“Storytelling is really what sells the magic trick.”

When David Kwong was a young child, a magician performing at a pumpkin patch fooled his father with a classic magic trick. From that moment, he knew he wanted to be a magician. He has since performed worldwide as an acclaimed magician and even consulted on many movies and TV shows like Now You See Me and After Party. Fast forward to today, David Kwong has written a book for every kid who ever wanted to fool their parents.

In this episode of REPOD, David Kwong talks to us about life not only as a magician, but also as a “cruciverbalist” (crossword puzzle constructor). In fact, his signature trick involves him performing intense mental gymnastics on stage while creating a seemingly impossible crossword puzzle together with the audience. 

 “I realized that taking these things that I love, magic and puzzles and word games, and fusing them together could cross pollinate and synthesize into something new.”

His new book, How to Fool Your Parents, not only teaches kids how to perform the magic, but it also teaches showmanship. He tells us that “storytelling is really what sells the magic trick,” and in the book, he helps kids make the trick their own. I love escape rooms that make me feel smart, and David Kwong’s magic is designed to do exactly that.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Morty App, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• 00:00 Welcome to the Reality Escape Pod!
• 00:12 Sponsor Break: Buzzshot, Escape Room Marketing Software
• 04:07 The Story of How David Fused Magic with Crossword Puzzles
• 06:50 Hiding a Magic Trick Inside a Crossword Puzzle

• 10:52 Falling in Love with Wordplay

• 14:12 David’s Crossword Construction Style
• 19:24 Sponsor Break: Morty App, Discover and Track Escape Rooms
• 21:15 Explaining The Enigmatist Show— An Immersive Evening Of Magic, Puzzles, And Cryptography. 

• 28:44 Sponsor Break: COGS by Clockwork Dog, Interactive Show Controls
• 30:54 Exploring the Covid Era Show, Inside The Box
• 34:39 The Story of How Performing Virtual Shows Damaged His Eyes
• 39:25 Puzzle Design Consulting for Movies and Television Including Now You See Me and The Imitation Game
• 45:31 Appearing on TED Talks

• 48:41 David Talks About His Newly Released Book, How to Fool Your Parents 
• 58:36 David Talks About “Brew And Clue” And The Joy Of Puzzling With Family
• 01:08:54 Bonus Story: When A Magic Trick Goes Wrong

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Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• David Kwong’s Website
• How to Fool Your Parents
• Dave Shukan’s Puzzles
• David Kwong’s Outside the Box NYT Crossword Puzzle
• XWord Info Website (Crossword Resource)
• REA Review of The Enigmatist
• REA Review of Inside the Box

About David Kwong

Instagram: @davidkwong

Twitter/X: @davidkwong

Facebook: /dkwongmagic

With his expertise in puzzles and illusions, David Kwong delights and challenges audiences around the world with his intellectual brand of magic. A veteran “cruciverbalist” (crossword puzzle constructor), Kwong creates puzzles for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal. 

His one-man show, The Enigmatist, has sold out a runs in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Inside the Box, Kwong’s interactive puzzle show, garnered a Critic’s Pick from the New York Times when Kwong performed it virtually in 2020.

Kwong regularly consults on puzzles and illusions for Hollywood. He was the head magic consultant on the worldwide hit film Now You See Me. Kwong has also worked on The Imitation Game, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and The Afterparty on Apple TV+. A TED Talk favorite, Kwong pulls back the curtain on magic, explaining the science behind illusion.

In his book Spellbound: Seven Principles of Illusion to Gain Influence, Captivate Audiences, and Unlock the Secrets of Success (HarperBusiness), Kwong shows us how to bridge the gap between perception and reality to increase our powers of persuasion and influence—in relationships, business, and beyond. His kids book of magic tricks, How to Fool Your Parents, also with HarperCollins, will hit shelves in October 2024.

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