*Shout-out*
In the last couple of years, magic as a whole has seen mixed fortunes.
A lot of people have left the art. Lockdown and all that brought with it proved to be the last straw for them. With no gigs in the immediate future, and a lack of desire to even touch a deck of cards, some people just stepped away and followed a new career path. Who could blame them? It was, and still is, a scary and confusing time.
On the flip side, magic found some new fans and of those, some became new practitioners. Maybe they binged shows like Death By Magic or Magic For Humans, or they might have found an old book they'd bought years ago and stuck on the shelf, forgotten until 2020 rolled around.
Whatever the reason, these people have found the joy that comes from being able to make a coin vanish.
Right from the start though, Craig Petty, a great magician and unbelievably talented creator of magic has been sharing videos on YouTube, every single day.
Craig's interviews with almost any living magician you can think of (David Regal, Laura London and John Archer to name a few) are an invaluable insight into how the pros do it, and are not just quick five minute ‘yes/no’ answer sessions. These things go on. His recent interview with John Lenahan is three hours long!
These are also available as podcasts, which is great for those like me, who drive a lot.
On the channel there are also displays of magic, ideas on how to use that item you bought but haven't performed with yet, Q&A sessions, and a great review show, which he hosts with his son, and magician in his own right, Rylan.
As well as this, Craig employs and trains several other magicians for close-up, stage and children's shows and has recently started a new podcast with fellow creator, Lloyd Barnes. It's a funny and insightful look at the magic world… it may not be for the easily offended though 😂
I'm not a fan of only saying what we think of people once they're dead, so I am making this my first shout-out, and I truly believe that in the last couple of years, no one has done as much for the magic community as Craig Petty. Love him or hate him, there's no denying that!
Oh, and check out The Quantum Deck… I've got mine pre-ordered! Did I mention he never stops creating tricks too?!
https://youtu.be/9bqqAcr9rrk