Zippy the Clown

Honestly, I’ve been in Seattle for a good long while and I never realized that local clown celebrity, JP Patches, had his very own monument in Fremont. Of course, Fremont also has a statue of Lenin and a non-functional rocket, so maybe it’s not so weird after all. (Fremont neighborhood prides itself in its weirdness.)

For younger fans, JP Patches is quite famous for being one of the inspirations behind the Simpsons’ Krusty the Klown. He would do skits with Gerturde, his Sideshow Bob like sidekick, on local morning telecasts. JP Patches is also one of the biggest inspirations to the local clowns in the area. I didn’t grow up in Seattle, so I don’t have the same sense of nostalgia. When I talked to many of the clowns here, though, he is definitely the one most cited as an inspiration. One older clown boasted how he was one of Patches’ Pals, his voice catching the same amount of pride as if he’d won a Medal of Honor.

I caught some of the shows on YouTube, and you can definitely see the same attitude that would influence Krusty. The skits definitely have a bit of a sardonic edge to them — not mean spirited, but definitely things you can almost read between the lines. JP Patches almost always seems to be eye-rolling at the weirdness around him (which include a giggling doll and a cross-dressing pal). There was definitely some fourth-wall breaking humor, too, such as when a take would go on too long and JP Patches would start looking around like he was wondering what was going on, or when he directly addressed an off-screen announcer for sleeping on the job.

Was it a parody of other more famous clown shows like Bozo the Clown? I have no idea, since I didn’t grow up with him. Still, that same layer of smirking mischief is something I see in many clowns I’ve met in the Emerald City.

The Boeing Klowns lost one of their own last week: Justin Benguerel, a.k.a. Horsie the Clown. I didn’t know him, but he seems to have led an interesting life. Here’s his obituary at Funeral Alternatives.

Last week, I was twisting balloons for an estimated 1,000 kids at Kent, Washington’s You, Me, & We event. It’s a community jam that was lively and highly enjoyable. The main stage had a lot of great, multicultural dance acts: colorful Indian saris at one point, shirtless Pacific Islanders doing the haka the next. Also, there was krumping! That’s “clown dancing” for you newbies. It’s a great place to take the kids to see what great activities are available in the community. Plus, the Boeing Klowns were on hand to provide as many balloon animals to as many kids as possible. What more can you ask for?

I’m also wearing my special Seahawks kit, since it was two days before the Super Bowl. *sigh*. Go Hawks, nevertheless!

I’m back!  All of you reading this!  (Like, all one of you?)

Anyway, I just realized that I haven’t updated this in a while.  Partly for reasons that I wasn’t in the country (doing some stuff overseas).  Partly because I was ill.  I think I got a spider bite on my knee, and it kept me from doing any activity for a while.  So, if you’re checking this out because this somehow ended up on your WordPress dashboard or because you’re following a link that I put on my business card, be sure to check this space for some updates!

The 1961 “Boeing Supervisors Klown Klub” way back when. Some may say they are creepy (as the blog that I lifted these from did). And, honestly, I can kind of see it. But look at these photos, man. These guys are hardcore. Like, don’t mess with the Clown Gang, buddy. They will mess you up.

Reposted from The Unwanted Blog