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Lugosi: opkomst en ondergang van Hollywood's Dracula
Alleen de naam Bela Lugosi al. De klankkleur belooft weinig goeds. Met zijn duivelse gezicht, half verborgen achter een cape, zal deze acteur met zijn eenvoudige maar tot het filmerfgoed behorende naam voor eeuwig worden vereenzelvigd met één cultfiguur: Dracula.
Dankzij de evocatieve kracht van zijn zuivere lijnwerk slaagde Koren Shadmi erin om in dit album de fascinerende ambivalentie vast te leggen tussen de lichtere sfeer van de herinneringen van de jonge Béla - toen nog met accent - en het hinderlijke icoon dat de man zou verdringen. Er zijn weinig of geen beelden die we ons zo snel voor de geest kunnen halen als zijn Dracula, terwijl, paradoxaal genoeg, steeds minder mensen de film hebben gezien.
Koren Shadmi ging de uitdaging aan om de vervaagde beelden te laten herleven, en daar is hij wonderwel in geslaagd.
Met voorwoord van François Theurel, filmanalist.
Dankzij de evocatieve kracht van zijn zuivere lijnwerk slaagde Koren Shadmi erin om in dit album de fascinerende ambivalentie vast te leggen tussen de lichtere sfeer van de herinneringen van de jonge Béla - toen nog met accent - en het hinderlijke icoon dat de man zou verdringen. Er zijn weinig of geen beelden die we ons zo snel voor de geest kunnen halen als zijn Dracula, terwijl, paradoxaal genoeg, steeds minder mensen de film hebben gezien.
Koren Shadmi ging de uitdaging aan om de vervaagde beelden te laten herleven, en daar is hij wonderwel in geslaagd.
Met voorwoord van François Theurel, filmanalist.
154 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2021
19 people are currently reading
429 people want to read
About the author
Koren Shadmi
27 books86 followersKoren Shadmi is a Brooklyn Based illustrator and Cartoonist; he earned his degree in Illustration in 2006 from the School of Visual Arts in New York. His graphic novels have been published in France, Italy, Spain, Israel, and the US.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
October 17, 2024
The tragic true story of Bela Lugosi. From Hungarian actor forced to flee his country to his iconic portrayal of Dracula. Seeking fame ultimately became his downfall as a man; extravagant living, drug addiction and infidelity stalked him for years. He turned down the role of Frankenstein and opened the door for his rival - Boris Karloff. The last part of the book covers his collaboration with Ed Wood. The irony of Dracula being more 'alive' than Lugosi in the end is a bitter lesson that fame often hides from those who seek it.
October 17, 2021
The tragic (mostly self-inflicted) story of Bela Lugosi's rise and fall. The book covers it all from Lugosi's life in Hungary, his new found fame playing Dracula and his long, slow decline making worse and worse movies, until he hooked up with Ed Wood. It's a sad story about a man who couldn't see his own shortcomings, always blaming others for his mistakes. Shadmi is a talented biographer and illustrator. I look forward to his next book.
June 10, 2022
The third book I have read by Koren Shadmi. The first one, about his sex life, I gave a positive review of, though it feels a little cringy in retrospect. I liked his Rod Serling book, and found it creative. This is another book that is a biography from pop culture, particularly the worlds of tv and movies. This bio is a pretty straightforward account of the well known and popular Bela Lugosi, whose best role, most popular and most critically acclaimed--was Dracula. Emigrated from Hungary, he played lots of monster roles, ending in the B movies of Ed Wood. In between he had many wives, was never faithful, and became a pain killer addict, dying in poverty. So: a fairly typical rags to riches to rags Hollywood story.
The art is good, the story isn't boring. I liked the Ed Wood section best, because Wood was so enthusiastic about working with Lugosi. The other main monster movie guy he worked with--and was jealous about and competitive with and who was equally famous, Boris Karlov--is a central figure here. And long-suffering wives and random women that make it clear he was basically a jerk. Shadmi's obsession with his sex life made me think of Shadmi's own sex-obsessed book. I think I liked it about 3 stars or so, but have to admit the artwork is well done, better than average, so I bumped it up to 4 stars. I read it in part because it is nominated for an Eisner 2022. But neither the subject nor the mode of narrating the story are special.
Is there a running theme to Shadmi's work? It appears he just writes about what he is interested in--sexual social media sites, TV horror writer, movie horror actor--a little like Box Brown--Marijuana, professional wrestling!
The art is good, the story isn't boring. I liked the Ed Wood section best, because Wood was so enthusiastic about working with Lugosi. The other main monster movie guy he worked with--and was jealous about and competitive with and who was equally famous, Boris Karlov--is a central figure here. And long-suffering wives and random women that make it clear he was basically a jerk. Shadmi's obsession with his sex life made me think of Shadmi's own sex-obsessed book. I think I liked it about 3 stars or so, but have to admit the artwork is well done, better than average, so I bumped it up to 4 stars. I read it in part because it is nominated for an Eisner 2022. But neither the subject nor the mode of narrating the story are special.
Is there a running theme to Shadmi's work? It appears he just writes about what he is interested in--sexual social media sites, TV horror writer, movie horror actor--a little like Box Brown--Marijuana, professional wrestling!
October 1, 2021
A well-done biography of yet another Hollywood star whose success is followed by a fall into substance abuse and living paycheck to paycheck. Lugosi's story is engaging enough, but he is an arrogant womanizer who marries repeatedly, cheats repeatedly, and is shown sexually assaulting and harassing the women around him. Not a nice guy.
I was disappointed that, following Shadmi's imaginative The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television, this was just a pretty straightforward telling of the events in Lugosi's life, outlining all his marriages and a good chunk of his filmography. The parts with Ed Wood near the end had the most life and might have been a better anchor for the book than Lugosi's late-life trip to rehab.
I was disappointed that, following Shadmi's imaginative The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television, this was just a pretty straightforward telling of the events in Lugosi's life, outlining all his marriages and a good chunk of his filmography. The parts with Ed Wood near the end had the most life and might have been a better anchor for the book than Lugosi's late-life trip to rehab.
September 29, 2023
Me ha gustado mucho este cómic que es una biografía de Bela Lugosi, el mítico Drácula de los años 30. En él se nos relata la vida de Bela desde su juventud en Hungría hasta sus últimos días. El cómic comienza en Los Angeles en 1955, cuaando Bela Lugosi ingresa en una clínica de desintoxicación para superar su adicción a las drogas y el alcohol y nos va intercalando su estancia en la clínica con hechos de su pasado, como por ejemplo; su llegada a Nueva York, como se convierte en una estrella, su rivalidad con Boris Karloff.... y también se nos relatan hechos de su vida personal, sus diversos matrimonios, el nacimiento de su hijo, sus excesos....
Las ilustraciones me han parecido magníficas y para complementar este cómic el prólogo es de Joe R. Landsdale.
Las ilustraciones me han parecido magníficas y para complementar este cómic el prólogo es de Joe R. Landsdale.
July 17, 2021
"I guess I'm pretty much of a lone wolf. I don't say I don't like people at all, but, to tell you the truth, I only like it then if I have a chance to look deep into their hearts and their minds."
Bela Lugosi will forever be known as Dracula to me. No one can replace him as that character. The way he took that role and let it morph him into the prince of darkness was mesmerizing. No one has ever played that role as fantastically as Lugosi.
While we know the highs of his life, we only know so little about the lows. This book fills in those gaps of his very hard life. The ups of his life in films and the downfall of his marriages gone wrong and his life being consumed by alcohol and drugs.
Books like this would make everyone interested in biographies. Graphic novels mixed with biographies makes things a lot more interesting and I love it. I would be more willing to read random bios if they were presented like this.
This was all around fantastic and informed me about a lot of things that I never knew before. Things weren’t sugarcoated and the truth was all laid out for everyone to see. This is perfect for fans of horror films, all things Lugosi, and all lovers of graphic novel bios.
Long live the true Dracula!
Bela Lugosi will forever be known as Dracula to me. No one can replace him as that character. The way he took that role and let it morph him into the prince of darkness was mesmerizing. No one has ever played that role as fantastically as Lugosi.
While we know the highs of his life, we only know so little about the lows. This book fills in those gaps of his very hard life. The ups of his life in films and the downfall of his marriages gone wrong and his life being consumed by alcohol and drugs.
Books like this would make everyone interested in biographies. Graphic novels mixed with biographies makes things a lot more interesting and I love it. I would be more willing to read random bios if they were presented like this.
This was all around fantastic and informed me about a lot of things that I never knew before. Things weren’t sugarcoated and the truth was all laid out for everyone to see. This is perfect for fans of horror films, all things Lugosi, and all lovers of graphic novel bios.
Long live the true Dracula!
April 30, 2023
Me he llevado una grata sorpresa con éste cómic, que nos cuenta la biografía del primer Drácula que se llevó a la pantalla grande Bela Lugosi. Comienza cuando el se interna en una clínica para ayudarle con sus adicciones. Pero en el transcurso de la historia nos remonta hasta su juventud en su país natal y como fue su vida personal e actoral; sus matrimonios, sus excesos, sus rivalidades, hasta que busca ayuda contra sus adicciones. Los dibujos estan muy bien, yo no soy mucho de cómic y me ha gustado bastante al ser biografía es una buena manera de enterarte de la vida de alguien xq no se hace pesada la lectura. Gran acierto al leerla
October 17, 2021
Bela Lugosi's story is framed through his trip to rehab late in life, looking back on his life in dreams and flashbacks. Haunted by his ghosts, faceless audiences surrounding him as reminders of his past and present-day symptoms of withdrawal. An actor who saw unionizing and socialism as his way to even the playing field with the richer classes, he comes to America and finds himself caught in the throes of Hollywood and tumultuous film production. An immigrant who wants to live the "American dream" and make a name for himself, ending up having his life defined by his role as "Dracula" - the spooky scary immigrant with an accent that threatens the protagonists. Lugosi himself is a villain, terrible with women and a compulsive liar. As you continue to read the book you see his hypocrisy become apparent, you see him lie about events the book has already shown you go down differently, and this charismatic actor becomes an overplayed joke no one respects.
It's a gripping journey, but as the years go by there was little left to learn about Lugosi. He continues to make crappy films, becomes more and more of a joke, and is worse and worse with the women around him. "The Rise" is brief, and "the Fall" is a long cruel story. Koren Shadmi is great at depicting Lugosi's charisma in every scene, and I love Tom Napolitano's subtle lettering differences between Lugosi and everyone else that makes his awkwardness and 'otherness' stand out. But the book suffers from the back half being a long and painful descent with no clear bow to tie things up at the end.
It's a gripping journey, but as the years go by there was little left to learn about Lugosi. He continues to make crappy films, becomes more and more of a joke, and is worse and worse with the women around him. "The Rise" is brief, and "the Fall" is a long cruel story. Koren Shadmi is great at depicting Lugosi's charisma in every scene, and I love Tom Napolitano's subtle lettering differences between Lugosi and everyone else that makes his awkwardness and 'otherness' stand out. But the book suffers from the back half being a long and painful descent with no clear bow to tie things up at the end.
August 6, 2021
This is a very good biographical graphic novel. Reading it felt like I was watching a black-and-white biopic about one of the most interesting "character" actors of all time. Bela Lugosi's life had many ups and downs and the book captures them really well; it follows Lugosi through his childhood, the historical events that shaped him, his rivalry with Boris Karloff, and his "artistic" partnership with infamous director Ed Wood. The book never tries to paint him as a nice person when he does questionable things, but still makes you sympathise with him; Shadmi leaves it open for us readers to infer whether Lugosi's fall from grace was due to Hollywood's prejudice (he couldn't speak English fluently) or his bad decisions. I read this book in one sitting.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
November 16, 2023
Mixed feelings on this. I absolutely loved the Twilight Man by the same author, it’s one of my favorite comics. This however doesn’t match in quality.
One gripe I had with Twilight Man is that there wasn’t enough on Twilight Zone which was Rod’s like big thing. The opposite is true here. There’s so much emphasis on Lugosi as Dracula. Even though the parts about shooting the movie are so brief. Constantly making references to his part in Dracula. He must have been like that irl ig? I kinda wanted the comic to seperate the character and the actor.
Also the story itself. So idk how much info the author was given to work with. A lot of it is lost to time probably so making a memoir is quite tricky. But here it skips around so much that it’s very sloppy and comes off as a clip show of his life. And also okay idk does the author hate Bela Lugosi? The Rod Serling comic was such a love letter to Rod but this just felt like the author wanted to make sure everyone knew the dark side of Bela Lugosi. Idk if Lugosi was that much of an asshole but so much of his bad side is written about here, so it just makes you not want to watch his movies.
It seems like the pint of the comic was the shed light on his ups and downs but it really just felt like “why Lugosi was an asshole”.
I mean idk what he was like I never met the man he’s long dead, so maybe this is accurate? Idk. I just don’t wanna read about a real person who was an asshole in a comic.
But I do like this comic enough. I love old Hollywood and I nerded out so much reading this. I just don’t like how the story was told. It was pretty engaging at the start showing how Lugosi got into Hollywood but once it gets to release of Dracula the story just becomes about his flaws.
Also the ending. Without spoiling, the Twilight Man had Rod Serling narrating his life story to a fellow plan passenger, with the narrative having breaks where he’s in the present talking to he passenger. This similarly has Lugosi’s life story cut between him years later in a hospital, yet he’s not the one telling the story it’s a third person perspective. I didn’t like this the transitions felt sloppy because of this. It just didn’t work for me. Also while Twilight Man had such a crazy ending for a bio comic this one… doenst even have an ending. It just ends. Doesn’t even cover his death. Very odd.
The reason I’m hard on this is cuz I know the author can write a good bio comic. That’s why I was pretty disappointed with this one. Also while twilight man praises Rod’s skills as a storyteller this one has me thinking was Lugosi even that good of an actor? Why did the author choose to write about Lugosi? It seems like he doesn’t have as much love for the actor. It’s a weird contrast between the two comics.
I expected this to be similar with being a biography that feels more like a narrative with some Pizzaz throw in. But idk this read was just kinda unpleasant after the first half. Really I think I just don’t understand this comic. There’s no afterword in this comic like there was with Twilight Man (iirc) so idk why the author chose Lugosi to write about it he doesn’t seem as passionate. I think also I just was kinda repulsed by some of the stuff in the book. Like the SA scene made me feel really grossed out.
I think the book should have been marketed as like “the dark side of Lugosi” or something because it really just feels like a love-hate letter to Lugosi. I think it should have maybe tried to delve into Lugosi’s mental health. Why was he like this? But since it’s non fiction and there’s not infinite info on Lugosi ig that might be hard. I said this earlier but again I’ve seen enough of these actors turned assholes.
I’d say read if you like film history. If you love Lugosi maybe don’t read this. It’s an odd book. It just kinda made me sad like oh another actor that was an asshole nothing new. I guess ideally I want to read about celebrities who were actually good people. Sick of these “they turned to drugs and were horrible to women”. Which is more or less what Twilight Man was.
So I’d say read that if this comic doesn’t sound like your thing.
One gripe I had with Twilight Man is that there wasn’t enough on Twilight Zone which was Rod’s like big thing. The opposite is true here. There’s so much emphasis on Lugosi as Dracula. Even though the parts about shooting the movie are so brief. Constantly making references to his part in Dracula. He must have been like that irl ig? I kinda wanted the comic to seperate the character and the actor.
Also the story itself. So idk how much info the author was given to work with. A lot of it is lost to time probably so making a memoir is quite tricky. But here it skips around so much that it’s very sloppy and comes off as a clip show of his life. And also okay idk does the author hate Bela Lugosi? The Rod Serling comic was such a love letter to Rod but this just felt like the author wanted to make sure everyone knew the dark side of Bela Lugosi. Idk if Lugosi was that much of an asshole but so much of his bad side is written about here, so it just makes you not want to watch his movies.
It seems like the pint of the comic was the shed light on his ups and downs but it really just felt like “why Lugosi was an asshole”.
I mean idk what he was like I never met the man he’s long dead, so maybe this is accurate? Idk. I just don’t wanna read about a real person who was an asshole in a comic.
But I do like this comic enough. I love old Hollywood and I nerded out so much reading this. I just don’t like how the story was told. It was pretty engaging at the start showing how Lugosi got into Hollywood but once it gets to release of Dracula the story just becomes about his flaws.
Also the ending. Without spoiling, the Twilight Man had Rod Serling narrating his life story to a fellow plan passenger, with the narrative having breaks where he’s in the present talking to he passenger. This similarly has Lugosi’s life story cut between him years later in a hospital, yet he’s not the one telling the story it’s a third person perspective. I didn’t like this the transitions felt sloppy because of this. It just didn’t work for me. Also while Twilight Man had such a crazy ending for a bio comic this one… doenst even have an ending. It just ends. Doesn’t even cover his death. Very odd.
The reason I’m hard on this is cuz I know the author can write a good bio comic. That’s why I was pretty disappointed with this one. Also while twilight man praises Rod’s skills as a storyteller this one has me thinking was Lugosi even that good of an actor? Why did the author choose to write about Lugosi? It seems like he doesn’t have as much love for the actor. It’s a weird contrast between the two comics.
I expected this to be similar with being a biography that feels more like a narrative with some Pizzaz throw in. But idk this read was just kinda unpleasant after the first half. Really I think I just don’t understand this comic. There’s no afterword in this comic like there was with Twilight Man (iirc) so idk why the author chose Lugosi to write about it he doesn’t seem as passionate. I think also I just was kinda repulsed by some of the stuff in the book. Like the SA scene made me feel really grossed out.
I think the book should have been marketed as like “the dark side of Lugosi” or something because it really just feels like a love-hate letter to Lugosi. I think it should have maybe tried to delve into Lugosi’s mental health. Why was he like this? But since it’s non fiction and there’s not infinite info on Lugosi ig that might be hard. I said this earlier but again I’ve seen enough of these actors turned assholes.
I’d say read if you like film history. If you love Lugosi maybe don’t read this. It’s an odd book. It just kinda made me sad like oh another actor that was an asshole nothing new. I guess ideally I want to read about celebrities who were actually good people. Sick of these “they turned to drugs and were horrible to women”. Which is more or less what Twilight Man was.
So I’d say read that if this comic doesn’t sound like your thing.
October 13, 2021
The art is nice enough. Now I want to read a biography on Lugosi.
February 27, 2022
Lugosi offers a solid, soup-to-nuts accounting of Bela Lugosi's often tragic life. Like his similarly enjoyable Twilight Man, an accounting of Rod Serling's life, Lugosi covers the major moments in crisp fashion, but does skimp on some details. Shadmi doesn't dig too deeply into Lugosi's psychology, though he frequently portrays the man as an awful, adulterous husband and desperate addict. The "why" is a bit missing, but the "what" is well-portrayed. I look forward to future biographies in the same vein!
March 15, 2022
Very interesting and well done. We all know Bela Lugosi from Dracula, and perhaps White Zombie. Many of us also know of his infamous work with Ed Wood. But other than hearing things like "Before Dracula he was a handsome leading man in Europe", and stories of his tragic later years, most of his life was a mystery.
This helps to clear a lot of that mystery up. Lugosi was an interesting character. His life really had more downs than ups, but he also had some good times. He was a very talented actor, although that was sometimes overshadowed by his infidelities and drug use.
He wasn't at all an evil man, and really came across as good at heart, but he was deeply flawed
Overall this was a fascinating read, and the art fit the story well. This worked great as a graphic novel, as I have a feeling parts would have been too dry and depressing without the art.
If you have any interest in Lugosi, this is a good read.
This helps to clear a lot of that mystery up. Lugosi was an interesting character. His life really had more downs than ups, but he also had some good times. He was a very talented actor, although that was sometimes overshadowed by his infidelities and drug use.
He wasn't at all an evil man, and really came across as good at heart, but he was deeply flawed
Overall this was a fascinating read, and the art fit the story well. This worked great as a graphic novel, as I have a feeling parts would have been too dry and depressing without the art.
If you have any interest in Lugosi, this is a good read.
October 23, 2021
I love Koren Shadmi's brand of graphic biographies and this one about Bela Lugosi's life and career is fantastic. The author does a great job of bringing Lugosi to life and portraying his tragic but mostly self inflicted downfall. That final page was an excellent choice to end it on. I hope Shadmi will do more graphic biographies in the future.
February 12, 2022
Excellent graphic novel biography of Lugosi. I knew part of the story but came away with more understanding. While my favorite remains Shadmi's book on Rod Serling, I recommend this to any horror fan who would like to know more about the man who created an iconic role.
April 6, 2022
Lugosi's many marriages reminded me of this Community quote:
Pierce: You know, I've been divorced seven times. Sometimes I think I'm doing something wrong.
Jeff: You keep getting married.
Pierce: I never looked at it that way.
Pierce: You know, I've been divorced seven times. Sometimes I think I'm doing something wrong.
Jeff: You keep getting married.
Pierce: I never looked at it that way.
October 26, 2021
Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Koren Shadmi. It delivers a poignant graphic biography of horror star Bela Lugosi that depicts the Dracula actor's real-life and on-screen personas with equal aplomb.
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó, known professionally as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian-American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 film and for his roles in other horror films.
Interspersing Lugosi's dying days of morphine-induced hallucinations, colored in sepia-tone, with black-and-white flashbacks, the brisk history narrates his rise to silver screen success, his extravagant lifestyle, self-delusions, and many marriages and divorces against Hollywood's evolution from the silent era to the glut and decline of horror pictures.
Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula is written and constructed rather well. Shadmi's artwork flows in uncomplicated, but immensely expressive lines. Cartoon caricatures of figures including Boris Karloff, James Whale, and Tor Johnson are instantly recognizable, while Lugosi's vampiric glare hits appropriately chilling, with detailed scene-work conveying the moody atmosphere of films such as Dracula or White Zombie. Both humorous and heartbreaking, Lugosi's final screen appearance in Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space closes the book with a triumphant curtain call.
All in all Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula is a wonderful, albeit tragic biographical graphic novel that smoothly blends characterization with chiaroscuro to spotlight Lugosi's uncanny magnetism.
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó, known professionally as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian-American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 film and for his roles in other horror films.
Interspersing Lugosi's dying days of morphine-induced hallucinations, colored in sepia-tone, with black-and-white flashbacks, the brisk history narrates his rise to silver screen success, his extravagant lifestyle, self-delusions, and many marriages and divorces against Hollywood's evolution from the silent era to the glut and decline of horror pictures.
Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula is written and constructed rather well. Shadmi's artwork flows in uncomplicated, but immensely expressive lines. Cartoon caricatures of figures including Boris Karloff, James Whale, and Tor Johnson are instantly recognizable, while Lugosi's vampiric glare hits appropriately chilling, with detailed scene-work conveying the moody atmosphere of films such as Dracula or White Zombie. Both humorous and heartbreaking, Lugosi's final screen appearance in Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space closes the book with a triumphant curtain call.
All in all Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula is a wonderful, albeit tragic biographical graphic novel that smoothly blends characterization with chiaroscuro to spotlight Lugosi's uncanny magnetism.
March 28, 2023
This is a fantastic look at Bela Lugosi’s troubled and turbulent life. The art in here is incredible; the least of which being the panels of “Dracula” and so many of Lugosi’s now immortal horror films. Engrossingly told, this is a must read for any Dracula/classic horror fan.
April 28, 2024
i love these graphic-style biographies. more, please!
December 27, 2021
This is, in some ways, a difficult book to read. Bela Lugosi's life is portrayed in some detail, without pulling the punches. That means he's shown as a talented actor who, when young, was something of a dreamer and idealist. He believed that the empty promises of the Hungarian Communists might actually be kept in favor of people like himself, an actor trying to make a living.
He is also shown as an actor dedicated enough to work his way through both stage and film productions while barely fluent in English, his third language.
Telling the truth about his life means also telling about his flaws, ranging from womanizing to drug use, and the ways he flamboyantly exaggerated both, to make even his flaws seem bigger than life. On the other hand, one of the reasons why he kept being broke was that he spent and gave away money in a host of ways, some reasonable, some not.
If you are interested in the history of Hollywood, especially the horror movies from Universal and after, then this graphic non-fiction work is worth reading. If you idolize Bela Lugosi and think that he could never have done any wrong, then I suggest you wander off to find other things to read.
For me, one of the things this book provided was an explanation of the two brief Bela Lugosi scenes in what became Plan 9 From Outer Space. Those have given me reason to believe that Ed Wood wasn't really deserving of the "Worst Director Ever" accusations hurled at him. In the case of the two final scenes Bela Lugosi shot, one actually worked very well as a test piece, but sadly, they were for movie scenarios that never came to fruition. Using them in Plan 9 From Outer Space may have been a travesty, but Ed Wood clearly wanted to have Bela Lugosi in one of his films, even if it was only for a couple of brief scenes.
He is also shown as an actor dedicated enough to work his way through both stage and film productions while barely fluent in English, his third language.
Telling the truth about his life means also telling about his flaws, ranging from womanizing to drug use, and the ways he flamboyantly exaggerated both, to make even his flaws seem bigger than life. On the other hand, one of the reasons why he kept being broke was that he spent and gave away money in a host of ways, some reasonable, some not.
If you are interested in the history of Hollywood, especially the horror movies from Universal and after, then this graphic non-fiction work is worth reading. If you idolize Bela Lugosi and think that he could never have done any wrong, then I suggest you wander off to find other things to read.
For me, one of the things this book provided was an explanation of the two brief Bela Lugosi scenes in what became Plan 9 From Outer Space. Those have given me reason to believe that Ed Wood wasn't really deserving of the "Worst Director Ever" accusations hurled at him. In the case of the two final scenes Bela Lugosi shot, one actually worked very well as a test piece, but sadly, they were for movie scenarios that never came to fruition. Using them in Plan 9 From Outer Space may have been a travesty, but Ed Wood clearly wanted to have Bela Lugosi in one of his films, even if it was only for a couple of brief scenes.
November 2, 2023
Bela Lugosi is not simply Hollywood’s Dracula, but is perhaps the one and only Dracula as far as the general public is concerned. What often does not get enough attention is that Bram Stoker’s original novel differs largely from film versions not only in how the story is told, but specifically in how Dracula himself is said to look and make you feel. The appearance of Dracula in the public consciousness — the outfit, the dramatic gestures, the suave approachability — stem almost entirely from Bela Lugosi’s work. He set the tone, and a majority of Dracula’s films build off the foundations set by Lugosi in his early work. I would argue you almost can’t go back anymore. We’ve certainly tried to shake up the formula, but Lugosi is effectively shorthand for Dracula himself.
In his graphic novel biography, Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula, cartoonist Koren Shadmi makes a compelling case that perhaps this impact is due to not only Lugosi’s work on camera, but also how he embodied the gravitas of the character off camera. Spanning Lugosi’s entire life, this graphic novel attempts to get at the man through the character by helping us understand his magnetic charm, admirable rise to stardom, and ultimately his self-destructive, insatiable appetite that becomes his downfall. To know Dracula today seems to be synonymous with knowing Lugosi, and equally to know Lugosi is to know Dracula.
Shadmi frames the story from the perspective of an older, world-weary Lugosi who checks himself into a rehabilitation clinic. As we’re introduced to Lugosi, the art choices are deliberately blurring the line between the man and the character with heavy, lingering shadows, and a clocked, black figure that stands out from those around him. Lugosi’s facial expressions are similarly dramatic, exaggerated to demonstrate his stage presence that he never seemed to turn off. Lugosi puts on a show wherever he goes, and Shadmi excels at portraying this larger than life persona.
From here, as we learn about Lugosi’s life, the two points in time are color-coded with a straightforward monochrome for the flashbacks, and graytones present in the elderly Lugosi’s framing of the story. As we see Lugosi struggle with addiction, haunted by his choices and his own alter ego, the coloring adds a hint of nostalgia. Lugosi coming to prominence is not always the kindest story to relay, so it helps here to see him both self-reflectively but also visually rendered with empathy. This is a man that radiates melodrama, and the subtle distinction here makes for both a smooth reading experience but also is representative of the choice to show Lugosi not just as a subject of study, but as a whole person in a state of contemplation.
That said, Shadmi is strongest in his ability to capture the exaggerated and cinematic quality of Lugosi’s body language. Coming from a theater background, Lugosi stands out among the more subdued film actors on set.
Not only do we see here the re-creation of the set and lighting with great linework and shading. But we also see how Lugosi as a performer breaks the normalcy with intense looks and movement. There’s a level of physicality to his Dracula that was unconventional but became a mainstay of our concept of Dracula henceforth. The choices here of breaking up stiff movements with dramatic shifts in Lugosi’s position really helps to recreate in panels how Lugosi felt on camera.
The acting of other characters in Lugosi’s life is also wonderfully expressive. We see all kinds of love affairs, Hollywood producers, and innocent bystanders that have different relationships to Lugosi the man and Dracula the character that enhance our understanding of why this actor’s portrayal has endured for nearly 100 years.
Perhaps the most challenging part of the story to do well, in my opinion, is the choice to recreate iconic shots from Lugosi’ filmography. The difficulty here is how does one manage to preserve the visual language already established within the comic with a faithful, recognizable rendition of the cinematic shot? On top of that, how does one do that in a sequential manner that isn’t merely storyboards, but has a genuine flow inherent to the comic?
I think what Shadmi is able to accomplish here is some of the best evidence of his talents as a cartoonist. The choices are subtle but impactful in how actors are rendered with a bit more detail but never outside of the character models that have so far been established. Blacks are used in much heavier doses, giving the recreated film shots a gentle break with the rest of the established story so we can immediately identify the film and then jump back to reality without any delay or visual confusion. Shadmi also picks specific sequences or identifies movements within the film that intuitively are better suited to a comic. These are not long, drawn out recreations of a film’s pace. They are simply renditions of the same events effectively trimmed and tailored to fit inside a few panels.
What I like most about this approach is that there’s numerous visual differences to help us identify Lugosi at all stages of his life. We see him young, old, on camera, on set but off camera, his own psychological manifestation of himself and him trying to be cinematic in regular life. Each time, his face is detailed or colored slightly differently to give us a sense of all sides of the man, and helps us appreciate his talents as an actor and why he’s such a strong subject for a comic where minor visual ticks can have massive implications. You could almost argue this book is as much a study and exercise for Shadmi as it is as a biography in its own right.
Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula is an excellent biography. We learn a great deal about the life and personality of Lugosi but we’re also treated to strong cartooning and fascinating artistic choices that are worth closer examination. Shadmi is able to do a lot with very little, understanding how a reader’s initiative experience can be guided and molded for powerful storytelling choices. This is a great buy not only for horror and Hollywood fans, but also artists and comics fans at large that want to see an excellent showcase of the form.
In his graphic novel biography, Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula, cartoonist Koren Shadmi makes a compelling case that perhaps this impact is due to not only Lugosi’s work on camera, but also how he embodied the gravitas of the character off camera. Spanning Lugosi’s entire life, this graphic novel attempts to get at the man through the character by helping us understand his magnetic charm, admirable rise to stardom, and ultimately his self-destructive, insatiable appetite that becomes his downfall. To know Dracula today seems to be synonymous with knowing Lugosi, and equally to know Lugosi is to know Dracula.
Shadmi frames the story from the perspective of an older, world-weary Lugosi who checks himself into a rehabilitation clinic. As we’re introduced to Lugosi, the art choices are deliberately blurring the line between the man and the character with heavy, lingering shadows, and a clocked, black figure that stands out from those around him. Lugosi’s facial expressions are similarly dramatic, exaggerated to demonstrate his stage presence that he never seemed to turn off. Lugosi puts on a show wherever he goes, and Shadmi excels at portraying this larger than life persona.
From here, as we learn about Lugosi’s life, the two points in time are color-coded with a straightforward monochrome for the flashbacks, and graytones present in the elderly Lugosi’s framing of the story. As we see Lugosi struggle with addiction, haunted by his choices and his own alter ego, the coloring adds a hint of nostalgia. Lugosi coming to prominence is not always the kindest story to relay, so it helps here to see him both self-reflectively but also visually rendered with empathy. This is a man that radiates melodrama, and the subtle distinction here makes for both a smooth reading experience but also is representative of the choice to show Lugosi not just as a subject of study, but as a whole person in a state of contemplation.
That said, Shadmi is strongest in his ability to capture the exaggerated and cinematic quality of Lugosi’s body language. Coming from a theater background, Lugosi stands out among the more subdued film actors on set.
Not only do we see here the re-creation of the set and lighting with great linework and shading. But we also see how Lugosi as a performer breaks the normalcy with intense looks and movement. There’s a level of physicality to his Dracula that was unconventional but became a mainstay of our concept of Dracula henceforth. The choices here of breaking up stiff movements with dramatic shifts in Lugosi’s position really helps to recreate in panels how Lugosi felt on camera.
The acting of other characters in Lugosi’s life is also wonderfully expressive. We see all kinds of love affairs, Hollywood producers, and innocent bystanders that have different relationships to Lugosi the man and Dracula the character that enhance our understanding of why this actor’s portrayal has endured for nearly 100 years.
Perhaps the most challenging part of the story to do well, in my opinion, is the choice to recreate iconic shots from Lugosi’ filmography. The difficulty here is how does one manage to preserve the visual language already established within the comic with a faithful, recognizable rendition of the cinematic shot? On top of that, how does one do that in a sequential manner that isn’t merely storyboards, but has a genuine flow inherent to the comic?
I think what Shadmi is able to accomplish here is some of the best evidence of his talents as a cartoonist. The choices are subtle but impactful in how actors are rendered with a bit more detail but never outside of the character models that have so far been established. Blacks are used in much heavier doses, giving the recreated film shots a gentle break with the rest of the established story so we can immediately identify the film and then jump back to reality without any delay or visual confusion. Shadmi also picks specific sequences or identifies movements within the film that intuitively are better suited to a comic. These are not long, drawn out recreations of a film’s pace. They are simply renditions of the same events effectively trimmed and tailored to fit inside a few panels.
What I like most about this approach is that there’s numerous visual differences to help us identify Lugosi at all stages of his life. We see him young, old, on camera, on set but off camera, his own psychological manifestation of himself and him trying to be cinematic in regular life. Each time, his face is detailed or colored slightly differently to give us a sense of all sides of the man, and helps us appreciate his talents as an actor and why he’s such a strong subject for a comic where minor visual ticks can have massive implications. You could almost argue this book is as much a study and exercise for Shadmi as it is as a biography in its own right.
Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula is an excellent biography. We learn a great deal about the life and personality of Lugosi but we’re also treated to strong cartooning and fascinating artistic choices that are worth closer examination. Shadmi is able to do a lot with very little, understanding how a reader’s initiative experience can be guided and molded for powerful storytelling choices. This is a great buy not only for horror and Hollywood fans, but also artists and comics fans at large that want to see an excellent showcase of the form.
July 14, 2021
This one reminded me of the old saying “there are eight million stories in the naked city.” While not completely random, the choice of the subject for this graphic biography-the life of Bela Lugosi-is packed with drama, ambition, and adventure, and not all necessarily linked to a life in Hollywood. The great research and treatment given Lugosi made me think that perhaps all people -whether of a certain level of renown or career or age - would have a story worth telling.
For all his name recognition, Lugosi struggled. He nailed the Dracula role but then was pigeon-holed into it his entire life. He was a hard-working immigrant, but struggled with English, opioid addiction, and the Hollywood studio system. He was a spendthrift and serial cheater who married five times. In other words, he was human.
So, nice, interesting treatment, well-researched. I enjoyed taking a deeper dive into Lugosi on YouTube, too. Lots to look at there, including Martin Landau’s hilarious depiction of him in Ed Wood.
For all his name recognition, Lugosi struggled. He nailed the Dracula role but then was pigeon-holed into it his entire life. He was a hard-working immigrant, but struggled with English, opioid addiction, and the Hollywood studio system. He was a spendthrift and serial cheater who married five times. In other words, he was human.
So, nice, interesting treatment, well-researched. I enjoyed taking a deeper dive into Lugosi on YouTube, too. Lots to look at there, including Martin Landau’s hilarious depiction of him in Ed Wood.
December 23, 2021
“Take a good look at this man. In another time, he was one of the most famous actors in the world. Today, he is just one more victim of tinseltown. Used up, strung out, and forgotten by an industry that took him for all he had. This is his last act of hope, last chance of salvation.”
I love graphic novels, and this graphic biography of famed actor Bela Lugosi was a great read. Opening with a man unrecognizable from his legendary Dracula persona, it spans the entire length of Lugosi’s life and chronicles his tragic rise and fall, delving into his childhood in Hungary, his activism, fraught relationships (both familial and marital), immigration to America, determined pursuit of acting as a career, successes and failures, personal and professional decline, struggles with addiction, and self-destructive tendencies and decisions. A sad and fascinating look at a complicated life.
I love graphic novels, and this graphic biography of famed actor Bela Lugosi was a great read. Opening with a man unrecognizable from his legendary Dracula persona, it spans the entire length of Lugosi’s life and chronicles his tragic rise and fall, delving into his childhood in Hungary, his activism, fraught relationships (both familial and marital), immigration to America, determined pursuit of acting as a career, successes and failures, personal and professional decline, struggles with addiction, and self-destructive tendencies and decisions. A sad and fascinating look at a complicated life.
January 6, 2023
I loved learning more fun facts about Bela Lugosi’s life (I didn’t know until reading this book that his last name is a reference to his hometown in Hungary), but I had a lot of questions all throughout the book that never were answered, particularly about his painkiller addiction. I think this would’ve been a more compelling book if more time was spent on that and Lugosi’s mental health than on his love affairs.
December 28, 2023
Nothing special.
December 17, 2023
„Lugosi. Aufstieg und Fall von Hollywoods Dracula!“ (5 Sterne, Verlag: Panini, Autor + Zeichner: Koren Shadmi, Übersetzerin: Claudia Kern, Lettering: Mediativo, Seiten: 160)
Wer kennt die Lebensgeschichte vom berühmten Dracula-Darsteller?
Als Kind ein Außenseiter, hielt der junge Béla Lugosi stets an seinem Traum fest, Schauspieler zu werden, und baute sich eine Karriere in Ungarn auf. Später musste er aus seinem Heimatland fliehen und fand letztlich in den USA sein neues Zuhause. Mit „Dracula“ wurde er 1931 dann zum Weltstar und begründete damit das damalige Horror-Genre neu. Doch die Konkurrenz zu Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) kratzte an seinem Ego, und der eingeführte Hays Code (- US-Richtlinien, die ab 1934 „moralisch akzeptable“ Darstellungen im Film bzgl. Kriminalität, Sex und Politik regulierten- ) erschwerte es dem Horrorfilm-Genre gewaltig. Daraufhin ging es langsam, aber stetig bergab. Lugosi gab Geld aus, das er nicht hatte, machte Schulden und musste alle ihm angebotenen Rollen annehmen, so schlecht sie auch waren. Seine wichtigsten und auch schlechtesten Filme und Kooperationen werden vorgestellt, u. a. seine Zusammenarbeit mit Ed Wood.
Aber auch privat stieg ihm sein Ruhm zu Kopf und die ersten drei Ehen hielten nicht lange. Seine vierte (von fünf) Ehen mit Lillian Arch hielt dann immerhin 20 Jahre, woraus auch der gemeinsame Sohn Bela Lugosi Jr. hervorging. Doch eine alte Kriegsverletzung machte ihn im Laufe der Zeit schmerzmittelabhängig; wenn das Geld knapp war, gab er es für „Medikamente“ aus. So ließ er sich 1955 freiwillig für einen Entzug einweisen, und heiratete im selben Jahr seine fünfte und letzte Frau. Ein Jahr später verstarb er im Alter von 73 Jahren an einem Herzinfarkt.
Ein trauriges und spannendes schwarz/weiß-Biopic zum ungarischen Schauspieler Béla Lugosi, aka: Dracula; einem Mann, für den die Schauspielerei alles im Leben war. Sehr zu empfehlen!
Wer kennt die Lebensgeschichte vom berühmten Dracula-Darsteller?
Als Kind ein Außenseiter, hielt der junge Béla Lugosi stets an seinem Traum fest, Schauspieler zu werden, und baute sich eine Karriere in Ungarn auf. Später musste er aus seinem Heimatland fliehen und fand letztlich in den USA sein neues Zuhause. Mit „Dracula“ wurde er 1931 dann zum Weltstar und begründete damit das damalige Horror-Genre neu. Doch die Konkurrenz zu Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) kratzte an seinem Ego, und der eingeführte Hays Code (- US-Richtlinien, die ab 1934 „moralisch akzeptable“ Darstellungen im Film bzgl. Kriminalität, Sex und Politik regulierten- ) erschwerte es dem Horrorfilm-Genre gewaltig. Daraufhin ging es langsam, aber stetig bergab. Lugosi gab Geld aus, das er nicht hatte, machte Schulden und musste alle ihm angebotenen Rollen annehmen, so schlecht sie auch waren. Seine wichtigsten und auch schlechtesten Filme und Kooperationen werden vorgestellt, u. a. seine Zusammenarbeit mit Ed Wood.
Aber auch privat stieg ihm sein Ruhm zu Kopf und die ersten drei Ehen hielten nicht lange. Seine vierte (von fünf) Ehen mit Lillian Arch hielt dann immerhin 20 Jahre, woraus auch der gemeinsame Sohn Bela Lugosi Jr. hervorging. Doch eine alte Kriegsverletzung machte ihn im Laufe der Zeit schmerzmittelabhängig; wenn das Geld knapp war, gab er es für „Medikamente“ aus. So ließ er sich 1955 freiwillig für einen Entzug einweisen, und heiratete im selben Jahr seine fünfte und letzte Frau. Ein Jahr später verstarb er im Alter von 73 Jahren an einem Herzinfarkt.
Ein trauriges und spannendes schwarz/weiß-Biopic zum ungarischen Schauspieler Béla Lugosi, aka: Dracula; einem Mann, für den die Schauspielerei alles im Leben war. Sehr zu empfehlen!
January 15, 2022
This graphic novel biography shows the ups and downs of Bela Lugosi, whose portrayal of Dracula in the 1930s basically created the modern understanding of vampires, and has defined the character so strongly that even 90 years later, nobody else (not even the great Christopher Lee) can escape from his shadow. This is a fascinating look at Lugosi's life, from his beginnings in Hungary through his years as a horror icon, to his downfall due to drugs and alcohol, and his late-career resurgence in Ed Wood's cult classic films. This portrayal manages to walk the tightrope of portraying Bela's life with sympathy but also showing how his own actions were responsible for his misfortunes.
This book uses a narrative framing device in which most of the story is delivered in flashbacks as an elderly Lugosi languishes in a rehabilitation center, trying to recover from his addiction and resume his life. The way Lugosi is visited by specters of his past, such as friend/rival Boris Karloff and even Count Dracula himself, puts me in mind of Scrooge's spectral visitors in A Christmas Carol. In a similar fashion to Ebenezer's spiritual rehabilitation, Lugosi is able to make something of a recovery, leave rehab, and film a few impromptu scenes for one last performance that would eventually become part of Ed Wood's infamous B-movie Plan 9 From Outer Space.
The artwork is great, and captures Lugosi's likeness extremely well. Numerous callbacks to iconic scenes in Dracula and other films are well-rendered and easily recognizable. Overall, it's a quick, interesting read full of lots of information I didn't know about one of Hollywood's fallen stars.
This book uses a narrative framing device in which most of the story is delivered in flashbacks as an elderly Lugosi languishes in a rehabilitation center, trying to recover from his addiction and resume his life. The way Lugosi is visited by specters of his past, such as friend/rival Boris Karloff and even Count Dracula himself, puts me in mind of Scrooge's spectral visitors in A Christmas Carol. In a similar fashion to Ebenezer's spiritual rehabilitation, Lugosi is able to make something of a recovery, leave rehab, and film a few impromptu scenes for one last performance that would eventually become part of Ed Wood's infamous B-movie Plan 9 From Outer Space.
The artwork is great, and captures Lugosi's likeness extremely well. Numerous callbacks to iconic scenes in Dracula and other films are well-rendered and easily recognizable. Overall, it's a quick, interesting read full of lots of information I didn't know about one of Hollywood's fallen stars.
October 1, 2021
I love just about anything about Universal Monsters and I love graphic novels, so this OGN about Bela Lugosi, the original movie Dracula, is a match made in heaven for me. Shadmi tells the tragic story of Lugosi, which is one of vanity, hubris, and someone who was his own worst enemy. Lugosi died broke and a drug addict in the mid-1950s, a sad shadow of himself, reduced to working in schlocky director Ed Wood’s horrible films. When poor Bela died during filming of Wood’s magnum opus, Plan 9 from Outer Space, the director enlisted the help of his dentist (who was much taller and younger than Lugosi) to lurk around a graveyard set pretending to be the late actor as Dracula, with his cape draped over his arm, covering his face. Lugosi’s greatest role was in the 1931 Universal production of Dracula, a film by Tod Browning that is long on atmosphere but short everywhere else. This is still a fascinating tale, and Shami tell it gracefully and with respect. He also did The Twilight Man about Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling and the birth of television; both books are part of Humanoids’ “Life Drawn” series.
December 5, 2024
Koren Shadmi possesses the admirable skill needed to take a graphic novel biography (Lugosi in this book; Rod Serling in his prior work), and portray the subject of the biography with grace. His astounding cartooning skills and story telling ability permit Shadmi to capture the physical being of (the very essence of) the title character.
Whether the biography is about Lugosi or Rod Serling, the slice of Hollywood presented is of a bygone era, and of a pop cultural significance: Lugosi changed the landscape of "horror films" in his time, and Rod Serling changed the trajectory of television programming with his innovative show, "The Twilight Zone."
Shadmi accurately portrays the subject matter, as demonstrated by the research materials listed in the end notes and bibliography.
The artistic work of Koren Shadmi is aesthetically pleasing, simple, and clean. The sharp lines of the drawings are on par with the sharp summary of the life and achievements of the person -- Lugosi is Dracula. Dracula is Lugosi. And the book makes this exceedingly clear.
5 Stars. I will be on the lookout for the further works of Koren Shadmi.
Whether the biography is about Lugosi or Rod Serling, the slice of Hollywood presented is of a bygone era, and of a pop cultural significance: Lugosi changed the landscape of "horror films" in his time, and Rod Serling changed the trajectory of television programming with his innovative show, "The Twilight Zone."
Shadmi accurately portrays the subject matter, as demonstrated by the research materials listed in the end notes and bibliography.
The artistic work of Koren Shadmi is aesthetically pleasing, simple, and clean. The sharp lines of the drawings are on par with the sharp summary of the life and achievements of the person -- Lugosi is Dracula. Dracula is Lugosi. And the book makes this exceedingly clear.
5 Stars. I will be on the lookout for the further works of Koren Shadmi.
July 10, 2021
Graphic novel biographies > traditional biographies
I’ve now had the pleasure of reading a number of these non-traditional format biographies, and I find the approach to be exceptionally satisfying. It’s a great way to get the history of a famous figure in a more concise and entertaining method than standard biographical nonfiction.
Bela Lugosi is a fascinating if not particularly likable icon of old Hollywood’s monster movie craze. His Dracula is one of the most iconic of all time, and a role that meant the world to the man who played him.
Lugosi isn’t exactly what you would call a likable guy. He was a nasty addict and a misogynist womanizer who was likely a diagnosable narcissist forever desperate for attention.
Thus he isn’t exactly the hero of his own story, but his story is an interesting one anyway and it is well rendered here. The art is also excellent, accurate but with a bent that is a nod to the subject’s life’s work and also—I think—just how Bela himself would have liked to be illustrated.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I’ve now had the pleasure of reading a number of these non-traditional format biographies, and I find the approach to be exceptionally satisfying. It’s a great way to get the history of a famous figure in a more concise and entertaining method than standard biographical nonfiction.
Bela Lugosi is a fascinating if not particularly likable icon of old Hollywood’s monster movie craze. His Dracula is one of the most iconic of all time, and a role that meant the world to the man who played him.
Lugosi isn’t exactly what you would call a likable guy. He was a nasty addict and a misogynist womanizer who was likely a diagnosable narcissist forever desperate for attention.
Thus he isn’t exactly the hero of his own story, but his story is an interesting one anyway and it is well rendered here. The art is also excellent, accurate but with a bent that is a nod to the subject’s life’s work and also—I think—just how Bela himself would have liked to be illustrated.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
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