Interview with Gene Anderson

By Joe Malkiewicz

I first saw Gene Anderson in the fall of 2003 in Rochester, New York. He was serving as the master of ceremonies for a variety magic show that concluded a weekend magician's convention.

Gene Anderson readily admits that he is a happy extrovert. If you were to see him perform, you'd add that he's unlike any magician you've ever encountered. Famous for the Torn & restored Newspaper effect, what he accomplishes with newspapers and scissors, language skills and presentation style is simply unique in magic theatre. He's often imitated, and always admired and respected by his peers. Everyone I've ever talked with will add, "Gene's one of the nicest guys in magic." The following is an excerpt of our conversation:

JM: What ignited your interest in magic?

GA: When I was about eight, an uncle who was visiting did the stack of nickels trick. During the course of his three-day visit, he had to show me that trick about 50 times. When he left, he shook hands with me and left this trick in my hands, and then I had a trick. Then for Christmas, I got another trick. Then I found out there were books in the library, and I have never outgrown my interest in magic.

JM: Your role as the emcee in Rochester, NY this October was one of the freshest ways I've ever seen an emcee introduce acts.

GA: My philosophy on being a master of ceremonies is tied into my beliefs about producing a show. Every act on the bill should steal the show for someone and if any one act steals it from everyone, I messed up as the producer. I didn't balance the bill. I'm not looking for a superstar. If I have a bill of six, than I have six superstars. As the emcee, I must subordinate myself to the other acts, but when it's my turn to be an act, I'm going for broke. I'm trying to steal the show. John Wade wrote a book on emceeing the title of which is "Do Get the Name Right." If you do nothing else right, get the name right. In my particular case, what I do is put each person's name on a sign somehow. Another part is the introduction. Sometimes, performers will give me this whole thing about how they were on this television show or opened for someone and did this and that and something else, and I explain to them - and this is kind of a shock - that is to get somebody to the show. They're already here. They'll see if you're any good.

JM: Let's talk about your famous torn and restored newspaper trick. What's the evolution of this effect?

GA: At my first convention, the Texas Association of Magicians in 1964, I won the originality trophy with the newspaper act, but the torn and restored newspaper was not yet in it. My version is based on Al Koran's routine of a flash restoration, but it doesn't work because you can see where the load goes. I happened to be at the University of Texas, which, at the time, housed the third best collection of magic books in the United States. I reviewed and taught myself how to do all the commercial torn and restored effects. I did my homework, but I had no intention of inventing anything. One day I just had to invent that effect. I don't know what got into me. I stayed up until about 3 or 4 in the morning and that is not me. I invented five ways to do it, and all of them have a flash restoration. The first real magician who saw it was Charlie Miller in San Antonio, and he said, "I don't know what you're doing." It was introduced at the IBM convention the next year.

JM: What is your process for creativity?

GA: It all starts with an idea. My favorite definition of an idea is that it is nothing more or less than a new combination of old elements that are already in your head. If they weren't in your head, you couldn't combine them to have an idea. The person who has more elements in his head has the better chance of having more diverse ideas than the person who has fewer elements. People inside the field can't see what they need to see. Those outside the field bring a new element that can be combined with the element in the field and - Bang! - there's a breakthrough! In the torn and restored newspaper, for example, there's a page that the audience never knows about. If you will, that's a double lift. The old books tell you to never tell the audience what you're going to do. Bull! If you had the power, you'd tell them exactly what you're going to do. You'd show them the newspaper or have them sign it, then you'd tear it so that there'd be no question. There would have to be a moment of magic when it happens - a touch with the wand or a magic word, then the paper should be back. BAM! Then you would show them again, not to show there are no pieces for there are no pieces, but to show this is the same paper.

JM: Is the juxtaposing of two disparate elements what governed the creation of the Dr. Seuss poem with the rope effect?

GA: With the poem, the rhythm, cadence and rhymes have to be exact. You can't be stretching for a word or bending a word. When Clinton was in office and the Lewinsky thing happened, there was a report on the internet done as if Dr. Seuss had written it. That gave me the idea. I got four Dr. Seuss books. I liked "Green Eggs and Ham" the best, so the rope poem is patterned after that. When any kid hears it, they pick up on it immediately because they know where it's from.

JM: Going along with your notion that breakthroughs occur from outside one's the field, what influences do you think magicians ought to open themselves up to?

GA: There are breakthroughs in technology all the time. If you're on the cusp, you can take advantage of that. You can drop back into the past to tweak or massage the familiar and take it to new ground, but that doesn't last. Since great breakthroughs come from outside one's field, be open to everything.

JM: What are some of your non-magical pursuits?

GA: I'm in the speaking business. I speak on four different topics: Change; Creative Thinking; Humor, and Presentation Skills.

JM: What advice do you have for magicians who are interested in improving their showmanship?

GA: Magic is a performing art. Basically, you have to be performing. I have no problem with hobbyists or those who want to collect or those who want to do a little trick at their clubs, but it isn't teaching them much about magic. You're going to have to get up in front of an audience and do it. The audience will tell you if it's any good. Count Basie said, "If you play a tune and people don't tap their feet, don't play the tune." Now, you have to play the tune to see if the people will tap their feet, but the audience will let you know if that's one you ought to be playing. In my case when I played the chemical magic tune, the people didn't tap their feet, but when I put the paper hat on my head, they tapped their feet. The audience will help you find what's the right stuff for you, and it might not be what you thought you ought to be doing. You have to try your magic in a venue where you can see if they tap their feet.

JM: When you're on the stage, you're not only performing, you're assessing the impact.

GA: I tape every show I do. If you're in the moment, you have no sense of time, so you have to listen to yourself afterwards. A tape recording reminds you of what actually was happening in that moment. It puts it back in my mind and I can relive that moment. Someone once said that adults don't learn from experience, they learn from the processing of experience. Doing the thing doesn't teach you anything, it's when you stop and think about it that you learn something.

Joe Malkiewicz is a retired teacher. His 42 year career in education included elementary to teaching graduate courses at two colleges in Buffalo, New York. His study of magic began in 1994, and he pursues it with the enthusiasm of a true amateur.

Reprinted by permission of Joe Malkiewicz