Why so serious… about the Joker? US woman collects DC memorabilia of famous villain
If Batman has his Bat Cave, and Superman hangs out on Krypton… Megan Pierce from Bloomington, Indiana, USA has her Joker-themed lair – and we doubt any superheroes are venturing in anytime soon.
Owner of the largest collection of the Joker memorabilia in the world, Megan has 2,318 items dedicated to the DC Comics villain neatly stored in rooms in her house. Spanning from floor to ceiling, dozens of figurines, comic books, cardboard cut-outs and limited-edition food products are organized on shelves and racks, in a colourful and devoted ode to the crazy clown.
The 22 year-old officially started collecting Joker memorabilia when she was in intermediate school, when a second-grade classmate gifted her a small Imaginext Joker toy.
Now, nearly a decade later, her biggest desire is to turn the merchandise into a Joker-themed museum, depicting the design evolution of the character and showing off all the talented actors who sported the clown’s goofy grin.
“Working your way through his history and getting to see the collectibles and the comics, and just seeing how he's evolved over the years,” she said to the Indiana Daily Student. “My dream is for it to be [in] chronological order and tell the story of the Joker.”
Megan says she was drawn to the Joker because he had mysterious origins and was talented at “reinventing himself” – a skill she admired, as she turned her life into an inspiring story of following what makes you happy.
She mentioned that she struggled with mental health issues because of bullying when she was younger, and she turned to collecting to give herself an outlet for her passions.
“I was more bullied for having toys as a kid than I am now, it's kind of backwards thinking,” she said. “When I was in middle school and I would wear a Joker shirt, someone might laugh and think I'm a loser, but now people see me as a Joker person.”
Her mother and her sister were both there for Megan during this difficult period, and supported her immensely when it came to her love for the character. Her mother, Jayne, recalls waiting in the rain in a queue to get a new Funko Pop for her daughter, and Megan’s sister once ate all the chocolates in a Kinder Bar release so her vegan sibling could find a Joker collectible in the candy.
“All of a sudden we're walking in Hot Topic for Funko Pops,” Jayne said. “It was an adjustment, but I was going to do whatever it took to understand what she was needing and to be there and support her.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, Megan started posting her collection on TikTok, which has now amassed over 66 thousand followers. It was at this time that her mother saw Megan truly come out of her shell, as she began making friends in the collecting community and meeting some of her personal heroes.
“This is her new family,” said Jayne. “Whether they're other collectors or icons in the industry. She has this ability to make a relationship with them.”
Because of Megan’s collection, she’s been able to meet Joker voice-acting legend Mark Hamill – who complimented her green hair – as well as Michael Uslan, producer of the Batman movie franchise.
Uslan even signed a copy of his book The Boy who Loved Batman for her, saying: “To me, a real-life super-hero is someone who perseveres and holds her head high in the face of adversity – never allowing the bad guys to win. That takes courage, strength and a smile. You’re one of my super-heroes!”
Megan was even able to make friends throughout the process, particularly with Angel Young, who collects figurines of Harley Quinn – the Joker’s accomplice.
“Interacting with another collector that has such genuine passion for what they collect is one of the best feelings,” Angel said. “It's a sort of bond and understanding that this person gets what you're doing.”
Now, Megan is a self-confident collector, who loves to share her passion for the Joker with everyone else in her network.
“Here I’ve got a friend with me… the Joker!” Megan said, laughing, as she toured Guinness World Records around her collection earlier this month. Pointing to a card-board cutout of Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight (2008), she remarked that she “got it for a steal” on Facebook Marketplace – but don’t worry, because even though Megan has a long-standing love for the character, she’d never stoop to thieving items like the classic villain.
She was also particularly proud of her 1989 Tim Burton Batman bicycle, Joker-themed food products for the 20th century (don’t worry, they’re uneaten), as well as vintage comics such as a coverless copy of Batman issue 55 from 1948.
“The record would be a representation of my passion for The Joker, a reminder of how collecting had helped me through difficult times and would allow me to share and provide inspiration to others around the world,” she said. “It also provides me with an official ‘starting point’ and a means by which to measure the growth of the collection, my passion, and my ability to share it with others in the future.”
And we’re sure you’re wondering – who is Megan’s favourite Joker?
Well, she has good taste – and you’ll notice a lot of Jack Nicholson items scattered throughout the collection.
Showing off her display of magazines from 1966 to 2022, she said: “I have some of the Joaquin Phoenix Joker, the Jack Nicholson Joker, the Heath Ledger Joker, and the Jared Leto Joker. And quite a few other comic book magazines that I’ve collected over the years.”
And even though she’s now claimed her Guinness World Records title, which is displayed proudly in her collection, she doesn’t think she’ll stop purchasing merchandise anytime soon. She has no idea how much everything in her museum is worth, but it’s a small price to pay for following your passions.
“It will only inspire me to collect more,” she said. “Go for it!”