The other day I was sitting in a friends living room and he happened to mention that he met someone at a convention I might be interested to know. A writer by the name of Paul Dini.
Now as it happens Paul writes for many of the animated series I have loved to watch over the years.
But what caught my interest in this particular moment was that someone else in the room, upon hearing the name "Paul Dini" automatically thought that my friend was speaking of some magician.
It's that dreaded "-dini" addition to the name. Everyone thinks that and they certainly have a reason to. For how long now have people been adding the "-dini" extension to their names in order to say "Hey I'm a magician."
One wonders if the Oxford English Dictionary, that bastion of language, will eventually include "-dini" as a suffix meaning "the magician."
Certainly this is an honest mistake to make. Look at this history at play here to begin with. The man everyone knows as Houdini was actually named Eric Weis. He changed his name to Harry Houdini in deference to the two magicians who had the greatest impact on his life; Harry Keller and Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. He took the name "Houdin" and added the "i" on the end in the mistaken belief that it would mean something like "Son of Houdin."
Isn't it ironic then that generations of magicians have named themselves after a man who named himself after other men?
Well I think it is. Imagine what some of those famous magicians might have called themselves if they had followed the pattern.
Eugene Burger -Eugeni! Hmmm, interesting thought.
Teller - Tellini? Sounds like a talk show.
Penn - Pennini. Okay, I think I've seen that on the menu of an Italian Restaurant.
David Copperfield - Davini! Oh wait. He actually did that when he was a kid.
Well, I suppose if there is anything to be learned it's one of the same lessons I have gone on about before.
Develop your own character.
Develop your own style.
Develop your own personality. (Especially if you don't have one.)
There are enough amature "-dini's" out there. I don't think we need any more.
I wonder if Paul ever gets asked to do a card trick?
Tim "Santiago" Converse
You Are Invited to Enter a World of Elegant Magic
Santiago's Magic
You are Invited to Enter a World of Elegant Magic.
Would you like to know what goes on in the mind of a Professional Magician?
Over the years I have explored the world of the magician. Here I will share my thoughts and essays for thinking magicians.
Copyright 2007, Santiago's Magic
1 comment:
Interesting to hear about the origin of Houdini's name. "Culo" is also another one I've seen, as in "The Amazing Miraculo!" I used that name in jest to my dh, and he just about died laughing. Mira can translate to "look" in Castiliano. Culo? Well, pronounce it "coo-low" and let's just say in that form it's a less than polite way to say "a**". A magician with the rude moniker of "observe my hiney" was just too much for the man. I now consider myself, em, educated. :-)
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