International Clown Week: Clowning Around

Continuing with International Clown Week the Joker seeks revenge on the circus that turned him down.

In all the origins of the Joker, I don’t remember him ever attempting employment with a circus. Dick Grayson, yes. Jason Todd – pre Crisis – yes.

Even Geoff John’s premise never postulated a career under the big top.

Yet, here he is, taking revenge for a slight that may have never happened. To add insult to injury, the Joker’s plan is foiled by the ring master and common clowns working the three rings.

Though first introduced in Batman (1940) issue one, his origin wasn’t revealed until Detective Comics (1939) 168 in 1951. Alan Moore would expand and expound on that origin further in 1988’s prestige one shot The Killing Joke. John’s The Three Jokers is only the latest attempt to explain the Joker.

An interesting fact is DC Comics wouldn’t allow its stars to be seen chowing down on any of the Hostess goodies so as not to endorse the product.

Guess it was all right to shill for ‘em.