Unique Party Pizzazz

By Suszn Gibbons

Have an upcoming party or event, like a birthday bash, an anniversary, family reunion, summer picnic or business gathering? Here are a couple of ideas to add pizzazz and create something unique for your event to make it even more memorable. Engaging a balloon twister or caricature artist adds affordable fun to almost any occasion.

Twister Joe has been creating animals and hats from balloons for seven years. He says, "Balloons are very popular. There is something magical about creating something in the spur of the moment." He adds that people don't realize the impact having someone like a balloon twister at their event will have until they see it in action.

A balloon twister creates high energy fun for all ages. "If I'm having fun, hopefully they are having fun," laughs Joe, who makes all kinds of balloon animals. There are too many to list, but they include: cat, mouse, monkey, pig, sheep, and a butterfly. What are really compelling are his hats. Twister Joe makes 30-40 different types of hats with lots of color and wild, crazy designs. There are dinosaur hats, Elmo hats, a jester hat and even an alien in a space ship hat. One of the most popular balloons is the monkey balloon that sits on a shoulder. "It's a fan favorite and always good for a laugh," declares Joe. "Kids are always thrilled to get a monkey balloon." Elmo hats and dinosaur hats are also very popular. "I mix it up (making a variety of balloons for each event). This keeps it exiting for me, too," he says, adding he feeds off the energy of the crowd as it builds.

MORE THAN BALLOONS

The balloon twisting act contains lots of patter and even more jokes. Joe says he is invariable asked the same questions. He's included these into the act, making them the set up line for other jokes. Balloon twisting fits in well at all kinds of events. Joe relates for the minute plus it takes him to make a balloon, the kid (or kid at heart) is entertained for the next hour. After he leaves, people are still walking around in their balloon hats, continuing the fun. Even the next morning, kids are still enjoying their balloon hats and animals. "There's a lot of value," notes Joe.

Joe always liked balloons. He used to play around with them and give a balloon to the kids when their parents came in to talk about insurance. In the 90's, he met a clown at the Gaylord Festival. Balloons were a big part of his performance. From watching the clown, Joe saw the potential balloons had to entertain. Twister Joe, who appears at just about every festival in Northern Michigan and is a member of the World Clown Association, is the only entertainer who does balloon twisting in Northern Michigan.

CARTOON IMAGES

Balloons are always fun to have at a party, but so are caricatures, drawings that exaggerate prominent features of a subject for comic effect. With both caricatures and balloons, your guest leaves with a unique memento of your special event. Jill Justin has been an active caricature artist for over twenty years. Justin can draw a black-andwhite caricature within three minutes or up to twenty in an hour. Color caricatures take longer, and she can do about eight in an hour. She can also draw up to four friends together in one picture. Justin relates, "I have never been invited to a party and just sat there. What usually happens at the end of the appointed time, I still have a line and have to ask the host if they would like me to stay longer!"

CARTOON BOOT CAMP

Justin, who also does charcoal portraits, cut silhouettes, general illustration and even architectural renderings, started her career at Sea World, Ohio. She began drawing at Sea World her senior year in high school and spent the next ten years drawing for amusement parks, including Cedar Point and Sea World of Florida. "I consider Cedar Point my boot camp," she says. "I worked as an assistant manager with 35 artists underneath me. We learned so much from each other. We drew every day, all day. It was so intense, but a great thing to do." She's provided entertainment at the Traverse City Cherry Festival and at Friday Night Live events, as well as at numerous local art fairs and festivals.

"At children's parties I explain caricature to the kids as I'm going to kind of draw a cartoon of you," Justin explains. The kids love it! She's also popular in the schools and has had teachers ask her to draw caricatures of the students. She says, "I draw the kids and then copies are made of the drawings. The kids color in the copy and these get hung in the classroom. The original goes to mom and dad." What a great Mother's or Father's Day gift!

Justin, who also plays the piano, the guitar and sings, has been invited to company Christmas parties. She spends part of the time drawing caricatures; the other part playing and singing Christmas Carols. She can also draw caricatures from photos sent over the internet. One mom sent Justin a photo of her son by email. Justin created a color caricature that the mom then had scanned and used it to decorate the top of her son's graduation cake. "It's always fun how people personalize their drawings," notes Justin. "Some bring pictures of their dogs, motorcycles, boats, and even their wedding dress." An hour before closing on a rainy day at Sea World, a girl requested a caricature. She wanted to be dressed as Scarlett in the Gone with the Wind green dress made out of drapes, dancing with Rhett Butler while Savannah burned in the background. "I did it and it was really fun!" Justin admits.

Consider a caricaturist like Jill Justin or a balloon twister like Twister Joe for your next special event. They both add unique party fun!