Wendy Swanscombe's
erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculp ...
parody ''Vamp'',
Dan Simmons Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948) is an American science fiction and horror writer. He is the author of the Hyperion Cantos and the Ilium/Olympos cycles, among other works that span the science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres, sometimes ...
' ''Children of the Night'' and Robin Spriggs' ''The Dracula Poems: A Poetic Encounter with the Lord of Vampires''. *The novel '' Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula; or, The Adventure of the Sanguinary Count'' by Loren D. Estleman features Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson becoming involved in the confrontation with Dracula, told as though the two were dealing with Dracula when he was not confronting Van Helsing's crew (although Holmes and Watson were not part of Van Helsing's core group, as the professor feared the extra publicity the detectives might attract to their cause). *In ''The Diaries of the Family Dracul'', a trilogy by Jeanne Kalogridis, Vlad's relationship with his mortal descendants is explored, as are the specific terms of his vampiric curse and his pact with the Romanian peasants who serve him. The novels are written in epistolary form and the story is intertwined with that of Stoker's novel, as well as events from the life of Vlad the Impaler, expanding on minor characters and details from the Dracula mythos and Romanian history and culture. * Elizabeth Kostova's 2005 novel '' The Historian'' follows several historians whose research has led them too close to Dracula as they hunt the vampire across Europe. *
Meg Cabot Meggin Patricia Cabot (born February 1, 1967) is an American novelist. She has written and published over 50 novels of young adult and adult fiction and is best known for her young adult series ''The Princess Diaries'', which was later adapted b ...
's 2010 novel ''Insatiable'' has a main character named Meena Harper who has a relationship with Dracula's son, Lucien. *In the book series '' Vampire Hunter D'', which takes place 10,000 years in the future, D's adversary Count Magnus discovers that D is the son of Dracula, who is referred to as "the Sacred Ancestor" in the series. * Freda Warrington's '' Dracula the Undead'' is an unofficial sequel to ''Dracula''. *Will Hill's '' Department 19'' is about Jamie Carpenter, a descendant of Henry Carpenter, Van Helsing's valet who saves Van Helsing's life multiple times. Department 19 (or Blacklight), is an organization started by the people from the original ''Dracula'', and they fight vampires across the world. * Dacre Stoker, a great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker, co-wrote with screenwriter Ian Holt a 2009 sequel to ''Dracula'' titled '' Dracula the Un-dead'' (Stoker's original title), which reveals that Dracula was not actually the true villain, but sought to eliminate the more dangerous Elizabeth Bathory, the storyline also revealing that Quincey Harker is actually the son of Mina and Dracula and ending with the death of all the characters while the sole survivor, Quincey, is last seen boarding the ''R.M.S. Titanic'' on her maiden voyage. Dacre Stoker claims that parts of the work are based on excised material from the original novel and Stoker's notes. In North America, the book was published by E.P. Dutton. *Dacre Stoker also co-wrote a 2018 prequel with J. D. Barker titled '' Dracul'', with Bram Stoker himself as the book's central character. *''A Betrayal in Blood'' by Mark A. Latham takes an unconventional interpretation of the original novel when
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
is hired by his brother Mycroft to investigate Dracula's death. In the course of the novel, Holmes confirms that Dracula was not a vampire, but in reality his death was part of a complex plan orchestrated by Van Helsing; a former German agent, Van Helsing was acquainted with Dracula in their youth, but after Dracula had an affair with Van Helsing's wife that resulted in the birth of a son, the son was given up for adoption to become Arthur Holmwood and Dracula was told that he was dead. In the course of the novel, Holmes determines that Van Helsing set up various complex deceptions to create the illusion of Dracula as a vampire, killed Quincey Morris because he realized the truth, hired an actress to pose as the vampire Lucy to reinforce his deception and blackmailed Jonathan and Mina to assist him due to their role in the death of Jonathan's employer Mr. Hawkins, while Renfield was the solicitor who was actually sent to Dracula's castle and driven insane by Dracula's manner. At the conclusion of the novel, the Harkers have been arrested, Holmwood is psychologically broken and Van Helsing commits suicide to escape a trial after he is caught by Holmes and Watson. *''Vlad: The Last Confession'' by Chris Humphreys mixes myth and historical facts. The novel retraces the life of the historical figure of Vlad III who inspired the Dracula legend. While the story is based on the historical 15th century ruler of
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
, it also draws inspiration from the vampire legends that surround the Wallachian Prince. *Gabrielle Estres' novel ''Captive'' retraces the life of Vlad Țepeș, the Wallachian ruler who inspired Bram Stoker's ''Dracula''. The book combines historical facts and contemporary 15th century pamphlets with the vampire lore created by Stoker. *A version of Dracula (who hates the name and is known as Vlad Tepesh) appears first as a supporting character in the ''Night Huntress'' series by Jeaniene Frost, then in a more central role as the protagonist's love interest in the spin-off ''Night Prince'' series. He is depicted as a powerful master vampire who was turned by a vampire named Tenoch and has the ability to control fire and read human minds in addition to the abilities common to vampires. *A prequel to Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'', Robert Statzer's ''To Love a Vampire'' (), chronicles Dr. Abraham Van Helsing's days as a medical student, depicting his first confrontation with the occult during an encounter with Countess Elizabeth Bathory and her niece,
Carmilla ''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic fiction, Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. It is one of the earliest known works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (1897) by 25 years. First published ...
Karnstein. Originally published as a serial in the pages of ''Scary Monsters Magazine'' from March 2011 to June 2013, a revised version of ''To Love a Vampire'' was reprinted in paperback and Kindle editions in June 2018. * Kim Newman's '' Anno Dracula series'': in the first novel '' Anno Dracula'' (1992), Count Dracula killed Abraham Van Helsing in 1888, married
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
and has taken over the
British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
. In ''
The Bloody Red Baron ''Anno Dracula: The Bloody Red Baron'', or simply ''The Bloody Red Baron'', is a 1995 alternate history/Horror fiction, horror novel by British author Kim Newman. It is the second book in the Anno Dracula series, ''Anno Dracula'' series and take ...
'' (1995), by 1918 Count Dracula is Supreme Commander of the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
armies during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. * Patrick Sheane Duncan's '' Dracula vs. Hitler'' (2016): A sequel to Stoker's ''Dracula'' in which Van Helsing awakens Dracula in 1941 to fight the
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
s in Romania.


Short stories

* Shepard, Leslie. 1977. ''The Dracula Book of Great Vampire Stories''. Secaucus, N.J.: Citadel Press. . Edited with an introduction by Leslie Shepard: Le Fanu, S. Carmilla.--De Maupassant, G. The Horla.--Count Stenbock. The Sad Story of a Vampire.--Braddon, M. E. Good Lady Ducayne.--Loring, F. G. The Tomb of Sarah.--Crawford, F. M. For the Blood is the Life.--Benson, E. F. The Room in the Tower.--Blackwood, A. The Transfer.--Stoker, B. Dracula's Guest.--Neruda, J. The Vampire.--Benson, E. F. Mrs. Amworth.--Roman, V. Four Wooden Stakes.--Hartmann, F. An Authenticated Vampire Story. * Michael Sims. 2010. ''Dracula's Guest: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Vampire Stories''. Walker & Co. . 480 pages. Michael Sims brings together the very best vampire stories of the Victorian era—from England, America, France, Germany, Transylvania, and even Japan—into a unique collection that highlights their cultural variety. Beginning with the supposedly true accounts that captivated Byron and Shelley, the stories range from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Oval Portrait" and Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla" to Guy de Maupassant's "The Horla" and Mary Elizabeth Braddon's "Good Lady Ducayne". Sims also includes a 19th-century travel tour of Transylvanian superstitions and rounds out the collection with Stoker's own "Dracula's Guest"— a chapter omitted from his landmark novel. * Lanzara, Joseph. 2012. ''Classic Monster Novels Condensed'' contains a
novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...
of 28,000 words, which is closely based on the 162,000-word Bram Stoker novel and told in traditional third person narrative. New Arts Library. .


Comics

Horror comics suffered in competition from the
superhero fiction Superhero fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction examining the adventure fiction, adventures, personalities and ethics of costumed crime fighters known as superheroes, who often possess Superpower (ability), superhuman powers and battle si ...
genre, with Dracula and other vampires sometimes finding their mythos absorbed into the genre, such as Dracula's cape seen in films being part of the inspiration for the look of
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
. ''Dracula'' was first adapted into a comic in the Avon in August 1953 as ''Eerie'' #12. The comic generally faithful to Stoker's book with a changed ending. The comic book industries self-regulation of American comics forbid vampires from appearing in major comic publications such as
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
,
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
and other major publications from 1954 to 1971. In 1962 and 1963,
Dell Publishing Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and ...
released comics based on the Universal horror properties including ''Dracula''. These comics featured new stories, not based on the films. Dell re-thought ''Dracula'' in 1966, where a follow-up comic turned a descendant of ''Dracula'', who turned into a character that resembled
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
. '' The Tomb of Dracula'' was released by Marvel in the early 1970s that led to Count Dracula later battling superheroes such as
Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
and
Captain Britain Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain'' #1 by writer Chris Cl ...
, as well as the
Werewolf by Night The Werewolf by Night (also known as the Werewolf) is the name of two Werewolf, werewolves appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of Werewolf by Night, Jack Russell, first appeared in ''Marvel Spotlig ...
and The Frankenstein Monster. ''Dracula Lives!'' (1973) and ''Giant-Size Dracula'' (1974) followed with Marvel ending its Dracula comics in 1980. The 1980s included Dracula titles including ''Blood of Dracula'' which ran for 19 issues. Other titles ranged from Eternity Comics's adaptation of Stoker's novel to Pioneer Comics' ''Vegas Knights'' which had Dracula fighting ninjas. In 1991, Marvel recreated ''The Tomb of Dracula'' for a four-issue limited series. By the end of the year, DC published '' Batman & Dracula: Red Rain'' which sold well. Topps Comics published an adaptation on the ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'' film. In 1992 to 1994, Dracula would battle several characters ranging from
Zorro Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...
, to several superheroes including
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
, the
Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
and the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
. Several indie publishers such as
IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW) and is recognized as the fifth-largest comic ...
and
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
making darker and horror themed comics such as '' 30 Days of Night'' led to an illustrated issue of the novel ''Dracula'' in 2009 as well as
Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
's '' Castlevania'' franchise. Dracula battled the famous Kaiju
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
in ''Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre'' by IDW Publishing, in a story that also featured
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
and Jay Gatsby.


Toys and games

In his article on horror-themed toys and collectibles in '' Rue Morgue'' magazine, James Burrell found that in the late 1950s as a new generation of children watched
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
catalogue of horror films on '' Shock Theatre'', which gave the series a "kid-friendly" status. Most toy manufacturers conformed to the Toy Advertising Guidelines created by the Code Authority of the National Association of Broadcasters. In 1963, the American retailer
Montgomery Ward Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a mail-order business and later a department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001; its common nickname was "Monkey Wards". ...
mailed out copies of their Christmas catalog which features models of various popular monsters including Dracula made by the Aurora Plastics Corporation. These were followed by various bubblegum cards, stickers,
board games A board game is a type of tabletop game that involves small objects () that are placed and moved in particular ways on a specially designed patterned game board, potentially including other components, e.g. dice. The earliest known uses of the ...
, battery-operated and wind-up toys, rubber marks made by companies like Leaf Brands,
Remco Remco Industries Inc. was an American toy company. Founded in 1949, it is known for toys integrating technology and innovation from their inception. The company's slogan in its early TV commercials was, "Every Boy Wants a Remco Toy...And So Do ...
, and Don Post Studios. By 1964, Phil Shabecoff of ''The New York Times'' reported this as a "Monster-mania" for toy companies while a spokesperson from Remco stated "Our monster toys aren't nearly the hot item that our
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
dolls are." These toys continued to be produced into the 1970s resembling the Universal Horror look of Dracula with less and less produced with the release of ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' leading to more toys developed by for that line. Toys of the Universal monsters were re-introduced in the mid-1980s by Imperial Toy Corporation who put out a set of four Universal monster figures. In 1998, Sideshow Collectibles was the first toy companies to sculpt Toys and action figures of Count Dracula that were accurate to actors like Bela Lugosi. Toys featuring the character of Dracula continued to be produced into the 21st century with by various companies including McFarlane Toys, NECA, and
Funko Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures Brand licensing, licensed and limited popular culture, pop culture collectibles, known for its licensed Polyvinyl chloride, vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces li ...
.


Video games

Count Dracula has appeared in various video games, ranging from being a lead character to brief cameo appearances. Among the first Dracula-themed computer games was '' The Count'' (1979) by Scott Adams. In 1986, ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' was released which contained static graphics considered gory enough to become the first computer game to be rated "15" by the British Board of Film Censors. The first game of
Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
's '' Castlevania'' series, released in 1986 on the
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
, features Simon Belmont who traverses Castle Dracula to have a final confrontation with the final boss character of
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
. The series continued for decades, with Dracula being resurrected and subsequently banished continuously throughout. Carl Wilson described him as a pervasive character across the series, driving the narrative of the games by being "part of the environmental mood" rather than by physically stalking and intimidating the protagonists. Other series and one-off games featuring Dracula were also released from the 1990s onward, such as '' Dracula Unleashed'' (1993), ''Dracula Detective'' (1996–1998), '' Dracula: Resurrection'' (1999-2014), and several adaptations of
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...
's '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'' (1993 and 1994). Dracula is largely unseen within these games outside a climax or in key art. This also happened to take advantage of the copyright-free status of the character in numerous low-budget games and series such as ''Dracula: Love Kills'' (2011) or ''Incredible Dracula'' (1995-2020).


Radio and audio

*In 1938,
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...
and
John Houseman John Houseman (born Jacques Haussmann; September 22, 1902 – October 31, 1988) was a Romanians, Romanian-born British Americans, British-American theatre and film producer, actor, director, and teacher. He became known for his highly publ ...
chose ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' to be the inaugural episode of the new radio show featuring their Broadway production company, ''
The Mercury Theatre on the Air ''The Mercury Theatre on the Air'' is a radio series of live radio dramas created and hosted by Orson Welles. The weekly hour-long show presented classic literary works performed by Welles's celebrated Mercury Theatre repertory company, with mus ...
''. The adaptation was largely faithful to the book, although condensed to fit in the show's hour-long format and with a different ending. Welles was the voice of both Dracula and "Arthur Seward", a pastiche character combining two of Lucy's suitors. The music was composed by
Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in film scoring. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely regarde ...
. *
Lorne Greene Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; February 12, 1915 – September 11, 1987) was a Canadian actor, singer, and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Adama in ...
starred as Dracula in a 1949
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
broadcast directed by Andrew Allen. *On 2 May 1974 ''The CBS Radio Mystery Theater'', hosted by E. G. Marshall, broadcast an adaptation of ''Dracula'' by George Lowthar with
Mercedes McCambridge Carlotta Mercedes Agnes McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004) was an American actress of radio, stage, film, and television. Orson Welles called her "the world's greatest living radio actress". She won an Academy Award for Best Support ...
, Paul Hecht and
Marian Seldes Marian Hall Seldes (August 23, 1928 – October 6, 2014) was an American actress. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for '' A Delicate Balance'' in 1967, and received subsequent nominations ...
. * Loren D. Estleman's novel ''Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula: The Adventure of the Sanguinary Count'' was adapted for
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
and directed by Glyn Dearman in 1981 and starred David March as Dracula with John Moffatt as
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
, Timothy West as
Dr. Watson Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). "The Adventure of Shosc ...
and Aubrey Woods as van Helsing. *In 1994, Frederick Jaeger starred as Dracula in
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
's seven half-hour-episode adaptation of Stoker's novel by Nick McCarty. *In November 2006, the
BBC World Service The BBC World Service is a British Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection and audience reach. It broadcas ...
broadcast a two-part adaptation by John Foley based on the play by
Liz Lochhead Liz Lochhead Hon FRSE (born 26 December 1947) is a Scottish poet, playwright, translator and broadcaster. Between 2011 and 2016 she was the Makar, or National Poet of Scotland, and served as Poet Laureate for Glasgow between 2005 and 2011. ...
. It starred
David Suchet Sir David Courtney Suchet ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor. He is known for his work on stage and in television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenheimer'' (1980) and received the RTS and BPG awards for his pe ...
as Dracula and
Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is a British actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), beginning with ''Thor (film), Thor'' in 2011 and incl ...
as Jonathan Harker. *On 23 February 2008
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
's ''Saturday Drama'' broadcast ''Voyage of the Demeter'', a one-hour radio play by Robert Forrest that dramatized the events that took place on board the schooner that transported Dracula to Whitby. Count Dracula, identified in this play as "The Gentleman", was played by Alexander Morton. *In May 2011, L.A. Theatre Works produced, recorded and aired a dramatization of the novel starring David Selby as Van Helsing, John Glover as Renfield, Karl Miller as Jonathan Harker, Moira Quirk as Lucy Westenra, Lisa O'Hare as Mina Murray and Simon Templeman as Count Dracula. The production is currently available for purchase and download on Audible.com. *In January 2012,
Big Finish Productions Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and radio drama, audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'' ...
released the audio ''Sherlock Holmes: The Tangled Skein'', which serves as both a sequel to the classic ''
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
'' tale ''
The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four Detective fiction, crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serial (literature), serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from ...
'' and a retelling of ''Dracula'', as Holmes and Watson's investigation into the return of ''Hound'' villain Stapleton leads to the discovery of Dracula's presence in England, with Van Helsing- now acting alone- asking for their help in confronting Dracula. The audio culminates in a confrontation at Baskerville Hall after Holmes and Watson have killed the now-vampire Stapelton, the two driving Dracula into the Grimpen Mire where he is destroyed by the rising sun after he is trapped in the Mire before sunrise. This adaptation includes
Nicholas Briggs Nicholas Briggs (born 29 September 1961) is an English actor, writer, director, sound designer and composer. He is associated with the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Da ...
as Sherlock Holmes, Richard Earl as Dr Watson,
Barnaby Edwards Barnaby Edwards (born 20 August 1969) is a British actor, writer, director and artist. He is known as a performer for the British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', in the role of a Dalek operator. He has also written, directed, p ...
as Stapleton, John Banks as Van Helsing, and
Giles Watling Giles Francis Watling (born 18 February 1953) is a British Conservative politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton from 2017 until 2024. He was an actor prior to entering politics. Early life and education Giles Watli ...
as Count Dracula, with all actors aside from Briggs and Earl playing other roles in this adaptation. *A new two-part adaptation of Stoker's novel by
Rebecca Lenkiewicz Rebecca Lenkiewicz (born 1968) is a British playwright, screenwriter, film director, and former actress. She is best known as the author of '' Her Naked Skin'' (2008), which was the first original play written by a living female playwright to be ...
was broadcast as part of
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
's "Gothic Imagination" series on 20 and 27 October 2012, starring
Nicky Henson Nicholas Victor Leslie Henson (12 May 1945 – 15 December 2019) was a British actor. Early life Henson was born in London, the son of Harriet Martha (née Collins) and comedian Leslie Henson, a few days after VE Day, hence his middle name, Vi ...
as Count Dracula. Also as part of the "Gothic Imagination" series on 28 October 2012, the F.W. Murnau film ''
Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' () is a 1922 silent film, silent German Expressionism (cinema), German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who ...
'' was reimagined on
BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
as the radio play ''Midnight Cry of the Deathbird'' by Amanda Dalton directed by Susan Roberts, with Malcolm Raeburn playing the role of "Graf Orlock (Count Dracula)". *In 2016, Canadian company Bleak December released a heavily abridged full-cast production starring
Tony Todd Anthony Tiran Todd (December 4, 1954 – November 6, 2024) was an American actor known for his distinctly deep and gravelly voice. He amassed several credits on screen and in video games since the 1980s, including the Candyman (character), titl ...
as the count. It received a limited exclusive vinyl release from Cadabra Records. *On 28 October 2017,
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
broadcast, as part of its "Unmade Movies" series, ''Hammer Horror's The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula'', adapted from an unproduced Hammer Horror film script and set in 1930s India. Directed by
Mark Gatiss Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. Best known for his acting work on stage and screen as well as for co-creating television shows with Steven Moffat, he has received ...
, the cast included Lewis MacLeod as Count Dracula,
Michael Sheen Michael Christopher Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1992), ''Don't Fool wi ...
as the Narrator, Anna Madeley as Penny Woods, Nikesh Patel as Prem and Ayesha Dharker as Laksmi,


Music and audio recordings

Count Dracula began appearing on musical records as early as 1958 when
horror host A horror host is a person who acts as the host or presenter of a program where horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal w ...
John Zacherle recorded the novelty single " Dinner with Drac" which charted on the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart the same year. When
Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid (game show), ...
played it on his ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...
'' television show, he requested Zacherle record a less-violent version. Other novelty songs followed such as Bruno Martino's "Dracula Cha Cha Cha" (1959), Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers with their song " Monster Mash" (which made reference to Dracula among various monsters while imitating the voice of
Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...
. In the early 1960s, horror-themed
spoken word Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...
albums were released, such as ''Famous Monsters Speak'' (1963) featuring actor Gabriel Dell imitating Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula. Similar albums followed recorded by Christopher Lee reading a variation of Stoker's novel. Similar recordings were released into the 1970s. Power Records released audio recordings accompanied by comic adaptations of ''Dracula'' such as their ''Tomb of Dracula'' series in 1974. Some rock musicians made reference to horror characters in the 1970s, such as Blue Öyster Cult having several references to vampirism in songs like "Tattoo Vampire", "Harvest Moon", "After Dark", "I Love the Night" and more specifically to Dracula with "Nosferatu". The British group
Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the , was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined Decorative arts, crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., ...
would write the 1979 song " Bela Lugosi's Dead", a track that described an exaggerated funeral of Lugosi, with Alexis Petridis of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' stating the track "would have been just another piece of
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
experimentation had it not been for the lyrics, which depicted the funeral of the Dracula star, with bats swooping and virgin brides marching past his coffin." Petridis declared the song spawned several similar bands to Bauhaus in its wake leading to
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...
becoming a codified musical genre. Songs outside rock music making references to Dracula were in
hip hop music Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...
ranging from small references in
The Sugarhill Gang The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group formed in Englewood, New Jersey, in 1979. Their hit " Rapper's Delight", released the same year they were formed, was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, rea ...
's "
Rapper's Delight "Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 rap song that serves as the debut single of American hip-hop trio the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's " King Tim III (Personality Jock)", "Rapper ...
" (1979) to more broad takes including
Outkast Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest an ...
's song "Dracula's Wedding" from '' Speakerboxxx/The Love Below'' (2003). Films adaptations of Count Dracula would influence the
extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...
music scene. J. Bennett of ''
Decibel The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a Power, root-power, and field quantities, power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whos ...
'' described
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
'' In the Nightside Eclipse'' (1994) as establishing the band as "the reigning masters of a more complex, atmospheric style of "
symphonic black metal Symphonic black metal is a subgenre of black metal that emerged in the 1990s and incorporates symphonic and orchestral elements. History One of the earliest forerunners in what would come to be the sound of symphonic metal was Celtic Frost ...
"". Emperor guitarist Samoth specifically described that among their visual and musical influences of ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...
'', the band had a period where they were obsessed with Dracula noting ''
Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' () is a 1922 silent film, silent German Expressionism (cinema), German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who ...
'' (1922) and '' Nosferatu the Vampyre'' (1979) as being a "part of our ambiance and visual influences."


Others

The
General Mills General Mills, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded ultra-processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in ...
cereal mascot
Count Chocula Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
is a vampire who craves Count Chocula cereal rather than blood. His title of Count is an allusion to that of Count Dracula's. The association of the book with the
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
fishing village of
Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy. From the Middle Ages, Whitby ...
has led to the staging of the bi-annual Whitby Gothic Weekend, an event that sees the town visited by Goths from all over Britain and occasionally from other parts of the world. In addition, the
Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...
runs a fundraising bungee jump event in the town every April named the Dracula Drop. '' Mad'' magazine has published countless spoofs of Dracula. In one, appearing in the ''Mad Summer Special 1983'', on the inside front cover, a cartoon sequence drawn by
Sergio Aragonés Sergio Aragonés Domenech ( , ; born 6 September 1937 in Sant Mateu, Castellón, Spain) is a Spanish-Mexican-American cartoonist and writer best known for his contributions to ''Mad (magazine), Mad'' magazine and creating the comic book ''Groo t ...
shows Dracula attacking a hippie who has taken
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...
; Drac staggers away, seeing colorful
hallucination A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the compelling sense of reality. They are distinguishable from several related phenomena, such as dreaming ( REM sleep), which does not involve wakefulness; pse ...
s including blood,
bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
s and such. In the film '' Forgetting Sarah Marshall'', composer Peter Bretter ( Jason Segel), in a subplot, finishes his Dracula-themed rock opera titled ''A Taste for Love''. Russian authors Andrey Shary and Vladimir Vedrashko in 2009 published a book ''Sign D: Dracula in Books and on the Screen'' devoted in particular to Dracula image implications in Soviet and Russian popular and mass culture. In the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, discount store Poundland changes the voice of its self-service checkouts to that of Dracula throughout the
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
retail period. The popular Youtube channel PLUMMCORP Records features a multi-part series entitled, ''Dracula Flow''. In it, an elderly man pretends to be a deranged 12 million year old sex and drug adicted version of Dracula, who raps lines ranging from the vulgar to the absurd.cit


Tourism

There are several locations associated with Dracula and Bram Stoker related tourism in Ireland, Britain, and Romania. These include
Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy. From the Middle Ages, Whitby ...
in
North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...
and
Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
in central Romania, where especially Bran Castle is marketed to tourists as "Dracula's Castle".


See also

* List of actors who have played Dracula *
Vampire film Vampire films have been a staple in world cinema since the era of silent films, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptat ...


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Bram Stoker Official website
{{Dracula Vampires in popular culture Literature in popular culture Films in popular culture