Pennywise is the name of the evil clown in Stephen King’s horror novel "It". Modeled on serial killer John Wayne Gacy, Pennywise is one of the forms assumed by the ancient, shape-shifting entity that murders children in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. In its clown form, it is known as Mr. Bob Gray or Pennywise the Dancing Clown. As in the 1990 miniseries, Pennywise takes the form of a giant spider for the final battle in the 2017 film adaptation.
Fear and Origin of Pennywise
The exaggerated and unnatural movements of clowns also evoke fear. Wrinkles the Clown first appeared in Florida in 2013. His phone number still operates, allowing people to hire him to scare misbehaving friends and family. In King’s novel, Pennywise’s origins are unclear – he is an ancient, cosmic being that arrived in Derry via a meteor crash in prehistoric times. He first awoke in 1715 and surfaces every 27 years to feed on children.
Pennywise’s true form is a collection of floating orange lights, which can entrance humans if gazed upon. Looking at these "deadlights" traps one’s mind in Pennywise’s thrall forever.
Killer Clowns in Culture
Among history’s most notorious killer clowns is John Wayne Gacy, who raped and murdered over 30 boys and young men in the 1970s. An established community leader in Illinois, he regularly performed as "Pogo the Clown" at events before his crimes came to light.
The modern popularization of the evil clown archetype stems from Stephen King’s 1986 novel "It". But the character has precedents in earlier works like Edgar Allan Poe’s 1849 short story "Hop-Frog". The image of the sad clown or "clown blanc" also plays upon fears of clowns from childhood entertainment. Names like Pennywise, Pogo, and Grimaldi evoke the dark duality of clowns – joyful yet disturbing. This complexity allows authors to exploit primal fears of the playful gone wrong.