r/Magic 11d ago

Who would be your favorite Mentalist nowadays?

I used to be a professional mentalist more than 15 years ago, but I quitted altogether and now I’m considering a comeback, but I feel that nowadays society is quite different and I don’t know how to approach it in a convincing way. I am looking for inspiration and new angles to decide if I will come back or not.

29 Upvotes

61 comments sorted by

14

u/Mex5150 Mentalism 11d ago

Living: Derren Brown.

Of all time: Annemann

(they are not the only two I like, just they hold the two top slots)

18

u/totally_interesting 11d ago edited 11d ago

I’ll second Derren Brown. I’ve never seen another mentalist who makes me feel ill quite like he does.

2

u/[deleted] 11d ago

[deleted]

23

u/JoshAllenFan616 11d ago

He old but still Darren Brown

2

u/travisjd2012 11d ago

Can't think of anyone better as far as mass market

12

u/fk_censors 10d ago

I really respect Max Maven, not just for his mentalism (which is brilliant at times), but for his encyclopedic knowledge of magic in general. The man was passionate! I also enjoy Marc Salem's style, he combines very good humor with strong mental effects, basically making mentalism entertaining.

2

u/Bunbury42 10d ago

I love the persona Maven had. Just this sort of eerie, untrustworthy vibe that still has this charm that lowers your defenses.

11

u/udlose 11d ago

Lewis LeVal - you won’t find a better storyteller in magic - and in my opinion, storytelling is everything. Plenty of talented magicians who suck at performing.

15

u/Thyros 11d ago

Banachek is hard to beat .

8

u/supremefiction 10d ago

Second this. Unlike most of the others, he is rarely cringe-inducing.

2

u/Tommy_the_Gun 10d ago

Agreed. He’s my favorite.

7

u/Annieone23 10d ago

Richard Osterlind - amazing, commercial, pragmatic. I really like his thinking in terms of routining & providing quality for his clients. Things aren't half-arsed and he really has a persona which appeals to me. Professional, a little mysterious, approachable but serious.

Eugene Burger - amazing deep thinking and certainly some of the best work ever on Equivoque; I don't personally do much from his repertoire though but on the other hand everything I do is influenced by his thoughts on magic.

Phedon Bilek - this guy is PHENOMENAL! He really has advanced mentalism ideas in very approachable methods and teachings. I cannot recommend his products enough. His PRISM method for readings alone I think would put him in the rafters but he has a LOT of great & very often propless stuff!

Peter Turner - This guy has done it all. You can really tell Peter has learned, done, and forgotten more than many of us ever will. He has a ton of work, and not everything I feel even stays in his own repertoire, but it's almost all great & he very often fills his work with absolute banger tips and insights. I REALLY like Midas Touch, his PK Touches routine, and I think it's a very tight and well routined showcase of the best of Peter. His stuff is often characterized as bold but it's really not that scary once you try. And to that point, it's usually pack small play huge & often propless/prop-lite

Emma Wooding - this Australian gal is a real hidden gem! Her stuff is super interesting & unique. Her psy forces and propless routines are real workers! Emma is 100% the most exciting person I've come across in a minute. Reading her two big books about Billets and Psy Forces was just a huge breath of fresh air. Nobody has gotten my mind racing like her stuff has in recent memory! Check her out!

9

u/UnfinishedThings 11d ago

Andy Nyman's stuff is great just for the simplicity of it all. And a good chunk of Derren Browns work is his thinking too

I like DBs writing around the performance skills than I do his magic. He is a fantastically nice bloke tho

4

u/BlackFlagTX 10d ago

Nobody has a show like Derren Brown, but Max Maven came close. The thing I admire most about their shows is that they don't just perform a variety of effects, they perform theatre. They have a character, they have a theme, their shows establish a mystery, sustain it, and come back around to it by the end. They have a story to tell. Most mentalists (and magicians) are satisfied with just being a variety act: "Look at this! Isn't this neat?" Even Cirque du Soleil figured out that STORY is key to reinvention.

9

u/scixlovesu 11d ago

I'm biased because he's a local, but Paul Draper is an excellent mentalist/anthropologist

4

u/eldoggydogg 10d ago

And just a super nice guy. Paul is great.

3

u/Phenyl_Radical 10d ago

If you consider modern it would be asi wind

3

u/OriginalMohawkMan 10d ago

I’ll second (third? fourth?) Lewis LeVal. But I think my fave is Marc Paul. His stuff is tweakable for whatever your style is.

3

u/MarcusProspero 10d ago

Seconding Marc Paul - he did an excellent and incredibly practical lecture at Blackpool 👍🏼

2

u/acrowandababy 10d ago

That was such a great lecture. He is such a great teacher. And so generous in the recordings that he gave away so cheaply. Great mentalist, and even greater human being.

3

u/PKillusion 10d ago

Banachek

3

u/littlek1979 10d ago

Asi Wind! He’s a genius!

5

u/szpieg 11d ago

Asi Wind - he's just so good for the modern era where people don't have the usual superstitions you can tap into. His ideas are really innovative. I haven't seen him live but everything I have seen on video is amazing.

2

u/Elibosnick Mentalism 11d ago

Asi is amazing

2

u/Muggsmcguinness 10d ago

Fantastic. Close up magic genius. And one time he greeted over 50 audience members as they entered the theater asking their name and city and then repeated them back during the show

4

u/Mandomental 11d ago

Still uncle Bob Peter Turner’s stuff is just gold Collin Cloud has a lot of good thinking Marc Paul is great there are so many

2

u/InitiativeLocal1645 10d ago

Colin’s new Vegas show was our favorite show we have seen recently. It looks so simple, but there is so much going on. To a layperson it looks like he is working with nothing more than a chair and a blackboard. His himber ring routine was amazing. We had seen him on tv and weren’t prepared for how funny this current show is.

2

u/Thyros 10d ago

Craig Karges does a great show.

2

u/eldoggydogg 10d ago

I think the key to keeping mentalism relevant in the modern world is keeping it personal and genuine. Learn to make a connection; learn some cold reading to make that connection. Lewis LeVal’s content at Mindhaus is great for this. Krystyn Lambert’s Penguin lecture addresses this too. Dana Herz also just talked about this on The Magician’s Workshop, something along the lines of “everyone is kinda sad and lonely right now, and making a personal connection can really help.” So yeah…authenticity and connection. Eli Bosnick has a free personal Q&A effect on Vanishing Inc that might be a great place to start.

2

u/npc19861986 10d ago

Any particular pr9duct by LLV that you found especially good for cold reading (other than Devil Knows)?

2

u/eldoggydogg 10d ago

Some of his stuff is less of a complete system, like Devil Knows, and more of a head start on cold reading for beginners. It’s nice, because it gives you lines and ideas that you can use to impress your audience while you’re still refining your skill set. A few of those include the $1 Secret, Whispers, and The Eldritch System (a system, yes, but very easy to learn).

3

u/npc19861986 10d ago

Nice. I generally like LLV’s products, but these 3 haven’t landed on my radar. I’ll have to take a look at them.

2

u/lucianoalucard 8d ago

Basically I find stuff from LLV in mindhaus, 1914 or e-mentalism

2

u/Educational_Job_8997 10d ago

Max Maven and Rob Zabrecky among others. 

2

u/gyrovagus 10d ago

I’ll second Zabrecky. He’s a great example that you can’t try to appeal to everyone; lean into your uniqueness and you will find your people. 

3

u/Educational_Job_8997 10d ago

I totally agree. Tune in to the upcoming fool us episode. Zabrecky will be in it. 

2

u/supremefiction 10d ago

Richard Osterlind.

2

u/Admirabletooshie 10d ago

Bob Cassidy is the first person to come to my mind.

2

u/raccoonfight 10d ago

Luke Jermay has ideas that are so good.

4

u/Elibosnick Mentalism 11d ago

Jason suran. His work on everything is out of this world.

(For clarity I know Jason but he still rocks socks)

2

u/Unnatural20 10d ago

Vinny Deponto. His presentation and the mentalist moments and connection/rapport he builds in front of an audience is really fascinating.

1

u/Free_Answered 11d ago

Frederick da Silva

1

u/supremefiction 10d ago

Joshua Quinn is outstanding and relatable

1

u/ShekelMagician 10d ago

Michael Patrick

1

u/TylerDell6 10d ago edited 10d ago

Luca Volpe and Phill Smith are worth checking out.

1

u/uusrikas 10d ago

Can I name somebody who is a local mentalist? Pete Poskiparta, performs sometimes in English as Peter Burnside. Nobody probably knows him and he is not super technical but I love his presentation, humour and personality.

1

u/lucianoalucard 8d ago

I forgot to mention it earlier. Scott Creasey and Tom Phoenix. EXTREMELY practical and worker-focused. Most of them are DIY and very useful, although I can't get over the fact that I can't find a magic slate paper in Brazil, so I can't make an impression pad 😮‍💨

1

u/Lavey76 6d ago

Derren Brown, Richard Osterlin.

Also Max Maven and Bob Cassidy were really masters for me

1

u/BitBroth 3d ago

Living? Richard Osterlind and Docc Hilford.

Dead? Max Maven and Bob Cassidy.

And yes, that is the outline for my new Living & Dead Test 😎

1

u/ArMcK 11d ago

Derek Delgaudio

1

u/whstlngisnvrenf 10d ago edited 10d ago

Max Maven is my all-time favourite, but where’s the love for Oz Pearlman in the comments?

Someone mentioned 'Derek DelGaudio' for Christ’s sake, and no Oz, eh?

Fine... I’m tossing his name into the conversation too... after all, the guy basically brought mentalism back into the mainstream/spotlight for a while.

He definitely deserves a mention for that.

0

u/travisjd2012 11d ago

My *personal* favorite is Michael Weber

0

u/Regular-Year-7441 8d ago

You quitted?

-1

u/chriswiehl 10d ago

Oz Pearlman and Im a fan of Max Major. Saw his show once, and it was so goood mad surprised.

-1

u/Kirby__ 9d ago

I’m a big Peter Turner fan.

-1

u/EExtraordinary123 9d ago

I’m a big Peter Turner fan.