Interview with THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN LIVES’ Kelly Thompson & Mattia De Iulis – Daily Dead
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Interview with THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN LIVES’ Kelly Thompson & Mattia De Iulis
2026/09/29 18:20:13 +00:00 | Jonathan James
Just in time for Halloween, the first issue of the new Bride of Frankenstein comic book series will hit stores on October 28th. TitledThe Bride of Frankenstein Lives, the 4-issue miniseries was written by Kelly Thompson, with art by Mattia De Iulis, and continues Skybound’s excellent stories based on iconic Universal Monsters. Ahead of the first issue’s release, I caught up with Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis to learn about them continuing the story of The Bride of Frankenstein. Plus, we have a preview of the first issue you can read right now!
The Bride’s appearance is brief in The Bride of Frankenstein movie, but she’s captivated the imaginations of people everywhere since 1935. Why is this character so important to you?
Kelly Thompson: I think, as a woman, she’s unique among the monsters, which is interesting right away to me. I also think she was literally built to be sold into “marriage,” which is dramatic as hell and shockingly relatable in a way that has nothing to do with “typical monster movie narratives.” So there’s a lot to dig into just from the jump that is different than some of the other Universal Monster themes and narratives.
When developing this new comic book series, what kind of research did you do into the character, film, and the original Frankenstein novel? And how did that help shape the direction this series took?
Kelly Thompson: I didn’t re-readFrankenstein, but only because I’ve re-read it recently – it’s a favorite of mine. I re-watched bothFrankensteinandBride of Frankenstein, and I did a fair amount of research into the time period we were working in and around so we could get things at least right enough that nothing felt jarring. This is of course science-fiction and so a certain amount of “fiction” and even “fairy tale” creeps into the style of it, which is both deliberate and welcome, but you still want to make sure thingsfeelcorrect and intentional to the reader.
Mattia De Iulis:I have to admit, it was really hard work, haha! It’s my first time working in this kind of setting, something I was so excited to do, so thank you Kelly, Skybound, and Universal! So I studied everything I could to make the world feel completely believable. I think I consumed everything from movies and TV series to video games during this period just to absorb as much as possible! Haha.
When tackling an iconic character such as The Bride and expanding the mythology of this Universal Monster, can you talk about the creative process with Skybound and Universal?
Kelly Thompson: My original pitch was super detailed and tightly specific, and it helped that I knew I was planning to do this with the brilliant Mattia De Iulis. That immediately sets a sort of tone and style in mind of what we’re trying to achieve. This pitch was more than I would usually do for a four-issue mini-series, but I think a lot of that was because I was just very clear about what I wanted it to be from the moment Alex told me we could do a “sequel” of sorts to the film and really delve into The Bride’s agency in all of this. I think Skybound really gets what makes these Universal Monster books work, not to mention how to make great comics, so I was very lucky that everyone on board sort of saw the vision from the jump.
Mattia, can you talk about your approach to honoring the iconic look of Elsa Lanchester as The Bride while also charting new territory in this series?
Mattia De Iulis:It was such an honor to get to work on an icon like her! We knew right from the start that we couldn’t use Elsa Lanchester’s exact likeness, so I set out to create my own version while preserving the iconic intensity of her gaze and expressions. Working on this aspect is easily one of the most fascinating parts of my job because it allows you to build a genuine connection with the character. By carefully shaping her facial features and expressions, you can convey so much, telling the story of her emotions and her past through the visuals alone.
The story takes place immediately following the events of the film. What can you tell us about the journey The Bride takes over the course of the series, and could the comics retroactively give a new reading of the original film?
Kelly Thompson: I don’t think the comics can (or should) give a new reading of the original film – I would never want to mess with that.Bride of Frankensteinis a rather brilliant film in many ways, it just isn’t really about the Bride – it’s about The Creature. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but when seeking to tell a story that’s about the Bride — about her agency and creation, about those who made her who she is – that’s all a wide-open field.
With the first issue of The Bride of Frankenstein Lives coming out right before Halloween, can you give our readers your recommendations for your favorite Universal Monsters movies they should watch this October?
Kelly Thompson: Well, I think it’s fairly obvious I’m partial toFrankenstein(1931) andBride ofFrankenstein(1935)! ButDracula(1931) andCreature From The Black Lagoon(1954) are other OG faves. Personally, I’m due a rewatch ofDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde(1913) this year! I also think the new Invisible Man (2020) is highly underrated and the new Wolf Man (2025) did really interesting things with perspective and tension – that rifle scope scene in the woods is such a terrifyingly relatable tone-setter.
Mattia De Iulis:To be honest, my personal horror favorites usually lean toward other subgenres, but when it comes to the Universal Monsters, Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein are in a league of their own. The tragedy, the atmosphere, and the iconic designs basically set the blueprint for everything we love in horror today. And if I had to throw in one more for pure October vibes and incredible creature design, it’s definitely Creature from the Black Lagoon!
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN LIVES #1 (OF 4)
“HERE COMES THE BRIDE…
Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis (Absolute Wonder Woman, The Cull) reunite once again to deliver the most haunting new horror series of the year.
Born in the heart of a thunderstorm, made of stolen flesh, electricity, and monstrous desperation, The Bride lives! With no memory of her past or understanding of what she is, The Bride took her first steps into the world and was…displeased. Now, she must discover where and who she came from and begin what every living thing begins…the process of staying alive.”
Arriving: October 28, 2026
Lunar Code: 0826IM0322
Page Count: 32
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Mattia De Iulis
Cover A: Mattia De Iulis
Cover B: Joshua Middleton
Cover C: Artgerm
Cover D: Luana Vecchio
Cover E: Joshua Middleton
Cover F: Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
Cover G: Christian Ward
Cover H: David Talaski
Cover I: BLANK SKETCH
Cover J: Artgerm
Cover K: Ryan Sook
Check out all the first issue’s covers and preview pages below. For more information, visit: https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/universal-monsters-bride-of-frankenstein-lives
- About the Author – Jonathan James
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead’s talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
Read Jonathan’s Articles
-
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead’s talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
Read Jonathan’s Articles
