Good news/bad news, work-related.

[TheSHAD0W]

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/462234

/Vaguely related...

[Magpie]

I don't understand why doing close magic tricks precludes fire. We know someone who, as one of his tricks, will make a rose out of flash paper, then have vanish in a puff of flame. (I believe you have to pay him specifically to do that, because it requires a large sheet of flash paper.)

[Jester]

I don't understand why doing close magic tricks precludes fire.

It doesn't.

However, the requests were not for fire, but for explosions:

Can I get a magic trick with some sort of explosion?

Balloon animals filled with Hydrogen + a bit of flash powder = Cool explosions!

That being said, let's discuss fire. I never said that doing close-up magic precluded doing fire. I did, however, say this:

I don't currently employ any pyrotechnics or explosions in my act. Keep in mind, I do close-up magic, so such things aren't always the best idea for such an act.

However, since I do magic a lot for children, I have made a conscience choice to not do anything that could potentially be dangerous to them.

Here's the deal: There is nothing wrong with employing fire or even small explosions in close-up magic, even if you are doing it for children. I choose not to do so for a few reasons.
--I think pyrotechnics should only be employed by those who are highly trained in using them. I am not.
--I not necessarily comfortable employing such things. And one needs to be comfortable and at ease with what they are doing to make it effective in magic.
--My new job will be in a toy store/magic shop, aimed even more towards children that my gig doing magic at a restaurant one night a week. I do not think one needs to employ pyrotechnics to wow children.
--Part of the gig at the magic shop, different than at the restaurant, is that many of the tricks I'll be doing will be demonstrations of tricks that the customers can buy to do themselves, at home, with friends, at parties, etc. Since this particular magic shop's major demographic is children, I don't know if this is the best idea.
--Also, due to the above, I do not think the store owner would appreciate fire tricks and explosions for children.
--As much as I like Charles Barkley and thoroughly agreed with his controversial "I am not a role model ad" so many years ago, the fact is that children DO look up to many people beyond their parents, including movie stars, professional athletes, and even some magician that blows their mind. I cannot even begin to count how many parents have told me that after seeing me, their kids either tried to do some of the tricks at home, asked their parents for a magic kit, or even convinced their parents to get them a magic kit. I do not think it is appropriate to have children learning magic tricks employing fire, nor to be trying to imitate a magician they saw do such a trick. Especially without the extensive training I mentioned above. I can think of few worse things that could happen to my life, let alone my magic career, than to find out that something a kid saw me do caused him to injure himself.

Something I have not mentioned too many times here...years ago I used to employ this cute little miniature "guillotine" as part of my act. These are also known as "finger choppers"--larger ones have been used in acts as "hand choppers." The effect is that the magician shows the mini-guillotine, demonstrates its potential by chopping something in half with it (a straw, a carrot stick, whatever), then sticking either their own or someone else's finger in it, slamming the blade home....and having the blade pass harmlessly through the finger in question. This trick is always more effective when the finger in question is that of an audience member rather than the magician himself. If operated incorrectly, this device could cause some pain to the finger, although the blade was not sharp enough to do more than bruise or slightly scratch the skin.

Well, one day while performing for a large party of people, mostly kids, I whipped out this handy-dandy little device, which I had used dozens of times before. I demonstrated it by cutting a straw in half. And then I had the 9-year-old birthday girl stick her finger in it. And I slammed the blade home....right into her finger. Naturally, the girl screamed in pain, and I felt really, really sick. While the blade was not sharp, as I said, this was similar to slamming her finger in a car door. I've done that, and it is very much less than fun. She had a bad bruise on her finger, and it hurt for a while. (We're talking days here.) Naturally I apologized to her and her parents profusely. Luckily for me they were regulars, and they were very cool about it. Also naturally, the restaurant's general manager wanted a word with me. Before he could tell me so, I told him that the finger chopper was retired from my act permanently. And that day I decided I would never perform any tricks that could potentially harm someone (beyond just freak accidents with normal tricks, mind you). And I never have.

My whole reason for getting into magic has always been to make people laugh and show them a good time. When people ask me who my biggest influence as a magician has been, I always tell them "George Carlin." And that's true. I go for the laughs. And sure, maybe I am sacrificing something by not doing these tricks. But I have a clear conscience and know that when my tricks leave the audience in stitches, it will be only metaphorically.

Now, that's enough serious discussion here....back to the evil of having to make balloon animals! (Incidentally, tomorrow is the first day on the new job...)

[Squeaksmyalias]

Have fun with the kiddies. I'm sure you will think of us when a small child says "I want BIG boom." or some ridiculously large balloon animal.
Also I promise not to come and find you and ask for Godzilla in balloon form.

[Andara Bledin]

As cool as that balloon suit is, I found a place that's done a life-sized balloon replica of a t-rex skeleton, among other things.

^-.-^

[Squeaksmyalias]

I like the balloon motorcycle.

[Jester]

Have fun with the kiddies. I'm sure you will think of us when a small child says "I want BIG boom." or some ridiculously large balloon animal.
Also I promise not to come and find you and ask for Godzilla in balloon form.

Oh, you can ask for a balloon Godzilla. You just won't get one. I have not even close to the skills necessary.

The kids were actually really cool, and frankly, were all pretty thrilled with the balloon hats I made them. Which were really just a single tube balloon twisted around to make a hat. Low skill, but fun.

I DID make three passable balloon dogs AND a balloon giraffe, all single-balloon animals. Not bad for a first-timer.

I also had one balloon blow up in my hands--hate that!--and had my fourth balloon dog develop some slow leak that slowly deflated him in the saddest way......

[fireheart]

Oh, you can ask for a balloon Godzilla. You just won't get one. I have not even close to the skills necessary.

The kids were actually really cool, and frankly, were all pretty thrilled with the balloon hats I made them. Which were really just a single tube balloon twisted around to make a hat. Low skill, but fun.

I DID make three passable balloon dogs AND a balloon giraffe, all single-balloon animals. Not bad for a first-timer.

I also had one balloon blow up in my hands--hate that!--and had my fourth balloon dog develop some slow leak that slowly deflated him in the saddest way......

When you get really good, offer to make the kids a "parrot on a swing." Basically it's as it sounds, but you can make the top of the "swing" into a hat. So the kids have parrots sitting on their heads

Also...I have to say it....

YOU KILLED THAT DOGGY!!!!

[El Pollo Guerrera]

When I think of Jester tying balloon animals, I think of Steve Martin in the movie "Parenthood" when he replaces the clown at his kids' party... After a few minutes of frantic balloon tying, he holds up a mass of inflated plastic and announces "Your lower intestine!"

[Jester]

When you get really good, offer to make the kids a "parrot on a swing." Basically it's as it sounds, but you can make the top of the "swing" into a hat. So the kids have parrots sitting on their heads

Also...I have to say it....

YOU KILLED THAT DOGGY!!!!

Yes, I killed it. And your point being.....?

As for the parrot on a swing, (A) I have friends who have been doing that for years, and (B) I doubt I will ever be good enough to do it myself. And thank goodness for that!

When I think of Jester tying balloon animals, I think of Steve Martin in the movie "Parenthood" when he replaces the clown at his kids' party... After a few minutes of frantic balloon tying, he holds up a mass of inflated plastic and announces "Your lower intestine!"

Now that's funny.....so funny I may just use it!