Illustrious Icons of the Goth Subculture

Throughout modern history there have been certain characters that personify the very essence of Goth, for instance Theda Bara 1885-1995, Italian heiress Marchesa Luisa Casati 1881-1957, Carolyn Jones 1930-1983 who played Mortica Addams in the 1960s TV series The Addams Family, to more recent iconic Goths like Helena Bonham Carter and maverick dresser Daphne Guinness, who have helped inspire the movement, to create their own persona and sense of the gothic style. Punks and Goths have coexisted for decades and continue to be, distinct social movements built upon different music, films and fashion characteristics. The Goth subculture has survived much longer than others from the same era, for instance Mods, Skinheads, Hippies and Rockers. Dick

In 1987 The Daily Mail claimed Dracula as the classic of horror fiction " in seeking a parallel to this weird, powerful and ... story, our mind reverts to such tales as The Mysteries of Udolpho, Frankenstein and The Fall of the House of Usher - but Dracula is even more appalling in its gloomy fascination than any more of these"(Roberts, Livingstone and Baxter-Wright, 2014:p.73). The common film characteristics include vampires, ghosts, werewolves, bats, cobwebs, monsters, old dark houses, sublime castles, dungeons, graveyards and secret passages. The vampire embodies both life and death taking the life of others to sustain itself and in so doing living immortally, has been adopted by part of the Goth subculture as a cultural icon the Goth subculture is, metaphorically, if not actually, drawing power from others, with self-sustenance being the ultimate goal. Vampires in general have finessed their way from hideous ghouls however, such as Dracula and Nosferatu the Vampyre from 1979 however, in the 21st century there can become sensuous heartthrobs for example the Cullen's from the saga Twilight.

(2016). The World According to Goth - Christian Research Institute. [online] Available at: http://www.equip.org/article/the-world-according-to-goth/ [Accessed 17 Apr. 2016].

Whatisgoth.com. (2016). Goth Music. [online] Available at: http://www.whatisgoth.com/pages/Goth-Music.html [Accessed 17 Apr. 2016].

Roberts, C., Livingstone, H. and Baxter-Wright, E. 2014. The Evolution of a dark subculture Gothic . 1st ed. London: Goodman, p.130.

Roberts, C., Livingstone, H. and Baxter-Wright, E. 2014. The Evolution of a dark subculture Gothic . 1st ed. London: Goodman, p.133.

Roberts, C., Livingstone, H. and Baxter-Wright, E. 2014. The Evolution of a dark subculture Gothic . 1st ed. London: Goodman, p.149.

Roberts, C., Livingstone, H. and Baxter-Wright, E. 2014. The Evolution of a dark subculture Gothic . 1st ed. London: Goodman, pp.179-180.

Roberts, C., Livingstone, H. and Baxter-Wright, E. 2014. The Evolution of a dark subculture Gothic . 1st ed. London: Goodman, p.160.

Roberts, C., Livingstone, H. and Baxter-Wright, E. 2014. The Evolution of a dark subculture Gothic . 1st ed. London: Goodman,