talkmagic.co.uk

.....the very thought makes my blood run cold....

(only joshing... I've even got my tickets to see Blazin' Fiddles in concert in a cupla weeks)

I've never been a cardie but I managed to pick up a copy of Royal Road to Card Magic for 50p last night so I suppose I'll have to read it now !

Royal Road is a really good book. There's enough material in those pages of pulped wood to last you a long time. I spend a good 9 months working my way through that book and still go back to it all the time now.

The problem I find with card magic is that you've always got spectators trying to catch you out on your switches, sleights or methods. One of the most useful things I learnt from doing card magic is not to put 100% emphasis on technique and how to do the trick, but to share out your attention with showmanship and spectator manipulation.

It's all well and good being able to perform the perfect card trick, but if you're boring and one dimensional everyone will see through the 'magic'

welshy wrote:It's all well and good being able to perform the perfect card trick, but if you're boring and one dimensional everyone will see through the 'magic'

That applies to every form of magic. If you are boring, uncharismatic, one dimensional, unsociable etc, you'll never make it.

Magic's all about how you present it, if you're acting 'hey look at me and how clever I am', they're going to want to catch you out, which unfortunatly is how many magicians behave. If you're more fun, light hearted and friendly you'll find the specs much more likely to enjoy the magic for what it is rather than to try and catch you out all the time.

I managed to hold Card College Light open yesterday by flattening it a bit and putting a teddy bear on top of it. (Luckily we keep a teddy bear on the sofa for such emergencies.)

He's a blue teddy bear, so he matched the book cover quite nicely as well.

now that's good idea, we've got a pink rabbit on out sofa. (don't anyone even think about bingoing that otherwise you'll have sore shins for a month!!!)

Perhaps we should have a competition where entrants can suggest reasons why the Robbie's Teddy is blue and Lommie's Rabbit is pink? No? OK, forget I spoke...

My teddy is blue because I found a blue teddy lying in the road, looking very sad and run-over, and brought him home. He has "Baby Boy" embroidered on his feet, but is otherwise not too twee. I was going to name him Rishton after the road, but Colin usually calls him Blue Boy.

He's very soft, and I use him mainly as a pillow to prop up my elbow while working. The bear, that is, not Colin.

I also have a mink teddy and a kangaroo-fur koala. And there are uncountable other stuffed animals in the house, which is slightly disturbing since no children are ever allowed in here. Mr Pinchy the lobster lives on the coffee table, and Colin is insistent that he must be positioned so he can see the TV.

Robbie while your post was funny, what makes it funnier is that you're prepared to admit this stuff on a Forum on the World Wide Web.

Good on ya.

Lenoir wrote:

welshy wrote:It's all well and good being able to perform the perfect card trick, but if you're boring and one dimensional everyone will see through the 'magic'

That applies to every form of magic. If you are boring, uncharismatic, one dimensional, unsociable etc, you'll never make it.

Unless your David Blaine where it doesn't seem to have been a handicap. But ignoring that I agree. Tricks aren't where all the entertainment comes from.

Jobasha wrote:
Unless your David Blaine where it doesn't seem to have been a handicap.

Very true. My logic is flawed!

personally, i dont see the whole "hating on" david blaine...

you guys owe him a lot - and if you find him boring, fair enough...however...

i feel as though you are missing the point of his persona...

the whole almost stoner/wierdo thing was deliberately put together, pulling from forms of waking hypnosis as well as how to disorientate people and pull them into "your world"...

he did drag magic back in from the cold afterall...otherwise you'd all have mullets, shiney velvet sutis and saying "here are 52 different cards....take me wife...please!"