Wayne Houchin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Wayne Houchin |
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| Born: | Unknown Unknown |
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| Occupation: | Street Magician, Trick Designer |
Wayne Houchin is a performing magician under Ellusionist[1]. He has invented three tricks which are being sold at the aforementioned website. They are all great sellers, and more can be learned at his site[2].
"The more you pay attention to what he's doing, the more you can't help but think that you are watching something extraordinary in the making. If you've ever seen a great band before they got famous, you know the feeling I'm talking about."
Synthesis Magazine wrote that about Wayne Houchin in 2004. One year before he was hired as a consultant on the hit national television series "Criss Angel: Mindfreak." Two years before he released the groundbreaking DVD "Stigmata" which garnered widespread critical acclaim within the magic community and became an instant international bestseller. And if you ask Wayne, this is just the beginning.
Young, ambitious and charismatic, Houchin has never stopped pushing himself. At age 16, he made national headlines for escaping from a regulation straightjacket while hanging upside-down 50 feet in the air over a blocked off intersection packed with thousands of people. Gimmicked straightjackets can be purchased from magic shops all over the world. Houchin wasn't interested. He trained for months in preparation for the escape and it paid off, cementing himself in the mind of his fellow Chico, CA residents for a decade to come.
A few years and a handful of critically acclaimed theatre shows later, he found himself on the front page again, this time for accurately predicting the exact outcome of the Patriots upset of the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Next it was being blindfolded with duct tape and driving safely down Highway 99 at 65mph for Synthesis Magazine - with a terrified reporter in the passenger seat. And in between all the publicity, Houchin spent his time developing his own effects and perfecting them in front of audiences across the country.
In 2003, an underground tape of Wayne's original work found its way into the hands of Banachek, one of the world's foremost mentalists, who immediately recognized its potential. It wasn't long before the two became friends. So, when Banachek was hired as a consultant for the A&E series "Criss Angel: Mindfreak" and was asked if he knew of any underground, up and coming magicians, one name stood out.
Houchin cam on board, agreed to allow a few of his original pieces of magic to be performed on the show and subsequently shot a DVD teaching how to perform his impromptu signed quarter through soda can, "Sinful," with Angel. The DVD was an instant hit and was hailed largely as one of the best impromptu effects ever created.
With 2006 came Houchin's self-produced sophomore effort, "Stigmata." It was his first solo project and second international best-seller. What's even more impressive is that his company, WH Entertainment, now handles all aspects of the projects he releases - everything from filming in High Definition to music production to the cutting-edge, MTV-style editing that is fast becoming his trademark.
His vision for the company is expansive and each success only serves to increase his drive. Believe it. For Wayne Houchin, this really is just the beginning.
(Taken from his homepage[3].)
Contents |
[edit] Sinful
Sinful is a coin-through-soda can effect. It is well known, having been performed by Criss Angel on an episode of Criss Angel Mindfreak. It is sold at Ellusionist.
"Not very often do I find a perfect effect these days. Sinful definitely fits into the top of that category. Let's find out why with these Frequently Asked Questions:
- Is Sinful impromptu?
Absolutely. Your spectator hands you an unopened Coke, a quarter, and you begin the effect.
- Are there any switches?
This effect is truly a "what you see is what you get" type of effect. No switches are involved, you only use the quarter, and the can.
- How difficult is this effect to perform?
Everyone has a difference of opinions on every effect when it comes to difficulty. However, in my opinion, Sinful is one of the easiest to learn and pull off.
- How long will it take to learn?
Again, it depends on how fast of a learner you are, and how much work you put into the effect. I'd say a majority of learning this effect is adding your own presentation to it, and not the sleight of hand.
- How clean is it?
The cleanest you'll come across. Display the can and the quarter, open hands, nothing to hide. Perform the penetration, again the can is displayed openly, with clean hands. Pop the top, poor the drink out, very cleanly show the quarter inside the can. You can't get much cleaner than that, and all can be examined before and after the effect.
If you want a true miracle, at any moments notice, then you want Sinful."
Reviewed by Johnathan Bagwell[4]
[edit] Stigmata
This is Wayne Houchin's most popular effect. The spectator grabs the magician's wrist, and is asked to think of anything; somebody they care about, important initials, or the name of a card. The spectators hand is removed to find, in marks of blood on the magician's wrist, what they were thinking of. It is also sold at Ellusionist.
Banacheck has claimed this as the greatest impromptu magic trick ever created.Reliable source needed.
[edit] Indecent
Indecent is Wayne Houchin's latest effect. The spectator picks any card, free of choice, signs it, and loses it in the deck. The cards are dribbled over a sealed, empty Ziploc Bag. The magician snaps and slowly pulls the bag out from under the cards to reveal that one card has penetrated the bag: their signed card.
[edit] Upcoming Effects
[edit] Control
Control is rumored to come out sometime in 2007. Control is an impromptu pulse-stop. Nothing else is known at this time.
[edit] Suffocate
Suffocate is the implosion of a soda can. No release date is known.
