2000 AD Profiles: The Clown

The Clown

Creators: Igor Goldkind + Robert Bliss | Appearances to date: 16

''Clothes make the man' is how the old saying goes. Of course the apparel we assume doesn't always reflect the pattern of our intentions. Garments conceal as much as they reveal. And for some there is no difference between the costume and the man...'

NOTE: there are MAJOR SPOILERS ahead.

The Clown's only friend in the world is his performing pony, Toby. The duo spend their days in an abandoned Big Top, an empty tent in a dead circus that looks like it hasn't seen any other activity in years. He's a lonely, tragic figure who lives in the past, envisioning an audience that leaves the tent after each performance with joy in their hearts, having seen the clown give his all. Like an imaginary someone says, "clowning's his whole life". It's all he knows, and all he really wants.

His fantasy is shattered one evening when — as he sits routinely alone in a derelict clown bar with an empty glass, no staff, and no customers other than himself — a trio of barely competent crooks invade his home, steal his life savings, and turn his make-believe world blood red.

The monstrous act tips the painted one over from laughter to madness, offering a refuge from the reality and pain. For some folks that would be the end of the story, but The Clown's anger is the equal of his delusion, twisting him up inside. He kicks up his oversize shoes and goes in search of the three shits that destroyed the beautiful, soulful peace he and the pony had shared.

That's the basic premise. It isn't very original. It's been used many times before in comics and in film - the only major difference is it has a pony in place of the usual family member or loved one, etc. What follows it would be summed up in a news media headline with something along the lines of: Angry Clown Exacts Murderous Revenge. But while the various parts are over-used, they're at least assembled well for the 2000 AD format, which would be challenging to do within the limited page space that was available to authors in each issue (about six pages, on average).

He's a colourful character but his motivations are painted largely black and white. Beyond those first few scenes mentioned above, he doesn't have much nuance, and pathos quickly wanes.

I was a regular reader of the comic when the strip first appeared in the weekly anthology (in Prog 774), and while it didn't set the comic landscape alight, the memory of it stayed in my head, primarily because of Robert Bliss' fully painted artwork, which is reminiscent of Simon Bisley's style. To be frank, without the artwork the story might not even have made the grade.

It isn't the kind of futuristic tale that 2000 AD was commonly known for, but the vein of dark satire that runs throughout has a distinctly Big Meg quality; if the events were transposed to Dredd's world, for example, it wouldn't seem out of place, except Judges would be involved.

It teases a sequel, but it felt like the strip had gone as far it could in its six parts, achieving a commendable 'brief but memorable' standing in comic book history, without need of a continuation. But a sequel came anyhow. Book II: The Painted Mask has the kind of thump-black humour of a Wagner Dredd, but is, unsurprisingly, less successful than its predecessor. The focus gained by the simplicity the first time around is lost, and it's a chore to read, despite having increased levels of parody, satire, farce, and a large dollop of philosophy. It even includes verse, as if in a play, like how an actor addresses the audience before the final curtain falls.

The artwork is still excellent, though, primarily by Robert Bliss once again, but with help from Nick Percival on one installment, and the final two parts (7+8) are solely by Greg Staples.

The Clown has appeared in fifteen Progs of 2000 AD weekly and one 2000 AD Yearbook. His most recent (non-reprint) appearance was in 1994.

NOTE: the text above was written in a house with no heating on during the small hours of a cold February night/morn, before even the bravest bird had stirred; the warmest thing in the room was the cup of pot-brewed tea that I was using to nurse my insomnia. As the hour got colder, I realised I wasn't happy with how the review was turning out. Alas, I didn't have the concentration needed to delete the majority of it and start over from scratch, so I'm leaving it as is and allowing it to publish to serve as a reminder of where I went wrong.