Creativity is more than just being different. Anybody can plan weird; that’s easy. What’s hard is to be as simple as Bach. Making the simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity. — Charles Mingus
Since the inception of A Clown on Fire, I have cited Andy Kaufman, Alfred Jarry, Monty Python, Woody Allen, George Carlin and Tom Green as my influences as a humourist. Le Clown’s character is an amalgam of their craftsmanship, with a rather large dose of my own voice. Last year, I ripped Le Clown apart. Without the restrictive sensitive nature of L’Éric, I was hoping to bring Le Clown’s character to full bloom: the Tony Clifton of our blogosphere. It was also the first day I stopped finding pleasure in writing as Le Clown.
The idea in itself was promising: give carte blanche to Le Clown and watch him lash out on any given topic, to his heart’s content. So he did. Le Clown praised Le Clown. Le Clown trademarked magnificent™. Le Clown received his own Urban Dictionary entry. Le Clown recreated Montreal in his image. Le Clown reimagined the Crucifixion of White Baby Jesus™. Le Clown emulated Terry Gilliam. Le Clown’s shtick got stale, and I got bored.
“Le Clown can be funny, but often seems limited to talking about how great he is [...] Le Clown was created to say the things you wished you could. The problem in that is that compartmentalizing yourself into two voices creates a wall or sorts and doesn’t allow you to blossom into what may be your real and true narrative voice.” — Mike Calahan
Le Clown without L’Éric’s voice is just another dick character, and I have no intention of becoming yet another Seinfeld. I am bringing Le Clown and L’Éric back together. From this day on, I will continue to dig into my personal life and my family (my wife and my daughter), and harmonize the two voices to to create fictional posts based on my experiences and my opinions on religion, politics, mental health, and parenting. I enjoy Le Clown’s personality through L’Éric’s sensitivity. This is where I think Le Clown really stands out.
“By infusing yourself into Le Clown, that gives Le Clown his humanity. People love flawed but lovable characters. A Le Clown/Eric hybrid gets to be flawed (pompous and arrogant) but also lovable and human (stories about your family and life. And that’s what will keep people coming around.” — Carrie Rubin
LONG LIVE LE CLOWN.
Freud would have a field day with this….
Good luck – whoever you are.
Regardless of who is at the wheel, I’ll always be a loyal follower and steadfast friend.
Posted by The Hook | March 22, 2013, 19:07The Hook,
Freud can lick my clown make-up, unless he’s on blow, then he can sniff it.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 22, 2013, 21:02Le Clown.
Have only recently discovered your blog (finally came out from under the rock) and can’t wait to read your future posts.
1J1
Posted by 1jaded1 | March 22, 2013, 21:251J1,
Now if you could just run away from that Twindaddy dude…
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 23, 2013, 08:19This day will go down in history. And I was here to see it…well, I was here the day after anyway.
Posted by Vanessa-Jane Chapman | March 23, 2013, 03:19Vanessa,
This day will go down in history, as the day I discovered I liked my coffee black.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 23, 2013, 08:18Le C.,
nice to have L’Eric back. It does coincide with my beginning to feel better. Do you have some sort of emotional radar out there?
mmkng
Posted by mmkng | March 23, 2013, 06:11MMKNG,
Le Clown sees all… except when his eyes are closed.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 23, 2013, 08:16Le C.,
I’m sure the eyes are closed for some reason from time to time. I’ll have to learn to do that.
mmkng
Posted by mmkng | March 23, 2013, 14:32Le Clown/Eric,
I’m excited to see what Le Cleric will give us in the future.
Posted by josefkul | March 23, 2013, 08:04Josef,
So is he.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 23, 2013, 08:15Le Clown/Eric
This is almost as incredible as the merger of Taco Bell with Doritoes. Your merger is better because it contains less trans fat.
Speaker7
Posted by speaker7 | March 23, 2013, 09:01Yes!!!
Posted by Adam S | March 24, 2013, 11:53Speaker7,
Thank God we don’t have Taco Bell nor Doritoes in Canada. And thank God that I am a goddamn liar.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 25, 2013, 07:15I’m just not clear on why you think Seinfeld is a dick. There are much dickier characters on television, oui?
Posted by Madame Weebles | March 23, 2013, 18:18La Weebles,
Almost everyone in Seinfeld to me is quite the prick, even though there might be other well endowed pricks on TV.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 23, 2013, 18:22It must be the NY thing. We’re all well endowed down here.
Posted by Madame Weebles | March 23, 2013, 18:41Ah man! I left your site open yesterday to say “welcome back!” and then I got lost in the Painting World. I do need to do a proper “welcome back”, you know. So, here it goes *clears throat*
Welcome Back, Magnificent™ Eric. You know I’m following you on your creative adventure. I’m curious to see what Magnificence™ things you have in store for us! I wish you lots of luck and fun. I’m glad you’re back
*bows and leaves a clown cupcake behind*
Posted by TJLubrano | March 23, 2013, 18:30TJ,
Le Clown says hooo! and wooo! and ahhh! and ohhh! to everything you say.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 24, 2013, 16:28I could have swore that I had hit Like and commented in here.
WordPress for iPhone sucks big time, I saw your Facebook cry and decided to double check.
Apparently it didn’t go through. Looking forward to this alliance, it’s Continental and United merged, but with pretzels and pillows.
Posted by Doggy's Style | March 23, 2013, 18:53Leo,
I love when people blame technology for their mistakes: Dave with HAL in 2001, the Flux capacitor in Back to the Future, you and your iPhone…. Pfft™.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 23, 2013, 19:17I swear to Zeus it’s no the first time it happens, open a poll as ask your readers if WordPress for iPhone sucks, possible answers: Yes and Does WP has an iPhone app?
Xx
Posted by Doggy's Style | March 23, 2013, 19:19Leo,
You just kissed me. Nothing else matters.
Le Clown
XOX
Posted by Le Clown | March 23, 2013, 19:20I don’t do that often, specially after mono
Posted by Doggy's Style | March 23, 2013, 19:21Woo! #100!
Posted by Kristin | March 23, 2013, 18:55Kristin,
BFF4EVS™.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 23, 2013, 19:14Le Clown is evolving. He’s being refined. I can’t wait to see what’s in store. Or if he grows a third arm. That would be cool too. Love you.
Posted by The Waiting | March 23, 2013, 19:05Emily,
Love you too, even if I only ear two arms.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 23, 2013, 19:10A Clown On Fire is great! A gesellschaft for bloggers.
Le Clown’s e-mail address takes me to “Page Not Found”.
So here is the link to my page http://theunconditionalmaverick.wordpress.com/
Really hope you like it.
Posted by Aravind Deepak | March 24, 2013, 07:16Aravind,
Thanks for the link. I’ll take a peek at it this morning.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 25, 2013, 07:14This is only slightly shocking. The flavor has been different around these parts for awhile now. I love your writing, regardless of who’s voice it is, but I especially love Le Clown. There, I said it. I think he’s brilliant, but i can certainly relate to shtick limitations, yo.
Just don’t quit. I would most likely cry.
Posted by Adam S | March 24, 2013, 11:53Adam,
Well, you will be pleased… There will only be Le Clown around here… Eric’s out the window.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 24, 2013, 15:49Ah, schizophrenia. The one true friend of any good writer.
P.S Monty Python is the most profound influence on my aspirational comedic life. Long live the Pythons and all they stand for.
Posted by beckysaysthings | March 24, 2013, 13:15Becky,
Right? I mean, where would Hemingway be without Nick Adams?
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 24, 2013, 16:27Le Clown:
When you combined Eric and Le Clown, I hope you didn’t use that transporter machine that Jeff Goldblum used in The Fly. Otherwise, those hairy things growing out of various parts of your body aren’t what you think they are.
C-a-L
Posted by Curmudgeon-at-Large | March 25, 2013, 09:56You are oh-so-right Le Clown. I like it best when they co-exist. I get to sympathies with/encourage and support my friend Eric, and I get to sneak in a jab and a right hook once in awhile at Le Clown, when Eric’s taking a nap.
Posted by writerwendyreid | March 25, 2013, 15:36I, too, like to mate reality and make-believe. Maybe we should go play in the park?
Posted by Burns the Fire | March 25, 2013, 15:52Brenda,
I’ll bring a TV so the kids can have something to do while we play at the park.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | March 25, 2013, 15:54Yes, LeClown… Yes, LeEric… will there be a sonic boon (sic) felt the world around? I love you both, and Kaufman and all the other men in the moon… Speaking of which, I have had some very strange dreams lately – I wonder if that’s an emotional tsunami resulting from your reconjoining…
Be well, my friends and don’t forget to self hug!
Posted by BuddhaKat | March 25, 2013, 18:32Awesome, it’s rare to witness a case of Dragon Ball Z style fusion in real life! What an honor.
Here’s to the fusion.
Rohan.
Posted by Rohan 7 Things | March 27, 2013, 06:47Well, this post just says it all doesn’t it.
Here I am, one month later and reading this post and now I understand what you meant when you told me what I missed.
This is a real ‘Duh!’ moment for me. Haha.
But, good for you, man. The realizations you vented in this post can mean nothing but good for the character that is Le Clown.
Posted by Daan van den Bergh | April 25, 2013, 08:36Daan,
Well you landed on the seminal post about the new direction. I’d say your job here is done!
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | April 25, 2013, 08:39What! You’re sending me away! That’s not very self-promoting, now is it
Posted by Daan van den Bergh | April 25, 2013, 08:39