The Bizarre Mashup Of Pingu And The Thing That Had Horror Fans Buzzing

Anyone who watched a lot of Swiss television in the 1990s is bound to be familiar with the lovable claymation penguin, Pingu. The standard episode of the series would involve the titular bird getting into some mischief or disobeying his parents in one way or another. Naturally, he'd come around in the end to impart some wise lessons to the kids at home. It's just a shame there was never an episode where Pingu's family and friends get taken over by a parasitic alien reminiscent of John Carpenter's The Thing ... until now. 

Actually, the claymation special was first released by Lee Hardcastle back in 2011, but after getting taken down initially, it's back up and striking a chord with horror fans on Reddit. It's at this point we have to emphasize that the penguin you see in Hardcastle's short is definitely not Pingu. It's a completely original creation. that's 100 percent protected by parody law in any case, and it should stay that way so that it never gets taken down again. 

Equal parts adorable and horrific, Thingu is a brilliant showcase of Hardcastle's prowess with claymation and very much worth your time if you're a fan of the best science-fiction horror film of all-time. Just be warned: the video gets pretty graphic, so make sure you don't watch it with any kids around, or if you have a weak stomach.

You can watch Thingu in all of its bloody glory here, so you can get in on the conversation so many other horror enthusiasts are already having. It's clear Hardcastle has plenty of fans who can't speak more highly of his work. Going through that Reddit thread, you'll find comments like, "His work never gets old," "This is glorious," and "My life is greatly enriched." One user even went so far as to say, "The special effects were better than that prequel from a few years ago." At only 83 seconds, Thingu does an excellent job of packing in plenty of body horror and hitting all of the main plot points from the movie, but if you have a thirst for gore that still hasn't been quenched, then you're in luck. 

Hardcastle's entire YouTube channel is filled with short claymation videos that combine childhood cartoons with terrifying horror movies. The Thing really seems to be a major inspiration for him, as he also has a video where Frozen characters reenact the blood test scene from John Carpenter's magnum opus. A lot of people on the Reddit thread were also quick to suggest another of his videos, where The Simpsons merges brutally with You're Next. 

Of course, no parody is complete without approval from the original creator, and around the time Thingu was first released back around 2012, John Carpenter himself actually took to Twitter to write, "I loved Pingu's THE THING. Better than the original...?" High praise, indeed. Now excuse us as we attempt, desperately, to go to sleep tonight.