Boris Karloff Blog-A-Thon!!!

Those of you who have been following Robot 13 for a minute know that there is a definate connection between what we are doing in the comic & Frankenstein. What you might not realize, however, is that the Frankenstein connection is not just between R13 and the novel- the various movie incarnations (expecially the early Universal releases) had a strong influence on the story as well.

Growing up, the Karloff Frankenstein was THE definiative version. Yes, the Hammer movies were cool in their own right, but nothing beat those early films for me. Karloff brought a sensitivity and pathos to the character that has still been unmatched to this day. He made you feel that the "Monster" was really just a Human being, awkward and fumbling but ultimately not really evil. You saw the pain, the sadness and the confusion that Karloff poured out into his role- truely embodying the soul of the character as Mary Shelly put it in her novel. You also understood that Karloff's "Monster" was really a symbol, representing what it meant to be different and to be despised for those differences.

Because I was touched so profoundly by Karloff and his portrayal, I made sure we found ways to reference the movie visually, especially in the upcoming 3rd issue. If you look at the panel above, you can see how Robot 13's entrance into a room looks strikingly similar to that famous still of Karloff from the original film...

If you want to pick up the first 2 issues of Robot 13, you can get them here.

If you want to learn more about Boris Karloff, check out other entries from the Boris Karloff Blog-A-Thon at http://frankensteinia.blogspot.com/