A world of Gods and Monsters

[AlwaysWitty]

I figured this would be a better place for this thread.

I'm challenging you guys to create your own classic Universal-styled monster. I suppose a source of literature could be used, such as one that hasn't been adapted to film yet, or would work well with the UM theme, but still, some creativity never hurt. Here are some things to think about:

Name
Backstory
Appearance
Film Title
Abilities
Inspiration

Feel free to get into as much detail as you want, even beyond those things above. Those of you who are artists, take a crack at it. Let out your inner Frankenstein. Make a monster. For an example, here's mine:

Name: The Fiend

Backstory: In a small, quiet little village, a beautiful, yet unfaithful woman was found dead inside the hollowed trunk of an enormous tree. The people of the village, including her husband, believe her lover to be the murderer. However, one night, after a long and violent pursuit, the people suspect that the man fell to his death over a waterfall. A year later, people begin to disappear, and each night, a figure is seen dragging their bodies to the tree up on the hill. According to the whispers of an old witch doctor, the Fiend rose from his grave, and is trying to bring his lover back, by feeding the bodies of his victims to the tree that serves as her tomb, burying them there so that the roots may feed on them.

Appearance:




Film Title: "THE FIEND ON THE HILL" followed by "THE FIEND RETURNS" and "HOUSE OF THE FIEND", things like that.

Abilities: He is very strong, and very agile, like Mr. Hyde, but he is also cunning. He speaks with a cold, icy tone, and is very intelligent. His stare can induce a trance, and the touch of his right hand drains his victims of their soul, leaving their bodies lifeless; dead. The amulet around his neck is, according to the superstitious, a severed demon horn, and the source of his power.

Inspiration: I was mostly inspired by "White Zombie", the stories of "Solomon Kane", as well as "Phantom of the Opera" and "Faust". The biggest inspiration was an old story my Grandmother told me about a tree that came to life. My Grandma kicks ass. As for an actor, Boris Karloff and Vincent Price are the two I most thought of when envisioning this character.

In addition to being a good ol' Universal Monster movie, there's a mystery in there. Was she really killed by the Fiend? Is her true killer still at large? And why is the Fiend trying to bring her back? And of course, will the Fiend succeed in resurrecting her? A lot of thought went into this guy. As for what he is (or is he?) as a monster, I'd say something like a Lich, or a Necromancer. I just figured, a lot of the Classic Monsters are divided into two categories. There's your visually monstrous type, who is usually very energetic and lively, and has some sort of physical disfiguration. Then there's the monster who may not look monstrous on the outside, but on the inside, his mind is as evil as his soul, but he's generally rather calm and collective. I thought, how come no one's ever really tried to make a monster who was a bit of both? The Fiend, well, I could see him being rather suave and eerily charismatic one moment, and then a raging lunatic the next.

Have at it, fellas. Surely you guys should be creative enough to come up with something.

[Unknown Primate]

I still like this thread, just haven't contributed yet!  Great artwork, btw.

[Wicked Lester]

I still like this thread, just haven't contributed yet!  Great artwork, btw.

Ditto
I just need to take the time to write the basis for this guy LORD PUMPKIN!

[Rich]

Name: The Shadow

Backstory: Brian Billingsy (also known as The Shadow) along with his wife Anna Billingsy purchased a new house outside Transylvania. Of course legends run ramped in those parts as a result of Count Dracula, his wives, and daughter. Supposedly, the house he purchased was that of the last person Dracula murdered before he died and became one of the undead. He was plagued with nightmares and eventually started seeing unknown shadows on the walls at night. He told his wife of this and she laughed at him and told him that he was letting the villagers' stories about the vampires get to him. One night, he was in the bathroom readying for bed and her his wife scream. He rushed into the room and found her there laying on the floor dead. He then herd a shuffling sound. He turned around to see a black shadow on the wall. The entire village herd his blood curdling scream, but never ever saw him again.

Years later the place is owned by a new owner and the rooms are rented out in motel fashion. Of course the locals try to warn everyone to stay away from the place, but the tourists always wind up laughing at them. Of course they are always found laying on the floor dead in the mourning.

Appearance: Tall, dark, thin man (played by Boris Karloff) who moves about at will in the house. He wears a long black coat with a big black hat, and his face is pail white with a horrified look on his face (the very look that was on his face when he was found dead)

Film Title: The Shadow

Abilities: specialty in stealth, great brute strength

Inspiration: Phantom of the Opera

[AlwaysWitty]

Name: The Shadow

Backstory: Brian Billingsy (also known as The Shadow) along with his wife Anna Billingsy purchased a new house outside Transylvania. Of course legends run ramped in those parts as a result of Count Dracula, his wives, and daughter. Supposedly, the house he purchased was that of the last person Dracula murdered before he died and became one of the undead. He was plagued with nightmares and eventually started seeing unknown shadows on the walls at night. He told his wife of this and she laughed at him and told him that he was letting the villagers' stories about the vampires get to him. One night, he was in the bathroom readying for bed and her his wife scream. He rushed into the room and found her there laying on the floor dead. He then herd a shuffling sound. He turned around to see a black shadow on the wall. The entire village herd his blood curdling scream, but never ever saw him again.

Years later the place is owned by a new owner and the rooms are rented out in motel fashion. Of course the locals try to warn everyone to stay away from the place, but the tourists always wind up laughing at them. Of course they are always found laying on the floor dead in the mourning.

Appearance: Tall, dark, thin man (played by Boris Karloff) who moves about at will in the house. He wears a long black coat with a big black hat, and his face is pail white with a horrified look on his face (the very look that was on his face when he was found dead)

Film Title: The Shadow

Abilities: specialty in stealth, great brute strength

Inspiration: Phantom of the Opera

I like how it's tied into Dracula. I'd certainly see it. If I may make one little observation, it's the name. It really resembles the pulp character, Lamont Cranston. Unless, of course, that's intentional. But still, that's a cool idea.

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

NAME: BOGFOOT
BACKSTORY:NOT YET
APPEARANCE: A CROSS BETWEEN SWAMP THING AND BIGFOOT
FILM TITLE: LEGEND OF BOGFOOT
ABILITIES: SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH AND ABLE TO MELD INTO THE BOG
INSPIRATIOPN: ACCIDENTLY MISPELLED BIGFOOT, AND THEN THE LIGHT BULB WENT ON IN MY HEAD

More to come soon.

[AlwaysWitty]

NAME: BOGFOOT
BACKSTORY:NOT YET
APPEARANCE: A CROSS BETWEEN SWAMP THING AND BIGFOOT
FILM TITLE: LEGEND OF BOGFOOT
ABILITIES: SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH AND ABLE TO MELD INTO THE BOG
INSPIRATIOPN: ACCIDENTLY MISPELLED BIGFOOT, AND THEN THE LIGHT BULB WENT ON IN MY HEAD

More to come soon.

Bogfoot, eh? Clever play on words you've got there.

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

LEGEND OF BOGFOOT
Backstory: In the remote highlands of Scotland,the McGregor brothers gathered around their father's bed.
Their Father, Colin McGregor was on his deathbed, soon he would be passing on to the eternal sleep.
Shawn and Richard stood on each side of the bed holding their Father's hands,Richard being the oldest would inherit the Family estate.
Shawn would inherit the estate when Richard passed on, but Shawn didnt want to wait that long, he felt the land should be his.
Richard has been away at college in America, and Shawn has been by his father's side day and night.
That night Colin McGregor passed in his sleep, the next morning funeral arrangements were being made.
Shawn talked his brother into going hunting this morning, the two brothers were getting along, and they bagged quite a few quail.
Shawn almost took a wrong step, Richard pulled him back in time"Careful Shawn!, you nearly stepped into the bog."
Shawn gulped, and whiped the sweat from his brow, an evil thought crept into Shawn's mind.
He loosened the pocketwatch from his vest, and dropped it onto the bog,"My watch!, it came loose and fell into the bog."
Richard told him to stand back, that he would get it, he did have a longer reach than Shawn, as Richard kneeled down and stretched out
his arm, his fingers almost touched the chain, Shawn shoved Richard from behind, Richard went into the bog head first.
He bobbled back up gasping for air"Shawn help me!" he cried. Shawn stood there for a moment, and then grabbed a long tree limb, with

it, he pushed his brother under, and held it there, til his brother's arms quit flailing about.
Shawn hurried home, and told the aouthorites what happened, that his brother was trying to retrieve his watch, and fell into the bog,
he tried to help him, but it was too late.
That night as Shawn laid down for sleep, in his bed, he dreamed of all the fancy parties that he would be throwing at his new house.
The next morning the maid came in to wake up Shawn, but instead screamed to the top of her lungs, others rushed to her side.
They found Shawn lying in his bed, covered with the mud of the bog, it was even inside his mouth, he simply suffocated.
The house stands empty now, sometimes passerbys notice muddy footprints at the entrance of the home.
Some say they have seen astrange looking creature that lurks near the home, and the bog.
The locals say it is the ghost of Richard, searching for peace.

[The Creeper]

That's pretty cool!  I would watch it.

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

That's pretty cool!  I would watch it.

Thanks

[AlwaysWitty]

That's an awesome backstory you've got there! I like how the creature was born out of sibling rivalry, and the setting in Scotland is unique. I can easily imagine Shawn being haunted by the gravity of his actions before they'd come back to kill him, and there's great potential for a mystery surrounding the bog itself, and it's properties. I'd totally watch it.

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

Thanks, I'm trying to come up with a better name, than Bogfoot.

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

If I could go back and modify/edit the name of the monster and title of the movie it would be this.

Monster Name:BOGMAN

Movie Title:LEGEND OF BOG DEEP


He would look like this,(borrowed from Dragonsfoot D&D)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_S3KhqVGgIcg/SETVjpOTh1I/AAAAAAAABGU/UtyI8o-IH30/s320/298950474_bf61642f49.jpg