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Gothic Vampire

Bela Lugosi as Dracula, the classic Gothic Vampire

The Gothic vampire has been made famous via Dracula "although the literary roots of this type of vampire can be traced back as far as the writings of Lord Byron."[1] The updated to survive in the latter half of the 20th century version is called the "Modern" Vampire.[2]

Their main difference is that while the Gothic vampire was traditionally associated with the aristocracy, the Modern vampire was traditionally associated with rebels, hoodlums, and outcasts.

Background[]

As the name suggests, the origins of the Gothic vampire is firmly placed in Victorian gothic writings of which Varney the Vampire and Dracula are the most well known. Originally the trend was that sunlight either had no effect or weakened a vampire. This changed with the 1922 movie Nosferatu where sunlight destroyed the vampire, a trait that would become the defaco standard for literature and movie vampires.

Unlike their Gothic predecessors, Modern vampires were not part of (or even acceptable) to polite society. This vampire was made famous via Anne Rice's 1976 Interview with the Vampire which also set the standard for a vampire society. A vampire Josie and the Pussycats[3] who can be active in daylight is the latest in this form of vampire.

There have been attempts to shake up the formula by reintroducing mythical elements that don't follow the cliche of current literature or movies (such as Hammer's 1974 Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter) but the only one that has really stuck has been Twilight.

  1. GURPS Blood Types pg 91
  2. GURPS Blood Types pg 99
  3. Afterlife with Archie #10
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