Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Tys
Posts: 1
Joined: March 30th, 2008, 1:22 pm

Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby Tys » March 30th, 2008, 1:28 pm

Would like to tap the collective genii brain trust on this.

In a nutshell. I'm funny. I do card tricks. I can't do funny card tricks.

How do you go about injecting comedy into card tricks?

I'm a very witty guy, sort of a dry reactionary humour but due to this i can only say something funny if someone does something and spectating is fairly passive on the whole.

Is the trick to get the humour to be situationally built in to the trick?

Thanks.

p.s. I do realise magic is not comedy and not an excuse to get some laughs, it's just so frustrating and a bit of a waste since i can get laughts normally outside of card tricks.

Martin Kaplan
Posts: 148
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby Martin Kaplan » March 30th, 2008, 1:38 pm

Tys:

I think you need to re-examine your belief that "spectating is fairly passive on the whole". Your spectator needs to be involved in the effect, not just be a passive observer. If he or she is involved, then that will afford you opportunities to display your ability to be funny. Additionally, you can script effects that are comedic in nature. Take a look at Wayne Dobson's ECHO as an example. It is a very magical effect and the way he has designed it is also has the potential to be extremely funny.

-Marty

JimChristianson
Posts: 59
Joined: March 20th, 2008, 6:26 pm

Re: Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby JimChristianson » March 30th, 2008, 1:40 pm

That other magazine is doing a Comedy Magic issue in April. Read the article by Ian Keable, then do everything exactly the opposite.

David Alexander
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Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Aurora IL

Re: Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby David Alexander » March 30th, 2008, 4:51 pm

Marty has a good point that is especially true in close-up. Involve your small audience so you can make the humor situational, which is the best kind. You want people laughing at the situation, not at you or at a particular individual.

Larry Barnowsky
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Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Cooperstown, NY
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Re: Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby Larry Barnowsky » March 30th, 2008, 5:03 pm

Certain effects lend themselves more to comedy than others. A good example would be Harry Lorayne's Pecking Bird. I've used this for decades and it's very funny to perform. People crack up when I place the little blindfold over the bird's eyes. If you have a talent for comedy a trick like that might be just the one to start performing.

Larry
Magica Analytica
barnowskymagic.com

Robinmago
Posts: 12
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Roma

Re: Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby Robinmago » March 30th, 2008, 5:25 pm

You may like also the mechanical animal(or robot,Snoopy,or

whatever,I used the Pink Panther)card effect in The immaculate

card magic of Walt Lees,by L.Ganson.

Alessandro.

Russell Davis
Posts: 131
Joined: January 20th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Fred Kaps
Location: Huntsville, AL

Re: Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby Russell Davis » March 31st, 2008, 9:57 pm

"i can only say something funny if someone does something and spectating is fairly passive on the whole."

What if you were to ask particular spectators specific questions?

Jonathan Townsend
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Location: Westchester, NY
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Re: Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby Jonathan Townsend » March 31st, 2008, 10:25 pm

injecting?

could it be that you're missing some of the humor built in due to the contrived actions and situations already there in many routines as written.

Let me turn this card back face down lest...

edited once to tone down the chide into more helpful advice ;)
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

SIX
Posts: 39
Joined: March 31st, 2008, 10:01 am

Re: Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby SIX » March 31st, 2008, 11:30 pm

Well really it comes down to your character. As a performer are you funny?? Imagine Blaine making a joke, wont fly very well. Maybe you should keep the two seperate becasue its not in your character.

Just decide what you want the audience to think about you. If you want them to laugh then make a joke or two in between effects, simply create small talk and be yourself before moving into the next effect,

SIX

Glenn Godsey
Posts: 56
Joined: March 22nd, 2008, 2:09 am

Re: Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby Glenn Godsey » April 1st, 2008, 1:39 am

Vernon said that magic is inherently funny...I agree with him. He was also saying that too many magicians try to be comedians when they don't have the talent for it.

Best regards,
Glenn Godsey
Last edited by Glenn Godsey on April 1st, 2008, 1:40 am, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: needed edit

Jonathan Townsend
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Re: Injecting Comedy into Card Tricks

Postby Jonathan Townsend » April 1st, 2008, 7:39 am

Six, the guy already says he knows how to be funny - just not how to get that funny to happen while doing card tricks.
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time


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