Mania for Netflix’s new series Stranger Things is in full swing. Demand for the nostalgic horror/sci-fi television show has spread like wildfire with many folks binge-watching all 8 episodes in a row. One sign that a media property has reached fever pitch is seeing when fans of a show can’t just wait around and wish for things to exist. No, they are so inspired, they simply make stuff themselves. Here are five fantastic fan-made tributes to Stranger Things.
Warning: If you haven’t seen the show yet, there may be spoilers ahead.
1. A Classicly-Styled Video Game
Jacob Janerka from Perth, Australia recently put his video game design skills to work when he envisioned what Stranger Things would look like as a period-perfect video game. The animated .gif above is absolutely perfect and has me itching to play this haunting recreation, but unfortunately it is all that exists of the would-be game. Hopefully this tantalizing tease will be enough for Netflix to greenlight a fully-licensed version.
2. Minimalist Poster Art
Just for fun and for you. I loved Stranger Things. pic.twitter.com/DCHYox7tY8
— Matt Ferguson (@Cakes_Comics) July 20, 2016
A minimalist design breaks a property down to it’s key elements, and Matt Ferguson’s poster concept perfectly captures the essence of the show. The stark contrast of the real world versus the “Upside Down” is striking and the silhouettes of the bike-riding kids and the Demogorgan is a fitting homage to the main characters . I’m a huge fan of both minimalist art and Stranger Things, so seeing the two together is icing on the cake.
3. VHS Tape Box Art
A photo posted by Steelberg (@iamsteelberg) on Jul 21, 2016 at 2:05am PDT
The @iamsteelberg Instagram account recently dropped a nostalgia bomb on us by envisioning what Stranger Things may look like if you happened upon it browsing your local mom and pop video rental store in the ’80s. An avid VHS lover, while some may see this a merely a loving send-up, I see this as a potential collectible tie-in for the inevitable DVD/BluRay sale. Just as the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack was released on cassette, Netflix would have plenty of collectors who would shell out some extra dough to receive bonus features or a making-of documentary on the dying medium.
4. Will’s Bike Action Figure Accessory Pack
The world has Stranger Things fever (me included), so I made this stupid custom you. #strangerthings #imanidiot pic.twitter.com/hfqUYacpfa
— Death by Toys (@danpolydoris) July 30, 2016
Dan Polydoris’s “Death By Toys” action figure pack looks so authentic, I just assumed it was from a soon-to-be released ReAction toy line. While at first glance, you may wish the figure in the blister was for a main character like Eleven, the fact that it’s Will’s Bike is so classically ’80s, it’s perfect. Just like Kenner scraped the bottom of the barrel when they ran out of headliners like Luke and Leia and gave us Snaggletooth instead, I can just imagine a time thumbing through store shelves for a Demogorgan and finding nothing but Will’s damn bike!
5. A Barb Trapper Keeper
#StrangerThings #Barb Trapper Keeper pic.twitter.com/EL5eZq7If9
— Jeff T. Owens (@jtojto) July 31, 2016
Poor Barb. While she may have been easily forgotten on the show, at least as a retro Trapper Keeper, you could remember her every day searching for your homework in math class. My only wish for this design by Jeff T. Owens if for the back to feature nothing but Barb’s glorious acid-washed mom jeans.
I am a huge fan of the Heavy Metal version of the theme