The Wave That Every Mascot Copied

In 1963, a regional burger chain hired a local circus performer to launch a grand opening in Washington, D.C. Families loved the colors, the laugh, the gloved wave. Then the story takes a turn. That same day, three children went missing and were found hours later near the dumpsters, silent—drawing the same face: red hair, yellow suit, a wide smile.

The performer stayed on. Crowds grew. Parents said kids seemed mesmerized—they’d track the clown’s wave with their eyes and forget everything else. From 1963 to 1967, the legend claims more disappearances clustered around shows, with children later found silent and still drawing clowns. No charges were filed; investigators said there wasn’t enough to prove anything. The company retired the person—but kept the character. Colors, smile, even the signature wave survived, copied by every successor.

This episode is a Critique: legend vs. record, how attention as a spell turns into design, and why a gesture can outlive the performer who made it. No gore, no accusations—just the images that won’t leave: a cardboard smile in a window, a gloved hand held mid-wave, and a crayon circle drawn wider and wider.