I'm looking for some "tricks" to include in my set that provide a little comic relief. I know of Cody Fisher's "Comedy Confabulation". It not only provides comedy but, actually is a mentalism effect. What other "tricks" are out there that serve the same function?

Thanks in advance, Ted

Almost any effect can be rebuilt to make the audience laugh, but if you are looking for a quick fix, then you should check out John Archer's stuff. When you look in a dictionary under Comedy Mentalism there is a small picture of him there*.

*It depends on the edition. The complete Oxford reference dictionary in the local library has a picture of David Berglas with a clown nose on, but I think it might be a misprint.

Phill

What about "Smart Ass"?

If you want out and out laughs with a medium sized kicker at the end, try Cereal Killer. It's very simple to do and has a minor "this may not work ALL the time" component -- but it gets laughs. Very lightweight...but it's cute.

David

Celebrity Smart Ass is a very good comedy effect.

Educating Archer? John Archer's DVD?

Archer every time.
Only problem is its so good, its hard not to just ape him...

I'm not sure how well these would fit in an otherwise serious show, but you might want to check out routines by Dr. Sigmund Fraud (Terry Noseck). I have a book of his from the early '80s and while the specifics of some of the effects are rather dated I like his ideas. There's a takeoff of "7 Keys to Baldpate" where a spectator is forced at (toy) gunpoint to lock up his wallet in a box and then place all but one of the lock's keys into the box as well. Don't worry about the gun theme - everything's kept light, and there are lots of good (or bad, depending on your point of view) lines to keep things moving.

There is a LOT of room to routine many Bank Nite type routines with some great comedic byplay.

Bryn

Another vote for Celebrity Smart Ass.

Maybe any mentalism can be made comedic if you ask the audience to think of rude thoughts etc...

Making mentalism comedic and adding humor to a mentalism act are two entirely different things.

Robert Nelson wrote what I seem to remember was a three volume set of books on "Comedy Mentalism." I know that they can be located on various dealer's online sites. Although a bit dated, they might offer some useful material.

Mastermindreader, I agree. What I'm trying to do is add something light to my set. I start out with something light. Then I do some serious "mindreading". I'd like to add another light effect to change the pace and then go into my closer.

Thanks all for the suggestions. I'll look at the "Educating Archer" items. I have "Smart Ass", not "Celebrity Smart Ass" and shall look at "Cereal Killer".

However, it still seems as if there are very few "comedy" effects out there. I'm no comedian which is why I am looking for routines with the humor built in.

Thanks all, Ted

Hey Ted

Any effect can be "lightened" to a place in which you can feel that isn't to serious mentalism and gives you laughs while you do the apparent miracles.

I know that you enjoy Technicolor Prediction. That effect gives you a lot of natural moments of laughs. Other effects can be "comical" if you add some jokes and gag lines such as different card effects,mindreading and even psychokinesis ( as Patrick Kuffs does it).
Larry Becker has several "Mental Magic" pieces ( not to serious Mentalism) that has funny premises.

But for me is far more important to be entertaining rather comical. Sure, I use this technique to my performance, but for me my primal goal is be focuses in the creation of mystery. Also in my opinion too much jokes and comical attention can be dangerous to the performance of powerful mentalism.

I cant recommend any of my own material that is "funny" perse, but any creative performer can take any piece and create "Comedy Mentalism"


Best

I have a friend who is a performer and a very good one at that.
he has recently turned to using a lot of gags in his act. Which to be honest, the audience seem to be having a great time laughing.

I often hear them come up to him after his show and say, "your really funny, we loved it".

Nothing wrong with that, that's a nice compliment but not one I aim to get.

I think that gags stratigically pepered throughout your act is a must "for me anyway" but don't over do it if you want to appear to be mysterious.

If I didn't want to appear to be mysterious, I would have become a Magician.

Kindest Regards
Myke Phillips

"I'm no comedian which is why I am looking for routines with the humor built in."

That is a very good thing to know and understand as sadly some people don't. Then they try and be a comedian doing mentalism/magic with painful results.

One of the funniest acts I've seen is Mel Mellers, but that is an excellent example of the fact that Mel Mellers is the comedy and unless you are him, don't go there.

So the aim most of us non-comedians aim for is in injecting naturally occurring humour into our acts and as you are trying to do, lighten the mood a bit. Self-deprecating humour is a great way to cut the ice and come across as a nice guy and win people over.

Shrubsole-

It is beginning to frighten me that I seem to agree with almost everything you've been posting lately.

Your observations about the use of humor are dead on.

Bob

When I started doing shows with even a tinge of mental magic I used an egg bag, which was waved wildly over my head to PRODUCE an egg with a prediction in it. I told my audiences that said egg was delivered overhead by an CIPC (Completely Invisible Psychic Chicken) because the egg appeared from inside a previously empty bag.

It got a great reaction. But it was some time before I started to realize the very real distinction between Mental Magic and actual mentalism. It's impossible to follow the CIPC with the Mother, for example with even a shred of credibility. The audience is expecting a joke and they are going to make one out of whatever you do. The notion of an invisible chicken popping by, complete with SFX to deposit a prediction in my egg bag, makes me smile. But it's not mentalism.

So, as other posters have said, more clearly than I could, comedy grows out of the circumstance. Not the prop.

David

Wow, you took that exact same thought right out of my head (about his thoughts on comedy). I too found myself thinking the exact same thing, feeling the exact same thought - frightening, but true.