The monstrous clown is an archetype that speaks to a fear and yearning within the collective unconscious of the human psyche. The Batman villain of Joker is but one modern incarnation of this primal impulse to destroy and be destroyed. Nerdstalgic explores how artists, filmmakers, and audiences have seen him over time.
The Joker first appeared in a 1940 comic book. His character was inspired by a 1928 adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel The Man Who Laughs. After a central role in the 1960s Batman television series, the Joker faded from media until revived in 1973 comics emphasizing the character's violent insanity. He continues to haunt media with nihilistic joy, perhaps at its most extreme in the 2019 film Joker.
-via Laughing Squid
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