Rhiannon Elizabeth Irons
Goosebumps is a series of children's horror fiction novellas created and authored by R. L. Stine. And I have to say, when it came to reading, nothing was cooler than pulling out a Goosebumps book from your backpack.
With sixty-two titles published under the Goosebumps umbrella title from 1992 through to 1997, Goosebumps was a series that every young child could relate to. The first book, Welcome to Dead House, started the craze and the last title was the fourth instalment of Monster Blood, aptly named Monster Blood IV.
From the moment I picked up The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, I was hooked. Now, I admit that at the time I wasn’t much of a reader. I didn’t actually learn how to properly read until I was seven years old, and even then, found myself struggling because of my dyslexia. But Goosebumps changed all that for me, and I often found myself hiding under the covers of my bed with a little flashlight so I could enjoy the chilling tales that came out of the creative mind of R.L. Stine. Fun Fact: It was because of R.L. Stine that made me want to peruse writing as a career.
So, why are Goosebumps so successful?
Remember back to when you were a child. You always wanted to do just what the older kids did. You wanted to follow your big brother to the skate park or into an R-rated movie. You wanted to play around with your older sister, putting on her make-up and talking about boys without using the term 'cooties'. And, let's face it, we're all attracted to the dark side in one way or another. We all love to be scared to some degree. Enter the Goosebumps franchise.
Goosebumps were written with children in mind. All R.L. Stine's main characters were 12 years old. Most of them had siblings that were terribly annoying, and all of the stories had a fantastic adventure gripping with fear that was a perfect introduction into the world of horror. Creepy, but not too scary, allowing the imagination of the reader to take full control. Then when the Give Yourself Goosebumps series came out - a choose your own adventure styled series - the reader really did become part of the adventure.
Despite the far-fetched tales, like a camera that predicts a terrible fate like the one in Say Cheese and Die!, the Goosebumps series were easily relatable for children. From school bullies, to taunting siblings, to parents that just don't understand you, Goosebumps was like looking into a mirror - just without turning you invisible - and kids loved it.
They loved the stories of misadventure and exploration. They loved the characters, whether they were the mains or the snobs, or even something monstrous. Children loved the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end when they got to the cliff-hanger in stories like Ghost Beach, The Barking Ghost, or Attack of The Mutant.
R.L. Stine was the hottest author around when I was growing up. If the Goosebumps series didn't suck you in, then Fear Street did. Fear Street was aimed at an older audience but still provided the chills we had come to love from Stine's warped mind. And now has quite a successful Netflix three-part series attached to its name, with more to come.
So, when Goosebumps went from book form to TV show in 1995, everyone was super excited to see their favourite reads come to life. The TV show ran for four seasons, finishing in 1998, but during that airtime became one of the most popular shows on television. To this day, in some countries, reruns are shown, providing new generations with mild scares. You can find the Goosebumps collection on Netflix, or if you prefer to collect physical media like I do, you can find them on Amazon.
Watching the stories come to life was amazing. To this day I've still got chills thanks to Slappy the dummy - there's just something unnerving and evil about ventriloquist dummies - while The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight, The Haunted Mask, and The Werewolf of Fever Swamp still stick in my mind as being the three scariest episodes.
My favourite episode has to be the Phantom of the Auditorium. I loved the book, and the episode was just outstanding. Fun Fact: Comedian Kathy Greenwood plays the teacher in charge of the production, Mrs. Walker.
Phantom of the Auditorium was about a cursed play being put on 72 years after it was first attempted. The boy who played the Phantom originally disappeared the night of the performance. The play was locked away in the school vault, in hopes that no one would have to be reminded of the tragedy behind the words. Then of course, it all goes pear shaped when the play is retrieved and is put on by the current class. Strange things happen, sets fall, terrifying words are painted on doors, warning everyone to get out. Then the night of the performance comes to life only to have the real Phantom take to the stage instead of Zeke Matthews, the current Phantom. (Side note: Phantom of the Auditorium also has a stage-show musical based on it currently in circulation)
The one thing I am grateful for is how accurate the TV show was to the books. Yes, at times there were some inconstancies, like with all movie adaptations from books, but overall, the show was very faithful to the original stories.
Columbia Pictures acquired the rights to create a Goosebumps movie in 2015. It was met with mixed reviews, though for me, it was a throwback to a bygone era. It was fun, quirky at times thanks to Jack Black as R.L. Stine, and brought to life the monsters we all knew and loved from the classic series. And who didn’t love the cameo from R.L. Stine himself as Mr. Black right at the end of the film? That was a nice throwback to the old series where he used to introduce the specials.
In 2018, Slappy got his revenge in a sequel movie. Received less warmly than its predecessor, it was still a fun movie that gave the audience exactly what they were expecting; a thrilling adventure with a sadistic ventriloquist dummy taking control. It immersed you into the world of Goosebumps, delivering an enjoyable ride for younger audiences taking their first steps into a world of horror.
But it’s not just television and movies that have been inspired by Goosebumps. I own a Nintendo Wii (remember those?) and have a copy of Horrorland, a video game adaptation that allows you to explore the famed horror themed park and experience some of the rides. And to this day, I still haven’t escaped.
That wasn’t the first time Horrorland got the video game treatment though. In 1996, Escape from Horrorland was released for the PC. It was a ride and a half, bringing the terror of Horrorland to life with live action segments from a fantastic cast. One year later, Attack of the Mutant would also be turned into a video game with a star-studded cast including Jim Belushi as The Masked Mutant and Adam West as his League of Good Guys nemesis, The Galloping Gazelle.
Join in the fun of Monster Blood, Welcome to Camp Nightmare, and Calling All Creeps. Goosebumps are here to stay. R.L. Stine's legacy will continue to live on, especially considering that the original books are being reprinted for a whole new generation to enjoy and he's continually adding more titles to the already impressive collection.
Now, if you’ll excuse me for a moment, it’s time to curl up under the blanket with my flashlight to give myself Goosebumps. Reader beware, you’re in for a scare.
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