James H. Allen (May 15, 1928 – July 28, 2015) was an American actor who portrayed the clown character Rusty Nails and was the host of various children's television shows in the Portland, Oregon television market from 1957–1972. His program on KPTV was the second-longest running children's program in Portland, second only to Ramblin' Rod Anders.[1]
In 2003, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening credited Rusty Nails as the inspiration for Simpsons character Krusty the Clown.[2][3]
- ^ "Rusty Nails' Cartoons". Archived from the original on 2012-12-20. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (July 29, 2015). "James Allen, TV Personality Who Inspired Krusty the Clown on 'The Simpsons,' Dies at 87". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Turner, Chris (2010-05-28). Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation. Random House of Canada. ISBN 978-0-307-36609-2.