About 'Un-Dead'

My Evil-ution with Dracula

1988
This journey with Dracula began in my high school creative writing class. For the mid-term exam, we had to write a chapter from the 'point-of-view' of a different character than used in the original novel. ie.
Little Red Riding Hood from the Wolf's perspective or 'Moby Dick' from the point of view of the whale. As you may have guessed, I chose Dracula. For those familiar with Bram Stoker's original novel, you will know that the story was told by various heroes (Jonathan & Mina Harker, Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, etc) through letters, telegrams, journals and newspaper clippings. Nowhere in the novel do we ever get to hear Dracula narrate, so that was my exam.

As I was writing, it occured to me that Bram Stoker was very particular about how to kill a vampire, by driving a wooden stake into the heart, stuffing the mouth with garlic, cutting off the head and burning the remains. Four female vampires were disposed of this way... but Dracula was only stabbed with a knife. Did Bram Stoker leave a loop-hole for Dracula's return? I assumed as much when writing my exam.

When I returned home, I dug out my paperback copy of the novel Dracula and confirmed I was correct. It certainly seemed that Bram Stoker had wanted a sequel.

My high school writing exam.

1992
From the above exam, I came up with a TV Series idea. I wrote the first three scripts, the series bible, and a five-year story arc. The series was set in present-day and the descendants of the original characters from the novel have no idea what happened in Victorian England. They are forced to band together as a newly resurrected Dracula returns and starts to hunt them down.

To help pitch the idea, I shot a promotional 'trailer' for the series with Mickey Rooney narrating as Prof. Van Helsing:

Ending of novel.

Hunting Dracula in 1893

Mina Harker

Present-day vampiress

Dracula and Dysis Harker.

Unfortunately, production companies in my hometown of Toronto were reluctant to develop a new vampire series when there was already a Canadian vampire series on the air: Forever Knight. So I tried my luck with American companies. No luck either. Alliance Atlantis liked the idea but were developing their own movie with a young Van Helsing as the action protagonist (it took 10 years for Van Helsing to be made - yes the one starring Hugh Jackman). The feedback that I received from Warner Bros. was that my Dracula series was  'too dark' and it would never get on the air. 

The following year, the 'X-Files' premiered on  TV which changed the 'dark' standard of television, and shortly thereafter came 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' which made Kung-Fu-kicking vampires cool. I didn't want to be perceived as a genre copy-cat, so my Dracula series was shelved. 

1997
To celebrate the centennial anniversary of Bram Stoker's novel, I re-created his 1897 staged reading of 'Dracula or the Un-Dead' (Bram Stoker wanted the title: The Un-Dead for his novel but his publisher chose Dracula instead). Later that year I went to Dracula '97 in Los  Angeles. I was inspired to try bringing the series idea back, and also became involved with several other Dracula projects, including a stage musical adaptation whose producers didn't find adequate funding.

For Bram Stoker's 1897 dramatic reading

Cast of 'Dracula the Un-Dead' 1997- staged centennial reading.

Myself and Elvira at Dracula '97

Myself (the wolf creature) with Nicolae Paduraru, President of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula of Romania at Dracula '97.

Also that year, I created a pictorial telling of 'Dracula' using most of the cast from my Dramatic Reading.  I tried to put it on a website to tell the story. Unfortunately these were the early days of the internet, everyone was on dial-up, and the pages couldn't handle so many pictures.

Bram Stoker overshadowed by his creation.

Mina & Jonathan Harker

Lucy Westentra & Arthur Holmwood

Quincey Morris, the Texan

Jonathan Harker enroute to Castle Dracula

Dr. Seward and his phonograph

Hunting for Dracula

The three brides of Dracula

2001
Took the script of one of the episodes from my Dracula series and adapted it as a short film entitled: First Light
Shot entirely with still photos, no dialogue or narration. It won numerous awards in film festivals all over the world, including the Bronze Remi at WorldFest Houston for Fantasy/Horror Short - 2003.

First Light poster

Our lost soul hero.

One of many time periods

This was the mood I wanted for the series.

Goth girl

1999

Using the backstory I had created for my Dracula series, I wrote my first novel as a sequel to Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' using the same format as Bram did. Writing everything with letters, journals and telegrams was a challenge when certain characters died.

I never tried to get it published as I was not completely happy with it and felt I needed to do more historical research to bring authenticity to it. 

This was the mock-up cover I created for the novel.

2008
Was the historical researcher for a novel 'sequel' to Dracula set during the early 1900's. I also co-wrote the screenplay. I also adapted and directed it into a 'Dramatic Stage Reading Production' complete with projections on a fogscreen and live original music.  A couple of the cast members from my 1997 reading were on hand for the reading of the 'sequel'. This version was (as fans observed) more a sequel to Francis Ford Coppola's film Dracula rather than the original novel. Still, I was proud of my work on the project but longed to have Dracula as the monster that Bram Stoker originally created, not a romantic anti-hero.

Bram Stoker in front of his creation.

Dr. Seward witnesses Bathory's deeds.

The 2008 cast of 'Dracula the Un-Dead'

The Blood Countess in front of her portrait.

Mina recalls the past. (same actress & images were from the 1997)

Wrote a biography about Bram Stoker for Tony Lee's graphic novel 'HARKER'.  This graphic novel is an excellent 'sequel' to Bram Stoker's book. Set six months after Dracula dies , it is very true to Bram Stoker's original characters.

2013
Having recently transferred all my old Dracula Series files from 3.25" floppy disks to a USB key, I decided to 're-vamp' it into an on-line novelization with homage to the original novel. Instead of letters, telegrams and phonograph recordings, the characters can communicate via e-mail, blogs, text messages, social media... and that's how their new story will be told. 

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About the Logos

Both the Un-Dead bat logo and the Rose & Cross logo are done in the style of a Victorian monogram. 
Both created and drawn by Carmen Gilliespie.

Click to enlarge and see if you can find the word 'Un-Dead' hidden in the bat logo. (Hint: the 'D's are mirrored to each other)

Can you find the words 'Rose' and 'Cross' hidden in this logo?

Carmen Gillespie (R) with foremost Dracula scholar: Dr. Elizabeth Miller. Carmen is not only the illustrator but has played Mina Harker since the 1992 video.

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About the Author

Alexander Galant is the author of the historical thriller novel 'Depth of Deception (A Titanic Murder Mystery)'. It has been awarded Finalist in the BEST NEW E-BOOK: FICTION category of the 2012 USA BOOK AWARDS
as well as Finalist E-Book: Mystery/Thriller/Adventure category - 2012 International Book Awards.  His short story thriller 'Remember Me' is part of the Starship Goodwords Anthology available from Amazon.  He's finishing up another novel, LUTETIA Darkness Beneath the City of Light. This historical fiction thriller features a young Victor Hugo, his journey into the dark underworld of Paris and exposure to those he later referred to as 'Les Misérables'.