Screw you Stephen Gammell, your illustrations scared the shit out of me as a kid. Especially the Haunted House.
Brett Helquist has nothing on Stephen Gammell. Helquist’s art is too formulaic, too clean, which seems proper to any children’s literature, I suppose. Gammel’s art was nightmare fuel because of how abstract, gritty and direful he could portray urban legend art. It didn’t matter if Gammell was drawing for kids or adults in these books because his work here was grisly and terrifying.
^Yes this! Gammell’s work is beautiful in its disgusting, terrifying detail. I find his art every bit as delightfully disturbing now as I did 20 years ago! This one was always my favourite…
^that was my favorite too.
Why would they bother with new illustrations? They should know that whoever’s gonna buy the new editions only wants them for the art.
It’s been challenged for 30 years for the illustrations alone.
Thanks, lame parents.
Gammell’s illustrations scared me SHITLESS as a kid (and still kinda do) but that’s what makes them so great! They were what nightmares were.
OMG THESE!!! were the BEST
