The Magicanada Project

Craig Browning · Joined: 24 Feb 2008 Posts: 34

A show of hands...who here don't know me?... or at least know of me?

I'm about the most famous of the infamous personalities in magic; a controversial, highly opinionated and EXPERIENCED old guy who invested most of the 1970s and 80s on stage doing large scaled illusions. Though this flowed into the early 90s and included working with designer Ken Whitaker on several key projects of CREATIVE ILLUSIONS MFG in the early days of the company, my transition away from bit illusions and towards the more intimate and "eerie" world of Bizarre/Psychic Entertainment started in the early 80s, ultimately taking form in the mid-90s just prior to the tidal wave of commercialism and over-exposure generated by David Blaine, Criss Angel, Derren Brown and others of the past ten or so years.

I am a "truest" when it comes to Mentalism, sticking to the very old school mode of both, performance and presentation. I know that the most discarded secret behind effective mentalism is "believability" which most magic buffs are afraid to strive for... they would rather ruin a good effect and present it as "a trick" than learn how to do it right.... something Stephan Minch observed over 30 years, labeling the syndrome as "Magicians Guilt" and pointing out how it is the downfall of most that attempt to move into the Psychic Entertainers realms.

I am a prolific writer; a contributor to several key eZines with On-Line VISIONS being at the head of the list... it is the oldest and most read magic resource on line bar none and I'm proud of the fact that I am one of it's founding members.

Aside from my articles I do have a few books in publication including a Marketing system for Psychic/Bizarre performers known as PSYCHIC TECHNOLOGIES and of course my EASY READING course for those seeking to know how to do more effective and accurate Readings using traditional oracles such as Numerology, Astrology, Runes, etc.

I am the vice-President of the U.S. Chapter of PSYCRETS (the British Mystery Entertainer's "guild" started by Dr. Todd Landman and Roni Shachnaey)and the primary founder of the Mystery Entertainer's Guild which is a non-profit organization serving working professionals and qualified patrons of the Psychic & Bizarre side of variety entertainment, including Circus/Sideshow related fields as well as Paranormal Investigators.

In the summer of 1987 I was named successor to Charles w. "Kirk" Kirkham and in so named, became one of only two people world wide that were directly linked to the coveted "Master's Legacy" of magic; the other person in this position is Lance Burton who was given the mantel by Lee Grabel and Channing Pollack about ten years ago. My partnership with Kirkham placing us at the head of the pack when it came to owning and actually working with some of the most famous magic in all history as well as the single largest private collection of magic (over 342 major illusions and close to 900 "hand prop" type pieces plus posters, books, etc.) 18 of the key props from this collection are now on exhibit at the Robert Houdin Museum in Paris, France. Several pieces are likewise in the Copperfield Museum in Las Vegas with other key pieces in the hands of some of the better known collectors of our day such a Dr. Albo and Ron Pasquoe of Indiana.

My heroes in magic tend to those that reflect the epitome of what being a "Magician" is supposed to mean in the mind of the laity -- persons of true intelligence, diligence, honor, compassion who are big enough to be humble and see their patrons as human being who are worthy of acknowledgment and acts of appreciation -- grace. I refer to Channing Pollack, Harry Blackstone, Shimada, Martin Nash, Don Lawton, Lance Burton, Sigfried & Roy and the amazing Norm Nielson just to name a few; people I know and who have influenced my life in many remarkable ways.

My Objective in life, given the harsh cup I have been given when it comes to personal health, is to convey what I have learned to those seeking to become "real" magicians or showmen as it were. To challenge them to be the best they can be and to actually apply themselves to LEARN... not just on how to do a trick but how to live a life that is magical through and through... not many in our world can walk into a room filled with strangers and have them instantly see you as a "Mystic" without doing a single trick, but such people exist and that, in my mind, is something worth striving for. It sure beats the alternative image of being some geek that does card tricks and tells boorish and bad jokes. Which, sadly, is the image 90% of the magic world depicts, contrary to our ego-centered ideas of self and ability.

LEARN that is the way of the mage be it tricks about language, understanding of the arts, or the art of being a human being.

Guest · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject:

What? No salutations of welcome to a formidable and venerable old man of the stage and all things mental?

Shame. Shame on you all.

It isn't a surprise to me, you old curmudgeon. Kids don't want to learn and they don't want to know the facts. Proof is presently in the close up forum, oh mighty curmudgeon.

So, let me be the lone stranger to welcome you to these forums, where your knowledge and wisdom is much needed but will, sadly, go completely unnoticed.

Ethan the Emazing · Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 160

Welcome to the forum.
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BrianMillerMagic · Joined: 14 Aug 2007 Posts: 543 Location: New York State

Craig, I both know of you and have spoken to you various places online in the past. I can't quite remember where at the moment. It's very nice to see you join this still young forum. Please disregard the rest of this post, which is directed at Philmar:

Philmar, in only two days here on Magicanada you have managed to disconnect yourself from nearly every regular member. Your first day was spent typing as though you were a small child who has only once seen a David Blaine special and decided to become a magician. Now you are typing like an intelligent adult, and passing yourself off as a long time working pro, which you very well may be, but surely you are intelligent enough to understand that your first day of posts have left you with very little credibility amongst the members.

Furthermore, your generalization that kids don't want to learn and they don't want to know the facts is absurd. Sure, many kids are like that, but your generalization of such is insulting to many of those who are quite the opposite: eager to learn, ready and willing to take the advise of seasoned pros.

I am personally offended by your assessment that knowledge and wisdom will go completely unnoticed on these forums. In fact I believe that you'll find just the opposite. The trouble is that you, like many magicians you'll see on magic forums, believe that if anyone who is younger than you disagrees, then that person simply "doesn't get it" and "doesn't want to learn." It's a self-serving bias and a foolish one at that. One of your more heated arguments in the past two days has in fact been with Dbaker, who is not an inexperienced child who is unwilling to learn.

The point is that if you've come here with the attitude that all kids are unwilling to learn, then you've got a self-fulfilling prophecy which will do no good to anyone.
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Michael Kras · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:18 pm Post subject:

Welcome Mr. Browning! It's an absolute pleasure to have you here!

As for Philmar... a ban is in order. Thanks for the colourful comment on my website by the way.
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Michael Kras · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:52 pm Post subject:

Liam · Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 424

Welcome Craig!
Hope you enjoy these forum.
Personally, i havent heard of you. But i havent been into magic very long (since october '07).