Jeepers Creepers Theory: The Creeper Is A Version Of Stephen King’s IT

The creeper in Jeepers Creepers shares several similarities with Pennywise the Dancing Clown from Stephen King’s IT, which has led fans to theorize that he could be another version of the shapeshifting creature that lives in Derry, Maine. The clown is known for taking numerous forms in both the novel, the miniseries, and Andy Muschietti’s two part movie series. Here’s how it is entirety possible that the creeper could be another version to add to the expansive list of creatures that Pennywise takes the form of, but only under very specific circumstances.

Jeepers Creepers was created by Victor Salva, a highly controversial director due to his criminal record; Salva was convicted for sexually abusing a minor. It would be irresponsible not to mention this fact about the director, as it is a piece of his life that has impacted his filmography as well as his journey as a horror movie creator. The first installment in his Jeepers Creepers series premiered in 2001 and starred Justin Long, of Tusk fame. Two years later, its sequel released in 2003 with a new story that, presumably, takes place during the same year as the first movie, but on the final day of the creeper’s feeding cycle. In 2017, the third installment released, and depicts the creeper 23 years after the events of Jeepers Creepers. While the movie series hasn’t been given rave reviews, it is popular among horror fans for its unsettling creature who feasts on human flesh and may even get a Jeepers Creepers 4.

Stephen King’s Pennywise the Dancing Clown has been in existence for nearly 40 years. Throughout its history, the author’s iconic novel has received several adaptations. In the story, Pennywise torments a group of kids known as the “Losers Club.” It shifts between their childhood and adulthood, a period of time which is separated by 27 years. While it is believed that they have defeated the beast—just like they attempted before, as children—several King stories have alluded that It/Pennywise survived the events of the novel. Though It is a highly original monster, the creeper from Jeepers Creepers may have been inspired by the clown, as they share several aspects about their personality, behaviors, and patterns. Potentially, they could be the same sort of creature.

How Pennywise & The Creeper Feed

Every 27 years, Pennywise rises from their slumber to feed on the citizens of Derry, Maine. More specifically, It targets children due to the fact that their fear makes them taste better. It rises for approximately ten months every 27 years. Pennywise has appeared in every major incident in Derry history by causing an onslaught of crime, murder, and mayhem. It thrives on the torment of others, similar to the creeper of Jeepers Creepers. 

The creeper wakes up every 23 years in the spring and feeds for 23 days. While the creeper doesn’t have a specified target like Pennywise, it does torment its prey before attacking them. In Jeepers Creepers 2, the creeper looms over a school bus and the teens inside. The creeper occasionally dives down to scare them. From what’s shown in the Jeepers Creepers movies, the creeper enjoys the thrill of the chase, much like Pennywise enjoys causing fear in his victims. Both of these creatures wake up after a lengthy hibernation, then hunt for a specific amount of time. This could mean that the creeper is a version of IT, but this is not substantial evidence to conclusively state that they are one and the same.

How The Creeper Could Be Another Version Of IT

There are several instances that could make the creeper another version of Pennywise. Primarily, their feeding patterns. If they wake up every twenty-something years, then it could alluded to that the creeper is another form of the clown or related to it. By the conclusion of King’s original novel, the Losers comment on the fact that Pennywise is pregnant.

It does not have a specified sex, though most have ascribed it as being female due to this factor. If Pennywise was, in fact, pregnant and did survive the final battle between the Losers, it’s entirely possible that its spawn spread across the United States to bring torment to other cities. Considering the fact that Pennywise is rumored to be seen in different cities throughout the Stephen King multiverse, it is somewhat possible that there are versions of him everywhere. Therefore, the creeper could be Pennywise’s child. While it’s somewhat compelling evidence that supports the theory, this may not be as likely due to the fact that there are still major differences between them.

Why The Creeper Isn’t Another Version Of IT

The origins of Pennywise are highly complex. It is known that it travelled to Earth after Maturin, an inter-dimensional turtle, got a stomach ache and threw up the universe. They are sworn enemies and, in order to avoid its sworn enemy, Pennywise fled to the town of Derry, Maine before it was even incorporated. It has lived there since the beginning of time. In Jeepers Creepers, it’s alluded to that the creeper has also been around since the beginning of time, as several generations of farmers have stood watch over the beast in their barn while it hibernates. Where the creeper hibernates also creates a hole in this theory. When Pennywise is dormant, it goes deep underground to avoid being discovered by anyone or anything. The creeper hibernates in plain sight, but somehow cannot be harmed while in this state. There is no way of killing either of them, despite the fact that the original novel hints that the Losers killed Pennywise.

It and the creeper share a lot of similarities, but ultimately, it’s unlikely that they could be the same creature or a different version of each other. It’s far more likely that the creeper was simply inspired by Pennywise based on how many similarities they share and how influential Stephen King’s novel has been on various works of horror. The monsters do share feeding habits, behaviors, and hibernation patterns, but they are in no way the same type of creature. The creeper is not an inter-dimensional being, according to its own mythos.

It’s actually more likely that it stays true to the cinematic establishment of it being a demonic entity that abides by the rules of the spring calendar. Pennywise, on the other hand, is an inter-dimensional being that is older than time, known as the “eater of worlds“. Despite the fact that it can reproduce and creature similar spawn, there is no way that the creeper is its spawn, based on its demonic ties. While the fan theory posits an interesting possibility, it does not have enough evidence to back up the claim that Jeepers Creepers‘ creeper is another version of IT‘s Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

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