A fixture of family fun at circuses and birthday parties, the clown is also a harbinger of horror. Coulrophobia, or a fear of clowns, is particularly common in children who, according to one study, are "very reactive to a familiar body type with an unfamiliar face." Here, a nightmare inducing clown from Le Cirque du Soleil, November, 2007.
Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
An Army of Terrifying Tiny Clowns
Combining two scary tropes -- the creepy child and the creepy clown -- a group of young girls gather in clown costumes in the early 1900s.
Vintage Images/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
Bozo the Clown
Here, one of several actors to portray the popular children's character Bozo the Clown, with big boxes of gum in the mid-'60s. Television series starring Bozo ran in various broadcast areas across the country from 1949 to 2001, but the very first Bozo was Pinto Colvig out of KTTV in Los Angeles. The character enjoyed a small renaissance with The Bozo Super Sunday Show in the mid-1990s.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
Wipe That Smirk Off Your Face
The great Lon Chaney in the film He Who Gets Slapped, 1924.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images.
The Maniacal Laugh of a Killer Clown, 1940
It's anybody's guess what's so funny to this performer.
FPG/Getty Images.
It's a Wonderful Hat
Jimmy Stewart in costume for Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth, 1951.
Vintage Images/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
Off the Rails
Deranged repeat offender The Joker was a constant nemesis to Batman from the earliest installments of the television series (here, portrayed by Cesar Romero in 1967) to 2008's The Dark Knight, in a remarkable, genuinely scary performance that won Heath Ledger a posthumous Academy Award.
Slipknot, the metal band, has sold 14 million records worldwide, and are known for their jumpsuits and masks. Percussionist Shawn Crahan (pictured) is known simply as "Clown" for his costumes, which usually include a red nose and dastardly grin.
Detroit hip-hoppers Insane Clown Posse perform as wicked clowns, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. With its unique take on clown makeup and costume, the duo consciously uses the name to evoke unease.
