“Goosebumps” author R.L. Stine scares up a few laughs at OCPL’s Comic Orange
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R.L. Stine is regarded as one of the greatest children’s horror authors. Best known for the delightfully frightening “Goosebumps” book series, his name is recognized across generations of readers. Yet, while most know his name and work, there is one thing people might not know: R.L. Stine is hilarious.
“Everyone always says write what you know, write from your heart. I have written 300 books and not a single word from my heart,” Stine deadpanned at a recent author talk and book signing at the Laguna Hills Community Center.
His appearance on May 7 was part of OC Public Libraries Comic Orange, a countywide event designed to promote literacy by highlighting OCPL’s graphic novel collections and celebrating comics. Funded in part by a grant from the California Department of Aging, administered locally by the Orange County Office on Aging, Stine appeared in conversation with fellow author, Jonathan Maberry, known for his suspense and thriller books, like the “Rot & Ruin” series.
Stine’s sense of humor isn’t a complete surprise, however. The best-selling author began his career writing for a kids humor magazine titled “Bananas” as well as joke books for children. Then his editors came to him with an idea for children’s horror books.
“They said, we should try a scary book series for young kids; no one has ever done it,” said Stine.
He reluctantly agreed, but only if he could come up with a good name for the book series.
“I was reading the T.V. Guide and I saw an ad at the bottom of one page that said, ‘It’s Goosebumps week on Channel 11’ and I just stared at it. I thought, ‘That’s perfect. We will call it Channel 11.’”
Before “Goosebumps” Stine wrote teen horror, a genre he said he also fell into by accident. His publisher had a disagreement with another horror author (who Stine said would remain nameless; right before he name checked Christopher Pike that is) and asked Stine to write the book instead. It was 1987.
“She said go home and write a book called ‘Blind Date’ and when it came out it was a number one bestseller,” said Stine. “I thought forget the funny stuff, and I have been doing horror ever since.”
His “Goosebumps” books for younger children came later, with the first of the series published in 1992 by Scholastic Books, which initially signed Stine for a six-book deal. The original “Goosebumps” series went on to contain 62 books and inspire spinoffs like “Goosebumps Series 2000,” “Tales to Give You Goosebumps,” “Goosebumps Triple Header” and “Goosebumps SlappyWorld.” The series has sold over 400 million copies globally in 35 languages and is second only to the Harry Potter series as far as best-selling children’s book series go. The series also inspired two television shows, including one on Disney+ starring David Schwimmer and two full-length feature films starring Jack Black.
“Goosebumps” is also one of many children’s books that has found new audiences since it was adapted into graphic novels, making the popular author a perfect fit for Comic Orange.
The adaptation of his books into graphic novels is something of a full circle moment for Stine who shared how he enjoyed reading comic books as a kid, particularly the “Tales from the Crypt” series, even though his mother forbade him to buy such comics.
“They were gruesome, bloody comics and they all had funny, twist endings,” Stine said of “Tales from the Crypt.” “I would read them at the barber shop because my mother wouldn’t let me buy them. She said they were trash. So every Saturday morning I would get a haircut.”
During the Q&A segment of the program, one young audience member asked what made Stine finally come around to the idea of writing scary books after trying to be funny.
“Greed and stupidity,” he said.
Stine also lamented about how no matter how many books he writes, readers always want to know about Slappy, the ventriloquist dummy who first appears in his “Goosebumps” book, “Night of the Living Dummy.” Many fans in the audience sat holding their own bow-tied Slappy dolls.
Stine told stories, including a funny account of how his son getting stuck in an old Frankenstein Halloween mask inspired another popular “Goosebumps” book, “The Haunted Mask.” He shared memorable experiences over his career, like winning a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award and meeting another well regarded horror author: Stephen King.
Maberry shared he had met King himself and when he did, they discussed Stine.
“I asked him, ‘When you grow up, what do you want to do?’ and he said ‘I want to be R.L. Stine,’” Maberry said. “He said, ‘You look like you’re having more fun than he’s having.’”
Stine shook his head in disbelief.
After the talk, Stine signed books for the first 200 people at the event, some who lined up as early as noon for the 6 p.m. event. Fans of all ages turned out with the audience numbering nearly 1,000 people, many in “Goosebumps” T-shirts or dressed as characters from his books.
For locals Gary and Effie Bender, meeting R.L. Stine was a childhood dream come true.
“What I want to tell R.L. Stine today is thank you for an amazing childhood and adulthood,” Effie said. “My nieces and nephews are reading my vintage books to me today as a 42-year-old and still watching the VHS [tapes] that I own.”
The Benders credit Stine with inspiring their love of horror.
“He was everyone’s introductory to that genre,” Gary said.
Once young reader getting that introduction is Johnny Gutierrez, who describes himself as a R.L. Stine super fan.
“I am a super fan because I have collected most of the books and I also watch the TV shows,” Gutierrez said. “I mostly like the classic books, like ‘Night of the Living Dummy.’”
Gutierrez brought several of his books to the event for signing along with his own Slappy doll.
Stine announced a new movie based on his teen horror book series “Fear Street” will drop on Netflix on May 23 and a new book will be out later this summer titled “Nightmare on Nightmare Street.” It seems the author still has plenty of ideas to continue scaring up a good time, and a few laughs, for the next generation of young readers.
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