Who was your inspiration?

PlayTheDeck

Hey guys,

I just thought I'd ask to see who or what inspired you into the art of magic? Was it a person close to you or something you seen?

For me personally it was R. Paul Wilson. I was watching a show on BBC called the Real Hustle in which they use slight of hand ect to con/scam/pickpocket people. I became fasinated with the show and found out that the presenter was a magician. I then decided myself to get into magic and stumbled across Daniel Garcia and Wayne Houchin. These guys have been a great infulience to my magic and will continue to do so! So who or what got you into magic??

Deck

It's gotta be Penn & Teller for me.
It probably was the the way they showed how some of the tricks where done made me realize how great the art of magic was and how much skill and imagination are needed.

Bob the Builder

Had influences from my family waving card tricks in my face and laughing when I didn't know a trick when I was younger, so then I built up a few tricks to put under my sleeve...

Derren Brown got me interested in Mentalism, and the mind side of magic. I must admit, it really does assist card tricks to have studied mentalism.

Another(I know, ur gonna laugh at this one) is Keith Barry. After seeing his bullet in the mouth trick, I went online and researched it, only to find a million more magicians, doing the same performance or a better one.

Daniel Garcia is a brilliant magician, I can credit him with giving me an interest in illusion and magic...

Popinjay

Paul Daniels got me interested when I was a nipper and he had his tv show. The book Carter Beats the Devil was what inspired me to start practising myself. I'd just quit smoking (unsuccessfully) and needed something to keep my hands occupied. A deck of cards seemed like a nice choice.

???

Derren Brown most certainly. Also James Randi and Banachek.

bigslick

For my inspiration it has to be the one and only David Copperfield. I still remember when i was a child and watching his tv special as he walked throught the wall of China. He was like a god to me!!!

then of course their was the great paul daniels. I remember my older brother getting his magic trick set for christmas one year, and by the end of the holidays I was teaching him how to do the tricks lol

Ever since then ive been interested in illusion as such but think it really took David Blaine to show me that Magic didnt have to be all big stage illusions but instead could happen within the audiences hands or right in front of them. Granted Blaine was not the first to do street magic, but he did bring it to the masses. I still get asked, "oh do a David Blaine trick".

nevf: I wouldn't be embarressed about being inspired by Keith. He is an amazing illusionist and really brought the idea of street magic to Ireland, and has gone on to prove himself in the states.

Popinjay

bigslick wrote: »

For my inspiration it has to be the one and only David Copperfield. [....] nevf: I wouldn't be embarressed about being inspired by Keith. He is an amazing illusionist and really brought the idea of street magic to Ireland, and has gone on to prove himself in the states.

Copperfield is fantastic. Anyone know what the story is with the reported raid on his warehouse last year. Hard drives and camera seized iirc

Barry is terrible on the other hand. I had a copy of his DVD 'Whatchyamacallit'* and I've seen better presentation from drunk 15 year old girls who'd never picked up a deck before. That whole debacle with the flash paper was embarrassing to watch and incredibly patronising for the young fellah Barry chose to inflict himself on.

EDIT: * Not actual name. Brainwashed, 'twas called.

But anyway... Copperfield's flight was another one that took my breath away when I was younger. I've always like large scale illusion when it's done well.

hada

spent the summer last year in chicago and worked opposite a store called magic masters. Fantastic chain of magic stores. Anyway, to make a long story short, made friends with one of the magicians there, a guy from Peurto Rico originally, who taught me the basics, then by the end of the summer had come to terms with a lot of varied magic tricks. Definitely my inspiration.