A Very Warm Welcome to Jay Sankey

Sam C.: I am very pleased to announce that our special guest on the boards is none other than Jay Sankey.

Jay Sankey is credited for being one of the most inventive minds in commercial close up magic. Over the last 25 years, Sankey Magic has released more original and inventive international best sellers than anyone else.

Jay Sankey became interested in magic at age 12 and started performing all the time at age 15. Kids Parties, Restaurants and private parties. In his own words, he started making notes and creating stuff from the very beginning.

Jay has had a fantastically busy year (mainly with the launch of www.sankeymagic.com which is well worth a look!) and we are very privileged to have him with us at this time.

Michael Jay: I'd like to thank Mr. Sankey for spending some of his very valuable time with us. We have had so many quality folks in our guest speakers forum of late and Jay Sankey is the icing on the cake.

Aommaster: It's really an honour to have Mr. Sankey on Magic Bunny. Thanks a lot for your time Mr. Sankey.

Welcome!

Nigel Shelton: I am very pleased to welcome you to these boards and I shall look forward to your input with eager anticipation.

John Doe: Welcome indeed. We are honoured.

Spinnaker: Hello Jay, welcome to Magic Bunny and thanks for your time here!

So, you got into magic, you performed, and you became an established entertainer. Now, what was it that first sparked the idea in your mind that you should move on to selling and marketing magic? Also, how did you feel as an entertainer about "keeping the secrets" when first marketing your methods? Did you feel nervous about exposure? Did you feel nervous about ethics?

Jay Sankey: My ideas for effects just "spilled over" from stuff I could easily get my hands on (a pencil) to stuff that I had to have specially-made (a pencil with a 18-speaker stereo unit hidden inside it) and when other magicians expressed an interest in these ideas, I started having them manufactured. In small quantities first at first, but that quickly grew to millions of units. I then realized I had manufactured far too many units and had made an enormous mathematical blunder. After living on the streets for two years (I.e. kid shows) I finally dug my way out of debt. As for keeping secrets, that never really spoke to me, I guess because I had a sense all along that the so-called "secret to the trick" was such a tiny part of the "magic of magic." And no, I don't feel nervous about exposure or ethics or anything much for that matter. "Nervous" really isn't part of who I am. Thanks for your kind interest!

Ethan: Hi Jay,

Great to have you here at Magic Bunny, thanks very much for your time.

I was wondering which give you the biggest buzz, performing magic or performing standup?

Also and completely non related but your name doesn't appear as one of the performers at Blackpool this year, I've been kinda hoping that you were going to be there again, is that definitely not happening this year, or is it still possible you might be making an appearance?

Jay Sankey: They are different buzzes. I haven't done stand-up for years (4 years ago I decided I had had enough of the ceaseless traveling, the smoke-filled clubs, the occasional ashtray flung at my head) but I can still vividly remember the buzz of hitting the 45-minute mark of a 1 hour set and feeling like anything, and I mean ANYTHING I might say would have an audience of 300 people double-up with laughter for the 5th time that minute. Just me and mic. No props, no magic. It's a very special feeling of freedom and connection and power and joy. But it can lack a real intimacy, and that's what performing close-up is all about, at least for me. Seeing, really seeing people. Getting a strong sense of who they are and -at least as interesting- HOW they are in the world, a world I am fortunate enough to share with them. I'm grateful for both experiences, but magic is my life and so ultimately nothing can compare with that. Thanks for the great question.

Pasteboard108: Hi Jay, thanks for being here.

I just know there's going to be many, many posts here so I thought I'd get mine in early...

First of all, I've just started getting in to your magic so I'm probably not as clued up as a lot of the other posters here are. I've got a few of your effects though and I know that you work with all kinds of objects but was wondering, if you had to, what would you rather create and perform magic with? Cards, money, miscellaneous...? It's a boring question I know, but for someone who clearly enjoys working with all sorts it must be a tricky one.

Secondly, what's happening with your Locomotion effect? I read on Murphy's Magic that it's been discontinued and can't find mention of it anywhere on your website...am I just not looking closely enough? Please say it's still available as it's a great effect and my cards are starting to get worn out.

Finally, apart from any of your own effects, what piece of magic do you enjoy performing the most?

Jay Sankey: I love performing older "classics" of mine and I love performing whatever new effects I'm trying to polish and refine. The really old and the really new. Those are my favorites. The old stuff is just so darn reassuring and easy and dependable while the brand new stuff is so fresh and challenging and interesting! Hope that makes sense!