Some time ago, I planned to create a series of pieces inspired by horror movies from the 20s and 30s, especially those of the Hollywood Pre-Code period, not because of the liberties of the time per se, but because, with the arrival of sound and the popularization of the cinema, it became a period of discovery and experimentation which would lay solid foundations for the forthcoming productions.
One of the most important movies of this period, and of all time, is Frankenstein. The adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel was released in 1931, getting a positive reaction from critics, and is considered to be even more frightening than its contemporary, Dracula, produced by the same firm: Universal Pictures.
There was, however, a silent film adaptation preceding this classic, released in 1910, and produced by Edison Studios (yes, that Edison). Even though the script differed even more from its source than the 1931 movie, focusing on the psychological aspects of the plot, it still manages to achieve a frightening atmosphere.
One particular scene from this short movie was used as a cover for The Edison Kinetogram issue of that year, a catalogue focused on movies from this production firm, and it became one of its most iconic images.
FIt was this image that I used as a reference for the tribute to this adaptation, translating it to a palette with tones of sepia that I made based on multiple others that I found on Lospec, almost like the very same Frankenstein’s monster was made. It was my own “experiment” in the name of creativity.
During the process, ideas tend to mash together, and sometimes they do it in unexpected ways. A while ago I had another idea for a series of tarot cards with a specific theme, but I never made the decision and it was abandoned (along with a bunch of others), but when I started placing the first pixels I realised that “classic horror movie monsters” was the ideal concept for this series.
I ended up framing my work with a simple design which made it look like a card from an old deck, one of those you can find inside a wooden box, in the depths of the drawer of a dusty night table; and I can’t wait to show each one of them to you.
Metadata
Palette: Custom
Size: 256x256
Software: Aseprite