Craig Karges Biography

Who is Craig Karges?

Craig Karges is truly extraordinary! The “extraordinist” is an award-winning entertainer, a nationally recognized speaker and an author. Karges has made over five thousand appearances in twenty-two countries on four continents and in all fifty states.

Craig Karges combines the art of magic with the science of psychology and the power of intuition to create the impression that nothing is impossible. Tables float, minds are read, metal bends and your imagination is challenged because you won’t believe your eyes! Dennis Miller, comedian and media personality, put it this way after seeing Karges perform, “This weirds me out!”

Audiences may be mystified when it comes to understanding how Craig Karges accomplishes what he does on stage but his popularity is no mystery at all.

Craig Karges has made over forty national television appearances. You’ve seen him on The Tonight Show as well as CNN, Fox News Channel, CNBC, E! Entertainment Television, Lifetime Television, Wisdom Television and even SOAPnet! The extraordinist has starred in two, one-hour television specials. The sheer number and diversity of Karges’ television appearances is indicative of his widespread popularity.

Performance, the international touring talent weekly, named Craig Karges’ touring show, Experience the Extraordinary, one of the top five variety/family shows in North America. Karges was in good company as the list also included the likes of illusionist David Copperfield and Disney on Ice. Performance magazine called the extraordinist’s performance “The next era in mystery entertainment.” American Entertainment Magazine named Karges one of the top five variety entertainers on the corporate circuit.

Craig Karges first became popular touring college campuses. He was named Entertainer of the Year six times by the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA). Past NACA award-winners include Bruce Springsteen and Jay Leno. NACA’s campus membership also voted Karges as Variety Entertainer of the Year for twelve consecutive years. The independent Campus Activities Magazine named Karges Entertainer of the Year on four occasions. In addition to Entertainer of the Year, the magazine also named Karges Best Performing Arts Attraction, Best Male Performer, Best Solo Act and Best Novelty Act. The extraordinist was the fifth inductee into the National Campus Entertainment Hall of Fame. When Campus Activities Magazine celebrated its 25th year of publication, they decided to crown one performer as “The Best Campus Artist in the Last 25 Years.” Karges received the recognition as well as the title, “The Campus Market’s Most Influential Act in the Last 25 Years!”

Even Craig Karges’ peers find his work fascinating. He was named the top performer in his field worldwide by the international Psychic Entertainers Association. The New York City based Milbourne Christopher Foundation presented Karges with The Mentalist Award for notable contributions to the art of magic during the Society of American Magicians Annual Convention. The National Speakers Association (NSA) honored him with the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation and the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame Award.

Craig Karges says that he does not possess supernatural powers, nor does he claim to perform as a psychic or a magician. While he acknowledges that he is an entertainer, and showmanship plays a role in what he does, he insists that he does not prearrange anything with members of the audience. Skeptical? The extraordinist offers $100,000, payable to charity, if anyone can prove he uses stooges or confederates from the audience to accomplish his demonstrations.

Craig Karges’ corporate client list ranges from McDonalds to AT&T and from NASA to the Mayo Clinic. Corporations have relied upon the extraordinist and his unique abilities not only to entertain their employees and clients, but also to motivate them. “Ordinary people are capable of extraordinary results because we all possess extraordinary capabilities. I communicate that message both verbally and visually,” Karges says.

In a shift of focus from entertainment to empowerment, Craig Karges created Ignite Your Intuition. This one-of-a-kind presentation does more than simply amaze and entertain. Participants learn memory techniques; their intuition is tested; and they are taught how to tap into their subconscious mind to enhance creativity, intuition and decision making. Ignite Your Intuition allows participants to experience greater personal power and achieve success more easily.

Craig Karges’ success in this area led to Ignite Your Intuition, the extraordinist’s first book, published by Health Communications, Inc. (best known for Chicken Soup for the Soul).

Craig Karges’ second book, The Wizard’s Legacy – A Tale of Real Magic, marked his debut as a novelist. The Wizard’s Legacy is a work of inspirational fiction which uses magic as a metaphor for life’s mysteries and documents the student-teacher relationship Karges had with his enigmatic great-uncle, Alain “Doc” DeLyle, who taught the extraordinist his special brand of magic of the mind.

Craig Karges’ third book, Extraordinary Tales – Stories from the Road, is a celebration of thirty years of life on the road. The book consists of twenty-four short stories gathered from around the world and is one part travel memoir and one part encyclopedia of the paranormal and the extraordinary.

From Sardinia to Singapore and from Cancun to Cairo, Craig Karges’ performing schedule has taken him around the world, appearing at corporate events, theatres, universities and casino showrooms. “No matter where I perform, I try to make my audiences feel they are a part of something they have never experienced before and hopefully will never forget. My goal is to entertain my audiences through the creation of mystery and to open their minds to unlimited possibilities,” says Karges.