SAN DIEGO — “Goosebumps” creator R.L. Stine got a surprise during his first trip to San Diego Comic-Con: The 73-year-old author received the organization’s Inkpot Award, which recognizes contributions to the worlds of comics, fantasy and sci-fi. Past recipients include Steven Spielberg, Neil Gaiman and George Lucas.
“Everyone’s being too nice to me,” Stine said. “I’m not used to it. I don’t get that at home.”
Stine received the honor before appearing at a panel Thursday in which he told stories from throughout his career. He said he was initially reluctant to write scary stories for young readers, but once he came up with the name “Goosebumps,” he decided to give it a try. He has now written 130 “Goosebumps” books.
Stine also announced Thursday that a new line of “Goosebumps” comic books is in the works, and that he’s making his first foray into comics with a Marvel series called “Man Thing.”
“This was like a life’s dream,” he said. “I’d always wanted to write comic books. I always loved comics, but I’d never written one.”
Different authors will pen the “Goosebumps” comic books, spinning off characters from Stine’s novels.
A sequel to the “Goosebumps” movie is also underway, Stine said, and Fox plans to adapt his “Fear Street” books into a series of films.
The author also shared several personal revelations. For example, despite having written 330 books, he never learned to type.
“I only use one finger. I don’t even use two!” he said, showing his bent, bandaged finger to the crowd. “The finger goes, that’s the career.”
He said that his son, Matt, never read a “Goosebumps” book growing up, but used to sell parts in future volumes to his elementary school classmates. Stine obliged and wrote them in.
He said his favorite “Goosebumps” installment is “The Haunted Mask,” which was inspired by his son’s real-life experience of getting his head stuck in a rubber Frankenstein mask at Halloween.
Stine said he never struggles to find story ideas.
“I only try to think of titles and a title will lead me to the story,” he said, adding that they often come to him while he’s walking his dog.
Responding to audience questions, Stine revealed that his favorite scary movie is “Evil Dead 2” and his favorite Stephen King books are “Misery” and “Pet Sematary.”
“I think I stole that plot about four times,” Stine said.
But horror movies don’t scare him, he said.
His scariest experience ever was a real-life one: When he lost his young son at a New York car show.
“That was scary — that incredible feeling of panic,” Stine said. “And I lost him for about 20 seconds, but it was horrible.”
