He's Justin Kredible!
Meet Justin Willman: Pun Enthusiast and Incredibly Talented Magician
March 2007
"Feel the power," said Justin Kredible, instructing me to shake my fist, which contained four ripped pieces of a playing card. Seconds later, I unfurled my fingers to find the same card folded into a square: whole again.
Then, with a wave of his hand, the creases disappeared.
"Steamed and pressed," he said, satisfied.
Finishing the grand finale to his favorite trick, appropriately and spontaneously dubbed the "Kick Ass" card trick, he returned the deck to his back pocket, ready to mesmerize again at a moment's notice.
He's incredible. Justin Kredible.
"You think you wanna know, but you don't really wanna know," he said about the secret to the trick.
At age 26, the 2002 Emerson College graduate recently earned Campus Activities Magazine's 2007 Entertainer of the Year and Best Live Novelty Performer awards.
Dubbed "like a magician, but cooler" by National Public Radio, Kredible blends stand-up comedy and humor while dazzling audiences with his extraordinary magical talents.
These days, rehab is the hot way to go as young entertainers leave and check back in 24 hours later. For Kredible, however, rehabilitation meant a six-month stint in physical therapy.
Kredible, born Justin Willman, often bicycled while wearing rollerblades growing up in Missouri. When an accident left the 12-year-old with two broken arms, Kredible's doctor suggested card tricks as means to improve dexterity during physical therapy.
A year later, his mom conceived his stage name, and Justin's magic alter ego was born.
"For a while, I thought it was too cheesy," he said. "But I thought, 'Screw it, I am cheesy. Let's do it.'"
As a broadcast journalism student in college, Kredible operated his own private party business. In addition to birthdays and bar mitzvahs, Kredible performed at the Christmas party for the children's ward of a local hospital for seven straight years.
"When you can make somebody smile who is in a really crummy spot," he said, "that's the most rewarding thing."
Kredible's energetic and charming nature creates a unique vibe with his youngest fans, his favorite audience.
Within the next five years, he said he hopes to develop a children's television show which would use magic as "a vehicle to entertain and educate," while hopefully engaging adults as well.
"I'd love to have that as a contribution to the kids," he said.
No matter what the subject, Kredible speaks with sincerity and ambition. For him, a five-year plan includes more than most would accomplish in a decade or longer. Already, he has taped appearances for "T.H.E.M.," an NBC hidden-camera magic show, and various talk shows, including Rachael Ray. He also visits about 120 colleges a year, with dates booked through January 2008.
Currently, he's working with producer Ashton Kutcher on another hidden-camera magic series for MTV.
Along with further collaborations with Rachael Ray, an aspiration to appear on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and a desire to develop instructional videos for cable outlets, Kredible continuously works to update his magic shows, making them "bigger, better, slicker, cooler, and cutting edge."
"I love spreading the joy of magic," he said. "It's my favorite thing to do in the world."
With this, he coughs up a deck of cards, an accordion of black and red oozing into his hands.
"I don't take myself too seriously," he said. "I'm a magician, after all."
Links: Official Site | Facebook | Twitter
*Editor's Note: Currently, "Kredible" has been dropped, and for all professional endeavors, you will find him as Justin Willman.
Then, with a wave of his hand, the creases disappeared.
"Steamed and pressed," he said, satisfied.
Finishing the grand finale to his favorite trick, appropriately and spontaneously dubbed the "Kick Ass" card trick, he returned the deck to his back pocket, ready to mesmerize again at a moment's notice.
He's incredible. Justin Kredible.
"You think you wanna know, but you don't really wanna know," he said about the secret to the trick.
At age 26, the 2002 Emerson College graduate recently earned Campus Activities Magazine's 2007 Entertainer of the Year and Best Live Novelty Performer awards.
Dubbed "like a magician, but cooler" by National Public Radio, Kredible blends stand-up comedy and humor while dazzling audiences with his extraordinary magical talents.
These days, rehab is the hot way to go as young entertainers leave and check back in 24 hours later. For Kredible, however, rehabilitation meant a six-month stint in physical therapy.
Kredible, born Justin Willman, often bicycled while wearing rollerblades growing up in Missouri. When an accident left the 12-year-old with two broken arms, Kredible's doctor suggested card tricks as means to improve dexterity during physical therapy.
A year later, his mom conceived his stage name, and Justin's magic alter ego was born.
"For a while, I thought it was too cheesy," he said. "But I thought, 'Screw it, I am cheesy. Let's do it.'"
As a broadcast journalism student in college, Kredible operated his own private party business. In addition to birthdays and bar mitzvahs, Kredible performed at the Christmas party for the children's ward of a local hospital for seven straight years.
"When you can make somebody smile who is in a really crummy spot," he said, "that's the most rewarding thing."
Kredible's energetic and charming nature creates a unique vibe with his youngest fans, his favorite audience.
Within the next five years, he said he hopes to develop a children's television show which would use magic as "a vehicle to entertain and educate," while hopefully engaging adults as well.
"I'd love to have that as a contribution to the kids," he said.
No matter what the subject, Kredible speaks with sincerity and ambition. For him, a five-year plan includes more than most would accomplish in a decade or longer. Already, he has taped appearances for "T.H.E.M.," an NBC hidden-camera magic show, and various talk shows, including Rachael Ray. He also visits about 120 colleges a year, with dates booked through January 2008.
Currently, he's working with producer Ashton Kutcher on another hidden-camera magic series for MTV.
Along with further collaborations with Rachael Ray, an aspiration to appear on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and a desire to develop instructional videos for cable outlets, Kredible continuously works to update his magic shows, making them "bigger, better, slicker, cooler, and cutting edge."
"I love spreading the joy of magic," he said. "It's my favorite thing to do in the world."
With this, he coughs up a deck of cards, an accordion of black and red oozing into his hands.
"I don't take myself too seriously," he said. "I'm a magician, after all."
Links: Official Site | Facebook | Twitter
*Editor's Note: Currently, "Kredible" has been dropped, and for all professional endeavors, you will find him as Justin Willman.
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