Krusty the Clown
Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky (Yiddish: הערשעל שמױקל פּינחס ירוחם קרוסטאַפֿסקי; Hebrew: הירשל שמויקל פנחס ירוחם קרוסטופסקי), better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown (sometimes spelled as Krusty the Klown), is a recurring character on the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is the long-time clown host of Bart and Lisa's favorite TV show, a combination of kiddie variety television hijinks and cartoons including The Itchy & Scratchy Show. Krusty is often portrayed as a cynical, burnt-out, addiction-riddled smoker who is made miserable by show business but continues on anyway. He has become one of the most frequently occurring characters outside the main Simpson family and has been the focus of many episodes, some of which also feature Sideshow Bob.
| Krusty the Clown | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons character | |
| First appearance |
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| Created by | Matt Groening |
| Designed by | Matt Groening |
| Voiced by | Dan Castellaneta |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Television clown, entertainer, Congressman |
| Family |
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| Spouse |
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| Significant others | Princess Penelope Owsley (ex-fiancée) |
| Children | Sophie Krustofsky (daughter) |
| Relatives | Jungle Boy (nephew) |
| Religion | Judaism |
Krusty was created by cartoonist Matt Groening and partially inspired by Rusty Nails, a television clown from Groening's hometown of Portland, Oregon. He was designed to look like Homer Simpson with clown makeup, with the original idea being that Bart worships a television clown who was actually his own father in disguise. His voice is based on Bob Bell, who portrayed WGN-TV's Bozo the Clown. Krusty made his television debut on January 15, 1989, in the Tracey Ullman Show short "The Krusty the Clown Show".