Dr. Seward, a loyal subject of Dracula himself has shared his thoughts on running a vampire tour in the city that never sleeps and whether or not he believes if vampires truly exist. Let’s read what he has to say…
In these rough economic times, how has your tour been affected for the good or the bad?
Although other tours of mine are doing fairly well, the New York Vampire Tour has not been as successful. I no longer have regularly schedule vampire tours, but individuals and private groups may contact me.
Can you please explain how you chose the name “Dr. Seward?” Do you believe in past lives?
Dr. Seward is the character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula who ran the insane asylum in London. The conceit of these tours is that the book is true, except that at the end Dracula turned everyone into vampires, who now serve as his ambassadors through the world; they dispel false beliefs and explain how vampires have benefitted progress. Reincarnation doesn’t come up on the tour. Personally I’m skeptical of supernatural claims, but for entertainment purposes it’s all real — vampires, ghosts, and werewolves.
How does your vampire tour differ from others in the area or even in the country?
I’m aware of only one other vampire tour in this country, run in San Francisco by Kitty Burns; she had contacted me about setting up the New York tour some years back. New York is an older city, with more history to play with – and of course we have different personalities.
This may be a silly question, but do you yourself believe that vampires are real?
Many people who contact me, especially journalists, are looking for information on ‘real’ vampires – people who play-act, dress-up, wear false fangs – the more extreme file their teeth or sleep in coffins. A rare disease called porphyry in its more extreme forms can imitate traditional vampiric traits … hunger for blood, sensitivity to sunlight, etc. But the vampires of legend, the immortals who live by stealing the blood of others, sleep at night in their graves, transform into bats and wolves at will? No, of course not … those are fairly tales meant to scare children. It is perfectly safe to walk at night without fear of these non-existent creatures. “Excuse me, did you scratch your neck? May I look? A little closer … Closer…”
Do you believe there are vampires running amuck in New York?
Visit Dr. Seward today here!
– Bryce
I like that guy’s sense of humor!
Are vampries real?