MAGIC, The Magazine For Magicians

(as voted on by the funniest acts in magic today!)

And the nominees are… Ed Alonzo, Amazing Johnathan, Harry Anderson, Carl Ballantine, Stephen Bargatze, Rich Bloch, Noel Britten, Tom Burgoon, John Carney/Mr. Mysto, John Cassidy, Mike Caveney, Dana Daniels, Paul Daniels, Wayne Dobson, Michael Finney, Jeff Hobson, Mac King, Kohl & Co., Mark Kornhauser, Levent, Johnny Lonn, Chipper Lowell, Bill Malone, Penn & Teller, Scott & Muriel, Terry Seabrooke, Bob Sheets, Juan Tamariz, Tomsoni & Co., Fielding West, David Williamson.

Yes, deciding who are the funniest acts in magic today is a very subjective call. And we were not about to do it on our own!

First, we contacted all of our editors, as well as the editors of the other major magic periodicals, and show producers and entertainment bookers — 35 people in total. We asked this international group to list the “ten funniest acts in magic today,” in no particular order. We received nearly 100 names back, some acts getting just a single vote, while others were on almost everyone’s list. We tallied all of the votes and found that there was a natural break after the top 31. So these were our nominees.

Second, we sent the list of the 31 nominees to the 31 nominees, and we asked them to select their ten favorites — excluding themselves, of course. And because we were already asking the impossible, we went one step further and requested that their ten be put in order, with number one being the funniest.

When the dust had settled, all but two of the 31 nominees had sent a list of their favorites. Thus, the funniest acts in magic had selected “The Top Ten Funniest Acts in Magic Today”!
With the Top Ten in place, we invited friends and associates to write up a short profile of each of the performers. The writers were assigned only one name; neither the acts nor the writers were told who the other nine were or their positions on the list.

Finally, we commissioned Dallas illustrator Chris Morris to create caricatures of our Top Ten Acts, which we present to you as a removable foldout poster.



(as voted on by the funniest acts in magic today!) And the nominees are… Ed Alonzo, Amazing Johnathan, Harry Anderson, Carl Ballantine, Stephen Bargatze, Rich Bloch, Noel Britten, Tom Burgoon, John Carney/Mr. Mysto, John Cassidy, Mike Caveney, Dana Daniels, Paul Daniels, Wayne Dobson, Michael Finney, Jeff Hobson, Mac King, Kohl & Co., Mark Kornhauser, Levent, Johnny Lonn, Chipper Lowell, Bill Malone, Penn & Teller, Scott & Muriel, Terry Seabrooke, Bob Sheets, Juan Tamariz, Tomsoni & Co., Fielding West, David Williamson. Yes, deciding who are the funniest acts in magic today is a very subjective call. And we were not about to do it on our own! First, we contacted all of our editors, as well as the editors of the other major magic periodicals, and show producers and entertainment bookers — 35 people in total. We asked this international group to list the “ten funniest acts in magic today,” in no particular order. We received nearly 100 names back, some acts getting just a single vote, while others were on almost everyone’s list. We tallied all of the votes and found that there was a natural break after the top 31. So these were our nominees. Second, we sent the list of the 31 nominees to the 31 nominees, and we asked them to select their ten favorites — excluding themselves, of course. And because we were already asking the impossible, we went one step further and requested that their ten be put in order, with number one being the funniest. When the dust had settled, all but two of the 31 nominees had sent a list of their favorites. Thus, the funniest acts in magic had selected “The Top Ten Funniest Acts in Magic Today”! With the Top Ten in place, we invited friends and associates to write up a short profile of each of the performers. The writers were assigned only one name; neither the acts nor the writers were told who the other nine were or their positions on the list. Finally, we commissioned Dallas illustrator Chris Morris to create caricatures of our Top Ten Acts, which we present to you as a removable foldout poster.	22 pages

A Survey of Comic Conjurers Through History Laughter has always been one of the strongest forms of misdirection. As such, comedy and magic have likely been perfect, constant companions for as long as history has been recorded. The question is, who was the first to be billed and known for combining laughter and legerdemain? Who was the first “comedy magician”? The truth is, no one knows for sure. The task of identifying the first true comedy magician, as defined in the modern sense (a performer akin to those on the top-ten list in this issue of MAGIC) is an impossible one. For starters, what qualifies as a comedy magic act? Was Cardini’s vaudeville turn billed as “funny”? Certainly not. But was it funny? In certain spots it was, without question. But the occasional laugh or line does not a comedy magician make. And while that qualification narrows the field of candidates considered for the following survey — as does the fact that no living performers will be discussed in this article — the list of seminal comedy magicians is still full of well-known names. The giant laughs garnered by the performers in the following pages were often as great as the gasps their magic elicited from the thousands if not millions of laypeople they entertained. What follows is a survey of the evolution of comedy magic, a tour illuminated by some of the genre’s brightest lights. By Gabe Fajuri	8 pages

They are some of the most talented performers in the business, combining both magic and comedy to create moments of mirth and miracles. Now that our Top Ten Funniest Magic Acts have been voted onto this list by their peers, we are led to wonder: How did they get to where they are, and what advice do they have for those who aspire to follow in their footsteps? Stan Allen asked the questions and fielded answers from nine of the top ten.	7 pages

Both comedy and magic are basically all about when you release information; there’s not much difference between getting a gasp or a laugh. How can you elicit these responses? The author, a comedy magician and comedy writing instructor at Emerson College in Boston, offers five basic steps for adding original comedy to your act. By Mike Bent	3 pages

Comic performers know the difference between jokes and lines. The former can stand alone in most any situation, while the latter are more situational, more personal, and can often be funnier. Here, the author of a new book on stand-up, deals with standard lines, lines from books, writing your own lines, lines suggested by other performers, lines arising from performing, other magicians’ lines, and performing the lines. By Ian Keable	5 pages

As shared onstage the closing day of MAGIC Live! in 2007, these are actually horror stories, tales of events going terribly wrong. One by one, a parade of magicians took their turn at the microphone, each relating a true tale of woe. But the participants found a way to laugh at them, and sometimes even turn the problems to an advantage, reminding us all that if you can’t laugh at yourself, you might as well find fun in someone else’s misfortune. Sit down for a laugh with Dana Daniels, Bruce Gold, Michael Ammar, Martin Lewis, and John Thompson.	3 pages

In the news this month is the winner of Germany’s The Next Uri Geller and the controversy around the final episode. Plus there’s Penn Jillette’s appearance on Dancing with the Stars, all the latest on VH1’s upcoming Celebracadra series, Diana Zimmerman’s new novel, Dan Harlan’s recent troubles, a magazine tipping how to build magic props, some answers on FISM 2009’s venue change, a remembrance of Owen Magic’s Les Smith, and more. 6 pages

Fifteen products are covered this month by Peter Duffie, Jason England, Brad Henderson, and John Lovick. • Jack Parker’s 52 Memories by Andi Gladwin • The Royal Scam by John Bannon • The Enchanted Cube by Craig Nichols • Professional Secrets: A Life in Magic by Geoffrey Durham • Eugene Burger Presents Exploring Magical Presentations • Safety Box and Unbalance from Kreis Magic • Echo by Wayne Dobson • Shhhh! By Lee Earle and Larry Becker • Signed Card to Hip Wallet by El Duco • The Jam Auction featuring Jack (the gee-whiz kid) Nyberg • 52 Ways to Cheat at Poker by Allan Zola Kronzek • Airise DVD by JP • Magical Illusions by Nicholas Einhorn • Knaves Gone Wild by David Solomon	10 pages

In line with the comedy theme this month, Joshua Jay approached four comedy magicians to discuss what makes a routine play funny both close-up and in more formal situations. John Lovick, Rune Klan, Doc Dixon, and Diamond Jim Tyler are all professional magicians who both amaze and amuse, and they contribute routines from their working repertoires.	9 pages

Most people know Michael Finney as the comic magician, comedy nightclub, adult performer. But few know that he started his career doing family shows at Legend City Amusement Park in Phoenix, Arizona. This month, David Kaye takes a trip down memory lane with Michael. Back to a time when he was a kid show magician in an amusement park. What can this funnyman teach us about entertaining family audiences?

Anthony Owen has always admired the way that stand-up comedians are able to connect with an audience by drawing humor from their observations to which we can all relate. Over the years, Anthony has come up with a few ways for magicians and mentalists to do the same thing, using common experiences as the premise or punch line of an effect. This month’s effect was the result of a frustrating trip he made to Ikea, in which several of the products displayed in their showroom weren’t actually in stock in their warehouse.

Dear Show Doctor: “I have a serious problem. I want to add comedy magic to my show, but some people don’t think I’m funny. I admire performers like Mac King, Jeff Hobson, and Fielding West. My goal is to be a stand-up comedy magician. Sometimes, when I’m onstage, I have the feeling I’m trying to make people laugh, but they don’t. What is your advice on how to be funny?”

This month, the author confronts an important, even foundational question: “What precisely is the relationship between the comedy and the magic in my show?”