Villains 101

It, who often goes by Pennywise the Dancing Clown, is the terrifying villain from Stephen King's 1986 novel It. In this episode, I discuss the complexities of the creature, its place in pop culture and folklore, and why clowns are so terrifying.

The Queen of Hearts from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an emotional, heartless ruler. This episode looks closely at passages from the novel, examines the history of beheading, and thinks about the mythological roots of her character.

Harry and Marv, the Wet Bandits/Sticky Bandits, are the hilarious villains of the classic Christmas films Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. In this episode, I will discuss the various types of crimes they commit during the films, the injuries that they sustain, and their skills as criminals.

Disney villains are legendary, and Scar from The Lion King is not one to mess around with. This episode analyzes Scar from different perspectives, including comparing his behavior to that of lions in the wild. It also compares Scar to others in literature and history. Ultimately, this episode raises the question, does Scar behave naturally or is he a horrible dictator?

The classic Halloween film Hocus Pocus brings us a wonderful trio of villainesses, the Sanderson Sisters. This episode looks at the history of witches and trends in popular culture while analyzing three of the most iconic witches.

Moriarty is the brilliant arch nemesis of Sherlock Holmes. Arthur Conan Doyle created a worthy foe for the great detective. This episode analyzes Moriarty's character and discusses why he has become such an iconic and often adapted villain.  

Gaston is the chauvinistic, self-absorbed villain of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. This episode describes the ways in which Gaston's villainy emerges and finds him to be an especially terrifying villain because he is a human with qualities that we may recognize in others.

The boar Napoleon from George Orwell's novel Animal Farm becomes an oppressive dictator. This episode looks at the parallels between the novel and Soviet Russia and examines Napoleon's rise to power and tyrannical rule. 

Judge Doom is the deliciously evil villain of the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Doom is a sinister villain with dreams of expansion that cause him to make genocidal plans. This episode analyzes Doom's character and looks at the history of human devastation of land and life around the world.

Judge Holden is the cold-blooded, violent villain of Cormac McCarthy's novel Blood Meridian. In this episode, I analyze different interpretations of his character and The Judge's philosophy and teachings of the world.

Mr. Burns is the hilarious, evil villain of the TV series The Simpsons. With his ridiculous schemes, Mr. Burns serves as pure entertainment. This episode examines the types of crimes that Mr. Burns is guilty of committing and looks at different aspects of his character that make him into a timeless villain.

In adapting an old fairy tale, Disney created a truly menacing villainness for Sleeping Beauty. This episode looks at the elements that make Maleficent a perfect villainness. It also analyzes her transformation into a heroine in the recent film Maleficent.  

With Count Dracula, Bram Stoker created a perfect Gothic monster who arouses fear as he systemically tries to expand his vampire race. But Dracula can also be read as a victim who is hunted and attacked. Tune in to hear more about the history behind the Count and what he potentially represents in the real world.

Hans Gruber, the mastermind behind the Nakatomi heist in the film Die Hard, is a brilliant villain. He is a fast thinker and a composed killer. In this episode, I examine the strategy, intellect, and skills of this great Christmastime villain.

The Star Wars film franchise has shown audiences the transformation of passionate, fiery Anakin Skywalker into evil, heartless Darth Vader. In this episode, I analyze Vader from political, philosophical, and psychological perspectives. 

While many villains are terrifying and keep the reader or audience in nervous anticipation, Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers film trilogy brings humor to villainy. This episode digs into a villain who struggles to fulfill his ridiculous plans but who never fails to make us laugh.

This episode brings a history and analysis of Batman's nemesis, the Joker. The Joker is an intriguing villain because he is unpredictable, wild, and irrational. This episode looks at different versions of the clown prince of crime in comics and film to see how he is the perfect embodiment of evil. 

In Episode 3, Dr. McCrystal discusses Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. This segment provides an analysis about how monstrosity is created and fueled, what kind of monster Freddy is, and where he is located. 

The Wicked Witch of the West is an iconic villain who is popular in literature, film, and musical theatre. This episode discusses the ways that evil is manifested in an individual. The Wicked Witch has represented uncontrollable forces and evil passions, but she has also been adapted to expose the ways society can fail an individual. This episode looks at L. Frank Baum’s novel, the 1939 film, and Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked and its musical adaptation.

Episode 1 discusses Mr. Hyde from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This segment focuses on degeneration and monstrosity in the nineteenth century and the ways in which Mr. Hyde has been adapted over time to actually become a heroic figure.