Page 65                                             Summer 1987

With a little journalism experience from junior high school, Montandon gathered the news of juggling throughout the country and, through Joe Marsh and others, in Europe. He added his own thoughts and historical pieces. The "Bulletin" had a professional look to it with good type and nice graphic design.

 

He typed it on an early IBM proportional typewriter which required, in order to achieve a justified (vertically straight) right margin, that he type the whole "Bulletin" once, count the spaces left at the end of each line, and then retype the whole thing. The final copy was then printed on offset. He offered a pride of workmanship from the start.

 

Montandon says he began the "Bulletin" simply to "learn more about juggling." But this "selfish" motive is belied by his belief and devotion to the "fraternity" of juggling he mentions. He shared whatever he learned. He offered in-depth articles on juggling, a departure from the skimpy pieces that sporadically ap­peared in wider interest magazines. There were columns by himself, Doug Couden, Betty Gorham, Jack Greene, H.M. Lorette ("The Original Comedy Dancing Juggler"), Larry Weeks, Vin Carey and Stanley Collins, with contributions by George Barvin, Ben Beri, Bob Blau, Tommy Breen, Violet Carlson, Art Jennings, Spud Roberts, Howard Nichols. Joe Marsh contributed wonderful how-to illustrations.

 

Overnight, a wealth of information was made available to the juggling world.

 

Nevertheless, there was opposition, even from some who warily contributed. George DeMott, one of the most prominent contributors, wrote, "I hope the 'Bulletin' turns out to be a first class professional trade magazine and does not degenerate into a gillipin' (galloping) sheet for amateurs."

The professionals, while beginning to feel more comfortable about sharing ideas among themselves, were still obviously reluctant to open the fledgling organization to amateurs.

 

Doug Couden, a professional himself  sought to air this issue by inviting opinions for a column entitled "What's Wrong With Juggling?" He countered the anti-amateur sentiment with his own prophetic argument:

 

Remember that from the present day amateurs, vets, and students, will emerge our future greats. They will be more juggling-wise, thanks to Roger and his Bulletin, than the old timers who had to learn the hard and impractical way - by actual experience.

(JB 5/46)

Montandon had hoped the ideas on juggling would "pour in." They didn't. Despite, or because of, the support among non-professionals, the professionals, the ones in the know with so much to share, shared little. While historical and current news pieces made up the bulk of the well written "Bulletin," it suffered, in Montandon's eyes, from a dearth of practical, how-to information.

 

Montandon countered the fear that routines would be "swiped" with the argument that, by publishing their trick or routine, they would establish who it belonged to, and would provide a fascinating history of who and how routines originated.

 

The founding of the IJA in 1947 did not save the "Bulletin." Instead, and paradoxically, a complexity of competing interests contributed to its demise. Montandon kept his labor of love independent from the IJA. He had achieved a degree of quality in the publication that could well suffer under publication-by-committee.

 

Moreover, there was already the thought in his mind that the "Bulletin" would not be long-lived, given its sporadic acceptance from the beginning, and he justifiably didn't want to tie the IJA to a publication he thought might be dead in a few years.

 

There were also problems of finance. Because the "Bulletin" was kept autonomous, IJA dues did not support it, and it was not yet self-supporting.  To bring the "Bulletin" into the black, Montandon needed a subscription base of 300, something the IJA couldn't offer until many years later.

 

But, finally, it was the lack of support from knowledgeable professionals that killed "The Juggler's Bulletin."

 

The September 1949 issue was the last "Bulletin." Special memorial issues were published in the 1950's and circulated to friends. Three " Annuals" were also published in 1950 to 1952 that contained what would have been the best of the "Bulletin" had it survived those years.

 

The "IJA Newsletter," begun in 1949 and published during the last months of the "Bulletin," continued to keep the membership going. Roger remembers: "If it hadn't been for Doug Couden, Joe Marsh and a few others, the 'Jugglers Bulletin' probably would not have lasted as long as it did. But, I figured if after four years one couldn't show at least a gradual increase I should move on. If IJA Newsletter had not started up I might have felt worse about stopping, but I felt that the Newsletter could carry on if jugglers really wanted an organization..."

 

The fact that Roger Montandon's "Juggler's Bulletin" never received wide support is an indication of the spirit within the juggling community of that day. Rather than compromise its quality or focus, Montandon determined to print it well or not at all. While it lasted, the "Bulletin" provided everything we take for granted in "Juggler's World" today.

 

The aims and resources of the "Newsletter" were far different and the "Bulletin" remained unmatched in quality - literally - for decades. Its passing left the juggling world as poor as did the passing of vaudeville.

<--- Previous Page

Return to Main Index

Next Page --->