What is even more surprising are the people who claim to be actual vampires.

The origins of the belief in vampires has been attributed to the "pattern: someone dies of a wasting disease-consumption [tuberculosis most likely]. When other members of the same family sicken and die, suspicion usually falls on the first victim." (Ringel 1). The townspeople would exhume the body of the first victim and find a blotted blood filled corps often with blood at the eyes nose and mouth (all part of the natural process of decomposition). The corps would be declared a vampire and dealt with appropriately. "Lacking proper grounding in physiology, pathology, and immunology how [were] people to account for disease and death? The common course is to blame death on the dead, who are apt to be observed closely for clues as how they accomplish their mischief." (Barber 3).

Bela Lugosi, Jonathan Frid, Joel Schumacher, Bram Stoker, and Anne Rice all hold some responsibility for the popularly of American vampires in current fiction. Bela Lugosi played Dracula in 1931. He set the stage for every fictional vampire to come afterwards. He wore a tuxedo with tails, white tie, a cape, his hair slicked back, and he had a heavy accent. His portrayal of the vampire has become the stereotype of vampires. It can be seen in advertisements and almost every B movie involving vampires. (Dresser 79-119). Jonathan Frid played Barnabas a "tragic and compassionate vampire" (Dresser 125) in the series Dark Shadows". "Dark Shadows" was a "gothic television soap opera which ran from 1966 until 1971." (Dresser 125). "Dark Shadows" brought humanity to the vampire persona. "One fan described how Barnabas was portrayed. 'Frid played this character in a sympathetic manner, making viewers pity him rather than feel disgusted by him. In some cases female viewers went beyond pity to a sort of motherly or protective 'love' for him. They didn't want him to harm anyone, but they couldn't stand to see him in pain (being thirsty), so they would (sometimes literally) offer him their own necks.'" (Dresser 125). Joel Schumacher was the director of "Lost Boys," an 80's vampire movie that had four heavy-metal teenagers killing and riding around on motorcycles at night. The movie became a modern cult classic. It made vampires more appealing to the teenage audience. Bram Stoker wrote Dracula thus taking vampires from the realm of folklore to that of literature. Anne Rice wrote The Vampire Chronicles, a series that expressed the more sensual side of vampires.

Some people like to live out a vampiric lifestyle. Currently there is a role-playing game called "Vampire: the Masquerade" that has grown in popularity. The game can be found being played as live-action role-playing on hundreds of campuses worldwide. The players live out the role of a vampire for the duration of the game. Most of these people play out their fantasy and then return to their normal lives when the game is done.

Several comic books are currently out that have vampires as their subject material. The most popular of these is "Vampirella." The comic is full of blood, violence, and a female vampire in a very skimpy outfit that sucks blood to survive. She is a cross between Dracula and Barbarella. This is everything a boy going through puberty could want (scorpion@mail.abs.ne). Another comic that deals with vampires is "Blade." Blade is a vampire hunter that is himself half vampire. There is a rumor that Hollywood will make "Blade into a movie staring Wesley Snipes.

There have been two movies recently that involved vampires.

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