NEW TIMES What are your responsibilities as a clown?

PISMO My vision is to bring love, smiles, and goodwill toward everyone.

NEW TIMES Who are some clowns—well-known or not—who have inspired you?

PISMO I have been inspired by my brother, the famous Jokey the Clown, and my wife, Avila Beach the Clown.

NEW TIMES Why do you think some kids (and adults) are afraid of clowns?

PISMO In the old days, everyone loved clowns. Back then, clowns were on TV, in parades, at parties and special events. I’ve found that older adults and little kids still love clowns. However, I’ve also found some of the 30-year-old folks with tattoos are afraid of clowns. Perhaps they are afraid because of scary movies that put clowns in a bad light?

NEW TIMES Why did you choose the name “Pismo the Clown?”

PISMO I came up with the name “Pismo the Clown” as a promotion to the city of Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo County. I'm in most of Pismo Beach’s parades. My goal as Pismo the Clown is to promote tourism to SLO and to some day become a mascot and sell T-shirts of myself holding a surfboard with a caption saying “Clowning Around in Pismo Beach.” I'm also Grove the Clown of Grover Beach, and I'm also known as the health-care clown because I visit sick folks in the hospital and cheer them up.

NEW TIMES Have you ever thought of having your own TV show?

PISMO Jokey and I are trying to get a big TV network like A&E to give us our own reality weekly TV show where a camera crew follows us around at parades, parties, and events. We would also write our own skits for the show.

NEW TIMES What is your favorite joke?

PISMO Why are football stadiums always so cold? Because of all the FANS!