WEBVTT 00:00.766 --> 00:01.433 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - [Blonde Woman] Hello. 00:01.433 --> 00:02.566 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - [Host] Hi. 00:02.566 --> 00:04.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - I have an 8-year-old daughter who, 00:04.166 --> 00:07.033 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% due to your fantastic work with 00:07.033 --> 00:08.433 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Slappy the Dummy, 00:08.433 --> 00:11.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% is terrified of dolls (laughing). 00:11.000 --> 00:13.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And so I'm just curious as to how you handled 00:13.833 --> 00:15.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% your own children's fears and things like that, 00:15.866 --> 00:17.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% things that go bump in the night. 00:17.000 --> 00:18.200 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% What did you do? 00:18.200 --> 00:19.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - You have a son. 00:19.033 --> 00:20.500 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - I have a son. 00:20.500 --> 00:22.200 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% And he was (laughs), 00:22.200 --> 00:25.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% that's a, no one ever asked me that question. 00:25.900 --> 00:28.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% My son Matt, his claim to fame is that he 00:28.900 --> 00:30.500 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% never read one of my books. 00:30.500 --> 00:31.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (audience laughing) 00:31.966 --> 00:34.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% No, he bragged about it, he bragged about it. 00:34.866 --> 00:36.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - How old was your son 00:36.033 --> 00:37.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% when you started writing - He was 12. 00:37.133 --> 00:38.366 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - The Goosebumps books. 00:38.366 --> 00:39.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - 12, he was the right age, he was good. 00:39.866 --> 00:41.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - [Host] He just didn't wanna, he just didn't go there-- 00:41.700 --> 00:44.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - No dad, his dad hasn't had anything to say so far. 00:44.466 --> 00:45.766 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Why should he, he did it, 00:45.766 --> 00:47.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% you know he did it to make me crazy. 00:47.100 --> 00:48.400 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - Right. 00:48.400 --> 00:49.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - He'd bring them into his friends-- 00:49.233 --> 00:50.500 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - He's every son, ever. 00:50.500 --> 00:51.666 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - Yes, that's right. 00:51.666 --> 00:52.933 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - Yeah. 00:52.933 --> 00:54.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - So, I can't really answer that question. 00:54.533 --> 00:56.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And he was a pretty fearless kid. 00:56.433 --> 00:57.800 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Well he's a New York City kid. - He never got afraid of the 00:57.800 --> 00:59.400 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% dark or anything like that? 00:59.400 --> 01:01.000 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - [Bob] What? 01:01.000 --> 01:01.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - He was never afraid of the dark or anything like that? 01:01.833 --> 01:02.733 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - No. 01:02.733 --> 01:04.000 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% He's a city kid. 01:04.000 --> 01:05.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% When you grow up in New York city, you're tough. 01:05.800 --> 01:09.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - [Blonde Woman] Well, that's true, we live in the country. 01:09.566 --> 01:11.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - I didn't really understand the whole doll thing. 01:11.200 --> 01:13.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I write these Slappy books, and I have to, 01:13.533 --> 01:16.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% next year we're doing, I'm doing four books called 01:16.733 --> 01:18.566 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Goosebumps Slappy World. 01:18.566 --> 01:19.400 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - [Blonde Woman] Oh God. 01:19.400 --> 01:20.233 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - 'Cause he was so, 01:20.233 --> 01:21.066 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% yeah, tell him not to-- 01:21.066 --> 01:22.500 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - So this is like the-- 01:22.500 --> 01:23.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - [Blonde Woman] You wrote 'em just for my kid. 01:23.966 --> 01:24.633 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Like the cross-over television series, right? 01:24.633 --> 01:25.533 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% Merging the two. 01:25.533 --> 01:26.466 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - Right. 01:26.466 --> 01:28.866 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% But, they grow out of it. 01:28.866 --> 01:30.100 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% - [Blonde Woman] Yeah, I hope so. 01:30.100 --> 01:32.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - My nephew Sam, he was like nine I guess, 01:32.833 --> 01:36.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and he was terrified of Goosebumps, terrified. 01:36.133 --> 01:37.833 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And I used to send him books. 01:37.833 --> 01:40.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And I'd say, Sam, I think you'll like this one, 01:40.666 --> 01:42.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% it's not too scary. 01:42.966 --> 01:44.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I picked one out, you know, wasn't too scary. 01:44.800 --> 01:47.800 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And he called me up and he said, "Bob, you know where 01:47.800 --> 01:50.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% "this book is going, right in the garbage." 01:50.400 --> 01:52.766 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% (laughing) 01:52.766 --> 01:54.300 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% Right. 01:54.300 --> 01:55.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - [Blonde Woman] All right, well thank you very much. 01:55.000 --> 01:56.000 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - [Bob] Yes. 01:56.000 --> 01:57.266 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - Mam. 01:57.266 --> 01:59.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Well, I just wanted to say that I myself 01:59.233 --> 02:02.600 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% have never liked anything scary, always been terrified, 02:02.600 --> 02:04.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% can't watch scary movies to this day. 02:04.333 --> 02:05.600 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% But I love your books, 02:05.600 --> 02:08.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and I don't know what it is but they're amazing. 02:08.733 --> 02:11.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And, as a child, it was just really, 02:11.133 --> 02:12.633 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% was able to get into it. 02:12.633 --> 02:15.400 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% But my question for you is, what is your favorite? 02:15.400 --> 02:16.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Do you have a favorite of all the books that you've written? 02:16.733 --> 02:17.566 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - Of all of them? 02:17.566 --> 02:18.800 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - Of all of them, yeah. 02:18.800 --> 02:20.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - You know it's very hard, I guess 02:20.166 --> 02:21.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The Haunted Mask. - With so many to pick from. 02:21.666 --> 02:24.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - The Haunted Mask, that's my best Halloween story. 02:24.366 --> 02:27.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% About Carly Beth who pulls the mask down over her face 02:27.433 --> 02:31.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and it sticks to her face and turns her evil. 02:31.233 --> 02:33.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I'm very proud of that book, it's a good-- 02:33.433 --> 02:37.233 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (audience laughing) 02:37.233 --> 02:38.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Excellent, thank you. - That's my favorite. 02:38.466 --> 02:39.300 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - Thank you. 02:39.300 --> 02:40.133 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - Nice. 02:40.133 --> 02:40.966 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - Good. 02:40.966 --> 02:42.800 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - Miss Lava. 02:42.800 --> 02:46.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Thanks for coming back to Austin. 02:46.266 --> 02:48.066 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% It may not be necessary now, 02:48.066 --> 02:50.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% but when you started this whole direction, 02:50.766 --> 02:53.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% did you find, or did you even think about, 02:53.133 --> 02:55.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% whether you were writing for parents, for their children, 02:55.966 --> 02:57.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% or were you writing for the children? 02:57.466 --> 02:58.666 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - Very interesting. 02:58.666 --> 02:59.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Good question. - Yeah that's good. 02:59.933 --> 03:03.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It turned out parents enjoyed reading them 03:03.033 --> 03:06.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% to their kids, which was a lucky thing. 03:06.533 --> 03:09.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% But no, I only thought about the kids. 03:09.666 --> 03:10.966 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% I didn't think, and you know, 03:10.966 --> 03:13.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% parents in Goosebumps are useless. 03:13.800 --> 03:14.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (audience laughing) 03:14.733 --> 03:15.933 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% - [Miss Lava] That's true. 03:15.933 --> 03:18.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - The parents never believe the kids, ever. 03:18.733 --> 03:20.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% They never believe what's going on, 03:20.733 --> 03:23.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and they're usually totally absent. 03:24.833 --> 03:27.633 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% The idea of a Goosebumps book is that the kids 03:27.633 --> 03:30.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% have these horrible, terrifying problems, 03:30.600 --> 03:32.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and they have to solve them on their own. 03:32.700 --> 03:33.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - That's kinda like Peanuts. - They have to use their 03:33.833 --> 03:35.466 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% own wits to solve them. 03:35.466 --> 03:38.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And their parents are no help at all in these books. 03:38.300 --> 03:40.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Right, have you ever had parents complain about 03:40.333 --> 03:42.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% the portrayal of parents in these books? 03:42.600 --> 03:44.100 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - Not about that. 03:44.100 --> 03:46.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I have parents complain about the subject matter. 03:46.366 --> 03:49.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% The whole idea of horror for kids. 03:49.000 --> 03:51.000 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Especially in the early days, 03:51.000 --> 03:52.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% there were a lot of complaints. 03:52.333 --> 03:53.133 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% Now-- 03:53.133 --> 03:53.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - [Host] Less so now. 03:53.966 --> 03:54.933 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - Less so now. 03:54.933 --> 03:56.300 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% - Sir, last question right here. 03:56.300 --> 03:57.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Thank you so much for coming to Austin. 03:57.400 --> 03:58.900 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% I grew up in Calcutta, in India, 03:58.900 --> 04:01.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and book fairs were my favorite time of the year 04:01.200 --> 04:03.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% when I could save up money and buy the Goosebump books. 04:03.966 --> 04:04.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Oh nice. - (muffled) are still 04:04.900 --> 04:07.033 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% one of my favorite experiences. 04:07.033 --> 04:08.500 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - [Bob] Thank you. 04:08.500 --> 04:11.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Have you ever thought of like building scary characters 04:11.133 --> 04:13.100 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% that span across multiple books 04:13.100 --> 04:15.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% rather than having the stand-alone books? 04:15.166 --> 04:16.533 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - Building a what? 04:16.533 --> 04:17.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - In other words recurring characters, 04:17.866 --> 04:19.333 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% book to book to book. 04:19.333 --> 04:21.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - I do everything hard for myself. 04:21.400 --> 04:24.566 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I start over again with every book. 04:24.566 --> 04:26.200 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% We did a continuing story, 04:26.200 --> 04:28.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% we did a thing called Goosebumps HorrorLand. 04:28.966 --> 04:31.466 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Which was a 19-part story, and 04:32.600 --> 04:35.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% which I find really hard to do, continuing. 04:35.066 --> 04:36.866 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And it was the same characters. 04:36.866 --> 04:40.400 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% But, I don't know, I like the whole anthology approach, 04:40.400 --> 04:43.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% sort of like The Twilight Zone where every single story 04:43.233 --> 04:44.900 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% is different. 04:44.900 --> 04:46.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's harder I think, 'cause I have to get a whole new 04:46.866 --> 04:49.166 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% cast of characters every time. 04:49.166 --> 04:50.866 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% But, I enjoy that more. 04:50.866 --> 04:54.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I haven't really thought of doing a series, 04:54.233 --> 04:55.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% continuing series. 04:55.733 --> 04:57.166 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - You could imagine though that in the way that we now 04:57.166 --> 04:58.433 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% have these episodic series, 04:58.433 --> 04:59.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% we had somebody who was on a show that's 04:59.666 --> 05:01.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% on a streaming service here before. 05:01.600 --> 05:03.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% You could imagine some kind of a series that 05:03.366 --> 05:05.400 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% you created specifically for one of these services 05:05.400 --> 05:08.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that indeed had characters that recurred over a 05:08.200 --> 05:09.533 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% finite number of-- 05:09.533 --> 05:10.366 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - Yeah. 05:10.366 --> 05:11.600 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - That might be good. 05:11.600 --> 05:13.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Yeah, that would be interesting. 05:13.066 --> 05:13.600 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - But not something you're thinkin' about doing? 05:13.600 --> 05:15.066 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - No. 05:15.066 --> 05:15.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - [Man Asking Question] Thank you. 05:15.900 --> 05:17.133 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - Well there you go. 05:17.133 --> 05:17.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - I'm there with Slappy the Dummy. 05:17.933 --> 05:18.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - Slappy the Dummy. 05:18.733 --> 05:19.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (audience laughing) 05:19.966 --> 05:21.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I think ending with - That's my character. 05:21.233 --> 05:22.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Slappy the Dummy is a good one, don't you? 05:22.700 --> 05:23.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We're so fortunate to have had R.L. Stine here. 05:23.766 --> 05:24.833 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Please give him a big hand. 05:24.833 --> 05:25.666 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - Thank you. 05:25.666 --> 05:26.500 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (audience applauding) 05:26.500 --> 05:27.600 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Thank you very much.