From BuzzFeed · · 1m 50s
Tim Jacobus Reveals Goosebumps Cover Secrets
Artist Tim Jacobus explains how he created iconic Goosebumps book covers with hidden details.
In brief
Artist Tim Jacobus explains how he created iconic Goosebumps book covers with hidden details. Tim Jacobus shared how he designed Goosebumps book covers, including Easter eggs for his son and sci-fi influences. Originally reported by BuzzFeed.
Goosebumps Cover Inspiration
Tim Jacobus created Goosebumps covers using album art and creative concepts.
“This was a fun one. I was inspired by the album cover for the Grateful Dead's Blues for Allah.”
Cobwebs on Mirror Cover
Cobwebs were added to Let's Get Invisible after Tim sent his final version.
“When you have people on covers, you need your reference material.”
Deep Trouble Cover Concept
The hammerhead shark cover for Deep Trouble leaned toward the Jaws movie poster.
“The hammerhead shark by itself would have worked well, but what makes this cover effective is that we see the kid's legs.”
My Hairiest Adventure
Tim used family members as models for the My Hairiest Adventure cover.
“That one was fun because it was more comical than anything else.”
Science Fiction Cover
Tim worked with model Fabio for a sci-fi cover featuring dragons and technology.
“I asked the woman, 'Who should we use?' And she goes, 'Oh, you know who would be really great at this? You could use Fabio.”
Barking Ghost Cover
The Barking Ghost cover uses simple design for maximum impact.
“A formula I found for an effective Goosebumps cover is that the simpler you can make it and get your point across, the more impactful the image will be.”
Haunted Mask II
Tim created a different mask for Haunted Mask II to avoid reusing the first.
“As I worked on this cover, I actually didn't know the first Haunted Mask was such a fan favorite.”
Shrunken Head Easter Egg
Tim hid a truck drawing for his son on the How I Got My Shrunken Head cover.
“I used to draw for my son all the time. He used to always ask me to draw the same things over and over again.”
Night of the Living Dummy
Tim added a yellow checkered suit to one dummy in Night of the Living Dummy III.
“I thought we needed a little burst of color, so I made a dummy have a yellow checkered suit.”
How I Learned to Fly
Tim included Converse shoes as an Easter egg for his mom on How I Learned to Fly.
“Back in the day, I wore Converse. Even right now, I still have them on.”
The Blob That Ate Everyone
Tim initially designed The Blob That Ate Everyone as a baked potato.
“When I did it in pencil, it kind of looked like a baked potato coming down the street.”
Goosebumps Cover Philosophy
Tim believes simple covers with strong visuals work best for Goosebumps.
“The Barking Ghost, and also The Haunted Mask, has just one thing in the center, and it gets all of your attention.”
Tim's Art Collection
Tim sells prints of Goosebumps covers online and has a growing collection.
“I just recently added that to the collection of prints that I sell online.”
Easter Eggs for Fans
Tim hid Easter eggs in multiple Goosebumps covers for personal reasons.
“So I thought, Yeah, let's throw that one up on the wall too, and give that truck a little fame.”
Goosebumps Legacy
Tim's Goosebumps covers remain iconic and influential in children's literature.
“Safe to say, I'll never look at these covers the same way again.”
In short
Tim Jacobus shared how he designed Goosebumps book covers, including Easter eggs for his son and sci-fi influences.
