Wow! The pre-sale of Corn Hole Zero began less than 24 hours ago and BOOM!

Our most popular release EVAH!

With that mind, here are a few of the questions that have come up from the launch.

#1 Can you tell me more about Jerry Andrus’ Zone Zero?

The CHZ page goes live.
Then a few questions came in and I realized, “Whoa, Magic Dude. Not everyone has an obscenely large magic library built over decades.” In other words, not everyone is familiar with the late great Andrus effect, Zone Zero.

In Zone Zero a rectangular board of roughly 20 x 10 inches is shown. There’s a 4 inch hole in the middle. A rubber ball is placed in the hole and the board is flipped to show both sides and the ball is gone. The process is reversed and the ball reappears. This happens, with minor variations, 2-3 times.

Now you know.

#2 I want to give away the teddy bear each show. Do you sell the bears?

That’s the way I perform the routine. I give the teddy bear to the assisting spectator. It’s a wonderful “oooo ahhhh” moment. The expense is about that of doing a hat tear, and it’s much, much cuter.

If you’d like to have a 30 pack “Bag O’ Bears”, go to the CHZ page and scroll down to the Bag O’ Bears purchase link.

I do share non-giveaway bear options in the script.

#3 Do I need to wear a jacket to perform CHZ?

Nope. A short sleeve T shirt and jeans would work fine.

# 4 Is CHZ difficult to perform?

Difficulty is a subjective thing to rate, but I’m going to say it’s very, very easy. If you have ever performed the sponge bunnies, you have performed a routine more difficult than CHZ.

#5 Is this a kid trick or an adult trick?

YES! Meaning, CHZ is one of those gems that plays great for ALL ages.
The playful fun of this routine, coupled with the teddy bear ending, make it a routine that crosses generational lines.

#6 Does it fit in a carryon bag?

You did not just ask me that. lol Of course, it does. The CHZ board is 19.5 x 11 inches.

#7 Is that YOU on the one side of the CHZ board?

No, although with that mustache and my mustache I can see why you would think that. The script for CHZ refers to the carnival game origins of corn hole, and the mustached, top hatted graphic is a carny barker.

Got more questions? Please send your question by replying to my email newsletter.
Not a subscriber? Oy! Sign up here.

Are your questions answered? Then get your CHZ here!

There was a TV commercial from an eyeglasses chain a few years back whose pitch was “two pairs of eyeglasses for the price of one.” In the commercial a big, shy looking guy would sheepishly say, “I lose things.” Somedays I feel like that guy could be my spirit animal. 

We have all been there. Two minutes from show time — or worse, ten minutes INTO our show — and we realize we forgot that little fill-in-the-blank.

While having a backup thin model sawing is a bit pricey, there are many small props where the investment in a backup is very small in dollars and space and the reward in peace of mind and competence is very big. Here’s a quick list of those props. If you use them, have two. 

Thumb tips
Nail clippers
Nail writers
Gimcracks (or whatever around the neck wireless microphone holder you prefer) 
Dye tubes
Silks
Sponge balls
Shot glass (Wait staff can take these thinking they’re bussing a table.)
Shot glass covers
Electronic doodads (you know, USB cables, adapters, etc)
Batteries 
Lighters 
Decks of cards
Markers
Miser’s dream coins
The adhesive-backed fake gems that stick on Audio Ape remotes that enable them to be activated in the pocket through the material of the trousers.¹
Under lapel match lighters.²

And whatever is in your case, costs less than twenty bucks, and fits in your hand.

Until Next Time,

Doc Dixon

PS: Check out the Corn Hole Zero Pre-Sale and the CHZ FAQ.

¹  There is a distinct possibility that this was added to the list 10 seconds after the stick on gem fell off my Audio Ape remote.
² I’ve never used an under lapel match lighter doo-hickey, but I’ve seen enough acts use them that if I did use one in my act I’d have at least three under my lapel.

No, not when Lemmy said it. I’m talking about back in 2019 on Fool Us when I said it. It began with me inviting Penn & Teller on stage to play the shell game and ended with the FU trophy. In between those two moments I chatted with Alyson Hannigan, and said this about the shell game,

“It’s not just a show or a trick that you watch,
it’s a trick that you PLAY.”

That element of play, whether real or pretend, is one of the most POWERFUL presentational hooks a magician can have in his tool box.

WWDRD

What Would Del Ray Do?
Arguably the greatest close-up act of the 20th century, his act featured several routines where he would play card or dice games with the spectators.

Not cheating demonstrations. Nope. Del would actually play blackjack, poker, or his own incredible dice game, offering spectator’s a chance to win a “fifty dollar bill. I apologize for it lookin’ so shabby. I’ve had it for seventeen years.”

A part of Del Ray’s appeal was the game element. It made his magic so incredibly entertaining and engaging.

WWTSD

What Would Terry Seabrooke Do? Seabrooke originated the classic routine where a signed banknote is put in one of four identical envelopes. The envelopes are mixed up. The spectator guesses which envelope has his signed money. In other words, the spectator plays a game. That envelope is set aside. The other three are burned. The chosen envelope is opened and …it’s empty. Later, the signed bill is is found in a sealed envelope inside Seabrooke’s wallet.

It’s the game element — even a pretend game like Seabrooke’s — that makes the magic so incredibly entertaining and engaging.

What routines of yours — routines you already do — can benefit from adding the game element?

A few possibilities off the top of my head: shell game (doh!) three card monte, mental effects, cups and balls, card routines (Paul Harris’ Whack Your Pack is a great one) the ten card poker deal, etc.

Now to be clear, I don’t thinks this works with all magic tricks. Of course not. But I do think the game presentations can so be fun, so playful, so naturally interactive, that it is something definitely worth exploring.

And that brings us to …

Our Newest Magic Routine Release:
Corn Hole Zero

Years ago I began with a modern classic of stage magic, and transformed it from head to toe.

I turned it into a game. And I added a prize.

Corn Hole Zero adds a game to the magic.
A fun, interactive, magic game with real, visible & magic results.
Pre-Sale Begins Wednesday, July 26th, 2023.

*And it’s nearly always less than ideal.

Today’s post is brought to you by a text exchange I had with a magician buddy during the 2022 holiday show season.

He was performing an after dinner show at a holiday banquet. You know the drill. He’s at one end of the room on a riser in front of a bunch of ten top tables. Now already this is less than ideal, as the nature of tables means about half the audience is seated with their sides and/or backs to him. This is nothing new or unusual, but it is worth mentioning as it is a present challenge for most banquet gigs.

Let’s add in another challenging factor:

The Amazing INVISIBLE Tech Rider!

Yep. You send it weeks before the gig. It’s simple. Nothing about green M&Ms or groupies. Nope. You only need to be seen and heard. Do they read it? Maybe yes. Maybe no. The reality is that many of our wonderful hosts for events are not event planners, but, say, Bob from accounting. Meaning, they have a TON on their plate already and expecting them to cross every event T is just unrealistic.

He and I both had shows that night, and were texting back and forth prior to our events. He was performing at a holiday banquet, as was I. Here’s our last text exchange before show time:

The outcome? We both had happy audiences and happy clients.

Let’s break down what I “reminded” him to do. (I say reminded because he already knew it)

Just March On

After you made what fixes and adjustments you can, just do your show.
My grandfather worked in the steel mill next the to the blast furnace for decades.
My father worked in coal mines when he was fourteen years old.
Given this heritage I am nearly genetically incapable of on job griping.
No whining. No mentions of the bad tech to “save face.” It won’t save face. It will only sound like whining, because it is.
Kick butt. Take names. Amaze. Be funny. Repeat.

Work The Crowd

It’s a shame that crowd work has a bad rep as the tool of hack comics. It’s not the tool. It’s the craftsman. Crowd work is the skill of scoring with jokes and interactions targeted at specific audience members. When done well it’s virtually guaranteed to snap a crowd from apathy to interest.

Why does it work so well? Because a TV set never asked anyone, “So, how long you two been married?” In challenging situations like this it adds an excitement to the show that makes the audience mentally lean in to your performance when you need all the edges you can get.

Want to get better at this sort of audience interaction? Check out my routine Maweege. It fits in a pocket, plays to the back of the room, and it’s both training wheels and a post-grad course in audience interaction.

Lean Into The Verbal

In the shorthand between my friend and I, this meant “at the start of the show be funny without the aid of magic.”
Before they buy into your magic, they need to buy into YOU.

Two things that will help:
Have a chunk of verbal funny at the beginning of your show. Call it a monologue. Call it a few minutes of laughs that work. I don’t care what you call it. Just be sure it’s funny.

Keep your ears on BEFORE THIS SHOW. This is ground I’ve covered before in this blog in a post called Put Your Ears On Before Showtime. It’s covers the importance of listening before a show for unexpected and impossible to plan for comedy opportunities. This is a huge asset in normal situations and can be a LIFESAVER in challenging situations.

Hoping that all your gigs are ideal.

Best,

Doc Dixon

PS#1 Coming soon!

PS#2: While you’re here, be my guest and check out the store:

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If you haven’t read the previous blog entry, please do that first. It will make this post easier to follow.

Let’s look at last entry’s metaphor:

Treat guests on stage how guests would want to be treated in your home.

Last time we looked at it from the negative view point, as in do NOT make them feel unsafe, embarrassed, or unsure. Now let’s take a positive, action-oriented take.

Thurston Was A Slacker

If you’re having guests over for dinner, what will increase the odds of a great meal, last minute scrambling or preparing a week in advance?

As the story goes, magic legend Howard Thurston would peek through the curtain before every show and eyeball every audience member, quietly telling them he loved them. Thurston did this to get in the right frame of mind to present his show.

With respect to the legend that is Thurston, instead of – or in addition to – doing this minutes before show time, do it (metaphorically) when you’re booked for the gig. 

Doing it a few minutes before show time allows the performer to change his attitude. 

Doing it at the time of booking (or much earlier) allows the performer to change his attitude and his act. 

I recently had a private party show for a client. I asked myself, “What can I do to make the show extra special, extra good for them.” So I performed a trick designed just for them. It’s a variation on the classic Fred deck that allowed me to leave them with the selected card and the rest of the deck. Cool souvenir, right?  It took about an added hour of preparation while watching Netflix.

Could I do my act without this? Sure. 

Would they still love the act? Modesty aside, sure. 

Would it make them as happy? No. Why? Forgive me, but as I get older I’m getting more sentimental, and I think people – and audiences are people –  like to be loved and appreciated. They may not realize it in the moment but later the audience will realize you went the extra step for them. 

And they’ll feel loved. Because you actually love them.

And as the man from Patmos wrote about 1,900 years ago, you loved them not only in word, but in deed. 

Everybody Loves Tchotchkes

I love it when I’m at an event and there’s a souvenir or gift for me. Value doesn’t matter much. I confess, I’m a sucker for this stuff. I’m not talking about a $120,000 Oscars swag bag, though I’m open to any readers who would like to send me one …seriously …$60K? $30K? No? Moving on …

A $1.20 expression of gratitude is still appreciated. Put some in your show.

Pack a magic souvenir or two, like a Svengali deck, in your show bag. They make a great gift for the post show chat when a spectator mentions, “I have a daughter who’s into magic.”

If you’re looking for a fun, pack small & play big family show routine to feature in your show that will make you look like a mensch giving away a Svengali deck, check out Rigging The Lottery in my book, The Show Is The Mother Of Invention.

Names Are Good Food

Introductions and names are the brick and mortar of party interactions. Shows, too.

Giving credit where credit is due, I first saw this pointed out in a magic lecture by Docc Hilford. When a spectator joins you on stage, instead of:

“Hi. What’s your name?”

Say:

“Hi. I’m (your name). What’s your name?”

This isn’t a small thing. Beyond the opportunity to repeat your name, it comes across as much more welcoming to spectators.

Give’em Some Custom Last Minute Funny

When a party host can satisfy a guest last minute wish (Oh, you don’t do dairy? No problem! We have two desserts and one is non-dairy.”) it’s always appreciated. Covering last minute situations on the fly huge bang-for-the-appreciation-buck.

This is ground I’ve covered before in this blog in a post called Put Your Ears On Before Showtime. It’s covers the importance of listening before a show for unexpected and impossible to play for comedy opportunities.

Have A Seat

Ever been to a party where there’s not near enough chairs? Ugh.

OK. I know I’m going against the popular grain here, but can we quit making spectator’s stand for several minutes at a time? Or at least open ourselves up to the option of having a chairs onstage where it might be best? See this post for chair stuff.

Maybe because I perform on ships with the accompanying age demographics, but I’m convinced chairs can be good stuff on stage.

What Else?

There’s a lot of “what else,” but this is a blog post, and only so much can be covered. The best part is that, unlike a painting that’s finished and done, for a show there’s always the next show where the guest experience can be improved.

Until next time,

Doc Dixon

PS: While you’re here, be my guest and check out the store:

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Magic Facebook pages have plenty of questions. One recent poster asked for resources on “how to treat a guest up on stage.”

The first answer was “common sense.” I laughed when I read it, because while it was both 100% correct, it was a little short on specifics.

So in the spirit of helpfulness, please consider this post a “resource” and an expansion of “common sense.” Not a comprehensive resource, but a few basic things points to navigate treating a volunteer the right way.

Important disclaimer: I am NOT offering RULES for how YOU must treat a volunteer on stage. Nope. This topic, more than most, is character driven and venue contextual. What works works. This is simply how I live it.

And the chorus sang “Your mileage may vary.”

So let’s tackle this from the spectators’ view with a helpful metaphor.

Treat guests on stage how guests would want to be treated in your home.

Guests want to feel safe.

“Aw, come on, I know you’ve never had sushi, but at least try it!”
“Aw, come on, I know you’ve never had gas station convenience store sushi, but at least try it!”
These two sentences are not the same.

Do we need to treat a spectator with a 100% kid gloves? No.
Is it wrong to take them out of their comfort zone? No.
Is it OK to make them feel endangered? Also no.

These things are easier to illustrate through examples.
Asking a guy shove an envelope down the front of his pants in a cards across routine might be out of his comfort zone, and there are a ton of variables to consider, like the age of the performer and spectator.¹
Asking someone to shove their hand down on a possible spike is making them feel endangered.

Think of it like hosting a dinner at your home. Would you consider offering food way outside your guests usual palate? Sure.

Would you serve something that could make them sick. No.

Guests want to be safe.

In 2022 I emceed and performed in the IBM national convention “close-up” show in Atlanta. Fun show. Great performers. I put close-up in quotes because it was on a “stage” with video enhancement. And I put stage in quotes because it was a typical corporate/hotel event riser with …the usual semi-rickety steps. I don’t think they were unsafe, but I do think they might feel that way to someone not 100% confident in their walking.

I noticed these steps as we were prepping for the show. I imagined spectators, some in their seventies, having to navigate these steps alone. Not on my watch. So after I introduced each act, I didn’t go backstage. I went down to a seat reserved for me in the front row. This way I was able to offer a supportive arm to every ascending and descending spectator, something that would have been very awkward for the performer to do because of the layout of the stage.

Guests don’t mind being a little goofy, but they don’t want to be humiliated.

Ever celebrate a birthday at a Mexican restaurant? The waiters come over, sing happy birthday, slap a sombrero on your head, and take a pic.

Is this a little goofy? Of course. Humiliating? Unless you’re a complete stiff, no. The well chosen magic equivalent of the sombrero can be a fun thing.

So how many spectators get insulted by magicians attempting to be funny? I’m not saying some good natured ribbing with a spectator is bad. On the contrary, it’s how I pay my mortgage. So how can we know when the line is crossed?

If the spectator and audience enjoys the exchange, it’s good.
If the spectators could justifiably bristle, it might be bad.²

Guests want to feel the evening is planned & organized.

“Welcome to our home. What do you want to eat? I got some Beefaroni in the cupboard. For dessert, we can dip some Oreos in Cool Whip!”

You know, there’s a lot to be said for a having a well-written, time-tested script. It can keep a performer from looking like a bumbling schmuck.

NEXT POST:

Keeping up the party hosting metaphor, this post dwelled on how to avoid being a bad host. Next post will talk about how to be a great host.

Until next time,

Doc Dixon

PS: While you’re here, be my guest³ and check out the store:

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¹ For the record, I don’t do this gag, but it’s a common one and therefore an easy illustration.
² I write “justifiably” because like you, I’ve seen spectators be offended for “reasons” that defy common sense. If a spectator runs because the playing cards are “of the devil” well, that’s on them.
³ See what I did there …

The cups and balls.
The linking rings.
The cut and restored rope.

These are just a few of the classic tricks that benefit from the props being inspected by a spectator before the trick commences. We have all heard the spectator theories, “Those are trick cups …that’s a trick rope.” Wrong. “Those are trick rings.” Not so wrong. A well managed spectator inspection goes a long way in squashing these theories. 

Also, a well done, brief prop inspection can add a gravitas to a routine, as in, “Well, this must be some sort of miracle …he handed out the rope to make sure we would know that …”

A prop inspection can add laughs. Watch the late, great Denny Haney performing the canvas covered trunk, and you’ll see proof of that. The silent cueing of the spectator to get in the trunk with Lee is comedy gold.

Some magicians think inspecting props slows down the routine and is boring. Not if the process is entertaining and well done. We’re not talking, “Get a DNA sample from each cup.” A simple, “Reach inside each cup and you’ll see they are what they are — old clunky copper cups.”  

But you know what else can be boring? The bored spectator watching a performance, mumbling under his breath, “Not impressed. Those are trick cups (or rope or rings).”

Thanks for stopping by.

Doc Dixon

PS: While you’re here, feel free to “inspect” the store, and if your timing is right, take advantage of the Reign Man Flash Sale

Two magicians at the International Brotherhood of Magicians convention in Pittsburgh last week.

On the left is Lance Burton, legendary magician, retired Las Vegas headliner, and one of the greatest stage magicians of all time.

On the right, is Eddie Ace Pacacha, who is even better.

Photo credit Howard Mincone

Eddie has been a friend for over 35 years. Love him dearly. To magicians he is known for his incredible sponge sculptures, used by magicians (myself included) in their shows around the world. Better than a great man, he’s a good man. Kind, hard working, and beloved by all. (If there are exceptions to the “not loving Eddie rule,” trust me, those people are jerk faces of the lowest order.)

What many may not realize is Eddie is also a talented performing magician. In the mid 90s the Pittsburgh Funnybone Comedy Club had something called “Magic Mondays.” It was basically 6-8 new comics telling jokes (or trying) followed by a magician doing a 30 minute set.

I went down to see Eddie perform at one of these. Now keep in mind, I’m not a stranger to performing in comedy clubs. I know what the usual “look” is. Eddie was not that look. Not just a tux, he was wearing TAILS. His jacket cooed with the doves hidden in it. Now even thirty years ago, Eddie was a dear friend, and I was worried my buddy was going to eat it big time, as comedy clubs typically aren’t appreciative of tuxedo classic magic. So I sat in the balcony, ready to tell Eddie after the show, “It wasn’t that bad.”

The crowd is surly and drinking. Eddie walks on stage. He presses the button on his boom box for his music, as this was decades before the Audio Ape. It begins to play. He executes a spot on perfect dove production (Lance Burton would have been proud.), and in the literal blink of a dove’s eye the audience of drinkers that just sat through 50 minutes of dirty jokes were ENTHRALLED with this man on stage. They became excited 5 year old kids who couldn’t believe they were so lucky to see a REAL LIVE MAGICIAN!!

He went on for 30 minutes, and the crowd ate it up.

All hail Eddie!!
(I have heard Lance Burton is very talented and a great guy, too.)

Until Next Time,

Doc Dixon

PS: I posted this on my Facebook page and magician Matt Disero commented what you can read below. It’s good, insightful stuff. Shared with his permission.

Love this story. It’s instructive about magicians in comedy clubs. Not all, but the right ones. While the comics may not like it, things I’ve learned spending most of my life in clubs :

Audiences LOVE skilled stuff. They’ll watch if you’re good. Drunks at a strip club will stop to watch and be amazed if it’s to music. Jokes, hit and miss within a manip act. See also Kozak, multiplying pipes etc. He kills. Larger than life.

Two, an older than the audience dude wearing something WAY outside what everyone else is wearing, for some reason gets a temporary pass. Not long, but just long enough to prove yourself. Then you have to keep doing it the entire set.

Lastly, I was taught in my teens that good acts will ALWAYS WORK. I believe that balls to bone.

This is a perfect example of all that. And more. While I don’t know him at all he has my full respect. Because he’s a good act. I know that not because of any thing other than he killed with a dove act in a comedy club.

Welcome to the first Woofle Dust post.

Woofle Dust will be what I call posts with no unifying theme, other than it’s a bunch of good stuff I’d think would be helpful for you to know about.

For you youngsters out there, woofle dust was once a popular presentational conceit of dubious efficacy. Have something hidden in your right hand you want to ditch while your left hand holds the thingamajig? Then reach inside you right pocket, ditch the doohickey, and come out and mime sprinkling woofle dust on the thingamajig.

Yep. Parts of Tarbell didn’t age that well, either.

If you thought cootie catchers were a challenging fold, this will help.

Template Maker is a site that gives you templates for foldable paper packages. If you need the template for a custom sized envelope, box, bag, etc, this website has your back. Thanks to the wonderful Steve Bedwell for sharing this gem.

A Great Legacy Continues

I recently learned that many of the props of the late great Scott Alexander are now available at Hocus-Pocus. I currently don’t know the details or the extent of amount of material available. If you’re interested visit their website.

Drinking Single Malt In Front Of Five Year Olds

The shot glass ending for the egg bag is just about perfect. It’s a small, but still impressive liquid production that scores well. Several years back I planned on performing it in an association gig in Arizona, only to discover the audience was much more family-oriented than I originally thought. 

Instead of an egg, I used a small golf ball size fake orange I bought at a craft store. 

Instead of whisky (aka watered down coffee), I put orange juice in the shot glass. 

Right before I produced the shot glass I looked at the kid on stage with me and said, “I think you squeezed that little orange too hard …because now …(produce glass) it’s orange JUICE!” 

I drank it down, secure in the thought the audience didn’t know it was a screwdriver.

Thanks for stopping by.

Doc Dixon

PS: While you’re here, check out the store, and if your timing is right, take advantage of the Reign Man Flash Sale!

I recently received a question from a magician that ordered my new book, The Show Is The Mother Of Invention: Advice On Packing Small, Playing Big, And Living Large.

I ordered your new book. Does it have any pictures of the inside of your case and how you organize it? I know there is a system that you can buy from Pelican that will divide up your case, but I’m not sure what people are using to organize for travel, and then set up for the show. Any help along that line would be fantastic. Thank you!

Here, in expanded form, is my answer:

First, thank you for your purchase! Because you bought my book a few weeks after seeing my theater show, your purchase means that much more to me.

While my book doesn’t have any pics of my case packed for travel, here’s a much more helpful pic.

When I pack the case for travel to the show, the answer is one word: Tetris.

I pack it like the Tetris game, attempting to remove any empty spaces to get maximum capacity from the case. Example: the stand for my table is stuck inside my cocktail shaker I use for the Miser’s Dream. And the shaker is lined with sponge balls, six silver dollars, and a few markers.

The key to packing a case is to go Tetris on it. Nest things whenever possible. Avoid dead space to get the most in. It’s a very individual thing, as we all pack different props.

Setting up the props for the show

The unpacking and setting up for the show is now easy because there’s much more space to accommodate the props.
All the props that were inside the Pelican case now go from one place (the Pelican case) to THREE places.
They stay in the Pelican case.
They go in a canvas box (or next to it) that’s on my right.
They go in my pockets.

That is a TON of space for the required material, as at most I’ll perform 12 routines in a 90 minute show, many of them with props the size of a deck of cards and some envelopes.

Here’s what that looks like from a theater gig earlier this year. (I confess, I really dug the show biz western saloon vibe the venue had and that’s half my reason for sharing this pic lol. Cool place and I’m returning in 2024.)

Back on topic: the focus of the book is not Tetris packing or prop packing.

The focus is how to get time and impact with what’s in the case. More impact, and especially more time, equals fewer props.

For more details, here’s my new book The Show Is The Mother Of Invention.

Just like most other aspects of show improvement, becoming better at packing small & playing big isn’t the result of only one thing. It’s the accumulative effect of many things.

And those “many things” is what this book is about.

Until next time,

Doc Dixon

PS: And I don’t use the Pelican divider system