You Always Remember Your First Vampire
Posted By Kathleen David on April 20, 2012
Yesterday it was announced by his family that Jonathan Frid passed away on Friday the 13th. Mr. Frid was best known for his portrayal of the original brooding vampire Barnabus Collins. Barnabus didn’t want to be a vampire and spent most of his time trying to find how to NOT be a vampire anymore. It was soap opera at its gothic soapiness and I loved every minute of it. Barnabus was the first vampire I encountered that didn’t want to be a vampire and regretted his blood thirst and harming others. There have been many since then but Barnabus Collins will always be the first one I encountered.
Years later, after I had graduated from Yale, I got a call from my advisor/mentor telling me about a gig that she had put my name in for and the contact information for the agent putting the tour together. It was for a tour of Jonathan Frid’s one man Edgar Allan Poe show. I made it back up to New York and met with the agent about it. I was tentatively offered the gig which wasn’t quite to the point where they were hiring. I held my schedule open as long as I could but I ended up taking another gig that lasted longer and paid better because I couldn’t wait on this job. One of my few regrets in my theatrical career. I think it would have been fun.
I am now thinking of making a Barnabus and Quentin puppets for DragonCon. I did a set years ago but I think that my techniques and abilities are much better than before and it seems the right time for it. Barnabus would have removable fangs and Quentin would have his normal face and his Werewolf face.
We also have the new film coming out in a month. I am sorry that Mr. Frid isn’t going to be able to see the fan reaction to the film. Apparently he has a cameo in it as are a number of other actors who were in the original series. I am an old school Dark Shadows fan that is going to go into the film with an open mind. I know what I am getting into because it was directed by Tim Burton and he does have a certain style that I enjoy. They can’t do what they did in the soap opera beat for beat because that was build up over weeks of a show. So they are going to have to cherry pick their shots from the wealth of material that Dan Curtis and his writers created. There are places that I am really hoping they won’t go because it didn’t work in the original Dark Shadows but soap operas can course correct where as a film really can’t.
I will confess that some of my first fanfic was Dark Shadows related. No, no one but me saw it and for some strange reason I reread it recently and I can say that no one but me WILL see it. My first fanfic that others saw was my Dr. Who fic.
I wonder how many Dark Shadows outfits there are going to be at DragonCon this year. I have seen a smattering over the years but I am expecting that this is the year for this and John Carter along with the Avengers who have been big at DragonCon for a while. I will say that the Barnabus costume has been made easier since the cane and the ring are slated for Halloween this year from Elope. (Deep dark secret, my college ring is gold with a black onyx stone. Yes, I got it that way because of Dark Shadows)
My sympathies to Mr. Frid’s family and friends.
I am grateful that I did have that opportunity even though it didn’t pan out.
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