Horror fandom

Horror fandom is a fandom dedicated to the horror genre. This fan culture has significant overlap with the science fiction and fantasy fandoms.

The horror genre has been adapted into numerous forms of media, including literature (including anime, comics, and magazines), film and television, games, podcasts, and music. The genre remains a staple of modern culture, with horror figures such as Count Dracula or the more contemporary Jason Voorhees being household names.

Demographics

The horror fandom is tied to many alternative subcultures, notably goth, punk and queer subcultures. Themes of "otherness" have allowed for people of these subcultures to find the genre a form of catharsis, and form a community around the genre.

Early exposure to horror, including to child-oriented horror media such as Scooby-Doo, has been attributed to enjoying horror later in life.

Organization

The horror fandom has organized itself in many different forms, including events and media to celebrate the genre.

Conventions

Horror conventions are events in which fans of the horror genre, as well as professionals in the field, can gather and interact. Similar to other fan conventions, the events may include cosplay, events, booths, and celebrity guests.

Media

The horror fandom has expanded into a number of mediums, including television, literature, and music.

Gaming

Horror videogames are a largely successful, long-running genre of games. Long-lasting series like Resident Evil and Silent Hill are increasingly popular with fans.

The video game Dead by Daylight incorporates many iconic characters of the horror genre, and has a very large, active player base.

Music

Horror-themed bands, including those of the horror punk genre, have become increasingly popular. A notable example is Ice Nine Kills, an American heavy metal band that creates song based on popular horror franchises.

Online community

Horror forums and horror websites attract significant numbers of users, with dedicated horror sites like Bloody Disgusting reaching approx. 20 million users annually. Fan projects, such as r/nosleep and the SCP Foundation, allow for horror fans online to create their own horror works.

Podcasts and YouTube channels discussing horror have become popular, such as Dead Meat.

Television

In television, horror hosts became a staple of the horror fandom. Horror hosts typically would adopt a horror persona and host a television show broadcasting horror films, with notable examples being Vampira, Elvira, and Vincent Price. A modern example is The Boulet Brothers, a pair of horror-themed drag queens that host their own televised drag competition, The Boulet Brothers' Dragula.

In fiction

Nightmare in Blood - 1978 horror film set at a horror-film convention.
Randy Meeks - a character in the Scream franchise with a passion for horror

References

↑ Cherry, Brigid (2001). "Screaming for release: femininity and horror ﬁlm fandom in Britain". In Chibnall, Steve; Petley, Julian (eds.). British Horror Cinema. London and New York: Routledge. pp. 42–57. ISBN 0-203-99676-3.
↑ ""We are the weirdos, mister": Queer Identity and the Horror Genre". theorbital.co.uk. The Orbital. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
↑ Figueroa, Kenneth. "Haunted: The intersections of queer culture and horror movies". wussymag.com. Wussy Magazine. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
↑ Tilakaratne, Wishka. "Scooby-Doo: How the Series Created a Generation of Horror Lovers". movieweb.com. Movie Web. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
↑ Arguello, Diego. "Resident Evil Requiem has sold over 8M units". gamedeveloper.com. Retrieved 6 November 2026. the Resident Evil series continues to "increase in popularity with a broad, global audience
↑ Yaden, Joseph (April 7, 2023). "Resident Evil 4 surpasses 4 million copies sold in two weeks". GameSpot. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2026-06-11). "Dead by Daylight Is the Most-Played Horror Video Game Ever, and Over 1 Million Play Each Day Even Now, 10 Years After Launch". IGN. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
↑ Ezekiel, Emily. "Why Horror Still Has Audiences Hooked". lbbonline.com. Little Black Book. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
↑ Anderson, Kyle. "Internet Horror Sensation SCP FOUNDATION Movie Coming 2027". nerdist.com. Nerdist. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
↑ Dodgson, Lindsay. "Reddit's r/NoSleep is a special 'horror bubble' for internet writers that has born book deals and even a Steven Spielberg adaptation". businessinsider.com. Business Insider. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
↑ Foreman, Alison (2026-07-15). "Dead Meat YouTube Channel Launches 'Fresh Meat' Anthology Competition for Horror Filmmakers". IndieWire. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
1 2 Colton, David (October 20, 2007). "Halloween horror hosts rise again on radio, TV, film". USA Today. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2010.

[1] Cherry, Brigid (2001). "Screaming for release: femininity and horror ﬁlm fandom in Britain". In Chibnall, Steve; Petley, Julian (eds.). British Horror Cinema. London and New York: Routledge. pp. 42–57. ISBN 0-203-99676-3.

[2] ""We are the weirdos, mister": Queer Identity and the Horror Genre". theorbital.co.uk. The Orbital. Retrieved 6 November 2026.

[wussy-3] Figueroa, Kenneth. "Haunted: The intersections of queer culture and horror movies". wussymag.com. Wussy Magazine. Retrieved 6 November 2026.

[4] Tilakaratne, Wishka. "Scooby-Doo: How the Series Created a Generation of Horror Lovers". movieweb.com. Movie Web. Retrieved 6 November 2026.

[5] Arguello, Diego. "Resident Evil Requiem has sold over 8M units". gamedeveloper.com. Retrieved 6 November 2026. the Resident Evil series continues to "increase in popularity with a broad, global audience

[:1-6] Yaden, Joseph (April 7, 2023). "Resident Evil 4 surpasses 4 million copies sold in two weeks". GameSpot. Retrieved April 7, 2023.

[IGNJuly26-7] Yin-Poole, Wesley (2026-06-11). "Dead by Daylight Is the Most-Played Horror Video Game Ever, and Over 1 Million Play Each Day Even Now, 10 Years After Launch". IGN. Retrieved 2026-07-02.

[lbb-8] Ezekiel, Emily. "Why Horror Still Has Audiences Hooked". lbbonline.com. Little Black Book. Retrieved 6 November 2026.

[9] Anderson, Kyle. "Internet Horror Sensation SCP FOUNDATION Movie Coming 2027". nerdist.com. Nerdist. Retrieved 6 November 2026.

[10] Dodgson, Lindsay. "Reddit's r/NoSleep is a special 'horror bubble' for internet writers that has born book deals and even a Steven Spielberg adaptation". businessinsider.com. Business Insider. Retrieved 6 November 2026.

[:5-11] Foreman, Alison (2026-07-15). "Dead Meat YouTube Channel Launches 'Fresh Meat' Anthology Competition for Horror Filmmakers". IndieWire. Retrieved 2026-07-17.

[auto-12] 1 2 Colton, David (October 20, 2007). "Halloween horror hosts rise again on radio, TV, film". USA Today. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2010.