Sept_Oct_1991

-------.. • • 

i:•· . 

.. =ee 

• 

Clowns of America International, Inc. 

Lake Jackson, Texas 

September/October, 1991 

Volume 8, Number 5


•••• 

: Cal's comments 

• ... 

•- -------------------------------- 

A great idea came my way via clown correspondence 

the other day. As a result, The New Calliope is going to start 

a new feature. 

The New Calliope disclaims any responsibility for 

material offered in the ads, and will not accept ads from 

commercial outlets for inclusion in the Flea Market . 

The suggestion came from Stanley "Yoo -Hoo" Tull, of 

Blaine, Minn., who writes: 

"I haven't seen a classified section in our magazine. 

Ahy reason, or just no interest? I'm sure there are people 

like myself looking for something or wanting to sell unused 

clown costumes or no longer used props, etc." 

I think that's a good suggestion. So , with this issue of 

The New Calliope , we offer the "Flea Market," open to all 

COAi members who have clown-oriented stuff to sell, buy, 

or give away. Ads will be offered free of charge, maximum 

25 words , plus name, address and/or phone number. 

Please include your COAi number as proof of 

membership . Send ads to me at the address shown at the 

bottom of this page. 

We have only two ads in the current Flea Market (see 

page 6). Modest, true , but not bad, considering that until 

now, no one even knew there is a Flea Market. Both ads 

are seeking the same thing. But since Yoo-Hoo is the 

clown who came up with the idea, we'll run his ad first. 

**** * 

It's been a busy summer for clowns, judging from the 

newsletters I received . With fall comes some letup in the 

pace , just in time for the regional and alley conventions . 

Let's hope you have the time to attend. Let's hope, too, 

that you're already making plans for the next COAi 

Convention , to be held in Jacksonville , Fla. We're running 

registration blanks in the current issue of The New 

Calliope, since we've already had requests for this materia l. 

On the basis of demand alone , it should be a dandy! 

eaaoon.~ 

Thca1li(:::}ee 

THE NEW CALLIOPE is 

published by Clowns of America 

International , Inc ., P.O. Box 570, 

Lake Jackson, Texas 77566-0570 

for members of Clowns of America 

International, Inc. Entered as third 

class mail in Bluffton, Ohio. 

Articles and advertising for THE 

NEW CALLIOPE should be sent to 

the editorial office : 

Cal Olson , Editor 

THE NEW CALLIOPE 

3107 Summit St. 

Sioux City , Iowa 51104 

(712) 258-3075 

We are not responsible for 

unsolicited articles or pictures 

unless accompanied by a 

self-addressed envelope and return 

postage. 

Clowns of America International, 

Inc., annual membership fees : 

U.S.: New members, $25. 

Renewals , $20. 

Foreign : $25 (U .S. funds). 

Family membership : $1 0 for 

second and additional members of 

one family. (Foreign: $10) . 

Late renewals : Add $3 late fee . 

Send all membership fees to 

Clowns of America International, 

Inc., P.O. Box 570, Lake Jackson, 

Texas 7756 6-0570. Make all checks 

payable to Clowns of America 

International , Inc. 

Advertising rates : 

Full page $175 

Half page 100 

Quarter page 55 

Eighth page 35 

Camera-ready copy is 

requested . There w ill be additional 

charges for ads not camera-ready . 

Send copy and payment to THE 

NEW CALLIOPE , 3107 Summit St. , 

Sioux City , Iowa 51104. Make 

checks payable to Clowns of 

America International , Inc. Only 

prepaid advertising is accepted . 

Deadline for the November/December, 

1991 issue: October 15, 1991 . 

2 The New Calliope

• ••• 

1=- ·:ee 

•••• 

• 

Published for members of Clowns of America International, Inc. 

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 1991 


VOLUME 8, NUMBER 5 

CONTENTS 

Cal's comments ..... ................ .............................. 2 

Letters .......... ............. .................................. ......... 4 

Flea Market. ......... ................ ............................... . 6 

Ups and downs of Happy De Klown ............•.... .... 8 

Clowning down under ......................................... 14 

Clowning up over ........................... ................... . 16 

The ABC's of clown clothes ............... , ................ 18 

Just ask Aunt Clowney .... .................................. 24 

But will they believe you? .......... ................. ........ 26 

Some aspects of the caring clown ..................... 28 

What's wrong with paradeability? ....................... 30 

Laughter: a great mental tonic .......... .................. 32 

Last walkaround ............... ......................... . ....... 33 

From the President. ........................................... 34 

Alrededor de la Region Latina .................. .......... 34 

Krako's Korner ............................. .............. ........ 36 

Alley Update .................... ............. ........ ............. 37 

Fable for clowns: The wise old master. .......... .... 38 

ON THE COVER ---Efrain 

"Happy De Klown" Guerrero is 

shown with his dog "Denver," 

and a feathered friend. While 

Happy's been laughing on the 

outside, he's also been crying on 

the inside. See Happy's story 

beginning on page 8. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

PRESIDENT: Donald E. Berkoski, 4149 Golden Eagle Dr.. 

Indianapolis, IN 46234. Home Phone: (317) 

299-2816. Office: (317) 248-1408 . 

Fax: (317) 248-0587 

EXEC.VICE PRE$1DENT: Betty Cash, 2181 Edgerton St., 

St.Paul MN 55117. Ph. (612)771-8734 SECRETARY: 

Brenda Marshall, 7128 Oldham Place, North 

Richland Hills, Texas 76180. Ph (817) 281-6610 

TREASURER: Judy Quest. 906 S. 117th Court, Omaha, 

NE 68154. Phone: (402) 334-4857. Fax: (402) 

330-8783 

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Walter R. Lee, 1347 Ava Road, 

Severn, MD 21144. Phone: (301) 551-7830 

DIRECTORS 

Barbara (Maher) Amber: 10651 Steppington 

Dr., Unit 2054, Dallas, Texas.Ph . (214) 691-7926. 

Dennis Phelps, 5340 So. 67th St., Lincoln, NE 68516 

Phone: (402) 421-2167 

Patricia Roeser, 1720 Archibald Circle, Northfield, MN 

55057. Phone (507) 645-5595 

Hunter Stevens, 1342 Sylvan Way, West Bend, WI 53095. 

Phone (414) 338-3569 

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS 

Northeast: Leo J. Desilets, 30 Roswell St., Milford, 

Ct.06460 Phone (203) 877-3869 

North Central: Dan Lake, 13005 Lakeridge Dr., St. Louis, 

MO 63138 Phone (314) 355-0220 

Northwest: Andi Rothweiler, E. 803 St. Thomas Moore 

Way, Spokane, WA 99208 Ph.(509) 467-6216 

Mideast: Paul C. Glares, 7820 Lisa Dr., Norfolk, VA 

23518 Phone (804) 583-1274 

Midwest: Freeman Smith Sr., 7225 W. Higgins, Apt. 103, 

Chicago, IL 60656 

Southeast: Jack Anderson, 4560 Sussex Ave., 

Jacksonville, FL 32210. Phone (904) 778-3977 

South Central: Linda Williams, 18 Hackberry, Houston, 

Texas 77027. Phone (713) 960-8228 

Southwest: Allen Pearson , 5291 Ogden St., San Diego, 

CA 92105. p·hone (619) 582-7795 

Canada: Thomas S. Oswald, RR#13, Lakeshore Dr., 

Thunder Bay, Ont. P7B, 5E4, Canada. Phone: 

(807) 983-2032 

Latin Countries: Pedro Santos, Box 3859, Bayamon 

Gardens Station, Bayamon, Puerto Rico 00619. 

Phone (809) 786-3759 

Foreign: Blue Brat1le, 30 Sandpiper Close, Marchwood, 

Southampton S04 4XN England 

Competition Chairman: French Harvey. 7241 Connan Lane, 

Charlot1e, NC 28226. Phone (704) 541-8227 

The New Calliope 3


•••• 

• 

:. Letters 

.. • •----------------------------------- 

Trying times in Puerto Rico 

I would like to take this moment to express my gratitude 

to all of my fellow joeys who attended the 1991 COAi 

Convention in Indianapolis. I would have done so right after 

the convention, but the week I returned I confronted a very 

delicate situation. 

It had to do with my Mother. She was in need of open 

heart surgery (3 by-passes). Being her only son living in 

Puerto Rico, I had to move fast in preparing her for this 

surgery. Plus she needed nine or more blood donors. I 

was so filled with negative thoughts that at one moment I 

felt the world falling apart. But thank God, I found the blood 

donors. They were from where I work and some fellow 

clowns. Bless them all for their good deed. 

Well, after the surgery was done she pulled out fine 

and responded fine. It took 10 days for her recovery and 

that was the same 10 days I was in and out of the hospital. 

Til this day I have to be in touch with her to find out how 

she's doing (she's doing fine). She was even discharged 

Brass 

Wbistte 

Ballyhoo 

AUTHENTIC CIRCUS MUSIC FROM A 

BEAUTIFULLY-RESTORED TANGLEY AIR 

CALLIOPE ONCE OWNED BY THE RINGLING 

BROTHERS BARNUM AND BAILEY SHOWS 

2 beautifu lly-recorded professional quality aud io tapes 

Each tape features Pop Tunes from the 1920's on one 

side and Marches on the other. Volume 1, £9.98; 

Volume 2, £9.98. Instant refund if you're not pleased! 

To order, send $9.98 per tape to Marion Roehl 

Recordings, 3533 Stratford Drive, Vestal 115 NY or 

call (607) 797-9062. VISNMasterCard welcome. Add $2 

per order for shipping. (NY residents add 7% sales tax) 

Ask for a copy of our complete catalog of recordings 

of carousel organ music, player pianos, music 

boxes, saloon pianos, etc. 

from the hospital's routine checkups July 12. 

Yet this was not the ending, because at the same time I 

myself was going through an awful situation at work; the 

news media announced the closing of 35 or more Army 

bases, and Ft. Buchanan was on the list. This is the Army 

base at which I work, and to me and many co-workers, this 

was a shocking experience. "Eleven years down the drain" 

ran through my mind, but until now the committee and 

Congress has not decided about Ft. Buchanan's closure 

and its future. 

I know many of my fellow joeys have gone through 

many delicate situations in life, but don't forget what 

friends are for in both good and bad times. For when my 

situation arose, my true blue friends and the support and 

inspiration they gave me took a load off my back and made 

my life passable. And wr(ting about it helps, too. 

I wish to inform all of the great people I met in Indiana to 

relate back to me, and to get in touch with me. I miss 

everyone sincerely wholeheartedly. 

Angel Luis Morales (Willie) 

Jobolin the Clown 

Calle Robledo #10 

Juan Domingo, Bayamon 

Puerto Rico 00619 

Clowning around in Florida 

I was a housewife with two young children and my 

husband was a successful young attorney until Oct. 9, 

1987, when tragedy struck our lives. My husband had a 

massive cerebral hemorrhage. We went from a family that 

had it all to a family with no future , no husband, no father. 

My husband survived, but was comatose for 10 months 

and today is still work ing very hard at rehabilitation. 

During this time I took on several jobs to keep the 

family going. I began to work for a friend's picnic company 

in December 1987, when he approached me and told me I 

had the perfect personality to be a clown. I decided, why 

not, I'd give it a try. After all, I loved people and children and 

had quite a zest for life. 

I was given my first clown costume, learned to apply 

makeup and began entertaining at picnics and events . I 

started to grow as a clown; I learned magic, balloon art, face 

painting, and so much more. I realized I really loved it. I 

attended Clown College at BBC and read everything I 

could about clowning. Finally I found a name. One of the 

people at a picnic saw me dancing and bouncing around 

4 The New Calliope


and named me "Bee-Bop." It fit. 

Well, three years-plus later, "Bee-Bop" is a very busy 

and happy clown. I work as a clown seven days a week, and 

last month did 31 parties. I go all the way from Ft. Pierce to 

Kendall, from slums to country clubs and everywhere in 

between. 

Some people think it is silly to be a clown, but I know 

that it is a special gift that I have been given, to have the 

patience, talent, enthusiasm and bubbly personality to be 

the special person who has the pleasure of bringing joy, 

happiness and smiles to so many people. 

It is not easy work, especially in Florida, wearing the 

costume and makeup. It takes a lot of love, stamina and 

energy to put on makeup in 90-degree heat and then go 

out there and give it your all. 

I have performed for nursing homes, handicapped 

people and at hospitals. I have been in two TV commercials 

and average between six and eight parties every 

weekend. My philosophy is simple: I give everyone a fair 

break. My motto is: Half the price and twice the energy. I 

only charge $50 for a one-hour show, and that is about half 

the going rate. 

I am doing this for love, not money, and it is my goal to 

make myself affordable to children that maybe couldn't 

afford a clown at their party. 

I love what I do and wouldn't change it for the world. 

What does the future hold for me? Who knows ... the sky's 

the limit. 

Barbara "Bee-Bop" Dion 

2161 Orange Grove Dr. 

Davie, FL 33328 

Clowning around in Texas 

Recently the state of Texas welcomed the return of the 

valiant young men and women who served with such 

distinction during hostilities in the Persian Gulf. The six-day 

event, the"Capitol Salute to Texas Troops," was -- in true 

Lone Star style -- the largest celebration in the United 

States. Beyond extending our appreciation to veterans of 

Operation Desert Storm, Gov. Ann Richards and the entire 

state celebrated that continuing, honored tradition of 

Texans stepping forward to take up arms when called by 

their nation to enter battle. Veterans of all wars, but 

particularly those of the Vietnam and Korean conflicts who 

never received a welcome home, were honored for their 

service to country. 

:JHJ: What are the best dressed 

lH pro:::::~::; 

f :. ~:~ y ·:=:·: .- T-Shirts ......................................... $29°° 

{ii/!/:. Extra-Lg. Clown Sox .......... 2 for $1 ~ 

~ >- ..-., . ...., 

Ji'.\/ White & Colored Gloves ............ $5-6 00 

l~:-;,~;-, x /; 

·,:::. 

> .. : 

B'b 

, s 

& C 

o 

II 

ars ........................ 

$ 

2 

0-3 

5 00 

_,_, 

,i:·.. 

': 

,:.. . f 

C ff $12 18 00 

{ f ::-:.: 

.:· u s........................................ - 

f;:!J// HATS 

:i ~;/; 1l; 

: Tiny Top Hats, Mad Hatter style ... $35 00 

~( % l) (In stock or Made to Order) 

m~i De~~~I 

Your Clown 

catalog Is here! 

Please send $1.00 

for postage and 

handling to see the 

latest In today's 

clown costumes. 

($1.. 

00 refunded on fl1'91 order.) 

Tuxedos • Coats 

Pants • Dresses 

Skirts • Shirts 

Custom Designing 

$10 .. 00 or under ........ $2.50 

$10.01 to $20.00 ........ $3.00 

$20.01 to $30.00 ....... $4 .. 00 

$30 .01 to $40.00 ....... $4.50 

$40.01 and over .......... $5.50 

F« nst.rance on ordeB WfK 

$100.00, add $2.50 

For C .. 0. D. ordefs, add $3.00 

Prices do not indude stiP!)ing 

or MN sales tax 

MN residents add 6% sales tax 

ordefs accepted on 

- Cred1 Card Ordels or C. O.D. 

.::::=:::~=:S:d~ Phone 

One group of participants in that celebration 

represented another long-standing tradition in American 

life: those caring few who endeavor to add an element of 

pleasure mixed with compassion to the lives of families rent 

Continued next page 

The New Calliope 5


Letters -- 

From preceding page 

by the departure of a loved one to war -- clowns! The famed 

Four Seasons Clowns of Arlington, Texas, were on hand at 

the troops-only barbecue following the massive parade 

that brought marching units and their families from the 

Capitol to the shores of Austin's Town Lake. There they 

brought joy to the faces of the young at heart as they 

helped the state say in yet another way, thank you! 

The appearance of the Four Seasons Clowns is a 

revealing story in itself. With no taxpayer funding and a very_ 

limited Governor's Committee budget composed of 

community donations, Ms. Terri Meister and her crew had 

to pay their own way. They approached the Arlington City 

Council for its blessing, raised private funds to finance their 

trip and arranged all logistical details in making their way 

several hundred miles to be with troops and their families. 

For their considerable show of pride and patriotism they 

were rewarded with a legislative resolution and the 

personal gratitude of the governor and the military families. 

The outstanding, selfless example of the Four Seasons 

Clowns is in keeping with the colorful, honored history of 

the avocation. Those Americans who, in the colorful garb 

and zany manner of the clown, add happiness to the lives 

of others can take pride in the example of these very 

special few. 

David Cottom 

Project Manager 

Stephen F. Austin Bldg. 

Austin , Texas 78701 

Market 

!Flea 

Ads in The New Calliope's "Flea Market" are offered 

free of charge to all COAi members. Ads must include no 

more than 25 words, plus name, address and/or phone 

number. Please include COAi number as proof of 

membership. 

Ads must be received by the 15th of the month 

precfJf}ing month of publication. Ads for the 

November/December issue must be received by Oct. 15. 

Send io: Cal Olson, The New Calliope, 3107 Summit St., 

Sioux City, Iowa 51104. The New Calliope assumes no 

responsibility for offerings made in the Flea Market. 

Needed: Old Calliopes. Will buy, trade or sell. Need all issues 

prior to 1969, plus specific issues from 1969, 1979, 1982, 1983, 

1984, 1986. Stanley w. Tull, Jr., 13064 Taylor St. N.E., Blaine, MN 

55434. 

Old Calliopes wanted: March/April and May/June 1985; 

July/August 1986, and July/August 1987. Louis "Pogo" Reale, 

142 Cooper Hill St., Manchester, CT 06040-5705. 

Clowns of America International 

Income and expense statements 

Fiscal year July 1 , 1990, to June 30, 1991 

REVENUE 

Cash brought forward ................................... $9,337.80 

Membership ................... ............................ . 145,311.05 

Magazine Ads ................................................. 8,078.00 

Pins & Patches ............................................... 1,327.40 

Convention ..................................................... ?, 285. 00 

Interest... ........................................................ 1,282 .25 

Miscellaneous ................................... .............. .. 699.00 

CD Maturity• .................................................. 25,966.72 

TOTAL REVENUE $195,287.22 

EXPENSES 

Returned checks .......... ....... ............... ............. $657.86 

New Calliope production .......... ................... .44,880.00 

New Calliope postage .................... ................ 6,158.93 

Computer service ........................................ 15, 765.07 

Postage ........... ........ ...................................... 4,243.34 

Printed matter .................. ........... ................... 3,976.87 

Pins & Patches .................................. ........... .4,498.00 

Clown Hall of Fame ....................................... 2,994.19 

Publicity ...... ......................................................... 0.00 

Convention .......................................... .......... 2, 664. 97 

Education ..................... ......................... ........... 627.19 

Prorated renewals .............. .................................. 0.00 

Miscellaneous ................................... ............ 2, 607. 53 

Fall Board meeting ..................................... 2,217.07 

Officers' phone/postage .................. ............ 1, 7 41.26 

Trophies ...... .......... ........................... ............. 1, 710.53 

Board meeting ...... ...... ....................... ............ 3,037.00 

Purchase Certs. of Deposit... .................... $45,000.00 

TOT AL EXPENSES $142,779.81 

NET CASH BALANCE 

$52,507.41 

AMOUNT HELD IN 

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT $61,000.00 

,.. 

Changing address? 

Please notify: 

Clowns of America Int. 

P.O. Box 570 

Lake Jackson, TX 77566 

6 The New Calliope

The World Of Clowns Is 

Now Yours In This 

First-Edition Book! 

Chapters Included Are: 

A Great Clown Adventure 

Discover Early Lee Artistry 

The Art Of Clown-Making 

True Artistic Diversity 

Clowning-Around Friends 

A Clown Collector 's Club 

The Cavalcade Of Clowns 

Easy Collectible Index 

Clowns Never Say Goodby 

Pre-Printing 

Introductory 

Special $j'O 

Offer! '.7 

After Printing 

Reg. Price 

s79 

.... .-.. 

,. 

) 

{ 

• • 

•.... 

-.. ------- -- - -------------------------- 

Ron Lee's World Of Clowns 

Collectors Reference Book 

To order , please clip 

off, fill-in and mail 

this order form , or 

phone and charge it. 

Books to ship in 

Dec. Order today! 

Please Print: 

Name ________ 

Street Address ___ __ _ 

City _ _ _ ___ __ _ 

_ 

__ X S59.00 = 

Qt y. 

Calif. residents only 

add 7 % state 

sales taX 

S3.95 per book 

Shipping & 

Handling fee 

Total 

Enclosed 

State ____ Zip __ _ _ 

1-800-336-3357 D Please check here if you are not a member of the Ron Lee 

Collector 's Club but would like information about join ing. 

Please mail this order form to: 

First Edition Collector's Book 

Ron Lee's World Of Clowns 

2180 Agate Court 

Simi Valley, CA 93065 

Choose Method of Payment: 

D Personal Check D Money Order 

0 VISA • MasterCard 

Fill in Credit Card Number Below 

# ___ ______ _ 

Exp. Date __ ___ ___ _ 

Signature ________ 

_ 

AlEECAI 8 91010 

Madson M-1 &. Publ.


The ups and downs of 

Happy De Klown 

By Cal Olson 

Last April, Happy De Klown had the greatest success 

of his professional life. Two months later, he had the 

biggest failure of his professional life. Today, he's putting 

himself back together. 

Some day, Efrain Guerrero will probably write a book 

about the life and times of his alter ego, Happy De Klown. If 

he does, the year 1991 should have a chapter all by itself. 

The year started on a high note in January, when he 

opened his heart's desire, "Happy's Place," in his home 

town of Corpus Christi, Texas. "Happy's Place" was a family 

restaurant. It featured good food, great playthings for kids 

and -- best of all -- personal performances by Happy De 

Klown. It was bright, sassy and successful. The kids loved 

it, and business boomed. 

Happy put his brains and his soul into that restaurant. 

He put all his money into the place, too. Work? You bet. 

Happy worked his buns off: Three 40-minute shows every 

weekday, six shows every Saturday and Sunday, not to 

mention managing the whole thing . After hours, Happy 

worked adult parties with what he calls his "Tuxedo act" of 

standup comedy. 

With that kind of a schedule, Happy gave up the 

professional jobs he'd been developing since he started 

full-time in 1988: Birthdays, malls, grand openings, 

convention spots, a clown nightclub act -- gigs that brought 

in big bucks and that made Happy a by-word in Corpus 

Christi's amusement world. He was doing as many as 20 

appearances a week. Then came the restaurant. 

Three months later Happy made an appearance at the 

COAi Annual Convention in Indianapolis. Despite the 

crush of work at his restaurant, Happy came to the 

convention to emcee the COAi skit competition. It was a 

brilliant performance. For three hours, Happy took the 

stage to introduce the competing clowns, and to keep the 

audience smiling between acts. 

All alone up there on stage, working an audience of 

his peers, the slight tramp clown did one-liners, finger 

magic and nonsense to fill in the three or four minutes of 

dead time between each skit -- and there were about 50 

skits. 

Happy held it all together, setting a tone and pace that 

never let down. It was a working lesson in extemporaneous 

comedy that his audience will never forget. After it was all 

over, he packed his clown costume and his props and 

headed back to Corpus Christi and "Happy's Place." 

"That night was the high point of my clowning career," 

Happy says. 

Two months later, Happy closed the restaurant. 

"And that was the lowest point of my life," he says. 

What happened? It was a matter of money, and who 

got what -- or didn't get what. "I should have read the fine 

print in my lease," is all Happy says these days. Will he do it 

again? "Oh, yes," he says. "Next time, I'll get somebody 

with a little more legal advice to help me sign a contract." 

8 The New Calliope


Happy's got a 

castle in his 

back yard, that 

he uses as a 

sanctuary and as 

a place to "do 

some thinking." 

But not right away. These days, he's putting his 

professional life back in order -- and things are booming. By 

mid-July Happy was taking clowning jobs again. By 

mid-August his working schedule was as heavy as he could 

manage. Beyond that, he was making plans to work as a 

standup comic/clown on a cruise ship out of Florida, and 

was planning a campaign that he hopes will put him into Las 

Vegas. 

While Happy has been clowning full-time for only three 

years, his whole life has been aimed in that direction. He 

was born in San Benito, Texas, 20 miles north of the 

Mexican border, one of nine children. The family moved to 

Corpus Christi when he was a youngster. 

"We never starved, never went hungry," he says. "We 

had enough to survive." 

All the Guerrero kids were musical, and all played in the 

school band. Young Efrain joined the orchestra; he wanted 

to play the violin. But it was not so much that he wanted to 

be a musician. 

"I wanted to be in show business," he explains. "I 

wanted to be like Jack Benny. He was funny and he played 

a violin, and I wanted to do that." 

Happy didn't make it into show biz as a kid. But he had 

this necessity to make people laugh. So he was the class 

clown. 

"I grew up watching Jerry Lewis movies and Red 

Skelton on TV," he recalls. "My favorite character was 

Freddie the Freeloader," which is probably why Happy De 

Klown developed as a tramp character. 

The harsh realities of survival persuaded him to earn an 

Associate of Science degree in restaurant management 

from Del Mar College in 1972. For the next 16 years he 

earned his living in food management: Motel chef, food 

and beverage director for the Ramada Civic Center in 

Houston, and school district food service administrator. 

Like many others, he went into clowning as a hobby. 

"All my life I knew I had something special with kids, that 

I could communicate with kids," Happy says. "Maybe it was 

my size; I was getting older, but I was still small, my voice 

was still small." 

He began working seasonally as an Easter Bunny and 

as Santa Claus. Finally, he made what had to be an 

inevitable decision: Happy De Klown was born in 1977. He 

spent a decade learning the basics -- the magic, the 

props, the patter, the totality of clowning. In 1988, he 

figured he was ready, and he went into clowning full-time. 

Like most clowns, Happy worked a lot of free shows - 

festivals, benefits, charity drives, churches, civic 

organizations. Why? A desire to make people laugh, and 

practical experience. He gained recognition as a clown, 

and he learned how to work a crowd. 

"So it doesn't bother me, being in front of people," he 

says. "I've worked audiences of 5,000 people. The more 


The New Calliope 9


Happy De Klown -- 


people I see out there, the more excited I get. I can't wait to 

get on stage." 

He thinks about that, then elaborates. 

"I think what keeps me from being nervous is not so 

much all that experience," he says. "Oh, I know what I'm 

going to do, and I'm not afraid of making mistakes. But I 

don't get nervous, because I value myself as a good clown. 

I know I'm going to do a good job. 

"There's a difference between knowing you can do it 

because you've done it before -- and that's experience. 

But when you know you can do it because it's all coming 

from within you -- that's value. Yeah, I can do it -- just do it." 

Some understanding of why Happy knows he "can do 

it'' comes in a tour of his home. This is not just a home for 

Happy, his wife and two kids -- son Efrain Ill, 16, and 

daughter Leslie, 12 -- it's his workshop. 

Happy's library is the heart of the workshop. There are 

more than 2,000 books here -- all of them clown-oriented, 

mostly joke books and volumes on magic. He's got so 

many joke books they're overflowing out of the shelves 

With a box full of finger magic and small 

props, Happy's ready to work. 

into drawers. The library also contains a computer on which 

he writes his material, all of which is categorized in the 

computer base. 

A music room holds an array of sound mixing and 

recording equipment, plus video cassettes of magic and 

comedy. Happy tapes a lot of TV comedy in his continuing 

search for ideas. 

And the magic room -- now, that is a magic room. It 

contains floor to ceiling shelves, each jammed with white 

plastic baskets, each basket packed with tricks and magic 

props, probably thousands in all, if Happy were interested 

in counting. Then there are drawers filled with more magic, 

with balloons, scarves, wigs -- an incredible inventory of 

clown stuff. 

The one wall that doesn't have shelves full of magic 

contains a wardrobe with a dozen different tramp 

costumes. A mirror that lowers from the ceiling comes in 

handy when Happy's practicing new routines or tricks. He 

also uses a video camera to tape his routines so that he can 

critique himelf. 

Happy's his own toughest critic. His secret: Practice, 

practice, practice. He's particularly anxious to extend the 

scope -- and, accordingly, the marketability - of his craft. 

He's recognized as one of the first clowns to work in 

nightclubs, where he does a standup routine that involves 

Continued page 12 

10 The New Calliope


6' 

~~~· _....Kupitol 

~ 

Klowns 

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AND 

HEim THEY COME 

Those Kapricious, Krazy, Komical 

KAPITOL KLOWNS 

PRESENTING 

THEIR 10TH ANNUAL CLOWN WORKSHOP 

for the benefit of 

Children's Inn - National Institutes of Health 

Saturday - November 23, 1991 

9:00a.m. to 6:oop.m. 

at the 

National Institutes of Health - (N.I.H.) 

7550 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 

P.O. Box 4875 

Silver Spring, MD 20904 

Lots of Interesting Dealers 

Excitin9 Workshops --- From Laugh Makers Magazine and Fun 

Technicians, Bob and Cathy Gibbons - C.O.A.I. 

1 

S Clown of the Year, 

Batty cash - Hands on Mime with Danny Taylor - The Fizzicul Komicul 

of Fred Forrest - From the Midwest Clown Hall of Fame, Paul and 

April Glaros - Plus Stave "PEACHEY KEENE" Long - and Much More. 

Special Tour thru the Children's Inn for the first 50 Registrants. 

Registration for 1991 Annual Kapitol Klown workshop received before 

October 23, 1991 is $30.00 per person ($35.00 thereafter). No 

refunds will be made after November 9, 1991 (registration fee will 

be applied to 1992 workshop). 

Forward this information and your check made payable to Kapitol 

Klowns, P.O. Box 4875, Silver Spring, MD 20904 (confirmation will 

be sent). For additional information, contact Clara Diehl 202-363- 

5873 or Ellen Van Edwards 202-635-8177 or write to Kapitol Klowns. 

- - - - - - - - SA VE UPPER PORTION - - - - - - - - 

Name ____ _ ______ ____ ____ Clown Name _______ _ 

Address _______________ _ __ Apt.No. ___ ___ _ _ 

City_----o-~,,----~ State _____ Zip Code _ __ _ Tel No_-:----- 

paid by check no. dated amount 

m 

I would like to tour the Children's Inn at 

YES, I am interested in hotel information ---- 

Kapitol Klowns Annual 

--- - 

10:30 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. 

Workshop 

10th Anniversary Souvenir Program 

___I. Full Page (5 x 8) $60.00; ~-~ Half Page (4 x 5) $35.00; 

-; 1/4 Page (2 x 4) $20.00. Print or type your advertisement 

Tii7:he form desired on a separate sheet orpaper or attach your 

business card to this form, along with your check. All advertisers 

will receive a copy of the program. 

The New Calliope 11


Happy De Klown 

From page10 

table magic and a patter that could be called pussycat Don 

Rickles--sort of insults without humiliation. He likes adult 

audiences. 

"A grownup audience is easier for magic than a young 

audience," he says. "They don't want to know how you did 

the trick, or where the bird came from, or where the bird 

went. They just want to enjoy the magic and look forward to 

the next trick. Whereas, the first thing kids do is scream that 

they know where the bird went, or that you put the card 

here or there. Kids frustrate themselves." 

Happy's skill as a clown is reflected in the awards he's 

won: 15 from the Texas Clown Association and the Texas 

Association of Magicians, 14 in COAi national 

competitions. The COAi awards include two back-to-back 

firsts for Tramp Clown, in 1988 and 1989. 

Obviously, Happy is a great believer in competition. He 

thinks every clown should compete. 

"It's a matter of improving the quality of clowning," he 

says. "It's the only way you can grow, and measure that 

growth. You will never know how well you're doing until you 

compete. Don't have a fear of not winning. Don't be afraid 

of being embarrassed. Just do it. The only thing that 

matters is the judges' critique sheet." 

And that reminds him of something. 

"It breaks my heart to travel a thousand miles to a 

convention and then find out that a judge didn't critique 

me," he says. "Oh, he judged me, but he didn't write 

anything on the critique sheet. No one can tell me there's 

not enough time. You can write fast enough." 

Another thing that makes Happy unhappy is the recent 

change in COAi competition rules that bars first place 

winners in makeup from competing in the same class for 

the next three years. 

"I've heard clowns complain that someone else should 

be given a chance to win," he says. "I don't think the winner 

should be put up on a pedestal. But if I win, I should be the 

one to beat. We don't force Joe Montana and the 49rs out 

of competition when they win the Super Bowl." 

Beyond that, Happy thinks that clown competitions 

should be judged, not by clowns, but by the public. He 

admits there are some logistical problems involved, "But 

we need a non-clown audience and non-clown judges to 

bring out the best in everybody," he says. 

In his years as a working, competing clown, Happy's 

arrived at conclusions about many aspects of the joey's 

craft. Here are a few: 

JEALOUSY: "There's a lot of professional jealousy in 

our business, and most of it boils down to insecurity. We're 

insecure about our abilities, about how the public 

perceives us. It's a sad part of being an entertainer." 

SHOWMANSHIP: "Any clown show should have 

music behind it. You can't do magic tricks without music. 

You can't be funny without it. You're only as good as your 

LIFEONTHE 

LIVING ROOM CIRCUIT 

A MAGIC BIRTHDAY PAR'l'Y BLUEPRINT 

Wrillen and IUustrated by 

TOM AND MERIANNE MYERS 

T. MYERS MAGIC 

This award-winning magic 

team is recognized as the 

world's finest source of 

ballooning expertise and 

supplies. 

We now proudly offer our 

new book on kids magic. 

... also a select line of 

magic props of our manufacture. 

For a free catalog & newsletter 

Call l-800-648-6221 

1509 Parker Bend. Austin. TX 78734 

CATALOG $1.00 

HOME OF TiiE 

CLOWN & CHARACTER 

REGISTRY 

MAKERS OF TiiE 

BATIER.Y OPERATED 

BALLOON INFLATOR 

M.E.PERSSON 

1 THORNTON LANE (C) 

LEE/DURHAM, NH 03824 

(603) 659-8148 

12 The New Calliope


music." 

THE JOEY'S ART: "If someone wants to be in show 

business, the best way they can do it is to be a clown. 

There's nothing like clowns. Robert Redford can walk by, 

and he'll turn most people's heads. And so will pretty girls. 

But a clown will always turn people's heads; they say, 'Oh, 

look, there's a clown!' If you want to be an entertainer, it's 

out there. You know you'll never make it to Hollywood; you 

know you're no Madonna. but you like the limelight: Be a 

clown." 

THE FUTURE: "People are finding that the clown is 

not just an entertainer for kids, someone who gets a pie in 

the face, that the kids come up and kick. I'm working hard to 

build a new clown image -- the clown as an adult 

entertainer. For an adult audience, I'm a character actor 

who comes across as a clown, somewhere between a 

novelty act and a clown act." 

MAGIC: "I don't do magic. I entertain with magic. Not 

many clowns are performing magic, because they're not 

sure they can do it. I don't recommend that a clown should 

go out and buy a lot of magic. You can be a magician with 

one trick if you do that one trick very well. The same goes 

for clowning and props. It's how well you do what you do 

that makes you a clown." 

ADVICE TO BEGINNERS: "Don't rush into it. Grow 

into it. Clowns are people, and people grow, their 

personalities grow, and so it is with a clown. Learn one bit at 

a time, master that bit. Learn your delivery, how to walk, 

how to talk, what costume looks best on you. You'll never 

succeed unless you think about clowning, really think 

about it, practice it, study it. And then when you get tired of 

yourself, you've got to go with love." 

SHARING: " I've helped a lot of clowns, because I like 

to share. I think one of the reasons God has blessed me 

with this talent is that I believe in sharing with people. I've 

never believed in keeping secrets from everyone. I love to 

do workshops, love conventions, and hate the fact there's 

only an hour to do a workshop." 

Happy says he'd like to deal with alleys or clubs 

interested in using him for conventions or workshops. His 

address: Efrain Guerrero, 3930 Capri, Corpus Christi, TX 

78415. Ph.(512) 852-2806. 

What's ahead for Happy? He's not sure. He's got a lot 

of things he wants to do, goals so big they make him 

nervous. But he won't fail for lack of trying. 

LOTSA SUPER 

NEW BOOKS 

FROM BOOKS BY MAIL! 

( ) THE HISTORY OF CLOWNING- 

This large hardcover book contains beautiful, full-color 

illustrations of 24 classic and modern clowns. #623 $24.95 

) LAUGHS, HOOTS & GIGGLES- A treasury of 1,000 

jokes, riddles and knock-knocks all kids love best of all. #607 • 

$9.95 

( ) PUT ON A HAPPY FACE- Learn how to face paint, 

with patterns, directions, materialsand ideas. #597 $5.00 

( ) CLOWN ACT OMNIBUS- Skits, stunts and acts for 

clowns, 269 laugh-provoking ideas for singlesor groups. #503 

$9.95 

( ) SHERRE THE SKUNK PUPPET -- A really funny 

black and white "Kitty Kat," terrific for walk-arounds and 

parades. #575 $17.95 

( ) UNBELIEVABLE BUBBLES- Make gigantic soap 

bubbles the fun way. Comes with a bubble wand and bubble 

recipe. #604 $9.95 

( ) ADVERTISING YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY 

CLOWN SHOW- Use Yellow Pages and telephone to increase 

your bookings. #527 $6.95 

( ) CLOWN MINISTRY by Floyd Schaffer: A how-to 

manual with dozens of skits for service and workshop. #600 $7.95 

( ) FREE CARD - These "Free Tickets" are not good for 

anything, but they're lots of fun! #598 $1.95 

( ) BALLOON SCULPTURlnG FOR BEGINNERS - 

Easy to followdirections. Includes 25 assortedballoons to get 

you started! #608 $6.50 

( ) VENTRILOQUISM FOR THE TOTALDUMM\'1- 

Just for beginners - all you need to know! #593$7.95 

( ) RUBBER DUCKIE BALLOON KIT- Contains 

complete directions and 25 special balloons. #565 $2.50 

( ) THE SQUEAK BOOK - Over 100fun and silly ideas for 

a squeaker (alsoincluded.)#618$2.50 

( ) THE PINK WORMS MAGIC TRICK - Prof. 

Nightmare for kiddies. 3 Pink Ropes plus instruction sheet. #612 

$4.50 

( ) SMALL TIME OPERATOR- Tax tips, bookkeeping 

info for the independent entertainer. Save money! #624 $12.95 

To order these products, pleasesend a check, money-orderor 

charge information (Visa, M/C number, expiration date and 

signature) to: 

BOOKS BY MAIL 

1 

=· 

V/SA1 

P.O. Box 3128 Dept. GOA 

Santa Ana, CA 92703 

*Please include $1 p/h for EACH item ordered, plus 6 % tax 

(CA only.) ff you would like to receive a free book list, please 

send two stamps to the above address. 893 

The New Calliope 13


Phil "Patch" Cross: "Allow the unexpected 

to happen at every performance ..." 

Clowning 

down under 

One of COAi's newest members comes from Down 

Under. He is Australian Phil "Patch" Cross, who for the past 

seven years has been working as a clown in Perth, where 

he has built a reputation as a professional children's 

entertainer. 

Like American joeys, Patch has appeared at schools, 

kindergartens, play groups, carnivals and a vast number of 

birthday party shows. He stars in his own specially devised 

stage show at theaters and shopping centers, and often 

appears as a special guest artist at circus and clown 

festivals. 

Patch has appeared with many leading children's 

entertainment celebrities, including Fat Cat on television, 

and on stage with Humphrey Bear and Bert and Ernie from 

Sesame Street. 

He's won numerous showmanship awards , and was 

presented to H.R.H. the Princess of Wales for his work in 

the field of children's entertainment. 

The original production of Patch's magic show ran for 

more than 1,000 performances at Perth's Heritage theater. 

Subsequently he has staged a number of versions . 

Patch is excited about his COAi membership, and 

hopes to encourage other Australian clowns' interest in the 

organization. He also wants to correspond with American 

clowns, especially those who specialize in parties and 

magic. His address: Didi Promotions, 95 Grovelands Drive, 

Kelmscott 61111, Western Australia. 

Patch wrote an article about clown magic that was 

published in the Australian Magic Monthly. It follows: 

What is a magic clown? It is easier to say what he is not! 

A clown is not a magical entertainer who dons a red 

nose to increase his earning capacity. Even today's 

sophisticated child has the ability to suspend logic and 

accept a fantasy figure such as a clown, providing several 

guidelines are met. 

The magic presented should be entertaining, fast, and 

if possible, funny. Fast entertainment is the norm today; 

remember that in this video-TV age, even little ones have a 

speed impression, and long-winded effects, no matter how 

clever, will fall short of expectations. 

Although 1 prefer non-stop action, if a child suddenly 

wants to tell you a special "something ," stop and listen. 

The young party audience will often be most attentive to 

the "story," especially if you look absorbed in it, without 

perhaps understanding a word of it! You will also score top 

marks from the adults for your patience as a performer. 

The children should feel that, despite the clown's best 

magical efforts, they can still beat him at his own game; 

e.g., as a volunteer they wave the wand and achieve the 

effect the clown has struggled to achieve. 

14 The New Calliope


Children have an inbuilt expectation of what a clown 

actually is, and woe betide the performer who does not 

take this into account. 

In general terms, the clown should always SMILE, be 

confused in words and deed; e.g., misnaming of colors 

and items. The wearing of white gloves serves many 

purposes; parents appreciate the hygiene and in 

photography the white gloves against the white face paint 

look pleasing, rather than red hands. 

The phrase, "You're not a real clown, just a person," will 

crop up if the performer steps out of character, or his 

performance mode (without gloves, the hair on the back of 

the hands is enough to spoil the clown illusion). Costume 

and makeup play a very important part in the creation of a 

clown character, and in an initial stage care should be taken 

of all aspects. Remember when the character is 

established, it has to stay that way forever, with only subtle 

changes. 

In playing to very young children, remember their 

attention span is limited. To capture their interest, do not 

stand on your dignity. Literally, sometimes you can perform 

on your knees, or even at times sitting down. 

I oppose some of the usual clown items, such as 

squirting water or apparent violence, unless directed at 

oneself. Allow the unexpected to happen at every 

performance and you will find that you and your show will 

have an appeal to both the children and the 

parents/teachers, who will love going back in time when 

magic really did achieve near miracles. Played in the right 

key, children want to believe you really have the power. 

When you produce a rabbit, they KNOW it was 

produced by real magic and not trickery, even if, as in a 

recent show, a four-year-old asked, "Is it a real rabbit?" to 

which I answered, ''Yes." "Well, what's it made of?" was the 

next question. No gag writer can achieve such a reaction - 

out of the mouths of babes, indeed. 

Children between the ages of three and seven provide 

the most loving and appreciative audience for the patient 

magician; it becomes truly two-way traffic when the children 

love the magician and the magician loves the children .. 

Nowadays even eight-year-olds can be adversarial, 

with the blase cry of,"I know how it's done!" More often 

than not they do not have any clear idea, other than they 

are indulging in wishful thinking, or they mean they have 

seen a similar effect performed. As a magic clown this can 

be turned by playing up the, "Well, I hope I do, too" phrase. 

If one puts entertainment first and magic second, 

mixed with participation and showmanship, one has a show 

that is both commercial and memorable. 

BALLOON BOX, INC. 

Jessi St. John 

St. James·s Park 

2416 Ravendale Court 

Kissimmee. FL 34758 

(401) 933-8888 

TYPE I BALLOON PRICES QTY. 

130 Pencl, r I xr 1'4 

2:'8 Pencl, C • 38"' 1'4 

2'5 Pencl. T 14$ 0 1'4 

280A Pencl, T • 80" Euy to Bbw 1'4 

280E Pendl. '2" 1 6lT P,ofN1lonaJ 1'4 

2600 P.,,cl t 2· x 80" Ouala!H 1'4 

280EWH Pencl. '2" I eo· Al WM• 144 

2e0EBK Pencil. T 1 60" Al Black 144 

260SW Pencl, T 1 80'" Splnnert 144 

180M Pencll, T 1 80'" Muhleok>t1d 1'4 

280A Pencl, 2"' x 80" Long. E••Y Blow 144 

280E Pendl 'Z"• 80" l ong. Profeulonal 1'4 

312 Alrshlp3'"a 12'" 144 

315 Altshlp 3'" • 15" 144 

311 e ... & Pa,rot• 144 

317 Spiral :r • 2r Knobby 1'4 

340 Alrsh\:, 3" x-40" 144 

34,4 Alr1hlp'TJ1.U 0 144 

360 Airship :r JI. 80" (Hundred P4Ct4 100 

434 Fo, Splkad Bdoon 144 

524 For Tut1d1h Turrrol 144 

615 Head & Body $hoped II" 1 16" 1'4 

625 All'lht, 8" 125° 144 

747 Jet


Michael "Mirth" Mitchell: "Jesters have i1 

rich tradition as comic entertainers." 

(Photo by Robert A. Mitchell, Anchorag i !) 

Clowning 

up over 

By Dr. Michael K. Mitchell 

6626 Foothill Drive 

Anchorage, Alaska 99504-2620 

"Here comes the Queen! Here comes the Queen!" 

With these words, as Mirth the Jester I have heralded 

the procession of the Queen of the Alaska Renaissance 

Festival for the past eight years in Anchorage . 

Mirth the Jester is one of several clown characters I 

play. When asked when I first became a clown, I respond, 

some time between kindergarten and first grade . (My COAi 

membership doesn't extend quite that far back, but I have 

been a member for a number of years .) 

My jester costume was bought at Norcostco , a 

costume shop in Dallas, Texas. However, I created the face 

makeup which has become my trademark. The uniqueness 

of the black, red and gold blending into the colors and 

design of the costume have made Mirth a distinctive 

character. 

I usually include my white standard poodle , Big Al , into 

my appearances. We alter our dress and makeup to portray 

a variety of clowns and characters . 

When I become Mirth the Jester , Big Al becomes 

Rigoletto, my assistant. Mirth and Rigoletto limit their 

performances as jesters. We appear at the five days of the 

Alaska Renaissance Festival held the first weekend in 

June. We also appear at a local elementary school during 

the knighting of the Knights of the Math Table. The 

Knights are students at College Gate Elementary School 

who have excelled in mathematics during the school year. 

Rigoletto's costume was made by Patty Monaco, the 

teacher who organized the Knights of the Math Table 

ceremony. 

Although our performances are limited, Mirth and 

Rigoletto are well-known in Anchorage, due to generous 

media coverage. Their colorful costumes and makeup have 

generated many color photos in the local newspapers . 

While most modern clowns perform as Whiteface, 

Auguste or Tramp characters, jesters have a rich tradition 

as comic entertainers . They pretended to be fools , but 

were often using this pretense to have a license to poke 

fun at others. Jesters were in the court of the pharaohs as 

far back as the 5th Dynasty. They are found in the writings 

of the Aztecs , the religions of India, the Roman Empire, the 

Middle Ages and the plays of Shakespeare . 

When I'm not a jester, I dress as Carrot the Clown, a 

modified Whiteface. Then Big Al wears a clown costume 

and pulls a colorful cart. Sometimes Big Al pulls children in 

his cart, and occasionally has a portable stereo playing 

calliope music. 

In Anchorage's Fourth of July Parade, I play Uncle 

Sam, and Big Al is Yankee Doodle. He's painted red, white 

16 The New Calliope


and blue (what else?), and wears a red and white striped 

hat and a collar with a red string tie. Incidentally, Big Al is 

painted with colored hair spray. It washes out easily after 

the performance. 

All my clown appearances are volunteer. Although I am 

a professional actor, I do not accept money for clowning 

appearances. Big Al? Well, he accepts only handouts of 

food . 

When I'm not clowning, I am a science teacher in 

McLaughlin Youth Center. This is the state reform school 

for boys and girls who are in trouble with the law. 

Students range from 11 to 19 years of age. My 

students have named my science classes "Dr. Mitchell's 

Magic Moments." 

Acting. Some of the best teachers we have ever seen are 

actors. When a person acts the part of the ideal teacher, 

the results are successful. When a person acts the part of a 

clown, the results are successful and fun. 

Why do I like being a jester and a clown? The payoff is 

to see the look of joy and wonder in a child's eyes. Their 

happiness means more to me than money ever could. I like 

to watch people laugh and see their eyes light up and 

know I am a part of it. 

But I don't have to tell Calliope readers this . We, who 

are clowns, have all seen this joy and wonder. That is why 

we are clowns. 

My training and experience as a clown have helped me 

reach these troubled youth. My classes have been called 

the most popular in McLaughlin. 

If there 's any key ingredient to teaching, I think it is: 

Oct. 11-13, 1991 

Judging 

Clown Competitions 

Seminar /Certification 

At last, a week'end seminar designed 

to equip you with the tools 

and knowledge to effectively judge 

regional, national and international 

clown competitions! ISCA criteria 

will be used for discussion. 

Speakers/Lecturers 

• JAc:1' NHIPPLll, President ISCA 

• PRZNCH HARVSY, COAI Compet. Dir. 

* CANDY WB'l"l'DGUBN, Past Pree, 

Midwest Clown Assn. 

• BARRY D•CH.Uff, Assoc.Dir., Clown 

Camp; WCA Past Pres . 

• BXLL LOZON, !SCA Educ. Dir., WCA 

past Compet. Dir. 

• Other exp•rta to b• announced. 

Seminar site: Signature Inn 

I - 696 & Hoover Rd. 11500 Eleven 

Mile Rd. warren, Ml: 48089 

(313) 758 - 6000 

Reservations: (800) 822-5252 

per night 

$49 plus tax 

up to 4 in a room 

INCLUDES FREE BRBA!Cl"AST EXPRESS 

Topics covered 

• Judging techniquee, mechanioe 

and •coring ayat~ 

* Makeup and Coat'UIDe - - design, 

application, eff•otivan.••• 

* Skit• -- aingle, group 

* Paradeability - - propa, action, 

individual/group 

Registration form 

Sponsored by the INTERN A TIONAIJ SHRINE CLOWN ASSOCIATION 

Name: •••• • •••••••••••••••• 

Address •........ . . . ....... . .. 

city .•..... . .... state ... Zip .. 

Phone •• • ..................... 

Organizational affiliation 

{if any) •... , .. ......•••. 

Mail together with registration 

fee to: Bill Lozon, 

P.O. Box 1302, Royal Oak, MI 

48068 {313) 548-4439 

Make check payable to: ISCA 

The New Calliope 17


The ABC's 

of 

Clown 

clothes 

Trish Manuel has long been a costuming 

pace-setter,first as a clown for Ringling Bros. 

and Barnum & Bailey, and now as a successful 

clown costumer. She led the way both in wearing 

and designing female clown costumes. Here she 

considers aspects of clown costuming for all 

joeys,from beginner to pro. 

By Patricia Manuel 

Owner, Pricilla Mooseburger Originals 

Costuming has become a sophisticated part of 

clowning. There was a time where a would-be clown could 

go to the Salvation Army, pick up a bunch of old clothes 

and -- ha, ha -- you're a clown. Well, it doesn't work that way 

any more. If you're competing in the clown market , trying 

to get jobs, you'd better look good. This doesn't 

necessarily mean you have to spend thousands of dollars 

for a costume. But you need to have a professional look - 

the complete clown. Your character needs to be 

believable. 

So there are lots of things to think about in costuming, 

lots of questions you must answer: What is a costume 

going to do for you? What are you going to be doing in the 

costume? Is it to be a fancy costume, for photographs and 

special occasions? Is it a working costume? Are you going 

to wear it in hot weather, or in cold weather? Or both? 

It's easy to rationalize about costuming . We say, if I'm 

an Auguste, I have to dress like this, and if I'm a Whiteface I 

have to dress like that. I don't buy it, because when I was in 

the circus no one cared whether you were a Whiteface or 

an Auguste. If you needed to fill a spot in a gag, you did it, 

you made it work for you. 

The rules are fine when you have people working 

together in a group where the Auguste can be the buffoon 

and the Whiteface can be the know-it-all. But when you're 

out there by yourself doing a birthday party, you have to be 

all those things. You have to be your own straight man, you 

have to set yourself up. So you have to find a look that's 

your look, that works for you. 

Don't feel you have to dress and look a certain way 

because someone tells you so. You want to be 

comfortable with what you're doing in your wardrobe . You 

don't want to be wearing something that's so 

uncomfortable and unnatural that you don't feel funny. If 

you put a costume on and it makes you laugh, chances are 

you're going in the right direction. 

Consider some basics in costuming: 

For a male or neutral character's beginner or sumrr 

costume, I recommend a pair of pants, pair of suspende 

a shirt or T-shirt to which you add cuffs, collar, a big tie ar 

hat. This is simple, cool, comfortable, and not a big 

investment, especially if you don't know which direction 

you're going as a clown. 

Then you can add a vest with lots of inside pockets. 

And when you want to look really dressed up, put on a 

tuxedo jacket or coat. 

Make sure you can mix and match. You might want to 

have a couple of pairs of pants, a couple shirts, so you 

18 The New Calliope


Manuel talks 

with audience 

members after 

a seminar 

presentation. 

have choices. But you can start small and build your 

wardrobe. 

For a woman clown character, I recommend a skirt - 

one with an elastic waist, if you want to wear suspenders. 

Add a blouse or a long-sleeved T-shirt, a ruffly bib, a ruffly 

collar, a bow in your hair, or a little hat. You might want to 

wear ruffles on your wrists, or gloves. 

Bloomers -- girls in dresses mllst wear bloomers. I 

seldom make MUST statements, but if you're going to 

wear a dress or skirt, it's tacky not to have bloomers on 

underneath, even if you're wearing tights. Because, sure 

as anything, some kid's going to run up to you and lift up 

that skirt, just because it's what kids like to do. 

A girl clown can start out simple, with just a skirt and a 

plouse. Then you can add a vest. If you want to wear a big 

petticoat, these are great, too. But realize that there's a lot 

of bulk involved. You'll look like a mushroom, and it's really 

hard to drive your car. 

You don't have to have big, ruffly, poofy skirts to be a 

girl clown. You can be the Raggedy Ann type, or the Pippy 

Longstocking type. There are a lot of options. 

Eventually, you'll find that you want to expand your 

costuming. Because if you're working day after day in just 

one outfit, you're going to have to wash your costume 

every night. No fun. 

Some clowns buy their costumes, some make them. I 

don't' think every clown should run out and buy a costume. 

It would be good for people like me, but I don't think it 

would be good for clowning . It's important that you take 

some time, and it's great if you can make your own 

costume. Because if you make it yourself, you can do 

things that you can't afford to pay someone else to do. 

If you want to make your own clown costume, I 

recommend McCalls and Simplicity patterns. I've never had 

trouble fitting these patterns together, since they do what 

the directions say they're going to do. 

Plan to alter patterns, to add ruffles and cuffs, and to 

make the pockets bigger. Use your imagination. Look in 

fabric and pattern books, and you'll be surprised at what 

you'll find, especially for girl clown dresses . You may find a 

sleeve you like, a certain style of pants. Play paper dolls, 

cut the costumes out, put them together, and come up 

with your own unique styles. 

If you decide to make your own, you first have to 

decide what you want your costume to do for you. That 

means, what kind of fabric? Do you want a shiny fabric? 

Certain kinds of shiny fabric mean you are going to spend 

money on dry cleaning bills. This is especially true if you go 

into some of the lames. Remember, too, that lames have a 

tendency to break and fray. 

You might want to consider a new fabric called 

Debutante. It looks like a shiny, sparkly satin. It's washable, 

doesn't fade, and wears almost better than polyester 

cotton. 

But if you want a summer costume, I recommend 

polyester cotton. This is really important, because a lot of 

the really fun fabrics are 100 percent cotton, and there's a 

problem with that, since you get shrinkage and fading with 

100 percent cotton. It will look beautiful once or twice, but 

run it through the washing machine and no matter what you 


The New Calliope 19


Clown clothes -- 


do, it's going to fade and wrinkle. 

A tip -- look on the top of the bolt when you buy fabric, 

and make sure you're getting polyester cotton. The 

polyester keeps it from wrinkling, and the cotton makes it 

cool and comfortable. The higher percentage of cotton, 

the higher the percentage of wrinkles and of fading. So get 

a balance of 40 percent cotton, 60 percent polyester if you 

can. 

Another thing to watch for when you're buying fabric: 

There's a care code on the top of the bolt and the people 

at the fabric store will explain it to you. For instance, 7 is dry 

clean only, 3 is machine washable. 

Incidentally, when you wash your costume, whether 

you buy it or make it, turn it inside out if at all possible, and 

cold water at all costs - cold water from start to finish. 

And don't broil your costume in the dryer; the heat will 

break down the fiber and make the fabric fade. It weakens 

the fiber and makes the costume look dull. Put the dryer on 

low and tumble it, and hang the costume to dry overnight. 

Obviously, the less you have to clean your costume 

the longer it's going to last. I recommend that you wear a 

T-shirt under your costume. For one, if you faint and they 

want to open up your costume, you're not going to be 

embarrassed. And a T-shirt will absorb the sweat and keep 

it out of your costume, especially if you're wearing a coat or 

a dress. 

I line the costumes that I sell, and everybody says that 

they're so heavy. Yes, they're heavy, but they last longer. 

With a lined costume, all the wrinkles will hang out. I never 

have to iron my costumes. They get smashed and packed, 

wrinkled and crinkled, but they hang out overnight, 

because they're lined. 

I recommend flat lining. If you sew, you do flat lining by 

getting a piece of polyester cotton (like a white muslin) and 

you wash and you line each piece separately. Then put the 

costume together. 

Surprisingly, lined costumes are not necessarily hot to 

wear. They're a little warmer, a little heavier, but the lining 

insulates against the heat. If your costume isn't lined, you 

sweat into it, the costume clings, and you're really 

miserable. 

A final word on lining -- line with white, because those 

beautiful costume fabrics are very thin and if you put white 

behind them the colors jump out, crisp and bright. 

If there's one thing clown costumes have in common, 

it's that they are colorful. And a lot of people think the more 

colors the better. That's not necessarily true. 

If you're a beginner, work out a design for yourself, and 

keep it simple. Don't be afraid to pick three colors you like - 

red, yellow and blue; or pink, purple, and turquoise; or red, 

black and white -- whatever. But if you choose just a few 

colors and stick with them, it gives you a base, a place to 

start from, and your costume won't look so busy. 

You've seen the clown in a plaid suit, polka dot tie, 

striped shirt -- they call it the tailor's nightmare, and it has its 

place. But if you want to work as a professional clown and 

compete with professional clowns you'll want something 

snappier, a little more together. 

Something else to consider: If you have too much 

happening in your costume, it can frighten children. Too 

much red can frighten children, too. 

Strive for a balanced look. If your costume is too busy, 

you may find that people might not be as positive towards 

you as you'd like, and they don't even know why. 

You want a coordinated look. This doesn't mean that 

you can't have a goofy look, with stripes and polka dots put 

together. But if you put trim around everything, to separate 

the polka dots from the stripes , it gives you focus. 

You want to look cartoony , and that's what you get 

when you add pipings andtrims and big ruffles and big 

pockets and big lapels. That makes it clowny. 

So don't be afraid to put dots and stripes together. But 

if you have a striped coat, you might want to have a solid 

collar and lining. Same thing with a dress. If you have polka 

dot bloomers and a striped dress, you might want to go 

with a solid ruffle all the way around the bottom of the 

dress, to outline your look and give your costume 

definition. 

Be unique, but I caution the overuse of certain motifs. I 

have seen the rainbow wig, the rainbow outfit, the rainbow 

shoes and the rainbow makeup, and then the clown is 

named (surprise!) Rainbow. You don't need to overdo 

these things. Go ahead, use rainbow fabric, but you don't 

need to have the whole outift and your hair and your 

gloves and shoes and face all rainbows. 

Again, keep it simple. You can have a rainbow jacket 

and a solid pair of pants. Or if you're Bubbles the clown and 

want to have some polka dot fabric as the accent fabric, 

fine, don't make EVERYTHING bubbles. 

That goes for hearts, too. You can have an outfit with 

hearts, but not everything. Give yourself focus, narrow it 

down. The dress fabric might be hearts, but then all the 

Continued page 22 

20 The New Calliope


i99i 

North Central Reeional Convention 

Im Lecturers/ Dealers 

Peachey Keene 

Pricilla Mooseburger 

Paul and April Glaros 

hosted by 

St. Louis Clowns of America 

************* 

T. Myers 

Comanche Shoe 

Others 

BRECKENRIDGE FRONTENAC GRAND HOTEL 

1335 South Lindbergh Blvd. 

(at Hwy 40) 

St. Louis, MO 63131 

Call the hotel direct for room reservations. Mention you are with the St Louis Clowns of America 

to receive the special flat rate of $55/night for 1-4 per room. 1-800-325 -7800 or (314)993-1100. 

========= 

You need not be a COAi member to attend the convention , but you must be a COAi member to 

compete. 

\fake check out to St. Louis Clowns of America and mail. with registration to: 

Bev Hanson 

ry Manchester, MO 63021 

(314)391-1465 for additional infonnati~:1 

~ 469 Chamberlin Dr. lt . - . 

Send a SASE to receive conhrmauon. 

Registration 

(Includes Sunday Brunch) 

Name _______________ Clown Name _______ _ _ 

Address ________________ Phone ( ) ________ _ 

City , S~te. Zip _______________________ 

_ 

Amount Enclosed _________ Current COAI # ______ _ ___ _ 

Registrations postmarked by Sep. 14 ........ S55 Sep. 15 and later .......... $60 

Registrations at the door .................. .... . $65 

* * • • * • • • * * • • 

I wish to compete in the following competitions: Circle selection(s) 

Auguste Whiteface Tramp Paradability 

The New Calliope 21


Clown clothes 

From page 20 

ruffles and the outlines and the trims should be solid, so 

the whole effect is not overwhelming. 

Don't be afraid to incorporate new ideas, things that no 

one has done before. Most of us started out with jump 

suits. But things have changed. Jump suits are all right, but 

if we all stayed with that kind of costuming we'd have 

stayed with the concept that all clowns are supposed to be 

male or assexual, we wouldn't have any girl clowns. My 

costuming (shown on the back cover) was something that 

hadn't been done before , and now it's a good idea. But at 

the time it was different. So don't be afraid to change and 

try new costuming ideas. 

CONSTRUCTION TIPS 

Whether you buy a costume or make it yourself, there 

are some things to look for. 

,~, 

P.O.BUX 374 ALTA LUMA. CA 91701 

You want double stitching in natural stress areas - 

pockets , crotches, arm holes. This is most important, 

CLASSIC LLUl


you get the extra wide tape. 

Ribbon: Remember that bias tape will curve and go 

around collars and pockets, but that ribbon does not curve 

well. Ribbon doesn't give either, so don't think you're 

going to sew it on and work some give into it. 

Bows: I sew a lot of bow ties, and I use quarter inch 

foam in them. For a nice, crisp tie I've seen people make 

them with naugahyde in the middle. They're kind of 

heavy, but if you put foam or naugahyde in your big bows, 

they stand out nicely. And if you use foam, you can wash 

them, since the water goes right through it. 

Don't forget the buttons. And don't use normal 

buttons -- they're boring. Get some big, colorful buttons, 

You can even make them by covering them. But beware of 

putting covered buttons on the backside area if you're 

going to do falls, because they dent and can pop open. 

Some people glue them shut. 

You can also make buttons of wood with holes in the 

center. Sand them down, paint and varnish them. Again, 

be careful of putting wooden buttons on your back if you're 

doing falls, because it's not fun if you sit on them. 

Don't put red buttons on a red coat; use yellow or blue 

buttons, instead, so they stand out and look 

cartoony. And don't use yellow thread on a yellow 

button. A yellow button should be sewn on with blue or red 

thread, and it should have a criss-cross in the middle. 

That's what you look for in a cartoon button. The cross in 

the middle is a little thing, but it adds to the look of your 

costume. Maybe no one will know it but you, but you'll feel 

better about it anyhow. 

THE FINAL TOUCHES 

Okay, your costume is great, but did you forget the 

socks? Don't think no one is going to see your ankles 

because your pants are so long. Again, those kids are 

going to pull up your pants to see if you're wearing clown 

socks. They want to know. 

You can make your own socks. I've done it by making 

ruffles or rick rack and sewing it on anklets. One thing to 

remember: When you put a sock on your foot, it has to be 

wide. So if you just sew something over the top of your 

sock, you won't get it over your foot. Before you sew, 

measure the widest part of your foot and stretch your 

anklets as you sew. 

Suspenders: You can cover suspenders, make your 

own, even gather fabric on the outside of the suspenders 

to make them match your costume. Or you can buy 

suspenders. I recommend suspenders with the leather fob 

that attaches to a button. Why? Because the clip 

suspenders will rip your pants. And it's really fun to sneak 

up behind a clown and snap off his clip suspenders. 

How about shoes? You don't have to spend a bunch of 

money on clown shoes if you can't afford them, or if you 

can't walk in them. But that doesn't mean you should walk 

around in any old shoes just because they're comfortable. 

You should have clown shoes, but they don't have to be 

big to be clown shoes. In England, doing a dance routine 

that would have been dangerous in my big shoes, I took 

tennis shoes, covered them with yellow fabric paint, 

painted polka dots on them, and superglued rhinestones 

in the center of the polka dots, and they were fun clown 

shoes. 

If you want to wear a petticoat, rather than sewing 

them, go to a shop that sells articles for square dancers. 

Take your dress with you and try on the square dance 

petticoats. There are so many colors and styles that you 

should have no trouble getting what you want. Make sure 

the petticoat isn't too long. 

Good luck with your costuming, and remember: As far 

as what they wear, clowns can do whatever they want to 

do, within reason and in good taste. 

This article was excerpted from a seminar 

presentation. 

YOUR ACT NEEDS A 

PUPPET SHOW! 

COMPLETE SHOW PACKAGES AVAILABLE! 

EACH SHOW REQUIRES ONLY ONE PUPPETEER I 

EACH PACKAGE INCLUDES: 

Complete Cast of Durable, Adorable 

Hand•Crafted Puppets • All Necessary 

Props• Soundtrack Cassette of the Script 

(Complete with Character Voices, Music 

& Sound Effects) • A suggested Stage 

Diagram • Marketing & Pricing 

Recommendations! 

YOU SUPPLY ONLY THE ARMS! 

Prices start at $195.00 

0 LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 

A "rapping" wolf updates this classic tale 

to the delight of all ages. 

Running time .... approx. 11 min. 

0 A LOOK AT NUTRITION 

Hospitals, Preschools, and Health Fair 

are perlect audiences for this light look a 

"good food". Running tims .... approir. 7 rrir. 

O · 

0 RUMPLESTIL TSKIN 

An odd little man's ability 10 spin straw into D CINDERELLA 

gold saves and complicates the life of a The befuddled fairy godmother narrates 

beautiful princess. 

this favorite tale of good over evil. 

Running time .... approx. 13 min. Running tim11 .... approx. 13 min. 

CUSTOM PUPPETS 

HEY JOEY! HOW ABOUT A·PUPPETTHAT LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU????? 

Papler Macheand Fabrtc (non-moveable mouth) ••·-··•-" ·Startlng at$69.00, 

Foam and Fabric (moveable mouth) .................................. Startlng at $99.00 

Please Call For More Information/ 

PERIWINKLE PUPPET PRODUCTIONS 

711 PINELAND AVENUE 

VENICE, FL 34292 

(813) 484-2161 

The New Calliope 23


Got a question for Aunt 

Clowney? Write to her c/o: 

Pat Lay Wilson 

Books by Mail 

P.O.Box 3128 Dept. COA 

Santa Ana, CA 92703 

Just ask 

Aunt Clowney 

Dear Aunt Clowney: 

I began clowning several months ago. I put 

on makeup a lot and powder in my shower stall, 

so it doesn't get all over the bathroom. Lately I 

have been noticing my drains plugging up. 

Could the powder be causing this? 

Sticky Drains 

from Des Plaines 

Dear Sticky: 

My goodness, what an interesting question. I called my 

plumber and he told me there is a very good chance that 

talcum powder could build up in the drain and cause a 

problem. The plumber said that, in older homes, the drain 

might be just 1 1/2 inches wide (new homes, usually 2 

inches), and flushing a lot of talcum powder down the drain 

could add to the residue and cause a plumbing blockage 

eventually. 

The best thing is, do all your powdering outdoors. Who 

cares what the neighbors think? (Most of mine think I'm 

nutsy cookoo, anyway.) 


I was wondering, where did the word "clown" 

come from? 

Webster Webfoot 

Dear Webster: 

I never thought about that. Hmmmm, my dictionary 

says it comes from the Latin word colonus, which means 

colonist or farmer . I guess farmers were at one time 

considered rude and ill-bred, as contrasted with city 

dwellers. So the name has come to mean fools, jesters, or 

buffoons. This sounds pretty boring. Does anybody out 

there have a better story? 


I am a new clown, and I know there are 

several types of clowns. But I can't make up my 

mind which type I would like to be. Do you have 

any suggestions? 

Anxious in Alabama 

Dear Anxious: 

That's a good question. The most widely known types 

are Whiteface, Auguste and Character (which includes 

hobo or tramp). There are no real rules on who should be 

which type of clown.I have seen dainty ladies become 

rough and tumble hobos, and huge men turn into prissy 

clown ladies. 

Maybe one thing you should consider is, what type of 

act do you want to develop? If you tend to be the klutzy 

type of person, if your magic tricks never work correctly, if 

you try to juggle and drop the balls, if you trip over your 

own feet a lot, the Auguste is for you. 

Auguste clowns began their history in the mid-1800s, 

when an American clown performing in Germany stumbled 

into the ring, causing a roar of laughter from the audience. 

When they spotted his silly clothes and funnier antics, they 

shouted out, "Auguste!", which is a German slang word 

meaning "stupid" or "silly." 

Whiteface clowns, by tradition, are more sophisticated 

than their brothers. If you are skilled in your demeanor and 

tricks, you should consider being a Whiteface clown. 

Whiteface clowns began their history with the French 

Pierrot in the early 1800s. They have since developed into 

two sub-sets, neat Whiteface, with small makeup features, 

and grotesque Whiteface, with colorful exaggerations of 

the eyes and mouth. 

If you want your clown to portray a certain type , such as 

24 The New Calliope

September/October , 1991 

a jockey, fireman, ballet dancer, you may choose to be a 

character clown. If you are a character, you may wear either 

Whiteface or Auguste makeup. 

I guess one of the nicest things about clowning is, you 

can always change your mind. If you decide you don't want 

to be an Auguste, just change and try something new. If 

you are tired of being a character clown, try Whiteface. 

Many clowns have tried all types of clown styles and 

makeup over the years. Sometimes they even change 

their clown names (Kinko/Auguste, Prissy/Whiteface), and 

sometimes they keep the same name (Jolly the Cowboy, 

Jolly the Fireman, etc.). 

One good point...if you intend to clown with a partner, 

it works well if one of you is a Whiteface and the other an 

Auguste. And as you develop your skits, the Whiteface 

should be the more intelligent straight man, with the 

Auguste playing the fall guy or victim. If you know of the old 

comedy team, Bud Abbott would have been the 

Whiteface, and Lou Costello the Auguste. Or Dean Martin 

(Whiteface) and Jerry Lewis( Auguste). Gee, how sad -- I 

can't think of any current comedy teams now working 

together on stage. They all seem to be working solo. 

(I found some of the above information in Creative 

Clowning, a very good book for both beginning and 

advanced clowns). 


I marched in a parade on July 4th, and it was 

okay. But all of us 25 clowns were bunched 

together as a unit, and it was hard to work the 

crowd. In fact, some of the little kids were 

frightened, because there were so many 

clowns. Any suggestions? 

Crowded Clown 

from Columbus 

Dear Crowded: 

I have marched in parades also, with a local clown alley 

that wanted to win a prize. So we all marched in a clump, 

and it was really hard to work the crowd or devote much 

time to a cute kid before another clown hurried up and 

intruded and stole your thunder . I think I'll write a chapter 

on parade etiquette some day. One of the first rules is, if 

another clown is working with a group of people , do not 

come up until you are sure he or she is through with their 

routine. Barging in and trying to steal the crowd's attention 

is rude and unkind. (End of soapbox.) 

While it is fun to march in a group, I think clowns would 

be more effective if they "unclumped" them selves and 

were spread throughout the entire parade. This way, each 

clown would be a real treat (and not in competition with 

several others , and you would have time to complete a 

funny skit or bit of business. After all, clowns, are you there 

to win trophies or to entertain the crowd? Huh? 


Clown shoes are very , very expensive. I am 

just a hobby clown, and I really can't afford 

them. Any suggestions? 

Shoeless Joe 

from Kokomo 

Dear Shoeless: 

Yes, I know. I have seen prices from $50 to $300 for a 

pair of real "professional" clown shoes. But, you know, 

nothing else will mark you as a real clown in everybody's 

eyes. I bit the bullet several years ago and spent $125 for a 

pair of clown shoes from a master shoemaker. And since 

that day, nobody has said, 'You aren't a real clown" to me. 

The only problem I have is, the tongues (but not other 

parts) of the shoes have a red dye which I seem to be 

allergic to. Every time I wear the shoes, my feet get a very 

itchy rash where they touch the tongue area. I have tried 

wearing several pairs of socks, but nothing helped. I was 

about to cut the tongues out, when I got a bright idea! I 

pulled the tongues out from under the laces at the bottom 

of the lace area and now the tongues flop around like 

crazy ... and I no longer get a rash. And my shoes look silly, 

like a clown's shoes should. 

If you positively can't afford to buy "professional" clown 

shoes , do what many other clowns do -- buy a pair of the 

largest tennis shoes you can find (size 16?). Wad the ends 

with newspaper , add a porn-porn, and you'll have some 

really funny shoes. Or paint the shoes a funny color , or add 

rhinestones and gems or appliques. In other words, make 

your shoes look as clownly as possible. 

But if you make money from your clowning , set aside 

1 O percent from every show, and soon you'll have enough 

money for a pair of real clown shoes. Take the money you 

would ordinarily spend on magic tricks which you will stick in 

a drawer and never use, and save it for shoes. I think this is 

an investment you will never regret. 

* * * • * 

Well, clowns , that's it for now. I'm on my way to a 

National Puppeteers Convention (we call them "Festivals") 

in Oklahoma. Are you keeping track of conventions in your 

area and attending as many as you can? Next year the 

COAi Convention will be in Jacksonville, Fla., and WCA will 

be in Las Vegas, Nev. We plan a Clown Camp in Orange 

County, Calif., in a couple of months , plus the Western 

Region Convention in Laughlin , Nev., next October. You'll 

find ads for clown conventions in each issue of The New 

Calliope, as well as our Calendar of Coming Events. I hope 

you are able to attend one or more of these great fest ivities 

in the months to come. And if I'm there as a dealer , be 

sure to come up and say "Howdy" or something. I'm really 

enjoying meeting all of my clown "cousins." 

Have a Fantastic Fall -- and keep those cards and 

letters coming. 

The New Calliope 25


Jack "Freckles" Anderson: "You've 

got to know· your audience, or your 

believability is zero." 

But will they believe you? 

By Jack Anderson 

Southeast Regional COAi Vice President 

All right, you're a clown. You've got a costume, shoes, 

a wig , and great makeup . You even know how to juggle, 

blow balloons and do some magic. But the whole thing 

won't come together until you make your clown character 

believable . 

Believability is the basic ingredient for anyone in the 

dramatic arts. Before Jackie Gleason began "The 

Honeymooners," he spent several months driving and.,. 

riding city buses, so that he was not only funny but 

believable as Ralph Cranston. You've got to believe that 

actor Ted Danson is Sam Malone the bartender, or you 

won't watch "Cheers." 

So it is with clowns. We are actors, playing our parts. 

Our audience has to believe that we are clowns, otherwise 

they aren't going to laugh . 

Here's a starting point: Sit down and write a three page 

autobiography -- who you are, where you live, the street , 

the city, your age. Do you have parents, children, a dog? 

What was the name of your first grade teacher? Put down 

all of the important things in your life, because you can use 

these things to make a unique, well-rounded individual out 

of your clown character. 

You just can't be a believable clown unless you make 

use of things that you are familiar with, things that you know 

about. If you're a young mother with pre-school children, 

you might want to develop a clown character that's 4, 5 or 6 

years old. You've got someone to draw from. You watch 

their actions, their vocabulary , their timing, what they watch 

on television, the toys they're playing with. Then you can 

put all these things together to make a believable 

character. (And , of course , as a young mother in your 

twenties or thirties, you'll have smoother makeup than an 

older clown, so the pre-school character of yours is just that 

much more believable.) 

I've been Freckles for almost 25 years. I lent a clown 

friend most of my outfit to work a parade once, and I used a 

borrowed tramp outfit. I was never so lost in my life. I had no 

timing, no presence with the children on the parade route. I 

had no routine. I had a name but nothing worked . I was 

nothing but a person with a painted-on face. I hadn't taken 

the time to develop a character. 

I was putting on makeup in the house one day whe n 

the phone rang. My son answered it and said, "I'm sorry , 

Jack Anderson isn't here. But would you like to speak to 

Freckles?" Because they are two different people. As far as 

my son is concerned , Freckles did not pay an allowance , 

26 The New Calliope


did not discipline, did not worry about his school grades, 

did not make him pick up clothes in his bedroom or worry 

about a ring in the bathtub. Jack Anderson did. Freckles 

responded differently, because he is a child and 

responded as a child to my son. And my son knew that and 

accepted the fact that Freckles was a different individual, 

who wouldn't talk on the phone the same way Anderson 

did. 

Use everything you have to develop your character. 

One woman, a beautician, had her character become the 

official circus beautician. She curled all the elephants' tails, 

curled all the clowns' hair, went through a complete 

routine. It was funny, and the kids loved it. 

A librarian used her job to develop believability for her 

character. She kept all the books for the sword swallower, 

the fat lady, the wire walkers. She told the kids all these wild 

fantasy tales about her fantasy library. And she passed out 

a little card good for book rental at the circus library. It 

became a funny routine for her, and it gave her 

believability. 

If you've got what you consider a handicap, make 

lemonade out of it. I worked with a woman who weighed 

300 pounds, and she used that weight to develop her 

character. She put on green and white jockey silks and 

went out as an unemployed jockey. She talked about her 

sway-backed horse, how she's going to start racing again, 

so she's on a super diet -- only three chocolate sundaes, 

four boxes of popcorn and six bars ·of candy a day. And it 

became very believable, and very funny. 

Some clowns have given life and believability to their 

character by the way they use their clown name. Jelly Bean 

has a family: all the great Beans. Her grandfather is that 

great admiral, Navy Bean. Her father is the famous 

surgeon, Dr. Kidney Bean. Brother is an Olympics hero, 

Mexican Jumping Bean. And she confesses, a little 

tearfully, that the bean family had a skeleton, the 

moonshiner Jim Beam. 

Leon McBryde uses his great height and weight to his 

clown's advantage. When Buttons comes in he's loud, 

clumsy, overgrown, silly. He's just a big 6 foot, 7 inch kid - 

high-pitched voice, looks like he might be just out of high 

school, not married, amazed at all the things going on. You 

can't imagine Buttons selling stock on Wall Street. He has 

his own way of interpreting things. And you do the same 

thing -- you interpret things individually so your clown 

character can feel comfortable where you're going with him 

or her. 

You've got to know your audience, or your believability 

is zero. Let's say you're going to play to a 12-year-old 

audience -- a tough group, indeed . You've got to know that 

12-year-olds go to the sixth grade, probably have a music 

teacher, too young to drive, love to eat at McDonalds. Do 

you know the current TV hearthrobs of this pre-teen 

group? Remember, they don't watch Sesame Street, but 

are aware of whats going on in Nickelodeon. You have to 

know the current rock groups, what the big songs are right 

now, and also some of the dance steps. If you come up 

with Glenn Miller, they're going to shake their heads. 

Your clown name must be believable, and workable. I 

like a name that is simple, one or two syllables, something 

children can pronounce easily. Go with a name that either 

sex can relate to. Both boys and girls have freckles. Both 

boys and girls like lollipops or jelly beans -- they are 

universally attractive names and the kids know what they 

mean. 

You have to use your imagination to become a 

believable clown . Children have great imaginations. As 

adults we know the difference between real life and 

fantasy, and we tend to drop the fantasy completely; we're 

so used to dealing with facts that we cut out the 

imagination. But children have imaginary friends, imaginary 

stories, and they go easily from the real world to their 

imaginary existence. That's what we must do as clowns: 

Reach into our imagination to put real life into our clown 

characters. 

This article was excerpted from a seminar 

presentation. 

CLOWN SHOES 

TO WIN 

TO SHOW 

TO EN.JOY 

wear custon clown shoes 

by JOHN THE CLOWN SHOEMAKER 

C/0 VAOIM BDRISDV 

9417 BAY COLONY #3E 

DES PLAINES, IL 60016 

< 708 ) 824-9635 

DIFFERENT 

THE FINEST 

ASK US FDR 

FREE CATALOG 

SEND SELF-ADDRESSED 

STAMPED ENVELOPE 

The New Calliope 27


Some aspects of 

The caring clown 

By Richard Snowberg 

Director, Clown Camp 

University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse 

There are a lot of different types of clowns: Circus 

clowns, rodeo clowns, street clowns, theatrical clowns. 

And then there's one of the most important of all: The 

Caring Clown. 

The caring clown:That's the clown who performs for 

those people who are in real need, suffering from some 

type of trauma or discomfort, or just pure boredom and lack 

of love. 

You'll find them in nursing homes and hospitals, where 

the need for love and attention is constant. We as clowns 

have a responsibility to help these folks, to bring them out 

of themselves for a short time. Fulfilling that responsibility is 

the mark of the caring clown. 

I get a little disappointed at some people who view the 

charitable clown as a "lesser" type of clown, in terms of 

ability. I think that's unfair and not necessarily the case. In 

Lacrosse, we like to start our newest clowns working in a 

nursing home environment. It introduces them to the 

benefits they can deliver and the satisfactions they can 

receive without really having any physical clowning skills. 

They don't have to be able to do rope tricks, to do 

magic or balloon sculpture, or ventriloquism or juggling 

because, in large part, the nursing home audience isn't all 

that interested in those skills. They are interested in sitting 

down and talking with you. They're interested in a good 

story, in somebody paying attention to·them, holding their 

hands , listening to them, and giving of yourself to them. 

So we tell our clowns that there's nothing wrong if the 

clown ends up visiting with only one person. Now that 

clown may feel she didn't make much of a contribution to 

the show if she only talked to one person and held hands 

with that person for half an hour. But that one person may 

have the most vivid impression and memory of the visit 

than all the rest of the audience put together. 

Our significance is sometimes hard to measure . But in 

nursing homes , and even more so in hospitals , we have an 

opportunity to give of ourselves and not ask something in 

return. The people we're playing to are in a situation or 

environment that, by and large, they haven't chosen. They 

didn't elect to be in a nursing home or hospital , and they're 

generally not happy with what's happened to them to 

cause them to be there. 

As a result, the clown is a fantasy character who can go 

in and help remove them from that environment. I don't 

mean taking them outside; rather, the clown can bring up 

mental images of their youth, and of fun experiences 

they've had. 

In nursing homes, clowns have a chance to experience 

something that most people don't. When Margo the Clown 

goes to the nursing home, she's a fanciful character that 

has something different to offer than when as Marjory she 

goes to visit her mother or her aunt. 

For, when most of us to go a nursing home to visit a 

relative, the closer the relative, the more difficult the 

emotions are and the guilt is. There's a lot of guilt because 

Mother is there and not living with you. And so there's a 

separation, and it's difficult for Marjorie to go in and hold 

hands with Aunt Mary. 

But Margo the Clown can go in and do it. The clown 

can hold hands, put an arm around the person, have a nice 

chat, and they can have some fun together. 

Some suggestions: When you work a nursing home, 

take your clown gloves off, so you can have skin to skin 

contact.Take the person away from there ... don't talk 

about the weather, don't ask them how they're feeling, 

don't tell them how good or bad they're looking. 

When I go into a room in a nursing home, I look for 

something that I think must mean a lot to the resident: 

Photographs usually, maybe a wedding picture or photos 

of the grandchildren. Start with that. You don't want to get 

off talking about health or the weather. 

There are commonalities between nursing homes and 

hospitals. In both instances, you have a captive audience. 

Hospital patients usually are suffering more trauma. Some 

are there for diagnostic purposes and don't know what's 

wrong with themselves, some are seemingly fine. Some 

members of your hospital audience don't feel all that bad , 

but are captive because they're in traction. They are 

suffering from boredom; with them , you are dealing with an 

audience quite similar to a nursing home audience in terms 

of what you can do with them and the responses you'll get. 

They're really thirsting for attention and some type of 

stimulation . 

In a hospital, the clown has a tremendous advantage 

over everybody else who goes into that room. It's this: 

28 The New Calliope


You're the only one who isn't going to ask the patient for 

something. You're not going to ask for a specimen or a 

blood sample. You're not going to ask them if they've taken 

their medicine, or if they've eaten their food, or how they 

feel. You're just going in there to give. 

In a hospital situation, you want to be careful that 

you don't ask for responses to questions -- even simple 

questions -- unless you have determined that kind of 

interchange is desirable or something they're willing to do. 

If the person asks me a question, I'll answer it. If they 

begin to interact with me, I'll build on it. But otherwise it's 

just going to be a one-way story-telling dialogue. I'm going 

to use things that are in my pocket. I'm going to use things 

that are proven. 

A clown won't be dealing with live animals or big props 

in the hospital - no big productions. And you must be 

sure that any material you give away is approved by hospital 

authorities. One Lacrosse hospital provides us with 

acceptable snacks for kids in the pediatrics ward, and they 

have a health care professional accompany us. Other 

hospitals provide us with giveaways; they want to know 

what is being provided to the youngsters, and this is a 

good way to do it. 

finish up with the first kid in three or four minutes, and leave 

something with him. At the same time, I've been aware of 

what's happening in the rest of the room, and I say, "I 

wonder if there's anyone else who wants .... ", and if they 

answer I'll go and work to the next one. Then I won't ask 

any more, but I'll go to the receptive youngsters and work 

them. 

Some of the youngsters are non-receptive, not 

comfortable with my presence. But still they may want one 

of my presents. So I'll give it to the nurse. That child is a 

captive audience, she can't get away, and this is her 

house, so I'm not going to approach her. I'm not going to 

withhold the gift, but I won't intrude on that child. 

I know thousands of clowns, and I've never met a 

single one who didn't feel a responsibility toward work ing 

with nursing home and hospital audiences at some time 

during their clown career. I think it makes us all better 

clowns. And if, as a caring clown, that's what you do 

exclusively, it's commendable and admirable. 

This article was exerpted from a seminar 

presentation. 

In both nursing homes and hospitals, you are visiting 

someone who is in their home . They may not accept the 

fact that it's their home, but the clown must regard it as 

such. So don't walk into a room unannounced; you don't 

walk into someone's home unannounced . Allow the 

person to accept you into their home . 

You don't have to verbally ask if it's okay to come in, but 

at least allow the person the opportunity to show you if 

they really don't want to deal with you. And accept the fact 

that it's not you -- they're just not ready to deal with 

anybody at this point. 

Again, don't force yourself on them. Some of these 

people are in physical pain, they are on medication, they've 

just accepted the fact that they're in a permanent paralysis. 

It's not the right time for your visit. Be willing to accept that, 

and don't take it personally. 

My approach is to make a little bird whistle outside the 

door, then show my foot, and wait until I hear something. 

Usually it's laughter, and a comment. Then I make an 

appearance in the doorway and read them to see if they're 

willing to accept me. I'll do something in the doorway in 

terms of movements, or I'll play with a puppet, asking the 

puppet if it thinks it's all right if I go in the room. The puppet 

nods yes, and then I ask the person if it's okay to come in. 

In wards, youngsters' wards especially, I'll stand in the 

room and then go to the bed of the most receptive 

youngster first. I'll work to him, and maybe one of the 

others is frightened to death of me, but they see me. I'll 

• 

Richard Snowberg: "Our significance is 

sometimes hard to measure ." 

The New Calliope 29


What's wrong with Paradeability? 

By Bob "Rags" Stanek 

3820 West 55th St. 

Edina, MN 55410 

Since returning from the 1991 COAi National 

Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., something has been 

bothering me a bit. I was honored in being a judge in the 

Paradeability Competition. What is bothering me is, I don't 

think that a majority of contestants know what a parade act 

consists of! 

We had a contestant come through the competition 

with a parade prop built on a small kitchen cart with small 

plastic caster wheels that would not hold up one block in a 

parade. Parade props have to be built like a battleship to 

endure a two to three-mile parade over rough street 

conditions. 

One contestant came through and got a volunteer 

child out of the audience, and proceeded to do a 

five-minute magic act. In the first place, it is never 

recommended to get children out in the street during a 

parade. This just entices other children to come out in the 

street. To have children running helter-skelter out in the 

parade route during a parade is very unsafe, as a clown has 

enough to stay out of the way from his or her fellow clowns, 

and not having to watch and dodge kids out in the street. 

This also goes for throwing out candy and other 

goodies to the parade crowd. This gets the kids out of 

hand and out in the parade route, too -- very unsafe. Also, 

doing a five-minute magic act is just too long to do as a 

parade act and keep up with your clown group . It has been 

estimated, in a fast-moving parade, you have only about 

five seconds to stop, do a parade act, and still keep up with 

your group. 

Parade acts have to be designed to repeat over and 

over EASILY We had paradeability contestants that did 

excellent parade acts with a great blowoff. But that was,it. 

Their act could not be repeated easily without stopping 

and re-assembl ing the prop. You just don't have the time to 

re-assemble or re-cock your parade prop in a fast-moving 

parade. 

We also had a very excellent acrobatic group, but 

again, this paradeability act has to repeat at least twice a 

block. Contestants would have to be supermen and 

superwomen to be able to do this same acrobatic act twice 

a block in a three-mile parade. This would be just 

impossible, especially if it was a very hot parade, as some I 

have experienced. 

Some of the parade acts had small cassette tape 

players for their act. Also, one of the parade acts had a 

small toy-type sound effect device. These audio devices 

"..:Remember that Paradeability 

Competition is to judge clown acts that 

would be used in an actual parade ..." 

could not even be heard over the ambient noise level in 

the shopping mall where the Paradeability Competition was 

held. Surprisingly, parade crowd noise is always at an 

unexpectedly high level. If your act needs music or a 

sound device, you really need a good PA amplifier and 

speaker system to override the crowd noise. 

Some of the paradeability contestants had signs to 

explain their act to the parade crowd . Some of the 

contestants had small, homemade signs with very small 

printing. This won't work in a parade, either. If you really 

need a sign to explain your act, the printing must be of 

professional quality, and very large print. Also, the 

message must be very short and to the point, as the 

parade crowd does not have time to read a long, detailed 

message . 

Small props , like hand puppets, are not good parade 

props, as they are just too small to be seen by a large 

segment of the parade crowd. When working a parade, you 

try to entertain a large segment of the crowd on the curb at 

once, not individuals : 

There were parade props made of cardboard. This is 

fine, but what happens if it rains on your parade? You're out 

of a prop! Usually the clowns are expected to parade , rain 

or shine. These cardboard props would just "melt" in case 

of rain. Cardboard can be used for parade prop 

construction BUT treat the cardboard to make it waterproof. 

Finally, remember that Paradeability Competition is to 

judge clown acts that would be used in an actual parade, 

with all the unusual factors that go into and on in a parade . 

Parades require a very specialized type of clowning. 

30 The New Calliope


Registration COAi Convention 1992 

Please type or print in ink 

Name: ................................................................ 

Clown name ........................ 

Address: ......................................................................................................... 

Ctty, State & Zip .......................................................................................... 

Early Registration: 

$65.00 

Phone.................................................... After March 31, 1992: $70.00 

At the Door: 

$75.00 

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: 

First Coast Clowns 

SENDTO: 

INFORMATION, QUESTIONS: 

Harriet "Tinkerbell" Brown 

511 Hopkins St. 

Neptune Beach, FL 32233 

Phone (904) 246-3393 

Tom "JoJo" Davis 

1662 Flagler Ave. 

Jacksonville, FL 32207 

Phone(904)398-3735 

Clowns of America International Annual Convention 

April 28-May 3, 1992 

$50.00 single or double occupany $60 triple or quad occupancy 

_ King _2 Double Beds _King with sofa bed _ Queen 

(Please indicate preference. Room types subject to availability.) 

Name ....... .................. .............. ....... ............................... Phone ............................ ... . 

Adress ......................... ......... ........................ .................................................... ...... . 

City ................................................ State ................................... Zip .........···········...... 

Credit Card No ..................................................... ..... Expiration date ....................... . 

Arrival Date ........................... ....... .... Departure Date ........ .................................... ... . 

Number in Party ............................ Approximate Arrival Time ............................... .. 

Reservations are guaranteed only if a deposit equal to one night's room 

rate is received or your credit card number and expiration date are given. 

Deposit refundable if cancellation is received 24 hours prior to arrival. 

RESERVATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED PRIOR TO APRIL 7, 1992 

Check-in time 3:00 p.m. Check-out time 12:00 Noon 

HOLIDAY INN EAST & CONFERENCE CENTER 

5865 Arlington Expressway, Jacksonville , Florida 32211 

800-874-3000 Nationwide (904) 724-3410 800-342-2357 Florida 

, 

The New Calliope 31


Laughter: a great mental tonic 

By Pat Willholte 

Dr. Isaac the Clown 

3040 N. Buckner, #116 

Dallas, TX 75228 

To the professional or volunteer serving in the medical 

and health professions: the names "Clownselling," 

Clownologist," or "Humorology" may not be your everday 

clinical words. Is this some new approach to treatment or 

therapy? The truth is that these terms are as new as today, 

yet as old as mankind. Back in the days of old, the court 

jester had the unique task of entertaining kings and heads 

of state. If he did a good job, he 

would be rewarded. If not, he 

would lose his head ... for real. 

What he did find out, however, 

was that his funny ways did much 

more than entertain. 

Several years ago, stimulated 

by some medical findings from 

Norman Cousins, a group of 

doctors, people from a wide range 

;I 

of health professions, and some 

Dr. Isaac well-trained clowns conducted a 

research project into the benefits of humor. What they 

found reaffirmed what they already knew. Laughter thus 

found a needed and welcomed place in the mental field as 

part of the total treatment process. 

Worry, stress and anxiety cause more illness, grief, and 

unhappiness than all other problems combined. Worry is 

nothing more than a negative feeling about yourself. 

Chances are you won't die from what you eat, but may die 

from what's eating you. 

Laughter is one of the greatest mental tonics known to 

man. It is the second most powerful human emotion we, as 

people, can express (the first being love) . Laughter can 

dispel anxiety, help manage stress, depression, fear, and 

worry. It can stimulate the healing process. Laughter 

provides strong medical, psychological, social, and even 

spiritual benefits. Laughter is like internal jogging. It 

enhances the respiratory system, helps oxygenate the 

body, relax tense muscles, and is an all around pain killer. It 

will lower pulse and blood pressure. Laughter can pave the 

way for a new and exciting outlook on life. It can build 

friendships and maintain relationships. It is the universal 

communicator that can cross all boundaries of race or 

culture. 

You can't laugh and be mad; you can't laugh and worry. 

Stress, worry, and laughter are not compatible . 

Most children can laugh freely, feel good and 

communicate special feelings through humor. As we 

become adults, our ability to laugh and share humor gets 

lost as we fall victim to the daily tasks of living and working in 

a pressured environment. We often search for other 

methods of coping, such as drugs or alcohol. We 

sometimes feel it is a violation of our social status to enjoy a 

good laugh. 

Think of laughter as low calorie, caffeine tree , no salt, 

no preservatives or additives, 100 percent natural, and one 

size fits all. Laughter is truly God's gift. You can get high on 

laughter, but you can never OD. 

Maybe it's about time for adults to come back down to 

earth and share some real, childlike, sincere humor. At one 

time or another, we all long to return to those days of 

childhood. A time when we were free from stress. We felt 

happy and uninhibited. We were free from prejudice, 

greed, and the material wants of this world. 

Laughter is contagious. Once it starts, little can be 

done to stop it. Laughter never feels badly, commits a 

crime, starts a war, or breaks up a relationship. Laughter is 

shared by the giver and the receiver. Laughter costs 

nothing and is non-taxable. 

Each of us has our own "Clown" inside longing to jump 

out and help make a better world for all of us. Sometimes it 

just takes a little push in the right direction. When was the 

last time you had a real tear-rolling, stomach-jumping 

laugh? Have you ever felt the need to "let it all out"? It takes 

a strong person to open up and let that clown in him live 

again. Do you think a little extra laughter and sharing could 

make your life better? Are you willing to take the risk? 

Laughter has several side effects, one of which is a 

positive attitude and feeling towards others. Happy people 

are more concerned and are willing to extend themselves 

for the sake of others. When you are surrounded by stress 

and worry, you build walls that hide you from the rest of the 

world. When you change worry into concern, concern into 

action, then you can be free to live again. 

Laughter is a trend-setter. If we can find ways to laugh 

first thing in the morning it may, in fact, set the trend for the 

rest of the day. One of the most constructive methods of 

laughter is when we can laugh at ourselves. If we can laugh 

at ourselves, we leave little room for others to laugh at us. 

The clown inside of us need not be the one with the 

brightly colored costume and painted face. It may just be a 

reflection of something that was lost some time ago. The 

personal clown inside of you may be the one who felt that 

life was a joy and well worth living. He may be the one 

inside of you that needs other people and that can live in 

harmony with others. Laughter can be the driving force to 

make life live again. 

32 The New Calliope

••• 

:9List waJkaround 

• • ••• 

Richard A 'Buuy' Pletl 

By Cally Pletl 

Box 444 

Afton, NY 13730 

Richard A. "Buzzy" Pletl made his last walkaround on 

May 6, 1991. 

Initially a member of the Telephone Pioneers Clown 

Troupe, Buzzy became an independent clown when the 

local group's numbers dwindled. He visited nursing 

homes, did parades, Sunshine Olympics, and other charity 

appearances. He never took money, and politely turned 

down any commercial job. Birthday parties for pay were not 

his thing. Getting a smile and giving a hug, especially to the 

elderly or any child that just wasn't too sure ... was. 

His clowning was very one-on-one; he listened more 

than he talked. He got a great kick out of kids waving from 

cars on the highway. Often parents would maintain a spot 

alongside his car; not the safest on an interstate highway, 

but great pleasure on both sides. He even had a grand 

time the day he got a flat tire on the way home from a 

nursing home picnic! 

Buzzy was proud of his COAi membership. The original 

membership certificate is framed and hangs on the wall of 

his den. He subscribed to the "Clown Code of Ethics," and 

consistently instructed new members of his group on 

these points along with proper makeup and costuming 

techniques. He read The New Calliope from cover to cover, 

and used it as his primary learning tool. 


Laugh• Makers 

Variety Arts~ 

Magazine ~ 

Laugh•Makers Magazine, published for 10 

years by kidshow professionals Bob & Cathy 

Gibbons, is subscribed to by children's 

entertainers in every US state, Canada, and 35 

other countries! Each BIG 50 PAGE ISSUE is 

filled with practical how-to information and 

quality IDEAS YOU CAN USE in your own 

shows and routines. It's a unique, comprehensive 

resource filled to the brim with feature stories, 

advertisers, calendar listings, and educational 

columns by outstanding contributors covering 

ALL THE VARIETY ARTS FIELDS! You'll 

discover information EVERY ISSUE on: 

• CLOWNING • COMEDY MAGIC 

• BALLOON SCULPTURE 

• FUNNY PROPS • PUPPETRY 

• VENTRILOQUISM • JUGGLING 

• KIDSHOW COMEDY TECHNIQUES 

• BUSINESS 

• PROMO 

IDEAS 

• & LOTS 

MORE! 

As a retiree with some medical problems, he always felt 

better after a day of clowning. Exhausted usually, but 

better. He took pleasure in the fact that most youngsters 

did not associate Buzzy with Mr. Pletl (who was known to 

be a rather stern person -- especially if you were squirming 

or cutting up in church), and that our small town postoffice 

would correctly deliver thank you notes and invitations 

simply addressed to "Buzzy the Clown," with no street or 

PO box address. 

He would want his sudden death at 69 to remind us all 

to laugh a little every day, and to help someone else laugh 

at every opportunity. 

Be a friend, friend 

Know a joey who's not a member of COAi? Let 'em 

know it's the clown's best friend. Help your friend fill 

out a membership blank (conviently located on page 

35), send it in and We'll do the rest! 

The New Calliope 33


FrOIIl 

the 

President 

By Donald "Ski" Berkoski 

Last July 25, COAi Director Hunter Stevens and I 

presented a $20,000 check for a lifetime membership for 

COAi in the Clown Hall of Fame at Delavan, Wis. 

In attendance were Bill Lang, CHOF president; Carroll 

Trayler, COAi member, the Delavan mayor and several city 

council members, and the director of tourism for the state 

of Wisconsin. 

The decison to take lifetime membership in the Clown 

Hall of Fame was made by a unanimous vote of the general 

membership at the COAi annual convention in 

Indianapolis, Ind., last spring. The fact that it is a lifetime 

membership reflects the interest and commitment of COAi 

to support and preserve the art of clowning, and our 

interest in continuing education in our great art. 

It was a very proud day for me as your president to be 

able to represent COAi in this presentation to the Clown 

Hall of Fame. 

We are now taking nominations for COAi's Clown of the 

Year for 1992. Your alley needs to submit its entries to me 

by Nov. 15, 1991. Selection for this high honor will be 

made at COAi's Board meeting in Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 

22 and 23. 

I The person selected must be a current COAi member · 

(five years or more), or a recently deceased member. 

Nominees should have made major contributions to COAi 

andior to the art of clowning. Nominations should include a 

photo of the candidate, and letters of support. I have 

received three nominations to date. 

The person selected as COAi Clown of the Year will be 

featured in The NelN Calliope, and a display with the 

clown's picture will be set up in the COAi information booth 

in the Clown Hall of Fame for the year 1992. 

It will be a great honor to represent COAi as Clown of 

the Year. I would encourage all alleys to submit a 

nomination for consideration . Mail your nominations by 

Nov. 15 to me: Donald E. Berkoski, 4149 Golden Eagle 

Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46234. 

....... 

The fall meeting of the COAi Board of Directors will be, 

as previously noted, Nov. 22 and 23 at the Holiday Inn East 

in Jacksonville . If you have something to present to the 

Board , please contact your Regional Vice President , who 

is your representative at this meeting . 

••••••• 

Plans for our clown delegation to Warsaw , Moscow and 

Budapest are now in their final stages . I look forward to 

sharing COAi with the clowns and the people of these 

countries in late October and early November. 

Love , laughter & tears , 

"Ski" 

Por Pedro Santos (Piruli) 

Bayamon, P.R. 

Saludos Companeros de la Regi6 n Latina : 

Despues de 3 anos de un grupo de Payasos de Puerto 

Rico haber solicitado un nuevo Alley. Hace unas semanas 

se recibi6 el Certificado del nuevo Alley 212 Payasos 

Latinoamericanos e lnternationales , que preside el 

companero Payaso Enrique Luzunaris. Todo se debi6 a 

que la solicitud se extravi6 por el cambio de oficina de 

COAi. 

******* 

NUESTRO compaflero Guillermo lzquiedo (Frijolito) 

de COAi 870415 del Alley 84 de Puerto Rico continua 

enfermo y ha sido hospitalizado en varios ocasiones, ya 

que su enfermedad comenz6 en el mes de enero de 

1991. Todos los companeros de la Region de Puerto Rico, 

Mexico y Colombia esperamos una pronta recuperaci6n 

para que pueda continuar haciendo reir a grandes y chicos 

en su profesi6n de Payaso. 

******* 

CONVENCION DE PAYASOS EN PUERTO 

RICO: El nuevo Alley 212 Payasos Latinoamericanos e 

lnternacionales estara celebrando su primera Convenci6n 

Nacional del 10 al 13 de octobre de 1991 en el Lujoso 

Hotel Clarion de Miramar . El Comite de Convenci6n ha 

recibido confirmaciones para su asistencia de companeros 

Payasos de los Estados Unidos, Mexico. 

En la Convenci6n habra una mesa en Representaci6n 

de COAi para la venta de parchos, calcomanias y 

solicitudes de nuevos ingresos que sera atendida 

personalmente por el Vice Presidente Regional. 

******* 

LA OFICINA DEL CORREO POST AL en Puerto 

Rico realiz6 un cambio en el sistema de Zona Postal, el cual 

fue efectivo el dia 1 de julio de 1991. Se envi6 la 

notificaci6n a las oficinas centrales de COAi en Lake 

Jackson, Texas. 

34 The New Calliope


INTtl!NATIONAL 

Membership Application 

(please type or print) 

NAME ......................................................................................................................................... 

Last 

Mo:lelriial 

ADDRESS .................................................................................................................................... 

Street Cly State z.p Code 

DATE OF Birth ................................. AGE. ............................. SEX: M............. F ............ 

CLOWN NAMES USED .............................................................................................................. 

SIGNATURE ........................................................................... 

DUES: 

New Members ................. $25 

Renewals ......................... $20 

Foreign ............................. $25 (U.S. funds) 

Family membership .. $10 (for second and 

additional members of one family) 

Send application and dues (check 

or money order) to: 

Clowns of America International 

Box 570 

Lake Jackson, Texas 77566-0570 

NON-PROF1T NON-POLITICAL NON-SECT ARIAN 

1. All memberships in COAi are on an annual basis, with membership dues payable in July of each year. 

2. If you wish to join COAi as a new member and the date is not June, July or August, your membership 

will be pro-rated for your second year. 

3. Join at the membership rate indicated above. When you receive your dues notice in June of the next 

year, the amount you should pay to bring your membership up to July of the following year will be 

indicated on your card. 

4. For example, if a U.S. resident applied for a regular COAi membership in September, 1991, he/she 

would pay $25. In June, 1992, the member would receive a dues renewal notice for $12.50 to bring that 

membership up to July, 1992. Thereafter, each year the annual membership fee would be billed in June 

for payment by July 1. Foreign and family memberships are similarly pro-rated. 

The New Calliope 35


••• • 

• • 

. . . ------------- 

Krako's Korner 

The 4th: a day to remember 

By John "Krako" Guthrie 

I learned something about myself last July 4th. I want to 

tell you about it, not to brag, but perhaps to teach - 

especially ME. 

to another club for an evening event. I was scheduleo to 

pop corn. They put me out in the middle by the pool with 

the band -- in the sun -- where I popped and gave away 600 

bags of popcorn, and tried to be funny while doing it. I 

arrived home at 11 p.m. 

Yes, I had a good money day. Was it worth it? I think 

not. Did I learn any lessons? You bet I did. One was that I 

will never do that type of schedule again, regardless of 

fees. Did I sleep good that night? No. I was too tired. 

There are times when we as clowns think we can do 

everything. It's not true, regardless of the shape we are in. I 

almost signed off that day. 

A couple of facts: I am 60 years old, 30 pounds 

overweight, don't smoke or drink, and have been in this 

business for a long time. I have dor.e it all in the clown world 

except rodeo and full time circus clown. So I should know it 

all, right? Wrong. 

Now to the Fourth. I was up at 4 a.m. and left the house 

in makeup at 5:30. I had a 90-minute drive north to a 

parade. I was to take with me my mini bike, 25 walking 

cartoon characters, and a mini popcorn pedal car (the only 

one like it in the world). I was to do pre-parade 

entertainment on the mini bike along with the characters 

(they furnished the people). I took along a clown friend to 

drive the van. I had a pickup with the popcorn car in it. 

By 7:30 I was working the crowds on the mini bike with 

the characters doing their thing. As the parade started I 

worked my way down the route, and the pre-parade 

entertainment was over. I loaded the bike and the 

characters in the van and headed back to the start of the 

parade, where the pickup was waiting. 

It was now about 10 a.m., and getting hot. Little did I 

know what was in store.They put me in the parade and I 

started to pedal down the street. I made it about three 

blocks before I realized I could never keep up with the flow 

of the parade. I was being paid to perform, so what now? I 

hopped out of the popcorn wagon and pushed it for 1 O or 

12 blocks down the parade route. Needless to say, the 

crowd loved it, seeing the clown "working." 

I hadn't eaten that morning (a common habit), and as I 

got near the parade's finish I knew that if I didn't pass out 

from the heat it would be from a heart attack. So with two 

blocks to go I bailed out, parked the wagon and headed for 

my partner with the pickup truck. I grabbed some water, but 

I was so hot it almost made me sick. 

We retrieved the van, the pickup and the popcorn 

wagon and got the air conditioner going. After a 20-minute 

cool-off, we headed back to Denver. I had another show to 

do at 1 p.m. 

So I did a half hour at the country club, heaaeo oack 

home and got the pickup and the popcorn car and headed 

MORAL OF STORY: Know your limits and what you 

can and cannot do, even if in your mind it seems possible. 

"HAPPY DAZE" 

Coming events 

Oct. 18-20: Clownaroundarama, 1991 North Central 

Regional Convention, Breckenridge Frontenac Grand 

Hotel, St. Louis, Mo. Hosted by St. Louis Clowns of 

America. Additional information: Bev Hanson, 469 

Chamberlin Dr., Manchester, MO 63021. Phone (314) 

391-1465. 

Oct. 26: Circus Magic on the Road, Warrenton, Va. 

Steve Kissell, 1227 Manchester Ave., Norfolk VA 2350 

8Nov. 8-9 (:804) 423-6067. 

Nov. i-2: Performing Arts Ministries Workshop, 

Norfolk Va. Steve Kissell, 1227 Manchester Ave., Norfolk, 

VA 23508 ( 423-6067. 

Nov. 8-9: Two-day seminar, Pinellas Park Fla. 

Hosted by Girls Incorporated of Mid-Pinellas, and "Luv" a 

Clown. Additional information: "Luv" a Clown, 8630 55th 

St., Pinellas Park, FL 34665. Phone (813) 546-7325. 

Nov. 7-9: 8th Annual Mid-Atlantic Clown 

Association's Convention. Travelodge, Rt. 73, Mt. Laurel, 

NJ. Hosted by Kapo's Gang. For more information write or 

contact Cindy Anderson, 35 Tally-Ho Drive, Warminster, 

PA 18974. Ph. (215) 672-3219. 

Nov. 15-16: CLOWNAROUNDARAMA in Charlotte, 

N.C. Hosted by Jolly Jesters Clown Alley #203 and Oasis 

Temple Shrine Clowns. Additional information: Jolly 

Jesters, P.O. Box 667893, Charlotte, NC 28226, or call 

French Harvey (704) 541-8227. 

Feb. 21-23, 1992: Circus Magic 92, Williamsburg, 

VA. Steve Kissell, 1227 Manchester Ave., Norfolk, VA 

23508 (804) 423-6067. 

36 The New Calliope


Alley 

Update 

By Dan "Dano" Lake 

COAi Alley Coordinator 

Well,.summer's over and we're probably all back from 

vacation. Most of the alleys seem to have stepped up their 

activities. Keep those newsletters coming! 

******* 

I have received a number of logos from alleys in 

response to my July/August Alley Update. Some are quite 

good. I'll be making up a collage of alley logos for COAi's 

1992 Annual Convention in Jacksonville, Fla. If you'd like 

your alley logo included, please send it to me at the 

address shown in the next to last paragraph of this Alley 

Update. 

******* 

Let's welcome COAi's new alleys: 

Alley #214, C.A.S.E.V. Clowns 

President, Michael Bousonas 

2003 East 5th St. 

Anderson, IN 46102 

Utterly Heavenly Alley #215 

President Ginny Robertson 

Rt. 6, Box 6443 

Brenham,TX 77833 

Circus Dreams Clown Alley #216 

c/o Clown City 

President Doug Chapman 

1600 Rt. 12 

Gales Ferry, CT 06335 

Let's send a big hello to these new alleys, and give 

them our support. . .. 

******* 

From the mailbag: I have received a number of 

Author, author 

Got a story to tell? The New Calliope wants articles about 

clowning: makeup , balloon sculpture, props, how-to-do-it , 

etc. If your story's published, you'll win (a) the thanks and 

admiration of your fellow joeys; (b) a beautiful embroidered 

patch -The Editor's Award. 

Send stories to: Cal Olson, The New Calliope, 3107 

Summit St., Sioux City, Iowa 51104. 

requests for more educational help from our new alleys. 

Right now we have a makeup tape and a paradeability tape. 

But as of this moment, the paradeability tapes are not 

available. I am working hard to get a supply for our new 

alleys, and will get something out soon, one way or 

another. 

******* 

Don't forget to send in your alley photo for the Alley 

Album. Send a 5 by 7 or an 8 by 10 .. Pictures will not be 

returned. Please update your photograph each year. 

******* 

I anderstand some alleys are still using the old Clowns 

of America logo and initials in their material. To avoid any 

possibility of legal problems, we have avoided using the 

old COA logos and initials, and suggest you might want to 

do the same. We're now Clowns of American International, 

Inc. -- COAi -- and should all march under that same banner' . 

******* 

Once again, here's a fast rundown on how to start a 

COAi alley: You need five clowns who are members of 

COAi, and a $50 entry fee. Send the names and money to 

me: Dan Lake, COAi Alley Coordinator, 13005 Lakeridge 

Dr., St. Louis, MO 63138. 

I'll get your application approved in swift order, and 

you'll be one of the healthy, happy alleys in this great 

organization. 

IT'S DONE WITH MIRRORS 

Barry Mitchell 

& Ross Steele's 

- 

4th 

Dimension 

Cent Climax 

Magician displays a small round mirror and a penny. The small 

mirror allows you to pass the penny into the 4th Dimension. The 

mirror is slowly moved toward the penny causing the penny's 

reflection to get smaller and smaller. The mirror covers the penny 

and is slowly removed to reveal the penny has shrunk to less 

than one third its original size. Miniture penny and magic mirror 

can be examined. After performing the 4th Dimension Cent 

you are left with a miniture penny and someone will always ask 

if you can magically make it big again. Now that would be real 

magic to bring it back! Pick up the mini penny and place it in 

your pocket handkerchief. A slight rub of the penny and it has 

grown to several times its mini size. Includes magic mirror , mini 

penny and jumbo metal penny. 

$8.00 Postpaid \ ! / 

-- · ✓ r 

Ask for our new catalog // ~ _-;, . : 

. • "C'---"" 

The Magic Clown ~ 

P.O. Box 505 

Sweetwater, TN 37874 

1-800-552-6910 

The New Calliope 37


' 

Fable for clowns -- 

The wise 

old master 

By Mack "Grits" McDougal 

7103 Applewood 

Amarillo, TX 79108 

In more ways than one, clowns are funny people. No 

one really knows the soul behind the makeup . What 

people do know is that a clown will chase away the worries 

of the world and make them forget for a while. Such a 

valuable service for just the price of admission! 

It was my honor to know an old Master who dabbed on 

the grease with a serious gaze into the mirror and searched 

within for a different entity. He would stare into the eyes of 

the mirrored character while feeble hands applied the 

colors of his profession. By the time he donned his yak wig 

and paddle shoes, he had once again transformed himself 

into an immortal being ready to do battle with the sadness 

of the world 

Standing at the entrance to the hippodrome and 

looking about me.tnt that he was once again searching for 

his special audience . The old eyes would cast about until 

settling on a broken heart that needed mending . The cue 

would come and off he would bound, as if shot from a 

cannon, until standing before that sad soul in the ctowd. 

Dancing, waving, falling and glowing, he would ply his trade 

until that stranger's face was sore with laughter. 

Each evening after the final whistle and the grease 

paint was removed, he would pray on bent knee, "Thank 

you, dear Lord, for my gift and let me not forget my 

purpose." 

The years piled up at the rate of two shows a day, and 

he never once forgot his purpose. He warded off the 

deprivations of sadness for total strangers, but the spring 

of his youth had passed. 

Between shows in Ring Three, the Boss Clown 

relayed the inevitable news: "This will be your last season 

under the canvas." The words resounded in his mind long 

after the Boss had left him alone. He ambled along through 

his options of the future until startled by the voice of a 

lightly-seasoned May First Clown. 

"Hey, old man, how can I learn to be the best there is?" 

The question was only half serious; the other half 

contemptuous. The old joey was quiet, but looked into the 

youth's face until their souls connected . Both sat and 

stared in silent communication until the youth fully 

understood and arose. Walking away, he called out over 

his shoulder in a tone of respect, "Thanks, old man." 

"Bump a nose," was the Master's only reply. 

The old clown wandered about, drifting from flop 

house to street mission. Rarely did the world rest long 

enough at the stop light of the corner he adopted to 

absorb his mirth. Toe day of his final walkarouncl at last 

came and brought with it an essence of worthlessness and 

waste. Having no family, he was just another John Doe 

whose final resting place was bought with county funds. 

The unmarked grave is located in a dark corner of the 

world reserved for the vagrants and vagabonds of no 

worth. However, he is not there. There are big tops and 

circuses with daily performances everywhere, but he is not 

there. 

There are thousands of people who give in to the 

pressures of day-to-day life and break beneath the weight 

of its problems, until they think back to a day they watched 

a clown who seemed to be performing his whole show just 

for them. A smile will creep across their face, and they will 

forget the problems at hand -- and there he lives on. 

PATCHES & PINS 

with COAi logo 

are available 

to members 

Patches, 4" diameter: $3.00 each 

Pins, 1" diameter: $3.00 each 

Decals: $1.00 each 

Make check payable to Clowns of America, 

International. Order from: 

Walter R. Lee 

1347 Ava Road 

Severn, MD 21144 

38 The New Calliope


AXTELL EXPRESSIONS announces - 

the NEW and IMPROVED 

"PRO MAGIC DRAWING BOARD!" 

• 14 x 17" aluminum framed board 

• l dry erase markers and wipecloth 

• Strong carry case and instructlonsl 

ALL THIS FOR $89.95 l'UISUSHll't'ING 

[CJ] 

~ 

(( 

~' 

~ animates! 

U.S. PA TENT# •.976.6•7 

SAME GREAT ILLUSION · 

NOW BETTER MADE! 

Thousands including Copperfield, 

Anderson, Ginn have purchased this 

trick• Draw any face (even with assistance 

from audience), it magically animates under 

your control! Eye and mouth movement ! Lip 

synch to a tape or use your voice to make it 

talk. .. then ERASE THE DRAWING while it 

TRADE • I N'S! To upgrade to this new design. we will give you $20.00 off the 

retail purchase of a new Pro board with trade-in of any old Axtell Magic Drawing Board. 

Just send us your old board with $69.95 plus $5 shipping and request PRO TRADE. 

The "BIRD ARM ILLUSION!" 

U.S. PATENT# •n •,097 

FREE. VENTRILOQUISM 

BOOKWITH PURCHASE! ... 

This effect looks like you have a colorful bird sitting on 

your arm - like a bird trainer. The bird is fully animated! 

The effect is mind boggling! The secret is the glove 

gimmick - your arm is inside the puppet! Choose one of 

our famous birds - Buzzard (shown) Dodo, Parrot or 

Cockatoo. ADAPT TO YOUR OWN JACKET! .COMES 

WIT 2 LOVES, FAKE ARM AND INSTRUCTIONS 

D ~ .__...----.... ~ 

I°~ 

BIRD PUPPET ONLY (your choice) $99.95 

ARM ILLUSION (left or right arm) $39. 95 

buy both BIRD AND ARM and ask for FREE. VENT BOOK ADD $5 SHIPPIN p ~,' 

ORDER TODAYl Send US check or money order to: 

AXTELL EXPRESSIONS! 

230 Glencrest Circle - A, Ventura, CA 93003 

Californians add 7.25% sales tax 

order by PHONE or FAX TODAY (80S) 642-7282 

MASTER CARD - VISA - AMERICAN EXPRESS 

FOREIGN ORDERS BY CREDIT CARD OR WRITE FOR SHIPPING QUOTE 

The New Calliope 39


Trish Manuel offers professional advice on 

clown costuming: Her story starts on page 18. 

Clowns of America International, Inc. 

P.O. Box 570 

Lake Jackson , Texas 77566-0570 

Forwarding & Return 

Postage Guaranteed 

BULK RATE 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

Bluffton, Ohio 

Permit No.95 

40 The New Calliope

Sept_Oct_1991

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?