About

Namtro is my last name backwards. My dad came up with it. He was a clown with the Shrine for about twenty years, weekends mostly, and I'd go along and carry his stuff. When I was 23 he put me in makeup for the Shrine circus at the fairgrounds because somebody didn't show up, and I just kept doing it. He passed in 2014. I still use his old shoes for parades.

I live in Kokomo, in half a duplex on the north side. I drive a 2011 Impala with 214,000 miles on it and a back seat full of balloons. I have a daughter, Kayla, up in Fort Wayne, and a grandson, Eli, who is five and thinks it's funny that his grandpa is a clown and doesn't think it's funny that his grandpa smokes.

What I do

• Birthday parties. Most of what I do.
• Church things. Christmas parties, VBS, fish fries if they want a clown at a fish fry, which some do.
• Library summer reading kickoffs.
• Parades. Haynes Apperson every year, and whatever else asks.
• Nursing homes. I do these for free, once a month. The residents are a better crowd than most eight year olds.

Balloons, some magic, a lot of falling down, and face paint if you want it. I don't do scary clown stuff or haunted houses. People ask every October.

What it costs

$175 for an hour in Howard County, face paint included. If it's more than half an hour away I add some for gas. Nursing homes and the children's hospital are free. If your church is short on money this year, tell me, we'll work something out.

Most people find me through somebody who had me at their party. That's still the best way. If you don't know anybody who knows me, you probably know somebody who does, it's Kokomo.

The smoking thing

I don't smoke at your party. I don't smoke where your kids can see me. That's a rule I actually keep, except for once, which I wrote about. I will be honest that I have probably had one on my porch before I came over. I'm working on it. The number at the top of the page is how it's going.