Bill Corbett

A HUGE thanks to Bill Corbett and his complimentary write up of California Clown School! We love that the idea of non-intimidating clowns is reaching people far and near. California Clown school along with Hanna Banana is campaigning to make clown work a fun/safe place for children and are hoping to drop those previous fears of the bozo clown.

Bill Corbett is an American Playwright known for his work on Mystery Science Theater, several plays, and his contribution to NPR's Prairie Home Companion (one of our personal favorite shows!) and All Things Considered (another favorite!). He is currently touring with the play The Stuff of Dreams. We appreciate the work you do, Bill! Thanks for the compliments!

Check out his write up HERE or read it below!

Rifftrax.com

An article posted at Rifftrax.com

Go on, be one! All you need is a little clown training, and then you can enter the wonderful world of clowndom.

“And where does one get this clown training!?” I hear many (most?) of you asking eagerly, ready to sign up. Well, one such place is the California Clown School, located in…. Reno, Nevada! (Those clowns!)

From their curriculum, here's a sample day:

Monday:
The Rose
Philosophies and attitudes of clown work
Your Clown Character
Costuming
Develop your clown face
Face Painting
Your self
Others

Health and Safety Hazards
Yours
The Children's


Right off the bat, I'd say that one of the “Safety Hazards” for the Children is: being terrified into a a lifelong vegetative state.

…And THAT is why I knew — back when I was a younger man, who played in a punk garage band — that we must push back on this clowny-clown-clown madness. I haven’t thought of the following song for many years, dismissing it in retrospect as a 19 year old kid’s grim, nihilistic indulgence. But now I see that I was wiser than my years. This was was about survival, friends.

(Alas, I only remember the first verse and a half or so, and after that it’s all a bong-y haze:)
DECOMPOSING CLOWNS  by (the young, sullen, and obnoxious, but full-head-of-dark-hair-possessing) Bill Corbett

Something happened under the Big Top
The lights are out, the colors down
Jolly white faces smiling forever
Oh, what an ugly death for a clown.

Red rubber noses, covered in maggots
Big floppy shoes, in dried blood and dust…

…And then it kinda went on like that. A nasty little Sex Pistols-wannabe song, yes… but if you watch that video above again, you’ll see what we’re up against, and why a young man felt the need to lash out.

Anyway..

Be a clown!

(To be fair to the California Clown School, they’ve specifically addressed the issue of Scary Clowndown. To her great credit, the CCS’s main teacher, Hanna Banana, recognizes the danger of Clowns Who Terrify, and she has released a manifesto on the matter. It’s long, so I’m putting it after the break:
“The State of Clowning in America:


Hanna Banana:

She has a new approach to clowning. She is at the forefront of a revolution in clowning in America. She is not a scary clown but is a new kind of clown. A Modern clown with a soft gentle approach that promotes peace, understanding and unity among all age groups and all cultural and ethic groups. She is a Nanny Clown and her entertainment is soothing to children and entertaining to adults.

Circus Clowns:

The following paragraph was taken from a program for RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS. “Irvin Feld, President and Producer of The Greatest Show On Earth, had just acquired this gigantic circus and found it woefully lacking in clown talent. At that time, in 1967, there were thirteen clowns under contract to RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS. Their ages ranged from fifty to almost eighty. Most of them could barely make it once around the hippodrome track. The mot juste at the time was: we know they can fall down, but can they get up again? There was no question that clowning in America definitely was going downhill, surely staggering to an untimely end.”

Party Clowns:

The status of party clowning is also going downhill in America. More and more children and adults are scared of clowns. The fear of clowns, known as coulorophobia, can cause panic attacks, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea and feelings of dread. It is one of the 10 most searched-for phobias on Yahoo! search engine. Psychologists who have addressed coulorophobia say it usually develops out of some traumatic incident in childhood associated with a clown. Several movies have also contributed to making clowns scary most notably Stephen King’s “It”. Tom Eldridge, secretary of Clowns International, said their make-up had been tined down in recent years.

Not only is that a problem but the traditional clown acts and antics no longer entertain children or provide the services adults want for their children. Hanna Banana has started a revolution as a new kind of clown with her Hands on Workshops and her soft gentle approach. She is not the traditional whiteface clown but a modern clown that has changed her costume and her face to portray a Jester Payaso clown. Children flock around her and accept her readily even those who fear clowns. Adults and older children, who view clowns as for babies, are very accepting of her as a modern clown.”

Good for you, Ms. Banana. As the dad of two very young kids, I’d rather they enjoy clowns than have nightmares about them.

(P.S. But Ms. Banana may be fighting a losing battle… Google “clown” images and see for yourself what comes up.)

Fairy Photo Album

Elise

Clown School - We separate the Amateurs and the Professionals!

California Clown School is now offering Liability Performers Insurance for one year with the price of Clown School! This policy is good for Clowns, Face Painters, Balloon Artists, Street Performers, and Children's Entertainers for Magic and Games. This is a $3 million dollar policy and is included for one year with the price of the class. This allows you access into larger events. I know that when we perform at Mammoth Resort the first thing they want is to see our policy! Contact us to find out more!

My Photo Collection

Hanna has been working for over twenty-five years and still going strong! We celebrate happiness in children and strive to create memories!

Lexington Hotel

This past weekend we worked at the Lexington Hotel in Stockton, CA. What a beautiful hotel located on the waterfront. We were hired to perform for a grand 1st birthday with an excess of 30 children.

110 West Fremont Street
Stockton CA 95202
Telephone 209-944-1140
Fax 209-466-1095

Our Clown School is about the Kids

Comments From the Kids about Hanna Banana, Go to California Clown School to learn more about her Clown School and to download a Free Face Painting Guide.

Brent's Blog

What we do...

Here is a brief view of what Hanna Banana does when she comes to your party.  

Carson Oaks Community Church - Stockton, CA

What a lesson to me was this, that clothes surely do not make the man! I loved being able to work and be a part of children who saw who and what we are and what we do and I knew that they went home with a truly memorable experience. Many thanks to Carson Oaks Community Church and for all they do in our community! Hanna was excited to be a part of the work to make 200 children happy!

6509 N. Alturas Ave.

Stockton, California 95207

Phone and Fax: (209) 478 - 5866

Lodi Lake - Lodi, CA

Look at the fun we have! The opportunity to celebrate at Lodi Lake was great fun!

O'Connor Woods - Stockton, CA

This last week we were working at O'Connor Woods Convalescent Hospital in Stockton, CA. It was an Employee Appreciation celebration and celebrate we did! It was great to help in the appreciation of those who serve our Senior Citizens. We here at Hanna Banana's also appreciate their hard work!

School Carnival

This past weekend we had the opportunity to work at a school carnival for Saint Catherine's in Martinez, CA. It was incredible to see how excited the children became over our style of face painting and balloon twisting! The joy that we are able to bring children makes my job the best job in the world! 

Saint Catherine's 

609 Melluse St.

Martinez, CA

Recession - Keep Moving Forward

People are struggling financially and consequently, in their families. The movie "Meet the Robinson's" has always touched me. Especially the last ten minutes and this final quote: "Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” KEEP MOVING FORWARD - Walt Disney

Clown work is for the children, it's to make them happy. Walt Disney believed in making children's dreams come true and so do we. Clown School is a way to expand that.

Halloween Face Painting!

Are you looking for ideas for Face Painting this Halloween?? Take a look at this Face Painting Guide!

Click Here

Natural Clowns

There are many of you who are natural clowns! Fred is one of them! Fred, we want you to come to clown school! Contact us!

Clown School

Get the education of a lifetime and have a great part time job! Attend Clown School! With the economy the way it is, attending clown school is helpful in many ways....serve your community by working as a clown; help in your schools; get hired for birthday parties; company picnics and more!

How to Hire a Clown and Not Get Ripped Off

Face Painting

As I ponder my life and start this day, I realize that I think of all children as if they were mine. I have genuine love for all of them. Mine to serve, to love and to protect. There are no dividers or categories with me, I am constantly researching to be sure that all I do in my work with them helps them, nurtures them and protects them as I would my own. 

I just completed a major research project on face painting children and am now trying to spread the result across the world to protect children from the very real hazards that exist if the correct products and procedures are not used. I have contacted health editors of major newspapers to alert the public to this potential problem. My books on face painting will reflect this, as well as provide unique designs that can be safely applied to a child's face. Please view and study this face painting guide. Click Here.