So many videos, so little time. Here’s a selection of magic-related vids we missed this week, or that didn’t warrant their own article:
I admit, there’s a tiny part of me that wants to see magic pranks go wrong, especially when they involve fake animal abuse. In this video, veteran magician, Murray SawChuck, runs into a noble security guard who won’t let his abuse of a spring-loaded skunk slide.
Sleight of hand genius, Shin Lim, gave a 15-minute-long interview to a Toronto-based magazine with the worst audio setup in the world. I strongly suggest you soldier on through the echo-laden video, as the FISM Close-Up magic champion is full of good advice.
Here’s a cool motion trailer for The Magic Order, the new comic from Kick-Ass scribe, Mark Millar. In the comic, a dysfunctional family of magicians must come together to defend the earth from a supernatural threat. The first issue hits shelves July 13th.
Darcy Oakes absolutely killed it on Showtime at the Apollo. The Winnipeg-born magician has been going from strength to strength since he made the finals in series 8 of Britain’s Got Talent in 2014.
Nothing is less magical than health and safety laws, but they’ve been an overbearing presence in the magic industry for decades. Whenever you involve a member of the audience without having them sign a waiver, you’re opening yourself up to potential legal trouble.
Like the trouble currently facing David Copperfield. The endlessly popular illusionist is currently fighting a civil suit brought by one Gavin Cox, who claims he received life-altering injuries while taking part in a trick during a performance in Las Vegas.
Cox claims he was “hurried with no guidance or introduction through a dark area under construction with cement dust and debris, causing him to slip and fall.” Copperfield had to reveal the methodology behind the trick as part of the court proceedings.
Magician Murray Sawchuck believes that saying Cox was injured “during” one of Copperfield’s tricks is a bit of a stretch, and that revealing the secret behind the trick was a waste of time because Cox’s injury “could have happened anywhere.”
What do you think? Should Copperfield be held liable for Mr. Cox’s injuries? And if he is, do you think this will have a chilling effect on audience participation? Sound off in the comments section.
The Magic Word podcast has posted its latest episode, continuing the holiday tradition of host Scott Wells chatting with Murray Sawchuck. In this “Another Murray Christmas” episode, the duo discusses how Sawchuck thinks about evolving his act, and finding the balance between putting time into honing the trick and not letting it become stale.
Given Sawchuck’s signature shock of blonde hair and penchant for sharp dressing, it’s maybe not a surprise that he puts serious thought into appearances. He’s also got opinions about building your image, revealing a deep-seated pet peeve against headsets and clip-on microphones.
Sawchuck also talked about his participation in another Vegas tradition, hosting his annual Beggin’ For Magic charity holiday variety show on December 20. The all-ages show will give all profits to Friends For Life Human Society and Rockin’ 4 Rescues.
To listen to the full episode, you can download it from the Magic Word podcast page, iTunes, or Stitcher.
Pawn Stars is the show that makes you wish your grandparents had an enormous attic, as it frequently features folks who find some intriguing tidbit lurking forgotten in the dust, only to discover it’s worth a small fortune. Such is the case when Murray SawChuck introduces Eric, his showroom manager, to the guys. Eric found an antique automaton that performs several different magic tricks in his grandma’s attic, and not only is it all original, it’s in spectacular working order. It’s a seriously cool piece.
Give the video a watch to learn some interesting facts about how automatons were crafted, why shiny silk degrades over time, and how much of a payday Eric can expect.
Watch the full episode of Pawn Stars over at the History Channel.