Best Animated Horror Cartoon Characters

Mad Monster Party

Classic stop motion animation from Rankin Bass. Jack Davis created some of the best animated horror cartoon characters for this. And that’s why I Love this film! Not really for the plot or the singing so much. Yetch, Francesca, Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, a Skeleton Band that resembles a dead version of the Monkees and many more. Awesome!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

My all time favorite as a kid! Growing up we only got to see this on TV around Halloween time, made it more special that way I guess. The defining version of the “Headless Horseman” and the chase sequence between Ichabod and the Horseman is classic Disney at its best!

Nightmare Before Christmas

Tim Burton, the only animator left who was willing to take a risk making an animated monster film! Disney was even afraid to be associated with it at the time, so they released it through Touchstone. But have now fully embraced the film. Love the film and its many imaginative characters, probably my favorite animated film of all time. And let’s not forget the voices, songs, singing and amazing soundtrack by Danny Elfman.

Corpse Bride

Another excellent animated film by Tim Burton. Filled with many really cool characters. Bonejangles, Elder Gutknecht, General Bonesapart, the skeleton boy and girl, the Corpse Bride, Maggot and many more.

Chernabog – Fantasia

Chernabog is probably the coolest Dark figure Disney Animation has ever created. Featured in the “Night on Bald Mountain” sequence in Disney’s Fantasia, as a gigantic black demon who summons ghosts and demons.

Maleficent – Sleeping Beauty

A really cool sinister character created by one of my all time favorite artists Marc Davis!

Maleficent’s profile would read something like – “Mistress of All Evil,” tall, slender, yellow eyes, pale green skin, wearing a black and purple robe with bat wing-like edges and a horned headdress. I Carry a staff to cast spells, my friends are goblins/trolls, I have two pets, a black and purple fire-breathing dragon and a raven named “Diablo.”

The Evil Witch – Snow White

Probably the creepiest version of an evil witch ever done, animated by Norman Ferguson. The evil witch seems to address the audience by looking straight into the camera. She was so mesmerizingly creepy, you couldn’t look away! Good Stuff!

Gossamer – Looney Tunes

Chuck Jones introduced the unnamed Gossamer in “Hair-Raising Hare”. He then appeared in “Water, Water Every Hare,” another Chuck Jones cartoon in this he is called “Rudolph.” Both cartoons can be found on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1. Gossamer next appears in “Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24½th Century.”

Witch Hazel – Looney Tunes

Another great character created by the animation master Chuck Jones for “Broom-Stick Bunny.” This cartoon can be found on the “Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2. Witch Hazel also appears in another non-Jones toon “A witches tangled hare.”

Crypt Keeper – Tales From The Crypt

Probably the most gruesome looking zombie skeleton with a sense of humor you will ever find! The host of HBO’s “Tales from the Crypt,” and also host of the classic same named comic book series. Eurgh! Well, see you next time, boys and ghouls! (insert maniacal laughter here)

Skeleton Dance – Silly Symphonies

Classic animated sequence directed by Walt Disney and animated by Ub Iwerks. Four human skeletons dance and make music around a spooky graveyard. In one scene, a skeleton pulls the thigh bones off another and plays the thighless skeleton like a xylophone. In another a skeleton plays a cat like a double bass, using a bow and the cat’s tail as the strings. I give it two severed thumbs up!

The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

A Classic Peanuts Halloween special! The film has been running for over 40 years, if you haven’t seen it isn’t it about time? Not much on Spooks or Frights, just more holiday fun and zany antics by the star Snoopy, tortured soul Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang.

The Black Cauldron

The Evil Horned King attempts to secure the Black Cauldron in order to rule the world. Some good animation and characters like the Evil Horned King, Skeleton Armies, Creeper and more.

Cruela De Vil – 101 Dalmations

This character really gives the number one spot a run for it’s money. If you think about the plot, this is arguably one of the darkest Disney story lines. The animated character Cruela De Vil wants to make a coat out of dalmation puppy fur and her last name literally spells devil. It was a box-office hit and no religious, parent or animal groups protested its release. Mary Wickes gave Cruela her voice and in my opinion its one of the best.

Groovie Goolies

A 70’s animated musical TV show by Filmation. A group of monsters Drac, Frankie and Wolfie all reside in Horrible Hall with fellow monsters. Drac is a short tempered vampire, Frankie a Frankenstein like figure and Wolfie a Hippy Werewolf who gets on Drac’s nerves. Wolfie was my favorite, making wise cracks, surfing and driving his Wolfwagon. Again not great plots or music, but cool characters.

Wil Vinton’s Claymation – Comedy of Horrors

Emmy award winning TV special from the team that created “The California Raisins,” “The Noid” and “The PJ’s.” Wilshire Pig and Sheldon Snail discover a map to uncover Doctor Frankenswine’s monster. I mainly recommend this for the incredible animation and the cool Monsters and villain’s.