WIthout question, it was the magician who came to my elementary school in 1971. Got me hooked.

A magician who worked in the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas got me interested in magic, he gave me an old copy of Mark Wilsons Complete Course in Magic, which I still refer to today. I am happy to say that David Blaine had no influence on me.

My favorite influence is criss angel

One guy ... David Blaine. I remember seing his first special on TV. I tought the guy was the devil (LOL)

So Blaine caught my attention into magic, but it was my best friend who got me into doing some magic myself. It's Devilix, a member here on the Café.

Anyway, Gary Kurtz got me into mentalism. I never saw that kind of magic before him. (Even if great mentalists were doing mentalism way before him). After that I discover great minds of mentalism like Osterlind, Maven, Banachek, Hickock, Anneman, Hilford, etc.

So to make it short and sweet:

Into magic: Blaine
Into Mentalism: Kurtz
Into making magic myself: My best friend

Danik

A Harry Blackstone Jr. deluxe model magic kit circa 1979. The picture of him on the front looked like a cool uncle of mine went to jail- he taught me some magic before he went away, and then Blackstone did the rest. It was a really nice set, not at all "el-cheapo" like later ones I saw.

As a kid I always loved Doug Henning's fantasy themed magic.

Penn and Teller brought magic into my adult life as something other than "rabbit-outta-the-hat" and "pick-a-card-any-card" type stuff (which I could do, and I was getting a bit bored of, to tell the truth) and scantily-clad-ladies-being-tormented-by-power-tools-on-stage (which was a little out of my league, and probably did some damage to my developing geeky psyche, come to think of it...)

My adult magic influences include Docc Hilford, Eugene Burger, Max Maven, Greg wilson, Ted Anneman... I think I'll stop as that list could go on and on for quite some time.

Ive had many influenecs..

friends for one. my one friend the same age as me actually got me into doing card stuff and then from that I evolved into the bigger magic I do today!

Also a couple Magi I have seen on TV like David and Dania, Nathan Burton and kieth berry.

I wish I was able to say school shows but one day I was doing a play (9 month play about an hour away from me) and I had to do it I believe 3-5 times a week. well one day I went did the play and when I came back was told that two awsome magicians were there and did a 2 Hour show! I asked me teach and it was true! I hope to someday see the show that I missed that was performed my "The Magically Hip" and the show was called "Just Say MO"

For years I always had a passing interest in magic.
Henning and Kreskin were on T.V. quite a lot so I'd have to say that some influence came from them.

My real interest peaked from a co-worker back in the 80s who, while not a magician, ran some cons back in his day and had some magic effects and material to show me.
After that I saw the "The Stars of Magic" tape featuring Roth, Harris, Harris and Dingle and that was it.

My first spark was watching Mark and Nani Wilson every Saturday morning on CBS in the '60s. The Magic Land of Alakazam was the name of his show, and my favorite part was his close-up magic that he did when he went into the audience. I remember going to the library and reading books on magic. A magic kit for Christmas one year really got the fire going. After seeing "The Great Houdini" starring Tony Curtis, I began researching everything about Houdini and all the great magicians of the past. I always had an interest in magic when I was young but always as a hobby. In the '70s I met Paul Diamond while attending the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. He owned a magic shop and it was he who really sparked my interest in SOH with cards and coins. He was sort of my mentor and I would spend hours (and money ) at his shop. I met quite a few people in that shop including Duke Stern and Jerry Mentzer. During the '80s I joined the Navy and my interest waned. My interest was rekindled once again after seeing David Blaine on TV. It still is a hobby for me and it keeps my hands busy.
Cardamagically,
<<<KRaZy4KaRdZ>>>

This may sound a little old school but I got my intrest in magic when a migicain came and preformend magic for my Kindergarden class when M was the letter of the week it also didn't help that the magician was my dad and now he is kinda like my mentor.

ASHLEY TAGGERT
daghter of "Michael Taggert"
user name 'micheal taggert'

I first got into it in the 70's when Henning was on television for the same reasons as mentioned above. Growing up in south Alabama, there weren't any shops or mentors so I lost interest. When I got married and started raising our children, I got back into it and love doing things for them and their friends. My oldest is 14 and youngest of the 5 is three, so I have a wide audience from the "Criss Angel" sect to the PBandJ and Hippity Hop Rabbits sect.

When I was a kid growing up in NY I used to go to Tannen's Magic and check out some of the stuff, but then put the whole thing down for decades, and am only recently picking it up again.

My influece were the local magicians here ar Bogota, they are amazing! Henry K, El Mago Richard, really heavy hitters in latin american Magic Circles.

I was first introduced to magic about 20 years ago. I was given magic sets as a young child, usually marketed under Blackstone's name, and even got a chance to see Blackstone Jr. live. I'm not sure when Copperfield's first TV performance was, but I always looked foward to his specials. I don't recall exactly which initially influenced me.

ADDED:
Actually, I recall a TV show from my early childhood that may have been my influence. I can't remember the name so if anybody knows, I'd be greatfull. I may even post this as a fresh post. It's from the early 80's... Children went to some "shop" of some sort where the shopkeep had a bookcase that opened up and they walked down an underground corridor where the shopkeep (or some other character, I don't recall) taught how to perform magic tricks. I've been trying to find out what this show was for the longest time.

For showmanship, you have to give Copperfield his props (dawg). But I am actually influenced by each and every person I see perform magic. Whether good or bad, they influence me about style, presentation, etc. I try to take something away from each and every performance I view.

DaddyDoodle,
I appreciate your comments about magicians who influence you. What I was trying to find out is who influenced you (as a newcomer) to take up magic in the first place? Who was the first magician you saw that made you think, "Hey... that's cool... I think I'll learn how to do some of that stuff."
Thanks again.
Dave

Seeing Doug Henning on TV as a kid introduced me to a whole new world of amazement and wonder

I think the single largest influence to return to the magical world was a visit I made to the Magic Castle in 2003. While I cannot remember the names of the performers, the atmosphere and sense of awe on the part of the audience reminded me of a more innocent time in life when everything was shiny and new and mysterious.

And as I previously stated, probably Copperfield would have to be the singular influence that reminds me of that time....

Copperfield...Whats new?After that South African magician Martino.Later I saw Tommy Wonder,Paul Harris,Michael Ammar,Dai Vernon,David Roth,Bill Malone and Richard Osterlind on tape/DVD.This sealed it for me(although I have to admit Blaine was up there).
Today I look up to many of the above plus Fayaad(a South African magician who I regard as the best sleight of hand magician this side of Vernon),Annemann,Marlo.
AJ

David Blaine. I saw his first special, I thought it was awesome. The guy could leviate and make stuff vanish right on the streets (:O). I wanted to be able do that.

There was also some magicians that would come do shows at my school. I don't remember their names. Heck, I don't remember any of their acts. I can only assume I liked 'em in some way.

Oh, and I loved those World's Greatest Magicians specials. There was one guy on there, he did a bunch of gag acts, like throwing a bowling ball into the audience (actually a black balloon). He also explained why never to eat popcorn on the beach. That guy had it going for em.

I used to love magic as a kid, I remember asking my parents to buy me some tricks book LOL... then I more or less forgot it, but got a book by chance in my grandparents' house... then I went out again lol (magic seems to always call me... lol) and I saw Criss Angel O_O lol, I'd say my main influence on magic is Bernard Bilis , though, his skills are great on cards