Friday, May 29, 2009

Sorry for the weird poll question. I couldn't think of anything else. I have put up a new one as I have retired one of my old routines and am considering sharing my collected knowledge with the world.

I personally believe that the only time someone should sell their personal pet effects is when they are DONE with them or they are being ripped off left and right and should make it official. Kevin James knows the price of having your creativity siphoned off by bastards. The other option of course is to have yo' shit sold post-mortem. Like Dai Vernon or Tommy Wonder.

Magic.. from the graaaaave.

Bizzaro.

By the way: We have only had one entry for the CCSB contest (See below). Does no one else want to play with us?

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Who wants a contest?

EVERYONE!!! (maybe)

So this is the logo we have devised for our color changing sponge ball effect.

Think you can do better? I challenge you to do so!! Send us a logo you think is better and you could win a color changing sponge ball of yer very own before anyone else!!

so crank up the ol' photoshoppe skillz and show me your balls!!

Bizzaro.

Wash yo' balls!!

I have had this post in mind for a while, but I keep getting distracted by more important things.

Anywho, ever seen a magician produce wrinkled silks or rope that USED to be white. What about sponge balls that look like they USED to be green? I think the only thing magicians try to keep pristine all the time are card decks. (Personally I use mine until the box lid falls off, then downgrade that pack to a waste deck and open a new one.)

Don't give me no shite excuses that you don't own an iron or don't have time. Here is a little quick ironing tip for those of you who are domestically challenged. Take your wrinkled ass silks and wet them in the sink, squeeze them out, and then press them flattened out on a mirror, tile wall, glass shower door, etc. Let them dry. The will fall flat and wrinkle free to the floor. The only downside to this is that over time, it can have an effect on the vibrance of the color. After that store your silks (for stage use and stuff) in a zip-lock bag with some air in it. This will keep them tumbling around and not smished flat.

Wash your damn rope. That's it really. It gets dirty no matter what color you use, but if your gray rope didn't START that way, wash that shit yo.

Our good friend (and avid reader) Christopher Lyle recently posted a YT video on ways to care for you sponge balls. If you do table magic, and don't know how to work a sink along with your iron, you need to watch this.

Take a good long look at your magic props. If they seem faded, tired, or just plain sad maybe it's time to invest some of that money you were saving up to drink away the pain on new toys.

Your tools can and will give you away.

Bizzaro.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

CRAP

I want to stab this guy in the eye socket with a hot french fry... but he's right.

Listen and listen good.

Bizzaro.

Flawless victory...

THIS is why Jugglers beat magicians like rock beats scissors.



Our friend Dave Johnson puts it like this, "A juggler will never put something on the stage that isn't ready... magicians will."

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I believe This is how most of the world must feel about Criss Fishing Rod by now.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Tipsy?

I have been holding off on this one for a while. Dunno why really. Guess I just had to be in the mood. That and I am listening to the new Green Day album (two songs I dig so far. Someone listened to a lot of The Beatles while writing this music).

I recently had the pleasure of reading a set of notes that are not only awesome and entertaining but also informative and thought provoking. I don't mean the typical thoughts one gets while reading magic notes. You know, stuff like, "I paid how much for these?" or "Someone needs to learn how to use a spell checker".

One of the things I had never heard a term for, but understood the concept immediately, was the mention of something called "The Tipping Factor". The basic concept (taken from the notes) is: "The point at which, be it for good or ill, the scales of change begin to tip. I have found that many magic effects have a Tipping Point. By changing a single preconceived notion of a trick, you can tip it from a standard effect into the realm of themed presentation".

I can trace a HUGE revelation into my own show by the addition of one prop that brought everything together. If you look at your own work, you might realize the same has happened to you and you just didn't know it. If this has not happened to you, just wait. It's like getting harassed by Los Angeles cops. It's gonna happen... and soon.

I highly recommend you take that money you have been saving for the next overly hyped Papercrane product and instead hop yer happy ass over to masterpaynemagic.com and email him and tell him you want to purchase his appropriately titled notes called "Sometimes the Jokes are Just for Me". They are full of musings, advice, and even color photos. Spared no expense... and you won't get eaten by a Velociraptor afterwards!

Don't forget to tip yer waitress... Over.

Bizzaro.

PS: I put "other" on my sponge ball poll over there, but what other colors did I leave out? Is someone using a plaid sponge ball or something weird like that?

Monday, May 11, 2009

Blow me!

I would like to make a request, nay a PLEA to some of you out there in the magic world. Could you, would you please stop blowing on cards after you draw or write something on it with a Sharpie marker? The ink dries before you even put the cap back on it. I don't care if you are trying to find an excuse for a get ready or do a move or some misdirection. It's silly and to me personally, it's fooking aggravating. I don't ask you for much. Just this one thing would be like an early birthday gift if you all knocked it off at once...

especially you Jay Sankey.

Bizzaro.

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Balls to the wall...

Who here does sponge ball magic? Raise your hands. Yes even you there in Nebraska sitting naked browsing the cafe, raise yer hand... ok.. that's enuff put it back down. Eesh.

Where was I?

Ah yes. Sponge balls. So a lot of us do them and like most magic we don't question them. Every supplier of magical crack carries them. At some point we have used them to blow the mind of some random person... and why not? It's in the hands magic. Nothing more powerful. However, how do you justify spheres of squishy material in the mind of non-magicians? Do you even care to? If not, you should.

When I was a pirate character at Six Flags, I used green and said I found them on the bottom of my ship. If it's Halloween, grab some orange ones and say they are pumpkin balls. (Only found on boy pumpkins) I use trite red ones in my normal everyday wear and tear, but I tell people I got them by beating up some clowns. Give them a little bit of truth, they believe a HUGE amount of bullshit.

Let's talk subtlety now shall we? I see a lot of people death grip their balls. (Hey, no snickering) Mike Caveny taught something very interesting in a lecture I saw him do once. After the initial false transfer, press your hand flat against a table (or if you are sans table, lean over a bit and use your leg). This works because people think of a sphere in a 3-D space. However, since sponge can be squished down, it becomes a 2-D object in 3-D space and your hand now appears empty. (yay psychology!) I do this to great avail. It makes it almost impossible for them to re-construct in their mind.

Here is a little known idea told to me a few years back to add to this tirade. I am sure we are familiar with transferring a non-existent ball from one hand to the other before we reveal it to have jumped from hand to hand. However, next time yer oot and aboot, try this: After placing the balls into their hand, have them pass them from one hand to the other. They will keep a firm clamp on the objects in their grasp. When they open up, it is a true shock because they SWORE they only moments ago had (Insert incorrect number here).

How do you end a sponge ball routine? Is it just with four balls and that's it? A little anti-climactic don't yah think? Have them change to something else in their hand. Maybe even a different color. They make sponge words and other strange sponge props. You can even incorporate a weird little routine by good friend Jeb Sherrill where sponge balls are produced from a woman's hair.

With so many options, how can you not be compelled to play with your balls more often?!

More than you already do that is.

Bizzaro.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Levitation for fun and profit....



No wires, no magnets, no trapdoors, no midgets, no photoshop!

How does he do it?!

Bizzaro.

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Magic in the time of cholera...

In today's world it is not uncommon to see hypochondriacs crawl out of the woodwork when the word "pandemic" is uttered. As magicians we need to be aware of these strange goings on and be able to adapt. So many people are afraid to touch ANYTHING that might have come in contact with your mouth or even your person in NORMAL times.

So when some crazy flu goes rampaging across the world, we need to maybe look at a few of our handlings of tricks and make sure we remove, what we might feel, is the simplest of things.

Putting a card in your teeth during an ambitious card routine, placing a borrowed object into a phone, licking a spectators forehead to stick a card to it. (I hope I am kidding about that last one by the way) These things and more need to be considered so those helping us out can get the full enjoyment without worrying we are going to give them the plague.

Of course if you want to have some real fun, remind them that we use the same glasses and silverware EVERYONE else uses in a restaurant and watch their eyes widen.

Ah good clean family fun.

Bizzaro.

Friday, May 01, 2009