Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark has long been traumatizing and terrorizing young readers in all of the best ways. The series from Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell retold classic folklore tales with horrifying illustrations and was even recently adapted into a brilliantly spooky film by Guillermo del Toro. In celebration of the beloved books, a team of fans have crafted a homage to the classic series called Scary Stories: A Tribute to Terror that features new illustrations and stories inspired by the original.
As the video above shows, the project was the brainchild of author Curt Tuckfield, who created 34 original stories for the collection, and artist Shane Hunt, who created illustrations and animations for the official Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark documentary. The new book aims to recreate the fear and passion that the original series instilled in kids all around the world complete with horrifying new illustrations that are instantly reminiscent of Gammell’s iconic art.
On the book’s official site, Tuckfield writes, “This book was four years in the making. As kids, Curt and I were traumatized in the best way by the Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark books. They horrified and delighted us. We waited, hopeful that some fourth volume would be released. By early 2016, we decided if anyone was going to make another Scary Stories book it would have to be us. We have spent hundreds of hours analyzing the writing style of Alvin Schwartz and the art of Stephen Gammell. This project is the culmination of that effort. Our goal in making this book was simple; to scare ourselves. We made this book because we wanted it. We knew that if we didn’t feel like it was an authentic Scary Stories experience, then no one else would either.”
Shane Hunt
We read four of the stories in this collection and they’re all good spooky fun that is very clearly inspired by the books we loved so much growing up. The Fortune Teller centers on a young woman who makes a misinformed choice to visit a local psychic, The Time Out Corner tells the story of two young brothers who discover something horrible in their home, When I Wake Up brings everyone’s worst childhood fear to life, and Mannequin centers on a selfish woman who loves nothing more than to shop who meets a terrible fate. Working as sort of Creepy Pasta versions of Schwartz stories the style and structure of Tuckfield’s work feels immediately familiar even some of the stories are lacking the visceral scares of the original folk tale retellings.
As exciting as this project is, it’s important to note that this is an entirely fan made endeavor that doesn’t have any official connection to the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books or brand. But if you’re still intrigued you can read a selection of four stories from the book right here! If you enjoy them then you can order the collection from Scarystoriestribute.com.
Header Image: Shane Hunt