294: Jamie Salinas - Half Halloween

Well, we appear to have been off by about a month because we thought May 31st was the halfway point between last Halloween and the next one. But nevertheless, now is the time to work on and start promoting your Halloween services. And what services might those be? Well, it's a perfect time to talk with the things that go "bump in the night". You may not be a mystery entertainer, a bizarrist, or a psychic, but I'll bet that even if you don't utilize any of our suggestions, at least you will be better equipped to know what is "out there".

Jamie Salinas is an award winning Houston, Texas, area magician who has been a business partner of mine for many years. As "Top Talent Productions" and following the closure of The Magic Island, we used to produce magic shows in a five star hotel in downtown Houston featuring magicians from across the country. But during the month of October for the past eight years, we have produced seances in an old downtown bar (established in 1847) that is said to be haunted. During our chat, we often refer to a mini lecture we gave a couple years ago and posted in a September 2014 podcast which you can find here. We also talk about our set of PDF Lecture Notes (Creating the Paranormal Experience) which you can order for ten bucks here on The Magic Word by clicking here.under Scott Wells Lecture Items. Or you could win one of two sets that will be given away in the contest. Just fill in the form at the bottom of this blog to register to win.

We also refer to a couple of resources we have used and recommend: Lebanon Circle is here. and Outlaw Effects is here. The podcast referred to in the podcast with the ghost hunting video video at the Ott Hotel in Liberty, Texas is Here. The podcast recorded from there is Here. To learn more about our seance in Houston, please visit: HoustonSeance.com

Attendees provide comments for Houston Seance.

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Time stamps for the product reviews this week:

00:46:49 - "Safe Bet" by Pablo Amira

00:49:15 - "Re5" by Kelvin Trinh

00:52:01 "TiTanic" by Zolo

Congratulations to Magister Freud and Daniel Norat who each won a copy of the e-Book, "Creating the Paranormal Experience", by Jamie Salinas and Scott Wells. If you would like to purchase a copy of the PDF file for just $10, then click on the graphi… — Congratulations to Magister Freud and Daniel Norat who each won a copy of the e-Book, "Creating the Paranormal Experience", by Jamie Salinas and Scott Wells. If you would like to purchase a copy of the PDF file for just $10, then click on the graphic above for more information.

293: Fay Presto - From the Distaff Side of Magic

Fay Presto is one of Great Britain's foremost magician having earned plaudits from her peers and public alike including Sit Paul McCartney...yes, that Sir Paul McCartney and former Beatle. She has won The Magic Circle Close-Up Magician of the Year among so many other awards and is currently touring with the Champions of Magic throughout the U.K. and abroad. This ensemble group of magician predates "The Illusionists" and all other touring magic shows that feature several magicians.

I had a chance to chat with Fay during the recent F.F.F.F. convention while we were in the "doughnut room" which means that there is a lot of ambient background noise. It's not too distracting but adds to the ambiance as she discusses working with the Champions of Magic, performing for Sr Paul McCarrney, Paul Daniels, restaurant magic in England, being a woman in a "man's world" of magic, the importance of tailoring costumes to have adequate pockets (most women's pockets are not made for actually using, but more for fashion), advice for girls/women getting into magic, and much more.

Time stamps for the product reviews (all are video downloads this week):

00:45:53 - "Mind Journey" by Luca Volpe is a Mental Epic effect using a stack of business cards and utilizing several subtleties that takes this classic in a new direction. Don't be put off by the simplicity of this. Try it as I did and convince yourself how powerful it is. RHighest recommendation of products reviewed this week..

00:49:35 - :INKSIDE: by Rizki Nanda is a cute little walk-around trick using a matchbox. A quick shake of the box and the writing on the matchbox sleeve changes. Fun, clever, but a bit "angley". Second highest recommendation of tricks this week.

00:52:00 - "Riperation" by Andrew Salas is another variation on the classic Torn & Restored Card. This is a nice variation with the card being signed and fully restored. The gimmick you make can be put in an ordinary deck then removed after you have performed it.

00:53:29 - "Sweet 360" by Michael Scanzello is a transposition of sugar into a "ball of sugar: then back to sugar granules. It's not my "cup of tea" nor do I think it is something that I will perform, but you can be the judge. This is a FREE download so you can get excited about Michael's other available effects: Pi Ring and Insidious.

Congratulations to the two winners of our recent contest for a copy of Tom Frame's newest boo, "Framework" valued at $55.00 each. Watch for future contests!

Didn't make it to see Carl Andrews on his recent U.S. Lecture Tour? Carl's live lecture IS FREE to all "Reel Magic On Demand? and "Max" subscribers! If you're not a Reel Magic On Demand subscriber, click the link above for more information and learn… — Didn't make it to see Carl Andrews on his recent U.S. Lecture Tour? Carl's live lecture **IS FREE to all "Reel Magic On Demand? and "Max" subscribers! If you're not a Reel Magic On Demand subscriber**, click the link above for more information and learn how to subscribe. It's JUST $5 PER MONTH and there is no long-term obligation.
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292: Kieron Johnson - Taking It ALL In

While at the 46th annual 4F convention, I watched Kieron Johnson perform in the British Gala. His style was...well, different. I thought he might have an interesting story. As it happened, one of the Friends of The Magic Word (thanks, Michael Trixx) contacted me to ask if I would chat with Kieron. Michael was impressed with Kieron's Penguin lecture and thought it might make for an interesting interview I did, and that led to this longer interview. He impressed the magicians at the 4F with his "steaming cup of tea" production and "signed card in block of ice" effects, so I thought he was certainly worth a closer look. But as the chat evolved, we got into his strange and unusual ability: regurgitation.

All I can say is that this interview may be a hard podcast to swallow...pun intended. For you see, Kieron is not only a magician, but also a regurgitator. You are forewarned! this could get a little too weird for some listeners. But if you are a fan of Ricky Jay's book, "Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women", then this might be for you.

From the creator of the smash hit effects "Iceolation" and "To the Max", Kieron Johnson presents his outstanding routine in which the magicians seemingly controls the temperature in a sealed can of Coke. Check out the Magic Store on The Magic Word Podcast to view more information and to order.

WARNING: This video may be too disgusting for some viewers. It contains regurgitation. This was recorded during a podcast interview with Kieron Johnson who is a professional magician and regurgitator and water spouter.

Time stamps for the "At The Table" (ATT) Lecture reviews:

00:51:48 - Chris Ramsay - This being his very first lecture for Murphy's Magic, Chris will take a look at past releases such as The Praxis Control (a very fooling card control), Slipshift (color change), Klepto (card Steal) but he's also brought some never before seen or published effects such as a clever and hilarious watch steal routine and fantastic opener for stage mentalism. Be sure to tune in for what is sure to be an unforgettable ATT Experience!

00:56:15 - Branden Wolf - Branden Wolf is with out a doubt one of today's underground creative forces in coin magic. Branden will go over his views on sleight of hand coin magic, his style, coin size, and coin magic's applicability to other areas of sleight of hand magic. He'll cover a variety of sleights focusing on the age-old retention pass, his work on John Born's fascinating Balance Palm, and the ever deceptive art of the click pass.

00:58:50 - Simon Black - Chicago's fastest rising star in the magic community, Simon Black joins us for an At The Table Experience. Simon has rapidly proven himself to be among the top sleight-of-hand card guys in the industry. With his fast-paced mind and even quicker hands, he's been able to add improvements on some of the most daunting sleights out there.

Congratulations to the two winners of the new Tom Frame book, "Framework". Watch for upcoming contests in future podcasts.

To order Ricky Jay's book and support The Magic Word, click on the graphic above.