Looking Back at Your Childhood

[Evan]

I was just wondering if any of you remember being terrified by something in the media (books, video games, TV show, music....) or if there was some..thing that influenced your childhood.

As for me, I remember being afraid of that Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. The below image especially.




Other than that, for some reason smiley faces have always scared me, along with the Mr. Yuck. Watching back short episodes of Noseybonk, they have also been very creepy to watch.

One of my earliest instances of being scared was Christmas, when I was about 3. I was playing some Batman game on the computer, when I decided it would be a good idea to turn the volume up the highest possible level. That scared the heck of out me.

The three instances of something memorable would be as follows.
There was a very weird puzzle-solving book of my youth. They were all logic problems for pre-schoolers focused around a ear-muff wearing scientist.

The second is a GoldenBooks publication about a boy who's afraid of storms, so he runs away to the lighthouse. If anybody knows the name of this book, I've forgotten the name of this. Any help would be appreciated.

The last is watching Courage the Cowardly Dog. The episode with the tornado came into my dreams, creating the scariest possible combination of storms and Strega Nona.

So, what do you remember from your childhood?

[Fealiks]

I can't remember anything specific terrifying me, but I know that Monkey Island played a huge part in my childhood

[Weeblerjake]

Ah, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The most checked out library book there ever was in my school. Actually, I'm only 13 now, so I don't have much, but I have this. When I was 5, my dad showed me a picture on the computer... and I had to find the ghost... and if we turned up the sound, we could hear it... so he turned it up all the way.... and I was screamer'd. Screamed my head off, ran to my mom, and cried. Then for a while I was afraid to go anywhere near a blank screen in the dark.

I remember the Powerpuff Girls teaching me how to eat broccoli....

[Spadge]

I'm sure there were lots of scary things I've seen as a kid, but for some reason all I can remember right now is "Ren and Stimpy". It scarred me for life. Oh and I think there was a music video made by the same animator. Needless to say that gave me a few nightmares too.

EDIT: Oh, I remember. Bjork!

EDIT2: It's getting clearer and clearer... Guys? KEEP YOUR KIDS AWAY FROM ANYTHING BJORK RELATED! IN FACT KEEP AWAY FROM BJORK! OH, THE HORROR! THE NIGHTMARES! THE NIGHMARES! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Lena_P]

This movie.

[DarkStar Runner]

Oh, the evil Flash Screamers... Was first done at my friend's house with a "What's wrong with this picture?" one...

There was also that "Black Licorice" Clickamajig on Nick.com ....

"*childish evil laughter* I wonder what happens when I feed them black licorice...he h- OH CRAP AUUUGHH!!! *rapid clicking of Red X on screen*"

Ah, and let's not forget those horrible dreams I had... of the ceiling in my home...which would randomly open up, and a crane *like in a crane game* would come down and pick me up. And drag me in.

[GaryCXJk]

Don't tell me this wasn't the cause of your fears for clowns.

Pie-throwing bastard.

[TookiGuy]

^Clowns are *meant* to be feared, buddy.
Of course, a lot of people say Kefka is a popular cause for the fear of clowns in our generation.

[jp-30]

Dr Who. And Sapphire and Steel. Had to hide behind the couch to watch them.

**** you, BBC.

Edit: And ITV!

[Darth Marsden]

This film scared the crap out of me as a kid, as did the Grapefruit 'Zoot' in Meet the Raisins. I also quickly learned to hate The Wizard of Oz very, very quickly, thus establishing myself as a massive cynic of everything sweet and lovable from an early age.

Thanks for making me relive the nightmares.

[ShaggE]

Originally Posted by jp-30

And Sapphire and Steel.

This. Seasons 2 and 3 were insane. Thank deity I didn't see them until I was an adult (Imported the box set DVDs), as they would have given my younger self nightmares for years.

The Twilight Zone always screwed with my head as a kid. I kept on renting the VHS tapes, though. I was such a masochist.

There's many others, but I can't remember them at the moment.

[SHODANFreeman]

Although maybe I was right to be afraid of him as a little boy...

[Paranoid Android]

Originally Posted by Fealiks

I can't remember anything specific terrifying me, but I know that Monkey Island played a huge part in my childhood

I'd definitely have to second that one. *edit added* Come to think of it, anyone remember Watership Down...



Scared the pants off me when I was little.

[Masquerade]

Ringu terrified me at a rather young age(9/10) and has continued to do so ever since. So much so that I actually walked out of the Grudge remake because the loft/hair scene right at the start reminded me so much of it.

Dolly Dearest also made me rather uneasy as a child, particularly when she is hiding beneath the kitchen table and slices the father's Achilles tendon with a knife and he crumples to the floor.

[Rather Dashing]

I had nightmares about Rita Repulsa from Power Rangers.

The movie about the troll with the green thumb? I think it was something like "A Troll in Central Park", that scared me for some reason.

[Ray-The-Sun]

Infested Kerrigan from starcraft scared the crap outta me once.

...Come to think of it, why was I allowed to PLAY Starcraft?

[Gman5852]

Screamers. My first one was the "what's wrong with this room" screamer. I remember it like it was yesterday
[flashback] I was minding my own business, playing Banjo-Tooie, when my sister was checking her email and was look for what was wrong. I hear a scream, and instead of seeing my sister on the floor scared to death, she was LAUGHING(which was normal for her) I still young thought it was something like a man naked from the shower seeing us and screaming, and well, SHE SHODE ME, and I was scared to go into the computer room, she left and left the screamer thing on and every minute he would scream and could be heard through the entire house and I wanted to play Banjo. I was to scared to go and click the X incase he would scream again. So what I did was close my eyes, plug my ears, and use my sense of touch for the volumne switch. I found it, turned down the volume, and now it was quiet, I open my eyes to click the X and the moment I clicked, he screamed again. She kept the email and showed her friends and NOT me. Funny, how many years ago this was and how vivd a memory it was. also there was a screamer on nick.com, when.

[Jace Taran]

When I was little, I used to watch Are u Afraid of the Dark? on nickelodeon. One of them literally made me afraid of the dark for a while (few months, at least). The demon/zombie thing that appears about 3 minutes in freeked me out (though you get a good look at him towards the end of the episode).

[Alf Fly]

Originally Posted by GaryCXJk

Don't tell me this wasn't the cause of your fears for clowns.

Pie-throwing bastard.

Oh Jesus Christ, yes. I hate hate HATE Pennywise.

There was this Childrens BBC program that was written by Russell T. Davis (the guy behind the Doctor Who relaunch) called Century Falls which terrified me. Freaky kids, weird psychic powers, bizzarre cults - all in an afternoon timeslot. Brrr.

[JedExodus]

Originally Posted by Evan

Watching back short episodes of Noseybonk, they have also been very creepy to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyh4fQ9bEAw