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Wolf Files: Bozo Finally Unmasked

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Many Colvig fans have been pushing for this day. I'm lucky enough to have the honor of giving Colvig's induction speech, although I now must face a sizable audience of professional clowns, not to mention the men, women and children who love them. What do I tell them?

Even Colvig had trouble explaining his own wild career. "I have been trying to make up my mind whether I wanted to be an actor, cartoonist, writer or musician," he once told a reporter.

"I have been trying to figure it out for 30 years. I wind up squawking like a monkey, barking like a dog, and braying like a jackass."

As someone who's written a bit about Bozo, circuses and sideshows, I can relate to braying like a jackass. Here are some vintage Wolf Files on the subject of clowning, as I take off for Milwaukee:

Rubber Chicken à la King: Just because you can't eat them doesn't mean you can't make a living off rubber chickens. Gene Rose, the last American rubber chicken manufacturer, has been a giant in the elastic fowl business for more than 50 years, and he still has no idea why anyone buys his merchandise. More Fear of Clowns: What evil lurks behind a greasepaint smile? Coulrophobia — the fear of clowns — is no laughing matter. And for many, it's way worse than that nagging fear that you'll be buried under a bucket of confetti. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs even had to deny being a coulrophobe, after reports that he demanded a "no-clown clause" in his contracts. More.

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