We are very pleased to announce our second guest to these forums; Tom Cutts. Tom currently lives in Oakland, California, and has amassed over twenty-five years in magic. His interest began as a child, through a school friend, and his teenage years were spent being tutored by Mr. Black at "The Magic Touch." Several years ago Tom had the chance to take over the Newsletter of The Oakland Magic Circle and this inspired him to produce the AM/PM Magazine, a highly successful magic magazine. You may view a little of Tom's background by reading Tora's article found at http://www.turkishdailynews.com/old_editions/09_09_02/feature.htm or by visiting http://www.ampmmagazine.com, Tom's AM/PM site. Tom will be here to answer questions for about a week so feel free to start a new thread in which to ask a new question. Tom is our special guest to please always remember to treat him, and any future "Special Guests," with the respect that these knowledgeable and professional people deserve. Have fun and get posting. Best wishes, Admin.

Tora: Hi Tom, Sorry for creating some extra job for you but the guys around here are fantastic-you will see soon. Be prepared to get the hardest questions of your life soon. I bet you will feel yourself as if you are in an examination.  I will not ask you a question but request something. Can you make a short resume of the International Magic Festival in Izmir. People always listened the story from my words so they may be interested in listening to it from a guest, not the organizer of the festival. See you soon my friend. And I sincerely thank you for accepting my inquiry about becoming the guest speaker of the bunny. But you will like the people, I predict.

Admin: It's great to see you return Tora.  For newer members of these boards, Tora was the first ever "Special Guest" on these forums and he has left an incredibly hard legacy to follow. His replies were brilliant and totally inspiring. I am really looking forward to input from Tom too.  Tora has set a remarkably high standard.

Tora: My ears became red and I am ashamed... I know that there many valued members here at least at my standard. Thanks again..

Tom Cutts: Tora,  a great thank you for recommending me and thanks to the Magic Bunny Staff for hosting me. Believe me, I know it is a lot of work.  I will come back here and post more about the glorious time at the Izmir Festival as Tora's guest. I have over 60 photos to tell just some of the great story.  I will write this up off line and then bring it here to post. It will be a mammoth read.  For now, to walk the magical footsteps that span back 2000 years or more was really an experience. Add to that, meeting many delightful magicians from around the world who I now call my friends. Well, what more could I say.   But I will shortly...I hope by Tuesday.  I won't be able to be here as much as I would like on Sunday and Monday but hang in there. This looks like a great board and a great resource for everyone here. I will offer you full advantage of my time when I can.

Mr. Toad: I am fascinated by the idea of publishing your own magic magazine. Can you give us a flavour of what a reader would expect to find there. Is this geared towards the professional magician or would an amateur find it a relevant read?

Tora: I have to confess that I have only seen the sample copy of AM/PM which Tom had distributed at the Izmir Festival. Me and my students enjoyed it a lot. İt is a nice and clear magazine. I may recommend.

Admin: I have not seen this magazine on sale within the UK - perhaps Tom may be able to give us some hints as to where we may be able to pick a copy up - I do hope so.

Tora: In fact it is not a f-hard copy magazine- as far as I know. It is in a e-zine form. You buy through e-mail.

Tom Cutts: Thanks for the interest! Actually.... AM/PM is a hardcopy magazine. AM/PM stands for About Magic...Performing Magic. Whether you are professional or amateur if you would like to broaden your horizons in terms of presentation and get greater impact out of your performances,, then AM/PM is for you. Each issue has an interview that is geared towards presentation as well as routines and articles on presentational theories and ideas. AM/PM is about real world techniques to use in real world performing. You can find out more at [url]www.AMPMmagazine.com[/url] where you will find samples of the interviews and routines that have gone before. Some that have contributed or will be contributing: (in no particular order) Jeff Sheridan, David Regal, Paul Harris, Eugene Burger, Richard Osterland, John Carney, Peter Duffie, Wesley James, Max Maven, Tommy Wonder, Kevin James, Mark Strivings, a host of other lesser known but equally as brilliantly insightful performers and the list is always growing. But the bottom line is what can AM/PM do for you? Well, Tora's student took two of the routines from AM/PM and won an award at the Balkan Championships. Not bad I'd say. ;) Alright, so what will AM/PM do for you? If you can put together fifty folks or more in the UK who would like to get the sample issue of AM/PM I will send them at no shipping cost to you to the online store. The only shipping you will pay is to get it from the store to you. You will get the US price of $3 for the sample as shown on the website, no overseas shipping costs for you!!! PM Nigel and let him know you are interested. We will work out the payment logistics from there. Cheers, Tom

Mr. Toad: You'll be pleased to know that the Magic Bunny shop has a policy of not charging for postage and packaging. The prices that you see are those that you pay - no extras. If you are keen on having a look through this magazine, please send an email to ampm@magicbunny.co.uk and, if there are more than 40 interested members, I shall add this to the shelves. I would guess that the shelf price would be around £2.00 or so. I hope that the UK members of Magic Bunny may take this very kind offer up.

Aged Magician: Now that is what I call a generous offer!  Thanks Tom. Come on folks, get your e-mails in and take advantage of what promises to be some great 'real life' material!

Mr. Toad: You quoted your father as trying to discourage you from pursuing a magical career, saying, "If you chose to be a professional magician, it will be harder than you imagine." How did you, as a young man, finally convince your family that this career was the right option for you?

Tom Cutts: We meet again Mr. Toad, Well, as a young adult I went to college and followed that career path into Architecture. Once I got out of college though I searched out a magic club where I could return to the joys of magic I had let fall away for college. Sure I did a trick every now and then but nothin' like when I was younger. I wish I had kept it up, but that is a whole 'nuther story. So, as the world changes (and parents, bless their souls, are slow to find out about those changes) people views on what is rewarding and or worth some risk also change. Add to that the fact that I, quietly, had been working pro gigs for years and traveling for it more and more. When my Dad told me he was planning to travel to Portugal back in 2000 with his college alumnus, I laughed and told him I had just booked to go to FISM in Portugal. Funny how two years later he mentioned Turkey and it was the day I was visiting to tell him I had been booked to work the Izmir Festival. I guess when you are living your parents dreams through your own they have to admit there might be something to "your dream". Very few people have naturally supportive parents. Parents have their dreams and aspirations for you. If you follow something different, especially something as unconventional as magic, you better be prepared to hear "the speech" over and over...after EVERY failure, big or small. The true artists are those that prevail due to their persistence. They turn off all the people who say it is impossible, and they reach for their dream. It is true on many different levels from the choice of your repertoire and style, to the basic choice of professional performing. One thing I do know that helped to soften the fright for my dad was for me to be around successful full time professionals. If you can show your parents the path, they will accept your traveling it more readily.

Mr. Toad: Regardless or not whether you follow your parents aspirations, it is heart-warming to hear that your father mellowed to your desired career route. I feel that so many of our parents place unrealistic expectations on our shoulders (mine did too) that it can be hard to live up to what they want for you. How do your family feel about your achievements now? I can only guess that they swell with pride at the mention of your name.

Tom Cutts: Actually, now my father does get excited to hear what interesting thing is on the "burner" for me through magic. He likes to hear about the latest country, there are now 11, to break into the AM/PM market and where my interviewing and performing is taking me. I think part of it is disbelief but part of it is pride in me having done something he could not even conceive of. Cheers, Tom

Mr. Toad: You mentioned the "mysterious" Mr. Black as being a very influential figure in your development as a magician. Who was this person? Was he the owner of the magic shop, a local professional magician or some person who had a deep love of magic and the desire to pass his skills on to you?

Tom Cutts: You know, people talk about mentors but I never really thought I had one. I've always been one to take ideas from different sources and run in my own direction with them. The one day I was telling someone about my young days in magic and I started talking about Blackie. Well, he was as close as I come to a mentor. It was at The Magic Touch that I met The Mysterious Mr. Black, or as those who were his friends called him, Blackie. It would take me a year to get to call him that. Blackie was a very intimidating man. The classic stereotype of a magician...tall, thin, goatee, side burns...very striking. He was a carnival performer all the way down to his dark side. He ruled the store counters through intimidation. If a kid grabbed for a prop in the middle of his routine it was out the door for that kid...sometimes banned for a week! Only once do I recall the dreaded lifetime ban being invoked. For some reason, I think because I was quiet, Mr. Black took a liking to me. Even though I hung out in the store for hours and only had my pittance of a child's allowance to spend, Mr. Black took me under his wing. He would point me in the direction of which books to buy. I didn't know then, but I'm guessing he did, that it didn't matter much the order because I was destined to buy them all eventually, like so many before me. But my learning was greatly affected by his tutelage. I no longer was disappointed in what I bought or read. Probably more importantly, I saw magic performed with respect for the power it can invoke. It was a real schooling and I never knew it was taking place. But looking back it was that formative period which both taught how and encouraged the pursuit of the STUDY of magic. From seeing how much more Blackie could do with magic I also carried a small discontent with magic. One that stayed with me until I finally could make magic say what I wanted to say. He never shared any "pet" routines or secrets with me but I learned, perhaps, the greatest secret in magic, it can be all you dream of it. In fact right now I am recalling one time home for Christmas my first year in college. I was in the store with Blackie and there was this kid, probably 12 years old, hanging out. Blackie said something flattering about me and asked me to do a trick for the kid. I did something, I forget what but I would guess it involved an Elmsley Ghost Count, and the kid was floored. He asked me to sign a card for him and I did, my first. I wrote stick with magic, it can take you places. Well, look where it has taken me since then. Cheers, Tom

Mr. Toad: I bet, if you could trace that card, it would be worth a great deal in sentimental value for both you and the recipient. I think that you may possibly agree but, if we hand out used props to members of our audience, they may be worth so little financially but yet they may be treasured (beyond value) for years to come.

Aged Magician: Tom, I fear that there are too few 'Mr. Black's' around in this day and age.

Tom Cutts: Ahhhhhhh, in one sense there will never be another Mr. Black. In another sense there are just as many Mr. Blacks today, but there are many more students. ;) I was indeed thinking of that card as I wrote and wondered what had become of it. Of late I have been interested in the ways that performers empower the things they give away. Some speak of signed cards being kept for years in a wallet. What I have learned is that what they want to hold onto is the memory, so imparting the card with a large essence of yourself and them through the performance is critical. Just this weekend I was performing a rare public rather than corporate gig. These two kids were talking to an adult in ear shot of me and I listened as they (about 12) tried to convince an adult that they were involved in a competition and needed to trade their ball point pen for something bigger or better. Needless to say the adult was baffled by what they meant or wanted. I jumped right in and propped a deck up on my case saying, "Well, what is more valuable?" Here cut the deck into three...point at one. I placed a talisman on the section pointed to and said, "This will tell me your card." I pushed the talisman with my finger (like a button) and turned their selection face up, still leaving it under the talisman. I then lifted the Talisman and it spun to show the name of the card printed on the back. The kid involved said "Cool" and I handed him the talisman (it was a give away)...off he went with the other kid. HEY! I never got the pen!!!!! Anyway, the adult, just now coming to grips with the harmless game the kids were partaking in, turned to me and said, "That was very nice of you." So, that moment worked on one level for the kids and on another for the adult. Oooooh how I love being a magician. Now, I'm glad they kept the pen because they would have had a real tough time trying to trade that talisman without doing the trick first.

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