Hannibal’s magic explores and exposes a deeply personal side of himself—and with that comes some unexpected side effects. In the last entry in our interview series with Hannibal at GeniiCon 2017, the conjurer talks about his work for the USO, how people have reacted to his work, his own personal hang-ups, and how he uses his own insecurities to help others as much as he helps himself.

Like any craft, magicians find inspiration from other magicians. They might have gotten into magic because they saw one of David Copperfield’s spectacular specials, or Dai Vernon’s sleight of hand, or fell in love with Eugene Burger’s charm and wit. 

In the third part of our interview with Hannibal at GeniiCon 2017, the illusionist talks about the magicians who inspired him, the experience he got from exposing himself to all kinds of performers, and knowing what to emulate—and what not to.

For the rest of our interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On making the leap from actor to magician

Part two: On capturing an audience and managing expectations

There’s no getting around it: some people have a negative impression of magicians. I know, it’s sounds impossible, but it’s true. Some people are skeptical, some are natural hecklers, and some simply just find the whole thing kind of silly. So how does a magician win people over? For Hannibal, it’s about “altering the story”. 

In part two of our interview series with Hannibal at GeniiCon 2017, the storyteller and illusionist talks about how his background as a street magician and working comedy clubs helped give him the life skills he needed not only to impress people with his magic, but to win them over as fans. 

For the rest of our interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On making the leap from actor to magician

Part three: On knowing what to take (and what not to take) from his inspiration

GeniiCon may have come and gone months ago, but we’ve still got loads of interviews with magicians to share. Up next is Hannibal, a delightful sleight of hand illusionist who impresses with his ability to spin a yarn as much as he’s able to make objects appear out of thin air. 

Throughout the week we’ll be sharing clips from our interview, and in this first video, we chat with Hannibal a bit about how he crafts stories around his magic. Turns out, that gift comes from his background as an actor and a playwright, which transformed into a career in magic when a job of his fell through. Watch the video above, and stay tuned to GeniiOnline throughout the week for the rest of the interview.

For the rest of our interview, check out the links below:  

Part two: On capturing an audience and managing expectations

Part three: On knowing what to take (and what not to take) from his inspirations

I could listen to Hannibal talk about pretty much anything. The way he can spin a yarn about whatever he’s holding in his hands is both intoxicating and inspiring, and the way he can combine those stories with some incredible magic is what makes him one of the best working illusionists right now. This video shows Hannibal performing at a TEDx talk in Charlotte back in 2015, where he seamlessly melds feats of sleight of hand and mentalism with a story of how he left his life as an accountant to ply his trade with a pack of cards. It’s funny, it’s charming, and above all, it’s just dang good magic.

Some magic tricks are old. So old, in fact, that you’ve undoubtedly seen them performed hundreds, if not thousands, of times, and you wonder how anyone could possibly still make them entertaining. Take the cup and balls, for example – how do you make something that hoary hold a modern audience’s attention? Hannibal uses wit, a dry sense of humor, and two regulation soccer balls (ok, Foosball regulation) to make something classic feel current. 

The International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 92 (or more commonly known as the Vancouver Magic Circle) is celebrating its 75th anniversary this November, and to ring in three-quarters of a century, it’s hosting two days of live performances led by three of magic’s finest stars.

The show is called Magic! and will feature America’s Got Talent contestant Jeki Yoo, People’s Choice for Close-Up Award winner Hannibal, and two-time Academy of Magic Arts Parlour Magician of the Year winner Andrew Goldenhersh. These three headliners will perform alongside a variety of IBM members each night, and will be hosted by Shawn Farquhar.

Magic! will run on November 4 and 5 at the Waterfront Theatre in Vancouver, BC at 7pm each night. Tickets are still available for both nights at $24.99CAD, and can be purchased from Eventbrite. For more information about the event, visit the IBM Ring 92’s official site. 

Between the devastating attack in Las Vegas, the loss of Tom Petty, and the general state of things in the world, it’s easy to get wrapped in despair. Rather than avoiding these feelings, Hannibal faces them head-on in his Across the Table podcast. In this week’s episode, he candidly discusses his thoughts from his recent trip to Nuremberg, Germany, and how he tried to find the inspiration to perform his emotional ‘Silver Memories’ routine at Genii Convention 2017 in spite of everything going on. “[A magician’s] job is to spread love, our job is to uplift, to say there is a better way,” Hannibal says—words to keep close to all our hearts.

Be sure to subscribe to Across the Table on iTunes or Soundcloud for more stories filled with Hannibal’s wisdom and insight.