Clowns put a funny spin on the art of business

They may be in it for the laughs. But for serious clowns, professionalism is no laughing matter.

Based in Cedar Rapids, Jacob Cowger - more commonly known as Sparkles the Clown - is celebrating his 27th year as a clown.

“I learned the old-fashioned way,” Cowger recalled. “I got connected with all the local clowns in the area when I was young and had them teach me everything they knew about clowning - how to blow up balloons, put on makeup and look professional, and do basic magic tricks.”

In addition to his apprentice training when he was young, Cowger also attended Clown College in Sarasota, Fla., where he fine-tuned those skills with practice, patience and plenty of real work experience.

Today, he performs birthday parties, parades, promotions, holiday events and fundraisers. Each event comes with an hourly rate charge.

He also works regularly scheduled gigs at special events such as the Free Kids Movies held in the summer at Collins Road Theatres in Cedar Rapids.

A bit of juggling

Over time, Cowger has honed his skills at balloon twisting to now include more intricate designs - so rather than just standard balloon animals, he now creates more intricate characters such as jet packs and cartoon scenes.

“I also do comedy magic, a bit of juggling and face painting. I cover all the basics as an entertainer and a general goofball,” Cowger said.

To keep up with his demanding schedule, Cowger practices to re-polish specific routines he uses for each event. There are always new techniques to learn.

“Magic as a whole has changed - some older tricks don't go over as well, so we have to change things up to keep the audience surprised,” he said.

While maintaining a sense of humor, he admitted that his industry also faces challenges.

“Clowning as a whole is dying off - especially in the last decade. There just aren't many around anymore,” Cowger said.

“My business stays steady year-round, but I'm one of the few.”

Spring and summer tend to be his busiest months, and he will do anywhere from 150 to 250 shows each year.

Cowger's business expanded about seven years ago, when he and his wife became the owners of Balloons, Etc. & the Costume Emporium in downtown Cedar Rapids. The shop, which started as a balloon and magic store, now offers costumes and entertainment-related products.

With this venture - and all his others - Cowger has learned to be open-minded and willing to share ideas with other professionals.

“You hit a lot of bumps and curves in the process, but you learn to grow and keep going,” he said.

Learning the trade

Like Cowger, Wes Little started out as a professional clown at a fairly young age - that was 18 years ago, just before his youngest son was born. Little uses the name Gunny the Clown, which is a stage name that stemmed from his former service as a marine.

Until that point, he and his wife taught a small local funny class, which inspired Little to pursue a more long-term career in the field of entertainment and comedy. Today, he is based in Tipton and works gigs all over Eastern Iowa.

“The first year I clowned, I thought you just put on makeup and a costume and that was it. Boy, was I wrong,” he said.

A year later, he joined the Quad City Clown Group, where he was able to learn specifics of the trade and how to be more professional.

The skills Little has developed over the years range from the broad topic of crowd interaction to the expertise of sticking stickers. One of his main talents is balloon twisting - a highlight of birthday parties, which are his most common events.

Little also finds work at company picnics, carnivals, festivals and other seasonal celebrations. Events are charged at an hourly rate, and most birthday parties fall under a flat one-hour fee.

“For me, January and February are my slowest months, when I might only have one or two gigs a week. But come June, business picks up heavily because there are a lot more outdoor events going on,” he noted.

Over the past two decades in the business, Little admits that clowning has definitely changed.

“Clowns are often less dressed up now, and more dressed down - they don't wear as much makeup and maybe they don't wear a wig and hat,” he said. “I think interacting with audiences has also become more important.”

To keep up with these changes in the field, Little is always on the hunt for new ideas and techniques. “I try to go to a convention, trade show or class in the Midwest at least once a year so I'm always learning,” Little said.

He also uses online resources such as YouTube to watch videos about honing his craft. Lucky for Little, other industry professionals are open-minded, too.

“Clowns are a small community, and we pretty much all know each other, so we share ideas a lot,” he said.