Maila Nurmi, 1921-2008

Who? That's what you're probably asking. And to be honest, I just learned her real name a few minutes ago when I read the news she'd died. Her other name, the famous one, was Vampira. Yeah, her: the original vampire girl, in a slinky black thing and matching raven wig. The one Elvira ripped off and we Gen X-ers didn't even know it, not at first, because Vampira was our dads' TV fantasy when they were our age and we had to settle for the counterfeit version.

I've always had a thing for the vampire girls. I don't know, maybe it's that pale skin and black hair deal--I have a thing for that. It's definitely not the hemophagia you sometimes hear about some of these goth kids doing these days, that's just gross and unsanitary. Or maybe Jonathan Richman put his finger on it:

I get intrigued when women look sinister
Call me superficial
But I stare at them vampire girls
It's not the mascara, It's not the tight dress
It's a look in the eyes gonna scare you to death
Vampire girl, vampire girl
I get so intrigued when they look like a vampire girl

-Jonathan Richman, "Vampire Girl"

Vampira was really the first, the iconic, you know? And the best. I mean, Elvira's all boobs. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but Vampira had a lot more substance and flair.

In tribute, the last verse of "Vampire Girl." I looked for a full version, but most of the clips on YouTube have bad audio and (somewhat strangely) are in Spanish. Ladies and gentlemen, Jonathan Richman:

Wikipedia bio can be found here; much shorter SciFipedia entry is here.