Little Dracula
Encyclopedia
Little Dracula is a British
series of children's books
and an American
animated television series that originally aired on FOX
. Little Dracula revolves around a green-skinned, child vampire
who aspires to be like his father, Big Dracula, yet also enjoys rock 'n roll and surfing
. Little Dracula also has a monstrous friend named Werebunny, and his Transylvania
n family of strange characters is often threatened by the villain
ous Garlic Man.
and later reissued in the US through Candlewick Press
, debuted in 1986. It was penned by award-winning writer
Martin Waddell
and illustrated
by Joseph Wright; although, a joke book was written by Alan Durant with illustration by Paul Tempest. The paperback
stories, recommended for ages 4-8, rely heavily on Wright's gory yet humorous illustrations. They detail Little Dracula's spooky lifestyle which includes bowling
with skulls and drinking a glass of blood before sleeping in his miniature coffin. Other morbid scenes include Mrs. Dracula emptying the brain from a decapitated
head into a frying pan for breakfast and children playing tennis with rackets strung with cat guts. Dubbed "too silly to be truly spooky," the series received praise by Publishers Weekly
and School Library Journal
particularly for its meticulous illustrations which were also regarded as "not for the squeamish."
While the majority of Little Dracula books were released during the 1980s and early 1990s, some were reissued in the US as recently October 2001. This may have been to capitalize on the brief revitalization of the animated series the prior year.
on September 3, 1991 and, despite the program's brief run, features the voices of several veteran comedian
s and actors
. Thirteen episodes were produced, but only six were aired; five episodes aired the week of September 3-September 6, before its timeslot was given to Beetlejuice
. A sixth episode aired on Halloween. It was during this initial run that the Little Dracula franchise made its way to a handful of merchandising deals.
In 1999
, Fox Family reran Little Dracula, including four episodes which had not aired during the original run (another three remained unaired). Some Little Dracula books were also republished following this brief revival.
Numerous episodes of Little Dracula came to VHS
throughout 1993 and '94. Available through Abbey Home Media, they appear to have been made available in PAL
format only.
collection based on the characters hit store shelves. Produced by Bandai
, the line includes Little Dracula, Drac Attack Little Dracula, Igor, Maggot, Werebunny, Garlic Man, Twin Beaks, The Man With No Eyes, and Deadwood. They each feature multiple points of articulation, several meticulous accessories, and a unique action feature (Igor's brain pops up when his arm is lifted). Vehicles of Little Dracula include the Coffin Car, Dracster, Easy-biter Motorcycle, and Garlicmobile.
Other merchandise includes costume and roleplaying sets such as Little Dracula's Vampire Kit and Little Dracula's Scepter & Amulet. Starting January 1992, Harvey Comics
also published a 3-part Little Dracula comic book
mini-series
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
series of children's books
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
and an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animated television series that originally aired on FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. Little Dracula revolves around a green-skinned, child vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
who aspires to be like his father, Big Dracula, yet also enjoys rock 'n roll and surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
. Little Dracula also has a monstrous friend named Werebunny, and his Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
n family of strange characters is often threatened by the villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
ous Garlic Man.
Book series
The Little Dracula book series, originally published by Walker BooksWalker Books
Walker Books is an independent British publisher of children's books, founded in 1978 by Sebastian Walker.The success of their Where's Wally? series enabled them to expand into the American market, starting a sister company called Candlewick Press in 1991.Amelia Edwards, co-founder of Walker Books,...
and later reissued in the US through Candlewick Press
Candlewick Press
Candlewick Press, established in 1991 and located in Somerville, Massachusetts, is the American division of the British publisher Walker Books Ltd....
, debuted in 1986. It was penned by award-winning writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Martin Waddell
Martin Waddell
Martin Waddell is a prolific, award winning children's author. He has lived most of his life in Newcastle, County Down and is most famous for his engaging Big Bear, Little Bear and Little Dracula series....
and illustrated
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
by Joseph Wright; although, a joke book was written by Alan Durant with illustration by Paul Tempest. The paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
stories, recommended for ages 4-8, rely heavily on Wright's gory yet humorous illustrations. They detail Little Dracula's spooky lifestyle which includes bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
with skulls and drinking a glass of blood before sleeping in his miniature coffin. Other morbid scenes include Mrs. Dracula emptying the brain from a decapitated
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
head into a frying pan for breakfast and children playing tennis with rackets strung with cat guts. Dubbed "too silly to be truly spooky," the series received praise by Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
and School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
particularly for its meticulous illustrations which were also regarded as "not for the squeamish."
While the majority of Little Dracula books were released during the 1980s and early 1990s, some were reissued in the US as recently October 2001. This may have been to capitalize on the brief revitalization of the animated series the prior year.
| Title | Date | ISBN # |
|---|---|---|
| Little Dracula's First Bite | October 7, 1986 | ISBN 0-140-50657-8 |
| Little Dracula's Christmas | November 4, 1986 | ISBN 0-140-50658-6 |
| Little Dracula at the Seaside | July 30, 1987 | ISBN 0-744-50531-3 |
| Little Dracula at the Seashore (Reissue) | March 2, 1992 | ISBN 1-564-02026-6 |
| Little Dracula Goes to School | March 2, 1992 | ISBN 1-564-02027-4 |
| Little Dracula's Fiendishly Funny Joke Book | May 28, 1992 | ISBN 0-744-52393-1 |
| Little Dracula's Fangtastic Fun Book | May 28, 1992 | ISBN 0-744-52189-0 |
| Little Dracula's Monstrous Poster | May 28, 1992 | ISBN 0-744-52392-3 |
| Little Dracula's Other Monstrous Poster | May 28, 1992 | ISBN 0-744-52395-8 |
| Little Dracula's Joke Book (Reissue) | July 3, 2000 | ISBN 0-744-57777-2 |
| Little Dracula's First Christmas (Reissue) | October 8, 2001 | ISBN 0-744-57843-4 |
Animated series
The Little Dracula animated series was directed by Joe Pearson with original music by Stephen C. Marston under Walker Hahn Productions. It debuted on Fox KidsFox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
on September 3, 1991 and, despite the program's brief run, features the voices of several veteran comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s and actors
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
. Thirteen episodes were produced, but only six were aired; five episodes aired the week of September 3-September 6, before its timeslot was given to Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice (TV series)
Beetlejuice is an American-Canadian animated television series which ran from September 9, 1989 to May 7, 1992 on ABC and, later on, on Fox. Loosely based on the 1988 homonymous film of the same name, it was developed and executive-produced by the film's director, Tim Burton...
. A sixth episode aired on Halloween. It was during this initial run that the Little Dracula franchise made its way to a handful of merchandising deals.
In 1999
1999 in television
The year 1999 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1999.For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
, Fox Family reran Little Dracula, including four episodes which had not aired during the original run (another three remained unaired). Some Little Dracula books were also republished following this brief revival.
Cast
- Edan GrossEdan GrossEdan Gross is a former child actor. He appeared in many guest spots on many popular television programs in the 1980s and 1990s including Cheers, Murphy Brown, The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Newhart, Highway to Heaven, Married… with Children, Northern Exposure, and Herman's Head...
as Little Dracula - Joe FlahertyJoe FlahertyJoe Flaherty is an American-Canadian actor and comedian. He is best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy SCTV, from 1976 to 1984, and as Harold Weir on Freaks and Geeks...
as Big Dracula - Jonathan WintersJonathan Winters-Early life:Winters was born in Bellbrook, Ohio, the son of Alice Kilgore , a radio personality, and Jonathan Harshman Winters II, an investment broker. He is a descendant of Valentine Winters, founder of the Winters National Bank in Dayton, Ohio...
as Igor and Granny - Kath SoucieKath SoucieKatherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
as Mrs. Dracula and Millicent - Brian CummingsBrian CummingsBrian Cummings is an American voice actor.-Biography:He is known for his work in radio and television commercials, television and motion picture promos, cartoons and as the announcer on The All-New Let's Make a Deal from 1984 to 1985...
as Garlic Man - Neil RossNeil RossTheodoric Neilson "Neil" Ross is an English voice actor and announcer, born in London, England and now resident and working in Los Angeles, in the United States. He has provided voices for in many American cartoons, particularly those based on Hasbro products and Marvel Comics, and numerous...
as Maggot - Danny MannDanny MannDaniel "Danny" Mann is an American voice actor, writer, singer, musician, and production manager. He is best known for his voice of Hector from Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats, Freeway, Cloudraker and Lightspeed in Transformers, Backwoods Beagle in DuckTales, Kaltag in Balto, Ferdinand from Babe,...
as No Eyes and Twin Beaks - Melvyn HayesMelvyn HayesMelvyn Hayes is an English actor probably best known for playing the effeminate Gunner "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum,-Early life and career:...
as Deadwood - Joey CamenJoey Camen- Anime Roles :* Dinozaurs - Dino Tricera* Eureka Seven - Dr. Greg "Bear" Egan- Non-Anime Roles :* Darkwing Duck - Stegmutt* Little Dracula - Werebunny* The Smurfs - Additional Voices- Movie Roles :...
as Werebunny - Fran RyanFran RyanFran Ryan was an American character actress featured in television and films. She was born in Los Angeles, California....
as Hannah the Barbarian
Season 1 (Fox Kids, 1991)
| No. | Title | Original airdate | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Curse of the Ghastly Minimum Wage" | September 3, 1991 | 103 |
| 2 | "Little D's First Bite (aka Ghoul Days)" | September 4, 1991 | 102 |
| 3 | "Little D's Surprise" | September 5, 1991 | 101 |
| 4 | "Bite Before Christmas" | September 6, 1991 | 105 |
| 5 | "Little D Goes Hawaiian" | September 7, 1991 | 106 |
| 6 | "Little D's Halloween" | October 31, 1991 | 104 |
Season 2 (Fox Family, 1999)
| No. | Title | Original airdate | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | "Bat Boys" | September 12, 1999 | 201 |
| 8 | "Easy Biters" | September 14, 1999 | 202 |
| 9 | "Deadwood's Complaint" | September 17, 1999 | 203 |
| 10 | "The Chamber of Unspeakable Terror" | September 17, 1999 | 204 |
| 11 | "The Bite at the Ghoul School Corral" | October 3, 1999 | 205 |
| 12 | "Midnight Madness" | October 11, 1999 | 206 |
| 13 | "Deadly Screentest" | October 13, 1999 | 207 |
Home video releases
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
throughout 1993 and '94. Available through Abbey Home Media, they appear to have been made available in PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
format only.
| Title | Date | Format | Description | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Biggest Ever Saturday Morning Heroes | October 4, 1993 | PAL PAL PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system... VHS VHS The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan .... |
Three hours of James Bond Jr. James Bond Jr. James Bond Jr. is a fictional character described as the nephew of Ian Fleming's masterspy James Bond. The name "James Bond Junior" was first used in 1967 for an unsuccessful spinoff novel entitled 003½: The Adventures of James Bond Junior written under the pseudonym R. D. Mascott... , T-Rex The Adventures of T-Rex The Adventures of T-Rex was a co-production between Japanese and American animated series that aired in syndication from 1992 to 1993 in North America... , Little Dracula, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson. The pilot was shown during the week of December 28, 1987 in syndication as a five part miniseries and began its official run on October 1, 1988... , Super Mario Bros., Captain N Captain N: The Game Master Captain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time... , and The Transformers The Transformers (TV series) The Transformers is an animated television series depicting a war among giant robots who could transform into vehicles, other objects and animal-like forms. Written and recorded in America, the series was animated in Japan and South Korea... . 191 minutes. |
Abbey Home Entertainment and distributed by Tempo Video |
| Little Dracula's Fangtastic Video | October 4, 1993 | PAL PAL PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system... VHS VHS The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan .... |
Includes "Bat Boys" and "Easy Biters." 66 minutes. | Abbey Home Entertainment and distributed by Tempo Video |
| Little Dracula's Video Full of Frightful Surprises | December 29, 1993 | PAL PAL PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system... VHS VHS The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan .... |
Includes "Little D's Surprise," "Deadwood's Complaint," and "The Chamber of Unspeakable Terrors." 65 minutes. | Abbey Home Entertainment and distributed by Tempo Home Video |
| Little Dracula's Video: With a Bite | December 28, 1994 | PAL PAL PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system... VHS VHS The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan .... |
The adventures of Little Dracula. 66 minutes. | Abbey Home Video and distributed by Tempo Home Video |
Action figures and other merchandise
The year Little Dracula debuted on Fox Kids, an action figureAction figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
collection based on the characters hit store shelves. Produced by Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
, the line includes Little Dracula, Drac Attack Little Dracula, Igor, Maggot, Werebunny, Garlic Man, Twin Beaks, The Man With No Eyes, and Deadwood. They each feature multiple points of articulation, several meticulous accessories, and a unique action feature (Igor's brain pops up when his arm is lifted). Vehicles of Little Dracula include the Coffin Car, Dracster, Easy-biter Motorcycle, and Garlicmobile.
Other merchandise includes costume and roleplaying sets such as Little Dracula's Vampire Kit and Little Dracula's Scepter & Amulet. Starting January 1992, Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
also published a 3-part Little Dracula comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
.
External links
- Little Dracula World
- Little Dracula at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Little Dracula at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- Hayley B's Little Dracula Information Vault
- X-Entertainment's Halloween Countdown! October 27, 2003: Little Dracula Action Figures!
- MyComicShop.com - Little Dracula (1992)
- Little Dracula Fan Page on Facebook