Retro Big Finish

A while back I had the idea of reinterpreting some of the recent Big Finish audio dramas in the style of the 1960s Paperback Library Dark Shadows novels. I love those old covers, with their unmistakeable olive green 'gold' jackets and brash, flowery typography. Back when I was first discovering Dark Shadows, those musty books offered a distinctive oval window into the world of Collinwood. I was fascinated by the glimpses of the studio sets and the supporting cast they featured alongside Barnabas and Quentin in the cover photographs. Like a snapshot of a faraway place, those mysterious graphics sum up Dark Shadows in a very potent way for me even now.

But that's enough nostalgia. So, from a more innocent time, here are some alternative versions of The Night Whispers and London's Burning.

Half Price DVD Sale

Amazon are holding another Dark Shadows DVD promotion, with the entire range of episodic box sets reduced to half price. Each four-disc set contains up to 40 episodes, with bonus interviews and other features on selected sets. The sale runs for a limited time. Here are individual ordering links for the sets:

Dark Shadows: The Beginning (pre-Barnabas episodes): Collection 1, Collection 2, Collection 3, Collection 4, Collection 5, Collection 6

Dark Shadows DVD Collections (episodes from Barnabas' arrival onwards): Collection 1, Collection 2, Collection 3, Collection 4, Collection 5, Collection 6, Collection 7, Collection 8, Collection 9, Collection 10, Collection 11, Collection 12, Collection 13, Collection 14, Collection 15, Collection 16, Collection 17, Collection 18, Collection 19, Collection 20, Collection 21, Collection 22, Collection 23, Collection 24, Collection 25, Collection 26

Josette's Lost Music

Over the years, several readers have written in asking about the original theme used for Josette's music box during the early Barnabas episodes in 1967. This track was taken from a library record published by Warner/Chappell, and so is one of the few music cues on Dark Shadows not written by regular composer Robert Cobert.

By 1968, when the show had moved onto its 1795 flashback, to save paying for an additional music source, the melody was replaced by a new piece by Cobert, which remained in use for the rest of the series, bar a couple of accidental appearances of the original track during the dream curse storyline.

So, the burning question, where does the original piece come from? Well, it's a composition by prolific Canadian composer Robert Farnon, whose long career included collaborations with Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, along with hundreds of pieces for light entertainment and television. The 'Josette' track can be located thanks to its prominent appearance in an early episode of The Prisoner, Dance of the Dead; The actual cue is a single stanza which lasts for less than 30 seconds, so for Dark Shadows, a repeated edit was created to bring up the running time.

If you want to complete your Dark Shadows music collection, there's good news – this elusive track can be purchased from the UK iTunes store under its original title, Drumdramatics No. 2 (1-4), which is available here. Enjoy!

Into 2011

Happy New Year! In 2011, Dark Shadows celebrates its milestone 45th Anniversary with the production of a brand new movie adaptation from director Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins. In recent months, the site's traffic has risen steadily as the new project has begun to receive more media coverage, so a belated hello to all our new readers.

For fans of Johnny Depp and Johnny Depp who've yet to experience Dark Shadows, the main site has plenty of information on the show. If you're interested in a proper taster, The Curse of the Vampire DVD condenses some of Barnabas' key storylines, and the 1991 Dark Shadows Revival Series DVD offers a big budget primetime remake in 12 episodes.

For Dark Shadows fans unfamiliar with the collaborations of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, Sleepy Hollow is a vivid Gothic fantasy based on the classic Washington Irving ghost story, and more recently, the pair reunited to work on Sweeney Todd, a glorious morbid adaptation of the Broadway horror musical. Both productions come highly recommended and can be ordered on DVD by clicking on the hyperlinked titles.

Meanwhile, the classic show lives on in new audio stories, a forthcoming comic book series, plus classic comic strip reprints from Hermes Press and action figures from Spectre Toys. Whether you're one of the original generation who ran home from school to catch the intrigue at Collinwood or a more recent convert, this site will be here to keep you updated on the latest developments from the world of Dark Shadows.

News Catch-up

• ShadowGram reports that a new series of Dark Shadows comic books are in the works, featuring new stories continuing on from the original series.
• David Selby (Quentin) is to appear in a new LA Theatre Works production of Dracula, produced in radio play format. The staged reading takes place in Brentwood, Los Angeles from May 19-22. For more information, click here.
• Condolences go out to Christopher Pennock (Jeb) on the recent death of his mother Gabriella, who passed away on December 17.
• Marsha Mason (Audrey) is profiled in recent piece the Los Angeles Times, which touches upon her brief stint on Dark Shadows as a vampiric servant of the Leviathans. To read the feature, click here.

2011 Dark Shadows Festival

The 2011 Dark Shadows Festival has been confirmed to take place from August 19-21 in the New York City area. This year's event celebrates the 45th Anniversary of Dark Shadows, with special guests Jonathan Frid (Barnabas) and David Selby (Quentin).

The exact venue and registration details should be announced in the coming months, along with the full guest list. For more information on the Dark Shadows Festival, visit the official website by clicking here.

A Chat With Round 2

As recently reported, model kit company Round 2 have recently acquired a license to reissue the classic 1960s Dark Shadows kits, originally produced by MPC. We caught up with James Hood at Round 2 to talk about the new range:

Tell us a little about Round 2...

Round 2 is an innovative hobby and collectibles company located in South Bend, Indiana. Round 2 and its creative team are dedicated to producing detailed, quality collectible items that appeal to the young and the young at heart.

How did the decision to revive these particular kits come about?

One of our objectives is to take advantage of the [classic kit manufacturers] AMT and MPC's tooling banks, to uncover and bring back long-out-of-production kits like the Dark Shadows models.

Have any release dates been set?

Our current plan is to bring out the Barnabas kit in April 2011, the Werewolf in August and the Barnabas Collins Vampire Van in December.

How closely will the new releases match the originals?

They will match the original kits almost exactly. The only changes we may consider are alterations to make sure the kits fit together properly. Some MPC kits from that era from lacked positioning pins or tended to assemble with noticeable gaps at the seams. We'll look at correcting issues like that. We also plan to use reproduction artwork from the original packaging, though we usually need to make compromises here and there to satisfy licensor demands for modern logos and trademarks.

The classic figures came with poseable rubber arms and glow-in-the-dark parts. Will those be reproduced?
We will be looking into the possibility of injecting the arms in standard hard styrene plastic as well as the softer PVC of the originals. We want to be loyal to the content of the original kits, but builders today want to make their models as impeccably as possible. The soft plastic would cause some problems achieving a perfect look, and we've found that the flexibility of the arms is rather limited anyway. If we can inject them in styrene, we will include copies of the arms in both materials. Optional glow-in-the-dark parts will be included just like the original release.

Where will fans be able to buy the kits?
The kits will be available through standard hobby stores. Bricks and mortar stores are becoming fewer and fewer, but there are many online retailers that also carry
our products, which can also be purchased through our website.

And finally, if these reissues are a success, would Round 2 consider producing all-new Dark Shadows kits?

As we say to most inquiries we receive, anything is possible.

Update: The Barnabas Collins model kit is now available and can be ordered online by clicking here.

News Bites

• David Selby (Quentin) has updated his official website with a new personal welcome message. Pay a visit by clicking here. David's recent film The Social Network is due out on DVD in January and can be pre-ordered from Amazon by clicking here.
• Marie Wallace (Eve) is interviewed in the latest issue of Scary Monsters magazine, discussing her work on Dark Shadows and beyond.
• Alec Newman (2004 Barnabas) can be seen alongside Sir Derek Jacobi in a new production of King Lear at London's Donmar Warehouse. The show runs until February 5 and tickets can be booked by clicking here.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt's (1991 David) hit summer movie Inception has just been released on DVD. To order it from Amazon, click here.
• Los Angeles' Greystone Mansion, Collinwood in the 1991 Dark Shadows series and 2004 pilot, was featured in the December 12 finale of CBS' The Amazing Race. Contestants had to make it to the estate, which marked the finishing line for the competition.
• And finally, for a limited time, Amazon are offering the complete Dark Shadows Revival Series DVD for just $9.99, a 75% discount on the regular retail price. To order, click here.

Third Comics Collection Announced

Hermes Press have confirmed that a third collection of Dark Shadows comic strip reprints is in preparation for publication in 2011. Dark Shadows: The Complete Series Volume 3 will collect issues 15-21 of the classic Gold Key stories digitally restored in collector's hardback format. Provisional cover artwork is shown right.

As previously reported, Volume 2 was due out in November, but has now slipped back in the schedules until February 2011. It can be pre-ordered from Amazon at a discount price by clicking here.

Colleen Atwood Confirmed as Movie Costume Designer

At the beginning of the year, we reported that Colleen Atwood would be designing the costumes for Tim Burton's Dark Shadows movie, and despite the delays in beginning shooting, The Seattle Times has this week confirmed that she remains attached to the project.

Atwood has collaborated frequently with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, working on films such as Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland. Her work can currently be seen in Johnny Depp's latest film, The Tourist. In addition to winning Oscars for Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha, her other credits include Manhunter, Silence of the Lambs and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

"Tim [Burton] and I really hit it off on our first interview," she explains. "We had a few laughs and we've been laughing ever since." To read the full article, click here.

More from Johnny Depp

As the press junket for Johnny Depp's film The Tourist continues, the forthcoming Dark Shadows movie has again been a subject of discussion. In an interview with MTV, the actor has spoken about the script development and the character of Barnabas:

"He's coming around," says Depp of the new interpretation of the character. "He's a guy who I think is going to be very interesting. He's going to be a lot of fun in a very outside and strange way. I'm excited." To read the full interview, click here.

Johnny Depp in Vanity Fair

Johnny Depp features on the cover of the latest issue of Vanity Fair, which includes an in-depth profile by Patti Smith. Amongst the topics covered are the upcoming Dark Shadows film, which Depp touches on briefly:

"That's something I really want to do. The script is really close now, really close... it's just a question of myself and Tim [Burton] and the writer, basically the three of us, getting together and signing off on various scenarios. But it's really gotten good. In the last three weeks, it's gotten f**kin' good."

The full interview can be read in the magazine, available in shops now.

Unsung Heroes

Sometimes it's easy to forget just how sprawling and diverse Dark Shadows was. Collinwood.net was established over 10 years ago to celebrate the show in all its forms, both on and offscreen, but it's impossible to cover everything properly. With over 1200 episodes and hundreds of actors and behind the scenes contributors, it's easy to overlook so many things. To this end, I've set myself a challenge – to find five things that I've not written about before. So, in no particular order, here are a few aspects of Dark Shadows that I think deserve a little more praise.

1. The Blue Whale Set

Sy Tomashoff's designs for Dark Shadows were nothing short of genius. With limited resources and studio space, he created a whole world for the show to live in. My favourite set is, without a doubt, the Blue Whale pub. Why does no one ever talk about this? It's a truly beautiful piece of design. Of all the Dark Shadows settings, it feels the most distinctive, and the most like a real place. From the sea reflections at the windows (such a lovely touch, achieved in low-tech style by a stagehand rippling a tray of water), to the little details like the hanging fishing nets and lanterns, you can almost smell the beer and cigarette smoke.

2. Violet Welles

During my recent 1897 re-watch, I became mildly obsessed with the episodes by the mysterious Violet Welles, an occasional writer on the show. She's seldom discussed, but for my money, hers was the voice that captured Dark Shadows best. With clever, sometimes raucous dialogue, a heartfelt sense of character, and a penchant for particularly bonkers dream sequences, Violet's scripts made me fall in love with the show all over again. She's also the writer responsible for Count Petofi, giving Dark Shadows its most entertaining villain. Surprisingly, she wasn't a full-time writer, earning most of her living as a Broadway theatre publicist. I'd love to know more about what influenced her and drove those wonderful, passionate scripts. Alas, information about Violet is scant, but somehow that adds to her appeal all the more.

3. Mrs Johnson

Spare a thought for Collinwood's perpetually-anxious housekeeper, played to perfection by the late Clarice Blackburn. With her quavering voice and frayed nerves, Mrs Johnson's semi-regular appearances were always a particular delight. Compared to rest of the characters, with their increasingly-convoluted melodramas, Mrs Johnson's greatest virtue is that she barely changed during her four years on the show. Most soap characters evolve beyond recognition, but Mrs Johnson remained resolutely the same – no one at Collinwood ever became familiar enough to dare call her Sarah. Endearingly anxious, God-fearing, and ever-so-slightly nosy, amidst Dark Shadows' gods and monsters, it was great to have one character whose ambitions extended no further than doing the dusting.

4. Fashions by Orhbach's

Though its heart was rooted in the past, the Orhbach's department store on West 34th Street kept the residents of Collinsport firmly connected to the present. In return for an on-screen credit, the store supplied free clothing for all the contemporary storylines. Occasionally the Ohrbach's credit would confusingly run on a flashback episode, so perhaps they had a Young Republic department tucked away in the basement. Carping aside, it's fair to say that a small but significant part of the Dark Shadows look can be traced to Orhbach's. From Victoria's trademark sleeveless dresses (a speciality in various shades of shapeless nylon) to Barnabas' cape (cheaply made by cutting up two identical coats from Menswear), Orhbach's deserves a little love for their seemingly-endless range of plaid shirts, and for giving the spectrum a particular shade of bilious lime green not seen before or since.

5. Dan Ross

When I first discovered Dark Shadows as a teenager in the mid-1990s, there were no episodes available here in England, so all I had to go on were a couple of magazine articles with blurry photos. Something instinctive told me that I would love Dark Shadows if only I could get to see it, but America and actual episodes seemed unobtainable and far away. All was not lost, when I discovered some yellowing copies of the Dark Shadows Paperback Library tie-in novels at a London comic fair. Suddenly Collinwood (or Collins House, depending on which book you were reading) was alive and real, and I steadily began to track down copies. The books were written by author Dan Ross, under the more marketable pseudonym Marilyn. Ross didn't have access to broadcasts of Dark Shadows at his home in Canada, so relying on scripts and story outlines, he crafted his own alternative Collinwood, where the supernatural was usually explained away in Scooby Doo fashion by the final chapter. With hindsight, it's easy to dismiss these stories as flawed, pulpy tie-ins, but for giving me my first proper chance to experience those characters and storylines I loved them dearly.

Johnny Depp Talks Dark Shadows

In an interview promoting his new film The Tourist, actor Johnny Depp has spoken briefly about his upcoming role as Barnabas in the new Dark Shadows feature film. Speaking to the Chicago Sun-Times, Depp says: "We start [Dark Shadows] in April and I can't wait to sink my teeth in. Bad pun, I know. I can't wait to start and get into that dark mode."

To read the full interview, click here. The Tourist can be seen in cinemas from December 10.

Jonathan Frid at 86

Many happy returns to Jonathan Frid, who celebrates his 86th birthday today. As vampire Barnabas Collins, Jonathan's contribution to the success of Dark Shadows was immense, and more than 40 years on, he continues to maintain his ties with the show.

In addition to appearing at the annual Dark Shadows Festivals in recent years, Jonathan remains active with his personal website, which features special dramatic presentations, an interactive message board and exclusive autographed merchandise. Pay a visit by clicking here.