Get this book. It’s one of the best show biz biographies I have ever read. Definitely the best one that ever mentioned Dariel Fitzke’s Showmanship for Magicians. Actor/comedian/writer/art collector/banjo picker/magician Steve Martin details his journey from aspiring young magician to the biggest comedian of all time (he was the first comedian to sell out 45,000 seat venues).

It’s an amazing story with details that fellow magicians can appreciate. He includes show notes from when he was a young man describing presentation of the Square Circle and the Hippity Hop Rabbits. Think about that one for a moment; one of the greatest movie stars of all time got his start doing Hippity Hop Rabbits. He talks about making the leap from behind the magic counter at Disneyland to the stage of nearby Knott’s Berry Farm.

You’ll find out that his overnight success took ten years and only then happened when he decided to go his own path. Despite the frequent bookings on the Tonight Show, fame and headliner status eluded him for a long time. He’d been demoted to performing only on guest host nights for a long period because Johnny wasn’t in to his act. When he slowly found his way, Johnny became his biggest fan.

I sat down with this book to just read a chapter and couldn’t put it down. I read the whole thing in one sitting. I’m getting the audiobook next. It’s an amazing story of how a performer struggled and grew in his art. It’s the best analysis I’ve ever read of what it takes to be an original and how hard it can be to get acceptance for that.

I could go on about this book, but you should really just be reading the book. So I’ll end this right here: Go get this book!

Etc.

Over at the ellusionist forums a moderator by the name of Steerpike has put up an insightful article about finding your path to success in magic. It’s very well written, despite the fact that it outs me as a comic book geek: elusionist.com/forums

“Think about yourself. You have a couple of main passions, true. But what else are you into? Let’s use Andrew Mayne as an example. Andrew is essentially a comic book geek who has achieved an impressive level of success. He’s produced multiple stage illusions, but also has several popular close-up effects on the market. He’s published a book detailing his love of comics by giving simple superhero-esque magic tricks marketed to kids. At the same time, he also produced Ghost Vision. He has a DVD set called Wizard School, but also produces educational videos for the classroom explaining science through illusion technology. Among magicians, Andrew is a true Rennaissance man.”

I guess “comic book geek” is better than”former circus performer and cruise ship act”. You wear one Marvel comics Secret Wars shirt and you’re branded for life. Welcome to the world of lowered expectations.

I just finished recording an interview with Christopher that I plan to include on a CD with Social Distortion. He’s got some great suggestions for it. He’s now using it as his closing effect in his stage show in Vegas. Color me impressed.

I just wrote this from my iPhone using a very cool WordPress plugin. My mind is totally blown.

wphoneplugin.org

I’m now an uncle. My brother and his wife are now the proud parents of a nine pound baby girl named “Annie”. I suggested “Andrea”, but they declined. Oh well, I look forward to teaching her my mischievous ways anyway.

The trailer will be up any day now. If you want first crack at this, be sure to sign up for my mailing list!