I got a hole in me pocket...

Hey if you get that title, you deserve a cookie. It's from one of my fave movies.

So I have been working on an idea with empty and filled pockets and lo and behold This pops up on the market. I figured it's only 10 dollars and I spent WAY more on less.

Well, the idea is solid BUT the explanation could use some more detail and photos. There are a few things I am personally confused about that needed further illustration... alas none was to be found.

Here are a few tips for those who release, well ANYTHING into the magic market, but for this example we'll stick to manuscripts. Rule #1. SPELL CHECK!! For the love of!! After that proofread it. Have someone else proofread it. Do what I do and "beta-test" your product. Give it to a few friends or other magicians you like and see what they think. They will probably catch something you did NOT.

Also, make sure that any idiots can read it and understand it. Forget that YOU know how it works. This leads to satisfied and most important, returning customers.

So in conclusion, make sure your product is easy to understand, read, and spell checked. There is (almost) no such thing as too many pictures. Hell, we live in a multi-media society!! Embed a video file or two in your pdf or document file. WE CAN DO THAT STUFF NOW!!

Lelu Dallas multi-task...

Bizzaro.

A brief break in communications...

We have an interview with the designer of the Snowblinds cards. That intricate detail you have seen on the trailer is all because of this man...


Ahh the french...

Bizzaro.

Here, hold this...

So I was watching This Guy. Aside from his blatant rip offs of Rudy Coby and Greg Frewin, his first minute of stuff is pretty good. Goes REAL downhill from there.

Regardless, watching his candles I am reminded of something that annoys me in magic... and that is wobbly or un-secure candles. How hard would it be to make DAMNED sure yer candles will remain upright or not wobble out and catch yer hair on fire? *koff*ArIaNbLaCk*koff*

If yer gonna use a candle holder with deep wells, embed a dowel in the bottom to thread the candles over. Don't EVER use the candle things that Fantasio puts in the box with the candles they sell. They are crap. Go to yer local craft store and look around. I once found some adapters that allowed you to fit almost any size taper candle into almost any size holder. They were awesome... but I can't for the life of me find them online anywhere.

My point is, if you are going to go thru the trouble of producing them, don't stop at their appearance. Display them properly and safely.

Only you can prevent bad magic...


Bizzaro.

Don't knock it till' yah tried it...

So for those of you who enjoyed our little video for Snowblinds, it made me realize why everyone is doing that type of "hip, edgy" editing. IT'S STUPID EASY!! Had I not had to create some custom animations and graphics and just had some template stuff to plug in, it would have gone even quicker.

I suppose that is an inherent problem in magic itself though. It's easy and it works so why question it? Why deviate from an already established path that others are doing? Allow mediocrity to wash over you and embrace the norm. Too many people assume that becasue it works for someone else, it will work for everyone else. (Hence why there are so many gawd awful self-help books on the market)

So just remember: Sometimes it's ok to take the road less traveled off the beaten path. Of course you might get BEATEN on that path, but you will learn more doing that then ambling mindlessly behind the herd.

Mooooooooo....

Bizzaro.

A few things...

First I think we have a new record for votes on a poll. 20 people!! WOW!! I had no idea that many people even bothered to look at this place. As a gift, allow me to unveil our newest demo.



The last vanity deck you will ever buy.

Some of you may have noticed that we have encroached over 400 posts in this last 5 years. Who knew I had so much to say? I flop back and forth about stopping but then I realize that almost everyday something aggravates me and something has to be said. So we're gonna keep this going until either I can't take it anymore, or my readers can't and tell me to knock it the hell off.

Still no entries into our Splash Page "Enter your enter" contest. This saddens me. I have decided to make a new poll about it.

Have at thee!!

Bizzaro.

Find a penny pick it up...

Ever seen the deleted scenes in the movie Dogma? No? Well let me illuminate something you might have missed.

"Evil is an abstract! It's a human construct. But true to his irresponsible nature, Man won't own up to being the engineer of evil, so he blames his dark deeds on my ilk. But his selfishness is limitless, and it's not enough for him to shadow his own existence. He turned Hell into a suffering Pit - fire, wailing, darkness - the kind of place anyone would do anything to get out of. And why? Because he lacks the ability to forgive himself. It is beyond your abilities to simply make recompense for and regret the sins you commit. No - you choose rather to create a psychodrama and dwell in a foundless belief that God could never forgive your 'grievous offenses'. So you bring your guilt and inner-decay with you to Hell - where the horrid imaginations of so many gluttons-for-punishment give birth to the sickness that has infected the abyss since the first one of your kind arrived there, begging to be 'punished'. And in doing so, they've transformed the cold and solitude to pain and misery. I've spent eons privy to the flames, inhaling the decay, hearing the wail of the damned. I know what effect such horrors have on the delicate psyche of an angelic being. "

This very wordy monologue was delivered by Jason Lee's character about what Hell was and what humans changed it into. I always liked this little tirade because it's so very true. We can't have good without imposing some sort of bad on it.

A good example is the phrase "find a penny pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck". That was all well and good, but then some asshat had to come along and add the heads or tails rule. We couldn't just leave well enuff alone and have ANYONE who finds a penny feel good about it. Now we have to worry about it facing the right side up.

In the second Matrix film, they briefly allude to the fact that we, as a race, could not accept a perfect world, and therefore caused problems. This concept runs RAMPANT thru the hallowed halls of the magic community. The phrase, "you can't please everybody" rings true on magic message boards across the globe.

Why can't we just give unbiased advice and constructive criticisms I ask you? Well because we don't live on the big rock candy mountain that's why. People are people so why should it be... sorry almost slipped into a goth song there. We just can't help but bitch and be heard because we're all damaged goods in one way or another.

Why do I even bring this up? To let those of you out there know that just because a few people might not like your demo video or ace assembly or claim your pass isn't "Good" doesn't mean you should let them get to you. Ignore the bastards who have no problem casting the first stones and instead revel in the best revenge to naysayers everywhere.... and just succeed.

They really hates that shit.

Bizzaro.

All who enter here...

So I have been looking into changing the "enter" image on the splash page of my site. I haven't found anything I'm happy with myself, so here is YOUR chance to shine and win something for FREE!!

Design a graphic that says "Enter" (Or something VERY close to it) and not only can you brag to your friends that your work is on the Bizzaro site (cuz' I am sure they will be impressed), but you will receive a free Foiled Again trick. (See previous post)

The only edict is that it has to mesh with the rest of the site's feel and I have to like it. So whip out them Wacoms and limber up that Photoshop and show me yours so I can show yah mine.

It's time to enter your Enter.

Bizzaro.

WHORE!!!

I sure am! While out here in Texas for a private gig, we worked on the new demo for Foiled Again. Have a look... and then buy two of them.


More things to rant about soon...

Bizzaro.

Return of the king...

No no it's not one ring to rule them all.. it's four legs.

For those who don't know (or remember) who Rudy Coby is, have a listen to This. It'll jog yer memory.

It's not only full of personal information, but also a good insight into the industry and what can happen at anytime in a career. For those who participated in one of my last polls about fame and having it and/or losing it, it's a good example of having it, losing it (sorta), going to ground, and then getting it back.

Listen up and learn a thing or three.

Bizzaro.

Wanna touch my thing?

Write-ups like This really amuse me: "Finally you push the cloth-covered object back down into the box, dramatically close the lid and bow to thunderous applause!"

They would have you believe that applause is guaranteed like it's a dove production or something. Just because you buy this product, does not mean YOU can get applause with it. For them to even suggest this prop will do what you cannot just makes me wanna laugh.. and then cry.. and then.. kick puppies.

Seriously tho', it reminds me of the old school 80's ads where they would stop motion toys transforming or moving and then SOMEONE along the way got mad because they thought these inanimate objects could actually do all that.. all for $4.95. Remember those old skool magic catalog drawings. Lighting shooting from the magicians fingertips and radiating lines causing the magic to happen. To promise applause is very much like that. Might as well get outlandish with it while yer at it. Tell them it gives you head after the show. That would at least be amusing, and hell, it might even sell more of them.

If yer gonna lie... go all the way.

Bizzaro.

NEIN!!

It's officially a new year here on the left coast. I will refrain from the typical year end review as.. nothing really exciting happened... except I moved to Vegas.. that's kinda cool.. at least for me.

Where was I? Ah yes. Some of you may have noticed, (Probably didn't care), that our 5 year anniversary of this magic journal just passed in Dec. I was hoping to have a nice surprise for everyone and a special announcement BUT... it'll have to wait a while longer. Regardless, five years. That's a long time for someone to ramble on about nothing. I am nothing if not persistent.

So as my first presidential duties of the new year, I shall go forth unto the lands and dispense advice hither, thither, and yon. Today I bring you This!!

In today's world, convenience and affordability are sometimes hard to come by. I recently got this printer/scanner/bad-ass for x-mas at a fairly good price. (Well it was a gift so for me it was a GREAT price) I decided to get one after our good friend Aaron Stone got one for himself. It prints clean and fast. It does CD and DVD faces (Which is a HUGE plus for anyone in this business). It even looks like Darth Vader. Seriously. Look at the damn thing. You can almost feel it choking you thru the monitor for mocking his beliefs.

So if yer looking to make some promo DVD's (like I am doing right now) or just scan, print, and otherwise make some new props, I highly suggest this device.

So there yah have it. My first post of 2009. Hope you heed my warnings and hup to. Me and Darth will be watching you.

The force is strong with this one...

Bizzaro.

Stupid Americans...

Really.. we are. We might just be one of the only countries that don't support the variety arts. Ever wonder why people from other countries are so good and unique? It's encouraged, that's why!! It's usually a family thing. Hell, it's looked DOWN upon to try to NOT be a clown in some families.

A lot of parts of the US seems to have never grasped the idea that art doesn't just hang on a wall. You don't just stare at it in a gallery or in a living room over a fireplace. It's to be experienced and enjoyed.. sometimes in groups... it's like SEX!! Er.. skip that last bit there...

I doubt we'll ever get to the point in this country where what we do is appreciated, encouraged, and *gasp* even paid well for... but that's no reason to not try right?

Being a communist doesn't look so bad sometimes.

Bizzaro.

How many times do I have to say this?

Even tho' a few of my photos might be a tad vague on the magic aspect of what I do, I try to make them vaguely interesting.

I want you to take a look at ANY of this dood's photos. If you were shown these images without knowing what he did, could you guess? None of them have a magic quality to them. Sure they are artistic and expensive looking. That doesn't mean anyone but you knows what the hell is going on.

Photos like this always make me wonder if the person can deliver the goods. Just because your promo material is slick, doesn't mean you are. In the world we live in, it's not as impressive to have an abundance of over-produced promo material as ANYONE with a computer and the right hardware can make themselves look good.

So the moral of this story is, if you are going to go thru the trouble, make sure people know who and what you are...

Which hopefully isn't huge tool.

Bizzaro.

This about sums it all up...

An inconvenient truth...

I was having a chit-chat with a fiend on IM. It went a little something like this:

FBL: When magic is involved, people don't want pretty and fun, they want mind boggling. >.> Unfortunately
Me: well they want what they want with everything, familiarity.
Me: If they have to think outside their comfort zone, they don't get it
Me: They NEED it, but..
FBL: but they don't want to do it. Which is really lame.
Me: mm hmm
Me: If you appeal to everyone then you work more, but you say less.
FBL: Which is why I try to do a little bit of everything.

This is a pretty accurate description of the entertainment world at larger. No matter how "artsy" you are, people want something they are used to. Hell, this is true in any aspect of life. Does this mean you shouldn't stand out? Hell no! There is a market for everything. Being different means you just have to work harder to find it.

This is why to this day some people don't know who Penn and Teller is or like them. They like to challenge people and their little worlds. Some people don't jive with that. It's ok... there are plenty of others who "get it". So don't let the man get you down. There is plenty of work for all of us...

Except for you sucky people. Pack it up and go home.

Bizzaro.

I see a red door...

And I want to paint it CHARTREUSE!!

So tonight I finally sat down and devised my own handling for Andrew Mayne's Twisted. This is an effect I feel didna get much press when it came out and has great potential when used under the right circumstances. Most of the magicians who don't understand the concept of "right place, right time" for effects don't understand the definition of the word context.

An effect might be better off in a stand up situation, or work better as a close-up piece or even play better on a camera in a big auditorium. Shawn Farquhar ends his big show with a card trick and it kills. Remember: Just because it doesn't work for every situation doesn't mean it won't work for ANY situation.

Now to celebrate the holidays what better way to say I love you than FINISH HIM!!



Everything in it's place.

Bizzaro.

Just to get this out of the way now...


Before it's too late.

Bizzaro.

Damaged Goods...

Let's face it. Everyone who does not fall into the tiny niche' of "normal" society, (which is just about everybody), is where they are for a reason. Just about everyone in the entertainment business has issues. You look at almost any famous person deeply enuff and you will find some deep seated psychosis related to some shortcoming that may or may not exist anymore.

They are not all physical either. Sometimes it's some bizarre attraction to power they never had. Whether it's for money, control, admiration, or adoration it's there. Of course this does not hold true for everyone. There are those who have an honest to some deity calling to go against the grain and believe they are on a mission to further the art and expose themselves and others to something new.

Once you stop doing something for a reason and are just going thru the motions, it might be time to re-evaluate your priorities. It's like my theory why some bands music starts to suffer as their career goes on and on. They run out of things to say and are just taking up space to make a buck or fulfill some previous contractual obligation.

Be honest with yourself sometime. Really take a good deep look and figure out why you do what you do. Is it selfish or perhaps you weren't hugged enuff. Of course if you are well aware of yer issues, then you are one step ahead of the game. I will tell you who might very well be the most screwed up of all of us tho'....

Balloon twisters.

Bizzaro.

Into the unknown...

First, some funny...


So maybe some advice to counter-balance some of the bitching I been doing recently. I do a few effects that I would not call old, but definitely obscure. Some people *koff*ViToLuPo*koff* have made a living going thru books like Tarbell and making a career off magic effects no one remembers. They say if you want to hide something put it in print. I agree and would like to add that you can also release an effect into the market and it will eventually get overshadowed with the latest "I'm not ADD, OOH SHINY!!"

If you take an effect that got minimal press upon it's release and can spin gold from straw with it, then you will be revered as some kind of demi-god. (Which is WAY better than a Demi Moore god) Take this trick for example. Not very well known and not hard to figure it out if you know squat about magic. However, in the right hands, a whole routine could be worked out with this. (I got one in my head right now actually)

How about this little gem? I got the chance to play with one of these. It's a great visual and was fairly ignored in it's release. In the right hands...

Speaking of hands, I always liked the idea behind this trick and thought it would be great in the middle of a rubber band routine.

So there are some ideas to start you looking back in time to find the treasures that might have just gotten released at the wrong time. Like when The Adventures of Ford Fairlane got released the same week as the first Batman movie. Take a step back and see what you can find.

You don't even need a Delorean.

Bizzaro.

Guilding the Munster...

I was just watching the performance of Joshua Jay's effect The Big Deal. It's your usual gambling-ish premise with the usual kicker ending of some impossible to get hand of cards.

My main problem with this type of presentation is it's a gilding the lily with hints of the dreaded "Too Perfect Theory". In this demonstrations effect, you find a card thru impossible circumcisions.. er.. stances. Since the premise of odds is stressed, the conclusion of the selected card being found is impressive enough. However, in this case the magician mentality kicks in and he can't help almost thumbing his nose at the audience, which might lead some to question the fairness in which he had spent so much time building up.

A lot of the problem with many magic plots is that we feel EVERY routine has to have a HUGE ending. It has to have a magical ending even. This is not always the case. Once you have gone to the trouble of setting up the idea that the odds are against you and then kick the people watching in the balls with this impossible feat of stacking the deck, it almost cheapens it. By revealing you knew what was going to happen from the get go, it lessens the impact of the package as a whole.

A lot of us want to make sure we drive home the point we're magicians, MASTERS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE SARMOTI!! Er.. sorry.. However, there is a big difference between good magic and good theater... and if you eat your vegetables and get good grades, I might just tell you what it is someday.

Bow before Mr. Happy Pants.

Bizzaro.