I am looking for a book on juggling to spark my imagination. I heard of 2 books:
1. How to be a Goofy Juggler
2. Dr. Dropo's Juggling Buffoonery

Do any of you have these books? If so, which one is better.
Thanks.

Hows about checking some old video of the Flying K bros? or Michael Davis!!!

I never heard of them, but I'll check them out. Thanks.

Edit

Wait, I kinda assumed you've heard of them. It's actually the Flying Karamasov Brothers (sp?). If they aren't on YouTube, I'd be suprised.

And Michael Davis is just about the funniest juggler there has evern been. You have to check him out.

I bought both books a few months ago, and I think they are great. Dr. Dropo's Juggling Buffoonery has a ton of Bruce Fife's juggling routines. They are all easy and very funny.
How to be a Goofy Juggler teaches you how to juggle and make it funny with jokes and facial expressions.
If you are a beginner, or need routines, or funny lines, I would recomend these books.(they are cheap too.)

It sounds like you might be starting out so be careful that you do not become a Michael Davis or Flying Karamasov clone. It is better to use these things performers as inspiration to create your own routines and voice.

Kevin

I don't think that you can learn to be funny just by reading books. You need to watch lots of routines, ideally from lots of different types of jugglers. Don't just watch street performers unless you want to be one, as their humour tends towards the unsubtle and repetitive and it is hard to not use lines if you have heard them a lot. If you can watch cabaret jugglers, comedians who use props ('Whose line is it anyway?' style, if that means anything to you), comedy magicians, humourous mimes etc etc then you will get a much broader base for ideas for your comedy.

Nigel

Mickey Magic
If you don't know who Michael Davis, or the Flying K's are perhaps you should start by going to some juggling conventions either regional or national. Are you an IJA member, if not where did you learn to juggle good enough to perform? There is all the difference in the world between a juggler, and someone who can juggle. In order to be a funny juggler you must first be a good juggler, and simply being the best juggler in your town, or school is not the same as being a professionally trained juggler.

Lets not forget though that being good and being skilled are two diffrent things. We have all seen performers who are not skilled/gifted jugglers who are simply amazing as performers. Its because they do what little juggling they do well. You could probably make a reasonable show without much more than a simple cascade and the ability to juggle club like objects. It would take a lot of personality but it could be done IMHO.

Im not an IJA member and have never been given any personal training, nor have I bought any books/dvds. Being self taught tends to be a longer road though.
Anton

The ONLY reason I'm an IJA member is for the magazine. It doesn't do anything for anybody outside the US.

Being the member of a workshop helps as you can get inspiration from other jugglers but nowadays the internet is much more helpful for those people who don't live close to fellow jugglers.

Being a performer is about interacting with people, not about how well people can juggle. My most difficult trick in any of my shows is probably a 5 ball cascade. DVDs are for me personal entertainment rather than inspiration/tuition. The complete juggler is probably the best book out there and I don't think it's great for tuition so I wouldn't learn from books either.

Nigel

Anton
How you got any good is a mystery to me, I personally have never met a good self taught juggler. You are one in a million my friend. Most self taught jugglers have amature querky moves that are a direct result of learning everything the hard way.

Nigel
My IJA reference was exclusively an American answer there are many other avenues to learn how to juggle in Europe.

In no way did I want to imply that all you need to know is the basics to become a comedy juggler, but without those basic skills you will never get to first base. There are many other ingredents that you need to do it for money, and not the least of which is a head for business. All I was trying to tell my friend Mikey Magic is before you can be a funny juggler you must first be a good juggler.

Al,

I learned by doing, by watching, and by being corected by those better than myself. The thing is Im not a move monkey. I practice the hard stuff on my own time but I keep my show stuff my solid stuff. This means right now nothing more than 5 balls few body spins if any, and simple yet impressive moves.

I would agree to the point that I don't think its easy to do it the way I did. it can be done and its a lonely road. But hell its all some of us got!
Anton

If you want to be funnier, take acting classes, improve classes, watch as many comedy acts, sitcoms, as you can. watch them till you think they are funny. when you understand the rhythm and structure of comedy you then will be ready. It will not mean a thing how well you can juggle.
I have seen acts that juggle flees (nothing there, just an act) and have the crowd go nuts.
on the other hand, if you want to see some one go truly glassy eyed with painful boredom, take a non juggler to a IJA show.

W.C. Fields started out as a juggler, look how well he did for himself after he stopped juggling.

there are many fantastic jugglers out there, some are funny, some are not, but comedy is a skill, like juggling or magic, and as such needs training and practice.

Al has a point, to look bad you need to be good, but this dose not have to come from a club. I am glad I never went to a club till long after I learned to juggle, I was busking for years before I found the club at the carmine st. gym in N.Y.C.

I am not saying "don't go to a juggling club", I now go and have fun. What I am saying is don't go with the hopes of learning any thing other than standard juggling.