Back to Design Work

October and November were busy, and painful!

It's been awhile since I've updated anything on this blog. My work (performing) schedule picked up quite a bit during October, which is usual for that season. There's also exciting news coming soon about Circus Camp, but it's all hush-hush for now until some deals are finalized. Really looking forward to announcing it when ready!

Lately I've had problems with kidney stones. I do NOT suggest anybody get these... very painful. A few days ago I had a kidney stone making it's presence known while I was in the middle of a show. Not fun, but the show ended up being one of the best I've done. Go figure.

Anyway, I have not updated my portfolio site, not even added the new logo. I'll do that in the next day or two, perhaps even today.

I will be updating the promo materials for my friend Charles Watson in West Virginia, "Tricky Chaz". He's a magician, juggler and balloon twister working very hard to support his family. Nice guy.

Here's a banner I did for his website (Click on them to embiggen):

www.TrickyChaz.com

I designed the banner, not the site. I also put together other materials, here's some of them...

Magician Problems

More funny stuff at www.Zazzle.com/MagicTrickShirts

The Classics of Magic... Bring a Towel

Here's a fun little comic panel I put together using a stock photo (probably from istockphoto.com) and a funny idea.

Years ago I used a rabbit in my act. Named Sebastian. Wore a spiked collar. This was very early in my career as a magician, so I didn't have very many gigs. Sebastian got to appear maybe 4 times before I sold him to an older more experienced magician.

The biggest show was at a magicians convention in northern Ohio, maybe Massilon. I was booked to appear in the close-up contest, very exciting. My act consisted of a card trick with my pet rock finding the chosen card, a dice matrix routine set to music, cups and balls and a cut & restored rope. I ended the routine by producing Sebastian from a crumbled up paper bag (which had been used earlier in the show). I did the performance and everything went fine.

Until I was told to move over to the next table and do it again...

Designing for Fun

Work in progress of the Ludlow Theatre logo

This is just for fun

I'm in the midst of designing the website for the Ludlow Theatre in Ludlow, KY for Circus Mojo. They have a person already working on the logo, but while waiting for him to finish it I went ahead and started designing one myself. It's an old theatre that they are renovating, and it's really cool. I did a show there back on September 14. Lots of fun!

Paul (the owner) and myself liked the idea of incorporating a theater marquee in the logo. The theater is on a main street in Ludlow, so many people will see the marque as they drive by. By making the logo match what the residents see will help to connect the two images.

I looked at lots of photos of marquees, until I found one at just the right angle. I wanted to logo to really give the impression that you were standing right there outside the theatre looking up at the marquee, or driving by.

A little tuck here, a snip there

Draft 1 from 10-3-2012

Draft 2 from 10-5-2012

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Draft 1 from 10-3-2012

Draft 2 from 10-5-2012

Sometimes it's the little things

Yesterday I let the logo settle into my head, churn around in the back of mind and prepare itself to be updated. Which it was. As you can see from the before/after images, I lightened the logo a lot. It was just way too heavy. Just click the image to zoom in.

I adjusted the blue in the color palette to a lighter saturation, but I may have made it too light. When the logo is small it's kind of hard to read the word, especially the one with my photo. I'll play arond with that to fix it.

Once I got rid of the overpowering black borders, the dark blue looked too strong. I kept the outline for "Designer" dark for better visibility and to highlight the hand drawn feel of the font. It's called Caitlyn and even though it looks hand drawn it's also carefully done, letting clients know that I put a lot of attention on their projects right from the start.

The font for "Magician" and "Greg McMahan" is called Blox. I use it in my Mister Greggy logo, so I used it again to add that connection. It's a little less childish here so clients will feel they are dealing with an adult.

Of the two, I prefer the one without my photo because it's simpler. However for larger applications I can see how the logo with my photo would work well.

I will continue churning the ideas for this logo, and see what else I come up with. Looking forward to what happens!

Tomorrow I'll show you a logo I'm playing around with for the Ludlow Theatre in Ludlow, Kentucky. That's where Circus Mojo is based, and I'm also in the process of designing their website. Right now it's just an image and a few links I slapped up there until we could plan out the  rest of the site. I did not design the image there or the Circus Mojo site.

I Like to Start with the Logo

Tossing around some logo ideas

Here's a couple of 1st drafts I came up with today. I like to start with a logo when I'm designing a site, or just about anything for that matter. Logos are so important. I use them to set the style of the design I'm working on, the color palette, font, text effects, etc.

These are first drafts, I'm sure I'll change them as I go along. But it's a start. I like the colors, a softer look for the primary colors. Since most of the design work I do is for children's entertainers, I tend to use primary colors a lot so I figured tey should be a part of my portfolio's look.

My original ideas involved retro and vintage images. That silly magician character from my previous post is a good example. I'd like to include a bit of that, but not the overall theme as I had originally intended. As much as I like that look, it doesn't represent what most of my designs are.

One idea which I pursued for awhile was to make the site look like the back page ad of an old comic book, selling everything from fake doggy-do to smoke pellets and of course a fair amount of cheap magic tricks. I'll keep my clip file on that, because I think it will come in handy some time for another magician looking for that type of image in their marketing materials.

Please let me know if you think I'm on the right track with the logos above. Any and all comments are welcome!

Site Update Status - Looking At Layouts

This magician needs a name... any ideas?

So far so good!

Here's a funny image I found on a public domain site recently. I would love to use it in my site update, it's just so goofy! Maybe I'll replace the bunny with a steampunk iPad that has my face on the screen.

I found a very useful flexible grid system on which to layout my updated portfolio site. My favorite feature is it's flexibility. Hence the name. What that means is it adapts to any size screen. When viewed on a regular size computer screen it has a nice layout. When viewed on a smaller screen (like a smartphone), it rearranges itself to make more efficient use of the space available. It even adapts well to a very large screen.

It's based on this page I found. When you load it, re-size your browser window and you'll see how it adapts. Pretty cool huh! However, it's more difficult to work with and requires a lot of fiddling with the CSS to get everything looking good.

Another option is a fixed size grid system. There are lots of them available, mostly based on a 960 pixel width divided into 12 or 16 columns. I use a similar system with my existing sites, keeping them to 960 pixels (or is it 940, I'd have to check) which scales well on a smart phone.

If I stick with the 960 grid system I'm using now, it will speed up my work a lot. However, taking the time to learn the flexible grid will be a good step towards developing more skills to offer future clients.

I'll think about it tonight, play around some more with the various frameworks and figure it out.

My Portfolio Needs an Update

I'll be updating my portfolio
at www.GregMcMahan.com

I Can Do Better!

I've been looking at my design portfolio recently. It's a decent looking site, easy to navigate, but a bit boring and it contains too many samples.

My tagline is "The Magician Designer", but except for my top hat nothing really emphasizes the magician part. Being a professional magician and a designer is a good image to use for branding my services, so I'm going to re-design my site to take advantage of that.

When I create a new design, I prefer to start with the visual. I've been scanning as many images of "magic" and "magician" I can find, online and in my collection here at home and office. Lots of ideas, including some fun unobtrusive HTML5 animations to add a bit of fun to the site.

I've also decided to simplify the back-end procedure for updating my portfolio. Right now there's a lot of steps involved, and I want to make it much easier to do. Upload an image, update a file and I'm done. Let the coding take care of the rest, including the thumbnail creation.

The new site will showcase fewer samples of my work so I can focus on the ones I feel best show my strengths as a designer. Here's one I'm really proud of that I'll be placing up front: www.SunshineIslandShow.com. I was so happy with the way it turned out I used the same basic layout, with Mike's permission, when I updated my entertainer site. It may be best to stick with that basic design to create consistency. Or not. I'll research that.

My plan is to use PHP, jQuery, HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript. I like these languages and I'm comfortable with them. Not an expert by any means, but there are so many open source/public domain scripts available to choose from that I'm sure I'll find exactly what I want that require the minimum of editing. Why reinvent the wheel?

I'll keep you updated as the site is progressing... this will be fun!

Death Defying Rifle Catch Trick

Just something silly to enjoy while getting ready for the weekend.

Would You Like Fries With That Poodle?

Yours truly presenting his balloon lecture
at a children's entertainer convention.

How to twist up to 100 balloons per hour and nobody waits in line.

For some reason many balloon twisters get defensive when they read this article I wrote. They spend more energy figuring out why it won't work instead of actually giving it a try. Odd.

Imagine you've been booked to entertain hundreds of families, mostly children, and you decide that the entire group must wait in line while you amaze and amuse them ONE AT A TIME! Sounds absurd? It is, but that's exactly what the vast majority of balloon twisters do at every gig.

Nobody likes waiting in line, especially parents with children eager to get a balloon. Waiting makes people edgy, irritable and generally unpleasant. So why do balloon twisters force their audience to stand in a line? I suppose because everybody else does it that way. I think it's mainly because balloon twisters don't see what they do as entertainment. They think of themselves as balloon factories, no more than  a refreshment booth at a festival or a fast food restaurant... you want fries with that poodle? For them, the emphasis is on the balloon not the entertainment factor.

Years ago I got a great gig... twisting balloons in the food court of a large mall every Saturday and Sunday, about 5 hours each day. I averaged about 70-100 balloons per hour, or 700-1000 balloons each weekend. It was hard work, but incredibly fun! I was paid directly by the mall, and they even covered the cost of the balloons. This gig lasted about 3 years. Here's what happened...

Why reinvent the wheel

My web coding skills include
HTML5 • CSS3 • PHP • jQuery • Javascript

I learn what I need for that particular design project.

That's how I've taught myself web coding. I'm not college trained, but I am smart about it. Once I've figured out the basic outline of a website, it's features, user flow, interface and other logistical concerns, I make a list of the types of functions I'll need.

Then I go hunting. First in my local files, since I've saved all the code used in previous projects. Many times I already have the scripts I need. If not, I search for public domain scripts out there in the interwebz. And there are LOTS of them. It's much easier for me to edit a script that does close to what I need than it is to write it from scratch. Why reinvent the wheel?

Once I've got what I need, I start editing. This is my favorite part, because as I'm doing this I'm also learning more skills that will help me in the next project.

OK, So I Cheated a Little

The one-book version of my
Learn Magic instant author kit
in black and white with a color cover
which also includes 9 extra color covers.

I developed an instant author kit, called Learn Magic, which I sell to other magicians. It's a pre-written instruction book for young magicians that has blank sections on each of the 44 pages and cover.

When purchased, the buyer has full re-sale rights which means they can add their name and contact info to the pages and cover, then print them and sell them as their own magic book. Of course, they can't sell them as an instant author kit, just as a buyer of a clip art collection can't turn around and sell that collection as clip art.

These are popular to sell after shows, as a BORS item. BORS - Back Of Room sales. Many magicians often double their fees by setting up a "souvenir stand" and selling items after the shows. This is a good way to make money from clients looking for a free show to be donated. Agree to do the show but only if you can sell stuff afterward.

When I originally designed this book, I used color photos. This took a lot of time, and I learned a lot about photography in the process. So far so good. The hands you see in the photographs are mine, since they were readily available and I knew the tricks I was teaching.

My friend Ken Scott (one of the best children's entertainers in the country) bought a copy of Learn Magic and had great success selling them after his shows. One day at a convention, I think KIDabra, he related a funny story where a child, having just bought a copy, asked Ken why his arms weren't hairy like the pictures in the book. Funny, but it got me to thinking... The kid's got a point. If a magician wants to sell this book as their own, color photos of my hands and arms won't always match theirs. The magician may be a woman, or African American, or non-hairy. I had a problem...

Oh What a Difference a Backdrop Makes

Backdrop from www.MagicBackdrops.com

I love doing shows with my backdrop!

It really helps give everything a more professional appearance, and makes it easier for me to charge more for gigs.

This particular backdrop is from Jeff Jones at Magic Backdrops in Raleigh, NC. He's a real nice guy and his company makes these very useful and portable systems. It literally sets up in about 30 seconds with a bit of practice. Figure a minute the first few times you use it.

I first saw this backdrop system when I was doing a lecture at the KIDabra convention a few years back. This is the international association of family and childrens entertainers, a very good group to hook up with.

The lecture I was presented focused on building backdrops yourself for as little as $30. The main topic of the lecture was not the curtains you see in front, it was about the structural support behind. Also covered were unusual backdrops, stage settings, etc. I even showed how to use an inflatable pool as a backdrop.

Fun Stuff for Magicians and Politicians

Available at Zazzle.com/MagicTrickShirts

I heard recently that an election is coming up soon. Who knew?

In that spirit, I wanted to post this image I threw together quite some time ago, just fiddling around with PhotoShop Elements. 

I've since made this into a series of items that can be purchased here: www.Zazzle.com/MisterGreggy including shirts, mouse pads, mugs, ties and other things. Look around,  you may find cool stuff that you just gotta have!

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I also have a collection of items that will be of interest to magicians and fans of magic here: www.Zazzle.com/MagicTrickShirts. The title refers to a bunch of strange images to liven up this funny card routine...

Circus Camp Logo Design Notes

Logo for our 20th anniversary - www.CircusCamp.ORG

Circus Camp is an Atlanta based summer (and winter) camp for children age 5 and older. We teach all manner of circus skills, including trapeze, web, silks, lyra and other aerial equipment. Also juggling, clowning, magic, acrobatics, tightwire, theatre and lots of other fun stuff. It's a very popular camp, and the kids have a blast!

This type of font has been overused in my opinion, but it's still a good font.

The colors work well in a circus theme, especially kids oriented, but I wanted to avoid the standard circus font. It's good, but we've been using it for a long time, plus so many other circus schools and camps us it. I wanted to give the logo an up-to-date look. However, that old font really said "circus", so I needed something else to make that statement. That's why I used the tent top. I've seen something similar used on a couple of other circus logos, and I liked it.

Another property I wanted for this logo was flexibility. It looks good just about any way it's scaled, whether proportionally, stretched vertically or horizontal. That's a very useful trait when laying out a page.

The "20 Years" is just for this years version, of course. The logo still works fine without it, and other text can be inserted either to the left or right of the tent top. Or both, although I prefer to the right because the flag is a helpful pointing device. Of course, the flag could just as well be pointing to the left to help guide the viewer's eyes that direction on the page.

I also designed a version that better fits a horizontal space, such as a web banner ad.

I've been using this one more and more.

A Portfolio Sample for Your Viewing Pleasure

Flyer/Poster for my show on September 14, 2012

This is the poster/flyer I designed to help advertise my appearance at the Ludlow Theatre with Circus Mojo on September 14, 2012. I really like how it turned out, and I'm sure I'll be using the main layout for other posters. I especially like the background image.

If you need a poster, flyer, brochure, logo or any other type of graphic design work done, please check out my portfolio and give me a call. I'm also available to design websites.

I'll be posting more of my portfolio items here, and I look forward to your comments.

Enjoyed my Circus Mojo trip!

www.CircusMojo.com

Spending a week with Circus Mojo in Ludlow Kentucky (near my hometown of Cincinnati Ohio) was an eye-opening experience. I knew about them from their web presence and friends who had worked with them in the past. I was impressed.

However, once I met the owner Paul Miller my level of impressed was doubled. He has a long-term plan, and works very hard to make it happen. Circus Mojo is very busy, with all manner of performances, workshops, classes and other events going on.

At the end of the week, on Friday September 14, I performed in their theater and it was fun. Some of my old friends from my Cincy days were there, including Artie Kidwell. Boy was it good to see him again! He has a cute little magic shop in Covington, well worth a visit.

I'm looking forward to working with Paul a lot more in the future, including designing the website for their Ludlow Theatre. This venue will host all manner of entertainment, from circus acts to jugglers, magicians to rock bands and just about anything in between.

Pulling a Hat Out of a Rabbit

One of my magic comics available on shirts, mugs, mouse pads
Zazzle.com/magictrickshirts

Forgotten Tricks in Magic History #38

I've been having fun creating these "scenes" from various public domain images I find around the interwebs. They are available on t-shirts and other stuff at my Magic Trick Shirts Store on Zazzle.com.

There are also fun shirts for magicians to use as a card revelation... you'll see them when you get there.

On my graphic design portfolio site, I have a page that describes the process of creating these in more detail, showing the original images I used - www.GregMcMahan.com

Batman is 84 years old today! POW!

Guess what! Today is Batman's birthday!! Adam West was born on this date in 1928. Kapow!!

I remember when the TV series aired it's first episode. I was so excited. The commercials said it came on at 8pm. I didn't quite understand however, and sat in front of the TV at 8 in the morning flipping thru the channels (all 3 of them) looking for Batman. The ensuing 12 hour wait only heightened my enthusiasm!

Adam West Biography

My new blog... now what?

Logos I've designed...
more on GregMcMahan.com

GregMcMahan.com

It's about time I began a blog. Not sure what to do with it, but here it is. If you have any ideas of how to best use this, please tell me. I know blogs are useful marketing tools (Brad Ross told me so), and instead of spending lots of time researching it, I figured I would just jump right in and figure it out as I went along.

Initial reason for this blog: I'd like to get the word out about my...

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  graphic and web design services (www.GregMcMahan.com)
  
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  Generate some sales of my ebooks and lecture notes (www.MisterGreggy.com/shopping)
  
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  Sell lots of my humorous magician stuff (www.Zazzle.com/MagicTrickShirts*)
  
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