Dr Maria Mellins

About Research Media

Biography

Maria teaches on the Film and Screen Media BA (Hons), Media Arts BA (Hons) and MA in Gothic. The modules she delivers include Contemporary Gothic, the Paradox of Horror, Cult Film and TV, and Screenwriting.

Maria’s book Vampire Culture (Bloomsbury, 2013) explores the London vampire subculture. Drawing on interviews and observations of community activities, Vampire Culture investigates the recent rise in interest in vampire media, including Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and Alan Ball’s HBO series True Blood, and their consequent impact on gothic fashion and lifestyle accessories.

Maria’s research interests also include film and TV fashion and cosplay. She has recently co-hosted a conference on this subject and worked as a guest editor on a special edition of Clothing Cultures Journal entitled ‘Subverting Fashion’ (Intellect, 2.2, co-edited with Brigid Cherry).

Maria is now researching fairy tales and particularly how the mermaid myth has developed in popular culture.

Research

Selected Publications:

• Maria Mellins & Brigid Cherry (ed.) ‘Subverting Fashion’, Special Edition of Clothing Cultures Journal (Intellect 2.2)
• Vampire Culture. (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013)
• ‘The Fangtasia Experience: True Blood Fans, Commodification and Lifestyle’, in Brigid Cherry, True Blood: Investigating Vampires and The Southern Gothic. I.B. Tauris (2012)
• ‘Negotiating the Punk in Steampunk’.Co-authored with Brigid Cherry, The Intellect Journal of Punk and Post Punk (2011)
• ‘Fashioning a Morbid Identity. Female Vampire Fans and Subcultural Style’ in B. Cherry, P. Howell & C. Ruddell (ed) Twenty-First-Century Gothic, Cambridge Scholars (2010)
• ‘Dressing up as Vampires: Virtual vamps – negotiating female identity in cyberspace’, Networking Knowledge, Journal of MeCCSA PGN. 1(2) (2007)
• Interview on BBC World News (Oct 2013) 
• Interview on Jo Good Show BBC London Radio (Oct 2013)