10 Things You Didn't Know About Doink The Clown

10. Doink Was Based On A Stephen King Character

Stephen King's IT was a terrifying insight into the mind of one of the horror genre's most brilliant and creative writers. The story of an eponymous being, which preys on the fears of victims, was translated from the original book format into movie form in 1990. Throughout the tale, IT manifests itself as a clown, causing untold havoc during the bedtimes of youngsters up and down the country. The character is still one of the scariest depictions of a clown in mainstream cinema, and it seems the WWF were watching. Intriguingly, it's Road Warrior Hawk who is largely credited for coming up with the idea of Doink, but upper management, upon seeking inspiration for a wrestling clown, looked to IT as a source of motivation. That may explain why the first incarnation of Doink played before evil, dark theme music, and had a sick sense of humour. The character was adapted to fit the WWF product, but Osborne was such a riot in the role that he made it work.