Review by Rick West

Ah, those clowns just keep a comin' and a comin' back to the Scary Farm - creepy crazies that are armed with horns, whistles and bulbous red noses. They are a fun group, and while I personally don't get it, I realize that there are a lot of people out there that are scared shitless of clowns.

And Knott's knows that too.

For years, clowns in one form or another have roamed parts of Knott's Scary Farm during the annual Halloween Haunt event - from Uncle Ernie's Madhouse to the Boardwalk. Small, tall, fat, thin... they have creeped out Knott's visitors for decades - and by the looks of things, they're just getting warmed up!

2009 saw the debut of a new era in clown terror with the 3-D maze, Uncle Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre. Designed by Daniel Miller (creator of several previous clown mazes at Knott's Halloween Haunt), Bobo's takes a turn toward the darker, more sinister clown theme, leaving behind some of its more... colorful and light-hearted elements. If 2008's Killer Clown Kollege ended the days of "fun" clown mazes forever at Knott's, then so be it, as far as I'm concerned. I've never been a fan of "funny" or cute mazes at Halloween Haunt, so I was thrilled when I learned that Bobo's would lean toward the sinister, darker side of clown terror. If anyone was to do it, it would have been Dan Miller. His familiarity with the history of clown attractions at Halloween Haunt gives him the know-how necessary to really turn up the intensity under the big top finally and let his killer clowns finally tear it up scary-style.

Uncle Bobo's is a big maze. In fact, most of the clown mazes at Knott's Scary Farm over the years have been very large. Unless I'm mistaken (gasp - not possible) I believe the original Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns, which was very close to where Bobo's is slotted now - and likely will be for the next few years each October - still holds the record as the longest maze in Halloween Haunt history. That said, it should come as no surprise that Bobo's is also long - so long in fact, that we had to break our flow-through video up into two parts (the only other time we have done that was for 13 Axe Murder Manor, I believe). Walking through the attraction, you actually start to think about how long it is at about the mid-way point - which is not a bad thing, in my opinion. In fact, some of the best mazes ever at Knott's Scary Farm have come with the, damn, this is a long maze revelation. Not only is the physical footprint of Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre large, Dan's use of space within that given area is obviously a testament to his years as a Haunt maze designer; he knows what he's doing when it comes to layout and it shows.

Big mazes go hand-in-hand with big risks, such as not enough talent, sparse theming and lack of interest on the part of the guests. We've witnessed this play out year after year, in many different locations including Industrial Evil and yes, even Axe Murder Manor. I am thrilled to say however, that Bobo's was an exception in 2009 and the talent, theming, and energy level of the experience and the guests alike were awesome, from start to very finish - it was about as perfect as a maze can get, regardless of whether or not clowns frighten you.

Uncle Bobo's is one of Halloween Haunt's 3-D mazes. Lots of folks love this element - personally, was over the whole 3-D haunted house thing years ago. For me, I find that the glasses get in the way of enjoying all of the rest of the details in the maze and I often feel claustrophobic wearing them for more than a few moments at a time. Like with all Haunt mazes in 3-D, I did go through Bobo's once with the glasses on and it was fine. I get it - the walls look multi-dimensional and painted eyes seem to pop out and hover in the air in front of masks, props, etc. Yeah... cool. It's just a novelty that is old to me. I'm all about the true strengths of maze design without having to rely on the crutch that has become "IN 3-D!" If a maze is strong enough, it doesn't need to be covered with 3-D paint. That's just my personal opinion, not necessarily the right one or in speaking for anyone else. I find the Knott's mazes that are in 3-D to be just as strong (if not stronger) without the gag than when I wear the glasses. One thing that would be interesting to me would be for Knott's to give us one of their two rides - the Mine Train or the Log Ride - one day as a Haunt attraction in 3-D. That's never been done before. So there it is - I issue a challenge to the Haunt design team... give us a 3-D ride one year and I will go into it with open enthusiasm and will honestly be excited to see if it works or not. In those two rides, you've got a captive audience - guests are sitting down, in vehicles. You don't have to worry about them tripping, falling or anything else that goes along with walking through a maze with cardboard glasses on. So thrill us. Break ground and head into new territory. Give us a Halloween Haunt ride-through in 3-D and we'll see what kind of history can be made at the Scary Farm!

One of the stand-out elements of Bobo's is its soundtrack. Wow! What an awesome offering of original bits and perfect music tracks; absolutely a genius mix that lends itself extremely well to the experience. Our hats are off to sound guru Adam Hankinson at Knott's for an incredible soundtrack that brings Bobo's to life beautifully. Adam's touch on Halloween Haunt mazes can absolutely add a dimension that is critical when asking guests to step out of the theme park for a few minutes and into whatever setting the maze designers want you to believe you've entered. Like films, haunted attractions must have the correct audio environments in play - music and sound effects - if the whole package is to be believed. Give a maze a shit soundtrack, and there is no way guests will believe in their surroundings very long. Give a maze a brilliant soundtrack, and they are putty in your hands when you have a haunted attraction. With Adam on board, Knott's designers absolutely have a powerful "secret weapon" when it comes to Halloween Haunt soundtracks.

Now let's talk talent. Over the years, the clowns at Knott's Scary have consistently kicked ass - regardless of their surroundings. I think that deserves to be recognized by everyone. Different groups come and go - from vamps to zombies and clowns. Always, the clowns at Knott's have been at the top of their game when it comes to enthusiasm, outrageous scares and ingenious fun (sometimes at the cost of guest sanity). That's no accident - these men and women know how to work it out and they do it year in and year out. For many of them, once a clown, always a clown. In fact, many of them started in various clown mazes and spilled out onto Boardwalk Streets as roaming talent, such as TPA's own Jim "Panhead" Taber. Whether in a maze or on streets - clowns at Halloween Haunt are almost always a safe bet.

The talent crew of Bobo's '09 was spot-on and kicked major ass each time we visited. With seemingly tireless enthusiasm, these folks were so fired up night after night that honestly many of the other maze crews at Knott's need to take some serious notes and apply them to their own homes at Haunt, because the clowns are the cream of the crop. If Theme Park Adventure had continued with its Screamy Awards in 2009, I can tell you hands-down that we would have given it to Bobo's for Best Overall Talent in a Haunt Maze or Attraction.

Guests visiting Uncle Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre could feel the energy the talent displayed each night. Even on slower nights, this crew was fired up and creative as hell. That is the way to do it - not just when Haunt nights are busy or there is a camera in your face, but all the time, from start to finish. Those unfamiliar with Halloween Haunt may figure that if one group in a maze is awesome, that the whole crew over all across the park is like that. Unfortunately, that isn't the case - and we have come to learn that with Haunt, it really is a maze-by-maze issue that has many factors going into it - how many rookies there are, how many returning vets there are, how strong the Talent Captains are as leaders, how good the maze is physically as far as design goes, and how the fans/guests like the maze as well, to name a few. It's a complicated formula, but when everything lines up and works like a well-oiled machine, the result is a maze that kicks ass night after night, regardless of weather, who called out sick, what type of crowd happens to be at Haunt, etc. A solid team performs consistently and professionally night after night; it's a beautiful thing and that crew of Bobo's '09 absolutely had it. Much love and major props to you all; you should be very proud of yourselves and what you accomplished.

Another thing that Theme Park Adventure loves about Bobo's is all of the great stuff crammed into the maze - from jacked-up props to vomiting figures (in time/tune to the soundtrack - nice touch). We always love to see Knott's pour a lot of attention into detail and create its own props for these mazes. Sometimes, the end result may look a bit cheesy or "home made", but you know what? That is one of the things that long-time Halloween Haunt fans miss the most when going through the Knott's mazes. It's so easy to go to Halloween Club with a blank check and fill up on off-the-shelf props or hit a trade show and buy a few large robotic or animatronics figures that some third-party company creates. There is a very definite place for that - and these days, companies like Knott's should be using these vendors to a certain extent, because some of the third-party horror merchandise on the market is absolutely bitchen and is great quality. But there's something... Haunt-like about props and creatures made right there in Buena Park. We love it, love it, love it. And the fans do too - we all notice and appreciate it. Home-grown props, gags, effects and creatures... a very definite cornerstone of the Halloween Haunt experience at Knott's. We sincerely hope that management never loses sight of that or thinks for one minute that the men and women that are tasked to create these Scary Farm elements are not necessary. It's quite the opposite... the more off-the-shelf or catalog-bought props find their way into Knott's, the less soul these mazes and attractions will have. I've said it a million times before and I will say it until I'm gone... Halloween Haunt is not something that money or corporate marketing creates. It's not about flashy designs or the very best special effects make-up or masks. Haunt isn't about big-name headliners or stupid Budweiser Glow Zones. Knott's Halloween Haunt is about the people behind it - the men and women that have returned for decades in many cases, to make up the team that is the Scary Farm, from the designers to the builders, painters, blackouts, talent, and management. People are the key to Knott's Haunt's success - people that are vets of the event and lend themselves to it, whether it be scaring their asses off each night or spending hours and hours backstage creating props and designs for the mazes and attractions. History and tradition isn't for sale. It can't be bought. So put away the check book and monster catalog and focus in-house; the best elements of Knott's Halloween Haunt come from the inside. That is what Cedar Fair and Knott's management needs to never forget and always focus on.

We adored all of the creative props and pieces that went into Bobo's last year. GREAT large-scale pieces, such as the grotesque devil clown at the end of the maze to all of the fantastic props in the "freak show" section of the maze like the Fiji Mermaid, weird cat skeleton and other mutations, to the Flea Circus... it was all wonderful and NOT lost on the fans. This is exactly what we love and want from Halloween Haunt!

Beyond the props is all of the great original artwork as well that lines the walls and halls of Uncle Bobo's. Very reminiscent of earlier clown-themed mazes such as Carnival of Death and even some of the old Malice in Wunderland, the artwork used in Bobo's is twisted, dark and fun - very appropriate and absolutely loved! Props to the responsible artists for lending their talents to the dark beauty of this maze.

Tie it all together and you have the perfect maze, kids. Outstanding talent. Top-notch design. Wonderful props and artwork. A kick-ass soundtrack. Bobo's had it all and delivered huge in 2009. We don't expect anything different for the 2010 run. To all the folks new to the Bobo's team this year: you have big clown shoes to fill, and we know you'll step up and carry this proud tradition another year at Halloween Haunt.

And that's it. A glowing review for Uncle Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre. This is a must-see addition to Knott's Halloween Haunt that we hope is around for several years to come. We thoroughly enjoyed it and think the world of the cast and crew. Much love, ya silly clowns!

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