Books

 

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.

How you can easily become a more entertaining clown able to cause laughter with a minimum of props. Practical advice on how to have more time to entertain as well as many different gags is offered.  These notes are a companion to Bruce's Comedy Bits lecture. $10.00

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.              

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 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

A blackout is a short, easy comedy scene performed by one, two, or three people requiring a minimum number of props and having a definite punchline. Blackouts can be used as fillers between other acts in a variety show, as emcee bits, or combined to create an entire act. This pamphlet can be used as a gag file for creating longer routines. Excellent for clown alleys or new clowns. $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

 

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

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                        Charlie's Creative Comedy

                         P.O.Box 82165 

                        Kenmore WA 98028-0165 USA

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