270: Apollo Robbins on the Other Side of the Record

When Gregory Wilson opened the can of worms on episode 268, I guess I expected to give voice to the other point of view. But I did not want to be the "Jerry Springer" or "Maury Povich" of the magic world and pit magicians against each other who happen to have a "beef" with the other for "stealing" intellectual property. i still do not want to perpetuate animosity and derision in our community. In fact, I would rather open the floor to discussion about what constitutes thievery versus what is open to "fair use" in the magic world.

Apollo Robbins was at the epicenter of Gregory's accusations and his side needed to be heard. Shortly after the release of Greg's podcast, I spoke with Apollo. He was reluctant at first but after we chatted a bit, he agreed to publicly air his position and left to live on the information highway. But it was with the proviso that The Magic Word Podcast seek out first-hand accounts from those who were mentioned and have their own stories to defend.

So, I want to begin this week with the hope and promise of trying to fairly and diplomatically look for the truth, whatever that is and wherever that may lead. It could be that no one is right or wrong, it is just a matter of one's construct of reality. I will try to contact those mentioned by Greg to see if they will be willing to go on record to present "proof" that Greg was demanding or at least to tell their side of the story. In the end, you can make up your own mind on who and what you believe.

I like the idea of trying to emulate the idea of the wildly successful podcast series, "Serial". While I will not copy their format, I do want to try to get people to speak on the record about the accusations as they relate to Gregory Wilson and, more importantly, to reveal a subject that should be aired in our magic community: theft versus entitlement. You can follow and/or add to the discussion on Twitter by using the hashtag #MagicCereal

Hailed as the greatest pickpocket in the world, Apollo Robbins studies the quirks of human behavior as he steals your watch. In a hilarious demonstration, Robbins samples the buffet of the TEDGlobal 2013 audience, showing how the flaws in our perception make it possible to swipe a wallet and leave it on its owner's shoulder while they remain clueless.

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Magicians' Valhalla

Although the list below is not exhaustive, it does reflect the names of many well-known (and some lesser known) magicians, spouses and assistants who passed on in 2015. Some may not be as well-known to you, but they were my personal friends (hey, it is my blog!). If you are unfamiliar with any of these names, then it would behoove you to do a little online search of what these people have contributed to our craft. If you have someone you think was overlooked, then please post the name in the comments below on this blog.

Those whose names are highlighted were featured or interviewed here on The Magic Word Podcast. You can click on their name to revisit and listen to their voices again.

Claude E. Crowe, Jr.

Amy Dawes

Tim Deremer

Andrea “Andi” Diamond

Dean Dill

Tony Econ

Don England

Lee Grabel

Michael A. Hilburger

Gary D. Jennings

Douglas R. Kornegay

Stan Kramien

René Lavand

Ron London

Father Cyprian Murray

Woodrow “Woody” R. Pittman, Jr.

John J. Randall aka “Johnny Aladdin”

Barrie Richardson

Edward S. Solomon

Donald F. Stiefel

Daniel Waldron

Scott Weston, aka Cashetta

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268: On The Record with Gregory Wilson

Gregory Wilson is a thief.

Most magicians know Gregory from the many original effects he has created that are in the working repertoire of professional close-up magicians around the world. Many know him from his long running column in MAGIC Magazine on Coffee House Conjuring. And many have seen his lectures on Penguin or perhaps live in their own cities or at magic conventions.

But most are not aware that Gregory performs a professional full evening show as a pickpocket and mentalist. In the first half of the show, he steals watches, wallets, belts and eyeglasses and in the second half performs mind reading to the amusement and amazement of all, both his audience and his victims, er, uh, I mean, volunteers.

He is also compiling a book on persuasion and how to get out of speeding tickets that has been long in the works. The video below is a real video from a real policeman who let Greg out of getting a speeding ticket.

Gregory starts off this podcast with a great idea for magicians to try if they are stopped for speeding. He talks about a video he took with his iPhone and posted it on his Facebook page which is posted in this blog above. Gregory also talks about his professional pickpocket show.

The discussion was intended to eventually talk about Wizard Wars and some of the "behind the scenes" stories in the production of the TV series; however, for some reason we "went off the rails" and diverted our discussion to talk about something that he has not ever made public: the assertions that he has stolen ideas/tricks/moves from other people. In private, Gregory is outspoken and has strong views. In this podcast, he finally lets go something that's been bottled up since 2001.

The trick that helps Gregory get out of a speeding ticket (see the video of the police officer in this blog)

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It's not too late to order your Magic postcards to send out to your friends during the holiday season or to send out as a "Thenk You" to your clients who booked you this season.

The thinnest wallet in the world. I have one and recommend that you get one, too. You can thank me later.

212: Talking Trash with Steve Trash

MAGIC Magazine cover boy, Steve Trash, has been my guest in a previous podcast here on The Magic Word. In this podcast, Steve is recorded as he pontificates and waxes eloquent about street magic, character development, and more. He has a lot to say and he says a lot during our chat. This is not "trash talking" in the sports analogy vernacular, but this is Steve Trash doing all the talking and I did most of the listening. Hence, Talking (Steve) Trash..

He was performing in Houston along with Robert Livingston and he stopped by my home to chat and have a martini or two. After asking a couple of questions, I just sat back and listened and learned. It was like a magic mini-lecture...well, maybe not so "mini" as he talked for nearly an hour and a half. Or at least that's all I recorded. There was more before I turned on the recording device. I think this may become one of my more favorite podcasts. Let me know what you think.

Please take a seat, relax, and feel as if you are with us, enjoying a martini and the smooth jazz in the background as we talk about the early history of street magic in New York City (well, in the 1970's), the importance of pauses, performing "jazz" magic, reading the crowd, dealing with hecklers, knowing who you are on stage (your performing persona), and much more.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.