Bruce Johnson

Charlie The Juggling Clown

Creating Happy Memories that Last a Lifetime

 

Charlie’s Creative Comedy

Bruce "Charlie" Johnson

Click on a title for more information

Bruce also publishes a free motivational email newsletter titled The Thought For the Week.

Charlie's Comedy Bits:  How, and why, To Entertain with Handshakes, Balloons, and Other Common Objects. (Out of print)

Charlie's Trick Cartoons: Second Edition

The Art of Trick Cartoons

How you can entertain using trick cartoons, also known as chalk talks.  These are cartoons that transform during the process.  With some, you begin with a word and turn it into a picture of what that word represents.  With others, you draw a picture and when you turn the paper over it becomes a picture of something else.  Step by step drawings of many of the cartoons makes it easy for you to learn.  If you can print the letters of the alphabet and the numbers, you can do the cartoons that are in this set of lecture notes that are a companion to Bruce's popular lecture.  Bruce uses these cartoons in both general and clown ministry settings.  For those interested in ministry, a separate section after many of the cartoons suggests ways to use it as a teaching tool.  These are also great for use by caring clowns, especially in locations where latex is not allowed.  This new edition has several new cartoons, plus much more information on how to develop your own cartoons.$10.00

The Clown In Times: 

A Hysterical Historical Journal

This quarterly publication devoted to the history of clowning and comedy makes the foundations of clowning accessible and interesting to those who want to be the best clown they can be or to those who simply love clowns. Personality profiles, feature articles, book & movie reviews, timelines, classic routines, Jesteryear, quotations, puzzles, and quizzes.              

Click Here For A Sample Jesteryear

 Click Here For Reader's Comments

$5.00 for individual issues.  

                For issue contents click on the volume number below.

$22.00 Bound editions of four issues, including an index. 

            Click On The Volume Number to see the contents of that volume

             The Clown In Times: Volume One  (Bound Edition) $22.00

Clowning Through The Twentieth Century:

A brief overview of the development of clowning during the twentieth century, followed by 36 pen & ink illustrations by Bruce Johnson with a one-page biography of each clown depicted. The drawings are part of an exhibit that debuted at the 2000 Northwest Festival of Clowns in Olympia, WA.  $28.00

Comedy Bits and Skits

For Youth Group Meetings and Campfires

This updated version of Comedy Blackouts is part of the Charlie the Juggling Clown presents series of booklets for novice and experienced entertainers age eight and older.  This collection of easy to perform comedy routines and skits is intended for those involved in working with youth groups, including cub scouts.  It is full of material that is also useful to clowns and ventriloquists. $5.00

Creativity For Entertainers Volume One The Creative Process

Every entertainer can be creative, and any entertainer can learn to be more creative.  Using examples and thought provokers this book guides you through an exploration of the creative process so you can consciously use it more effectively.  Writing your own material allows you to express your unique personality, take full advantage of your abilities, and connect more fully with your audience.  This process will help you generate more ideas, and then turn them into reality.  This book, the first of a trilogy, will help you come closer to achieving your potential as a variety artist. Click here for reviews.

Creativity For Entertainers Volume One Trade Paperback  $22

Creativity For Entertainers Volume One Hardcover  $32

Creativity For Entertainers Volume Two Creative Techniques and Tools

Every entertainer experiences times when the ideas just do not seem to come.  This volume provides techniques to help you jump start your thinking.  It also provides tools to inspire both a greater number and a wider variety of ideas.   Examples from many different fields demonstrate how others have used these tools and techniques.  Then questions and exercises lead you to discover how you can use them yourself to create material for your performances. Click here for reviews.

Creativity For Entertainers Volume Two Trade Paperback  $27

Creativity For Entertainers Volume Two Hardcover  $37

Creativity For Entertainers Volume Three Creative Routines

This collection of some of the most popular clown and magic routines created by Bruce "Charlie" Johnson demonstrates how the creative process, techniques, and tools can be used to create material for performance.  The routines also illustrate principles of showmanship that can be used in other types of material.  Additional routines from the public domain demonstrate how entertainers have creatively adapted ideas over the years.  You may perform these routines in your own shows, but they are most valuable as starting points.  There are questions that prompt you to create your own versions and to inspire your own ideas.   Click here for reviews.

Creativity For Entertainers Volume Three Trade Paperback  $25

Creativity For Entertainers Volume Three Hardcover  $35

History of American Clowning

The emphasis is on what we can learn from the past to improve the present and build the future.  An exploration of how clowning in America has evolved and how it is different and similar to clowning in other cultures.  Starting with clowning by indigenous cultures and continuing up through some of the newest trends in clowning that gives you as complete an overview as possible.  After the overview, biographies of significant entertainers are presented.  This publication includes updated reprints of historical articles Bruce has written over the past 25 years, plus much material that was prepared specifically for this publication.

This 200 page publication comes to you on a CD in PDF format.

If you register your purchase, you will receive a free subscription to an occasional internet newsletter with updates, corrections, and additional information.  Your copy will always stay current.  (All of Bruce's internet newsletters are permission based.  Your registration gives Bruce permission to send you the news letter.)

History of American Clowning $20

Introduction to Magic

Illusions you can perform using common objects

This is part of the Charlie the Juggling Clown presents series of booklets for novice and experienced entertainers age eight and older.  None of the routines described require any specialized magic apparatus making it ideal for beginners.  It also provides a repertoire that can be easily constructed for those times when you are invited to perform and have not brought props with you so it is useful for experienced entertainers.  While it is not sanctioned by Boy Scouts of America, the information included will help boys pass their Bear Magic Elective Achievement Requirements. $10.00

Introduction To Silk Magic For Clowns

How to entertain by performing magic with scarves.  Contents include Sympathetic Scarves, Twentieth Century Scarves, Producing Scarves, Vanishing Scarves, Transformations, Constructing a Paper Bag Change Bag, Folding a Silk Fountain, and a list of useful gimmicks.  This is the set of lecture notes to Bruce's popular class Silk Magic For Clowns. $10.00

Jest In Time: A Clown Chronology

A timeline of clown history from 1818 BC to 1992 AD. This book will give you a new respect and pride in your art, and help you reach your full potential as a clown. An excellent resource for instructors. $15.00

Jest Juggle: How To Make Juggling Entertaining

Over 100 ideas on how to use juggling skill entertainingly. Not a how-to-juggle book, but a how-to-be-entertaining book. Many of the ideas can be used if you can perform a three-ball cascade. (Includes plans for innovative props you can make yourself.)  These notes are a companion to Bruce's Jest Juggle Lecture demonstration. $10.00

The Tramp Tradition  (Second expanded edition)

The history of the tramp characterization from its origins in the 1870's until 1993. Examples of the material performed by significant performers are included. Quizzes and timelines help make learning easy and fun. Illustrated by the author.  (This publication is available in limited numbers and then will be going out of print.)

Out Of Print

Postage and Handling

There is a postage and handling charge of $5.00 per order in the United States.

International orders will be charged exact postage rates.

If you want a quote on postage, send an email to clownjuggler@comcast.net

To Order

Send a check or money order to

                        Charlie's Creative Comedy

                         1602 Locust Way

                       Lynnwood WA 98036-9017 USA


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