Top ten list of favorite monsters
- Stuart Tudor
- May 14, 2023
- 3 min read
Some of the visuals will be disturbing; reader discretion is advised.
I love monsters, not just my horrific darlings but the ones of my superiors as well. I wanted to do this quick, fun article dedicated to the artists of Trevor Henderson, Masahiro Ito, John Carpenter, and many others. Please enjoy!
Pyramid Head
The personification of guilt and masculine corruption is a horror genre icon. Pyramid Head might be overused and overexposed, but it is entirely understandable. We all have our demons, and Pyramid Head’s relentless pursuit of James strikes at the hearts of my gamers.
Siren Head
It’s an eerie creature, unsettling in its simple design and manner. An excellent predator that can mimic anything to lure its prey toward it. Why we cannot say, but it is very hostile, and aggressive toward humans. Whatever it is, we have to prevent ourselves from following our voices.
Cartoon Cat
Creative use of old animation to horrific effect, Cartoon Cat is an unsettling creature that wears the skin something wholesome and nostalgic; whether it is a lure for unsuspecting prey, mockery, or something more is entirely up for debate.
SCP 173
Like the Weeping Angels of Dr. Who fame, SCP-173 has a brilliant concept executed perfectly. It's a statue that can only move when you cannot see it. It is one of the iconic monsters from the SCP Foundation, maybe one of its most famous creatures, and I cannot blame argue with that.
The Babadook
Despite the silly-sounding name, The Babadook is anything but. Instead, the Babadook is the demon of guilt and repression. The depression that drives people towards the unthinkable, the gnawing resentment towards people you love, twisting you into a monster much worse than anything fictional.
Slenderman
He might have become overexposed and maybe inspired some mentally ill kids to attempt murder. However, Slenderman was once a scary piece of modern folklore. Crafted by the internet, whose vague powers and contradictory nature add to the horror instead of detracting from it. A simple, unsettling design in how humanity is mimicked but never fully realized.
IT from It Follows
Like Death, you cannot outrun it; like death, you cannot stop it; like death, it can take the form of anything and anyone. IT from It Follows is scary because it is an excellent examination of Death and STDs, a lovely warning against those who do not care for themselves and understand the horror that awaits all of us.
Dilbert Grady
Monsters are often these mindless hordes of beasts or sinister aloof creatures that act out of malice for some unknown reason. Dilbert Grady is more of the latter but with a familiar facade and strangely polite manner of interacting with Jack. He goes from the subservient butler to the overlord in such a manner you don’t even realize it. He is just a puppet to the Overlook Hotel, a means of pushing Jack Torrence toward the edge.
SCP-1981
SCP-1981, or Ronald Ragen getting cut up while talking, is disturbing in its simplicity. It's a video of Ronald Ragen during the Evil Empire speech that gets progressively more disturbing as the video continues, living up to its namesake. This SCP captures something very wrong in the visceral sense. Something sinister and hateful, but you don’t understand why. It could be powerful, but it doesn’t seem interested in doing anything aside from tormenting Ronald Ragen. Maybe it just hates Ronald Ragen?
The Thing
One of the most alien creatures I have ever seen (outside The Colour Out of Space). The Thing terrifies me on how well it republicates the person it is mimicking, an utterly animal and inhuman entity that will consume every human.
Please consider reading Black Masquerade: The third entry in the Eight Nightmares Collection, now available at selected retailers.
Acknowledgments
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