Krusty the Clown has delighted the kids of Springfield for well over 30 years on The Simpsons. He's considered Bart's heroic idol and could do no wrong in his eyes. Like any human, Krusty made a few mistakes, but Bart's idolizing worship never faltered.
Oak Park, IL native and the voice of Homer, Dan Castellaneta, also provides the voice of TV's most famous clown in animation. He based Krusty's vocals on Bob Bell, the original Bozo the Clown from Chicago. Krusty's likeness and image are inspired by Matt Groening's childhood clown, Rusty Nails from Portland, Oregon.
Now, that's a creepy name that you can't sleep to.
As it's Passover Week, we're celebrating with five of the best Krusty the Clown episodes Krusty is proud of his Judaism, even though he might not always put it it into practice. Yet, we still can't get enough of this clown and his oddities. Or his whacky TV show.
5 Krusty the Clown episodes from The Simpsons that will make you go "Hey hey!"
"Krusty Gets Busted"
Season 1
"Krusty Gets Busted" was the introduction to the series for the clown and his sideshow assistant, Sideshow Bob. The former's very first appearance in the franchise was the Simpsons short, "The Krusty the Clown Show" from The Tracey Ullman Show.
The episode is also Sideshow Bob's first full-length piece, and Kelsey Grammer's initiation. He was the producer's second choice to voice the schematic sidekick, after James Earl Jones. Jones went on to have a Simpsons legacy of his own, especially in the "Treehouse of Horror" franchise.
Anyways, in the season 1 episode, Krusty has been framed by no other than Sideshow Bob. His motive was to get out of Krusty's over-large shadow and have the applause all to himself. The plan of robbing the Kwik-E-Mart dressed as Krusty would have worked, had it not been for Homer stepping on his abnormally big foot and plenty of other actions.
What makes the situation even more hilarious is that the police failed to see all the evidence that pointed to Bob, and it was Bart who foiled his near-perfect crime. And he would do so again on many more occasions.
The 10-year-old gained his idolization back in Krusty, not that it dissipated for a second.
"Like Father, Like Clown"
Season 3
The green-haired funny man goes on a dinner invite to the Simpsons. During the prayer before the meal, it's learned that Krutsy is Jewish, who used to reside on the Lower East Side of Springfield. It is revealed that he hasn't seen his father, Hyman Krustofsky, a well-respected Rabbi (Jackie Mason), in 25 years. The absence projected a long strain and an emptiness in Krusty.
Despite their own checkered relationship with their own dad, Homer, Bart and Lisa invest their time to reunite Krusty with his father. It's a tiring mission, especially Hyman was stubborn and still held resentment.
The Simpson kids' efforts are paid off, though, as at the end, Krusty and his dad were brought back together. It was one of The Simpsons' most beautiful moments.
"Kamp Krusty"
Season 4
Bart and Lisa are about to have the summer of their lives when they attend Kamp Krusty. What was supposed to be six weeks of spending time with Krusty, sharing campfire stories, and experiencing the ultimate escape turned into a nightmare. The camp soon became a survival battle, and an uprising led by Bart triggered a revolution. He soon becomes the leader, much to Homer's dismay, and tells the world about the camp's horrors and mistreatment.
When Krusty hears that his "Kamp" has gone downhill, he heads over there himself. To make up for the lousy conditions, he takes the kids to Tijuana, Mexico.
The closing song, "South of the Border," wasn't performed by Frank Sinatra as fans initially believed, but rather, it was sung by Gene Merlino.
"Kamp Krustier" was a follow-up to "Kamp Krusty," and was a season 28 episode.
"Today, I Am a Clown"
Season 15
Bar Mitzvahs (and Bat Mitzvahs) are comprehensive and imperative for Jewish children who are about to enter adulthood. Except, Krusty never had one, making him disassociated with his religion. With the help of his dad and Bart and Lisa, the clown not only had one Bar Mitzvah celebration, but two. The first one was a broadcast on Krusty the Clown, but it caused disappointment in Hyman, and a more traditional Bar Mitzvah was performed at a synagogue.
"Today, I Am a Clown" brought back Mason from season 3 and Castellaneta won an Emmy for his superior work.
"Not It"
Season 34
"Not It" depicts a non-canonical Krusty the Clown as Krusto, a manifestation of children's fears and a parody of Stephen King's horror novel of It. Krusto's design is based off of fans' tattoos and the writers were so impressed by the dedication that they decided to create an episode.
That's some appreciation right there.
The "Not It" installment is the second full-length Halloween episode, following season 27's "Halloween of Horror."
BONUS KRUSTY THE CLOWN EPISODE
"Homie the Clown"
Season 6
We're finishing off with the classic "Homie the Clown."
After seeing a billboard, Homer decides to enroll in clown college. There, he learns the forms of the craft and soon becomes a Krusty fill-in whenever and wherever needed. Yet, being a clown has its pitfalls, and Homer experiences one of them when the mafia mistakes him for the real Krusty.
The scenario gets pretty funny, as the mob boss couldn't tell the difference between the Krustys, And that was the point of the episode. Bart worships Krusty, but has zero respect for Homer, so seeing his dad as his hero gave the youngster a light for him