About the Rou Review
The Rou Review is periodical devoted to rouing (see below for description of rouing). The magazine has been published irregularly since May 1974 as a print publication. The editor is Bruce Hallock (also known as Austin Bruce Hallock).
The Rou Review is widely credited with inspiring the Rou Renaissance of the 1970s. Past issues have contained articles ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime, from the frivolous to the highly technical, from serious historical analysis to light human-interest pieces.
Except for the first issue, the print magazine has been produced by photocopying 8½×14″ sheets. The copies are collated, folded, and saddle stapled to produce a finished cover size of 8½×7″. Print runs have ranged from 50 to 100. In the early years, the Rou Review was published once or twice per year. The print version is now published only in conjunction with Jungolian Air Corps reunions and whenever the editor feels like it. Future editions are planned. Selected back issues available from Elevon Books.
About Rouing
Rouing is the sport in which two or more model airplanes -- usually gerp (rubber) powered -- are flown simultaneously with the intent of causing a midair collision. If, after such a collision, one plane crashes and one continues in stable flight, the latter is awarded a victory and the crashed plane is said to be defeated.
Rouing has been the national sport of Jungolia (see below for description) since 1961. The rules were codified in 1963 by the Jungolian Air Corps (JAC) High Command and revised on July 9, 1975, by a similar convention of top rougers.
To call rouing a mere sport, is to neglect its dominant role in Jungolian culture, its grip on the national imagination, and its numerous secondary influences. Even those rare Jungolians who have never roued have been profoundly affected by rouing. Its lore, vocabulary, and aesthetic are unavoidable.
About Jungolia
Jungolia is an independent nation originally located within the Delwood Neighborhood of Austin, Texas. The original territory (known as Jungolia Proper) was a tract of semi-virgin wilderness bordered on the south by Airport Boulevard, on the west by I-35, on the north by Fernwood Road, and on the east by Parkwood Road. The total area measured less than two blocks. The Jungissippi River (some would say creek) flowed west to east through most of the length of the country. In addition to Jungolia Proper, various colonies, territories, and settlements have been established over the years, and today the nation consists totally of these exclaves, as Jungolia Proper was obliterated by an apartment complex in the mid-1960s.
Jungolia was discovered, explored, and settled in the late 1950s and early 60s by courageous adventurers from the surrounding neighborhood. Some of these pioneers sought fame and fortune, while others fled boredom and baganization (no explanation below) in their homelands. Many of these anonymous trailblazers romped through the land, giving scant thought to its real potential. But some came with grander ambitions. The first organized settlement, located in the heart of the jungle on the banks of the Jungissippi, was never named. Other settlements were established, and the harsh conditions and shared purpose soon fostered a certain camaraderie, which developed into a thriving and vibrant nation of young people.
By and by Jungolia acquired all the trappings of nationhood, including a distinct language, a functioning government, a monetary and banking system, a postal system, a newspaper, cultural and educational institutions, and of course an armed forces. The Jungolian military quickly came to be dominated by the Jungolian Air Corps (JAC), whose main (and only) mission became the support and promotion of rouing (see above).
