About a month ago, I'd investigated the U.S. web site called the Balloon Head Quarters at the serious address www.fooledya.com. The BalloonHQ is a 'balloon only' address which is devoted to, you guessed it, balloon related information, photos, competitions and products. One of it's regular services is a 'list' of daily eMails posted by subscribers that contain all sorts of questions, answers, delivery inquiries from around the world along with a few environmental issues. It truly is amazing; New York, London, Paris, Munich everyone's talking about balloon issues. Via the net.
One of the pages within the site is a products page which promotes books and videos about the art of balloon twisting, tying, packing and stacking. They are mostly about using 'twisties' (260s) but hey! they're all made of latex so I'm interested. Scanning through the list I noticed a CD called "ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT DEMON and other air raising tales" Wow! that sounded like a title of a 1950's B-grade movie to me but, to my surprise it's the title of an information/instructional CD primarily about the use of 260s.
Not really understanding it's true purpose at the time and being more interested in the fact that it was what I now believe to be the world's first commercially produced Balloon CD I knew I just had to have copy. A quick click of the Email order form and two weeks later I was sitting at my computer viewing 214 megs of creatively presented latex.
The title, relates to a project undertaken by New York entertainer, twister, balloon teacher, busker, author and seemingly eccentric guy, Larry Moss in Tokyo, Japan in December 1998. Explained via a feature story the "..... Demon" was in actual fact a sculpture of a Nebuta - a samurai warrior fighting a demon. It measured 8 meters wide, 4.5 meters tall, and 4 meters deep. Using almost 15,000 x 260s one would have to question if the real challenge was the building of the almost self supporting piece or the training (through an interpreter) of 10 Japanese celebrities on the fundamentals of using the 260's for a 2 hour Japanese TV Special screened on New Years Day. It's a lengthy story, so detailed I can't relate it all here but I do ensure you the pictures, hyper links and well told story alone made this a worthwhile purchase. But wait, there's more ...!
The main technique used in the construction of the " .....Demon" is 'balloon fabric' using, you guessed it, 260s and Larry devotes a whole section on the CD to this method which to my eye creates a type of balloon quilt. He claims that the Balloon Fabric Tutorial contains all the essential balloon fabric techniques needed to make just about any large creation. With the use of written material, video clips and pictures I think he's just about right.
Another section is devoted to a technique of utilising Heart Shaped balloons. Larry asks us to, "Have a Heart" and to be truthful I have to say once again I was amazed. Not only by the content of yet another tutorial but by the attention to detail in the information provided. You might not have a lot of use every day for this method but combine it with a few pinch twisted 260s a couple of collared Link-O-Loons and you've got the a ingredidents for some seriously flexible 3D balloon art. This is a great CD well worth the AUS$29.95 if ordered through BALLOONS@Work. Even if your not really into 260s ( I used to hate them) I still suggest you do yourself a favour and listen, read and view this CD. I remember when balloon instructions were on a blurry, faded photo copy. Ain't science fantastic?
If your not lucky enough to have access to a computer CD Rom Drive but feel that the collective written works of Larry Moss might be just the right fire side reading for you or a friend then I can only highly recommend Larry's 1995 printed release TWISTING HISTORY, Lessons In Balloon Sculpting. Again information concentrates on the use of 260s and is also available through BALLOONS@Work for only $20.00. I'm not really a patient reader these days, I suppose my computer has made me a little lazy. I need visuals to satisfy my inner man and thankfully this little offering has plenty of them. Starting at the beginning and I do mean the beginning of time, Larry takes us through the history of balloons as only he could imagine it. Incorporating basic lessons on filling, knotting, twisting and popping with a slightly oxidised version of the historical facts Larry also delivers instructions on over 40 pieces using 260s. Don't be mistaken and think that if you've got the CD you don't need the book, on the contrary if you get the book I'm sure you'll just have to see the CD.