Cosmo The Clown

I AM AFRAID OF CLOWNS

That’s a phrase I had heard countless times before I met Mike Richards – AKA Kooky Cosmo The Clown. Mike works in New York City as a professional clown, performing for children in hospitals and at private birthday parties. On the weekends he stays sharp by performing on the subway. His routine is timed to the minute as his performance lasts only as long as it takes to get from one station to the next.

I had been looking to do a project on subway performers for quite a while when luck would have it, our paths crossed on the N train in Brooklyn around Thanksgiving. When I met Cosmo I knew I had found my subject.

Most people will tell you they are afraid of clowns. I personally have a hard time believing that, but it’s not for me to judge. I will tell you that, after 3-5 minutes with Kooky Cosmo on a subway, more than likely, you, along with everyone else on that train, will come away loving clowns.

I have seen Cosmo turn the bitter, subway-riding New Yorker’s frown upside down and transform every adult into a laughing child.