What are your Favorite Gags?

D

Delusional

Jul 16, 2011
152
1
Hey guys,
I recently have been looking to add a little bit of humor to my set. As we all know, humor is one of the best ways to disarm an audience. The humor that I'd like to add is much in the form of one line "gags", just to get a chuckle from the specs. That being said,
What are your favorite gags to do during performance?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
C

coinartist

Sep 9, 2011
45
0
CA
If humor isn't your thing, then you should find your own niche. Trying to be like Mac King won't make you very successful. We already have a Mac King. I think you need a character that fits for you.

But to answer your question, Nathan Kranzo recently came out with a book on his favorite one-liners and gags. Jay Sankey also has a similar DVD. Try looking at those on their websites.
www.kranzomagic.myshopify.com/products/comedy

www.sankeymagic.com/detail.aspx?lD=48415
 
Y

YRAMagicMan

Nov 27, 2009
456
3
I come up with little bits based on what my audience is saying and doing. I can't think of a favorite one-liner because everything is situational. Favorite lines to come from spectators is a different story all together, I've got a few of those.
 
Josh Burch

Josh Burch

Elite Member
Aug 11, 2011
2,966
1,101
Utah
Cards from mouth! I'll go to put my cards down and palm off a few. I usually have just done a card trick so I'll say something like "Let's do something else for a minute" then I'll cough a couple of times hit my chest with the cards in hand and pull them from my mouth. I perform mainly for families and so if I'm having a hard time getting the kid's attention I'll do this and they perk right up.

The classic cigarette up the nose gag is great too. I actually have never done it with a cigarette though funny enough. I'll do it with crayons, straws and chalk though. If it's that shape it's bound to go up my nose.

The best place for gags that I have found are the beginner magic books. They always have short, simple, little tricks you can do :) I'm a sucker for those things!
 
AsherF

AsherF

Apr 1, 2009
1,067
1
33
California
Know what you can pull off. There is a thin line with humor where it can be obnoxious or really funny. At the same time, you don't want to distract from the effect itself. And like mentioned, it's very important that you don't steal other gags just because you find them funny. There's a chance you might not be able to pull it off like they do. Keep in mind, much of the gag relies on the body language and timing that the magician puts in rather than just the gag itself and that's something they have that can't always be imitated. Now, you might be able to pull some of this timing and body language off yourself in a natural fashion, but you need to know what you can do. When I come up with the "one liners" or "gags" that I use, it's rarely from another magician. I usually get them from stuff that came off spur of the moment mid performance or even from something I saw on television that I felt related beautifully to my "act". I've gotten great ideas from something as simple as South Park even. Some people struggle at being funny. While it comes very naturally for others. Sometimes being funny in everyday life is the factor that will help you most in magic. That's the best advice for developing humor in your act, is knowing how to incorporate humor in your own life. That's how it becomes natural to be funny!
 
WilliamMckeehan

WilliamMckeehan

Apr 15, 2008
508
0
Moriarty, New Mexico U.S.A
I find being funny ... hard. But I find when I practice my patter out loud in a room by my self and act as there is people watching I get little funny lines to say. But I make sure they fit with the patter and make sense so if they are not funny at all it doesn't matter because it becomes just the patter. If that sort of makes sense.

But my new favorite gag is "blowing" coins or balls out of markers or my wand. I don't know why but I saw David Williamson do it and loved it so much I had to use it!

Good Luck!
 
NathanaelBergenMagic

NathanaelBergenMagic

Sep 25, 2011
77
0
Midwest USA
www.youtube.com
Spitting cards.
I can't tell you how many times I perform that in a day. I work with kids, so almost every other minute I get asked to pull cards out of my mouth.
And just recently I was performing at a festival, and I counted because I thought it would be an interesting number, and guess what: 212 times! :D In only 6 hours of magic, I pulled cards out of my mouth 212 times!
I've done it so many times I can easily do half the deck and fool even adults. :p
 
Josh Burch

Josh Burch

Elite Member
Aug 11, 2011
2,966
1,101
Utah
NathanaelBergenMagic said:
Spitting cards.
I can't tell you how many times I perform that in a day. I work with kids, so almost every other minute I get asked to pull cards out of my mouth.
And just recently I was performing at a festival, and I counted because I thought it would be an interesting number, and guess what: 212 times! :D In only 6 hours of magic, I pulled cards out of my mouth 212 times!
I've done it so many times I can easily do half the deck and fool even adults. :p
Click to expand...

I know what you mean, the reactions never get old!
 
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