Shakes the Clown

Shakes auditions to host the Big Time Cartoon Circus at the Twisted Balloon. He leaves convinced this could be his big break. But when the decision is announced, he learns Binky got the job instead, fueling his bitterness.

Cheese warns Shakes to sober up or be fired, testing the stability of his career and personal life. The ultimatum strains Shakes's relationship with Judy, who loves him but wants real change. He vows to give sobriety a real try.

Shakes relapses at a birthday party and destroys the house in a drunken rampage. A mother protecting her child knocks him unconscious, ending the chaos. This incident seals Cheese's decision about his employment.

Shakes returns to the Twisted Balloon and is fired by Cheese for wrecking the party. He reels from the loss of his job and the disapproval of his friends. The setback sets in motion a dangerous chain of events.

Cheese goes to find Shakes but instead walks in on Binky and his cocaine-using crew. In a sudden, brutal act, Binky murders Cheese with Shakes' juggling club. He frames Shakes for the crime, triggering Shakes' flight from town.

With Cheese dead, Shakes becomes a fugitive. Judy, Dink, and Stenchy vow to prove his innocence and help him clear his name. Shakes hides by going undercover as a disliked mime.

Shakes attends a mime class taught by the domineering Jerry the Mime as part of his disguise. The experience sharpens his resolve to uncover the truth. He begins to suspect that he might have blacked out during Cheese's murder.

At the Broken Saddle, the rodeo clowns reveal that Binky is Cheese's actual killer. They point Shakes toward the real culprit and the path to redemption. The revelation reframes his mission from proving innocence to stopping Binky.

Binky attempts to rape Judy, who resists. In a panic, he blurts out Cheese's murder, revealing his own crime. He kidnaps Judy and drags her to the studio to perform a deadly on-air stunt.

The rodeo clowns are arrested for their involvement. Shakes, Dink and Stenchy confront Boots and HoHo in a chaotic fight at the Broken Saddle. One clown fires a shot that grazes Shakes, but his flask stops the bullet, allowing him to survive.

Shakes, Dink, and Stenchy arrive at the studio to confront Binky and rescue Judy. A brutal fight ensues, and they manage to stop Binky from harming her. Binky is arrested for Cheese's murder and his other crimes.

Judy and Shakes reconcile, and he attends an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to recommit to sobriety. He shares his story openly, highlighting his ongoing struggle and determination to stay clean.

With Binky behind bars, Shakes becomes the new host of the Big Time Cartoon Circus, a hit with children. Dink and Stenchy join him as the show's stars, and together they continue their playful rivalry with Jerry the Mime.