The legend of the Slender Man

Some say that it all started in June 2008, in a “Paranormal Pictures” photoshop contest launched in Something Awful Forums where contestants were required to turn ordinary pictures into something creepy or paranormal with the use of digital manipulation and that a guy by the name of Victor Surge posted two black and white pictures of unidentified children with a short description of a creature that would be “Slender Man”.

Slender Man
“Slender Man’s” featureless face, and tall, thin appearance is disconcerting at best. Appearing in photographs of lost persons, he will stalk his prey until they are his, infecting them with ‘slender-sickness’, his early calling card. Try to run, but he will get you in the end… another missing person.

Others say that it may have been inspired by the villain called “Cabadath” sometimes referred as “Tall Man” of amateur adventures games entitled “Chzo Mythos” published by Ben Yahtzee Croshaw in 2003.

Nobody really knows about his origin, if he is an ET, someone from another dimension or just another new breed trying to survive. What is known is that he has been spotted right before the disappearance of many children.

Slender Man’s Characteristics

Slender Man is described as a very tall and thin man like creature with big arms like tentacles or tentacles coming out of his back and no face, dressed in a black suit.

Whether he absorbs, kills, or mearly takes his victims to an undiclosed location or dimension is also unknown as there are never any bodys or evidence left behind in his wake to deduce a definite conclusion. Not much is known, but his objective and habitat are fairly clearly agreed-upon. He has the need to kidnap children, and is seen right before the disappearance of a child or multiple children.

Slender Man seems to prefer fog enshrouded streets and wooded areas as a way to conceal himself from being noticed. It should also be noted that children have been able to see him when no other adults in the vicinity could, though adults have also been known to see him at times.

Children also have dreams or nightmares concerning The Slender Man before their disappearance. A disputed concept regarding the Slender Man is whether or not he can be seen by those other than his victims — many believe that if you see Slender Man then you are a target or prey, though there is no certain proof of this.

Two Strange Notable Photographs Confiscated As Evidence

Slender Man
© Stirling City Library Collection
Slender Man
Two recovered actual photographs from the Stirling City Library blaze (1986). Photographer: Mary Thomas, missing since June 13th, 1986. © Stirling City Library Collection

These two photos are notable for being taken on June 13th, 1986, the day on which fourteen children vanished and for what is referred to as “The Slender Man”. Deformities cited as film defects by officials. Fire at library occurred one week later.

The Origin Of The Slender Man’s Story

Slender Man became a well known mythical creature in many paranormal forums and boards and with time many other material about the creature popped on the internet and even some YouTuber projects like “MarbleHornets” for example started to upload entries with videos showing evidence of the real existence of this creature.

There was even an Episode of Dr Who Series called “The Silence” where a fictional religious movement led by Aliens portrayed creatures that looked just like The Slender Man – tall men like beings wearing black suits with featureless faces that had the power of mind control and made people loose memory when they looked away after seeing them.

Here it is a documentary video directed by Jared Hudson called “Slender Suits – The Documentary of the Slender Man”, putting a little more light into the subject.

A Bizarre Crime Related To The Slender Man

Though Slender Man is a creature from modern folklore, tragically — and chillingly — two 12-year-old girls in Waukesha, Wisconsin, seemed to have missed all of its fictional characteristics. In July 2016, according to local news reports, the girls lured a friend into the woods and stabbed her 19 times in some kind of tribute to Slender Man. The girl they stabbed was hospitalized in stable condition.

According to statements they made to police, they truly believed Slender Man was real: He teleported and read their minds, they claimed. He watched them and threatened to kill their families. They hoped their friend would die, and they wanted to prove those people wrong who don’t believe Slender Man is real.