Dark Shadows cards

[petofi]

   On the old boards, I had posted some research that I had done on the various DS card sets, posters and postcards.  With your kind indulgence, I post them again here.

Petofi

ps: feel free to use these, but please give 2002 copyright credit to Alan Gallant for the research.  Thanks!

[petofi]

The Dark Shadows Gum Cards, Green Series              
Philadelphia Chewing Gum Company
1969


     This second set of cards, called the "2ND SERIES" on the wrapper, was issued, probably in the summer of '69.  This was done in response to the tremendous popularity of the 1897 storyline and the newest DS star, David Selby as Quentin Collins.  The 66 cards in the series did, in fact, cover an early segment of the 1897 storyline.  The cards were again composed of black-and-white publicity stills, almost all of which were taken during dress rehearsals on the set.  The cards had a wavy green border which was probably intended to resemble a picture frame.  There were no autograph facsimiles on the individual cards of the set, but there were small purple dialogue boxes which were usually directly above the bottom green border, in the still itself.  In a few cases, the box would find its way to the top or center of the photo.  Each of these had a simple sentence, in black lettering, explaining the scene on the card.  The sentences were in the form of quotes, and were preceded by the name of the character to which the quote was attributed.  The story was a bit stilted when put together, but any young fan of the show could tell exactly what was happening.  

     On the bottom section of the wavy green border, from left to right, appeared the assigned card number and the announcement " 1969 DAN CURTIS PRODUCTIONS INC  PCGC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PRTD. IN U.S.A.".  This is the same as series one.  The backs of the 66 cards of the set formed four different black-and-white "pin-up" photos, each with a green facsimile autograph in the lower right corner.  These were Barnabas (foyer painting), Angelique (Pink card # 3 8), Quentin Collins (Green card # 43), and Chris Jennings (werewolf, Green card # 66).

     The packaging of the "second Series" of "Wallet Photos" reflected the style of the cards.  The wrapper depicted Collinwood on the lower edge of its center panel.  This sepia photo was set in a green background, with a purple strip in the upper left hand corner that said  "2nd SERIES"  in white letters.  

The words "DARK SHADOWS"  dominated the upper center of the front of the gum pack, these being white letters bordered in black and in the style of the show's opening logo.  Beneath these words were the smaller, plain black words  "WALLET PHOTOS AND BUBBLE GUM" .  
     
     In the lower right corner  "5¢"  was announced in green. The white borders of the wrapper contained at least two different ads, these appearing to the right of the center panel.  They were ads for SWELL bubble gum (Favorite of Champions!) , and the famous Barnabas Ring ad, complete with drawings of the ring and the vampire.  These wrappers held 5 random cards and a single stick of bubble gum.

     The packs came in boxes of twenty-four, with the display box similar in style to the packs.  The top of the box shows the same green and purple color scheme, with the Dark Shadows letter motif in white, with a black shadow on the letters that was pulled down and to the right. This lettering dominated the upper right section of the box top.  Above and to the left of this was a small pink rectangle with the words "SECOND SERIES" in white letters.  Farther left was a sepia-hued photo of Barnabas (mirror image of pink card #1), with his cane.  Left of that, the "SWELL" insignia, in b & w, and the words "© 1969 Dan Curtis Prod., Inc.  All Rights Reserved."  The price, "5¢," in white with black outline, was far right.  The sepia-toned Collinwood stretched across the box top, from left center to right.  The front side of the box also had the image of Collinwood, this time to the left.  The upper center area of this panel was where the "DARK SHADOWS" white letters were, with the "WALLET PHOTOS and BUBBLE GUM" and "5¢" in black below the right section of the DS lettering.  A depiction of Barnabas (from the pink series wrapper) was to the far right.  The prominence of these two views of Barnabas was reversed from pink series box.



The Cards: A Description

     The second series focuses on plotline  rather than just individual characters, as the first series did.  The bulk of the series is taken up by the 1897 storyline involving Quentin as a zombie.  This story  began with episode #722 (Aired 4/1/69, Taped 3/25/69),when Quentin is re-animated, and concluded with the arrival of Gregory Trask and his "curing" of both Quentin and the possessed Jamison in episode #726 (Aired 4/7/69, Taped 3/31/69).  Cards # 7- # 48 deal with this story (note: Trask wears glasses in the shots he appears in here.  These shots were definitely taken in rehearsal, because, by tape time, the decision was made to not use the spectacles.  These same frames had appeared earlier, however, on the face of the Eagle Hill cemetery caretaker, in 1967!)  
     
     The inaugural half-dozen cards depict Barnabas in various shots, with dialogue sentences like "I must go back to the past to save the boy's life," and "Why is the ghost possessing Jamison?" that set up the main story.  Card #1 is one of the "bat against red moon" series taken in 1967.  Card #'s 2-4 appear to be taken during the dress for Episode #725 (Taped 3/28/69, Aired 4/4/69). A fine color version of card # 5 can be found on the back cover of  Barnabas Collins: A Personal Picture Album, with Jonathan Frid's autograph, and is taken from episode #522(Taped 6/16/68, Aired 6/26/68), Nicholas Blair's first full episode.  The location of the card #5 photo is the stairway in the Old House entry foyer.  Interestingly, the publicity still on card # 6 is the only series shot not done on the set during dress rehearsals.  This is a location shot of Barnabas in some mansion (perhaps one of the Tarrytown houses?), standing on the staircase with a heavy coat and a large book in his right hand. This same coat and book can be seen on the cover of MPI' ‘s Best of Barnabas video.  He is in modern dress, as he is in card #'s 1 & 5.  
     
     After the general angst and disbelief of cards # 7- # 48 (all shot during dress rehearsal for #725, with the exception of card #14, done during #719), cards # 49- # 62 take place at various times immediately preceding Quentin's murder by "Mad Jenny" and his subsequent revival as a zombie!  Cards # 49- # 58 take place during episode #719 (Aired 3/27/69, Taped 3/20/69), at a time immediately preceding Quentin’s murder by "Mad Jenny," and his subsequent revival as a zombie!  Card # 49 has a direct quote from the episode, in Judith's declaration, "That music is driving me mad!".  The series had a maddening habit of quoting faithfully at times, then inserting absurd quotes, such as those attributed to the unthinking zombie Quentin: "I'll die when the moon is full", etc.  Also, at the series end, the werewolf  has coherent thought, a la Gold Key Comics("I must hurry, dawn means death.)!  The remainder of the cards through #58 focus on Magda  telling Quentin's fortune, and Quentin and Judith arguing.
       
     A brief side light is explored in card #'s 51 & 52, involving Dirk and Judith discussing Judith's "secret," Jenny.  Cards # 59 & # 60 deal with "Mad Jenny" interacting with Dirk and Judith.  Card # 61 shows Jenny happily looking over the keys to her prison-room that she relieved Dirk of, after knocking him out cold.  All of these shots also originate out of episode #719.  Card # 62 seems to be  from the same episode, and shows Jenny brandishing a knife. Suddenly, we are whisked away from the gaslight of 1897, and find ourselves in 1969!  Cards # 63- # 66, are from this era, depicting the werewolf.  # 64, in particular, shows the werewolf and Carolyn in Liz's mausoleum during dress rehearsal for episode #672(Aired 1/20/69, Taped 1/13/69).
     
     Card #64 is one of the unique cards in the series which betrays the manner in which the stills were procured.  Several of the stars have discussed the introduction of a photographer into the rehearsal process, with some resentment.  In an interview which appeared in Craig Hamrick's Dark Shadows Collector's Guide, Kathryn Lee Scott  explained  "We would actually come on the set with our hair in curlers or an old bathrobe on," apparently in rebellion against having no say in the merchandising or photo selection.  In # 64, we see Carolyn screaming in terror, as Alex Stevens half-heartedly stares off toward the camera, with no hand make-up!  On cards #32, #33, # 43, #46, & # 48, Quentin is missing his mutton chops!  One can only imagine the more obvious examples of unusable stills, bathrobes and all!  Actually, one has only to go to the Imagine 1993 set to see what this would have been like. Card # 54 of that series shows KLS and Don Briscoe in a scene depicting Rachel Drummond's mortal wounding in Dirk's lair (episode #776, Aired 6/16/69, Taped 6/9/69).  In this still, KLS is indeed in bathrobe and curlers.

     According to Jeff and Bob Marks, in their article about Philly Gum found in issue #166 of The Wrapper, the folks at Swell gum sent a photographer over to take shots for the card series.  This was to be augmented with available stills provided by Dan Curtis Productions.  In the case of this second series of "wallet photos," it appears the photographer may have shown up on two dates.  The dates are: Thursday, March 20 (ep. #719), and Friday, March 28 (ep. #725), 1969.  A total of 59 cards bear images from these two production dates.  There are 44 from #725, and 15 from #719.

     Interestingly, several characters key to the early storyline depicted on these cards, and actors who actually appeared in the episodes the photos were gleaned from, were absent from the card set.  Angelique, who caused Quentin to become a zombie, was not included (The puzzle-back picture doesn't count-it's from 1795 anyway), though she appears in 1795 clothing, in the Giant Pin-Up set.  Rachel Drummond is nowhere to be seen.  The simpering Carl Collins, who is there when the dead Quentin is re-animated as a zombie, is absent.  Sandor, with his rescue of Rachel from the undead Quentin, would have lent some more action to the story.  Ironically, it seems that this set of cards relies heavily on the two Philly Gum photo shoots.  In the first series, the opposite was true, with ABC and Dan Curtis supplying the bulk of the material.  This accounts for the lack of the other key characters mentioned, since they were not present in the episodes chosen.  But, all things considered(including some flawed captions and blurry touch-ups), the second series is a fun and interesting glimpse of the early goings-on at 1897 Collinwood.

The following is a listing of the number of cards each character appears on.
Quentin: 26, Judith: 19, Barnabas: 18, Trask: 11, Jamison: 11, Magda: 7, Jenny: 5,
Werewolf: 4, Dirk: 3, Carolyn: 1, Barnabas’ Portrait: 1.

[petofi]

The Dark Shadows Gum Cards, Pink Series
Philadelphia Chewing Gum Company;
1968

     This first series of Dark Shadows Trading cards (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") was issued in 1968, at the head of what would be a substantial tide of authorized DS merchandise.  The set consisted of 66 different black-and-white publicity stills from the show's 1967, 1795, and 1968 story lines.  Some of these shots were taken on the actual set at studio 16, while others seem to be taken in a photographer's studio setting.  This "studio" was probably a temporary set-up, located near the set or possibly in or near the rehearsal area.  All these shots were probably taken during dress rehearsal and/or after taping, when full make-up and costumes were readily available.  I am assuming, from other photos I have seen from that time, that the backdrop was simply a taped up piece of wide-roll kraft paper, either blue or salmon pink in color. For this, refer to color versions of some of the card photos and other photos taken around the same time (the KLS books and DS calendars are good sources). The "studio" photos are discernible from the on-the-set dress rehearsal-type shots by the absence of any background scenery.  
     The shots were framed by a thin red (or pink) border, and the bottom edge of the border contained, from left to right, the number of the individual card followed by the words " © 1968 DAN CURTIS PRODUCTIONS INC  © PCGC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PRTD IN  U.S.A. ".  This information was given in black letters.  In the lower right hand corner of each "wallet photo", as they were named at the time, was a facsimile autograph of the character depicted on the individual card.  This cursive name was done in the same red color as the border itself.  The backs of the cards could be assembled to form a likeness of Barnabas Collins, a likeness which could be found on the #1 card of the set.  This view featured the vampire's face framed by his cane, his fangs bared, and a small bat flying in the glow of a murky moon to the left.  Instead of  the standard black-and-white, this puzzle-picture sported a sepia hue.  A red autograph graced the lower left corner of the puzzle, the opposite of the right-cornered cards.  In both of the Philly Gum DS card sets, the incidence of perfectly centered cards is relatively low, but they are especially hard to come by in the pink set.
     
     The cards were originally packaged in boxes of twenty-four packs, with each pack containing five random cards and one stick of bubble gum.  The wrapper illustration consisted of a center panel, the size of a card, that had a photo of Barnabas Collins holding his cane and baring his fangs.  He faced to the left, and was situated in the lower right of the panel.  Above this graphic was, written in red liquid letters, the word "BARNABAS".  Above that, in a solid field of what looks like dripping red blood, are white block letters which form the words "TV' S COOL GHOUL".  To the vampire's immediate right, a small, rather innocuous black bat flew above the red words "WALLET PHOTOS".  "AND BUBBLE GUM" followed below this, in simple black letters, as did the price,"5¢".  On either side of this center panel were the borders, which were wrapped around the cards and used to display ads and manufacturer information on the backs of unopened packs.  The right border contained ads for hot pepper gum, fly spoon, trick black soap, and onion gum.  The left border strip announced that Philly Gum was located in Havertown, PA, and reiterated Dan Curtis' copyright.  The photo of Barnabas can also be found in mirror-reverse on card # 7.
     The box that held these packs in lots of 24 had similar graphics as the packs, with the same photo on the top of the display box, to the right.  The blood and bat motif was also present (with the phrase "TV’S COOL GHOUL" written across the bat in white letters!), and below the bat, left center, was the "BARNABAS" logo and brief description of product ("WALLET PHOTOS and BUBBLE GUM 5¢")far left.  The white-type words "STAR OF DARK SHADOWS. ABC-TV" were also present, in a field of red to the right.  Below this was Dan Curtis’ copyrights.  The front side of the box was primarily black, with a red-tone photo of Barnabas (pink card #1, mirror-reverse) in the left half of the panel.  To the left of this, and above, the red phrase "TV’S COOL GHOUL was positioned. The center left to center area had the bloody red "BARNABAS" logo in a wavy white box.  Right and under the "BARNABAS" logo are the words "WALLET PHOTOS" in red, while far right is ". . .and BUBBLE GUM" in white letters.  Lowest and farthest right is the "5¢" price, also in white.
     The local retailers who ordered these boxes recieved bonus advertising material in each box.  An 11" x 36" Barnabas display poster (also showing the card # 1 pose) with the words "WE HAVE IT!" playing across the top edge was included, as was a note saying "MR. RETAILER: Kids Love Barnabas!  Put this poster on your window to create BIG SALES quickly".  These items are extremely rare, as they were unavailable to the general public.


The Cards: A Description

     
     The inaugural set of Dark Shadows gum cards depicts scenes from the 1967, 1795, and 1968 storylines, with emphasis on characters, rather than story.  The first twenty-three cards depict Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins with the facsimile autograph "BARNABAS" written in the lower right corner.  These cards show Barnabas exclusive of any other character(s).  The autograph of "BARNABAS" is also emblazoned on cards 24-36, though many of these cards show the vampire with the various heroines of the show.  Card # 24 shows "old Barnabas" with a terrified Carolyn, a scene from episode #350 (Taped 10/23/67, Aired 10/27/67), # 27 & # 33 reveal Barnabas with Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (publicity stills from late June 1967 Barnabas episodes), Card #28 shows the foyer portrait, # 30 & # 31 depict Barnabas with Victoria Winters, and card # 's 29,32,34,35,& 36 show the infamous graveyard/mausoleum scene(episode 248, Taped 5/25/67, Aired 6/7/67) between Barnabas and Maggie Evans. Cards #30 and #31 depict Barnabas kissing Vicki's hand, and she is wearing a sleeveless plaid dress.  In a photograph which appears in the 2000 DS calendar, Alexandra Moltke is wearing the same dress in a rehearsal scene with Roger Davis.  This scene shows Vicki's first encounter with Jeff Clark, in the Collinsport Hospital.  This occurs during episode #466 (Taped 4/2/68, Aired 4/8/68).  However, The distinctive bangs of Jonathan Frid point to Episode #465 as the origin of cards # 31 & #31.  The plaid dress was probably used frequently as a rehearsal frock by Alexandra Moltke at this time.
     
     Card #’s 1 & 7 were taken from the 1967 ABC promo series in which Barnabas appears in front of a murky moon (which is red in the color versions) with a bat flying in front of it.  Card #1 is the same as the puzzle found on the card backs, and #7 is a mirror-reverse of the photo on the wrapper and box.  The #13 card, Barnabas on the great staircase, is from Episode #331 (Taped 9/21/67, Aired 10/2/67). Card #’s 6, 12, & 18, showing "old" Barnabas, are from Episode #350.  Card #’s 3, 4, 10, 16, 23 & 25 were products of a photo shoot done on Episode #532 (Taped 6/27/68, Aired 7/10/68).  This dating was achieved by comparing the distinctive bangs of Jonathan Frid, which match for these shots and that episode.  Card #’s 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26 & 30 were also done on a single day (bangs match), most probably Episode #465(Taped 4/1/68, Aired 4/5/68), in which Barnabas and Vicki are involved in an auto accident.  This was Frid’s last episode as a vampiric modern Barnabas for the rest of 1968.
     
     The emphasis on cards # 37- # 66 shifts from the famous vampire to the other characters of the show, with special focus on the women.  Cards # 37-39 show Angelique in all her 1795 glory, although she appears grossly aged in # 39.  The first two of these three were studio shots, probably taken around Episode #400 (Taped 1/1/68, Aired 1/5/68), the first time Angelique appeared in the ochre dress with the white frills she is seen in here.  The third card, # 39, was probably taken in order for the art director to have a template to work with for the 1968 sequence in which Sam Evans ages Angelique's portrait(episode #499, Taped 5/21/68, Aired 5/23/68).  
     
     The next three cards, # 's 40-42 show Julia Hoffman.  Card #40 seems to have been taken at a different time than the  following two shots, due to Julia’s shorter hair, and a change in wardrobe. This shot was probably taken on or around episode #462(Taped 3/27/68, Aired 4/2/68), which was the first show in which Julia had short hair.  The frock she is wearing is green with yellow trim, and can be found in other fan photos taken in the 60's.  This shot could have been a pre-dress picture taken to record Grayson Hall's new look.  The shots on Cards # 41 & # 42 were probably taken during dress rehearsal for episode 569(Taped 8/22/68, Aired 8/29/68), the episode in which Julia stumbles into Collinwood, dazed after vampire Tom Jennings begins to summon her.   This scene continues with card # 43, which shows a bewildered Roger Collins trying to deal with the entranced Julia(the card bears Roger's autograph).
     
     The next two shots are most likely early Barnabas publicity of a slightly menacing Roger and his sister Elizabeth amidst much cobwebs.  A photo from this shoot was used for the July 30, 1967 New York Times article on the show entitled Out  in Detergent Land: A Hard Day's Fright.  Card # 44 bears Roger's signature, while # 45 shows the name "Elizabeth Stoddard".  The dating of these cards centers around the actor's wardrobe.  Liz's is in her wedding dress from the final Jason McGuire episodes.  These are episodes #270-273(Taped, in order, Thursday, June 22, Friday, June 23, Tuesday, June 26, and Monday, June 25; Aired between Wednesday 7/7/67 and Monday 7/12/67).  Roger's suit matches up, but in the actual show, his vest is lighter(perhaps the costumer was afraid the vest would "disappear" into his white shirt in a still shot).  I believe that cards #27 and #33 were also taken during this window of episodes, due to Liz's wedding dress appearing there.  Jonathan Frid did not appear in these shows, but was in episode #274(Taped 6/27/67) which probably was in a read-through after taping of #273.  He could easily have been called in early that day for a photo shoot, allowing him to appear in  the photos on card #'s 27 and 33.   All of these "wedding dress" shots seemed to have been taken on the same set, and probably the same day.  Based on comparisons to the episodes themselves, these shots were taken on the Collinwood basement set, near the room where Paul Stoddard was supposed to be buried.

     Cards # 46 & # 47 show Liz in the woods-cemetery scene from episode # 569.  The following trio of cards reveal three scenes from the aforementioned episode #248, in which Maggie is terrorized by the evil, early Barnabas.  In cards # 's 48-49, Maggie is in the coffin in the mausoleum, while # 50 shows her in Josette's room with a desperate Willie trying to calm her.  Incidentally, this marks John Karlen's only appearance in any of the Philly Gum series.  
     
     Card # 's 51 & 52 feature Nicholas Blair, but although they bear his signature, these cards also depict Mrs. Johnson in a scene from the previously mentioned episode #569.  Card # 53 is of "Abigail Collins", and is Clarice Blackburn's only solo card, taken against the "tree" where she was found dead by Daniel Collins, during the 1795 storyline.  This was in Episode #432 (Taped 2/14/68, Aired 2/20/68).  In another 1795 scene, Naomi Collins is seen in a white formal dress with Nathan Forbes (Joel Crothers only appearance in any series until 1993's Imagine set!) on card #54.  Naomi wore this dress just once when appearing in an episode with Nathan, in #448 (Taped 3/7/68, Aired 3/13/68).  This card bears her name.  Adam comes next, on # 's 55 & 56, with shots taken in a photo shoot, off the set.  The signature is an amusing crayon-like scrawl.  In # 57- #59, we return to Nicholas Blair, solo.  # 57 is a shot originating, quite probably, from episode 569.  The next two cards were shot off the set, with the usual neutral backdrop.
     
     Card # 60 shows little David Collins in a location shot  probably done at Seaview Terrace in May/June 1966.  # 's 61-64 feature the show's early heroine, Victoria Winters. # 61 is an exterior at Seaview Terrace, in 1966.  # 's 62 & 63 were shot in '68 on the foyer set (during Episode #465, as was cards #30 & #31), and # 64 is another 1966 promo shot.  Maggie Evans is found on # 65, another 1968 foyer photo.  The final card of the series, # 66, features Our Heroine Vicki in the now-famous 1966 shot of her running in a trench coat, the mansion of Collinwood looming behind.

     The Philadelphia Chewing Gum Corporation relied heavily on previously shot publicity stills for this initial card series.  However, according to PCGC president Edward Fenimore (in an article by Jeff and Bob Marks which appears in the Wrapper # 166), a photographer was sent to gather material for this as well as all other Philly Gum DS series.  Based on Episode #569 having the highest frequency of cards from a single show rehearsal in 1968 (eight), and that this show bears the latest tape date in the set, August 22, 1968 seems to be the best guess for the date of the Philly Gum shoot for this set.  The card # ’s for this ep./shoot are: # ‘s 41, 42, 43, 46, 47, 51, 52 & 57.

     The cards are somewhat unique for their 'touch-ups', the practice of adding gray lines of definition in most of the shots.  This was probably done in an attempt to clearly contrast people in the typically darker atmosphere of a gothic/horror soap opera, and the results are mixed.  An interesting note: Look for Barnabas' ring to change from his right hand to his left, then back again.  This occurs in the initial 26 cards of the series.  The logic is this: every shot taken on the actual set has Barnabas with his ring correctly placed on the right hand.  The neutral-backdrop shots taken studio style have the ring on the left hand, probably to add new angles to an already burgeoning collection of publicity photos!

The following is a listing of characters appearing in the pink series, and the number of cards on which they appear:

Barnabas:35, Maggie:9, Vicki:7, Elizabeth:6, Nicholas Blair:5, Julia:4, Angelique:3, Roger:3, Mrs. Johnson:2, Adam:2, Carolyn, Willie, Abigail, Naomi, Forbes, David and Barnabas' Portrait:1.

[petofi]

DARK SHADOWS GIANT PIN-UPS
PHILADELPHIA CHEWING GUM CO.,
1969

     This set of sixteen 9 1/2'' x 19" posters was issued in 1969 at approximately the same time as the second series of Dark Shadows gum cards.  Like the gum cards, they employed black-and-white photographs of major figures from the show with two color ( purple and green) additional decoration.  In the case of the second series gum cards, the decoration was in the form of a wavy green  border and a purple dialogue box.  The Giant Posters incorporated both colors into a "picture-frame" border.  The posters also incorporated the character signature in the lower right hand corner of each poster, in either white or green cursive lettering.  This embellishment was also used on the "Barnabas" gum cards issued in 1968 (with pink lettering).   Note:  I believe the signatures were not facsimiles of the actual actors' writing, but were "forgeries" signed by several different people who were probably Philly Gum employees, possibly art department personnel or even  from the office pool!
     The main difference in design between the second set of cards and the posters, other than size, can be found in the story aspect of the cards.  Contained in the pink dialogue box on each card was one of a series of 66 quotes or sentences, one for each card.  These sentences, along with accompanying photos, offered a simple version of the first half of the 1897 storyline. The primary focus was on Quentin's time as a zombie, the introduction of the Reverend Gregory Trask, and Barnabas' attempt to help Quentin and Jamison revert to normal.  Magda, Mad Jenny, and the Werewolf are also briefly included at the end of the sequence of cards.
     The Giant Pin-Up Posters offer no story or real sequence, but merely depict most of the major characters from the second half of the1897 story, which focused on  the vampire hunt of Barnabas, Count Petofi, and the cure of Quentin's lycanthropy.  There were several characters that threaded through the entire story line, not the least of whom was Angelique.  Interestingly, Angelique was not depicted in the second card series (although she was the force behind Quentin becoming a zombie).  She does do a turn on #15 of the posters, but dressed in 1795 garb as opposed to the 1897 clothes she ought to be wearing to be in step with the others in that series!
     The posters were printed on what appears to be newsprint, with a slightly glossy finish.  Each poster had in its lower left corner the number of the poster, followed by the phrase "...of 16 PINUPS".  In the extreme bottom right of the photograph, just above the two-color frame, the following declaration appears: "© 1969 DAN CURTIS PRODUCTIONS, INC. * ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. "  The posters which have the white signatures also have the copyright symbol "©,"  which precedes the above declaration.  Those with the green signatures do not.  The posters are folded in to fourths along the 19" length, then folded again into fourths along the 9 1/2" width.  The 4 5/8" x 2 1/8" folded poster was originally placed into a wax wrapper with a single slab of gum.  The wrappers are purple with "Dark Shadows'' printed in white letters and outlined in black, with a shadow effect pulled lower right.  Directly below  that are the words "giant pin-ups", with "pin-ups" in green lettering.  All other lettering is plain white including the price, 5 cents. On the left side of the packs is a bordered photo of Quentin, which is different from the three posters of him found in the set. On the backs, an address appears for the manufacturer, as well as a depiction of their "SWELL" gum product. The full packs originally came in boxes of 24, in a display box that incorporated both the poster border design, and the lettering from the packs, all enhanced in purple and green.

LIST OF POSTERS BY NAME AND NUMBER


#1.  Reverend Trask   #2.  Quentin Collins   #3.  Charles Delaware Tate
#4.  Charity Trask     #5.  Judith Collins       #6.  Quentin Collins
#7.  MEN OF COLLINWOOD    #8.  Jamison Collins   #9.  Count Petofi                                          
#10.  Barnabas Collins    #11.  Edward Collins    #12.  Evan Hanley
#13.  Quentin Collins     #14.  Barnabas Collins    #15.  Angelique    #16.  Magda



1897 GIANT PIN-UPS: A DESCRIPTION


     The following individual descriptions of each of the 16 posters found in the set  is intended to be an informed supposition as to the time frame in which these photos, or publicity stills, were taken.  These informed suppositions are based on the relationships between the characters, the time frame in which the characters did or did not appear, and any visual reference, such as unique costumes, hair, or even background settings.  As an initial reference point, I have found that most of the sixteen shots were taken between  1897 episodes #800 (Aired 7/18/69, Taped 7/10/69) and #806 (Aired 7/28/69, Taped 7/18/69).  Some of the shots are dated more generally, with little information beyond their supposed proximity in time to the other stills.  All dating research comes from two sources: the Dark Shadows concordance 1897, and direct reference to video material, specifically the episodes themselves (MPI Video).

The Posters

Poster #1.)  This standing  pose of Reverend Trask has him wearing his heavy-collared overcoat in the Drawing Room.  Owing to the fact that he did not appear at all in our time frame prior to episode #805 (Aired 7/25/69, Taped 7/17/69), and that he appeared thereafter without the frock, leads me to beleive that #805 is the episode to which this still belongs.

Poster #2.)  This shot of Quentin features a darkened background of curtains.  The vague pattern on these is the same as those in his room.  Like the other two solo shots of Quentin (#'s 6 & 13), this one features his stalwart blue suit with matching frock.   This makes his shots difficult to assign a date to, because of the constant use of this costume ensemble throughout the 1897 sequence.  However, if we assume they  may have been taken on the same day as poster #7(The Men of Collinwood), we can assign them episode #804 (Aired 7/24/69, Taped 7/16/69).  For more details, see description of poster #7.

Poster #3.)  Charles Delaware Tate's happy  pose beside the staircase newall post in Collinwood's foyer was most likely taken at the same point as #7, which would be episode #804.  The reasoning behind this, is that Tate's character debuted that day, and his dark artist's garb with overblown cravat matches in both posters, as well as the video for that episode.  He did not appear in episode #805, and in #806 there  was no Edward to be available for a photo for poster #7.

Poster #4.)  Charity Trask appears here in a  head-and-shoulders close-up still, which shows off the lace work on the neckline of her dress.  This dress is our best clue here, and it appeared(it was pale yellow) first in episode #805, and again in  #806 (Aired 7/28/69, Taped 7/18/69).  Since no one else falls in #806, I feel that #805  is probably the episode that produced this shot.

Poster #5.)  Judith Trask was off at the sanitarium during this time frame, hence Joan Bennett was unavailable for publicity stills at the time.  Fortunately, Philly Gum Company had many shots of Judith from their earlier shoot for the green card series.  This one, featuring an interesting lavender-grey taffeta dress, was most likely taken during 'dress' for episode #719 (Aired 3/27/69, Taped 3/20/69).  See green cards #14,# 49-53, & #59.

Poster #6.)  Quentin's second appearance in the set offers a pose by the foyer newall post, at the base of the "Great Staircase".  Episode #804.


Poster #7.)  This shot, also done on the staircase in the foyer, may have originally been a larger cast photo, in the tradition of the 1968 cast stills.  The background surrounding the four "Men of Collinwood" (Barnabas, Tate, Edward, and Quentin) was completely obliterated, and is the only

example of this kind of graphic editing found in the set.  The costumes match for our time frame, but Edward's stiff posture could be construed as servile, and he fell under Petofi's spell of servitude in episode #804.  We can eliminate later episodes, because Roger Davis was not called for work in #805, and Louis Edmonds was off for # 806.  Jonathan Frid appears without his trademark inverness in this shot, which coincides with the end of episode #804, when Barnabas spirits the posessed Jamison away from Collinwood.
     Episode #804 is also featured in the photo-covers of several of the Marilyn Ross paperback series.  On the cover of book #12, the staircase shot, other than the angle at which it is shot, is a duplicate of poster #7, with no other  actors on the staircase.  On the cover of  book #14, another stairs shot, the possessed Charity Trask appears with Quentin, Barnabas, and Edward.  Her hair and scarf match that of episode #804.  As a note of interest, these other Paperback Library Dark Shadows books display photos from this key episode: #13, #15, #16, #18, #22, #23, #24, #25, #27, #30, #32.

Poster #8.)  Jamison Collins is featured in a head and shoulders shot that includes his hands, which are gloved.  This places this still within the parameters of our time frame, after the boy's possession by Petofi.  Additionally, the dark overcoat worn here narrows the window to episodes #803-#804, with the unruly spray of hair on David Henesy's left temple matching his appearance in episode #803 (Aired 7/23/69, Taped 7/15/69).

Poster #9.)  This early Victor Fenn-Gibbon shot shows the incognito Count Petofi as he appeared just after his arrival in Collinsport.  Thayer David spent much of these episodes in the more conservative tie he wears here, instead of his more flamboyant cravat of later times.  The only thing that seperates this shot from any other of that time is that he is depicted here without an overcoat.  The only time near our window of episodes that Petofi goes about sans coat (exposing his little white pocket kerchief) is in episode #798 (Aired 7/16/69, Taped 7/9/69), when he makes contact with Quentin at Collinwood, chiding him for his superstitions and his associations with Gypsies.   However, the wig that Thayer David wore as Petofi usually was a mass of evenly placed curls, and the poster shot shows a large curled forelock.  This anomaly in hairstyle can be seen in episode #800 (Aired 7/18/69, Taped 7/10/69), where Petofi's true identity is revealed when Quentin pulls his right "hand" off in a struggle.  His tie in this episode is also the same as in the poster, and  I'm reasonably sure the costume beneath his overcoat would have been the same.  The shot was probably taken between scenes, when Thayer David would have time to remove the coat.

Poster #10.)  This rather dramatic shot of Barnabas Collins, showing him from the side  with his hand to his upturned collar, and its companion poster #14 were most likely taken at the same time.  The episode is #803.  See below at #14 for details.

Poster #11.)  Edward Collins poses here in his trusty brown suit, looking every inch the would-be master of Collinwood.   Since he was not on the show in the days prior to episode #803, and  under Petofi's spell of servility after that, #803 is the episode for this still shot.

Poster #12.)  Evan Hanley wore this handsome green lounge robe on several occasions, but only twice during our time frame, episodes #800 & #801/802.  Based on nothing more than the straighter, flatter appearance of his hair on the poster, which matches episode #800, I choose this episode as the one likely to have produced the still shot.


Poster #13.)   Quentin Collins' third solo in the set of sixteen posters shows him in his least attractive shot, a stiff, full-length still in front of a window framed with draperies, possibly in his room or the Drawing Room.  Episode #804.

Poster #14.)    The two Barnabas posters (#10 & #14) were probably shot during 'dress' for episode #803, due to two factors.  The first is that Jonathan Frid was not on the show in the episodes immediately preceding  #803.  The second is that #14's background is a perfect match for the scene in episode #803, where Beth goes to Barnabas' cellar hiding place under the spell of Jamison/Petofi.  The backgound bricks, and even the barrels stacked nearby, are a total match.  The link to poster #10 is in the contour of Barnabas' spiked bangs, which are like fingerprints in their uniqueness from show to show.  They are a match.

Poster #15.)  This standing view of Angelique is in 1795 costume and was probably taken at that character's introduction in 1967.  This is a 'studio' shot pulled from Philly Gum morgue files, last seen as red gum card #37.  Perhaps no 1897 shot of her could be found because she was among the 'protesters' on the set who showed up at dress rehearsals in curlers and robes to rebel against no pay and no say in photo selection for the cards/posters.  A photographer at dress rehearsals irked some actors by his presence.  At any rate, she was not called to worked during the window of episodes established.  Therefore, it is probable that no "fresh" shots of Lara Parker were possible.

Poster #16.)  Magda!  This shot could have been taken any time during Grayson Hall's tenure as Magda, due to the standard costume she always wore.  Since most other shots were taken within our time frame, I'm willing to beleive this one falls here, too (#800- #806).

For purposes of reference, here is the real-time table of dates in which the photo sessions  probably took place:

Thurdsay, July 10 1969:         Thayer David-Count Petofi
                                              Humbert Allen Astredo-Evan Hanley
Tuesday, July 15, 1969:          Jonathan Frid-Barnabas Collins
                                              David Henesy-Jamison Collins
                                              Louis Edmonds-Edward Collins
Wednesday, July 16, 1969:     David Selby-Quentin Collins
                                              Jonathan Frid-Barnabas Collins
                                              Roger Davis-Charles Tate
                                              Louis Edmonds-Edward Collins
Thursday, July 17, 1969          Jerry Lacy-Gregory Trask                                            
                                              Nancy Barrett-Charity Trask  
Friday, July 18, 1969:              Possibility that Nancy Barrett was called for shoot here.

No shoots for Joan Bennett or Lara Parker- previously gathered material used.  If Grayson Hall's Magda shot falls within the window of the other shots, she could have been called on July 10, 18 (#806), or 22 (#801/802).  Since she was not called for work on episodes #803, #804 or #805, she would probably not have been at the studio in full costume on July 15, 16 or 17, the days those shows were taped.
     The likelihood is that all photo sessions were done "on the fly", which is to say, whenever a spare moment presented itself just before or during the hectic dress rehearsal period of the day (2:15PM-2:45PM) or between scenes.   The other possibility is that the sessions took place after the taping (3:45PM-?), before the blocking session for the next day's show.  Most photographic evidence I have seen points to the former, especially in the case of the green card set, done earlier that same year.

[petofi]

QUENTIN POSTCARDS
Philadelphia Chewing Gum Company
1969

These 5" x 7" postcards were unique in the Philly Gum product line for two reasons.  They were actual usable postcards, and they were in brilliant color.   The twelve white-bordered views of Quentin featured a #4 with a white silhouette with black letters stating "PASTE YOUR PHOTO HERE!".  The outline was decidedly female.  There is also a "Woods" shot on #6, featuring Quentin in his inverness, which he most often wore indoors in scenes where it was to appear he had just arrived or was just leaving.  Scenes in which he actually appeared out-of-doors in it were a bit rarer.  The #7 postcard was done in the foyer, with Barnabas' portrait in the background. The remaining shots were all taken on the Collinwood set, either in the Drawing Room or the Balcony in the foyer, above the Great Staircase.  Postcards #1-4 and #9-12 were all in the Drawing Room, while #5 and #8 feature the balcony.

Each of the photos had "1969 DAN CURTIS PRODUCTIONS, INC * ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" printed in the upper right border.  The bottom border read, from left to right, the number of the card in the context of the full set (example: # 1 of 12 photos) followed by the claimer " © PCGC Printed in U.S.A.".  The back of the postcard, which was entirely black-and-white, had a vertical line splitting it in half the long way.  Along this line were the words "PHILADELPHIA CHEWING GUM CORPORATION, HAVERTOWN, PA. 19083, U.S.A.".  To the right of the center line was an area of blanks, headed up by the word "TO" in bold black letters.  The blanks themselves were preceded by the words NAME, STREET, CITY, STATE, and ZIP CODE.  In the upper right corner was the outline of a stamp with the words "PLACE POSTAGE HERE" inside.  The left side of the postcard saw, to the upper left, the word "QUENTIN" in mod, balloon style letters. Below that, in smaller print, the words "POST CARD" appeared.  The lower right of this left-hand panel featured a head-and-hand photo of David Selby (from card #9), with the salutation "Best Wishes To You, David(Quentin)Selby".

The postcards were marketed in packets of three, and, unlike the other Philly Gum cards, were wrapped in cellophane, rather than wax paper.  There was also no gum. These plastic wrappers were clear for the top third of the pack, allowing a young collector a glimpse at the top card.  Most of the bottom two-thirds of the wrapper was a field of bright yellow filled with eye-catching graphics.  To the upper left of this yellow field, there was a large blue starburst pattern with the words "3 FULL COLOR PHOTOS SUITABLE FOR FRAMING".  The red "3" was to the left area of the star, and larger than the rest of the lettering, which was white and stacked five lines high to the right.  Directly to the right of this, in black letters were the words "'of DAVID SELBY as".  Below this, in a rounded black rectangle that spanned the bulk of the pack's width and was 2" high, sat the large red word "QUENTIN".  This graphic was the same as the black-and-white logo on the cards' back, and bordered in white.  Beneath this, and still in the rectangle, the "SWELL" gum logo was followed by the white words "star of DARK SHADOWS tv show".  Under this, and once again in the yellow field, "COLLECT ALL 12 DIFFERENT PHOTOS!" followed by the price of the pack of three cards, "10c".  To the left of the price, Philly Gum's address, in both the U.S. and Canada, could be seen.  Below the yellow field was another clear strip, which allowed the viewing of the top card number.

The display box, like all the PCGC Dark Shadows products, contained 24 packs.  The box is black, and features much the same description as the packs, worded slightly differently.  The top of the box is dominated by an artist's full-color drawing of Quentin, to the right on the box top.  To the left of this is the announcement in red letters on a strip of white, "GROOVY".  Below this, "FULL COLOR PHOTOS" appears in yellow letters, as is the large, balloon lettered "QUENTIN".  "DAVID SELBY" is in a white-bordered red field in white lettering. On the bottom of the box top panel, the words "star of DARK SHADOWS tv show" can be seen.  To Quentin's right, the logo "3 for 10¢" is prominent.


The POSTCARDS: A Description

This brief analysis of the postcards is a supposition based on the appearance of the character of Quentin Collins in the card set, and the direct relationship of that to the time frame during which these photograph may have been taken.

At first glance, there doesn't seem  to be anything unique enough about these shots to separate them from a thousand others taken during the entire 1897 storyline.  A closer look reveals that Quentin's sideburns are no longer the fake ones from the earliest episodes.  There was a gradual change from appliance to natural hair that was implemented over a period of perhaps several weeks, but is noticeable in the week preceding episode #809 (Aired 7/31/69, Taped 7/24/69), the show in which Charity Trask discovers Quentin unconscious in the woods with one of his victims, Tessie Kincaid.  This is the show that seems to be the first in which David Selby switched entirely to his own sideburns, and no longer relied on augmentation.  This being so close in time to the Giant Pin-Up photo shoot (which happened a scant week before), I make the supposition that the Philly Gum Company wanted to follow up the release of their posters with the distribution of the postcards at near the same time.  This would offer the buying public a choice of items, probably targeting the younger female market for the exclusively Quentin-based postcards.  The pin-ups  would cover the general population of youngsters with a broader choice of favorite characters from which to choose, combining with the recently released green card set to thoroughly blanket the market..

The above supposition of time frame is somewhat supported by postcard #6, which depicts Quentin in a wooded environment wearing his inverness cloak.  This combination of environment and costume was not as common as Quentin's wearing of his cloak indoors!  In the period of episodes directly following #809,  Quentin wore his inverness with  a great deal of frequency, even more so than he had before.  

The immediate episodes in which he wore the inverness following #809 were: #'s 812, 814, 815, 816, 817, 819, 823/24, and 825.  This follows the story arc that begins with Tim Shaw's return to Collinwood with the hand of Count Petofi, through Petofi's regaining the hand, his kidnapping of Barnabas, and ending with the arrival of King Johnny and the Gypsies.  This covers the dates 7/28/69 to 8/14/69.  Within this time frame, four episodes (#'s 814, 819, 823/24, and 825) have scenery that qualify as "woods."  Among these, the one that best matches postcard #6 is episode #825 (Taped 8/14/69, Aired 8/22/69).  It contains the only "woods" set composition with both simulated coniferous and deciduous "trees."  They are also in proper arrangement to match postcard #6.

In the Wrapper # 166 article by Bob and Jeff Marks, they mention that Philly Gum Corp. supplied a photographer to take shots for the two card sets, as well as the pin ups and these postcards.  Dan Curtis Productions augmented these Philly shoots with photos of their own to a greater or lesser degree.  In the case of the postcards, it appears the Philly photographer got all twelve of these shots on the same day, and most of them on the same set (the Collinwood set)!  Selby's hair appears as unchanging as his costume(although his hair was frequently similar throughout this storyline), leading to the conclusion that these cards might be the result of one shoot.  If this were so, epidode # 825 would be the best fit for the time of the shoot.
     
At any rate, this set certainly qualifies as among the higher quality DS items available at the time of the show.  The sharp, vivid color photos are a superior effort on the part of Philly Gum, in particular.  There are no flawed, touched-up prints here, and the ability of the potential buyer to view the top card must have been a plus as well. That sort of concession by a card company today would be unthinkable!

[petofi]

THE DARK SHADOWS TRADING CARD SET
1993
IMAGINE, INC.


In 1993, the Pittsburgh, PA.-based company Imagine, Inc. introduced a 62 card set of trading cards featuring the original Dark Shadows television series.  The cards were in full color, and depicted poses and scenes generally not found on the original Philly Gum sets.  Each card had an ornate facsimile gold picture frame surrounding each photo, with a thin white border on the very outside of the frame to the edge of each card.  The front of each card was fully laminated with a glossy finish, and the back surface was untreated card stock.  The back of each card had a blue, black, and white design which ran the long width of the 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" card, while the photo front ran the standard narrow width.  The back design featured an artist's rendering of Barnabas Collins(actually a drawing after the #1 1968 pink card), fangs bared, his face framed by his cane.  This image rested in the lower right corner.  To the left center of this, a white panel dominate the middle of the card and contain a description of the photo on the front.  This was preceded by the year or time period in which the scene occurred.  Above this area was an artist's conception of Collinwood at night, with a deep blue sky and trees lining the outer edges.  This drawing stretched across the entire top of the card.  At the top left corner, nearly obscured in the deep blue, was the number of the card.  Along the bottom strip of the card back, below the white section, were the words "DARK SHADOWS" in the classic white lettered logo from the TV show.  This, against a black background.  On the bottom edge of the white area, the following was printed: "Published by Imagine, Inc. Pittsburgh, PA.  (R) & (C) 1993 Dan Curtis Prods., Inc.  All rights reserved."  As of July 1994, 10,000 sets had been produced.

There are several unique features to these cards, aside from the laminated, full color portraiture format.  Several of the portraits of Barnabas, taken in 1967, involve the use of black-and-white promotional photos.  These were then tinted, either by hand or by electronic means (colorized, if you will).  Examples can be found in cards #1, #10, #11, #12,#31, & #46.  Several other cards involving other characters are also colored via some tint method(DS fan Stuart Manning tells me this was originally done by MPI video, for the DS video packaging).  Among these are card #17, which features Count Petofi (1897), #30, which shows Josette and Angelique (1795), and #32, depicting Gregory Trask and Judith Collins (1897).  Others include card #'s 33, 36, 38, 47, 49, 52, 57, & 61.  #'s 32 & 52 (Jamison in the cemetery) come the closest to being copies of shots from one of the Philly Gum sets, in this case the 1897 sequence in the green set, where Quentin is a Zombie and his spirit is in Jamison.  The tinting was probably done because of the huge selection of monochrome production shots to choose from.

The remaining cards in the set are color shots from all time periods and story lines.  Two of these, cards #58 and #60, are errors in the printing run.  The descriptions on the backs are switched.  The back of card #58 says, "1968.  Nicholas Blair (Humbert Allen Astredo) and Eve (Marie Wallace).", while card #60 says, "1841 parallel time.  Carrie Stokes (Kathy Cody)."  In truth, the photos on the front of these cards were reversed.  This is not a rarity, as this error appears throughout the print run, as far as I can tell.

While some cards in the old Philly Gum sets feature shots taken in rehearsal, the 1993 set featured these type of shots more matter of factly, actually describing them as such (#'s 43 and 54), or at least depicting more obvious examples of backstage or rehearsal photos (see also #'s 7 and 26).  This set is also the only set to exclusively feature either Collinwood (pink card #66 shows a section, but the subject is Victoria Winters), or the Old House.  Cards #13 and #16 show the Great Mansion at night and during the day, respectively.  Card #'s 3, 6, 22, & 28 depict Barnabas outside of the Old House in a 1967 promo shoot for the show's 1795 story. Card #'s 2, 35, 51, & 53 are probably from the same Tarry town location shoot, and feature interiors.  The large percentage of photographs in the Imagine series are familiar to most fans of the show, whether appearing in fan publications, MPI video boxes (where tinting is also employed), or in show-era magazines.

The basic set of 62 cards was augmented by an additional 12 cards.  The first three of these were promo cards, which are issued with most sets nowadays, just before general release of the sets themselves.  The #1 promo features Barnabas, fangs bared, in a shot from 1967.  This is the same shot as card #46.  The #2 promo is unique in two ways: It is one of the sets' two sepia-tone photos, this one taken in '67.  It shows Barnabas in front of the foyer portrait.  This shot does not appear in the regular set.  Promo #3 shows the Barnabas/Maggie-as-Josette scene also found on card #47.  The backs of these promos are similar to the regular cards, except they are totally black-and-white, the card number is in a moon shaped white circle above the left end of the Collinwood sketch, And the description box contains the following announcement: "PROMOTIONAL CARD.  To order a complete, full-color set, send $18.45 for regular 60 card set or $33.45 for deluxe Autographed set (Call 412 -921-8777 to Charge) to: Imagine, Inc., PO Box 9674 PGH, PA 15226".  Below this announcement was the standard print and copyright claimer.  Note:  The above ad says the set is only 60 cards.  It is, in fact, 62 cards.

The 6 autograph cards (the sixth card, depicting Jerry Lacy as 1897 Rev. Trask was printed, but Lacy  was unavailable for a signing) featured 5 different stars of the show, excluding Jonathan Frid.  These cards were not numbered and appear to have been printed a shade or two darker (the mark of a separate print run?) than the main set.  The collector could obtain these cards by ordering the special Autograph set, which contained three of the five cards. They were also randomly inserted in packs, about one in a whole case!

 The Kathryn Leigh Scott card shows her, as Rachel Drummond, in 1897 garb on the great staircase with a triple candelabra.  The Lara Parker card shows Angelique in 1795 dress.  The Roger Davis card is a rehearsal shot from the 1897 sequence, showing him without his Dirk Wilkins false mustache.  The scene also includes Barnabas.  The Dan Curtis card, the second sepia one in the total set, shows him in a standard  shot that Curtis sent out to the press in the publicity material for the 1982 miniseries Winds of War(information courtesy of Dark Shadows Forums poster doombuggy69).  The David Selby card depicts Quentin as a Zombie, 1897.  All of these cards, except Dan Curtis', are tinted.  The backs are b&w like the promos, but they are not numbered.  In the upper white area, the Name of each star appears in gothic lettering with a dark line below.  The actual signature appears below this, in the center of the open white area.  The unsigned Jerry Lacy card, initially unreleased, shows him in rehearsal as Gregory Trask from 1897.

Two other cards were printed for promotional purposes.  These are the John Graziano cards, which featured a full-color portrait of Barnabas Collins by artist Graziano.  These cards came in two sizes: standard 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", and 5" x 7".  The  postcard also featured the DS logo to the lower right, in gold letters. In the lower white border of the card is copyright information.  The back is blank.  The standard size card is the same, except that there was no logo, no copyright on the front, and the back resembles an autograph card with nothing in the white area.  This card was reportedly a printer's mistake, so the company used it as a companion piece to the postcard. Niether card is numbered.  Both could be ordered from Imagine for $3.50.  The portrait was also available in 18" x 24" poster format, in two styles.  For $49.95, the poster was signed and numbered on linen paper.  For $29.95, it came on glossy stock, with no signature or number.

The final, eleventh card to the set is not really a part of it at all.  It is a limited offer redemption card which allows the bearer to receive up to ten cards to complete their DS set.  This cost $3 postage and handling and expired 3/1/94.  The offer was made by the Fantasy Trade Card Co., PO Box 276, Marion, NY 14505.  These cards were randomly inserted in packs, about two per box of 36 packs.  Black lettering on white card stock

The cards were produced in packs of five, which were wrapped in vinyl plastic.  The wrappers were white, with the Graziano Barnabas portrait on the front.  The words "DARK SHADOWS TRADING CARDS" were splashed in pink across the bottom section of the painting.  In the white field below was the 1993 copyright for Dan Curtis Productions.  The back of the packs contained ordering information on the sets.  The regular set went for $14.95, and the deluxe set went for $29.95.  With  $3.50 P&H, the sets are the same price as on the wrapper.

The wax box, which contained 36 of the packs, was black with the Graziano portrait dominating the box top.  In the lower right painting area, the words "DARK SHADOWS TRADING CARDS" appear in yellow letters.  The DS logo is much larger than the words "TRADING CARDS".  On the long sides of the 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"  box, those words are again seen in gold, accompanied by the Imagine, Inc. address.  The bottom short side (oriented to the top picture) features the DS logo with "TRADING CARDS" below.  The top short side says: "Foil Packs Distributed By: FANTASY TRADE CARD CO. Rochester, NY".

The sets could be ordered complete, and these came in their own factory box.  Again, the Graziano picture dominates the front of the 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" box.  In the upper left corner is a black strip that announces in bright yellow letters, "COLLECTOR'S SET".  The lower left contains the DS logo and "TRADING CARDS", in gold and yellow, respectively. The narrow left side of the box has information on Imagine, Inc., and the box top has a checklist that has boxes to check in front of two set descriptions: "REGULAR SET" and "AUTOGRAPHED SET".  The lettering is yellow.  The back side of the box has the sentence "Enter the world of Dark Shadows in full color."  The first four words are in cursive, and they are an orange-red color. The DS logo is gold, and the last three words are yellow.  Excepting the front panel of the box, the background field is light brown.


THE CARDS : A DESCRIPTION


The following is a listing of each of the total 73 cards in the Imagine, Inc. set.  The card number is followed by a brief account of the photo on it and, whenever possible, the time period and/or episode number corresponding to the scene.

*********************************************************************************

#1.)  This view of Barnabas, tinted, is from a 1967 production/promotion shoot.
#2.)  Probably taken in Spratt House in Tarrytown, NY, this promo color shot was one of a series done               sometime in the winter of '67-'68(during the 1795 story).  Barnabas, interior.
#3.)  Same as above, but exterior of the house with Barnabas.
#4.)  Nicholas Blair, stake in hand, glowers over Angelique's coffin. 1968.  Ep. #622 (T. 11/12, A.      11/5).
#5.)  Barnabas on his deathbed, 1967.  Episodes #404-406 (Taped  1/9-1/11, Aired 1/15-1/17).
#6.)  Same as #3.
#7.)  Lara Parker as Catherine Harridge, PT 1841.  Costume shot, 1971.
#8.)  Thayer David as T. Eliot Stokes from the famous 1968 cast shoot on the Great Staircase.
#9.)  Angelique bites Barnabas, 1968. Episode #606 (Taped 10/14, Aired 10/21).
#10.)  Promo shot of Barnabas, at the foot of the Great Staircase.  Tinted. Ep. # 331 (T.9/21/67, A. 10/2/67).
#11.)  Barnabas bares his fangs, Tinted promo. Episode # 331 (Taped 9/21/67, Aired 10/2/67).
#12.)  Barnabas at Eagle Hill, Tinted promo, 1967.
#13.)  Collinwood, night.  Color slide, probably 1967, after change to color video.
#14.)  Angelique meets Diabolos, 1968. Episode #628 (Taped 11/13, Aired 11/20).
#15.)  Barnabas in the Old House drawing room, 1968. Episode #606 (Taped 10/14, Aired 10/21)
#16.)  Collinwood, day.  Color slide, 1967.
#17.)  Count Petofi (Thayer David),1897.  Tinted set shot, 1969.
#18.)  Color shot of Barnabas.  Photo shoot 1967.  Appears on  Ross novel, Barnabas Collins.
#19.)  Color shot of vampire Angelique, 1968.
#20.)  Flora (Joan Bennett) and Gabriel Collins (Chris Pennock) PT 1841.  Set shot 1971.
#21.)  Catherine Harridge(Lara Parker), PT 1841.  Costume shot, 1971.
#22.)  Same as #3.
#23.)  Angelique,1897.  Episode #860 (Taped 9/29/69, Aired 10/10/69).
#24.)  One of the famous 1968 cast photo series.  Color.
#25.)  Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard, from the '68 cast shoot.  Color.
#26.)  Bramwell (Jonathan Frid) and Daphne (Kate Jackson), PT 1841.  Rehearsal shot, 1971.
#27.)  Melanie Collins (Nancy Barrett) PT 1841.  Color, 1971.
#28.)  Same as #3.
#29.)  Quentin Collins (David Selby), 1897.  Same as Philly  postcard #7, 1969. Ep.  #825 (T. 8/14, A. 8/22)
#30.)  Josette DuPres (KLS) and Angelique, 1795.  Tinted, 1967. Episode #370 (Taped 11/20,  Aired 11/24)
#31.)  Barnabas, promo shoot, 1967.  Tinted.
#32.)   Trask (Jerry Lacy) and Judith Collins(Joan Bennett), 1897. Tinted, 1969.  Ep. #725(T. 3/28, A. 4/4).
#33.)  Carl Collins (John Karlen) and Pansy Faye(Kay Frye), 1897.  Tinted, 1969. Ep. #778 (T.6/11, A.6/18).
#34.)  Aristede (Michael Stroka), 1897.  Candid shot, 1969.
#35.)  Same as #2.  
#36.)  Barnabas and Ben Stokes (Thayer David), 1795.  Tinted, 1968. Episode #430 (Taped 2/12, Aired 2/16)
#37.)  Melanie and Flora, PT 1841.  Rehearsal, 1971.
#38.)  Josette, risen from the grave, 1795.  Tinted, 1968.  Episode #430(Taped 2/12 , Aired 2/16).
#39.) Barnabas ’68 promo shot.  Episode #465 (Taped 4/1, Aired 4/5).
#40.) Barnabas, '67 promo shot.
#41.)  Barnabas and Julia (Grayson Hall), rehearsal, 1968. Episode #535 (Taped 6/28, Aired 7/2).
#42.)  Robert Rodan as Adam, '68 cast shoot.
#43.)  Grayson Hall, Jonathan Frid, Humbert Allen Astredo-rehearsal 1968. Ep. #522 (T. 6/16, A. 6/24).
#44.)  Daphne Harridge (Kate Jackson), PT 1841.  Costume shot, 1971.
#45.)  Josette(Mary Cooper), PT 1841.  Costume shot, 1971.
#46.)  Barnabas, '67 promo, tinted.
#47.)  Barnabas and Maggie, early 1967 promo.  Tinted.  Episode #250 (Taped 5/29, Aired 6/9).
#48.)  Angelique, Barnabas, and Joe Haskell, rehearsal 1968.  Episode #608(Taped 10/15, Aired 10/23).
#49.)  Promo of Barnabas and David (David Henesy), 1967.  Tinted.  Ep. #331 (T. 9/21/67, A. 10/2/67).
#50.)  Willie Loomis (John Karlen), from a '68 cast shoot photo.
#51.)  Same as #2.
#52.)  Jamison Collins (David Henesy), 1897.  Tinted.  1969 rehearsal.  Episode #725(Taped 3/28, Aired 4/4).
#53.)  Same as #2.
#54.)  Tim Shaw (D. Briscoe) and Rachel Drummond (KLS), 1897. Rehearsal, 1969. E.  #776(T. 6/9, A.6/16).
#55.)  Elizabeth  (Joan Bennett) and Vicki (Alexandra Moltke), 1968.  Ep. #610 (Taped 10/18, Aired 10/25).
#56.)  Barnabas with Roxanne Drew (Donna Wandrey), PT 1970. 1970. Episode #1055 (T. 7/3, A. 7/10).
#57.)  Roger Davis as Jeff Clark, Dream Curse 1968.  Episode #482(Taped 4/24, Aired 4/30).
#58.)  Carrie Stokes (Kathy Cody), PT 1841.  Set shot, 1971.
#59.)  Werewolf (Alex Stevens).  Rehearsal shot, 1968.  Episode #651 (Taped 12/16, Aired 12/23).
#60.)  Nicholas and Eve (Marie Wallace), 1968.  Rehearsal shot, Episode #610 (Taped 10/18,  Aired 10/25).
#61.)  Magda Racosi(Grayson Hall), 1897.  Rehearsal, 1969. Episode #719 (Taped 3/20, Aired        3/27).
#62.)  Natalie DuPres(Grayson Hall), 1795.  Rehearsal, 1968.  Episode #408 (Taped 1/11,  Aired 1/17).

***********************

Promo #1.)  Barnabas, 1967.  Tinted, same as card #46.
Promo #2.)  Barnabas, 1967.  Sepia.
Promo #3.)  Barnabas and Josette, 1967. Tinted.  Same as card #47.

***********************

Autograph Cards(no numbers)

Kathryn Lee Scott.  Rachel Drummond, 1897.  Episode #733 (Taped 4/9/69, Aired 4/16/69).
Lara Parker.  Angelique, 1795.
Roger Davis.  Dirk Wilkins, 1897. Episode #721 (Taped 3/21/69, Aired 3/31/69).
Dan Curtis, 1970-71.
David Selby.  Quentin Collins, 1897.  Episode #725 (Taped 3/28/69, Aired 4/4/69).
Jerry Lacy. Gregory Trask, 1897.  Episode 776 (Taped 6/9/69, Aired 6/16/69).

***********************

There were also two special promos with John Graziano's Barnabas artwork on them.  These were in two sizes: regular card size and postcard size.  Also in poster size.  Finally, there was a redemption card from Fantasy Trade Card Co., the distributors of the set.

[RingoCollins]

thank you for the info! - that's a chunk of material [on such a singular thing]  Well done.  


cheers,
Ringo

[petofi]

The Dark Shadows Retro Card Set
Celebrity InK, Inc.,
2001

     This 66-card set made its debut at the Dark Shadows Festival in New York City in August of 2001, DS’s 35th anniversary year.  Designed by long-time Dark Shadows artist John Graziano, the set was published by Celebrity Ink of Pittsburg, Pa. with the approval of Dan Curtis Productions.  Celebrity Ink is the former  Imagine, Inc., which produced the 1993 DS card set.  This set, however, is different in format and style from the 1993 effort.
     
The title of this set includes the word "retro" and it is an accurate description of the design and quality of the cards.  The resemblance to the old Philly Gum cards is uncanny.  The card stock of the 2 ½" x 3 ½" cards is the same weight, as is the gloss quality on the card fronts.  Each orange-bordered card features a black-and-white photo taken during the run of the original series, with a "signature" of the featured character, also in orange, on each card.  These "signatures" are printed in  Scratch font.  The border is wavy, like the 1969 green Philly Gum series, but the wave is more angular.  The photos and the "signatures" are more in the mode of the 1968 pink series, and the numbers, which appear in the lower left corner, are similar, though larger, than in the original sets.  Across the bottom edge of each card reads: "TM & © DAN CURTIS PRODUCTIONS INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED."  This is very similar to the copyright herald at the bottom of each Philly Gum card.  There are 66 cards to the set, like the ‘68-’69 sets.

The matte finish backs of the cards, like their Philly Gum predecessors, have photo puzzle pieces printed on them.  Unlike their predecessors, only the first 63 cards display the puzzle backs, and the complete orange-bordered puzzles are in ordered sets of 9 cards, instead of the arbitrary ordering of the original sets.  There are eight puzzle photos of Barnabas & co., with most sets of nine cards forming one photo.  The exception is card set 10 -18, which makes up two puzzle photos.

All of the photos, either on the front or backs of the cards, are original 1966-1971 black-and-white promo and rehearsal shots, following the design of the old cards.  These cards, however, have a wider variety of characters featured, including Gerard Stiles, Leticia Faye, Amy Collins, and Tom Jennings.  Most of the shots are new views not seen in the old sets, but some, like a Jamison Collins shot from 1897, are direct lifts from the older cards. Another link to the old cards, particularly the pink set, is the retouched shot of Barnabas and Maggie on card #54!  More homage to Philly Gum, perhaps?

Celebrity Ink issued this retro set loose, with no additional packaging.  There are no boxes or wrappers here(I did, however, note that at least one "test" pack was sold by the designer on eBay).  The company did issue an illustrated binder, which is advertised on the back of card 65 as: "BARNABAS BINDER!  Deluxe vinyl binder available to protect your groovy DS card collection.  . . . Illustrated cover features your favorite vampire:  Barnabas!  Send check or money order in the amount of $10.00 plus $4.00 S&H to: Celebrity Ink PO Box 9674 Pittsburg, PA, 15226.  Offer good in the continental US while supplies last.  Please allow 4 weeks for delivery." The address is the same that appeared on the Imagine, Inc. 1993 DS card boxes. Also, the company has issued a 6-card subset, featuring DS actors, while the reverses feature the list of characters played by the actor pictured on the front of the card.  A pair of uncut sheets, containing all 72 cards, was also made available for about $30.00.  The 66 card set was sold for about $13.00, while the subset cost approximately $10.00. There were only 2000 of the sets issued.

Overall, this is an excellent quality set, with good centering and a vibrant orange motif.  This homage to the old DS cards is a real nostalgic treat, and a must for Dark Shadows collectors.

The following is a listing of the number of card fronts each character appears on (66 card  set):
Barnabas Collins, 15; Julia Hoffman, 5; Quentin Collins, Victoria Winters, Julia Hoffman,
Maggie Evans, 4, Jamison Collins, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Jeff Clark, 3;
Angelique, Evan Hanley, Leticia Faye, Roger Collins, Carolyn Stoddard, 2;
Rachel Drummond, Count Petofi, Burke Devlin, Gerard Stiles, Daphne Harridge,
Joe Haskell, Abigail Collins, Roxanne Drew, Chris Jennings, Tom Jennings, Amy Collins,
David Collins, Carl Collins, Gregory Trask,  Laura Collins, Pansy Faye, Sabrina Stuart,
Cyrus Longworth, Aristede, Judith Collins, Nicholas Blair, Sara Collins, Samantha Collins, Werewolf, Collinwood, 1.



The Cards: A Description

The following is a card-by-card description of the 2001 Dark Shadows Retro Card Set.  The set is divided into two sections; a main set of 66 cards, and a subset of 6 actor cards.

Main Set:

1.  Old Barnabas, 1967. Episode #350. (Taped 10/23/67, Aired 10/27/67)
2.  Angelique, the green dress, 1897.  Episode #860. (Taped 9/29/69, Aired 10/10/69)
3.  Count Petofi, 1897 Episode #862. (Taped 10/3/69, Aired 10/14/69)
4. Rachel Drummond, 1897.  Episode #733 (Taped 4/9/69, Aired 4/16/69)
5.  Barnabas Collins,promo shot, 1967. Episode #330. (Taped 9/14/67, Aired 9/29/67)
6.  Collinwood, 1966.
7. Quentin Collins, first half of 1897.
8.  Victoria Winters (with Barnabas), 1968. Episode #465. (Taped 4/1/68, Aired 4/5/68)
9.  Julia Hoffman, rehearsal shot, 1968.
10.  Barnabas Collins (with Julia Hoffman), ’68. Episode #637. (Taped 11/25/68, Aired 12/3/68)
11.  Evan Hanley  1897. Episode #862. (Taped 10/3/69, Aired 10/14/69)
12.  Maggie Evans, promo shot,1968. Episode #465. ( Taped 4/1/68, Aired 4/5/68)
13.  Amy Collins, PT 1970.
14  Jamison Collins, from green card #30.1897. Episode #725. (Taped 3/28/69, Aired 4/4/69)
15.  Roger Collins promo shot, 1966.  Episode #1. (Taped 6/13/66, Aired 6/27/66)
16.  Angelique, PT1970
17.  Barnabas Collins, promo shot, 1968. Episode #465. (Taped 4/1/68, Aired 4/5/68)
18.  Jeff Clark, 1968.
19.  Werewolf,1969. Episode #699. (Taped 2/18/69, Aired 2/25/69)
20.  Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, 1966.
21. Quentin Collins, first half of 1897.
22.  Gregory Trask, 1897. Episode #725. (Taped 3/28/69, Aired 4/4/69)
23.  Carl Collins (with Pansy Faye), 1897.  Episode #778. (Taped 6/11/69, Aired 6/18/69)
24.  Barnabas Collins, 1968. Episode #465. (Taped 4/1/68, Aired 4/5/68)
25.  Carolyn Stoddard (with Liz) promo, 1966. Prob. Episode #2. (Taped 6/14/66, Aired 6/28/66)
26.  Victoria Winters, promo shot, May-June 1966.
27.  Joe Haskell, promo shot, 1966. prob. Episode #2. (Taped 6/14/66, Aired 6/28/66)
28.  Abigail Collins,1968. Episode #432. (Taped 2/14/68, Aired 2/20/68)
29.  Maggie Evans, promo shot, 1966. Episode #1. (Taped 6/13/66, Aired 6/27/66)
30.  Barnabas Collins (with Julia Hoffman),’68. Episode #637. (Taped 11/25/68, Aired 12/3/68)
31.  Chris Jennings, 1968. Episode #632.  (Taped 11/15/68, Aired 11/26/68)
32.  Sabrina Stuart, PT 1970. Episode #987. (Taped 3/19/70, Aired 4/7/70)
33.  Judith Collins, 1897.
34.  Nicholas Blair (with Maggie Evans),1968. Episode #632.  (Taped 11/15/68, Aired 11/26/68)
35. Barnabas Collins (with Julia Hoffman),1968. Episode #637. (Taped 11/25/68, Aired 12/3/68)
36.  Gerard Stiles, 1840.
37.  Leticia Faye (with Julia),1840. Episode 1131. (Taped10/19/70, Aired 10/27/70)
38.  Victoria Winters, 1966. Episode #1 (Taped 6/13/66, Aired 6/27/66)
39. Old Barnabas baring his fangs, Episode #350. (Taped 10/23/67, Aired 10/27/67)
40.  Daphne Harridge,1840.
41.  Jeff Clark, resume shot, 1968.
42.  Roxanne (with Barnabas), 1970. Episode #1055. (Taped 7/3/70, Aired 7/10/70)
43.  Roger Collins, promo shot at Seaview, May-June 1966.
44.  Cyrus Longworth, PT 1970. Episode #986 (Taped 3/18/70, Aired 4/6/70)
45.  Jamison Collins, close-up from green card #39. 1897. Episode #725. (T 3/28/69, A 4/4/69)
46.  Leticia Faye, 1840.
47.  Quentin Collins, closeup from green card #38. 1897. Episode #725. (T 3/28/69, A 4/4/69)
48.  Barnabas Collins, promo shot, 1968.
49.  Elizabeth Stoddard, (with David Collins) 1967. Episode #331.  (Taped 9/21/67, Aired 10/2/67)
50.  Laura Collins, 1897. Episode #732.  (Taped 4/8/69, Aired 4/15/69)
51.  Jeff Clark, 1968.  Episode #466. (Taped 4/2/68, Aired 4/8/68)
52.  Burke Devlin, promo shot, Episode #1. (Taped 6/13/66, Aired 6/27/66)
53.  Quentin Collins, (with Nancy Barrett) promo shoot for "I Wanna Dance With You," 1969.
54.  Barnabas Collins, (with Maggie) 1968.  Episode #465. (Taped 4/1/68, Aired 4/5/68)
55.  Victoria Winters, promo shot at Seaview, May-June 1966.
56.  Elizabeth Stoddard, from pink card #27,1967. Episode #273. (Taped 6/25/67, Aired 7/12/67)
57.  Evan Hanley, 1897. Episode #862. (Taped 10/3/69, Aired 10/14/69
58.  Quentin Collins, PT 1970. Episode #985. (Taped 3/17/70, Aired 4/3/70)
59.  Barnabas Collins, from green card #7, 1897. Episode #725. (T 3/28/69, A 4/4/69)
60.  Samantha Collins, 1840.
61.  Sarah Collins, 1967.
62.  Jamison Collins, 1897. Episode #725. (T 3/28/69, A 4/4/69)
63.  Barnabas Collins, from green card #11, 1897. Episode #725. (T 3/28/69, A 4/4/69)
64.  Aristede, 1897. Episode #791. (Taped 6/30/69, Aired 7/7/69)
65.  Tom Jennings,1968. This is really Chris Jennings, as portrayed by Don Briscoe.
66.  Barnabas Collins, promo shot, 1967. Episode #330.  (Taped 9/14/67, Aired 9/29/67)

The Sub Set:  This is actually an unnumbered set, featuring actors from the show.  The fronts feature shots of the actors in or out of character, while the backs list the roles portrayed on Dark Shadows.

Katherine Lee Scott, as Lady Kitty Hampshire, 1897.
Lara Parker, as Angelique.  The green dress, 1897.
Alexandra Moltke, 1968. Episode #465. (Taped 4/1/68, Aired 4/5/68
Marie Wallace, promo shot, 1968-69.
David Selby, 1840.
Denise Nickerson, 1968-69.
The Puzzle Backs
     The 8 different photos that comprise the puzzle backs are as follows:
Backs of cards 1-9: This is a mirror-reverse of card #11. Barnabas and Julia. Note: The copyright in the lower left part of the orange border is even reversed!
Backs of cards 10-18:  2 photos; Angelique, from the same photo shoot as card #2; The werewolf, from card #19.
Backs of cards 19-27:  Vicki running from Collinwood- expanded shot of card #55.
Backs of cards 28-36:  Quentin and Charity, from card #53.
Backs of cards 37-45:  Barnabas Collins, from card #48.
Backs of cards 46-54:  Rachel Drummond, from card #4.
Backs of cards 55-63:  Count Petofi and Evan Hanley, expanded from Evan's card #11.

[petofi]

thank you for the info! - that's a chunk of material [on such a singular thing]  Well done.  


cheers,
Ringo

Thanks for the thumbs up, Ringo!

Petofi

[Craig_Slocum]

I have complete sets of the green series cards, pink series cards, giant pin-ups, Dark Shadows Trading Card set, Dark Shadows Retro Card set, and unopened Quentin Postcards. I also have all of the paperbacks, comic books, puzzles, Barnabas cane, ring, Barnabas Collins Game (sealed, w/fangs), Dark Shadows Game, many autographs (some extremely hard to get!), photos, Barnabas Vampire Van, t-shirts, sweatshirts, jacket, cap, whole slew of MPI DS memorabilia, original scripts,  a few things of Craig Slocum's, and much more! I have won a lot of things from ebay too. I also have foreign posters and lobby cards. I have all the videos too. I'm a Dark Shadows collector if there ever was one!  

[RingoCollins]

WOW!  I love that stuff!! Salute!!

I'm a Dark Shadows collector if there ever was one!  

and a master of understatement!

[Stuart]

Impressive research -- well done.

As a sidenote, many of the photographs from the Imagine card set reuse colorized transparencies created for past MPI home video releases.

[ROBINV]

I remember reading this information when it was first posted, and I was very impressed by all the work that went into it, including how well-written it is.  

Thank you for sharing it with us again.  I used most of my cards to put together the posters on the back, but threw them away at some point, foolish me.  I still have some cards from the first two sets in mint condition.  

I don't have as much DS memorabilia as Cheryl (Craig Slocum), but I'm very grateful I saved almost everything I had from the 60's and 70's.  

My 1970 Josette's music box is one of my proudest possessions!

Love, Robin

[VAM]

I have an original Barnabas wrist watch plus many signed items including a gum card and a digital reproduction of Angelique's portrait from NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS signed by Lara Parker.

[jennifer]

Wish i had saved my cards!

jennifer