Vicki's makeover

After doing a little research on 'The Bride of Frankenstein', it seems that the black-and-white hair of the Bride is actually a large misconception. Elsa Lanchester (1902-1986), who portrayed both Mary Shelley and the Bride in Universal's 1935 horror classic, was, from what I understand, a natural redhead whose own hair was combed over a light wire cage whilst acting in the latter role. As for the light streaks, I assume that these were white, but this was not elaborated on.

I can't say that this is true with absolute certainty, but this claim was found by myself on a few unrelated sites. Color photographs and a portrait painting depict Ms. Lanchester with red hair, as well as a few professional sculptures of the Bride. It stands to lend this claim some credibility.

"Elsa Lanchester" (1925) by Doris Clare Zinkeisen

Mike Hill's Bride bust sculpture

Quite frankly, this bit of belated news blew me away. The iconic image of the Bride with her black-and-white hair is one that is ingrained in the mainstream mindset. And that's when it came to me. In this I saw an opportunity to give Vicki Westonecraft, one of the Darkley comic storytellers, a makeover that would not only help give her some originality but also give some homage to this character's main inspiration. And so, the Niche presents to you the next step in fleshing Vicki's character design.

Vicki, before (left) and after (right)

Let us know what you think of the redesign, here at the Niche. Feedback is always encouraged!