Does the Joker look scarier with "normal" skin and hair?

[RubberLotus]

I've just reread "A Death in the Family" (hey, it's utter crap quality-wise, but it's good entertainment if you turn your brain off), and I noted that Joker, while wearing flesh-toned makeup and black hair dye, looked a lot scarier than in his "normal" persona.

Maybe it's because of the greater contrast between his inhuman smile and his more "human" appearance, but "normal" Joker seemed oddly like someone who would actually scare people more effectively than "classic" Joker.

Any of you guys agree?

[DetectiveDupin]

Originally Posted by RubberLotus

I've just reread "A Death in the Family" (hey, it's utter crap quality-wise, but it's good entertainment if you turn your brain off), and I noted that Joker, while wearing flesh-toned makeup and black hair dye, looked a lot scarier than in his "normal" persona.

Maybe it's because of the greater contrast between his inhuman smile and his more "human" appearance, but "normal" Joker seemed oddly like someone who would actually scare people more effectively than "classic" Joker.

Any of you guys agree?

I think it's because we're used to the Joker looking a certain way.

[Damiean Dark]

When was joker SUPPOSED to be scary on the outside?

Since TDK grunge and scarred interpretation everyone bleats about a scary joker but i always thought him being completely scary on a first appearance defeats the purpose of the character.

Joker should look like a guy in clownish makeup on a first appearance and seem almost harmless with his antics its only when he starts his mayhem you realise what a monster he can be.

A great example is in the Burton batman movie where joker manages to waltze right up to grissoms leutenants to deliver his quill death weapon. a scary looking and acting joker like Heaths version couldnt step out of his front door without illiciting alarm this is one reason why i wasnt a big fan of the nolan interpretation.

[Syrant]

When was joker SUPPOSED to be scary on the outside?

He's been like that for awhile now. At least in my eyes.

I mean, I get what you're saying, but Joker was being shown as scary sometimes way before Dark Knight.

More on the topic, Joker does creep me out when he puts on flesh makeup. Probably for the reason DetectiveDupin said. Bringing up TDK again...

[Monty_Cristo]

Originally Posted by Damiean Dark

When was joker SUPPOSED to be scary on the outside?

always. he's the proverbial "clown at midnight." the very idea of a homicidal clown is frightening because clowns are meant to be exaggerations of humans. one thing i think the comic book version regularly gets wrong (exception being his first appearance) are the eyes. even grinning ear to ear his eyes should give him away.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0...oker_super.jpg
http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/1...1vd2_super.jpg

[Syrant]

Originally Posted by Monty_Cristo

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0...oker_super.jpg

Ha! One of my favorite Joker pictures.

[Yawn]

Originally Posted by Monty_Cristo

always. he's the proverbial "clown at midnight." the very idea of a homicidal clown is frightening because clowns are meant to be exaggerations of humans. one thing i think the comic book version regularly gets wrong (exception being his first appearance) are the eyes. even grinning ear to ear his eyes should give him away.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0...oker_super.jpg

Spot on post!

The Jokers look was based on this guy,

he was always supposed to be scary.

Just about all comics,movies and TV make him look scary.Nicholson's Joker was evil and sinister looking long before TDK especially the uncle bingo look.

[AJM]

Originally Posted by Damiean Dark

When was joker SUPPOSED to be scary on the outside?

Since 1940 when he first appeared in Batman #1. Click this:

[Lew Moxon]

I've always liked Joker in disguise mode. Nothing's cooler than a unknowingly alone with the psycho moment. I like the idea that any janitor, any car mechanic, anybody Bruce or Richard or whoever runs into, could very well be the Joker. Of course, after 14 years, one would guess Bruce would know the Joker anywhere, regardless of makeup.

In fact, I do suppose the Joker is in disguise off panel a lot of the time. I mean, he can't exactly buy groceries and that sort of thing looking the way he does.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Originally Posted by Damiean Dark

A great example is in the Burton batman movie where joker manages to waltze right up to grissoms leutenants to deliver his quill death weapon. a scary looking and acting joker like Heaths version couldnt step out of his front door without illiciting alarm this is one reason why i wasnt a big fan of the nolan interpretation.

Isn't he one of them men pretending to be a police officer during the scene where they ambush the funeral?

Seems like he got out his front door and down the street alright there - even passed as a respectable citizen with an important job.

[Infernorhythm]

Originally Posted by FunkyGreenJerusalem

Isn't he one of them men pretending to be a police officer during the scene where they ambush the funeral?

Seems like he got out his front door and down the street alright there - even passed as a respectable citizen with an important job.

He was. It was a homage to Batman #1 (the best Joker story ever, IMHO) where the Joker masqueraded as the chief of the police to kill a millionaire. It's beyond creepy.

[Damiean Dark]

Originally Posted by Yawn

Spot on post!

The Jokers look was based on this guy,

he was always supposed to be scary.

Just about all comics,movies and TV make him look scary.Nicholson's Joker was evil and sinister looking long before TDK especially the uncle bingo look.

It was based on Veit but it morphed quite quickly from the early sixties until at least 2000 (now it alternates with the artist) into the smiling clown who will kill just as easily with a gun or a exploding whopee cushion. the o niel/adams interpretation got it completely right for me, clownish acting and maybe sly looking but could pass in society which hides the chaos within, nicholson and Hamill captured this chaotic Joker perfectly imo jack with crazy stuff like dancing to prince and proffesing is "art" and Hamil with pretending to live in domestic bliss with Harley then revealing he brainwashed Robin to be his son.

Its this back and forth in actions,emotions and moods-Laughter,anger,romantic,homicidal which makes Joker special and why he advanced from his initial comic appearances for the better and why Nolans joker seemed slightly one dimensional in comparison he was purely an evil guy who wanted power and would philosiphise on the nature of man (we are all evil mascarading as good people ect ect), it was interesting but has been done before.

The current "badass" joker (I HATE THAT WORD ) is imo purely a generation 2000 thing imo to some of them joker has to look as chaotic as he acts which,as i said, i think completely defeats the purpose of him. To some of them a joker who would sing, dance or recite poetry or fall in "love" (as false as this love would be) seems "stupid" or "gay".

[Slackjaws_ate_my_brain]

Personally, I enjoyed "Going Sane" for just that reason. Seeing The Joker, devoid of Batman and his raison d'etre becoming a shy, "normal" person was great. That said, there were certainly moments in that story during that senario in which I was slightly more terrified than normal of the character

[Sn4tcH]

Jim Aparo drew what I can easily say is my least favorite Joker. One of the most inhuman looks he's ever had. So, you put a human flesh tone on what already looks inhuman, and the results are disturbing, yes.

[Lew Moxon]

Originally Posted by Damiean Dark

It was based on Veit but it morphed quite quickly from the early sixties until at least 2000 (now it alternates with the artist) into the smiling clown who will kill just as easily with a gun or a exploding whopee cushion. the o niel/adams interpretation got it completely right for me, clownish acting and maybe sly looking but could pass in society which hides the chaos within, nicholson and Hamill captured this chaotic Joker perfectly imo jack with crazy stuff like dancing to prince and proffesing is "art" and Hamil with pretending to live in domestic bliss with Harley then revealing he brainwashed Robin to be his son.

Its this back and forth in actions,emotions and moods-Laughter,anger,romantic,homicidal which makes Joker special and why he advanced from his initial comic appearances for the better and why Nolans joker seemed slightly one dimensional in comparison he was purely an evil guy who wanted power and would philosiphise on the nature of man (we are all evil mascarading as good people ect ect), it was interesting but has been done before.

The current "badass" joker (I HATE THAT WORD ) is imo purely a generation 2000 thing imo to some of them joker has to look as chaotic as he acts which,as i said, i think completely defeats the purpose of him. To some of them a joker who would sing, dance or recite poetry or fall in "love" (as false as this love would be) seems "stupid" or "gay".

I completely disagree with you Damian. Which is fine, we all have our tastes, and it'd be pretensious for me to enforce mine on you, or for you to enforce yours on me. For me the Joker is at his best at his most sinister, at his most unpredictable. While I enjoyed Hamill's act in the "domestic bliss with Harley" bit, I enjoyed the "I'd laugh if it wasn't so pathetic" bit more. Even Hamill's Joker was more interesting the more sinister they made him. The goofier they made him the less interesting he was for me. I'd don't want to hear about whoopee cushions, or the like. The truth is, from my memories of watching BTAS, I remember Harley more than I remember Hamill's Joker. (Largely that's probably a function of age. I'm far too young to actually remember the original series when it ran on fox. I was born in 89, I remember the new adventures most vividly.) It's only now watching it again that I've grown to appreciate it. Hamill's Joker entertains me most in episodes like "The Laughing Fish" "Be a Clown" ect. The more goofy joker just is not interesting to me in the slightest. I certainly don't want the Joker to literally tell Jokes, I'd prefer it to be all about very very dark situational comedy.

But again, it's largely a matter of taste. I just happen to find the prankster thief interpretation uninteresting.