"There is nothing funny about a clown by moonlight"-Lon Chaney, Sr. Jack is an evil clown, and was inspired by examples of coulrophobia from both real life and fiction, most notably of urban legends of Phantom Clowns who in the early 80's were supposed clowns or men dressed partially like clowns in vans attempting to lure and abduct children. Child killer/party clown John Wayne Gacy also seems to be a major inspiration, as well as the Batman villain, the Joker. The part of his backstory where his corpse was found in a carnival attraction by a film crew was likely inspired by the real-life story of wild west train robber Elmer McCurdy, who's mummified corpse was used by his undertaker as an attraction for years, before being used in a number of carnival attractions, until he was finally di