Harrison,

There are sponges on the video, not sponge "balls" per se, but sponge earplugs (an item that Jay sells, gotta get those plugs in)

So yes, there are sponges on the video.

I like the reaction of my audience. Lay audiences love sponge balls. They also love the multiplying rabbits. As long as the audience reacts to the sponge balls, I'll continue to perform them.

Okay, I checked the video AGAIN. Yes, Sankey's loading a sponge ear plug into the capsule, but it's just to demonstrate that items can fit in the capsule.

Nonetheless, this entire thread started because of Kihei Kid's post, which used the Magus Capsule (and the two seconds of sponge balls in the video preview) to attack sponge balls, which in my opinion is probably as close to real magic as you can get with a spectator's participation.

Magically yours,
Harrison,

Sponge balls are great for close-up magic. FULL OF VANISHES, ADDITIONS, AND APPEARANCES. plus the ladies love it!

Harrison,

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even us. If the kid doesn't want to perform with sponges, then let him. He will learn eventually why every magician has a spongeball set in their magic case. Even if its just a 4 pack of red balls,


I mean if Eugene Burger keeps putting them in no matter how much he hates them, then their must be a good reason.

A Lecture/Workshop That David Williamson held up in Canada here, someone asked what he carries on him when he does shows. (People where expacting a big suitcase filled with his cups and balls, rope and ring) He said a deck of shows and 4 sponge balls, and maybe five silver dollars.


I figure if some of the best in the world keep sponges in their routines, then there must be a reason.

Spongballs rule! But the bunnies are even better!

I recently bought 3D Rabbits but I find it difficult to learn the moves from the photos supplied, is there a dvd that will show me what I need to know?

peter

I will always use sponge balls in my act because of the reaction I always get from the person I am using for the trick. I do a lot of shows for family groups, adults and kids. The parents may or may not know the trick, but they love the reaction they see from the child opening thier hands to find 3 instead of two, etc.

Someone mentioned the ding-dong a while back in this thread. In the 70's and 80's we were in a different climate. Perhaps people did not take these things as seriously or were less up tight. Remeber this was pre-aids. I used the DD in my night club shows and other adult venues. Even when doing office parties I would have it in my back pocket. This was if the crowd was going "that way". It always got a good reaction, but you still had to know your audiance and I did not always take it out.

In today's PC environment the DD sits in the back of the draw and only comes out if I know the Adult audiance is looking for that kind of humor. Maybe once or twice a year.

There are so many things you can do w/ sponge balls, so many routines and plot line possableities, I can't imagine not finding a place for them in my act.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even us. If the kid doesn't want to perform with sponges, then let him. He will learn eventually why every magician has a spongeball set in their magic case. Even if its just a 4 pack of red balls, "

Except the magicians who don't like sponge balls. Of which there are quite a few.

"I figure if some of the best in the world keep sponges in their routines, then there must be a reason."

Maybe it's because THEY like them because it fits THEIR act. If anything the fact that they are so popular is a very good reason NOT to do them.

Jeez - if a guy finds them boring then he finds them boring. Fair play to him. Everyone should work on what excites them personally, then, every now and again, we turn up a really good magician with a personal act that rocks. Otherwise we end up with a load of sad nerds in dinner jackets churning the same 20 tricks with the same 5 jokes.

James,

This has nothing to do with Kihei Kid's opinion. I agree with Voltaire's statement: "I may not agree with what you said, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." (Admittingly, this may not be the exact quotation, but it's pretty close.)

The point I've been trying to make is that Kihei Kid dismissed sponge balls because he say the Magus Capsule video. However, the Magus Capsule is essentially a cups and balls trick. So Kihei Kid, despite having the best intentions, started this thread without knowing what he was talking about!

And I agree with Neil, too, although I personally love sponge magic.

However, fccfp, if "the parents may or may not know the trick," you're doing the sponge balls wrong. The adults shouldn't know how the trick is done either. The reason I love the sponge balls so much (and why another professional magician told me he loves to use them as well) is because it fries BOTH the adults and the kids. It looks like a kid trick, but fries the adults, too! A double whammy of sorts.

I don't like stirring controversy and I don't mean to personally attack anyone. I'm just sharing my opinion, which in this case diverges from a few of the posters here. This is not an attack against the person, but against the opinion, to which everyone is entitled.

Harrison,

I never took it as an attack, but thank you for caring enough to think that.


Neil- "If anything the fact that they are so popular is a very good reason NOT to do them."

I guess the same thing could be said about playing cards. But that will never happen.

"However, fccfp, if "the parents may or may not know the trick," you're doing the sponge balls wrong.The adults shouldn't know how the trick is done either."


I don't know about you Neil, but there are some parents out there that do know a quick trick about fake put into the hand and its in the other.

Doesn't mean fccfp's doing it wrong, just means his audience is educated. Attacking him because his audience may 'know' the trick seems a little harsh.


"Otherwise we end up with a load of sad nerds in dinner jackets churning the same 20 tricks with the same 5 jokes."

This has already happened. The only thing we can do now is hope the new generation of magicians can learn from mistakes of past magicians and make their magic unique. I know I'm trying to.

"I guess the same thing could be said about playing cards. But that will never happen." - you're obviously right about that. Cards do have a unique place in magic as they are so widely used in games and gaming so they are a special case but many, many people's eye's glaze over when they see a pack of cards appear....combined with a dinner jacket and standard jokes and things aren't looking pretty!

"I don't know about you Neil, but there are some parents out there that do know a quick trick about fake put into the hand and its in the other." - I'm sure people do know about double loads etc. I'm not sure if I understand what you saying you since it wasn't me attacking anyone for their performance. I was defending the guy who thinks sponges are boring and saying that their popularity isn't a great reason to do them but quite possibly the opposite.

Check out these guys: http://www.urbanmagik.com/ - no sponges. It IS possible to escape the cliche!!

Oh my.

If this is where our magic is going, I'm a little worried.

I mean they replace the suits with t-shirts and are showing some tricks that are rather standard.


I saw the list of clients they had and that is impressive, but oh man the things they did on the video portion troubled me deeply, and not the way its supposed to.

I love doing sponge balls, when I feel the audience might be on to whats happening I pull out the s*n*d* gimick. That thing fries every one.

If you get a chance check out the footage available from Al Goshman. His performances are a joy to watch truly amazing.

If you're still not convinced, well O.K. move on then.

Heres my attempt at a Eugene Burger quote:
-There are many rooms at the magic castle...

James, what is it excactly that troubles you my friend?

Kihei kid:

Here is the lynch pin to understanding why you do not understand why Sponge Ball Magic is so well used and thought of.


To the performer, it seems to be very obvious where everything is, but not to young audience members.

I used to work with a magician, Dan White, at the magic shop that did wonderful Sponge Ball routines. Kids never got enough of it.

The only way magicians get impressed with it is if it is done fast.

But for kids, you can slow it down and they go nuts. I did not read the posts on this thread yet, but I am sure you will find that Sponge Balls are one of the most used routines in kids magic show and close-up work.

Bob

This is true and ALL magicians should stop doing sponge magic at this moment.
Except me of course, because I'm addicted to the feeling of the spectators reaction when a silly red ball jumps from my hand to theirs.

Sponges, a cliche? Sure, why not? And so are card tricks, coin tricks, rope tricks--you name it. . . if you want to think like that. And taking this line of thought to its extreme, writing, singing, dancing, all arts are cliche, because we've seen them all before. But of course that's nonsense, and simply one person's opinion (and not necessarily the person I feel I need to consult).

Bottom line here is I do magic for laymen, not magicians. And guess what? They love sponges, and I love doing it for them. It's no more complicated than that. They're fun, they're always a challenge; they get a great response.

As for how we as magicians feel about it--who cares? I'll always remember the firs time I saw sponges--in a Little Jack Horner in Boston. I did no magic at all and was blown away by it. So that's the mind-set I stay true to--anyone else's esoteric considerations of what magic should or shouldn't be, I'll listen to. . . but I won't take it as gospel, thanks.