Recap #158: Goosebumps #35: A Shocker on Shock Street by R. L. Stine

Title: Goosebumps #35 – A Shocker On Shock Street, a.k.a. “Erin and Marty’s Bogus Journey”

Author: R.L. Stine

Cover Artist: Tim Jacobus

Goosebumps Graphix Illustrator: Jamie Tolagson

Tagline: It’s a real dead end.

Summary: Talk About Shock Treatment!

Erin Wright and her best friend, Marty, love horror movies. Especially Shocker on Shock Street movies. All kinds of scary creatures live on Shock Street. The Toadinator. Ape Face. The Mad Mangler.

But when Erin and Marty visit the new Shocker Studio Theme Park, they get the scare of their lives.

First the tram gets stuck in The Cave of the Living Creeps. Then they’re attacked by a group of enormous praying mantises!

Real life is a whole lot scarier than the movies. But Shock Street isn’t really real. Is it?

Initial Thoughts

“Shock Street” has been a personal favorite of mine for the same reason as “One Day At Horrorland,” and it’s the world building. Because the book is built around a fictional horror movie franchise, I’ve repeatedly gone back for re-reads to devour all the information available on the Shock Street films and creatures. You don’t know how delighted I was to learn it was getting a graphic novel adaption, illustrated by comic artist Jamie Tolagson, from Scholastic’s “Goosebumps Graphix” line, which made up for how disappointing the TV show version was. And hey, it meant reference for commissions! I added a couple of scanned pages from the Graphix adaption; sorry about the quality. Again, I was worried about wrecking the spine.

One of my earliest examples of fan fiction, way back in middle school, was my attempt at writing a story about one of the films mentioned in the book. Of course looking back my story was God awful. I still tried to come up with ideas for what the different Shock Street movies were about, which I’ll get into during the final thoughts alongside a small gallery of commissions of Shock Street monsters.

Recap

It’s dark, it’s cold, and it’s quiet. Erin Wright thinks her and her best friend Marty should get out of here before she sees a light up ahead. Around them, Erin could hear soft whispering and low, crunching noises before she began to recognize their surroundings. They’ve found themselves on a familiar looking street in the dead of night, when suddenly a great beast bursts through the other side of a wooden fence. The monster has the head and jaws of a wolf, but its body is like that of a giant lobster or crab, all red with four snapping claws.

The wolf crab leaps towards Erin and Marty, and the two friends start screaming!

[Wing: WOLF. CRAB. THIS IS EVERYTHING. And also terrible. I love it. And I hate it.]

Which makes it difficult for everyone else to focus on the movie.

Erin and Marty slink back in their seats, but then get into a short argument about how the other was acting so scared before someone tells them to shut up. Erin narrates that she’s currently watching “A Shocker on Shock Street VI” with Marty. The two kids absolutely love horror movies, especially the Shock Street films, because the monsters are always so gross and horrifying. On screen, the Wolf Crab devours a little boy trying to escape on a tricycle, then kills a bunch of other people before it’s stopped by the police. They drop the Wolf Crab in a giant pot of water and boil it alive. At the end of the movie, the entire town gets to enjoy steamed crab with melted butter. Gross, but funny.

As people start to leave the theater, they discuss all the great special effects and how realistic they seemed. Erin and Marty are especially thrilled because they’re the only kids who got to attend this special sneak preview. See, Erin’s father is a special effects genius who’s worked on all the Shock Street movies, and he was able to get them passes to the film. However, Marty tries to play it cool like he always does and claims “Shocker V” was way scarier. As the two friends argue, they bump into a young woman who mistakes them for twin siblings. Erin and Marty are used to this and have constantly told people, even though they look similar, they’re not twins. Hell, they’re not even related.

In the theater lobby, the two discuss the Shock Street monsters and which is the creepiest. Marty insists the Electric Eel Woman looked like a big worm and was lame, even though, as Erin reminds him, he jumped out of his seat when she fried a bunch of teenagers. And there was the time he choked when he saw the Toxic Creep emerge from a nuclear waste pit. Marty stubbornly denies ever being scared, which isn’t new for Erin, before he wonders if the Shock Street monsters could all be real. What if it’s not just special effects? Erin tells Marty that’s du-OH SHIT THE WOLF CRAB’S GOT HER!

Oh no wait it’s a guy in a costume promoting the “Shocker VI” CD-Rom game. The actor apologizes for scaring Erin; Marty smugly assures the man Erin gets scared pretty easily.

Erin decides they should go see her dad to tell him what they thought of the movie. The theater is located in a large building, and Mr. Wright’s office is located on the 29th floor. Erin loves being in her dad’s workshop because of all his cool special effects stuff, and because of the movie memorabilia decorated on the walls and shelves. He even got to hang on to the original glove worn by Wolf Girl in “A Nightmare on Shock Street.” Erin explains how her father built such technological marvels as The Tumbler, an entirely upside down roller coaster, and the Fantasy Films Studio Tour. The Tour includes a screen you walk through at the start, and you find yourself starring in any movie out there. It’s amazing!

But once Erin and Marty enter the office, Mr. Wright informs them he’s got some very bad news.

PSYCH!

Mr. Wright’s always pulling that joke on Erin and she constantly falls for it. In all seriousness, he’s got some exciting news to share with the kids. He shows Erin and Marty a little tram car decorated with a skull on the front. What’s so special about this car? It’s a model of the tram car that’s being used for the Shocker Studios Tour, and it’s finally going to open! Erin and Marty are in awe since Erin knows her father’s been working on the tour for years. It gets better when Mr. Wright reveals he wants Erin and Marty to test the experience out before it’s open to the general public. This means they’ll get to see Shock Street, the REAL Shock Street, in all its monstrous glory before anyone else! Marty is floating on cloud nine as he imagines getting to see all his favorite monsters when Erin asks if Mrs. Wright can come along. Mr. Wright gets weird for a moment, asking if Erin is okay. Erin worries something is wrong with her mom before her dad explains he feels it would be best if Erin and Marty try out the tour by themselves. He promises it’ll be PLENTY scary.

The next day the sky is gray, hazy, and rather ominous; perfect weather for a horror movie tour. Marty’s practically hopping around in Mr. Wright’s car, asking question after question about the tour, as they drive into the parking lot for Shocker Studios. Mr. Wright jokes Marty’ll blow a fuse before the tour begins while Erin suggests they should put a leash on him (Marty responds by barking like a dog). Mr. Wright explains the two have to stay on the tram car for the whole tour, disappointing Marty because he wanted to walk on and explore Shock Street. As the skull-painted tram cars arrive, Erin and Marty are introduced to a young woman named Linda. Linda’s the tour guide and gives the two a couple of red plastic guns. Linda tells the two these are “Shocker Stun Ray Blasters,” meant to freeze monsters in their tracks. Although she certainly hopes they won’t need to use them. Erin thinks Linda’s joking when the tour guide stumbles and drops the second stun ray. A beam of light fires from the gun and hits Linda, freezing her in place!

Erin and Marty are both terrified at the sight of the stunned woman, only PSYCH! It’s another joke, the first “shock” of the tour. Linda snarks at how scared Marty was; Marty insists he wouldn’t have fallen for such a dumb joke. As the kids get inside the front tram car, Linda and Mr. Wright explain their first stop is the Haunted House of Horror. The tram car rolls out of the station, and the two are on their way. Marty complains the stun guns are too babyish and hopes the rest of the tour is scarier. Erin’s not in the mood for Marty’s whining to ruin their experience, reminding him they’ll be seeing all the famous monsters of Shock Street. Marty hopes to see Shockro, his favorite, along with some of the others like the Great Gopher Mutant, the Piranha People, and of course Captain Sick.

The tram brings them to the infamous Haunted House of Horror, a derelict old mansion with stone turrets, a weed choked garden, and the silhouettes of skeletons and ghouls hanging in the windows. Erin thinks it’s awesome, Marty complains the house looks smaller than it does in the movies. The tram circles around the house a couple of times, annoying Marty until the finally go inside. The tram enters through a back door beneath a sign reading “ABANDON ALL HOPE,” and is brought into the dusty kitchen. Pots and pans rattle and swing on the walls, cupboard and oven doors slam open and closed, and a wicked laugh fills the air. Marty’s still not impressed and his sour mood’s ruining it for Erin. The tram continues down a dark hallway where paintings of goblins and monsters adorn the walls. A skeleton bursts out of a nearby closet, and just as the kids enter the living room the house is plunged into darkness. A horrible voice bids them welcome to this humble abode, and it’s so completely dark Erin and Marty can’t see each other at all even though they can see other stuff in the room. It’s like they aren’t even there!

A fire bursts to life in the fireplace, and a chair spins around to reveal another grinning skeleton.

“I hope you like my house,” the voice boomed. “Because you will never leave!”

The tram begins to pick up speed, and now it’s become a roller coaster ride through the halls of the house. Erin and Marty are zipping and zooming through the house, going up and down at an incredible speed. The house is obviously much bigger on the inside, and Marty’s finally having fun. But Erin’s worried because the tram cars are shaking too much and the cars seem to be going too fast. Is the tram out of control? Finally, the trams burst out of the house and take the kids into a dark forest path. As the tram begins to slow down again, Marty exclaims how much he loved that part of the ride and can’t wait to tell Mr. Wright. Erin wonders where they are since they’re surrounded by tall hedges and trees… and they’re not alone.

Erin notices movement near one of the hedges, and soon the kids are aware of the hideous, grotesque things hiding in the trees. Erin and Marty aren’t sure what’s going on and beg the creatures to leave them alone. A horrid looking monster covered in fur reaches the front of the tram car, gets right up to Erin’s face, and as its monstrous eyes looks down at her, the monster reaches up his arms AND HE-

Asks if she wants an autograph.

The kids weren’t expecting that when the monster explains this is the “Autographing portion” of the tour. Now the kids have begun to recognize the monsters up close, and it’s all the monsters from Shock Street! There’s Ape Face, the Toxic Wild Man, Sweet Sue (who looks like a baby doll with real hair but is really a serial killer mutant from Mars), and even the Fabulous Frog, a.k.a. the Toadinator (star of “Pond Scum” I and II). Erin and Marty are amazed at how gross and realistic the costumes on these guys are as Erin asks the Toadinator for a signed photo.

The tram continues on the path after the kids have gotten plenty of autographs. Marty goes back to being a killjoy thinking there’s nothing scary about a bunch of actors signing photos. Erin comments she couldn’t see any zippers or folds in those costumes; Marty smugly mentions the actors were probably wearing the same costumes they use for the movies. Those are different than regular costumes, much more ornate and well crafted, so you wouldn’t see such things. A speaker built into the car reveals the kids will be seeing the Cave of the Living Creeps next. Erin adds that’s when their troubles REALLY began.

Inside the Cave of the Living Creeps it’s a tight squeeze through the rocky entrance. Marty decides to mess with Erin by asking if she thinks there are any vampire bats in the cave, knowing very well Erin’s terrified of bats. Logically, Erin knows there’s nothing to fear from bats, but she can’t help it because she thinks bats are gross and scary. The tram car passes by plenty of dark stalagmites and stalactites (Erin can’t remember which is which) when she feels something cold on the back of her neck. Erin’s pretty sick of Marty’s jokes by this point, but he insists he hasn’t touched her. Then who…?

Erin lifts a hand to the back of her neck and pulls off a cold, slimy white worm. The worm wriggles in her grip and she throws it away, wondering where the hell it came from. Marty’s never seen a worm this big, when he starts screaming because there’s a worm on HIS neck as well! The kids don’t know where these worms are coming from. And then they look up.

Awful white worms are falling from the cave ceiling, landing in Erin and Marty’s hair and clothes. Some of them are at least a foot long! The kids scramble to get the worms off them as the tram makes a sharp turn around a corner. The worms have stopped falling, and the kids are left to wonder if the worms were for real or if they were some kind of robots. Marty didn’t like them at all and plans to complain to Mr. Wright they were a bit TOO scary for the ride. There’s no pleasing this kid, is there? Just when Erin’s about to cut into Marty’s hypocritical whining, the tram car passes through something big, dry, and scratchy. Oh crap it was a spider web! And now the kids are covered in little black spiders! The kids frantically try to swat off all the little spiders, and Erin’s freaked out believing those weren’t little robots. I mean, they’re in the Cave of the LIVING Creeps, so they had to be real right? Apparently Marty has a problem with live worms, but spiders are just fine for making the ride authentically scary.

Erin’s officially sick of the Cave of the Living Creeps and wants to get out of there when the tram car comes to a stop near a stone wall. The kids wait for like forever, but the tram shows no signs of continuing down the path. All the kids can hear is the sound of dripping water; Erin calls out if there’s anyone else in the Cave, and turns to see Marty’s gone!

Oh no wait he just climbed out of the tram and tried to scare her GOD DAMN IT MARTY.

Anyway, Marty doesn’t want to sit around in the dark because he figures the tram is broken. Erin warns him to get back inside in case the cars start up again, but Marty’s sure they aren’t gonna move again. He tries to push the cars by himself, but they don’t budge. Marty decides they have to walk to the exit, but Erin doesn’t want to turn back and head through the spiders and worms again. Marty reasons there’s no telling how long it’ll be before someone comes looking for them and there has to be some emergency exit built in the cave. Erin doesn’t think it’s a good idea, but Marty’s prepared to leave her in the tram! Marty explains he’s not waiting for someone to find them, and demands to know if Erin will come with him or not. Erin doesn’t want to be left alone in the cave, but it seems they really aren’t alone because there’s something standing right behind Marty.

Erin is shocked speechless when she gets a good luck at the thing behind Marty. It’s a large, metallic-colored praying mantis with black, billiard ball-like eyes rolling around in its head. The praying mantis is so tall its head nearly reaches the cave ceiling! The kids are backed up against a cave wall, freaked out by the mantis, when Marty figures this is another portion of the ride. Erin still feels nauseous simply looking at the giant bug and the way saliva drips from its jaw. Marty can’t wait to praise Mr. Wright on what an amazing job he’s done with this robot. Not just this one, but the other praying mantis that are starting to join the first! Marty believes now they’ve seen the mantises the tram car will start again. Erin will be glad to be as far away from the bugs as possible.

Except the mantis refuses to let the kids pass, which is communicated when one of them knocks Erin to the ground.

The mantises surround the kids and start spewing some horrible black gunk from their mouths. This shit is like hot glue and it burns Erin and Marty, even through their clothes. Marty vainly tries to see if the bugs are voice controlled and orders them to stop. Nothing. Erin remembers the stun guns and thinks they need those to incapacitate the bugs, but they’re still in the tram. Desperately, Erin asks Marty how one normally deals with bugs? You step on them! Erin stomps down on the foot of one of the mantises, causing it to shrink back in pain. Marty follows suit and the two are able to make a break for it, but the mantises aren’t down for long. The kids run back to the tram car and Erin grabs the stun guns before they search for an exit. Marty’s still behind Erin as she finds a small, narrow crack in the cave wall. Thankfully, Erin can see a brief hint of sunlight and manages to squeeze through as she hears the mantises getting closer. But Marty didn’t move fast enough, and Erin can hear him screaming behind her!

PSYCHE!

Marty’s standing behind her outside the cave, and is feeling pretty proud for such a dumb gag. Erin tackles him to the ground. Erin screams she’s had enough of Marty’s jokes with how awful the day’s been so far, and Marty wonders how her dad got the mantises to spit up that black gunk. Erin’s afraid those mantises weren’t robots at all, and is trying to figure out what’s fake and what’s been real on this tour. Or maybe she’s seen too many horror movies and Marty’s right that everything’s just been Hollywood special effects. Yet Erin fears her dad has either outdone himself, or something has gone horribly wrong.

Still, the kids have to find their way back to the platform and can’t go through the cave again. Marty notices they’re nearby a familiar looking town. Rather, a familiar looking movie set. Lots of one and two story old buildings, houses, and even a general store. The kids can’t believe it. They’re on Shock Street. The REAL Shock Street. All the previous horrors have seemingly evaporated as the kids are overcome with excitement at being on the scariest street in the world. Marty exclaims it’s even scarier in real life!

The kids wander around trying to see everything, such as the empty lot from “Shocker III.” It’s the same lot where the Mad Mangler would hide and mangle anyone who walked by. Erin almost expects the Mad Mangler really is hiding in the lot, and has to remind herself it’s just an empty lot. Marty adds all of the Mangler’s victims thought it was “Just an empty lot” as well. Marty wishes he could take a picture of himself standing in THE Mad Mangler’s lot before he notices the very cemetery where they shot “Cemetery on Shock Street.” Marty wants to go inside and explore, thinking this is part of the tour even when Erin points out the gate was closed. Marty doesn’t listen, what else is new, and runs into the cemetery… and then disappears from sight.

Erin rushes into the cemetery and finds Marty has fallen into an open grave. Erin can’t help but laugh when she sees Marty covered in dirt and helps him out of the hole. Now Marty’s back to being excited they’re in THE Shock Street Cemetery, and he’s impressed by how realistic the graves look. They’re all old and worn and even have fake cobwebs sprayed on them. Yet the names on the tombstones are all puns like “Ben Dover” and “Sidd Up.” The kids laugh at how awful those puns are when Erin hears someone crying. The sound is definitely a human crying, but she can’t tell where it’s coming from. Unnerved, Erin suggests they try to find the tram platform and her dad, but Marty insists they finish the tour. Erin tries to protest when hands burst out of the ground and start to grab the kids down. All around them green, rotted hands are digging their way out of the dirt and are trying to pull Erin and Marty into the earth. The crying turns to moans, the moans of someone begging Erin and Marty to come down into the ground. Into the grave.

Erin realizes this isn’t part of the tour and struggles and to free herself from the hands. She slips out of her sneakers and for good measure takes off her socks so it’s easier to run. But now Marty’s been pulled to the ground and is being grabbed by several pairs of hands. Erin fights to get the hands off of Marty. The hands fight back, but Erin’s able to get Marty’s shoes off and he’s able to kick free from the other hands. Unfortunately, by the time the two are able to stand up again they see the hands are now digging free from the ground. They watch as horrible, rotted corpses pull themselves out of the ground and start lurching towards them, screaming at Erin and Marty to join them in their graves.

Erin and Marty run like hell out of the cemetery and away from the zombies. Marty warns Erin not to look back as they hear the zombies call after them. While fleeing through Shock Street, Erin wonders where the hell is everybody else? They run past Shocker Electronics and the Horror Hardware Store, but see no one. This is supposed to be a big movie set, there has to be SOMEONE out there. The kids reach an evil looking mansion, but run behind the mansion to find an empty dirt lot and a brick wall. Erin and Marty decide their only chance to escape is to climb over the wall, but the lot is like a sea of dirt and mud. The two struggle to reach the brick wall as they feel themselves getting sucked underneath the cold mud, and Erin is sure they’re going to drown when a powerful pair of hands tosses her out. Erin hits the brick wall and watches as Marty as thrown next to her. Their salvation has come in the form of a boy and a girl. A boy and girl they know VERY well.

It’s none other than Wolf Boy and Wolf Girl! Erin recognizes the shapely silver catsuit Wolf Girl’s known for, and the kids thank the two for the rescue. Erin asks if Wolf Boy and Wolf Girl can bring them to her father, but whoever’s behind those masks is REALLY in character right now because all they do is snarl and howl. Marty and Erin have had enough scares for one day and scream at the two actors to knock it off. In fact, Erin gets so pissed off she tries to rip off Wolf Girl’s mask… only it’s not a mask. [Wing: SHOCKING.]

Erin worriedly tells Marty these two are the real deal, confirming her fears that everything they’ve encountered hasn’t been phony after all. The werewolves snap their jaws and the kids desperately attempt to scramble up the brick wall before they’re ripped to shreds. Wolf Girl and Wolf Boy start trying to claw and scratch at the kids as they huddle together on top of the brick wall. Erin’s not sure what’s on the other side because it’s gotten so dark out when she remembers the stun guns. Having dropped hers, Erin grabs Marty’s gun and believes it’s for real as well. She shoots a beam of light at the two werewolves… and of course, it’s a piece of crap after all. With no other options, Erin and Marty jump off the wall and start to run as Wolf Boy and Wolf Girl chase after them. The kids hurry and try to figure out where they can go to get away from their former idols when they hear a familiar sound. The tram!

Erin and Marty see they’ve finally found the tram car again and run like fuck to get inside, thinking this’ll get them away from Wolf Boy and Wolf Girl. The tram car’s going so fast the kids are barely able to catch up with it and stumble into each other. At the last second, they manage to grab onto the very last car and hoist themselves inside. Looking back, they’re able to see Wolf Boy and Wolf Girl, but the two have given up and are now howling in frustration. Given a break, the kids attempt to figure out what they’re gonna tell Mr. Wright and why the hell has everything gone so wrong. It’s then Erin realizes they’re not alone on the tram car, because every car in front of them is full of SKELETONS!

The skeletal passengers turn their empty heads towards Erin and Marty and begin to point and laugh at them. Erin and Marty have no idea how they got on the tram or what’s going to happen now when they discover the cars are speeding into the direction of a big stone wall! It’s going to crash! The kids have to jump out before impact, but are horrified when they watch the tram car silently pass THROUGH THE STONE WALL. Cautiously, the kids approach the stone wall, which is part of an evil looking castle set, and are shocked to discover the wall is solid. It’s not an illusion. So did that mean the tram car was an illusion? Was it… a GHOST TRAM?

Erin’s reached her limit. She doesn’t want answers, she just wants to go. The kids dredge through the dark forest, listening to hushed whispers, cries, and laughter, but try to ignore all that when they see something in the distance. They hope it’s the main platform for the tour, but it’s not. They’re back on Shock Street. Erin sees the cemetery in the distance and is afraid the zombies are waiting for them, when a foggy mist starts to emerge out of the ground. The mist begins to take on a clearer form, a face. No, two faces! Shadowy and dark like the Man on the Moon, these two spectral beings start to float towards Erin and Marty. Exhausted and terrified, all Erin and Marty can do is hold on to each other as the faces swirl around them.

At which point director Russ Denver calls “Cut!”

The faces disappear, and the kids are surprised when they see a young man holding a clipboard run up to them. He congratulates the two on how scared they looked and is glad the film crew recorded it all. Erin and Marty are more confused than ever as Russ explains they were filming the kids’ reactions during the tour. All the scares really WERE special effects. Now Erin’s mad AND confused as she claims her father never told her there was going to be a film crew. Russ is confused too, since he assumed Erin and Marty knew about this arrangement and doesn’t know why Mr. Wright hadn’t told them. As the kids see a group of adults working around them, Marty tries to play it cool and assures Russ they’re okay, just a little scared. Well, Erin’s scared. Russ directs the two towards Shockro’s House of Shocks, which he explains is the way off the set. Erin remembers that house from the movies and how everyone who entered got electrocuted with 20 million volts. Russ assures Erin the house is only a set and it’s perfectly safe. Marty’s glad to finally have a way out and runs towards the house. Erin hangs back to thank Russ and to apologize for yelling.

Well, she TRIES to apologize, but she can’t get the words out when she sees THE GIANT POWER CORD STICKING OUT OF RUSS’S BACK! He’s fake too! The entire film crew as well! It’s a trick!

Erin screams at Marty not to enter the house, but by the time she gets there, she’s blinded by a flash of light. Erin hears a horrible sizzling noise and opens her eyes to see Marty’s smoking body on the floor of Shockro’s house. Erin screams and tries to see if Marty’s okay when she realizes she’s not alone. Erin turns around to see her father standing in the doorway, and she begs him to help Marty. Mr. Wright says nothing and simply stares at Erin. Erin panics asking why her father is looking at her like that when he steps into the light and she realizes this man ISN’T her father! She doesn’t know what he’s going to do and begs for someone to help her!

“Who are you?” I shrieked. “You’re not my dad! Why aren’t you helping me? Why aren’t you helping Marty? Do something – please! Where’s my dad? Where is he? Who are you? Help me! Somebody? Help  me AAAAAARRRRRRRRR. Help MRRRRRRRRRRRR. Dad – MARRRRRRRRRRRRRR. DRRRMMMMMMMMmmmmm.

A technician checks up with Mr. Wright and asks what happened to Erin and Marty. Mr. Wright explains he had to shut Erin off because her memory programming was faulty, which he should’ve realized when she talked about her non-existent mother. The Marty robot, unfortunately, short-circuited. The technician mentions it was such a good idea to use robot kids to test the Shocker Studios Tour before they open it to the general public. Mr. Wright picks up Erin and Marty and says he’ll see what went wrong with their programming, reboot them, and have them try out the tour again before they let REAL kids in.

Shock Street Filmography

  1. A Nightmare on Shock Street
  2. A Shocker on Shock Street Part I-VI
  3. Cemetery on Shock Street
  4. Pond Scum Part I-II

Shock Street Monsters

  1. Wolf Crab
  2. Electric Eel Woman
  3. Wolf Boy
  4. Wolf Girl
  5. Shockro
  6. Mad Mangler
  7. Great Gopher Mutant
  8. Piranha People
  9. Captain Sick
  10. Ape Face
  11. Sweet Sue
  12. Toxic Wild Man
  13. Toxic Creep
  14. Toadinator, a.k.a. the Fabulous Frog

Who’s your favorite? Mine is Sweet Sue, obviously, and I love she was included in the Graphix adaption.

As a side note, I’ve always imagined Captain Sick was some sort of ghost pirate, but I’m beginning to realize that might be a supervillain name. I still prefer the pirate interpretation though, since Stine rarely does anything with pirates.

Jude’s Shock Street Commissions

(Ape Face by Scott Kolins)

(Sweet Sue by theEyZmaster)

(Sweet Sue by Marco Rudy)

(The Toadinator by Jamal Peppers)

(Toxic Wild Man by Empty-Brooke)

(Wolf Girl by Arielle Jovellanos)

Final Thoughts

Yeesh. Poor Erin.

Guess there was another reason why Mr. Wright told Marty “Not to blow a fuse” huh?

Somebody mentioned this on “Blogger Beware” but the plot makes much more sense when you consider the idea that a lot of the horrific stuff the kids saw was the result of their programming going haywire and making them hallucinate. Still, the imagery is pretty terrifying and Stine kept the last few chapters super-charged. Get it, charged?

In the TV show, the ending gets extended where the original Erin and Marty robots reactivate on their own and make Mr. Wright know how unhappy they are with being shut down and replaced…

As I mentioned in the Initial Thoughts, I love this book because of the world building. I love the whole Shock Street mythos Stine created with all the monsters and such. I’ve always been pissed off the only monsters that ever get any real focus are the praying mantises

When I was younger I had a ton of ideas for what the Shock Street films would’ve been about and the world they took place in. While there were ghosts and aliens, I figured some of the monsters, like the Toxic Creep and the Toxic Wild Man, were created because of the negligence of a chemical plant located a few miles from the town Shock Street was located in. The chemical company would’ve been an overreaching villain in the Shock Street films. The only two characters I vividly remember creating were a teenage girl named Daisy and a female scientist whose first name was Marina. Marina would’ve had a doomed relationship with the Toxic Wild Man, like some sort of mash up of Tarzan with the Toxic Avenger.

[Wing: Stine was really at his Stinest here, with all of the jump scares and fake outs, like every paragraph was a needlessly dramatic cliffhanger chapter ending. And I loved it. Apparently, when he goes full blast, I’m a fan. Also: WEREWOLVES. THANK YOU, STINE.]

Since I’ve done ideas with sequel books, here’re some of the only Shock Street ideas I’ve held onto and I’d be interested to hear any input.

  • A Nightmare on Shock Street: The origin of Wolf Boy and Wolf Girl, who were born as werewolves and kept in a basement prison by their mother, one of the teachers at Shock Street High. I cringe thinking about the way I wrote this in the 7th grade.
  • A Shocker on Shock Street II: The movie that introduced the Great Gopher Mutant, whom I imagined would be what happened if you took Bill Murray’s character from “Caddyshack” and combined him with the gopher. He was a groundskeeper who fell in a pool of toxic waste and merged with a gopher.
  • Christmas on Shock Street: The movie which introduced Sweet Sue, the serial killer alien baby doll. I’ve wondered if she was already a serial killer BEFORE she got to Earth, and part of the plot involves the Martian police force following her to Earth.
  • Cinderella on Shock Street: This one was actually inspired from a weird dream I had, about the Cinderella equivalent to “Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs,” one of the most racist cartoons out there. The film took place during the 1940s and featured the origin of the praying mantises. A girl had an uncle or friend who was an amateur magician, but discovered their magic kit was for real and used their wand to help the girl attend the school dance. The girl’s stepmom and stepsisters tried to steal the wand for themselves and attempted to kill the girl by creating one of the praying mantises. The movie ended with the step family being turned into insects themselves.
  • War on Shock Street: An actual sequel to this book, when the Shocker Studios Tour is finally open for business. Unfortunately, a tropical storm hits and a bolt of lightning fries the main circuitry controlling the robots. As they go on a rampage a group of kids are forced to take shelter on the Shock Street set, but no one’s sure who’s human and who’s a robot. So yeah I’m basically ripping off the original Westworld.

Jude’s First Year at Point Horror

So, this post officially concludes my very first year as a recapper for the website. I can’t believe I done so much from this website when I originally thought I’d just be reviewing Goosebumps. I know I said something to this regard at the end of December, but writing for this website has meant a lot to me and I’ve never been this focused on a project that wasn’t school related before.

What do you guys think overall of what I’ve done for the website? Have my posts been enjoyable or do I have bad taste (I mean BAD bad taste) in books to review?

[Wing: We’re so glad to have you! It’s been great seeing all the different books you bring around, and your point of view adds a lot to the site. Plus I always appreciate someone else taking on Stine with me, because he’s so damn prolific.]