I'm getting more involved with the City of Cambridge. Moving here last year was one of the best things I could have done for my business. The City of Cambridge is supportive for local business and the arts. The Cambridge Arts Council, the Inman Square Business Association, Pizzeria Uno's... I feel lucky to be here.

This picture is of me doing the balloon barrage at the end of my show. I shoot 4-foot tall giant colorful balloons off the end of my fingertips into the crowd. Its a lot of fun, and a really cool visual.

Did you know I play Santa Claus? Check out my website: www.SantaBoston.com

Happy Labor Day!

Jungle Jim

Groundhog Day!

I want to tell you all about an awesome experience I had on Saturday night. As many of you know, I am the official balloon artist for the Brockton Rox. The Rox are a minor-league baseball team on the South Shore of Massachusetts. This is my third year as their balloon artist. The Rox are my ideal kind of client, because they are family-friendly and focused on making sure everyone comes away with a terrific memory of their day.

What you may not know about the Brockton Rox is that Bill Murray, the actor, is part owner of the team. He and his family were visiting Campanelli Stadium this past weekend, and I had the opportunity to twist for him and his guests. His sons gave me many different balloon challenges, including Jedi Master Yoda, a giant dragon and lots of other great stuff. The most fun, however, was when his youngest son asked if I could make Mr. Murray out of balloons. It was as if it was the top of the ninth inning, I had to throw a Hail Mary pass and Pele was in goal. Actually, it was the top of the ninth, and I really wanted to make Mr. Murray out of balloons before the game ended, thus avoiding the awkward position: do we wait for the balloon guy, or do we beat the traffic?

As I raced to finish the balloon caricature, Mr. Murray came out and asked me what I was making. I told him "Actually, I am making you out of balloons." He chuckled and said that he was told that’s what I was attempting and he said it couldn't be done. I told him that I was easily the best balloon artist in the baseball stadium at that moment and that I was, in fact, up for the task.

By this point, the entire suite was watching me. I put the finishing touches on the sculpture and handed it to Professor Venkman. He looked at himself, smiled and said "that's really me." I suggested that the three of us take a picture together which you can see to your right.

Mr. Murray told me "You're balloons are really terrific. I've never seen anything like them before."

Jungle Jim... Balloon artist to the stars?

Faneuil Hall!

So Jungle Jim was accepted into the Faneuil Hall Street Performer's Program this year! This is something I've been working towards for over 2 years, since I became serious about balloon art. I was pretty excited, to say the least. Seven times I was rained out in the month of June, but last Saturday was my first day down there, and I was back again yesterday.



Street Performing, or "busking" for is an interesting position for a balloon artist. On one hand, you're displaying a skill that very few people possess. You are able to bend air into colorful shapes (airigami, as coined by Larry Moss), and most find this fascinating to some degree. So some people are happy to watch. But children, while enjoying the show, have been accustomed to receiving a balloon. Its almost as if a child doesn't receive a balloon, then they feel cheated. So I don't get tipped by the parents if their child doesn't receive a balloon, but if I make balloons that are small and boring, people don't watch and I'm not performing, and therefore not drawing a crowd. I'm just a balloon factory. But if it takes too long to get a balloon, because I'm making such cool balloons, then people don't wait around and I don't get paid.

And that's why I'm happy to be down at Faneuil Hall. I expect that after a few seasons, I will have forced myself to push my medium in a different direction.

Hey, I got the pleasure of watching an awesome Yo-Yo guy yesterday. Check him out: http://www.yoyoshow.com/index.htm

Belated Happy Bastille Day!

Its a Jungle new year!

Can you believe its 2009? I can't! I'm so excited for this year. Jungle Jim's is now celebrating its 5th anniversary in business. Its hard to believe I've been doing this for five years. I've had a lot of help, but none more so than my wonderful girlfriend, Sonya. I wouldn't be half as far without her.

I'll be honest with you, all this talk about the economy has me baffled. All I see around me is opportunity to deliver some great entertainment. I may be naive or too optimistic, but now seems like a great opportunity to really refine my message and let people know about the 5 different aspects of Jungle Jim's.

Next week I fly to Las Vegas to study with Jeff McBride, a world famous magician and entertainer's coach. Thanks to Todd Neufeld and Don Caldwell, two bigs in the balloon industry, Jeff is offering a master class for balloon artists. This is the third and final year of the class, and I'm just grateful to be a part of it. Swifty, my balloon mentor, took this class two years ago, and I know the impact it had on him and his performances. On top of that, you get the extra bonus of all the other artists participating in your feedback, and you see what they have to offer as well. There will only be a few of us. I'm a little surprised more people aren't taking advantage of this opportunity. I'm pretty stoked though.

I've been thinking of my goals for the year. One of the big ones is to write the first three chapters of my book on family entertainment. I plan on taking my experiences and others and combining them into a in-depth look of the life of a family entertainer. Its a book I feel needs to be written, and I'm excited to put down on paper all of the different experiences and stories I've accumulated in five years of business.

Well, I'm off to write some proposals. Have a great 2009!

Keep Smiling with Ali

So I was lucky enough to be a part of the Keep Smiling with Ali benefit last week. Ali is a remarkable young woman who suffered a spinal cord injury last year. Her website can tell you a bit more: http://www.keepsmilingwithali.com/

I made balloon caricatures and donated a birthday party to help raise money. Here's some great shots by an up and coming photographer, Leah Laliccia: (www.leahlariccia.com)

New Craigslist Ad

So I was looking for a new way to get attention for my balloon artistry ad on Craigslist last night. Craigslist has actually been a decent source of referrals for me. I try to present as professional as possible. This ad I wrote injects a bit of humor. What do you think?

Title: Do you know the power of the balloon?

Location: Eastern Massachusetts

Message:

I know why you’re reading this. YOU have a balloon emergency! And you don’t know where to turn. No worries. I’m Jungle Jim. And I’m a balloon professional. I control the power of the balloon. Right now you are thinking ‘balloon artist? Aren’t they all just dogs and swords?’ But that is not the case. Have you ever seen a 4-foot tall penguin… made out of balloons? You will. How about a ladybug bracelet so cute that most large men cry when they see it? Get the Kleenex ready. I can turn your daughter into a princess and your son into Jedi Master Yoda, complete with green lightsaber. May the Force be with… the balloon.

Keep in mind, too, that the holidays lend to even more creativity. You may have thought Santa couldn’t shimmy all the way up a candy cane. But he can… with balloons. I will turn the most introverted child into Rudolph-the-Red-Balloon­-Nosed-Reindeer with my reindeer hat. I will create a Star of David that will make all of us say l'chaim! A kinara for kwanzaa? Kool!

So call. Or email. Or check out the blog, which in our completely biased opinion is amazing. Talk to you soon.

Jungle Jim's

617-223-1700

JungleJimBoston.blogspot.com

Had a great night at Applebee's last night. I have a number of regulars who come in, and its always great to see them. Well, two of my favorites are Sebastian and Bernadette. They and their lovely parents are here for a year of Dad's work. I believe they are from Russia, but I know its an Eastern European country. We made the 4-foot penguin last night for them to take home, and since they came in on the later end, I was able to sit down and teach them how to make a balloon dog.

Restaurant work is an important part of my business. I help build clientèle for the venue while marketing myself at the same time. It allows me to practice my balloon work and solidify what I do.

Hey, I came across this blog entry in a Google search. Its about a balloon artist in Miami from Russia. Check it out:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2008/11/title-is-there.html