Ireland’s ALT has teamed up with Vancouver-based Global Mechanic to co-develop a new 52 x 11-minute slapstick comedy called Class Clown.

Aimed at six to 12s, the 2D-animated series tracks a family of circus performers that settles in the suburbs, where the youngest son—a clown named Jimmy who sports a red nose and huge shoes—has trouble fitting in. The show was created and written by Eisner Award-winning comic book author Ian Boothby (Simpsons comics, MAD Magazine).

Class Clown is one of the first original IPs for either studio, which have both primarily focused on service work prior to this. Global Mechanic has worked on Boston-based pubcaster WGBH’s animated series Scribbles and Ink and Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman, while ALT produces animation on Adastra Development’s preschool series Mimi’s World for Channel 5’s Milkshake!.

After receiving around US$66,000 in development funding from Creative Europe in May, ALT Animation recently expanded into original IPs with its first feature film, Lugi—The Brogdar Boy.

The studios teamed up to leverage each other’s 2D animation expertise, and because of a shared interest in producing slapstick comedy for kids, according to a statement.

Global Mechanic and ALT will bring the comedy to MIPCOM Online+ in October, with the goal of finding broadcast partners and funding. The IP has already received development funding from the Canadian Media Fund and Northern Ireland Screen.