Tommy Wonder

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Tommy Wonder (born November 29, 1953 in Lisse ; † June 26, 2006 ) was a Dutch magician. His real name was Jacobus Maria "Jos" Bemelman.

Career

Tommy Wonder started doing magic at the age of 10, so that he became a professional at the age of 18. After studying acting, dance and singing for three years at the Academie voor Podiumvorming in The Hague , Tommy Wonder toured with De Haagsche Comedie for two years. At this time he appeared in the Plankenkans talent competition for the first time on Dutch television and achieved first place there (1977). In the jury of the show sat the then three-time magician world champion and already legendary Fred Kaps during his lifetime . He was enthusiastic about Tommy Wonder's demonstration, but despite mutual admiration, they never got to know each other closely. Tommy Wonder mentioned that Fred Kaps "had a certain quality, to give [magic] importance; a certain class. Sometimes, when I am working on a problem, I think, 'What would Kaps have done?' - and then usually it's quite obvious. "

At the World Magic Championships in 1979 (in Brussels ) and in 1988 (in The Hague ), Wonder won 2nd place (first in the micromagic category , then in general magic ). In 1998 he received the Performer Fellowship Award from the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood . Wonder has worked in Las Vegas and Monte Carlo , among others .

Work and effect

In addition, Wonder has worked extensively in the field of magic theory as a valued inventor and author. With this in mind, he published two milestones in the art of magic: first, the two-volume The Books of Wonder (Hermetic Press, 1996), as well as the DVD series Visions of Wonder 1-3 , on which he and Max Maven analyze his tricks. His dedication to the Books of Wonder is indicative of his philosophical, yet pragmatic, style: "Dedicated to those magicians who place magic above comfort and reward."

The renowned American magical publisher L&L Publishing comments on Wonders DVDs as follows: "Tommy Wonder is a living legend in magic. The routines, philosophy, creative process, and thinking detailed on Visions of Wonder are why he is hailed by his peers as one of the top performers and thinkers in magic and why many consider him one of the most important magicians of our time. "

Tommy Wonder is still considered to be one of the most innovative wizarding artists. His developments and food for thought have had a lasting impact on the art of magic. His flair for timing, audience interaction, acting and technology gives him the highest honors among colleagues. His devotion to magic and his flair for details is almost unmatched. In an interview with Magical World , David Copperfield praised Wonders “incredibly good ideas” and said, “Tommy was really a genius. He was obviously brilliant. He gave the magic arts a lot of new impulses and contributed a lot to change. I just watched a video of him again and watched his bird cage disappear. An incredible job. He was very clever. "

When asked what motivates him to work, Wonder replied: "The psychology of magic I find very fascinating - how you can deceive someone, how you can put pictures in a person's mind. It's a world in itself, where the impossible is true. "

In June 2006, Tommy Wonder passed away from lung cancer after a brief battle. His homepage is currently used to collect obituaries.
On August 5, 2006 he posthumously received the Theory & Philosophy Award at the FISM World Magic Championships in Stockholm . In the summer of 2013, Die Magische Welt quoted a chapter from Books of Wonder .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wonder, Tommy, and Stephen Minch. The Books of Wonder . With the assistance of Max Maven, Eugene Burger, and Kelly Lyles. 1st ed.Seattle: Hermetic Press, 1996: xiii.
  2. ↑ Wonder, Tommy, and Stephen Minch. The Books of Wonder . With the assistance of Max Maven, Eugene Burger, and Kelly Lyles. 1st ed.Seattle: Hermetic Press, 1996: xii.
  3. ↑ L&L Publishing, Visions of Wonder 1-3 , archived copy ( Memento of the original from August 22, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Aug 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.llpub.com
  4. ^ Witt, Wittus. "Find your own voice: Interview with David Copperfield." Magical World 62, no.4 (2013): 153.
  5. ^ Witt, Wittus. "Find your own voice: Interview with David Copperfield." Magical World 62, no.4 (2013): 155.
  6. ↑ Wonder, Tommy, and Stephen Minch. The Books of Wonder . With the assistance of Max Maven, Eugene Burger, and Kelly Lyles. 1st ed. Seattle: Hermetic Press, 1996: xv.
  7. ↑ Tommy Wonder's Information Site, Condoleance Register, http://www.tommywonder.nl/catalog/condolencesreg.php?osCsid=lf3sq1smb4c4k7617fu2a4qvq3 , Aug 2013.
  8. ↑ Wonder, Tommy. "The limited theory: Tommy Wonder's powerful plea for analyzing and theorizing magic performances." Magical World 62, no.4 (2013): 157.
personal data
SURNAME Wonder, Tommy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bemelman, Jacobus Maria (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch magician
DATE OF BIRTH November 29, 1953
PLACE OF BIRTH Lisse
DATE OF DEATH June 26, 2006