An Afternoon with R.L. Stine...

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I recently attended the West Virginia Book Festival, which featured an outstanding line-up of guest speakers. Author R.L. Stine, creator of the popular Goosebumps series for kids, was the final speaker of the day last Saturday, and he did not disappoint.

Mr. Stine talked about how he first became involved in writing scary books for children after focusing on funny stories early in his career. His editor at Scholastic Books asked him to take over a book project that was not going anywhere with another author. Stine wrote and completed Blind Date, which became an instant bestseller. After his second novel was also a hit, he realized the implications for his career. "Forget the humor -- I'm going for the scary stuff," he said.

One of the highlights of Mr. Stine's presentation involved him reading letters that his young fans have sent him over the years. As one might expect, these letters are often written in ways that are hilarious and unfiltered. Here are a few examples...


I'm having trouble keeping up with all the books you write. Could you stop writing them for a while?


I'm writing to you because my teacher told us we had to.


I'm proud of you, no matter what anyone says.


You are my second-favorite author.


I have read 40 of your books, and I really think they are boring.







During the question-and-answer session, R.L. was asked what kind of writing he finds most challenging. He said that he has written several novels for adults, but none have been particularly successful. This piqued my curiosity enough that I am planning to read one of them soon.

Another Stine fan asked the author what his second career choice would be. "A seal at the Central Park Zoo," he jokingly replied. 

Stine also mentioned Pumpkinhead 2 is currently available on Tubi. Having not read any of the books in this particular series, I decided to watch the first Pumpkinhead movie last weekend. This is a fun movie for kids that also has its share of chills and thrills, but nothing too frightening.

Listening to Mr. Stine entertain us for an hour made me realize how he was able to make a seamless transition from humor to horror during his career. He was at turns funny, poignant, reflective, and appreciative of his audience. As the hour concluded, Mr. Stine signed items for 200 lucky fans, who were randomly chosen via lottery.



🎃 Quick Fact Sheet: R.L. Stine

Basic Info

  • Full Name: Robert Lawrence Stine

  • Known As: "The Stephen King of Children’s Literature"

  • Born: October 8, 1943

  • Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

  • Early Writing Name: "Jovial Bob Stine" (for humor books)

Career & Accomplishments

  • Total Books Sold: Over 400 million worldwide

  • Translations: Translated into 35+ languages

  • Major Series:

    • Goosebumps (Launched in 1992, over 130 titles)

    • Fear Street (Launched in 1989, over 100 titles)

    • Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room, Rotten School

  • World Records: Named the most prolific author of children's horror fiction by Guinness World Records.

Fun & Interesting Facts

  • First Typewriter at Age 9: Stine found an old typewriter in his attic as a child and began typing humor stories and joke books.

  • Writing Process: He outlines every book thoroughly and usually completes a full Goosebumps book in about 8 days.

  • Personal Favorites: His favorite Goosebumps books are The Haunted Mask and any book featuring Slappy the Dummy.

  • No Dreams for Ideas: Stine has stated he never gets story ideas from dreams, deriving his ideas entirely from clever titles and wordplay.








WHEELS OF HORROR




This past summer, horror movies such as Back Rooms and Obsession were big hits at the box office. Both films were original, standalone stories, directed by young and innovative filmmakers.

I tend to notice the types of vehicles characters drive in movies, and I wondered how the main character in Obsession managed to get his hands on a 1980s-era station wagon. I did a bit of research on the car after seeing the movie and discovered it was a 1983 Chevy Cavalier station wagon.

The main character, Bear, is driving a 43-year-old station wagon in Obsession. The car looks to be in decent shape, but I thought it was a slightly odd detail. It is later mentioned in the movie that Bear inherited his grandmother's house; an online commenter suggested he may have received her car as well.

While doing more research, I discovered the station wagon belonged (during filming) to the director, Curry Barker. Mr. Barker later gave it to his director of photography.  I also learned Obsession was filmed in California, where cars can last decades thanks to the state's winterless seasons. In any event, I thoroughly enjoyed Obsession and am pleased the film won big at the recent Chainsaw Awards.




Curry Barker’s horror film Obsession dominated the 2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, emerging as the night's biggest winner with five awards. The movie took home top honors, including Best Wide Release Movie, Best Director (Curry Barker), and Best Screenplay (Curry Barker). Star Inde Navarrette earned Best Lead Performance for her standout role, and the film rounded out its sweep by taking home the fan-favorite Best Kill award for its memorable brick scene.







An independent car collector in Ohio now owns the Chevy Cavalier station wagon seen in Obsession -- click the above link to view it.






Earlier, I mentioned that I decided to watch Pumpkinhead on Tubi last weekend. Imagine my surprise when the opening scene shows a family driving to a small, rural town in a station wagon. Initially, I thought this movie might be set in the 1990s or earlier, but then one of the characters mentions phone apps. Thus, it is clear the movie is set in current times.

I recognized the car as a Chrysler thanks to its badging and then set to work looking for it online after the movie was over. The wagon in question is a 1979 LeBaron, which is pictured in the advertisement above. Pumpkinhead was first published in 1993, so maybe the film's art department was staying true to the original material.








My "station-wagon mania" will conclude with a video I recently discovered on YouTube. The original wagon from John Carpenter's Halloween was purchased and lovingly restored by a dedicated car-enthusiast. Although the video is now a few years old, it is cool to see this station wagon in mint condition. I imagine it has appeared at many horror conventions throughout the USA, and there are signatures from several members of the cast and crew on the glovebox.

In Halloween, Michael Myers drives this very same vehicle when he escapes from a mental institution and prowls Haddonfield for potential victims. Someone on the IMDB forums once asked a very good question; exactly how did Michael learn to drive when he was locked up since childhood? I guess anything is possible when supernatural elements are in play.



Halloween is just the ultimate comfort movie for me, and I love how simple it is and yet manages to be so effective across the board.

Brian Collins of Horror Movie a Day blog










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