This is Poe?

When you ask someone who Edgar Allan Poe is, they'll usually respond back with The Raven. Maybe The Tell Tale Heart. (Coincidentally, Tell Tale Heart was my introduction to Poe back in elementary school when we went to see a performance of it. My pants were never the same.)

With these dark and somewhat twisted works in mind, it's not surprising that this is the image we associate with Poe: somber expression and dark clothing. There's a reason why so many people don black and quote him, but I won't be getting into a discussion about whether or not quoting Poe is enough to make you Goth.

Whether Poe makes you don the black eyeliner or not, gothards who believe it does are going to cry in despair when they see what was released by some guy named Cliff Krainik yesterday.

It's Poe. In Technicolor.

Poe. Sans moustache.

Poe. Not looking miserable.

Poe. Looking like any other writer of the time.

Why is this so important? I'm not sure, but if Associated Press is covering it, it must be important. Right?