In American (Western) animation, there has traditionally been two major genres in animation, action and comedy, but a genre that does seem majorly overlooked is the horror genre. The genre has more representation in Japanese animation, but it is generally seen as not as effective as action or comedy in Western animation. Currently, the Uzumaki anime has divided the animation community in terms of whether or not it is effective in providing scares, and whether it is an adequate adaptation of a beloved manga. We will see how the audiences react to the finale. The other big recent scary cartoon created in the land Down Under is an October episode of The Amazing Digital Circus that was highly acclaimed. Let’s look at horror in cartoons past and present to determine to what degree horror can be done in cartoons.
The long-running Scooby-Doo franchise is probably the first spooky cartoon most think about, and has been a Halloween staple for half a century. This series is probably more known for its mystery and comedy as the “ghosts” are almost always a guy in a silly costume rather than a real ghost, but 1998 changed the franchise dramatically with its first scary movie, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. This time the zombies were real and Mystery Inc. was faced with real bodily harm. Six year old me found this cartoon scary, but the fun kind of scary. This movie proved that the mission (at least for kids animation) can be accomplished. Although the Scooby-Doo franchise waxes and wanes in terms of intensity, certain entries (2010’s Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated) can provide fun scares.
A few other kids horror titles are also noteworthy. The other big kids horror title released around the turn of the century (1999-2002) that’s worth mentioning is Courage the Cowardly Dog. This cartoon featured the titular dog haunted by the supernatural menace of the week and provided some of the most unnerving stuff seen in kids’ television. I’ve heard that first few seasons of the Tales from the Cryptkeeper cartoon that aired on ABC was an effective horror cartoon, but being born in the early 1990s, I remember the CBS season that aired on the late 1990s much better. This was a horror anthology similar to the live action Tales from the Crypt it was based on. That was the “preachy season” where things happened like haunted mannequins scaring kids away from shoplifting and stuff like that, something seven year old me didn’t find scary. I can’t personally vouch for this series, but I’ll take fans of the ABC season’s words that it was scary.
We’ve already answered the question of whether animation can scare kids, but the more challenging question is whether or not adults can be scared by animation. The very problem animation has is that things that are drawn and obviously not real, so that makes animation that much more difficult to deliver scares. Animation usually has go to extra mile with grotesque visuals and make them as disgusting and disturbing as possible. This has usually been done better in Anime.
2014’s Parasyte is probably the most beloved horror anime title, featuring humans taken over by parasitic man-eating creatures that mutated the human body to hideous forms and featured the parasites graphically eat people. That same year, another anime title came out that initially got great acclaim, only to fizzle out in Tokyo Ghoul. This show featured creatures that looked exactly like humans called ghouls, with the problem being that these creatures eat humans. The main character is horrifically transformed into a ghoul by getting a blood transfusion from one. While the source manga is beloved, the anime, especially the later seasons, did not effectively adapt it.
2010 vampire title Shiki and the 2006 title Higurashi When They Cry?, a title that has its premise better left unspoiled. Although not pure horror, as it also includes action and war drama elements, Attack on Titan is about grotesque giant monsters who graphically eat people and the series violent content is definitely disturbing. The adventure anime Made in Abyss is my personal pick for most disturbing cartoon ever made by the grotesque horrors that are in the abyss, the giant hole the two adorable child characters explore. I won’t go into detail to spoil what makes this title so horrific, even if it is not technically classified as horror for some reason. Yes, I have seen some real disgusting, graphic, and disturbing stuff in anime that is on par with live action horror movies like Saw or Hellraiser. Horror anime is disturbing.
Western adult animation, now that it is expanding to include non comedy genres, may eventually try horror out and create a classic of its own, but so far, I can think of only one title in the genre, an obscure ditty created by famed and divisive live action horror movie director and rockstar Rob Zombie named The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. With a low critic and audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, plus this title falling into obscurity, I can say this title didn’t start a trend. Although not pure horror, The Amazing Digital Circus, a title with a hard to pin down genre, created an unnerving episode that wasn’t graphically violent, but provided creepy imagery that even adults might find disturbing.
In conclusion, yes horror is a legitimate genre for kids and adult animation, even if it feels in the shadow of comedy and action. I do look forward to American adult animation trying horror out after finally trying action out when it seemed like comedy was the only genre American adult animation is allowed to do. Come on Netflix, Max, and other streamers, give us some ghouls and ghosts for a spooky adult toon.
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