Tim Jacobus
The artist whose vividly creepy, rubbery-faced cover paintings defined the visual horror of a generation of young readers.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American artist·Birthday: April 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Tim Jacobus didn't just illustrate book covers; he created the nightmarish, yet weirdly inviting, visual playground for R.L. Stine's 'Goosebumps' phenomenon. Before the digital era, Jacobus worked with airbrushes and acrylics, developing a signature style that was cartoonish but unsettling, using exaggerated perspectives and slimy textures that popped off the paperback racks. His art for nearly 100 titles in the series—from the grinning dummy of 'Night of the Living Dummy' to the monstrous sponge of 'The Haunted Mask'—became instantly iconic, a crucial ingredient in the books' massive success. His work translated childhood anxieties into bold, memorable images that promised a safe scare. While 'Goosebumps' remains his most famous contribution, Jacobus's commercial art career spans decades, encompassing covers for other series, video game artwork, and advertising. In recent years, he has adapted his distinctive style to digital tools, but his hand-painted 90s originals remain cherished artifacts of a hugely influential era in children's horror.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Tim was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Tim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Illustrated the cover art for nearly 100 original titles in R.L. Stine's bestselling 'Goosebumps' series.
- Created the original painted cover for the first 'Goosebumps' book, 'Welcome to Dead House', establishing the series' visual identity.
- His artwork has been featured on over 300 book covers across various genres and series.
Did You Know?
He originally used an airbrush and acrylic paints to create the classic 'Goosebumps' covers before switching to digital methods.
One of his most famous covers, for 'The Haunted Mask', was inspired by a rubber mask he bought at a joke shop.
He created artwork for the 1995 video game 'The Journeyman Project 2: Buried in Time'.
“I aimed to make the art scary, but fun enough to pick up.”
