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What is Bizarre & Geek Magick?
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(Created page with "The term "Bizarre Magick" was first coined by magician's Tony Shiels & Anthony Raven in 1968; as we mentioned under the Mentalism description, it is a kindred art form that borro...") |
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The term "Bizarre Magick" was first coined by magician's Tony Shiels & Anthony Raven in 1968; as we mentioned under the Mentalism description, it is a kindred art form that borrows the psychological approach associated with Mentalism and blends it with the art of storytelling and more traditional magic-based methods and even a more obvious sense of trickery. However, there are several different styles of Bizarre Magick; | The term "Bizarre Magick" was first coined by magician's Tony Shiels & Anthony Raven in 1968; as we mentioned under the Mentalism description, it is a kindred art form that borrows the psychological approach associated with Mentalism and blends it with the art of storytelling and more traditional magic-based methods and even a more obvious sense of trickery. However, there are several different styles of Bizarre Magick; | ||
| - | '''The Satirist''' -- those familiar with Tv's Elvira (Mistress of the Dark) have a decent vision as to what this type of Bizarre Performer is like; they dress in an almost comical parody of a B-Rate movie entity with the majority of their intrigues being just as "Corny". Then again, not all are dressed in silly ''Drac''. . . there are those like the great Eugene Berger who are simply themselves and as such, offer a wonderful drool humor and storytelling skills that make an audience laugh, if but nervously. | + | '''The Satirist''' -- those familiar with Tv's Elvira (Mistress of the Dark) have a decent vision as to what this type of Bizarre Performer is like; they dress in an almost comical parody of a B-Rate movie entity with the majority of their intrigues being just as "Corny". Then |
| + | again, not all are dressed in silly ''Drac''. . . there are those like the great Eugene Berger who are simply themselves and as such, offer a wonderful drool humor and storytelling skills that make an audience laugh, if but nervously. | ||
| - | '''The Storyteller/Orator''' -- is the second most common Bizarrist type and as the name implies, they are best known for long recitations via which an effect is set-up and ultimately executed. Catch is, many of these performers present a style of magic that is quite subtle vs. the more overt manner of magic most audiences are accustomed to. While "dark" the storyteller is still classified as Family Safe in the majority of cases, many working within the Renaissance Faire and fall season Haunt attractions. | + | '''The Storyteller/Orator''' -- is the second most common Bizarrist type and as the name implies, they are best known for long recitations via which an effect is set-up and ultimately executed. Catch is, many of these performers present a style of magic that is quite subtle |
| + | vs. the more overt manner of magic most audiences are accustomed to. While "dark" the storyteller is still classified as Family Safe in the majority of cases, many working within the Renaissance Faire and fall season Haunt attractions. | ||
| - | '''The Ritualist''' -- is where the darker side of the legerdemain comes into presence, most such performers delivering very pronounced occult themed programs including demonstrations of Voodoo and in some instances, borrowing from the world of the Mentalist and delivering a more sinister twist to the classic Question & Answer routine as well as Seance work. | + | '''The Ritualist''' -- is where the darker side of the legerdemain comes into presence, most such performers delivering very pronounced occult themed programs including demonstrations of Voodoo and in some instances, borrowing from the world of the Mentalist and |
| + | delivering a more sinister twist to the classic Question & Answer routine as well as Seance work. | ||
| - | '''The Macabist''' -- is rather an ironic side to this niche, in that many present day Buskers (sidewalk performers) tap into this genre by performing gruesome feats of human endurance as well as mutilation. This is an aspect of Bizarre Magick that ties-in tightly to Geek or Sideshow styled performance. | + | '''The Macabist''' -- is rather an ironic side to this niche, in that many present day Buskers (sidewalk performers) tap into this genre by performing gruesome feats of human endurance as well as mutilation. This is an aspect of Bizarre Magick that ties-in tightly to Geek |
| + | or Sideshow styled performance. | ||
Latest revision as of 15:20, 9 July 2012
The term "Bizarre Magick" was first coined by magician's Tony Shiels & Anthony Raven in 1968; as we mentioned under the Mentalism description, it is a kindred art form that borrows the psychological approach associated with Mentalism and blends it with the art of storytelling and more traditional magic-based methods and even a more obvious sense of trickery. However, there are several different styles of Bizarre Magick;
The Satirist -- those familiar with Tv's Elvira (Mistress of the Dark) have a decent vision as to what this type of Bizarre Performer is like; they dress in an almost comical parody of a B-Rate movie entity with the majority of their intrigues being just as "Corny". Then
again, not all are dressed in silly Drac. . . there are those like the great Eugene Berger who are simply themselves and as such, offer a wonderful drool humor and storytelling skills that make an audience laugh, if but nervously.
The Storyteller/Orator -- is the second most common Bizarrist type and as the name implies, they are best known for long recitations via which an effect is set-up and ultimately executed. Catch is, many of these performers present a style of magic that is quite subtle
vs. the more overt manner of magic most audiences are accustomed to. While "dark" the storyteller is still classified as Family Safe in the majority of cases, many working within the Renaissance Faire and fall season Haunt attractions.
The Ritualist -- is where the darker side of the legerdemain comes into presence, most such performers delivering very pronounced occult themed programs including demonstrations of Voodoo and in some instances, borrowing from the world of the Mentalist and
delivering a more sinister twist to the classic Question & Answer routine as well as Seance work.
The Macabist -- is rather an ironic side to this niche, in that many present day Buskers (sidewalk performers) tap into this genre by performing gruesome feats of human endurance as well as mutilation. This is an aspect of Bizarre Magick that ties-in tightly to Geek
or Sideshow styled performance.
A Brief History of Bizarre Magick
Unofficially Bizarre Magick evolved out of the darker side of Mentalism; those areas that involve Seance & Mediumistic type work but likewise took from the auspices of history when it comes to the work of shaman, East Indian Fakir and various Mystics from around the world, topping everything off with a good dose of Theater & Sideshow mesmerism.
Truth of the matter is, Magic itself has a gruesome history that's rife with the decapitation of animals who's heads would be swapped and place onto another or in one of the more famous of mysteries, the Hindu Rope Trick, the murder and mutilation of a young boy who's bloody body parts would be tossed to the ground by the vindictive mage, only to be tossed into a basket and the devastated lad, restored to life. Even to date, there are parts of the world in which bloody and quite horrifying forms of trickery are presented on a daily basis and in some cases, as part of very sacred ceremonies.
In our more contemporary times however the birth of Bizarre Magick is credited to a Scottish magician by the name of Charles Cameron who portrayed a comedic version of Count Dracula (Alucard). It would however be Tony Shiels of Lancashire, England that would popularize the genre, earning him the nick-name of being "the High Priest of Bizarre Magick". As you will find, the Who's Who of Bizarre Magick is an extensive list of numerous legendary entertainers and magic philosophers as well as a growing list of aspiring young minds.
May 19th, 1997 is the day that bizarre magick hit the public scene in a very big way, it was the day David Blaine's "Street Magic" aired and a few short months later came the commercial network airing of Mind Freak featuring Criss Angel. This combination promptly knocked major personalities like David Copperfield and other major stage illusion masters off the top of the list; the public wanted to experience this "new" kind of magic that was intimate and "real".
In around this same time another curious factor was about to explode; the information networks of the world wide web and a cornucopia of Magic Chat Boards (forums) like the Magic Cafe, the UK's TalkMagic and two or three "start-ups" that catered directly to those interested in street styled performance. Unfortunately, this latter niche was established by inexperienced dreamers who learned fast that they needed the guiding arm of some seasoned pros; forums like Theory 11, Ellusionist, and Penguin Magic that were so brutally treated in their formative years have since evolved into respectable sites hosting an impressive membership and rather mature manner of perspective when it comes to all facets of magical endeavor.
Today, the magic community's love affair with Mentalism (specifically) and Bizarre (to a far lesser extent) is on the wane but at the same time, the more serious students of either discipline are shifting towards a style of performance some have referred to as Urban Shamanism. Essentially it is storytelling styled presentations in which the publics' disbelief is removed and they are given something that's experiential; a direct and personable encounter with the mystical.
The Urban Shaman is likewise educated when it comes to New Age type ideology be it neo-paganism, gnostic-Christianity, or Hermetics. As such they really do take on the persona of being a 21st century mystic vs. show man; especially when they demonstrate such skills as being able to tell a person about their life literally from the cradle to the grave, apparently free of any form of trickery on their part. These Urban Shaman types are likewise known to cry tears of blood, cause clouds to appear or vanish upon command and even manifest the Stigmata. POWERFUL STUFF!
Is this the direction that Bizarre Magick will continue to unfold through?
Doubtful. While it is certainly a new face to Bizarre Magick it is likewise reprise to how magic itself has been done for thousands of years. It has a legitimate value to it that goes beyond mere amusement; rendering hope and reinforcing faith during a time when much of modern society seems lost and uncertain of anything and distrustful of those icons that were once viewed as honorable and safe.
Resources
About Bizarre Magick FREE PDF
Introduction to the Art of Seance FREE PDF
