Violence-loving harlequin Art the Clown first appeared in the 2008 horror short “The 9th Circle” and continued to evolve in the 2011 short “Terrifier.” Those two films were included in the 2013 “All Hallow’s Eve” collection, finally pushing the art into the consciousness of horror fans everywhere. Those shorts eventually expanded into Damien Lyon's debut “Terrifier” in 2016, where Art was finally allowed to take his place in the slasher canon as one of cinema's most notable killers. 2022's sequel “Terrifier 2” took the world by storm, pushing blood and mayhem to new heights, offering strong-willed gorehounds a 138-minute extravaganza of viscera. “Terrifier 2” was famously made for $250,000, but grossed an impressive $14.7 million at the box office. The audience seems to be in the mood for something on edge.
On October 11, 2024, Leon's “Terrifier 3” opens as Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) continues his adventures, this time he infiltrates the Christmas season. Art previously only appeared on Halloween, so he's expanding his repertoire. Horror fans love Art the Clown and the bloody cinematic climaxes he represents; A horror movie, even in 2024, rarely has as much violence as the “Terrifier” movies. Many blood and guts enthusiasts have gone to the extent of tattooing the art on their bodies. The face of art is becoming ubiquitous, as are the masks of Michael Myers, Leatherface and Jason Voorhees. In the murals of horror icons, art is now beginning to creep around the edges. The clown is revered.
/film's own Jacob Hall recently sat down with Leon and Thornton at 2024's Fantastic Fest to talk about “Terrifier 3,” and the pair had a chance to discuss the phenomenon of Art the Clown tattoos and what they think about it. As it turns out, they are both very flattering.
Suffer for your art
Leon had been to horror conventions before, so he met many fans with Art the Clown Tattoos. The filmmaker is humbled by his fans and finally understands how deeply engaged they are in his films. Something about Art the Clown stuck with people. But, of course, that meant Leone was no longer allowed to make a bad “Terrifier” movie; People don't want to regret their body art decisions. Leon said:
“[It’s] Very pleased. And it adds – not in a negative way – but it adds a bit of pressure because you see people … we were in a mess, no joke, I'd say at least 15, tattoos that I saw there. [the] Two and a half days. These people, it's dedication. I mean, if you want to put this on your body, something really clicked with you. […] So you don't want to let these people down. Like if you take a bad picture, it's going to leave a bad taste in their mouth after they get this tattoo.”
That means when making “Terrifier 3,” Leon held himself to very high standards. He couldn't be lazy and forced himself to be more creative with blood. Art now has a tattooed fan club, and Leon just can't let them down. “It makes us try harder and add more to these movies,” he said, “and we do. We are very careful about the fans.”
Thornton, meanwhile, had his face (albeit in clown makeup) on other people's bodies, so it was less likely to say it was weird. However, he teased fans knowing that getting a tattoo is painful. “They suffered for their art,” he said.
