(Re)Animations: Mary Shelley's Frankenhole

A glorious mishmash of monsters and loose morals.

I really must give a shout-out to the lovely Tenebrous Kate, whose recent post over at Love Train for the Tenebrous Empire inspired me to write this one. You see, that's just how freaking awesome this show is. It's like a form of digital syphilis except with none of the painful genital sores... but I digress. In all seriousness Mary Shelley's Frankenhole, created by Dino Stamatopoulos of Moral Orel fame, is one of the best horror comedies in recent memory to appear on cable television (aside from Ugly Americans).

While each episode feels a little short (only 15 minutes apiece), they're crammed full of so many entertaining variants on your favorite movie monsters and pop culture that you'll find yourself re-watching them over and over just to see how many Easter Eggs they contain. One of my favorite episodes, Attack of the Were-Lawrence, is an inspired (if not altogether goofy) spin on The Wolfman wherein a pathetic Stewart Lawrence (a riff on Jimmy Stewart and Lawrence Talbot) desperately seeks someone to love him so that they can kill him only for things to go awry.



While each episode features its own guest star of sorts, the main plot revolves around Dr. Victor Frankenstein who has unlocked the secret to immortality, much to his eternal regret. There are also portals, known as "Frankenholes" seemingly spread across time and space that lead to Frankenstein's castle where he has become something of a high-end, back alley "fixer." It's through these "Frankenholes" that monsters, ex-presidents and film stars come seeking Frank's unique brand of assistance.

Rounding out the main cast is Professor Polidori (a reference to Bride of Frankenstein's Doctor Pretorius), Victor's wife Elizabeth, her lover Dracula, their two elderly children, Frankenstein's "Monster," a creepy as hell Igor, and occasionally Mother Teresa. Every single one of them are dysfunctional as hell and therein lies the real punchline as creator Dino Stamatopoulos admits "regular human beings are the monsters."

Season 1 may be over, but you can still catch up online over at the official Mary Shelley's Frankenhole page on Adult Swim.

This article is part of the Countdown to Halloween blogathon, a month-long blogging marathon dedicated to honoring the Halloween season. For more information and a full list of participating sites, please visit www.countdowntohalloween.com.

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