For many years I'd read Silly Billy's column in Magic Magazine on Kid's Magic. Recently, I went to his website and saw the character he does as Dr. Blood. I could not believe my eyes! A gore fest with very young children! Not teens or even 10-12 year olds. These kids look 4-7 years old. I won't say anymore. Just check out his website and I'd like to know what others think. http://www.sillybillymagic.com/drblood.html

I think that David Kaye is a creative and marketing genius, and that it is easy to see why he is the top children's show performer in New York City.

Would I be able to do a character like that for kids? Probably not, but then again I probably couldn't pull off a character like Silly Billy, either. Parents who hire him absolutely know what they are in for, so I don't see any problem whatsoever in doing the acts that he does.

Did he perform this show for you under false pretenses? If not then why go to all the trouble to register on this site just to post this rant? Do you really need to be offended for others?
If the show is horrible or inappropriate then the market will see that it ceases to be presented. Obviously, however, this seems not to be the case as Silly Billy has been performing his Dr. Blood routine for a few years now. He performs in New York City where the kids are slightly more sophisticated and thus not as easily offended or frightened by a little blood and gore.
If you feel that this show is inappropriate then by all means don't hire him for your next B-Day party. Just don't try to stop me or anyone else from having the opportunity to engage his services.

Looks gross but I could care less. As long as the kids are not learning bad values I don't care.

Seeing kids with blood all over their faces seems a bit odd.

It's probably more age appropriate than several museum exhibits I've seen, most TV shows, as well as featured books sitting out for little kids to look thru at the book store.

Genius, pure genius.

At a school fundraiser I perform at each year, the most popular room is the "trama" room. The kids love having their arms and heads bandaged and covered in blood. A local doctor provides the gauze and they make the "blood" with food coloring and karo syrup. The kids love walking around grossing out their friends. The fundraiser is typically in the spring, so maybe it's a Halloween fix they're looking for....

Ken

I like the idea of it. So long as everyone knows what there in for. Do you know how popular the haunted houses are around here for even the 6 year olds? It's incredible. They can't take people's money fast enough. One of them is open year round now AND hosts birthday parties!

I believe that David performs Dr. Blood on the KidAbra Halloween DVD set, from what I've read of the ads, if anyone wants to see it in action.

- Donald

David is very smart in this. He plays silly BILLY for all the little kids. But once a kids gets say around 8 or older they don't want siily billy, however they would love to have dr. blood. It has to be totally different or they will say " you are silly billy". So it has to be totally different.

He has done very well with this!!

Ken

When I saw the pictures of the children with blood all over them, I was really surprised. It didn't offend me, I just find it hard to believe that most parents want their children to be a part of that. I wonder if all of the childrens parents know what kind of show their child will see? I always heard in the magic community that when doing children shows, to be cautious about using knives, or fire, things that the kids may go home and try later. I'm talking about very young kids. Are there any magicians out there with a story about something like this happening?

David is very smart in this. He plays silly BILLY for all the little kids. But once a kids gets say around 8 or older they don't want siily billy, however they would love to have dr. blood. It has to be totally different or they will say " you are silly billy". So it has to be totally different.

He has done very well with this!!

Ken

The Show is indeed brilliant, tells a story and is surprisingly gentle. A modern day spook show for kids.
Mark

Right on Ken.
I don't see anything wrong with Dr Blood.
Go look in a halloween store and take a good look at 90% of the stock.
Take note of the young kid and parents that are in the store to buy costumes.
Kids love that stuff, even the young ones.
Silly Billy is a pro and knows his stuff.
Richard.

David and I once talked about this. Not only do the parents KNOW...they're thick in the middle of it! He gets called back by the same families (and killer referrals) year after year after year. Do you REALLY think that parents pay his monster fee then leave without ever knowing what's going on in the room? Really?!?

For one thing, you have to remember that this is New York we're talking about. Would it play in Arkansas or the Carolinas? Who knows! I wish I had the guts and personality to try it! But in New York, he ROCKS!

He also plays the character for the 8 and up crowd...you know, the kids who LOVE Hallowe'en and Freddy Krueger and Jason. The kids who go out of their way to discover new sources and uses for various body fluids, gels and gases! His "Dr. Blood" show is filled with the Late Friday Night horror stuff that I practically worshipped as a 10-year-old. I grew up with Ghoulardi on Cleveland TV...and David is MILD compared to Ghoulardi.

Look...it's simple...if you don't know the guy's market or technique beyond a few pics, don't knock it. I'm a David Kaye fan for life...because he knows what his market wants and he delivers.

And about the blood...it's a special David Kaye concoction that washes out of clothes without the faintest hint that it was ever there. This man is a kidshow genius. Period!

Donald, you're right, as usual! He does perform a segment of his Dr. Blood show on the KIDabra Halloween DVD. Once you see it, you'll go, "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh! Now I get it!" As for the politically correct "If you do it the kids will do it" crap: Over 50 years of the Three Stooges, Abbott & Costello, The Bowery Boys, and Laurel & Hardy
and the population continues to climb. If our kids can survive the "Jacka$$" fools, what do I have to worry about? GEt real!

Skip

The character is called Dr BLOOD. People know what they are getting!

Yes, David did a version or portion of his Dr. Blood character at KIDabra, that went over well, and what Ken Scott said above is abosultely right. The parents and kid absolutely love this character Dr. Blood. Rather than lose the well paying client due to the age of the child, they now have him come back for several more years as the evils Dr. Blood doing gross out magic and blood effects like needle through tounge.

It's a genius idea and accepted very well. As a matter of fact, the halloween season is a top selling season for performing a themed show. Just take a loook at the many thousand of spooks shows, horror haunted houses, and haunted hay rides that crop up every year. Look at the numbers of the people that attend and the ticket prices. Tens of thousands of dollars are made in a single day. Who pushes the Moms to go to these things... the KIDs.

I notice you are in Memphis TN, Well in Gatlingburg, TN there are at least four haunted houses year-round, WHY, because they are money makers and people like to be scared.

It's also OK if you choose not to do this. Myself, I run a Spooktacular Halloween Funf raiser show every year. John Kaplan and Eddy Wade sell a program for those who want to just this... Make money during the Halloween season.

See:
http://www.fundraisingentertainment.com/
http://www.wademagicproducts.com/HalloweenShowKit.html
http://www.fundraisingmagic.com/upgrade/index.asp
http://www.fundraisingmagic.com/upgrade/stagefright.htm

I just wish I would of thought of this. Genius.

What's Wrong with:
Dr. FrankingGoul
Dr. Igore
Dr. Gore
Dr. Horror

And many others.

I agree that Dr. Blood is a tremendous concept (one that I could never pull off in my wildest dreams). But I don't want to give the person who originated this post the wrong idea. There is a limit when it comes to entertaining kids (especially young ones) and you need to really know what you are doing when you implement a show like this. Take a look at David Kaye's full performance and spend some serious time analyzing what he does and WHY he does it. It is the psychology of the show that is genius. Just my opinion.

Kent

Prof. Plasma!
Steve V