Goosebumps

[Karutomaru]

Well it's October again and that means Cartoon Network is showing Goosebumps again. When I watch it I can feel my childhood coming back to me, so I just wanted to take this thread to reflect how much of an influence this show and the books were.

The younger generation may not believe it, but back in the 90s, Goosebumps was the shits. Lots of kids watched the show, had the books, and lots of other things, myself included. I had a bunch of the books, an elaborate Goosebumps board game, and even a Goosebumps tent. Yeah. A freaking Goosebumps tent. I think I have the board game somewhere in the house and I have a few of the books still on my shelf like A Shocker on Shock Street. Unfortunately I sold the tent at a garage sale, but I'll never forget how I'd always set it up in my room and just sit in it. It was so awesome. Bottom line: Goosebumps was popular.

One thing that's worth mentioning is that both the show and the books were targeted towards kids, and the show aired on Saturday mornings! Consider this: Back then the show was TVY7 and now it's PG, so it can get pretty scary. Goosebumps wasn't a show that needed shock value, violence, or fancy camera angles. Goosebumps was all about atmosphere and unsettling scenarios. Just imagine if you wore a mask that fused to your face and controlled your actions or if you started aging rapidly. I would shit bricks. The writing also has a somewhat Twilight Zone effect on it in the form of really awesome plot twists; I'll give an example from one of the books that never had a show episode so I don't spoil it: It's a story about this kid who keeps growing hair and he doesn't know why, but he suspects it's a new sunblock he got. It turns out he was originally a dog who was turned into a human by some organization and he was reverting back. That's a twist right there. Occasionally it also has these cliffhanger endings, but I won't go into detail on those because it's just what it sounds like. A cliffhanger, usually one with no conlusion.

When I was a kid I remember going to the library and renting a Goosebumps VHS tape to watch at home. Specifically Stay Out of the Basement, A Night in Terror Tower, and the Haunted Mask. They all practically gave me.... uh..... goosebumps; it just gives you really chills and an unsettling feeling. Today some of the effects are really bad and sometimes laughable, but back then they were pretty standard for something live action. I also wathed the show on Fox Kids when it was still around and even on Saturday Morning it still scared me. One episode, Slappy's Bride, I literally hid under my pillow for a lot of it. It was THAT scary. On the VHS tapes the episodes would sometimes have an introduction and outro with R.L. Stine, which was really awesome, and what's more awesome is that for those episodes they're showing them on Cartoon Network! Cool.

So to wrap this whole thing up I guess I can say that R.L. Stine's novels and shows influenced me to write more than I realized. He scared me, but didn't scar me, and when I see these creepy episodes again today I get both chills and smiles remembering how awesome Goosebumps was and still is. It was and still is a great series. I hoped you enjoyed reading this, I know I had some fun writing it, and I want to know how some of the people here remember Goosebumps.

[Tenyasyugan]

Here's something I can actually post on. {although you exaggerated some points...}

Anywho, I loved to read these when I was 5. The t.v. shows're corny to me now but back then, I loved the ooz~

Some of the books I have are the choose your own ending ones. I have the Carnival one {can't remember the full titles here...} and escape the Magician or something like that. I remember reading one on sea monkeys, and I actually wished I had one as a pet {not a man-eating one that brings horrid bad luck}.

[terra99032]

Wow, i never knew it was that famous, i have read some of the books and seen 1 episode but, wow. a tent, a frikin tent, man that would be awsome.

[Karutomaru]

Oh yeah. I have one of those choosing books in my room. The one with the tropical island and the sea creature, but the first one I got was the Diary of a Mad Mummy, where some mummy switches bodies with you.

[Tenyasyugan]

I remember seeing the television episode about an evil sponge thing. I laughed quite a bit when the thing sprouted fangs. So corny...

Ah, childhood memories that can be seen as failures. Good times. Good times.

[Karutomaru]

Originally Posted by terra99032

Wow, i never knew it was that famous, i have read some of the books and seen 1 episode but, wow. a tent, a frikin tent, man that would be awsome.

Yeah. but it was a really small tent and it had to be held up by plastic stands. If I were to fit in there now I'd have to be curled into a ball, and maybe even THEN I wouldn't fit. But maybe it wasn't a tent so much as a plastic cloth put over plastic frames.

[Karutomaru]

Originally Posted by Tenyasyugan

I remember seeing the television episode about an evil sponge thing. I laughed quite a bit when the thing sprouted fangs. So corny...

Ah, childhood memories that can be seen as failures. Good times. Good times.

LOL. I saw that episode just the other day! Yeah the effects are definitely bad. Isn't it odd how that sponge and the kids were never in the same shot at the same time when it was growing? That was lame, but the writing itself is what makes it compelling.

[Tenyasyugan]

Use the edit button Karu,

Anywho, if they were to remake the series and use new affects, I'd probably watch it for old times sake.

[Karutomaru]

Maybe, but there isn't much to remake. Even if they did it would be a bunch of CG, and I for one really like their costumes and masks. They're actually realistic. Even the lip movements.

[terra99032]

I've seen and read the one were those two kids, boy and girl, (they are sibliings), go visit there AuntY and Uncle. my memories a bit fuzzy but there was a mysterious cave, and two other freaky kids

[Karutomaru]

Ghost Beach? That's what it sounds like.

[Diastyl]

From where I come, Goosebumps doesnt show on Cartoon Network, but I love the books and watch whatever episodes are there on Youtube.

I liked the Night of the Living Dummy best

[terra99032]

were do you come from ?. seriously, i am curious to know.

[Mari]

Hmm.. I remember it was on Fox Kids over here... I loved the books, but didn't watch it on TV that often, so can't remember anything of it. I bet I would find both the show and the books corny now though.

[Karutomaru]

Originally Posted by terra99032

were do you come from ?. seriously, i am curious to know.

Technically California, but I've lived in Texas most of my life. I'm also part Zerg if that tells you anything.