#hector and helmut

[rattyatty1]

The lovely lovely boys, so this is hector and helmut. Hector is my sisters character and design and Helmut is mine!!! They are so silly!!!!

My sister did hector(left) and i did helmut(right) on this image

[morvantmortuary]

Our Sokovian Cousin --

(A FranticFanfic collaboration!)

So I was hanging out with my buds @maximoffwxnda and @fairyysoup last night, and after a fun round of FranticFanfic (which, if you write fic, you should definitely either look into playing solo or with your friends at franticfanfic.com), we were digging back through some of our older rounds, and I found this little gem from like? summer of ‘22?? I asked the other two if they were okay with me posting it, and just thought I'd share it here for funsies ✨

for those who don't know how it works, basically you set a time limit (three minutes or five or more or less depending on how much of a masochist you are) and after everyone throwing in some character suggestions at the beginning, you pick two out of the proverbial hat, and start to write a fic. it's then an exquisite corpse situation where you're randomly shuffled someone else's fic where they left off and write as fast as you can, and then after three switches, the fics are finished and shared and everyone reacts and votes and has a gay old time. it can be played with blorbos or OCs, and obviously in this case, we used both! it's a blast seeing how everyone reacts to weird character combinations, as well as getting to play with your friends' OCs for a few minutes like the beloved barbie they are (and seeing how well they know yours is just!!! a whole other kind of love omg 🥰). we usually play with our friend @bigtiddythanos in the mix too, and it’s always a fantastic evening 🖤

I'll tag the places where we switch off -- but at the end of each section, so if you want to guess who's who ahead of time, feel free. :) I think we were working with around three minutes apiece here?

and, if you haven't read either @fairyysoup or @maximoffwxnda before, definitely go give them a look!! we all met in the Zemo fandom, but they've both covered a plethora of characters since then across multiple fandoms, including Stranger Things, The Alienist, Peacemaker, and Moon Knight, among others, and they're all *mwah* Quality. 🤌🏻🥰

soup's masterlist is here.

wanda's masterlist is here.

this isn't super long, but it is near and dear to my heart 💜 all under a cut so I don't throw off anyone's flow!

Maxi squints at the man who just stepped into the antechamber of the House, dressed in an overly heavy coat for the hot Louisiana weather.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Hector asks, whispering from behind his hand in the most non-confidential way possible.

Maxi thinks for a moment before he makes a note of the oddly close resemblance he has to the man. "Oh, it's our cousin from Russia or whatever."

"Sokovia." Their cousin, Zemo, glares caustically at the two men as he closes the front door. "Your cousin from Sokovia, thank you. It appears the House hasn't changed much in the twenty years I've been away. Not a bad look, but still, it has that rustic charm you never could get rid of."

Maxi's eye twitches. "Why are you here, exactly?"

(this was by @fairyysoup!)

"And what's with the coat, man?" Hex laughed.

Zemo fixed his icy eyes on him.

Unlike with most people, Hector refused to shrivel under the force of his gaze. "It's like a million degrees out there."

"Some of us know the meaning of fashion. I like your… shirt."

Hector looked down at his t-shirt and scoffed. "Whatever. I'm gonna bother Rora. Lemme know when Moneybags McGee leaves," Hector said over his shoulder as he walked out of the room.

"Now… Why are you here?" Maxi asked once more with thinly veiled frustration.

"You've heard of James Barnes? The Winter Soldier?" Zemo asked conversationally as he pulled off a set of leather gloves.

Maxi shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

Zemo tilted his head at his cousin. "Then surely you've heard of Captain America."

Maxi had. Everyone had. Anyone who hasn't was living under a rock. Or dead. Speaking of which… Maxi had a body currently waiting in the basement. It was in rough shape and needed to be disposed of.

While Zemo had seen and caused his fair share of corpses in his life, he didn't need to know his extended family's secrets.

"Well then, The Winter Soldier and Captain America are currently on their way. I suppose I should've led with that."

(this was @maximoffwxnda!)

Maxi blinked, trying not to let the utter drop in his gut show too much on his face. "Uh, you fuckin' think? Jesus Christ, man," he turned back towards the basement door. "You're family, you know what kind of operation we run around here. You couldn't've just shot me a text as soon as you heard?"

Zemo arched an elegant brow. "I much prefer to handle these things in… person."

"Well that's fantastic for you!" Maxi let his full exasperation shine through. "You're not the one who's got a corpse in the fuckin' basement!"

"This is a mortuary," Zemo waved a hand dismissively. "I'm sure it's not that out of place."

"Look," Maxi took his glasses all the way off, pinching the bridge of his nose to ward off an oncoming stress migraine. "What the fuck do you want? Why are you here, and are you actually gonna help with any of this?"

"I'm more than happy to distract them," Zemo said in a way that would've been soothing and not condescending on anyone else. "Though I do wonder why your affairs aren't more… in order. If I remember," he cast a gaze over the room. "My uncle ran a rather… tight ship. Vincent, I believe?"

Zemo wasn't used to people suddenly shoving a scalpel against his throat unexpectedly, or for it to glow a blazing red to match the eyes of his cousin.

"Give me one good reason not to add you to the assembly in the basement," Maxi muttered, his voice layered with something that wasn't quite human.

Zemo's eyes, after so long, flickered with their own light - a deep, ominous amethyst. "Because," he murmured, his voice velvet and low. "The last thing we want to do is deny They Who Provide one more potential heir. Don't we, Maximilian?"

Maxi blinked, admittedly looking caught off-guard. "Since when did you--"

They both stopped, turning with wide eyes as a singular knock seemed to echo through the vast foyer.

They looked back to each other with a frown.

(aaand obviously this was me -- it's two years later and I just noticed I shifted into past tense out of habit instead of present, lmao. :'D)

anyway! I'm in a space where Zemo and the Morvants each have control of half my brain right now, so this was right in the sweet spot of what I needed, lmao. thanks again to my friends for letting me post this little snippet, and looking forward to writing more with y’all soon!! ✨🥰

[justdealingwithsomeissues]

Achilles is ok with Ajax beating up on him... until Banner arrives... because when Banner is around Achilles is vulnerable... and thus puts Achilles in danger.

Anyway, Atlanta admits to Ajax that she does love Achilles and he kinda moves to squish her and Banner has to take him out of the fight to protect her.

[ofsokovianbaronesses]

📝 A Letter

Dear Helmut

To Whom it may concern

Beloved husband

Helmut,

I don’t know how to begin this letter in a way that will prepare you for its contents. I don’t know if they will even let you have this letter. I’m not sure how censorship works in prison letters, and I am sure you are not receiving enough mail for this to slip through. Unless you’re receiving fan mail and love letters from miserable women who start romantic relationships with men in prison for life. If you are, I WILL find them and make them even more miserable.

By now, you’ve probably scanned to the bottom of this letter to see the sign off and realised who is writing to you now. You’ve noticed that the signature exactly matches the one you know so well. And you’ve also noticed that the above paragraph has two of the three codes you taught me for any communication that may be compromised to prove my identity.

But for avoidance of doubt, I am your wife, Heike Ania Zemo. My maiden name is Zelenkov. I have a tattoo on my inner ankle of a bluebird. Karl nicknamed him Hector. My mother hated it.

I’m sure you have questions. I will send another letter with the answers soon, rather than overwhelm you here. Please just know that I am alive and I am safe. I have thought long and hard about writing you this letter, I considered allowing you to continue to think I was dead, believing it to be kinder for us both. You already believed us to be separated by death, what good would downgrading it to separated by a life sentence?

In simple terms, I am a coward and selfish and I miss you.

My faith cannot withstand this test alone, but my love for you and the life we built together can. Even after everything, I love and miss you. And I cannot face another day of being a ghost. You are the only husband I have and ever will have and I will ALWAYS love you. Nor did I wish for you to hear of my survival from anyone else.

Always yours,

Heike

[kwebtv]

Mark Margolis (/mɑːrˈɡoʊlɪs/, mar-GOH-liss; November 26, 1939 – August 3, 2023) Film and television actor best known for his portrayal of the character Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. His performance in Breaking Bad was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2012.

In 1990, Margolis appeared in an episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. In 1991, he played Helmut Dieter in the soap opera Santa Barbara. In addition, he had recurring roles on numerous other TV shows, including The Equalizer, Quantum Leap, Oz, Law & Order, Crossing Jordan, and Californication. In January 2015, he portrayed Felix Faust in the Constantine episode "Quid Pro Quo". For his role in Breaking Bad, Margolis received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He would later reprise the role in the show's spin-off series, Better Call Saul. (Wikipedia)

IMDb Listing

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Hello, I'm a new follower and was just wondering before I make any requests. Are there any rules to your blog?

Hi! I do have some rules, they are below!

If you want to request, here are the rules:

⤷

1. I will not write anything NSFW, (for that I have an Etsy, @ChloeWritesCo)

2. I will not write anything involving suicide, self-harm, or anything that can/could be triggering to others

3. I will not write anything involving incest or anything pedophilic, obviously

4. I will not write about underaged celebrities, or underaged characters

5. I will not write anything LGBTQIA+phobic

I also only write for the characters on my character list, which will be provided below as well;

Italics = I have already made fanfics on this character if you want to read them

My Masterlist

DC/Gotham - Bane (Hardy),Bruce Wayne (Bale), Bruce Wayne (Keaton), Bruce Wayne (Pattinson), Bruce Wayne (Val), Edward Nygma (Carrey), Jack (Heath) Joker, Jason Todd, Jerome Valeska, Jervis Tetch (Gotham), Jonathan Crane (Gotham), Jonathan Crane (Murphy), Klarion Bleak, Maxwell Lord, Richard Grayson, Roman Sionis, Victor Zsasz

Disney - Christopher Robin, Cruella de Vil, Ella (Cinderella 2015), Gaston LeGume (Beauty And The Beast 2017), Jasper Badun, and Prince Eric (The Little Mermaid 2023)

Harry Potter - Cedric Diggory, Draco Malfoy, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Severus Snape

Kingsman - Eggsy Unwin, Hamish Mycroft (Merlin), Harry Hart, Jack Daniels

Marvel/X-Men - Bruce Banner, Bucky Barnes, Charles Xavier, Eddie/Venom, Erik Killmonger, Everett Ross, Harry Osborn (TASM), Heimdall, Helmut Zemo, John Allerdyce, Johnny Storm, Kurt Wagner, Logan Howlett, Loki Odinson (Not the Series), M'Baku, Natasha Romanoff, Otto Octavius, Peter Maximoff, Peter Parker (Andrew), Peter Parker (Tobey), Peter Parker (Tom), Pietro Maximoff, Quentin Beck, Sam Wilson, Scott Lang, Shang-Chi, Steve Rogers, Thor Odinson, Tony Stark, Vision, Wade Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, Wenwu

Star Wars/The Mandalorian - Anakin Skywalker, Armitage Hux, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, Din Djarin, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rey

Stranger Things - Alexei Smirnoff, Billy Hargrove, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckey, Jim Hopper, Steve Harrington

The Hobbit/Lord Of The Rings - Aragorn, Bilbo Baggins, Boromir, Dwalin, Elrond, Faramir, Fili, Kili, Haldir, Legolas Greenleaf, Pippin Took, Samwise Gamgee, Thorin Oakenshield, Thranduil

Miscellaneous -

Assassins Creed - Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Brothers Grimm - Jakob Grimm

BBC & Enola - Sherlock Holmes

Hellboy - Red (Hellboy), Abe Sapien, and Agent John Myers

Encino Man - Linkavitch “Link” Chomofsky

George Of The Jungle - George

Ghostbusters (2016) - Jillian Holtzmann, Kevin Beckman

Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones

John Wick - John Wick

Jurassic Park - Ian Malcolm

Scooby Doo (2002) - Shaggy (Norville) Rogers

The Last Of Us - Joel Miller

The Pirates Of The Caribbean - James Norrington, Hector Barbossa

The Phantom Of The Opera - Erik Destler

The Witcher - Geralt, Jaskier

Uncharted 4 - Sam Drake, Rafe Adler

X-Files - Fox Mulder

Requests are open

—

2022 - 2023 © justsomerandomfanfic

[pondering-and-wondering]

Brühl Characters (and friends) as dances

So @morvantmortuary is to blame for liking the post so I got to ramble on about my love for dance here its going under a cut because I got semi-wordy.

So I will start this off with the fact that not everyone can be described in dance. I think in performance in general, so in some cases, it will be dance, others will be storyboards or music videos and shit like that. A lot of the time, especially in things I read it gets really cinematic in my head and I'm very much a visual person who sometimes has difficulties putting my creativity into words so to make a long story short: some characters I just can’t describe as dance. That being said, let's talk about the ones I can. (also worth noting is the fact that it will be a mix of dances I've done, dances I've choreographed, and dances that I've watched that I've done nothing with.)

Zemo:

Now, normally Zemo does not give off dance vibes in the sense that I've always danced in. He knows how to boogie, but thinking choreography wise he sort of doesn't do it. The one thing I do get which is a little silly is the idea of a Jazz competition dance to A Little Party Never Killed Anybody. Now you may ask me; Sam, what the actual fuck are you thinking? But hear me out. This is an almost Rockette level of precision dancing to this song that I'm picturing with a max of 9 dancers. Zemo is a perfectionist who at first may scream ballet, but he breaks the rules way too much for ballet. We also know he likes to party which helps the song choice and by proxy the dance. You have to understand that they way they are in my head they are way too good to be a junior level competition group but they ARE.

Andrea:

This is a very specific dance that comes from the Royal Opera House’s Alice’s Adventures in wonderland and it is the Knave of Hearts Pas De Deux. I have it linked because I really don't know how to describe this dance and do it justice. This ballet is one of my favorites and I really hope to be able to see it. This Pas De Deux is just full of innocence and playfulness that I think encapsulates Andrea as we know him in the film. And yeah, it just screams Andrea to me :P

Laszlo:

Now this one is WEIRD. Like it’s one of those dances that just gives me his vibes and it's the Dance of the Cygnets. I guess for me it’s more of the actual dancer element that reminds me of Laszlo than the dance itself. Ballet is hard. I’m not saying anything revolutionary by saying that. The point, especially in this dance, is to make it seem as effortless as possible. Even the choreography of the number is not complicated from a certain standpoint. The difficult thing is keeping up at a constant pace with all the variables involved with the number. Just like a swan looks elegant on top while its little swan feet work below to keep it afloat. I guess this is why I associate it with Laszlo. Homeslice is always thinking, always trying to stay afloat whether it comes to his personal life or a case all while keeping a cool façade as best he can.

Maxi:

I think we’re all well aware of the fact that I cannot help thinking or talking about this murderous mortician and this thing is no exception. What I picture is a lyrical/contemporary routine to Unchained Melody. I did a dance to this song once in a quad but for Maxi, I picture it with just two people in white outfits with the ends gradient red (Picture Edith at the end of Crimson Peak but more danceable) and bare feet. I feel like the dance I imagine represents Maxi and Final Them’s relationship more than just Maxi but this is my dance ramble and I can do as I please. The dance itself as I imagine it is really slow and sensual but also incredibly fluid and generally full of raw passion yada yada yada. I also imagine it being incredibly grounded???? Like even in the few lifts I imagine they’re incredibly close to the ground and it’s all very ghostly (no pun intended).

Hudson:

If you thought he could escape my wrath you are INCORRECT >:D. Although we don’t know too too much about him I just function off vibes half the time and I get vibes so I simply must report them. So far, I get a really fun Swing number to Walking on Sunshine that is so clear as day in my head and so doable if I just had someone who knew how to swing, but that’s that. @bigtiddythanos

BONUS :D

I would just like to add Brujeria by El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico for Hector because the name is the name. I can also just imagine salsa-ing to this song at a party with him, no choreography, just freestyle as it always is in parties and that song is my personal favorite to dance to either by myself or at parties.

[jewel-pixelheart]

Chibitober 2021

🎃 Concept 🎃

Instead of doing a classic Inktober (because I will truly not have the time to draw everyday), I will draw some of my OCxCanon or OCxOC pairings dress up with Halloween costumes during all October month !

My first couple is Délina Auclair and Laszlo Kreizler as Christine Daaé and the Phantom form The Phantom of the Opera.

My second couple is Karina Nagy and Helmut Zemo in their original Comics' costumes 👌🏻

My third couple is Katherine and Hector Barbossa as Belle and the Beast from The Beauty and The Beast (Disney).

My last couple this year is Maria and Charles Xavier as P.T Barnum and Charity from the movie The Greast Showman !

⚠️ Do not copy, retrace or use my art without my consent ⚠️

[hope-to-hell]

Miscellaneous Character Masterlist

Little Crawling Things (Will-- Wounds)

His Human Suit (Will-- Wounds)

Mosaic (Tyler Rake— Extraction)

The Unbearable Effort of Balance (Homelander x Starlight— The Boys)

Threads (Ernst Schmidt—Cloverfield Paradox)

Advantages of Fighting (Ernst Schmidt— Cloverfield Paradox)

Bad Days (and Better Days) (Boni— 7 Days in Entebbe)

Unsent Letters (James Hunt x Niki Lauda— Rush)

Twenty Percent (James Hunt x Niki Lauda— Rush)

The Worm and the Wasp (Eskel)

A Life in Fragments (Adhemar—A Knight’s Tale)

Ghost Apples (Bruce Wayne— The Batman)

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Sample Size (David— Prometheus/Alien series)

Shoulda Missed the Boat (David— Prometheus/Alien series)

The one good thing about being alone with nothing to do (John Wick)

When the dam breaks (carry what you can) (August Walker x John Wick)

Broken and reset, or: what to do with a man like that (John Wick)

If Not for Love of Money (A.M.— Reacher)

[rattyatty1]

One of my favorite pieces that ive recently done

And the separate versions of it

Hector

Helmut

Aren't they beautiful (spelt it right!!)

[graphicpolicy]

Second Sight Publishing Announces a Second Printing for These. Damn. Kids. #1

Second Sight Publishing Announces a Second Printing for These. Damn. Kids. #1 #comics #comicbooks

The new Second Sight Publishing series These. Damn. Kids! #1 has sold out at the distributor level. It will be going back for a second printing only on the Second Sight Publishing website. The second printing will have a new cover by star artist Oscar Pinto. The title is written and created by Bradley Golden, and Peter Breau, illustrated by Helmut Racho, lettered by Hector Negrete, and edited by…

[justdealingwithsomeissues]

First look at the Pantheon’s leader, Agamemnon... sorta... this is kinda a “Wizard of Oz” move here where he is putting on a show...

[docgold13]

365 DC Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

February 16th - Doctor Fate


Dr. Fate is a legacy of heroes in the realm of magic, each acting as an agent of the Lord of Order known as Nabu in an eternal battle against the forces of chaos.  One such agent was archeologist Kent Nelson.  Nabu bestowed Nelson the helmut of Fate as well as the Amulet of Anubis and the Cloak of Destiny.  Nelson used the magical relics to become Doctor Fate and battled both supernatural foes as well as criminals.  Dr. Fate helped to form the first iteration of The Justice Society of America and fought with the Allied Forces during the Second World War.  Following Nelson’s death, Eric Strauss was chosen by Nabu to act as the new Dr. Fate.  Kent Nelson’s widow, Inza Cramer, was the next to don the helmet and operate as Dr. Fate; followed by Jared Stevens and then Hector Hall.  The current holder of Nabu’s mantle is an Egyptian-American medical student named Khalid Nassour.  The great nephew of Kent Nelson, Khalid happened upon Nabu’s helmet seemingly by chance. At the urging of the goddess Bast (who had possessed Khalid’s pet cat) the young man donned the helmet and used its magical powers to prevent the god Anubis from wreaking havoc.  Although still learning the better control the vast powers afforded by his role as the new Dr. Fate, Khalid has joined a recent iteration of the team Justice League Dark.  A version of Dr. Fate appeared in the television series Smallville portrayed by actor Brent Stait.  The Kent Nelson version of Doctor Fate first appeared in the pages of More Fun Comics #55 (1940); Eric Kraus first appeared Doctor Fate #1 (1987); Jared Stevens first appeared in Fate #0 (1994); Hector Hall first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 (1983); and Khalid Nassour first appeared in Convergence: Aquaman #2 (2015).  

[oosteven-universe]

These. Damn. Kids! #1 Advance Review

These. Damn. Kids! #1 Advance Review Second Sight Publishing 2021 Find this in July’s Previews for Pre-Order Written by Peter Breau & Bradley Golden Illustrated by Helmut Racho Lettered by Hector Negrete    In a small town in Vicksburg, Mississippi the children have been acting strange. There have been reports of parents being attacked by the very children they raised. Some have even gone to school to try and kill the teachers and faculty. The town sheriff has brought in a young rookie cop, Gary Marshall, to help with what's going on and hopefully get to the bottom of why it's happening.    For those of who have been following my reviews for a while now this is prequel to Bradley’s series Leave the Light On and I have to say it’s really nice for that chance to revisit this world he created.  Mind you these guys are giving the horror genre a run for their money with these and making an incredibly strong case for the next generation of horror masters.  I’ve always said that there is nothing scarier than kids who are or go evil and kill and this just continues to prove my theory correct.  Whether it is in their nature of because of the influences upon them kids committing atrocities will always give me sleepless nights.      I am loving the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development is marvellous and thanks to how we see the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter help to flesh them out in truly genius ways.  The pacing is sensational and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, the characters and this world we’re transported into one of today’s most chilling stories.    I greatly appreciate the way that this is being structured and how the layers within the story emerge and grow.  This is where the story gets its depth and complexity from as well as where we see the hints at what is causing this odd behaviour and it really adds this great tension and fear into the story.  The way we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved exceedingly well.    Huge, huge, huge fan of the interiors here.  The linework we see is utterly exquisite and how the varying weights and techniques are utilised to create this level and quality of detail work that we see is bloody mindbogglingly brilliant!  From the pattern in the wallpaper to how we see the bodies after the fact and the faces and facial expressions all do their damnedest to pull the reader in and place them into any given moment.  The way that we see backgrounds and how they are incorporated into the composition within the panels bringing us the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is magnificent.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a masterful eye for storytelling.  So how we see the hues and tones within the blacks, grays, whites and even blues being utilised to create the depth of dimension in the work is mind numbing.  From horrific to plain fascinating the work takes the reader to the brink of madness and leaves them jumpy and ready to scream at the slightest provocation.   ​    You need to make sure you order this when next months Previews comes out or simply do it now.  Call your shop tell em to put it on your pull and be done with it.  This will make you uncomfortable in all the right ways and leave you begging for more.  From seeing the parents to the kids after the damage is done and you won’t have a good night sleep for a while and that is precisely what an amazing story should do to you.  

[mangdixxx]

ARCHIVE: 오프 화이트 (Part 2)

2. 오프 화이트(Off-White™)

Part 1 (1) 패션 신의 화두 버질 아블로는 누구인가? (2) 독립 레이블로서의 성장 (3) 버질 아블로 x 나이키 더 텐의 나비효과

Part 2 (4) 스트리트 패션 신의 또 다른 주역 (5) 오프 화이트를 둘러싼 논란 (6) 오프 화이트와 대중 문화 (7) 그들만의 환상 특급 시리즈: 오프 화이트가 가져올 미래 현상

ARCHIVE: 오프 화이트 (Part 1)

(4) 스트리트 패션 신의 또 다른 주역

버질 아블로의 폭넓은 인적 인프라는 그의 성공에 큰 밑거름이 되었다. 아블로의 친구이자 뮤즈이기도 하며, 비즈니스 파트너인 칸예 웨스트는 아블로를 떠올릴 때 빠질 수 없는 인물이다. 또한, 스타일 아이콘 에이셉 라키(A$AP Rocky)를 비롯해 디자이너 겸 스타일리스트 이안 코너(Ian Connor), 루카 사바트(Luka Sabbat), 신성 플레이보이 카티(Playboi Carti)와도 끊임없는 문화적 교류를 이어오고 있다.

아블로는 최고의 커뮤니케이터이기도 하다(밀라노 디자인 위크에서 공개된 <디자인붐>이 선정한 2019년 커뮤니케이터로 오프 화이트와 버질 아블로가 선정됐다). 아블로는 자신의 SNS 혹은 런웨이, 컬렉션 쇼 장에 이들을 적극 참여시켰다. 문화예술계의 방대한 인맥은 파리 패션위크에서 공개된 봄, 여름 루이비통 컬렉션에서 두드러졌다. 프런트에는 프랭크 오션(Frank Ocean), 미겔(Miguel), 스켑타(Skepta), 스웨 리(Swae Lee)와 같은 힙합 뮤지션부터 모델 지지 하디드(Gigi Hadid), ���르셰 트란(Karrueche Tran), 농구 선수 러셀 웨스트브룩(Russell Westbrook) 등 다양한 분야의 셀러브리티들이 자리를 채웠다. 또한 런웨이 쇼에는 영국 팝가수 데브 하인즈(Dev Hynes), 아스널 소속 축구 선수 엑토르 베예린(Hector Bellerin), 한국 아이돌 그룹 위너(WINNER)의 멤버 송민호 등이 모델로 등장해 화제를 모았다.

스트리트 패션 아이콘인 셀러브리티들이 착용한 버질 아블로와 오프 화이트 제품들은 대중의 관심을 단번에 받았다. 특히 소셜 미디어와 온라인 마케팅에 민감하게 반응하는 젊은 스트리트 보이들은 그것에 열광했다. 오프 화이트는 자연스레 스트리트 신의 새로운 활력이 됐다. 이렇게 여러 분야의 크리에이터, 브랜드와 같이 호흡한 것이 성공에 결정적인 한 부분으로 자리 잡았다.

글로벌 패션 플랫폼 리스트(Lyst)가 주관하는 순위 시스템, 리스트 인덱스(Lyst Index)는 2019년 4분기, 가장 핫한 브랜드로 오프 화이트를 선정했다. 오프 화이트는 2분기에 2위, 3분기에서 1위를 차지한 뒤 또다시 정상의 자리에 이름을 새겼다. 구찌, 발렌시아가 등이 뒤를 이었다.

우리는 현재 스트리트의 시대에 살고 있다. 어떤 영역의 주된 소비층이자 대다수를 일컫는 대중이라는 단어는 신에 편입되어 잘 찾아볼 수 없는 정의가 되었다. 베트멍(Vetements)에서부터 오프 화이트, 최근의 어 콜드 월(A-COLD-WALL*)까지. 브랜드 전반에 깔린 스트리트 무드는 사업적 성공의 필요조건으로 보였다. 이렇게 우리는 스트리트 브랜드와 하이앤드 디자이너의 경계가 허물어지고 모호해지며 좀 더 다양한 의류를 조금 더 친근하게 접근할 수 있는 시대에 있다.

과거부터 메인 스트림을 꽉 쥔 슈프림, 팔라스(PALACE), 반스(Vans)와 같은 컬처 브랜드들은 길거리 스타일의 지표가 되었지만, 오프 화이트는 트렌디함과 하이앤드 마케팅으로 이들과는 결이 다른 브랜딩을 전개한다. 동시에 고리타분한 럭셔리 하우스의 반대급부로 여태껏 전혀 볼 수 없는 다양한 시도를 선보이기도 했다. 패션 레이블이 지켜야 할 숭고한 미덕 같은 건 존재하지 않았다. 부수고 덧입히며 다른 것을 보탰다. 여기저기 낙서 된 옷들, 아무렇지 않게 매듭지어진 케이블 타이, 무성의한 실루엣. 그렇게 그가 손댄 모든 것은 스트리트 스타일의 표본이 되었으며 패션 ���키즈들의 멋으로 자리 잡았다. 오프 화이트 부츠에 새겨진 'FOR WALKING' 텍스트는 그의 직설적인 디자인 철학을 대변한다.

뿌리박힌 고정관념을 탈피하고 새로운 작업을 통해 환기하며, 이를 다시 혼합해 전에 없던 새로운 것을 만들어내는 것, 버질 아블로의 스트리트화 작업이다.

(5) 오프 화이트를 둘러싼 논란

스트리트를 감각 있게 주입한 아블로의 옷은 패션 신의 뜨거운 감자다. 그러나 이러한 행보에 의구심을 품는 이도 적지 않다. 그만의 디자인이 없다는 것이 그중 가장 큰 이유다. 해체에 기반을 둔 재해석, 무드의 융합과 같은 장치적 아름다움보다 아블로식 디자인 웨어는 보이지 않는다는 지적이다. 디올(Dior)부터 최근의 캘빈 클라인(Calvin Klein) 그리고 현재의 프라다(Prada)를 이끄는 스타 디자이너 라프 시몬스(Raf Simons)는 “버질 아블로는 스윗하죠. 그러나 그만의 디자인은 없습니다.”라고 한 인터뷰에서 밝히기도 했다.

벨기에를 대표하는 거장 디자이너이자 앤 드뮐미스터(Ann Demeulemeester), 드리스 반 노튼(Dries Van Noten) 등과 함께 앤트워프 식스의 멤버로 활동한 월터 반 베이렌동크(Walter Van Beirendonck) 역시 버질 아블로를 강력히 비판했다.

"카피는 새삼스러운 일이 아니야. 패션의 일부분이지. 하지만 그 수준을 넘어섰어. 매우 충격적이야." 이어 그는 "버질 아블로는 디자이너가 아니야. 그는 자기만의 언어도, 비전도 없어. 어떤 것을 재해석하고 다른 방식으로 표현할 수 있지. 그냥 창피한 수준이야. 그렇지만 아블로는 많은 돈을 받겠지."

사실 오프 화이트를 둘러싼 논란은 로고 표절에 대한 문제가 제기되면서부터다. 패션계 고발을 위한 SNS 계정으로 자신들을 표현하는 다이어트 프라다는 아블로, 오프 화이트와 긴 악연을 그린다. 해당 계정에서 밝힌 내용은 오프 화이트의 방사형 화살표 문양이 1965년 스코틀랜드 글래스고 공항에서 사용된 것으로 전 세계의 도로 표지판 디자인의 기초를 닦은 '키니어 칼버트 디자인 조합(Kinneir Calvert Associates)'이 처음 고안했다고 한다. 오프 화이트의 상징 중 하나인 줄무늬 디자인 형식까지 모두 이것에 포함된다. 위 내용은 <로고 모더니즘>이란 서적에 설명되어 있는데, 아블로의 사무실 사진에 바로 이 책이 놓여있다는 것이 그들의 주장을 보탤 근거이기도 했다. 로고는 한 브랜드의 이미지를 직관적으로 나타내는 장치라는 점에서 그리 가볍게 ��� 일이 아니었다.

또한, 2019 가을, 겨울 파리 패션 위크에서 선보인 아블로의 오프 화이트 컬렉션이 나이지리아 브랜드 컬러스(Colrs)와의 표절 논란이 일며 문제가 더욱 증폭됐다. 노란색 옷에 그라피티 디자인을 한 것이 표절 제기의 이유였다. 다이어트 프라다는 19 가을, 겨울 오프 화이트 컬렉션이 나이지리아 패션위크에서 공개된 컬러스의 쇼와 매우 흡사하다고 알렸다. 이에 아블로는 노란색 천에 낙서하는 것은 아주 평범하게 생각할 수 있는 발상이라며 부정적인 면만을 보려고 하는 비판 세태에 대해 오히려 비난했다. "다이어트 프라다는 매우 좋은 콘셉트의 계정이지만, 디자인은 때때로 우연의 일치가 일어날 수 있다는 점 역시 간과해서는 안 된다."라고 자신의 견해를 보충했다.

“노란색 바탕의 천 위에 낙서 패턴 같은 건 누구나 상상할 수 있는 거잖아요. 사람들은 기본적으로 부정적인 기운에 더 쏠리는 경향이 있어요. 간단해요. ‘이거 표절인가?’의 간단한 의혹을 시작으로 이것에 꼬리를 무는 무수한 부정적인 추측이 가능하죠. 책상에 앉아 손가락으로 뭔가 지적하는 건 진짜 쉬운 일이에요. 그리고 SNS는 어떤 실체보다 그것을 더 크게 과장하는 경향이 있고요.”

그를 비판하는 이유 대부분은 독창성의 결여이다. 이에 아블로는 다음과 같이 답변하기도 했다.

“무에서 유를 창조하는 것은 다른 세계에서나 가능한 것이죠. 디자인이란 얘기할 가치가 있는 것 모든 것에 관한 것입니다. 제 아이디어가 과거와 똑같은 방식으로 이야기되고 있다고 생각하지 않아요. 저의 궁극적 목표는 '어떤 것을 어떻게 강조하고 부각할 것이냐'입니다. 그렇기 때문에 많은 협력을 하는 것이기도 하죠. 레퍼런스는 저에게 매우 중요합니다.”

이후 버질 아블로(Virgil Abloh)는 2019년 10월, 오프 화이트의 새로운 로고를 공개했다. 일각에 따르면 표절 논란이 있었던 기존의 방사형 로고와 불거진 상표 침해 혐의를 의식했던 탓일까? 전과는 다른 새로운 그래픽 이미지가 첨가된 브랜딩을 선보였다. 손 모양과 얼굴 실루엣 그래픽에 'Off', 'White' 문자를 결합했다. 해당 시그니처는 20년 봄 컬렉션부터 사용돼 현재까지 유지되고 있다.

이런 논란들은 잘나가는 영 디자이너의 숙명일까 아니면 분야의 창작성을 지키려는 이들의 올바른 문제 제기일까? 표절과 2차 창작의 대립 속, 그 마지막은 어떤 모습일지. 그에게 따라다니는 표절 디자이너란 꼬리표는 떼는 것이 아블로의 마지막 과제가 아닐까.

(6) 오프 화이트, 버질 아블로 그리고 대중문화

오프 화이트는 패션 브랜드가 의류에 주목하는 것에 반해 다양한 제품군을 선보이는 특징이 있다. 그리고 디렉터 버질 아블로는 그의 창조성을 문화계에서 다양하게 구현한다. 과거 그의 취미 중 하나였던 음악 듣기와 DJ 활동��� 오프 화이트의 모든 작업의 기저에 존재한다. 컬렉션, 팝업 스토어, 프로모션 이벤트에는 그가 고심해서 고른 DJ 세트 리스트가 매번 자리한다.

아블로는 의류 레이블의 고리타분한 컬렉션 런웨이만이 전부가 아니라는 것을 우리에게 몸소 느끼게 한다. 예를 들어, 오프 화이트가 전달하고자 하는 어떤 목적성을 아트 전시와 다양한 오브제로 표현한다. 그렇게 우리는 옷과 함께 그가 생각하는 미지의 세계를 합리적으로 받아들일 수 있고, 더 나아가 각자의 세계관에서 다양한 상상을 할 수 있게 된다. 이것은 대중문화의 발전에 있어 크나큰 힘이 될 수 있다.

귀한 보석이 아닌 흔하게 볼 수 있는 금속으로 만든 오프 화이트 주얼리는 단연 눈길을 끌 수밖에 없었고 의자, 테이블, 아크릴 페인트까지 다양한 액세서리 군의 제품 라인업을 구성했다. 특히 아블로는 이케아(IKEA)와의 협업을 시작으로 가구 디자인 영역에도 본격 진출했다. 명품 가구 브랜드로 꼽히는 비트��(VITRA)와의 콜라보 작업 역시 큰 화제가 됐다. 더불어 아블로는 베니스 아트 비엔날레에서 릭 오웬스(Rick Ownes), 미카엘 래미(Michele Lamy)를 포함한 다양한 아티스트와 함께 황동 의자와 램프를 선보이기도 했다. 그의 시그니처 색상인 오렌지를 기반으로 디자인한 가구를 공개한 것. 아블로는 대학 시절 풋볼을 즐겼는데, 오프 화이트를 통해 풋볼화, 마운틴 클리츠(MOUNTAIN CEATS)를 발매하기도 했다. 아디다스 프레데터 모델에서 영감을 받아 제작되었으며 레트로한 감성이 돋보이는 제품이다.

2019년 시카고 현대 미술관에서 열린 버질 아블로의 <피겨스 오브 스피치>를 통해 그와 오프 화이트가 나아가고자 하는 바를 조금 더 이해할 수 있었다. 혁신을 담은 오프 화이트의 브랜드 히스토리, 그가 그래픽 및 가구 디자이너로서 제작한 대표 작품, 그리고 새로운 루이비통 컬렉션 및 미공개 협업 등이 포함됐다.

오프 화이트는 화장품 브랜드 아모레퍼시픽(AMOREPACIFIC)과 협업을 발표하기도 했는데, 한국 회사와의 첫 콜라보레이션이라는 점에서 많은 관심을 받았다. 아모레퍼시픽의 뷰티 아이템(시트 마스크, 톤업 쿠션, 립밤)과 오프 화이트의 패션 아이템(패션 마스크, 마스크 스트랩, 프로텍션 컨테이너)으로 구성됐다. 코로나19 사태에 대두되는 '보호'의 가치를 담았다.

일렉트로닉 음악 디제이 블랙커피(DJ Black Coffee)가 설립한 남아공 예술 학교의 인테리어 디자인을 맡기도 한 아블로. 과연 그와 오프 화이트의 한계는 어디까지일까? 옷을 만들기도 하지만 동시대의 일류 창작자 중 한 명으로서 자신의 이야기를 대중에게 전달하고 있는 그들의 행보가 여전히 기대된다.

(7) 그들만의 환상 특급 시리즈 : 오프 화이트가 가져올 미래 현상

패션은 사람들이 원하는 걸 만드는 게 아니라 만들어놓은 걸 사람들이 원하게 만드는 일이다. 버질 아블로는 다채로운 퍼포먼스 자체를 패션으로 만들었고 오프 화이트를 정상의 자리로 올렸다. 이건 기존의 고급 패션에 대한 농담이다. ‘유행이란 게 무엇인가’에 대한 근본적인 의문을 겨냥하고 있다. 새로운 자극을 열망하던 사람들은 칸예 웨스트의 패션 컨설턴트라는 사람이 갑자기 내놓은, 자기가 입고 있는 패션조차 놀림거리로 만드는 과장된 위트를 보고 열광했고 거기에 동참했다. 이 냉소적인 즐거움을 느끼는 사람은 열렬한 팬이 되었다.

이 역설은, 펑크 패션과 같은 기존의 스트리트 문화와 달리 철저하게 계획되고 설계된 것이다. 아블로는 이 프로젝트에 대해 “정규 교육을 받은 훈련된 사람으로서, 사람들이 무엇을 하고 있는지 정확히 파악한 후 그 안에서 혁명적인 걸 내놓으려고 했다”고 밝히기도 했다. 덕분에 컬트 팬들이 생겨났고 파리의 콜레트나 도쿄의 GR8 같은 편집숍에서 그의 제품을 구비해놓게 되었다. 패션에 대한 자조 섞인 이 유머는 이후 본격적인 트렌드가 되었고 발렌시아가의 더러운 스니커즈, 구찌의 낙서가 갈겨진 티셔츠로 그 맥이 이어지고 있다.

최근의 패션 신은 스트리트 패션이 럭셔리 패션을 장악해가는 과정이라고 할 수 있다. 후드 바이 에어의 쉐인 올리버(Shane Oliver)는 헬무트 랭(Helmut Lang)의 수장이 되었고 뎀나 바잘리아(Demna Gvasalia)는 발렌시아가의 디렉터를 역임했다. 버질 아블로와 오프 화이트 역시 그 중심에 당당히 자리했다. 과거에는 상류층의 하이 패션과 워크웨어 및 스트리트웨어는 전혀 다른 영역이었지만 양극단에 있던 이 옷들을 경제 성장 속에서 자연스레 섞이기 시작했다. 대중들은 소득 수준과 관계없이 워크웨어와 스트리트웨어의 다양한 버전을 입게 되었다.

버질 아블로는 기존과는 상당히 다른 양상을 가진 새로운 하이 패션을 선보이려고 노력했고, 오프 화이트로 비로소 성공했다. 매출이나 인지도가 상승했을 뿐만 아니라 <LVMH 프라이즈>의 후보에 오르며 패션계에서도 본격적으로 인정을 받게 된 것이다.

애초부터 버질 아블로는 단순한 티셔츠 장사나 할 생각이 없었다. 그는 사람들의 예상보다 훨씬 더 큰 캔버스를 그렸고, 야망에 가득 찬 목표 또한 훨씬 높은 곳에 있었다. 유럽의 디자이너 하우스를 맡고 싶다는 야심을 숨기지도 않았다. 아블로가 이끌 미래는 어떤 모습일까? 버질 아블로의 오프 화이트는 패션계에 만연한 엘리트주의에 대한 통쾌한 한 방이다.

글 l 김명준(MANGDI)

[vintage1981]

#FlashbackFriday to Jess Franco’s Faceless/Gorezone Issue 6

Toward the end of the decade of decadence (aka the 80s) exploitation auteur Jess Franco attempted to break into the commercial horror market. Faceless is the most notable production, with a cast that brings together ex-porn actress (and Jean Rollin regular) Brigitte Lahaie, British genre icon Caroline Munro, German character actor Anton Diffring, Luchino Visconti muse Helmut Berger, and seventies US TV and film superstar, Telly Savalas! Although still a low budget affair, this Rene Chateau production does offer a slick and glamourous look, unlike anything typically seen in a Jess Franco production.

Dr Frank Flamand (Helmut Berger) runs a posh clinic that specialises in expensive beauty treatments and quack "youth-enhancing" therapies for the excessively rich and vain. What his pampered clients do not know though is that many of their treatments are developed at the expense of kidnapped experimental subjects who are kept prisoner in the soundproof padded cells behind a locked door deep within the labyrinthine corridors of the clinic!

When a dissatisfied patient (who was horribly scarred during bungled plastic surgery) attempts to gain revenge by throwing acid in Flamand's face, she instead hits his beautiful sister, Ingrid (Christiane Jean) and badly disfigures her. Flamand vows to restore the beauty of his beloved sister and, together with his ice-cold assistant (and lover) Nathalie (Brigitte Lahaie), organises the kidnapping of coke-addicted model Barbara Hallen (Caroline Munro) with the intention of using her in a new face-transplant operation he intends to develop for his sisters benefit. Barbara is the daughter of wealthy industrialist Terry Hallen (Telly Savalas) and after his daughter's disappearance, Hallen hires American private detective Sam Morgan (Chris Mitchum) to find her. Meanwhile, Flamand and Nathalie consult Dr. Karl Heinz Mozer (Anton Diffring), an ex-Nazi associate of Flamand's mentor Dr Orloff (Howard Vernon), and employ him to help them experiment on more kidnapped victims in their attempts to perfect the complicated operation.

Gorezone Issue 6: Caroline Does Splatter by Steve Swires

Fantasy films’ first lady has been systematically subjected to an onslaught of cinematic indignities — stalked by slashers, menaced by madmen and terrorized by tormentors. Rarely, however, has she been asked to exercise her acting ability; usually, she is merely required to look helpless, scream her lungs out and defer to the heroics of her male co-stars.

Finally, after two decades of dramatic dues-paying in such creatively constrained circumstances, Caroline Munro feels confident enough to test her talent. A veteran of 13 consecutive genre excursions— including Dracula A.D. 1972, Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter, Maniac and The Last Horror Film — she recently ended her involuntary screen hiatus by starring in two new English-language European horror movies, Paul Naschy’s Spanish-lensed The Howl of the Devil and Jess Franco’s French Faceless. Reaching beyond the limitations of her cult status, she also made her first non-genre appearance in 20 years, in the British TV movie Maigret.

Selected by her Slaughter High collaborators Peter Litten and George Dugdale to play the female lead in their proposed big-budget production of Dr. Who: The Movie as well as the title role in their unorthodox multimedia creation Roxscene, Munro grew increasingly restless as both major projects were delayed by a lengthy development process. Anxious to resume her acting career after four years as hostess of the popular British TV game/variety series 3-2-1, she gratefully accepted the unexpected offers of overseas employment.

“The more I’m on camera, the better it is for me,” the British actress reasons, relaxing one morning in her London flat. “As with an athlete or a dancer, an actor must keep training. Since Doctor Who and Roxscene have yet to reach fruition. The Howl of the Devil, Faceless and Maigret gave me an opportunity to get out and do a bit of work. Frankly, I become very bored when I’m not working.”

There were few occasions for boredom on the rugged Spanish locations of The Howl of the Devil (a.k.a. El Aullido del Diablo). Shot in Madrid and the quaint mountain village of Loyzoya— complete with cobbled streets and an 11th-century monastery — during July and August of 1987, the film was written, directed by and stars Paul Naschy. A short, toupeed, barrel-chested John Belushi look-alike whose real name is Jacinto Molina, Naschy has appeared in more than 75 Spanish movies bearing such luridly Anglicized titles as Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror, The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman, Count Dracula’s Great Love and Night of the Howling Beast, earning him the crown of Spain’s King of Horror.

Designed as an ambitious showcase for his performing abilities, Howl presents Naschy in 10 different roles, reflecting his affection for the classic Hollywood movie monsters of his youth. A demented retired actor named Hector lives with his young nephew Adrian in an ominous chalet, where he dresses up as Fu Manchu, Rasputin and Bluebeard to torture nubile female victims procured by his loyal manservant Erik, portrayed by Howard Vernon. A horror fan himself, Adrian (played by Naschy’s 12-year-old son, Sergio Molina) fantasizes visits from his favorite celluloid creatures, recreated in elaborate prosthetic makeup by Fernando Florido and embodied by the ubiquitous Naschy: the Frankenstein Monster, the Phantom of the Opera, Quasimodo, Mr. Hyde and — inevitably— Naschy’s best-known character, the melancholy werewolf Waldemar Daninsky. This Happy home life is eventually interrupted by the reappearance of Adrian’s dead father, Hector’s twin brother Alex, a rotting corpse also essayed by the resilient Naschy.

Cast by novice producer Juan Gomez after he spotted her photo in David Quinlan’s book The Illustrated Directory of Film Stars, Munro plays a poor Spanish maid named Carmen, relentlessly pursued by the homicidally horny Hector. Unfamiliar with Naschy or his work, Munro asked her solicitor father to read the clumsily translated screenplay, which was filled with guilt and retribution, sexual repression and religious obsession. “Obviously, he didn’t think it was brilliant,” she admits. “But he said, ‘It’s certainly no worse than some others you’ve done, and it might be an interesting part for you.’ I thought it could be a mistake for me to do it, but because I liked my part, I decided to take a chance. Besides, if my dad thought it was all right, then it must be OK.”

Burdened by an unwanted glamor image as a perennial sex symbol, Munro enthusiastically donned plain-looking clothes, flat shoes and an apron, and pinned back her long dark hair to* convincingly portray her earthy character. Likewise, Munro actually scrubbed floors and even chopped the head off a real dead chicken on camera. “I wasn’t very keen on that,” she concedes. “Paul gave me a whacking great knife — twice the size of Crocodile’ Dundee’s, knife— and said, ‘Cut the head off the chicken.’ I told him, I can’t do that.’ I just cut it gently down the middle. He said, ‘That’s no good. You must look like you’ve done it all your life.’ So I finally did cut the head off. It was a touch of the Tom Savini there.” A popular genre figure in Europe and Japan, Naschy has yet to conquer the more demanding American market, his voice will subsequently be dubbed by an American actor. This unusual production problem created an awkward acting situation for Munro, who performed her part with her normal British accent, at Naschy’s instruction. “It was a bit more difficult than I was used to, but that made it more of a challenge,” she notes. "Most of the master shots were done over Paul’s shoulder, showing me speaking. Some of the time, he was actually speaking Spanish. Because I understand Spanish fairly well and I knew the intention of the scenes, I could tell what he was saying and when it was time for me to speak. “I was nervous at first, because Paul is a foreboding-looking fellow with a great deal of energy. He is very intense in his work, very European in his approach, with extraordinarily piercing eyes. But he was exactly right for his character. Once we began working together, I found him quite easy to get on with.” Naschy even allowed Munro to rewrite her own dialogue. “I’m hopeless at writing,” she maintains. “But the script left something to be desired, because it was translated too literally from Spanish to though three of his films were released here theatrically in the mid- 1970s by Sam Sherman’s Independent-International Pictures and several of his other movies are currently available on home video. To facilitate American distribution, Naschy shot The Howl of the Devil since he doesn’t speak the language, he delivered his dialogue phonetically, and English. Many of the lines were archaic and ungrammatical. So I rewrote my dialogue to make it more conversational. I offered to help rewrite the rest of the dialogue as well, but Paul didn’t want to confuse the other actors.” Adding her creative input in such a manner is a new occurrence for Munro, who previously would passively accept her scenes as written, regardless of any misgivings. “That comes with experience,” she observes. “You learn what you will or won’t do in a scene. There are certain things I won’t do. Generally, there isn’t much substance to the characters in most genre movies, unless you create some for yourself. Now, I feel I’m in a position — at my age — to be thinking more about characterization.” Munro, satisfied with her Spanish sojourn, believes The Howl of the Devil will spotlight a more self-confident side of her acting personality. “I won’t say I enjoyed every minute,” she acknowledges, “but I was certainly kept on my toes. I hope people will see more range from me as an actress than they’ve seen before. I had to extend myself more in the role. I had some initial reservations, but everything felt right while we were making it. There was nothing about my scenes that offended me. Of course, I don’t know how the finished film will turn out, but for my part, I’m really pleased I did it.” Completing her Howl of the Devil role in 12 shooting days over a three-week period, Munro next flew to Geneva, Switzerland to star in the unusual industrial show The New Travels of Marco Polo. While in Geneva, she was contacted by director Jess Franco, offering her a leading role in his latest thriller Faceless. Filmed in and around Paris during November and December of 1987, Faceless (a.k.a. Les Predators de la Nuit) revives the moribund subgenre of surgical atrocity movies initiated in 1959 by Georges Franju’s classic Eyes Without A Face (a.k.a. The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus) and imitated by Franco’s own The Awful Dr. Orloff in 1961. The first feature produced by Rene Chateau, France’s leading video distributor, Faceless boasts an impressive international cast including Helmut Berger, Telly Savalas, Anton Diffring, Chris Mitchum and 79-year-old Howard Vernon , reprising his tireless Dr. Orloff persona. Jacques (Lifeforce) Gastineau provides graphic makeup FX. Doubling as screenwriter under the pseudonym “Fred Castle,” Chateau personally chose Munro, having seen her work in Starcrash and Maniac, which he released on video in France. In a resonant bit of casting, she plays jet-set American model Barbara Hallen, whose mysterious disappearance motivates the entire storyline. Kidnapped from a modeling session by actress Brigitte Lahaie (France’s most notorious porno queen in a rare mainstream role), Barbara is brought to a fashionable health farm run by sinister plastic surgeon Doctor Flamand (Berger), who constantly requires fresh blood and organs with which to rejuvenate his chic clientele. 

Aided by ex-Nazi scientist Juan Moser (Diffring), Flamand plans to graft Barbara’s exquisite face onto his horribly disfigured sister, until a savage assault renders her skin unusable. Meanwhile, alarmed by his daughter’s inexplicable absence, New York millionaire Terry Hallen (Savalas) sends Vietnam-veteran-turned-private-detective Morgan (Mitchum) to Paris to discover her whereabouts. As Morgan’s investigation draws him closer to the truth, Flamand and his sadistic henchman Gordon sharpen their chainsaws and drills for the inevitably gruesome final confrontation.

Chiefly confined to a padded cell in an actual clinic undergoing renovation, Munro spends most of her screen time in a short white hospital smock. As her character recovers from her brutal attack, she is repeatedly injected with debilitating drugs, hastening her mental and physical deterioration. Abdicating her reluctant glamor image with a vengeance, Munro had no qualms about appearing progressively more disheveled. “I wanted to look as extreme as I could get,” she insists. “In fact, I encouraged them to make me look worse. It actually helped me as an actress. The worse I looked and felt, the better my performance.

When I was crying, my tears were real. I didn’t need glycerine, because I felt truly degraded. It had to be that way, it was so important to see the change in Barbara— to show the glamorous, confident, attractive woman at the beginning, and the poor, sad, pathetic creature at the end. Otherwise, the film wouldn’t work.”

Responsive to the actress’ concerns. Franco thoughtfully decided to shoot Munro’s unpleasant scenes in reverse order. “That way, I could look forward to feeling clean,” she points out. “It was a good method, because I hated being so dirty. I had grease in my hair. I really looked a mess. But it felt absolutely right for the part. “In fact, I looked almost too convincing,” Munro smiles. “At one point, I was walking down the back stairs at the clinic, wearing only a little white smock. I was made up with a bloody cut on my face. One of the real nurses saw me and exclaimed, ‘Oh, mon Dieu! What happened?’ She thought I had really been injured. Many of the actual patients gave me very funny looks. I should think it put them off going back to that clinic.”

Jess Franco, according to Munro, proved to be a surprisingly careful and considerate filmmaker. “I had never heard of Jess before, but I enjoyed working with him very much,” Munro remarks. “I trusted him and felt confident with him. He speaks very good English. I could ask him questions, and he would help me. He has a great sensitivity with actors. He understood how we felt and gave us encouragement.”

A former model herself, Munro easily mastered the American accent she delivers in Faceless. “It’s better than the American accent I did in Slaughter High,” she comments, “because I’ve had more experience at it. But it’s still quite a soft American accent, since the character has been living and working in Europe, and that has affected the way she speaks. I suppose it’s more of a mid-Atlantic accent. I just hope people won’t assume I’ve been dubbed by an American actress again.”

Finishing her Faceless fright fest after three hectic weeks in France, Munro next appeared in her first TV movie, Maigret. Directed by Paul (Prom Night) Lynch, the film is based on a popular series of mystery novels by Georges Simenon. Munro portrays Carolyn Pace, power hungry secretary to scheming American millionaire Patrick O’Neal.

“I just want to be a working actress,” she says, then pauses to reflect on her future plans. “Frankly, I never thought of myself any other way. I’ve never wanted the huge success that other people have wanted for me. I’m very happy doing smaller films. “Without shouting to the whole world, I can push myself quite far within these roles and not be looked at too critically,” Munro decides. “The success or failure of these movies is not on my shoulders. Each one’s just another acting experience for me. And I find I get better with each new experience; I’m still learning my craft all the time.”