Visual Zine Project
A fragmented map of how one horror story mutates across the web.
Phase 01 — Origin Post
Every digital legend begins with a spark: a strange image, a cryptic post, a comment that feels “too real.” This is the moment folklore is born.
Phase 02 — Community Expansion
Users add details. Someone posts a theory. Someone else creates fan art. A YouTube video appears. The story becomes a shared project.
Phase 03 — Platform Mutation
Each platform reshapes the story: TikTok adds sound, Reddit adds analysis, YouTube adds found footage, wikis add structure. The legend becomes multi‑modal.
Phase 04 — Cultural Impact
The story escapes its origin. It becomes a meme, a reference, a fear, a joke, a warning. This is where digital folklore becomes part of the cultural bloodstream.
References
Blank, Trevor J. Folklore and the Internet: Vernacular Expression in a Digital World.
Utah State University Press, 2018.
Underberg-Goode, Natalie. “Introduction to Creepypasta, Digital Horror, and Legend Formation Across Interactive Media.” Contemporary Legend.
Balanzategui, Jessica. “Creepypasta, ‘Candle Cove,’ and the Digital Gothic.” [Journal Title].
Chess, Shira, and Eric Newsom. Folklore, Horror Stories, and the Slender Man. Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.
Ondrak, Joe. Digesting Creepypasta. Sheffield Hallam University, 2022.
Di Placido, Dani. “Finally, the Internet Found ‘The Backrooms.’” Forbes, 2024.
Raftery, Brian. “How the Slender Man Became the Internet’s First Urban Legend.” Wired, 2016.
Koven, Mikel J. “Creepypasta: Digital Folklore for the 21st Century.” Journal of American Folklore, 2020.
Underberg-Goode, Natalie. “Introduction to Creepypasta, Digital Horror, and Legend Formation Across Interactive Media.” Contemporary Legend.
Balanzategui, Jessica. “Creepypasta, ‘Candle Cove,’ and the Digital Gothic.” [Journal Title].
Chess, Shira, and Eric Newsom. Folklore, Horror Stories, and the Slender Man. Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.
Ondrak, Joe. Digesting Creepypasta. Sheffield Hallam University, 2022.
Di Placido, Dani. “Finally, the Internet Found ‘The Backrooms.’” Forbes, 2024.
Raftery, Brian. “How the Slender Man Became the Internet’s First Urban Legend.” Wired, 2016.
Koven, Mikel J. “Creepypasta: Digital Folklore for the 21st Century.” Journal of American Folklore, 2020.