I performed at a Girl Scout banquet last night, and following the show I received probably my favorite compliment. A father came up to me and thanked me for the show, he liked it; the kids liked it. . . Then he told me "you don't do any tricks like the other guys do. Your stuff is different." I thanked him, and then I thought about this on the way home. I truly don't know if "other guys" in my area perform the tricks I do. And that's a good thing. I do what I like and what has proven to get a decent reaction from the audience.

The other thing is, I don't use "box tricks" in my show -- other than a square circle -- and that is custom made. Thus, the magic looking props aren't there. So I guess not having the crystal cylinder, die box, hippity hop rabbits, etc sets me apart from the "other guys". I like that.

Scott
Why did you post that here? Evereybody else here wants to know what everybody else is doing, so eventually all kids magicians will be exactly the same. There is an organization that teaches all of their members to be exactly the same as everyone else. Your desire to be original is quite odd at this forum.

I hope that my sarcastic post is a wake up call to all of those magicians here that are trying to take the easy way out. If you do your homework you can earn the kind of compliments that Scott O does.

Just to be clear. I'm not saying that everything I do is original. Maybe its out of the main-stream of magic, and I do try to put my own spin on the routines. But doing what everyone else is doing, doesn't allow much room to be unique. I don't want to be another magician. I want people to remember ME. That doesn't always happen, but I try.

Scott
How many Axtell, or Wolfe tricks do you do? Do you do Bill Abbotts 5 card opener? How many Barry Mitchell tricks are in your show? How many of the MOST popular magicians tricks do you do?

If you are a magician that calls any of the above mentioned tricks CLASSIC magic please excuse me for talking out of turn.

I love my Axtell puppets and being a vent means my act is going to be different,even if I do use a stiff rope with a puppet, I wonder who first put those two items together? I am now biting the bullet and getting a custom puppet built so I don't get the"ive seen him" line.

Great job Scott.....

Colin
You are right Axtell makes a great puppet.

I'm not against any particular type of tricks. I use Axtell's drawing board and two of his puppets in various shows. I've reworked Bill Abbott's Chico routine to fit me. No Wolf magic -- Nice props, a bit pricey for my budget.

I get ideas where ever great ideas can be found. No man is an island. But, on the other hand, if we all do the "top 40" type tricks we're just a commodity. And one is as good as another. It's really not the tricks but what type of routine goes along with those tricks, --be they boxes or sleight of hand. Although, I think the 'boxes' tend to give a neutral feel to a show. Folks see more magic shows these days, and if you pull out the same strat-o-sphere that the last guy had, it takes something away from your show.

My point was only that I'm attempting to be a name brand, not a generic. And that is a goal that every performer should aspire to. It appears that I'm having some forward progress in that area.

Scott .

Hi Scott.
You've got the right idea, but a brand name comes from your style of performing and how you use the props to entertain your customers.Magic props are just the tool of your trade.
The father who complimented you on your tricks won't remember what you did in the performance, but he will remember you. I wouldn't get too tied up with the tricks (props).
TrickyRicky

I think we're on pretty much the same page on this. I did say earlier that "It's really not the tricks but what type of routine goes along with those tricks..." Which is to say, how you use the props is what is important. And honestly, I'm not hung up on the props. Marvelous entertainment can occur with a rubber band or $1200 Wiz Cote. The same props can be boring in the wrong hands. I don't think anyone would disagree with that.

Obviously, we need to know our craft and be entertaining. While we are doing that, is doesn't hurt to be unique. That's all I was trying to say.

Scott .

My favorites compliment came from a young man of about 10 years old, who said to my wife (not knowing was she was my wife) "I like him...he's funny."
I may not have won the contest that year, but the kid made me feel like I was a winner.

Here are a few of my favourite complimenty kind of comments:

2 mums talking overheard by my girlfriend

"Have you seen Magic George before?"
"no"
"He's very good, quite odd though, my 9 year old says he's a legend"


From phone booking:
"How much? Well, I'll suppose that'll have to do, my daughter saw you four months ago and hasn't bloody shut up about you since"

From a 7 year old to his friend:

"Magic George is the best magician because he's the daftest one"

Of course I get lots of lovely proper compliments as well but I do enjoy the slightly back-handed ones.

Reminds me of a something on of my clients said when I left my job as a counselor at the state prison.(Lansing)

Mr. Deutsch, among all the counselors I have ever had....


you are the wierdest!



Did a few shows there at Graduation from T.C's. Therapeuatic Communities...Men were great and in many ways experiencing their child hood for the first time.


Be safe, well and you!

Harris

Harris
I don't think that anyone here has gotten compliments from prison wardens except you.

I guess your favorite compliment is all relative to the goals you have set. Scott probably had a goal to not only be a competent magician, but one that has a style all his own. To Magicgeorge, being called odd is a great compliment, Harris considers being called weird a great compliment. I agree.

These compliments reinforce that you have succeeded in obtaining your goal.

One time a kid shouted out during my show, “you’re really dumb!” That was a compliment because was I was in the middle of a routine in which I was acting like I didn’t know much (empowering the kids).

One of my favorite compliments comes with no words, the jaw dropping look of wonder and amazement tells me I’ve succeeded in my goal.

Also, I tell all of my customer’s, “You don’t pay a dime until after the show and only if you’re 100% satisfied.” So when my customers give me my payment with a delighted smile on their face (and usually more than the agreed price) that’s my favorite compliment.

My Favourite Compliment is when people rebook me. And to achieve that you have to be a good entertainer. Not a good magician.

I have spent my performing life doing two sorts of effects.

First, those which, in my early days, were classics, used in the UK by everyone I suppose.

Run Rabbit Run, Baking A Cake, The Washing Machine. I'm still doing them.

Interestingly, and presumably because so many did the same at that time, others ceased to use them. For years I seem to have been the only one in my neck of the woods offering these classic effects. So I'm perceived as original.

What's old becomes new again. Think about it.

Second, and right from the time I started, I have always looked for what's old or perceived as 'rubbish'. There's a lot of it about.

Once it was easy in the UK. You went to an Exchange Dealer who offered secondhand props for exchange or sale. One personal visit and you could enquire, handle and weigh up so many effects. Stocks were buoyant and I learnt such a lot.

For example, many people purchase on impulse, expect instant success and when this is not forthcoming abandon the prop which eventually is sold off. Nothing changes, does it?

These days Exchange Dealers are few and far between and to find secondhand props you need to visit magic auctions, of which there are many - some very big all day events. And all evening too, sometimes! That's where you find the old, the outdated and the difficult to use props. Not difficult to pack and transport, nor to handle. Simply difficult for most people to obtain a good reaction.

Magic props are like songs. Some songs can be sung effectively by just about anyone. Others, when you try, seem impossible to sing at all, let alone well. These are the singer's songs.

Those magic props deemed by many as rubbish and not effective will always be good in the right hands. You need experience to spot the potential and to develop the routine which SUITS YOU - probably not the detailed routine which came with the original prop.

At one time most magic props came with a bare outline of the presentation and minimal handling details, just about enough to prevent you damaging the thing. These days people appear to expect a full blown tutor - even a DVD for goodness sake. What does that leave for the performer to input? Where is the imagination?

Or are these effects being put out for the unimaginative clone?

Forget magic. If you are a good performer all you need is to know the bare handling and the idea. Then you build your own routine, and add bits and pieces and or change the artwork. You make it your very own.

And so you reach the point Tricky Ricky raised. You may be doing the sort of effects others do, or would do if they applied this approach to props only seen rarely. people don't notice the props.

Instead people notice YOU, how you come over, how you hold the audience, how you work the audience, how you entertain the audience and how good you are as a performer - not as a magician.

It isn't difficult to be different. But you need to think differently, laterally, out of the box, in order to be perceived as different.

Then you'll get the most rewarding of compliments. They will rebook you!

What is old can be new again.

The moon walk in another form, was seen by this researcher, in a dance done back in the 40's. (maybe even earlier)

Though I love props from a magic store, one can also work with things like a stick, rock or ????

Regarding the wierd, even I have to draw lines. Some of my old material which was "just for me", has been eliminated from the working material.

Harris
"nearly normal"
deutsch

Most recent best compliment, a hug out of no where from one of the girls at a birthday party...