The past few weeks have been full of magic for me. First I ran into a collection of old magic posters on Pinterest: Sim Sala Bim
That wizard is kind of bored looking considering what just popped out of his cauldron.
This one covered all the bases with devils, imps, and several kinds of birds:
No devils or imps here, but it's plenty spooky. How do you think he pulled off this trick? Mirrors and a head on a string?
Would this sort of devil/imp/floating head imagery make you want to see a magician in person or scare you away? I'd like to get in a time machine and go see Blackstone, because it looks like he'd put on quite a show with all those critters running around. If the posters are any indication, a Kellar show was probably pretty classy.
I was curious to learn more about the men behind these posters. I found some videos that give a short history of Kellar and Thurston. It's amazing what some people go through on their way to the top. Talk about perseverance! Kellar must have been one tough, smart, charismatic man.
KELLAR
THURSTON
I watched some old clips of Thurston performing, but they were pretty grainy. Luckily, the man you just heard from (Jim Steinmeyer) has made another video showing one of Thurston's signature tricks. He also shares a "confidence game" that is a variation of a Thurston trick. Thurston was a con man before he was a magician, so he had a wealth of con knowledge he could apply to his magic. This is pretty cool.
The poster above is one of my favorites, probably because of how mysterious it is. The magician isn't named on the poster, although I read on Pinterest that his stage name was Zan Zig. He's surrounded by flying objects like the classic flowers and doves. I wonder what the significance of the steaming pan is.
Not long after discovering the old magic posters, I watched a David Blaine TV special: David Blaine Real or Magic? You might remember David Blaine as the guy who survived being frozen in a block of ice for over 60 hours. Or you might remember how he somehow lived through being suspended above London in a plexiglass box for 44 days. With no food! He gets through some amazing feats in the TV special too. Here it is for those who missed it:
Most of the acts David performs in this video are done in front of celebrities. They give him a mix of reactions from laughing to crying to running away. I wasn't used to seeing some of these people act so freaked out. Wait until you see Harrison Ford. The show is worth watching for these reactions, no matter what you think of magic.
It's hard to make sense of what you're seeing. I think Ricky Gervais sums it up pretty well at the end of the show. In essence, we wonders what he just witnessed. Was that a trick? It has to be a trick! But how could he have done this? But it can't be real! Back and forth. In the end, he decides that whatever he witnessed was very well done.
Something amazing about David Blaine, aside from his magic tricks, is his attitude. He's very self assured and serious. He always has a confidence that he won't kill himself with these stunts even if everyone around him is cringing. There's a darkness to some of what he does. I can't explain why, maybe it's how he makes things appear on video. Or maybe it's how he doesn't seem to feel any pain or spill blood the way a normal human would. It seems supernatural.
I was reminded of that series of magic posters again during this show, because many of them had a supernatural element. Most of the illustrations on that page showed a little devil or an imp giving the magician their secrets. I could imagine one of these little critters whispering to David Blaine. "Psst... This is how you stick an ice pick through your arm."
I love all the action going on in this picture. It looks like that one little devil is getting its foot and ear ripped off! I just noticed all the little ones propping up the magician's book. I guess those little guys at the bottom are imps, fairies, or leprechauns.
Sometimes the devil is seen as more of an assistant.
Not long after discovering the old magic posters, I watched a David Blaine TV special: David Blaine Real or Magic? You might remember David Blaine as the guy who survived being frozen in a block of ice for over 60 hours. Or you might remember how he somehow lived through being suspended above London in a plexiglass box for 44 days. With no food! He gets through some amazing feats in the TV special too. Here it is for those who missed it:
Most of the acts David performs in this video are done in front of celebrities. They give him a mix of reactions from laughing to crying to running away. I wasn't used to seeing some of these people act so freaked out. Wait until you see Harrison Ford. The show is worth watching for these reactions, no matter what you think of magic.
It's hard to make sense of what you're seeing. I think Ricky Gervais sums it up pretty well at the end of the show. In essence, we wonders what he just witnessed. Was that a trick? It has to be a trick! But how could he have done this? But it can't be real! Back and forth. In the end, he decides that whatever he witnessed was very well done.
Something amazing about David Blaine, aside from his magic tricks, is his attitude. He's very self assured and serious. He always has a confidence that he won't kill himself with these stunts even if everyone around him is cringing. There's a darkness to some of what he does. I can't explain why, maybe it's how he makes things appear on video. Or maybe it's how he doesn't seem to feel any pain or spill blood the way a normal human would. It seems supernatural.
I was reminded of that series of magic posters again during this show, because many of them had a supernatural element. Most of the illustrations on that page showed a little devil or an imp giving the magician their secrets. I could imagine one of these little critters whispering to David Blaine. "Psst... This is how you stick an ice pick through your arm."
I love all the action going on in this picture. It looks like that one little devil is getting its foot and ear ripped off! I just noticed all the little ones propping up the magician's book. I guess those little guys at the bottom are imps, fairies, or leprechauns.
Sometimes the devil is seen as more of an assistant.
That wizard is kind of bored looking considering what just popped out of his cauldron.
This one covered all the bases with devils, imps, and several kinds of birds:
No devils or imps here, but it's plenty spooky. How do you think he pulled off this trick? Mirrors and a head on a string?
Would this sort of devil/imp/floating head imagery make you want to see a magician in person or scare you away? I'd like to get in a time machine and go see Blackstone, because it looks like he'd put on quite a show with all those critters running around. If the posters are any indication, a Kellar show was probably pretty classy.
I was curious to learn more about the men behind these posters. I found some videos that give a short history of Kellar and Thurston. It's amazing what some people go through on their way to the top. Talk about perseverance! Kellar must have been one tough, smart, charismatic man.
KELLAR
THURSTON
I watched some old clips of Thurston performing, but they were pretty grainy. Luckily, the man you just heard from (Jim Steinmeyer) has made another video showing one of Thurston's signature tricks. He also shares a "confidence game" that is a variation of a Thurston trick. Thurston was a con man before he was a magician, so he had a wealth of con knowledge he could apply to his magic. This is pretty cool.
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