Shop Talk

My Top Ten All Time Favorite Magic Tricks and Illusions

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While I like to make fun of magic, I really am a lifelong student and fan of the art.  There were MANY tricks/routines/illusions that could have made this list, but here are ten. 10. Zig Zag Lady Illusion This is a classic illusion that many people envision when they think of an illusionist. It’s one of those illusions that, even though it has been exposed many times in print and television, it is still baffling to watch. The basic idea is that a girl enters a box standing up, is cut into three pieces and the middle part of her … Read more

On Originality and Performance

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Originally Posted on 5/5/08 Magicians like to accuse each other of stealing their ideas. I’ve seen it in other industries as well. Comedians do it too, but a comedian telling someone else’s joke is never as funny than a comedian telling their own joke. So there’s kind of a built in originality police there. Magicians perform each other’s tricks without permission all the time. Then they claim it’s original because they added their own personality to it. Professional Speakers do it too. I’ve seen 4 professional speakers all tell the same personal story about something that happened to them in … Read more