Chainmail Chasers: An Internet Horror Revived

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Chainmail Chasers Season 1 Playlist: • CHAINMAILCHASERS FULL ...
Chainmail Chasers Official Channel: www.youtube.com/@ChainmailCha...
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[@NightMind]

Go to Surfshark.deals/nightmind and use code NIGHTMIND to get 83% off a 2-year plan and 3 extra months for free! Chainmail Chasers Season 1 Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLR2K4_HDFl5Yl5GSQpbyDaCZSXJSu9IJ4

[@NightMind]

No, really, after watching this one... do TRY to sleep tight.

[@lololordjr]

​@@NightMindok

[@0cean404]

Your one of my favorite youtubers that I’ve ever watched, thank you for your entertaining content❤

[@doomsgray2946]

@@NightMindHallo nijht mimd

[@eldark7883]

You're my favorite ::3

[@firstcanonkill1767]

Some of the quotes from this are fucking gold . “I cannot believe we are debating the moral implications of DELETING a JPEG.” “Technically, it’s currently a GIF.”

[@gamersgambit7517]

I mean wouldn't you say the same? technically it is since the graphic is changing

[@ezicagent2724]

​@@gamersgambit7517no

[@imthedude2351]

Also when she said she's not talking to a fucking JPEG, so it tells her to just change the file extension then And when it says "You have the audacity" and it fades in the fucking Audacity desktop icon

[@WobblesandBean]

​@@imthedude2351Right?? I love the detail put into this 💜

[@Ranger-over]

Some of the quotes from this article are quite eloquently written, but some are just confusing. For example, "technically, it's currently a GIF." This statement makes no sense. A GIF is an image format, while a JPEG is a compression format. They are not the same thing. Some of the other quotes are also confusing. For example, "It seems from the UX design community that the assumption might be that someone has seen a GIF before and is expecting a looping animation." This is not technically true.looping animation.gif Some people might be expecting a looping animation because they have seen one before, but this is definitely not universal. Awn7mFktpB4

[@nictus2882]

"DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY-" (icon changes to the application icon for audacity) this dogs funny as shit

[@kaxcommentssomethingREAL]

that dog _knooows_ what's up

[@Guaxinobers]

the dog knows what he's doing

[@Gregsusername]

Holy shit I didn’t even notice that. That’s amazing

[@harmonetheanimationaddict4419]

He’s a troll.

[@scrabble567]

when was this

[@blakel9463]

The fact that he tricked her into getting the curse and then tried to gaslight her about the videos glitches is actually so well planned because I'm genuinely frustrated with her

[@MarcyTheKindaCoolWizard]

i wonder if maybe Smile Dog isn't lying that much Im not sure it's trustworthy but there might be a grain of salt on being doubtful on the guy

[@grandz125]

?

[@404TVfr]

​@@wungomungo6177?

[@404TVfr]

​@@grandz125!

[@daisythegoddes3483]

​@@MarcyTheKindaCoolWizard i just wanna say that i love your name XD

[@Nullianak]

"Someone who's solved their problem doesn't go around looking up videos about their problem" is an INSANELY powerful line. Holy MOLY.

[@mildly_miffed_man1414]

I mean I do that sometimes

[@KorilD]

@@mildly_miffed_man1414 *You:* Oh man, I could have solved this *way* easier if I'd looked it up first...

[@mildly_miffed_man1414]

@@KorilD Literally

[@mildly_miffed_man1414]

@@KorilD Like honestly 100% facts

[@WobblesandBean]

Right? That hit hard.

[@beawolfe]

The socially awkward discord calls driving my blood pressure up because of how realistic they are 😔😔😔

[@James11111]

The energy of just "you got a virus" "The fuck I did!" It's so good

[@Just1Nora]

The "fucks" feel uncomfortable though, like they were trying too hard to make it more "intense." You can tell when someone uses fuck in their normal conversations or not. It just sounds different. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@honeycrispsnail4032]

@@Just1Nora i don’t know, i agree that it sounds forced but it kind of adds to how they’re a bit awkward on the call.

[@mildly_miffed_man1414]

@@honeycrispsnail4032 nah it’s totally forced. I drop the f bomb literally almost every other fuckin word and these sound very forced compared to when I use it.

[@honeycrispsnail4032]

@@mildly_miffed_man1414 i do too, but i’ve also met ppl who get awkward and force it a lot more, if that makes sense. so in a way, it sounds like they’re on an awkward phone call and trying to force out swears to sound cooler, you know?

[@GmodPlusWoW]

When I saw that damn dog go briefly cartoonish, I got the vibe that he was gonna tell me that this was my chance to be a big shot.

[@modestmismagius105]

EXACTLY

[@anglepsycho]

"Would you like to invest in Trader's Domain?"

[@sampflugrath7601]

Grace just needs to give him some kromer and everything'll be fine.

[@GameAceTaylor]

Any time can be your chance, I guess!

[@stinkzsys4995]

when was that again? update: nvm I found it

[@Kazooples]

This series basically said “hey remember the boogeyman? The thing you were terrified of then learned it wasn’t real and got over it? Yeah no it was real the whole time and it’s after You Specifically”

[@AGRiyan]

😂

[@lemonywater2979]

⁰⁰0⁰000⁰⁰00000⁰⁰000⁰0⁰⁰⁰⁰0⁰0⁰0⁰⁰​@@AGRiyan

[@TheParadoxGamer1]

My favorite horror trope

[@sopranophantomista]

29:08 "I mean, technically right now it's a GIF" made me laugh. I don't think an Unfiction series has ever been able to do that with me.

[@thistlestuck]

me too, the whole bit is making me giggle a little

[@LunaWitcherArt]

"I kinda wanna provoke it" "WHY?" 10/10 reaction

[@shermanwilliams9248]

Me too, I was thinking “well isn’t it a gif” just a few seconds before it was said so it really caught me off guard xD

[@sboy2044]

**”Video 4” from Minecraft Alpha 1.0.16 Versions walks in** I also thought it was funny when the channel profile became a banana, a pickle, and a “sex origins”.

[@treywilliams1388]

It’s the “we are discussing the moral implications of deleting a JPEG” that gets me

[@coolboyyo654]

if i had a nickel for every recent horror series based on old creepypastas i'd have two nickels

[@thehuckleberry8349]

Whats the other one?

[@erebusthemothking6494]

@@thehuckleberry8349Macabre Experiment probably

[@coolboyyo654]

​@@erebusthemothking6494 Yeah that one, though i think Oblitus Casa techincally counts even though they aren't the "main thing" of that game

[@thehuckleberry8349]

@@erebusthemothking6494 Oooh I forgot I watched that

[@erebusthemothking6494]

@@thehuckleberry8349 Needlemouse is another one that’s loosely based around SonicExe, and I actually recommend it because it’s both really good and features a cover of a song by my favorite band

[@mitkitty]

That animation of the Dog ripping out of the virtual machine was so good, i love it. Also the Dog seems fun, i had the weird instinct of "keep this guy around as a new friend" instead of being scared of it

[@HYPERYoshi5]

right???? why did grace talk so mean to him, he's just existing :(

[@voltech1212]

Same here!!

[@TheDapperDragon]

Seriously. Dude is even a philosophy bro. I'd love to debate philosophy and the nature of being with a fucking computer demon.

[@ArchieRatsworth]

​@@HYPERYoshi5human instinct. He's impossible and can't be controlled, and that is scary.

[@basalt8151]

Kind of reminds me of Clarence from penumbra black plague

[@spleens4200]

I love the line of “If this is delusion, then it’s a shared one” I just do

[@whatthefridge1o1]

Same, also, I read this right as they said it

[@pkae]

Can confirm as an elder gen Z that screamers were the worst. I broke a laptop thanks to a screamer because I slammed it shut and threw it out of my room bc it kept screaming after I closed it.

[@basalt8151]

Yeah can confirm, my parents got me with the maze game when I was a kid

[@James11111]

I always thought it was bullshit when people said jumpscares aren't scary. Like fuck you, yes they fucking are!

[@rachellee2680]

@@basalt8151 That maze game was a sleepover staple for kids in my community. Couldn't have a proper sleepover if you didn't spend at least 20 minutes screaming about scary faces at 3am!

[@anglepsycho]

​@@rachellee2680That brought me back a long time ago, my favorite was when I was in a car ride with my old lacrosse friends but we ended up watching the zombie car ad when it had the "put some fucking clothes on" end and I got so pale they all made fun of me and we started laughing.

[@WobblesandBean]

I have PTSD and a heart condition. A lot of immature little pr!cks tried to "get me" with them back then.

[@cthulhluftagn3812]

This is FUCKING GENIUS. the idea of examaning a old, crappy creelypasta and discovering its actually three steps away from a REAL entity is awesome. The whole buisness of it not taking hold until they dug too deep into the history of the image is very lovecraftian, i approve.

[@James11111]

It feels very Krueger-esque. Like this thing was forgotten and dormant and her digging around woke it up and made it dangerous again.

[@TheParadoxGamer1]

@@James11111it especially reminds me of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare!

[@royallynick]

Absolutely in love with the way the smile dog bursts out of the virtual machine and into the real computer. Beautiful editing. Kids these days can make some amazing things

[@MrDumbRodent]

I think my favorite moment in the whole series is the little bit where The Entity shakes itself like a puppy dog while Grace is talking. It has so much personality and charm, much more believable and fun than most creepypasta critters. Bravo

[@adoraish]

Same! When I watched the original videos on her channel, I would skip back to that part of the video because it made the entity seem like it was almost mocking her by pretending to be a dog or acting as one.

[@James11111]

I'd almost wanna call it out for it. "What the fuck was that?" "What?" "That shake! That cute little God damn puppy shake you just did what the fuck!"

[@Just1Nora]

The ears flapping and the tags jingling. A sound and sight known to dog owners the world over. It helps add to the entities' realism. I briefly paused and thought, "Wait, did I just see and hear that?" Bravo

[@Flynnisthename]

Time stamp?

[@DukeOnkled]

@@Flynnisthename 34:13

[@myth1cal37]

"I cant believe we are discussing the moral implications of deleting a jpeg" fucking SENT me lmfao

[@sampflugrath7601]

The way they manage to incorporate the Jeff the Killer picture into their unfiction narrative is a great touch, as there actually is a still-ongoing search for the original, unedited image. It seems like more and more people are really starting to look back at the early creepypastas with a digital archeologist's eye, only to find just how little we really know about the origins of all but the best-documented (or, you know, copyrighted) ones like Slenderman; as well as how much of a lie the old "If it's on the internet, it's forever" line is. There really could be an earlier, worse version of Smile Dog from before the version we all know, lurking somewhere out there on an archived thread on a website no one's visited in twenty years--or it might've been deleted forever just yesterday. And that's what makes this such a timely and intriguing project.

[@_PinkiePie.]

Months late but this is a real well-put comment. It's not just creepypastas that have had a boom in digital archeologists, but lost internet media in general. There's so much undocumented from flash games, music (take all of the stuff completely destroyed from old Myspace for example), livestreams, literature. Gigabytes of photos lost to time because of sites like Photobucket or Flickr. It's insane how easily things are lost online.

[@imthedude2351]

" *IF ALL DUST-SCATTERING, SLOWLY DYING NEURON-MACHINES IN A ROOM SHARE A DELUSION,* *_IS IT NOT REAL?_* " Is unironically one of the hardest lines to ever be said by the villain of an ARG

[@daysofboyhood]

And to the trans character too, it's a horrible insult at the same time as trying to get inside Grace's head and pretend to be on the same side. It's already tried to convince Grace that Arthur's not to be trusted. Are all your friends just lying to you out of kindness or do they really believe in your identity? How do you know, and if they're lying, can you trust them about anything and are they really your friends? There's layers to it that make it hit even harder for Grace specifically.

[@ANDREW-uo6tq]

@@daysofboyhoodI AM SK GLAD SOMEONE ELSE NOTICED THIS OH MY GOD

[@wolffang489]

Describing both humans and computers as "dust-scattering, slowly dying neuron-machines" is the most upfront point of view the dog has expressed on it's hosts. No humor, no calling Grace an idiot, to it we are nothing, destined to die inconsequently after shuffling around a bit. It is forever, so long as it continues to spread through shared "delusion".

[@urielwitchcraft3620]

@daysofboyhood Thank you for making me immensely and unreasonably angry at two in the morning.

[@RudeBoy_Cian]

Holy cow! I never thought this would be covered! I love the way chainmail chasers tells its story with connections to creepy internet photos. My personal favorite ARG.

[@ImBigBoss_AndYouAreToo]

"Holy cow" 🐮

[@ImTooLuckii]

​@@ImBigBoss_AndYouAreToo😂😂 their under your skin

[@JayUwU04]

😂 IM WRIGGLING 🪱

[@odd-eyes6363]

Isn't this project an Unfiction one?

[@RudeBoy_Cian]

@@odd-eyes6363 I believe so! There isn't any actual proof that the smile dog photos were the originals to any other creepy pasta pictures used. From what I know, the time of these events is set in 2019-2020 rather than our time.

[@Axioanarchist]

Nick ranting about his hatred of Screamers touched something visceral in my soul

[@kylejohnson423]

And it was always like a Jpeg of a party city mask or something

[@mysticthemanakete]

Oh god you just unlocked a core memory of my dad getting me to play eye spy on a web page that turned out to be a screamer and scaring me to tears once the flinch and internal ‘wtf’ moment was over. Pretty sure that’s where I learned to hate jumpscares, beyond just turning out to be autistic and not liking loud, sudden noises or movements.

[@yellowbutterfly6796]

as far as memories go, I had a screamer jumpscare once happen during a meditation video. not cool. not cool at all.

[@dwarfdigger135]

FUCKING THIS THIS RIGHT HERE

[@Macalicious]

I handle jumpscares in movies but i dislike it cause it's cheap horror, however when it happens outside movies or games, I can't handle it. I watched a tutorial guide once about software I used and suddenly a blacked out face with stark white eyes, red background and blood i think popped up. It startled me so hard I ended up having a panick attack and the rest of the night my boyfriend had to calm me down because every small sound or shadow would cause me to run or freeze up crying

[@yellowbutterfly6796]

@@Macalicious sorry that happened to you, though I'm happy you had your boyfriend to help you at the time ❤️

[@misseselise3864]

when i was 8, my mom showed me a video that supposedly showed michael jackson’s ghost while a reporter was standing in his house reporting on his death. it put a red circle around a blue in the background so i scooted closer to look and got jump scared. when my mom died when i was 20, i STILL hesitated to watch videos she showed me 💀

[@NickPReview]

Weird to see a friend's project take off like this and I am the happiest guy in the world to see it. Thank you for giving their series the spotlight it so deserves and giving it such a good shake!

[@itsmytoast666]

Tell them to level their audio between -6 & -12 db. It's where tv & movies are leveled & will make their work easier to hear. E: There are obviously some sounds that go louder or lower, depending, but I can't be the only one having to turn their tv up to legibly hear the videos.

[@yellowbutterfly6796]

from us viewers, thanks to them for making it :D

[@cractor6307]

Tell her shes cool! great series so far

[@GoodnightMoon666]

Your friend is very pretty :3

[@itsmytoast666]

@@GoodnightMoon666 bruh... Can't blame you for shooting your shot, but... That's hella gross.

[@PikaPower234]

Right now, I love the interactions between the entity and Grace. It’s like that annoying friend, but it’s an evil virus messing with the laptop and causing insanity

[@James11111]

Ah, the best kind of villain. The dickish one.

[@rythianblacktheblackemporium]

I always love the beginning sounds of rain and thunder with the ambiance of a droaning tone

[@minimanbeast1014]

I think hes put out a vid that is just thoes sounds and its very peacful

[@cMind607]

@@minimanbeast1014will be finishing this vid then falling asleep to that one after 😂 was unaware, ty.

[@number3766]

I gotta say, considering Grace seems to have some knowledge on creepypasta crap, I'm surpised she didn't disconnect the internet, delete the file and burn the computer. She had the same reaction I had watching. Fuck that!

[@neoordwell]

could be an effect of the entity? since she's infected.

[@ArchieRatsworth]

She seems to be worried that doing that might piss it off and tilt it into some kind retaliation.

[@rudolfambrozenvtuber]

There's a lot of implication that she's not financially well-off enough to replace it either

[@galatic-wyvern2993]

I think the implication that she thinks it's alive, and deleting it is akin to murder.

[@rudolfambrozenvtuber]

@@galatic-wyvern2993 That's an initial consideration but it's definitely superceded by others as things progress

[@thatcheesy8613]

This is the most human dialogue I’ve ever seen in any form of media. I’m convinced they barely had a script

[@James11111]

"Oh fuck that fuck that fuck that! "You got a virus" "that's stupid!" It's legitimately so damn good.

[@mateuszjokiel2813]

The dialogue is convincing - the delivery not always. Still a piece of good work.

[@josephmatthews7698]

I'm leaning towards top tier acting with a loose script. You can tell they have certain lines they have to hit to line up with the computer glitches. Seriously acting has gotten so stellar in unfiction. The only time the quality dips is when they know they need to hit a specific line but it's incredibly natural.

[@bridgetkennedy3271]

My brother is apart of this. They had a script but went off of it often.

[@NemesisTWarlock]

You're not going to... actually jumpscare me without a warning, right, Nick? I trust you on that one...

[@zoromax10]

He would never I trust him with my life

[@antinatestabgut8604]

"im not talking to a jpeg" was ironically the funniest part of all of this

[@kyleh3227]

Never thought I'd see someone take an old chain creepypasta like Smile Dog and make something this legitimately impressive with it. Thanks for sharing, Nick! Actually, between this and My House, this is like a very interesting evolution of the analog horror trend. Creators have gotten old enough to the point that the nostalgia they draw on for inspiration has entered the digital age as well. It's a fascinating trend to watch unfold in real time.

[@mannhouse8014]

Classic GM videos is also a good example of this. As the early 2000s and 10’s get further and further with each passing year, nostalgia will ramp into overdrive

[@kyleh3227]

@@mannhouse8014 Of course, like Badwater and Gunslinger! There's also the argument that it might not even be NOSTALGIA so much as these tools have simply existed so long now that they're starting to enter that period of creators taking their steps into the horror genre being familiar enough with them to recontextualise them in a horror context.

[@mannhouse8014]

@@kyleh3227true - a great example of this is the deleted classic gm videos upload where he dies and respawns in the dark room with a flaming skeleton and has to exit the game. That shit is so freaky and really smart

[@TylerPlayGame]

Smile Dog was the one creepypasta I couldn't handle. There's something in the image that hits me in a very primal place. I'm so glad it's getting recognition in the way of this ARG

[@ezicagent2724]

Same

[@zarteen]

It traumatized me. I was scared when scrolling down on any internet story for the next few years of my life

[@Fidgetthebatpony]

Honestly same

[@josephmatthews7698]

Aw he's a cutie patootie poochie. Just needs a solid orthodontist and enjoys belly rubs.

[@labfire8964]

I like how you want me to watch the source material like I will understand it and not be absolutely horrified without your voice guiding me

[@Cazzlyn]

Wild to see a close friend’s project make it this far but everyone involved deserves it

[@keibetsu2527]

Who?

[@Cazzlyn]

@@keibetsu2527everyone expect you.

[@jestngs]

@@Cazzlynur so mean ….

[@keibetsu2527]

@@Cazzlyn :trollface:

[@casteanpreswyn7528]

​@@Cazzlynwhat does everyone expect of them?

[@Quazies]

Holy moly, the Smile Dog sequences are so cool looking and well done, the creator did an amazing job!

[@woodenlegacy4314]

Can't wait for the spinoff "my roommate's a cursed Jpeg?!"

[@Frostaltered]

I hope Nick never changes his background ambiance noise (song?). It’s such a nostalgic sound since he’s been using it since the start of his channel I think.

[@Solinaru]

god, im trying the process how the edits and effects was done. i especially love the breaking out of the VM as "the big reveal" until it takes another step to just OTA to the TV. Like, even as someone who has to work with VMs daily, the leadup in that particular scene was so well done that it caused me to suspend all disbelief and got caught off guard.

[@zeddthesecond1019]

42:38 i dont know why, but i love that while you hear them talking about the smiledog, you can also hear them playinf rainbow 6 seige, i find it kinda humanising in a way, cause it shows that their not just characters for the series, but also still normal people

[@Cuiasodo]

One thing I am struck by during the conversation that happens after The Rake upload is how convincing the acting is. The people involved are doing a pretty decent job of making it sound like it's a natural conversation and that emotions are running high without it feeling stilted or performative.

[@MySqueezingArm]

19:35 I'm going to assume a script/virtual machine but this was exceptional effort for sure. Explained in more detail: I think the file would update after being closed. Either on a timer or on another mouse click or whatever off screen. You can write to the file from outside of Windows basically.

[@futabagaming]

Another, simpler idea is it just being an edited together video full screened

[@Pronoc1]

@@futabagaming i feel like this is kinda obvious and i don't understand why it's even being questioned

[@hellothere9520]

Hm, I didn't consider a script but that would definitely make sense! I just kind of assumed the video was spliced together during the cursor state transitions, though if the creator is tech savvy then your suggestion would definitely be a less tedious way to do it lol.

[@chrissysky01]

I once got a screamer that mimicked a virus (from a supposed friend) and I was just a kid, so I thought it was an actual virus. The supposed friend laughed at me for falling for it (I was in the process of doing a virus scan) and I just never spoke to that guy again after that lol.

[@Thenameless1]

Got a big glass of OJ in one hand and a celery stick in the other, let's game.

[@lovelysakurapetalsyt]

Weird combo but go off

[@frickingheck583]

Top 10 hottest urban legend creatures

[@Thenameless1]

@@frickingheck583 Try not to reach through the screen!

[@cyberdoga5728]

Ok that Chakraworm3 scare got me hard, it had the set up of a screamer but instead of forcing a reaction it just leaves a lingering impression as the video moves along. If it was a screamer/jumpscare I would've been pissed and dismissed it but the quiet presentation made for a very eerie scare that I have to say bravo to.

[@JakeTheSnake016]

The serious conversation about a demonic entity while the dude was playing rainbow six in the background was so hilarious

[@ICountFrom0]

Whelp, your video on "my house" started about a week of obsession on my part as I digested all the best versions of it being taken apart, faced, and watching others face themselves facing it. This is just what I wanted on a rainy night.

[@psyphersky2552]

'I can't believe we're discussing the moral implications of deleting a jpeg' This was hilarious ngl 🤣

[@gabrielrosenstiel3423]

“ well it’s actually a gif “

[@ashscheesecakes2064]

Currently sick as a dog and to see a new upload has cheered me immensely. Thank you for all your hard work!

[@strangevol5264]

*horse turns around* How sick?

[@mannhouse8014]

A dog you say?

[@ashscheesecakes2064]

@@mannhouse8014 Have you heard that saying before? It's just a way to say I'm very sick 😅

[@NightMind]

Rest up, heal quick!

[@ashscheesecakes2064]

@@NightMind Thank you very much 😁

[@avez1381]

Arthur acts too silly to be the "hidden" antagonist and I love it

[@mildly_miffed_man1414]

That’s how they always get ya!

[@Halcyon554]

I know it's "der großmann" but "Der grobmann" has me in stitches. It's the brother who's just stout and chunky and I'm all for him.

[@kitty0chan444]

The hands grabbing the computer screen and pushing everything out of the way was actually sick- like wow. This looks amazing. So underrated

[@Templarfreak]

to give you a bit of a hint about how that first impressive video was done: notice how while you _do_ see the screen, you don't actually see grace using her actual mouse at all. :) what's actually the most impressive to me is that in all of the videos she records, she actually has a mouse cursor trail enabled. this actually lends a little bit of extra believability and credibility to the series, because animating that by hand would be a *pain.* that is a tricky effect to emulate, especially when making it look as accurate as it is.

[@sexygirlmax2019]

exactly like holy shit it makes it look like someone ACTUALLY moving a cursor by hand. incredible

[@fauxfirefur]

Most likely, it's a script that moves the cursor in a set animation

[@Templarfreak]

​@@fauxfirefur there's a couple issues with it being snapshots of a cursor position being played back: it likely wasnt actually interacting with anything real, meaning it would be very difficult to line up the cursor to look right. the second issue is that it wouldnt look anywhere near as natural if it was just cursor positions played back what i think it was is it's a bunch of individual pieces that were recorded *without* a mouse cursor, such as renaming the file, and their image editing software opening up new files that are different each time, that were stitched together into a video. this video was played back at full screen, and then re-recorded as it was playing with a mouse cursor, and then finally that recording is what made it into the video with them recording their monitor with a camera.

[@hellothere9520]

@@Templarfreak I don't think it was recorded without the mouse cursor; if you look, the cursor changes to a pointer and a loading wheel when the image is being opened, which would not be possible if it was simply hovering over a fullscreen video. I think it's way more likely that the cursor in the beginning of each new segment was aligned to the approximate position it had at the end of the previous segment, then the video was spliced together during the cursor state transitions to make smaller differences harder to see.

[@Templarfreak]

@@hellothere9520 yeah, that makes sense and is a good point. most-likely a bunch of different techniques were used to make it appear seamless.

[@akiirame]

having to explain screamers for the gen zs let alone with a fnaf jumpscare allegory made me feel like my bones were made of dust ( yes it was like that. nowhere was safe. )

[@WMan37]

When I was a teenager the thing that was always at the back of my mind as a creepypasta enjoyer was _"yeah but what if?"_ like, "Yeah this is all shlocky, there's way too many haunted video games post-ben drowned, etc. but what if, by some unlucky happenstance of being a cliche thus not believed, one of these stories was real? You'd have no way to verify it unless you were already fucked yourself." I love that this series plays directly into that fear. I also absolutely adore and appreciate the line _"Your chosen method of containing me is flimsy and half-hearted, The Prickheads had better security twelve years ago."_ there's layers of truth to that quote both meta-contextual and otherwise if you're someone from the early internet smiledog came from and even more so if you're tech literate, people are a lot more trusting on the internet and with computers these days than they were in the 2000s; Used to be a rule to never have your real name anywhere on the internet because it was just asking for trouble, now people do that like it's nothing and it's totally believable that someone would be searching up old stuff without a virtual machine which is very stupid but totally reasonable to expect from a newer generation of internet user. Plus software in general has become more flimsy over the years too.

[@andrewramlall3560]

I love that line too, it just oozes old-school villainy, like a competent arch-nemesis coming back to haunt you

[@WMan37]

@@andrewramlall3560 "Old-school villainy" is a good way to put it, the villains of internet horror would sometimes be characters that sometimes talked to the protagonists at length with open theatrics as if they love what they do and what they love is messing with you, kinda like whatever possesses Evan in "EverymanHYBRID", instead of being these huge cosmic horrors too big, impersonal, and alien to comprehend fully with any level of true confidence. Sometimes all you need is a very dangerous, single character. Doesn't matter if you can fully comprehend and easily explain what smiledog does to be dangerous, you're still in immense amounts of danger. If anything the fact that they give you an out but you have to dick someone else over is kinda worse in some ways, cause it's more personalized and hidden than a world ending event. If you fail, nobody's gonna know, life is gonna go on for everyone _except you._

[@unknowngod8221]

i agree but does that mean the newer generation is so stupid that you would rather return to 1990s internet or what?

[@WMan37]

@@unknowngod8221 You are reading a bit much into what I'm saying. A lot of people were more security minded back then because a lot of people learned _the hard way_ that you had to be, through being stupid. There's a lot of pre-made safety nets and blankets today that made people not have to learn like we did through _our_ stupidity, know what I mean? What I'm saying is like, even though we have those pre-made safety nets nowadays, you should still act like they aren't there, but people don't, and this is how you get youtube channels that get taken over by crypto scammers, and discord accounts that get hacked.

[@WMan37]

@@unknowngod8221 KZbin must have eaten my last comment. Nah we were stupid too but that's how we learned the hard way to be paranoid about security. There's a lot of safety nets now, but people should act like they don't exist, cause that's how people are getting their youtube channels and discord accounts hijacked by bots.

[@quinnzi5358]

Your reminder of screamers made me shiver... The scary ghost car especially got me. I adore this series, it's so amazing. I love how Grace's computer scene was set up. It was terrifyingly beautiful.

[@mcstabbins4501]

Its honestly really interesting seeing these old creepypastas being made into something new and I love it, really brings back the old spooks

[@redherringoffshoot2341]

a digital horror series based off of the original Smile Dog creepypasta is to be expected, but this is by far the best execution of it that I've seen yet ngl

[@teikazami3170]

I love this unfiction (or is it technically an arg) but I hope it doesn't end with smile dog being an unkillable internet demon thing.

[@anglepsycho]

ARGs are more like Broadside Beach. This is an unfiction since this isn't an alternate reality of a video game series we already know or of a world we know being completely different.

[@bioico8458]

"You don't get the same experience if you just watch me instead of the content" - as someone who can get jumpscared by turning on a sink disposal, that's the point.

[@newbiegamelover4767]

Ugh. I remember those screamer videos and games. I hated those. My fellow classmates would be playing those games while I would be safely playing kiddie games on Super Why's website, despite being in middle school at the time. There was also this one Halloween in high school, where my world history teacher showed us one of those videos. It was only effective on four students, but unfortunately, I was one of those four.

[@RiaxaraCo]

Them talking about deleting the JPEG demon is so funny and also is impressively organic/real sounding

[@justcommoncurt]

Can I just say how well they emulated people on discord? This almost felt nostalgic cuz it sounds like people from my old guild in World of Warcraft that would hang out outside of raids

[@KuWota2k]

Smile Dog returning in an efficient and amazing way, this has the chance to be Smile Dog's equivalent of Marble Hornets. Taking the concept and doing so much more and new with it. Amazing.

[@SneakyMuffin]

I will ever and always love when a protagonist calls the guy that tries to rationalize the irrational with shit like "well, coincidences happen" an idiot.

[@KaibaKid_]

More frustrating than her being tricked into getting this thing into her computer is the fact that she still, like, turns her lights off. Like. At all. Absolutely not, man, if it were me my lights would always be on.

[@James11111]

Lights always on, and a spray bottle and rolled up newspaper always at the ready for when this smiley doggo starts acting up.

[@The_Distortionist_Waits]

As we saw, the Dog has the ability to manipulate machines, like turning Grace's TV on, who's to say it's not just messing with the lights to get to Grace

[@Site_42]

I like beautiful women at the Ren Faire… Am *I* a Chainmail Chaser?! 😮

[@NightMind]

No, you're just making sure you aren't maidenless!

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

God I remember screamers. Worst time ever. It was ANNOYING. It has desensitised me to all jumpscares too :/ Edit: It leaked into the late millenial, early gen Z era of the internet. The small dying gasps of it alongside chainmail letters

[@Guardison]

It's funny bringing up screamers, I remember being at a family gathering once and a bunch of my cousins were all trying to impress each other by showing the "scariest" screamers they knew about. Definitely wore out their horror very quickly.

[@dangerxbadger2300]

Millenial in the comments reporting in: just Nick talking about Screamer era gives me the worst Vietnam-esque flashbacks lmao it was a BAD TIME ON THE INTERWEBS, FRIENDS. As always, fantastic analysis and thank you SO MUCH for transmating the garbled dog speak. I tried so hard to figure that out and was so frustrated bc it really threw me out of the experience.

[@ryanjones_rheios]

Nothin' like that 2am adrenaline blast in the middle of reading a horror story on some no-name site because some jag thought it was funny.

[@DUSTERRRRRR]

iirc there was actually an option to have english captions that showed what the dog said, u just had to choose english (canada)

[@aria5614]

I'm glad to see Smile Dog actually get an unfiction project. Makes him more than just a floating creepy pasta

[@foxans1919]

28:51 Can we not invoke the fucking demon right now? XD

[@bloodrunsclear]

I like the animation on Smiledog! Very well done, and reminiscent of another creepy pasta: Username666

[@SOOKIE42069]

as someone who spent a lot of her formative years on Something Awful, for better or worse, it's neat to see it built into the lore of an unfiction project.

[@balover2010]

I just had a horrific experience with a walgreens pharmacist that had me torn between crying a finding a punching bag with a picture of his face on it. Then a new NM vid drops. Sir, your voice is perfectly soothing and exactly what I needed, thank you for abating my rage. Now...do you have a channel where you read cute stories about cuddly things to get rid of these spooks?

[@drakedoesntmatter9280]

Watching this with the power out by candle light is the perfect atmosphere for any nightmind video

[@ironaidan07]

Good friends with the creator of this and words cannot describe how proud I am of them getting their project spotlighted on a channel I've watched for years, Thank you so much for watching!!!

[@elliotpaloff7456]

smile dog was the one creepypasta that scared the shit out of me when I was little. This brings back such horrifying nostalgia!

[@elizabethurdiales8985]

The incorporation of solar plexus clown gliders really made me holler. Such an interesting concept. This upload MADE my deployment!

[@laniedeedee]

Thank you for the upload Nick! I was just thinking of rewatching your MH videos again, what a late night surprise!

[@AmyYdoesntlikehandles]

lol i was rewatching his marble hornets video too

[@thefinalgirl6907]

Yessss another video essay to listen to at my minimum wage job

[@finalgirl640]

Hey! Are we sisters? 😂❤

[@floofdoodles2535]

what a beautifully charismatic way to revive smile dog! i absolutely ADORE the direction the creators took with this it's such a fresh and gut wrenchingly scary way to bring back an old legend and a personal favorite or mine! this one's gonna go down in the history books for sure, much enjoyed and loved this vid! thank you for sharing this wonderful media!

[@yecksd]

swagalicious

[@croythehorse3071]

Best comment by far

[@eagle_llama]

Swagtacular

[@crustycrustacean5267]

Definition

[@lennyternil336]

This is THE comment

[@risograph]

something about these videos being on top of NM's spooky wallpaper background keeps them from being scary. like a protection circle.

[@Pouing12]

IKR!!! This is the only horror type channel I can watch anytime even at night! :D

[@NotOnLand]

I like how the dog/demon was like "yeah I'm a literal monster, but the _real_ monster here is the guy who convinced you to download me." And it's kind of right, do you blame the bear or the person who slathered you in honey?

[@LunaWitcherArt]

God I hate those chainmails. As the internet user community got older, I'm happy we left that behind. As the internet user community is getting younger since the pandemic and tablet babies, I pray it doesn't start appearing on Twitter or some crap.

[@casteanpreswyn7528]

It was the old people sending them. Back in 97, I knew those were fake, and I was a bloody child. My grandmother, on the other hand, thought they were completely real. Also, when they started doing the chain text messages I'd get like 3 a week from my grandparents and occasionally great aunts or uncles.

[@LunaWitcherArt]

@@casteanpreswyn7528 yeah, but the tablet babies are getting dumber, istg

[@casteanpreswyn7528]

@LunaWitcherArt source on that one bud?

[@Jaspy-Alue_KittyKode]

This is so well done!! I was super into CreepyPasta when I was around 14/15, so seeing something like Smile dog get such a unique "revamp" ? COOL

[@anglepsycho]

I used to be a fan, and it looks wonderful now that someone changed it and adapted it to be fitting in the current time.

[@kiarasessyoin]

I think an added quality to all of this is the fact that these do pass as actual legit creepypasta videos today. Anyone who's into the Jeff the killer or "disturbing/mysterious internet" side of things can confirm, which adds a whole layer of immersion to it all. The way I discovered this channel was legitimately through searching for the actual JFK search updates and clicking on this video fully expecting to see the actual thing.

[@ArtTrashKing]

Nothing like your soothing voice and a creepy new story to help my night become relaxing for me- glad to see your uploads all the time

[@4cannibal]

i stumbled on this one genuinely looking for the smile dog origin i pissed myself when it turned scary

[@anime17love]

I think I just love when protagonists are being absolutely badgered into insanity by a paranormal being in an inanimate object (thinking TribeTwelve and the journal). You just got the worst most gnarly funny little guy living in your house.

[@JeezAlax]

This is a genuinely amazing series, and I'm so happy Smile Dog has the spotlight here. Its such an underrated creepypasta. Also, if my computer started laughing while I was trying to sleep, I'm unsure if I'd be creeped out or just yell at it to quiet down and let me sleep.

[@zoettaday5729]

Oh fuck yes, just what i needed on a restless night, thanks Nick 💖

[@Terrifyger]

I'm genuinely impressed by the special effects, mainly the ones where a hand-held camera is filming to show that creepy entity talking to Grace from the computer. I don't know how that effect was done, but my best guess would be that it's actually a full-screen video that's edited to look as though it's happening in real life, and then a whole ton of rehearsing from Grace to get some _extremely_ well-timed reactions. If that's not the case, then I don't know how she did it. But this series is really cool! I like how there's more light being shed on these internet horror classics from the past. :)

[@connerblank5069]

So, show of hands. How many of you guys also came in curious about what medeival armor had to do with a creepy pasta?

[@sealie0726]

✋️

[@r0astedduck]

I love this project. Creepypasta was one of the factors that got me into enjoying horror when I was in middle/high school. Yeah, a lot of it was rough, but being there for Slenderman and other new creatures was pretty fun. I remember a few years ago talking to a student of mine, who said creepypasta was "so 2009." I never felt so old! Seeing this brought me back, and Im glad its being used in a good way.

[@lazlow234]

Really cool project! Not sure if anyone else mentioned, but when I saw the dog it reminded me immediately of "The Sun Dog", a short story by Stephen King. It's about a Polaroid camera that, no matter the subject, only takes pictures of a weird looking dog, but each picture is slightly different than the previous. Probably wasn't an inspiration but a very cool seed for the story if it was!

[@HereticalKitsune]

Chainmail chasers, my first thought was about chasing armor, not chain LETTERs.... Oh my brain... x.x

[@Silver3May]

Same. I thought it was like Marble Hornets where the title is completely irrelevant.

[@biggodoodle]

Woah man- after watching all their videos I had no idea what to expect, but this is honestly so cool!!! Definitely was not what I expected and now I’m pumped up to see what’s next for season 2!! :D

[@nolandspring]

Watched the series before this and HOLY SHIT i am hooked, the way it manages to connect all of these old creepypastas in one connected lore is fascinating. I can't wait to see how it goes from here

[@nightberry7]

“I’m not talking to a jpeg” 16:01 That shouldn’t have made me laugh 😅

[@nightberry7]

“Foolish to gif” 16:49 I love this haha

[@nightberry7]

28:45 “Can we not invoke the fucking demon right now?” “HELLO!” “I cannot believe we are discussing the moral implications of deleting a JPEG” “I mean technically right now it’s a GIF” “Man I kind of want to provoke it” “Okay that’s- I’m cutting the fuckin-” “-WHY?”

[@neonasis]

I dont know why but the Sex Origins background is hilarious