Inspiration and Themes
Books and characters in the series were inspired by books and movies. For example, the character Slappy the Dummy was inspired by the literary classic The Adventures of Pinocchio. Some of R. L. Stine's ideas for the books also came from real life; Stine got the idea for the book The Haunted Mask after his son, Matt, had a Halloween mask that he had trouble getting off.
Two common themes in the series are children triumphing over evil and kids facing horrid or frightening situations and using their own wit and imagination to escape them. Other themes include horror, the supernatural and humor. Stine had stated "I think there is a very close connection between humor and horror."
Read more about this topic: Goosebumps
Famous quotes containing the words inspiration and/or themes:
“For a painter, the Mecca of the world, for study, for inspiration and for living is here on this star called Paris. Just look at it, no wonder so many artists have come here and called it home. Brother, if you can’t paint in Paris, you’d better give up and marry the boss’s daughter.”
—Alan Jay Lerner (1918–1986)
“In economics, we borrowed from the Bourbons; in foreign policy, we drew on themes fashioned by the nomad warriors of the Eurasian steppes. In spiritual matters, we emulated the braying intolerance of our archenemies, the Shi’ite fundamentalists.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941)