Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Uncle Boris


I adore Boris Karloff!!! Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Mummy are three of my favourite films. Not only is the former William Henry Pratt (cousin of renowned Italian cartoonist, Hugo Pratt, by the way) deservedly famous for his convincingly horrid early screen roles, he was able to laugh at himself and the genre later in his career, appearing in spoofs on several television variety shows and contributing to two of Monsterama's favourite animated films-- How the Grinch Stole Christmas , and Mad Monster Party .The drawing at right is, of course, by animation king Chuck Jones. Chuck Jones + Boris Karloff + Dr. Seuss = awesome. Below is a production drawing for Mad Monster Party by the amazing Frank Frazetta. The Rankin/Bass stop-motion masterpiece is sited as a major influence on Tim Burton's puppet films, The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride. Rankin/Bass + Boris Karloff + Mad Magazine = also awesome. Karloff's voice was absolutely unique, and still much-imitated today when trying to invoke a creepy, mad scientist vibe. The Pitt has some really fabulous sound files of the Great Karloff and his spine-chilling lisp.