If you have childhood memories of Paddington Bear—perhaps through the many wholesome, good-natured books he’s starred in, or the various animated series which have aired over the years both in the U.S. and his beloved adopted home of England—they’re probably somewhere in the neutral-to-fond range. After all, Paddington is adorable, well-spoken, and unfailingly polite, with nary worse than a disapproving stare for anyone.
Until the Internet got their hands on him, that is.
This is a promotional still from the upcoming Colin Firth-starring Paddington movie, coming to theaters this November. Despite the likely intent of the people who created it, the picture, featuring a dead-eyed CGI bear standing in a vaguely threatening manner outside Buckingham Palace, sits firmly in that bastion of nervousness we call the uncanny valley. And it has served as the genesis for a new meme devoted to squeezing the happiness out of our childhood memories: Creepy Paddington.
More than one of the Photoshop artists devoting their time on Earth to sullying the reputation of this lovely little fellow drew similarities between Paddington, with his red hat and blank face, and the murderous dwarf from the end of psychological horror classic Don’t Look Now.
Others connected Peru’s favorite ursine son to more modern horror trends.
And others found that his soulless, vague smile fit in perfectly with the residents of the Overlook Hotel.
In case you still have some lingering affection for the once-beloved little bear that you’d like extinguished through a mixture of Photoshop, horror movies, and sheer meanspiritedness, you can find even more images on the Creepy Paddington Tumblr.