Worst of all, it has evenpermeated the real world.
So, readers withcoulrophobiabeware, as we list our 27 favorite terrifying clowns from pop culture.
One look at Twisty played by character actorJohn Carroll Lynch and it would seem Murphy succeeded.
John Carroll Lynch on ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’; Bill Skarsgard in ‘It’; Sid Haig in ‘House of 1000 Corpses’.Credit:Michele K. Short/FX/courtesy Everett Collection; Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection; Lions Gate/courtesy Everett Collection
But his preferred vehicle of choice?
An ice cream truck outfitted for total destruction, so your clown-fueled nightmares can also ruin your favorite dessert.
JonathonDornbush
Zeebo the Clown Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Pennywise in ‘It’.Brooke Palmer
AndZombielanddoesn’t disappoint, siccing a drooling, brain-hungry circus reject onJesse Eisenberg’s Columbus.
(His greatest fear?
Clowns, of course.)
Twisty the Clown on ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’.FX
They’re bad enough when they’realive.
Zombie Clowns Left 4 Dead 2
Thought one zombie clown was enough?
Clowns are no exception to theLeft 4 Deadfranchise’s impressive array of undead foes.
Sweet Tooth in ‘Twisted Metal’.Sony Computer Entertainment
Bart’s Bed The Simpsons
Imagine falling asleep with a clown staring back at you every night.
Lesson learned: Check out IKEA first.
And there are those who like to snort cocaine, beat women, and threaten children.
Zeebo the Clown on ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’.
Genre favorite Sid Haig’s foul-mouthed and equally foul-underwear-ed Captain Spaulding is in the second camp.
Although, he does like ice cream.
If Sam Winchester is scared of them, there’s good reason.
Zombie Clown in ‘Zombieland’.Everett Collection
Those sagging smiles and rotten teeth can induce shivers regardless of how cheesy the rest of the movie is.
(They wrap dead bodies in cotton candy cocoons!
They track prey with a bloodhound made of a balloon!
Zombie Clowns in ‘Left 4 Dead 2’.Valve
Instead of ray guns, they shoot their enemies with popcorn!
Why popcorn?!"
“Because they’re clowns, that’s why!")
Bart’s Bed on ‘The Simpsons’.Fox
Adam Dead Rising
What’s scarier than a clown?
A clown with a chainsaw.
What’s scarier than that?
Captain Spaulding in ‘House of 1000 Corpses’.Everett Collection
A clown with two chainsaws.
So, what was that about clowns not being scary?
Small potatoes on your mission to save the world.
The Joker in ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’.Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
But then his madness and power both begin to grow, and everything changes.
And few video game villains have managed to be as memorable, or as unsettling, since.
The latter category includes these clowns.
Insane Clown Posse.Scott Harrison/Getty Images
EstherZuckerman
The Clown (a.k.a.
But when grossness and insults won’t work, the Clown will terrify you instead transforming into the Violator.
That’s not funny!
Plucky (left) with Jared Padalecki on ‘Supernatural’.Jack Rowand/The CW
Silver lining: Peg Bundy (Katey Sagal) was only out $5.
Perhaps the scariest part of all, though?
That this movie was ever made in the first place.
The Klowns in ‘Killer Klowns from Outer Space’.Everett Collection
Its nose is on a string.
It’s creepier than it sounds.
Kevin Jacobsen
Related content:
Adam in ‘Dead Rising’.Capcom
‘Crazy’ Joe Davola on ‘Seinfeld’.NBC
Pogo in ‘Gacy’.Lionsgate
Nightmare Bicycle Doctor Clowns in ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’.Warner Bros.
Kefka Palazzo in ‘Final Fantasy VI’.Square
Robot Clown on ‘Doctor Who’.BBC
WDP Circus Clowns in ‘Dumbo’.Disney
The Clown (a.k.a. Violator) in ‘Spawn’.Everett Collection
Maxie Martin and Jennings on ‘The Avengers’.ABC
Carol Anne and Robbie’s Doll in ‘Poltergeist’.MGM
Kinky Pinky in ‘NARC’.Williams Electronics
Sticky on ‘Married…With Children’.Fox
Helmut Doork in ‘The Day the Clown Cried’.Everett Collection
Clown Doll in ‘Poltergeist’.20th Century Fox
Jeff Ward as Buggy the Clown on ‘One Piece’.Courtesy of Netflix
