World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag

World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch
Photo by Dinu J Nair on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when we pay homage to the monster that brought vampires to the masses, the Count himself: Dracula.

As you can imagine, Dracula has sparked imaginations countless time since Bram Stoker’s novel was first published in 1897. The number of onscreen adaptations alone could keep you occupied for a lifetime. But today we’re focusing on a few of the products that have made it to market over the years– apologies if you have the sudden urge to start scouring flea markets and online ads…

Dracula Cha-Cha, 1960

The cover art alone makes this album by Bob McFadden worth seeking out…

World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, Dracula Cha-Cha
More info here

The Dracula Cookbook, 1978

Featuring “authentic Transylvanian recipes” by Marina Polvay. Not gonna lie– I want a copy.

(Someone posted a few shots of the book on instagram, including a recipe for Veal Roast. Take a look here.)

World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, The Dracula Cookbook by Marina Polvay
More info here.

The Dracula Cookbook of Blood, 1993

If you’re looking for something more along the lines of what Dracula himself would eat, Ardin C. Price’s recipes all feature blood. I wouldn’t say no to this one, either (although I don’t think I’d make any of the recipes.)

(There are also shots of this book on instagram, including a recipe for Totoga– Roasted Pig Organs. Take a look here.)

World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, The Dracula Cookbook of Blood
More info here.

Genuine Soil from Dracula’s Castle, 1979

One gram of soil in a coffin amulet, and it comes with a certificate of authenticity. Just in case Dracula needs to crash at your place and doesn’t have any native soil on him.

World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, genuine soil from Dracula's castle

Dracula Statuette, 1930s to 1940s

Commissioned by Bela Lugosi himself to give to friends, it’s rumoured that only 25 were made, and of those only a few are left. Happy hunting!

World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, Bela Lugosi commissioned statuette
More info here.

Dracula: A Toy Theatre, 1979

Based on Edward Gorey’s original designs for the set of the 1977 theatre adaptation of Dracula. An updated version of the toy theatre is still in print.

World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, Edward Gorey Dracula theatre
More info here.

I Vant to Bite Your Finger: The Dracula Game, 1979

I actually got to play this once when I was a kid, and I’ve got to say it’s pretty fun to get a vampire bite– even if it is only red marker dots on your finger. There are other Dracula games out there, but there might not be any better ones.

World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, I Vant to Bite Your Finger, Dracula board game
More info here.

Dracula Model Kit, 1962

Made by the Aurora company, these were meant to be assembled and painted. Some people like model planes, some like model monsters.

World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, Dracula model kit, Aurora model kit
Partially painted
World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, Dracula model kit, Aurora model kit
A completed version. More info here.

Dracula Dolls, 1980s to 1990s

These are probably the easiest items to find; it would be fun to collect as many variations as possible.

World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, Dracula doll
Travellers doll, 1985. More info here.
World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, Dracula doll
1980s. More info here.
World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, Dracula doll
Moving doll, 1990s. More info here.
World Dracula Day: Vintage Swag, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Dracula, Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, vampire, vampires, Dracula products, Dracula memorabilia, Dracula merch, Dracula doll
Animated doll, 1990s. More info here.

Do you have any of these? Which would you want to get if you could? Share in the comments…

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

The Count isn’t the only fanged fiend out there– download my books now and meet some new monsters…

Aspasia S. Bissas books: Love Lies Bleeding, Blood Magic, Tooth & Claw, book, books, free book, free books, freebies, freebie, free ebook, free ebooks, vampire, vampires, dark fantasy, dark romance, historical fiction, gothic fiction, gothic fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, horror, dark reads, indie author, indie fiction, strong female protagonist, aspasiasbissas.com

Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books

If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

🧿

More Music for Vampires

More Music for Vampires, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Vampire, vampires, Bloodletting, Concrete Blonde, The Vampire Song, 90s music, punk, goth, alternative, music, Johnette Napolitano

Raise your hand if you remember Concrete Blonde! They weren’t around too long (although they’ve reunited a couple of times since) but they made an impression. Their album “Bloodletting” is damn near perfect, in my opinion. It’s moody, evocative, and lead singer Johnette Napolitano has a gorgeous voice.

More Music for Vampires, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Vampire, vampires, Bloodletting, Concrete Blonde, The Vampire Song, 90s music, punk, goth, alternative, music, Johnette Napolitano

I don’t think there’s a song I don’t like on “Bloodletting,” but my absolute favourite is, of course, Bloodletting (The Vampire Song). Give it a listen, and then go seek out more of their music. You won’t be disappointed.

(Trigger warning: the video includes images of rats, squirming maggots, and taxidermy.)

What do you think of this song or Concrete Blonde? Are you a fan? Share in the comments…

Want more vampires? Download my books now!

Aspasia S. Bissas books: Love Lies Bleeding, Blood Magic, Tooth & Claw, book, books, free book, free books, freebies, freebie, free ebook, free ebooks, vampire, vampires, dark fantasy, dark romance, historical fiction, gothic fiction, gothic fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, horror, dark reads, indie author, indie fiction, strong female protagonist, aspasiasbissas.com

Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books

If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

🧿

Elegy for a Friend

A good friend of mine just died unexpectedly. I’ve known him longer than anyone I’m not related to; he was in my life far longer than he wasn’t. I can’t picture what it’s going to be like going forward,

He was a huge influence on me, probably more than I’ll ever realize. One of his influences, for which I’ll always be grateful, was music. He introduced me to so many good bands: Bauhaus, The Cure, Henry Rollins, Stan Ridgway, The Residents, Devo, Dead Kennedys, Talking Heads. The list goes on. But the big one was the Ramones. They were his favourite, and they ended up being one of mine too.

So for Stuart, I’m sharing “Rockaway Beach,” written by Dee Dee Ramone, his favourite member of the band. Please give it a listen, and think about the people who helped you become who you are.

I also want to share this video that I saw a couple of weeks ago. It made me feel better, and hopefully it’ll help someone else feel better too.

Take care ♥

Aspasía S. Bissas

Music for Vampires

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

In the Buffy episode Surprise. there’s a short scene of vampire Drusilla dancing to a song. That song is “Transylvanian Concubine” by Rasputina. I loved the song as soon as I heard it, and it was perfect in the scene.

Buffy actually features a lot of good music, and even had a few bands play onscreen (Bif Naked, Cibo Matto, The Breeders, Aimee Mann…) But “Transylvanian Concubine” stood out the most to me. Give it a listen and see what you think:

Music for Vampires, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Transylvanian Concubine, Rasputina, Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Surprise, BtVS, Drusilla, Drusilla gif
Drusilla grooving

What did you think of the song? What’s your favourite song featured on a show or movie, vampire or otherwise? Share in the comments…

Looking for something to read with your music? Download my books now…

Aspasia S. Bissas books: Love Lies Bleeding, Blood Magic, Tooth & Claw, book, books, free book, free books, freebies, freebie, free ebook, free ebooks, vampire, vampires, dark fantasy, dark romance, historical fiction, gothic fiction, gothic fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, horror, dark reads, indie author, indie fiction, strong female protagonist, aspasiasbissas.com

Love Lies Bleeding: SmashwordsBarnes & NobleKoboApple Books, Amazon
FREE Blood Magic: SmashwordsBarnes & NobleKoboApple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: SmashwordsBarnes & NobleKoboApple Books

If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

🧿

Revisiting the Classics

Revisiting the Classics, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Bela Lugosi, Bela Lugosi's Dead, Bauhaus, video with lyrics, undead, mood music, moody music

I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube lately, and I have a real fondness for music reaction videos, where people hear a song for the first time and, well, react to it. I love that these (mostly younger) people are interested in learning about music they missed out on, and I’m amazed at how many there are.

Revisiting the Classics, blog post by Aspasia S. Bissas, aspasiasbissas.com. Bela Lugosi, Bela Lugosi's Dead, Bauhaus, video with lyrics, undead, mood music, moody music, Peter Murphy.
Peter Murphy, lead singer of Bauhaus. Photo by Mark Jeremy – https://www.flickr.com/photos/markjeremy/56264831/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48716048

In the spirit of sharing good music with those who may not have heard it before (or just want to hear it again), I present “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” by Bauhaus. Put on your blackest clothes, crack open some red wine, and enjoy…

I’ve been pretty out of the loop on new music lately– do you know of any good recent bands or songs (any genre) you want to share? Let me know in the comments…

Now that we’ve set the mood, download my books and keep the vibe going…

Aspasia S. Bissas books: Love Lies Bleeding, Blood Magic, Tooth & Claw, book, books, free book, free books, freebies, freebie, free ebook, free ebooks, vampire, vampires, dark fantasy, dark romance, historical fiction, gothic fiction, gothic fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, horror, dark reads, indie author, indie fiction, strong female protagonist, aspasiasbissas.com

Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books

If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

🧿
%d bloggers like this: