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Villains Week
January 23–27

Villains Week

January 23-27

Roy Rogers turned Billy the Kid into a good guy in Billy the Kid Returns.
film

The Counterintuitive History of Black Hats, White Hats, And Villains

Even in old Westerns, the white hat/black hat divide is less distinct than is often remembered.
Sarah Laskow January 27, 2017
Say hello to Burglar Bill.
features

Decoding the Classic Burglar Outfit

Where did the crook in the striped shirt come from?
Eric Grundhauser January 27, 2017
This scene, from 1915's "The Alster Case," seems ripe for a mysterioso.
film

How the Quintessential Villain's Melody Snuck Into the Popular Consciousness

The "Mysterioso Pizzicato" should never have gotten as far as it did.
Cara Giaimo January 27, 2017
crime

In 1969, One Inventor Tried to Sell Police a 'Net Gun' for Catching Robbers

While effective, the invention never quite took off.
Lauren Young January 26, 2017
The front page of the <em>Daily News</em> on May 7, 1924 when Ed and Celia were finally caught and tried.
crime

How We Forgot the Bobbed Haired Bandit

In the 1920s, the armed robber Celia Cooney unintentionally became a symbol for the women's movement.
Lauren Young January 26, 2017
"The Anatomist overtaken by the Watch carry'ng off Miss W in a hamper." William Austin, 1773.
cemeteries

A Beginner's Guide to Body Snatching

Where to go for an education in grave robbery, the grisliest chapter in medical history.
Molly McBride Jacobson January 26, 2017
Sometimes it feels good to be bad.
games

The Joys of Pretend Villainy

What's so great about playing the bad guy, according to LARPers.
Eric Grundhauser January 26, 2017
Not the Doomsday Clock. (This is the <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/prague-astronomical-clock">Prague Astronomical Clock</a>.)
apocalypse

According to Experts, We Just Ticked Closer to Apocalypse

Every year, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists updates the Doomsday Clock.
Cara Giaimo January 25, 2017
While Beatrix Potter's "Two Bad Mice" weren't really so bad, Gustave Doré's engraved rats are menacing.
rats

Why Are Rats Always the Bad Guys?

And mice always heroes? Experts trace the history of typecasting rodents.
Cara Giaimo January 25, 2017
The cover of Le Mort qui tue, an early Fantomas novel
film

The Criminal History of Fantômas, France's Favorite Fictional Villain

He influenced everything from Surrealism to the X-Men.
Sarah Laskow January 25, 2017
rites and rituals

Watch a Hong Kong 'Villain-Hitter' Beat Away Foes With a Shoe

The centuries-old ritual started as a way to drive away evil spirits.
Lauren Young January 25, 2017
A replica of the "Bulgarian umbrella" used to kill Markov.
weapons

The True History of the Umbrella Gun, a Surprisingly Serious Weapon

Once used to assassinate a Bulgarian dissident, the disguised firearm eventually became a trope of spy films.
Sarah Laskow January 24, 2017
This map of Chicago's gangs was tucked away in the back pocket of Frederic Thrasher's 1927 book <em>The Gang: A Study of 1,313 Gangs in Chicago.</em>
map monday

A 1927 Map Reveals the Hide-Outs of Chicago's Most Notorious Gangsters

Drawn by hand, one sociologist detailed the whereabouts of over 1,300 active criminal enterprises.
Lauren Young January 23, 2017
cars

A Tour of Al Capone's 'Killer' Cadillac, Which Once Terrorized Chicago Streets

It featured bullet-proof glass and a police siren.
Lauren Young January 23, 2017
Maximilian Zorin's airship, about to blimpnap an unsuspecting Bond girl.
features

Airships: The Most Villainous Form of Transport

From Colonel Blimp to Baron Bomburst, pop-culture bad guys sure love to cruise around in the sky.
Cara Giaimo January 23, 2017
A still from the silent comedy, <em>Barney Oldfield's Race for a Life</em>
film

The Myth of the Damsel on the Railroad Tracks

Tying up women in front of oncoming trains was never a real thing.
Eric Grundhauser January 23, 2017