THE REAL DEAL - A Magician Prepares by Dennis Loomis
Posted: August 4th, 2018, 5:30 am
THE REAL DEAL
A Magician Prepares
by Dennis Loomis
Dennis Loomis was one of magic’s general practitioners. Like with Alan Shaxon, Karrell Fox, Billy McComb, and Johnny Thompson, if they phoned and asked, “Can you do X, Y or Z?” the answer was, “Yes!” Then they figured out how to do it.
And Dennis did it. He toured the US and Canada for three years with a full evening illusion show. He did an escape act as well as escaping from straitjackets while hanging upside down from cranes and helicopters. He did birthday parties. He did a balloon show (as well as pitching them). For five years he toured doing school assembly shows - three a day for five days of the week. He did close-up and became very proficient in mem-deck work. He made improvements to every trick he ever performed. To top it all he performed an SM themed act that caused consternation at magic conventions.
This book is the story of his magical life, his routines, and the characters he met. It’s basically about the stuff working pros talk about when they get together.
We have Michael Close to thank for this collection. Dennis Loomis had put off writing a book, and when Michael became editor of M-U-M, the magazine of The Society of American Magicians, he talked Dennis into writing it a chapter at a time. It’s regarded as one of the best series of articles ever to appear in any magic magazine.
There are tricks a plenty, all with the Loomis touch. What particularly appealed to me was his work on the Full Light Spirit Seance, Billy McComb’s Jumbo Jest (McCombical Prediction), and the Double Penetration of a silk through cane with no readjustment of the silk.
For me, it is not so much the tricks, but the tips and advice learnt through years on the road and thousands of performances before paying audiences. Things like how to get away at the end of a show when the school principal or show sponsor wants to make a speech for which you would be expected to remain and hear. Like how to finish a balloon gig gracefully when there’s still lots wanting balloons. There’s dozens of such tips.
Loomis was great friends with Doug Henning and the book finishes with reminiscences of Henning. Both were early purchasers of the Harbin book and each built what would be some of the first Zig Zag illusions in the United States. Each made improvements and these are detailed. It's only fair to point out that Jack Hughes in England, independently made most the same and other improvements.
The book is published in both ebook and ePub formats. I recommend it highly to any magician doing a stand-up or stage act/show, or any magician interested in what really goes on in the life of a working professional. Purchasing information at http://www.MichaelClose.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction by Michael Close
Foreword by Gene Anderson
Interview: Dennis Loomis: Well Prepared
Preparing for the Show
Sound Advice
•A Few More Thoughts on Microphones
Mark Your Way
The Twentieth Century Scarves
•An Alternative Vanish
Full-Light Spirit Séance Breakthrough
The Simplex Salt Pour
•Simplex Salt Pour – Version 1
•Simplex Salt Pour – Version 2
•Catching the Salt
Making All Of The Alcohol In The World Disappear!
•The Props
•The Set-up
•The Routine
Cutting up Jackpots
•The Bentley Chronicles
•Touring with Magic-Capades
Neil Foster’s Miniature Indian Rope Trick
My Friend the Straitjacket
•The National School Assemblies Agency
Improved, Improved Jumbo Jest
•Improved, Improved Jumbo Jest (The Dennis Loomis Version)
The Balloon Show: Balloons for Kid’s Birthday Parties
Wellington Enterprises Magic Switchboard
•The History
•The Patter
•Introduction
•Phase One
•Phase Two
•Phase Three
•Phase Four
•Phase Five
The Double Penetration
A Visit with Richard Himber
•Himber Ring Routine
The Ron Leonard-Doug Henning Livestock Production
Tri-Color Rope and Knots
Jumbo Three Card Monte
•Phase One: Introducing the Concept of Find the Lady
•Phase Two: The Swing Move
•Phase Three: The Mark
•Phase Four: Two Card Monte and Slow Motion
Seven Keys to Baldpate
The Engagement Ring Production
The Tip-over Box
The Assistant’s Revenge
Perfect Time Watch Controller
Loomis on the memorized deck
•Memorized Deck Mastery
•The Scallop Short
•Loomis on Histed Heisted
Bits and Pieces
•Table Talk
•In the Cards
•Monte Stand
•Leather Deck Case
•Color-changing Knife Routine Finale
•Power Cords
•Playing “Happy Birthday” on the Bells
•The ABC Blocks
•Turning One Sock into a Pair
•The Trident
•On Improving
•On Getting Paid
•The Day They Turned the Power Out
•The Missing School
•The “Natural Amphitheater” Show
•The Strangest Show I’ve ever Done
THE SKINNY KID WITH THE OVERBITE
•A Card Trick for Doug
•The Blaney Stepladder Suspension
•Doug, Dennis, and the Zig Zag Girl Illusion
•How I Learned to Stop Saying “No” to Doug Henning
•Another Story
Ordering here: https://www.michaelclose.com/collection ... 3790642222
A Magician Prepares
by Dennis Loomis
Dennis Loomis was one of magic’s general practitioners. Like with Alan Shaxon, Karrell Fox, Billy McComb, and Johnny Thompson, if they phoned and asked, “Can you do X, Y or Z?” the answer was, “Yes!” Then they figured out how to do it.
And Dennis did it. He toured the US and Canada for three years with a full evening illusion show. He did an escape act as well as escaping from straitjackets while hanging upside down from cranes and helicopters. He did birthday parties. He did a balloon show (as well as pitching them). For five years he toured doing school assembly shows - three a day for five days of the week. He did close-up and became very proficient in mem-deck work. He made improvements to every trick he ever performed. To top it all he performed an SM themed act that caused consternation at magic conventions.
This book is the story of his magical life, his routines, and the characters he met. It’s basically about the stuff working pros talk about when they get together.
We have Michael Close to thank for this collection. Dennis Loomis had put off writing a book, and when Michael became editor of M-U-M, the magazine of The Society of American Magicians, he talked Dennis into writing it a chapter at a time. It’s regarded as one of the best series of articles ever to appear in any magic magazine.
There are tricks a plenty, all with the Loomis touch. What particularly appealed to me was his work on the Full Light Spirit Seance, Billy McComb’s Jumbo Jest (McCombical Prediction), and the Double Penetration of a silk through cane with no readjustment of the silk.
For me, it is not so much the tricks, but the tips and advice learnt through years on the road and thousands of performances before paying audiences. Things like how to get away at the end of a show when the school principal or show sponsor wants to make a speech for which you would be expected to remain and hear. Like how to finish a balloon gig gracefully when there’s still lots wanting balloons. There’s dozens of such tips.
Loomis was great friends with Doug Henning and the book finishes with reminiscences of Henning. Both were early purchasers of the Harbin book and each built what would be some of the first Zig Zag illusions in the United States. Each made improvements and these are detailed. It's only fair to point out that Jack Hughes in England, independently made most the same and other improvements.
The book is published in both ebook and ePub formats. I recommend it highly to any magician doing a stand-up or stage act/show, or any magician interested in what really goes on in the life of a working professional. Purchasing information at http://www.MichaelClose.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction by Michael Close
Foreword by Gene Anderson
Interview: Dennis Loomis: Well Prepared
Preparing for the Show
Sound Advice
•A Few More Thoughts on Microphones
Mark Your Way
The Twentieth Century Scarves
•An Alternative Vanish
Full-Light Spirit Séance Breakthrough
The Simplex Salt Pour
•Simplex Salt Pour – Version 1
•Simplex Salt Pour – Version 2
•Catching the Salt
Making All Of The Alcohol In The World Disappear!
•The Props
•The Set-up
•The Routine
Cutting up Jackpots
•The Bentley Chronicles
•Touring with Magic-Capades
Neil Foster’s Miniature Indian Rope Trick
My Friend the Straitjacket
•The National School Assemblies Agency
Improved, Improved Jumbo Jest
•Improved, Improved Jumbo Jest (The Dennis Loomis Version)
The Balloon Show: Balloons for Kid’s Birthday Parties
Wellington Enterprises Magic Switchboard
•The History
•The Patter
•Introduction
•Phase One
•Phase Two
•Phase Three
•Phase Four
•Phase Five
The Double Penetration
A Visit with Richard Himber
•Himber Ring Routine
The Ron Leonard-Doug Henning Livestock Production
Tri-Color Rope and Knots
Jumbo Three Card Monte
•Phase One: Introducing the Concept of Find the Lady
•Phase Two: The Swing Move
•Phase Three: The Mark
•Phase Four: Two Card Monte and Slow Motion
Seven Keys to Baldpate
The Engagement Ring Production
The Tip-over Box
The Assistant’s Revenge
Perfect Time Watch Controller
Loomis on the memorized deck
•Memorized Deck Mastery
•The Scallop Short
•Loomis on Histed Heisted
Bits and Pieces
•Table Talk
•In the Cards
•Monte Stand
•Leather Deck Case
•Color-changing Knife Routine Finale
•Power Cords
•Playing “Happy Birthday” on the Bells
•The ABC Blocks
•Turning One Sock into a Pair
•The Trident
•On Improving
•On Getting Paid
•The Day They Turned the Power Out
•The Missing School
•The “Natural Amphitheater” Show
•The Strangest Show I’ve ever Done
THE SKINNY KID WITH THE OVERBITE
•A Card Trick for Doug
•The Blaney Stepladder Suspension
•Doug, Dennis, and the Zig Zag Girl Illusion
•How I Learned to Stop Saying “No” to Doug Henning
•Another Story
Ordering here: https://www.michaelclose.com/collection ... 3790642222