August 20, 2009

Describing The Spectre



I chose a picture of the best-known actor in the most iconic representation of The Monster to illustrate this post. Boris Karloff was my introduction to Frankenstein. Chances are he was yours, too.

Frankensteinia: The Frankenstein Blog is two years old today. I launched in the high summer of 2007 with a quote from Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley:

“I busied myself to think of a story.... One which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature, and awaken thrilling horror — one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart…

What terrified me will terrify others; and I need only describe the spectre which had haunted my midnight pillow…

I bid my hideous progeny go forth and prosper."

I thought, then, that the quote did a good job of introducing the subject. Today, I find that it reads more like a mandate.

To paraphrase the author, I busied myself to think of stories that speak to our mysterious fears and our enduring fascination with the vast cultural universe created by Mary Shelley. I believed what had so engaged me would engage others and I have endeavored to describe the spectre, as it were, in all its manifestations.

Over the last two years, this site has logged over 240,000 visitors and some 375,000 page loads. I have met, exchanged and often made friends with fellow bloggers, scholars and historians, writers, critics and filmmakers, artists and creators, Monster Kids and Frankenstein fans. I am most grateful to those of you who have stepped up and subscribed to the blog through RSS, Google Friend Connect, MySpace, Networked Blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The combined number of registered “followers” currently stands at 1,987 and counting. Thank you all so very much for your continued interest and your precious support.

I have been honored me with blog awards like the Premio Dardos and, recently, the Honest Scrap Award. Please forgive me for rarely passing them on to other bloggers, as is usually prescribed by the award rules. I am simply too busy, most of the time, to participate, as I try to focus all my online energies to Frankensteinia itself. Check my blogroll, on the right hand column, for a permanent list of the blogs I most enjoy.

That being said, allow me to acknowledge Jeanette Laredo of the elegant and excellent Monster Land who kindly bestowed a Necronomicon Outstanding Blogs of Horror Award upon me, adding that my blog inspired her to launch her own. Thank you, Jeanette! Thanks also to Brian Solomon of the formidable The Vault of Horror who said mine was one of the first blogs he fell in love with, and thanks to my friend Gor Mandra of Draculand and Vade Retro Me Satana who also found inspiration in Frankensteinia (and Monster Crazy). I am utterly thrilled that my efforts have made ripples. Truly, this makes all the time and care spent on this project feel absolutely worthwhile. May I say, unpretentiously…. I bid my hideous progeny go forth and prosper.

Last year, I celebrated my first blog anniversary with the launch of a picture blog, Monster Crazy. Thanks, by the way, to all of you who visit there. This year, I celebrate the start of Year Three with a renewed commitment to you, dear readers, to put forward the best blog I can muster.


15 comments:

drax said...

Congrats on the anniversary! Haven't been coming for very long—just a few weeks—but I'm loving it.

Max the drunken severed head said...

My best wishes and heartiest congratulations on your blog's anniversary, Pierre!

Thank you for being our tour guide to all things related to Mary Shelley and her immortal characters. You make a great virtual companion, with your wide-ranging knowledge, erudition, intellectual curiosity and good humor.

You're quite a character yourself!

The Vicar of VHS said...

Happy 2nd birthday, and many happy returns!

I'm not overstating the case when I say that your blog is perhaps THE shining example of the wonderful things that happen when passionate devotion to a subject combines with a relentless inquisitiveness and exemplary research skills, to say nothing of your consistently excellent writing and presentation. I would say you put us all to shame--because you kind of do--but more than that you're an inspiration and an example to which we can aspire, whatever our particular passions and foci.

All your fans, awards and kudos are more than earned. Congratulations, and I look forward to lots and lots more.

Sincerely,
The Vicar

micha michelle said...

yes, congratulations pierre!

...and thank you so much for sharing your time + efforts. you've become quite the frankenstein historian. i look ever so forward to another year of monsters, manifestations + love for all things frankenstein.

wich2 said...

Congrats and continued best, Pierre.

You have created a non-monster!

That most valuable of webcreatures, the "go-to" spot on a subject.

-Craig "sometime Mary's Monster" Wichman

Rick said...

Congratulations, Pierre. Frankensteinia is my #1 blog site on the whole dot-web-net thingy. Every day for the last two years that I have been in arm's reach of a keyboard, I've been here to visit and the only disappointments are those days when I realize I've already read the post.
Keep up the great work, and thanks again.

Peter Bernard said...

Congratulations! I hope you continue for many more years, I read your blog frequently. Thanks for your great work.

Christopher said...

theres many many ways to re-heat the old Monster..How do you kill someone made from Leftovers anyway?..
All the best and Happy New Year!

filo said...

joyeux anniversaire and thank you for sharing your monstruous knowledge.

Sam G said...

Thanks to this blog, I discovered Monster Land and Vault of Horror. Keep up the great work Pierre! Happy Anniversary!

John Rozum said...

Happy Anniversary, Pierre!

Both Frankensteinia and Monster Crazy are an essential part of my day.

Your well thought out, researched, written, illustrated and designed posts on Frankensteinia are informative and insightful, and often point me to incarnations of Frankenstein I hadn't thought of, didn't know about, or had forgotten altogether.

Monster Crazy is like the prize at the bottom of the cereal box each and every day with it's wide ranging images. The diversity of sources that they've been culled from demonstrate just how many of us are out there who, not only love all aspects of the genre, but feel compelled to share it with others.

Well done, sir!

rednikki said...

Can you help us identify this piece of art?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mycranium/3843228586/?rotated=1&cb=1250874085281

My partner (who is very fascinated by Frankenstein) bought this T-shirt at Goodwill years ago. It's beginning to fall apart, and we've had no luck tracking down who the artist is. I thought if anyone knew, you would (or would know someone who knew).

Thanks for your time!

rob! said...

Happy Anniversary, indeed!

"Frankensteinia, good, fire--bad!"

(sorry, I may have used that joke last year, too)

Pierre Fournier said...

Thanks very, very much everyone for the kind words. Means the world to me.

Rednikki: That is indeed a fine drawing of The Monster, but I've never seen it before and I can't identify the artist.

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