Sylvester the Jester, 2006

Daniel Sylvester Battagline, also known as Sylvester The Jester (b. 1961), is an American magician, best known for playing a cartoon character which comes to life. He has had hundreds of stage and television appearances, including NBC’s "World's Wildest Magic," ABC’s "Champions of Magic II", Jerry Lewis's Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and The Discovery Channel’s "More Science of Magic." He has performed in multiple Las Vegas shows including opening for The Amazing Johnathan, and appearing at Caesar’s Magical Empire. He also produces a series of magic products, and has been credited with creating the illustrations for various magic publications, such as the cover for The Amazing Johnathan's Every Trick in the Book, and the poster for John Carney's "Mr. Mysto" act. In 1996, he also created a prop for the television show, "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch." He has been featured on the cover of several magic and culture-related magazines, such as the September 1998 issue of Magic.^[1] Magic, including the arts of prestidigitation and conjuring, is the art of entertaining an audience by performing illusions that baffle and amaze, often by giving the impression that something impossible has been achieved, almost as if the performer had magic or supernatural powers. ... Toon is a contraction of cartoon, probably popularized by the name of the Looney Tunes series of animated shorts by Warner Brothers (though the spelling is different). ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch on March 16, 1926), is an American comedian, actor, film producer, writer and director known for his slapstick humor and his charity fund-raising telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. ... The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon is an annual telethon hosted by Jerry Lewis for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. ... Discovery Channel is an American cable TV network, based in Silver Spring, MD, that has a variety of science programming, particularly documentaries and nature shows. ... This article is about the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. ... The Amazing Johnathan is the stage name of John Edward Szeles, an American comedian and magician. ... John Carney is one of the worlds most adept close-up magicians. ... Sabrina Spellman (left) and Salem the cat (right) Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is the name of a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a teenage fictional character named Sabrina Spellman. ...

Biography

1985, "Reverse Gravity" trick

Battagline was born in Youngstown, Ohio, one of three children to Pat Battagline, a plumber, and Merrie Lou Clark, a homemaker. He grew up in the small town of Berlin Center, Ohio, attending Western Reserve High School, where he began experimenting with magic at the age of 15, after seeing a televised performance by Doug Henning. He later went on to Youngstown State University, where he studied Fine Art and Theater Arts, before relocating to Los Angeles, where he joined the prestigious Magic Castle community, and performed for the next seven years. He was best known during this time for a unique sleight of hand move known as "The Sylvester Pitch." He was also mentored by Larry Jennings and Dai Vernon, who referred to Battagline as "a genius"^[2]. Location within the state of Ohio Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio Counties Mahoning Mayor Jay Williams (I) Area    - City 34. ... Berlin Center or Berlin Township is a rural township located in Mahoning County, Ohio, situated at the intersection of U.S. Highway 224 and State Route 534 about twenty miles southwest of Youngstown, Ohio. ... Doug James Henning (born May 3, 1947 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, died February 7, 2000 of liver disease) was a Canadian magician, illusionist, and escape artist. ... Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an accredited university located in Youngstown, Ohio. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... The Magic Castle is a Hollywood landmark. ... Sleight-of-hand, also known as legerdemain, is a technique of close-up magic in which small items are concealed in and around the performers hands, sometimes by the use of misdirection, to enhance the illusion being performed. ... Dai Vernon (born David Frederick Wingfield Verner June 11, 1894 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - died 1992 in Hollywood, California) was a Canadian magician. ...

Sylvester's portrait of Larry Jennings and Dai Vernon, 1989

Battagline's "Sylvester the Jester" character began to emerge in the early 1990s, and over the next several years, he began to tour internationally in over 30 countries. He was also a key performer and creative consultant in the year-long production of "Las Vegas Magic Express" in Seoul, Korea, which was produced by Kevin James. Seoul is the capital of South Korea and was, until 1945, the capital of all of Korea. ... Kevin James (born Kevin George Knipfing on April 26, 1965 in Mineola, New York) is an American comedian and Emmy-nominated actor. ...

Currently, he lives in Bellflower, California and continues to participate in Magic Castle activities. Warning: To anyone who reads this wiki entry and thinks about visiting, or moving to Bellflower, CA. There is a creature known simply as RELYT [1]. The mythical Relyt has been long thought a creation of folklore and long sought by cryptozoologists, however recent sightings have now confirmed that the...

Awards

"Steam from the Ears" effect, 2002

• Baguette d’Or (Golden Wand), 1998, Monte Carlo Magic Stars, awarded by Princess Stéphanie of Monaco [1]
• Kid's Choice, 1998, Junior Jury's Grand Prix, Monte Carlo Magic Stars
• Festival Favorite, 1998, International del Humor, Bogota, Colombia
• Gold Medal Champion, 1995, Pacific Coast Association of Magicians (PCAM), Santa Clara, California
• Appreciation Award (50th Anniversary Special), 1996, International Brotherhood of Magicians

Princess Stéphanie of Monaco. ... Bogotá (known officially in Spanish as Bogotá D.C., formerly Santafé de Bogotá D.C.), is the capital and largest city in Colombia, with a population of roughly 7. ... International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) is the worlds largest organization for professional and amateur magicians, with nearly 13,000 members worldwide. ...

Notable nominations

The Magic Castle’s Academy of Magical Arts, Los Angeles, California:

• Parlour Performer of the Year: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
• Stage Performer of the Year: 1998
• Lecturer of the Year: 2002
• Comedy Magician of the Year: 2003
• Stage Magician of the Year: 1998, 1999

Works

• Sylvester The Jester Performance, 2006, DVD
• Suspended Dimension (The Jacketless Topit), 2001, Kevin James’ Imagination Unlimited, DVD
• Sylvester Pitch ‘98, 1998, Creative Enterprise/Hotrix, VHS [2]
• Hurtling the Moon, Creative Strategy Lecture Notes, 1995
• Sylvester Pitch Lecture Notes, 993

Criticism and controversy

Battagline has been criticized for his style, including his exaggerated cartoon-like movements, and provocative humor ^[3].

References

1994

1. ^ Pictures of magazine covers
2. ^ Genii magazine, October 1988
3. ^ Magic magazine, September 1998 cover story

• Official website
• Interview with Badmoonkid
• Wolf, Michael. "Not Just a Weirdo", Magicana magazine, 2003
• Weber, Ken. "Sylvester The Jester", Maximum Entertainment, 2002
• Booth, John. Extending Magic Beyond Credibility, (Linking Ring reprint, August 1999), Chapter 4" "Sylvester: The Self-Mayhem Principle [3]
• Booth, John. "Sylvester The Surreal Jester", Linking Ring magazine, August 1999
• Levy, Mark. "The Jester is Sylvester!", Magic Magazine, September 1998
• Pogue, David. Magic For Dummies, 1998
• Booth, John. "Memoirs of a Magician’s Ghost", Linking Ring, August 1999
• Giorgio, Tony. Genii magazine, October 1993
• Brown, Judy. L.A. Weekly, April 13, 1995
• Weber, Ken. Maximum Entertainment: "A Personal Entertainment Highlight: Sylvester the Jester" [4]

The L.A. Weekly is a weekly free paper in Los Angeles. ...

External links

• Performance video at youtube.com
• "Creating Success", podcast interview by Mitchell Anthony
• The Magic Café Forum (with Sylvester as guest moderator)