Note: Ten favorite monsters, part two. Part one. There’s sort of an aesthetic going on here, so I thought it was appropriate to post it at the beginning of spooky season.
1. Xenomorph from Alien franchise
Their life cycle is so fascinating.
2. manticore from Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World around You
Unlike the Edward Topsells woodcut, Tony DiTerlizzi’s illustrations don’t display three rows of teeth. But I like the interpretation of a feline-primate hybrid. Also, his quill tail is cool.
3. Ghostfreak from Ben 10
What makes Zs’Skayr stand out from the other Omnitrix aliens is that he retained his consciousness and wants to possess its user. Haunting. Ectonurites in general are wonderfully spooky. But Ghostfreak is a unique take on a classic sheet ghost, even before he exposes his stripy tentacles.
4. Other Mother from Coraline
Unlike the book, the movie version’s only “creepy” feature (at first) is the buttons. Then she becomes a cracked porcelain (but still button-eyed) spidery doll monstrosity.
5. Rem from Death Note
Obata has so many cool shinigami designs, it’d be difficult to pick a fave if Rem wasn’t a major character. DN’s female human characters get the short end of the stick, but least the shinigami ladies’ designs are just as cool, if not cooler, than the men’s.
6. Helping Hands from Labyrinth
The Jim Henson Company has a plethora of intriguing creatures, so expect to see others if I decide to do other lists. The Helping Hands are conceptually simple, but their placement, ashen/stony flesh, and general ambiguity make them so darn unnerving.
7. Boy from Little Monsters
He’s like if someone created a character after overhearing horrifying manchild without context. The scene where his face (or “face”) gets ripped off was the most terrifying thing ever to my ten-year-old self. It didn’t even occur to me he may have been wearing someone else’s skin.
8. Edgar the Bug from Men in Black
The most insectile character I’m not afraid of, despite the fact he should probably make us all feel visceral disgust.
9. Mucus from Power Rangers Dino Fury
Fungal fun gal.
10. Kardiak from Teen Titans
A giant mechanical heart that manages to be creepy without beating.
Note: Nu and Gelus are runners-up for Rem. (I debated using a manga illustration, but the anime’s colors are pretty, too.) Little Monsters is pretty much everything a late ‘80s children’s fantasy/horror movie should be.
