When Did Clowns Turn From Funny to Terrifying?

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Clowns are theoretically supposed to be fun and whimsical, but somewhere along the way, they also became scary as hell—just like Pennywise from It. Where did it all go wrong? As it turns out, they’ve been kind of freaky from the very beginning. io9's latest video takes a look at the history of real-life creepy (and killer) clowns, from ancient Rome to today. Check it out!

The History of Killer Clowns