2019 is shaping up to be a year of change and growth for the Wizard! A new website, just launched last November. A new costume, debuted at the Queen City Mischief & Magic weekend in Staunton, VA, modeled after Hogwarts historical headmaster Fytherley Undercliffe. A new sound system has been added to my equipment, featuring a used-but-serviceable Fender Passport PA system, and a spiffy new Shure wireless headset microphone! I even managed to get Wickstrom the Dragon cloned to replace the original, who must now be Real according to the Velveteen Rabbit, because he was so loved that his fur and claws were worn, and his stitches were breaking.
As you will see if you peruse my Upcoming Appearances page, I already have ten events lined up for this year, and it’s still mid-January! I was recently featured at Chik-fil-A’s Tuesday night Family Fun Night in Sterling, VA, where I sold a few wands and gave out many business cards! I even heard one or two children tell their parents they want me at their next birthday party!
This weekend, Flabbergast will appear as an Entertainment Guest at MarsCon in Williamsburg. It’s my first convention of the year, and I look forward to promoting myself by spreading the word about this website, and showing off some new tricks I’ve added to my repertoire. MarsCon loves their entertainers, especially musical acts, and somehow I got thrown in with that crowd by merit of my dabblings in “filk”. If you don’t know, that’s the nickname for live music that is created especially for the “geek” community, built on themes of all things geeky. I do a “Steampunk Jamboree”, in which I lead a sing-along program of Victorian Music Hall standards plus song parodies I created from that era (circa 1900) with lyrics focusing on Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, along with Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Doctor Who. I am building up a stock of merchandise to sell at these kind of events, some of which will eventually show up on this site for sale online! At present, I offer hand-made wands (more the stage magician type than seen in the wizarding world), as well as my own branded Deluxe Magic Kit for beginners!
Can you tell I’m excited?! It’s mostly because a lot of friends I’ve made at various different conventions around Virginia will be there, and it’s like a big family reunion (except I actually like most of these people)! The musical guests of honor are the Goth-Metal duo Valentine Wolfe, two of the sweetest and most talented people you could ever hope to have your ears sublimely assaulted by! Dave Lee and his crew from Hatton Cross Steampunk will be there, which is always a treat. (Look them up on YouTube, they have a TV series pilot!) Another favorite of mine is The Blibbering Humdingers, a Filk duo who embrace the Wizarding World in a somehow irreverent way. There are many other friends of mine who will be representing various conventions around the area, and so many talented and creative writers, artists, musicians, makers, cosplayers, crafters… It’s kind of a creative explosion weekend! Plus there are wild parties, burlesque shows, and a massage therapist! Well, “wild parties” may be a slight exaggeration, but only slight.
So I can’t wait to tell you about it afterwards. That report may be delayed, though, because the very next weekend, I will be attending Kapitol Kidvention, an event especially for children’s entertainers! It will be my first time at this, and the first such event I’ve been to in years! Stay tuned!
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