Charles Manson infects us like the shingles virus.

We've maintained a fascination with Manson's legacy since 1970, and while we don't always show symptoms, we're always carrying the disease. But there are times when our attraction flares up across mainstream culture like a painful rash of crusted, red pustules.

Time to break out the antibiotic cream and ibuprofen.

It's been 45 years since Manson's trial in connection with the killings of seven people in 1969, including actress Sharon Tate, got under way. And the shadow of that anniversary looms large. The final half-season of Mad Men, set in the summer of 1970, made reference to the trial earlier this year. NBC has begun airing Aquarius, a miniseries that begins in 1967 and documents the time leading up to the Manson murders. The Brian Wilson biopic, Love & Mercy, can't escape writers mentioning the Manson-Beach Boys connection in stories about the film, despite the movie not mentioning it.

Even a real-life news event like the death of Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, who went on to write the ür-text on the murders, Helter Skelter, acts more as an outlet to fuel our Manson obsession than as a way to remember the man who helped put him behind bars.

We can't seem to shake the attraction to the Manson mystique and the man's dark, mentally unhinged charisma. Maybe it's because he's the safe boogeyman, never having been convicted of murder and having a persona that's just a few exaggerated steps away from that crazy, hyperactive, racist uncle every family has.

When it comes to shingles and our Manson fascination (Manson-ation?), sometimes the only thing you can do is count your weeping blisters and let it run its course. So let's take a moment to spotlight eight memorable portrayals of Charles Manson and see how measure on the Myspace Manson-O-Meter (patent pending):

• Charles Manson—Scary in a way that seems a little too real
• Shirley Manson—Scary in a sexy, cool, non-life-threatening way
• Marilyn Manson—Looks really scary but is just really boring and sad

WORD OF WARNING: Some of these videos contain elements that are NSFW.

Steve Railsback, Helter Skelter (1976)

Steve Railsback has the distinction of being the first actor to portray Charles Manson in a movie (albeit a TV movie), and he plays him too much like your average villain out of central casting. Part of that could stem from the fact that the TV interviews that created our current, popular image of Manson had yet to be conducted. 

Manson-O-Meter

Charlie Samson, The Punisher (1988)

The Punisher #13, written by Mike Baron and illustrated by Whilce Portacio and Scott Williams. (Marvel Comics)

For a mainstream, all-ages, superhero comic in 1988, this Charles Manson knock-off—written by Mike Baron and illustrated by Whilce Portacio and Scott Williams—surprisingly checks off all the right boxes: forehead swastika, "piggy" references and general craziness. Plus, it throws in two wonderful fictional touches: 

• A Squeaky Fromme stand-in (dressed like an S&M mime) springs an ersatz Ted Bundy from jail, then kills him (which, unfortunately, deprives the world of a Bundy-Manson team-up).
• The Punisher killing a paralyzed Manson slowly with a knife.

This was pretty sweet reading for most introverted, suburban, 13-year-old boys of the time. Um, so I've been told. (Don't judge me!)

Manson-O-Meter

Robert Hecker, The Book of Manson (1989) 

Artist Raymond Pettibon is known for the iconic album covers he created for Black Flag, Sonic Youth and the Foo Fighters. He's not as well known for writing and directing this trippy, two-hour video reimagining of Manson as messiah. That's probably because it's sub-cable access quality, with some of the actors cracking up as they woodenly read—not recite—their over-the-top lines. 

As for Hecker's performance, he goes full Creepy Jesus as Manson, usually dressed in nothing but a flowing white sheet. Instead of chewing the scenery, he delivers his dialogue in a soft, droning cadence while staring directly into the camera without blinking. It's a performance that doesn't evoke the image of a Charles Manson always on the verge of combusting that we've come to know. But it's still freaky as hell when it's recorded with lower production values than a terrorist recruitment video. You're not sure whether you should be laughing or hiding under the bed in fear.

Manson-O-Meter

Michael Reid MacKay, Summer Dreams: The Story of the Beach Boys (1990)

The first meeting between Beach Boy Dennis Wilson and aspiring songwriter Charles Manson is depicted in this ABC TV movie. MacKay comes across as a guy with a complete collection of Green Lantern that he keeps in his bedroom in his mom's basement. He certainly doesn't appear like the dangerous and captivating leader of a doomsday cult that wants to start a race war. It also doesn't help that his mustache makes Groucho Marx's facial hair look naturally grown.

Manson-O-Meter

Bob Odenkirk, The Ben Stiller Show (1992) 

History lesson, young'uns: Bob Odenkirk was showing the world he was a national treasure long before Better Call Saul and even before Mr. Show. He turned in the quintessential portrayal of Charles Manson as cast member of the criminally underrated Ben Stiller Show. Odenkirk captures Manson's mania and physical tics perfectly, which makes the sketch even funnier, because you imagine this is exactly what Charlie would look and sound like giving advice to people. 

Manson-O-Meter

Celebrity Deathmatch (1998)

The pilot episode for this MTV series suffers from America's misplaced panic and fear surrounding Marilyn Manson in the late '90s. It was a painful, confusing time: Ginger Spice had left the Spice Girls, and N'Sync and Brtiney Spears were just breaking out. We were still getting over our Macarena hangover.

Manson-O-Meter

Jeremy Davies, Helter Skelter (2004)

If Bob Odenkirk holds the top spot when it comes to Manson portrayals, Jeremy Davies is a close second. Although he had much-heralded roles in Spanking the Monkey and Saving Pvt. Ryan, Davies was still four years away from charming audiences as the awkward, amnesiac Daniel Faraday on Lost when he played Manson in this 21st-century adaptation of the Bugliosi book. It's an effective performance thanks to Davies physicality, which never crosses the line into spastic parody.  

Manson-O-Meter

Adam Sandberg, Evil Easter 3: The Final Easter (2013)

No, that Adam Sandberg doesn't play Charles Manson in this … well, I'm not quite sure what to call this 42-minute Swedish video. It involves a murderous Easter Bunny, Nazis, the Catholic church and, of course, Manson. It's directed and co-written by a Swede whose first name is Viking, and he has a side project performing in a one-man industrial rock-band called Trash Strasse (the original name was Plötsligt Liv, which means "Suddenly Life" in English). Oh, and apparently this completes the Evil Easter trilogy, so we're all thankful for that. 

Sandberg as Manson shifts between excessively comedic to excessively pretentious as frequently as the tone of the film does. His most annoying acting choice—outside of not hiding his Swedish accent—is conveying crazy with a googly eyed expression that would make Marty Feldman gouge out his own peepers with rusty melon ballers if he saw it. And if he were still alive.

Manson-O-Meter

Taran Killam, Saturday Night Live (2014)

As a comedic actor, Killam usually delivers high energy peformances, whether it's doing an original character or impersonating a celebrity. That's why it's surprising how subdued and flat his Charles Manson is. Maybe this was an attempt to avoid going the obvious route with a scene-chewing performance. While it's a nice change of pace, it really doesn't scream Manson, especially when compared to Odenkirk's Charlie.

Manson-O-Meter

Graphics by Daniel Tomita; Shirley Manson photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage