Classic Comic of the Week: Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi
By d. emerson eddy — Over the past couple of weeks, we've shown you a couple of different interpretations of the character of Dracula incorporated into superhero stories. You're certainly not for want of Dracula content pretty much anywhere, with the character and the idea of vampires becoming part of pretty much global cultural heritage. Even adaptations of the source material, of Bram Stoker's original Dracula novel, are plentiful. Some very faithful adaptations, others much further afield. In the recent bundle of Legendary Comics by Humble, there was included a surprise of the recently published Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi by Robert Napton, El Garing, Kerry Gammill, Richard Starkings, and Tyler Smith.
From the introduction by Bela Lugosi's granddaughter, the genesis of this project partially came of Kerry Gammill's earlier anthology series utilizing Lugosi's likeness and a desire to cast him in a more faithful adaptation of Dracula than the movie he starred in. As such, this one's almost a direct adaptation, with Robert Napton utilizing pieces of Stoker's text and dialogue throughout. Some elements have been omitted, like the full nightmare of the Demeter's voyage to England and I believe some bits of both Mina and Lucy's journals, but otherwise is a fairly thorough representation of Stoker's story.
With the familiarity of the text, the real draw here is what's new, in the superb artwork from El Garing. This story lives and dies based on the ability to convey Bela Lugosi's likeness as Count Dracula and Garing does a wonderful job. He uses a largely realistic style, presented in black and white with grey washes, giving the overall feel to the story something akin to the old black and white films that Lugosi was known for. It captures a kind of nostalgic atmosphere, while still beautifully telling the Dracula story.
Although you could consider it text heavy, even as it's pared down from the full text of Stoker's novel, Starkings and Smith never get in the way with the narration boxes. Their lettering preserves the epistolary nature of the original novel, but not at the expense of crowding out the beautiful action in the artwork.
I think that Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi from Napton, Garing, Gammill, Starkings, and Smith is a good and faithful adaptation of Stoker's original novel. The artwork itself is gorgeous and it's a treat for fans of Bela Lugosi to see him, after a fashion, reprise the role.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi
Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi
Adapted By: Robert Napton
Artist: El Garing
Additional Art: Kerry Gammill
Letterers: Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Tyler Smith
Publisher: Legendary Comics
Bram Stoker. Bela Lugosi. Two names forever bound by Dracula. 15 years after the novel's publication, Dracula creator and author Bram Stoker passed away. He never got a chance to see how actor Bela Lugosi's ground-breaking stage and screen portrayal of his character electrified and terrified audiences in the late 20s and early 30s. This performance became iconic and set the standard by which all actors taking on the caped mantle would be judged. With a tale so rich in detail and atmosphere, the version of Dracula that Lugosi starred in departed significantly from Stoker's original gothic tale. Now, for the first time, Bram Stoker's classic tale of horror and Bela Lugosi are properly introduced in an all-new graphic novel. With the cooperation of Lugosi LLC, Artist El Garing, Art Director Kerry Gammill, and adaptor Robert Napton take us on a journey into the heart of Stoker's masterpiece and reminds modern audiences why Bela Lugosi is Dracula.
Release Date: November 3, 2020
Price: $29.99
Buy It Here: Bram Stoker’s Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi
Read past Classic Comics of the Week!
d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.
