Maddie James
Candle Cove is a fictional children's television show that serves as the subject of an online creepypasta horror story written by Kris Straub. The story is told through a series of exchanges on a fictional Internet forum, where users discuss their memories of the show, including disturbing details such as a character known as the Skin-Taker. The story gained popularity and inspired numerous fan works, leading to its adaptation into a television series, Channel Zero: Candle Cove. The show-within-a-show, Candle Cove, is described as taking place in a set of islands, also called Candle Cove, with the capital being the Candle Islands and other areas including the Cutlass Islands, the Abandoned Islands, and the Treasure Islands.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of work | Online creepypasta horror story |
| Author | Kris Straub |
| Inspiration | The Onion article "Area 36-Year-Old Still Has Occasional Lidsville Nightmare" |
| Format | Thread on a fictional "NetNostalgia Forums" |
| Premise | Users discuss a disturbing, low-budget children's television show they watched as children |
| Show details | Takes place in a set of islands called Candle Cove; features characters like Pirate Percy, Janice, Horace Horrible, and the Skin-Taker |
| Fan response | Numerous fan fictions, videos, art, and music; adapted into a TV series, "Channel Zero: Candle Cove" |
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What You'll Learn
Candle Cove is a fictional children's TV show
Candle Cove is a fictional children's television show that is the subject of an online horror story written by Kris Straub. The story is told through a thread on a fictional forum, where users discuss the unusual and disturbing Candle Cove, which they remember watching as children. The show features marionette pirates and a young girl named Janice, who imagines herself to be friends with the pirates. As the users reminisce, they recall more sinister details, such as a character called the "Skin-Taker", a skeleton pirate who wears clothing made from children's skin.
The story gained popularity as a "creepypasta", a term for horror stories shared online, and inspired numerous fan-created videos, music, artwork, and even fan fiction. In the story, users discuss the show taking place in a set of islands, also called Candle Cove, with the capital being the Candle Islands, and other areas including the Cutlass Islands and the Treasure Islands. The show also featured a living pirate ship called the Laughingstock, with a wide mouth across its bow, captained by a cowardly buccaneer marionette named Pirate Percy.
The fictional show-within-a-story, Candle Cove, is described as having aired in the early 1970s, around 1971 or 1972, and was supposedly on a local station, at a strange time like 4:00 PM. The story's author, Kris Straub, has stated that he was inspired by a satirical Onion article titled "Area 36-Year-Old Still Has Occasional Lidsville Nightmare". The story's format and concept sparked the interest of fans, who shared and discussed it across various online platforms, contributing to its popularity and evolution into an urban legend of sorts.
The success of the story led to the SyFy Channel announcing their intention to adapt it into a TV series, titled "Channel Zero: Candle Cove", which premiered in 2016. The show centres around a child psychologist who returns to his hometown to investigate the disappearance of his brother and other children in the 1980s. The series expands on the original story, including new disturbing elements and visuals that have received praise from critics and fans alike.
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Candle Cove is a set of islands
The Candle Islands are known to be the capital of Candle Cove, where the upper class and government reside. The Cutlass Islands are the centre of pirate activity, with most pirates congregating in this area. The Abandoned Islands are deserted, featuring the ruins of past societies, while the Treasure Islands are a hub for pirates' hidden treasures.
The story of Candle Cove unfolds through exchanges on the NetNostalgia Forum, where members reminisce about the strange and disturbing children's show from their youth. The marionette characters, including Pirate Percy and a skeleton in a tattered cape and top hat called The Skin-Taker, left a lasting impression on viewers.
The popularity of the story and its unique format inspired the SyFy Channel to adapt it into the first season of their newly announced series, Channel Zero, further expanding the creepy spirit of the original tale.
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Candle Cove is a horror story by Kris Straub
The story of Candle Cove quickly gained popularity, inspiring numerous fan fictions, artworks, videos, and music. It also inspired a season of the SyFy Channel's series Channel Zero, which expands on the original story and centres on a child psychologist investigating the disappearance of his brother and other children in the 1980s.
In the Channel Zero: Candle Cove storyline, the child psychologist, Mike Painter, returns to his childhood home of Iron Hill, Ohio, after twenty-eight years. As a child, Mike's brother Eddie was murdered, along with four other children, and the killer was never caught. Upon his return, Mike discovers that several children in town have been watching Candle Cove, a mysterious TV series that aired during the two months when the murders occurred.
The fictional location of Candle Cove is described as a set of islands, with the Candle Islands serving as the capital where the upper class and government reside. The Cutlass Islands are the centre of pirate activity, while the Abandoned Islands are deserted, containing only the ruins of past societies. The Treasure Islands are where pirates once hid their treasure.
The story of Candle Cove originated from a satirical Onion article titled "Area 36-Year-Old Still Has Occasional Lidsville Nightmare". Kris Straub has stated that this article inspired him to write the Candle Cove creepypasta, which is a term used to describe horror stories circulated around the Internet. The story's format as an Internet forum discussion contributed to its popularity and allowed it to take on a life of its own as an urban legend.
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Candle Cove is a Channel Zero TV series
The Candle Cove TV series-within-a-series is about a young girl named Janice who imagines herself to be friends with marionette pirates. As viewers continue to reminisce about the show, they begin to recall more disturbing details, such as a character known as the "Skin-Taker", a skeleton pirate who wears clothing made out of children's skin. The story takes the form of a thread on a fictional forum, where users discuss their memories of the unusual low-budget children's television show.
The Channel Zero: Candle Cove TV series received positive reviews for its visuals and terrifying imagery, including clips of Candle Cove and figures such as the Tooth Child and the Skin-Taker. The series also received praise for its twisty narrative, which kept viewers engaged and questioning how the mystery of the Candle Cove TV show was connected to the past and present. The show has been described as "among the best creepypastas out there" and a good example of using the internet forum format as a storytelling method.
The popularity of the Candle Cove story and its evolution into a TV series can be attributed to its ability to detach from its original source and author, often being shared as an urban legend. The story's format as an exchange on a fictional forum also contributed to its popularity, as fans recreated the story's exchange as if it were a real conversation. The show upholds the creepy spirit of the original story and the legends it inspired, offering viewers a disturbing and contaminating truth.
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Candle Cove is an urban legend
Candle Cove is a fictional children's television series that features in an online horror story written by Kris Straub. The story is told through a thread on a fictional forum, where a group of users discuss the unusual show they remember watching as children. The show is about a young girl named Janice who imagines herself to be friends with marionette pirates. As the users reminisce, they recall more disturbing details about the show, such as a character known as the "Skin-Taker", a skeleton pirate who wears clothing made out of children's skin.
The story was originally published by Straub in 2009 on his website under a Creative Commons license. It quickly gained popularity and was shared on various internet forums and websites, evolving into an internet-friendly "creepypasta". Creepypasta is a term used to describe horror stories that are circulated around the internet and take on a mythic life of their own. Candle Cove became one of the most iconic examples of this genre.
The story's popularity led to its adaptation into a television series, "Channel Zero: Candle Cove", which premiered in 2016. The show stars Paul Schneider and Fiona Shaw and follows a child psychologist who returns to his hometown to investigate the disappearance of his brother and other children in the 1980s. The show upholds the creepy spirit of the original story and the legends it inspired.
While Candle Cove is a fictional location, the story and its impact on popular culture are very much real. The online horror story and its subsequent adaptation have contributed to the spread of the Candle Cove urban legend, with fans creating detailed episode descriptions, fan art, and even videos claiming to be footage of the fictional show. The story's evolution and endurance as an urban legend are a testament to its ability to capture the imagination of audiences and tap into our collective fears and fascinations.
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Frequently asked questions
Candle Cove is a fictional location within the story of the same name. It is a set of islands, including the Candle Islands, the Cutlass Islands, the Abandoned Islands, and the Treasure Islands.
Candle Cove is the name of a fictional children's television show within the story. It was written by Kris Straub and published in 2009 on his website ichorfalls.com.
The fictional Candle Cove TV show is said to have aired on local television in Ironton, Ohio, in the early 1970s.
