Andre Kole’s article urging the IBM to sanction individuals stealing his illusions included a reference to the World Record for the longest magic show. Unfortunately, Mr. Kole credited Dr. Alex with the record.
(Although, if Dr. Alex claims the record for a single person performing, he may be right).
The Guinness people have not yet updated their information but the new official holders of this endurance feat are participants in the appropriately named World’s Longest Magic Show (“WLMS”) including Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster.
In fact, as we typed this late-breaking news, Mr. Ellis said he just received the certification from the Guinness people. It is now official.
Lloyd Mobley a/k/a Lloydini is featured in the Greeley (CO) Tribune with a great story about his great leap of faith and confidence.
Mr. Mobley is 60 years-old and is working to turn his avocation of 35 years into his new vocation. He moved to Berthoud, Colorado about seven years ago and has been working with his wife, Linda, perfecting his craft and getting paid for it.
Friday nights find Mr. Mobley at Bubba’s Bar-B-Que in Greeley where he has been entertaining patrons for the last year. Said Bubba’s owner, “He’s been here for about a year. I asked (his predecessor) to recommend somebody, because all those guys know each other. Lloydini came in for an audition and we’ve had him ever since. He’s just perfect for us.”
On Monday nights, Mr. Mobley takes his act to Texas Roadhouse for Kid’s Night. “We started the kids’ night about four months ago where we try to make the environment more kid friendly,” the restaurant manager told the paper. “The evening includes such things as a mashed potato eating contest for the kids, with winners getting their photographs posted on a wall in the lobby of the restaurant, and other fun entertainment.
Mr. Mobley loves this stuff.
The magicians told the reporter he began dabbling in magic in his younger years, and as he became more involved, he attended the Magic Castle.
“Anyone can become a magician,” Mr. Mobley said. “It takes a lot of practice, and the older you get, the better you get. But very few people can make a living at it.” Before jumping into magic full-time, he worked in sales and marketing for most his adult life. In fact, he works as a regional sales manager for a home and business security company in Loveland, Colorado. His sales skills can only help his new career.
At Bubba’s, Mr. Mobley performs card and coin tricks among his repertoire, but in other stage settings he works with doves and performs illusions among his many acts.
“I think he’s good enough to do a Vegas stage act,” the restaurant manager observed.
The Fort Bend Star reports some impressive but not surprising news. President and Mrs. Bush have asked Trixie Bond and seven other magicians to appear at the historic White House Easter Egg Roll. The paper notes Ms. Bond “is one of the most popular magicians in the Southwest.”
Ms. Bond does it all. “Corporate events, children?s parties, country clubs and theater dates fill her calendar these days, as well as special engagements at the Magic Castle in Hollywood and Houston?s five-star dinner club, The Magic Island, where she performed close-up magic for five years as the first (and so far, only) female house magician. She?s even performed her magic barefoot in a mosque.”
It makes sense, then, that the White House would invite her to participate in the historic Easter Egg Roll.
A visit to the Official White House Egg Roll website gives a great snap shot of the event.
The White House Egg Roll will take place on Monday, March 28th. Congratulations to Ms. Bond and to President Bush for selecting the perfect entertainment for the hundreds of children to attend. Continue reading Trixie Bond Tapped to Perform for White House
The New York Times has a very flattering portrayal of the always-interesting Derren Brown. The author, television star, mentalist, and media darling, has been on the fast-track over in the UK and now he’s brought his charm and magic to the States.
The female reporter appears to be taken in by the mysterious Brit:
Naturally, none of his clever tricks will work on this psychologically astute interviewer, who plans to use mysterious journalistic techniques to unearth his darkest secrets. But the coolly charming Mr. Brown decides to try anyway. He produces a sheet of blank paper and issues an instruction: draw a picture.
“Try to catch me out; make it a bit obscure,” he orders. “Don’t draw a house; don’t draw a stick man.” Walking to another room and out of sight, he decrees that the picture should be concealed until the end of the interview – whereupon he will reveal what it is.
Right.
Mr. Brown told the reporter that his special gift is an ability to cloud and lead spectators into thinking what he wants them to think or see what he wants them to see.
Mr. Brown, 34, describes himself as a psychological illusionist, meaning that he uses a mix of techniques like sleight of hand, misdirection, hypnotism and subliminal suggestion to perform feats that seem impossible, even supernatural. He has become a British media star, unnerving audiences with his “Trick of the Mind” television programs and sold-out stage performances. But he is no David Blaine, shrouding himself in smoke and mystique, no show-bizzy David Copperfield.
Mr. Brown tells the reporter he does not possess supernatural powers.
But he admits to possessing no magical powers. He is not psychic. He cannot read your thoughts by staring into your eyes. Everything he does, he says, can be logically parsed.
“I could sit someone down and take them through an episode of my show and explain everything,” he said recently. (He could, but he will not.)
The article makes several references to the distinction in style and substance between Mr. Brown and David Blaine. He was influenced as a young man by stage magic, studied hypnotism and moved into his current approach combining “magic and psychology, tricks of the hands with tricks of the mind. Each of his programs starts with a disclaimer in which he asserts, essentially, that he is not supernatural, only clever. He then does a series of stunts.”
Check out the article and read about his upbringing in a conservative Christian church, his search for meaning, and his almost obsessive desire to convince his audiences that he does not possess supernatural powers. (You’ll need a a free subscription to the New York Times).
By the way, we’ve enjoyed Mr. Brown’s books. He has a fun writing style and offers some genuinely new material. More about some chancy use of suggestion in a mentalism routine in a later article.
RE: Andre Kole Responds to the Magical Thievery of a Dr. Alex and how it affect us all.
TO: Walter Blaney, and other highly esteemed practitioners of the art of magic.
Gentlemen (and others who are not so!):
Years ago when I brought my lawsuit against the FOX Broadcasting Company in my attempt to curtail the on-going exposure of magic by the Masked Magician, it was not because I was personally being severely harmed; rather it was because I considered it to be a blight against the entire magical profession.
Once again, the magic community is confronted with a situation that affects not only me specifically but, more than likely, the leading creators and performers of magic throughout the world.
To review this situation ? for those of you who just tuned in,? I will begin by quoting the most significant part of a paragraph in an article in the March 2005 issue of The Linking Ring, pages 135-136. It states the following:
On 9th January 2005, Dr. Alex our Vice President staged his Solo Illusion show for four hours non-stop. Dr. Alex is having almost all latest illusions performed by famous magicians throughout the world.In India he is the only proud owner of a number of old and latest illusions. He is also popularly known for holding the Guinness World Record by performing the longest magic show non-stop for 24 hours.
I do not consider myself to be a ?famous magician.? However, what caught my attention in this article was the fact that out of only four pictures shown of his ?solo illusion show for four hours non-stop? two of the four pictures were of two of my original illusions.I have never given permission to anyone to build or perform these illusions.There is also a vague reference to a third of my original illusions. These were illusions that took many months, if not years, to perfect, build, and eventually perform after spending tens of thousands of dollars in their development.
I want to repeat and emphasize one of the above statements:?Dr. Alex is having almost all latest illusions performed by famous magicians throughout the world.?This statement suggests that Dr. Alex may have used, without authorization, many other illusions belonging to leading inventors of magic in our community.There are numerous and serious ramifications to be considered.
Andre Kole’s article urging the IBM to sanction individuals stealing his illusions included a reference to the World Record for the longest magic show. Unfortunately, Mr. Kole credited Dr. Alex with the record.
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