Obnoxio the Clown
Marvel Comics character
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Obnoxio the Clown is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics as the mascot of the humor magazine Crazy.[1] He was created by Larry Hama.
| Obnoxio | |
|---|---|
Obnoxio the Clown as depicted in Deadpool: Back in Black volume 1. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Crazy Magazine #63 (June 1980) |
| Created by | Larry Hama |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Human clown |
Characterization
Obnoxio is portrayed as a slovenly, vulgar, cigar-puffing middle-aged man in a torn and dirty clown suit, with a dyspeptic and cynical attitude.
Background
Larry Hama created Obnoxio immediately after he became the editor of Crazy. He explained, "I thought the old mascot was too 'nebbishy.' I wanted someone proactive, and somebody who actually had a voice, unlike all the other humor magazine mascots." The character's face was modeled after Al Milgrom.[2]
Artist Alan Kupperberg, who would become heavily associated with the character, recounted, "Obnoxio's first appearance was in a one-panel illustration to accompany a subscription ad in Crazy, written by Larry and calling for likenesses of P. T. Barnum and Marcy Tweed among others. This was right up my alley, so I pulled the reference and really went to town, doing a very nice half-tone illo. I think the piece impressed Larry quite a bit, because if my memory is correct, Larry left me strictly alone on anything and everything Obnoxio the Clown-related." Most of the Obnoxio features were written by Virgil Diamond, who according to Hama "was a high school English teacher in Brooklyn. I heard from him a few years ago when he retired. He really labored on those pages and was constantly fussing with them."[2]
Obnoxio the Clown appeared in several single-page gags in What If? #34 (August 1982).[2]
Marvel also published a one-shot Obnoxio the Clown (titled Obnoxio the Clown vs. the X-Men on the cover) comic book in April 1983 following Crazy's cancellation.[1][2] The plot centered on Obnoxio as a villain and unlikely ally of the X-Men.[1] He and the group battle Eye Scream, a villain who can transform into ice cream.
The sole issue of the comic book was written, illustrated, colored, and lettered by Alan Kupperberg;[3] in a comment which Kupperberg attributed to Peter David,[4] and which David attributes to James Owsley,[5] the comic was described as "written, penciled, inked and lettered by Alan Kupperberg. Yes, it's untouched by human hands."[non sequitur]
Long after Obnoxio had disappeared from the spotlight, Marvel published two stories written and drawn by Kupperberg in What The--?! #13 (July 1991) and #24 (December 1992).[6]
In other media
- Obnoxio appears in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "Fear Itself", voiced by John DiMaggio.[7]
- Android clones of Obnoxio appear in Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade's Revenge.[8]
- Obnoxio appears in the novel Doctor Doom: The Chaos Trilogy.[citation needed]