For those who want to have a proper url in their bookmarks, I have officially purchased www.whyamistuckinmagicianhell.com thanx to the advice of Brian Brushwood.
Adjust your setting accordingly.
Bizzaro.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
I watched the world magic awards...
and I got inspired to make this
What?
Bizzaro.
(PS: It just dawned on me I misspelled "ridiculous" in my Poll question. Oops!)
What?
Bizzaro.
(PS: It just dawned on me I misspelled "ridiculous" in my Poll question. Oops!)
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
We're all mad here...
Sorry about that last poll I made. I didna have anything to put there so I amused myself with some song lyrics. This current one has a bit more relevance.
Anywho,I was watching the video for the new magic effect Frost ,(of which I have some comments about, but I'll save those for a later date), and someone on there made some comment that made me realize something: We're making people crazier!!
Have you ever been trapped by someone spouting some very out there psycho-babble? I mean bat shit crazy talk? Well if you go around trying to pawn off your magical skill as "real" powers, YOU are helping the crazies stay that way. You merely affirm their tinfoil hat wearing insanity! You! It's YOUR DAMN FAULT!!
Knock it off.
Bizzaro.
Anywho,I was watching the video for the new magic effect Frost ,(of which I have some comments about, but I'll save those for a later date), and someone on there made some comment that made me realize something: We're making people crazier!!
Have you ever been trapped by someone spouting some very out there psycho-babble? I mean bat shit crazy talk? Well if you go around trying to pawn off your magical skill as "real" powers, YOU are helping the crazies stay that way. You merely affirm their tinfoil hat wearing insanity! You! It's YOUR DAMN FAULT!!
Knock it off.
Bizzaro.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
I am sure I have more to talk about than this.. but not right now. This is the last weekend for the Wonderground until sometime next year. Last night, there was a young lady selling an unusual deck of cards she had produced using her artwork. It's called the Jill Deck.
I will say it is a must have for card collectors because it is unique. Imagine doing a color change.. but with a bra!! Even has gaffs to play with. You can do a sex change right in front of someone's eyes.. without having to go to Sweden! Take a look and I'll be in touch...
not in that creepy Catholic way either.
Bizzaro.
I will say it is a must have for card collectors because it is unique. Imagine doing a color change.. but with a bra!! Even has gaffs to play with. You can do a sex change right in front of someone's eyes.. without having to go to Sweden! Take a look and I'll be in touch...
not in that creepy Catholic way either.
Bizzaro.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Give em' an inch..
A little forgiveness goes a long way. Hell just ask anyone who has ever suckered their wife into believing they were just playing "Twister" with her sister... naked... without the spinner.. or mat.
Where was I?
Ah yes, leeway. (Or is that segue?) Magicians are very critical of other magician's acts. Some just don't like them, some don't think they are "Good enuff" and others want a deeper meaning into character and motivation. Now I am not saying this is a bad thing. However, on the flip-side you have the non-magicians who look at an act and think "Well that didn't suck" or "Wow, I can't believe I just paid 80 bucks to sit and watch Believe." (Translation: Well that sucked.)
Sometimes magic doesn't make sense. (Did I just say sometimes?) I mean why does ANYONE produce playing cards from the air? Because they can? Sure why not! Why produce doves... or any feathered creature for that fact? Why why WHY!? Simple... because we can.
There is a point where you just have to step back and remember that the people watching us aren't (usually) asking themselves, "Well what's their motivation here?" Especially if you are doing something they have never seen. They're just happy to see something that isn't linking rings probably. People are also not as stupid as we think. (ok well some of them are but..) There comes a point where we have some leeway as magicians because in their eyes, we are just that... magicians. They know that we know that they know that we know it's a show. They know we are just joke blowers trying to give them some eye candy to take the edge off their tedious little lives. So they suspend some disbelief and put on their tinfoil hats and come along for the ride. We like that about them. They give us a lot of room to play and accept a lot because of who we are and what we do. We like that about them.
So just remember, that the magicians may not dig your grave, but then again.. they don't have to. It's ultimately just us and them. Love them, let them love you...just make sure you use protection.
Like a taser.
Bizzaro.
Where was I?
Ah yes, leeway. (Or is that segue?) Magicians are very critical of other magician's acts. Some just don't like them, some don't think they are "Good enuff" and others want a deeper meaning into character and motivation. Now I am not saying this is a bad thing. However, on the flip-side you have the non-magicians who look at an act and think "Well that didn't suck" or "Wow, I can't believe I just paid 80 bucks to sit and watch Believe." (Translation: Well that sucked.)
Sometimes magic doesn't make sense. (Did I just say sometimes?) I mean why does ANYONE produce playing cards from the air? Because they can? Sure why not! Why produce doves... or any feathered creature for that fact? Why why WHY!? Simple... because we can.
There is a point where you just have to step back and remember that the people watching us aren't (usually) asking themselves, "Well what's their motivation here?" Especially if you are doing something they have never seen. They're just happy to see something that isn't linking rings probably. People are also not as stupid as we think. (ok well some of them are but..) There comes a point where we have some leeway as magicians because in their eyes, we are just that... magicians. They know that we know that they know that we know it's a show. They know we are just joke blowers trying to give them some eye candy to take the edge off their tedious little lives. So they suspend some disbelief and put on their tinfoil hats and come along for the ride. We like that about them. They give us a lot of room to play and accept a lot because of who we are and what we do. We like that about them.
So just remember, that the magicians may not dig your grave, but then again.. they don't have to. It's ultimately just us and them. Love them, let them love you...just make sure you use protection.
Like a taser.
Bizzaro.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
A mean mother...
They say necessity is the Mother of Invention. In magic I think it might be boredom. There is a rather unseemly trend that you too may well have noticed in those who create the magical effects that drain the pocket books of the uninformed and unsuspecting. Most of the inventors of magic effects are not the best performers of said effects.
Have you ever been watching a demo video and thought to yourself, "You would think the creator of the effect could perform it better". I know I have... hell I might be the only one, but that's besides the fact. Some people just cannot entertain anything but thoughts. Like magician savants.. without the magician part. It's not their fault. Their brain merely thinks at right angles when it comes to contraption and methods. The synapses that would normally give them social skills or that gift or brazen showbiz glitz are being used elsewhere... like how to make a bong out of an apple.
There are of course those who have both panache for performing AND creativity while others are just good performers and hack-tastic magicians. There is no wrong thing to be... however, if you are a shite presenter, you REALLY need to find someone to explain yer material for you or else you risk some MST3K type ridicule whilst watching yer instructional video... or being known as the magical cure for insomnia.
Know yer role!
Bizzaro.
Have you ever been watching a demo video and thought to yourself, "You would think the creator of the effect could perform it better". I know I have... hell I might be the only one, but that's besides the fact. Some people just cannot entertain anything but thoughts. Like magician savants.. without the magician part. It's not their fault. Their brain merely thinks at right angles when it comes to contraption and methods. The synapses that would normally give them social skills or that gift or brazen showbiz glitz are being used elsewhere... like how to make a bong out of an apple.
There are of course those who have both panache for performing AND creativity while others are just good performers and hack-tastic magicians. There is no wrong thing to be... however, if you are a shite presenter, you REALLY need to find someone to explain yer material for you or else you risk some MST3K type ridicule whilst watching yer instructional video... or being known as the magical cure for insomnia.
Know yer role!
Bizzaro.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Yer OUT!!
So last night I was at an election party thing. A tipsy woman from the Ukraine was wanting to see some magic. Lucky for her the room was full of them. She took a quarter I was doing some stuff with and clasped her hands around it and wanted me to make it vanish. Now before I tell you how I handled this, think for a second... what would you do hot shot? What.. would.. you..do?
(Jeopardy music plays)
If you answered shoot the hostage you are correct. Regardless, the only thing you can do when someone asks you to do something you KNOW you can't do, is to answer with humor. That will disarm their silliness. Ever had someone grab a playing card and ask you "What card is this?" I always answer, "It's a red card". No matter what they say, I reply, "On the back" they will usually laugh and hand me the card back.
Of course there are those times when someone REALLY wants to put the card in the deck themselves. They will wrest the deck from you and try to put it where THEY want. Do you get rude and struggle with them? No. Get yer hands on the card for a second and crimp the hell out of the corner. Now who cares where they put it. Hell even a glimpse will help you. If you can still be amazing under their idea of "test conditions" then you will come off looking much better.
Always remain in control of the situation, but it's ok to sometimes make them believe they are the ones calling the shots. However, it is ok to politely walk away from someone who is too drunk to be accommodating.
As for the lady, I fell back on the old stock line, "I have made it vanish, and now it's back. Have a look!" So she gave up the coin and I later put it in a bottle of water. Sometimes the best misdirection is alkeehal. The moral of this story is don't be afraid to let your helper have their way sometimes. It might make you look better in the end.
And some of you need all the help you can get,
Bizzaro.
(Jeopardy music plays)
If you answered shoot the hostage you are correct. Regardless, the only thing you can do when someone asks you to do something you KNOW you can't do, is to answer with humor. That will disarm their silliness. Ever had someone grab a playing card and ask you "What card is this?" I always answer, "It's a red card". No matter what they say, I reply, "On the back" they will usually laugh and hand me the card back.
Of course there are those times when someone REALLY wants to put the card in the deck themselves. They will wrest the deck from you and try to put it where THEY want. Do you get rude and struggle with them? No. Get yer hands on the card for a second and crimp the hell out of the corner. Now who cares where they put it. Hell even a glimpse will help you. If you can still be amazing under their idea of "test conditions" then you will come off looking much better.
Always remain in control of the situation, but it's ok to sometimes make them believe they are the ones calling the shots. However, it is ok to politely walk away from someone who is too drunk to be accommodating.
As for the lady, I fell back on the old stock line, "I have made it vanish, and now it's back. Have a look!" So she gave up the coin and I later put it in a bottle of water. Sometimes the best misdirection is alkeehal. The moral of this story is don't be afraid to let your helper have their way sometimes. It might make you look better in the end.
And some of you need all the help you can get,
Bizzaro.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
People are strange...
When yer a stranger. Showin' yer penis scares em' awa.... wait, what was I talking about? Ah yes. Being strange. We live in a world today when somethings are oddly taboo. Even with guys like Criss Fishing Rod running around pulling coins out of his arm and screaming "MINDFLAKE!" in yer face, people are still too caught up in the image is everything ideal. If 7-up has taught us anything.. no wait.. if those we consider masters of our craft were not afraid to be a bit aloof or non-sequitur, why should we be?
Magic at it's very heart in nonsense anyway. A good 3/4ths of what we do makes no sense, but it is thru that nonsense that we can express ourselves and bring some enlightenment to the world. Much like what we call surreal, is really just bits of random we're not used to. Magic, much like life, is very random. I'm not just referring to people who pull doves and candles from their ass for no reason, (but really.. why do you do that?), but what sense does it make to pull playing cards from the air? What is our motivation for vanishing.. well, anything? There are extremes sure, but isn't there in everything?
If those we revere were not afraid to pull a coin from their nose or pour salt on a newspaper, why should we sneer at the thought of doing something a little off-color. Something a tad out of the norm (Nielsen)? It's our JOB! Don't be afraid to have fun on-stage. Life is serious enough. Do people really need to see more of it when they want to be entertained? I don't think so. Let your freak flag fly.
Let's go out and scare the norms!
Bizzaro.
Magic at it's very heart in nonsense anyway. A good 3/4ths of what we do makes no sense, but it is thru that nonsense that we can express ourselves and bring some enlightenment to the world. Much like what we call surreal, is really just bits of random we're not used to. Magic, much like life, is very random. I'm not just referring to people who pull doves and candles from their ass for no reason, (but really.. why do you do that?), but what sense does it make to pull playing cards from the air? What is our motivation for vanishing.. well, anything? There are extremes sure, but isn't there in everything?
If those we revere were not afraid to pull a coin from their nose or pour salt on a newspaper, why should we sneer at the thought of doing something a little off-color. Something a tad out of the norm (Nielsen)? It's our JOB! Don't be afraid to have fun on-stage. Life is serious enough. Do people really need to see more of it when they want to be entertained? I don't think so. Let your freak flag fly.
Let's go out and scare the norms!
Bizzaro.
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