Actor John Karlen of "Dark Shadows" fame dies at age 86.

Willie Loomis, the slave of a vampire, worked for Barnabas Collins.

We know, OP.

John with his only child, son Adam, who apparently is gay.

Can't remember where it was that I learned that Barnabas used to beat him severely with his wolf head cane?

R4 Yes, Barnabas was quite severe with Willie in the beginning. it wasn't until later on that he became a more sympathetic vampire/character.

Even as a young kid watching DS I thought it was so odd and funny that Barnabas would bite the women on the neck, but bit Willie on the wrist. God forbid anyone in the 1960s would think there was something romantic by Barnabas biting a male on the neck too.

Anywho...I love Karlen. I'm currently watching the old C&L shows on the Start network. I was shocked when after last Thursday's show they did a memorial phone of Karlen. He seems to have been a good person and for sure he was a very good actor. He won an Emmy for C&L.

RIP Mr. Karlen.

The depiction of Willie's enslavement by Barnabas is very disturbing to me. Karlen played it as though he'd been raped.

A friend whose husband binged watched DS with her told me he called Barnabas' wolf headed cane his Willie beater.

R6 John Karlen very young.

Yup, back in the day they couldn't/wouldn't show a male vampire biting another man on the neck even though Barnabas & Willie seemed to have a Brokeback Mountain relationship.

Willie was quite the little housekeeper and he watched over Barnabas's coffin by day. They had an unusual relationship, to put it mildly.