Little Dracula

Little Dracula is a British series of children's books and an American animated television series that originally aired on FOX. Little Dracula revolves around a green-skinned, child vampire who aspires to be like his father, Big Dracula, yet also enjoys rock 'n roll and surfing. Little Dracula also has a monstrous friend named Werebunny, and his Transylvanian family of strange characters is often threatened by the villainous Garlic Man.

Book series
The Little Dracula book series, originally published by Walker Books and later reissued in the US through Candlewick Press, debuted in 1986. It was penned by award-winning writer Martin Waddell and illustrated by Joseph Wright; although, a joke book was written by Alan Durant with illustration by Paul Tempest. The paperback stories, recommended for ages 4-8, rely heavily on Wright's gory yet humorous illustrations. They detail Little Dracula's spooky lifestyle which includes bowling with skulls and drinking a glass of blood before sleeping in his miniature coffin. Other morbid scenes include Mrs. Dracula emptying the brain from a decapitated head into a frying pan for breakfast and children playing tennis with rackets strung with cat guts. Dubbed "too silly to be truly spooky," the series received praise by Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal particularly for its meticulous illustrations which were also regarded as "not for the squeamish."

While the majority of Little Dracula books were released during the 1980s and early 1990s, some were reissued in the US as recently October 2001. This may have been to capitalize on the brief revitalization of the animated series the prior year.

Animated series
The Little Dracula animated series was directed by Joe Pearson with original music by Stephen C. Marston under Walker Hahn Productions. It debuted on Fox Kids on September 3, 1991 and, despite the program's brief run, features the voices of several veteran comedians and actors. With a total of eight episodes, the first season ended on Halloween before its timeslot was given to Beetlejuice. It was during this initial run that the Little Dracula franchise made its way to a handful of merchandising deals.

In 1999, Fox Family resurrected Little Dracula for a second season; however, only four of the seven episodes actually aired. Some Little Dracula books were also republished following this brief revival.

Cast

 * Edan Gross as Little Dracula
 * Joe Flaherty as Big Dracula
 * Jonathan Winters as Igor and Granny
 * Kath Soucie as Mrs. Dracula and Millicent
 * Brian Cummings as Garlic Man
 * Neil Ross as Maggot
 * Danny Mann as No Eyes and Twin Beaks
 * Melvyn Hayes as Deadwood
 * Joey Camen as Werebunny
 * Fran Ryan as Hannah the Barbarian

Home video releases
Numerous episodes of Little Dracula came to VHS throughout 1993 and '94. Available through Abbey Home Media, they appear to have been made available in PAL format only.

Action figures and other merchandise
The year Little Dracula debuted on Fox Kids, an action figure collection based on the characters hit store shelves. Produced by Bandai, the line includes Little Dracula, Drac Attack Little Dracula, Igor, Maggot, Werebunny, Garlic Man, Twin Beaks, The Man With No Eyes, and Deadwood. They each feature multiple points of articulation, several meticulous accessories, and a unique action feature (Igor's brain pops up when his arm is lifted). Vehicles of Little Dracula include the Coffin Car, Dracster, Easy-biter Motorcycle, and Garlicmobile.

Other merchandise includes costume and roleplaying sets such as Little Dracula's Vampire Kit and Little Dracula's Scepter & Amulet. Starting January 1992, Harvey Comics also published a 3-part Little Dracula comic book mini-series.