Because Goosebumps Graphix (now The Graphic Novel) is an important piece of Goosebumps history. They were the tester product to see if there was interest in bringing the series back for new books. Three graphic novels which adapted three different books a piece. Each featuring unique artists to bring the stories to life. And they sold very well, so much so that the series brought one more book back later Slappy's Tales of Horror, which added Night of the Living Dummy to the list, giving that book its first and only real visual adaptation in a major release. In 2024 after a near decade of silence, the graphic novel series would return, this time as a single-story novel featuring Maddi Gonzalez as the illustrator. And they've been really good. Mixing a good level of fun and silliness in the art while also retaining the horror elements that make Goosebumps work. So far, The Haunted Mask and Monster Blood have been added to this new collection, which makes me wonder what else could get adaptations and what ones would work for graphic novels. So I made a list of ten books I feel could be adapted to graphic novels for this series.
My rules for the list are that they can't have already been adapted, honestly. Second, I'm sticking only with the original 62. There are quite a few books in the Series 2000 line that would also be great as adaptations, but I feel this series has a lot of books that still could benefit from being brought to the comic page. Also no direct sequels because I feel that would take a spot away from another more deserving. These are in no particular order, though my ultimate pick will still be the final choice I make. There's also three honorable mentions that I just felt didn't make the list, but I do have a defense for choosing. Also, when I say no adaptation, I'm aware some stuff did get into Goosebumps HorrorTown, but I mean an adaptation of the book itself and not side stuff that was added to the mobile game. So with that preamble done, let's get counting down.
HONORABLE MENTION #01: CHICKEN CHICKEN
Yep. I'm indeed advocating for what many consider to be the worst Goosebumps book. Or, at the very least, the book whose hatred has become a meme in itself. But what I feel Chicken Chicken the book landed is the body horror. The imagery of Crystal and Cole gradually turning into chickens. And given how horrifying it does get as the book advances, it's some of Stine's best body horror ever in any Goosebumps book. So I think being able to see it visually through a graphic novel would be amazing. Finally give this oft-hated (even by me) book a break by showing that for as bad as its overall message is, it does have some really good nightmare fuel that's begging to be brought to life in some form or fashion. There's also enough bits throughout the book that would be fun to see visualized. Would it absolve this book? Probably not, but it would be a fun pick.
HONORABLE MENTION #02: LEGEND OF THE LOST LEGEND
I could see some people question this choice, given it's not a beloved book. But I think the strength of a project like a graphic novel series is to help improve on a story like this. And there's a lot to this book that would be fun to see in a graphic novel. Ivanna, Luka, Silverdog, the giant cats, the toy mice hatching from eggs, the wildness of the fantasy forest. There's a certain kind of book Stine does that I dub a "ride book". It's the kind of book that moves from set piece to set piece so quick that you don't have time to absorb it. But I think if they were given a visual treatment like a graphic novel, it would help to at least show what the book was trying to get across much better. Though TBH, if Shocker on Shock Street didn't already get a graphic novel adaptation, I'd have gone with that instead, but this is still one that would work quite well.
HONORABLE MENTION #03: THE BEAST FROM THE EAST
More or less what I was talking about with the previous pick. The ability to bring the world of the beasts to life would make this book better. Would it fix the issues with the very confusing plot? Probably not. But it would be fun to see Ginger, Nat and Pat have to traverse the world of the beasts while playing the game. And I think the beasts are perfect characters for a graphic novel treatment and you could have a lot of fun representing them. This isn't a book I'm fond of, but I've always made it clear that I think the book's strength is the imagination it displays. And I think it being made visual for the world to see would help that imagination flow far better.
#10: SAY CHEESE AND DIE!
Obviously a book that doesn't fully need a graphic novel, since the book has been adapted to television. But I do think it's a book that could work with the visual stylings of someone like Maddi Gonzalez. It could also add some of the stuff from the book that was missing in the episode, like Bird being beaned with the baseball for example. And I think that we could get a really good and freaky take on the dream sequence. Something that could match the freakiness of the skeleton picnic of the original cover. I also would love to see the graphic novel's take on Spidey. Would it be closer to the book, the episode, a mix of both, or a unique take? However, I would have to wonder if Spidey's death would be kept intact, or have to be changed given the change in format. Regardless, given the book's premise around photos, I think that this one would serve well as a graphic novel.
#09: PIANO LESSONS CAN BE MURDER
This one, admittedly, is more a personal preference than one I think absolutely must be a graphic novel. I was debating this or Phantom, but I went with this as I feel it does have a lot of great little moments that would work great in a graphic novel. Dr. Shreek's robot reveal, Mr. Toggle, the nightmare of Jerry having to play the piano faster, the ghost woman's face melting. Even the visual of the disembodied hands playing the pianos. I'll forever be the defender of this book as I do feel it is unfairly overlooked. I do feel that the implications of Mr. Toggle as well as that scene with the voice in the cabinet makes for one of the best horror books in Goosebumps. And while the episode does a decent enough job, having it in full with a closer take on the source material would be something that I'd love to see.
#08: ATTACK OF THE MUTANT
I mean it's the book about comic books, it's a no-brainer for me to have chosen that one. It admittedly has had good representation over the years with both a two-part episode and a video game. But it does also feel like a book that Goosebumps has intentionally buried since the 2008 revival. Hell, Dr. Maniac feels like what Stine wanted the Masked Mutant to be in terms of a memorable villain in Goosebumps. But given that there is a fun reference to the Masked Mutant in the Monster Blood graphic, I could totally see a scenario where this book gets a chance to be adapted. Even if the book does feel set in the 90s mindset of comic books and collecting, it isn't something that I think modern readers wouldn't be able to get. And there could be a lot of fun with a character like the Masked Mutant and even the Galloping Gazelle. It might not be a top favorite book, but I will admit, I do wish it got more love and a graphic novel seems perfect.
#07: WELCOME TO DEAD HOUSE
This is another one I feel has to happen. It is the first book in the series after all. But what makes me feel like it won't is the content in the latter half. Stine has gone on record being unhappy with how dark Dead House is, feeling it wasn't quite what he intended for Goosebumps. And I get it. So I would wonder if a graphic novel would be able to get away with the stuff involved. Melting faces, the nightmare scene with the Benson family as skeletons at a table, Mr. Dawes having his head caved in by a halogen lamp. Stuff like that. Would that even be allowed to be done in a graphic novel for kids since clearly there's stated issues with the book? I still hope this one has a chance of happening as while it is a slow book to start, its second half makes for one of Goosebumps' darkest works and more the visuals of what you thought Goosebumps was in your mind compared to what the series ultimately is. I hope to be wrong, I think this one would be perfect.
#06: THE CURSE OF CAMP COLD LAKE
I was debating whether it should be this one or Ghost Camp. I almost went with Ghost Camp, since that book too has a lot of visual imagery that we've never seen in an adaptation that I'd love to see. But I went with the book I admittedly don't care much for, but have always thought could be great to see as a visual adaptation. I think Gonzalez would provide a lot of fun faces, especially for Sarah and even Della. Scenes like Sarah's drowning attempt, the strange wintery camp, all of Della's haunting attempts, and the finale with Brianna would fit very well with her style of art. And maybe it getting more of a visual approach would finally change my opinion on this book after years of being indifferent to it. That's the value of a project like this and what I think it could do to benefit the series as a whole.
#05: I LIVE IN YOUR BASEMENT!
This is another one that, I'll admit, is a personal pick over one that I think needs to absolutely be a graphic novel. But, like, if you know this book, you know that it has some of the wildest visuals in all of Goosebumps. A fever dream's fever dream where everything Marco thinks is happening changes in an instant. So many moments that would play perfectly into a graphic novel. From Gwynnie turning inside out, Marco's tongue being pulled out, the battle with Keith, and just Keith in general. We have gotten him represented in comic form via the Download and Die comic, so it wouldn't be the freshest thing ever, but it would still be fun to see how someone like Maddi Gonzalez would depict him. I think this book doesn't have a hope in hell of being adapted, given the book feels buried by Scholastic, not being given a reprint ever to this point. A book stuck in 1997. But I won't give up hope on it at least finally getting the love it deserves.
#04: THE HAUNTED SCHOOL
I have always maintained that the final batch of Goosebumps books in the original 62 have some of the best books in the series. And I maintain that The Haunted School is one of the best. And it sucks that it's never gotten any adaptation. Because it has some of the best visual imagery in the entire series with Grayworld. How the kids trapped there lose their humanity. And, of course, the wild moment where the kids have lost all sanity and are drinking and spitting strange black liquid. It would be interesting to see how this would look visually. It would also be a book that would be a great use of color. Stuff like Thalia using the lipstick to make the door, the contrast between the real world and Grayworld. I'd also love to see a take on Mr. Chameleon outside of HorrorTown's take, which is also really good. It's a book too good to just be a hidden gem and one that I do wish Scholastic would give more love to outside of that one addition to a tin. I think the graphics are going to focus on more famous works, but this would be a great out there pick.
#03: THE GHOST NEXT DOOR
While I do think the television adaptation did a very good job on its own, it does change quite a lot and cuts quite a bit. So a closer adaptation would be great. It's also a book I feel would work quite well in the current style. I think Hannah as a character would be great for reaction shots in general. It could also be a book that allows itself to be dark with possible visual detail towards the incident that caused the death of Hannah and her family, without actually, you know, showing them dying. I would also just really love to see how the graphic novels would depict that shadowy figure, and how it would try to work the very poorly constructed idea of Shadow Danny that Stine seemed to throw in without a really good idea. Still feel like it was supposed to be the grim reaper but Stine was denied that opportunity. I think it would be an adaptation that would fix some of the messes while trying to keep the general concept intact, and I'd love to see it.
#02: WHY I'M AFRAID OF BEES
Unless Goosebumps ever gets that animated series I wish it would get, this remains a book that is impossible to adapt to television in live action form. Especially on most TV budgets. It is seemingly the unfilmable Goosebumps book. So, for a project such as this, I think it would be the perfect medium to adapt this book. A lot of fun visual details of Gary's adventure as a bee. From the dragonfly nightmare to the time in the hive, to dealing with Dirk in Gary's body, the big finale with the bees attacking Dirk. Of course, there's the question of how the book would handle Gary's design. Stick with a human head on a bee body from the cover, or stick to the actual book and keep him in a full bee form. Which would be limiting, but I could see a lot of fun silly faces being given to Bee Gary to aid in that issue. I also feel it's a book that gets more flack than it deserves, when it really is one of Stine's more wild adventures, especially before the beginning of the outliners era of the original 62. Of the books I've considered, I think it's the book I'd want to see get the graphic novel treatment the most, but there's still one book I think would serve as the best to do...
#01: STAY OUT OF THE BASEMENT
I think, of all the books mentioned and even the ones I didn't mention, if any book has the chance to be a Goosebumps graphic novel in the immediate future, it's Stay Out of the Basement. And why not? It has the iconic factor of both The Haunted Mask and Monster Blood. It's an early book in the series which also seems to be a factor in book choices. And I think it has such a strong fandom that people would be interested in seeing a take on this book. It also helps that it's a book filled with great visuals that would play well into a comic. The basement, the plants, Dr. Brewer, the food scene, the scene with him eating plant food, the worm bed, the big final confrontation. Although that's also the one sticking point that I could see keeping this book from being a perfect adaptation. And that's Dr. Brewer's clone being hacked with an axe. Would that be kept in the final work? It's possible, but much like how I feel Welcome to Dead House's dark moments hamper a perfect adaptation I think that would be what keeps it from getting a perfect graphic novel redo. But I could see some attempt to work around it and still get rid of the clone (or the real Dr. Brewer?). It's also a book I do feel is structured well enough to work as a graphic novel, even if it is a book of constant trips down to the basement. But of all of Goosebumps, it's the book I think would be the best to finally see given the graphic novel treatment. Hope to be right.
And that's my ten picks. Granted, we don't know the future of the graphic novel series as of this post. We could be looking at just two books and no more. We'll probably learn more later this year if this is a continuing series. But after being thoroughly impressed with both works, I certainly hope that we're not cutting and running so soon when there's still a lot of untapped potential in the series. From classic stories worthy of fresh takes to stories that have never gotten anything aside from their book release and that's it. Time, of course, will tell on all of this. But if the fates don't finally give me that Goosebumps cartoon, then I will gladly accept any of these as books I think should get graphic novels.
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