An off-duty Chicago police officer was leaving a daycare center on the South Side while dressed as a clown when a man approached him with a gun. more ›

Continuing the site's new mandate for more clowns in afternoon diversions, we bring you the dream sequence from "Pee Wee's Big Adventure." Clowns + Tim Burton + Pee Wee Herman = Epic. more ›

Continuing The Decider's new mandate for more clowns, here's a video of a performance by the KGB Clown troupe. They aren't evil in the slightest, so you can use this to fight your coulrophobia. more ›

Last week Marcus estimated that his leaving would decrease references to unicorns on the site by 70 percent. That was wishful thinking. more ›

As the city prepares for Halloween on Saturday, there's one thing that almost everyone agrees is scary - clowns. But what do clowns around town feel about their lot in life? We spoke with a few to find out - All this week, learn more about our city's collection of mirth-spreaders and balloon-twisters. First up: more ›

It was a little over a week ago that we brought you the first report of a man dressed as a clown trying to lure kids into his vehicle in the Garfield Park area. And before we even had time to scrub that image from our brains, a new report from WBBM has new info on the King of the Creepers: Not only is the South Side not safe either, but he's using balloons, too. Oh good lord. more ›

It cannot be overstated how much clowns are loathed and completely off-limits around the Chicagoist office. And now a man on the West Side is giving us another reason to hate them. The man, who has been sighted driving a white or brown van with the windows broken out, has recently approached several children in areas on the West Side. The man sports, "a clown mask or white face paint with teardrops on the cheek" and has been seen in the Garfield Park neighborhood. He has also approached students near Beidler Elementary School (3151 W. Walnut St.) and Polaris Charter Academy (620 N. Sawyer Ave). Police aren't sure of the man's exact motives, but this whole thing screams Stranger Danger to us, so keep your eyes peeled, parents, and be sure to contact Harrison Area detectives with any more info. more ›