Editing Evil clown (section)

== Depictions ==
{{see also|:Category:Horror films about clowns}}
The [[Joker (character)|Joker]] character in the ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' franchise was introduced in 1940 and has developed into one of the most recognizable and iconic fictional characters in popular culture, leading ''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' magazine's "100 Greatest Villains of All Time" ranking in 2006.<ref>{{cite journal |author=<!--Staff--> |date=July 2006 |title=Top 100 Greatest Villains |journal=[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]] |volume=1 |issue=177}}</ref> The contemporary "evil clown" archetype developed in the 1980s, notably popularized by [[It (character)|Pennywise]] from [[Stephen King]]'s [[It (novel)|''It'']], and perhaps influenced by [[John Wayne Gacy]], a serial killer dubbed the ''Killer Clown'' in 1978. ''[[Killer Klowns from Outer Space]]'' is a 1988 horror comedy dedicated to the topic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bitel |first=Anton |date=2016-10-12 |title=How genre cinema fuelled our collective fear of killer clowns |url=https://lwlies.com/articles/killer-clown-craze-it-pennywise/ |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=[[Little White Lies (magazine)|Little White Lies]] |language=en}}</ref> Although [[Krusty the Clown]], a cartoon character introduced 1989 in the animated sitcom ''[[The Simpsons]]'', is a comical, non-scary clown, the character reveals darker aspects in his personality. In ''The Simpsons'' episode "[[Lisa's First Word]]" (1992), children's fear of clowns features in the form of a very young Bart being traumatized by an inexpertly built Krusty the Clown themed bed, repeatedly uttering the phrase "can't sleep, clown will eat me...." The phrase inspired an [[Alice Cooper]] song in the album ''[[Dragontown]]'' (2001)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/AT/lib00059,117508302B023D18.html |title=Some pop culture creations demonize the red-nosed men |access-date=19 January 2008 |date=15 February 2007 |work=[[Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]}}</ref> and became a popular catchphrase.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7191721.stm |title=Why are clowns scary? |first=Finlo |last=Rohrer |access-date= 19 January 2008 |date=16 January 2008 |publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> Evil clowns are also mentioned in a popular song by P!nk.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://genius.com/P-nk-funhouse-lyrics | title=P!nk – Funhouse }}</ref>

The American rap duo [[Insane Clown Posse]] have exploited this theme since 1989 and have inspired [[Twiztid]] and similar acts, many on [[Psychopathic Records]], to do likewise. Websites dedicated to evil clowns and the fear of clowns appeared in the late 1990s.<ref>{{cite news| quote= Coulrophobia has spread to the Web, where sufferers can vent on sites such as ihateclowns.com and clownz.com. | first= Steve| last= Steinberg| title= Nightmare with a red nose| work= [[Dallas Morning News]] | date= 25 January 2003}}</ref>

* The [[Joker (character)|Joker]], the nemesis of [[Batman]], whose key features are chalk-white skin, emerald-green hair, ruby-red lips and (in some iterations) a perpetual smile, sometimes a permanent [[risus sardonicus|sardonic grin]] or a [[Glasgow smile]], depending on the adaption of the character.<ref>Newsstand on-sale date 25 April 1940 per: {{Cite web |title=The first ad for ''Batman'' #1 |publisher=DC Comics |url=http://www.goldenagebatman.com/batman1ad.htm |access-date=23 October 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019031845/http://www.goldenagebatman.com/batman1ad.htm |archive-date=19 October 2006 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> He is commonly depicted as a criminal mastermind, as well as a sadistic and murderous [[psychopath]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/08/why-so-serious-the-many-looks-of-joker|title=Why So Serious?: The Many Looks of Joker|website=IGN.com|date=8 December 2008|author=Daniel Phillips|publisher=[[IGN]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref> The character is also known by several nicknames, including "the Clown Prince of Crime".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://moviepilot.com/posts/3441651|title=3 Things Which Make the Clown Prince of Crime Tremble With Fear!|website=[[Moviepilot]]|date=11 October 2015|author=Aayush Gupta|access-date=1 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126082749/http://moviepilot.com/posts/3441651|archive-date=26 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/games/trailers/842531-injustice-2-joker-trailer-shows-off-the-clown-prince-of-crime|title=Injustice 2 Joker Trailer Shows Off the Clown Prince of Crime|author=Spencer Perry|website=ComingSoon.net|date=28 April 2017|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref> 
* The 1982 film ''[[Poltergeist (1982 film)|Poltergeist]]'', directed by [[Tobe Hooper]] and produced by [[Steven Spielberg]], along with the [[Poltergeist (2015 film)|2015 remake of the same name]] directed by [[Gil Kenan]], feature a possessed clown doll.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/original-poltergeist-scariest-scenes-119604151242.html|title=The 7 Most Nightmare-Inducing Scenes From the Original 'Poltergeist'|author=Jordan Zakarin|date=22 May 2015|website=[[Yahoo! Movies]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fashionnstyle.com/articles/55078/20150402/poltergeist-2015-new-trailer-possessed-clowns-attack-horror-movie-remake-watch.htm|title='Poltergeist' 2015 New Trailer: Possessed Clowns Attack In Horror Movie Remake [WATCH]|author=Andrew Shuster|date=2 April 2015|website=Fashion & Style|access-date=1 June 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810214810/http://www.fashionnstyle.com/articles/55078/20150402/poltergeist-2015-new-trailer-possessed-clowns-attack-horror-movie-remake-watch.htm|archive-date=10 August 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/85515-8-poltergeist-scenes-from-the-original-film-that-will-make-you-wonder-how-it-received-a|title=8 'Poltergeist' Scenes From the Original Film That Will Make You Wonder How It Received A PG Rating|author=Sabienna Bowman|date=24 May 2015|website=[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* [[It (character)|Pennywise the Dancing Clown]], the main antagonist in [[Stephen King]]'s 1986 horror novel ''[[It (novel)|It]]'' and its adaptations. Pennywise was portrayed in the [[It (miniseries)|1990 television miniseries version]] by [[Tim Curry]] and by [[Bill Skarsgård]] in the [[It (2017 film)|2017 film adaptation]] and its [[It Chapter Two|2019 sequel]].<ref name="it">{{cite book |first=Stephen |last=King | title=It | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6a5vXEod09oC | publisher=[[Viking Press]] | location=New York City | year=1986 | isbn=0-451-16951-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/220787/tim-curry-describes-finding-right-look-pennywise/|title=Tim Curry Describes Finding the Right Look for Pennywise|author=Jonathan Barkan|date=29 March 2017|website=[[Dread Central]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://moviepilot.com/p/bill-skarsgard-pennywise-cast-stephen-king-it-2017/4224738|title=Bill Skarsgård "Freaked Out" The Young Cast of Stephen King's 'It' — Will His Pennywise Be Scarier Than Tim Curry's?|author=David Opie|website=[[Moviepilot]]|date=14 March 2017|access-date=1 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317083656/https://moviepilot.com/p/bill-skarsgard-pennywise-cast-stephen-king-it-2017/4224738|archive-date=17 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/03/it-remake-teaser-trailer-pennywise-bill-skarsgard-stephen-king-1202054445/|title='It' Teaser Trailer: Pennywise Creeps Back into Our Lives|author=Liz Calvario|date=29 March 2017|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* The 1988 film ''[[Killer Klowns from Outer Space]]'', directed by [[the Chiodo Brothers]], features extraterrestrial evil clowns as the story's antagonists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/killer_klowns_from_outer_space/|title=Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=27 May 1988 |access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3410788/stephen-chiodo-explains-killer-klowns-outer-space-trilogy-plans/|title=Stephen Chiodo Explains 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space' Trilogy Plans|author=John Squires|date=18 October 2016|website=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* The 1989 film ''[[Clownhouse]]'', written and directed by [[Victor Salva]], concerns brothers who are attacked in their own home by escaped mental patients dressed as clowns.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clownhouse/|title=Clownhouse (1989)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* The most famous professional wrestling depiction of an evil clown was [[Doink the Clown]], a persona originated in 1992 by professional wrestler [[Matt Osborne]] in the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]]. Originally, the gimmick was that of a sadistic, evil clown, playing cruel tricks on fans and wrestlers to amuse himself and put them off guard; to help gain heat for the character, he was placed in a storyline feud with [[Brian Adams (wrestler)|Crush]], wherein Doink, after faking an injury, sneak-attacked Crush with a loaded prosthetic arm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/doink|title=Doink the Clown |website=WWE.com |access-date=21 June 2017}}</ref> The evil clown gimmick would be dropped later in 1993 as he turned face.
* [[Violator (comics)|Violator]], a supervillain demon appearing in the ''[[Spawn (comics)|Spawn]]'' comic books published by [[Image Comics]], is commonly depicted in the form of "Clown", a balding, overweight man with blue facepaint.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-comic-book-villains/97|title=The Top 100 Comic Book Villains|website=IGN.com|publisher=[[IGN]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* [[Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal)|Sweet Tooth]], a character in the ''[[Twisted Metal]]'' video game series.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/gallery/25-coolest-videogame-characters/25-sweet-tooth-introduced-in-twisted-metal|title=25 Coolest Videogame Characters|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=5 May 2011|access-date=1 June 2017|archive-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702050644/http://ew.com/gallery/25-coolest-videogame-characters/25-sweet-tooth-introduced-in-twisted-metal/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sweet Tooth the Clown from ''Twisted Metal'' (2012) is a man wearing a psychotic clown mask with a flaming head and carrying a large machete. He drives a weaponised ice-cream van with the same clown face on the roof.
* Jack the Clown, an icon of the [[Halloween Horror Nights]] event celebrated at [[Universal Studios Florida]], [[Universal Studios Hollywood]], [[Universal Studios Singapore]], and [[Universal Studios Japan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.horrornightnightmares.com/hhn-x/|title=HHN|website=Horror Night Nightmares|access-date=2 June 2017|archive-date=11 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711003748/http://www.horrornightnightmares.com/hhn-x/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-blog/os-universal-halloween-jack-clown-back-20150519-post.html|title=Universal: Jack is back for Halloween Horror Nights|author=Dewayne Bevil|date=19 May 2015|website=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|access-date=2 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/05/19/jack-is-back-at-halloween-horror-nights/|title="Jack" Is Back at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights|author=John MacLauchlan|date=19 May 2015|website=miami.cbslocal.com|publisher=[[WFOR-TV|CBS Miami]]|access-date=2 June 2017}}</ref>
*The 2009 [[BBC]] comedy programme ''[[Psychoville]]'' features a protagonist named Mr Jelly, "[a]n embittered hook-handed clown and children's entertainer."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/psychoville/characters/jelly.shtml|title=BBC - Psychoville - Characters: Mr Jelly, played by Reece Shearsmith|website=www.bbc.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-03-02}}</ref>
* The horror film series ''[[Killjoy (film series)|Killjoy]]'' features a demonic killer clown as its main antagonist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1100772_killjoy|title=Killjoy (2000)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=4 October 2005 |access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* In the 2012 [[Anthology film|anthology]] horror film ''[[Scary or Die]]'', a drug dealer is bitten by a clown at a birthday party, and he begins to transform into a cannibalistic clown himself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/37497/scary-or-die-2012/|title=Scary or Die (2012)|author=Scott Foy|date=16 September 2012|website=[[Dread Central]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* The 2012 film ''[[Stitches (2012 film)|Stitches]]'' features a murderous birthday clown, portrayed by [[Ross Noble]], who is resurrected from the dead in order to enact revenge upon the children who contributed to his death.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/36946/stitches-2012/|title=Stitches (2012)|date=30 August 2012|author=Gareth Jones|website=[[Dread Central]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* The 2013 horror film ''[[All Hallows' Eve (2013 film)|All Hallows' Eve]]'', the 2016 film ''[[Terrifier]]'' and its subsequent sequels feature a homicidal clown named [[Art the Clown]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3413793/terrifier-trailer-brings-return-art-clown-exclusive/|title='Terrifier' Trailer Brings the Return of Art the Clown! (Exclusive)|author=Jonathan Barkan|date=8 November 2016|website=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* The FX horror anthology series ''[[American Horror Story]]'' used two instances of evil clowns: The first being Twisty the Clown from the fourth season ''[[American Horror Story: Freak Show|Freak Show]]'', who made a cameo appearance in ''[[American Horror Story: Cult|Cult]]'' where the season's antagonist created a murderous clown cult to orchestrate his rise to political power.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vh1.com/news/luegtx/american-horror-story-twisty-the-clown-john-carroll-lynch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629041904/https://www.vh1.com/news/luegtx/american-horror-story-twisty-the-clown-john-carroll-lynch|url-status=live|archive-date=29 June 2022|title=Who Is Twisty the Clown? Get To Know the Creepiest Villain of American Horror Story: Freak Show|date=29 October 2014|website=[[VH1]]|author=Stacy Lambe|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* The 2014 film ''Theatre of Fear'', directed by [[Andrew Jones (filmmaker)|Andrew Jones]], features a murderous clown character played by [[Nathan Head]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2846292/|title = The Midnight Horror Show|website = [[IMDb]]|date = 25 March 2015}}</ref>
* The 2014 horror film ''[[Clown (film)|Clown]]'', directed by [[Jon Watts]] and produced by [[Eli Roth]], follows a man who, upon finding and wearing a clown suit, becomes trapped in the cursed skin of an ancient [[Scandinavian folklore|Nordic demon]] known as the "Clöyne".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/clown-2016|title=Clown Movie Review & Film Summary (2016)|website=RogerEbert.com|author=Brian Tallerico|date=17 June 2016|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blumhouse.com/2016/06/16/director-jon-watts-how-clown-went-from-fake-eli-roth-trailer-to-real-eli-roth-production/|title=Director Jon Watts: How CLOWN Went from Fake Eli Roth Trailer to Real Eli Roth Production|author=Michael Gingold|author-link=Michael Gingold|date=16 June 2016|website=Blumhouse.com|publisher=[[Blumhouse Productions]]|access-date=2 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909193601/http://www.blumhouse.com/2016/06/16/director-jon-watts-how-clown-went-from-fake-eli-roth-trailer-to-real-eli-roth-production/|archive-date=9 September 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The 2021 film ''[[Behind the Sightings]]'' was inspired by the viral [[2016 clown sightings|clown sightings of 2016]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/06/tommy-v-behind-the-sightings-film-1202103283/|title=Tommy V Nabs Clown Epidemic Thriller 'Behind The Sightings'|author=Amanda N'Duka|date=31 May 2017 |website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3439923/clown-film-behind-sightings-will-ripped-headlines-horror/|title=Scary Clown Film 'Behind The Sightings' is Ripped from the Headlines|author=John Squires|date=31 May 2017 |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/232135/clown-sightings-based-horror-film-behind-sightings-acquired-tommy-v-films/|title=Clown Sightings-Based Horror Film Behind the Sightings Acquired by Tommy V Films |author=Jonathan Barkan|date=31 May 2017|website=[[Dread Central]]|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>