Abstract
When connections between queerness and vampirism are drawn, Nosferatu’s (1922) Count Orlok rarely receives attention. Anne Rice’s vampires, J. Sherdian LeFanu’s Carmilla and her adapted descendants, and Hammer’s deluge of lesbian vampires more often spring to mind. Yet, Orlok has been taken up within queer artistic media on multiple occasions, suggesting this vampire too has a certain queer flair. Sasha Velour dragged him on Instagram (2019) in honour of F. W. Murnau’s sexuality. Velour also produced, ‘a bald vampire—a force of incredible power and kindness, but also a bit unpredictable, chaotic’ for her international tour Smoke and Mirrors (2019-20), citing Orlok via her bald head and gold encrusted ears (Velour, 2019: 49) as much as she rewrites the vampire.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Nosferatu in the 21st Century |
| Subtitle of host publication | A Critical Study |
| Editors | Simon Bacon |
| Place of Publication | Liverpool |
| Publisher | Liverpool University Press |
| Chapter | 15 |
| Pages | 111-126 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Edition | 1st |
| ISBN (Print) | 1800856407, 9781800856400 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 5 Jan 2023 |
Keywords
- Vampire
- Queer
- Gothic
- sexuality
- beauty