Elvira and friends by Lou Russo repost

"See anything you like?" said Elvira," is the name of my fifth piece of artwork featuring the Queen of Halloween. (“See anything you like?” is also a memorable line from the 1978 film “Halloween”). In 2020, I depicted Elvira with some of my favorite childhood monsters, both "classic" and modern. With the new year, I wanted to revisit that piece and see what I could do to make it better. In this second attempt, I decided to add THREE times as many monsters! In order to accommodate my growing list of creatures, fiends, and fangs, I decided to make this illustration TWO times bigger. This piece measures 22" x 17" on two illustration boards created in pencil, ink, and white out. It took two weeks of penciling and "research" and another week of “inking.” The real fun for me was drawing characters I have NEVER drawn before, as well as a few that I have drawn numerous times. I think I subconsciously got inspiration from “Pete Von Sholly's History of Monsters,” which is a fabulous book for monster fans! With all that said, I would like to point out some of my favorites this time around and for any of you who like to play "Where's Waldo?", you can follow along!

First off, my central character is Cassandra Peterson, a.k.a. Elvira, who at age 71 is still going strong! For several reasons, I continue to use her to tie all my horror work together.

Next up, Vincent Price, who is practically synonymous with classic horror films, even though less than half of the films he made were horror themed. I’ve always liked him as well as his connection to Edgar Allan Poe, so it was a treat for me to be able to draw them together!

As a huge comic guy, I had to give a nod to all my childhood favorites, including the EC “Tales from the Crypt” etc. gang, Uncle Creepy and Cousin Eerie over at Warren, Eric Powell’s Goon, and Swamp Thing at DC comics. Of course, I don’t need any excuse to draw my favorite, Morbius, The Living Vampire from Marvel. Plus, I got to draw Jack Kirby’s Count Dragorin for the first time!

My favorite movie of all time is “Jaws.” With this piece, I finally got to draw “Bruce” the great white shark. Maybe one day I will draw him fighting DC’s Aquaman. I think that would be cool!

As a child, I would always go to the school library and checkout the book “Baleful Beasts and Eerie Creatures” (1975). Even though, I could barely read it, I loved looking at the painted illustrations by Rod Ruth. Perhaps the creepiest story in this anthology book of horror was “The Patchwork Monkey” by Beverly Butler. See if you can find him in this picture.

Recently, the top of my reading pile has included the horror periodical “Scary Monsters Magazine.” They have become my “go to” for everything monster related. At 130 issues, there is no sign of them slowing down. You can view their products at mymoviemonsters.com. With all that said, I had to include their mascot, Sam Scare!

I also had to include someone from Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone.” This time around, I chose Dr. Bernardi from the episode “Eye of the Beholder,” which is a parable about the importance we place on beauty and ugliness. Many of these “monsters” could be viewed differently in someone else’s eyes.

Speaking of one’s perspective to a person, the only historical figure to make the cut was Vlad the Impaler, no pun intended. Officially known as Vlad III or Vlad Dracula, the Walachia (now Romania) Ruler was the inspiration for the book “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. Vlad the Impaler, as he became known, was hated by his enemies, but was a hero to his people.

Finally, I got to draw some of my favorite, often over-looked, movie horror/monster/thriller characters including Eric from “Fade to Black,” Eva from “Ghost Story,” Corky from “Magic,” the whale from “Orca” and the bear from “Prophecy.”

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (TV host, Dynamite Comics)

Vincent Price, “House of Wax” 1953, “The Theater of Blood” 1973

Edgar Allan Poe, 1809 – 1849

Vlad III a.k.a Vlad the Impaler 1431 – 1477

Sam Scare from “Scary Monsters Magazine”

Crypt-Keeper (EC comics)

Vault-Keeper (EC comics)

Old Witch (EC comics)

Uncle Creepy (Warren Magazine)

Cousin Eerie (Warren Magazine)

Man-Thing (Marvel Comics)

Morbius (Marvel Comics)

Swamp Thing (DC comics)

Count Dragorin by Jack Kirby, 1971 (DC Comics)

Eric Powell’s Goon (Albatross Funny Books)

Boris Karloff, Frankenstein, 1931

Bela Lugosi, Dracula, 1931

Mummy, 1932

Lon Chaney, Jr., the Wolf Man, 1941

Creature from the Black Lagoon, 1954

Lon Chaney, the Phantom of the Opera, 1925

Lon Chaney, Quasimodo from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” 1923

Claude Rains, the Invisible Man, 1933

Mutant from “This Island Earth” 1955

Mutant from “The Mole People” 1956

John Carpenter’s “The Thing” 1982

Ridley Scott’s “Alien” 1979

Michael Myers from “Halloween” 1978

Jason from “Friday the 13th” 1980

Leatherface from “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” 1974

Freddy Krueger from “Nightmare on Elm Street” 1984

Ghostface from “Scream” 1996

Pinhead from “Hellraiser” 1987

“Mother” (corpse) from “Psycho” 1960

Jack Torrance from “The Shining” 1980

Pennywise from “It” 1986

Damien Thorn from “The Omen” 1976

Regan MacNeil from “The Exorcist” 1973

Stripe from “Gremlins” 1984

Peter Cushing from “Tales from the Crypt” 1972

Christopher Lee as Dracula, 1958

Christopher Lee as Frankenstein’s monster, 1957

Jerry Dandrige from “Fright Night” 1985

David from “The Lost Boys” 1987

Fredric March as Mr. Hyde, 1931

A Wolfen from the movie “Wolfen” 1981

Eddie Quist from “The Howling” 1981

David Kessler from “An American Werewolf in London” 1981

The Man in the Beaver Hat from “London After Midnight” 1927

Count Orlok from “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” 1922

André Delambre from “The Fly” 1958

Leon Corledo from “Curse of the Werewolf” 1961

Audrey II, the plant from “Little Shop of Horrors” 1986

Vincent Smith with pig mask from “Motel Hell” 1980

Zombie from “Plague of Zombies” 1966

Clown from “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” 1988

Sam from “Trick R’ Treat” 2007

Creeper from “Jeepers Creepers” 2001

Chucky from “Child’s Play” 1988

Jennifer Check from “Jennifer’s Body” 2009

Hook from “I Know What You Did Last Summer” 1997

Eric Binford from “Fade to Black” 1980

Eva Galli from “Ghost Story” 1981

Kenny Hampson from “Terror Train” 1980

Miner from “My Bloody Valentine” 1981

Captain Blake from “The Fog” 1980

Gunther Twibunt from “The Funhouse” 1981

Mr. Slausen from “Tourist Trap” 1979

Karl Raymarseivich Raymar from “One Dark Night” 1982

Henry Kane from “Poltergeist II” 1986

Corky from “Magic” 1978

Krampus from “A Christmas Horror Story” 2015

Krampus from “Krampus” 2015

“Pumpkinhead” 1988

“Munchies” 1987

“Ghoulies” 1985

“Critters” 1986

“Godzilla” 1954

“King Kong” 1933

“The Relic” 1997

“Mimic” 1997

“Leviathan” 1989

“Leprechaun” 1993

“Cujo” 1983

“Christine” 1983

Bear from “Prophecy” 1979

Dollface from “The Strangers” 2008

Killer from “Happy Death Day” 2017

Phantom Killer from “The Town that Dreaded Sundown” 1976

Robert Scott Carey from “The Incredible Shrinking Man” 1957

“Jack Frost” 1997

“The Alligator People” 1959

“The Reptile” 1966

“Octaman” 1971

Ant from “Empire of the Ants” 1977

Spider from “Kingdom of the Spiders” 1977

“Horror of Party Beach” 1964

“Humanoids from the Deep” 1980

Monster from “C.H.U.D.” 1984

Beast in the crate from “Creepshow” 1982

Max Renn wearing helmet from “Videodrome” 1983

Radu’s minion from “Subspecies” 1991

Bill Murray from “Zombieland” 2009

Blade from “Puppet Master” 1989

“Hideous Sun Demon” 1958

Shark from “Jaws” 1975

Fish from “Piranha” 1978

Seagull from “The Birds” 1963

Killer whale from “Orca” 1977

Salt vampire from “Star Trek” 1966

Ebon alien from “The Outer Limits” 1963

Doctor Bernardi from “The Twilight Zone” 1959

Headless cyclist from “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” 1975

Cyclops from “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” 1958

Clay man from “The Golem” 1915

Zuni statue from “Trilogy of Terror” 1975

House from “The Amityville Horror” 1979

Ben, the rat, from “Willard” 1971

Demon from “Night of the Demon” 1957

Gorilla soldier from “Planet of the Apes” 1968

Boarman from “The Island of Dr. Moreau” 1977

Pin Head from “Freaks” 1932

Morgan from “The Old Dark House” 1932

Rondo Hatton a.k.a. The Creeper from “House of Horrors” 1946

Tor Johnson from “Plan 9 from Outer Space” 1957

Tingler from “The Tingler” 1959

Worm from “Slither” 2006

Baby from “It’s Alive” 1974

Flying death ball from “Phantasm” 1979

Patchwork monkey from anthology horror book “Baleful Beasts and Eerie Creatures” 1976

Jolly Chimp from “Monkey Shines” 1988, “The Attic” 1980, “The Devil’s Gift” 1984

Puzzle piece from “Pieces” 1982

Red bouncing ball from “The Changeling” 1980

#elviramistressofthedark #elvira #elviraart #frankenstein #dracula #wolfman #werewolves #creaturefromtheblacklagoon #mikemyers #jasonvoorhees #freddykrueger #marvelcomics #dccomics #jaws #eccomics #vincentprice #halloween