Goosebumps Thread

[minor muppetz]

In the last few days, I've been thinking a lot about the Goosebumps book series by R.L. Stein and thought I'd start a thread for the series.

I first heard of Goosebumps when I was in the fourth grade, the 1993-1994 school year, when my teacher read us "Let's Get Invisible". Then I heard that there were more Goosebumps books, and wanted some, but wouldn't get one myself until late 1994, when my school had a book fair and I picked out the book "One Day at Horrorland", and then for Christmas I got a few more. But then I wouldn't start collecting them in a big way until the 1995-1996 school year. I think it was at this point when the popularity had exploded, though I could be wrong on that. I primarily collected the books during my years in middle school (1995-1998) and pretty much stopped around the time the Goosebumps 2000 series began, though I do have a few of those. But then recently I've been thinking a lot about Goosebumps, reading about them online, on wikipedia and TV tropes, reading some of the books that I have (I think I still have them all, though there's quite a few I can't find at my house), and watching episodes on Netflix (it previously said that the series was on Netflix until today, but today when I look it no longer says it's expiring today... Maybe it'll stay!).

I'm pretty sure that I managed to get all of the books that I really wanted, though for the most part, it was the title or cover that got me really wanting it (or I saw the TV show episode and wanted the book). Books like My Harriest Adventure, Why I'm Afraid of Bees, Be Careful What You Wish For, The Girl Who Cried Monster, Stay Out of the Basement, and Monster Blood III (I had already gotten the first two for Christmas 1994, when I wasn't familiar with all the titles and covers, but in addition to wanting that one because it was a sequel, I wanted it because I heard that it had a character named Kermit).

I remember when I got the last of the original series, "Monster Blood IV", and saw on the back that next was the Goosebumps 2000 series. Looking through the books I could find at home, I found that I have quite a few of those, but don't remember any details of them. As a kid, I was often wondering why they had to add the 2000 subtitle, and if there was a big difference. Looking at wikipedia and TV Tropes, it seems like it was mainly just supposed to be darker and edgier than the original series, and also that sales/interest for the original series was slipping so this was to keep fans interested (or get new fans).

 

[minor muppetz]

One thing that I wonder is when the Goosebumps suddenly became as popular as it did. The first books came out in 1992, I first heard of them at least a year later, and I sort of feel like the popularity erupted around 1995. Not only is that when I had really started collecting and obsessing over them, but that's also when the TV series began, and I think that's when they started coming out with sub series of books (Give Yourself Goosebumps and Tales to Give You Goosebumps).

But were the books instant hits? Looking at wikipedia, the first two books came out in September 1992, but I'm guessing they were both intended for then regardless of how the first one sold (wikipedia doesn't list exact dates for the books, just the months and years, so I'm not sure if they were released on the same day or not). When James Rolfe did a video talking about the books, he mentioned that he stopped collecting around the 30th book because they were coming out so frequently and he had trouble keeping up, and TV Tropes speculates (or maybe it is a sourced fact) that R.L. Stein had ghost writers because he had to do so many books, but when looking at the list of books on wikipedia, it seems there was usually only one a month, maybe two (but that's just accounting for the original series, there would have been more released when you put into account the Tales to Give You Goosebumps and Give Yourself Goosebumps books). Then again, even though the books are fairly short, I guess it can be a bit of work coming up with full stories every month (or being able to buy each book when it's new, at least when you have/want to buy other things).

I liked the television series. I watched The Haunted Mask in its first broadcast (where it was a special primetime hour-long broadcast). When I saw that one I had already had The Haunted Mask II but hadn't read the first one. In fact the series was a great way to know the stories without reading the books (but that didn't stop me from wanting them). There were quite a few hour-long episodes that were later split into two parts (Stay Out of the Basement, Night in Terror Tower, The Haunted Mask II). So it was odd when Welcome to Camp Nightmare was originally broadcast as a two-part episode. I remember when that aired, I was unable to see part 2 (can't remember why) and was upset over it. I wonder if any other two-part episodes originally aired as two-parters instead of an hour. And it seems like every episode that was released on VHS was one that was originally an hour-long episode (they didn't want to put two half-hour episodes on one video?).

 

[Eyeball]

Night of the living dummy 3 was broadcast in the UK as a two parter, not sure if it was in the US.

 

[The Count]

As for the popularity of the book series, I'm guessing that has much to do with the popularity of the TV series. That, plus it was marketed as part of the boom of Fox Kids TV which was during the early-to-mid 1990's. So glad I was in on that, especially when I still had good sight.

The TV series has had "revival" interest, airing on various channels throughout the month of October and now year-long on what used to be The Hub (Discovery Family). It pretty much led to other R. L. Stine series like The Nightmare Room (extremely short-lived series) and The Haunting Hour.

Also, while we're on the subject... You do know there's going to be a Goosebumps live-action moving starring Jack Black right? It had a presentation dedicated to itself at SDCC 2014.

 

[Eyeball]

there's going to be a Goosebumps live-action moving starring Jack Black right? It had a presentation dedicated to itself at SDCC 2014.

No way! I didnt expect that...Thanks for the info.

 

[minor muppetz]

One thing I wonder is why they adapted Night of the Living Dummy II without adapting the first Night of the Living Dummy for the TV series. I also wonder why the TV version of Slappy the dummy looks different from what's on the book illustrations. On the book covers, he has brown hair and a bit of a frightening appearance, on the TV show he has orange hair and looks a bit more comical.

 

[Eyeball]

One thing I wonder is why they adapted Night of the Living Dummy II without adapting the first Night of the Living Dummy for the TV series. I also wonder why the TV version of Slappy the dummy looks different from what's on the book illustrations. On the book covers, he has brown hair and a bit of a frightening appearance, on the TV show he has orange hair and looks a bit more comical.

I'd guess maybe budget restraints stopped them from adapting the first NOTLD as there are two dummys in that and I'm guessing they were quite expensive to make/operate and i think the reason why they made slappy look exaxtly like the description of Mr wood was for precisely the reason you mentined, he was too frightening for younger viewers.

 

[minor muppetz]

I'd guess maybe budget restraints stopped them from adapting the first NOTLD as there are two dummys in that and I'm guessing they were quite expensive to make/operate and i think the reason why they made slappy look exaxtly like the description of Mr wood was for precisely the reason you mentined, he was too frightening for younger viewers.

Speaking of which, the first book focused on Mr. Wood, with Slappy having only a minor role before becoming the star of the series. It seems odd that the book covers used the same design for the main dummy. I guess that's to avoid confusion for those who read the sequels before the first book, that the dummy on the cover of the first book retroactively became Slappy as a result.

 

[Eyeball]

Speaking of which, the first book focused on Mr. Wood, with Slappy having only a minor role before becoming the star of the series. It seems odd that the book covers used the same design for the main dummy. I guess that's to avoid confusion for those who read the sequels before the first book, that the dummy on the cover of the first book retroactively became Slappy as a result.

Yes I suppose so, I mean I read the third one first myself and would of been wondering who the heck Mr wood was if it was 'slappy' on the cover, speaking of which I do find he gets slightly overrated as the fan favorite antagonist, and there were quite a few better/creppier than him for example the house of no return entities, the SCAD camera, I could go on...but I won't XD

 

[minor muppetz]

In "The Girl Who Cried Monster", at the end, when the parents mention that them being monsters is why it took them so long to believe Lucy's story about the librarian being a monster, all these years I've thought they meant that they did believe her the whole time but acted like they didn't because they weren't ready to reveal they were monsters (until they ate Mr. Morton), but now, after watching the episode recently and seeing it follow the line about there not being any other monsters around for 20 years, I wonder if they meant that it took them so long to believe her just because there hadn't been any monsters around for so long.