This big 15% discount off our books ends at midnight tomorrow!

DER STRUWWELPETER ('Shock-Headed Peter'): German psychiatrist Heinrich Hoffman's 1845 children's book contained such delights as a girl burning to death, a boy starving to death, and a tailor who stops a child's thumb-sucking by chopping them off!

Happy New Year, everyone! 2025 was a doozy: a BBC Breakfast appearance, and me and Dave writing a strip for the Treasury of British Comics Annual were particular highlights. In 2026, I'll be getting into high gear on the next big SFL book project: The Scarred For Life Book of Horror Stories! 🥳 -Ste

Make it a scarred New Year with this huge 15% discount off our print books! Use the case-sensitive code CHEERS15 until midnight on Friday January 2! Also available as colour eBooks. Store link: linktr.ee/scarredforlife

Today's charity shop haul

A surreal, nightmarish political allegory about capitalism, individualism, and Thatcherism? That's what anthology show Dramarama served up to kids in 1985 with THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO GOING BACKWARDS IN THE WORLD. Beware The Mouth - it's an evil place!

Here's a perfect film for Christmas Limbo Week: NUTCRACKER FANTASY (1979), a Japanese/American Sanrio/Rankin-Bass stop-motion adaptation of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It's dark, experimental, psychedelic, and absolutely gorgeous! youtu.be/gM2I_7TLsDY?si=0GWBR_McnCUxhzxF

Merry Christmas one and all from Scarred For Life! Hope you have a smashing day. But first, a festive message from our Queen...

Behind door number 24 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... it's the grand finale, so ushering in tomorrow's big day is our spirit animal, the man in the bulbous mask himself: NOSEYBONK!

Behind door number 23 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... They've got plenty. Have you got plenty? Plenty of longpig for the Xmas roast. It's the now-infamous, and deeply eerie, early 80s British Pork advert!

Opening door number 22 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... BBC1's 1978 Christmas ident. What could be more festive than Santa's disembodied, maniacally grinning head revolving on a turntable? The horror! The horror!

Behind door number 21 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... turn the big light off, grab a brew, and watch the BBC's festive 'spooky Jackanory', SPINE CHILLERS!

The Threads podcast Christmas special is a chat with Simon Moorhead, who was Assistant Floor Manager on the film. He tells us about rats in taxis, a raid from the Special Branch, and Mick Jackson swapping two Christs and one bugger for a fuck… @bangpodcast.bsky.social @scarredforlife.bsky.social

Behind door number 20 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... a montage to prove that public information film reaction shots are the best reaction shots of all. Emote! Emote!

Let's open door number 19 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... It isn't truly Christmas till the wolves are running - it's THE BOX OF DELIGHTS!

Behind door number 18 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... it's Vera's cyborg transformation in SUPERMAN 3!

Peeking behind door number 17 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... some of the toys and games you could expect to find under the tree, from Bermuda Triangle to Freddy Krueger!

Have you caught up with In Orbit Every Wednesday? Don't miss our episode with the @scarredforlife.bsky.social team, talking about the '70s and '80s media that traumatised us!

Behind door number 16 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... two coat hangers, some flammable tinsel, and a few candles: it's the health and safety nightmare that is BLUE PETER'S ADVENT CROWN! 🔥🔥🔥

And here it is. Episode 21. The family gets together. Honestly, from @davenuclear.bsky.social and @pankp007.bsky.social, huge thanks and love for all of the nuclear family's support this year... open.spotify.com/episode/1cJf...

Opening door number 15 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar, we find... a man trapped in a phone box. It's one of the greatest short horror films ever made (with an unforgettable ending): LA CABINA!

Let's open door number 14 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... and it's perfect Christmas telly in the form of the deeply creepy title sequence for the BBC's 1976 adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson's THE SNOW QUEEN!

Behind door number 13 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... a selection box of some of the weirdest, creepiest adverts of the 1970s and 80s!

Behind door number 12 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... a legendary PIF featuring one of the most toe-curling freeze frames ever: BROKEN GLASS!

This week’s guest on the Threads podcast is a real treat! 🙌🏼 Dr Vicky McMahon is a scholar who specialises in body studies and horror. We talk about the gender politics and body horror of Threads, and she explains why Mick Jackson is a God. @scarredforlife.bsky.social @bangpodcast.bsky.social

How did 2000 AD scar you when you were young? Molch-R & KLO-E teamed up with @scarredforlife.bsky.social this week to discuss some childhood comics trauma! Watch now: youtu.be/jxR3SMU_R3g Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... Or search '2000 AD Thrill-Cast' on your fav podcast app!

Lurking behind door number 11 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... a BBC show from 1968 which, according to legend, was so scary that it wasn't just banned - it was destroyed (save for one brilliant episode). It's LATE NIGHT HORROR!

Just three (yep three) days remain to back Darkade : An Arcade Horror Comic. Illustrated by the insanely talented @christiandibari.bsky.social with exclusive art from @thisisfunart and Stephen Brotherstone of @scarredforlife.bsky.social - link below! www.kickstarter.com/projects/man...

Borag thungg, earthlets! @2000ad.bsky.social is my favourite thing ever, so it was an honour to be guests on the Thrillcast. We talk about the comic, Britain in the 70s and 80s and how it influenced 2000AD, and much more! youtu.be/jxR3SMU_R3g?si=fOXiFh_EnMWetunN

Let's open door number 10 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... and reveal the dark, scary glory of the best Oz film: RETURN TO OZ!

The fine folk at Fabulous Films have given us an exclusive offer for our followers! Head to FabulousFilms.com and use the case-sensitive code BAGPUSS20 to get a 20% discount off Bagpuss on DVD or Blu-ray! Offer ends at midnight, Friday 12 December - get someone that saggy old cloth cat for Xmas!

Behind door number 9 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... M.R. James, and the BBC's A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS strand (Lost Hearts is one of my faves). Christmas isn't Christmas without it!

Behind door number 8 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... it's the ultraviolent puppet-based carnage that is CAPTAIN SCARLET!

Behind door number 7 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... it's the BBC's incredible adaptation of John Wyndham's classic novel about societal collapse and rampaging plants: THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS!

Let's open door number 6 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... and let's shut it again! It's Donald bloody Sutherland from INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS!

The fine folk at Fabulous Films have given us an exclusive offer for our followers! Head to FabulousFilms.com and use the case-sensitive code BAGPUSS20 to get a 20% discount off Bagpuss on DVD or Blu-ray! Offer ends at midnight, Friday 12 December - get someone that saggy old cloth cat for Xmas!

Behind door number 5 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... it's one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking - and wintry! - public information films ever made: FROZEN PONDS!

Opening door number four of the Scarred For Life advent calendar, we find... ITV's brilliant adaptations of John Wyndham's novel about a troubled boy and his alien friend: the CHOCKY trilogy!

What's behind door number 3 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar..? Watch out - it's The Thin Man, THE BOY FROM SPACE's creepy adversary!

Behind door number 2 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... it's the atmospheric and somewhat creepy title sequence to ITV's 'get kids reading' show THE BOOK TOWER (Tom Baker-era)!

Here it is! We count down from 98 to 101. We did it! A wonderful message from the legendary Nena. We pay tribute to Jimmy Cliff, discuss two v different Xmas tunes by Jona Lewie & Weird Al Yankovic before finalising our list with 99 Luftballons/Red Balloons! open.spotify.com/episode/1uk0...

It's December, the season of ghosts and all things spooky, so you know what that means - it's time for this year's SCARRED FOR LIFE ADVENT CALENDAR! Kicking things off, behind door number 1 is legendary paranormal documentary series ARTHUR C CLARKE'S WORLD OF STRANGE POWERS!

PLAY CHESS appeared in the BBC's Christmas 1980 morning schedules with an unfathomably menacing (though beautiful) title sequence. It's got real 'old-school Soviet' vibes.

Leeds and West Yorkshire weirdies! Stuck for Christmas pressie ideas? Why not buy a ticket or two for our Folk Horror show with me and @bobfischer.bsky.social at @oldwoollen.bsky.social Leeds in February? We can't wait to haunt one of our favourite venues again... Tickets: bit.ly/483H8JA

"It's Hitler on the telly!" Sparks have had a long, distinguished career, more than earning that legendary status. But in the 1970s, keyboardist Ron Mael scared the pants off young pop kids with his unblinking, Medusa-like gaze...

What an honour it was to paint and design the variant cover to @manoghosts.bsky.social new project, a comic book series about a cursed arcade: DARKADE! Check it out at the link, and if it tickles your fancy, give it your support! kickstarter.com/projects/manoghosts/darkade-an-arcade-horror-comic