I'm doing a project on vampire popularity and need to know when they became the most popular.
2007-10-24 03:16:11 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
I became fascinated with vampires when I was about 9 {1991}, as there was always a classic horror film {usually Hammer Horror} shown late on a Friday night.
This led me to lots of different books {both fiction and non-fiction}, and by the time I was 12 I was reading vampire fiction that was aimed at adults.
Vampires really hit popular culture with the publication of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' in 1897.
Though this was not actually the first vampire novel. That was 'The Vampyre' by John William Polidori, in 1819.
In 1847 the Penny Dreadful 'Varney the Vampire' was published. And in 1872 Sheridan le Fanu's novella 'Carmilla' was published {about a female vampire}.
Vampires were obviously still strong in popular culture in the early 20th century :~
In 1927 Arthur Conan Doyle published his Sherlock Holmes short story 'The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire'. {There isn't actually a vampire involved, mearly the rumour of one}.
There was a resurgence in vampire fiction from the 1960's to the late 1990's, including a selection of stories aimed at ages ranging from 8 year olds to teenagers.
The majority of vampire films seem to have been made from the late 1930's through to the mid 1980's, with their hay-day in the 1960's.
There are also now many books about vampires in myth and history, and analising vampire fiction and films {I've read several}.
2007-10-24 06:38:52 · answer #1 · answered by Lady Silver Rose * Wolf 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Great question! Its nice to read something a little different from the usual questions here. :)
I think that vampires first started to become popular in the 1940s when Bella Lugosi starred in a series of movies. This was the first time a vampire was portrayed as a debonair well-dressed man. But the popularity soared with the release of such movies as Lost Boys and Interview with a Vampire. These movies along with many others began showing the vampires as good looking men with tortured souls.
Prior to the movie era vampires were thought to be disgusting half rotting corpses. Definitely more terrifying than trendy.
I hope that helps.
:)
2007-10-24 03:24:32 · answer #2 · answered by Reiki Chick 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The mid-1800s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire#In_popular_fiction
I became aware of then when I was very young - likely in the 1960s. Everyone has heard of "Dracula", even very little kids, and I'm sure those older than I knew vampire stories before they were 10 years old as well.
Jim, http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com
2007-10-24 05:13:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In my experience, they really seemed to take off in the 80s, with the whole Goth experience.
That also seems to be when vampires broke free of JUST being about Dracula and similar old-style vampires; we got Lost Boys and Anne Rice (I guess late 70s for her) styles (among others) as well.
2007-10-24 03:19:32 · answer #4 · answered by kent_shakespear 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are they popular? If they are, I'd say in the 1950's with those classic vampire movies - you know, Bella Lugosi and all that.
2007-10-24 03:23:44 · answer #5 · answered by Max 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would think they became a hit in 1897. That's when "Dracula" was published.
2007-10-24 09:22:23 · answer #6 · answered by menslady125 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-10-22 22:32:14 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I became aware of them in 1866.
2007-10-24 03:19:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋