I am a devoted fan of IFC's Stan Against Evil, a show that manages to scratch my constant cravings for EC Comics-style horror and Lynchian small-town weirdness. There's nothing else quite like it on television ... and perhaps there never has been, save for some of the more comedic episodes of The X-Files. Comedy and horror often make for troubled marriages and Stan Against Evil's almost obsessive devotion to making the show both a pure horror and pure comedy wobbles unpredictably between laughs and revulsion. It's a tone that won't work for some people, but you wouldn't want to hang out with them, anyway. They're buzz kills.
This is already running longer than I intended, so let me keep this brief with some random observations about Stan Against Evil: It's got some of the best monster designs to grace the small screen since The Outer Limits, it has as perfect an ensemble cast as you could ever hope for, John C. McGinley was in Platoon and therefore is allowed to do whatever he wants in perpetuity, Janet Varney is the moral and emotional anchor for Stan Against Evil (and a genuine revelation as an actress), Deborah Baker Jr. makes every scene she's in better, Nate Mooney needs his own spinoff Enos-style, and I want to be Dana Gould when I grow up. (I've been saying that last bit since 1991, but he doesn't show any signs of vacating the position.) Wow ... I'm out of breath now.
Anyhoo, it was my goal this summer to bring some of my love of Stan Against Evil to The Collinsport Historical Society but had concerns about diluting my mission. I've restricted my Standom to Twitter and Instagram, scattering my artwork to the digital winds. BUT: the series is returning for a third season on Oct. 31. It feels like a good time to pool some of these creations in one spot, a few of which are being seen for the first time. If you aren't familiar the show you might be a little confused by all of this ... the first two seasons of Stan Against Evil are streaming right now on Hulu, which should give you a chance to catch up. And you might want to, given that there's an homage to House of Dark Shadows planned for season 3.
If you're a Stan Fan, feel free to share anything you see here.
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