Frankenstein, One of the Classic Halloween Costumes

Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus is a novel written by Mary Shelley about a creature created by an unorthodox science experiment. Published in 1818 and considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction, Frankenstein is a story of a scientist (Victor Frankenstein) obsessed with creating life. Shelley's scientist, succeeds. But while Frankenstein's creature can think and feel, he is monstrous to the eye. Spurned by all, including Victor Frankenstein himself, the embittered creature turns into a savage killer.

 Frankenstein has had a considerable influence across literature and pop culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories, films and plays. In 1931 Frankenstein became a Universal film, starring Boris Karloff as the monster. The bulky costume with four inch platform boots made it an arduous role but the costume and torturously administered makeup produced the classic image. The costume was a job in itself for Karloff with the shoes weighing 13 pounds (6 kg) each. Boris Karloff is recognized as one of the true icons of horror cinema, and the actor most closely identified with the general public's perception of the "monster". 

In 1974 Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder teamed up to write a comedic, spoof based on the 1930's movie. It was called "Young Frankenstein".  The plot would go as such; Dr. Frankenstein's grandson, after years of living down the family reputation, inherits granddad's castle and repeats the experiments. Brooks shot the picture entirely in black and white, a rarity in the 1970s, and employed 1930s-style opening credits and scene transitions such as iris outs, wipes, and fades to black. Young Frankenstein went on to be a critical favorite and box office smash.

 In 2012 Tim Burton directed Frankenweenie a parody and homage to the 1931 film. Frankenweenie, the first black-and-white feature film and the first stop-motion film to be released in IMAX 3D by Walt Disney Pictures on October 5, 2012. The film was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and an Annie Award for Best Film in each respective animated category.

To this day Frankenstein costumes are still iconic--one of the most popular Halloween characters.