Barnabas Collins
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| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Barnabas Collins |
| Occupation: | vampire |
| Relationships: | Joshua Collins (father) Sarah Collins (sister) Josette Dupre (fiancé) Angelique (momentary affair) |
| Fandom: | Dark Shadows |
| Other: | |
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Barnabas Collins is a character from 1960s "gothic soap opera" Dark Shadows television series starting in the show's second year.
Barnabas was supposed to only be on for a brief story arc, but the character became hugely popular and one of the biggest attractions to the series.
He was initially portrayed by Jonathan Frid in the 60s series and 70s motion picture, later by Johnny Depp in the 21st century remake.
Some Brief Canon Details
Barnabas was born in the late 18th century, possibly in England, but lived most of his life at the Collins family estate in Maine. His father was a merchant, and Barnabas also traveled on business to the West Indies. On one trip he became involved with Angelique. Unluckily for him, she was a witch and cursed him with vampirism when she learned he was going to marry someone else. His beloved Josette fled from him and died in a fall from the cliffs above the sea. Barnabas was sealed up in a chained coffin for about a century, eventually being accidentally released in the 20th century. He posed as an "English cousin" to the current Collins family, and obtained permission to live on the estate in The Old House.
In one alternative timeline story, it was established that Barnabas and Josette had married and had a son, Bramwell.
Barnabas in the beginning was not a nice vampire. He was aristocratic, cold, and obsessed with pretty young women. He was also pretty mean to his hapless servant, Willie Loomis (played by John Karlen in both the series and the 1970s film.)
However, viewers spotted a certain sadness in the character, which inspired sympathy for him. The producers and writers gradually made Barnabas a far kinder and gentler vampire.
Fan Comments
Pairings
Fanwork Examples
Fiction
- Dark Shadows Play by Shadowsplay (2020) is an explicit, m/m slash fanfiction novel about Barnabas Collins and his servant and lover Willie Loomis
- Metamorphosis by J.L. Miser (1995)
Art
from Dark Shadows Concordance: 1795, artist is Warren Oddsson
from Inside the Old House #30, artist is Mary Overstreet
from Inside the Old House #50, artist is Bill Branch
from The Collins Mausoleum, artist is Mario Neves
from The Parallel Times #8, artist is Robert Nieves
the cover of Shadows Trek portrays Collins, Spock, and Christine Chapel, the artist is Gamin
from The World of Dark Shadows #14, artist is Linda Woods
Vids
Meta
- The Introduction of Barnabas (1988)
References