The Joker Psychology

Evil Clowns and the Women Who Love Them

Add to my list

Edited by Travis Langley

Type: Essays
Subject: One Film > Joker
Keywords: Todd Phillips, psychology
Publishing date: 2019
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Collection: Popular Culture Psychology
Volume 12
Language: English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 384 pages
6 x 8 ¾ inches (15 x 22 cm)

ISBN

978-1-4549-3542-1

User Ratings

(0 vote)

Average rating:

0	rating	= We can do without
0	rating	= Good book
0	rating	= Excellent book
0	rating	= Unique / a reference

Your rating: -

Book Presentation:
A fun, frightening, and always fascinating look into the psyche of a madman: the Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate--The Joker!

Since he first fought Batman in 1940, the Joker has evolved into one of popular culture's most complex and confounding psychological creations: both a criminal mastermind and an unhinged psychopath now starring in his own film. In The Joker Psychology: Evil Clowns and the Women Who Love Them, Dr. Travis Langley, author of the bestselling Batman and Psychology, returns to Gotham City to explore the twisted psyche of this great supervillain, as well as the personalities who are inexorably drawn to it. Paying special attention to the strange dynamics of relationships like the one between the Joker and Harley Quinn, this collection of 15 chapters (including some very special interviews with people who brought the Joker and Harley Quinn to life in comics and onscreen), this collection analyzes:
• Why a bright, laughing monster who looks like a clown could be the ultimate antagonist to a grim, brooding hero who looks like a monster.
• The relationship between a therapist and her patient--and what happens when a therapist crosses the line, as Harley Quinn does when she falls for the Joker.
• How a smart person could fall for the most dangerous of criminals.
• Why so many fans find Harley Quinn inspirational.
• How different kinds of therapy could (or could not) help twisted minds like Mister J and Harley Quinn.
• The development of a fictional character that so completely embodies psychopathy (including interviews with creators who have shaped the Joker's character over the years).

About the Author:
Travis Langley, PhD, authored the acclaimed book Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight (Wiley & Sons; Turner Publishing). He is the series editor for the Popular Culture Psychology series, including The Walking Dead Psychology: Psych of the Living Dead, Wonder Woman Psychology: Lassoing the Truth, and Captain America Vs. Iron Man: Freedom, Security, Psychology (with foreword by Stan Lee) along with looks at Star Wars, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Daredevil, Black Panther, Westworld, and more. A distinguished professor of psychology at Henderson State University, he teaches on the psychology of crime, mental illness, media, and social behavior.

Press Reviews:
"Langley's book is somehow a deep, deep dive into the psychology of the Joker that nonetheless manages to cover a wide swath of material from multiple angles. Don't be fooled by the title: this is much more than just the Joker "on the couch." Discover herein a multidisciplinary examination of popular culture's most enduring and complex baddie and a strong companion piece to Langley's previous examination of Batman. But also - yeah - get ready to cozy up real close to this broken, beautiful clown."--Robert Peaslee, editor, The Joker: A Serious Study of the Clown Prince of Crime.
"You don't have to be crazy to love Travis Langley's The Joker Psychology--but it couldn't hurt!"--Danny Fingeroth, author of A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee.
"The Joker Psychology could not be more timely."--Steve Englehart, author of the seminal Bronze Age Joker story, "The Laughing Fish" (Detective Comics).

See the publisher website: Union Square & Co.

See Joker (2019) on IMDB ...

> From the same author: