Igor Igor , in pop - culture , is the hunchbacked assistant to Dr . Frankenstein ( or other mad scientists ) . The character does not appear in the original 1818 Mary Shelley novel . There isn ' t even an Igor in the original 1931 " Frankenstein " movie . Rather , the concept arose through later conflations of multiple figures in Universal horror movies , fan magazine articles , and parodies and pastiches of those movies . By now , the name has become as synonymous with any creepy henchman in a Gothic horror as the name Jeeves has with butlers . Inevitably , a handful of Igors , or clear Igor parallels , have cropped up in the Muppet universe over the years , both within and outside of Frankenstein parodies . The CTW series " The Electric Company " also had its own Igor ( played by Luis Avalos ) in regular segments with the Mad Scientist ( Morgan Freeman ) . Origins of Igor . The earliest basis for Igor lies in characterizations by Dwight Frye in two 1931 Universal movies . The most obvious is " Frankenstein " , in which Frye played Dr . Frankenstein ' s assistant Fritz . As played by Frye , with hardly any dialogue beyond vocal grunts and giggles , Fritz is a wide - eyed , dwarfish , figure , usually in tattered clothing . His hunched back is largely a result of Frye crouching , and weighted down , to appear shorter and more diminutive . Fritz takes voyeuristic pleasure in watching funerals and hangings , as he seeks out a brain for his employer ( but , inevitably , steals a criminal brain instead of the intended normal brain ) . Once Frankenstein ’ s monster has arisen , Fritz shows a sadistic streak , taunting and tormenting the monster with fire ( and bringing about his own demise ) . Frye ’ s performance as Fritz capitalized on his portrayal earlier that year in " Dracula " as Renfield , the crazed thrall of the Count , who eats insects and tries to do the bidding of his “ Master . ” Elements of Frye ’ s hammy Renfield performance , especially the use of “ Master , ” also became typical of the pop - culture Igor ( although the voice was often patterned on Peter Lorre , who despite an association with horror movies , was never in a Frankenstein film ) . The Renfield connection may also explain the occasions in spoofs when Igor is somehow allied with Dracula or vampires ( including the " Count Duckula " cartoon ) . The next major step in Igor ’ s development came in 1939 , in the sequel " Son of Frankenstein " . Here , Bela Lugosi plays “ Ygor , ” who is not a hunchback . Rather , he ’ s a duplicitous graverobber with a deformed , broken neck ( the result of a failed hanging ) who the latest Dr . ( Wolf ) Frankenstein enlists to revive the Monster ( only for the Monster to see Ygor as his only friend ) . Ygor returns in " The Ghost of Frankenstein " ( 1941 ) , and by film ’ s end , Ygor ’ s brain has been transferred to the monster . In " Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman " ( 1943 ) , dialogue by the Monster , reaffirming his mental status as Ygor , was deleted . Later Universal “ monster rally ” movies would include hunchbacked assistants ( advertised in Universal ’ s posters as “ Hunchback ! ” right above “ Mad Doctor ! ” ) , such as " House of Frankenstein " ( 1944 ) , but with different names . After the Universal series ended , the character type would resurface , now officially christened " Igor " in print , through two major pop culture phenomena : the touring horror vaudeville revues known as “ spook shows ” and the rise of horror fandom . Although the spook shows predated the Universal movies , by the 1950s they were reshaped by the movies , and Dr . Silkini ’ s Asylum of Horrors in particular , which purportedly licensed the Frankenstein monster image from Universal , had “ Igor the Wild Man ” as a supporting character , usually grappling with the monster . In 1958 , publisher Forrest J . Ackerman ’ s influential magazine " Famous Monsters of Filmland " debuted , and as early as the second issue Ackerman wrote a “ Special Message from Igor ” editorial ( and Igor would surface throughout the run ) . In New York City , " Shock Theater " host John Zacherle would refer to an off - camera assistant Igor and , in 1958 , recorded a novelty record “ Igor ” / ” My Dinner with Drac . ” The initial release was banned by radio stations in several markets ( and re - issued without the " Igor " side and with slightly tamer lyrics ) , but " Billboard " noted this as the start of a “ weird wax trend ” as the combination of late - night horror shows , magazines , and new B monster movies gave rise to the monster craze of the 1960s ( through records , toys , comics , sitcom spoofs , and more ) . Igor continued in records , through “ Igor ’ s Party ” ( B side " Igor ’ s Lament " ) by “ Tony and the Monstrosities ” from 1960 ( telling of the “ funny little man ” who lives with Frankenstein , but is still a grave robber , “ going out tonight to dig a rock and roll band . ” ) The most famous monster record , Bobby Pickett ’ s " Monster Mash " ( 1962 ) , included a passing reference to Igor . Even Archie Comics launched " Tales Calculated to Drive You Bats " in 1961 , hosted by the bald Igor , who told comedic monster tales while occasionally recalling his own career as a mad scientist ’ s assistant , and doing some freelance monster making of his own . By the end of the decade , Igor had been solidified as a clichéd mad doctor ’ s helper , continuing into the 1970s in the 1971 Canadian kids TV series " Hilarious House of Frightenstein " ( co - starring Vincent Price ) and Marty Feldman ’ s portrayal ( insisting on the pronunciation “ Eye - gor ” ) in Mel Brooks " Young Frankenstein " ( 1973 ) . Outside of direct Frankenstein spoofs and derivatives , one of the more notable modern examples occurs in author Terry Pratchett ’ s Discworld series ( with an clan of lisping , “ Master ” - uttering Igors ) .