Homey the Clown was a North American urban legend (specifically Chicago) surrounding a killer clown, predating the "Creepy Clown Craze" by several years, originating in 1991. The story sparked intense public controversy and even caused a localized hysteria, very much like the "Creepy Clown Craze" would many years later.
Despite this controversy, the urban legend remains largely open to debate with no hard evidence existing to prove or disprove that Homey the Clown existed or if he was the product of a macabre imagination/prank.
The basics behind almost all Homey the Clown "sightings" were that a strange clown was seen stalking children, often trying to get them to enter his car or van, with legends soon spreading that this clown was a child-molester, serial-killer or deranged maniac out to sexually assault and murder children.
Homey the Clown was named after a Damon Wayans character from early 90s comedy, In Living Color, which the criminal was said to have dressed as. Indeed, some sightings even went as far as remembering the clown carrying a sock, which the character in the show would use to hit children with.
