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When Clowns Attack

A Survival Guide

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Hardcover
$14.99 US
5.5"W x 8.3"H x 0.6"D   | 13 oz | 12 per carton
On sale Sep 29, 2015 | 136 Pages | 978-1-60774-703-1
additional book photo
additional book photo
THEY’RE COMING FOR YOU
 
Coulrophobia--the fear of clowns--is very real and for good reason. You might think these red-nosed jokers are creepy, sure, but certainly not dangerous. You’d be wrong. Clowns never reveal their real names, and dress to obscure their identities. The rules of civilized society don't apply to them (what other stranger could offer candy to children and get away with it?), they have countless places to hide weapons on their person, and their appearance is downright unnatural. Clowns are the scariest people on earth, and the truth is, they are coming for your valuables, your children, and your sanity.
In this comprehensive guide to self-protection from clown creepery, petty crime, and violence, Chuck Sambuchino--founder of the anti-clown group Red Nose Alert--delves into the terrifying clown underworld to provide the knowledge you need to know to protect yourself from these seemingly innocuous gagmen, using his proven four-step system: ASSESS, ANALYZE, DEFEND, PROTECT.  Included within are instructions on how to defeat a clown in close combat, tips for spotting the plainclothes clown, and tutorials for fully clown-proofing your home against these painted and bewigged warriors. Most importantly, you’ll learn what to do when clowns attack… because it’s only a matter of time before they do.
CHUCK SAMBUCHINO (@chucksambuchino) of Writer's Digest Books edits the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN'S WRITER'S & ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog is one of the largest blogs in publishing. His 2010 humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, was optioned by Sony Pictures. His latest humor book, WHEN CLOWNS ATTACK: A SURVIVAL GUIDE (Sept. 29, 2015), will protect people everywhere from malicious bozos and jokers who haunt our lives. His books have been mentioned in Reader’s Digest, USA Today, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Variety, New York Magazine, and more. View titles by Chuck Sambuchino
INTRODUCTION

Step right up. Come one, come all.” What you read in these pages just might save your life.
Right now, in every nation around the globe, the greatest danger isn’t nuclear proliferation or the possibility of World War III. It is, in fact, clowns. I know what you’re thinking— sure, these red-nosed jokers are creepy, but they’re not really dangerous, and all those rumors about clowns and crime (such as the size-22 shoe prints found near where they last saw Jimmy Hoffa) are just the sensational drivel of conspiracy theorists. 

Those kinds of naïve misconceptions are exactly what people think right before they get stabbed in a neighborhood controlled by clown gangs.

The truth is, while plenty of these bozos are capable of only acts such as petty theft right before they drunkenly pee their pants, too many others commit much worse crimes—especially if you provoke them. Clowns are everywhere, both in costume and in plainclothes, and if you encounter one mano a clowno, your best-case outcome is a traumatized child (and adult); the worst is loss of loot, limb, or life. 

For decades these performers have haunted us—at Halloween fright fests, in the depths of carnival funhouses, and in Batman movies. All the while, we wonder what the heck they’re hiding in those enormous shoes. Weapons? Booze? A syringe? Probably all three—we just don’t know. We generally don’t know anything about a clown—hence our fear of them. And after decades of their multiplying unchecked and engaging in a public relations campaign to make us believe they’re symbols of jollity and happiness, our planet now confronts a full-blown bozo epidemic.

It’s with all this in mind that I, founder of the anti-clown group Red Nose Alert, sat down to compose this life-saving guide. Both my grandfathers suffered assaults at the hands of deranged jokers years ago, so I learned from a young age that clowns are just as violent and demented as we’ve suspected. We at Red Nose Alert want to share our knowledge with you before it’s too late.
However evil you may already think these performers are, they’re worse. Some will assault bystanders for no reason; others are working with much grander goals in mind. Want details?

Brace yourself. Clown cartels control illicit drug distribution channels, black-market organ sales, and pantaloon outlet stores in every major city worldwide. To keep their numbers high, they abduct and brainwash children to join their polka-dotted ranks. And once they’ve collected enough money, children, and helium, they’ll realize their ultimate goal of world domination—where brutal “clown law” is absolute and final.

Have you ever wondered why clowns eat so many Twinkies? It’s because these cream-filled snacks can survive a nuclear blast, and clowns are convinced that if they consume enough Twinkies, no amount of radiation will be able to stop them. After the nuclear fallout, all that will be left are cockroaches and clowns—which was exactly their plan all along. Meanwhile, every year, while the public continues to believe that clowns are happy, peppy people at best, and a little creepy but harmless at worst, they inch that much closer to the front door and your toddler.

But fear not. Now that you are aware of the imminent danger, you’re much safer than you were sixty seconds ago. The next thing you can do is rip up those tickets to the circus and then sit down to learn everything you can about protecting yourself and your family. Do you know how to use a banana peel or exploding cigar to stop a group of approaching jokers? How shoe color designates clown gang rankings? We will teach you all that and more.

In these pages, you’ll learn everything you need to know about clown anatomy and attire, clown props, locations and gatherings of clowns, clown attacks, infamous clowns (serial killer John Wayne Gacy, anyone?), and more. So what you need to do now is go to the window and listen for circus music or any hyuk-hyuk laughter. Peer out into the street to check for unicycle graffiti symbols or plainclothes clown gangsters selling laughing gas right there in broad daylight. If it’s all clear, then you’re safe—for now. Deadbolt the doors and settle in. This book will no doubt save your skin.
INTRODUCTION   1
1: ASSESS   
Why Clowns Frighten People   6
The Mental Instability of Clowns   15
2: ANALYZE   
Types of Clowns   29
The Party Clown   29
The Circus Clown   30
The Street Clown   32
The Tramp or Hobo   33
The Dunking Booth Clown   34
The Cirque de Soleil “Clown”   35
Clown Anatomy   41
Hat   41
Wig   43
Face Paint   44
Nose   47
Shoes   47
Oversized Pants   50
Clown Communication & Lingo    53


3: DEFEND   
Bozo Hotspots   61
Targets for Attack   65
When Clowns Attack   73
Clown Weapons (Their Arsenal)   74
Clown Assault Tactics   83
How to Defeat a Clown   87
Clown Gangs   95
How to Escape a Clown Posse   99
4: PROTECT   
Spotting the Plainclothes Clown   106
Signs that Clowns Are Nearby   115
Protect Your Home   119
Conclusion   127
Acknowledgments   128
Photo Credits   129

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo

About

THEY’RE COMING FOR YOU
 
Coulrophobia--the fear of clowns--is very real and for good reason. You might think these red-nosed jokers are creepy, sure, but certainly not dangerous. You’d be wrong. Clowns never reveal their real names, and dress to obscure their identities. The rules of civilized society don't apply to them (what other stranger could offer candy to children and get away with it?), they have countless places to hide weapons on their person, and their appearance is downright unnatural. Clowns are the scariest people on earth, and the truth is, they are coming for your valuables, your children, and your sanity.
In this comprehensive guide to self-protection from clown creepery, petty crime, and violence, Chuck Sambuchino--founder of the anti-clown group Red Nose Alert--delves into the terrifying clown underworld to provide the knowledge you need to know to protect yourself from these seemingly innocuous gagmen, using his proven four-step system: ASSESS, ANALYZE, DEFEND, PROTECT.  Included within are instructions on how to defeat a clown in close combat, tips for spotting the plainclothes clown, and tutorials for fully clown-proofing your home against these painted and bewigged warriors. Most importantly, you’ll learn what to do when clowns attack… because it’s only a matter of time before they do.

Author

CHUCK SAMBUCHINO (@chucksambuchino) of Writer's Digest Books edits the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN'S WRITER'S & ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog is one of the largest blogs in publishing. His 2010 humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, was optioned by Sony Pictures. His latest humor book, WHEN CLOWNS ATTACK: A SURVIVAL GUIDE (Sept. 29, 2015), will protect people everywhere from malicious bozos and jokers who haunt our lives. His books have been mentioned in Reader’s Digest, USA Today, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Variety, New York Magazine, and more. View titles by Chuck Sambuchino

Excerpt

INTRODUCTION

Step right up. Come one, come all.” What you read in these pages just might save your life.
Right now, in every nation around the globe, the greatest danger isn’t nuclear proliferation or the possibility of World War III. It is, in fact, clowns. I know what you’re thinking— sure, these red-nosed jokers are creepy, but they’re not really dangerous, and all those rumors about clowns and crime (such as the size-22 shoe prints found near where they last saw Jimmy Hoffa) are just the sensational drivel of conspiracy theorists. 

Those kinds of naïve misconceptions are exactly what people think right before they get stabbed in a neighborhood controlled by clown gangs.

The truth is, while plenty of these bozos are capable of only acts such as petty theft right before they drunkenly pee their pants, too many others commit much worse crimes—especially if you provoke them. Clowns are everywhere, both in costume and in plainclothes, and if you encounter one mano a clowno, your best-case outcome is a traumatized child (and adult); the worst is loss of loot, limb, or life. 

For decades these performers have haunted us—at Halloween fright fests, in the depths of carnival funhouses, and in Batman movies. All the while, we wonder what the heck they’re hiding in those enormous shoes. Weapons? Booze? A syringe? Probably all three—we just don’t know. We generally don’t know anything about a clown—hence our fear of them. And after decades of their multiplying unchecked and engaging in a public relations campaign to make us believe they’re symbols of jollity and happiness, our planet now confronts a full-blown bozo epidemic.

It’s with all this in mind that I, founder of the anti-clown group Red Nose Alert, sat down to compose this life-saving guide. Both my grandfathers suffered assaults at the hands of deranged jokers years ago, so I learned from a young age that clowns are just as violent and demented as we’ve suspected. We at Red Nose Alert want to share our knowledge with you before it’s too late.
However evil you may already think these performers are, they’re worse. Some will assault bystanders for no reason; others are working with much grander goals in mind. Want details?

Brace yourself. Clown cartels control illicit drug distribution channels, black-market organ sales, and pantaloon outlet stores in every major city worldwide. To keep their numbers high, they abduct and brainwash children to join their polka-dotted ranks. And once they’ve collected enough money, children, and helium, they’ll realize their ultimate goal of world domination—where brutal “clown law” is absolute and final.

Have you ever wondered why clowns eat so many Twinkies? It’s because these cream-filled snacks can survive a nuclear blast, and clowns are convinced that if they consume enough Twinkies, no amount of radiation will be able to stop them. After the nuclear fallout, all that will be left are cockroaches and clowns—which was exactly their plan all along. Meanwhile, every year, while the public continues to believe that clowns are happy, peppy people at best, and a little creepy but harmless at worst, they inch that much closer to the front door and your toddler.

But fear not. Now that you are aware of the imminent danger, you’re much safer than you were sixty seconds ago. The next thing you can do is rip up those tickets to the circus and then sit down to learn everything you can about protecting yourself and your family. Do you know how to use a banana peel or exploding cigar to stop a group of approaching jokers? How shoe color designates clown gang rankings? We will teach you all that and more.

In these pages, you’ll learn everything you need to know about clown anatomy and attire, clown props, locations and gatherings of clowns, clown attacks, infamous clowns (serial killer John Wayne Gacy, anyone?), and more. So what you need to do now is go to the window and listen for circus music or any hyuk-hyuk laughter. Peer out into the street to check for unicycle graffiti symbols or plainclothes clown gangsters selling laughing gas right there in broad daylight. If it’s all clear, then you’re safe—for now. Deadbolt the doors and settle in. This book will no doubt save your skin.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION   1
1: ASSESS   
Why Clowns Frighten People   6
The Mental Instability of Clowns   15
2: ANALYZE   
Types of Clowns   29
The Party Clown   29
The Circus Clown   30
The Street Clown   32
The Tramp or Hobo   33
The Dunking Booth Clown   34
The Cirque de Soleil “Clown”   35
Clown Anatomy   41
Hat   41
Wig   43
Face Paint   44
Nose   47
Shoes   47
Oversized Pants   50
Clown Communication & Lingo    53


3: DEFEND   
Bozo Hotspots   61
Targets for Attack   65
When Clowns Attack   73
Clown Weapons (Their Arsenal)   74
Clown Assault Tactics   83
How to Defeat a Clown   87
Clown Gangs   95
How to Escape a Clown Posse   99
4: PROTECT   
Spotting the Plainclothes Clown   106
Signs that Clowns Are Nearby   115
Protect Your Home   119
Conclusion   127
Acknowledgments   128
Photo Credits   129