horror fiction
Horror is a genre of fiction which is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which is in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian ...
novels by American author
R. L. Stine
Robert Lawrence Stine (; born October 8, 1943), sometimes known as Jovial Bob Stine and Eric Affabee, is an American novelist, short story writer, television producer, screenwriter, and executive editor.
Stine has been referred to as the "St ...
, published by
Scholastic Publishing
Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and on ...
. The protagonists in these stories are tweens or young teens who find themselves in scary circumstances usually involving the supernatural, the paranormal or the occult. From 1992 to 1997, 62 books were published under the ''
Goosebumps
''Goosebumps'' is a series of children's horror fiction novels by American author R. L. Stine, published by Scholastic Publishing. The protagonists in these stories are tweens or young teens who find themselves in scary circumstances usually ...
'' umbrella title. Various spin-off series were written by Stine: ''
Goosebumps Series 2000
''Goosebumps Series 2000'' is a spin-off of the original Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine. The cover design of the ''Series 2000'' books was different from the original books, though the cover art was again by the same person, Tim Jacobus. There ...
'', ''
Give Yourself Goosebumps
''Give Yourself Goosebumps'' is a children's horror fiction gamebook series by R. L. Stine. After the success of the regular ''Goosebumps'' books, Scholastic Press decided to create this spin-off series in 1995. In fact, Stine had written gamebo ...
Goosebumps HorrorLand
''Goosebumps HorrorLand'' is a horror novella series by R.L. Stine, a spin-off of his popular ''Goosebumps'' books. There was an almost ten-year gap between the publication of the initial installment in the ''Goosebumps Horrorland.''
Overvi ...
'', ''
Goosebumps Most Wanted
''Goosebumps Most Wanted'' is a line of ''Goosebumps'' books by author R.L. Stine, described as "a brand new take on terror."
Description
This line features a new recurring story arc, the 4th since the two-arc Goosebumps HorrorLand
''Goosebum ...
'' and ''
Goosebumps SlappyWorld
''Goosebumps SlappyWorld'' is a series of ''Goosebumps'' books by author R. L. Stine.
Description
The series was launched for the 25th anniversary of the ''Goosebumps
''Goosebumps'' is a series of children's horror fiction novels by America ...
''. Another series, '' Goosebumps Gold'', was never released. ''Goosebumps'' has spawned a
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
and merchandise, as well as a series of
feature films
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
The ''Goosebumps'' series falls under the children's horror and thriller genres, although Stine characterizes the series as "scary books that are also funny". Each book features different child characters and settings. The primary protagonists are middle class and can be either male or female. The primary protagonists of a ''Goosebumps'' story are often situated in a remote location or somehow isolated from typical societal conventions. This can range anywhere from comfortable suburban areas to boarding schools, foreign villages or campsites. Books typically feature characters who either recently moved to a new neighborhood or are sent to stay with relatives.
The books in the ''Goosebumps'' series feature similar plot structures with children being involved in scary situations. At his peak, Stine was known to complete these stories extremely quickly, some of which were written in only six days. The books are mostly written in first person
narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc. ...
, often concluding with
twist ending
Twist may refer to:
In arts and entertainment Film, television, and stage
* ''Twist'' (2003 film), a 2003 independent film loosely based on Charles Dickens's novel ''Oliver Twist''
* ''Twist'' (2021 film), a 2021 modern rendition of ''Olive ...
s. They contain
surreal
Surreal may refer to:
*Anything related to or characteristic of Surrealism, a movement in philosophy and art
* "Surreal" (song), a 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki
* ''Surreal'' (album), an album by Man Raze
*Surreal humour, a common aspect of humor
...
horror, with characters encountering the strange and supernatural. The author has plot devices he follows throughout his ''Goosebumps'' books. Stine says he does not have any death in his stories, and the children in his novels are never put into situations that would be considered too serious. He attributed the success of his books to their absence of drugs, depravity and
violence
Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...
.
All Goosebumps books are written at a 3rd to 7th grade reading level.
Inspiration and themes
According to the documentary ''Tales from the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television'', R.L. Stine said that he remembered reading the popular/infamous ''
Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt may refer to:
* ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo
* ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s
** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...
'' comic books when he was young and credited as one of his inspirations. Books and characters in the series were inspired by books and films. For example, the character
Slappy the Dummy
Slappy the Dummy is a fictional character and antagonist in the ''Goosebumps'' children's series by R. L. Stine. He is one of the series' most popular villains, the main antagonist of the ''Night of the Living Dummy'' saga and the mascot of the ...
was inspired by the literary classic ''
The Adventures of Pinocchio
''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; it, Le avventure di Pinocchio ; commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'') is a children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pi ...
''. Some of Stine's ideas for the books also came from real life; Stine got the idea for the book ''
The Haunted Mask
''The Haunted Mask'' is the eleventh book in the original ''Goosebumps'', the series of children's horror fiction novels created and written by R. L. Stine. The book follows Carly Beth, a girl who buys a Halloween mask from a store. After pu ...
'' after his son, Matt, had a Halloween mask he had trouble getting off. Stine also uses his childhood fears to help him write his books. The author said, "Luckily, I have a great memory. As I write a story, I can remember what it feels like to be afraid and panicky". Stine states he often thinks of a title to a novel first, then lets the title lead him to a story.
Two common themes in the series are children triumphing over evil and children facing horrid or frightening situations and using their own wit and imagination to escape them. Stine does not attempt to incorporate moral lessons into his novels, and says his books are "strictly reading motivation".
Characters
Recurring characters who appear in multiple books and media.
*
Slappy the Dummy
Slappy the Dummy is a fictional character and antagonist in the ''Goosebumps'' children's series by R. L. Stine. He is one of the series' most popular villains, the main antagonist of the ''Night of the Living Dummy'' saga and the mascot of the ...
is the main villain of the ''Night of the Living Dummy'' saga and the mascot of the series.
*The Haunted Mask is the villain of the book saga of the same name.
*The Horrors serve as the main villain(s) of the ''HorrorLand'' book series.
*The Monster Blood is the titular monster of the book series of the same name.
*Carly Beth Caldwell is one of the recurring protagonists of the ''Haunted Mask'' series.
*Evan Ross is the main protagonist of the first four books of ''Monster Blood''.
*Lizzy Morris is the protagonist of the first two ''HorrorLand'' books and a major protagonist of the ''HorrorLand'' series.
*The Menace is the main villain of the first story arc of the ''HorrorLand'' series.
*Jonathan Chiller is the main villain of the second arc of the Goosebumps ''HorrorLand'' series.
*Ray Gordon is the narrator character of the last part of the second arc of Goosebumps ''HorrorLand.''
*Billy Deep is the protagonist of the Deep series.
Original ''Goosebumps'' series
Following the success of Stine's
young adult
A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...
horror novels, the co-
founder
Founder or Founders may refer to:
Places
*Founders Park, a stadium in South Carolina, formerly known as Carolina Stadium
* Founders Park, a waterside park in Islamorada, Florida
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Founders (''Star Trek''), the ali ...
of Parachute Press (the company that developed the series), Joan Waricha, persuaded him to write scary books for younger children. Stine says the name for the book series came to him after he saw a TV station's ad in ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008.
Corpora ...
'' that stated "It’s goosebumps week on Channel 11". He originally signed a six-book deal with the publisher Scholastic, but went on to write 62 books in the original series, the first book being ''
Welcome to Dead House
''Welcome to Dead House'' is the first book in the original ''Goosebumps'' book series. It was first published in July 1992 along with ''Stay Out of the Basement'' and ''Monster Blood'', the second and third books. Additionally, it was re-releas ...
'', released in July 1992. The series was originally aimed at girls, but both boys and girls enjoyed the series equally with half of Stine's fan mail being sent from boys. The cover illustrations for this series were first done by
Tim Jacobus
Tim Jacobus (; born April 21, 1959) is an American artist best known for illustrating the covers for nearly 100 books in R. L. Stine's ''Goosebumps
''Goosebumps'' is a series of children's horror fiction novels by American author R. L. St ...
. Thirty-two of the books from the original series were later re-released with new artwork under the ''Classic Goosebumps'' rename.
Spin-off series
The books in the '' Tales to Give You Goosebumps'' and ''Goosebumps Triple Header'' series were written as short story anthologies, featuring a collection of stories in each book. From 1994 to 1997, six ''Tales to Give You Goosebumps'' books were published. Two ''Goosebumps Triple Header'' books were released from 1997 to 1998, beginning with ''Three Shocking Tales of Terror: Book 1''.
Fifty ''
Give Yourself Goosebumps
''Give Yourself Goosebumps'' is a children's horror fiction gamebook series by R. L. Stine. After the success of the regular ''Goosebumps'' books, Scholastic Press decided to create this spin-off series in 1995. In fact, Stine had written gamebo ...
'' books were published from 1995 to 2000, starting with ''Escape from the Carnival of Horrors''. The books in this series were written as
gamebook
A gamebook is a work of printed fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making choices. The narrative branches along various paths, typically through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages. Each narrative typically does not ...
s, featuring multiple endings. The books in this series were ghostwritten by several authors, including
Kathryn Lance
Kathryn Lance (November 26, 1943 – January 29, 2022) was an American writer in many fields of fiction and non-fiction under her own name and various pseudonyms, as well as being the ghostwriter for numerous books purportedly written by other peo ...
and Stine's sister-in-law Megan Stine. Many of the cover illustrations for this series were done by Mark Nagata.
Due to declining ''Goosebumps'' sales and increasing competition (primarily from another series from Scholastic,
Animorphs
''Animorphs'' is a science fantasy series of children's books written by Katherine Applegate and her husband Michael Grant, writing together under the name K. A. Applegate, and published by Scholastic. It is told in first person, with all ...
), Scholastic and R. L. Stine decided to create ''
Goosebumps Series 2000
''Goosebumps Series 2000'' is a spin-off of the original Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine. The cover design of the ''Series 2000'' books was different from the original books, though the cover art was again by the same person, Tim Jacobus. There ...
''. From 1998 to 2000, 25 books in the series were published, beginning with ''Cry of the Cat''. The books in this series were written in a similar format and featured similar content to the original series, but Stine classified them as being "much scarier." The covers in this series were illustrated by Tim Jacobus.
The books in the '' Goosebumps Gold'' series appeared on illustrator Tim Jacobus's website and marketing sites but were never released. In this series, Stine intended to write a sequel to ''The Haunted Mask II'' (''The Haunted Mask Lives!''), and a sequel to ''Welcome to Dead House'' (''Happy Holidays from Dead House''). It was one of the two-book series by Stine that was planned to be released in 2000 (the other was ''
The Nightmare Room
''The Nightmare Room'' is an American children's anthology horror series that aired on Kids' WB. The series was based on the short-lived children's book series that went by the same title created by ''Goosebumps'' author, R. L. Stine. ''The Nig ...
'').
The series was renewed in 2008 following the release of the first book in the ''
Goosebumps HorrorLand
''Goosebumps HorrorLand'' is a horror novella series by R.L. Stine, a spin-off of his popular ''Goosebumps'' books. There was an almost ten-year gap between the publication of the initial installment in the ''Goosebumps Horrorland.''
Overvi ...
'' series, '' Revenge of the Living Dummy'', that was published on April 1, 2008. Before the 2008 release of ''Revenge of the Living Dummy'', there had not been a ''Goosebumps'' book published in almost 10 years. Stine decided to start writing ''Goosebumps'' books again after receiving mail asking him to write new books in the series. Nineteen ''Goosebumps HorrorLand'' books were published, and books in the series mainly featured two stories. The series continued in 2012 with new stories featuring some of the series' most memorable villains, including
Slappy the Dummy
Slappy the Dummy is a fictional character and antagonist in the ''Goosebumps'' children's series by R. L. Stine. He is one of the series' most popular villains, the main antagonist of the ''Night of the Living Dummy'' saga and the mascot of the ...
, the Lawn Gnomes and others. The first book of the spin-off series ''
Goosebumps Most Wanted
''Goosebumps Most Wanted'' is a line of ''Goosebumps'' books by author R.L. Stine, described as "a brand new take on terror."
Description
This line features a new recurring story arc, the 4th since the two-arc Goosebumps HorrorLand
''Goosebum ...
'', ''Planet of the Lawn Gnomes'', was released in October 2012.
Achievements, reception and controversy
Achievements
Following the release of the first novel in the series, the books quickly became popular, selling a million copies a month soon after they first appeared, and four million copies a month by the mid-1990s. Individual ''Goosebumps'' books appeared in the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list for children and the ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' bestseller list. In 2001, ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'' listed 46 books in the series in its list of bestselling children's paperback books of all time. ''Goosebumps'' was a bestseller in many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
In 1996, the book series accounted for almost 15% of Scholastic's annual revenue. Following the decline of ''Goosebumps'' sales next year, Scholastic's sales had dropped 40%. The decline in ''Goosebumps'' book sales had made front-page news of most newspaper business sections, which Patrick Jones stated "demonstrates the impact and importance of R. L. Stine. One writer, it seems, influences the fate of an entire company".
As of 2008, the ''Goosebumps'' series maintains an 82% brand awareness among children 7–12. It is listed as the number two bestselling children's book series of all time and as Scholastic's bestselling children's book series of all time. By 2014, according to Scholastic, there were 350 million copies of ''Goosebumps'' books sold in 32 languages, including
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
,
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
, and
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
. As of 2008, the book series sells about two million copies annually.
Three books from the ''Goosebumps'' series have won the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Book: ''Deep Trouble'' in 1995 (the award category's first year), the book ''Tales to Give You Goosebumps'' in 1996, and '' Deep Trouble II'' in 1998. In 2000, the series was ranked as the number two children's books by the
National Education Association
The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college stud ...
, as chosen by children. In 2003 ''Goosebumps'' was listed at number 188 on the BBC's
The Big Read
The Big Read was a survey on books carried out by the BBC in the United Kingdom in 2003, where over three-quarters of a million votes were received from the British public to find the nation's best-loved novel of all time. The year-long survey wa ...
poll of the UK's 200 "best-loved novels."
Reception
Upon the release of the first book, ''
Welcome to Dead House
''Welcome to Dead House'' is the first book in the original ''Goosebumps'' book series. It was first published in July 1992 along with ''Stay Out of the Basement'' and ''Monster Blood'', the second and third books. Additionally, it was re-releas ...
'', ''Goosebumps'' received critical acclaim with many critics and readers praising the series for its dark nature, villains, likable protagonists and for being much more mature compered to other children's book series at the time. ''Slate'''s Katy Waldman classified a classic ''Goosebumps'' story as "funny, icky, and just a bit menacing". Following the release of the first ''Goosebumps HorrorLand'' book, ''Publishers Weekly'' stated in a starred review that the new ''Goosebumps'' series was "deliciously chilling". Two reviewers of the ''Goosebumps'' books did not feel that the books were high quality literature. '' U.S. News & World Report''s Marc Silver thought the series was "quite tame". He called the ''Goosebumps'' books " subliterature", stating the plotting in the books was careless and that characters in the stories rarely grew. Roderick McGillis, from the academic journal '' Bookbird'', described the books as
camp
Camp may refer to:
Outdoor accommodation and recreation
* Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site
* a temporary settlement for nomads
* Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...
, writing the books "are so artificial, so formulaic, so predictable, so repetitive". McGillis also felt that the content of the ''Goosebumps'' series is "thin in the extreme".
Stine's books have a reputation for getting children excited about reading, which the writer is very proud of. James Carter, writing in ''Talking Books: Children's Authors Talk About the Craft, Creativity and Process of Writing'', stated "regarding ''Point Horrors'' and ''Goosebumps'', I feel that anything that children read avidly is a good thing". Librarian and writer Patrick Jones commented that " e real horror is a culture where kids, especially boys, don't read—and Stine has done his best to stop that turn of the screw from happening in his lifetime".
Book challenges
''Goosebumps'' was listed 15th in the list of most frequently challenged books during 1990–1999 and 94th in the list of top banned/challenged books during 2000–2009 by the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...
(ALA). According to the ALA, a challenge is an attempt by a person or group to remove or restrict materials from a library or school curriculum. The series was challenged for being too frightening for young people and depicting occult or demonic themes. By 1997, the ALA was informed of 46 challenges, over 75% of which occurred in school libraries. The rest of the challenges were held in public libraries or the location of the challenges were unknown. The same year, a hearing by the Anoka-Hennepin School District to ban the books was broadcast by C-SPAN. In the hearing, most of the parents and children felt the books should not be banned, and the school district's book review committee decided to keep the books.
Adaptations and merchandise
Audiobooks
''
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from The Walt Disney Company's motion picture studios, television series, theme parks, and traditional studio albums produced by its ...
'' and '' Scholastic'' ''Audiobooks'' have adapted ''Goosebumps'' into numerous
audiobooks
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
from 1996–present.
Television adaptations
In the 1990s, a ''Goosebumps'' TV series was produced in Canada by Protocol Entertainment in association with
Scholastic Productions
Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and on ...
. The TV
anthology series
An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...
ran for four seasons from 1995 to 1998, premiering on the Fox Kids Network on October 27, 1995. The series mainly featured plots based on the ''Goosebumps'' books, among them ''The Haunted Mask'' and '' Cuckoo Clock of Doom''. The TV series aired in over 100 countries and it was the number one rated children's TV show for three years in the United States. Margaret Loesch, formerly the CEO of Fox Kids, offered Scholastic a TV deal after her son responded positively to the ''Goosebumps'' book ''Say Cheese and Die'' she had bought for him a day earlier. A book series, titled '' Goosebumps Presents'', was based on the TV series.
On April 28, 2020, it was announced that a new ''Goosebumps''
live action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...
TV series was in the works by
Scholastic Entertainment
Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and on ...
,
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainme ...
and
Neal H. Moritz
Neal H. Moritz (born June 6, 1959) is an American film producer and founder of Original Film. He has produced over 70 major motion pictures which have grossed a total of over $11 billion worldwide as of 2021. He is best known for the ''Fast & Fu ...
's production company
Original Film
Original Film is an American film and television production company founded by Neal H. Moritz. Notable films the company has produced include the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise.
History
Original Film was started out in the early 1990s by Neal ...
. In February 2022, it was announced that the series will be heading to
Disney+
Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
.
Film adaptations
A film adaptation of Goosebumps was released on October 16, 2015, directed by
Rob Letterman
Robert Thomas Letterman (born October 31, 1970) is an American film director and screenwriter.
Letterman made his directorial debut as co-director of the animated comedy film ''Shark Tale'' (2004), for which he received a nomination for the Annie ...
written by Darren Lemke and duo
Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
Scott Alexander (born June 16, 1963) and Larry Karaszewski (; born November 20, 1961) are an American screenwriter, screenwriting team. They are best known for writing postmodern biopics with larger-than-life characters. They coined the term " ...
with
Neal H. Moritz
Neal H. Moritz (born June 6, 1959) is an American film producer and founder of Original Film. He has produced over 70 major motion pictures which have grossed a total of over $11 billion worldwide as of 2021. He is best known for the ''Fast & Fu ...
and Deborah Forte, the latter of whom developed the TV series, producing the film and stars Jack Black as a fictionalized version of R. L. Stine "whose scary characters literally leap off the page, forcing him to hide from his own creepy creations" with
Dylan Minnette
Dylan Christopher Minnette (born December 29, 1996) is an American actor, musician and singer. He is known for his role as Clay Jensen in the Netflix drama series '' 13 Reasons Why''. He has made guest appearances in several television series, s ...
as Zach Cooper, and
Odeya Rush
Odeya Rushinek ( he, אודיה רושינק; born ), known professionally as Odeya Rush (), is an Israeli actress. In the film, Hannah's father R. L. Stine keeps all the monsters in the series locked up in his books. When Zach unintentionally releases the monsters from the books, Zach, Hannah, and Stine team up in order to put the monsters back where they came from.
A sequel, '' Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween'' was released on October 12, 2018, directed by
Ari Sandel
Ari Devon Sandel (born September 5, 1974) is an American filmmaker. He is known for directing the short film ''West Bank Story'' (2005), which won the 2006 Academy Award in the category Best Live Action Short Film.
Life and career
Sandel was bor ...
, replacing Letterman, due to being busy directing '' Pokémon: Detective Pikachu'', and written by Rob Lieber. Jack Black returned in the sequel, making his characters the only one from the previous film to return, the sequel stars
Madison Iseman
Madison Iseman (born February 14, 1997) is an American actress. She is known for playing Charlotte in the CMT comedy television series '' Still the King'', She is also known for playing Rain Burroughs in '' Fear of Rain'', Bethany Walker in '' J ...
,
Caleel Harris
Caleel Harris (born April 19, 2003) is an American actor.
Career
He joined Nickelodeon in 2015, and voiced AJ from '' Blaze and the Monster Machines'', then later in 2016, he provided the voice of Clyde McBride on ''The Loud House'' until season ...
and
Jeremy Ray Taylor
Jeremy Raymond Taylor (born June 2, 2003) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Ben Hanscom
''It'' is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. ''It'' was his 22nd book and his 17th novel written under his own name. T ...
as the new leads.
Video games
There are seven ''Goosebumps'' video games, two of which have been created for the PC by
DreamWorks Interactive
Danger Close Games (formerly DreamWorks Interactive LLC and EA Los Angeles) was an American video game developer based in Los Angeles. The company was founded in March 1995 as joint venture between DreamWorks SKG and Microsoft (later moved to Mi ...
One Day at HorrorLand
''One Day at HorrorLand'' was originally published in February 1994 and is the sixteenth children's horror novel in R. L. Stine's ''Goosebumps'' series. It was adapted into a two-part episode for the television series, which was later released on ...
'', and a 1997 game entitled ''
Attack of the Mutant
''Goosebumps'' is a series of children's horror fiction novellas by R. L. Stine. 62 books were published under the ''Goosebumps'' umbrella title from 1992 to 1997; the first was '' Welcome to Dead House''; the last was ''Monster Blood IV''. Some ...
'' was based on the book of the same name. Scholastic released a ''Goosebumps'' video game in October 2008 entitled ''
Goosebumps HorrorLand
''Goosebumps HorrorLand'' is a horror novella series by R.L. Stine, a spin-off of his popular ''Goosebumps'' books. There was an almost ten-year gap between the publication of the initial installment in the ''Goosebumps Horrorland.''
Overvi ...
'', based on the series of the same name. Another video game, ''Goosebumps: The Game'', a prequel to the 2015 film, was released on October 13, 2015. ''Goosebumps: Night of Scares'', a mobile game based on the film and the book series was released for iOS and Android devices on October 15 of the same year. A Mobile game, ''Goosebumps: HorrorTown'' was released in 2018. One last game released in 2020 called Goosebumps Dead of Night, available for PC and Consoles.
Comics
A comic book series, titled ''Goosebumps Graphix'', was written based on books from the original series. There were three books published in the series; the first one, '' Creepy Creatures'', was published on September 1, 2006. The second one ''Terror Trips'' is published in March 2007. The third one ''Scary Summer'' was released in July 2007. The fourth one ''Slappy's Tales of Horror'' is released in August 2015.
IDW Comics
IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly rec ...
later released a new ''Goosebumps'' comic series, with three issues per arc. Its first arc, ''Monsters at Midnight'', was released from October to December 2017; a second arc, ''Download and Die!'', was released from March to May 2018. The latest arc, ''Horrors of the Witch House'' was released from March to May 2019. Each were also released as trade paperbacks.
Other media
''Goosebumps'' has spawned merchandise, including T-shirts,
board game
Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well.
Many board games feature a co ...
s, puzzles, hats, fake skulls, dolls,
bike helmet
A bicycle helmet is a type of helmet designed to attenuate impacts to the head of a cyclist in falls while minimizing side effects such as interference with peripheral vision. There is ongoing scientific research into the degree of protection ...
s, fake blood, and boxer shorts. ''Goosebumps'' was also adapted into a stage play by Rupert Holmes in 1998 and a stage musical by
John Maclay
John Scott Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel, (26 October 1905 – 17 August 1992) was a British politician, sitting as a National Liberal and Conservative Member of Parliament before the party was fully assimilated into the Unionist Party in Sco ...
and
Danny Abosch
Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to the male name Daniel. It may refer to:
People
* Danny Altmann, British immunologist
*Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer
*Danny Baker (born 1957), English journal ...
in 2016: ''
Goosebumps The Musical
''Goosebumps The Musical: Phantom Of The Auditorium'' (also known as ''Goosebumps The Musical'') is a musical with book and lyrics by John Maclay, and music and lyrics by Danny Abosch. It is based on ''Phantom of the Auditorium'', book 24 of the ...
'', based on book 24: ''Goosebumps: Phantom of the Auditorium''. ''Goosebumps'' has an official website, which garners 1.5 million page views each month as of 2008. An attraction based on the series, the Goosebumps HorrorLand Fright Show and FunHouse, opened in October 1997 at
Disney-MGM Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Based on a concept by ...
's New York Street. Before it closed, the attraction consisted of a stage play which featured characters from the series; this show played five times a day. The attraction also featured a
funhouse
A funhouse or fun house is an amusement facility found on amusement park and funfair midways and is where patrons encounter and interact with various devices designed to surprise, challenge, and amuse them. Unlike thrill rides or dark rides, f ...
, called the Goosebumps HorrorLand Hall of Mirrors, which contained a maze of mirrors along with other props and gags from the series. In 2008, it was announced that
Sally Corporation
Sally Corporation is a dark ride and animatronic manufacturing company based in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. The company serves amusement parks, attractions, museums, and retail clients worldwide. It offers complete design/build service ...
would market ''Goosebumps'' rides.
The books ''
One Day at HorrorLand
''One Day at HorrorLand'' was originally published in February 1994 and is the sixteenth children's horror novel in R. L. Stine's ''Goosebumps'' series. It was adapted into a two-part episode for the television series, which was later released on ...
'' and ''
A Night in Terror Tower
''A Night in Terror Tower'' is the twenty-seventh book in the original ''Goosebumps'', the series of children's horror fiction novels created and authored by R. L. Stine. It was adapted into a two-part episode, an audiobook, and a board game. The ...
'' were adapted into two separate board games in 1996. Both games were published by
Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley (November 8, 1836 – May 30, 1911) was an American business magnate, game pioneer and publisher, credited by many with launching the board game industry, with his eponymous enterprise, which was purchased by Hasbro in 1984, and ...
and designed by Craig Van Ness.
Legal dispute
In November 1996, Scholastic, the publisher of the series, and Parachute Press, the developer of the series, agreed to a new contract. Scholastic retained control of book publishing and the TV series, but gave Parachute Press merchandising rights to the series. In September 1997, following a dispute between Scholastic and Parachute Press, Scholastic accused Parachute Press of violating the contract. Scholastic claimed that Parachute Press had been making merchandising deals and issuing press releases without Scholastic's required consent, and had begun withholding payments from them. In November 1997, Parachute responded by alleging Scholastic had repudiated its financial obligations, claiming Scholastic had voided its rights to publish 54 books. Parachute Press filed a lawsuit, which followed with numerous other suits and counter lawsuits over who controls certain rights to the series. In 2003, the two sides reached an agreement, with Scholastic receiving the ''Goosebumps'' trademark and all other rights to the series for .
See also
* ''
Fear Street
''Fear Street'' is a teenage horror fiction series written by American author R. L. Stine, starting in 1989. In 1995, a series of books inspired by the ''Fear Street'' series, called '' Ghosts of Fear Street'', was created for younger readers ...
Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids
Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids (often nicknamed ''Grizzly Tales'') is the generic trademarked title for a series of award-winning children's books by British author Jamie Rix which were later adapted into an animated television series of the s ...