When Louis Pecsi first saw the 1922 silent film “Nosferatu,” he didn’t hide his eyes in fright.
Instead, he wanted to know where the vampiric creature came from.
“I always wanted to see the back story of the character, since the first time I saw it,” he said. “When I watched it as a kid, I wondered about the character’s past and wanted to make him different from Dracula.”
So, three years ago, Pecsi — a Rowan University graduate, graphic artist and filmmaker — grabbed a digital pen and computer drawing pad, complete with Adobe Photoshop, and got to work on his graphic novel, “Nosferatu: The Untold Origin.”
“The book is not a retelling of the movie, it’s a prequel,” Pecsi said. “It tells the origin of Nosferatu, encompasses parts of the film and includes characters from Bram Stokers’ ‘Dracula’, like Prince Vlad Dracula and VanHelsing.”
Abraham “Bram” Stoker wrote the timeless story of “Dracula” in 1897.
In 1922, German film director F.W. Murnau released “Nosferatu” — a movie many say was “stolen” from Stoker’s book.
“The film was supposed to be destroyed in 1923 after Bram Stoker’s widow sued the film company, claiming that ‘Nosferatu’ was stolen from her husband’s book, ‘Dracula,’” Pecsi explained. “She won, but film pirates rescued the film and it was resurrected in the early ’70s.”
Pecsi’s graphic novel begins in Europe during the time of the religious Crusades.
Count Orlok, a crusader, who ordered anyone who did not conform to Roman Catholicism burned at the stake, came upon Elsa, a known practicing witch.
She cursed Orlok and turned him into the nocturnal beast, Nosferatu.
“The story came from my head,” Pecsi said. “‘Nosferatu’ has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. I don’t like what Hollywood is doing with vampires these days — making them cute.”
By writing and illustrating, “Nosferatu: The Untold Origin,” Pecsi wanted to take vampires back to what they were in the past — dark, evil beings.
“I do believe in good and evil,” he said. “Hollywood took vampires and made them cute and palpable to a young, impressionable audience. We’re teaching children to revere evil. Be a good parent and tell them these are not good things to be worshipping.”
In addition to upholding vampires’ reputations, creating the book was also therapy for Pecsi.
“I was almost killed in a car accident four years ago,” he said. “I woke up on a stretcher and couldn’t remember my name or age, and lost my ability to read.”
About six months after his accident, while having a conversation with a friend about the movie, “Nosferatu,” the friend suggested Pecsi write the book.
“It was a form of therapy for me, because I was so depressed, I needed something to do,” he said. “Being creative helped keep me stimulated and inspired me to keep going, even though it’s a scary book.”
On Oct. 12, Pecsi held a book signing at the Glassboro Barnes & Noble, where several fans were in attendance.
Gina Magliocco, a Barnes & Noble employee and horror genre fan, was ecstatic to meet the graphic artist.
“It’s amazing,” she said of “Nosferatu: The Unknown Origin.”
Pecsi, who was humbled by her enthusiasm, drew Magliocco an original sketch of Nosferatu and Dracula together and signed the piece for his fan.
“You made my day!” said Pecsi.
Currently, Pecsi is working on a book which fuses Edgar Allan Poe’s works with his art.
“Edgar Allan Poe came to me in a dream. He said, “I like your artwork and you should illustrate some of my work,” Pecsi said. “I always write down my dreams, and I decided I was actually going to do this one.”
He said the book will include, “The Black Cat,” “Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven,” “Alone” and “A Few Words with a Mummy.”
“My motivation for this project is to create a book that will get the younger generation interested in reading the classics, and Poe is extremely popular,” Pecsi said.
For more information and to order “Nosferatu: The Untold Origin,” visit http://nosferatuorigins.com.
Spiral Bookcase, Manyunk, Pa. Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
The Comic Station, Haddon Heights, Oct. 29 from noon to 2 p.m.