Written by Jonathan Wojcik

NIGHTMARE MENAGERIE 2017: PART SIX

WITH GUEST ART BY Madamecat!

THE BONE ANTS

I've had a lot of dreams myself that played out as "episodes" of cartoon shows, and similarly featured a clashing mix of art styles, which in itself feels pretty jarring and when your dream-self really doesn't understand it's only in a dream. I kinda want to interpret these as creatures that specialize in chewing their way into different fictional continuities through human dreams, kind of like a plague of locusts.

...What if that's why Powerpuff Girls came back so, so wrong from cancellation?

THE BISHOP

A nice compact little nightmare; just a strange being in a strange place doing a strange thing. I can imagine what it must have sounded and felt like to have this thing speaking in an incomprehensible organ-language, and knowing only that it was something "bad." Most nightmare creatures are charming for how awkward and absurd their designs sound, but this is one of those I could believe as a carefully conceived original character in a relatively serious fantasy setting.

THE POLYGON CHILDREN

The guy who had this dream also runs the Junji Ito blog Souichi Presents, so it's not surprising that one of his apparently rare nightmares of any interest still offers some top quality weirdness. Both the concept and the progression of imagery in this one truly does sound lie-awake terrifying, and the whole premise would make a fantastic story to expand upon.

THE GENERAL

Multiple monsters here, all interesting in their own right. I like the idea of a goofy furball that swallows victims whole, and you may notice how much the general's description sounds frog-like. Of course THE GENERAL of nightmares is another frog being.