“Radford’s research is varied and extensive.”—Times Literary Supplement
“Clowns with sinister sides and malevolent motives come under critical scrutiny in this pithy, abundantly illustrated study of the ‘bad clown’ as a pop culture phenomenon.”—Publishers Weekly
“Bad Clowns is no joke. . . . Radford . . . tackles the topic of coulrophobia, evil clowns, criminal clowns, killer clowns, and nasty clowns in this insightful book.”—Twilight Language
“Radford isn’t clowning around: [Bad Clowns] is heavily researched and well-footnoted and he takes readers from the first known clowns in ancient Greece through serial killer Mr. Punch of Punch and Judy right up to the legions of fans of Insane Clown Posse.”—Mirage Magazine
“A welcome addition to the literature on the absurd. If you were not creeped out by clowns before, you will be now.”—Brian Regal, author of Searching for Sasquatch: Crackpots, Eggheads, and Cryptozoology
“Do you fear clowns? As this book shows, you’re not alone, and such fear is not completely irrational. Benjamin Radford reviews an amazing array of bad clowns in media from comic books to pornography. He discovers the reasons behind their evil ways, and he analyzes clown aversion. It’s rough stuff, but it is given a skeptical, scholarly, and engaging treatment.”—Jan Harold Brunvand, author of Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid: The Book of Scary Urban Legends
