Fairy tales and horror often go hand in hand– both are often violent cautionary stories. As such, it’s not unheard of for fairy tales to be reimagined as pure horror stories, a concept especially familiar to fans of haunted attractions. Renowned animator Bill Kopp takes advantage of this proximity with his upcoming picture book, Little Dead Riding Hood, a quirky dark comedy which also serves as a love letter to classic cartoons and animation.

Nearly everyone is familiar with the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the hungry wolf who stalks her on her way to grandma’s house. Because of this, the first half of the story is familiar– if I were to ask you to imagine a horror adaptation of the original story, you’d know exactly what to expect.  What stands out about this retelling is the art, which is so vibrant and eye-popping that one can’t help but get lost in the illustrations. The second half of the book really draws the eye, as Kopp writes the scenario in a way which lets him go crazy in his illustrations. The demons and twisted trees jump right off the page, and the story flows across the rhymes and art in a way which makes it feel as if the reader is watching a blending of classic rubber hose animation and more modern adult fare. Think “The Itchy and Scratchy Show” meets the Betty Boop animation of St. James Infirmary Blues and you’ll know the vibe this book is going for.

Despite being a picture book, you may want to screen this one before giving it to children. This is not because of the gore per se, but because some of the depictions of spirits and ghouls may be genuinely creepy to children under ten years old. All the same, I can’t help but gush over the art. This is clearly a love letter not only to the original fairy tale but to the lighter side of the horror genre and to animation as a whole, and it will make a great gift and keepsake for a fan of any of the aforementioned.

You can pre-order a copy of Little Dead Riding Hood now, and don’t forget that you can meet Bill Kopp August 3rd and 4th at Midsummer Scream!