Stephen Gammell, scarrer of my childhood

Anybody remember the "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" books?

When I was in elementary school, there was a waiting list five deep to check these things out of the library. Creepy, horrible little stories that I still remember, and still find scary....but the best/worst part was the illustrations!

As much as they freaked me out, I was obsessed with these books, bought them, and studied the drawings, trying to reproduce their creepiness with my own pencil. Even now I tend to draw filament-hair tendrils on things. Thanks Stephen Gammell, for not only giving me terrifying dreams as a kid, but fueling my young artistic need to make things look as disturbing as possible, on paper.

And I'm still amazed we were allowed to read these things, I was in third and fourth grade when these were all the rage at my school!

Hats off to you, Mr. Gammell, you influenced me in a big way.

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