Late last month, Biff Bam Pop’s weekly The Wednesday Run column highlighted the new Dark Horse Comics miniseries Universal Monsters: Dracula. Perfectly timed for the spooky season, the story is a retelling of the classic 1931 Dracula film famously starring Bela Lugosi – but with modern artistic sensibilities that push the visuals to blood-curdling extremes.
JP Fallavollita got the chance to speak via email with series artist Martin Simmonds on his work, the influence of that original film and, of course, the importance of the colour red.
JP Fallavollita: Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, Martin. The various Universal monsters have a beloved history with fans of the original films and even for those who love darker, more macabre subject matter. What is your history with the Universal films, specifically Dracula as a character, and what interested you in this particular project?
Martin Simmonds: I was pretty late to the party regarding the Universal movies, so it was many years after reading the original novel that I first saw the 1931 movie. Despite this, it’s testament to how entrenched in popular culture the image of Lugosi’s Dracula is as it’s the Dracula image that always sprang to my mind, despite not having seen the film.
JP Fallavollita: I understand that Universal Monsters: Dracula is near-faithful to the original 1931 Dracula film that famously starred Bela Lugosi. What sense of newness are you and writer James Tynion IV bringing to the comic book miniseries?
Martin Simmonds: Our version is an adaption of the Universal film, but we wanted to adapt it in a way that took it in a darker and more extreme direction, whilst still retaining what is at the core of the movie. One element that we could incorporate that the film couldn’t, is the use of colour. We wanted to show the contrast between Dr Seward’s scientific tangible world, and Count Dracula’s supernatural world, which is where the use of colour is introduced. We did this by using black and white/sepia in real world scenes, and full colour to represent the supernatural.
JP Fallavollita: You’ve worked with James Tynion IV before (on The Department of Truth). What’s it like working with him, and did that relationship change at all working on a horror property such as Universal Monsters: Dracula?
Martin Simmonds: James and I have been working together since early 2020, and over that time we have developed a fantastic working relationship. Despite our collaboration working well right from the start, I’d say we truly hit our stride when we got onto issue three of DoT. We’re twenty-two issues in on the series now, and Dracula is very much a continuation of that creative process.
JP Fallavollita: From the very first page of the first issue of Universal Monsters: Dracula, there’s a very real sense of dread and suspense that envelopes the reader. This comes across due to your evocative visuals and your colour palette choices. What was your thinking when planning how to both visually frame the story and also colour it? Certainly, red was always going to be an important and well-timed accent!
Martin Simmonds: Yes, red was always going to play a significant role in the visuals in this series, and in fact the use of colour throughout also. We use colour to signify Count Dracula’s supernatural powers and his influence over other people, so a page turn can create a massive impact when going from black and white/sepia to full-on colour intensity.
JP Fallavollita: Renfield, visually, really stands out for me on these pages. He’s a disturbing image as you illustrate him with no discernible markings on his face. It’s almost as if he were wearing a white, near-featureless mask – except for his eyes and mouth. So much of his emotion is conveyed in just those two aspects. What was your process for creating your version of Renfield?
Martin Simmonds: I wanted to show him as the victim in many ways – corrupted by Dracula, and living a half-life as his familiar. Renfield needed to look somehow different to the other characters in the book, like his soul has been stretched thin, vulnerable and worn away. His appearance is how I’d always imagined Renfield to look, even before working on this project, still reminiscent of Dwight Frye’s interpretation of him, but pushed to more of an extreme.Â
JP Fallavollita: Dracula, of course, makes his terrifying appearance in the first issue in multiple guises: wolf, bat, man, monster. What were your inspirations for his look and body language? There are moments that echo the compelling power of Lugosi’s eyes!
Martin Simmonds: Lugosi is most certainly an influence, especially in his body language and the way he positions his hands in that strange claw-like way. The eyes are vital in showing his powers and influence over Renfield, and the way both characters are connected.
James’ scripts detailed how he wanted to delve into the animalistic elements of Dracula, which allowed for some wonderful opportunities with the visuals. Despite the Lugosi Dracula often having this suave air about him, which was something we wanted to incorporate into our version of Dracula, we also wanted to show this visceral, animalistic aspect, something which is pure inhuman evil.
JP Fallavollita: It’s such a wonderfully painted book, Martin. Your love for the material is evident in each brushstroke that leaps from foreboding realism to horrific expressionism. What makes the story of Dracula and his visual representation so fascinating to fans today?
Martin Simmonds: The book is a classic story of good versus evil at its core, but also has so much depth to it, however, it seems to me that a lot of that depth is lost in the Universal film. In addition to the comic being an adaption of the Universal film, we wanted to create something with a darker, more visually intense aesthetic.
JP Fallavollita: What can readers expect from the next three issues of the miniseries?
Martin Simmonds: Lots of red!
JP Fallavollita: Many thanks for your time, Martin, and best wishes for continued success.
Martin Simmonds: Thank you. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series.
Many thanks to Martin Simmonds for taking the time to answer our questions and to Skybound Entertainment for helping to make it all happen. Universal Monsters: Dracula #1 is already available at your local comic book shop, with a second printing being made available due to popular demand. The second issue of the riveting miniseries is due to arrive in stores on November 22. Â Â Â
