R.L. Stine’s bestselling children’s horror series, Goosebumps, launched in 1992 with the publication of Welcome To Dead House, the first book in the future mega-successful franchise. Since the ’90s, Goosebumps and author R.L. Stine have done a whole lot for children’s horror. ’90s and 2000s kids look back on the beloved series with nostalgia, and Stine is often referred to as the Stephen King of children’s horror.
In October of 1995, a Canadian/American adaptation of Stine’s hit series came to TV. Though the children’s horror anthology show was short-lived, airing from ’95 to ’98, it undeniably made its mark in the world of children’s horror. Goosebumps would work to pave the way for other successful series in its genre, such as Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, which relaunched in 2000 after a six-year run in the early ’90s.
Spooky and darkly comedic, Goosebumps is definitely an unforgettable part of children’s horror, so let’s take a look at some of the scariest monsters from the TV series and books.
10 The Undead (Welcome To Dead House)
As aforementioned, Welcome To Dead House was the very first book in Stine’s Goosebumps series, and since he hadn’t yet gotten into the children’s horror groove, the novel was a little more mature and frightening than the ones that would follow.
Welcome To Dead House was the 39th episode in the TV series adaptation, and although it was not as haunting as the book, the show definitely did one aspect of the story justice, and that was the undead. There was something simply unsettling about the zombified folks of Dark Falls, and how they managed to masquerade as a human for so long. The horror in this Goosebumps episode was not exactly in your face, but it was the eerie simplicity that felt unnerving.
9 The Masks (The Haunted Mask)
The Haunted Mask is one of the most well-known books and episodes of the series and is regarded as one of the scariest. It was the very first episode in the Goosebumps series and it definitely made a notable impression. Based on the 11th book in R.L. Stine’s series, the adaptation was praised for staying fairly faithful to the source material.
The Haunted Mask not only had memorable performances from its young cast – namely Kathryn Long, who would later receive a Gemini Award nomination for her role of Carly Bath Caldwell – but it also boasted some eerie, unforgettable monsters. The masks were some of the more realistic-looking, visceral monsters in the entire Goosebumps series.
8 The Camera (Say Cheese And Die)
Say Cheese And Die is a story that’s known for being unapologetically, well, cheesy. It’s the signature Goosebumps blend of comedy and lighthearted horror, in both the book and TV episode. But the story itself is one that’s quite unnerving.
Say Cheese And Die (as well as its sequel, Say Cheese And Die…Again!) revolves around an old instant camera that brings bad luck to those who have their picture taken with it. In the Goosebumps episode, the camera causes a severe car accident and the disappearance of a teenage girl. That’s pretty hardcore, especially for a Goosebumps monster.
7 The Werewolf (The Werewolf Of Fever Swamp)
There was more than one major werewolf story in the Goosebumps series, and both of them would later be adapted in the TV show. Werewolf Skin is one of the lesser-known ones; it was the 60th book of the series and the 57th episode in the television show. Meanwhile, The Werewolf Of Fever Swamp is most commonly known as the OG Goosebumps werewolf story, as it was the 14th book and the 18th episode.
The Werewolf Of Fever Swamp definitely deserves the recognition and appreciation it gets, as it’s one of the spookier Goosebumps stories in both mediums. The werewolf is the main monster in this story, and perhaps what makes it so scary is the fact that it’s not explicitly shown or described.
6 The Sadler Ghosts (Ghost Beach)
The TV series adapted this story in its 18th episode, but arguably, did not do the haunting tale depicted in Stine’s book justice. Ghost Beach was the 22nd Goosebumps book, and it was one of the more notably gruesome tales to date.
The story is about siblings Terri and Jerry, who discover a dark family secret when they visit their relatives rural home. Ghost Beach is set on the spooky titular beach, in which the Sadler siblings meet some strange kids who turn out to be ghosts. In the book, one of the most memorable scenes was when the skin and hair started melting off the Sadler ghosts’ bodies, leaving only their skeletons.
5 Andrew (The Headless Ghost)
Goosebumps takes a stab at paying homage to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting Of Hill House in what was the 24th episode and 37th book. The story is about two “meddling kids,” Stephanie and Duane, who love to sneak into Hill House and pull pranks on unsuspecting tourists.
There are several monsters in this story, and they are all the ghosts that haunt Hill House. The scariest one, though, is probably the titular Headless Ghost, a young boy named Andrew who lost his head to an ancient spirit in his youth.
4 Slappy (Multiple Books/Episodes)
We couldn’t make a list about Goosebumps monsters without mentioning Slappy, one of R.L. Stine’s most infamous, well-known creations who is still wreaking havoc in some of his most recent books. Slappy is a ventriloquist dummy who is inhabited with an evil spirit that has a wicked sense of humor. Slappy may not be the scariest monster, but he is definitely one of the most invincible.
3 Hannah (The Ghost Next Door)
The Ghost Next Door was the 1oth book in the Goosebumps series and the 69th episode of the television show. It’s well-respected due to its unique storyline that stands apart from some of the other more repetitive Goosebumps storylines.
In this story, the protagonist, Hannah, could actually be considered one of the monsters, since she was actually a ghost. And the main monster in the story – the shadow figure – just ended up pointing her towards the light, so she could reunite with her family.
2 The Plant “Dad” (Stay Out Of The Basement)
Stay Out Of The Basement was the second book in the Goosebumps series, and therefore, the first story to take on a sci-fi-esque twist. The television series’ 12th episode brought a faithful adaptation, with a slight alteration to the twist ending.
Stay Out Of The Basement utilizes hybrid plants as its monsters, almost like a tamed-down version of Annihilation (2018). The main kids’ dad is the featured villain in the story, as he unwittingly created a plant clone of himself, which goes on to attempt to take over his life.
1 Rip The Cat (Cry Of The Cat)
Cry Of The Cat is the only story on this list that was part of the Goosebumps spinoff series, GoosebumpsSeries 2000. It was one of the only additions of said series to be adapted to a television episode, the only other being Bride Of The Living Dummy.
Cry Of The Cat was the very first book of Goosebumps Series 2000. Its monster was a killer feline named Rip, who had nine lives and intended on using all of them to terrorize any humans that got in his path.
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