Welcome and Hello's

[DaveV]

Welcome Mago Pedro. You should find many friends here. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.

[Pop Haydn]

Welcome, Mago Pedro. It is good to have you join us. I look forward to discussing period re-enactments with you. BTW, you are now a Scoundrel.

[howdini]

Hello, all!

I'm Howard.  My main interest is in closeup magic.  I've been a member for a while, but I haven't really been dipping into the magic pool too much lately; my interest in performing magic waxes and wanes [this may be due to ADD, perfectionism, or a combination thereof].  I do love seeing it performed well, though.  Whit, I've a had a set of your standard shells for a while now, and the Bob Sheets "Three Shell Routine" video, though I haven't cracked it yet [harhar!].  It's definitely an area I'd love to explore.

I've been a student of Jamy Ian Swiss, and I'm a big fan of his artistic rigor.  Unfortunately, I find that the time it takes to develop worthwhile, entertaining routines is enormous, and this is a large part of the reason I'm so on-again, off-again with magic.  I can't stay away, though, so here I am.

Anyway, I just got a special gift from Todd Lassen, a [need I say?] beautiful Slippery Sam gimmick [English penny size].  Does anyone here know of any good routines employing this gaff?  Any advice or pointers would be much appreciated.

It's good to be here!

Cheers to all,

How

[Smiley]

Hello everyone,

I'm usually smiling, not a idiot grin, just a pleasant smile.  That explains the handle. 
I'm easy to entertain, laugh easily, and am a better listener than talker on most subjects.   I'm the 'reactor' in the crowd that performers focus on during their acts.  I'd be a great professional capper/shill. 

I've got a few years of close-up magic [study] under my belt, some ventriloquism, mime/clowning, balloons, etc.  I work with handkerchiefs, ropes, sponge balls, cups and balls, and all manner of gaffed props and paraphernalia.  I like coin work better than card tricks but only because I've never really played with cards.  (Sheltered life!) I don't even really know how to play poker.... seriously.       I have a good sized print and video library of magic and deception.  Unfortunately most of the video stuff is still on VHS.

Confidentiality, secrecy and privacy have special meaning to me.  I have a great interest in secret knowledge, but am pretty shy when it comes to performance.  Paradoxically, I can sell anything.  Slipping on a well scripted performance persona mitigates my shyness.

I'd like to Talk at carnivals and fairs and I appreciate all that I've already read here on the subject.

Cheers to all.

Smiley

[Howie Doodat]

Hello all...
I'm a middle aged guy who has always thought magic was cool, but was too busy being a musician (semi-pro - weekend warrior) to bother to learn any.
I've been fiddling with it for a while now, maybe 3-4 years, learning as much as possible, taking lectures (McBride, Levent, McClintock, Hillford, Criss Capehart, Tim Ellis, Darwin Ortiz, Howie Schwarzman, Kevin James, Richard Sanders, Jay Scott Berry, etc etc etc)  as often as I can and thinking about what I want to do with it.
I stop into Denny Haney's shop in Baltimore as often as I can, and Barry's in Rockville MD occasionally. Bump into Bob Sheets at lectures and shows now and then, although he doesn't know me from Adam. It's always good to see him though... one of my favs.

I've always been a performer - played sax in almost every imaginable situation from the nastiest backwoods dive with dirt floors up to the White House, in nearly every imaginable type of musical organization - Army band, marching bands, jazz bands, stage bands, rock, blues, jazz, wedding, klezmir, country, symphonic, musical plays, etc etc etc... Got tired of one night gigs and such at about age 40, and eventually got married and settled. My wife and I were state Lindy Hop champs (swing dance/jitterbug) for a couple of years... but after the kids, couldn't do that any more. I still missed performance, so I decided I would regret it if I never pursued my interest in magic, and now it has become pretty much all consuming, except for work, the family and kids.

So since I always had so much fun playing music on the streets for spare change in the hat, I thought it might be fun to do some magic busking, not only to make some cash but also to kick my magic act into shape... not that I have an "act" yet... still working on it but it's coming along - at least on paper. After seeing some of the kid's magic acts around, I figure I could do a better job so I'm also working up a kid's birthday/ blue&gold / school type of act... we'll see how it goes... not much progress on that yet...

Finally decided on a stage name: Howie Doodat - hence my handle here....

Anyway, long story short, I'm here to contribute and learn whatever I can... glad to be here, and I'll see ya inside...

[Police Magician]

Welcome to all of you.  Glad to have you aboard.  This is a great place with a lot of great people.  Sit back, peruse through the posts and learn what it is all about here.  Oh, watch out for pickpockets.  Glenn

[Roscoe]

Howie Doodat

GREAT Handle!

  ed

[Howie Doodat]

Thank you for the warm welcome ladies & gentlemen, and it is indeed an honor to be in the presence of such fine folk.
I look forward to spending some time here and steal... err, I mean... learn as much as I can and maybe offer a thing or two.
I'll be perusing and cruising and then I'll start spouting my nonsense after I get the lay of the land.

David Q aka Howie Doodat

[Roscoe]

Howie Doodat?

If only you had a young female assistant, or even a Barbie or female Cabbage Patch Doll as a fake assistant, her name could be:  "Vera Well!"

  ed

[Diamond Jim]

Or even, Wooden Yu Liketoknow...

OK, vera bad, vera.  But anyway, welcome to Howie and Smiley!  The others here have much more acumen than I (as in guys who don't make mistakes in math).  Look forward to your thoughts on things...

DJ