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Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature

Magazine Covers

Magazine cover of Classics Illustrated Frankenstein, December 1945. Frankenstein is climbing over two snowy boulders as a man on a dog sled follows in teh background. Reprinted by permission from Acclaim Comics, Inc. © Twin Circle Publishing Co., a division of Frawley Enterprises; licensed to First Classics, Inc. Classics Illustrated ® is a registered trademark of Frawley Corporation.
Classics Illustrated Frankenstein, December 1945. Reprinted by permission from Acclaim Comics, Inc. © Twin Circle Publishing Co., a division of Frawley Enterprises; licensed to First Classics, Inc. Classics Illustrated ® is a registered trademark of Frawley Corporation.
The Frankenstein monster stands in the laboratory holding a heart shaped box under his right arm and holding flowers in his left hand stands over the mummified female form lying on the laboratory table. Dr. Frankenstien is pushing a lever looking up at the electricity. The New Yorker, February 17, 1997. Edward Sorel © 1997. Courtesy of The New Yorker Magazine, Inc.
The New Yorker, February 17, 1997. Edward Sorel © 1997. Courtesy of The New Yorker Magazine, Inc.

During the 1940s and 1950s, Classics Illustrated was considered the thinking adolescent's comic; some parents who wouldn't let their children read comics would nonetheless let them read these. Note here the arctic scene, which appeared in Mary Shelley's original story but rarely in the work of her successors.

As this New Yorker magazine cover illustrates, the Frankenstein monster remains a vibrant element of cultural literacy.