I'm curious if anyone out here credits non-magic influences for bits and pieces of their performance? Mannerisms from rock stars, Vocal inflection from old movie stars, sayings from a childhood book, rhythms from jazz songs, or movements from kung-fu heroes, things like that? I'd love to hear about these types of things that molded you into the persona that goes on stage.

I am very inspired by the work of Neil Gaiman. I study his way of weaving stories that have this...magic feel.
Besides that, music really can create a piece.
The films of Sergio Leone, for their use of detail and suggestion.
And Hermetic philosophy, but that's another story.

Non magical influences?

Art does not inspire itself. Inspiration is something we take from the REST of our existence. The stories come from what we live and what we wish and what we see.

I take inspiration from the place where words become sounds and sounds invoke images. As I catch glimpses of this place, sentiments fall like raindrops onto snapshot images. It then falls to me to arrange those images into a story. When I can find a story, then I can work on having the means and circumstance where that story might have meaning to others.

Here is a story... that came to mind one morning. Lots of images that suggest tricks, and some ideas that may suggest avenues for magic and non-magical applications. All came at the same time. Perhaps like facets of a gem, they combine to shape a thought? Here is a telling of the story of a guy started to hallucinate, more and more. One day he found two strangers in his apartment, and they could see his hallucinations. They told him he had a thought in his mind that was camping out there. And this thought that would not leave, and visit other people was causing the hallucinations as a side effect of its constant presence. See, it was not really a thought, it was an alien, or is it that all thoughts are really alien life forms, that live in conscious minds? Anyway these two people were really aliens themselves who came to find that missing thought. And they asked the man to describe his imagination. And together they found the homesteading thought/alien. It tried to hide in an imaginary children's show the man did not recall from childhood. It tried to hide as a sock puppet playing the part of a pirate. You see, we all own our imaginations, and the alien was given away. As the man confronted this alien thought, its disguise gave way, and he saw it as a living thought. A life form that lives in the space of thoughts, as were his other two visitors. Together they convinced the homesteader alien to move on, and live in minds that are in the right state to hold its nature, and only as long as it was right to be there. It agreed, and was ready to move on. The man told them to feel welcome to return from time to time, as he was able to accept that not all intelligent life had to be like himself. The two visitors were very surprised and told the homesteader that things might be very different if more people were that accepting.

Freud? Jung? The Cyberpunk authors? Arthur C Clarke? From Lewis Carol to Philip K. Dick. From life as I recall it to the things I imagine as I inquire of what I read... all add to the space between my ears. Nice place sometimes.

Garrison Keillor. I always liked the way he spun a story, and could turn the mundane into an interesting and entertaining narrative.

Best,

Mike

Bela Lugosi
Vincent Price
Isaac Asimov

Minnesota Chef,
Do you speak with a regional accent, did you start a watch collection, use the buzz word of the year, add holiday themes to your performances, abbreviate @ for at in a letter? That's the "Paradigm Shift man."
Human's are great mimics... look at your interest. How do they reflect the world around you? If you watched Star Wars when it was first released did you think of yourself as one of the character's? If you're not careful, pop media soaks in like a bad marinade.
But, it's one of the many ways we relate to one another.

P.S

BAMM!

Does a best friend count?
She inspires me when things get tough. She never gave up so when I was going through a rough patch with my magic she inspired me to keep going

WildStone, Mr. Keillor is from my home town, Anoka, it was the basis for the town on his show. they also claim to be the Halloween capitol of the world.
I guess I need to clarify my question. I am asking for influences that are willfully inserted into performances. From Dr. Midnight's post I can get a rough idea of what he's like on stage and possibly in person. From Mr. Townsend's I get an idea of how deep this guy thinks, Wow! I'm fascinated by the diversity of this crowd and I like to hear about these things as much as the people seem talk about it.
From this thread I see a group of people who value friends, appreciate the simple pleasures of small town life, gleefully embrace their morbid side, have opened their mind to the limitless possibilities of the imagination, immerse themselves into the tapestry of well crafted stories and the visual masterpieces of foreign film.
I would love to see how these influences translate into a magic performance. What incredible themes! What impressive visuals! It's enough to inspire someone to go out and do it themselves. A tribute to _______ as told through magic.
If the performer in question could offer the spectators the tiniest peek into the emotions that they feel because of these influences would be a peek into true magic indeed.
Do I speak with a regional accent? Yah Sure, You Betcha! Don't ya know. I'm not kidding that's the way I talk. I sound like I'm out of the movie "Fargo".
P.S. Kregg bringing up that particular person around a working Chef is like bringing up David Blaine around veteran magicians.

Oh.... I understand what you're looking for now Chef.

Lenny Bruce - Shock and sarcasm
Andy Kaufman - Surprise, edgy & goofy humor
Bonn Scott - Stage presence and intensity

Garrison Keillor is still on the list. Without the years of listening to "Prairie Home Companion" and reading "In Search of Lake Woebegone", I wouldn't have absorbed and developed the ability to create interesting premises and patter for my routines. He also inspired my smooth and monotone speech pattern... fluctuating only when there's something happening that the spectators really need to pay attention to .

Mike

In 1975 Kiss played at my high school in Cadillac, MI. Having seen the band mates hang out for few days and rocking our small gymnasium... I knew that the possibilities were endless. After seeing Kiss, I added flash pots to the show and several other flashy gadgets. I have a strong feeling that Jeff McBride has a little bit of Kiss in his influential makeup.
Hail Bonn Scott.
Sorry about the slam Chef. David Blaine works with an old friend of mine (Bill) who is fantastic with a deck of cards.

Style/deportment: Kathleen Turner, Bette Midler, Ginger Rogers
Philosophy: Jung, Joseph Campbell, Lao Tzu
Storytelling: Poe, Bradbury

Ah, storytelling (thanks for reminding me):

H.P. Lovecraft
Kurt Vonnegut
Robert Bloch
Archie Goodwin

Batman

Johnny Depp with his mysterious style...

I never thought much of Johny Depp until Blow, and that movie about Jack the Ripper. He played a pretty solid roles in those. Secret Window too.

His character on Jump Street was too "Little Joe-ish" for my taste.

Best,

Mike

A lot of my "non-magic" influences come from people like Red Skelton, Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and other silent comedians. I have learned a lot about how to REACT (as opposed to react) when things happen.

Storytelling... Eduardo Galeano, Julian Barnes, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Douglas Adams, David Gemmel

Humour... Douglas Adams, James Stewart, Neil Cassidy, Joseph Heller, John Cleese

Magical Style... Fred Kapps, Doug Henning

Musical Influences... Beatles, Alan Parsons, The Who, The Stones, Matraca Berg, Springsteen & Redgum

Picasso, Samuel Pepys, Ghandi, Nelson Mandela

Tom