If, after listening to our last episode on the horrors of immortality, you thought it might be tough to be a vampire, try being the guy or ghoul behind the undead: the vampire’s familiar. This week, we break down these hardworking henchmen into a few popular archetypes, from the classic madman to everyone’s favorite loverboy. We discuss when a Renfield isn’t a renfield, defend an underrated episode of Buffy, and get a little heated over Midnight Mass’s bible-thumping Bev, all in pursuit of the question: What would make someone give up their human life to do a vampire’s dirty work (and probably eat bugs)? Plus, some history on where the term “familiar” came from, how it relates to and differs from the “ghoul” or “thrall,” and what Igor has to do with it. In short, we’ll give you all the tools you need to answer the most haunting question of all: Is Jacob Black Renesmee’s familiar? Come vamps, get to work, and join us around the campfire. CW: discussion of suicide, pedophilia, and ableist portrayals of mental illness in fiction. Major Spoilers: * Dracula’s Daughter, directed by Lambert Hillyer, 1936 * Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin, 1982 * Vampire in Brooklyn, directed by Wes Craven, 1995 * S5E1 “Buffy vs. Dracula,” Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2000 * What We Do in the Shadows, 2019-2024 * Midnight Mass, 2021 Other media mentioned in this episode: Fiction * Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, 1818 * “The Vampire of Vourla” by Anonymous, 1845 * Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872 * Vampire City by Paul Féval, 1867 (trans. Brian Stableford, 2003) * Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897 * ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King, 1975 * The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith, 1991-1992 (series) * Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton, 1993-2023 (series) * Covenant with the Vampire by Jeanne Kalogridis, 1995 * Stainless by Todd Grimson, 1996 * Fledgling by Octavia Butler, 2005 * Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, 2004 * Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, 2007 * *The Buffalo Hunter Hunter* by Stephen Graham Jones, 2025 Film * Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau, 1922 * Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, 1931 * Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, 1931 * Vampyros Lesbos, directed by Jesús Franco, 1971 * Daughters of Darkness, directed by Harry Kümel, 1971 * Love at First Bite, directed by Stan Dragoti, 1979 * Fright Night, directed by Tom Holland, 1985 * The Lost Boys, directed by Joel Schumacher, 1987 * Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed Francis Ford Coppola, 1992 * Nadja, directed by Michael Almereyda, 1994 * Blade, directed by Stephen Norrington, 1998 * Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers, 2004 * Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, directed by Paul Weitz, 2009 * The Twilight Saga, various directors, 2008-2012 (series) * Fright Night, directed by Craig Gillespie, 2011 * Vamps, directed by Amy Heckerling, 2012 * Only Lovers Left Alive, directed by Jim Jarmusch, 2013 * Therapy for a Vampire, directed by David Rühm, 2014 * Dracula Untold, directed by Gary Shore, 2014 * Renfield, directed by Chris McKay, 2023 * Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers, 2024 TV * Dracula, 2013 * The Vampire Diaries, 2009-2017 * Vampires, 2020 * Dimension 20: City Council of Darkness, 2026 Games * Vampire the Masquerade, 1991- Theater * Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein, written by Richard Brinsley Peake, 1823 Liked this episode? You’ll also like… To Slay or Not to Slay? To Live Forever and Never Grow Up: The Vampire Child Are You Sure You Want to Live Forever?: The Horrors of Immortality I Vant to Suck Your… Energy Are All Vampires A Leetle Gäy? Want more vampire content in all your feeds? Check out our Pinterest @vampirecampfirepod to capture the aesthetic of this episode. Follow us @vampirecampfirepod on Instagram and TikTok for podcast updates & vampire memes. Find us on Letterboxd and Goodreads for a peek at what we’re consuming next. Consider becoming a paid member of our Substack to get new bonus episodes and access to the full archive! This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rebecca Glazer & Hannah Spiegelman — without AI, ever. Note: We’re an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a small commission if you purchase through our link — allowing you to support indie bookstores and an indie podcast at the same time! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vampirecampfirepod.substack.com/subscribe
