The Mandela Catalogue

The Mandela Catalogue is an analog horror web series created by American YouTuber Alex Kister in 2021. It is set in the fictional Mandela County, Wisconsin that is invaded by demonic, otherworldly entities called "alternates" that psychologically torture their victims with the ultimate goal of assuming their identities as "doppelgängers". The series became popular online, in part due to reaction videos and story analyses of it by internet users and YouTubers.

Setting and genre
Primarily set during the early 1990s and late 2000s, The Mandela Catalogue takes place within the fictional Mandela County, located in Wisconsin, which is terrorized by shape-shifting creatures named "Alternates". Alternates, led by a depiction of the archangel Gabriel, are nearly-immortal beings that aim to eradicate humanity by psychologically torturing them to the point of suicide. The Alternates can manipulate audiovisual media, such as televisions, personal computers, and vehicle GPS systems.

The series contains many biblical allusions, referencing Noah's Ark, Adam and Eve, Mary and Joseph, and the birth of Jesus. It is heavily implied that the Alternates are biblical demons, and that Archangel Gabriel is actually Satan in disguise.

The Mandela Catalogue is composed of 8 shorts and 5 volumes across two "Acts." The first short was released on June 9, 2021. The series belongs to a subgenre of horror dubbed analog horror. Series installments are usually presented as found footage material, or from the point of view of in-universe characters and/or their electronic devices. Nearly all the Act I installments are rendered in VHS quality, whereas most Act II installments are made in the style of old digital videos, reflecting the shift in the time period depicted. 

Development and production
The Mandela Catalogue was created by then seventeen-year-old student Alex Kister from Richfield, Wisconsin as a series of short videos he began in 2021, while in summer college. It was Kister's first filmmaking project. Kister originally created "overthrone" [sic] as a one-off video based on a high school writing project, and planned to make a series where he edited children's cartoons to be creepy. However, due to the popularity of the video, Kister decided to continue making videos following the universe of "overthrone" into the modern day. He named the series after the Mandela Effect.

Kister had a low budget and used basic editing: scenes are shot in his home and characters are portrayed by his friends through still images and voiceovers. Kister's mother once played an alternate. In an interview with GQ, Kister said he wanted to develop his horror from "jump-scares that [...] cause a physiological reaction rather than a psychological reaction."

Kister had said the series originally began as a creative outlet for the existential crisis he was dealing with, especially when it came to the subject of religion and Christianity. The series was also inspired by the isolation and loss of security Kister experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In October 2022, Kister worked with Makeship, a crowdfunding plushie company, to release merchandise for the series. In March 2024, Retro Release Video announced plans to release the first volume on VHS, though this was soon cancelled.

Audience
The Mandela Catalogue grew popular due to analysis and reaction videos on YouTube and quickly gained a following. Some users criticized an over-reliance on analog horror tropes. Vol. 4 received particular criticism for its use of live-action segments filmed with green screens. Some viewers disliked the scenes' lack of realism. However, Kister said the lack of realism was purposeful and an attempt to give the segments an uncanny valley quality.

A TikTok trend based on The Mandela Catalogue became popular in 2023. In these videos, which often have a similar VHS aesthetic, a person realizes they are being hunted by their "Alternate" when a soundbite plays, saying: "If you see another person that looks identical to you, run away and hide".

Critical reception
Dread Central praised The Mandela Catalogue as "the supreme [example] of what analog horror looks and sounds like", adding that "the sense of insecurity that comes from knowing you’ll be frightened is constantly visually manipulated". Ohio University student newspaper The Post favorably compared its use of the uncanny valley as a horror technique to The Walten Files. It was also praised by GQ. While TLK Magazine praised the series' worldbuilding, it criticized the "monotone" voiceover acting, saying it detracted from The Mandela Catalogue 's tone.

Adaptations
The Indie games Maple County, Alternate Watch, and Assessment Examination are based on the series. In 2021, prior to his role on The Mandela Catalogue, actor Thorne Baker developed Maple County. The game is framed as an interactive training tape from the Maple County Police Department, in which players must determine which photos portray Alternates and which portray actual people. In Mandela Invasion, created by Broken Arrow Games, Alternates attempt to break into the player's house and must be repelled.