Rodger has been performing magic for over 35 years; he is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, as well as the Thoroughbred Magic Guild. Rodger is also a founding member of the Cumberland Valley Magicians Association
and The Lake Cumberland Magic Club. Rodger’s shows are good clean family entertainment; he performed at school shows, family reunions, wedding receptions, birthday parties, anniversaries, business and corporate events, fund raisers and about any type show you could think of. Rodger has also created many amazing magic tricks like Calling Card, which became an instant classic.
Wilm Weber: Today we are chatting with Rodger Lovins, creator of well known effects like Calling Card, Trapped and Toasted. Thank you very much for taking the time. Rodger Lovins: Thanks for having me.
Wilm Weber: Rodger, your name stands behind several very well known effects. Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you come up with new effects? Where do you get inspirations? Do you look to classic magic books for ideas? Rodger Lovins: Most of the early effects I produced were ones I have been performing for years. My friend Lance Burton was the one who told me I should share my effects with the fraternity in the form of producing them for sale. I brought my first effect out in the early 70's. It was called Rodger Lovins' Ball Box, and sold exclusively at Abbott's Magic in Colon MI. The other effects I have come up with start out as an idea. Then I try to come up with a way of making it work. Only a very few ideas ever make it into production.
Wilm Weber: Who influences / has influenced your work most and how so? Rodger Lovins: Neal Foster has influenced my stage magic more than anyone else. Just the way he always presented himself on stage and off. He was a great man and magician as well as a good friend and teacher. For those of you who have not seen his work, look around for old video and check it out. Good stuff! Johnny Thompson is also one I have admired. Close up as well as stage. Today I would have to say my friends Lance Burton, Mac King and Michael Ammar are some of my favorites. I enjoy watching anyone perform the art. I guess it's just in my blood.
Wilm Weber: Do you have preferences, for performing magic? Magic areas? Audiences? Venues? Countries? How did these preferences take shape? Rodger Lovins: I like stage manipulation magic. I also like street magic and close-up. Comedy magic, done well, is always good too. As for myself I prefer to perform small stage magic and street magic. Just doing it on the fly on the street is a blast for me. When you are doing that kind of work and it clicks, it is just the best!
Wilm Weber: How did you get into magic and how were you able to make magic your main profession? Did you have any other job before you went "professional"? If so, how did you get to be successful enough to quit your day job and follow your passion? Rodger Lovins: The magic business isn't my only job. I own a custom home building business as well as a land development company. My family has always been in home building, so I continue doing that as well.
Wilm Weber: What are your thoughts on Magic on TV these days? Do you think specials like Cyril, David Copperfield, David Blaine or Derren Brown present on the screen or shows like Mind Freak or Room 401 or reality based shows like Phenomenon or Celebracadabra are more beneficial for the advancement of the art of magic with the general public? Rodger Lovins: I think any form of magic on TV or film helps the art. The more you can keep it out there in front of the people the better for all of us.
Wilm Weber: What do you love most about the world of magic and what do you like the least? Rodger Lovins: The people. Most Magicians are "good folks" I have found. I also love the look in the peoples eye when they have been fooled. It just don't get any better than that. The least? I just don't know of anything I don't like about the art. Sorry.
Wilm Weber: How do you see magic evolve over the next decade or so? Any predictions where our art will go? What areas will flourish what areas won’t? Rodger Lovins: Street and close-up magic seem to be what people want to see out there everyday. Stage and large illusion shows will always be around as well. Magic is an art form that has been around and will always be around in my mind. The big changes I have seen are with Video and DVD. Used to guys would say, "Have you read so and so's new book" and now it's, "have you seen the DVD." Downloads and things also have changed the way we buy magic. I still think a great way to learn a new effect is to read an old book. It would take a long time for someone to make DVDs of everything out there in print in magic. Some of the best stuff I have seen is a new twist on an old trick. I also think that there is no better way to practice a new effect but to do it until you can do it cold. I sometimes have a new effect I am working on just laying around the house and every time I pass it, I pick it up and do it cold. When you get it down cold, you got it down!
Wilm Weber: What tips can you give fellow magicians who want to improve their audience management techniques and presentation styles? How did you learn these skills? Any skills in this area you initially learned from books and threw out as a result of experience? What is are your top 3 tips for fellow performers? Rodger Lovins: #1 Be nice to people. You can catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar. #2 Most routines change with time and performance experience. The more you use it, the better it will be. If not, throw it out and do a different thing in that spot. The best routines are built through time, trial and error.Try to perform each effect the same way every time that's why they call it routine. #3 Make each effect your own. Put YOUR personality into each trick. Don't just do it the way someone else does. You must love what your doing, just like with any job. If you love it, then going to work is a lot more fun.
Wilm Weber: What's next for Rodger Lovins? Any new books, DVDs or other projects coming up? Any lectures or Magic Castle performances scheduled? Where can people catch your shows? Rodger Lovins: I have 2 lectures planned for this year. One in Cincinnati, Ohio and one in Louisville, Kentucky. Dates on both are still pending. I perform shows mostly in Kentucky... 6 to 8 or so a year. I have 2 new effects in the works right now. One will be an exclusive item, signed and numbered. Only 100 will be made. The other is a card effect and should be out in the next 60 days or so.
Wilm Weber: Thank you very much for this interview and continued success! Rodger Lovins: Thanks so much for your time and your site! Keep up the good work! Thanks to everyone who has bought my magic. I hope you guys are having fun with it!
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