Horror's greatest icon?

[Venom75]

Obviously,we've got some great names to go with Dracula,Freddy Krueger,Frankenstein,Michael Myers,The Wolf-man,Jason Voorhees,The Mummy,Leatherface,The Creature from the Black Lagoon;etc.

Honestly,I would say that the greatest ever is Dracula(or to be more specific,the "vampire"),but Krueger would be right up there. Actually,when I think of horror I think of it in two eras:the early 1920's untill the 50's/60's,and then the 60's to present day. Dracula would rule the first period(although Frankie and the Wolf-man are right up there). Freddy rules the second era. I think that as great as others like Jason and Michael are,Freddy is alot more original,intelligent and a more thought out character.I don't think anyone has impacted pop culture as much as Krueger has. He pretty much owned the 1980's.
I don't know if we'll ever really get another huge icon like Freddy,Dracula or Jason. At least not these days. Some are pretty good(The Devil's Rejects,the Creeper),but none has really come close,imo.

 

[CFE]

King...everyone else after was an imitation on some level or another.

Universal Monsters, on the other hand...that's a bit more open for debate. I always liked Dracula, but Lon Cheney's Wolf Man was great to.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

Kruger is definitely in the top mix followed by Myers and Jason. It's a pity new icons have not come along in recent years. I thought Leslie Vernon had some potential.

Love the Werewolf.

Ash is also another who is on my top Horror icon.

 

[COAL TIGER]

Candyman is KING. Most of the others are just ******ed brutes.

Now bow down to him and suck his hook.

 

[Lex Luthor]

My vote would probably have to go to Dracula. Followed closely by Frankenstein.

Since the 1930's, numerous films have been based on these two characters in some form or another, and their iconic status as some of the greatest horror films of all time will forever remain intact.

The 1970's/1980's brought upon something of a second "Golden Age", if you will, of silver screen villains that continue to endure today as well; Leatherface, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Chucky, Pinhead, Tallman ect ect.

But in terms of iconic stature ... Dracula & Frankenstein remain at the top of the horror heap.

 

[citizenpain]

as far as classic characters go, dracula takes it.

in these modern times, freddy and jason.

and even though he's not a villain in a horror film, he certainly is a horror icon so lets not forget...

recently there haven't been many iconic horror characters. the last one that i really liked was probably the creeper. prior to that with scream and all those teen slasher films it was always just a regular dude in a mask, which is so lame, so it was nice seeing jeepers creepers go back to the monster route.

 

[deathfromabove]

i agree ash is one. linda blair in the exorcist is another. hannibal lecter is one that is right up there with the three slashers.

as far as modern or recent characters that are not as formidible but icons non the less i would add predator, the alien, and even that ass from saw. chucky, the puppet master, brundle fly, and the face from scream all have their place in the pantheon.

lets not forget the zombies from night of the living dead (who set the standard for the mindless undead), spider baby, or jack torrence either.


but if we are going to crown a fictional character (as i assume you dont mean to include horror writers, directors, or actors in this discussion) it has to be dracula.

bram stoker cast the mold for the vampire back in 1897(solidified might be more accurate. stoker did not invent the vampire) and it is probably horror's most popular and enduring archetype. there have been more iterations of dracula (and even more for vampires in general) than any other character in the horror annals. max schreck, bela lugosi, christopher lee, frank langela, and gary oldman are but a few of the great thesps to take thier turn.

the wider vampire mythology has always been reinvented and retold generation after generation in every form of popular media. anne rice and her vampire books. blade and 30 days of night in comics. and then there is seasame street's the count and even count chocula for the younger set.

the vampire has been the favorite subject in horror films since its birth and has been everything from a monster to a misunderstood lost soul just longing to be loved. the german existential dread of nosferatu's rat-like count orlock to the post modern vampire(?) of romeo's martin to the blood thirsty monsters in salems' lot the vampire has taken every possible form on screen.

even now we have such wide ranging ( nearly opposite in fact) adaptations as the vampire lite teen pop of "twillight" juxtaposed with the deadly serious and disturbing children of "let the right one in" in theatres as we speak. and dont forget "true blood" on hbo which has managed to take the mythology to new and different places without dilluting it.

 

[deathfromabove]

King...everyone else after was an imitation on some level or another.

Universal Monsters, on the other hand...that's a bit more open for debate. I always liked Dracula, but Lon Cheney's Wolf Man was great to.

i think meyers owes a bit of debt to leatherface, who i see as the genesis of the crazed masked killer archetype.

awesome sketch.

 

[SatEL]

Dracula is king without a doubt, how many films have been made about him and he is probably the most recognised.

 

[PyroChamber]

This guy isn't fictional and probably doesn't deserve any type of praise but I thought I'd mention him anyway...

I mean think about how most of these modern horror characters are based on this man alone.

But as far as fiction goes I'd pick...

Count Orlok
Leatherface
Michael Myers
Freddy Krueger

 

[TheFuture]

I did a big tournament thing called "Greatest Iconic Horror Character" on a different forum. It was well received! Anyway this man won out;

 

[nocomics]

I guess it just depends on ur taste and what type of horror fan u are. If u grew up in 80's/90's then u probably favor leatherface,kruger,jason etc...
So,I will put that aside and try to think of what I think the greatest horror Icons are,and ofcourse its all matter of ones own opinion. So,there is no right or wrong answers:

1.Dracula
2.Frankenstein
3.Werewolf
4.Mikel Meyers
5.Freddy Krueger
6.Jason Vorheese
7.Leatherface
8.Pinhead
9.Blob
10.Thing

*these are just what I think are the most recognizable horror icons. I'm sure there are someothers,but heres my favorite icons:

1.Jason Vorheese
2.Jigsaw
3.Mikel Meyers
4.Pinhead
5.Dracula/Frankenstein

 

[Doctor Jones]

In terms of classic, IMO The Wolfman. I always prefered him over Dracula.

In slasher flicks, Michael Myers. Everyone seems to forget where it all started, imitated by Friday the 13th, and Nightmare on Elmstreet.

Myers is king. He needs more reconigition.

 

[The Dark Defender]

i think meyers owes a bit of debt to leatherface, who i see as the genesis of the crazed masked killer archetype.

awesome sketch.

and Billy from Black Christmas.

"Myers is king. He needs more reconigition."

He gets tons of recognition, and he's not hwere it all started.

 

[The Joker]

Dracula and Michael Myers for me.

Freddy and Jason are just comical these days. Whatever edge they once had was lost years ago in a sea of over the top sequals.

 

[The Dark Defender]

That tends to happen to almost every long-standing villain over the years. I think that's one of the reasons Candyman didn't end up with a plethora of sequels. There's just no way you can make that guy remotely funny, and he'd be wildly out of place if the tone of the films were...the F13 remake actually looks pretty intense from what I've seen so far though.

 

[Doctor Jones]

and Billy from Black Christmas.

"Myers is king. He needs more reconigition."

He gets tons of recognition, and he's not hwere it all started.

Maybe here he does. Whenever I hear the slasher icons, people always say Freddy or Jason. Hell, I went out on Halloween a few years ago, I was Myers and someone thought I was Jason.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Norman Bates FTW!

 

[Hunter Rider]

There's a Tom Rothman gag waiting to be made here.

 

[Dr Strange]

For greatest icon i would have to say Dracula but personally my favourite is this guy:

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1282/02xv9wn0.jpg

 

[Jolie_Desastre]

There's a Tom Rothman gag waiting to be made here.

*shivers*

 

[November Rain]

death from the seventh seal

 

[citizenpain]

for patrick bateman.

another one of my favorites:

 

[xwolverine2]

scared blonde chicks..

 

[B]

Michael Myers hands down..

Followed by probably Kruger