By this time, you've no doubt played Slender: The Arrival and/or its inspiration, The Eight Pages. At the very least, you've watched some videos of people doing as much, and are aware of just how terrifying the game is. A simple indie game with only one level, the free to play Eight Pages caught a huge amount of buzz last summer, so much so that it got a full release as The Arrival. Based on the titular mythos of "Slenderman," which you may or may not be familiar with depending how much time you spend on the internet's various message boards researching the creepy and paranormal, both games are equally terrifying. In keeping with the tradition of creepy meshed with cute, a toymaker is hoping to take a bit of the fright out of the mythical, monolithic man by turning him into a simple stuffed toy. Albeit, a creepy, tall, faceless, stuffed toy.
Richard Broadwater is a name you may not be familiar with. As a toymaker, he's worked on figures for Marvel, DC Comics, as well as Star Trek and Star Wars. He's also big in the video game world, working for Bethesda as Lead Designer on artist for a number of the company's titles, including Fallout 3, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown by Firaxis. His latest project his is own, the aforementioned Slender Man doll, as suggested by two oldest daughters. As anyone who's watched "The Shining" knows, two young girls know creepy.
Broadwater is keeping the mythic man's monster proportions in check with both the mythos and his game appearance: a pale face, the snappy black suit and polished kicks, tendril arms, and same hunched sort of neck. The doll itself even stands...if it wasn't filled with fluff that is...at 32 inches tall, a scrawny head and shoulders above most plush toys you'll find.
Broadwater's taken to Kickstarter to fund the cuddly, wuddly Slenderman doll, and is already more than halfway complete to the funding goal. There's now only 5 days left for the remaining money to be raised, otherwise this Slender doll is going back to the woods from whence he came. The doll would make a suitable companion for anyone who's a fan of horror, the game, or even the mythos overall, so if you hope to one day hold the terrifying tall man in your arms and love him 'til you start coughing blood, the rest of the funding is up to you. This Sunday marks the end of the campaign.