A flat minor...

Truer words...

 

 Today I am recovering from MAGIC Live here in Las Vegas. I only got about 20 minutes in the dealer's room to look around but I have seen some videos of random effects popping up. One such video got my usual reaction to the glut of the magic released nowadays... "So what?".

 There are so many "minor miracles" released into the magic marketplace disguised as this HUGE thing. Sure in the right hands, almost anything can be a show stopper but how often does that happen? I'm getting kind of sick of seeing mediocre wizardry touted as amazing magic when the effect is basically only good as disposable video fodder. 

Long gone are the days of performers putting in many, many hours to make sure an effect was as solid as it can be. This is not new of course, but it slowly seems to be now be the norm. Far too much is being released far too quick for a quick buck. I'm not saying everything I have ever released has been gold, but I at least gave it more than a week of gestation before putting it in people's hands.

I don't want magic that can't drink dammit!

Invisible touch...

I want to start this post by saying I am not against people trying to improve a magic effect for their own amusement/benefit/style/etc. However, I am against trying to convince people it has shortcomings that it doesn't have like it's fact just to sell it as a product.

Why do I bring this up you ask? This recent release caught my eye. Now there have been various "improvements" to invisible deck over the years. David Regal had a blank deck version, the Other Brothers have a borrowed deck variation, and there have been many presentation ideas explored with it (including the awesome Steve Bedwell version).

I bought my first ID when I was 8. That was (hand over mouth and garbled talk) years ago. It's the only gimmicked deck I use on the regular. The claims in the aforementioned video are borderline offensive. If you are having THAT much trouble separating the cards, that's a YOU problem, not the deck. Also, not ONCE in all my years of doing ID has anyone ever asked to see the backs of the cards. I am not saying it has NEVER happened, but the strength of ID is that it just seems like a normal deck of cards and the effect feels like skill and not a gimmicked deck. If you handle it like one however, it might be why people get curious.

Again, you want to make an "improvement" for yourself, cool. Just don't try and convince everyone else the original is bad as a selling tactic when there are so many people who know better.

There a hole in my pocket... in my cookie...

So I released a product a while back. Not a huge OMG YOU MUST HAS THIS!!111 relase but a release nonetheless.

I realized I didn't put it on here so here you go:


I want to collectively and publicly shame thank everyone who helped out in this video. If you want to know exactly who these people, then the YT video description is what thou seek.

If you wanna buy this silly thing head over to www.bizzaromatic.com

Oh right... contest...

Sorry it took a bit. I hath been distracted by many things.

Regardless, we here at Bizzaro By Design have decreed this the winning image:

So whoever put this one in the comments email me your address and I will send you an advance copy of the brand new DVD we are putting out that no one else has yet!

(I'm a little disappointed that no one went with a fellatio joke but it's probably good that my readers are classier than I would be in this situation.)

Be sure to check www.bizzaromatic.com around the first of November for the official release of the 1 Trick Pony EP.

Like an Ani DiFranco song...

Sitting in an airport, thought I would whore myself out a bit. An old idea is finally a new product.

Here is the original version...

Smackstring...

Quietly released a new download the other day with Balcony Productions in Germany. Thought you might wanna know.

Protect yo shiz...

So this last week at a venue there was some talk of using someone else's hands in a spike roulette trick and how it can invariably go wrong eventually. While this is true, I recently saw a product I think everyone should have if they plan to use real spikes. (With their, or anyone else's hands)

Remember: You have to be smart to do stupid things...

Turd on a wire...

For those of you who may not know about it, T11 has an area called "The Wire". It's a place to upload your creations (after they are quality checked which is good) and sell for a bit of cash. About a month ago I put an effect on there as an experiment. I can say it's not going to make you rich but it's nice to make a small bit of cash while doing nothing.

Regardless, while on their forum I saw someone post this nugget of info, "all my trick will go for 0.99cause that how much i will pay for a trick". That, ladies and gentlemen, is the mindset of the current generation.

In a previous post I mused about how this kind of direct access and saturation would drive the value and price of magic down while increasing the demand for unpublished material.

I'm not going to say I told you so but...

Night Crawlin'....

Old effect, new instructions.

Bamf!

N*Joy.

I, card trick...

What does magic look like? No one knows right? However we all have a picture in our mind of what it should look like and it's always different from person to person. One will think that something appearing should fade into existence. At the same time another will picture it just blinking into existence.

I don't think anyone will argue that the former seems more mystical or mysterious. The problem with the latter is it can very well end up looking, well... mechanical.

The problem is we have seen things move faster than our eye can track. It can easily be dismissed by a certain "something". Sure it might still get a reaction but I'm not sure it looks magical in the end. I have seen a few tricks on the market that suffer from this mechanical feeling. It's like a sleight done too fast. It will look like a move. How do you fix this? Perhaps with a wave of the hand or a magical gesture or some moment that looks like YOU caused this to occur and not a rubber band.

To each they own...

Bow wow, woof woof....

Tonight I was having a conversation with a friend about the various perspectives one might take on magic demos that fake the method to sell the item.

This came up due to an effect released recently called Sleeve Star. I do a lot of sleeving and so when something new involving this technique hits, I like to research it... especially if it costs $150. I was hoping around from message board to message board and made my way over to the big green weenie where I found a post about how one of the demos is misleading.

So I watched the demo in question and I found it suspect as well. I talked with one of our local magic shops about the effect and how it works and have come to the conclusion that they are trying to hoodwink everyone and the demo is indeed faked with duplicate coins.

This pisses me off no end jack.

I believe that if a product you release cannot stand up on it's own merits in real time on camera then you need to not sell it or fix it so it does as advertised. I am against false advertising in the magic world. making a quick buck off the uninitiated is dirty pool and I will not stand for it.

Now there have been various product demos over the years that have omitted details to outright tricky editing to make their product look a certain way. I have heard all of the arguments as well. "It's representing what the spectator sees" or "If we showed them everything, they would figure it out and not buy it." How about this... fuck you. If you have to lie to yourself that much to sleep at night, fine. It's unethical, scummy, and downright underhanded. Just know that there is at least ONE person who is out there looking for you and your false BS. I will stand up and tell you the emperor has no clothes. What the rest of you choose to do with this information is up to you. I suggest speaking up and showing your displeasure at this kind of practice. Send a message to those who would subdue us.

I want to hear what YOU think. Look at the poll box on the right side of the screen. Let me know where you stand. Maybe we can send a small message out into the ether.

Sometimes doing the right thing, means you do it by yourself.

OH YEAH!

First up, some news for my fine feathered readers, DOUBLE STUFT NOW AVAILIBLE!! For those who heard my itricks interview thingee, you knew it was coming out soon. Well that soon is now. Head over the the Bizzar-o-Matic and pick up one today!! Remember, there is only a limited quantity being made. When they are gone, they're gone. Want to see what the hell I am talking about? Look over Here.

-------------------------------------

In other news, someone in my network of spies and informants passed This along to me recently. I think my main problem with this guy is the same thing that plagues any other artform. He doesn't know any better, nor does he WANT to. He thinks he is totally in the right because it is LEGAL. Problem is, some people in this world or just ethical midgets.

In all honesty, this kind of stuff won't affect me or any of the stuff I do. Real people won't see this site and if they do, I don't DO the material they are showing or selling. This, however, is the problem with our instant gratification society we live in. If you plan to be part of it, you have to take the good with the bad. In EVERY genre there's gonna be a few asshats who spoil the punch for everyone. Short of killing them, there's not much we can do. Problem is, by pointing our fingers at this and going "Oooooh yer a bad person ooooooooh." we are helping it exist. (Before you point the finger at me for doing it, let's face it... this guy is a fucktard and nothing I say here will help him. My readers are smarter than that. I hope.)

Personally, I say let the younger kids do more harm than good to themselves. They wanna screw up their potential careers getting involved in this stuff that will probably fade anyway once they discover sex. (Not GETTING any mind you, just discovering it exists.) Exposure has never hurt magic in the grand scheme of things. We do get flustered about it because it's part of our world and someone traipsing upon our little niche can be quite bothersome. However you have have to realize our position in the world is of little concern to anyone but ourselves. This is an occupational hazard and comes with the territory of mixing lowest common denominators with technology. Someone is always willing to trade their souls for a few bits. With that being said, here's to Jim Jones and Kool-aid....

May all your parties be killers.

Bizzaro.

Dirty deeds...

DONE WITH SHEEP!!!!

Ahem - Helter Shelter: The Movie has been released.

Crawling forth from the twisted mind of Bizzaro, the Optical Illusionist, comes Helter Shelter: The Movie.

A visual guide to the book of the same name, Helter Shelter will take you on a journey through the gruesome details of the Razor Blade Illusion Mystery as well as the haunted 13th Street Morgue.

The first video of its kind to explain the intricate workings of the razor blade illusion as well as tips, tricks, advice, and even a few unique effects exclusive to this video including the never before seen Bizzaro Fan Stand.

With a special appearance by Randi Rain and music by Alex Can't Sleep, Helter Shelter: The Movie is a rare treat for those souls willing to take a brave look inside. MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Availible at fine magic dealers all over the damn place or check out the official HS:TM page.

I hate to be a shameless self-promoter... but I am.

For those of you who didna like the book, you probably won't like the video...

but buy it anyway!

Bizzaro.