Mentalism & stuff...

[Craig Browning]

I really understand what your point is Craig, but right now I can't really do what I want ( regarding my training in magic ). You see... It's different for everyone. For me is the fact that my day begins at 7:00 AM, I go to school, I come back at 14:00 PM, and till 'bout 23:00 all I do is study for the next day and maybe spend an hour or two with my friends. I'm not really the nerdy style, studying all day long, but I have to right now because Romania is f*cked up and they ask us to learn all that crappy stuff. I'm really looking forward to finishing school so I can start doing what I really want to. 'Till then, all I can do is just entertain my friends with "tricks".

I can see where your time is a precious thing so I can forgive you for wanting to lean on tech resources. There are however eBooks that can now be downloaded for Kindle and iPads/iPhones, etc. I know that most of my books are available in such a manner via Amazon. I'm not certain about video availability but I'm certain the crew here or Ellusionist would be amongst the first to create such a product/service; I'm amazed no one has done it so far given how many of us have talked about it, including Stephan Minch a few years back.

I push books for a handful of reasons two of which I've already mentioned; you get far more for the dollar ventured and too, you have a hands-on research tool that won't go out of style due to "up-grades" on PC technology, etc. Ideally though, its the combination of book study with the visual tutorial that gives the student superior advantage. . . or so has been my personal experience.

If you learn one or two basic techniques tied to Mentalism, such as Swami & Billet work you will be able to do much more for less venture than you will be able to do with a $100.00 wallet or $60.00 imp pad let alone the many other gadgets floating around out there. Too, it prevents you from being the classic Boy Scout magician with pockets overflowing with props & gimmicks so you're "prepared".

There is however a question I have in this case. . . given that you are looking for effects I'm wondering what you are calling "Mentalism". Usually when I hear this it's not Mentalism that people are looking at but rather Bizarre Magick; effects like Stigmata or Ashes on the Arm, Thread from the stomach and peas from the eye, etc. Things have been globed together over the past 15 years but there is a big difference, bizarre magick actually delivering a greater sense of spooky fun vs. proper Mentalism or Mental Magic. To the latter however I would suggest that you look at some of the items offered by Paper Crane, starting with TECHNIQUE. Ignoring my own bias towards this material I will state that it offers you a very sound skill set that can take you a very long way, overcoming the complications associated with the root system it is based on. POWER WORD FALL is also a fun piece but you will want to embellish your understanding of the primary gimmick used in said piece. I can't even hint at what that is without giving things away, I'll just say that it is a very common gaff that we've used for eons.

Regardless, I hope you the best on your venture.

 

[Adrian Tugui]

Thank you very much Craig. I'm really happy to find out that you guys really know what you are talking about and try to give the best advice to the ones like me. Keep up the damn good work ! I'm really looking forward to finishing the time-consuming part of my life ( being a student ) and start reading books about magic.

 

[Craig Browning]

An Apology of Sorts. . .

I half expected to walk into an inferno this morning because of comments made yesterday about the UK Magic Form Culture and how "bigoted" it would be interpreted as being. As I stated in that post, I know that what I've encountered on the negative end of things comes from a minority of self-important wannabe types and not the mainstream and more so, not the veteran workers of the trade. Several of the people that have caused me grief have only studied Magic, let alone Mentalism, for maybe a decade and yet, they have the audacity to see themselves more savvy and knowledgeable than someone that's been around the block a few times; an attitude I have serious problems with to begin with, given how I've always elected to respect my seniors even when we had personal conflicts . . . Billy McComb and I have had some major head butts but I still respected his wisdom, same holds true with many others out there including my own peers. Separating the issues however, allows me to give credit where it is due, even to my "foes". In the case of the two major UK forums at which I have had "issues" it was a matter of that "trust" part of my way of seeing and doing things, was being manipulated; as soon as I recovered and thought all was well, I'd be attacked again by the same handful of miscreants.

Long story short, I don't detest the British People as a whole, just the egos (both, within and outside of magic) that believe it fun to create problems for others. Especially those that knowingly use a person's "illnesses" as a lever. It's something I've not seen in any of the American forums I've been involved with over the years, not even the Cafe; it is exclusive to the Brits. . . a minority within said culture that includes a handful of faux Brits -- persons from the U.S. and other countries that have moved to the U.K. with delusions of being seen as the native born deal because of their academic pedigree.

So please, I do ask that you understand that my retort yesterday stems from some very ugly experiences created by a very small group of people who monopolized two key forums in the UK, with the intent of running me off or getting me officially booted off said sites. Needless to say, my views on the publishing issue stems from other data, including many long conversations with U.S. notables who were noticing said trends; raising suspicion when it came to certain British writers who seem to be poop out a new eBook every 3-4 months on things they've "done for years" (even though, they've only been involved with Mentalism for less than a decade?) The real rub being how certain of this material seems to roll out a few months after a major, limited release has come out from an American source, the words of the British writer closely mirroring those of the original contributor. In short, good reason to question things be it from a British writer or someone from any other group.

Bottom line is, I do apologize to all I may have offended with my "rant". It was not meant to stereotype the whole of the British Magic Society but it was the result of a bit over a decade's worth of being harassed and terrorized by elements within that same culture.

 

[Josh Burch]

Craig I love our input, I believe that disagreements are healthy and although we disagree often I always can think about what you say. You bring a unique perspective to magic and mentalism that would be greatly missed if you weren't here.

 

[Craig Browning]

Craig I love our input, I believe that disagreements are healthy and although we disagree often I always can think about what you say. You bring a unique perspective to magic and mentalism that would be greatly missed if you weren't here.

Thanks much but I hope not be depart anytime soon. . . unless I'm suddenly in demand for shows in Atlantic City or something. . .

 

[Goldmos]

I have a question not totally related to this post but it came to my mind: I went to the proshop website and saw Acidus novus and Acidus globus wich seem to do "exactly" the same thing but the Acidus Globus seem to be more convenient. What is the difference of the 2? Should you buy the 2 or only one is enough?

 

[eostresh]

I have a question not totally related to this post but it came to my mind: I went to the proshop website and saw Acidus novus and Acidus globus wich seem to do "exactly" the same thing but the Acidus Globus seem to be more convenient. What is the difference of the 2? Should you buy the 2 or only one is enough?

I can't speak to the specifics on that. I know of Acidus Novus 2nd hand from another DVD so I can't even claim expertise in that. I can say that , from what I know of it, I personally prefer Bush's peek from "Peek Encores." So you may want to explore that resource as another possibility.