America's love affair with vampires has grown even stronger this Halloween

From Detroit News

Forget those vicious vampires made famous by scary guys like Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee. Today's vampires are lovesick teenagers, studly heartthrobs, folks just like you and me -- except for that taste for human blood.

And right now, the mythical creatures are sinking their fangs into every aspect of pop culture. Books, movies -- Friday's "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" being only the latest -- TV series, video games, this month's Playboy magazine, have put vamps front and center.

This Halloween, fancy $25 fangs are among the most popular things on the shelves, said Errin Johnston at Halloween USA, a seasonal costume store in Boulder, Colo.

"I've had young girls come in, and they wanted the teeth and the outfits to go along with 'Twilight.' They think vampires are cool."

The popular "Twilight" book and movie franchises aren't the only things turning vampires desirable. The smash TV show "True Blood" and scores of teen novels present vampires as the coolest, cutest guys in school.

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