EXPLOITING HIGH CULTURE
Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, might not recognize our popular culture’s mutations of her Gothic classic. First published in 1818, the novel has inspired numerous interpretations, everything from the scary—Boris Karloff in the classic 1931 movie—to the silly—the Mel Brooks spoof Young Frankenstein. A recent version, called I, Frankenstein and based on a graphic novel, pits the monster against an army of gargoyles; a more serious adaptation followed in 2015. Can you think of another example of a story that has developed and changed over time and through various media transformations? Photofest (left) 20th Century Fox/Photofest (center) © Lionsgate/Everett Collection (right)