Annabelle. Chucky. Talky Tina of “The Twilight Zone.”
There’s no shortage of examples of creepy dolls in popular culture to keep us up at night.
Dr. Daniel Compora, a professor in the Department of English Language and Literature, will explore the history of this horror trope and its prolific appearance across popular media in a free, public lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, on the first floor of Carlson Library in the Main Event Space.
“From Playtime to Slaytime: The Creepy Phenomenon of Killer Dolls” will incorporate clips and commentary on examples stretching from “The Sandman,” a short story published by E.T.A. Hoffman in 1816, to last year’s big-screen release “M3GAN.”
“I think ‘M3GAN’ is one of the best examples today,” said Compora, who was inspired to lecture on killer dolls after seeing the film in theaters. “It combines our fear of artificial intelligence with our fear of dolls, updating this trope that has a long history in popular culture.”
Compora will follow the history of the killer doll from “The Sandman,” believed to be the earliest example in literature, across movies, television and video games. “The Devil-Doll” was the first to make the jump to a new medium in 1936, and several manifestations have proved their staying power through the years including Chucky, the red-headed terror who first appeared in 1988’s “Child’s Play,” and Annabelle, the possessed doll who was inspired by a real-life paranormal investigation and first appeared in 2013’s “The Conjuring.”
Talky Tina made an impression on audiences, including a young Compora, in an episode of “The Twilight Zone” that originally aired in 1963.
Compora also will incorporate examples of real-life “haunted” dolls, including at least one who has become something of an influencer in recent years on Instagram.
An expert in folklore and popular culture, Compora is drawn to the spooky. Last year he offered a lecture on coulrophobia — the extreme fear of clowns — and its origins and history in popular culture, and his recent publications include chapters in “A Critical Companion to Wes Craven,” published this year through Lexington Books, and “Encountering Pennywise: Critical Perspectives on Stephen King’s ‘IT,’ ” published last year through University Press of Mississippi.
Compora said he sees a parallel between the fears of clowns and dolls.
“It’s supposed to be innocent, but it’s corrupt,” he said. “Whenever you take something that should be appealing or mundane and you trust your children with it, there’s a warning to parents to be careful. I think that’s what really drives it.”
“From Playtime to Slaytime” kicks off the University Libraries Carlson Conversations Lecture Series.
Future lectures in the series are:
• Joe Boyle, a UToledo Press author, speaking on “Toledo’s War” at 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9;
• Todd Crail, a distinguished lecturer in Department of Environmental Sciences, speaking on “Native Plants in Urban Environments” at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31; and
• Heidi Westrick, assistant director of the Ritter Planetarium and Brooks Observatory, speaking on “Total Solar Eclipse 2024: What to Know and How to Prepare” at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 27.
A visitor parking permit is required to park on campus at all times. A temporary visitor permit can be purchased online in advance of the event.
For more information, go to the Carlson Conversations Lecture Series website.
