Update From The Steampunk Illusionist

I know I've been kind of quiet lately, but that has only been here. I've been busy working on the show and performing the Steampunk Illusionist Show. As with many projects, this one is in a constant stage of development. We are 'growing' the show as I type this. We will be adding many new things to the show, from new routines and new illusions, to new products to sell after the show.

One of the new routines in the show is our Spirit Cabinet, right from the playbook of Anna Eva Fay

herself. Actually, the Spirit Cabinet will also be the backbone of another show we are creating that is about ghosts and spirits! But we will include the Spirit Cabinet in our other shows as well. We had a great time presenting it during October for many of our Halloween shows. For those unfamiliar with a Spirit Cabinet, here is the basic effect. A medium, in this case my assistant Denise, is tied to a chair  She is placed in a trance so that in this state she can summon spirits of the dead. A table with a bell, tambourine and other objects sits next to her and a curtain goes around the medium. As soon as she is out of site, the bells ring, tambourine shakes and other odd manifestations occur. The moment the curtain is opened, the medium is found to still be in a trance state, still tied securely as before. It's quite an amazing presentation.

There are other new effects in the show as well, but I'll share those at a later date. For now, I would like to share with you an updated promotional video of the show. It's fairly short, and shows clips from different performances. We tried to give it an old timey feel by using an aging filter. I'm not happy that Youtube made me change the music. I had paid for the music I originally had, but for whatever reason, they would not allow it. The music that is on there is similar however to what I had. I hope you enjoy the video!

The Steampunk Illusionist Returns!

I feel as if it has been a very long time since I stepped on stage as The Steampunk Illusionist. It's actually not been that long, but with the passing of my Father, time seems twisted and unfamiliar. That being said, The Steampunk Illusionist DID return to the stage this week. We had the honor of performing at the Locust Shade Park Amphitheatre in Triangle VA. It's a wonderful venue that holds up to 600 people. The audience is covered as is the stage, but with the hot August days, it can still be a challenge, and it was.

The temperature was in the 80s the day of the show. Though we were doing the smaller version of the

show, there is still a lot involved in the set-up. We planned a rather ambitious show that we felt would be received enthusiastically. Imagine our surprise when we arrived to find we left our closing effect at home. That situation was a crushing moment as we had worked so hard on this new ending to the show.  We had all the other parts to the closer, including new costumes and such, but the one key piece we needed was missing. So, we quickly had to reorganize the order of the show. We chose to close with our signature Traveling Bottle and Glass routine. This effect is a popular one among stage magicians, but almost everyone I have ever seen perform it does the exact same routine. Now, there is nothing wrong with the original routine, but we wanted something a little different. Our routine uses two people and has a lot of extra comedy due to the antics of my assistant Denise.

We had a couple new routines in the show which I was very proud of. One is an effect with several feathered plumes. The plumes magically change color, again and again. I think it may be my new favorite routine. The other new addition was the Silk Pedestal which dates back to the Victorian era and plays very nicely. I believe that I am going to expand on this routine and make it more of a feature.

The show also included my Steampunked Disectolator illusion, where my arm gets cut into three pieces. And we also do a wonderful effect with three borrowed finger rings that appear in a most impossible location. All in all, we presented 12 routines in our 45 minute show.

There are more new routines that will be going into the show soon. One which is based on a real Civil War era spy! 

The Magic of Maro - Victorian Magician

A couple weeks ago now, I drove to Leland Michigan. It's about 800 miles from where I live and it's on the western side of the state. The area is beautiful, the lakes are breathtaking, and the people couldn't have been nicer. But I was there not to visit but for work. I had been hired to do a couple magic shows and to present a lecture on a magician who died over 100 years ago. Not a well known magician either.

I was instantly intrigued by this magician named Edward Maro. I knew little of him. Actually, one thing I did know was that a huge boulder marked his grave in St. Charles Illinois and it had fallen over at some point. Fellow magician and magic historian Terry Evanswood set out to have the boulder uprighted and had a better foundation placed to hold the boulder in place, this he did several years ago.

But beyond that, I was not familiar with Maro. I did some initial research and I realized I did know a little more about him because I had seen his posters. What his life and career were like I didn't have the faintest. So enter Leland Michigan. I was contacted by a fellow from the Old Art Building, which is sometimes called The W.T. Best Theatre. Turns out, W.T. Best was the real name of Edward Maro. Maro's wife had the building built after his death in 1908 and it was dedicated to him. Well, the folks at the Old Art Building along with the Leelanau Historical Society were interested in seeing if I could do a presentation on Maro. You see, on the side I'm known as 'The Magic Detective', and I enjoy searching out old forgotten magic history mysteries. So the Maro challenge sounded like fun.

After months and months of research, I created a 45 minute power point presentation. This included

photos of Maro, photos of some of Maro's contemporaries, pictures of Maro's many posters, and a few surprises like images of his props that I discovered during my research. The lecture itself would also include MAGIC, the same kind Maro would present if he were alive. One routine in particular was Maro's, called The Maro Spirit Slate trick. Two absolutely ordinary antique school slates are shown on both sides to be blank. A piece of chalk is placed between them and they are handed to a member of the audience. A number is chosen by another spectator and the chosen number mysteriously is found to be written on the slates. I actually incorporated this into another routine called The Spirit Dial. I knew Maro presented the Spirit Dial, though his exact presentation is unknown.

How,  you might wonder did I know what kind of magic was performed by Maro. Well, mainly through three sources. 1 His elaborate full color posters. 2. A program of Maro's that exists to this day. 3. A smaller program of his that I found within an old magic periodical. These sources helped to point me in the right direction. In the case of the Spirit Dial, there is a photo of Maro's dial in the multi-page program. In the case of the Spirit Slate Trick, I found that referenced in the smaller program and then discovered an actual description of the trick in an older magic magazine from the early 20th Century. The detective work was fun though frustrating at times.

I dug up quite a bit of information on Maro that had not been previously covered in old magic magazines. To my surprise, Kim Kelderhouse of the Leelanau Historical Society also turned up a bit of previously unknown information, which she shared with me at the conclusion of my lecture.

Let me say, I had a wonderful audience for the lecture, they were clearly interested in the subject and the added mix of magic on my part made the event entertaining as well as educational. Oh, and I did present a short Hand Shadow Act in the middle of the lecture as I knew Maro too relied upon Hand Shadows in his presentations.

I had a wonderful time sharing what I had learned about Maro with the residents of Leeland. And now, to my surprise I just found out some more cool Maro stuff from a fellow magic historian. This will have to be added to the file in the event there is a Maro Lecture Part 2.

Radio Interview This Sunday on Magic History

Besides being The Steampunk Illusionist, I'm also known as The Magic Detective. This is the name I use on my blog all about the world of magic history. If you read any of my blogs, you'll notice that magic history creeps into all of them from time to time.

This Sunday, January 18th, I'll be interviewed for an internet radio show called Spacedoutradio.com.
I will be talking about magic history and Houdini. It should be lots of fun and if you can't stay up till 10pm Pacific Standard Time, then you can always wait for the replay, which I'll post on here the moment it is up.

A Few Questions About My Steampunk Magic Props

I've gotten a few questions about my magic props of late that I'd like to address here. The first one came from someone who is not in the magic world, but I liked the question.The others were from magicians, so I hope you enjoy my answers.

1. Why don't you paint your props like other magicians with red/black and dragons on it? This was

a popular trend for a long time, too long in fact. I think it was also part of what killed apparatus magic. Performers like Okito, Fu-Manchu, Chung Ling Soo and others who presented an asian style act, had their props decorated to look like they came from their respective countries. Often there was a dragon or chinese letters written on them. This was done for a specific act and they were generally very tastefully and artfully designed. But magic dealers (those folks who sold magic props) for whatever reason thought this was popular among ALL magicians so they began producing these types of things. Unfortunately, when the magic dealers recreated these props, they didn't have either the skillset or talent for design. The props themselves were well made, but they dropped the ball in the finishing. What is sad is the paint was applied skillfully, but the designs and stenciling were ugly. This all started in the early part of the 20th Century and continued until the late 20th century. It was in the 80s and 90s that the wheels came off and rather than put Asian designs on the props, some dealers painted the magic apparatus in circus colors and/or stenciled other designs on them that really made no sense. It was awful with no sense of style. In my case, I usually repainted my props anyway to suit my style. When I started moving to a steampunk act, I really altered the look of my props.

2. Why steampunk? I didn't always know what steampunk was, but I always had a keen interest in the designs of steampunk. I just didn't know there was a word for it. When I saw that there was this whole steampunk culture out there, I found that it was the perfect marriage for my kind of magic because I would be mixing science fiction, time travel, crazy inventions, victorianism together with magic. Much of magic is still highly influenced by the Victorian age because that is when many of the coolest effects and props were created. Sadly, for 40 years or so magicians have frowned upon the use of apparatus, mainly because the stuff looked so bad and they also didn't like the fact that a prop was given credit for the magic they created. I always found that the right presentation could make anything relevant and popular. Changing magic props into steampunk devices and such automatically pointed the way for solid routines. The prop made sense because the presentation made sense and all of a sudden old forgotten apparatus magic was alive again!

3. Steampunk designs often feature gears and cogs but your stuff has none of that. Why? True,

none of my current props have gears and cogs but that's only because I've not found the right use for them.
I don't want to put a gear on my prop simply for decoration. Gears and cogs have a function, they turn
and cause something else to turn or move. If I use a gear or cog I'd like the audience to see all of these
things moving, just as they'd see any clockwork device moving. I do insinuate clockworks into some of the props through cranking and ratcheting sound effects. But trust me, eventually I will have a clockwork type effect in the show.

4. Should everyone do steampunk? NO!!!! Hell no!!! This is the problem with magic as a rule, no one has an ounce of creativity and they just go with the latest trend until they run it in the ground. For the record, I didn't go after steampunk because I saw another magician doing it. In fact, when I started to get involved with steampunk, I checked to see if there were magicians using steampunk and almost decided NOT to do it because I found a couple who were. Ok, I'll give you the whole story. I found out there was a duo in Las Vegas about to do a big illusion show using Steampunk and I decided not to go with it. But then their show closed very quickly and that seemed to be the end of it. So I thought about it some more and realized that it was a perfect fit for me. I wasn't doing it because it was popular but because it fit my personality perfectly.

I think one thing the steampunk genre does is point out that there are other ways to go besides decorating your props with red/black and bad stenciled designs. And there are far more design schemes besides just steampunk. Here are a few examples of design ideas: Aviation design, lots of aluminum and rivets and gauges and propellers, that's cool. Race Car design: If you thought of your props as being built by a Formula 1 Race team, how would they look? Or what if a NASCAR Team built your prop, how would it look? Futuristic Design: This could go lots of different ways, you could go with a very streamlined design with lots of curves and colors like white, silver, gold and other metallic colors. OR you could go after a prop design right from the NASA launchpad. There are countless ways to go with futuristic.  Then you've got the RETRO LOOK. RETRO DESIGN could be anything from a 1930s Art Deco Look, 1950s Look, a 1970s look and so forth. Don't just do steampunk because you saw someone else do it.

Final Thoughts. Adding a unique design to your props is a great way to go to stand out from the crowd. If you are looking for inspiration, go to a furniture store, go to Target, go to IKEA, check out some of the modern designs that are being produced today. It's an amazing time to find incredible design concepts.

Once you've settled upon a design them don't stop at just the props. Consider your costuming and also consider something sorely forgotten, the scenery. Magicians very rarely have scenery, yet most stage plays, musicals and other theatrical shows have scenery. Even standup comics when they perform at theatres often have cool scenery. THIS should be the new trend more so than decorating props. Decorating your backgrounds!!! Rather than performing against black, or a curtain, create an actual set for your show. There is a trend among family style performers to use custom backdrops and this is a great idea. A great resource for backdrops and custom backdrops is http://www.showbackdrops.com/  My friend Mark Daniel was one of the leaders in using custom backdrops at his shows. He has a new backdrop made for every show he does. The backdrop serves a number of purposes. For one, if you have your name/logo on the backdrop it serves as advertising and branding. For two, it does act as your scenery, or at least the main part of your scenery. For three, it makes you look more professional. Most folks who use one of these portable backdrops only use one throughout the whole show. But I think if you're doing a stage production, you could actually use several throughout your show in an effort to 'change the scene'. Ok, that might be more than you can handle, but it's something to think about!

By the way, the photo at the top of the page is my steampunked 'Sawing a Spectator in Half' Illusion.

Hmmm, One More Thing. I didn't mean to poo-poo the apparatus magic of Okito and others at the start of the article. Their creations were incredible. It's just that the dealer items that followed for years and years tried to continue the same type of design scheme but they were usually poor recreations as far as design. They were well built items, just poorly decorated. NOW, having said that, if you are doing a themed act of some kind and the Asian designs work for you, I would like to give a plug to a modern day creator of those effects. Norm and Lupe Nielsen of NielsonMagic build faithful reproductions of many of Okitos props. In fact, Norm was actually taught personally by Theo Bamberg, the man who was OKITO. So if you are interested in obtaining a HIGH quality piece, you must visit their website at http://nnmagic.com/magicitems/okitonielsenpage.htm

Another Steampunk Magic Illusion

In the world of magic, the term 'illusion' usually stands for a large effect using a person or large animal or other large object. The term 'illusionette' is kind of an odd term which is basically means a smaller illusion.

I just finished building a wonderful piece that was the creation of Larry White. It was a chore to build and I in no way did all the work myself. My father and I did the construction and I couldn't have done it without his help. It was a tricky piece to fabricate.

I'm calling mine The Disectalator, a Very Dis-Arming Illusion. I chose to go with a more subdued steampunk look. Not an over the top steampunk appearance on this one. It has one gauge which I think looks really incredible. I found this gauge on eBay. The folks I got it from also have a store called www.VintageWireAndSupply.com. They've got incredible electrical parts and devices to really take anything and give it a vintage appearance.

Other than the gauge, the only other steampunky looking thing were the bolts that adorn the top edge of the box and the lower section as well. These were all decorative, none of them actually serve a real purpose. I added brass corners onto the lower box and the upper box as well, just to give them a bit more Victorian look.

After working on this piece I came upon an idea for a slightly different illusion, so in the near future I'm going to be rebuilding the upper box for a new effect (which I'm not going to divulge right now).
The effect if you are not familiar is, the magicians arm is pushed through the upper boxes so that his/her hand comes out the far left end. Two metal blades are pushed thru the box dividing it into three sections and then the middle is pulled up, or zig-zaged as it were. The zig zaging can be seen below, minus the arm. I can't take the photo and be IN the prop, lol. I hope you enjoy it. Once the second version is complete, I'll post an image of that as well.

MORE: One of the joys of steampunk work for me is a project never quite seems to be done. Just when I think I've completed it, I find something I can add or replace to make it even cooler. In the case of this prop, I decided very shortly after taking the photos to add one more thing, really to balance out the prop. The right box has a gauge, the middle box has the handle, but the left box had nothing, so I added something to it. It also helps the routine as now the valve handle seems to serve a function, though in truth, that is an illusion

Building Steampunk Magic Props

One of the most common, and frankly frustrating, things I hear from magicians after they see my show is, "WOW, that was a really cool approach, I want to do that." Uggh. I'm by no means the first or last magician to incorporate Steampunk into his act, but the fewer of us there are, the better. Still, there are some who are not really interested in transforming into an entire 'steampunk show' but rather would like to have one really cool prop. So I'll give you some tips.

The prop at the top of the page began as something known as a Handkerchief Box or Jap Box. It's a
very old trick, but this one was built by me and my Dad, mostly my Dad on this piece. It was actually built for something other than making handkerchiefs appear and vanish. The one thing that makes it unique is it has one of those 'crank-noise- toys that you see around New Years that people use to make all sort of racket. One of those was built into the box so that when the handle is turned it gives a good loud ratcheting sound.

When I decided to move into Steampunk, this was one of the first props I chose to refit. It was a gradual process. The first alteration was adding a top to the box with a brass handle. Next I added a gauge on the side along with some buttons and knobs. I also took some fake leather and put that on each corner of the box along with some decorative brass tacks.

That was stage 1 and it stayed that way for a while. But I wanted it to be more animated and I eventually found a small toy that lit up and made sound. I gutted the toy, meaning I removed all the lights and electronics and put them into my box. This required a bit of soldering the first time around, but I was game for anything. I wanted the lights to really stand out, so I took three small gumball prize containers and mounted them onto the top of the box. The lights would go inside these plastic containers. I got the idea for these three roundish looking gumball prizes from the movie The Time Machine (see photo). I was afraid they'd look too much like  gumball prize containers, so I decorated them slightly by adding a large blue bead inside and putting one of those decorative brass tacks in the top. To my surprise, when I first mounted the containers onto the wooden box, the glue created a haze like finish inside the containers. This only helped it look more unique, so it was a lucky accident.

The prop remained this way for sometime, until I found some brass corners at Home Depot. Adding these to the four top corners finished the prop off nicely. I really thought I was finished at this point, but as fate would have it, that was not quite the case. Through use, one of the knobs broke off and the sound and light gimmick eventually died on me. This meant I had to replace them. Thankfully, the light/noise toys were cheap and fairly easy to install. As I was making the repairs, a friend was working on a disc drive and he had all these parts he was going to throw away. I quickly snagged the parts and added a number of them to the prop. These final additions really took the piece over the top.

Below is a video snippet showing the moving parts and the sounds and lights. Feel free to use this as inspiration, but DO NOT COPY MY PROP!!!! And if you're looking for places to find these unusual steampunk accessories, follow the link for an eye opening experience. http://steampunk.wonderhowto.com/inspiration/28-most-popular-steampunk-materials-your-local-hardware-store-0141461/

The Steampunk Illusionist Expands

As the summer progresses, we are gradually converting more and more material to fit in the Steampunk Illusionist Show. Some routines need no alterations, like the routine seen above, which is an interactive piece with the entire audience. Other things like our Broken Glass Illusion, needed just a slight bit of alteration.

With the Broken Glass Illusion, we added a 'steam' effect to the routine and also changed the outer look of the prop, slightly. The steam billowing out from the box was even more amazing than I expected. I will need to run a better system of pipes within the prop in order to distribute the steam better. I like the single corner pipe but I'd like to move it to the center (a suggestion of my assistant Denise) and also better fill in the inside of the box as well. Below is a photo of the steam control panel which we opted to put on the side of the box rather than putting it upon the face. (see below)

The effect is similar to the Blade Box but with very large shards of broken glass taking the place of the old metal blades. We've done the routine for many years with the regular blades but then in 2005, added the broken glass. Using the glass instead of blades changed the routine from a kind of standard magic illusion into a very intense and dramatic routine. Some might actually say 'too intense', lol. The steam addition will probably take that level on intensity down a notch, but at the same time increase the overall production values in the routine. Anyway you slice it (pun intended), it's a strong piece of illusion magic.

More Steampunk Magic Props

I have been feverishly working to get new props built and old ones refurbished for my upcoming tour that starts soon (in days). I've attached two images for you to enjoy. The top photo is a refurbished prop that I call 'The Temporal Generator'. This is a rather clever device, whatever is placed inside can be instantly sent back in time or ahead in time. To prove it, I borrow a shoe, place it into the box and send it back in time. Then moments later I bring it back, but apparently something goes wrong and a different shoe ends up in it's place. The borrowed shoe then is discovered in an impossible place with a note from the past!

The next is a neck stock for a routine which was a Sword Thru the Neck Illusion. I won't be using a
sword, but I will have a long metal device that will go into the stocks while someone wears it. The device came out splendidly.

The real difference between the two props is that first one, the Temporal Generator, has lights and sound effects. The Neck stock has no lights or sound effects but you see the magic as it happens. Whereas in the first routine, the magic moment is somewhat delayed. So both have something unique about them and both should be wonderful additions to The Steampunk Illusionist Show.

Refurbishing Props for the Steampunk Magic Show

I love the DIY aspect of steampunk. For the new show, I've taken a number of props and redone them in a different style. Some are very steampunk, some are just Victorian. The first is a rectangular box which holds a wooden die. The original effect came out back in the 1860s. But for whatever reason, a lot of the boxes are poorly decorated and often very cheesy.

The one I had was black with some sort of Asian motif stenciled on in gold. The die that was with it was silver. In a word, it was awful. I decided that in order to even consider using it, I'd have to redo the whole thing, which meant stripping all the paint off the box and the die. Thankfully, underneath all the paint was actual wood. Once I had it all sanded down I then stained it. There were some unusual imperfections in the wood grain that gave a really wild look to one of the doors and the back of the prop.

The stain made a huge difference in the appearance. But the silver die would not do, so I decided to paint that an off white, actually an antique white color. The new die color went perfectly with the new color of the box. When I put it all back together, it looked so much better. I did have one issue, the dots on the die. I used a paper black paper dot, but I didn't have enough to finish the whole die. I couldn't seem to find any dots at Office Depot or Staples or Walmart or anywhere. Thankfully a search only turned up black vinyl dots, perfect!

I also ordered a couple other accessories, handles and feet for the box. I knew these would help to punch up the look even more. Though I wasn't going for a steampunk look, I did want a Victorian look to the box. The final result can be seen below. It really wasn't difficult at all to completely change the look of this prop.

I'm currently working on another piece that I will be steampunking. When it's finished I'll post the before, during and after photos here.

Happy Easter! And a Little History On Magic Rabbits and Eggs

First, HAPPY EASTER!!!!

Second, I'm not sure what Rabbits and Eggs have to do with Easter? But, I do know what the connection is to magic.

Of course, the Rabbit has become an iconic image often associated with the magician. This dates back to the 1800s. The first magician to 'pull a rabbit from a hat' was possibly a man named Louis Apollinaire Christian Emmanuel Comte, known as 'The Kings Conjurer'. Born June 22, 1788 in Geneva Switzerland, Comte became a popular Parisian performer. One of his more famous effects was borrowing a hat and producing various objects from it.

John Henry Anderson

However, The Great Wizard of the North, John Henry Anderson, is credited with popularizing the effect of a rabbit from top hat. If his advertising is any indication, Anderson not only pulled a single rabbit from a top hat but actually several! How or why this imagery of a rabbit and top hat become so associated with magicians, I'm not quite sure. Afterall, there are countless other wonderful effects that magicians have done but the rabbit/hat has stuck in the minds of audiences as meaning MAGIC.

Interestingly, even in the 21st Century, the image of top hat and rabbit is associate with magicians, even though hardly any magicians wear top hats (except for us Steampunk types, and some kid-show magicians) and very few even use rabbits. In fact the United States Govt has made it very difficult for magicians to use rabbits which is a story for another time.

Fawkes

NOW let's look at the EGG. When you see an egg you don't think of magic or magician, but magicians have been using them for hundreds of years. In the 1700s a magician named Isaac Fawkes was a popular 'Slight of Hand-Man'. He performed at Fairs and Festivals in Europe and was known to conjure with eggs. He might have been the creator of the early Egg Bag, which can be seen in the image to the left. The Egg Bag was a cloth bag that could be turned inside and out and yet produce egg after egg after egg and eventually a live chicken.

A little more than 100 years later, the Egg Bag remained in the repetoire of magicians though it had gone through some changes. Max Malini introduced a bag which was much smaller and used only a single egg. The productions and vanishes of the egg became even more mysterious and impossible in his hands.

An interesting combination of the top hat and eggs occurred in a trick called 'Boy, Girl and Eggs'. It began with the magician getting two volunteers onstage, a boy and girl. An empty top hat was displayed and the magician would reach inside and produce an egg. This egg would be handed to the girl who was instructed to give it to the boy to hold. Then another egg was produced and the same procedure followed. After 5 or 6 eggs the boy found it rather difficult to hold onto the eggs and the comedic moment kicked in. The magician and girl acted oblivious to the boys dilema while the audience forgot about the incredible countless production of eggs from an empty hat and instead focused on the boy struggling to hold onto the eggs. Needless to say he would eventually drop one here and there. Both David Devant and Howard Thurston made this routine popular in their respective shows.

Today, egg tricks can still be found in the world of magic. One of my personal favorites was demonstrating the true strength of an egg by wrapping it in a cloth and having a spectator try and crush it with the grip of their hand. If done correctly, the egg will not break! But in my routine, it never failed that the spectator would break the egg and ruin my cloth handkerchief. So I would snap my fingers and remove the egg, completely restored and intact! Then I would break it into a glass to prove it was real! Most of these tricks have their origins in the Victorian Era but good magic still captivates even today!

Fun Magic From the Steampunk Illusionist Show

Here is a classic piece of magic that we call 'The Traveling Glass and Bottle'. Every act I've ever seen does this exactly the same, which is the Ken Brooke routine. And there is nothing wrong with that because it's a wonderful routine. I think my friend Denny Haney does the best version of the Ken Brooke routine. But we wanted something different, so this was our solution. This footage is from several years ago before we had created the Steampunk Illusionist Show, but the routine and music is the same, only the costumes are different today.

Houdini & Fatty Arbuckle Share a Birthday March 24th

Seeing as they both were born in the Victorian Era, I think it's safe to include them on my Steampunk blog. Houdini was born March 24th 1874 in Budapest Hungary. Fatty Abuckle was born March 24th, 1887. I'm going to include a blog article that I wrote several years ago which will give you some biographical information on the two men.


We all know it's Houdini's birthday. But did you also know that Rosco 'Fatty' Arbuckle was born on this day in 1887?  Fatty Arbuckle was a pioneer comedian during the Silent Film era. He holds the distinction of being the first person to be hit with a pie on film! When newcomer Charles Chaplin was hired by Mack Sennett to replace a comedian who had just left, Chaplin borrowed the pants of none other than Fatty Arbuckle to help create his character 'The Tramp'.

Houdini and Fatty actually had a fair amount in common. Fatty Arbuckle began his career in Vaudeville as a singer and dancer. Houdini of course was the King of Vaudeville Entertainers. In the book, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle: A Biography Of The Silent Film Comedian, 1887-1933 by Stuart Oderman, he says that early in their careers both Fatty Arbuckle and Houdini liked to sleep at train stations, likely due to the fact they were making very little money in the early days.

Fatty and Houdini have something else in common, Buster Keaton. Legend has it that it was Houdini who gave Keaton the nickname Buster. Well, Keaton was a vaudeville comedian and Fatty brought him out to California to be in one of his films. So it was due to Fatty Arbuckle that Buster Keaton got his start in movies.

Both Houdini and Fatty Arbuckle were fond of performing the East Indian Needle Trick. (ok, maybe not)

In 19212, poor Roscoe Arbuckle got caught up in a Hollywood scandal largely played out in the press. He had been accused of all manner of sexual deviancy, raping and murdering a woman by the name of Virginia Rappe. From what I've read it was untrue. If anything Fatty was the one person trying to get help for the poor woman who had taken ill. But through some false testimony by a very shady woman, Fatty Arbuckle found himself in the midst of hell on earth. His first two trials ended in a hung jury. The third trial, the jury, after six minutes, gave this statement:

"Acquittal is not enough for Roscoe Arbuckle. We feel that a great injustice has been done him. We feel also that it was only our plain duty to give him this exoneration, under the evidence, for there was not the slightest proof adduced to connect him in any way with the commission of a crime. He was manly throughout the case, and told a straightforward story on the witness stand, which we all believed. The happening at the hotel was an unfortunate affair for which Arbuckle, so the evidence shows, was in no way responsible. We wish him success and hope that the American people will take the judgement of fourteen men and women who have sat listening for thirty-one days to the evidence, that Roscoe Arbuckle is entirely innocent and free of all blame."

Hollywood executives, several days following the verdict decided they would take matters into their own hands and blacklisted Fatty Arbuckle from making pictures. Wait? Wasn't he totally innocent? Guess that didn't matter. However, by 1925 Fatty was back, but under an assumed name, William Goodrich, though this time he was not starring in the movies, he was directing them.

Eventually in 1932, the ban was lifted and Fatty was allowed to star in movies again. He was hired to make six two-reel movies. The day after completing them, he died. Like Houdini, he too died young, he was only 46. 

About the woman, Virginia Rappe. She didn't die at the hotel, nor did she die while Abuckle was present. She died four days later in the hospital. The cause of death, peritonitis, just like Houdini.

It's unfortunate that Fatty and Houdini both died so early. I'm sure they both had a lot more entertainment to give the world. In fact, after their deaths, they would be connected one more time, in a movie called Days of Thrills & Laughter.

In any event, Happy 140th Birthday to Houdini 
and Happy 127th Birthday to Fatty.

*One more note about Fatty. This would make Houdini jealous as it seems that Mr. Arbuckle is still fooling people many years after he died. He is listed in a number of biographies as being buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, he is also listed as being buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. The truth however is that he was cremated and his wife scattered his ashes over the Pacific Ocean.

**This is reprinted from themagicdetective.com blog, with 

Magic, Stories and My Steampunk Show

Chaplin & Houdini

I love to use stories in my show, but I use them sparingly. The most popular story based routine that I developed was a story about Harry Houdini and Charlie Chaplin. It has been my favorite magic routine of it's kind and I've presented it thousands of times. It is one of those stories that is fictional but has elements of truth woven into it. It's basically about the generosity of Houdini and how he helped out struggling performers. This much is true. Houdini didn't brag about it either, it was something he did quietly. We continue to expand the routine and the latest version has one of my crew playing the part of Chaplin as the story is told.

My next story based routine that really surprised me was about a magician named Pinetti. Giuseppe Pinetti was indeed a real magician, but the story I created is 100% fictional. The real

Pinetti

Pinetti lived in the 18th Century, and my Pinetti lives in the 19th Century. It was an illustration of the real Pinetti that I found in a magic history book that inspired the story. In the image to the right, Pinetti is shooting a pistol and sticking a chosen playing card to the wall in the process. As I gazed upon the image I began to see something different in my imagination. The two rectangular objects in the back became paintings in my imagination. And the pistol made me think of a robbery. So I created this story of the great Pinetti having to find work as a watchman in an art gallery and confronting thieves who were trying to steal a famous art treasure. Yes, I know, sounds like a stretch! But it plays so well and the magic that is used to push the story forward is subtle but just strong enough to be believable. The story of the Great Pinetti will return to my show Summer 2014.




The next story routine I'm currently developing is about a
guy named Horatio Green Cooke, also known as Harry Cooke.  He lived in the 19th Century, served in the Union Army during the Civil War, met Abraham Lincoln and was a mentor of sorts to Harry Houdini. His life story is fascinating and perfect for my show.

I don't want to give too much away because the complete routine is not finished yet. But I already expect this routine to play very strongly in the show. His life story is an ideal setting for a routine that I have used for years but always presented as a straight demonstration. By sharing a moment from the life of Harry Cooke it will give this routine that little something extra that should make it a stand out piece in my show. And the Cooke routine will also be going right into the Steampunk Illusionist Show as it is a perfect fit for that show!

Steampunk Illusionist Dot Com Is LIVE

After months of design work and integrating a special system into the site, it's finally completed. Though, is anything ever truly done? I know the header is going to be replaced in a few days once I get the new header design back from the graphics firm. And there are some cosmetic changes I'll be making to the body of the site here and there. So, I suppose it's never done, but at least it's up and has officially replaced the old site which was more of a place holder than anything.

We have been scheduling shows for the Steampunk Illusionist for a while. From the start the shows were going to be a three part project. Step 1 was to design a simple show I could take out on my own. Step 2 was to design a two person show complete with at least one big illusion. Step 3 is a much grander project, which is a show which is part play, part magic show. Step 3 has not been accomplished as of yet, we are still writing that show. But the Steampunk Illusionist will still be out there doing shows, making appearances and traveling back and forth in time (part of the show concept).

The site is www.SteampunkIllusionist.com

Steampunk Illusionist Gets New Costumes

I'm not sure what my favorite part of this entire process is, but I'm really enjoying the costume creation. The photo here is actually not one of ours, but it's a fair representation of what we are going for, minus a few of the extra accessories. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the accessories, but we've got to stay practical too because girls need to get in and out of boxes, float in the air and do all the stuff associated with a magic show and then some. Basically, the girls need to be comfortable but have a killer look.

In our show last Saturday, Denise rocked a killer outfit. Do I have photos? NO! And I can't begin to tell you just how frustrated I am about that. Even the video didn't turn out. :(  But trust me, her costume was incredible. My costume was good, but she had the stand out look from my perspective. I'm still trying to get a hat that fits, lol!

Back to Denise, she had on a red corset, long billowy black skirt, black wig, miniature black top hat, white blouse, awesome period looking boots and lace gloves. I had on my long frock coat, a black vest, top hat w/goggles, black pants and spats. It was a good look, the spats really brought it up a notch and together we looked like we just stepped out of a time machine, which was the general idea.

There are more costumes coming in each week. New hats, new accessories, new vintage style shirts and pants. I want to be sure the show is visually interesting on multiple levels and fashion is the one area where most magicians drop the ball. Generally, most magicians are wearing fashion that is out of date. Here is the ironic part, SO ARE WE, but for us, that is the point! It's a themed show, so the costuming plays as big a part as character, props etc. But for other magicians who are wearing styles from the 1990s, they just look out of touch.

I am so happy to have some sort of gadgetry for the show also. And MORE gadgetry is on the way! I've got some work to do on revamping one of our illusions. I'm going to take before and after photos so you can see how we changed it. Until next time...

The Steampunk Illusionist Appears at First Annual Houdini Festival

In a previous blog article I mentioned that we would be debuting the Steampunk Illusionist Act at the First Annual Houdini Festival in Danville VA on Nov 2, 2013. Actually, to be exact, this was the first time the 'two person act' debuted. I've been doing Steampunk material and routines on my own for a while now. The plan has always been to expand the act and to create a much larger and grander show. So this event in Danville was the next step in the process.

My assistant Denise and I presented four routines. The first was a clever interactive piece that as far as I know, I am the only one presenting. The second routine was pure steampunk, using a minature time machine to send several borrowed finger rings back in time and then return to the future in a most unusual place. The third piece in the show was an escape. This was a Houdini Festival after all so we presented a clever escape using a fabric bag and the lovely and talented Denise presented the escape. The final routine was a story based routine of my own about Harry Houdini and Charlie Chaplin.

Our steampunk costumes looked incredible and the comments by the audience, both young, old and those from magicians were all very enthusiastic and positive. Looking forward to the next steampunk show!

Houdini Was a Steampunk Magician Before Steampunk!

For my Steampunk friends, we all know the influence H.G. Wells and Jules Verne had on Steampunk. The Disney 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea movie also had a lot of influence on the genre. Well, imagine my surprise to discover that Harry Houdini was once approached to star in the original silent movie version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. He turned it down because the studio wouldn't pay him enough but it's so wild that he was considered.

Houdini was born Erich Weiss March 24th 1874 in Budapest Hungary. He was alive when Queen Victoria passed away. He began his career in the Victorian Age and blossomed as a superstar during the early part of the 20th Century.

The photos above show a very steampunk looking duo, it's Houdini and his brother Hardeen sporting Top Hats, and not because they were both magicians, but because it was the fashion! And speaking of Steampunk Fashion, look at the Milk Can poster at the top of the page and notice the handle-bar mustaches on the three assistants.

In the world of Steampunk Literature one of the popular themes are mechanical men, or robotic men or steam powered men. Well, it appears that ole Houdini was way ahead of us all. In 1919 he made a movie serial called The Master Mystery in which he played a character by the name of Quintin Locke. He works for the Justice Department and is investigating a cartel  protected by a giant steel Robot.

THAT is a Steampunk Robot if I've ever seen one. In the movie it is referred to as 'The Automaton'. An interesting aside, Houdini got his name from the French magician Robert-Houdin who was a clock maker, magician and builder of automatons.

Now if there is any doubt left that Houdini was a Steampunk Magician, take a look at the poster below for his Water Torture Cell. Unlike the myth popularized in movies that Houdini died performing the Water Torture Cell, nothing could be further from the truth. He presented the WTC for many years and always successfully. That WTC is straight out of the world of Steampunk! And the one piece mens bathing suit also adds a touch of Steampunk as well. It's no wonder I found myself in this genre, I was inspired by one of the true Original Steampunk Magicians!

Steampunk Magic Show by Carnegie Full Steam Ahead!

November 2, 2013, we will be presenting the first official showing of our Steampunk Illusionist Act. I
say act, because we are only doing a short segment as part of the First Annual Houdini Festival in Danville VA. We have three things (maybe 4) in store for the show. One is an escape, the other two are routines we used to do but are being brought back.

One of the routines was the creation of famed director Orson Welles, who was also an avid magician. His creation was later presented by Doug Henning and we presented in our show a few years back for a time. But now,  we have revamped it and made it even better. The routine now has a time travel/teleportation element to the routine which makes it VERY steampunk.

Because this is the Houdini Festival, we will also be presenting one escape in the show. 

Interestingly, during the day, I will be presenting a lecture on Escapes for the magicians who come to the Festival. I'm quite excited by this because these days there aren't many folks teaching this stuff. The Houdini Festival is being put on by magician Wayne Alan who owns the The North Theatre in Danville, VA.  http://thenorththeatre.com/

The Steampunk Illusionist is Taking Shape!

Carnegie: Steampunk Illusionist

This venture into magic + Victorian Futurism has certainly been fun and challenging. But the effort is beginning to pay off. I've been covertly sneaking magic routines for the Steampunk magic show into my regular performances in an effort to get the pieces audience tested. So far, the items that I've been able to work out have gone over incredibly well.

My creative team and I have been brainstorming ideas for this venture and we've actually come up with some crazy ideas that might just turn out to be super cool. The only one I'm willing to reveal is that Carnegie the Steampunk Wizard will be making appearances on The Magic Detective Youtube Show and will be demonstrating Victorian Era magic effects.

When will the Steampunk Illusionist Show debut? It will be a couple months yet until everything is ready. Right now, we're trying to find a new flock of girls to be in the show. They have the unusual position of not only acting as magician's assistants but also minor characters in the show. I think that is one thing that will set this whole venture apart from a typical magic show.

If you like, please go visit www.steampunkillusionist.com. It's still basically a work in progress. I've not made the official announcement about the site yet. There is quite a bit more content to add. But I hope you like what you see.