THE BIG SIX #5: D R A C U L A, Continued.

Dracula, coming at the tail end of the 19th Century, is the 20th Century's first Super-Villain. He appears in virtually every form of media, including an estimated 160 movies as a focal character. Dracula's influence on popular culture is diverse: The Shadow, Stephen King, Darth Vader, Anne Rice, Doctor Who episodes, Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange, Grandpa on the Munsters, and as a General Mills breakfast cereal, Count Chocula, to name just several incarnations.

Left: The great Bela Lugosi in Universal Pictures' 1931 production of Dracula, directed by Tod Browning. Right: 1974 novel in Lory's nine volume series.

Unlike romanticized media manifestations of the undead Count, Bram Stoker's character is truly a monster. Though he can appear urbane, Dracula is a foul smelling, night crawling thing. He is described in the novel after a meal: "It seemed as if the whole awful creature were simply gorged with blood; he lay like a filthy leech, exhausted with his repletion." Dracula's mouth "...was fixed and rather cruel looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth; these protruded over the lips..." And get this: "...his ears were pale and at the tops extremly pointed..." More than human.

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