it's Our Turn - 40 years AH-AH-AH-AH-AH!

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Vampires don’t die; they just don’t. So you can imagine my shock when I heard that Jerry Nelson, the voice behind Sesame Street’s Count von Count since his birth in 1972, died last week. I literally dropped to my knees in front of the television and was speechless.

This sounds like an over-dramatization. But you must understand, the Count is where my vampire obsession began. While other little kids were crazy for Kermit, goofy for Grover and mad for Miss Piggy – I was mesmerized by the Count. I loved his castle, his bats, his cape, his Countmobile and my favorite color was purple for a very long time. Now, life will never be the same.

When I came to my senses as I knelt next to the TV, I resolved to mourn my mysterious Muppet with ice cream and The Vampire Diaries. Then I got to thinking, I’ve had a slew of vampire crushes over the years. I’ve organized them into the top 10 based on looks, charisma and memorable quotes.

10. Dracula. Any version. Any actor. He just has to be on the list because without him the rest wouldn’t exist.

“I vant to suck your blood.”

9. Armand from Interview with the Vampire (this movie is a repeat offender on this list, I don’t care if it’s become cliché). Antonio Banderas captures the macabre side of an old vampire embracing beauty from afar in Anne Rice’s concocted vampire universe.

“We are to be powerful, beautiful, and without regret.”

8. Lestat de Lioncourt as played by Stuart Townsend in Queen of the Damned. Seeing the youthful side of the character shed a new light on the vampire I admired in the movie made almost a decade before.

“Immortality seems like a good idea, until you realize you’re going to spend it alone.”

7. Dragonetti as played by Udo Kier in Blade. Kier has done a lot of vampire movies but this was the first I saw. It’s his charisma factor that secured his placement on this list.

“I was born a vampire.”

6. Angelus and maybe Angel too but mostly Angelus from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Before David Boreanaz was digging up Bones he was breaking them. He started out as the tormented vampire with a soul, Angel, on Buffy but let out his Jekyl, Angelus, which is where the wit erupted from his fanged mouth each week and drew my attention. Plus he was turned into a Muppet in one episode of his spin-off show Angel.

“I was turned into a puppet last night. I’m made of felt. And my nose comes off.” (as Angel)

5. Klaus as played by Joseph Morgan on The Vampire Diaries. OK, so he’s a hybrid but still an original vampire plus he has an English accent but is supposed to have descended from the Vikings so there’s mystery behind his maniacal ways.

“I don’t have to prove anything, love. I am the alpha male.”

4. Lestat de Lioncourt from Interview with the Vampire. Normally I am NOT a Tom Cruise fan but since I didn’t even know who he was until I watched this movie, I enjoyed it; he didn’t look like himself.

“Where do you think, my idiot friend? We’re in a nice, filthy cemetery.”

3. David van Etten as portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland in The Lost Boys from 1987.

“Maggots, Michael. You’re eating maggots. How do they taste?”

2. Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. Ian Somerhalder has won me over this decade. Unpredictability and egocentricism blended with the traditional lovelorn trait of most vampire characters paired with steel blue eyes and a little crazy streak.

“That’s for me to know and you to dot, dot, dot.”

1. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. James Marsters mastered the sarcastic, complex character that I dreamed about through college and thought about while doing homework in the cemetery. He had so many witty lines it was difficult to choose just one. But, here’s my favorite:

“They make me feel all manly.”

Ten vampires to count AH-AH-AH-AH-AH and it all started with the Count. Matt Vogel, you’ve got some famous fangs to fit into, I hope you do Mr. Nelson proud.

(For everyone who may think I forgot about Johnny Depp in Dark Shadows – I didn’t, I just haven’t seen the movie yet so I was not able to honestly include him.)

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“It’s Our Turn” is a weekly column that rotates among members of the Echo Press editorial staff.

Crystal Dey

Crystal Dey is a staff reporter for the Echo Press. Originally from Minnesota’s Iron Range, Dey worked for newspapers in North Dakota, Florida and Connecticut before returning to her home state to join the Echo Press in October 2011. Dey studied Mass Communications at Minnesota State University Moorhead with an emphasis in Online Journalism. Follow Staff Reporter Crystal Dey on Twitter at @CrystalDey_Echo.

Tags: count von count, sesame street, opinion, columns, vampires