Halloween is fast approaching and as the pressure of what to go as bears down on you keep in mind the security of the old stand by. You can always go as Miller or Mike. If you want to go as Mike simply take an old sock and ask people smell it. If you want to go as me simply start going bald, it’s easy.

Now that you’ve got your costume you need a place to go. Mike and I are doing a show at a new venue, the Comedy Quarter. It’s not just for stand up anymore. This Saturday the 30th enjoy an afternoon of fun for the whole family. Just showing up means your entered in the costume contest, so you better dress up. Come check out the Comedy Quarter, tickets start at only $5 or for only $12 include a great lunch.

Here’s a picture I dug up of Mike and I on Halloween from a few years ago. Classic.

Happy Halloween,
Miller

Miller, Mike & Marx

The hottest new show from Miller & Mike has to be the Clown Transformation show, it’s really taken off. Everyone knows Miller & Mike were on the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus but did you know that there is now a show were you can see them put on the make-up and costume they used to wear on the big show?

I have one coming up this Friday in Oshkosh and it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ll tell some circus stories and give you some history about circus and the clowns in it. You can find more details on the calendar page.

The Clown Transformation Show has been a big hit with retirement homes all over Wisconsin and the Oshkosh Library loved it too. Here is a short video interview the library did before the show there. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IStquU0qQbw

Miller

The attempt for the Guinness World Record for the longest yo-yo throw was a huge success and as much as I’d like to take all the credit I couldn’t have done it without a lot of help. My whole family deserves a big thank you, especially my father Howard Miller who is running for the state assembly here in Wisconsin and co-sponsored the event. All of you that took pics and video were also a big help, Julie, Nick, Casey, Rob, Amber, Aunt Joan, and Paul’s friend, I will need it all to send to Guinness. All the volunteers that helped with food, the info table and the bridge crew, you are the pegs the event stood on, I also need to thank everyone who came out to watch me do it, the attempt would not have been official without you. And lastly the all important witnesses, Monty the Magician and City of Appleton Alderman Peter Stueck.

I’ll put more up as it comes in but in the meantime here is a great photo taken by Rob Resnick. You should know that the official measurement of the yo-yo came in at 35 feet and 2 inches or 10.67 meters. You can also watch the Fox 11 coverage on youtube.

Miller

the attempt that made yo-yo history

Our people are working harder than they have ever worked before so that this Guinness world record attempt goes well. When I say “people” I mean Mike and I, and when I say “working harder,” I mean 2 full hours in a row. Things are looking good, the practice is going well and even though it’s early I got the first forecast for Sunday and it also looks good.

More exciting news, I have just confirmed 2 official wittiness for the big day. The first is City of Appleton Alderman Peter Stueck. The other is 4-time Guinness record holder Monty the Magician. I am very happy to have them both on board and I’m sure they will do there job well.

Otis

It’s coming faster than you think, well faster than I think anyway. This Sunday August 22nd I will be attempting a Guinness World Record for the longest yo-yo throw. The whole thing takes place at Jones Park downtown Appleton. Starting at 3:00pm Mike and I will be doing a show with the 4-story tall yo-yo trick to follow. Also, there will be free refreshments, cotton candy, popcorn, and lemonade for everyone. Find more details on the calendar page.

State Assembly candidate Howard Miller will be present to meet the public and verify the yo-yo attempt. Donations will be accepted for that campaign.

I have been practicing like a mad man, but still have a long way to go, here are some pics.  Come see if yo-yo history can be made right here in the Fox Valley. See you there.

Otis Miller

practice, practice, practice

Yo-yos are so cool.

I got up this morning and started getting ready for 2 shows at the Brown Co. Library, downtown Green Bay. I thought I had everything I needed, sound system, uke, etc. When I got to the library I quickly realize that I left my favorite yo-yo in my pants at home. I wish I could say that this is uncommon but that would stretch the truth more than a taffy pull. It’s not time to panic yet because I keep a back up yo-yo in my trunk, I have so many back ups for everything sometimes I think there’s another me running around. I hit my hand more than usual during the yo-yo routine but nobody really noticed.

Also, before that show I hung my towel over something back stage and went to get it during the middle of the show.  As I got my towel the stage lights suddenly got much brighter. That’s when I realized I hung my towel on the light board. This turned out to be a stroke of luck because the lights were too dim before and people could see us much better now. The librarian, long time freind Katie Guzek, said she was very impressed that we incorporated light cues into our show and that we figured out the light board, something she’d tried to do for a long time.

So, one good and one fair. The unexpected is why I love live performance. I only wish all the stupid things I do turned out so good.

Miller

Yesterday I did a show in West Virgina in a little town called Moorefield which is nestled in between the mountains. The show was outside in the town park and it was beautiful. Moorefield is nice place but being surrounded by mountains, it’s a little hard to get to and when you don’t know where you’re going that’s an understatment.

Now I had a map and it’s not that I got lost it’s just that googlemaps and Rand McNally don’t bother to tell you that a road is shaped like a drunken snake and has so many ups and downs that it shouldn’t be driven by anyone at anytime for any reason. The trip I thought would take about an hour or more took over two and a half.

When I got there I talked to the people running the event and they told me that the other highway (which was the longer route) would have saved me at least 30 minutes and the dizzy head I had all day. Oh well. Live, learn and always check with locals.

I was with a friend the other day and we were talking about jokes, mainly of the bad variety. Not dirty, just dumb. Of course I have the upper hand in a conversation on this topic because I am aquainted with the one and only Dr. Kickbutt, master of the groaning audience.  Anyway this friend, let’s call him Jon, because that’s his name, told me he had the start to a joke and couldn’t come up with a punch line. The line was, “How many clowns does it take to screw in a light bulb?” The first response was, “Did you come up with that line all by yourself?” But after I thought about I did have a hard time coming up with a good punchline, or least one that’s good enough for my nephew who has told a lot of groaners and a lot more that make no sense at all.  I did come up with this answer. 25, because it’s the one all the way in the back of the car that has the new bulb.

What’s that you say? You don’t think it’s funny? Well I don’t think it’s gold but it was the best I could come up with. If you have a better answer to the question, How many clowns does it take to screw in a light bulb? I’d love to hear it. Happy joke hunting, let me know if you find anything.

Miller

I got an E-mail the other day from a guy in Austria. Here’s what he said, keep in mind I copied it word for word and English is probably not his first language.

Dear Miller and Mike,
my name is Gregor and i am from austria, europa (NOT AUSTRALIA). My father
showed me your Banana gag and we both found it funny and also very fascinating. My
father, who is an hobbymagician, has birthday in a few weeks and i want to do some
kind of same trick like you two perform. Now to my question: do you really eat that
many bananas?? I hope (and also think) not, but actually i don´t know. So please
tell me this littel secret is it a trick banana or any other kind of illusion?
Thank you for your answer and go on performing great shows like that!
Greetings from Austria
Gregor

I thought about telling him that if he looks closely He can see Mike hid each banana in a secret compartment in the handkerchief. Or maybe tell him that they all end up behind his tie. But for the sake of international relations I just couldn’t do that to the poor guy. I sent him this reply.

Gregor,
Thanks for watching and I'm glad you liked it. Mike and I don't do much
magic but the small bit that I do know about magic can be summed up like
this, the simplest answer is the right one. Mike eats every one of those
bananas. It's a comedy act, not an illusion. We performed that act on a
cruise ship and there we did 2 shows a night, that was fun for me. Luckily
for me I have talent for the ukulele, unluckily for Mike he has a talent
for bananas.
Leave 'em Laughing,
Otis Miller

By the way if you don’t know what we’re talking about you should go to the gallery and watch the banana video. Have fun.

Miller

Today is the official Miller & Mike day to fight autism. This morning Mike and I worked the crowd at the Fox Cities Walk for Autism event for the third year in a row. The rain held off just long enough for another great event and it was a record crowd. The racing sausages from Miller Park were there and Mike couldn’t pass up the chance to get his picture taken with them. A big thanks to Joan Bayer, Julie Worzala and other couple of hundred people who came out to walk.

If you missed that one and still want to help fight autism then come out to the Harmony Cafe in downtown Appleton tonight at 6pm. Mike and I are putting on another show the same day to help the autistic. Dr. Kickbutt will take the stage, Miller & Mike will be there and it’s all for a great cause. If you missed both events and still want to help go to www.friendsofautism.org.

Miller