The Coney Island Wonder Worker

I had never met Todd Robbins before. Our communications had only been limited to just a few e-mail messages back and forth over the span of a couple of years. Literally a total of about seven or eight messages over approximately five years. And even then it was only to confirm some detail about a story that I was working on for my then electronic magic publication The Mandala or for MAGIC Magazine. We never really got to know one another any more than our scant electronic communications afforded us.

That was until two weeks ago when we finally met face to face at The Magic Castle in Hollywood. He and I had been booked to work the same week in the same room -- The Parlour of Prestidigitation. I was the early performer in that room, and he the late. Todd lives in New York and works Coney Island daily. He is very instrumental out there in keeping an American tradition alive -- namely the Side Show. Todd eats light bulbs, walks on broken bottles, sticks his hands into real animal traps, and blows up hot water bottles until they burst.

Basically, he's a freak. But one of the most charming freaks you'll ever meet. And one that I'm glad to say that I got to know a little better and now consider a friend.

Very nattily dressed in a jacket and vest with a watch chain, he endears his audiences with his comedic banter and then proceeds to invade their sense of good taste by biting into and chewing a real GE 75 watt light bulb or by hammering a nail into his nose.

This is exactly the same act that got him banned at The Magic Castle over 15 years ago when the Castle was booked by a different entertainment director that labeled Todd's act as "disgusting." Thanks to the foresight of the new entertainment director there, Todd's act was brought back and a new generation of audiences were able to witness something truly wonderful.

I know, you're thinking, "How could an act where a man chews glass and sticks things into his sinus cavities be termed 'wonderful?'" Let me assure you that it is. I saw his show five times that week, and enjoyed it each time. When Todd inquired why I was seeing it so many times, I had to explain to him that I felt his show was one of those shows that you want to see over and over again with somebody new each time. You just have to see their reaction and watch them experience the same feeling you felt the first time you saw it. Every night that week when I had guests in the club that had come to see my show, I took them to see Todd, saying, "I'm not going to tell you what he does...you just have to see it."

And so, I say the same to you. If you ever get the chance to see Todd Robbins, you just have to see him.

Shawn McMaster

Conjured-Up Creations
P.O. Box 973
Newbury Park, CA 91319
805-480-0703
www.conjuredupcreations.com

The Bain of Blaine?

One of the most common questions I get from people when they find out that I’m a professional magician is, “What do you think of David Blaine or Criss Angel?”

When David Blaine first hit the scene, there was a lot of animosity toward him within the magic community. And while it has lessened to a certain degree, some of it still lingers even today. For the most part, that malevolence is due to the fact that the magic Blaine performs, at least the magic he performed early on in his career, was not very technical and most of what he did took very little skill to accomplish. The hard-core sleight of hand guys were quick to point out his lack of polish and amateurish-looking performances.

But you know what? The home audiences loved it!

This is proven by the fact that Blaine has become the performer he is now, and by the fact that his first ABC special received very high ratings. Blaine’s idol is Harry Houdini – a man who has been dead for over 80 years, and yet people still talk about him. Houdini made a name for himself by performing all sorts of stunts – mostly escapes – and his motto was it didn’t matter what kind of publicity you got, just as long as they spelled your name correctly. And while that may not be the best approach at establishing your name and reputation, there’s something to be said for that level of tenacity. I have heard that the way Blaine secured his ABC deal was he just went out into the street and performed some tricks for strangers passing by while his friend video taped it. He then finagled a meeting with an ABC executive, showed him the tape, levitated in his office, and said, “That’s what I do.” The rest is history, and I think David is well on his way to gaining the type of fame Houdini has enjoyed.

The magicians that gave David flack then – as well as now – could, quite possibly, be jealous of his success. What they are not realizing is that David Blaine single-handedly brought close-up magic to a much wider audience than it had ever enjoyed up to that point. Until David Blaine, most people only thought of stage magicians and big boxy tricks when they thought of magic. Very few people had ever been exposed to magic up close, or in an intimate setting. Thanks to David Blaine the art of close-up magic has begun to receive the respect it deserves, and many close-up magicians are getting more work.

So what about Criss Angel? I'll have to talk about that next time. It's a lot more involved.

Shawn McMaster

Conjured-Up Creations
P.O. Box 973
Newbury Park, CA 91319
805-480-0703
www.conjuredupcreations.com