Who is your favorite magician/illusionist?

Nov 15, 2007
1,106
2
35
Raleigh, NC
hmmm.
David Copperfield and Doug Henning for starters-Copperfield inspired the dream and clips of Doug Henning are fun to watch..not the greatest TV actor--but a great stage personality.
David Blaine's book Mysterious Stranger has drawn me to learn more magic history-so kudos to Blaine
Penn and Teller / The Amazing Johnathan-I like comedy.
Wayne Houchin, Dan and Dave Buck and Daniel Madison-Wayne makes his audience believe in magic-the bucks and Daniel Madison are just sick with it. period.

I don't have favorites per-say...but these are a few that i enjoy watching or have inspired me in some way.
 
Aug 31, 2007
66
3
Well i enjoy seeing Pete Firman because he is funny and a great entertainer--he knows how to keep a crowd going!
I also like Dave Buck (sorry Dan :p)
 
Sep 16, 2007
68
0
38
Orlando, Fl
Cardini-the greatest card manipulator of all time
Fred Kaps- only three time FISM Grand Prix Winner

I know they are from the "Old School" but they inspire me more than anyone from the "New School", the Bucks and Himself are close, though.
 
Completely understandable!

The old school guys are amazing. When I met John Calvert I was absolutely in awe. He's my greatest inspiration. I wish more of the younger magicians would study the work of the classic guys.

Nate
 
Dec 5, 2007
376
0
As a performer i would say David copperfiel.

But the one that has the best style and effects would be Wayne Houching and banachek, they both have some really "super natural" effects or what you would like to call it but they both act really nice and down to earth just like a normal person which i think makes the effects more belivable then if your doing some over the top presentation.
 
Derren Brown, Dan and Dave Buck, Justin Miller and Gregory Wilson. They've definitely all inspired me more than anyone else I can think of.

But if I were forced to pick 1 favorite, it would be Derren Brown.
 
Sep 1, 2007
35
0
DERREN BROWN- no comparison

Banachek
Paul Harris
Richard Osterlind
Luke Jermay
Marc Spelmann
Wayne Houchin
Daniel Garcia
John Born
Criss Angel (before the mindfreak TV show)
Patrick Redford
Jeff McBride
Jim Callahan
David Oliver
Marc Salem
 
Wow...favorite magician...I really can't narrow down to a favorite.

My favorite inventor out of the new generation has to be Wayne; all time favorite has to be Paul Harris.

Out of stage magicians, I really have to say Johnny Thompson who is the nicest guy on Earth and possibly the universe and Lance Burton- both are an inspiration to me and I will be satisfied with being a tenth of what they have become.

Out of close-up I have to say it's a tie between Lee, Aaron, Helder Guimar[SIZE=-1]ã[/SIZE]es and a local magician named Alpen who has incredible chops with cards- especially the pass.

Favorite showman is of course Harry Houdini.

Mentalist is Derren Brown and maybe Luke Jermay.

And favorite ninja is Danny :p.

~David Rysin

Edit: And of course the true masters of cards- The Professor and Erdnase.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oct 12, 2007
546
0
Orlando Fl
Performer-wise : DAvid Copperfield
Effect-wise : it just might be Chris Kenner although I love a lot of the new generation including WH and DG
And of course I have to mention DAi Vernon, the Professor, he is like a card-gangsta, not even kidding-Will Smith of CArds, jk
 
Aug 31, 2007
308
0
California
Paul Vigil
Armando Lucero
My friend, Morgan Strebler
Blaine is fairly inspirational
Gaston Quieto
Copperfield
Erdnase (Whoever he may have been)
Vernon
Jimmy Grippo

Keenan
 

rousselle

Elite Member
Aug 2, 2008
26
0
www.rousselle.com
Here's a name you don't hear on these boards too often...

First, let me say that I've enjoyed reading this and similar threads on this forum, because they've exposed me to some performers I hadn't yet seen. A Youtube link in another thread to Cardini's comedic cardistry was absolutely brilliant.

I'm partial to Penn & Teller and Simon Lovell, as a like-minded soul posted above, and am blown away by some of the Bill Malone video performances I've seen. Incidentally, I saw P&T perform their bullet-catching trick live in Boston, and found it one of the best live performances I've seen. What I enjoy about all of them is their patter and their warm rapport with the audience; they are not only masters of illusion, but also of comedy and in creating a sympathetic stage persona. (Well, maybe 'sympathetic' isn't the right word for P&T, but you know what I mean.)

Oh, and I'm very much enjoying Daniel Garcia, Wayne Houchin, Chris Kenner, and Lee Asher as instructors! Likewise, Ben Salinas and Brad Christian, even though it may not be fashionable to say so.

Some others on the board here may remember Johnny Carson introducing "one of the greatest magicians in the world": the Great Flydini!

But, I'd have to say my favorite magician who combine(d?) a perfectly crafted character with comedy and illusion is Harry Anderson. Check out his video, "Hello, Sucker!" or his appearances on Saturday Night Live. His "Harry the Hat" was every bit as con-artistish as Simon Lovell's "Freddy the Fox", and every bit as endearing and everyman-ish as Chaplin's The Little Tramp.

Anderson's performance of the needle-through-arm is an anthem. (And yes, I know that the version on Hello, Sucker contains a deceptive video edit, but there are other performances available if you look hard enough, and what I'm particularly drawn to is how he *sells* the illusion, even though he never actually shows you the needle going in.)

I enjoyed the book "Harry Anderson: Wise Guy from the Streets to the Screen" by Mike Caveney, a biography which appears to be out of print now. It described how Harry invented tricks, routines, and his persona. I recommend this book to anyone interesting in building an act.

Food for thought,

--Allan
 
Jul 26, 2008
470
0
NJ
Danny G and Wayne Houchin. They're so funny together! I would buy Control and Ultragaff just for the laughs.
 
Searching...
{[{ searchResultsCount }]} Results