One Artist Has Turned Horror Villains Into Lovable Characters

Things might have come a long way when it comes to special effects and all that gory makeup, but some of the best horror villains still come from franchises of the past. You know, the ones when we relied on clever tension-building and plot twists to see us jump from our skin, not the latest tech on the market.

It seems one person agrees, as illustrator Anastasia Panin, also known as Anastasia In Red across social media, has created our favorite stars in entirely new ways. In fact, turning horror villains into lovable characters offers a new way to see these spine-chilling faces we never thought we could enjoy.

Ghostface might need a new knife

The '90s marked a strange time in Hollywood. It looked as though horror was gone until more and more people realized they couldn't live without a spook or two in their lives. The rise of the slasher was back, with 'Scream' offering something the genre had never seen - and Ghostface was the one behind it all. While the horror villain might have had us laughing one minute and cowering the next, this Ghostface looks a lot more defeated than their original run in the movies. Who knew a stick of salami was all it took to break their famous knife? Thankfully, that dash of humor hasn't been forgotten, with Edvard Munch's painting 'The Scream' hanging in the background.

The economy has really his Pennywise hard

People have tried to bring Pennywise to life in all kinds of ways, but it wasn't until 2017 that the world really got a look at just how terrifying this dancing clown can be. Created by Stephen King, it might be no wonder this horror villain is so frightening, with the author being the one to bring some of the most twisted characters to life over the years. The problem? This Pennywise is learning that the economy is hard on all of us - even the ones we're meant to fear. The more we think about it, the more we're not surprised he wasn't able to sell balloons for 45 a go. We guess no one will be floating anytime soon with these prices.

Hannibal Lecter seems to have taken a fruit-based approach

Valentine's Day would never be the same after 1991. That's because 'The Silence of the Lambs' hit theaters across the US and changed everything we know about horror villains. Hannibal Lecter was the star of it all, as he must team up with Agent Clarice Starling to catch another maniac. Still, it doesn't take long to learn Hannibal's favorite meal was a little closer to home - leading to some terrifying nightmares. While it can be easy to think the character is back to his old ways, Anastasia In Red is merely showing us how much things have changed for this villain, as his bowl of innards has been delicately swapped for a bowl of cherries instead.

Pinhead sure does make a trip to the airport interesting

It might not be one of the biggest franchises in the world, but fans of 'Hellraiser' will often shout louder than most about why that needs to change. The series brought us Pinhead, perhaps one of the most terrifying horror villains of all time. At the very least, learning about how he became who he was is enough to scar those images into your mind. The 1980s charm gave the character something extra special, but seeing Pinhead in the modern day has left us wondering just how tough it would be to live with all that metal. After all, how is he ever meant to make it through airport security without an interesting story or two?

One artist has turned horror villains into lovable characters, and they might be some of the best reimaginings we have ever seen. Who would have thought they could be so adorable after all? Sometimes, we just need to look behind the mask.