Are you ready to dive deep into the mysteries of Dr. Oddfellow at Halloween Horror Nights?
Fans of HHN in Orlando has been blessed with the ability to see phenomenal icons for the event in past years.
Icons are considered the headlining character for the event as a whole.
Each has a rich connection to Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) storylines and have their own fascinating and creative backstories, crafted by the incomparable Universal Creative team.
One very little known one, until 2023, was Dr. Oddfellow.
He played a big part in the backstory of another icon’s story, which you can read up on here.
Today, I will be diving into the fascinating backstory of Halloween Horror Night’s first black icon and why he lives up to the title of “Icon” for this year’s event.
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History of Dr. Oddfellow with Halloween Horror Nights
Dr. Rich Oddfellow actually first appeared at the same time as Jack the Clown aka Jack Schmidt. This may surprise you if you’re a longtime fan of the Halloween Horror Nights lore.
If you recall from our piece about Jack, he was with Oddfellow’s traveling carnival and ended up playing a major role in turning Jack into an immortal, evil menace.
But with Oddfellow now stepping up to the plate as an icon for Halloween Horror Nights 32, it’s time I dive a bit more into his backstory as well as Jack the Clown.
Oddfellow first technically appeared in The Fearhouse haunted maze in 2000 at Halloween Horror Nights 10.
Jack’s enemy built it and it was filled with insane clowns.
It got a reboot in 2003, but this time it was in 3D and set in a new spot. Still, we didn’t see Dr. Oddfellow back until this year.
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The Birth of Dr. Oddfellow
Oddfellow just wanted to tap into the power of the zodiac. In short, he was an astrology girlie.
He even drew symbols on his face, hoping to tap into their power and become immortal.
Jungle of Doom
In the 1920s, Dr. Oddfellow went on to discover the Jungle of Doom as part of his pursuit to understand the zodiac.
In this location, he discovered a crystal skull (no not that one, a different one) within an ancient temple, which granted him magical abilities. Consequently, he altered the local vegetation into horrific monsters.
Legend has it that the skull rests on his cane, serving as a primary source of his powers among various other sources.
The Original Carnival of Carnage
In 1939, during the height of the dustbowl, Dr. Oddfellow set up a carnival in a small midwestern town.
It was at this location that he mutilated numerous townspeople and even some members of his own carnival, transforming them into horrifying representations of the zodiac.
His dog, Craver, completed the task by disposing of the remains, and he erased all evidence of the carnival, replacing it with zodiac symbols throughout his grounds.
This act gave him additional strength, ultimately enabling him to attain the zodiac and the associated immortality.
Dr. Oddfellow vs Jack the Clown
The carnival days was during the period when Dr. Oddfellow transformed Jack the Clown, granting him immortality.
This action would go one to establish Jack as an everlasting adversary of Dr. Oddfellow.
During an attack by Jack, Craver, the dog, intervened and rescued Oddfellow, but the course of events unfolded as they did.
In a confrontation in 2007, when Dr. Oddfellow defeated Jack once more, he was banished to a dark dimension for a duration of 16 years. However, this will be revisited later.
Shipyard 32
In 1940, Dr. Oddfellow thought it’d be a good idea to send a crate over to his warehouse in San Francisco, California, at a shipping yard.
This shipping crate, naturally, had the zodiac symbol on it, and it was packed with some wild creatures.
They ended up breaking free, taking out all the workers at the shipyard and creating total mayhem everywhere.
Vamp 69: Dr. Oddfellow vs Vampires
Twenty-one years later, Dr. Oddfellow would transform himself into Earlow Wolfe, a vampire.
According to Universal Orlando lore, he wanted to be a part of a group of vampires and told them he was a vampire whose circus was attacked by vampires in 1938, a year before the events with Jack the Clown.
Dr. Oddfellow tricked the vampire council and got himself in there in 1968.
He confronted this other council dude, Olatto, and insisted they let the vampires go wild and feed wherever and on whoever they wanted.
Legend has it, a little glow appeared on his forehead for a sec before vanishing.
The folklore goes on to say that he sacrificed Olatto to the zodiac to take charge, using his blood to amp things up with the vampires.
Then in 1969, a horde of vampires crashed a music festival in a small town upstate, spreading chaos and mayhem wherever they went.
Dr. Oddfellow Returns to Halloween Horror Nights
In 2023, Oddfellow finally broke free from that dark dimension after taking down Olatto and snagging some serious powers.
He went on a mission to get back his cane of souls, which sported that awesome crystal skull from the Jungle of Doom, and he decided to make a big announcement: he’d grant immortality to anyone who wanted it.
Dr. Oddfellow pulled this off by flashing his victims some terrifying images of fear, totally cutting their ties to the mortal world.
Naturally, folks just couldn’t resist such a wild offer, and this helped him quickly build up a crew of eager followers.
Watch: New to Halloween Horror Nights? Don’t Go Without Knowing These 15 Tips!
Where to Find Dr. Oddfellow at HHN 32
At Halloween Horror Nights 2023 you could find this demented, yet enticing new HHN Icon throughout the event in places such as the:
- Dr. Oddfellow – Twisted Origins: You’ll love this HHN house as it takes you on a journey through the madness of Oddfellow’s circus. Jack even makes an appearance in this house.
- Jungle of Doom: Expedition Horror: Look for the younger version of Dr. Oddfellow before he transformed into an evil being of terror…
- Vamp ’69: Summer of Blood: Look for Dr. Oddfellow who’s disguised as Earlow Wolfe that looks very similar to Jimmy Hendrix…
- Dr. Oddfellow’s Collection of Horror: This is where you’ll get to see the present day version of Dr. Oddfellow…just don’t get sucked into his charming ways…
Something to know about HHN 32 is that you can feel Dr. Oddfellow’s presence throughout the whole event with his symbols everywhere to let you know that he’s always watching…
Be sure to do the 3-House Unmasking the Horror Tour to get an in-depth story on the life of Dr. Oddfellow through the house: Dr. Oddfellow – Twisted Origins!
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My Final Thoughts on Dr. Oddfellow
It seems once again Michael Aiello, Senior Creative Director, and his team at Universal creative has once again achieved another Halloween Horror Nights success.
They have brought a character back to life with a fascinating backstory and as the first black icon in HHN history!
The Team at Universal have managed to be unique and inclusive with one of the most premier haunt events in the country.
Dr. Oddfellow will be a fine addition to the list of HHN icons of years past.
Let us hope Oddfellow’s introduction to further creativity and inclusion in the future to come!
What do you think of Dr. Oddfellow and his story? Let us know in the comments section below.
Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
About the Author
Victoria is a professional solo traveler here to make your solo trips as stress free AND enjoyable as possible for you.
She has over 5 years of Disney and Non-Disney travel experience and was featured by POPSUGAR as one of the Top 50 Black Disney Creators you should follow.
She is a Proud Native to Baltimore, Md but always will call Disney World home.
(Original Article Date: September 11, 2023/Updated by Editor on August 3, 2024)