Author Joe Caldwell, known for writing the original television series “Dark Shadows,” died Monday after suffering a stroke. He was 97 years old.
The news was confirmed by Bob Issel, who frequently hosts Dark Shadows fan events. “Joe had just signed some memoirs for me three weeks ago on June 20th, when he was in a rehab center recovering after a recent fall,” Issel wrote in his Facebook post.
Caldwell wrote 63 episodes of ABC’s daytime soap opera Dark Shadows. Along with Ron Sproat, he is credited with co-creating the iconic vampire character Barnabas Collins, played by Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s 2012 film Dark Shadows, and was also mentioned in the Apple TV hit Widow’s Bay.
Additionally, Caldwell received writing credits for episodes of “Strange Paradise” and “Secret Storm,” which aired in the early ’70s.
In addition to Burton’s adaptation, Warner Bros. Animation recently announced that it would be reanimating the cult ’60s show as an adult animated series. It is currently in development and will be a fusion of gothic, horror, and paranormal genres.
In 2025, Caldwell published a memoir, In The Shadow of the Bridge, detailing his experiences growing up in Manhattan’s gay bohemian community from the ’50s to the ’70s and his complicated relationship with religion.
In addition to his television writing credits, Caldwell also worked as a novelist, with titles such as “The Pig Did It,” “The Pig Comes to Dinner,” “The Pig Goes to Hog Heaven,” and “Lazarus Rising.”
