275: Where Comics and Magic Collide with Jon Armstrong

Pow! Bang! Wham! - Poof!Whoosh! Flash! - Hocus Pocus! Abracadabra. Presto Change-o

Jon Armstrong is not only a pretty face in the magic community (among other things like being the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Academy of Magical Arts, Close-up Magician of the Year, Consultant to theme parks, film and television, headliner at Caesar's Magical Empire, and appeared on many TV shows including "Penn & Teller Fool Us" and other talk shows), but Jon is also a self professed "comic book nerd".

Jon visits ComiCons each year and is a sought after as a panelist discussing the confluence of "magic" with "comic books" or "graphic novels",

Magician Jon Armstrong (www.cardjon.com) performs his signature effect "Tiny Plunger" which Penn calls the most original card trick he's seen.

In this podcast Jon Armstrong talks about how art influences life and vice versa, how magic and comics intertwine and how and why we should wisely choose our selection of tricks. Basically, we should select those things that reflect our unique personalities rather than just buying the "trick of the hour" that just came out.

He also refers to a book entitled "Understanding Comics - The Invisible Art" and why it should be required reading for magicians. You can read the free PDF excerpt by Clicking Here or download the entire PDF by Clicking Here or just read online all 223 pages of it by Clicking Here. Jon discusses how he approaches groups to perform close-up during cocktail parties. And he talks also about "branding" yourself and how he does it.

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 or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

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#201 - Murray Sawchuck - Celebrity Magician

Murray Sawchuck recently completed two and a half years at the Tropicana's Laugh Factory in Las Vegas. On December 20, 2014, he will begin a new afternoon show at Planet Hollywood's "Sincity Theater" along his wife, Chloe, and his partner, Lefty. Murray will add illusions to his comedy magic show plus bring in different aspects of his other appearances on television such as "Pawn Stars" and other shows.

During our conversation, Murray talked about his upcoming appearance on Hallmark's Home & Family morning talk show. After you have listened to the podcast, then be sure to come back to watch this video. The other two videos below are from a couple of his appearances on "America's Got Talent" (sic).

Murray and his baby Chihuahua Kahlua do a magic trick for the Emmy Nominated show Home & Family. www.murraymagic.com

Why is Murray considered a "Celebrity Magician"? Hear what he has done and what he is doing in and around Las Vegas and on television and determine for yourself if you think he deserves the title. Breaks happen, but as they say, "luck is when preparation meets opportunity." Murray works hard to find opportunities to promote his brand so you could say he is one of the luckiest guys in the business.

Among many other topics discussed in this podcast, Murray talks about how he got his first break to headline his own show in Las Vegas and how it evolved to the new show at Planet Hollywood. He talks about contracts, "two-wall" versus "four-walling" a venue in Las Vegas, working on "America's Got Talent", "Pawn Stars", "Wizard Wars", "Extreme Escapes", advice from Marvin "Mr. Electric" Roy, using social media to your advantage, and more. He also gives us an idea of what a typical day in his life is like. He also talks at the end about his favorite charity, Children of the Night", rescuing children from prostitution, which draws attention to one of the least visible charities out there. He is one busy guy!

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. (please note: this RSS Feed subscription system may not work with Android systems). Remember, you can download it through iTunes. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

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Click on the banner above to buy Lotto Fever 2.0 through my PayPal Shop for $29.95 plus shipping ($5.00 below current price and before the retail price goes to $39.95) Be sure to click on the correct shipping (Domestic or Foreign). Also available th… — Click on the banner above to buy Lotto Fever 2.0 through my PayPal Shop for $29.95 plus shipping ($5.00 below current price and before the retail price goes to $39.95) Be sure to click on the correct shipping (Domestic or Foreign). Also available through the "Shop By Credit Card" storefront, too, if you prefer not to use PayPal. Offer ends on October 18, 2014.

Magic & Martinis & Murray Thursday

The Magic Word

A Podcast for Magicians, About Magicians, Hosted by a Full Time Professional Magician, Scott Wells

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