| IMPALER | Vlad the ___, real-life model for Dracula (7) |
| CHALLENGE | "The ___" (real-life, 456-player competition inspired by 17-Across, also announced on Saturday) |
| HEARST | Real-life model for "Citizen Kane" |
| HELENKANE | Probable real-life model for Betty Boop |
| DESPOTS | Ivan the Terrible, Vlad the Impaler, et al. |
| DRACULA | Stoker based this fictional vampire character on the Wallachian prince, Vlad the Impaler |
| DRAWERS | Life models have no need for these artists (7) |
| SELKIRK | Alexander ___, real-life prototype of Robinson Crusoe |
| VLAD | ___ the Impaler (model for Dracula) |
| SELLYOU | Vlad must cut in a Spooner's call-girl makes proposal to the gullible (1,4,1,6,2,4,3) |
| DESPOT | Ming the Merciless or Vlad the Impaler |
| ROMANIAN | Say, Vlad the Impaler, Emperor Caesar and writer Fleming (8) |
| TRANSYLVANIA | Vlad the Impaler's home region (12) |
| EGAN | Eddie ___, real-life detective who was the subject of the Oscarwinning "The French Connection" (1971) |
| CRUEL | Like Vlad the Impaler |
| BIKO | Steven ___, real-life subject of the 1987 film "Cry Freedom" |
| ULTRA | MK-___ (real-life CIA project that features in "Stranger Things") |
| EXISTENCE | Life model entices ex (9) |
| FELICITY | Delight when life model goes to town (8) |
| VLADTHEIMPALER | The purported prototype for Dracula |
