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Dr. Rich Oddfellow was the boss and eventual murderer of Jack Schmidt, who would become one of the most fearsome clowns in history. He would later appear as the icon of Halloween Horror Nights 32.
A charismatic circus entrepreneur who ran several circuses of fun, he secretly perfected his craft as a dark sorcerer. His ultimate goal is to become the most powerful being on Earth and possess the power of immortality by harnessing the power of the Dark Zodiac using the souls of his loyal followers.
Backstory[]
Halloween Horror Nights X[]
Dr. Oddfellow owned a carnival called "Dr. Oddfellow's Carnival of Thrills". Jack Schmidt, star performer of the carnival and long-time serial killer, had murdered several small children throughout the Southern states, and he thought the F.B.I was onto him. Fearing imprisonment, he went to Dr. Oddfellow for help and possible concealment. Dr. Oddfellow was wanted by the police for the accidental death of several patrons in a freak circus accident years earlier under a different name. He did not want the police to potentially catch him, so he asked Jack to show him where he put the bodies. Jack showed him the bodies which were placed in three small trunks inside of his travel coach. Fearing the worst, Dr. Oddfellow had Jack murdered and hid the body within the traveling carnival's House of Horrors as an exhibit along with the bodies of the children. Years later, he sold his Carnival.
Halloween Horror Nights: Carnival of Carnage Backstory[]
After Jack escaped from Shadybrook Rest Home and Sanitarium, he managed to track down his former employer’s new venture, and set out to seek revenge on Dr. Oddfellow for having him murdered. In the dark of night, Jack stalked into the tents and took his long-overdue vengeance. He murdered Dr. Oddfellow and took his most prize possession, a silver-headed cane of souls (which also presumably what kept Oddfellow alive and in motion for 80 years).
Halloween Horror Nights 32[]
Dr. Oddfellow would return to serve as the icon of Halloween Horror Nights 32, tying into all of the scarezones and one of the haunted houses that year, Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins. Thus, a lot more of his backstory was revealed.
An aspiring sorcerer, Dr. Oddfellow would strive to harness the power of the Zodiac. He would draw symbols on his face as well as his body in an attempt to gain their power, as well as the power of immortality.
In the 1920s, Dr. Oddfellow ventured into an uncharted jungle known by superstitious travelers as "The Jungle of Doom". There, he discovered a crystal skull in an ancient temple, which granted him powers over the souls of the living. Using the skull, he twisted the flora and fauna of the jungle into his own abominations, leaving them to guard the temple and attack any who approached. It is implied that this was the skull that would eventually sit atop his Cane of Souls, one of his main sources of power.
In 1939 during the Dustbowl, Dr. Oddfellow set up his carnival in a small rural Midwest town. There, he mutilated hundreds of people (some of which were some of his own performers), turning their bodies into grotesque versions of the Zodiac signs as both tributes and sacrifices to the sign’s patron entities. He burned down all of the posters and advertisements with the name of his carnival to cover his tracks and created hidden Zodiac symbols all over the carnival. These symbols, fueled by the spilled blood of those slain, contained great amounts of power. Pleased by the ritual, the Zodiac’s deities granted him his long sought immortality and the power of the Zodiac itself as rewards.
It was also at this time that Dr. Oddfellow killed his star performer Jack Schmidt as punishment for attracting attention to their crimes and leading law enforcement to the carnival. While killing Jack, the clown struggled and scratched Oddfellow's face, causing some of his blood to fall onto Jack. This would transfer and infuse some of Oddfellow’s dark magic into the corpse of the clown, making Jack an immortal as well, albiet bound by the cursed nature of the gift to never fully die but remain unliving. Despite his power staying intact, this scar would remain on Oddfellow’s face for eternity. Oddfellow hid Jack’s body away in an oversized Jack-In-The-Box prop, storing it deep within his House of Horrors attraction and erasing all mentions or images of his former employee from the carnival.
Dr. Oddfellow would later travel to the Zodiac Dimension itself and fully conquer it for himself, twisting the deities into his own corrupted creations. He would also be able to use his powers to change his forms over the years, becoming different beings and creatures where he required. However, despite his efforts to erase the mark, no matter what form he turned into or the strength he used to remove it, he would always bear the facial scar left by Jack in 1939.
In the 1940s, Dr. Oddfellow would ship multiple crates to a shipping yard in San Francisco for safekeeping. These crates, stored away in his private warehouse, contained a wide variety of monsters; some discovered by Oddfellow during his travels while others were subjects of his sadistic mystical experiments. Various oddities would eventually escape from their containment, slaughtering all of the workers in the shipping yard and causing mass destruction. Rather than risk his safety for their recapture, Oddfellow himself would appear on the dock taking the form of a Werewolf, joining in the massacre to cover his tracks.
In 1961, Dr. Oddfellow disguised himself as a vampire named Earlow Wolfe in order to infiltrate a secret group of rogue vampires. He made up a backstory in which he claimed to be a circus worker whose circus was attacked by vampires in 1938, causing him to turn into one himself. He successfully fooled the Vampire Council that he was one of them and ingrained himself as part of the hive. In 1968, Oddfellow, now a part of the council, stands up to fellow council member and de facto leader Olatto, demanding that he lets the vampires go on a frenzy and feed on whoever they please without restraint. As he does this, the symbol on his head glows for a moment then fades, unnoticed by almost all but a lone vampire who originally helped him secure his seat on the council. He did all of this in order to gain power over Olatto in the council and sway the members of the hive under his influence completely.
In 1969, Dr. Oddfellow would unleash the vampires during a music festival in a small town in upstate New York called Music Fest, causing mass destruction and chaos. There, Oddfellow hid among the vampires and absorbed the souls of those slain into his Cane to further strengthen his power. It is also heavily implied that Dr. Oddfellow killed Olatto in the midst of the frenzy, stealing his body in the aftermath and using his blood to increase his own power over vampires.
When Jack returned and killed Oddfellow in 2007, this sent his soul back to the depths of the Zodiac Dimension for 16 years, severely weakened and unable to break free. In 2023, he would finally manage to escape the dimension, due in part to the dark powers he gained from killing Olatto. With Jack recontained in his cursed box, Oddfellow would reclaim his Cane of Souls and announce to the world that he would offer immortality to all who followed in his footsteps. He would show them images of fear and terror, which would break their connections to the mortal world. No one would be able to resist immortality, allowing him to gain a legion of followers completely under his control and a feast of sacrifices to unleash his full strength.
It was also implied that he is a servant of Fear, and that everything he does is a part of Adaru’s will. Thus, Oddfellow would occasionally release various monsters throughout the Halloween Horror Nights events to cause chaos and do his bidding.
Appearances at Halloween Horror Nights Orlando[]
- The Fearhouse (2000)
- Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins (2023)
- Dr. Oddfellow's Collection of Horror (2023)
- Jungle of Doom: Expedition Horror (2023)
- Vamp '69: Summer of Blood (2023)
- Shipyard 32: Horrors Unhinged (2023)
Quotes[]
- "Hear my voice, Halloween Horror Nights! I am Dr. Oddfellow! I've been watching you. For years, I've seen you shaking in fear, yet begging for more! You've practically worshiped those who stood here before me: Doctors, Directors, even Clowns. But I don't want your worship, I want what you want. So, what is that? Fear? Horror? I promise these can unhinge your soul and prepare you for something more: Power! Immortality! That is what I'm offering. Enter now as this Horror Night begins!" - Halloween Horror Nights 32 Opening Scaremonies
- "Now, you all seem to have more potential than our former employees. Hello everyone, my name is Dr. Oddfellow. I am so happy to see you here, so eager you look to grasp every bit of knowledge to get you hands on, oh they held it from you haven't they? They said you cannot see it until now, I'm telling you it is your time, and as this moment comes we search for the parts of us that are deep within. Fire signs, make some noise, Earth signs, show them how grounded you are, Air signs, show them your fierce ways, Water signs, show them your boundlessness but above all, chase the fear. Don't let the fear drag you away, its such a important piece of everything we need. Immortality will. Not. Wait. The power is right within your grasp, all you have to do is reach out. Once we know whats that your born." - Dr. Oddfellow's Collection of Horror
- "I've been watching you. For years, I've seen you shaking in fear, yet begging for more! Well if its more that you want, surely there's something I could do for you. Join me and I will show you the path of immortality, a power that can't be...So, what is that you want? Fear? Horror? I can prepare you for both if you like! There's more to this world than you know....Ah just in time, a look into my past will show you your future....reveal your soul to fear" - Meet Dr. Oddfellow 360 VR Experience
- "You've practically worshiped those who stood here before me, Matriarchs, Visionaries, Fossils, Jesters, but I don't want your worship...I want what you want right? You wanted Fear! I can offer that, for a price of course. The price to join my collection of immortals? Why your very soul! A fair price to pay to Dr. Oddfellow don't ya think?" - Meet Dr. Oddfellow 360 VR Experience
- "Go ahead. Look up, down, left, right. You're alone in the dark. You can run if you so choose but I wouldn't if I were you! Leaving the comforts of this place to venture into the unknown is not a wise decision, you never know what creatures lurk in the shadows." - Meet Dr. Oddfellow 360 VR Experience
- "Dragons have such an acquired taste, you could never truly know if they prefer the flesh they consume to be rotting or fresh....Ooh they don't seem to be satisfied, do they? It seems its just fresh meat is what they acquire! Hold still, this axe is rather rusty. At least there's a way to cauterize the wound!" - Meet Dr. Oddfellow 360 VR Experience
- "Are we having fun yet? I know I am, this is only a taste of the world I can show you! Certainly there's much much more to see... What's the point in showing you everything? Where's the fun in that? You know where you could find me. I'll be here waiting for you. It's only a matter of time till I see you again..." - Meet Dr. Oddfellow 360 VR Experience
- "Sir! Do you see any clowns here?? I do not suffer the weak, nor am I afraid of carnies..."
- "My dear, all I care about are souls. I do not have time for silly creatures that would call themselves Icons..."
- "I have news about Jack: He's not here, I am!"
- "Your Soul Is Mine!!" - Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins
- "Your souls have been distorted and you are mine...KILL THEM!" - Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins
- "Feel the power of your distorted soul!" - Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins
- "Enjoy the night my friends! Dance in the Darkness!"
- "I welcome those of kindred soul. Like me, you seek the twisted/gut-wrenching oddities of our time. Now I invite you to step being the façade and witness Dr. Oddfellow's Striking Acts of Distortion!" - Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins façade
- "And I have a message for those who would worship a certain clown. Those who think dear old Jackie Boy could do anything to me: You are surely mistaken friends. The power I possess, the things I can do. There isn't a thing that sorry clown can do to me. This is your last chance, friends! To those who would worship him, do worship me! Gain immortality! Serve under Dr. Oddfellow! Or perish with a clown. A clown who doesn't know Jack about Horror!" - HHN 32 Final Night Farewell
Pictures[]
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Videos[]
| Halloween Horror Nights X |
|---|
| Characters: Jack the Clown (Event Icon) • Dr. Oddfellow |
| Haunted Houses: Anxiety in 3-D • Total Chaos • The Fearhouse • Universal Classic Monster Mania • Dark Torment |
| Scarezones: Apocalypse Island • Clown Attack • The Gauntlet • Midway of Dr. Morose |
| Shows: Festival of the Dead Parade • Jacked Up • Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure |
| Haunted Attractions: Bloody Waters • Nightmare Creatures II |