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This month, I offer you something simple. A balloon pops, and then is magically restored.
By itself, it's pretty boring. But with a few twists and turns along the path it becomes much more.
Ingredients:
Dave Powell's Ghost Bottle
A Straw
Thumb Tip
2 Yellow 260's
A Squeaker
Any Toy That Makes a Burping Sound
The squeaker, the Thumb Tip, and The Ghost Bottle can all be acquired from your local magic shop. The Ghost Bottle is a gimmicked Coke bottle that magically empties itself on your command. The Thumb Tip is a magician's device that is used to produce, vanish, and change objects. If you are not familiar with them ask for a quick lesson when you buy it. The squeaker is a small plastic disk that squeaks when you squeeze it (go figure). Once you have the squeaker, remove the small noisemaking device from the neck of the squeaker proper. Discard the rest of the device. If you place this small piece of plastic in your mouth and blow through it, it will create a squeaking sound (again, go figure).
Your magic or novelty shop should have a device that makes burping noises. Mine is a small black box, slightly smaller than a ring box that makes an electronic belch when squeezed.
The trick bottle is in my prop case with the straw in it along with the belching device. The thumb and one of the yellow 260's are in my left front pants pocket, and the squeaker and the other 260 are in my right front pants pocket. Now I am ready to perform.
At the start of the routine a secretly slip the squeaker into my mouth. DO NOT SWALLOW THE SQUEAKER! I hate to have to write that, but I know what will happen if I don't.
I pull the 260 from my right pocket and begin to stretch it. I make a very big deal of this and over exaggerate my actions. I then hold the nozzle of the balloon with my left hand and raise it to my mouth. I cup my left hand to shield myself and let go of the balloon with my right hand, apparently snapping myself in the face. This is hysterically funny to children. I make a face and rub my nose, which of course makes the children laugh more.
"That's not funny. It's not funny when some one... OW!" I snap myself again.
After some more exaggerated stretching, holding my arms all the way apart while standing on one foot, putting my whole body into the act of stretching this balloon, I try to blow it up. I place the balloon to my lips and blow with all my might! Nothing.
I try again, puffing out my cheeks and turning bright red!
Nothing.
I blow as hard as I can, swaying as if I might pass out!
Still nothing.
I then look down and realize that I have been blowing into the wrong end. Slightly embarrassed, I carefully turn the balloon over and then blow it up. I hold the balloon at the nozzle and allow the air to escape. While doing this I blow through the squeaker in my mouth, which creates a high pitched squeaking sound, apparently coming from the balloon. Half way down, I pinch the balloon to stop the escape of air and also stop making the squeaking noise. I release some more air, then stop. Then a little more, and stop. Each time I release air from the balloon I make the squeaking sound.
When I release the last of the air I keep making the squeaking sound. I stretch the balloon a little and each time I do, I blow a little harder through the squeaker, causing a higher pitched squeak. Finally I drop the balloon on the floor and stomp on it, at which point the squeaking abruptly ends. It is especially funny if you blow hard right as you stomp the balloon to give it a really high final squeak.
I pick up the balloon and hold it up to my ear. After a little shake to make sure there are no squeaks left, I re-inflate it. Then I pretend to tie the balloon. I look at the children and say, "And now, I will...". At that point I let go of the balloon and it flies across the room.
Exasperated, I trudge after the balloon and inflate it yet again. I make a very big deal of tying the balloon this time. I hold up my left hand and do a double take as I realize that I have tied the balloon to my left index finger. I wave my arm around, slightly panicked. My right hand frees the balloon from my left index finger, at which point I realize that the balloon is now tied to the same finger on my right hand. After another moment of panic, I free myself from the balloon entirely and hold it up triumphantly.
I then twist frantically, and triumphantly hold up my creation, "A Dog!".
"And he does tricks! Stay!" Hold the dog still.
"Sit Up!" Tilt him back so that his front legs go up.
"Roll Over!" Turn him over.
"Play Dead!" I pinch the balloon so that it pops.
After looking at the pieces disappointedly, I pick them up and hold them in my right hand. As I do this, my left hand goes into my pocket to retrieve the other 260 and the thumb. I keep these concealed from the audience when I bring my hand out.
"It's ok. He was only playing dead." As I say this I place the broken pieces into the thumb tip and slip it onto my right thumb. I then raise the whole 260 to my mouth and blow it up. Once again I twist the balloon into a dog. "See, good as new!" I pat him on the head and say, "Good boy. You deserve a treat."
I reach into my case and pull out the coke bottle with the straw, and hold it up to where the balloon dog's mouth would be if he had one. I uncover the hole that allows the bottle to drain, which creates the illusion that the dog is drinking the soda. Once the bottle is done draining I set the dog down on my balloon bag.
"Wow! You must have been really thirsty." As I say that I put the bottle back into my prop case. As I set the bottle down I squeeze the burp machine. I spin back around to look at the balloon dog, completely shocked.
Post Script: As much as I would love to take credit for this piece I cannot. This is actually a montage of classic balloon gags with a couple of magic tricks thrown in for good measure. The squeaking balloon is, I believe, Dan Garrets, but there has been much debate as to its actual creator. Most of the rest are gags so old that no one remembers their origins. Chances are you already use most of them. All I have done is strung them together, along with a little magic, to create a story.
The goal of this routine was simple. Bring a balloon to life. When I first had the idea I had two choices.
I went with the second idea. The Ghost Bottle was a great way to give the illusion of animation to the balloon. Then I realized that the best way to make the balloon seem alive, other than animating it, was to give it a personality. The end result has been a fun routine that works great in all of my kid's shows.
What makes this especially effective, is that the focus in not on the balloon, or the magic. The focus is not even on the plot. This routine is all about fun. It is one gag after another, building to a magical moment, and then a burp joke.
This routine is a journey.
See you next time,
Don Caldwell
koolsyawlasyeknom
The video also includes Don's, "Trick or Treat" balloon routine. Nearly two and a half hours of creepy fun.
Plus!
You will receive a CD-Rom with clip art of the creepy creations on this video. Imagine how easy your sales brochures and menu boards will be. It's scary! The Disk also includes instructions and artwork for, "The Big Book of Monsters", a special version of Don's popular Big Book of Animals routine. And each video comes with your very own set of, "Official Count Don'ula Vampire Teeth". Great for scaring your competition, or anyone else! $45 post paid in the continental US.
Send Check or Money Order made payable to Edward Jamison at
2130 W. Crescent Ave. #2102
Anaheim, CA 92801
Or contact us at (714) 420-8071
