Presented by Steven C. Miller’s Werewolves, Bloody Disgusting is looking to the stars and howling at the moon with Werewolves Week. Today, Jenn Adams takes a look at the funny side of the werewolf sub-genre: the hairy horror-comedy.

The act of becoming a werewolf is deadly serious—arguably horror’s most painful mutation. The body writhes and screams while elongating and sprouting fur. Claws appear where fingernails once were and the face becomes an animal-like snout equipped with whiskers, fur, and gnashing fangs. Given the screaming poor souls we see undergo this transformation, it’s safe to say the process hurts. So why then are so many modern werewolf movies played for laughs?

Yes, some entries in this curious subgenre are quite dramatic, examining the duality of man or female sexuality, but other titles are among the genre’s most beloved and successful horror comedies. Like peanut butter and chocolate,...