You probably aren’t familiar with the name Stephen Gammell, but if you were born after 1981 — or had children who were born after 1981 — you are likely very familiar with his work. Gammell is the man behind the surreal, nightmare-inducing illustrations from Alvin Schwartz’s three-volume series “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” which earned the honor of being the most challenged book series in the U.S. between 1990–1999.
Much of the outcry about the books’ effect on children was due to Gammell’s illustrations, but these images eventually became so beloved and iconic that there was even more of an outcry when they were replaced for the series’ 30th anniversary rerelease in 2011. It seemed that Schwartz and Gammell’s formerly young readers had grown to appreciate their vivid, black-and-white nightmares, and they were sad to see younger audiences robbed of the sheer terror.
So to honor Gammell and his vision of a world more scary for children, here are the 13 most wonderfully spooky images from “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.”
13. “No Thanks” from “Scary Stories 3″
Agreed, no thanks.
12. The Cover from “Scary Stories 1″
You really can’t mess with the classics. The first “Scary Stories” chose this one for its cover, and with good reason. It’s haunting.
11. “The Trouble” from “Scary Stories 3″
Pure existential dread.
10. “The Wolf Girl” from “Scary Stories 3″
Kids don’t like growing hair in strange places.
9. “The Big Toe” from “Scary Stories 1″
Kids don’t like losing toes.
8. “The Bride” from “Scary Stories 2″
This lady got married, then DIED playing hide and seek with her husband when she hit her head and got stuck in a trunk. “No one will ever know how long she called for help or how hard she struggled to free herself from that tomb.”
7. “Wonderful Sausage” from “Scary Stories 2″
Does it count as “Tainted Meat” if it’s your wife’s entrails post domestic-dispute?
6. “The Dead Hand” from “Scary Stories 3″
This story really wasn’t even that scary, but the illustration? Oh my God, nightmare fuel to last a lifetime.
5. “Oh, Susannah!” from “Scary Stories 2″
I still have no idea what’s happening, here. Doesn’t make it any less terrifying.
4. “Is Something Wrong?” from “Scary Stories 3″
Yep, something’s wrong. It’s that you’re a giant skull creature street-harassing me. I don’t have to talk to you if I don’t want to.
3. “The Haunted House” from “Scary Stories 1″
This lady’s classic haunted house story might not have been the scariest of the bunch, but her decomposed flesh in the accompanying picture is straight out of “Walking Dead.”
2. “Harold” from “Scary Stories 3″
Harold is a Scarecrow who likes to skin his victims alive. Are we sure he’s not just a member of House Bolton from “Game of Thrones?”
1. “The Red Spot” from “Scary Stories 3″
There’s no question here, folks. For many kids (myself included) this story — and its illustration, of course — was our first lesson in body horror done right, and we’ll never forget (or forgive) Gammell for it.
via News
0 comments:
Post a Comment