A Scary Good Time: Author R.L. Stine is Turning 81

If you, like so many of us, have fond memories of turning up to the Scholastic Book Fair with every dime and dollar you managed to save over the summer to score a hearty new stack of Goosebumps books, then you’ve come to the right place. October 8th marks the 81st birthday of beloved horror author, R.L. Stine and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate him and the unofficial start of spooky season than to deep dive into his story and legacy. 

Just a Boy and His Typewriter

R.L. Stine, or Robert Lawrence Stine, a future graduate of Ohio State was born in Columbus, Ohio on October 8th, 1943. Little did his family know at the time, it would only be 9 short years before he would discover a dusty typewriter in the attic of his childhood home, a discovery that would completely change the course of his life.

“My friends and I all agreed that Columbus was really boring when we were kids,” Stine explains. “People always ask me, ‘Did you have a horrifying childhood? Is that why you write this stuff?’ But I had a very normal childhood.”

Instead of heading outside to play with his friends, as his mother begged him to do, Stine opted to stay indoors and start on his very first manuscripts, joke books. “You know, I always wanted my own humor magazine. This was my real ambition!” At school, Stine didn’t exactly prioritize academics or physical education for that matter, but he was able to debut a number of comedic bits. 

Fast forward to 1965, when Stine officially became a graduate of Ohio State. During his time there he devoted most of his energy to The Sundial, the school’s humor magazine. So much time in fact that he never really went to class. “My very first week at Ohio State, they had an open house at the Union. I went right into the Sundial office and tried to get on the staff immediately.

And that’s pretty much all I did in college! I didn’t care much for my classes, they were all pretty bad.” It took next to no time for Stine to make a name for himself, literally. Stine quickly became known as, “Jovial Bob”, producing dozens of humorous stories, editorials, and even plays for the publication under his new name. It wasn’t long before Stine earned the title of editor-in-chief for the magazine; a title which he held for 3 years until he eventually graduated.

“My proudest accomplishment [as Editor-in-Chief] was that we took a magazine that basically was failing, wasn’t selling many copies, wasn’t really doing well, and we turned it into something that would sell out every month. We had people out on the Oval in booths selling it, we’d sell it in dorms and in some of the stores on High Street… We turned it into something that people on campus really wanted to read every month.” After graduation, Stine took the money he’d earned as editor-in-chief and set out for the Big Apple. 

Look Alive: The Working Years 

Stine began his writing career at Scholastic where he wrote for school magazines, then returning to his roots, began to write joke books for kids, and even created Bananas magazine, a cooky, humorous magazine that he wrote and edited for 10 years under the name, you guessed it, Jovial Bob.

“I wanted to go to New York and become a writer, and I hoped to have my own humor magazine. And I did – I had my own humor magazine for ten years at Scholastic. It was called Bananas. That was my life’s dream! My own funny magazine. And when it ended, I thought I’d just coast for the rest of my life. I had no idea what was in store for me!” 

In 1969 R.L. Stine married Jane Waldhorn who would go on to become an editor and writer with whom Stine would work on several books with. 

Reader Beware, You’re in for an Unexpected Scare 

The year was 1989 when Stine created the Fear Street book series for teens and the series quickly became the best-selling YA series in history. What may shock fans of Fear Street books is that there was never some grand plan for Stine to go spooky, “I had no intention of ever being scary.” And if dabbling into the horror-verse and becoming wildly successful after Fear Street wasn’t enough of a plot twist, enter the Goosebumps series.

The year was 1992 and Goosebumps quickly became a worldwide sensation. As of 2024, there have been more than 230 Goosebumps books published, including the original 62 books. And if you thought the birth of a grandson would soften this beloved horror author, you thought wrong. R.L. Stine’s first picture book, Little Shop of Monsters was published in 2015. 

In recent years, R.L. Stine has continued to do what he does best – write. And freak people out. Stine continues to write Goosebumps books, comic books for Marvel, one graphic novel, and horror for adults. 

It’s Been a Scream: The Legacy of R.L. Stine

R.L. Stine has sold over 400 million books and his books have been translated into 35 different languages making him one of the best-selling authors in history. Fans of both Fear Street and Goosebumps have now grown up and started families of their own, but Stine’s terror reigns supreme as fans have now passed the beloved books down to their children, achieving what Stine set out to do – to get kids reading.

While we’re no longer kids saving allowance money and couch cushion change for the Scholastic Book Fair, but rather adults with adult money for bookstores and the proud owners of a library card to our local public library, we owe R.L. Stine countless thank yous for the mark he continues to leave on the hearts of millions. 

Happy Birthday, Mr. Stine, and thank you, from the bottom of our bibliophile hearts for the thrills and chills over the years.