Slender Man was created by Eric Knudsen on a Something Awful forum thread as part of a photoshop contest, where users were challenged to "create paranormal images". Eric was inspired to create Slender Man primarily by Stephen King's The Mist, Zach Parsons' That Insidious Beast, works of H P Lovecraft and shadow people.
He quickly went viral, especially after the success of the derivative Marble Hornets web series, spawning numerous works of fanart, cosplay, other Creepypastas and even received his own mythos. Slender Man has also been adapted into various video games, short films and movies and has arguably become the most famous Creepypasta of all time.
Slender Man is depicted as a very tall, faceless man wearing a black suit and necktie. He has white skin and occasionally has tentacles protruding from his back. Stories of Slender Man often feature him stalking, kidnapping or traumatizing people, particularly children. He is commonly associated with the forest or abandoned places and has the ability to teleport. People who encounter Slender Man may also become afflicted with a sickness known as the Slender Sickness, which manifests with various symptoms.
