Supernatural characters often have a basis in reality, and that includes vampires. What nearly all effective horror villains have in common is their presence, and how readily the audience can bridge the fantasy on screen with real world horror. For others, it’s the genius monster maker behind the scenes, like H.R. But what makes a horror villain iconic? For some it’s the actor, such as Tim Curry’s endlessly frightening portrayal of Pennywise the Clown in 1990’s classic, It. 2017 was a record setting year for the genre, scoring a collective box office yield of well over $700 million. Horror fans are a ravenous breed, and their numbers are swelling.