THE CLASSICS NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE.
Whether you're a crazed Misfits fan or a connoisseur of classic cinema Frankenstein, Dracula, The Creature of The Black Lagoon will always remain a few icons of Classic Horror Cinema. I remember being a little boy going to the town library to check out the Wolfman and Phantom of The Opera on VHS(if you remember what that is) for an afternoon of adventure and mystery. I've graduated art school, started a career, but in many ways I'm still that five year old boy who loves monsters and isn't afraid of the dark.
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| The Creature From The Black Lagoon. 20 x 15 Pencil, Charcoal, & Conte Crayon on Textured Paper. alexiogessa.tumblr.com |
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I remember marveling at my tv screen as Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi delivered their iconic performances. I don't think anyone else can fill the boots of Frankenstein's monster like Boris Karloff. The bolts in the neck, the drooping brow, the sad expression hanging on his face all add up to one of the most incredible creatures in movie history.
"The monster was the best friend I ever had." Boris Karloff
I guess in many ways a monster can be your friend. After all if one reads the novel, it is discovered that Dr. Frankenstein is the real monster for abandoning his creation. One thing I find most striking of all in the Frankenstein story is that it is not about death but life. So many horror films of past and present deal with death or the threat of it, but Frankenstein is about bringing something to life. I can't think of many other tales of terror that make coming to life seem so scary. I think this is the single most distinguishing feature of the Frankenstein legacy.
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| Lon Chaney Sr from the silent film The Phantom of The Opera. 20 x 15 Pencil, Charcoal, & Conte Crayon on Textured Paper. |
"In between films there is no Lon Chaney." Lon Chaney
The Phantom was just one of the thousand faces for the actor Lon Chaney Sr. The son of deaf parents he learned to pantomime at an early age to help communicate. The lemons were made to lemonade when those pantomime skills aided him as a star in the silent film era.
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| Joker Ink-wash concept sketches based on the likeness of Lon Chaney Sr. 20 x 15 on paper alexiogessa.tumblr.com |
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In 1928 Lon Chaney Sr starred in the film The Man Who Laughs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Laughs_(1928_film)
He played a boy who's face was disfigured into a permanent grin during England of 1690. "Wanna know how I got these scars?" In early Batman comics the likeness of Lon Chaney Sr was used as an inspiration for the Joker.
Horror is hereditary. Lon Chaney Jr. is the famous for his portrayal of the Wolfman. "When the full moon shines, and the wolf's bane blooms, even a man who says his prayers at night can become a wolf," is a great line from the film.
In dealing with icons like the Wolfman or the Phantom at some point everything old becomes new again. I guess a great thing never dies!
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