Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

CanwllCorfe · 02-04-2012, 07:11 PM

After seeing Pedestrian's new avatar, I remembered I wanted to make a topic about these. We all know the books. If you don't, you're a disgrace. The stories were normally not all that scary, sometimes they were, but not too much so. But then there was Gammell's terrifying illustrations. I remember having a hard time looking at some of them as a kid, which of course meant that I loved them.

Well, they've been replaced. They are no longer around. The prices for the books containing Gammell's illustrations have skyrocketed. Our childhoods have been raped. It's a travesty. Luckily I have the treasury book which contains all the stories in one hardback book, as well as the boxed set. Here's some before and afters of the originals and the new ones.

Freebase Dali · 02-04-2012, 07:17 PM

I knew I recognized that. I remember having a book with those stories when I was young. Wasn't there a story about a giant's toe in it?

CanwllCorfe · 02-04-2012, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

I knew I recognized that. I remember having a book with those stories when I was young. Wasn't there a story about a giant's toe in it?

Yup! The first story in the first book is called The Big Toe.

**Frownland** · 02-04-2012, 07:20 PM

You just made me remember half of my elementary school years when that series scared the pants off of me.

CanwllCorfe · 02-04-2012, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

You just made me remember half of my elementary school years when that series scared the pants off of me.

You're welcome!

I remember it scaring me too, but I was weird about things that scared me when I was younger. I liked scary stuff, but it terrified me at the same time. I would look at horror movie covers at the rental stores, I loved Halloween, and I always talked about going to haunted houses. My mom also said I was fascinated by blood and gore. It makes sense.

Paedantic Basterd · 02-04-2012, 07:28 PM

I remember The Big Toe. My mother used to read it to me, and shout the last line at me. Scared me silly.

Freebase Dali · 02-04-2012, 07:35 PM

I used to love those stories so much.
Those stories are up there with my first viewing of Night of the Living Dead.

Man, it's so weird how you can still feel the emotional context of something you've read, heard, or watched as a child, even with the vast difference and rationality in your thinking later on. It's almost as though you don't even want to re-experience it because it would somehow take away from the feeling you got when you were a kid.

**Frownland** · 02-04-2012, 07:41 PM

I don't recall if it was really the stories that scared me or if it was the illustrations. I recall never wanting to go near my window after reading one of the stories, I think it was called The Drum. Good times, good times.

CanwllCorfe · 02-04-2012, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

I remember The Big Toe. My mother used to read it to me, and shout the last line at me. Scared me silly.

I "borrowed" the second book from my brother and became enamored with it. Mainly because of the illustrations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

I used to love those stories so much.
Those stories are up there with my first viewing of Night of the Living Dead.

Man, it's so weird how you can still feel the emotional context of something you've read, heard, or watched as a child, even with the vast difference and rationality in your thinking later on. It's almost as though you don't even want to re-experience it because it would somehow take away from the feeling you got when you were a kid.

I totally get what you mean. I still the same kind of feelings when I listen to specific songs or see certain images.

Freebase Dali · 02-04-2012, 07:44 PM

The pictures weren't the impact for me. I was a pretty imaginative child, and I read a lot. I was more frightened by the scenarios created in the stories, imagining I was there, the concepts, and the pictures I conjured up myself.

02-04-2012, 07:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
CanwllCorfe Quiet Man in the Corner Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Pocono Mountains Posts: 2,480	Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark After seeing Pedestrian's new avatar, I remembered I wanted to make a topic about these. We all know the books. If you don't, you're a disgrace. The stories were normally not all that scary, sometimes they were, but not too much so. But then there was Gammell's terrifying illustrations. I remember having a hard time looking at some of them as a kid, which of course meant that I loved them. Well, they've been replaced. They are no longer around. The prices for the books containing Gammell's illustrations have skyrocketed. Our childhoods have been raped. It's a travesty. Luckily I have the treasury book which contains all the stories in one hardback book, as well as the boxed set. Here's some before and afters of the originals and the new ones. __________________ Your eyes were never yet let in to see the majesty and riches of the mind, but dwell in darkness; for your God is blind.

02-04-2012, 07:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
Freebase Dali Partying on the inside Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,584	I knew I recognized that. I remember having a book with those stories when I was young. Wasn't there a story about a giant's toe in it? __________________

02-04-2012, 07:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	You just made me remember half of my elementary school years when that series scared the pants off of me. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

02-04-2012, 07:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
Freebase Dali Partying on the inside Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,584	I used to love those stories so much. Those stories are up there with my first viewing of Night of the Living Dead. Man, it's so weird how you can still feel the emotional context of something you've read, heard, or watched as a child, even with the vast difference and rationality in your thinking later on. It's almost as though you don't even want to re-experience it because it would somehow take away from the feeling you got when you were a kid. __________________

02-04-2012, 07:41 PM	#8 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	I don't recall if it was really the stories that scared me or if it was the illustrations. I recall never wanting to go near my window after reading one of the stories, I think it was called The Drum. Good times, good times. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

02-04-2012, 07:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	I remember The Big Toe. My mother used to read it to me, and shout the last line at me. Scared me silly.

02-04-2012, 07:44 PM	#10 (permalink)
Freebase Dali Partying on the inside Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,584	The pictures weren't the impact for me. I was a pretty imaginative child, and I read a lot. I was more frightened by the scenarios created in the stories, imagining I was there, the concepts, and the pictures I conjured up myself. __________________