Creepy Creatures
Encyclopedia
Creepy Creatures is the first book in R. L. Stine
's Goosebumps Graphix series. It is a comic book that contains three stories; "The Werewolf of Fever Swamp
" adapted by Gabriel Hernandez, "The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight" adapted by Greg Ruth, and "The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena" adapted by Scott Morse
, all based on the Goosebumps
books by R. L. Stine. The book was first published on September 1, 2006 by Scholastic in the United States.
for a pet which he names Wolf. But when something has broken into the deer pen in Grady's yard and killed one of the animals, his dad decides that the stray had to be taken to the pound. Grady helps the dog flee before his dad can capture it. That night, Grady hears the howl
ing again and explores Fever Swamp to get to the bottom of things. He encounters Will Blake, one of his friends, who is slowly turning into a werewolf
under the full moon. The newly changed werewolf bites Grady, but the assault is cut short when Wolf attacks and kills Will. On the night of the next full moon, Grady transforms into a werewolf and joins Wolf in hunting.
s, Curtis and Miriam. There, they notice strange
movements at night, the scarecrow
s moving and their grandparents acting differently. Jodie concludes that Sticks, the groundskeeper's son made all of the scarecrows move and dresses Mark up like a scarecrow for revenge
. But after a real scarecrow tries to choke Jodie, Sticks explains that Stanley brought the scarecrows to life. Curtis and Miriam had been trying to keep Stanley, Sticks dad happy so that he'll keep the scarecrows asleep. After scaring Stanley with the scarecrow costume
, the real scarecrows begin walking towards them. Sticks uses torches to burn all the scarecrows and they all fall to the ground. The next afternoon, Jodie notices a stuffed bear move.
. There, they eventually see the Snowman frozen in ice and their dad decides to take him back to Pasadena, California
, where they live. Before doing so, Luis sneaks some snowball
s in the trunk in which the Snowman would be taken home. After showing their neighbor Lauren Sax the Snowman, Ana throws a snowball from the trunk at her, but misses and hits the tree. This causes the snow to expand and covers their yard in snow. Lauren grabs some of the snow and throws it at Ana and she becomes covered in ice. After the heat from the furnace and oven doesn't defrost her, Luis gets the Snowman to break out of the ice. The Snowman defrosts her and escapes.
stated that this book was "a great option for younger readers interested in graphic novels, and the nostalgia is there for the older set". George Galuschak from Kliatt stated that this book is too intense for younger children, but too boring for older ones. Kat Kan from Booklist
commented "the “gotcha” ending of ["The Werewolf of Fever Swamp"] is particularly well done" and that the book "graphic-novel format is sure to attract its own following". R.J. Carter from The Trades stated that the book "will certainly be welcomed by little boys and ghouls who are already fans of the Goosebumps novels", but stated that "The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena" adapted by Scott Morse
was an easy skip.
R. L. Stine
Robert Lawrence Stine , known as R. L. Stine, and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American writer. Stine, who is called the "Stephen King of children's literature," is the author of hundreds of horror fiction novels, including the books in the Fear Street, Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, and The...
's Goosebumps Graphix series. It is a comic book that contains three stories; "The Werewolf of Fever Swamp
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp is the fourteenth book in R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series. The story follows Grady Tucker, who moves into a new house with his parents next to the Fever Swamp....
" adapted by Gabriel Hernandez, "The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight" adapted by Greg Ruth, and "The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena" adapted by Scott Morse
Scott Morse
Scott Morse is an American animator, filmmaker, and comic book artist/writer.Much of Morse's published work consists of stand-alone graphic novels, although he is perhaps best known for his epic series Soulwind, a story serialised in a sequence of graphic novels, which was nominated for both the...
, all based on the Goosebumps
Goosebumps
Goosebumps is a series of children's horror fiction novels written by American author R. L. Stine and first published by Scholastic Publishing. It is a collection of stories that feature semi-homogenous plot structures, with fictional children being involved in scary situations...
books by R. L. Stine. The book was first published on September 1, 2006 by Scholastic in the United States.
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp
Grady Tucker and his family move into a house next to Fever Swamp. Grady finds and convinces his parents to let him keep a large wolf-like stray dogStray dog
Stray dog or stray dogs may refer to:Dogs:* Any sort of feral dog such as free-ranging urban dogs or canines without owners running lose in rural areas or around villages or small communities* Pariah dog, a specific type of feral dog...
for a pet which he names Wolf. But when something has broken into the deer pen in Grady's yard and killed one of the animals, his dad decides that the stray had to be taken to the pound. Grady helps the dog flee before his dad can capture it. That night, Grady hears the howl
Howl
"Howl" is a poem written by Allen Ginsberg in 1955 and published as part of his 1956 collection of poetry titled Howl and Other Poems. The poem is considered to be one of the great works of the Beat Generation, along with Jack Kerouac's On the Road and William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch...
ing again and explores Fever Swamp to get to the bottom of things. He encounters Will Blake, one of his friends, who is slowly turning into a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
under the full moon. The newly changed werewolf bites Grady, but the assault is cut short when Wolf attacks and kills Will. On the night of the next full moon, Grady transforms into a werewolf and joins Wolf in hunting.
The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight
Two siblings named Mark and Jodie go for a visit to see their grandparentGrandparent
Grandparents are the parents of a person's own parent, whether that be a father or a mother. Every sexually-reproducing creature who is not a genetic chimera has a maximum of four genetic grandparents, eight genetic great-grandparents, sixteen genetic great-great-grandparents, etc...
s, Curtis and Miriam. There, they notice strange
Strange
Strange is a British television drama series, produced by the independent production company Big Bear Productions for the BBC, which aired on BBC One. It consists of a single one-hour pilot episode screened in March 2002, followed by a series of six one-hour episodes broadcast in the summer of 2003...
movements at night, the scarecrow
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is, essentially, a decoy, though traditionally, a human figure dressed in old clothes and placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.-History:In Kojiki, the oldest surviving book in Japan...
s moving and their grandparents acting differently. Jodie concludes that Sticks, the groundskeeper's son made all of the scarecrows move and dresses Mark up like a scarecrow for revenge
Revenge
Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
. But after a real scarecrow tries to choke Jodie, Sticks explains that Stanley brought the scarecrows to life. Curtis and Miriam had been trying to keep Stanley, Sticks dad happy so that he'll keep the scarecrows asleep. After scaring Stanley with the scarecrow costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
, the real scarecrows begin walking towards them. Sticks uses torches to burn all the scarecrows and they all fall to the ground. The next afternoon, Jodie notices a stuffed bear move.
The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena
Ana and Luis Garcia decide to join their dad in a trip to Alaska to try and track sown a snow creature known as the Abominable SnowmanYeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
. There, they eventually see the Snowman frozen in ice and their dad decides to take him back to Pasadena, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where they live. Before doing so, Luis sneaks some snowball
Snowball
A snowball is a spherical object made from snow, usually created by scooping snow with the hands, and compacting it into a roughly fist-sized ball. The snowball is often used to engage in games, such as snowball fights. Snowball fights are usually light-hearted and involve throwing snowballs at...
s in the trunk in which the Snowman would be taken home. After showing their neighbor Lauren Sax the Snowman, Ana throws a snowball from the trunk at her, but misses and hits the tree. This causes the snow to expand and covers their yard in snow. Lauren grabs some of the snow and throws it at Ana and she becomes covered in ice. After the heat from the furnace and oven doesn't defrost her, Luis gets the Snowman to break out of the ice. The Snowman defrosts her and escapes.
Reception
Melissa T. Jenvey from the School Library JournalSchool Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
stated that this book was "a great option for younger readers interested in graphic novels, and the nostalgia is there for the older set". George Galuschak from Kliatt stated that this book is too intense for younger children, but too boring for older ones. Kat Kan from Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
commented "the “gotcha” ending of ["The Werewolf of Fever Swamp"] is particularly well done" and that the book "graphic-novel format is sure to attract its own following". R.J. Carter from The Trades stated that the book "will certainly be welcomed by little boys and ghouls who are already fans of the Goosebumps novels", but stated that "The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena" adapted by Scott Morse
Scott Morse
Scott Morse is an American animator, filmmaker, and comic book artist/writer.Much of Morse's published work consists of stand-alone graphic novels, although he is perhaps best known for his epic series Soulwind, a story serialised in a sequence of graphic novels, which was nominated for both the...
was an easy skip.