What's the Fate of the Evil Clown of Middletown?

Owners of Circus Wines in Middletown announced plans to move to the Trader Joe's-helmed Middletown Plaza, leaving many wondering about the fate of the so-called "Evil Clown" of Middletown standing out front.

The clown, whose official name is Calico, was first erected in 1956 as a roadside advertisement for a new grocery store. The clown's menacing face and visibility on a highly traffic section of Route 35 in Middletown made it iconic for those of us who grew up in Monmouth County.

This fascination with the clown reached statewide status with its appearance on the cover of Weird N.J. And its legacy spread throughout the country thanks to director Kevin Smith, a Monmouth County native who featured a shot of the clown in the first scene of Clerks II and in a segment on The Tonight Show.

The grocery store became a liquor store in the 1990s, but the building and the property remained in the ownership of the Azzolina and Scaduto families.

With the family under contract to sell the land and planning to move the store by the fall, what will happen to Calico? Lovers of the "Evil Clown" can breathe a sigh of relief: he's not going anywhere.