Buzz
In the 203 years since Mary Shelley’s 'Frankenstein' contributed to the evolution of the horror genre, countless versions of Frankenstein’s Monster have been depicted. For many, the first image that comes to mind is the one from Universal’s 1931 film: a towering green creature with a flat head, bolts in his neck, and limited speech—a stark contrast to Shelley’s original, yellow-skinned and more talkative creation. But if the image of the Monster was shaped by a black-and-white film, why is he so often imagined as green?
To uncover the reason behind the Monster’s green look, it’s useful to explore how his image evolved after the 1818 release of Frankenstein. Here’s how Shelley depicted him:
"His yellow skin barely concealed the muscles and veins beneath; his hair was glossy black and flowed freely; his teeth gleamed with a pearly whiteness; but these features only intensified the terrifying contrast with his watery eyes, which seemed to match the pale sockets they were set in, his sallow complexion, and his thin, black lips."
The Monster made his stage debut in 1823, five years after the publication of Mary Shelley’s novel, in Richard Brinsley Peake’s adaptation, Presumption, or the Fate of Frankenstein. Peake’s version of the Monster stayed relatively faithful to the book's physical description, except for one detail—his skin was described as being ‘light blue or French gray’ in the play’s script.
However, Peake made a significant change: in his play, the Monster was mute. Due to the restrictive theater licensing rules of the time, only certain theaters, known as patent theaters, could perform traditional plays, while others had to resort to illegitimate theater, which often included burlesque, pantomime, or musical performances. While we can’t ask Peake himself—since he passed nearly 175 years ago—it’s widely assumed that he made the Monster mute to add a pantomime element to the production. Additionally, it was Peake who introduced the character of the doctor’s assistant, Fritz, who later became popularly known as Igor. The success of Peake’s play likely helped solidify the idea of a silent, non-yellow Monster in the public’s mind.
Other theatrical versions experimented with various skin colors for the creature, including green. However, the transformation of Frankenstein’s Monster into a definitive green figure didn’t happen until 108 years later, when legendary makeup artist Jack Pierce was tasked with designing the character for James Whale’s 1931 film, Frankenstein. Pierce, a Greek immigrant who worked his way up to lead Universal’s makeup department, was an artist and visionary, responsible for some of the most iconic figures in pop culture. His work also included the makeup for Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy, as well as Conrad Veidt’s haunting grin in 1928’s The Man Who Laughs—a design that is often credited as an influence on the Joker’s infamous smile.
Film historian David J. Skal’s essential book, The Monster Show, explains that Pierce’s design for the Monster was a mix of his own ideas and elements from previous interpretations. Whale had envisioned the Monster’s protruding brow in sketches that he shared with Pierce, and the electrodes in the Monster’s neck first appeared in a concept drawing by Universal poster artist Karoly Grosz. Pierce then gave the Monster his now-iconic squared head, reasoning that the easiest way to install a new brain would be to cut the skull across the top, removing the dome and turning it into a box with a convenient lid.
As for why Pierce chose to apply green makeup to Boris Karloff: It was both a creative decision and a technical necessity. The film stock used in the 1930s had a color sensitivity that made certain shades of green appear almost ghostly white on screen. Karloff’s green makeup not only gave his skin a cadaverous pallor but also set him apart from the rest of the cast. The green hue soon began appearing in promotional materials, such as this poster, and thanks to the film’s success, its sequels, and Universal’s aggressive copyrighting of Pierce’s design, Frankenstein’s Monster has remained green ever since.
