The more things change the more they remain the same.  – attributed to Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr  who coincidentally was born just over 200 years ago in 1808 and died just as Winsor McCay was arriving on the scene.

100 years ago (1911) almost to the day, the cartoonist Winsor McCay began presenting animated films on stage starting an adaption of his well known comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland and the highly educational How a Mosquito Operates.  In 1912 plans were announced to bring a dinosaur to animated life and on February 8, 1914 the film arrived on the silver screen.  This animated dinosaur McCay who affectionately called Gertie not only moved around the screen and entertained audiences…  it interacted with him… at one point even taking a bite out of the apple from McCay’s hand, a skillfully performed illusion McCay borrowed from the trade of magicians.

After 100 years one might think such performances might be pass’e… and to a degree I’d agree with this assessment.  Where I might differ is that I find these chalk talk performances to be just as entertaining (and valuable).

The Technomagician and Cyber Illusionist Marco Tempest is following this grand tradition and plusses it up with some of the knowledge and technology of today.

Marco Tempest Cyber Illusion Keynote presentation

(This is a bit long but well worth your time and attention)