Fictional monsters have fascinated humans for centuries. You wouldn't want to meet a monster in real life, but they're fun to imagine.
Thinking about monsters gives you an adrenaline rush, like the one that you get when you watch a scary movie.
Some monsters, such as Godzilla and Pennywise, are specific characters with names and backstories.
Others, such as zombies and demons, are generic creatures that appear in thousands of books, movies, cartoons and video games. Maybe you'll publish a book or make a TV show about one of these creatures one day.
What makes a monster a monster? Each one is different, but they're usually threatening and destructive. Sometimes, they have scary features, such as claws, fangs and super strength.
Some monsters terrorize individual people to get revenge or simply amuse themselves. Others attack entire cities and cause unfathomable destruction. They're like forces of nature.
Sometimes, people accidentally create monsters in laboratories. Their creation escapes and terrorizes innocent people while their inventor tries to hunt them down and stop the violence.
Writers use this concept to explore the scarier possibilities of human innovation.
Fortunately, drawing a monster is much safer than creating one in a lab. A cartoon monster can be scary, but they can also be friendly and funny. Would you like to have a friendly monster for a pet?
21 Easy Monster Drawing Ideas
The Demogorgon from Stranger Things
A Demogorgon is a mythological creature that appears in ancient texts. The popular TV show Stranger Things brought the Demogorgon into the public consciousness.
Scary Scarecrow
Scarecrows don't just frighten crows--they frighten people if they come across one unexpectedly. A fake, straw-stuffed person in the middle of a field is a little eerie. Some farmers might be a little afraid that their scarecrows will come to life one day.
Godzilla
Godzilla is a famous movie monster that looks like a giant dinosaur. He originally appeared in black-and-white movies. Godzilla is so popular that filmmakers still produce movies about him today.
Cartoon Devil
Devils are evil creatures that people typically associate with Christianity, although they appear in other religions, such as Islam. Devils frighten people and tempt them to commit evil deeds to oppose forces of good.
Scary Clown
The fear of clowns is called "coulrophobia." While clowns are supposed to be friendly, some people think they're creepy because of their painted-on smiles and strange behaviors. Killer clowns often appear in horror movies, books and video games.
Pennywise
Pennywise is an evil clown from Stephen King's novel It. This monster is so famous that he's appeared in multiple film adaptations. While Pennywise appears as a clown, he's actually an evil deity that can shapeshift into different beings.
Chucky
Chucky is an evil doll that started out as a horror movie monster, although he later appears in comedy films. He was born when a serial killer possessed a doll as he was dying. He and his girlfriend, Tiffany, have a child together.
Xenomorph Alien
Xenomorphs are extraterrestrial creatures that appear in the Alien film series. They famously "impregnate" living hosts with larvae that burst out of their bodies. Xenomorphs have creepy, skeletal-like bodies with elongated skulls and sharp teeth.
The Cerberus
Cerberus is a three-headed dog that helps Hades guard the underworld in Greek mythology. In some myths, Cerberus has only one head like a normal dog. Cerberus also has snakes sticking out from his body.
Demon Face
Demons are so creepy that they don't need to do anything to be scary--just seeing one is enough. When you see a demon, you know that they're about to scare you or try to tempt you into doing something bad.
Oogie Boogie from the Nightmare Before Christmas
Oogie Boogie is a monster from the famous movie The Nightmare Before Christmas who tortures, kills and eats people. He lives in Halloweentown and is one of Jack Skellington's rivals.
Ticci Toby from Creepy Pasta
Ticci Toby is the main character of a creepy Internet story. He has several mental illnesses and regular encounters with Slender Man that make him crazier. When Slender Man saves his life after he nearly burns to death, Ticci Toby becomes his servant.
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is one of H. P. Lovecraft's most famous creations. He lives in the ocean and looks like he has a giant octopus for a head. In Lovecraft's tales, cults worship Cthulhu as a god while they await his return.
Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street
Freddy Krueger is a serial killer who first appeared in the film A Nightmare on Elm Street. After he burned to death, his spirit returned to kill people in their dreams, which also kills them in real life.
Creepy Zombie
Zombies are dead people who terrorize the living. Typically, they want to kill people and eat their brains or bite them to turn them into other zombies.
The Kraken
The kraken is a giant squid like creature that originated from sailor mythology in the 1700s. Since sailors didn't have modern scientific knowledge, they made up stories about the monsters that they might find in the ocean depths.
Krampus
Krampus is a being who travels with Saint Nicholas on December 5th. While Saint Nicholas brings gifts for the good children, Krampus spanks the bad children with birch rods.
Frankenstein's Monster
Frankenstein's monster is a nameless creature that Dr. Frankenstein created in a lab. In Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein's monster tries to be good, but he turns evil when society cruelly rejects him.
Zombie Shark
Sharks are scary enough on their own, but a zombie shark could eat your brains if you encountered one in the ocean. You might want to stay on the boat.
Ghost Rider
The Ghost Rider is a Marvel character whose head turns into a fiery skull at night. Several men and women in the comics have become Ghost Riders, but the most famous Rider is Johnny Blaze.
Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul
Ken Kaneki is a one-eyed ghoul with numerous titles, including Black Reaper and One-Eyed King. He is the main character of the Tokyo Ghoul series that includes a manga, an anime and books and video games.
