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Stine promises to be a scream

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Appearance from R.L. Stine promises to be a scream

Authors classic childrens series, Goosebumps, celebrates its 20th anniversary
By Topher Forhecz, Staff Writer Related story: Bethesda Literary Festival brings royal biographer How do I make hamsters scary? These are the types of thoughts that occupy the mind of writer R.L. Stine, and with good reason. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Stines beloved childrens series, Goosebumps, boasts more than 100 titles. To dig into new ideas, Stine will start with the name of a book and then flesh out the story, which occasionally means asking some tough questions. I was walking the dog in the park and this title popped in my head, this Goosebumps title, Little Shop of Hamsters. Great title, right? I dont know where it came from. Im just walking the dog and then I had to start thinking, How do I make hamsters scary? Stine said. Since the first book, 1992s Welcome to Dead House, Stine and Goosebumps have become household names. More News The series tone of campy creepiness was inspired by Stines diet growing up of Tales from the Crypt comic books, authors such as Ray Bradbury and episodes of The Twilight Zone. If you look at those comics from the 50s, those horror
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From SCHOLASTIC R.L. Stines books blend horror and humor, including his recent work, Goosebumps Hall of Horrors: Dont Scream! Stine will appear at the Bethesda Literary Festival. Featuring ALL DIGITAL PROJECTION, real D - 3D, NEW Seats & Theartre Interior! Click here for details

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comics, theyre a complete blend of horror and humor, Stine said. They all have funny twist endings and all kinds of plays on words and hidden things in the drawings and theyre a great combination, and its basically what I do. Today, Stines name can be found attached to more recent

http://www.gazette.net/article/20120417/NEWS/704179979/1123/appearance-from-rl-stine-at-bethesda-literary-festival-promises-to&template=gazette[8/25/2012 2:09:58 PM]

Gazette.Net: Appearance from R.L. Stine promises to be a scream

TV shows and book series, including R.L. Stines The Haunting Hour and Rotten School, respectively. The Bethesda Literary Festival presents R.L. Stine When: 11:30 a.m. April 21 Where: Bethesda Elementary School, 7600 Arlington Road, Bethesda Tickets: Free For information: 301-215-6660 or www.bethesda.org When he first began writing Goosebumps, it was a fourbook deal that Stine said sat on the shelves. At the time, Stines credits included several books such as his Fear Street series and serving as head writer for the Nickelodeon show Eureekas Castle. Then, out of nowhere, Goosebumps came to life. At its height, Goosebumps was selling 4 million books each month, and Stine said kids spreading the word to one another were to thank. On April 21, Stine will take part in the Bethesda Literary Festival, crafting a ghost story with young fans, telling his own true ghost story, reading and signing books at Bethesda Elementary School. Running from April 20 to April 22 at various locations in Bethesda, the free festival also will feature authors such as Thomas L. Friedman, Judith Viorst and Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson. Stine said children enjoy Goosebumps because the books promise safe scares. They know theyre going to have this creepy adventure. Theyre going to go out and have fun and its going to be pretty scary, Stine said. But they know its never going to go too far. In the past, Stine has been careful walking the tightrope of child-friendly terror. In an early Goosebumps tale, The Girl Who Cried Monster, Stine was told by his editors that he might have raised a hair too many. When I first wrote the book, she sees a librarian eat a kid and she realizes hes a monster [and] Ive got to tell people. But my editors felt that was going too far, Stine said. That was one case they thought that was too much, so we changed it. The librarian, in the final book, hes got a bowl of live turtles on his desk and every once in a while she sees him reach over, pop a turtle into his mouth and crunch it and eat it. Goosebumps is a monster that refuses to die. Its current incarnation, Goosebumps Hall of Horrors, takes place inside HorrorLand, which Stine sees as the anti-Disney World. The classic villains of Goosebumps can be found in the series before Hall of Horrors that bears the name of the evil theme park. The most famous villains also will be featured in the series Goosebumps: Most Wanted this fall. One of Stines favorite characters is Slappy the Dummy. Slappy the Dummy is really fun to write because hes incredibly rude. You can write all these insult jokes and hes just so mean, Stine said. Hes just a really fun character to write. You can go a little bit further with him, because hes a dummy. Another favorite evildoer, The Haunted Mask, will be the subject of the series first hardcover Goosebumps Wanted: The Haunted Mask, which is scheduled to come out in July. Stine also keeps a haunted mask and fake skeleton in his office to help with his writing. I have a giant two-yard-long cockroach. Maybe not quite two yards, maybe four feet long. ... And I have a skeleton, and the skeleton is wearing The Haunted Mask, Stine said. I can see it every minute. In October, Stine will release an adult novel for the fans he attributes with his initial rise in the 90s. Titled Red Rain, the book follows in the footsteps of Stines previous mature fare like Superstitious, and documents extremely evil children and their unsuspecting parents. Its a real novel for adults. Its very violent and it has sex; its not a book for kids. That was fun for me. It was a nice change of pace, Stine said.
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http://www.gazette.net/article/20120417/NEWS/704179979/1123/appearance-from-rl-stine-at-bethesda-literary-festival-promises-to&template=gazette[8/25/2012 2:09:58 PM]

Gazette.Net: Appearance from R.L. Stine promises to be a scream lawmakers Although his first readers have aged, the things that go bump in the night have not. When we started writing Goosebumps, people didnt walk around with phones in their pockets and they werent online, Stine said. All the technology has changed, but your basic fears all the stuff that we write about in Goosebumps, the basic fears of being afraid of the dark, being afraid that somebodys lurking under your bed ready to grab you, something in the closet those things never change. tforhecz@gazette.net 6. 3 days to fill 50 positions in Montgomery schools 7. Dream Act, same-sex marriage supporters team up 8. Solar firm leads way for Maryland on growth list 9. Lee: Redefining tolerance? 10. Maryland retailers passing the seasonal test

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http://www.gazette.net/article/20120417/NEWS/704179979/1123/appearance-from-rl-stine-at-bethesda-literary-festival-promises-to&template=gazette[8/25/2012 2:09:58 PM]