Stephen King’s 1983 novel “Pet Sematary” has had a hold on my imagination for most of my life. To this day I’d consider it the scariest thing I’ve ever read, although my opinion is probably coloured by the fact that I first read it when I was about nine years old.
Mary Lambert’s 1989 film adaptation, which I watched around the same time, still informs my mental image of the book’s events. An avuncular Fred Gwynne as Jud Crandall, scalpel-wielding Gage, ghostly Victor Pascow in his silly red shorts, and the uncanny Zelda, cartoonish yet deeply horrifying to my childish eyes.
All together, one of the best horror stories ever told. I’ve tried to pay tribute to the story in the form of this classic quote from Jud Crandall. 1980s horror paperback covers remain a fascination of mine and I’ve tried to stick close to that unique look. The typeface is an extensively modified Hawthorn, all handcrafted flourishes, just like they did in the old days.
“Sometimes dead is better,” Jud says to a grieving Louis Creed, warning his friend against tampering with the forces of darkness and resurrection. Louis didn’t listen. How about you?
Horror fiends click over to Teespring and warn the world!
