A Case of the Bumps: International Roast #01

Goosebumps wasn't just a big success in North America. It was a bit of a global phenomenon. And, as such, it has seen releases in almost every part of the world. While most of the international releases retained the original artwork, many did not. And given I want another excuse to do yet another of these side blogs for Goosebumps, why don't we take a trip around the world and talk about some of these alternate covers? Consider this like a larger version of my usual "Cover Story" sections for the blogs. And if there's interest, lord knows I'll probably do another down the line. But for today, we'll be covering several covers. All the cover coverage you could ask for. Let's get started. 

#1. UNITED KINGDOM

The United Kingdom might be the most interesting enigma when it comes to International Goosebumps. Initially, the books were published by Hippo Publishing then around the mid-point of the original series, Scholastic took over. Due to that, the first 32 books all feature unique cover art while the latter end all feature the Jacobus art. Instead of the slime borders, the entire cover is slime. A bubbling multicolored ooze with some of the elements of that particular story swirling in the center of it all. Some covers are great, many pretty mediocre. So let's look at a few examples. 

As it's common knowledge by now, Say Cheese and Die! is pretty much intertwined with my history of the books. Skeleton picnics were the height of fright for me as a youngster. So what did the UK get? Well, one skeleton at least. What I like about this cover is that there's more focus on the different events in the story. We see the photos Greg took. Michael's fall, the smashed Taurus, Bird being knocked out cold, Terry's freaked expression. And even a skeleton picture which looks almost exactly like the mom skeleton from Jacobus' work. So the artist was aware of the original artwork at least. Downside is the camera. I like that it looks like the Polaroid camera from the book, but the goofy face just takes me out of this work. Which is a shame because, that sticking point aside, this is one of the best covers bar none.

So, there is a definite resemblance to Charlie McCarthy with how Slappy (not Mr. Wood given the suit) is drawn. If you don't know what the hell a Charlie McCarthy is, it's the dummy from that weird as hell live action interstitials from Fun & Fancy Free. Because of it, it doesn't feel very Slappy to me. Still creepy as most dummies are, but I dunno. It lacks that shadowy and alien feel of the original artwork. But if you're still looking for a dummy for a cover, it does the trick.

Is this one more interesting than the Jacobus Piano Lessons cover? Honestly, yes. But I'm not fond of it for one reason. It spoils the twist that Dr. Shreek was a robot the entire time. Granted it's half of the entire twist, but still the most important part of it. I do like the touch of the robot hands, sort of giving off that sense of Mr. Toggle really not being able to make more accurate hands. And there's a very Rip Taylor-ish look to Dr. Shreek. See, that's what the book was missing. Dr. Shreek should have thrown some confetti around and been more of a campy gay scamp. Also I can't look at this cover without thinking Trans flag, so that's a win in its favor. 

While I'll always love the Terror Tower art from Tim, I really like the simplicity of this cover as it still sells on a scary scenario. In this case a pair of ragged hands emerging from a prison cell. The details of the torn up fingernails and the worn wrappings really sells that whoever is down there has been stuck forever. Also cute rat. It's not the most accurate to the story being told, but honestly given the executioner on the original cover isn't what he looks like in the book, neither is the original cover either. I like.

This cover is lame. Our front kid is barely invisible and the hands behind him just feel silly. And that expression. Not an ounce of fright but rather pleasant surprise. Look, the original cover is no fair shakes itself, but at least it gave off the sense of invisibility with, again, a lack of blowing the big twist and what's really going on with the mirror. This one just makes a book that already feels forgettable feel even more forgettable. With a cover like this it would be better off actually being invisible.

#2. FRANCE

We head to the land of the Francophones as we talk about Chair de Poule, Goosebumps in French. In France, the covers were all unique. None of this sudden shift midway through. Some covers even got updated art in later reprints, making this a rather interesting set of books. How do they fare? Let's get to lookin' shall we? 

This cover is weird. Best way to really describe it as it doesn't super sell what Say Cheese and Die! is other than there's a camera, a kid, and a weird guy in a suit. A severe lack of skeletons with this one maybe keeps it out of my mind a bit too much. But I do like this concept of Spidey being more slender and gangly. Almost like some sort of ghoulish figure. Greg's face is goofy though, not gonna lie. It's far from the worst offender, but it's still pretty darn bland.

This is a better looking Slappy than the UK one. There's just enough of a devious look to him that stands out better. I think it's the devious looking eyebrows and those rosy cheeks. Just disturbing on a correct level. Points for the decent shocked kid face, even if it's more weirded out than frightened. Also look, a moon. Because it's NIGHT of the Living Dummy, get it? Do... do you get it, kids? 

So this one is better than the UK one for sure, and I even kind of like it more than the Jacobus work. What can I say, human bones freak me out somehow. While technically the hands weren't skeletal in the book, the very freaky look in general really helps sell this one for me. Creepy in the right way and, unlike the UK cover, doesn't spoil the big reveal at the end of the book. Another solid effort.

This cover works well. Again going for a stock executioner over what he looked like in the book, and he is less hulking than Tim's, but for selling the concept of the book, this one does fine enough. The rats running down the stairs is a neat little touch. 

 

What's interesting here is that there's like absolutely no mention of the invisibility gimmick at all. Even the title which could be translated as "Prisoners of the Mirror" doesn't mention the invisibility gimmick at all. Granted, her face is a bit transparent, but not enough to be super noticeable. Which I'm not as crazy about honestly. It feels like the Piano Lessons UK cover again in that it spoils the big villainous twist of the story. But, for what it offers, it offers a solid enough work.

#3. KOREA

We enter more recent times (Well, like a decade ago but recent regardless) as we enter Korea's offerings for Goosebumps covers. If you were underwhelmed by the France and UK, then Korea is going to eat their lunch. Call it more time than the others to make for better art, or just more effort being put in, but aside from one other group I'll be saving for later, these might be the best of the non-original works. 

And right off the bat we get a taste of what we're dealing with. I love how freaky the image in the photo is. Almost a monstrous visage crafted by the camera. And the blood splatter, possibly referring to the "Die" of the title, is a nice added touch. Granted, nothing in the book ever reaches that level of nightmarish imagery (maybe Spidey dying of fright but that's about it), but I can appreciate what it offered and hot damn, it offered a lot. 

Holy crap. A cover with Mr. Wood on it! We finally don't have Slappy slapped on the front of Night of the Living Dummy for once. And it's a scene from the book as well? Though this was a scene when Mr. Wood wasn't brought to life, but does kind of look alive in this image. His design's a bit weird, not entirely scary. Just looks like a bratty kid making a mess. But I can appreciate the effort to make the cover art actually look like something from the story that doesn't out and out spoil the entire thing. Top marks well earned.

Oh my god, they did it. Someone finally didn't go the hooded executioner route. He actually looks like the Lord High Executioner from the book. Granted, the face is weird, as are his tiny arms. More hulking in some features than in others. A man who always skips arm day. Also those mismatched eyes are odd. But what I've mostly seen from the Korean offering are cover art that feels closer to what the book's intended experience is. I also like the colors. Purples, yellows, greens all blend to work on an eerie and shadowy work. Good, good, GOOD stuff. 

This cover is okay, but again we have another cover that doesn't really sell Let's Get Invisible that well. But I still like it. The sense of the kid on the cover slowly fading away in the light of the mirror. The otherworldly fog emitting from the mirror giving it an alien vibe. The eye on the left is a bit odd though. Seems like a case of adding in extra for less dead space. The weakest of the covers I've used for t he Korea example yet still some top quality stuff. Can't complain.

#4. JAPAN

Rounding out our world tour today is Japan. And these might be my favorites. Even though of the five books I've chosen for this blog, only three were brought over, all three are in the running for my favorite covers ever. Highly detailed, just scary enough to sell you on it. It's Goosebumps in its purest form. So let's look at why.

Skeleton picnic returns once again with this take from Japan. And oh yeah, this would have done the trick just like the original would have. It feels slightly closer to what Greg's nightmare would have been. His parents and Terry as skeletons. No mysterious female skeleton to complicate things. I even like the lack of hair or the goofy chef's hat as well as the less defined background giving off this otherworldly nightmare befitting of its role in the story. The wisps are also neat, sort of adding to Spidey's comments about how the camera traps souls. It's that one part of the book that I wish was further expanded upon. Ah well. This cover absolutely owns.  

So we're back to Slappy again unfortunately, but in its defense, this cover is still really cool. I love the shadows, how the moonlight reflects off Slappy. Even how Slappy looks is neat. Not as scary as other takes, but still super unsettling. You'll be so transfixed on Slappy, you'll focus less on what's going on underneath him. The torn up doll is such a cool little touch to add the evil of the situation. The devil shadow's a bit silly, especially in the context for THIS book given he's not the main villain. But I guess considering his stranglehold on the franchise, yeah, him being a shitty little devil easily tracks. 

Okay, so this one is another one that focuses on the reflections and not the invisibility, but you know what? Screw it. This cover is cool. I love the dark browns and hazy purples that give off a dark and evil vibe to the mirror. And then there's the reflections which as really creepy. The twisted nightmares that dwell within the world of the mirror. It does give off the twist villains, but I think if you can do it right in a way that entices the reader to read on, then it's not the biggest issue either. Better than a lot of bait-and-switch covers, that's for sure.

But that will do it for this edition of the International Roast. This was a fun little aside that I'd love to do again sometime. I didn't even get into the German covers or some other variants from other places. Consider this one more of a sample platter for when we get to cover some more. It's always cool to see how Goosebumps was translated to other parts of the world, especially in the art department. It is a testament to the enduring nature of Stine's works. That even decades later there are still imaginative interpretations of his works. That regardless of language barriers, horror and horror imagery will always speak the same universal language.