In pictures: The creepiest video game fan art of all time

The Internet is a dark and scary place, filled with terrors both familiar and unimaginable. I know this, for I have stared into the fan art abyss... and the abyss stared back.

When I decided to compile a slideshow of bad video game fan art, I had no idea what kind of Pandora’s Box I was about to open. I expected to find a few child-like scrawls of Zelda and Sonic. Instead, I saw things that no sane gamer should ever have to lay eyes on. (If you think this little crop is bad, you should see the stuff we couldn’t publish -- you'd gouge your own eyes out and scream that you could still see.)

We're sorry for destroying your childhood. As a numbing salve, we recommend this slideshow of hot cosplay girls. Keep it open in a separate browser, in case of emergencies.

[Note: to protect the not-so-innocent, we have decided not to source the following images. If you want your artwork removed or – God forbid – would like to be credited, send us an email and we’ll make the necessary changes.]