Best Michael Piff Podcasts (2024)

1
Allan Ackerman Interview S6 E2 40:34

26d ago40:34

40:34

For more than fifty years, Allan Ackerman has been a major creative force in the world of card magic. Starting with Magic Mafia Effects in 1970, Allan has produced a body of work that showcases his ability to create seamless, baffling routines for magicians of all skill levels. Allan’s last big book of card magic, Las Vegas Kardma, was published wa…

1
Steve Reynolds Interview S6 E1 1:07:30

2M ago1:07:30

1:07:30

Steve Reynolds is a creative and prolific card magician. He lives in New Orleans, the city his mentor, Jon Racherbaumer, also calls home. Steve was greatly influenced by the magic of Ed Marlo; his manuscripts and videos reflect this passion. (His video series, The Marlo Roadmap, provides illuminating insights into the core concepts that underlie Ma…

1
Piff the Magic Dragon S5 E4 48:06

1y ago48:06

48:06

These days, our friend Piff is a very busy dragon. Joined by his partner Jade Simone and Mr. Piffles the Wonder Chihuahua, he headlines his own show at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, tours North America (with a completely different show!), and makes numerous television appearances. He is also an author, with a new book recently released through V…

1
Friedrich Roitzsch S5 E3 42:58

1+ y ago42:58

42:58

Friedrich Roitzsch is a full-time professional magician based in Munich, Germany. He is also the author of the excellent new book, Instructions for Miracles, which is reviewed in this month’s newsletter. We discussed Friedrich’s background, his introduction to magic, and his influences. I’m happy to bring him to your attention. Going forward, I’m s…

1
Christian Bischof Interview S5 E2 56:23

1+ y ago56:23

56:23

My guest this month on Conversations with Close is someone who may be unfamiliar to you. Christian Bischof is a Swiss corporate entertainer who has recently published an extremely valuable two-volume set of books titled Diamonds of Performance: How Magicians Fascinate Their Audience. Christian discusses important theoretical concepts as they apply …

1
John Bannon Interview S5 E1 39:20

2y ago39:20

39:20

John Bannon is a prolific creator of high-quality magic (emphasis on card magic). His published works include Impossibilia, Smoke & Mirrors, Dear Mr. Fantasy, High Caliber, Destination Zero, and Mentalissimo. In cooperation with Big Blind Media he has produced several DVDs, including Move Zero, a four-DVD set focusing on self-working card magic. He…

1
Steve Valentine Interview S4 E7 1:23:09

2y ago1:23:09

1:23:09

Steve Valentine is a world-class magician (two-time recipient of the Magic Castle’s Close-up Magician of the Year award), a magic scholar, a creator, and an actor with an impressive CV. (Just take a look at his IMDB page.) His most recent acting project is Monster High: The Movie, which airs on the Disney+ streaming service. Recently, Steve has bee…

1
Amy Kimlat Interview S4 E6 32:46

2y ago32:46

32:46

Amy Kimlat has written a new book (Hocus Pocus Practice Focus: The Making of a Magician) geared toward young readers who have an interest in magic. The book was based on Amy’s experiences as a young magician, and the mishaps that influenced her to abandon the hobby for many years. I spoke to Amy from her home in Orlando, Florida. We discussed her b…

1
Danny DaOrtiz Interview S4 E5 1:10:13

2y ago1:10:13

1:10:13

Dani DaOrtiz is certainly one of the best-known creators and performers in the magic world. At the 2022 Quebec FISM, he won a special award for his writings on magic theory and philosophy. He continues to lecture and perform around the world. Dani’s book, Freedom of Expression, is finally available in English. His book provides the foundation of Da…

1
Steve Spill S4 E4 59:27

2+ y ago59:27

59:27

In a career spanning fifty years, Steve Spill has done it all – close-up performer, bar magician, comedy clubs, concert venues (opening for rock bands), Vegas variety shows – culminating with a twenty-year run as the owner and featured performer at Magicopolis, a theater in Santa Monica, California. Steve’s new book, Assassin, is an entertaining ha…

1
Martin Lewis Interview S4 E3 42:51

2+ y ago42:51

42:51

Martin Lewis is one of magic’s finest performers, and one of its most ingenious creators. His effects can be found in the repertoires of magicians around the world. There has not been a big book of Martin’s magic since 1985, when Martin’s Magic (written by Eric Lewis) appeared. Soon, the long wait for a new book will be over; Making Magic, a marvel…

1
Steve Cohen Interview S4 E2 50:23

2+ y ago50:23

50:23

Steve Cohen is a New York City-based magician whose show, Chamber Magic, has been running Off-Broadway for twenty years, first at the Waldorf Astoria New York, and, at present, in an exclusive salon in the Lotte New York Palace Hotel. For decades, Steve has been researching and studying the life and magic of Max Malini. The result of that endeavour…

1
Larry Hass Interview S4 E1 1:02:33

3y ago1:02:33

1:02:33

Lawrence Hass, Ph.D. is the Dean of the McBride Magic & Mystery School in Las Vegas, successor in that role to his friend and mentor, Eugene Burger. He is former Professor of Humanities at Austin College and former Professor of Philosophy and Theater Arts at Muhlenberg College. In 2010 he retired from college teaching to pursue magic full-time as a…

1
Boris Wild Interview S3 E10 33:39

3y ago33:39

33:39

Boris Wild is a well-known performer, lecturer, and creator of magic, including the ingenious marked-deck system that bears his name. The pandemic quarantine sidelined his busy traveling schedule, but he used the down time to create a new lecture (and a new set of lecture notes), Variations. I spoke to Boris from his home outside Paris. We discusse…

1
Josh Jay Interview S3 E9 1:11:25

3y ago1:11:25

1:11:25

I’ve known Joshua Jay since he was a youngster, and I’ve followed his development as a performer, a creator, an author, and a businessman. He has lectured and performed around the world, spent twelve years as the tricks columnist for MAGIC magazine, founded (with Andi Gladwin) the successful online magic store Vanishing, Inc., and has written sever…

1
Bob Farmer Interview S3 E8 1:22:58

3y ago1:22:58

1:22:58

For more than four decades, Bob Farmer has been a prolific creator of high-caliber magic effects. But in that time, I don’t recall anyone doing an in-depth interview with him. I’m happy to rectify that situation this month. Bob and I spoke for ninety minutes, discussing his introduction to magic, his music career, his law school experience, his out…

1
Sylvain Juzan Interview S3 E7 30:29

3+ y ago30:29

30:29

This month’s guest on Conversations with Close is Sylvain Juzan. Sylvain and I met briefly at a Genii convention a few years ago, and then got to spend a bit more time when he appeared on season 7a of Fool Us. I spoke to Sylvain about his background, his new book, Every Card You Take – I’ll be Watching You, and his approach to creating magic. --- S…

1
Roberto Giobbi Interview S3 E6 1:18:25

3+ y ago1:18:25

1:18:25

If you have any interest at all in card magic, I’m sure the name Roberto Giobbi is familiar to you. He is a prolific author, a frequent contributor to magazines (his column in Genii has run for fourteen years), a lecturer, a teacher, and an experienced performer. His new book, Sharing Secrets: The 52 Most Important and Practical Strategies in Magic…

1
Jamy Ian Swiss Interview S3 E5 1:08:15

3+ y ago1:08:15

1:08:15

This month my guest on Conversations with Close is an old friend, Jamy Ian Swiss. Jamy is an author, a public speaker, a close-up and stand-up performer, and an activist in the skeptic community. We talked about a wide variety of subjects; Jamy offered some great stories he has never shared in interviews before. We also discussed his new book, The …

1
Dr. Michael Rubinstein S3 E4 34:09

3+ y ago34:09

34:09

Dr. Michael Rubinstein has been a major player in the coin magic world since the 1980s. His new book, Rubinstein Coin Magic contains the best of his published creations, previously unpublished material, and routines from his friends around the world. Michael appeared on Penn and Teller: Fool Us a few seasons ago, performing a memorable Wild Coin ro…

1
Richard Kaufman Interview S3 E3 50:07

3+ y ago50:07

50:07

Richard Kaufman is a prolific author and publisher; his output includes some of the best books of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. For more than twenty years he has been the editor of Genii magazine. His most recent book, Mr. Jennings Takes it Easy, has been in the works for many years. I spoke to Richard from his home in Washington, DC. W…

1
Eric Mead S3 E2 40:33

3+ y ago40:33

40:33

Eric Mead is a gifted performer, a creator, an author, a genuinely funny human being, and the man responsible for the ten-percent solution on Penn & Teller: Fool Us. His book, Tangled Web, is full of great routines, and is required reading for those of you interested in memorized deck magic. Eric chimed in on one of my Facebook live video broadcast…

1
Scott Alexander Interview - S3 E1 34:55

4y ago34:55

34:55

Scott Alexander is one of magic’s few general practitioners, equally adept at close-up, parlor, and stage magic. He has created and marketed some excellent, professional-caliber routines. He was also a close friend to the late Denny Haney, whom he considers to be his mentor. Later this month, Scott will release Denny Haney: Collected Wisdom – The L…

1
John Carney Interview S2 E5 44:36

4y ago44:36

44:36

John Carney has been a friend for more than forty years. He is an author, one of the world’s finest sleight-of-hand performers, a serious student of conjuring, and one of the funniest people I know. I spoke to John via Zoom. Our conversation ranged far and wide, from his early years at the Magic Castle, his mentors, to his development as an artist,…

1
Andrew Golder & Lincoln Hiatt Interview S2E4 40:19

4y ago40:19

40:19

Late in the evening on October 21, 2020, production wrapped on season 7b of Penn & Teller: Fool Us. I had been working on pre-production since early June. While I have written about the show in various places and have discussed it on my podcasts and the podcasts of others, I had never done an interview with Executive Producers Andrew Golder and Lin…

1
Guilherme Silveira Interview - Season 2, Episode 3 32:44

4y ago32:44

32:44

My guest on Conversations with Close this month is a relative newcomer to the world of magic: Brazil’s Guilherme Silveira. You may have seen Guilherme on season seven of Fool Us, which aired during the summer. His routine featured an interesting wrinkle on using a smart phone in a prediction effect. Guilherme’s background is in mathematics and soft…

1
Doc Dixon Interview Season 2 - Episode 2 35:12

4y ago35:12

35:12

I met Doc Dixon almost thirty years ago; we have shared some memorable and hilarious experiences. I’m sure most of you saw Doc’s fooling performance on season six of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, in which he put a whole new spin on the venerable Three-shell Game. (A historical note for Fool Us fans: FU director Dennis Rosenblatt kept the signed cork pea …

1
Asher and McKinstry Interview - Season 2 - Episode 1 46:59

5y ago46:59

46:59

For many magicians, playing cards have an undeniable fascination; enthusiasts eagerly snatch up every newly released pack they can get their hands on. (As someone wryly posted on Facebook, designer decks are the magical equivalent of Beanie Babies.) For serious playing-card collectors, their interest transcends the mere aesthetic appeal of new back…

1
Stephen Bargatze & Rick Merrill Interview - Episode 16 30:09

5y ago30:09

30:09

One of the reasons I was eager to attend the OWOW Magic Festival was that two old friends were also going to be performing there. I’ve known Stephen Bargatze for at least thirty years, and I’ve known Rick Merrill almost that long. (When he was fifteen, Rick sent me a letter offering an improvement to one of my tricks. I don’t hold that against him.…

1
Ryan Joyce Interview - Episode 15 36:51

5y ago36:51

36:51

Ryan Joyce is a busy performer, and he has been ever since he graduated from high school. For ten years, he performed a touring illusion show that crisscrossed Canada. He then entered the cruise-ship market, performing illusions, a smaller stand-up show, and a hypnosis act. Ryan also has an avid interest in technology and filmmaking, both of which …

1
David Regal Interview - Episode 14 1:02:43

5y ago1:02:43

1:02:43

My guest this month is one of my favourite performers and creators, David Regal. Although our paths have crossed at the occasional magic convention over the years, we’ve never really had the opportunity to spend time chatting about magic. I regret that, because David is an “evangelist” for quality magic – magic with an elegant method, and an intere…

1
Paul Vigil Interview - Episode 13 36:01

5+ y ago36:01

36:01

This Conversations with Close podcast features an interview with Paul Vigil, who, in the past few years, has established himself as one of the top-flight performers and creators in the world of magic. Paul’s skills were well known to the magicians of Las Vegas, but it is only recently, with the publication of his books Classic Fantastic and Doors o…

1
Johnny and Pam Thompson - Episode 12 18:01

5+ y ago18:01

18:01

In March 2013, I ran a cover story on Pam Thompson in M-U-M. While there had been many stories about Johnny Thompson in magic magazines, there had not been one on Pam, who was an integral part of the Tomsoni & Company act. In preparation for that article, I recorded several phone conversations with Pam. There were a few things she could not recall,…

1
Harry Lorayne - Episode 11 45:47

5+ y ago45:47

45:47

I met Harry Lorayne in the spring/summer of 1975. At the time, I was going to music school at Butler University. I lived not far from campus and was home for lunch. As I watched the noon news, I heard the following announcement: “After this commercial break, we’ll be back with memory expert, Harry Lorayne.” I never saw the interview, because I imme…

1
Matt Disero - Episode 10 36:22

5+ y ago36:22

36:22

Matt is one of the busiest professional comedy magicians around; he works corporate events, cruise ships, and comedy clubs. He is also in demand as a writer for television. You may ave seen Matt on the fourth season of Penn & Teller: Fool Us. His experience on the show led him to an important insight, one I had not previously considered when I anal…

1
Bruce Kalver - Episode 9 30:22

5+ y ago30:22

30:22

I had a chance to chat with my old friend, Bruce Kalver. He was the president of The Society of American Magicians when I was hired to be the editor of M-U-M. He authored several feature stories for me and also wrote one of the most popular columns in the magazine, Tech Tricks (which continues to this day). Bruce’s story is a fascinating one. He wa…

1
Jeff Pinsky - Episode 8 42:32

5+ y ago42:32

42:32

Jeff Pinsky is the owner and operator of The Browser's Den of Magic in Toronto, Ontario, CANADA. I sat down with Jeff at the Den in June 2019. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

1
Jeff Altman - Episode 7 22:50

5+ y ago22:50

22:50

Jeff Altman is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and magician who has appeared as a guest on Late Night with David Letterman and Late Show with David Letterman a combined 45 times. Altman mesmerized contemporaries like David Letterman and Jerry Seinfeld, and inspired future comedians like Judd Apatow. I had a wonderful conversation with Jeff in…

1
Andi Gladwin & Josh Jay - Episode 6 33:42

5+ y ago33:42

33:42

Andi Gladwin is a British magician, speaker, and publisher. He has appeared on television numerous times, has lectured for magicians throughout the UK, US and Europe and written / published books on magic. Joshua Jay is a magician, author, and lecturer. He has performed in over 100 countries, and he was awarded the top prize at the World Magic Semi…

1
Mac King - Episode 5 22:33

5+ y ago22:33

22:33

Mac King is an American magician who has performed on television specials, often as a co-host. He has his own family-friendly show, "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show", at the Harrah's Las Vegas in the Clint Holmes Theater. Here is the chat via Skype. (Sept 2018) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support…

1
R. Paul Wilson - Episode 4 22:22

5+ y ago22:22

22:22

R. Paul Wilson is a close-up magician, filmmaker, and author. Michael sat down with R. Paul Wilson at the Ring 129 Workshop Convention in St. Joseph, Missouri. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

1
Anthony Owen - Episode 3 12:31

5+ y ago12:31

12:31

Anthony Owen was a magician, mentalist, and producer. Michael caught up with Anthony at the Sesson in London, England. (January 2018) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

1
Pit Hartling - Episode 2 20:00

5+ y ago20:00

20:00

Pit Hartling is one of Germany's most requested entertainers and Michael got a chance to sit down with him for a conversation in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the shooting of Penn & Teller's: FOOL US show. (March 2018) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support…

1
Tim Trono - Episode 1 18:10

5+ y ago18:10

18:10

Tim Trono is a magician, magic producer and creator. Michael caught up with Tim at the Session in London, England (January 2018). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michaelclose/support

1
Piffcast - Resurrected with #DeadTalk 40:29

7+ y ago40:29

40:29

The Piffcast returns with new friends Tony Andracki, Scott Changnon and Karen Ginsberg from CSN Chicago.SPOILER ALERT: We recap Season 7 of 'The Walking Dead' and Sunday night's finale - Why we watch the show. Highlights and Lowlights of the season. Tigers eating faces. Favorite characters and their development...and much more.…

1
Piffcast - Season Two Begins 56:15

8y ago56:15

56:15

After a 3 month hiatus, The Piffcast is back!During that time, TJ got MARRIED, the Cubs won the pennant, The Walking Dead returned, and a whole lot more happened. Listen to hear what's new, what we think, and what's to come.By Michael Piff

1
Piffcast - The Comeback-cast 54:02

8+ y ago54:02

54:02

After a nice long break, the Piffcast is back! It's been a month, so Mike and TJ had some catching up to do...- Developing a Kris Bryant's up-to-bat App- Comic-Con Trailer Roundup- TJ's movie homework (including some Mark Ruffalo recommendations)- What we're watching on TV (Stranger Things, The Night Of)- The Pokemon around Mike's house (don't go l…

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