Frankensteinical

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Forty: We’re back with comic artist Dan Piraro.  You know how, sometimes, you maybe get stuck for an idea and go back to a particular well?  Dan is doing that here.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s still legit funny, maybe even funnier.  But you may remember that on day twenty-three, I posted a comic from August 6 of 2013.  In it, with a more elaborate background, a female medical professional in scrubs is asking the Monster: “Would you like to register to be an organ donor?”  His reply: “I’m afraid I’d be accused of ‘regifting.’”  Here, on October 30 of the same year, slightly less than three months later, we get a male medical professional in scrubs asking a similar Monster, “Would you like to become an organ donor, sir?”  To which the Monster replies, “Actually, I’m more of a collector.”  I do wonder about this.  Did he get stuck for an idea?  Did he get pressed for time?  Or did he simply come up with two different punchlines for the same setup, and couldn’t resist using them both?  Which one do you like better?

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Thirty-Nine: If you like the novel Frankenstein, then you will either love or hate Gris Grimly’s 2013 art-book adaptation of the story.  And artist with a cartoony and fairly oogy style, whom I mentioned earlier this Frankenstein season, Grimly himself obviously loves the Shelley novel, and has put heart and soul (and probably spleen, too) into this adaptation.  Is it weird and silly?  Yes.  Is it over-the-top?  Also, yes.  But does it also capture the can-do scientific hubris of the story?  Yes, it does.  Special thanks to my sister Lara, who gave me my copy of this excellent gooeyness.

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Thirty-Eight: I don’t know if you know about Ring Dolls.  I didn’t, until following the Frankensteins led me to them.  They’re a brand of Chinese collectable ball-joint doll, but to say that alone is to sell them short.  They are unreasonably gorgeous concept dolls, with elaborate wardrobe capabilities.  In 2013, as a part of their “Endless Wasteland” line, Ring Doll made a Frankenstein doll, along with a Bride doll named Eva.  These are they, in all their ruinous beauty.  At 2.3 feet tall, the pair of them, now discontinued, brand new would have set you back nearly 2000 dollars!  I feel like their should have been a cartoon, or at least a comic book.

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Thirty-Seven: The theme of this Twix commercial, shot in 2013 is that sometimes, “your head is somewhere else.”  Same, Monster, same.  Also, that apparently Twix is “the monster treat.”  I don’t know so much about that.  But this is overarchingly a charming commercial.  I wish I knew who played the monster, but the internet is scanty when it comes to commercial credits.  But I will say that this is pretty good Monster design, particularly the long, elaborate neck electrodes the arm tattoo, and the detachable head neck-fitting.  I’m always impressed when a commercial can come in with a new angle on the Frankenstein theme.  What do you think?

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Thirty-Six: One of the things I really appreciate about the story of Frankenstein is the number of secondary uses to which it can be put.  In 2013,  Salarya Book Company put out a “Graphic Horror” line of three illustrated gothic novels—bordering on comic book adaptations—intended to help developing readers: Dracula; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; and Frankenstein.  The illustrations in the Frankenstein adaptation are by artist Penko Gelev, and include this very distinctive Monster design, at once historically plausible, pitiable, and horrific.  I love particularly the idea of his head being held together with a leather strap.  What do you say to this one?

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Thirty-Five: A piece of fine art that included ALL the famous video Frankenstein would likely be unwieldy.  This one, produced in 2013 by artist Bob Doucette (who has done a whole laundry-list of interesting projects) brings us six or seven (depending on how you count) of the greatest hits.  I would probably have chosen a somewhat different set.  But then, I’m not an artist.  I do appreciate, especially, the inclusion of Franken Berry in the bottom righthand corner, considering that he was my first Frankenstein.  What was yours?

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Thirty-Four: This is a cross-promotional Hot Wheels car, part of a set with the Universal Monsters.  The name of the car is “Double Demon Delivery,” and it’s the Frankenstein car.  I love how the creator of the package art managed to make this Monster iconic and Karloffian, but also tough and menacing.  He looks like he’s behind the wheel and challenging you to race.  The purple lightning background really sells it.

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day 33: Sometimes you get a fine-art Frankenstein that hits just right.  This is a gorgeous rendering, from 2013, of the 1965 Japanese film Furankenshutain tai Chitei Kaijū Baragon.  Titled “Frankenstein Conquers the World (and Baragon)” it’s by artist Timothy Lamb.  I tell you true, I would absolutely watch an entire feature-length version of an animated Frankenstein movie in this style.  What do you think of it?

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Thirty-Two: Monster Strike is a 2013 mobile role-playing physics game from Japan. Now, do I really understand what a “mobile role-playing physics game” is? Not exactly. But I know Frankensteins, and this is a pretty good Frankenstein. Apparently in this game, players fight monsters, collect monsters, fuse them, and evolve them. The images are first, the original way Frankenstein appears in the game, and second, how he appears after evolution (note the Bride behind him in that image). Worth noting, the giant screw through the head (often seen in Japanese Frankensteins). Also, pink is an unusual color for a Frankenstein. The two images hint at a story I’d love to know: from bare feet, heroic cape, and flaming chains in the first image, to buckled shoes, fancy shirt, and fiery fingers.

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Thirty-One: This is both beautiful and silly: a French-Canadian children’s adaptation of Frankenstein.  Published in 2013, it’s both adapted and illustrated by Belgian artist Fabrice Boulanger.  Look at this absolute cutie-pie of a villainous Frankenstein monster!  He’s wound up with a clock key!  His peg-leg and eye-patch make him look vaguely piratical.  No sportscoat, but he does have an excellent Longcoat.  If you want to try to read the French book, you can do it here with a free account: https://archive.org/details/frankenstein0000boul/mode/2up

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Thirty: in 2013, T-Mobil used both the Frankenstein Monster and his Creator as part of an advertising campaign called “The Simple Choice,” comparing their brand to AT&T.  Sadly, I can’t find who played the Monster in this excellent and very funny spot, but I do love the creature design.  The Monster is asymmetrical with the classic greenface, flathead design, but with the more 1931-film-accurate electrodes instead of bolts in his neck.  Also, check out the Pretty Good Sportscoat™.  As far as commercial Frankensteins go, this one is a keeper.  But what do you think?

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Twenty-Nine: Every once in a while, something special comes along that makes me proud to be a Frankenstein fan.  Such a thing is the organization “Don’t be a Monster,” around since 2013.  From their website: “Don’t Be A Monster is a nationally recognized organization that works alongside haunted attractions to provide free bullying prevention assemblies to schools across the US.”  In plain terms, haunted houses and such around the country help sponsor presentations in schools, attended by the costumed character “Frank Shelley” (see what they did there?) a student who is “different” and has special needs.  His simple message?  “Bullies are the real monsters.”  The man in the monster suit is Steve Duggar, who had his own experiences with real-life bullies growing up.  Besides being a great cause, it’s also an excellent take on the Monster.  Check out their website: https://www.dontbeamonster.org/

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Twenty-Eight: Sometimes a candy wrapper is just a candy wrapper. Sometimes it's a Frankenstein. I unwrapped this charming Russell Stover wrapper from a piece of chocolate in the wild in October of 2013. I particularly love how the classic electrodes are very definitely hexagonal bolts at this point. I also love the fact that somewhere there is some artist who got paid to create this Frankenstein portrait. I hope it was a goodly sum, because I like it. What do you think?

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Twenty-seven: The year 2013 brought with it many fine Frankensteins.  Among them, this quite good graphic novel, “Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein.”  The book is exactly what it says.  Sherlock Holmes and Watson end up investigating crimes that lead to a confrontation with Dr. Frankenstein.  The story features not only this Monster, accurate to the original Shelley novel, but also a Bride for him, too.  The Marcie Klinger art is not my favorite sort, but it’s just right for the story.  If you happen to seek it out and read it, let me know what you think!

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Twenty-Six: A Monsterous Holiday is a sweet little Halloween holiday special with some monster voice talent behind it (see what I did there?). It’s the story of Andy, a kid obsessed with science, and the Frankenstein monster, a monster obsessed with Christmas and playing football. It’s also got a giant blob of athlete’s foot fungus, and a kid who is NOT dressed as a zombie for Halloween. The whole wonderful silliness debuted in October of 2013. What it lacks in heft or artistic pizazz it makes up for in heart. My favorite thing about this monster's design is the permanently dilated left pupil. It makes the monster's expressions delightfully off-kilter. It's If you get a chance to watch it, I’d love to know what you thought.

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Twenty-Five: Once upon a time, Bill Hader put on Frankenstein makeup for a parody of the Twilight saga.  It was comedy gold.  It was the Saturday before Halloween of 2013—SNL, season 35, episode 5.  I’m not a huge SNL fan, but I have to say this digital short, titled “Firelight,” doesn’t miss a beat.  From the fact that Frankensteins tend to freak out around fire and accidentally choke people to death, to how there’s apparently a whole gang of them, to Taylor Swift doing a pitch-perfect Bella impression, the sketch, which plays out like a movie trailer, just keeps getting funnier and funnier.  If you’ve seen it, what did you think?

Forty Days of Frankenstein, Day Twenty-Four: When you follow the Frankensteins as I do, you’ll often find yourself visiting the realm of Archie comics.  Plenty of grist for the Frankenstein mill to be found there.  This image, though, is something special: a Halloween edition of Betty and Veronica Double Digest, on sale September of 2013 with Archie made up as the Frankenstein monster, and Betty and Veronica both as Brides of Frankenstein (which has implications that perhaps don’t bear thinking about too closely).  Anyhow, it’s issue #216, with art by artist Jeff Shultz, and colors by colorist Rosario Peña.  Things to love here: the “Bride” hairdos, drapey outfits, and bandages sported by both girls; the coppertop batteries on all three of them in lieu of electrodes; and the bright green potions they’re sipping from test-tubes.  What do y’all say?