The Queens of Halloween: Morticia

You may have already received a good dose of history on Morticia Addams from my previous article A Short History of the Addams Family, but the gothic mama is just too damn iconic not to include in my new article series The Queens of Halloween!

Originally created as a cartoon in The New Yorker newspaper in 1938 by Charles Addams, the short satirical comic strip was the perfect way to present an alternative to social conventions of the 40's and 50's, but the most iconic presentation of Morticia has to be the one played by Carolyn Jones in the 1964 live action black and white television series.

Also starring John Astin as Gomez, Morticia and her husband had a love for the ages - one that is romanticised by gothic lovers everywhere. Scenes where Morticia speaks French and sends Gomez into a sexual frenzy, wildly kissing her arm and tracing it up to her neck, are the most purest form of love and sexual expression in any TV show, and Carolyn Jones nailed the characterisation in all 64 episodes of the TV Show.

The Addams Family didn't die there though. It was rebooted into two feature films called The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, this time starring Anjelica Huston as Morticia and Raul Julia as Gomez. While not as iconic as Carolyn Jones' portrayals, Anjelica Huston nailed the role as Morticia with her unwavering nature, stillness and elegance. Their forary into adding dark sexual discussions in the movie meant that the 1990 portrayals of Gomez and Morticia became consensual BDSM icons.

The films inspired a second animated series (1992–1993) set in the same fictional universe, and a new family-friendly animated reboot has been recently released with Charlize Theron stepping into the stylish shoes of Morticia.

Empire Magazine and AOL named Morticia one of The Most 100 Memorable Female TV Characters all of time, and the franchise has continued to become a staple in macabre popular culture. There is no doubting Morticia's stance as a Queen of Halloween.