Hey..you're that clown, right? Happy Birthday!

Right when I first walked into Clown College in Florida back in 1996 and my subsequent years touring with a few shows around the globe, people would start picking up clown related items and give them to me as gifts.

They could be family, friends or fans. It didn't matter. Whenever they stopped by the ole' big top and sawdust trail, they would have a nice little clown item to hand me.

Sort of like this:

Or this:

I have a trunk load of this stuff sitting in my storage space in New York collecting circus fleas and dreaming cotton candy delights.

After my umpteenth Clown hand puppet complete with honking nose, I developed a slight phobia towards clown crap

UNTIL

Super cool artist, Reni Wong , surprised me on my birthday recently with a very cool portrait of me and my doppleganger.

He also had some really nice things to say on his blog, although I'm not sure if I deserve it or not..

Comparing me to Buster Keaton? wow...I'm flattered

So THANK YOU Reni Wong..

Thank you for the awesome portrait

Thank you for making me like clown stuff again

Thank you for being such a nifty dude

I've officially put you on my "Must Pick Up the Phone Every Time You Call" List

Not a lot of folks are on that one..

That's how much I love ya!

And as for you, Etchy....

That's MISTER Ronald McDonald to you, Pal!