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It (character)

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This article is about the Stephen King antagonist. Not to be confused with Cousin Itt.

Pennywise
Stephen King character
Top: A clown with red hair and white make-up presenting a seductive smile. Bottom: A clown with orange hair holds a red balloon and presents a sinister smile.
Top: Tim Curry as Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries
Bottom: Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in the 2017 film
First appearanceIt (1986)
Created byStephen King
Portrayed by
In-universe information
Full nameUnknown (possibly nameless)
AliasesIt (sometimes capitalized "IT")
Pennywise the Dancing Clown
Robert "Bob" Gray
The Derry Disease
Eater of Worlds
RelativesThe Other (creator)
Crimson King (father)
Maturin (brother)
Mrs. Kersh ("daughter")
OriginThe Macroverse

It, also known as Robert "Bob" Gray and Pennywise the Dancing Clown, is the titular antagonist in Stephen King's 1986 horror novel It. The character is an ancient, trans-dimensional malevolent entity who preys upon the children (and sometimes adults) of Derry, Maine, roughly every 27 years, using a variety of powers that include the ability of shapeshifting and manipulation of reality. During the course of the story, It primarily appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. "The Losers Club" becomes aware of Pennywise's presence after it kills Bill Denbrough's little brother, Georgie.

King stated in a 2013 interview that he came up with the idea for Pennywise after asking himself what children feared "more than anything else in the world", and feeling that the answer was clowns.[1] King thought of a troll like the one in the children's tale "Three Billy Goats Gruff",[2] though he imagined it living in a sewer system rather than under a bridge.

The character was portrayed in its Pennywise form by Tim Curry in the 1990 television adaptation[3] and by Bill Skarsgård in the 2017 film adaptation and its 2019 sequel It Chapter Two.[4] Skarsgård is set to reprise the role in the upcoming Max series It: Welcome to Derry, due to be released in 2025.[5]

Appearances

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Literature

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In the novel, It is a shapeshifting alien who usually takes the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, originating in a void containing and surrounding the Universe—a place referred to in the novel as the "Macroverse". It arrived on Earth during an asteroid impact and made its home under the land upon which Derry would later be constructed, initially preying on North American tribes. It slept for millions of years, then, when humans appeared in the area, It awoke and began a feeding cycle lasting about a year, feeding on people's fears and frequently assuming the shape of whatever its prey feared the most. After feeding, It would resume dormancy for approximately 30 years before reappearing. It has a preference for children since their fears are easier to interpret and adults are more difficult to frighten while It is in physical form. It can manipulate weak-willed people, making them indifferent to the horrific events that unfold, or even serve as accomplices, such as when Pennywise manipulates the school bully and 'Bowers Gang' leader, Henry Bowers to eliminate the remaining 6 members of the Losers Club.

In the novel, It claims that its true name is Robert "Bob" Gray, but decided to be named “It”. Throughout the book, It is generally referred to as male, usually appearing as Pennywise. The Losers come to believe It may be female after seeing it in the form of a monstrous giant spider that lays eggs. However, It's true appearance is briefly observed by Bill via the Ritual of Chüd as a mass of swirling destructive orange lights known as "deadlights", which inflict insanity or death on any living being that sees them directly. The only person to survive the ordeal is Bill's wife Audra Phillips, although she is rendered temporarily catatonic by the experience.

It's natural enemy is the "Space Turtle" or "Maturin", another ancient dweller of King's "Macroverse" who, eons ago, created the known universe and possibly others by vomiting them out as the result of a stomachache. The Turtle appears again in King's The Dark Tower series. One of the novels in the series, Wizard and Glass, suggests that It, along with the Turtle, are themselves creations of a separate, omnipotent creator referred to as "the Other" (possibly Gan, who is said to have created the various universes where King's novels take place).

Throughout the novel It, some events are depicted from Pennywise's point of view, describing itself as a "superior" being, with the Turtle as an equal and humans as mere "toys". It's hibernation begins and ends with horrific events, like the mysterious disappearance of Derry Township's 300 settlers in 1740–43 or the town's later ironworks explosion. It awoke during a great storm that flooded part of the city in 1957, with Bill's younger brother Georgie the first in a line of killings before the Losers Club fight the monster, a confrontation culminating in Bill using the Ritual of Chüd to severely wound It and force It into hibernation. Continually surprised by the Losers' victory, It briefly questions its superiority before claiming that they were only lucky, as the Turtle is working through them. It is finally destroyed 27 years later in the second Ritual of Chüd, and an enormous storm damages the downtown part of Derry to symbolize Its death.

Pennywise makes a tangential appearance in King's 2011 novel 11/22/63, in which protagonist Jake Epping meets a couple of the children from It, asks them about a recent murder in their town, and learns that the murderer apparently "wasn't the clown." It also appears to Jake in the old ironworks, where it taunts Jake about "the rabbit hole," referring to the time portal in which Jake moves from one time to another.

Film and television

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In the 1990 miniseries, Pennywise is portrayed by English actor Tim Curry.

In the 2017 film adaptation, It and its 2019 sequel It Chapter Two, Pennywise is portrayed by Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård.[6] English actor Will Poulter was originally cast as Pennywise, with Curry describing the role as a "wonderful part" and wishing Poulter the best of luck, but the latter dropped out of the production due to scheduling conflicts and first film's original director Cary Fukunaga leaving the project.

The modern incarnation of Pennywise, introduced in the 2017 adaptation, appears as a background character in the family friendly live-action/animated film Space Jam: A New Legacy, which is also distributed by Warner Bros.[7]

The Cycle

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It awakens every twenty-seven years to feed on the children of the city of Derry, with its cycle beginning in 1715 and ending in 1985, according to the events of the novel. During its hibernation, It is completely vulnerable and can be attacked by surprise.

  • 1715-1716: It Awakens
  • 1740-1743: It awakens and unleashes a three-year reign of terror that ends with the disappearance of the entire local population (about 340 people) in the city of Derry.
  • 1769-1770: It Awakens
  • 1851: It awakens when a man poisons his family and then commits suicide by eating a highly poisonous mushroom, causing a horrific death.
  • 1879: It awakens and goes back to hibernation after a group of lumberjacks are found dead.
  • 1904-1906: It awakens and goes back to hibernation after a steel mill explodes during an Easter event, killing 102 people; 88 of them children.
  • 1929-1930: It awakens when a racist group, similar to the Ku Klux Klan, burns down an African-American nightclub. One of the survivors is Dick Hallorann, the cook from the book The Shining. That year, 170 child disappearances were documented in the city of Derry.
  • 1957-1958: It awakens during a great storm. These are the events that begin the story of the novel, where the monster is defeated by seven children from the Losers' Club. In that year, 127 disappearances of children were documented in the city of Derry.
  • 1984-1985: It awakens again when a group of teenagers beat up a homosexual couple, murdering and throwing one of them off a bridge, echoing events that really happened in Maine. This is the second part of the novel, where the monster is killed by the rest of the Losers' Club and in which the story of "It" ends.

In the 1990 miniseries, the cycle is changed, with the first half of the book taking place in 1963 and the second half in 1990. The 2017 film relocates the events of the first half to 1989, while the second film is set in 2016.

The Forms of It

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  • Pennywise the Dancing Clown, It's preferred form, commonly used when stalking children, is described in the novel as a cross between Bozo and Clarabelle or Ronald McDonald, dressed in an all-silver suit with orange buttons.
  • Georgie Denbrough, when Bill examines his brother's photo album.
  • The reanimated body of Dorsey Corcoran and the Creature from the Black Lagoon as it pursues and murders Eddie Corcoran.
  • The voice of Betty Ripsom, one of It's victims, heard by Betty's parents through a drainpipe to taunt them.
  • A giant bird, inspired by a crow that attacked Mike Hanlon when he was a baby and Rodan, a giant pteranodon that appears in a 1956 Japanese monster film as it pursues Mike Hanlon (it was also sighted by Mike's father, Will Hanlon, one of the few adults who can see it).
  • The werewolf, when he comes face to face with Bill and Richie in the house on Neibolt Street, wearing a Derry school jacket, inspired by the film I Was a Teenage Werewolf.
  • A leper, when Eddie first encounters him in the same house on Neibolt Street.
  • The Mummy, Ben Hanscom recalls seeing a mummy (from the original film) wearing a Pennywise suit walking along the frozen canal, carrying balloons that float against the wind.
  • A giant eye, when the Losers confront It beneath Derry in the sewers.
  • Alvin Marsh, Beverly's aggressive and domineering father, as she is terrified of him.
  • A swarm of mutant leeches, when they attack Patrick Hockstetter.
  • Piranhas, when Eddie is afraid to cross the stream.
  • Jaws (from the film of the same name), seen by a boy named Tommy Vicananza in the Derry canal in 1985.
  • Dracula, seen by Ben in the Derry library in 1985. He doesn't resemble any of the traditional Dracula variants, but rather resembles Kurt Barlow from King's own novel, Salem's Lot: very old, pale, and with blades for teeth. He asks Ben, "What did Stan see before he killed himself?" The vampire bites down on his own mouth, causing his lips to split and bleed.
  • Statue of Paul Bunyan, attacks Richie in 1958. In 1985, Richie watches as the statue is replaced by a giant Pennywise.
  • Tony Tracker, manager of a truck depot in Derry during the Losers' childhood. Eddie Kaspbrak sees him in this form during his visit to a baseball field near the depot in 1985.
  • Frankenstein's monster, seen by Henry, Victor, and Belch in the sewers while chasing the Losers.
  • A Doberman pinscher, when It meets Henry at Juniper Hills Mental Institute. It grows into an 8-foot dog as it is the only animal the guard is afraid of.
  • The rotting corpse of Patrick Hockstetter is briefly seen by Eddie in the sewers as a child before becoming the eye. Eddie sees it again in Tracker's depot in 1985.
  • The moon, as It gives orders to Henry Bowers.
  • Victor Criss, as It convinces Henry to help him.
  • Mrs. Kersh, Beverly Marsh visits her old house to find a woman named Kersh. Mrs. Kersh then transforms into a monstrous witch.
  • Dead children by Stan Uris, as he enters the water tower reservoir and recalls the story of the children who drowned in the water tower reservoir a few years ago.
  • Reginald "Belch" Huggins takes this form when he gives Henry Bowers a ride through the city of Derry (to kill the remaining members of the Losers) in 1985. He picks Henry up in a 1958 Plymouth Fury, a direct reference to King's novel Christine.
  • The Deadlights, when Henry Bowers and the Losers confront It, this being its appearance in the macroverse. People will see this appearance if they stare too long into the spider's eyes.
  • The giant spider, the closest thing to a physical representation of It on Earth.

Victims

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  • George "Georgie" Denbrough: Killed by Pennywise during the 1957 storm. Georgie is the brother of one of the novel's protagonists, Bill Denbrough. Pennywise grabs his hand as George searches for his paper boat, which had fallen into the sewer. The clown tears off his arm like "pulling a wing off a fly."
  • Betty Ripsom: Killed by It in the form of Pennywise on December 26, 1957.
  • Eddie Corcoran: Killed by the monster while he was hiding from his stepfather in a park near the town center canal, taking the form of the Creature from the Black Lagoon and decapitating him.
  • Jimmy Cullum: His mangled corpse was discovered in mid-July 1958 in one of the main arid rivers in the forest. Large, abnormal dents, probably made by a bird, were found on his mutilated face.
  • Matthew Clements: His body was discovered on a constructed road in late April.
  • Cheryl Lamonica: Killed by It in 1958.
  • Veronica Grogan: Killed by It in 1958.
  • Patrick Hockstetter: It kills him by sucking his blood in the form of flying leeches and takes the body to its lair.
  • Victor Criss: While chasing The Losers in the sewers with Henry Bowers and Belch Huggins, Pennywise turns into Frankenstein's monster and rips off his head.
  • Reginald "Belch" Huggins: It kills him after Victor, tearing off half of his face.
  • Adrian Mellon: A young gay man. After being attacked along with his boyfriend by a trio of boys, he is thrown off the bridge and devoured by Bob Gray.
  • Laure Ann Winterberger: She was murdered between February 7 and 14, 1985, seven months after Mellon's death. Pennywise killed her by gouging out her eyes with the handlebars of his tricycle.
  • Koontz: A guard at the asylum where Henry is being held, Pennywise kills him in the form of a Doberman.
  • Tom Rogan: Beverly's abusive husband. After kidnapping Bill's wife, Pennywise kills him with the Deadights.
  • Dawn Roy: A thirteen-year-old girl whose body was found in McCarron Park, decapitated.
  • Adam Terrault: Sixteen years old. He was reported missing when he didn't return home after orchestra rehearsal. He was found the next day, a short distance from the path that runs through the grove behind West Broadway. He was also decapitated.
  • Frederick Cowan: Murdered in May 1985, he was found by his mother with his head stuck in a toilet, his neck broken.
  • Jeffrey Holly: A week after Cowan's murder, he was found in Bassey Park by the canal with his stomach ripped open.
  • John Feury: Murdered on May 22, 1985, he was found dead at 29 Neibolt Street. Both of his legs were missing; it is said they were torn off before he died, and that his actual cause of death was a heart attack caused by the sheer fear of the situation.
  • Eddie Kaspbrak: Supposedly It's last victim. In the final confrontation, It, transformed into a spider, kills him by tearing off his arm, causing him to bleed to death. In the miniseries, this scene is less violent, as It, transformed into a spider, throws him to the floor, and Eddie dies of an asthma attack.

Reception and legacy

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Tim Curry (left) and Bill Skarsgard's (right) performances as Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries and the two-part film adaptations, respectively, received widespread critical acclaim.

Several media outlets such as The Guardian have spoken of the character, ranking it as one of the scariest clowns in film or pop culture.[8][9][10] The Atlantic said of the character; "the scariest thing about Pennywise, though, is how he preys on children's deepest fears, manifesting the monsters they're most petrified by (something J. K. Rowling would later emulate with boggarts)."[11] British scholar Mikita Brottman has also said of the miniseries version of Pennywise; "one of the most frightening of evil clowns to appear on the small screen" and that it "reflects every social and familial horror known to contemporary America".[12] Author Darren Shan cited Pennywise as an inspiration behind the character Mr. Dowling in his 12.5 book serial Zom-B.[13]

The American punk rock band Pennywise took its name from the character.[14]

Association with 2016 clown sightings

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Main article: 2016 clown sightings

"I suspect it's a kind of low-level hysteria, like Slender Man, or the so-called Bunny Man, who purportedly lurked in Fairfax County, Virginia, wearing a white hood with long ears and attacking people with a hatchet or an axe. The clown furor will pass, as these things do, but it will come back, because under the right circumstances, clowns really can be terrifying."

—Writer Stephen King's reaction to the recurring clown scare phenomenon.[15]

The character was suggested as a possible inspiration for two incidents of people dressing up as clowns in Northampton, England and Staten Island, New York, US, both during 2014.[1][16]

In 2016, appearances of "evil clowns" were reported by the media, including nine people in Alabama, US charged with "clown-related activity".[17] Several newspaper articles suggested that the character of Pennywise was an influence, which led to King commenting that people should react less hysterically to the sightings and not take his work seriously.[18]

The first reported sighting of people dressed as evil clowns in Greenville, South Carolina, US was by a small boy who spoke to his mother about a pair of clowns that had attempted to lure him away.[19] Additional creepy clown sightings were reported in other parts of South Carolina.[20]

Evil clowns were reported in several other U.S. states including North Carolina,[21] Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming.[22] Later the same year, "clown sightings" were reported in Great Britain, Australia, and Latin America.[23][24][25]

One hypothesis for the wave of 2016 clown sightings was a viral marketing campaign,[26] possibly for the Rob Zombie film 31 (2016).[27] A spokesperson for New Line Cinema (distributor of the 2017 film adaptation of It) released a statement claiming that "New Line is absolutely not involved in the rash of clown sightings."[28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Radford, Benjamin (2016). Bad Clowns. Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press. pp. 29, 36, 67–69, 99–103. ISBN 978-0-8263-5667-3. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  2. ^ King, Stephen. "IT Inspiration". StephenKing.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  3. ^ Paquette, Jenifer (2012). Respecting The Stand: A Critical Analysis of Stephen King's Apocalyptic Novel. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 162–163. ISBN 978-0-7864-7001-3. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  4. ^ "IT: CHAPTER 2 Announces Its Release Date". Nerdist. September 26, 2017. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  5. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 30, 2024). "'Welcome To Derry': Bill Skarsgård To Reprise Pennywise Role In 'It' Prequel On Max". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  6. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 2, 2016). "'It' Reboot Taps 'Hemlock Grove' Star Bill Skarsgard to Play Pennywise the Clown". Variety. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  7. ^ Gelmini, David (March 11, 2020). "Pennywise Will Appear In Space Jam 2". Dread Central. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  8. ^ Glenza, Jessica (October 29, 2014). "The 10 most terrifying clowns". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  9. ^ "10 Most Terrifying Clowns in Horror Movies". Screen Rant. September 23, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  10. ^ "The Scariest Clowns in Pop Culture". Nerdist. October 22, 2015. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  11. ^ Gilbert, Sophie (November 18, 2015). "25 Years of Pennywise the Clown". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  12. ^ Brottman, Mikita (2004). Funny Peculiar: Gershon Legman and the Psychopathology of Humor. London, England: Routledge. p. 1. ISBN 0-88163-404-2. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  13. ^ Shan, Darren (October 29, 2019). "Mr Dowling wants to dance with YOU!". DarrenShan.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  14. ^ Frasier, David K. (2005). Suicide in the Entertainment Industry. McFarland. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-7864-2333-0. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  15. ^ Burnham, Emily (September 8, 2016). "Stephen King weighs in on those creepy Carolina clown sightings". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  16. ^ Stableford, Dylan (March 25, 2014). "Pennywise, the clown foolish?". Yahoo!. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  17. ^ Faulk, Kent (September 24, 2016). "At least 9 'clown' arrests so far in Alabama: What charges do they face?". al.com.
  18. ^ Flood, Alison (October 6, 2016). "Stephen King tells US to 'cool the clown hysteria' after wave of sightings". The Guardian. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  19. ^ Teague, Matthew (October 8, 2016). "Clown sightings: the day the craze began". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  20. ^ Rogers, Katie (August 30, 2016). "Creepy Clown Sightings in South Carolina Cause a Frenzy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 3, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  21. ^ Guarino, Ben (September 7, 2016). "Clown sightings have spread to North Carolina. Now police are concerned about creepy copycats". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  22. ^ Zuppello, Suzanne (September 29, 2016). "'Killer Clowns': Inside the Terrifying Hoax Sweeping America". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  23. ^ Khomami, Nadia (October 10, 2016). "Creepy clown sightings spread to Britain". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  24. ^ "Clown sightings: Australia police 'won't tolerate' antics". BBC. October 7, 2016. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  25. ^ "Creepy clowns: Professionals condemn scary sightings craze". BBC. October 20, 2016. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  26. ^ "South Carolina clown sightings could be part of film marketing stunt". The Guardian. Reuters. September 4, 2016. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  27. ^ Lee, Anna (September 1, 2016). "Police chief says clowns 'terrorizing public' will be arrested". The Greenville News. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  28. ^ Gardner, Chris (September 29, 2016). "Stephen King's 'It' Movie Producer Denies Creepy Clown Sightings Are Marketing Stunt". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
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