Who/what are you, magically?

[Checkmite]

I was wondering about where everyone here is, regarding magic. What is your "style", favorite types of magic, and favorite trick(s)? Are you professional or amateur? How long have you been studying magic?

Though I'm just recently beginning to expand my horizons, I am primarily a card person (which is odd because the very first tricks I learned, oh so long ago, were the Professor's Nightmare and the balls-through-cups routine). I perform non-professionally for family and friends - that sort of thing. I've been into magic since I was wittle, and have generally done a lot of the same tricks I learned a while back, though a couple of months ago I found a very good nearby magic shop and have started adding some card flourishes, coins, silks, and sponges to my repetoire. My favorite tricks at the moment include Invisible Deck and an Ambitious Card variant.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

I consider myself an "intermediate" level, close-up performer primarily with cards and coins. For the most part I'm an amateur with the occasional paid gig for parties. I have past experience with walk around restaurant/bar magic. I'd like to get more of that type of work.

[darkstar747]

Joshua Korosi

I myself try and get in on everything. I always have a few gimmics in my pocket depending on the situation. In my humble opinion for cards if you have:

Card College
Royal Road To Card Magic
Secrets Of Brother Hamman
Ninja 1/2 DVD
Crash Course 1/2 DVD (you may be past these)

You have just about anything you'd ever need.

[Cain]

I would also classify myself as "intermediate." I also do mostly card tricks, probably because the ratio of sleights-to-effects is so great. My other stuff is mostly impromptu, using a TT for vanishes, elementary coin work, crazy man's handcuffs, I carry a pull in a certain jacket, loops, money tricks, pen-thru-anything etc. Simple stuff. I don't like to do anything that requires a table and I strive to maintain the appearence that everything I do is completely extemporaneous.

The problem with card tricks is people say in their mind, "oh no, a card trick. I've seen Uncle Frank perform enough of these at the family reunion."

I don't perform for money, although some people insist I should because I'm starving grad student studying a field that has "no money in it". I've toyed with the idea of doing stuff on the side for moola.


Ninja 1/2 DVD
Crash Course 1/2 DVD (you may be past these)

God, I f*cking hate this assh*le, know-nothing, rip-off artist Brad Christian. Screw that guy.

[Brown]

I suppose I would be an intermediate. In the past I've tried to avoid too much sleight of hand, relying on less difficult and often more devious techniques to do the same thing.

I don't have a very large repertoire. There are perhaps a dozen tricks that I do well. I have a few store-bought magic props. I keep two of those props at my office, and have entertained some of my co-workers kids using these props in conjunction with my computer mouse. In addition, I did some magic at a Halloween party one year (unpaid), but otherwise I don't perform much.

I've worked with a TT and IT. I'm considering setting up some of my clothes with IT gimmicks to perform some "impromptu" levitations.

[Checkmite]

I admit it will be hard for me to advance past cards. It's something of a sentimental thing. Heck, it took a while for the magic shop to convince me to buy gaffes - I distrust them; some sort of irrational fear of growing lazy or getting caught because of them. :D It just seems to me that with a half-dozen or so different sleights that you could turn into dozens of different "effects", you can do OK with a borrowed deck. But then I have to tell myself that there's so much more out there, too.

I'm trying with the sponges and coins but I haven't convinced myself that I'm good enough at them yet. I love the TT.

[Brown]

Originally posted by Joshua Korosi
I love the TT. I distinctly remember when I got my first TT: as a Christmas gift. I was disappointed. What the hell? Nobody would be fooled by this! What a stupid prop!

I threw the damned thing in my desk drawer and forgot about it.

Many years later, I actually saw a performer using one. I was sitting in the front row, and he flashed it briefly. And immediately my respect for the prop turned around. Seeing it in performance, I realized that it had dozens of possibilities that I had not understood. Later, I saw tricks that I recognized as using the prop: tricks performed by Penn & Teller, for example, and by the Amazing James Randi.

I still have my TT. I use it on occasion, and I have respect for it.

Side note: Yesterday, I saw a fellow use one to perform an impromptu vanish and reproduction of a borrowed item. I saw through the method immediately, but the spectators did not, and they were truly impressed.

[Checkmite]

Indeed - I use one successfully, or see someone else using one successfully, and I still haven't figured it out - "Why can't they...???" Even my best efforts leave me nervous. The only thing I can think of is that it's a case of "Out of mind, out of sight" (as opposed to vice versa).

[The elementalist]

I am an elementalist, no tricks, no illusion...real magic...Telepathy...destiny creation...alchemy....shamanism...I have neer cared to learn any card tricks seriously...

I have mad animals do tricks merely by conducting their signals in respect of wants and needs...mostly into human bonds, as if I have the ability to make people balanced on a twin level..

Alchemy creates a strange reaction, in which you can control chemical and magnetic fields by is force created, encapsule chemistry..I can clear a smalll room of a smell...

I have computed right with satalite dishes to configurate my thoughts right along with it's incoming signals...to present what I was thinking, right down to message between commerical changes...and other electrical appliance magic...

All real magic takes is thee proper conditioning and wisdom...

Mostly Free masotic, military tatic, yogi, and eyptian magic...

[NoZed Avenger]

I'm a hack.




So -- of the people who may be arriving at TAM4, any interest in half a dozen or so of us putting together 1-2 effects and trying to entice the pajama party into allowing us to operate as entertainment?

I have a cups and balls routine I am actually fairly proud of, can do some decent cards, coins, rope, mentalism, a bit of silks, etc. I did some paid shows in my youth, but have not had the time recently. Still, I have a dozen or so effects that I can still do properly 10 times out of 10, and could probably work up something new by then, assuming my trial schedule stays light.

The only caveat is that with Penn and Teller and J.I.Swiss running around, we may all look like idiots (or even moreso in my case). I would prefer to keep the audience strictly lay.

[The elementalist]

a hack to me is one who can use a person mind as if it were a computer to pull out whatever they want...so calling yourself a hack...is calling yourself a sloppy seconds taker..or something or whatever and what not, plus a theif..

[wert]

Joshua had told me a whlie back he was going into mentalism, but I guess it's back to cards these days... Excellent...

[AGENT-ADAIR]

I just enjoy magic, and cant imagine doing it myself.

So cool to see something that seems to not have an explanation, but is prefectly inane.

[Checkmite]

Joshua had told me a whlie back he was going into mentalism, but I guess it's back to cards these days... Excellent...

Think of a number between 1 and 3.










..













..













....your number is 2.

[Checkmite]

Unfortunately, I will probably not be attending TAM4 either. Sorry guys, I just can't swing the money. Most a pity, as I think I have a few good effects down.

However, I think the attending JREF magicians getting together for a little prestidigitation at the sleepwear convention is a chipper notion. I expect a full report - it may convince me to work TAM5.

[Corpse Cruncher]

Amateur but very professional at making my money disappear. I have been studying magic intermittently, more sporadically, for years.

[rebecca]

So -- of the people who may be arriving at TAM4, any interest in half a dozen or so of us putting together 1-2 effects and trying to entice the pajama party into allowing us to operate as entertainment?

. . . I would prefer to keep the audience strictly lay.

Then you may want to find a different audience.

[Checkmite]

God, I f*cking hate this assh*le, know-nothing, rip-off artist Brad Christian. Screw that guy.

Hey, it's not unethical to learn the Marlo Tilt from someone who's not Ed Marlo. I happen to think he's a decent teacher.

[NoZed Avenger]

Then you may want to find a different audience.

You can wear the blindfold.

[magicflute]

I started learning "real" magic very early in years, not from your usual sources but from santero priests. Soon I realized it was all BS, and began looking in other places. BS everywhere, so sort of forgot about magic for a while. While working in Manhattan NY. I saw the sign for the Martinka Magic shop which was formerly owned by Houdini, and at the time it was run by Al Flosso. Out of curiosity I walked up to the store which was on the second floor and came into a small room with a small counter with an incredible disarray of stuff all over the place. I proceeded to ask for a few tricks that struck my fancy. At one point Al asked me what kind of tricks I enjoyed doing. Since I knew a couple of card tricks, I said "cards". He asked me to show him something. After I showed him a couple of card tricks he said, he said "Kid, you got good hands! Don't waste your money on that crap!" He took back the tricks I had selected and gave me a couple of books by Jean Huggard.
He told me to learn the basic sleights and to come by in a couple of weeks when I thought I had them down. I practiced every day nearly non-stop for hours on end. Finally I went back to the shop and showed him what I had learned. He was very pleased and help me correct a few minor problems. This became a weekly routine for a couple of years until I was transfered to the Bronx and the visits became infrequent until they stopped after I was married. All this time I was doing magic work in bars mostly and sometimes in private parties to supplement my income. Years later, I found out old Flosso had died. I was very sad that I had stopped visiting. I went by the shop and gave my condolences to his son who was now running the shop.
I continued practicing this way for many years as well as doing benefits and community events. Finally I was promoted to a managerial position on the job and my time was limited, also the increased income made it less necessary for me to look for supplementary income.
I sort of forgot about magic for a few years, until I realized some family member were being cheated by charlatans in the Latin community. I started to show them how they were being cheated by duplicating many of the tricks used by these vermin. After a while I kind of felt a need to help prevent family, friend, people in general from becoming victims to these creeps, so now at parties or gatherings when the opportunity presents itself, I do sort of an expose of the methods the cheaters use.
My latest triumph came last week when a friend of the family was visiting. He was a devote to Sai Baba. I performed the ash trick as well as apports and regurgitation of objects. The I showed him some video clips I have of Bubba (hehe) in slow motion so he could see that what he does is exactly what I had done. Needless to say and to his credit, he saw the truth and said he was burning all the pics of Bubba he had hanging in his house as soon as he got home.
Recently problems with neuropathy have made it very difficult for me to do prestidigitation. Although I find that misdirection can cover LOTS of mistakes and poor performances! So for now I kind of keep to those tricks used by witchdoctors that plague the Latin community and expose them whenever the need arises. Needless to say, once has to be careful as some of these characters are not above violence when exposed.

[The elementalist]

yes...they art of making a disease and virus ********** me up bad...

[rebecca]

You can wear the blindfold.

But it's your turn.

(Don't forget Moe, too.)

[NoZed Avenger]

But it's your turn.

No, no -- I checked. I didn't wear the blindfold, but we agreed that the Zorro mask counted, remember?

(Don't forget Moe, too.)

Well, we can't forget her -- it's her blindfold.

[Beerina]

Think of a number between 1 and 3.










..













..













....your number is 2.

Wrong. It was e, roughly 2.71...

[Diamond]

My latest triumph came last week when a friend of the family was visiting. He was a devote to Sai Baba. I performed the ash trick as well as apports and regurgitation of objects. The I showed him some video clips I have of Bubba (hehe) in slow motion so he could see that what he does is exactly what I had done. Needless to say and to his credit, he saw the truth and said he was burning all the pics of Bubba he had hanging in his house as soon as he got home.

Excellent! Kudos to you!

[Belz...]

I'm completely out of line here... but...

As far as magic goes, I prefer Necromancy, Summoning or Evocation. Not so much into abjuration or illusionism. That's for wusses!

[The elementalist]

necormancy is goofy, If you want to make a dead body move, I guess that is cool, I'd rather set up destiny, use the disorder of Karma for a psoitive prupose, that either doesn't cause a storm on regulates it. I like to feel all the energy of everyting, put positive energy around me.

If you mean being an intellegent medium, such as one who communicates with the remains of an entities exsistence, or an imaginary or mythologically created God or spirit. Than learn how to change your conscious point, instead of falling in their bad karma, while the minds is signaling for more, you got to keep all attributes neutral, not at war or in bad scenario.. Such as

I have Norstodamus, So when I wake up, I think, I passed on, my soul is helping the new generation, but not in words, in action or by heart expression. Reminding him of times he was brillant and noticed what was happening.

Most people have the worst wisdom, helping Chiristains build there god Karma collecting system, or God and destiny, which is alright. They label bad karma by representations of what entity combos, or disorders or orders causes the scenario, or just put lucifers revolting image over it.

[ahoneycutt]

Not to derail here, but I'm curious what a good place is to start with learning some tricks. I only know a few lame card tricks, but I find the stuff fascinating. I'd like to learn a bit of sleight of hand stuff, but don't really know where to start...

Thanks much,
Andy

[Checkmite]

Wrong. It was e, roughly 2.71...

OK, but wert's number was 2.

[Checkmite]

Not to derail here, but I'm curious what a good place is to start with learning some tricks. I only know a few lame card tricks, but I find the stuff fascinating. I'd like to learn a bit of sleight of hand stuff, but don't really know where to start...

Thanks much,
Andy

Seriously, get your phone book and find a local magic shop, and ask them the same question. A forum full of advice is slightly less valuable than a magic shop where you can converse with real people. They'll directly teach you any effect you buy, and may also offer classes.

Barring that, it seems to me that Ellusionist (http://www.ellusionist.com)'s DVDs are a decent place to start.

[Jeff Corey]

I got a Mysto Magic set for my 10th birthday. TT, Chinese Rings, Stripper Decker (with back marks), Princess Deck, Sponge balls, Invisible string, Changing silks, the whole schmeer.It really sharpened up my perception of magic.
I only perform in my classes, TT, disappear a lit cigarette. Princess deck, enlarged on a copier for a big class.
Pick a card, any card.

[Azrael 5]

Not to derail here, but I'm curious what a good place is to start with learning some tricks. I only know a few lame card tricks, but I find the stuff fascinating. I'd like to learn a bit of sleight of hand stuff, but don't really know where to start...

Thanks much,
Andy

Most people start with a book called The Royal Road to Magic..I did!:)

[ahoneycutt]

Thanks much Joshua and Azrael, I'll start there =]

-Andy

[madcow]

Well, there's no magic involved, but I'm a professional stage hypnotist. Professional meaning I have no other source of income, but I'm certainly not making the money I used to... yet. That's why I quit the day job, to focus more on marketing and acquiring more gigs.

However, I am very interested in learning magic and mentalism tricks and techniques of all kinds. I've even started hitting the books hard to hone up on the mnemonic skills I used to kind of half-@ssed posess.

So I've picked up some card tricks and found a couple good ones. Anyone here recommend great ones? I know a couple of sleight routines, but I'm not that good at it. Prefer the easier, but still astoundingly impressive stuff like "The Invisible Deck" and what-not.

Thanks,
Matt

[The elementalist]

Most people start with a book called The Royal Road to Magic..I did!:)


does Azreal work well for you?

[Azrael 5]

does Azreal work well for you?

Huh?:confused:

[Checkmite]

So I've picked up some card tricks and found a couple good ones. Anyone here recommend great ones? I know a couple of sleight routines, but I'm not that good at it. Prefer the easier, but still astoundingly impressive stuff like "The Invisible Deck" and what-not.

Thanks,
Matt

There's always the Ambitious Card - it's a routine where you make an audience member's signed card return to the top of the deck (or anywhere, really) over and over again. The cool thing about this routine is, it's not really one "trick". It's a mish-mash combination of different sleights that you choose, so you can sort of personalize it. All you've got to do is learn the sleights - and you can learn most of them in the aforementioned Royal Road. If reading isn't your thing, there's enough DVD's out there to learn from; you've just really gotta look for them.

Another great effect is making a selected card vanish from the deck and appear someplace unlikely, such as a spectator's wallet, inside your shoe, or stuck on the other side of a window (read that again). The general "idea" of this trick is pretty much the same (no matter where the card ends up), but it's known by a few different names.

Funny story: last night at the magic shop, I was demonstrating a trick for a friend of mine, another magician. It's a trick that's designed to make your audience THINK you've screwed up. I explained to him that I like tricks like that. A card is selected, and after a few shuffles some cards are placed face down on the table. Your spects are instructed not to react in any way if they see their card. There card is one of the ones on the table, but they don't react and you say "I didn't think any of these were your card anyway" (usually you get a giggle or snicker at this point). You then ask the spect to think of a number between one and ten, and you deal that many cards off the deck - you SLOWLY reveal the last card to be theirs. They race to flip over the card on the table - the one they KNOW was theirs - and it's different! Sweet.

Anyway, I was doing this trick for the friend and something went terribly wrong - I evidently lost control of the selected card, a Jack of Clubs. After making a quick excuse - oh well - I put the deck back together and asked him to select another card, which turned out to be - the Jack of Clubs. He swore up and down I forced it on him. I just grinned and kept my astonishment to myself. He never has to know the truth...

[madcow]

Hi Josh,

Thanks for the advice and I'll definitely look into that. Funny bit on the Jack of Clubs. :)

-Matt