Comrade Conjuror

Someone Jumps Ship, Another Gets Onboard

2005-12-03T13:10:00.000-05:00

Penguin has had a bad reputation for a while. Still, it took years until someone with Sankey's clout started making accusations.

I can understand why customers would ignore Sankey and keep sending Penguin their money. Illiterate 12-13 year olds (the vast majority of Penguin customers) will always choose saving their allowance money over doing ethical business.

But it's an entirely different level of stupidity when professional magicians, the ones who create and market new tricks, maintain a relationship with Penguin. It should be in their interest to stay far away from the "lying thieving whores," as MagicianX eloquently put it. Sankey left no doubts about how badly Penguin screws its partners (and customers) over. And any association with Penguin damages a creator's reputation in the magic community.

Which is why I'm absolutely puzzled at Gazzo's major partnership with Penguin. He's got his own store on the site. Five of his products are already for sale, with nine DVDs and a CD set planned for release. (How did we ever live without a DVD on the overhand shuffle?) He also reccomends a bunch of old books (all for sale) and has a message to prospective suckers, er, customers. This does not look like a casual partnership. He is in big.

What the hell is Gazzo thinking? He is not a Penguin-manufactured magician, like Oz or Jay Noblezada. He is an experienced, sucessful and well-respected professional. In short, the absolutely last person I'd expect to go into business with Penguin Magic.

How long will this last? Does this mean that Penguin is becoming legit? What is Gazzo smoking?

Friendly Public Service Announcement

2005-11-24T13:15:00.000-05:00

Posting has been slow (i.e. nonexistent) lately. I hope to be posting more often from now on. The posts will be shorter and have a little more to do with the magic community, since I haven't been performing as much here.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Open Thread

2005-10-28T09:10:00.000-04:00

What are people interested in reading about? Post a comment and let me know.

Tel Aviv

2005-10-20T17:53:00.000-04:00

I had a great time in Tel Aviv visiting Israeli magicians. Not only did I learn a lot from very talented people, but I discovered how incredible the magic fraternity is. People I hardly knew let me stay at their houses, showed me around, and invited me into their circle of friends.

Roei was the one who arranged everything for me. He is a full-time professional who does mentalism at corporate parties/events. I'm getting into mentalism, so this was nice. But Roei was also quite talented with cards, even having put out a set of lecture notes. He has the best (and simplest!) version of Reset that I've ever seen.

I also enjoyed browsing Roei's library, which included the Tamariz trilogy (Five Points, Magic Way, Sonata) and other fascinating hard-to-find books.

Roei told me about Israel's first international magic convention, which he organized almost single-handedly. The convention drew 100 people and some major headliners (Max Maven, Flip, Pit Hartling).

I also met Tomer, a busy professional who does illusions and (I'm told) a beautiful dove act, and Binyamin, a close-up magician who must have thick skin. His next gig is performing walkaround - on a moving bus of American tourists! Binyamin was quite talented and gave me great ideas on tricks with everything from cigarettes to shekels (Israeli coins). Four or five other magicians were also there, and we sessioned until five in the morning!

For such a small country, I'd say the magic scene is thriving. And I've only seen a small portion of it. I'll keep you up to date as the exploration continues. Can you say Guy Bavli, Yaniv Deutsch, and Yigal Mesika?

The Girl on the Bus

2005-10-14T09:12:00.000-04:00

I’m amazed at all the magicians I’ve met here in Israel. One of my teachers is a cousin of Ariel Freilich, and a classmate’s brother is a Canadian professional magician. I even met someone from a different school who’s seriously into sleight-of-hand. And at the time I’m writing this, I’ve arranged to meet the head of the Israeli magic scene, a professional performer who organized Israel’s first international magic convention, which took place several weeks ago. Say what you will about the Cafe, but it’s a great way for magicians around the globe to connect.

Despite these incredible resources, I don’t have as much interaction with the magic community as I did in the U.S. This is not such a bad thing. I’m becoming more creative and a better thinker about magic.

But how are my performances going? I’ve had more crazy experiences than I can describe and I’m enjoying performing more than I ever have. So pretty damn well, I guess.

I’ve performed several times on Ben Yehuda street, Jerusalem’s main bar/club area. One memorable experience involved five young Australian exchange students and two Israeli teenage guys. The Aussies has a good time for a while, but eventually lost interest, leaving me with the two Israelis.

For my opening effect, I did a two-card transpo, but also superglued my feet to the ground. Allow me to explain.

After the guys saw the cards change, nothing else mattered to them. I tried flourishes, pulling cards out of my mouth, my best tricks, but to no luck. They just wanted to see cards change. And they were quite insistent on it. I never felt physically threatened at any point, but they made it as difficult as possible for me to leave. One of them even grabbed my sleeve (non-violently) and pulled me back in. The chutzpah!

They offered me a significant amount of money for the secret. After I declined, they tried to buy the deck, believing that they could figure it out themselves.

They were some of the most enthusiastic spectators you could imagine. However, their level of excitement made it harder for me to perform, turning them into a sort of heckler! Who knew such things existed!
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In Israel, everybody knows each other. There are over six million people living in a country about the size of New Jersey. Anytime you go out, you’re going to see at least several people you know.

And if Israel is small, then the community of American Jewish kids spending a post-high school year here (that’s me) is even smaller. I’ll put it this way. If there’s a group of American teenagers on Ben Yehuda, I with either know one of them or we have a common acquaintance.

People I met in the airport waiting area a month-and-a half ago have approached me and asked me to perform for them/their friends!

Still, Ben Yehuda is often a battleground of drunks and broken glass. People there are not the easiest crowd to work with. So I’ve ‘diversified’ and found another, albeit unlikely, place to perform – the buses. Everybody in Israel, even schoolkids, ride the buses, because cars are expensive (100% sales tax!) and impractical.

I take out my cards, nonchalantly do some flourishes and color changes. This catches peoples’ eyes and they tell me how cool/weird/crazy it is. I ask if they’d like to see something and go into a mini-performance. If the person is more reserved, but I know I have their attention, I ask if they’d like to see something. However it works out, riding a bus is boring as hell and people like something to take their mind off of things.

The angles are difficult and there’s not much room to move, but you can still interact with people. At one time, I was performing for someone next to me, two people in the seat behind us, and one person in the seat behind them.

I enjoy it more than I can describe.

Several days ago, I was doing color changes, and an attractive Israeli girl behind me broke into the most beautiful smile. She was smiling while I showed her the tricks, and she kept smiling even after I put the cards away, and the ride continued. I could still see the grin on her face as she walked off.

That’s what magic is all about.

Currently Equipped!

2005-10-13T18:44:00.000-04:00

My school now has an internet connection! Postings will be far more frequent now.

Performing in Israel is more exciting than I can put into words at this ridiculous hour.
I've only been here for a few weeks, and I already have many crazy stories to tell.

Check back soon!

Crossing the Cultural Divide

2005-09-23T04:32:00.000-04:00

For seven of my eighteen years, I have had a serious interest in magic. I have a specific personality when I perform, which has been shaped and defined by hundreds of interactions with spectators.

Since I am an American, this personality appeals to a uniquely American culture, sense or humor, and attitude. I am, as all entertainers are, a product of my environment.

My performance style, which has worked so well in the USA, is strange and unfamiliar in Israel. My jokes, effects, misdirection, and even body language reflect an unmistakably foreign culture. Translating the patter of my tricks is not enough. I have to actually translate the tricks themselves.

But what am I up against? What is the Israeli attitude towards magic, if such a thing even exists? Well, to know the people, you must first understand the country.

Israel is not an easy place to live. Many people are quite poor, and supporting yourself/a family is a difficult endeavor. The country is by no means a backwards place, but the comfortable American lifestyle is inaccessible to most Israelis.

Life is only made harder by the vile, murderous animals known as Palestinian terrorists. The murderers target every Israeli man, woman and child. Every second of every day. Security is taken unbelievably seriously. Even so, hundreds of innocent people have been killed while riding buses, clubbing, or eating out. Activities that are mundane in America can be deadly over here.

Because of the security situation, all Israelis have mandatory military service as soon as they finish high school. When most Americans turn 18, they go off to a leisurely lifestyle full of heavy drinking. When Israelis turn 18, they are given an M-16 and the heavy responsibility of protecting their homeland.

Men serve three years and women two. After being discharged, they have reserve duty for a month every year, until they're in their fifties. Israel is truly a nation of citizen soldiers.

The hebrew world for a native Israeli is 'sabra,' or cactus. Cactuses are sharp and spiny on the outside, but inside, there is cool and delicious water. Similarly, Israelis are gruff and abrasive on the outside, but incredibly warm and friendly once you get to know them.

Breaking through won't be easy. But if magic can remove Israelis, if only temporarily, from their difficult and embattled existence, they will be the most enthusiastic audience that I could ask for.

But what are my obstacles?

As an American, I am clearly marked as an outsider by Israeli spectators. This is totally unfamiliar to me. In America, I could approach someone I hardly knew and use a deck of cards to show how much we had in common. Not so 6000 miles away, where I am out of my element.

Perhaps I can embrace my outsider status by wearing an usual item of clothing or acting like a fool. This could counteract any hostility I'd encounter, making differences a source of strength for the performance, rather than a weakness.

Also, many Israelis will be ill-disposed to me as soon as they realize that I'm American. This is not an issue of diplomacy or politics. America and Israel are on good terms. It's just that, in the area I perform, most Americans whom Israelis encounter are drunk and obnoxious. (I go to Ben Yehuda Street, which is the bar/club area of Jerusalem.)

Ironically, many of the Israelis at Ben Yehuda are also totally smashed. I'm told that alcohol makes magic look better, but it also makes people violent and unpredictable. Avoiding undesirable situations will require serious audience management skills. I do not have a ton of experience in these situations, so there will be a lot of learning in the trenches.

However, I don't think I'll be able to avoid the "arseem." These Israeli punks are easily identifiable by their ridiculously tight clothes, meticulously trimmed facial hair, and the cigarette between their lips. And no, they're not gay. Arseem are rude and violent, the worst audience a magician could have. Unfortunately, on any given night, they make up about half of the population of Ben Yehuda street. They're easy to spot and avoid approaching, but many will be drawn in to the crowd while I'm performing - and I will draw a crowd.

I really am performing - not just speaking - in another language. It's forcing me to think about my magic in a way that I've never done before. Why do I do it? How do I want people to react? What are my goals? They're difficult questions, but I look forward to the experiences that will help me answer them.

Announcement

2005-09-08T16:17:00.000-04:00

I am currently in Israel, and will be until the end of the year. My school stuff takes up most of my time, and I don't have as much access to a computer as in the US. Right now I'm actually writing on a computer in an Internet cafe.

I'm still practicing and performing. Israelis are difficult to entertain, but they can be incredibly enthusiastic once you get through to them.

Most of my future posts will be on performing, not on the b.s. in the magic community. I just don't have time to keep up with that stuff now. But it's not such a loss.

For now, there will be a lack of blogging until I find a convenient way to blog.

Thanks for reading!

Convention

2005-08-31T23:06:00.000-04:00

The joint SAM/IBM convention is planned for 2008 in New Orleans. I can't help but wonder if there will be a change of plans, owings to the devastating hurricane. Someone involved in planning told me that they already signed contracts with the hotel. But is the hotel even there anymore?

Given the situation, it's a rather minor concern, but I couldn't help but wonder.

Before You Speak...

2005-08-30T23:18:00.000-04:00

I wish I could make some crazy post involving automatic weapons, bicycle cards, and hot girls. I came up empty, but here's something else.

I got hired to do a birthday show this weekend. I called the mom and informed her of the duration of my act (30 mins.) and the price. She accepted and everything was fine. But then I totally screwed things up by asking:

"Is that an acceptable amount of time, or did you want more?"

I didn't even realize that I said it. I have never asked this question before, and I have no clue why I said it. I guess I was trying to be polite, but nonetheless, it just flew out of my mouth.

The mother, of course, jumped at the opportunity to have me babysit for longer. She asked me to do an extra fifteen minutes, making it a 45 minute show.

Before I even processed her words, I blurted out and agreed. Once again, I have no clue why. My brain must have been on autopilot. And no, there weren't any drugs or alcohol involved.

I raised the price by a nominal amount, nowhere near enough to make it worth my while. Autopilot again.

After I hung up, I realized that there was no way that I was going to effectively entertain a bunch of 10-11 year old kids for three quarters of an hour. I'm not a professional entertainer and I don't have a huge warehouse full of tricks.

Even if I did have those things, it still wouldn't be humanly possible. Kids' attention spans are an immutable fact of the universe, like protons and electrons, or relativity.

I got hold of the mom back a few days later, and offered to do balloon animals or games before the actual show. No luck. She insisted on 45 minutes of straight magic. And it wasn't like I could back out of the agreement.

I got over my denial and dug deeper into my magic box, finding a few suitable things. I also went to the magic shop, so conveniently close, and asked the owner for advice. He was nice enough to reccomend some tricks and strategies for managing the kids.

Still, a 45-minute kids show is a dangerous thing. It stretches a kid's attention span to a dangerous point, where it's liable to snap and destroy everything in sight. Including my fragile reputation as a birthday entertainer in this town.

This entire week, I'm training hard to prepare myself. I wake up at 6:00 A.M. and do 500 false transfers with a sponge ball. Then I practice cutting rope for 3 hours, with a buddy as a spotter, of course. I spend the rest of the day practicing self-defense, just in case the kids try to pull any crazy Lord-of-the-Flies shit on me.

In all seriousness though, I've learned my lesson. From now on, when I call someone to negotiate a show, I'll have a script that I read from. In front of me. Carefully. No more autopilot.

Autographs

2005-08-29T14:13:00.001-04:00

Some of my collection:

The Crown Jewel:
Criss Angel a.k.a The Shirtless Guy on A&E

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Not anybody famous. Just three of the most beautiful, enthusiastic (and Israeli) girls that I've ever performed for.

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Rocco a.k.a. The Guy Who Invented D'lite

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Master Lee, my favorite street perfomer

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Jamy Ian Swiss

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Tom Ogden, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Magic

Ay Ay Ay, Muy Caliente!

2005-08-28T21:33:00.000-04:00

Stallion is a world class magician, mentalist, ice dancer and escape artist. He has left a trail of spellbound victims across the United States and Europe.

Make sure to check out the team profiles.

Link

(Courtesy of SomethingAwful.com)

We Are the Magic Mafia

2005-08-28T00:51:00.000-04:00

The performance at the new-student party went well. It was a small, outgoing group of people and I enjoyed entertaining them.

There were a few things I could have done better. My timing, for one. I started performing about 40 minutes into the party. Unfortunately, at this point many of the students started to leave. I totally overestimated their attention span for the party.

I didn't start earlier because I thought the students would want some time to mingle. I expected that after 40 minutes, they would start to feel somewhat familiar with each other, making them more receptive to the magic. I didn't want to be the loud and energetic performer who forces his way into a group of quiet, nervous college freshmen who don't even know each other, let alone their class schedule.

Well, my psychology was off. Most of the students came just for the food. How predictable. What good is a flawless turnover pass when you're no good at anticipating the obvious?

I spent most of the evening performing for upperclassmen and grad-students. Maybe I discovered an inversely proportional relationship between the amount of time a college student spends at a party, and their level of enthusiasm for magic. You can read about it in next month's issue of Scientific American.

But I refuse to let a bunch of snack-crazy teenagers drown this post in negativity. Now let's look on the brighter side.

Every time I go out to perform, I am amazed at how much I can learn from every spectator. I'm not talking about timing sleights or handling hecklers. I mean a spectator's actual advice or insight, expressed explicitly. In less than two hours, people had told me

a ridiculously cool way to hand out a business card in the context of a trick I performed
several brilliant one-liners
insight into the way spectators view the magicians

The last one was definately the best. Someone asked me how a certain David Blaine trick was done. I declined to tell him, and he wanted to know why. I gave a simple explanation, mentioning that magicians take 'an oath' not to reveal any secrets. This led to a light-hearted conversation on the similarities between magic and the Mafia.

"Did you have to whack a few people to learn those tricks?" he asked.

That one line made the entire performance worth my while.

Techno-Babble

2005-08-25T23:42:00.000-04:00

Some changes I made to the blog:

Blogroll: Removed MagicWhack
Added MagicCentric
Added MagicDen

Added an e-mail address to the profile.

Replaced the hit-counter at the bottom of the page.

New ingredients, same great taste.

Criss, Put Your Shirt Back On

2005-08-24T23:17:00.000-04:00

One step forward, two steps back. That's what I think each time I watch a new episode of Mindfreak.

The tricks and stunts themselves are beyond fascinating. But with every episode, I become less and less enamored of Criss himself.

He just gets more and more cocky each week. A little cockiness is fine, but Criss' attitude goes beyond cockiness. It's arrogant. And I find it, well, repulsive.

Enough with the posturing and gratuitous shirt tearing. I heard the show is losing money. Could it be from all the clothing that gets mercilessly shredded each week?

Magicians need to make a stand. Soon enough, spectators will be asking us to tear our shirts off after each trick. Well, the attractive magicians at least. And most magicians aren't really that good looking. Maybe like 10 percent. Maybe closer to 8.5. Statistically, though...

Sorry, I got off track. But the bottom line is that magicians spend enough money on magic as it is. We simply cannot tolerate the added financial burden that Angel's shirt-tearing will eventually inflict upon us.

But I have a solution.

Prepare yourselves for...

O.K.A.S.O.

Operation Keep Angel's Shirt On

The commandos above were among the few able to pass our rigorous selection process. In their last mission, they forced David Blaine out of a box hanging over a river. It was a daring, midnight raid. We've recently reactivated them do deal with this new, sinister threat.

They are all in prime physical condition with experience in Navy Seals, Delta Force, and elite international counter-terrorist units.

The team will surveil Criss Angel 24/7, from a safe distance. He will never be aware of their presence. When Criss begins to film the show, the team will go on high alert. Should Angel attempt to remove any item of his clothing, a warning shot will be fired. If this fails, they will procede to use non-lethal tranquilizer darts until the situation is neutralized.

If repeated attempts at deterrence prove ineffective, the team will 'paint' Angel with a targeting laser. A slealth bomber will proceed to eliminate him with a hydrogen bomb.

Just don't tell anyone. Officially, the operation is classified.

Opportunities

2005-08-20T23:29:00.000-04:00

Several exciting things are happening in the next few weeks.

I live near a major University and classes are starting in a few days. The campus Chabad House (Jewish outreach organization) asked me to entertain at their new-student-dinner, later this week. They're expecting close to fifty people. I'm not getting paid, but it will be good experience. And I'll get to perform for people my age, which will be nice.

Also, the local S.A.M. and I.B.M. are putting on a charity benefit show. It's being promoting heavily all over town (radio, TV, etc.). I'm performing there as well.

My recent experiences with close-up magic have been overwhelmingly positive. I'm looking forward to both performances and am confident that I can handle whatever challenges they'll pose.

Hoo-Rah!

Obi-Wan, The Presbyterians Have Spoken

2005-08-18T15:41:00.000-04:00

Not magic related, but funny as hell. (SFW)

(Link)

Listen to Your Elders

2005-08-16T23:33:00.000-04:00

So you're finishing school soon, and you'd like to become a professional magician. You want to have a career that you can fall back on, but what? Well, why not take advice from a 17 year old that you met on the Internet?

You can't make this stuff up. Check out the second reply on this Cafe post, authored by "Kyle the Great."

As much as I'd love to tear him apart, I think his post speaks for itself. Just another example of what happens when you give a voice to people who have no business wielding one. (Thanks Sarc. Mag.)

Besides, Why would you want to take any kind of advice from someone who dresses like this?

Deletion

2005-08-15T21:13:00.000-04:00

My hard drive is now 10 gigabytes lighter. I took a big step and deleted all of the pirated magic stuff that I've accumulated over nearly a year.

There were several hundred books, lecture notes, essays, and trick instructions. I also had a dozen full-length videos, not including all the ones that were burnt to CD. Those will be thrown out. Basically, if you can name a magician, I had a pirated copy of his material.

Why the sudden change in heart? The law enforcement community was not involved. Sudden onset of conscience was more like it. It's interesting the way things played out.

I downloaded a pirated copy of Michael Close's "Workers" series. As I read through the e-book, I came to realize the incredible amount of time, thought, and energy that went into it. I felt bad about taking advantage of it at absolutely no cost to me. (For some reason, this never occured to me with all of the other crap I downloaded.) There was also an essay on ethics in "Workers" that helped change my way of looking at things.

I spent the next few hours removing the offending contraband from my hard-drive, which took me a ridiculously long time. I could have done it in five minutes, since everything was meticulously organized by author, type of magic, and genre of electronic media. I could have deleted everything in a few keystrokes.

Instead I spent the better part of three-and-a-half-hours, meticulously reading every PDF and watching every movie before I deleted it. It was weird how difficult it was to say 'goodbye' to everything I had accumulated. But I'm glad I did it, because I think all the magi-piracy made me a poorer magician.

Having thousands of magic tricks available without any investment on my part cheapened their value. I learned dozens of tricks without getting good at any of them. Piracy blurred the line between knowing secrets and being a good magician.

It also cheapened the value of all the books I obtained legally. After all, who cares about learning Ammar's cups and balls when you have forty other variations instantly accessible on your computer?

But all that is now behind me. My hard drive is unclogged and I can now breathe freely. In the immortal words of who the hell knows, "Hoo-Rah!."

Brooks' Long Lost Twin?

2005-08-09T18:47:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make. Occasionally I visit the MagicCafe and make a post. Yes, the guy who runs the site is an overbearing and self-important jerk, to say the least. But a small minority of Cafe members actually offer helpful advice.

Most, however, are idiots. Like Ross MacRae. I made a post on the Cafe asking how to deal with kids who interrupt me with irrelevant stories or comments.

Ross, the rotund fountain of wisdom, had this to offer.
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So ... you want an audience of little robots sitting reverently and silently while "wonderful you" performs his art? Get a TV show!

Entertainment is never "me to you exclusively." You are there to have an interaction with the audience even if their input consists only of applause and the occasional gasp of astonishment. And when with children, it's never limited to that.

I can't say that your attitude as expressed is very likely to come across well to a children's audience (or, for that matter, with most adult audiences.) It may be what you want, but the disrespect simply drips from it. You're not there to be worshiped, you're there to entertain, and that means to SERVE - that's why entertainers bow to audiences, not the other way around.

True, you can't let idle conversation take over the show. But all of the comments you cited could be handled much better with an "Oh, really? How many people have grandpas who are magicians? That's a lot of you, I guess I'm going to have to try really hard to be better than a grandpa!"
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I am quite impressed. He managed to completely ignore the meaning of my question, and compose a shockingly irrelevant reply. That skill is limited to like, 90% of MagicCafe members.

I indicate a desire to have my audience's attention. Ross MacMoron thinks I want to be "worshipped" and turn the kids into "little robots sitting reverently and silently." What a vapid, stupid, condescendingly insecure fucker.

P.S.
His poorly designed website has a video of Ross inflicting himself on unfortunate audiences. It's no coincidence that volunteers' faces are blurred out and pixellated? Would you want to associate yourself with this tool?

Thoughts on The Camp Performance

2005-08-08T22:35:00.000-04:00

Well, I did the show.

I have never performed for so many kids (45) before, and I didn't feel as 'in charge' as I usually do. Still, a majority of the kids enjoyed the magic and were enthusiastic. It makes me so happy when these kids shout down the hecklers.

Something interesting happened with the magic coloring book. I have considered eliminating it from my repertoire; it's a cliche prop that is included in many beginner magic sets. I was apprehensive about bringing it to the camp show, but I was pleasantly surprised. As soon as I took it out, one girl exclaimed "Oh, I love this trick!" Quite a few other kids expressed their agreement.

The tricks themselves went off without a hitch, but I had some difficulty managing the audience. A few kids would constantly interject about how "my grandpa does magic" or "once a magician did (fill in the blank.)" I don't think they weren't doing it out of rudeness, they just were over-eager to tell me their stories.

There were other problems, although minor. I was hampered by my lack of a proper prop case. I had to lay everything out on a chair next to me, and those got tossed in a cardboard box when I was finished them. It was awkward, difficult, and did not feel or look professional. I plan to buy a nice case ASAP.

I also had trouble calming down the kids who wanted to volunteer, but weren't chosen. I promised a young girl that she could help with the next trick. I didn't even realize what I did, I just said it to get her off my back. When it came time for the next trick, I specifically picked someone who I needed, but the girl just ran right up and joined him. What was I gonna do, tell her to go sit back down?

Having 2 volunteers made it harder for me to do the trick, and neither of them had much to do. It was a foolish mistake.

But I think the show went pretty well. I haven't done a paid kids show for months, and things could have gone a lot worse. Also, one of the kids wants me to do her birthday party, and I'm putting on another show for the camp this week. It's good experience.

My New Expense Account

2005-08-02T23:27:00.000-04:00

This magic thing at camp is working out really well.

I asked the camp director if she'd be interested in having me do regular performances for the kids. It would probably be 3-4 times a week, for between 10 and 20 minutes. I was really going out on a limb, but she was interested in paying me for it.

The extra cash will be nice. I have most of the props I need, but I might take the opportunity to buy some new stuff from the magic store. This is not something I do very often, so I'm kinda excited about it.

I'll let you all know how it works out.

Was I Really THAT Good?

2005-08-02T01:19:00.000-04:00

I don't usually make two posts in the same day, but something bizarre happened today. Actually yesterday, since I'm making a late post, but what the hell.

I took a job as a camp counselor at a local camp. I was doing magic with cards, coins, pens, and whatever I could get my hands on. And that was just the first day. I have no idea how I'm going to survive two weeks with 40 kids constantly begging me to perform.

All of my campers think I have a photographic memory because I can dead cut to the four aces, or any card named. Actually, I'm just a scam-artist who's really good at culling, but that's irrelevant.

Now I'll get to the point. Two kids asked me if I am "really magic," if I really do have "powers." One was probably 11 years old, the other close to 13. Their question totally took me by surprise. (I wasn't even doing mentalism, just sleight of hand). I never expect a question like that from someone older that 7 years old.

I had no clue how to react. After some thought, I said "It's not real magic, but it's what real magic would look like." (I have no clue who's line this is, but I've heard it somewhere.)

Obviously, the easy answer would have been "No," but I thought that would've been too blunt. Not in keeping with the "actor playing the part of a magician" stuff that we abide by.

I'm still not sure I answered adequately. How would you have handled the question?

While I'm waiting for your answers, I'll be coming up with new ways to scam my campers into believing in my amazing memory powers.

Buy This Bike!

2005-08-02T01:16:00.000-04:00

I recently bought "A Bicycle Built for Five," a wonderful packet trick that defies the genre.

You show five jokers. One joker, the leader, is set face down. One by one, the other jokers turn face down to match the leader. Then you turn the jokers over to reveal that they have disappeared. There are only empty bicycles on the cards. It's a weird, beautiful thing.

You turn the leader joker over, all five jokers are balancing on one bicycle. Or, if you prefer it, sitting around a table drinking beer.

Although it's not self-working, it's really not very difficult. The cards are well made and I expect them to last a long time. And the pictures of the empty bicycles and groups of jokers are quite amusing.

The trick is only $15, which is quite reasonable,considering that it's imported from Japan.

I've been having a blast with a Bicycle Built for Five, and I wholeheartedly reccomend it to you.

The Obligatory Post

2005-07-30T23:09:00.000-04:00

Lately, as soon as I've mentioned magic or started performing, nearly everybody has asked me about Criss Angel.

"Do you know how he does his levitation?"
"What do you think of him?"
"Have you seen the show?"

I'm impressed that Angel has captured the public's interest not only in his show, but in magic in general. People never asked me questions about T.H.E.M. or Mondo Magic.

Even though I can't tell laypeople how the levitation works, I do tell them about how I met Angel last summer. They seem genuinely interested.

And laypeople generally seem more receptive when I take out my cards or coins. I don't know whether I'm getting lucky or whether there really is an 'Angel-effect.' Whichever it is, I'm enjoying it.

The Den of Evil

2005-07-27T16:17:00.000-04:00

I've got into magic almost 7 years ago. Since then, I've been to many magic stores. None of them were perfect. One store was cramped, another had a tiny inventory, and one was reluctant to 'demo' tricks for me. But I have never been in a magic store that I despised.

Until today, that is.

I was in Chicago, visiting Navy Pier. The Pier is an all-purpose tourist attraction with food, shopping, rides, mini-golf, and live entertainment. They also have a magic store, which is called "Magic Masters."

I walked in and asked the guy behind the counter if any of the old books on the shelves were for sale.

"No," he said gruffly.

After some brief conversation, I asked if I could show him a trick.

"No. The only tricks that can be performed in this store are the ones we sell."

I set my hands down on the close up mat, and leaned against the counter. Without saying anything, he yanked the close-up mat out from under my hands.

I left. I don't think I've ever been more disgusted with a magician or magic store in my entire life.

If you don't allow magicians to perform in your magic store, then you, and your company, are morons. It's like barring carpenters from Home Depot. Why the hell do you think customers come in? Not all of them are there to buy shit. They want to learn, talk with other people, and get advice. That's what magic stores are for.

I frequently have people decline to my tricks. I think they're missing out, but I don't really care. What angered me this time was that company policy forbids performing in the store. I never get this angry when someone at a party (or elsewhere) declines to see a trick. So please don't think I'm some obsessive magic nut who's complaining about the store to soothe my fragile ego. That's not the situation.

Magic Masters' entire pricing system is also ridiculous. Everything is twice as expensive as it would be from any other magic store, and about three times as much as any online store. $15 for Nickles to Dimes. $25 for a folding quarter. $20 for a mental photography deck and $15 for sponge bunnies.

It's extortion. And most of the people who come into the store don't know how badly they're being ripped off.

The quality of their products is non-existent. A friend of mine bought me a gimmicked quarter as a present a while ago. It's fallen apart more times than I can count.

Magic Masters is offensive to everything magic and magicians are about. They deserve neither your time or your money. Spread the word.

Hooray!

2005-07-24T14:58:00.000-04:00

Happy 18th Birthday to Me!

Restaurants - 13 Magican - 0

2005-07-19T22:06:00.000-04:00

Well, my restaurant job search was remarkably unsucessful. I made my pitch to 13 separate restaurants, and none of them accepted. Explanations included:

* We're a new restaurant and aren't ready to hire entertainment yet.
* We don't have the funds.
* Call back tomorrow (repeat 7X).
* It's not the direction we want to take the restaurant.
* People who come here just want to sit down and eat.
* We're part of a franchise, and providing entertainment at one location, but not others, would clash with our business model.
* We just aren't interested.
* We used to do that, but we're just not interested anymore.
* We're definately aren't interested.

I'm disappointed, to say the least. I had five places express genuine interest, only to be shot down by the final decision maker. One general manager said he was "jazzed" about having me, and that he had seen magicians work sucessfully at restaurants before. Unfortunately, this was the franchise establishment where I was incompatible with their business model.

It took more than a week for most places to explain why they didn't need me. In the future, I plan to skip the managers entirely, and make my sales pitch to the real bosses. It should save me a lot of time and trouble.

I don't give up easily, and would gladly continue searching until I get a job. But I can't. Here's why.

I recently moved from from a big city, with hundreds of potential prospects, to a small college town that has far fewer. I've already visited most restaurants in the area, so the numbers are working against me from the start.

Also, as you may know, college towns are empty and boring places during the summer. My parental overlords, tired of having me sit around the house, want me to find a job. I told them I wanted to do magic in restaurants, and my dad gave me a week to look, after which point I would have to find another (boring minimum wage) job. That week is now up. Negotiating for more time is not an option. And I need something to do other than sit around and shuffle cards.

So this marks the end of my search. For now. I'm going to resume next summer and I'm not gonna stop until I'm turning away offers. You don't want to have me, Mr. Manager? Your loss.

A Whole New Level!

2005-07-18T13:02:00.000-04:00

Maybe you'll think I'm beating the subject to death, but I found the latest Penguin e-mail amusing.

At one point during a sold-out show, part of the crowd surged forward to get a better look at the magic. Hundreds of people were instantly put in danger of being crushed. Luckily, Morgan was able to calm the crowd and get the people back in their seats.

Now that's taking audience management to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL!

Give us your cash, and you too can experience the thrill of saving your spectators from toTaLy extREme instant death!

Actually, I added that last part. Just wanted to make sure, since it sounds like the kind of thing Penguin would write.

Ripoff Alert

2005-07-14T15:51:00.000-04:00

Do you hear those sirens? It appears that we've got an overhyped ripoff alert! Sensors indicate that it's coming from over here.

Twenty dollars is not an astonishing sum of money, but for what's being offered, it is downright dishonest.

And what is being offered? Basically, you stick a chopstick into a jar filled with rice, and when you lift the chopstick, the jar is suspended. It's mildly clever, nothing mind-blowing.

"You can use virtually any jar and grain," the ad brags. They don't even give you a jar or rice, despite what the deceptive picture would indicate.

I could get a jar and some rice from the grocery store for four dollars. That's the retail price. Hank Lee could buy both wholesale for less than a dollar. But he wants twenty dollars for a chopstick and some instructions! Maybe if the chopstick wood was taken from Admiral Nelson's warship, I would consider it, but it's just a friggin stick.

It's not even a trick. There are no secrets or gimmicks involved. If you stick a chopstick into a jar filled with rice, the jar will be suspended from the chopstick."How can this be?" the ad asks. How about PHYSICS.

There's nothing special about this dignified science experiment, which appears in many beginner's magic books. I have it in Walter B. Gibson's "The New Magician's Manual," which sells on Ebay for less than a dollar. In bookstores, it sells for ten bucks. Still that's half the price that Hank Lee is asking.

If you're interested in this 'trick,' go with a friend and get dinner at a Chinese restaurant. You'll get a chopstick and a nice meal too. They even toss in a fortune cookie.

Like Hank Lee would ever do that.

Cold-Calling

2005-07-11T23:41:00.000-04:00

I made a bunch of cold calls to local restaurants today. One place, which opened up last week, said they weren't interested in having live entertainment yet. But the manager asked me if I could do happy hours at some point in the future. I gave him my business card.

Another place said they didn't have the funds to hire an entertainer on a regular basis. But they said they'd be interested in having me for special events.

The last place I went to, an upscale Steakhouse chain, expressed interest. The manager told me he'd talk to his boss, and get back to me in a week. I showed him and a hostess a quick trick, just a visual 2 card transposition. I felt like he was impressed, but he didn't express it openly. I got more of a 'stunned silence' reaction from him. I could see his brain try to rationalize or explain what happened, only to crack under the realization that there was no explanation. It's not as satisfying and as an openly expressed reaction, but still satisfying nonetheless. Then again, it'll be most satisfying if I get the job.

I plan to keep cold-calling to have a few 'back-ups' in case the steak-house gig doesn't work out.

Nonetheless, it was an exciting day.

A Milestone

2005-07-05T21:21:00.000-04:00

There are two milestones that I'd like to mention. First, this blog just had its 2000th hit. I'm impressed, surprised, and excited all at the same time. I never expected this blog to reach as many people as it now does. I enjoy writing my thoughts here, and I expect to do so into the foreseeable future.

The other milestone occurred this week in Chicago's Millenium Park. It was a sunny, relatively windy day. I had with me a deck of Aviator cards, some loose change, and a thumbtip with a mismade bill. The latter, I conveniently found in my car on the way over.

I sat on a bench with cards in hand, just shuffling and taking in the view. An older couple, probably in their 60s, and a woman in her late 30s sat down beside me. The older lady was clearly very sociable; before she even sat down, she struck up a conversation and asked me if I played poker. The other two people were friendly as well.

We made some small talk for a minute or two, and then I asked if I could show them something. I did a short ace cutting routine. I could tell that I had their full attention.

What started as a simple card trick turned into a 25 minute long mini-performance. I could go into the specific tricks I did, but I think it's irrelevant. What really mattered to me was that
a) I did magic with a variety of different objects, several of them borrowed

b) The order of the tricks was totally improvised. I decided based on their reactions, how they were seated, my desire for variety, etc.

c) A few mistakes happened and I handled them well. When I did Triumph, an extra card somehow got turned the same way as the selection. I had never had it happen before, but I simply kept my cool and told them the other card was one they'd pick at some point in the future. One classic force later, I felt ready to handle anything.

But what really topped it off was that the older lady insisted on giving me $5 when I finished. She was a total stranger and it was totally unsolicited! Five dollars may not seem like much money, but to me, it represents my first reward in my journey towards paid performances.

Oh, and she also asked for my contact information for a private party she might be having.

Hoo Rah!

Penguicide - Part Deux

2005-07-04T12:12:00.000-04:00

I'm reluctant to make another post about Penguin, but in this case, their idiocy is so egregiously extreme that I just can't resist.

Case in point: "The Generation Extreme Challenge."

I don't want to stoop to Penguin's level by trying to explain the Challenge. So, read about it here and when you're done, return for yet another of my famously brutal and violent beatdowns.

Okay, welcome back. I trust that you're still fully conscious, and aren't vomiting all over the place in sheer disgust. Allow me to voice my objections. And they are bountiful.

Let's begin with the "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 3rd, 2005" heading. I guess this is supposed to lend an atmosphere of faux-importance to the sad and debauched body of text. Kind of like a press release, except that press releases are about interesting and memorable events. In other words, nothing that ever happens on Penguin. I've got news for Penguin - you're not a news agency or a P.R. firm. You're a magic website, and a poor one at that.

Fighting off the urge to avert our eyes, we somehow continue, and read...

One of the most prolific visual card magicians in the world sharpens the cutting edge once more with the release of his latest DVD - Generation eXtreme.

Let us deconstruct this bold-faced lie. Brian Tudor is anything but prolific. To my knowledge, he's put out four DVDs. I have seen three, and all of them were crap. They were poorly filmed and poorly explained. Nothing more than mere juggling. In the rare case that he showed an actual trick, it was sloppy, complicated, confusing, and downright unentertaining. He had no discernable personality and seemed more interested in the cards than anything else.

Also, the word "visual" is unnecessary. It serves only to entice Penguin's young, gullible customers, who, as I've explained before, don't know any better.

"Sharpens the cutting edge." Adding another packet to your eXtrEme cut is about as un- cutting-edge as you get. This is typical Penguin hyperbole. When something 'revolutionary' comes along, it's introduced by thinking, professional performers who've been at their craft for years. Like Michael Ammar with his Topit work. Or Paul Harris and his approach to close-up. Not some expressionless, talent-less hack.

PenguIdiots are making the same mistake about Brian Tudor that they made about Oz Pearlman. Oz was a young professional who partnered with Penguin to promote their products and make demo videos. As part of the package, he got to sell his own instant downloads and made three DVDs. Many of Penguin's customers became convinced that he was a big, innovative figure in close-up magic. In reality, he was just another magician who happened to be near Penguin's store in Las Vegas. This is not to denigrate Oz, much of whom's work I enjoy. But the fact remains that Penguin is 'manufacturing' Brian Tudor just like they manufactured Oz Pearlman.

The page also mentions "the release of his latest DVD.' This is totally inaccurate, as the Generation Extreme DVD was released months ago. Just check the reviews section on the bottom of the DVD page. They go back to November of last year. Facts are so inconvient.

The card work on this DVD is so difficult, producer Penguin Magic is actually WARNING customers not to buy it.

(Let’s explore this warning, which is listed on a separate page.)

Don't buy this DVD. Almost no one can actually do the stuff you're about to see. It's aggressive, showy, complex, impossibly fast, and freakish. Once you master it, your spectators may notice only one tenth of what they're supposed to see... and only one one-hundredth of what is actually happening.

Then why the hell should I waste my bloody valuable time?

That's no way to live... pick up a svengali deck and be happy.

I will. One twelfth the price and a hundred times the entertainment value.

Prepare yourself. You're going to have to watch each explanation hundreds of times before you start to get it. You'll have to practice even more before it looks good in your hands. In the process you'll drop tens of thousands of cards. Throughout your training you'll destroy five or more decks per day.

Hypety-hype-hype-bullshit. If you have to watch anything a hundred times, it’s not being explained right. "200 decks of cards?" You’ll drop one, the moment you realize such drivel is not worth your time. “Destroy five or more decks per day.” Assuming you have no employment, no friends, and no life.

You have to earn this DVD. It's not for everyone. It's probably not for him, and it's probably not for you.

Finally Penguin offers some sensible advice. If only they would put this disclaimer in front of every product they offer.

But if you are one of the few who MUST be at the cutting edge in the development of visual card magic, there is nothing we can say to keep you away from this DVD. And that being said, this is probably your best resource for what's new with cards.

Wait a minute?! I thought you just said ‘it's probably not for you.’

And once again we have the ‘cutting edge’ nonsense. A copy of Hugard’s “Card Manipulations” provides almost all of the stuff that Penguin hypes as ‘visual card magic.’

Unfortunately, the PenguIdiots don’t understand. Just read the reviews for the DVD. Every single one raves about it, with the requisite absence of grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
---
(Now back to the actual contest)

Perform the "Showoff" routine exactly as taught in Generation eXtreme from start to finish without mistakes AND do it faster than Tudor does it on the DVD and the money is yours!

I cannot think of a bigger waste of time and energy. Despite my views, I am sure that dozens of people are, at this moment, scrambling to hook up their web-cams, brushing their cards with fanning powder, and reviewing the DVD step by step. It’s sad and pathetic.

Tudor has long been considered the premier XCM artist on the planet. He's SO confident that his skill and speed cannot be matched that he's put $500 of HIS OWN MONEY on the line for this contest. Penguin Magic has matched Tudor's $500 to make the total cash prize $1000.

This description couldn’t be further from reality. Tudor doesn’t give a crap about his ‘skill and speed.’ He doesn’t have either, but that’s irrelevant. The contest is just a cheap excuse to get people to buy the DVD.

There are dozens of people who can demonstrate their lack of a social life faster than Tudor. But that’s not the point. This is Penguin we’re dealing with. And, surprise, surprise, it’s all about money. Brian Tudor is going to be laughing all the way to the bank.

Penguicide

2005-07-02T16:29:00.000-04:00

I am sick of Penguin Magic in so many ways. I am sick of the idiotic twelve year olds who make unintelligible posts on the forums about how "toTAly xtreme" they are. I am sick of the slashed prices that put real, knowledgeable magic stores out of business. I am sick of the overpriced Magic Makers knock-off crap that discourages innovation and takes money out of creators' pockets.

But I am most sick of the overly slick, disingenuous promotions from the home of idiot magic and idiot magicians. Case in point: the new "SPUN Starring Morgan Strebler" video. Allow me to voice my objections. And they are bountiful.

"Starring Morgan Strebler"?! I'm glad they make it clear who's in charge on the DVD. On all my other magic videos, its impossible to distinguish the 'star magician,' the supporting female lead, the stunt-man, and the extras.

Seriously. what the hell?! "Starring" is an adjective you apply to actors in professional public performances. Not some obscure DVD that a bunch of pre-pubescent 12 year olds will drool over in their bedrooms.

I'm also sick of the hyped up B.S. that Penguin is trying to manufacture. SPUN "is as precise and breathtaking as an olympic figure skating routine... [and as] as earth-shattering as an Indy car crashing into the wall at 220 miles per hour."

Precise? Breath-taking? Earth-shattering? B.S. It's a bunch of thread and good acting. Not something out of Mission Impossible.

I'm sick of the people in the demo videos, half of whom are drunk off their asses. I could take the sponge-bunnies to Vegas and get the same 'precise, breath-taking' reactions. Does no one realize that the morons sought out by the film crew are too liquored up to react any differently?

I'm sick of the dishonest editing that prevents you from seeing how the trick is really performed. I'm not talking about wanting to discover secrets, but simply purging the ''ugly' parts of reality that detract from Penguin's bottom line.

Nothing on Penguin is new or cutting edge. The company dresses up old secrets in new clothes, adds a slick marketing effort, and sells the product to gullible idiots who don't know any better. Most of their customers don't even realize that what they're buying existed before they were even born.

I am sick of Penguin Magic. And I hope you are too.

So Long

2005-06-28T12:02:00.000-04:00

Magic Whack has decided to call it quits. It's a shame, his blog was brutally honest and always always enjoyable to read. Fortunately, I managed to mirror the entire site before it went down. Interestingly enough, the program I used also mirrored every site that was on Whackster's blogroll. A piece of magic blogging history, I guess.

It's all in an 8mb folder that can be opened with any browser. If anyone can host the file, please let me know in the comments section. I have no experience with this sort of thing, so I'd need some assistance. Thanks.

R.I.P. Magic Whack.

My Contribution

2005-06-26T23:00:00.000-04:00

There's been a lot of talk at Pagliacci and Andster's blog about using magic to pick up girls. While I've never gone out with strictly this purpose in mind, I frequently use magic to flirt with attractive girls or let them know what I think about them. Although I haven't thought about magic and girls as deeply as Pagliacci and Andster have, I thought I'd share my advice/experience on the subject.

Never make a 'cold' approach with tricks. I always chat for a few minutes before I even mention the fact that I do magic. In my experience, the best tricks involve
a) visual magic with cards
b) mentalism

My favorite trick to perform for girls would definitely be Paul Harris' Backlash. It shows off your skill, it's an easy and 'intimate' effect, and it leaves the girl with a fascinating object to remember you by.

For me, the easiest type of magic to pick up girls with is what Pagliacci called "Magic others have initiated, magic that makes me the center of attention, visual magic, up the ante for future behavior." Often, when I'm performing at a bar or a party, I'll get a large group going pretty quickly, and a few attractive girls will work their way in. Once I notice them, I get them involved and start to flirt a little bit. I guess this would be the best situation to start practicing picking up girls with magic. Or 'magical seduction.' Or whatever you want to call it.

In my experience, magic works best as a way to flirt with a girl you're interested in, and show her how interesting/funny/mysterious you are. But don't use the magic to draw attention to yourself and then fumble with the actual 'pick-up.' A killer handling of the sponge balls will get you nowhere if you do nothing else to distinguish yourself from the other losers that approach girls. The magic is important as a means to an end, but every other part of your interaction with the girl is just as critical. This guy is an excellent source on that sort of thing.

That being said, here's my contribution to the list of effects that can be used to pick-up women...

This trick works best as a closer, after you've picked your 'target' and have been flirting with her for your entire performance. You need a duplicate Ace of Hearts. Draw an "I" above the heart, and a "U" below. You can also draw an arrow through the heart if you like.

Set this duplicate on top of a regular Ace of Hearts, and put the two cards on top of the deck. Do a double lift and then an Erdnase change. Reap the rewards, you sly devil, you.

If you like, you can set the Ace and the duplicate up to do a twirl, snap, or shapeshifter change. It's all personal preference. Just don't screw up or you'll look like an idiot.

The trick was taught to me by a guy named Dominic at Tannen's Magic Camp. I can't remember his last name. If this trick works and you run into him, throw a few hundred dollar bills at his feet. I know I'm indebted.

;-)

Expensive Cups

2005-06-22T22:16:00.000-04:00

Magicians have a problem with overspending when it comes to props. The problem is particularly bad when it comes to the cups and balls. Many sets cost hundreds of dollars, with the most expensive I've seen being $1275.

Ads for expensive cups brag about the "hand-made," "brushed hard-nickel finish," "engraved gold plated silver," "18k gold leaf," etc. This is silly. The cup's purpose is to be a receptable for a small round object. Vernon often performed with plastic cups that had napkins wrapped around them, and grapes. He didn't need a gold-plated, diamond encrusted, precision weighted piece of junk. Neither does anyone else. But many magicians seem to have more money than sense.

It also annoys me that many of the expensive cups are 'individually numbered,' as if they're some sort of collector's item. What a stupid thing to collect.

And working with fancy cups probably distracts spectators from the actual trick. That is, in the rare event that you have their attention in the first place. Also, if I spent $1275 on a set of cups, I would be so reluctant to let them out of my sight that I would never use them. They're not practical.

Use a cheap $20 aluminum set and the money you save can be put to better use buying Card College, Art of Astonishment, Stars of Magic, Mark Wilson's Guide, The Annotated Magic of Slydini, Revolutionary Card Technique, the Art of Close-up Magic, Expert at the Card Table, Royal Road, and Apocalypse. Or two month's rent.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go practice coins across with my 1898 uncirculated $20 gold pieces.

P.S.
Check out this excellent piece on the cups and balls at the Magic Whack.

I Only Cheet a Leetle

2005-06-21T19:52:00.000-04:00

Today I bought "Malini and his Magic" by Dai Vernon. Max Malini is one of the most amazing characters that I've come across in magic. His strong accent, fancy dress, and stage presence must have made him a force to behold. I was born in the wrong generation; I only wish I could have seen him perform.

Malini performed for four presidents, John D. Rockefeller, and most of the royalty of Europe, among others. My expectations aren't that high, but Malini was a marvelous performer and I expect to learn much from the book.

Aside from Malini's talent at misdirection, I most admire his ability to make nearly all of his magic seem impromptu. He shunned large props and fancy equipment, working miracles with borrowed coins, hats, glasses, or whatever happened to be around. I remember reading in another book that a hotel manager (I think) booked Malini, and was distraught when Malini arrived without showgirls, tigers, or large boxes. "I am the show," he reassured the man.

Wise words from one of the great figures of magic.

Everything Old is New Again

2005-06-19T12:20:00.000-04:00

Most hobbyist magicians learn their material from a small number of professionals. Paul Harris, Jay Sankey, Michael Ammar, Oz Pearlman, Bill Malone, and Roberto Giobbi. Perhaps you disagree with the names I’ve mentioned. But regardless of specifics, many magicians do own a limited group of similar books and videos.

I used to fit into that category, but I’ve come to a realization in the last few months. Most of the stuff that I bought, or considered buying, was only the tip of a proverbial iceberg.

I’ve discovered hundreds of magicians who authored books far better than anything that’s released today.

These magicians, who are no longer with us, understood magic on level that’s simply inaccessible to most of us. They were people who studied magic, not learned it or performed it.. I'm talking about people like Ed Marlo, Don Alan, Slydini, Ross Bertram, Bert Allerton, Dai Vernon, John Scarne, and Malini.

Many magicians have never heard of these people. It's a shame that they ignore the wealth of knowledge available to them, opting instead to buy the newest crap from Penguin.

I've pretty much stopped buying the 'latest and greatest' things that come out. I’m concentrating on older books, many of which are difficult to find or out of print. And I've learned some amazing things. I’m surprised that it’s taken me this long to discover them, as they’ve been hiding in front of me since I got into magic seven years ago. I think that I'm becoming better as a performer. Getting more value for my money is also nice.

In the last few weeks, I've bought The Card Magic of LePaul, a bunch of old Lorayane stuff, and the Stars of Magic collection. I expect my library to grow. I’ve also been reading some old books that I’ve had for a while but never really paid much attention too. Books by people like Johnny Benzais, Don Alan, and Jean Hugard.

I really wish that these kinds of books would get more attention from magicians. Sadly, many people are under the impression that magic began in the nineties. In reality, there is far more worth reading and studying. Do yourself a favor and go buy some of it.

Perhaps you wonder what spurred my interest in older books. It’s an interesting story, actually. The magic shop closest to me went out of business a few months ago. I began going to another shop, Denny and Lee’s, which carries a staggering number of older books, pamphlets, and lecture notes. Online stores like Penguin don't carry these items because they don't sell as well and don’t make as much profit. For one reason or another, most real magic shops decline as well. Thankfully, Denny does not.

Denny introduced me to a wealth of knowledge that I never new existed. Since then, I've been stopping in on a regular basis, buying a book or two, and learning about magicians past. Denny knew many of them personally, which makes my visits to the shop even more enjoyable.

If you're in Maryland, I recommend stopping in Denny's shop. You won’t regret it.

Back

2005-06-19T12:19:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the recent dearth of posts. Posts should be more regular from now on - I'm aiming for 2-3 times a week.

Criss Angel

2005-06-10T20:41:00.000-04:00

Magic on TV has floundered recently. Granted, there's no dearth of shows, as evidenced by T.H.E.M., Mondo Magic, and Alain Nu. Still, it's been years since someone like David Blaine has came along and seized the public's attention. Although I have no clue whether this is the fault of magicians or the entertainment industry, I am optimistic about the future. Why, you ask?

Well, Criss Angel has a new TV special coming up, and my expectations are high. I find Angel's style a welcome change from the "Pick a card, got it, got it, okay, watch, watch," style that characterized the street magic craze.

The show will appeal to people who normally change the channel when magic comes on. "Mindfreak" is different and unusual, and it looks like Angel and A&E are doing a good job of promoting it.

On a related note, I'd like to mention that I met Angel during the summer at Tannen's Magic Camp. He was a very nice guy, extremely down to earth. He offered me some great advice on creativity and performance.

This is one TV show that I'm not gonna miss.

Juan Tamariz

2005-06-10T20:19:00.000-04:00

Today, I watched a video of Juan Tamariz performing. The guy is funny and engaging, and he definately knows his stuff. But he scares me. Something about his shriek or scream or whatever it is indicates that he definately has a few screws loose.

The Most Popular Magic Site in the World

2005-06-09T17:06:00.000-04:00

1244695. That's how many hits this guy claims his site has received.

Classifying this as "inflating your hit counter" would be an understatement. This is more of a "lying through your teeth" type of thing. What a joke.

The hit counter is at the bottom of this wildly popular magic site.

Goals

2005-06-07T12:33:00.000-04:00

Here's what I'd like to accomplish in magic this summer.

Get a job performing magic in a restaurant.
Do paid shows (i.e. private parties or Bar Mitzvahs) on a semi-regular basis.
Come up with a fully new and original trick, practice it obsessively, and add it to my repertoire.
Join an I.B.M. or S.A.M. Ring.
Attend one magic convention.
Reduce the number of tricks I perform, while simultaneously making the ones I keep more entertaining.
Build a workable model of Paul Harris' "House Guest," Art of Astonishment Vol. 1., Pg. 305. The basic effect is that sounds of glasses clinking, music, laughter. etc. start to come from a card box. You remove the deck, and inside the deck is an insanely detailed 3-d mini diorama of a party. We're talking people, furniture, carpet, chandeliers, etc. This is after a full routine with the deck. I have no clue how I'm gonna make it work, but I'm gonna try.

It's an ambitious set of goals, but If I accomplish even 2 or 3, I'll be happy. After all, as someone once said, "Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm."

Making a Coincidence Something More...

2005-06-05T22:26:00.000-04:00

I'm really starting to enjoy card tricks that rely on nothing more than probability and a little bit of luck. These type of things don't always work, so I only attempt one at each performance. Sometimes, I get really lucky and have a miracle. But when I fail, I can make it make funny as hell.

Some tricks that fall under this category are:

Having a spectator call a friend, instructing them each to name a card simultaneously, and the named cards are identical.
Having someone merely think of card, which you proceed to pull out of your wallet - without any 'Off By One' lunacy.

One could attempt these things with nothing more than blind luck, but there are certain subtle steps that can and should be taken to increase the possibility of sucess. Dai Vernon's 'The Trick That Cannot Be Explained' is a perfect example. (See Vernon's More Inner Secrets of Card Magic)

I recently had an absolutely fantastic experience with "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained."

In between tricks, while I was talking with people and they were ignoring my hands, I secretly turned a card over. I asked a lady to think of a card. She spread the deck and the card was face up.

Another guy then asked if I could do it to him. The odds weren't great, but I acted confident and in control because that's how you pull these things off. The guy named the 2 of clubs. I turned the deck over, and he saw the 2 of Clubs right there on the bottom of the deck.

I think it was one of the most powerful tricks I've ever performed. I've decided to make "The Trick that Cannot Be Explained" a regular in every extended performance.

(If you're interested in such effects, Derren Brown's "Pure Effect" has an entire chapter on it. The rest of the book is excellent as well.)

You Never Know Who You'll Meet...

2005-06-05T22:05:00.000-04:00

I was doing magic at a friend's graduation party and everything went really well. I expected it to be just a normal, fun performance, but then something unexpected and totally awesome happened.

I started talking with the lone adult watching, who was there with her daughter. After talking with the lady for a few minutes, I discovered that she had major connections with professional magicians around the country. She is close friends with every member of T.H.E.M., a performance group who had a television special on NBC some time ago. Many of T.H.E.M's members work with the big magicians in Vegas, like Copperfield and Lance Burton. She was also quite familiar with the Magic Castle.

The lady seemed impressed by my magic and she was kind enough to give me private contact information for the Who's Who of the magic business. I guess if I play my cards right, this could lead to making some valuable and exciting connections.

I guess who you know is just as important as what you know. Damn, this is cool!

What the Hell Was Jean Hugard Thinking...

2005-06-04T22:16:00.000-04:00

The guy knew his stuff, but some lines I stumbled across in "Modern Magic Manual" (pub. 1957) are just weird.

"If you want someone to do exactly as told, pick a man or woman with a fairly well rounded chin."

"Never select as a helper an individual with chubby fingers."
---
And I thought Sankey's accents were the strangest thing in magic!

Kostya Kimlat - A Review

2005-06-01T17:05:00.000-04:00

I've been reading through Kostya Kimlat's "Card Work, Card Play" and "A Lecture Collection." Kostya is a talented close-up magician from Florida. I met him at Tannens Magic Camp last summer, and he's an incredibly nice guy with some great ideas on magic and performance. I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on his published material.

In short, I love it. All of his stuff is fun to perform, something rare with most magicians' material. I also enjoyed the fact that Kostya's card magic was expressive. With his effects, the cards can represent anything from a security code to a contract with Satan. And his presentations are down to Earth. They're easy for people to understand, and they avoid such complicated, phony angles as 17th century slaves or the fall of the Roman Empire.

Almost everything requires some sleight of hand, but nothing that's overly difficult. Kostya's material is also efficient. He always works with the shortest possible path between method and effect. There are no unnecessary sleights or wasted actions. To reach this level of purity, Kostya uses a variety of new and interesting forces, switches, and culls. His work on culling is absolutely amazing, and I’ve been practicing non-stop since I bought the notes.

I particularly enjoyed "License to Steal," a trick that involves producing a spectator's license plate. Yes, you read that correctly. "Catch," an effect about security codes was also great, as was "Hallucinogenic Gaze," a stunning piece of visual magic.

Several profound essays about performance were also good.

All in all, it was one of the best magic purchases I've ever made. For $40, you get two collections of material and a companion CD with high quality video. E-mail k@kmagic.com. I highly recommend it.

You can visit Kostya's site here

Looking Ahead a Few Years...

2005-06-01T00:12:00.000-04:00

A famous physicist once said, "Predictions are difficult, especially about the future." Still, I've been wondering what the business side of magic will look like 5, 10, even 20 years from now. How will the publishing and sale of secrets evolve?

Obviously, technology has changed a lot of things just in the past few years. Magic DVDs are relatively young. And for better or worse, the Internet brought about online shopping, Instant Downloads, and magic e-books.

Legal downloads of full DVDs are definitely a possibility. Ellusionist and Expert Magic have experimented with it, but the files are small, and I gather that download times are relatively long. Internet2, a technology currently only available to the U.S. government and universities, could make it possible to download a full DVD in mere seconds. Compare that to the hours required with most Internet connections. Companies like L & L Publishing would be able to offer DVDs for instantaneous download from their websites. Things would be different, to say the least.

I also expect a company to come along and do for magic what Apple/ITunes did for music. Apple negotiated contracts with multiple record labels and made all of the songs they obtained available on a simple and convenient program.

A magic company might negotiate with creators and publishers to make hundreds or even thousands of secrets and instructional videos available at a consistent price. Many websites offer compilations of e-books and videos (lybrary, The Learned Pig, magic-notes.com.), but I'm talking about someone offering a volume of products that would be unprecedented. This company would most likely have to avoid the touchy ethics issues that have plagued the Instant Downloads on such sites as Penguin Magic. It's a long shot, but I think it could happen.

Although I'm not an expert in computer programming or engineering, this topic certainly sparks my interest. I'd be interested to hear from anyone about their thoughts on the subject.

An Observation

2005-05-31T23:40:00.000-04:00

I noticed that a majority of my favorite magicians are seriously involved in comedy. Many of them do comedy performance or writing full-time, or did at some point in the past. They are:

David Regal, Greg Wilson, Jay Sankey, and David Acer

I guess being in comedy gives you a better understanding of how laypeople think and what they appreciate in entertainment. Pagliacci has an excellent exploration of the subject here. On a related note, thanks to Pagliacci for his advice on magic blogging and originality.

P.S.
If you know the site, please comment and post a link. Thanks.

Memorial Day

2005-05-30T21:01:00.000-04:00

With it being Memorial Day, I figured a story that had something to do with magic, soldiers, and war would be in order. Not an easy combination. However, I did find something in "52 Amazing Card Tricks," by Rufus Steele, published 1949. I think you'll enjoy it. The story appears below exactly as in the book.

In 1917, a company of soldiers was attending a church service in France. One soldier took out of his pocket what most of those present thought to be a prayer book. The Captain, however, observed that it was a deck of cards. He ordered the soldier to put the cards away. The soldier refused to do so, was arrested, and taken before a Major. When the Major asked him why he disobeyed orders, the soldier explained that the deck of cards to him was the same as a prayer book:

The Aces represent the One true God.
The two spots represent the two beings, Man and Beast.
The threes spots: the Holy Trinity.
The four spots: the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
The five spots: the five wounds in the Savior's body.
The six spots: God created the heavens and earth in six days.
The seven spots: He rested on the seventh day.
The eight spots: the eight persons kept alive on the ark, Noah, his wife, and his three sons and
their wives.
The nine spots: the Nine lepers who were cleansed but did not return thanks.
The ten spots: not only the Tenth Leper, who did return thanks, but the Ten Commandments written on two tablets of stone at Mt. Sinai.
The Jack of clubs was cast aside by the soldier, as he remarked that the three other Jacks represent the three men who crucified Christ.
The four Queens: the four women who anointed Christ after death, the Queen of Hearts being his mother Mary.
The four kings: three represent the Three Wise Men who came to worship Him at His birth. The King of Spades represents the one Church He founded.
There are 365 spots on a deck of cards and 365 days in the year; 52 cards in a deck and 52 weeks in a year.
The diamonds represent the pillars of the Church.
The 13 cards in a suit are the 13 lunar months.
The 12 royal cards in the deck are the months of a year.
Then the soldier picked up the Jack of Clubs and said, “He represents Judas who betrayed Christ, and also the Captain who betrayed me to you.”

The major reached into his pocket and pulled out a few dollars and gave them to the soldier, telling him to go out and drink his health, for he was the cleverest rascal who had ever appeared before him.
--

I’m not a Christian, but I still get a kick out of the story. I’d also like to mention that I’ll only consider myself to have “made it” as a working magician when I perform at a USO show.

Hope all of you had a meaningful Memorial Day.

Ricky Jay

2005-05-29T23:50:00.000-04:00

I just returned from the final engagement of “Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants.” I can say in no uncertain terms that it was the best performance of magic that I have ever, and probably will ever see. I will remember it for the rest of my life.

Ricky Jay’s technique was flawless, but that wasn’t what made the performance. Any moron can do a multiple selection routine. It's difficult to describe what made the performance so compelling, but I'll do my best.

There was something mysterious and poetic about everything Ricky Jay said and did. More than anything, I remember the sense of drama that he created around each effect. Every action was framed perfectly, every word was unusual and captivating.

He also had an uncanny ability to tell stories about the history of magic and con games. I never thought any magician could make a lay audience give a damn about Malini or Hofsinszer. Ricky Jay did it just as naturally and easily as he stacked poker hands. When Ricky Jay talked, people cared.

His performance showed how powerful a simple card trick can become when the person performing is just as exciting as the the pasteboards they use. Frankly, Ricky Jay provided just as much entertainment by simply being there and talking as he did by throwing cards into a watermelon.

I was disappointed that he declined to sign my copy of "Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women." However, I did get to meet David Roth (“the 53^rd assistant”) after the show. We talked for a while, and Roth signed one of his books. He is a friendly and generous person.

For those of you who don’t know much about Ricky Jay, the man has completely insulated himself from other magicians and ‘the magic community.’ He refuses to lecture, perform at conventions, or publish anything directed at other magicians.

I can understand his course of action, but I disagree with it. The man is understandably reluctant to offer up his valuable secrets and ideas to be diluted, imitated, or outright stolen.

But he has so much knowledge to share and he declines. He’s a wonderful performer, and although I don’t consider his choice elitist or snobbish, it still disappoints me. Ricky Jay doesn’t have to expose any of his secrets or publish revolutionary sleights. That stuff is simply unimportant to me. But I would give up so much just to be able to talk and interact with my audience like Ricky Jay does.

The guy is an extraordinary performer who has the ability to be another Vernon. I can only hope that someday he changes his mind.

In the meantime, I consider him the only magician I’ve seen who can convince people that magic can be art.

Xtreme Idiocy

2005-05-29T09:47:00.000-04:00

There's nothing I can say to make this seem dumber than it really is. Superhandz is descending into self parody.

Click on "Extreme Digits" and weep for the future.

P.S.
I bet girls love this.

Paradigm Shift

2005-05-29T00:42:00.000-04:00

Some serious brain re-wiring happens to people after they get into magic. The kind of brain scrambling that, for instance, leads previously sane people to believe that it makes sense to spend $1750 on an outhouse.

With non-magicians, this kind of thinking is usually induced by prolonged usage of heavy drugs. And yet magicians manage it without any chemical assistance.

I admit that I presented extreme examples. But it is undeniable that the overwhelming majority of magicians are unable to think like sane people when it comes to performing. They believe that if a trick entertains them, then logically, it entertains their audience. Which is complete and utter nonsense. George Orwell would call it doublethink, or the simultaneous belief of two irreconcilably contradictory ideas.

I'm reminded of a scene in the Wizard of Oz, where everyone in the Emerald City is forced to wear special glasses night and day. Their city seems beautiful, built of green marble and studded with emeralds. But in reality, the city is plain. The city's leader makes people wear tinted glasses to convince them that their city is fantastic and exciting. (Yeah, I read a lot)

Magicians don't wear tinted glasses, but we have other, more efficient things to cloud our judgment and convince us that mediocre magic is entertaining and worth watching. Things like bad jokes. Expensive, ridiculous props. Limp, lifeless patter. Presentations that are forced and unnatural.

These things have no place in magic. Actually, they have no place anywhere. Yet magic seems to be the only type of performance where the substandard is not only accepted, but often encouraged.

People want fun. They want to be entertained. And yet magicians constantly deny their audiences this privilege, while insisting that they aren't "doing magic for themselves." Doublethink again.

Denny, of the magic shop Denny & Lee's, gave me some great advice about this. As I remember it, Denny named several great magicians and said that they could come to a single table and perform a card trick. And Denny would follow with the sponge bunnies, and that's what the people would remember.

Call me insane, but I believe that he's right. Magicians need a paradigm shift in the way they think. Stop thinking of your spectators as spectators and start thinking of them as normal people, which is to say, not like us magicians.

That's a start. Throwing out your gimmicked outhouses would probably help also.

And so it began...

2005-05-29T00:22:00.000-04:00

My name is Nathan and this blog will be my outlet to discuss what's hopelessly, irredeemably bad about magic and magicians. Maybe I'll throw some upbeat things into the mix. We'll see.

I don't claim to be a genius or have years of performing experience. I'm just a young guy who loves magic, but is not so hopelessly dorky about to the exclusion of a normal existence. I think.