EPIPHANY!!

I got it.. I figured out why the Asshat does theses stunts. It's so simple, WHY didn't I see this before!? In every stunt he has done, he has been hooked up to a catheter and been in full view of people at all times. These are not coincidences!! He has a secret fetish for catheter and a not so secret fetish of exhibitionism!! Holy crap the Asshat is into kinky S&M and has found a way to make money off of it!!

Don't believe me? Watch this:


You can thank Itricks for this revelation.
Bizzaro.

Selling your sole...

I'm not too sure how I feel about another magician using someone else's tricks to A: make a name for himself and 2: Whore said products out to all the other wannabe magi's who own a TV or can work a computer.

I know that collaboration is a big part of magic and no magician is an island. (hell most magicians don't even qualify as dirt let alone a whole island) My issue is, with so much potential and room to blow yer own horn, why do you need a huge back up section? (boy someone is analogy happy today)

I think thaz all I have to say right now...

Bizzaro.

Swingers...

I wish my answering machine would talk to me.

Anywho, for those who may not have heard, Bizzaro will be invading Las Vegas in about a week's time. We are picking up shop and moving out to the desert to see what kind of insanity awaits for us. So if anyone has any advice, warnings, or hook-ups, lemme know.

This of course means posting will be scarce, but I will report when I have the chance and probably have a whole SLEW of new things to bitch about in the next few months. However for now I want to talk about This. Ever heard (or used) the line, "lemme see yer hand, no the clean one. Oh that was the clean one."? How about people saying you shouldn't use lines like that because it makes the spectator feel bad.

I agree that you should not attack a spectator head on with cheap shots. If you are going to insult an audience, do it to all of them. The problem with getting people up onstage is you are dealing with a crap shoot of possibly unstable individuals who could come up onstage with a fear or leave with a new one because of you. Having someone hold a prop, then having it collapse while they hold it can be dangerous. If they already have a low self image or feeling of being useless, and you get that one person, they could very well go home that night and hang themselves because of YOU!!

Handing a breakaway wand to a kid is funny...ish. Handing someone an object you claim to be very important and then it breaks is just poor comedy. If anything bad is going to happen, the performer should take it on because they have the ability to fix it (if they so desire). There is good-hearted ribbing, and then there is downright insulting. Some performers will NEVER say anything verbally off-key to anyone onstage... and those guys have some boring ass acts. Seriously tho', if it within the parameters of your character to be a bit of a dick to your helpers, and it works (Being the key element here) then go for it. Don't buy a prop that will get cheap laughs at someone's expense just because you aren't funny enuff to do it on your own.

Besides, the money you save today might save the life of some loser tomorrow.

Bizzaro.

The Notorious Biggie Fries...

So in usual fashion, I am taking this opportunity to whore out my own magical effects. This time around, we at Fire Cat Studios bring to you, FOILED AGAIN. Imagine producing a jumbo half-dollar coin and then peeling the top of it down to reveal it's chocolate underneath. You then reseal it and hand it off to the nearest bystander and they find it to be solid METAL! Imagine no longer! You can have this amazing ability! It is within your grasp!! How you ask? Go Here. Want to see what it looks like? Look below. (Note: there is no switching involved. It is a custom made gaff that works with any three inch jumbo half-dollar coin.)


Tastes great, less filling.

Bizzaro.

What you make of it...

First off, for those who only read this thru RSS, you miss out on the polls AND the new feature of pretty much showing how big a dork you are by reading my posts. So for those of you who eschew the main site, you might wanna pop in sometime.

So the other day I was looking at a Magic Maker's catalog from last year someone left under my couch. (I'm looking at you Aaron Stone) Many of you prolly know I am not a fan of teh Magic Maker's DVD products. You also know I am a big believer in the concept of "name recognition". While looking thru the catalog and seeing some of the guys who have put out MANY DVD's under their production it got me thinking... "It's nice to be know... but at what cost?"

If my face was plastered everywhere on shoddy merchandise, I would be known.. but not for what I wanted to be known for. It's like being a dove magician. Do I want them applauding for me... or at me. Personally, I'd rather be known for who I am...

not the company I keep.

Bizzaro.

Coming to terms...

Today we shall discuss two ideas and terms I feel are very important to creating the right presentation and effect. The other day I talked about my penchant for using food items to create magic. Last night I tried out one of my new creations at our weekly variety show. (Imagine healed and sealed with a small snack size of bag of Cheetos) A few things came from the live performance and the hour I spent before the show restructuring the routine. I am going to go over these two helpful ideas with you now. Grab yer ankles and get ready.

At Play - This term refers to making a prop or getting the props you need together and just.. playing. No matter how absurd an idea MIGHT be, you should at least follow thru with it. Make a prototype if need be. You never know what you are capable of until you get something in your hands. A lot of people have great ideas but never follow through with them. Don't be a lazy ass!! Whip it out and play with it!! (ummm...) Even if the initial idea you had doesn't work, something MUCH better might present itself. I prefer serendipity to luck any day.

In the Moment - When you are onstage or performing an effect for the first time, there are some aspects of a trick or presentation that you could NEVER have thought of in mere mirror practice. You have to be in the moment in front of a real people because that is when your secret subconscious performing reflexes will kick in. There is an energy that is present when performing for a mass of watchers. Don't be afraid to say or do something right out of the gate. Have a vague idea of what you want to say and do, but do not be afraid to deviate from the flight plan. Hijack that damn plane and head straight for the Pentag.. er.. Disney Land!! Mind you, the best time to have no fear in performance is a place where there is no pressure to be good or when yer doing it for free. Got new material? Find an open mic night or create your own somewhere. Opportunities abound!!

So there are two thoughts that might help you get out there and make magic your bitch. Mind you they require you to stop looking at the internet and actually motivate yer lazy ass. Bo not afraid. Run headlong at that cliff...

you might just be able to fly.

Bizzaro.

This sounds more like a lifestyle choice than a magic trick...

Bizzaro.

Thought for Food...

So I have been wanting to add a bit more to my creativity notes. You, my loyal readers, get a first glimpse of this addition to my usual ramblings.
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The other day I was going over some of the magic I have created in the last few years and realized a LOT of it involved food and drink based props. I usually joke that you "go with what you know" and then pat my belly. Like most jests, there is some truth behind that. The items I use are things I actually consume. Doritos, sandwich cookies, Coka-cola, Cheetos, etc. The best part about this is that I am not the only one in the world who deals with these objects on a daily basis. We all have to eat. (some of us do it better than others but there is no way in hell I am gonna start doing magic with Tofu)

This brings me around to my point (I knew I had one here somewhere): Use items people relate to. You pull out brass cups or gaudy boxes with dragons on them, what are they going to think? Magic Prop!! That's right. You could honestly save yourself a lot of time and money by using soup cans or styrofoam cups. It might not be pretty but if the prop matches your presentation and character, it will paint a more complete picture. The best part is, you will get all of the credit for the magic you do. If they think it's accomplished with the prop you bought then you get NOTHING!!!

If you use props or items they have handled, seen, bought, etc they will subconsciously know that there is no trickery involved with the prop... even if there is. On the otherhand, you can use a concept they are familiar with in an incredible situation. I believe that if you give them a little bit of truth, they will believe a LOT of BS. (Like a jumbo coin being filled with chocolate) In the case of using foodtsuffs, you can play upon people's memories, emotions, or even mental states because people associate so much with edible items. With cookies you can get them going back to their childhood, water, you can have them remember summertime. It's a dirty trick, but man does it work.

So look through your repertoire, and see what you can repaint, remake, or just plain get rid of/sell and maybe find a way to make a better mousetrap.

Just don't forget the cheese.

Bizzaro.

Contesting...

I spent the weekend in Ft. Worth, TX attending the TAOM convention. (Texas Association Of Magicians) It is a regional convention that occurs in a different TX city every year. It can be one of the bigger conventions one can attend, depending on the year. Up until this year, it is the only convention I have ever attended. (thus far I have been to three conventions this year, which is odd because I usually only do one every 3-4 years)

Most every year I go to TAOM, I join in the merriment that is the magic competition. This year was no different. Now I am personally not a fan of competing BUT it has it's place so long as everyone remembers that that place has nothing to do with accolades or trophies.

My stage act is not generally one that radiates what is typically considered magic fodder. There is no hard-core manipulation. I do NOT produce doves. You will never see linking rings, cups and balls, or zombie ball in my act. Much of this kinda cuts me out of a lot of the categories upon which magic contests are judged. Originality is not seen so much as a skill but more of a tacked on feature, which counts for very little of your score on a judges sheet. Real world application is not ever a CONSIDERATION for these acts. There are a great deal of magic acts that go over great at a convention but fall short in the interest of the general public.

I am going to tell you the reason I still compete, even tho' I KNOW the deck is stacked against me (no pun intended) and then I am going to offer up some advice. I do it because I want to remind people I am still out there and make them AWARE of what I can do. The perfect place for your peers to see you is at a magic convention. This is the sole reason I participate in the whole debacle. (It sure as hell isn't for the fact that I LIKE getting up at 8am and then have to try and be funny)

Now why should YOU compete? The same reasons I do. Never go in thinking you are going to wipe the floor with other people. The moment you do some Korean kid with a bunch of colored playing cards is gonna saunter in and make you his bitch. You need to be aware that when you go into this, it is to show off what you can do, who you are, and get your name out there. Even if your act doesn't win, don't let it get you down. Listen to the buzz of the crowd. Often the audience can tell you more than the "judges" do. A trophy might look nice on a shelf somewhere, but word of mouth will get you a lot farther.

Speaking of performing in front of a crowd, here is some advice for those of you who do want to showcase your talent. Step away from the mirror!! I have seen SO many acts that do not engage the audience in any way, shape, or form. They get on stage and start performing like they would at home in the camera. Before you EVER compete, and I will repeat this EVER, find some places to do your act in front of a real audience. Again, the people watching will tell you more than you can ever know. The timing of an act in real life is much different. The methods used at home might not even be necessary in front of the drooling masses. Polish your act by performing your act in real time... not your own time.

Speaking of timing, I would like to comment on something I do think is a tad silly in the realm of Close-up. A number of conventions put a time limit on how long your act can go. For stage I think this is a good idea. It's sets a focused goal that FORCES you to pick and choose the best pieces of your act. Mind you that doesn't mean you HAVE to add material to STRETCH it to the limit but I digress..

However for close-up, (which isn't TRUE close up at a magic convention. It's really parlor. Be aware of this before you go into battle for the first time), I do not believe there needs to be a HARD limit. I think there should be a reasonable suggested limit, but a hard limit with no leeway is absurd. Even in real world rehearsal, you cannot judge audience reaction time. How long it takes to sing as card, shuffle a deck, or any other number of things that we tend to require others to do in an act. I understand there are some people with no assemblance of time, but putting a defined limit on something that is so free form or yer screwed is a bit archaic... but thaz just me.

So that's some advice from my skewed brain. For those who might be wondering, no I didn't win. No I don't care. I came away feeling that that TV show about a bar...

where everyone knows my name.

Bizzaro.