I had to know more about this killer clown, so I followed up with Raul's suggestion to also check out the first full-length "Terrifier" film (2016) titled, well..."Terrfier." (What a coincidence!) Unfortunately I couldn't find it on any streamers, at the time, so I did what any red-blooded American horror cinephile would do: I illegally downloaded it. (Hey, sue me. I did what I had to do. I was desperate!)
By the time "Terrifier" (now available on Tubi, Peacock and Pluto TV, among more over-the-top streaming services) was released, original Art portrayer Mike Giannelli retired from acting and the role was recast with David Howard Thornton, an actor who took the reins and raised the bar. Without one word of dialogue Thornton's acting spoke volumes and elevated Art the Clown to a whole new level of iconolatry.
Not immediately on the first installment's heels was 2022's "Terrifier 2," another film which I was so desperate to watch...well...illegal download, kids! (Luckily you can check that one now out on Tubi and Amazon Prime Video!) This one, however, introduced Art's ultimate opposite number, the absolutely badass Sienna Shaw, portrayed by the equally badass Lauren LaVera. In "Terrifier 2," we learn that Sienna's and her brother Jonathan's late father, a comic book artist, had some sort of connection (seemingly psychic) to Art, having depicted the murderous clown and his killings in a sketchbook, complete with articles about the murders, prior to his own death. With a magic sword gifted to her by her father, Sienna throws down against Art in a battle of the ages.
With the introduction of Sienna and her fateful role amid Art's existence, the "Terrifier" franchise and its big bad were elevated once again. Not to mention the film made $15.7 million dollars on a mere $250,000 budget. Compelling and original horror was back, kids.
By the time "Terrifier 3" was set to be released, I was all in, y'all. I had to see this one in the cinema. And by the time the premiere rolled around, I hadn't seen a film by myself in an actual theater in God knows how long. (Hey, I wasn't going to subject my wife and our daughter to any potential trauma here!) This film, however, was an absolute must-see in that regard.
And to these eyes, "Terrifier" creator Damien Leone brought it, man. Armed with a $2,000,000 budget, Leone didn't skimp on the gore (upping his near-sublime practical effects game) nor the unique presentation, using Panavision anamporphic lenses to create a vintage late-1970s/early-'80s horror look.
In this film, we revisit Sienna and Jonathan, years later, as they do their absolute best to move on from their traumatic pasts. Their respite doesn't last long, as Art and his disgustingly equal partner-in-crime Victoria (see the first "Terrifier" for the genesis of her involvement and "Terrifier 2" for the gnarliest...uh..."birth" scene ever!) return to Sienna and Jonathan's hometown of Miles County after a long - and literal - hibernation to wreak brutal and bloody havoc once again.
In this installment, we briefly (and vaguely) learn more about Sienna's relationship with her father Michael (portrayed by Jason Patric, who did a dynamite job!) and the possible origin of the magic sword he gave her. And although I'm not going to spoil the film here, you'd do me a real solid by checking out my official YouTube review - something I've never done before - right here!
Initially I wanted to do this piece and release its companion episode of my YouTube show "Have Paw, Will Draw with Coyote Duran" prior to Halloween but I couldn't make all the magic happen in time, so I figured I'd take my time and get it all done in November. That proved to be a better idea and resulted in a piece with which I'm extremely happy.
I recently bought a new Daler & Rowney sketchbook (8.5" X 11") and figured I'd kick it off with an Art the Clown portrait, done strictly in black and red inks. I created my own photo references by screencapping scenes from "Terrifier 2" on my desktop computer and I was off to the races. I didn't want to get too detailed by using gradients and values, so I fell back on some of my influences, comic book artists Chris Samnee, Evan "Doc" Shaner and the late and absolutely great Mike Wieringo, who all employ (and, in 'Ringo's case, employed) something of a minimalist approach to their drawings that is truly signature and striking.
I committed to my layout with my trusty Alvin Drafting Tech DA Delux leadholder ("The Blue Special." One-hundred percent of my layouts are done with this one pencil. I only use one other pencil, an Ebony pencil, when I draw strictly graphite portraits) loaded with 4H graphite, a firmer graphite that's lighter and less likely to smear. I also added a hacksaw (a callback to a scene in the first "Terrifier." Let's just say the character Dawn met this tool with rather unpleasant results...yikes), displayed vertically, as a graphic design element to make Art's image pop further.
For my finishes, I used Micron .03 and .05 pens, a Faber-Castell, PITT B-series and a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen. All awesome tools on which I completely rely!
And there you have it, Howlers! I hope you enjoyed this little artistic journey and brief history of the "Terrifier" franchise and its icky little bastard Art the Clown. Please watch this piece's companion episode of "Have Paw, Will Draw with Coyote Duran"! I really think it rocks!
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