Art the Clown / Terrifier

Submission 494

Part of a series on Clowns. [View Related Entries]

About

Art the Clown is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the Terrifier horror movie franchise and several short films. The character is a brutal serial killer dressed in a black-and-white clown costume and makeup who often displays clown mannerisms while stalking, torturing and murdering his victims. Following the premiere of the second Terrifier film in 2022, the character gained significant popularity online, appearing in memes (such as Art the Clown Grinning) and fan art and becoming a frequent subject of fan theory videos and discussions online.

Origin

Art the Clown was created by director and screenwriter Damien Leone and first appeared in the 2008 short film The 9th Circle as a supporting character. The character again appeared in the 2011 short film Terrifier, with both shorts later becoming incorporated into All Hallows' Eve, a 2013 horror film featuring Art the Clown as the main antagonist.

In 2016, the slasher film Terrifier featuring Art the Clown premiered (trailer shown below, left). In the film and its sequels, actor David Howard Thornton portrays Art, replacing Mike Gianelli, who played the character in the shorts.

In 2022, the sequel film Terrifier 2 premiered (trailer shown below, right).

In Terrifier films, Art the Clown is a murderous clown who enjoys stalking and torturing people using an array of tools such as blunt and slashing tools and weapons. While the character is mute, Art the Clown is very theatrical and often displays clown-like mannerisms. The backstory of the character is largely unknown, although he seemingly possesses some supernatural powers, notably immortality, coming back from the dead twice. The character has been compared and juxtaposed against horror villains such as Pennywise and Michael Myers.^[1]

The Terrifier films are known for their shocking violence, with incidents of moviegoers vomiting and passing out reported following the premiere of the second film.^[2]

Spread

Following the premiere and commercial success of Terrifier 2, the character achieved significant virality online, particularly on TikTok, where the character appeared in memes, fancams and other videos (examples^[3]^[4] shown below).

On YouTube, multiple fan theory videos about the character have been uploaded, with theorists speculating about the origins and motives of the character and comparing him to other horror villains (examples shown below).

In late May 2024, a meme format based on a scene from Terrifier 2 in which Art the Clown quickly changes expression from shock to an evil grin went viral on TikTok.

Art the Clown Grinning

Art the Clown Grinning or Art the Clown Smiling refers to a scene from the 2022 slasher film Terrifier 2 in which the black-and-white clown serial killer character Art the Clown reacts to being threatened with police by acting shocked and slyly grinning. In late May 2024, the scene achieved virality on TikTok as a meme format in which Art the Clown's rapid change of expressions was used as an exploitable.