Hammer Horror: Dracula

Hammer Horror was a subject that I touched upon in the Horror Crossover Encyclopedia, but not as fully as I had wished.  The book was starting to get too big and I had been working on it for years and it was time to make sacrifices to finish it.  Here is a sampling of Hammer Horror covered in the Horror Crossover Encyclopedia.  Hammer Horror is one of the subjects that will be expanded upon when I eventually get to writing the second volume of the Horror Crossover Encyclopedia, which I've already started researching for.

When I was little, my parents didn’t let me watch R rated movies. But I was allowed to watch anything that was on any of the six channels our television received. So I got to see older films and edited for television films. I fondly remember on Saturdays watching the Creature Double Feature, which showed old Universal, Hammer, Godzilla and B-1950s sci-fi monster films. I was very interested in scary stories, particularly with a supernatural element. Of all the monsters, vampires were my favorite, and I even admired Dracula’s character.

c. 1811 to 1886--LISZTOMANIA--Wagner is a Hammer-esque vampire who lives in a secluded castle when Liszt is tasked with exorcising him.

THE MANY FACES OF VAN HELSING “SO FAR FROM US IN ALL WAYS” (SHORT STORY BY CHRIS ROBERSON)

Release Date: April 2004 (Setting is 1860)

Series: Dracula (Bram Stoker)

Horror Crosses: Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires

Non-Horror Crosses: Fu Manchu

The Story: After the death of his child and commitment of his wife, Van Helsing decides to run away from his problems by taking a job in China. He escorts a body to China, and is accompanied by a priest named Master Xi and a young man named Fu Zheng Lei who may be a young Fu Manchu. They find themselves pursued by the last of 7 vampire warrior brothers.

Notes: Chris Roberson is one of my favorite authors of crossover fiction, and should I get around to writing the Sci-Fi Crossover Encyclopedia, I will be able to present my greatest case for my opinion. This story brings in Hammer Film’s Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, which is a piece that supports Chuck Loridans’ soul-clone theory. This story also brings in Fu Manchu, though only his original stories by Sax Rohmer and any crossovers in this book.

***UPDATED***DRACULA (NOVEL BY BRAM STOKER)

Release Date: May 27, 1897 (Contemporary Setting, though many speculate the true setting within the fictional reality is probably 1887)

Series: Dracula (Bram Stoker)

The Story: The undead Count Dracula, known in life as the 15th century Prince Vlad, the Impaler, lives in Transylvania, but comes to London with grand plans never truly stated, but with a side goal of taking young Jonathan Harker’s fiancee Mina Murray as his bride since she seems to be the reincarnation of his former bride from his living years. Professor Abraham Van Helsing comes to the aid of the young couple and helps to slay the vampire and his minions.

Notes: In the Horror Universe, it seems that there is more than one Dracula. Indeed, Dracula means “son of the dragon”, and dragon is another name for Satan. I believe that in fact, Dracula was the name given to the Vampire Lords of this cult, and these Lords were allowed the title Dracula. This accounts for many different variations of Dracula that all seem to be in the same reality. To take things a step further, it seems that this Dracula, who is based on the real historical figure of Vlad the Impaler, is the head of the Draculas, and has been gifted with a method of creating soul clones. This is a theory created by MONSTAAH researcher Chuck Loridans, and which has been incorporated into published works that are part of the Horror Universe, making it official. The full details of this theory can be found at http://monstaah.angelfire.com/the-monstaah-case-files.html, and this site includes a timeline and many essays. Though I love the timeline and essays, I am not considering any of it as canon unless it works its way into published works that get “crossed in”. But to sum up the theory itself, which is in, there are times when Dracula needs to rest, and he “turns” a human into a vampire, but also, embeds that new vampire with a type of mind control where the vampire to some degree believes himself to be THE count, with some of his memories merged with the original person’s personality thrown in. Dracula then sends the person off to carry out his plans while he slumbers and recharges. Sometimes he has more than one clone. His ability to control the clones, versus them taking charge for themselves, depends on various factors, such as how weak Dracula had been, how many clones are active, how far away the clones are from their master, and how strong the will of the clone is. Chuck Loridans says: “The soul-clone theory is based upon events recorded in the Hammer film, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. In this film’s 1804 opening, Kah, a Chinese wizard, travels to Transylvania to seek Dracula’s aid in reviving seven evil vampires. Kah’s wish is to be the master of these vampires himself, so that he may hold a reign of terror over China. What he soon learns is that you can’t cut deals with the Prince of Darkness. Dracula is intrigued with the idea of ruling an army of vampires, even if it is not in his native country. Dracula proclaims the wizard a fool, and grabs him by his throat. A swirling mist envelopes them both, and when we next see Kah’s body, he has the mind and voice of Dracula. When Kah departs, Dracula is nowhere to be seen. We next see Kah in 1904 China. He is destroyed by Lawrence Van Helsing, but before he turns to ashes, he reveals what Van Helsing already knew, that Kah was indeed Count Dracula. From this information, one might assume that Dracula used his shapeshifting abilities to transform himself into the wizard, travel to China, and rule the seven vampires. But if Dracula, in Kah form, was in China from 1804 to 1904, Dracula’s confrontations with Abraham Van Helsing, and later his son Lawrence Van Helsing, are impossible. Abraham fought Dracula in the year 1897 (Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, though some would argue that perhaps the actual events of the story took place ten years earlier, in 1887), and Lawrence, from 1895 to 1910 (see Hammer Films Dracula series). In Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, Van Helsing and Dracula acknowledge that they have met before. So the ‘soul-clone’ theory was born. Why does Dracula make soul-clones? It is shown time and time again that Dracula is strongest when surrounded by the soil of his native Transylvania, and is in peril if he does not have a supply of it nearby. From this one can assume that this soil is one of his sources of strength, fuel, if you will. Nowhere can a greater supply of this soil be found than in Transylvania itself. My theory is that the longer the Prince of Darkness rests in this soil, the stronger he becomes. Lying in the dirt for extended periods of time, however, is not helpful when one plans to rule the world. He needs field agents with great power to traverse the globe, setting his plans into motion. So he makes soul-clones, beings with powers almost equal to his. Living (or undead) puppets, which Dracula exists through, hears through, sees through, and drinks through, all while his original body lies sleeping, gathering power.” ***UPDATED***

ANNO DRACULA (SERIES BY KIM NEWMAN)

Release Date: 1992 - 2013 (so far) [Setting is 1888 -1991 (so far)]

Series: Anno Dracula

Horror Crosses: Dracula (novel); Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Invisible Man (novel); The Island of Doctor Moreau; The Vampyre; Varney the Vampire; The Soft Whisper of the Dead; They Thirst; Hotel Transylvania; The Black Castle; The Vampire Tapestry; Stephen King Universe; Carmilla; Good Lady Ducayne; The Tomb of Sarah; Ken’s Mystery; The Mysterious Stranger (story); The True Story of a Vampire; Carnacki Ghost Finder; Black Sabbath; The Picture of Dorian Gray; Interview with a Vampire (Anne Rice Vampire Lestat series); The Werewolves of London (Brian Stableford); Count Yorga; The Fearless Vampire Killers; Brides of Dracula; Vampire Circus; Dracula (Universal); Dark Shadows; El Vampiro; Black Sunday; Martin (George A. Romero film); Kolchak the Night Stalker; Blacula; Nosferatu; Kiss of the Vampire; Mr. Vampire; Blood of the Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Dracula (Hammer); Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; Averoigne; Grave of the Vampire/Seed of Terror; Hellraiser; Alraune; The Black Cat (film); Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural; The Vampire Thrills; Faustine; Near Dark; Forever Knight; Fright Night; The House of Dracula (novel by R. Chetwynd-Hayes); Anak Pontianak; Necroscope; Revelations in Black; The Dragon Waiting; The Bloody Pit of Horror/The Crimson Executioner; The Playgirls and the Vampire; The Niece of the Vampire/Fangs of the Vampire; The Phantom of the Opera; Incense for the Damned/Bloodsuckers; Addams Family (television); Frankenstein (Universal); The Monkey’s Paw; Three Mothers trilogy; Toby Dammit; The Exorcist; Cave of the Living Dead; The Golem (1920 film); The Old Dark House; Cat People; Black Magic (film); Spirits of the Dead; Les Vampires; The Awful Doctor Orloff; A Bucket of Blood; Those Who Hunt By Night/Immortal Blood/Traveling with the Dead; The Hunger; Fevre Dream; Empire of Fear; Dr. Blood’s Coffin; The Vampire’s Ghost; The Horrible Sexy Vampire; Mark of the Vampire; Vampire (1979); Vampyr - Der Traum des Allan Gray; El Hombre Lobo; Curse of the Undead; Circus of Horrors; The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus; Twice Bitten/Vampire Hookers; The Lost Boys; Deathmaster; Velvet Vampire; I, Vampire; Nancy Baker’s Vampire Stories; Sunglasses After Dark; Vamps (Vertigo Comics); Blade; Scooby-Doo; Hellboy; Nocturna; Rosemary’s Baby; American Psycho; Lost Souls; Elvira; Rosemary’s Baby; The Films of Tarantino and Rodriguez; Light at the End; Andy Warhol’s Dracula/Blood for Dracula; Geek Maggot Bingo; Daughter of Darkness; Nightmare in Blood; Madhouse; Vampire Junction/Vanitas; Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Shadowman; Werewolf of London; Little Shop of Horrors; Texas Chainsaw Massacre; The Howling; Gremlins; Suckers: Bleeding London Dry; Desire the Vampire/I Desire; The Creature Commandos; The Vampire (1957); The Vampire (Sydney Horler)

Non-Horror Crosses: Too numerous to list.

The Story: In 1888, during the events of Bram Stoker’s novel, events diverge and Dracula marries Queen Victoria, causing a major alteration in the socio-political world for the next 125 years and beyond.

Notes: This is a divergent timeline, but not a parallel universe. In my theory, a parallel universe is created at the dawn of time at the same time as the main universe and other parallel universes. They may evolve similarly, but they are separate. Meanwhile, each universe has a main timeline, and at each moment, there are an infinite number of divergent timelines created off of the main timeline. When thinking of divergent timelines, try picturing a fork in the road. Both paths lead in different directions, but they both start at the same point, and once were the same road. The Anno Dracula timeline has shown to be an alternate timeline of the main Horror Universe in several other entries in this reference guide. Because it’s a divergent timeline, the above horror crosses, though depicted in an alternate manner, should still count for inclusions in the Horror Universe. Some of the above crossed series are already in, and the others are brought in via this crossover series despite being an alternate timeline series. For the record, the complete Anno Dracula series (thus far) consists of Anno Dracula, the Bloody Red Baron: Anno Dracula 1918, Judgement of Tears: Anno Dracula 1959 (aka Dracula Cha Cha Cha), Coppola’s Dracula (from the Mammoth Book of Dracula), Castle in the Desert: Anno Dracula 1977, Andy Warhol’s Dracula: Anno Dracula 1978 - 1979 (from the Mammoth Book of Vampires), Who Dares Wins: Anno Dracula 1980, The Other Side of Midnight (from Vampire Sextette), You are the Wind Beneath My Wings: Anno Dracula 1984) and Johnny Alucard.

1895--HORROR OF DRACULA--Jonathan Harker begets the ire of Count Dracula after he accepts a job at the vampire's castle under false pretenses.  The Hammer Dracula is not the real Dracula, aka Dracula prime.  He is but one of the soul clones.  See the MONSTAAH website for more information on the alleged truth behind the films.  

1896--THE BRIDES OF DRACULA--Vampire hunter Van Helsing returns to Transylvania to destroy handsome bloodsucker Baron Meinster, who has designs on beautiful young schoolteacher Marianne.  Note the dates used for the Hammer films are taken from the MONSTAAH website, given by Chuck Loridans and Chris Nigro.  

***UPDATED***THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (FILM)

Release Date: 1974 (Setting is 1904)

Series: Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires

Horror Crosses: Dracula (Bram Stoker)

The Story: Kah is a Chinese monk who also happens to be the vampire leader of the 7 Golden Vampires. He comes to Dracula’s castle to seek the aid of the count, but instead the count possesses the monk. Years later, Professor Lawrence Van Helsing is lecturing in China when he gets involved in fighting six of the seven remaining golden vampires along with seven martial artist brothers.

Notes: This film was the inspiration for Chuck Loridans’ soul clone theory. The story of what became of the seventh golden vampire is later told by Chris Roberson in the Many Faces of Van Helsing. This film follows the Satanic Rites of Dracula. It was remade in 2003 in the Era of Vampires. The film has been referenced in Dust Devil, Don’t Wake the Dead, and From Dusk Till Dawn 3. NOTE THAT I PREVIOUSLY DID A BLOG POST ON THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES, BUT SINCE THEN HAVE FOUND MORE CROSSOVERS AND SO SINCE THAT FILM IS PART OF THE HAMMER DRACULA SERIES, I'VE INCLUDED CROSSOVERS WITH THAT FILM HERE AS WELL. ***UPDATED***

1905--DRACULA:  PRINCE OF DARKNESS--Dracula is resurrected, preying on four unsuspecting visitors to his castle.

1906--DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE--When his castle is exorcised, Dracula plots his revenge against the Monsignor who performed the rites by attempting to make the holy man's young niece his bride.

1908--TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA--Three middle-aged distinguished gentlemen are searching for some excitement in their boring bourgeois lives and get in contact with one of Count Dracula's servants, Lord Courtley. In a nightly ceremony, they restore the count to life. However, the three men killed Courtley and, in revenge, the count ensures that the gentlemen are killed one by one by their own children.

1909--SCARS OF DRACULA--A young man, Paul Carlson, is on a trip and spends the night at count Dracula's castle. Needless to say, he is murdered. After some time has passed, the young man's brother Simon comes to the small town where all the traces end to look for him.

THE BLACK FOREST (IMAGE COMICS)

Release Date: March 2004 (Setting is World War I)

Series: The Black Forest

Horror Crosses: Frankenstein (Novel); Frankenstein (Universal); Nosferatu; Dracula (Hammer)

The Story: A german sub crew discovers the original Frankenstein creature in the Arctic, and employs its own mad scientist to duplicate the process to create an army for them to conquer the world (of course.) However, Dr. Dye (really, that’s his name) needs the original notebooks from Frankenstein’s castle. Meanwhile, an American (of course) pilot and a british occultist (of course) race to the castle to destroy the notes before Dye can get his hands on them.

Notes: One could look at this book as extremely problematic or extremely fun. This book places the novels, the Universal films, the Hammer films, and the rip-off Nosferatu all in the same canon, despite them being very different versions of the same characters. But as you’ve seen if you’ve read these in order, I was up to the challenge. Of course, they include the novels via the original version of Frankenstein. But then they go and throw in an appearance of Visaria, the location of many of the Universal films. Meanwhile, British Intelligence is using the Chateau Meinster as their headquarters, which is from the Hammer film Brides of Dracula. And then Nosferatu is thrown in for good measure with a quick appearance. This graphic novel had a sequel, titled The Black Forest 2: Castle of Shadows, which seems to be crossover free, involving an army of apes this time around. Damn dirty apes.

1970--DRACULA A.D. 1972--Johnny Alucard raises Count Dracula from the dead in London in 1972. The Count goes after the descendants of Van Helsing.

1971--THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA--In London in the 1970s, Scotland Yard police investigators think they have uncovered a case of vampirism. They call in an expert vampire researcher named Van Helsing (a descendant of the great vampire-hunter himself, no less) to help them put a stop to these hideous crimes. It becomes apparent that the culprit is Count Dracula himself, disguised as a reclusive property developer, but secretly plotting to unleash a fatal virus upon the world.

FRANKENSTEIN MEETS DRACULA (NOVEL BY DONALD F. GLUT)

Release Date: August 2001 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Frankenstein (Donald F. Glut); Dracula (Hammer)

Horror Crosses: Dracula (novel); the Vampyre; Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos

The Story: The monster finds his way to Dracula’s castle, where the vampire is revived and again renews his original London plans. Dr. Burt Winslow teams with Arnold Van Helsing to stop him.

Notes: This is the fourth of Glut’s New Adventures of Frankenstein. This is Glut’s version of Frankenstein, which he purports to be the original. I usually presume that Glut’s Dracula is the original, but not for this story, originally written in the 1970s. This Dracula is modelled after Christopher Lee, has never met the monster before, and wakes wanting to reenact the events of the Stoker novel. Lee played the Hammer horror soul clone Denrom and soul clones often wake to want to head to London. And Glut even thanks Lee in the start of the book. Thus I have to conclude that the Dracula of this book is the Denrom soul clone. The Van Helsing here is yet another of the many members of the famous vampire hunting family. Glut again uses the Ruthvenian, the vampire bible implied to have been written by Lord Ruthven from the Vampyre. The Necronomicon also appears, which of course originated in H.P. Lovecraft’s The Hound and has become one of the most often used references to Lovecraftian lore.

September 2004--THE VENTURE BROS.--"Eeney, Meeney, Miney... Magic!"--Dr. Orpheus' appearance is modeled after Christopher Lee's version of Dracula.

FRANKENSTEIN AND THE EVIL OF DRACULA (NOVEL BY DONALD F. GLUT)

Release Date: November 2004 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Frankenstein (Donald F. Glut); Dracula (Hammer)

Horror Crosses: The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor

The Story: A mad scientist revives Dracula, as no sane one would I suppose. He then takes Dracula to Castle Frankenstein so that Dracula can get his revenge against the Monster.

Notes: Nathan Kane also appears, who is related to Elliot Kane from Glut’s Doctor Spektor comic book series. The previous Frankenstein/Dracula battle in this New Adventures series establishes that this Dracula is Denrom, from the Hammer films. See my notes in that entry.

SCARY MONSTERS MAGAZINE 2005 YEARBOOK # 13 “THE WOLFMAN VS. DRACULA: FINAL BATTLE” (DENNIS DRUKTENIS PUBLISHING)

Release Date: March 2005 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Wolf Man (Universal); Dracula (Universal)

Horror Crosses: Frankenstein (Universal); Dracula (Hammer)

The Story: Larry Talbot works with Jessica Van Helsing to stop Dracula from once again trying to revive Frankenstein’s monster.

Notes: This is the original Larry Talbot of the Universal Wolf Man series of films, having been revived in Return of the Wolf Man. Likewise, this is the Dracula of the Universal series, who I’ve identified to actually be Armand Tesla, who was transformed into a soul clone by the real Count Dracula of Bram Stoker’s novel. Likewise, this isn’t Victor Frankenstein’s creature from Mary Shelley's novel, but rather Henry Frankenstein’s creature from the Universal series, with Igor’s brain, and having recently also revived in Return of the Wolf Man. Jessica Van Helsing is of the famous monster hunting family, and was previously seen in Hammer’s Dracula A.D. 1972 and the Satanic Rites of Dracula. The Hammer Dracula series also has a cross with the Black Forest. Thus this cross confirms that the Hammer Dracula films are in the Horror Universe, and that Dracula must be yet another soul clone. Perhaps the alias he uses of Denrom in those films is a hint of his real name.

2008--DON'T WAKE THE DEAD--Vincent mentions having fought seven Golden Vampires in China.

Note that not all Hammer Horror is connected to the Horror Universe via crossover links.  For instance, Hammer's Frankenstein and Mummy series are not in the Horror Universe.  

However, some other Hammer did make it into the Horror Universe, such as the Reptile.  But the Reptile only had one crossover link, so while it is in the book, it's not enough to fill a blog post of its own.  

For other versions of Dracula that exist in the Horror Universe, see DRACULA (UNIVERSAL) and NOSFERATU.  

And for more vampires, see Angel, Barnabas Collins, and Countess Dracula.