Straight Jacket Revisited

In my very first blog (now defunct) I wrote quite a bit about the Straight Jacket Escape. Specifically, my hatred for it and yet love of it. I felt it had been overdone and often ruined by performers who didn't understand what they had. In addition, though I've laughed at many of the comedic routines presented with a straight jacket escape, I also dislike in the strongest terms the idea of using such a grand device in comedy.

And to add fuel to the fire, I dislike the hanging upside down straight jacket escapes also. In truth, I wouldn't mind them if the performer gave the audience a real show, a real struggle to escape. But when a performer gets out of a straight jacket in 10-30 seconds then why even bother. Honestly, why bother even putting it on if you are going to get out that fast. Where is the challenge? There is none.

I myself do not do a traditional straight jacket escape. I opted instead for the rather unusual Steel Straight Jacket Escape. But my current wide girth doesn't allow for that escape, at least at the moment. So that is not in my show either.

However, yesterday while thinking about how to turn the Straight Jacket Escape on it's head, basically do something with it that has never been done, I came up with an idea that frankly contains more drama than hanging upside down, and more danger than if the rope were on fire. And NO ONE has done it. There is only one problem.....it actually IS dangerous. And as Penn Jillette says "actually putting yourself in harms way in magic is morally wrong" (or something to that effect).

So while I'm figuring out how to at least lesson the danger factor, I'll hold onto.

GHOST in the Machine

This began last weekend on October 14th. I was visiting my ancestral home and staying at a very nice B&B. Turns out the building was once the local Mortuary. This didn't set well with me at first, but I soon forgot about it.

I habitually use my phone as an alarm clock and put it next to the bed, just as I always do. I set the phone next to the bed, with a full charge, 100% battery life. Off to sleep I went. In the morning I checked to see what time it was and my phone would not turn on. The phone was totally dead. This has never ever happened to me before. Very strange.

The next night I kept it plugged in and had no repeat of the problem. However, on the way home I noticed the 'Voice Control' on my phone kept coming on. And occasionally music would begin playing (the itunes feature). It was driving me nuts, as I had not dropped the phone or every had this problem. Even the first day back the problem continued.

Now, as if it had never happened, the phone is fine and the voice control does not come on by itself and the music won't play unless I go to itunes and turn it on. Very strange stuff!

New Updated Video

A few years ago I decided to take some of the footage from the numerous tapes of the Underground Magic Theatre shows and create a DVD. It would be called 'The Best of The Underground Magic Theatre' and it turned out quite well. I sold a lot of the videos and was getting ready to make a new batch when I discovered something shocking. The video files were gone.

Apparently, in my rush to save data from my old computer to an external drive, before the computer totally died on me, I must have not done something correctly. I had the footage, but it was not in the timeline, so basically all I had was the raw unedited footage but not the finished project.

At first I thought this was going to be a nightmare. But as it turns out it was a bit of a blessing. I chose to change some of the content from the original show and insert things I had not featured before. Many of the original content stayed the same, but somethings ended up on the cutting room floor this time around.

Something that I had wanted in the original DVD was a video I shot of me walking through the entire theatre, showing the Museum Walls and so forth. But I lost it and was not able to add it to the original DVD. Well, since that time I have located it and now it's part of the this DVD. I also chose to add a 'Teach-a-Trick' routine to the DVD and have included a trick inside the DVD package.

The stinker is, I've only got about 50 DVD covers available and once they are gone, I'm not sure I'm going to print them again, which means, these last 50 will be a special edition and there will be no more.

The Doug Henning Paintings

The following images are paintings I did of Doug Henning. They were all done back to back within a day or so of each other. You'll notice how I incorporated elements of the two smaller ones into the painting with the white background, which to me is the best of the bunch. That particular painting was one selected by Stan Allen to appear during the Cover Party during one of the MAGIC Live conventions.
I remember Bill Malone coming over and saying some very kind things in regards to my artwork, which was very nice of him.

Without Doug Henning, many of us wouldn't be in magic today. A biography about Doug called 'Spellbound' which was written by John Harrison, mentions that a very young David Copperfield was present on the opening night of Doug Henning's show on Broadway. I doubt he was known as Copperfield at the time but it sure was interesting to read that he was there as history was being made.

These three Henning paintings are all done in acrylic. I'm pretty positive they won't be the last time I paint Doug Henning.

Thurston The Magician-Art

It's hard for me to say who is my favorite magician. I go through phases where different ones are more appealing. Howard Thurston is certainly near the top. He was an amazing individual and frankly, even more amazing to me after having read the recent biography that Jim Steinmeyer wrote.

The picture above was done in 2000 and is actually taken from an earlier painting that I did of Thurston presenting the Sawing in Half. I liked the face so much I recreated it for this painting. Later, I decided to try it one more time, slightly differently and that third painting is in a private collection today. The photo above though has the unique distinction of being signed 'Dean Alan'. This was done before I started signing DAC to the artwork.

This next piece was done in 2009 I believe. It's painted with acrylics on canvas. The size is 16x20. The painting appeared in the August 2010 edition of the Kidabra Journal. It is currently in my collection, though it is available for sale.

This last piece is a drawing I did of Thurston. It goes back to my high school days, many moons ago. It ink on paper and approximately 10x12 I think. It's not available for sale.

Acrylic David Copperfield

David Copperfield, acrylic

David Copperfield has gone from being a magician & illusionist to a legendary performer. He has set so many records over the years, not just magic records but show business records it's not funny. Among them: He has won 21 Emmy Awards, most tickets sold by a solo performer, highest broadway gross in a week, and highest annual earnings for a magician. He has also been in the top 50 highest paid entertainers since the early 1990s, and several of those years in the top 10. So to say, 'he is the man' is sort of an understatement. His biggest record, is probably not one he likes and that is having the most number of magicians rip him off, many even stealing his performing style and presentations. I know some of them, sadly. But David, continues to evolve and grow and offer a show unlike anyone else.

The painting is of Copperfield in the 1990s. If you look closely you can make out a tad bit of a mullet. Perhaps one day I'll paint another Copperfield, probably in a different style though. If you look below however, you'll see a Copperfield that I drew back in the early days. I think he had only done one or two TV specials at this point. It's pen and ink and I had almost forgotten about it.

 

Well turns out this post was quite topical. The Society of American Magicians has awarded David Copperfield with the first time ever 'King of Magic' Award. Long Live the King.

ART - The Magic Profiles

These have been posted here before, but it was back in 2010. So I thought I'd share them all again, in one place. They are all acrylic and I think they are all the same size.

Houdini w Chain

Chung Ling Soo w Lantern

Blackstone and Dancing Hank