‘She’s cute like a Chihuahua pup with rabies, or a baby swinging an open razor.’ This is how the Joker describes the scientist-turned-clown Harley Quinn – and the barbaric splendour of his description highlights that Harley Quinn is one of the most contradictory characters in the DC comics universe; a character that has fascinated and inspired countless interpretations, iterations and storylines in the media for more than three decades. In this paper we unpack and analyse Harley Quinn’s obvious but under-examined humour facets, including her frequently highlighted humorous contradictions, clown iconography and routines, and uncover why these aspects are so popular in cosplay. Analysing Quinn humour helps us unveil the construction of a comics aesthetic with startlingly humorous momentum.

Discover the paper (open access) on the website of the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics — co-authored by CPAS academic Dr Anna-Sophie Jurgens with CPAS PhD candidate Crystal-Leigh Clitheroe and Estonian humour scholar Dr Anastasiya Fiadotava.