Homey D. Clown
Context
In Living Colors was a humour TV show in the early 1990s. Unlike other shows, it was produced and told from a mostly African-American perspective – which proved quite successful.
“Homey D. Clown” was one of the show’s signature characters, and is still well-remembered to this day. He’s actor Damon Wayans’ Angry Black Man persona who is an ex-con forced to work as a clown-for-hire, resulting in biting skits.
More context
- This one is requested by my wife. When my wife takes an interest in my hobby how can I say no.
- There was a computer adventure game released in 1993 for the PC featuring the character, I know very little about it and have no access to it so it is not included in this profile.
- This profile is based on the skits I could find on YouTube. I am only missing 2 of the 11 skits. Homey D. Clown: Parole romance and Homey the Sellout.
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Background
- Real Name: Herman Simpson.
- Other Aliases: Homey Claus (While dressed as Santa for Christmas).
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: Homey Jr. (son).
- Group Affiliation: None.
- Base Of Operations: Apartment in an unnamed city.
- Height: 6’2” Weight: 195 lbs.
- Eyes: Brown Hair: Red
Powers and Abilities
Homey has no powers to speak of. He will always have his black sock filled with tennis balls in his right hand ready for use. Homey has a fairly quick wit and can come up with a quick rhyme on the spot.
One on one, Homey seems to be able to fight and beat most normal human adversaries, strangling them or tying them up off screen.
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History
After 8 years in prison, Herman Simpson works as a clown as part of his parole agreement. Even though he is always dressed as a clown and taking on his “Homey D. Clown” persona, he doesn’t always take jobs for a clown. On separate occasions, he has worked as a substitute teacher and as a mall Santa.
Homey also does self-promotion like setting up a one-stop carnival or converting a Chuck-E-Cheese into a home. In one episode Homey convinced a scout group called the Woodpeckers to turn on their leader, each member wielding a black “Homey” sock and his familiar rhetoric.
At one point it appeared Homey sold out to the Man, doing whatever the Man wanted so, he could get closer to him. Finally, his plan came to fruition and Homey had an audience with the Man himself. Homey took advantage of this and bopped the Man several times on the head with his sock to disgrace him.
Video
Introducing Homey D. Clown.
Description
Homey is a young Black man who wears face paint, red hair, balding head, red nose, and a baggy yellow and orange clown suit with large pompom buttons and oversized shoes. He constantly carries in his right hand a meter long black tube sock packed with several tennis balls.
While dressed as a mall Santa, Homey wore the clown outfit, but added a Santa over-coat. In a dream sequence he worked at a restaurant, he was still in his clown make-up and oversized shoes but wore a tuxedo instead of the yellow and orange clown suit.
Personality
A frustrated and sometimes violent young man, Homey hits anyone who asks him to perform standard clown antics with a tennis ball-filled sock. His goal in life is to get even with “The Man”, a personification of the White males that are “holding him down”. The Man later turns out to be an actual person.
Homey usually ends his clown act with a sing-along, which normally ends with him in a degenerating rant.
Homey often refers to himself in third person and will rant about the Man and the Establishment. His irrational behavior once caused him to give up a girl, Sally, even when he was head over heels in love with her. Homey saw her love as a plot to “whiten him up” and as we all know…”Homey don’t play dat.”
Quotes
“I don’t think so… Homey don’t play dat.”
Homey: “Want to see a trick ?”
Partier: “Yeah !”
Homey: “Give me a dollar.”
(Speaking to his parole officer about his file) “It’s a long list of lies perpetrated by the “Man” to keep a brother down.”
Child at a party: “Why did you become a clown ?”
Homey: “I guess it’s because I’ve got so much love to give… and it’s part of my prison work release program. I got about 5 more years of this clown crap.”
(At a school where Homey is student teaching, one of the children suggests the class finger-paint. Homey shows them how the “Man” finger paints by dipping the girl’s finger tips in the paint and rolling them as if taking finger prints.)
Girl: “It’s not very pretty.”
Homey: “Damn right it ain’t. By the looks of your face neither is your momma, now sit down !” (Smacks her in the head with the sock)
(Girl asks to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what she wants for Christmas)
“Oh, so let I get this straight, you want me to lower myself so that you can assume a superior position and then demand tribute ?”
All the children together: “Yeah !”
Homey: (Whop) “Homey don’t play dat.”
Homey: “So, you want to be in a gang huh, make you feel like a big man, huh ?”
Kid who wants to be in a gang: “Yeah !”
Homey: “Since you a big man, Homey got something special for you. Look in the bag.”
Kid: “Let me see. I don’t see nothing.”
Homey: “You got to look closer.”
(Kid sticks his head in the bag and Homey cinches it up so the kid can’t get back out.)
Homey: “Now what do you see ?”
Kid: “Nothing !”
Homey: “Same thing your dumbass get out of a gang, nothing.”
“Hey, the White girl is off-beat.”
DC Universe History
I have no idea…I guess put him on the street and have the players encounter him. Or if the players are doing some detective work they could come across Homey on a false lead.
Homey could always serve as an insert into an Ambush Bug adventure. Perhaps he runs into Ambush Bug and Cheeks the Toy Wonder and decides to compare notes.
Another note. There is some similarity in Homey to Obnoxio the Clown from Marvel.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Homey D. Clown
A 143 points Character
| Dex: 02 | Str: 02 | Bod: 02 | Motivation: Seeking Justice…or perhaps Psychopath |
| Int: 03 | Wil: 03 | Min: 04 | Occupation: Ex-Con, Clown |
| Inf: 04 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 04 | Resources {or Wealth}: 002 (Homey has stated he makes minimum wage, $4.25/hour at that time.) |
| Init: 010 | HP: 010 |
Skills:
Martial Artist (AV only, +1 to Init): 04, Weaponry (Exotic: Tennis Ball filled Sock): 04
Advantages:
None demonstrated.
Connections:
None.
Drawbacks:
Enemy (The Man), CIA (Homey the Clown persona – see Personality).
Genre:
Mock-Real.
Equipment:
Tube-sock filled with Tennis Balls [BODY 01, EV 00, Bonuses & Limitations: EV is limited to Bashing damage (-1) Cost: 02]. Normally used only for humiliation, Homey may AP add STR to EV of Sock for a stun effect but Homey doesn’t normally do this, surprisingly, even when he got the opportunity to bop “The Man”.
Source of Character: 1990 – 1994 T.V. series In Living Color comedy sketch Homey D. Clown, played by Damon Wayans.
Helper(s): Wikipedia.org, tvacres.com, Frank Murdock, Sébastien Andrivet.
Writeup completed on the 25th of October, 2010.