Did you know there is such a thing as a celebrity stylist? This is someone who advises a famous person about fashion trends, clothing styles, colors and make-up.   Essentially the stylist helps the celebrity create his or her personal “look.” This individual may be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to work with

  Every now and then I find myself baffled by response to a new idea.  There are times when something I think is terrific gets a weaker reception than I expect. There are other times when reception is much stronger than I expect. This Mouse To Cheese routine fits the later category. I demonstrated it

  Recently I dug out a prop I had not used for several years.  It is a production box, called the “Hank Box,” made by Joe Eddie Fairchild.  It allows for a huge production of silks.  We created a presentation, using that prop, that played extremely well.  In fact, it may have been one of

  When Mary and I work in the dealer room at magic conventions, a question we often hear is, “What color is best?”  When purchasing sponge balls people might say, “You have so many colors, what color would be best for me?”   When considering the purchase of a backdrop they say, “What would you

I admit that I had nearly forgotten about this routine.  There was a time when I used it in nearly every show.  Then it was time to do new things in the show so this routine went to the shelf. In designing our programs for Storybook Island theme park, I remembered this routine and dug

  Remember that short is better than long (and often harder to do).  The best patter is brief and to the point.  Long and boring tend to go together.  A  show is better with ten tricks that are presented in an uncluttered and upbeat style than it is with 5 tricks that are extended to

I am always looking for good audience participation effects.  This is a routine built around an idea Karrell Fox taught me.  It was his concept to produce a big sponge ball from a silk (as will be described).  I applied it as an ending to a standard “sponge balls to the ends” trick.  The result

Do not look down on it. The fact that some in magic avoid the Square Circle because they think “anyone can do it”  should be ignored.  Those who think that, to prove you are a good magician everything you do must involve a sleight or a move, are wrong.  An important aspect of magic is

A good illusion can have a price tag on it that is equivalent to the cost of a small car.  Most of us cannot afford to go out and pay cash for a car, nor can we afford to own five or six cars at the same time, so how can we afford illusions? This

The Liquid Suspension is a baffling trick.  Jeff McBride has mentioned that it is one of his favorites. It may be that, because it is an old trick, it is overlooked by modern magicians. Along with being clever, the effect is also unusual. It is not a production, vanish, or restoration. It appears to be