"Oi! What're you doin' here?" "Bit of haunting, innit" "Stop it." "Oh, alright then..." That made me laugh more than perhaps it should

Flogging the graveyard ghost has to be my new favourite euphemism.

I feel like I should be tucked into bed when Stuart is reading to us

I would 100% buy an audiobook of Stuart reading horror stories.

"Ghosts of the living... surely that's just people?" LOL.

- What is a Ghost, Mommy? - Two layers in Photoshop, sweetie.

Ashens in 2012: Eating pickles from 1845. Ashens in 2019: Reviewing a children's book from 1845.

The phantom hound is so much art, in fact, he actually got to be a CD cover for Welle:Erdball's single W.O.L.F. in 1995.

I remember having a Ladybird book that contained several stories and the one I liked the most was the story about an old lady who found a hairy toe in her garden. The bit where she's hiding under the duvet and she can hear a voice coming up the stairs saying "Where's my hairy toe, where's my hairy toe?". Years later I would end up reading this tale to my niece as a scary bedtime story and she would always get me to stop when it gets to the bit where the creature is coming up the stairs!!

16:30: Supposed to be spooky. My brain: "There seems to be a very crude watercolour painting of a man in a bishop's hat."

Ironically a one-eyed beast should be less scary than a two-eyed beast. No depth perception gives you a better chance of evading it.

A couple of friends and I had this little "Ghost Club" back in primary school where we would talk about weird happenings and all that good stuff. One of them had the first book and he lent it to me to read it one weekend. I was too scared to eat my cornflakes that morning... I was convinced I would see my own doppelganger and that I would die. Good times indeed.

It's good to see Stuart continuing his foray into this exciting new printed "book" technology. I've heard that this is the big new thing with tweens right now, preceded briefly by fidget spinners. These "books" are certainly more interesting than the POP Stations he used to review. Also they have better graphics.

20:42 Clock Tower's Scissorman: The Origin Story

That german tale about the girl with the matches inspired Rammstein's "Hilf Mir".

I'm from Belarus. I've had the first book with ghosts translated into russian when I was a kid, in a hardcover. In my version it was an omnibus of Monsters, Ghosts and UFO under one cover. Loved it so much, all that beautiful illustrations. Just a compilation of popular myths, actually, but done really well.

Holy crap, I had that first book. I had forgotten it until I saw the thumbnail and memories of the pictures came flooding back.

"could be a hipster in Soho" Well I ain't getting any sleep tonight.

I remember this one book in back in the days called Noidan Käsikirja ( roughly translated to Handbook of the Witch) with its atticy smell and horror pictures of some public domain movies and big vampire skull on the cover. It belongs to that Usborne book family, Usborne Guide To The Supernatural World: Vampires Ghosts & Mysterious Powers.

Paul Gannon would have been invaluable for this episode.

Pfft, as if I'd ruin my sewing shears trying to cut some kid's thumb off! Wow, out of context this seems like an odd comment.

I just knew you were going to say Arthur C. Clarke! Even had flashbacks to the crystal skull cover! Nice nostalgia thanks

I remember my parents buying me some really gruesome dinosaur books that I loved to look at, and then I started drawing awful pictures, and they yelled at me "I didn't want to draw penguins or whatever the kids were drawing, i wanted to draw stuff I like" - -Glenn Danzig

As an American, we had "Scary Stories to tell in the Dark" - some of the creepiest artwork ever! Hope Ashens gets to see that some day. Also loved the Stuwwelpeter story that Dwight told in the Office as well!

Great video! It made me remember the Disney's The Haunted Mansion read-a-long book and record from my childhood. I just found a video of it on KZfaq. You don't realize how those spooky images get imprinted on your psyche as a child. They still unsettle me 35 years later.

Waiting for the infamous Halloween poundland tat video. Featuring the classic glued together ghost with LED inside and more.

That night Stuart was visited by three ghosts... Ghost 1: chef excellence, a most excellent haunting Ghost 2: the ghost of food items past (their use by date) Ghost 3: the silver skull (because he wanted to be in it !)

So, there's this game series called Clock Tower...

THIS MAN HAS REMOVED HIS MASK TO REVEAL HE'S A BIT OF A SPOOKSTER

Thank you for showing this. Me and my brothers used to look at these books at my local library. I tried searching for them on Google and could not remember the exact name. Brings back memories.

I loved watching Eerie Indiana! I was really fascinated by ghosts when I was little, before my teenage years. My older brother brought this book I think from his school library. I was fascinated by the bit where it says if you put a coin on a gravestone and dance around it, a hand will come up and grab it. Now that I'm older and visit a cemetery regularly, I realise real life is scarier than ghosts. 😁

Ah that first book brings me back! I had the same one when I was a kid.

Ahhhhh the memories. One of my go to books in primary school lol....

That photo of the ghost by the alter did actually scare the crap out of me for years :D... I couldnt even look at it without crying!... now... Love watching spooky stuff :P

Some of the stories in the second book definitely sound like they inspired Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids especially since there was a story about a thumbsucker.

Never mind your ghost and monster books. The flashbacks when you said Blue cat and Dougal will haunt me for weeks. I was 3 I loved Magic Roundabout. On the telly but had never seen the film My grandad bought me the single 3 songs from Dougal and the Blue cat sat me in front of his pride and joy "gramophone" and I listened to "Florence's sad song" a song where my heroine sings (in a man's voice) about how sad and sorry she is to be in a fking dungeon. I'd genuinely forgotten how traumatised I was by that song lol

I remember looking at the Usborne Ghosts book when i was about 6 or something and the enduring memory was of a plumber messing with some pipes; and i had no idea why. I think I’d convinced myself that it had a section on paranormal handymen. Thank you for resolving a situation that has haunted me for the best part of 35 years!

15:50 - There is quite clearly the face of a dog on the back panel of the sofa. You can see his ears, his eyes, his nose and his chin/jowls. You should charge money for people to come and look at it.

"we thought we saw a ghost but it was a load of old bollocks"

14:07 This is the second time I've heard mention of _Eerie, Indiana_ this week! (First was during the _Tales from the Darkside: The Movie_ Monster Madness episode.) I absolutely love that show, and despite the amount of references to the show in such a short time span I will stand by my statement that it is criminally underrated, especially compared to its contemporaries like _Are You Afraid of the Dark?_ and _Goosebumps._ Same with _Round the Twist,_ though that's not strictly "horror"/supernatural.

I'm American, and I love Reece Shearsmith! Great talent for storytelling and writing. Inside No. 9 is one of my favorite shows.

I feel this one needed Paul gannon

Still not as scary as the thought of Barshens being dead Gone but not forgotten lad

I have a genuine sort of ghost story that happened to my family. When I was very young We lived in a small cottage built into a steep hill in Bristol, and when my parents were decorating they discovered a doorway that had been hidden with board and wallpaper etc. They got in and found a previously unknown room, a small larder like space. (You could maybe fit 4 people in there standing closely.) it was uncommonly cold but it was dry, and quite usable, so my parents painted it and used it for a store room. But after that room was uncovered, my mum was certain something was wrong, from That day on she refused to be alone in the house (she was fine being alone before that) Then several of our dogs and cats died, and my mother lost a baby she was carrying, and we seemed to have constant bad luck, things broke or stopped working, and everyone became ill often, it really did seem like we were cursed. So my mum insisted that we move and sell the place. Despite the market being low and it being a terrible time to sell. All of it was very disturbing and unsettled my mum for years after. The oddest thing being the fact the room was entirely useable and the cottage was really tiny. So a small room like that would be such a sought after bit of useful space by any inhabitants. Certainly not a superfluous bit of space in such a tiny building. And yet they covered up the doorway with a strong nailed board and decorated over it. My mum said she saw several unexplainable sites at that property, and was plagued by reoccurring nightmares. Nothing too specific to list here. Mainly shapes and shadowy figures moving around the rooms of that dingy little cottage. Me and my dad always joked about it, and I was too young to remember properly, but there was always some dread lingering at the back of my mind when I tried to remember that place. (I have a clear memory of one of our dogs on the roof, due to one side of the property being partially in the steep hill, the dogs could easily climb up the hill and onto the roof.) I also remember hiding in the gap between the fridge and the wall. But I don’t know what or who or why I was hiding.

I live in Canada and I had that book! This is amazing...I knew what was on those pages before you even turned them. More than 40 years ago, and it's just like yesterday when you're flipping those pages. Thanks buddy!

oh shit! I've been thinking about this line of books for the longest time. We only had the book about Aliens/UFO's, but I really wanted to read the others.

That first book was also translated to finnish, and man, was it a big thing indeed. Traumatized an entire generation.

To quote The Darkness (a spooky name in of itself) "Black Shuck, that dog don't give a f**k!" That Tourist's guide to Transylvania book, the art in that would also make some absolutely brilliant album artwork for a prog rock/metal band whose bandname conjures up imagery of flaming pyres, evil, death, incantations, and misty moonlit nights, while they travel around the country in a battered 1976 ex gasboard Transit, painted in garish colours and symbols, drink CAMRA approved ales, and have members called Dave, Steve, Derek.....you know the ones!

Bro, I got to say. I've watched you on and off for about (maybe) 8 years (idk because I can barely remember tomorrow (yes I said tomorrow on purpose)) I love your videos. Your dry ass jokes. Your hilarious takes on everything tech and otherwise. You NEED to keep making videos because you have a talent in doing non-cut-every-flipping-second comedy. You are gold. Send me a dm to send you a something to have something sign by you. I fully support your awesomeness, so let me know if there's anything I can do to help help you do keep your videos

7:42 Already Black Shuck. I like its elusive but recurring presence over the years in Dr. Ashen's creations. Congratulations for the quite successful campaign and i can't wait for Turn Back and the Return of Barshens.

I like to imagine that this article about the Black Shuck made Ashens set on that as the idea for Turn Back

Ooooh I still have that Usborne ghost book as a hardback, I'll need to try and dig it out.

Should probably say a big thank you for the thumbnail alone. For years I tried to remember a book about ghosts, phantoms, and other phenomenons. I don't remember the title and was looking for it for years. One of the few images that really stuck to my memory was that one-eyes dog thingy. I'm not 100% sure it's been the same book (or a German release of it; might have been English, too), because I remember some house in the back behind the dog, but it feels like it was indeed this one. Might have to get a copy of it now. :D

7:25 holy shit, this would've been the PERFECT time for the Turn Back plug

So that's where the Darkness got the idea for the song Black Shuck! Still one of the best opening track for an album

I've always loved The Tourists Guide To Transylvania. Have had a copy since i was a kid and i still love the art in it now. Some very freaky pics

"The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T" - now that's a flick I would love to watch! XD

The Usborne ghosts book is amazing and very well done for its time, I mean it doesn"t say silly things but contains some basic well selected information that's still discussed today (even if it's myths). I rember reading that book as a kid every time I was taken to the supermarket, but not asking my parents to get it because it creeped me to death. Funny thing is the 3 photos the book marks as possible "real" has not been debunked yet. And no, the Newby church monk photo is not double exposure according to the many experts that studied it. The brown lady might be some long exposure shake artifact, but that theory is not conclusive

Geezborough, that ghost book was one of my favourite when I was a child! Great art (at least the pre-teen me found it magnificent) and some interesting stories to go with it. I lloved it so much ^_^ Also: am I the only one to notice the horrifying faces on the good ole brown sofa?

There was definitely a version of this available in the U.S. as I clearly remember a great deal of the art shown especially. I checked it out from the library in Elementary school sometime in the 70's.

OH MY GOD! I had that Tourists Guide to Transylvania book as well!!!! I loved that so much when I was a kid!

The one I always remember from a kid is one that I *think* was called Ghosts Over Britain. Reason I found it so memorable was because it had a story in it about a headless cyclist who would ride past a cemetery in Northampton--I don't remember if the book explicitly said so, but I was convinced that was the cemetery just up the road from my house at the time!

Still have my Tourists Guide to Transylvania, minus the jacket. Great images, loved the blue demon eating an arm. My Aunt bought it for me for Christmas one year, it was the best thing she ever got me.

I had a hard cover one as a child in the 70’s and it scared me with a lot of the stories and pictures 👍🏻🇦🇺

Remember when Ashens predicted the death of the ereader? Strange times we live in

This reminds me of reading my childhood scary books like scary stories to tell in the dark, goosebumps, tales from the crypt, darren shan, fear street series specifically ghosts of fear street.

Guys, I get the feeling that Ashens may not believe that ghosts are real

That Usborne book gave me flashbacks of borrowing books from the bookmobile and/or school library. Not necessarily that specific one, but I was definitely looking at books like it. There was a real excitement about it.

I had the "mysteries of the unknown" book which was basically a compilation of the monsters ghosts and ufos books. proper nightmare fuel when your 5 years old.

For sure had that Usborne book in my elementary. While I had forgotten most of it, seeing the pictures jogged my memory of things like the haunted clock that strikes 13 when there's about to be a death in the family. Woooooo. Spoooooky.

Listening to Ashens read is surprisingly relaxing. Hope he makes more videos of him reading from books. Also this book is really interesting and I kind of want to get a copy of it. Folklore and supernatural stuff is fascinating.

About the camera having a hum if it runs off the mains. If it uses a USB port to charge, you can use a traveler's cell phone charging pack to act as a massive external battery. Since this setup does not convert AC to DC you avoid the hum that comes from the transformer and rectifier in the power brick. I use this for cameras and/or music players to avoid that annoying buzz.

Love these books can't belive the prices the old vintage ones sell for

Struwwelpeter looks like he's had a hard night on the beer doesn't he

That thumbnail brought back some serious nostalgia - I was given that Usborne Ghost book (well, technically, since it was actually part of a larger book, along with aliens and something else, dinosaurs I think) when I was a kid and I honestly believe it was one of the key factors in starting off my love of the supernatural. Thank you for the blast from the past!

Black Shuck was from my hometown of Bungay! (technically in Suffolk but might as well be Norfolk pretty much). It isn't usually depicted with one eye, but is sometimes depicted with hooves. The supposed incident happened at St Mary's church, and if you go there they'll show you scratches on the wall that Black Shuck supposedly made (but were most likely made by the metal doorknob rubbing against the wall). Ghosts are pretty much the only thing Bungay has tourism-wise, with both Black Shuck at St Mary's and Rex Bacon (the legend that supposedly inspired the song Mr Brightside) at the Three Tuns pub.

It's funny you uploaded this today. I was cleaning up and found some Usborne books from my childhood, remember reading them so fondly. My favorite ones were the 'where's wally' inspired ones where you have to find hidden objects as the story progresses. My favorite was 'Sword Quest'

The ghost book I most fondly remember as a child was "The Haunting of America" by Jean Anderson. It was for an older age group than these ones, but it still had some tales and illustrations that I found fascinating.

"American Dad" had Klaus talk about a story like that under another name.

Those faces of Belmez! I have goosebumps! When I was 9 (32 now) and my niece was 8, we read about them in a spooky Dutch book. It had pictures of the faces, too. During the evening (winter, dark), my niece had to go home... However, we were so frightened by the pictures of what we called 'the man on the floor', that we had to walk to the middle of where our houses were located, yell 'GO!' and run back to our own homes at warp speed so she didn't have to go home alone all the way. The left picture is the one we saw in the book. Ah man. What a fantastic memory. I wanted to see that picture again for years, and here it is.

Love the Tourists guide to Transylvania never seen that one before, will have to keep an eye out for it. I live on the IOW so you quite often find weird old books on the paranormal etc in the charity shops.

Huh, I was expecting "Scary stories to tell in the dark" Did that not make it across to the UK? I mean that shit was so creepy that they made a newer edition and toned down a bunch of the artwork.

I have that first book in its original print, as well as the one on UFOs in the same series. This brought back memories from the thumbnail alone.

Had them here in Australia too, one of my favourites along with Fungus the Boogie man!

I got a very decent used copy of Tourist’s Guide to Transylvania on Amazon for under $20! It’s become a favorite. Thanks, Ashens! You rock. Already one of my favorite KZfaqrs, but anyone who recommends fun books with spooky art to me earns a special place in my weird, geeky, hedgehog mama, bibliophile heart! 👍🏻😁🦔

I can Remember this Ghost Book from Primary school :-) , Have just ordered it from Amazon , I love The Black Shuck story , Im from East Anglia also , Suffolk .

Bungay is the town most associated with Black Shuck. My favourite underwhelming local ghost stories are the phantom bicycle of Brooke, The South Lopham fairy cow and the ghostly fat squirrel of Barnwell Abbey in Cambridge.

I like that half of the illustrations in Tourist's Guide to Transylvania are cool pulp horror art and the other half look like psytrance album covers

Can’t thank you enough for that trip down memory lane. I did have that ghost book (hopefully in the loft somewhere) and just seeing the thumbnail was an awesome flashback. The story of Gef was my favourite out of that one. Also had the Arthur C Clarke as well. Tunguska is the one I remember most out of that one. Also the photos of yeti footprints lol.

Nice! I still have my original copy of the first book, there. That Black Shook picture used to give me nightmares! I also have or had another from that series about UFOs.

Memory lane for me as I was given a copy of this back in the 70s. The original was in hardback with different illustrations on the cover.

This was so scary that I was scared because it was scary.

Shit, he knows about my stash of saggy flap mags behind the fireplace.

The Usbourne book of ghosts started a life long interest in the paranormal for me. I was always in the adult section of the library looking in the occult section, for books by Harry Price and Peter Underwood.

Worzel Gummidge used to scare the crap out of me when I was a kid. Looking at it now it still does and I am 35 now haha.

Some of these remind me of Choose Your Own Adventure books. I love dflipping through these to see what kind of weird illustrations they had. Sometimes the descriptions in the text alone painted a very surreal and/or horrific pivture. I loved how despite aimed at a seemingly young audienc,e they didn't hold back on the disturbing, lovingly detailed deaths.

Yo, the Usborne books are classic. I think a lot of children were spooked by these back in the day. One of those things that had a wide impact, even if they're not much overtly remembered. Struwwelpeter is of course also a classic. But that one might've spooked children even more.

My German grandmother read me Struwellpeter when I visited her as a young child. She read it in German (which I don't speak) and just seeing the pictures without any context literally gave me nightmares for years.

27:54 So _that's_ where David Lynch got that idea from.

That book was all about that Black shuck pic