Ever since I was a kid, I have loved certain things - and in some form or another, I continue to enjoy those same things. One such childhood pleasure I still enjoy is watching magicians. I remember watching the David Copperfield specials when I was little and I remember seeing other magic shows on TV and some kids’ magic shows in person as well. I even had a magic set when I was a boy, as well as an old book (Scarne’s Tricks, if I remember correctly).

I don’t do magic tricks any more, but I still enjoy watching magic shows. To this day, I am still a fan of (in my opinion) the best magic duo ever - Penn & Teller. They’re able to captivate kids as well as adults due to their illusions as well as their humor. (And lately, their opinion and commentary.)

Magicians like Penn and Teller aren’t “scary”, but they appeal to me and I think what they do belongs in (or at least near) the realm of horror and macabre. Their act is more humorous but it does indeed have an edge to it. However, classic illusionists such as Houdini used more images related to mysticism and near-occult in their acts and advertising.

Along with actual magic acts, there are some other things related to magic that I have only enjoyed as an adult. One such thing is a stupendous book by Michael Chabon called The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. Again, it’s not exactly about magicians, but Houdini plays into the plot as well as comic books and the legendary Golem.

Another two things that simply rule are movies that came out in the past couple of years: The Illusionist
and The Prestige. Both are cool. (And The Prestige even features the awesome Nikola Tesla.)

I have loved all this kind of stuff since I was a kid. But it still holds appeal for me now, and I’m in my thirties! But I don’t care. There are some things that are cool, no matter what age you are. So tonight, I think I will watch an old Penn & Teller video.