Barb Lien-Cooper & Park Cooper

Category: Uncategorized

  • “Toujours” — A Dark Shadows Story

    “Toujours” — A Dark Shadows Story

    by Barb Lien-Cooper

    FOREWORD:

    Like a lot of Dark Shadows fans, I was not a fan of the character of Roxanne Drew. I eventually realized that the reason I had no emotional connection to her was that she had just sort of showed up one day in Parallel Time. Usually, when the DS writers introduced a new character, the new character either had a major tie to the Collins family, or a tie to a character on the show that wasn’t a Collins, or the new character would be a major player in the plot that was going to be introduced. None of this seemed to properly apply to Roxanne. The writers had Barnabas say he was falling in love with her, and we, the viewers, were just supposed to accept that idea.

    I said to my husband once that I had an idea for a story concerning how Roxanne could’ve been introduced to the audience in a way that might have worked better, which is how this story came to be.

    However, much later, as I was writing this story, the idea I had turned into something else: the story of a very unusual friendship.

    (more…)
  • “Guidance Counseling” — A Dark Shadows Story

    “Guidance Counseling” — A Dark Shadows Story

    Carolyn Stoddard Hawkes stared into the fire of the drawing room.

    My father is dead, she thought. My husband is dead. But no one cares but me. My mother has gone on with her life, which isn’t surprising, since she and Father separated years ago. My uncle doesn’t care, because he never liked my father nor my husband. Cousin David doesn’t care, because he’s so young—at that age, everything is about him. Cousin Barnabas is too busy spending time with Dr. Hoffman to care, whatever it is that those two do together… Cousin Quentin is too busy dating whoever he’s dating right now to care… Isn’t family supposed to care when someone’s grieving?

    She barely noticed when her uncle Roger came into the room and poured himself a brandy.

    (more…)
  • A Dark Shadows Story: “Barnabas Collins and the Queen of Swords”

    A Dark Shadows Story: “Barnabas Collins and the Queen of Swords”

    In a room in the basement of the Old House, Barnabas Collins pushed open the lid of his coffin.

    To his surprise, he found, cleverly tied to the side of the lid with twine, a tarot card.

    (more…)
  • A Dark Shadows Story: “Go Back To Your Grave”

    A Dark Shadows Story: “Go Back To Your Grave”

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    (Author’s Note: Technically, Jeremiah Collins is arguably some sort of zombie/ghost hybrid on Dark Shadows.

    However, I decided to make him more specifically a ghost, because if the characters saw a zombie, they’d probably try to do something about it, like—at the very least—calling Professor Stokes. Since the show gave me enough wiggle room concerning Jeremiah’s corporeality, I chose to make him a wandering spirit who can no longer be seen by the living.)

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    Jeremiah was in the drawing room, sitting dejectedly by the fire.

    Roger Collins and Elizabeth Collins Stoddard were arguing about some business decision Roger wished to make. “Roger,” said Elizabeth, “I am the head of this household, as well as the head of the Collins business empire, so what I say goes. This discussion is at an end.”

    (more…)
  • A Dark Shadows Story: The Stuff Nightmares Are Made Of

    A Dark Shadows Story: The Stuff Nightmares Are Made Of

    Tony Peterson sat in his law office in Bangor, Maine, thinking about how far he’d come in such a short period of time. I went from trying to sue the Collins family for a worker’s injury—and lost— he thought, to moving to Bangor and starting over again with this practice. The clients kept pouring in, as if by magic…

    Tony shuddered a bit at the word magic. He did not want to think about Cassandra Collins, and the love spell she’d put on him to bend him to her will…

    He was shaken out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. “It’s open,” he called.

    Tony’s secretary Effie came in with a package. “Today’s post had something unusual in it,” she said. “There’s no return address, but the name on the package just says ‘Cassandra…’”

    (more…)
  • A Dark Shadows Story: “Period of Adjustment”

    A Dark Shadows Story: “Period of Adjustment”

    Dr. Julia Hoffman was surprised to see Willie Loomis sitting in front of the Old House. He looked worried. “Willie, is everything all right with Barnabas?” she asked.

    “Yeah,” said Willie, “I wouldn’ let anythin’ happen t’ Barnabas… But everythin’ isn’ all right with me.”

    (more…)
  • Dark Shadows Fan Fiction: “Before Our Time”

    Dark Shadows Fan Fiction: “Before Our Time”

    “Good evening! Good evening Barnabas, Julia, please, come in…” said Professor Stokes, inviting them into his house.

    “You said that you had an urgent matter to discuss with us,” said Barnabas Collins, as he and his dearest companion, Dr. Julia Hoffman, entered Professor Stokes’ home.

    “Come, please, sit down,” said Professor Stokes.

    (more…)
  • Dark Shadows Fan Fiction: “Table for Two”

    Dark Shadows Fan Fiction: “Table for Two”

    NARRATOR (Grayson Hall): In spite of her best efforts to stay in the past, Dr. Julia Hoffman has found that her spirit is being dragged back from 1897 to the latter half of the twentieth century. Soon her spirit and body will be reunited… and Barnabas Collins will be alone, in a strange and friendless time…

    ~~~~~~~~~

    (more…)
  • War and Remembrance: How Dark Shadows Makes the Political Personal in 1795

    War and Remembrance: How Dark Shadows Makes the Political Personal in 1795

    One (or 8 for that matter) isn’t enough to satisfy y’all! So here’s another essay about the 1966-1971 gothic daytime soap opera Dark Shadows…

    In my previous essay about Angelique, I mentioned that Angelique had ambitions to better her station in life. Angelique, a lady’s maid to Countess Natalie du Prés, was raised from a young age as a servant. In the du Prés household in Martinique, Angelique learned the manners and mannerisms of the upper class, and wanted the lifestyle they lived.

    (more…)
  • The Wonderful World of Dismemberment

    The Wonderful World of Dismemberment

    There used to be a television show called The Wonderful World of Disney, where a kid could see old Disney cartoons and live action films. We now have Disney Plus, which I have a free subscription to for six months because my husband got a new phone. But I’d trade Disney Plus for a horror channel that had as much old content as Disney has. About the best streaming service for horror is Shudder (we also have a six-month free subscription because of the phone thing), but it doesn’t have a lot of selection of older films, and I’m just not interested in their exclusive content. I do thank them for the quality of the prints of the movies they show. And I also thank them for all of the Giallo films they have. Finally, I thank them for showing my favorite folk horror film, Eyes of Fire. I appreciate Shudder, it just doesn’t have enough stuff that I’m into.

    (more…)