Stephen's inspiration for IT

**emily.franz** · August 21st, 2009

I just got this thought. I wonder if Stephen was inspired by the serial killer John Wayne Gacy a bit when he wrote IT. John Gacy used to be a part time clown and he wore his make up around his mouth in sharp points which everyone knows is very creepy.

Hmmm...I wonder?

**Moderator** · August 21st, 2009

That would be a no. We have put the inspiration for many of his stories on the main portion of the site and IT is one of those. You can check it out here.

**GeorgiesArm** · August 26th, 2009

Here is another part of his inspiration that is not on the site:

Before he began the book, Stephen thought about a favorite image: the entire cast of the Bugs Bunny Show coming on at the beginning, Yosemite Sam, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the gang. In a surge of adolescent enthusiasm, King burbled, "Wouldn't it be great to bring on all the monsters one last time? Bring them all on -- Dracula, Frankenstein, Jaws, The Werewolf, The Crawling Eye, Rodan, It Came from Outer Space, and call it It." But how could he combine them all in one book? Simple. Use a Tulpa -- the Tibetan word for a creature created by the mind.

**Mr. Jingles** · August 27th, 2009

Originally Posted by GeorgiesArm

Here is another part of his inspiration that is not on the site:

Before he began the book, Stephen thought about a favorite image: the entire cast of the Bugs Bunny Show coming on at the beginning, Yosemite Sam, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the gang. In a surge of adolescent enthusiasm, King burbled, "Wouldn't it be great to bring on all the monsters one last time? Bring them all on -- Dracula, Frankenstein, Jaws, The Werewolf, The Crawling Eye, Rodan, It Came from Outer Space, and call it It." But how could he combine them all in one book? Simple. Use a Tulpa -- the Tibetan word for a creature created by the mind.

Awesome name!

How'd you know this?

**It'sNineInTheAfternoon** · September 27th, 2009

Ah, the things One learns from these forums. [ha, why did i capatalize the word "one"? It makes me look like i have a God complex.] Thank you for the lesson in Tibetan. I can now speak snatches of like seven languages.

Ha. I'm so irrelevant in everything I do. Your welcome for a random, content-free post.

**Manxkitti** · September 28th, 2009

I like how in the story, Pennywise shows itself as what we're most afraid of and what we think is the most evil. I love this one.

**freud1977** · January 18th, 2010

Here's my guess. SK was mentally revisiting his childhood (yes I think he was a nerd in school) after reading a book on Quantum Mechanics. Standing on Pearl St. In Boulder, Colorado he looked into the sunshine (it was so orange or perhaps yellow) and had the inspiration for IT.