Topper's Mad Mad Magic

Topper's Mad Mad Magic
Author	Gene Anderson
Publisher	Magic, Inc.
Publication Date	1974
Language	English
Pages	54

Topper's Mad Mad Magic presents the comedy magic and gags of Topper Martyn. This book presents a full overview of Topper Martyn's wild comedy magic act, along with lots of other corny groans and gags that may be useful for your magic act. You won't learn a lot of new magic here, but there is plenty of clean comedy to learn.

Content

• 4 Dedicated
• 5 Introduction (Gene Anderson): Who is Topper Martyn?
• 6 Foreword (Topper Martyn): about "The World's Third Worst Magician" act, and the fact that it did not expose!
• 7 The Mad, Mad Act: Introduction to the Act
• 7 The Costume: a too large 1900's evening suit with tails and how it is used to hide the props
• 9 The Conjurer Lays an Egg or How to Drop Things Without Really Trying: objects are dropped through the entire show. Martyn used 200 plastic billiard balls, a cannon ball, wooden eggs, dice, a duck, spring snakes, hundreds of playing cards, and more. Describes how to load and drop the various items
• 12 Other Properties Required: Such a Chinese Linking Rings, Collapsing Table, Lota Vase, Prop Table, Giant Cards, Fake Mike, a Cannon
• 14 The Stage Setting: some tips
• 14 Music: tips
• 14 Lighting: tips
• 15 The Act: with patter. The dove on your head isn't in the hat, then vanishes, the silks pulled from your hat become tangled and even your shirt appears, the lota vase takes a roll, items drop from the pockets, a take on the rising cards.
• 20 The Linking Rings: The act moves into the linking rings, presented with both comedy and magic. Uses two keys, two singles, a chain of two, and a "battered" chain of two, among other props.
• 27 The Climax: the act ends with the selected card to be blasted out of the cannon, but a slight mishap occurs.
• 29 How to Make People Laugh...Without Really Trying: an essay on comedy
• 31 Potpourri
• 31 The Multiplying Bottles: a comedy approach to the Passe-Passe bottles
• 32 The Egg Bag: a patter approach to the Egg Bag (workings not detailed)
• 33 Topper's Bag Gag: a comedy tip
• 33 Alarm Clock Gags: The vanishing alarm clock, ringing alarm clocks, medicine time
• 34 The Egg Trick: an old gag
• 34 Playing Card Gags: The Boomerang Card, The Electric Pack, Manipulation Satire
• 35 Match Gags: Match In the Pocket, The Burning Match
• 36 The Magic Name Wand: wand flaps open to show your name, and The END
• 36 The Incredible Four Kings Trick: a gag with four mutilated Kings
• 36 A Useless Four Ace Trick fo the Card Man: do this at your next card jam session
• 38 The Great Beer Drinking Feat: use "evaporated milk" type glasses to appear to get drunk
• 38 The Hat Stand: a running gag with hats falling off a stand
• 39 Hodge Podge: Spaghetti and Meatballs from a hat, a violin case entrance, the baby elephant, a typewriter gag, the rubber rifle, a dice gag, the mascot, the pistol gag, the carpet, and the wobbly table
• 41 Topper's Roll-On Table: described
• 41 Topper's Elastic-Top Table: described
• 43 Topper's Table to Flowers
• 44 Underwhelming Anecdotes (Extracted from the letters of Topper Martyn): some amusing stories and B&W photos of Topper
• 51 Bibliography: a listing of other books on comedy in magic
• 52 Index
• 54 To the Reader: a note from Magic, Inc.

Courtesy of Doug A's Magic Book TOCs

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