talkmagic.co.uk

David Blaine: OH NO HE DIDN'T! When I was younger, nobody else really make magic with cards and coins fun and accessibe for me, if it wasn't a huge stage illusion, it had no appeal. If it wasn't for him, I'm sure I wouldnt be so in magic now!

Derren Brown: Amazing showman, brilliant artist and not only to his mental effects amaze, his work with cards excels to.

R P Wilson Loved the Royal Road DVD set, well set out and he is a great teacher. He handles cards very well, and enjoyed him on the Real Hustle too.

Craig Browning: As a forum member, nobody has influenced me more and helped me understand the theory behind mentalism and magic!

Penn and Teller: Amazing duo act who are actually quite hilarious! They can reveal tricks, and still have the audience left without a clue, and that takes skill!

1. David Copperfield
2. Criss Angel
3. Lance Burton
4. Houdini

These people are my favorites mainly because they jump-started my intrest in different kinds of magic. In no order-

My uncle- He isn't a magician but he did teach me my first magic trick when i was 6. The removable thumb I think it is called.

Lance Burton- Great stage magician and manipulater.

Criss Angel- Only because i quit magic for a while and he was the one that got me back into magic. Honestly I don't like his "magic" anymore but I do have to give him credit.

David Blaine- For bringing a new style to magic and for his stunts.

Banachek- His look on mentalism changed my look. He gets so close to real mentalism and mind reading.

Walter Gibson for making close up magic accessible in my early years
Doug Henning for making magic real
Bobo for giving me the skills to create magic with simple objects
Corinda for contributing to my own 'paradigmatic shift'

and my unsung hero,,,is Joe homechek a mentor that appeared at precisely the right time...

2. Criss Angel[/u]

Wild Card wrote:

2. Criss Angel[/u]

Hey, at least he had a good excuse.
And this is like confession, you know?
Anyway, my top 5 are...

Lance Burton - First real magician I ever "admired"
Dai Vernon - Do I have to explain?
David Roth - Went to a coin workshop done by him, and he's really just a fantastic magician, and a really nice man.
Tarbell - I've learned so much from Tarbell's Course
David Blaine - I gotta say for a while I was obsessed with this guy. Then I found TM.

My top 5 inspirations would have to be:

1. Barry and Stuart-I don't know if anyone knows them. I think they are Australian, but they do some awesome magic. Some of it is really controversial, but that makes me like it even more.

2. Houdini-Pretty much the first magician I ever heard of. He's the one that got me into magic when I was 7. Then I quit until I was 13.

3. Criss Angel-Like I said above, I quit until I was 13. I watched his show, and it got me to start doing it again. Although I still like his show. Even if he might use camera editing.

4. Penn and Teller-They're hilarious. I love to watch them, and when I watched them perfor cups and balls, I couldn't follow even when they were using the transparent cups. XD

5. Any other magician that works hard, practices diligently, and has fun while performing.

for me it would have to be

Houdini
David Copperfield
Mac King funny as ever
Criss Angel even though he has gone to his noggin but I think my most infuence on magic was smoothini he is so nice and really down to earth. He needs all the help he can get and does help the new comers who are very serious about magic.

not sure i could manage 5 but here goes...

paul daniels: yep corny but i grew up watching his show and he was entertaininng had great variety and was great inspiration to start and showed the power and beauty of a skill (i bet everyone still loves his cup routine ), as well as...

my dad: encouraged me, took me to shops, gave me some of his books (encyclopaedia of card magic still one of my favourites - thats where it started) from magic books by post or somewhere (is this still in business?) his svengali deck, and great advice probably the best reason i ever got into this art in the first place!

jean hugard: reading the 'card manipulations' books and others, seeing the skills he built up and that no matter how good you got (or thought you did) someone else was better and could do something you couldnt and there would always be some new take on a sleight, got me to keep practicing and striving to improve my skills and knowledge.


just about every well known magician the 19th and early 20th centuries: forgive me im a bit of a history nerd and a romantic. but something about the period, the audiences and the work ethic used in the craft has me day dreaming. a time when magic wasnt just a show of the 'supernatural' but made it the art form and entertainment we love today. innovation, study, an urge to do greater things, participation, fun and change with the environment around them are really the principles we all aspire to today to keep it entertaining, fresh, and continuing. really its because of them we all can do what we do.

er...

david blaine for showing me that when youre that dull and annoying people want you to get trapped in a giant novelty ice cube... not a happy way to go...

howxmuchxpain wrote:
1. Barry and Stuart-I don't know if anyone knows them. I think they are Australian, but they do some awesome magic. Some of it is really controversial, but that makes me like it even more.

They're Scottish!

1. David Copperfield - simply the finest illusionist I've ever had the good fortune of seeing. His performances are awe-inspiring and breathtaking, and no matter what people think about him being cheesy etc. I still think he's the finest performer our art has to offer.

2. Paul Daniels - childhood and adult favourite. He's a very skilled and knowlegable chap, and much nicer in real life than his 'cheeky chappy' TV personality.

3. David Williamson - just a little hint of madness and unpredictability, and also very skillfull. Still cringe everytime he states matter-of-factly in 'Aunt Mary's Terrible Secret' "perform a perfect pharoh shuffle" as if it's as easy as a riffle shuffle. His Rocky Raccoon routine is timeless.

4. The Pendragons - Jonathon and Charlotte are fantastic illusionists. I have had the pleasure of exchanging a few e-mails with Jonathon many years ago when I used to run a magic website, and love their professionalism and presence.

5. Eugene Burger - Nice. Beard. Sponge. Balls. Legend.

honerable mentions to Derren Brown, Penn & Teller, Jeff McBride, and finally, Jay Sankey.

Oohh....they're Scottish. XD
I wasn't sure, thanks for clearing that up.