Uncomfortable monsters of Horror and Halloween

The Nightmare

The joy of Halloween is always connected with the excitement of watching a good Horror film, for me. I discovered the Horror genre when I was fairly young. It was what the coolest kid in the classroom used to watch. I remember listening, enthralled, as he opened the door to the dangerous and magnetic world of Nightmare on Elm Street for me and only me.

Ink and fineliner sketch of a giant lion treat chasing a mini-Wolfman, created by Phaedonstar — **Lion treat 1. Wolfman 0.**

The magic

It was the start of a life-long love affair. Not with my elusive classroom crush, but with Horror films. The magic of Horror is that it actually provides a safe space to experience uncomfortable feelings. Its biggest attraction has always been its monsters.

Ink and fineliner sketch of a happy little Frankenstein monster jumping in front of a giant jack o' lantern pumpkin bursting with sweets, created by Phaedonstar — **“HALLOWEEN’S ALIVE!”**

The monsters

So there came a time when I wanted to do some sketches putting my own spin on Halloween and Horror monster lore. Traditionally, it’s the monsters who are the scary villains, the flag-bearers of Halloween, bringing discomfort to the viewer. But what if things were reversed? What if the monsters were the cute things being chased by Halloween itself, and by our avid consumption of them?

Fineliner and promarker sketch of a marshmallow mummy being eaten by two little trick-or-treaters, created by Phaedonstar — **Marshmallow Mummy is having a Wardrobe Malfunction**

I went on to do a series of vignettes featuring classic, Hollywood monsters like Frankenstein, the Mummy and the Wolfman having a time of it at Halloween. I had more planned, going into more recent filmography. I hope to return, revenant-like, and seal them forever in viciously cute visuals.