Dating all the way back to the beginnings of the internet, web horror subgenres have existed and evolved throughout time. Looking back at the early days of creepypasta with slenderman and jeff the killer, to the days of the SCP foundation, you can always know that there’s something new to the way people share and experience horror.

What is Analog Horror?

Analog horror is a web horror subgenre that utilizes analog elements such as VHS filters, old school television programming, and found footage. However, the found footage subgenre has evolved quite a bit since Blair Witch first introduced the concept in 1999. Analog horror creates an immersive horror experience by turning the viewer (you) into the protagonist.

Popular Web Series'

Local 58

One popular analog horror anthology series is Local 58 which mimics a local access tv channel in Mason County, West Virginia. I think what is so enjoyable about Local 58 is piecing together the lore of Mason County. There isn't a clearly defined storyline, but the videos seem to center around the horrors of the moon and the night sky. The series has gained a cult following since it was first posted online in 2015.



The channel hasn't been updated for two years, with the final video being Skywatching, a video that suggested the A new upload titled Although I find local 58 somewhat unsettling, I don’t think it scares me quite as much as the next one I’m about to cover.

The Mandela Catalogue

This horror series is so unsettling and unnerving that I actually cannot link the video in this blog post since the content is age restricted. Although the footage has no blood, gore, or even jumpscares, it is still so unsettling for people that many avoid it. As an avid horror fan, I'm normally able to enjoy a spooky experience and still manage to sleep well at night. Not after encountering this.

The Mandela Catalogue is YouTube horror series that compiles a database of training videos from Mandela County. These videos educate viewers on how to identify and avoid beings known as "Alternates". Currently, the series has 6 episodes in the 1st season with the 2nd season coming soon.

WARNING: THIS FOOTAGE IS SCARY, I ACTUALLY DIDN’T SLEEP AFTER WATCHING THIS. AVOID IF EASILY SPOOKED.

What Makes it so Scary and Why is it so Popular?

Alex Kister, the mind behind The Mandela Catalogue tried to describe it himself in an interview with GQ.

“Kister discussed these themes — fear of an intruder, fear of the dark, fear of yourself — as universal childhood phobias resurfaced by the pandemic.

‘When I was young, I felt like the thing that would scare me the most was not a typical, bogeyman-style monster,’ he said. ‘But just coming home, coming to your room, and seeing yourself there instead.’

Discomfort in our own safe spaces was felt by all of us during lockdown. The Mandela Catalogue refines this feeling into high-octane nightmare fuel, with amazingly basic editing and zero budget.” - GQ

That feeling of being up late at night, alone, in the dark browsing the web when this pops up in your recommended on YouTube really helps to fuel the experience. Your mind can’t wrap its head around what its seeing and that deep set childhood fear rises in you again. Then you’re up all night thinking about what might be in the closet or if something’s standing in the corner of your room. (At least I know I was.)

The Psychology Behind Why We Love (or Hate) Horror outlines 3 requirements to derive pleasure from being horrified.

1. We need to believe that we are physically safe — a safety frame.
2. The second category of protective frame involves detachment — whether we can psychologically detach from a horror experience.
3. The third category of protective frame involves our confidence in controlling and managing the dangers we encounter.

Analog horror uses triggers that are very real to us in our personal environment. Although we may feel physically safe in our homes, analog horror tends to imitate real life by using things we may associate with danger, like a severe weather report or a defense/safety training video. This causes us to let our guard down and take in the information.

Online Impact