When I was really small, there was a book called "I Am A Little Pig" by Francois Crozat. It was the strangest and most surreal children's book ever and had many weird drawings. The two pictures that terrified me to tears were of the pig in overalls writing at a school desk and the pig on a unicycle in clown makeup. I would cry whenever I saw it and make my mother skip those parts. The pages still creep me out and I still have a horrible fear of animals on two legs to this day.
Although the horror of the pigs was enough, the most terrifying children's book of all time is famed photographer William Wegman's interpretation of Cinderella with pictures of dogs as the characters. The dogs would have on overwhelming costumes, but still have dog paws and heads. There was one picture that I was especially scared of, the Cinderella dog in a big dress by a window with the Fairy Godmother dog looking in through that window. I would always be scared to look out the window for fear that a freakishly tall dog in a huge dress would be staring at me. When I looked the book up on Amazon, I found out that Wegman had many other children's books out there. What kind of a twisted person is he? I still blame my fear of this book starting with "I Am A Little Pig."
Now to get off the subject of books featuring anthropomorphic animals, I will talk about the amazing Twin Peaks. I think I am the only 12-year-old Peaks freak, but the thing I found scariest about the show was not BOB. I found the scariest thing to be the friendly, Cooper-helping giant. His caved in cheekbones, his pale complexion, and especially his bow tie unnerved me to pieces. But it was more than his appearance! The scene were he appears in Hide-Out Wally's and tells Coop that Maddy is being killed saddened me and it also disturbed me that the giant knew what was happening but couldn't stop it! It was so sad! Another terrifying scene was where Leo woke from his coma and attacked Shelly after his face had fallen in the cake. He looked like a member of the Insane Clown Posse!
Wasn't that also the guy that played Lurch in "The Addams Family" movies? I also remember him as Paul, a former circus performer turned stock trader in an episode of "My Name is Earl", and that dreadful "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band" movie.
When I was a kid, my next door neighbor had a dog like the ones that Wegman had and she was a terror! I've lost count on as to how many time she would bolt out of her house to chase my little sister and me when we walked home from school! So when I see his work I do admire them BUT I am always reminded of "Missy"-I think that's what her name is.
As for "Twin Peaks"……………Don't get me started! If you go back a few pages on this site there is a whole section about David Lynch as an "Official Traumatizer" and "Peaks" was the best/worst example. Now the "Giant" didn't creep me out as much as BOB did but still, that tall frame and sunken in facial cheeks can be seen as un-nerving to some.Â
BTW, if the Giant creeped you out in "Twin Peaks" you may have a problem with the first "Men in Black" movie!
Twin Peaks. I LOVED that show. I was an adult when it came out and it still had it's disconcerting moments and scares. I can relate. That little short guy scared me sometimes with his weird backward speaking. Also…BOB. Bob was a scary dude.