I've had many great moments in my life, but none greater than the chance to talk face to face with one of the world's greatest living legends. Below is a transcript of the interview session we had.

IQ: Captain, you're obviously a great American hero, what brings you to Canada's capital?

Captain: Well Ian, first off, I'd like to say it's a great pleasure to be here. Ottawa is a beautiful city and the folks here are very friendly. I came to Canada as part of an exchange program to promote Super Hero parties.

IQ: Super Hero parties sound like a lot of fun. Is anyone invited to these parties or do I need "Top Security" clearance?

Captain: No Ian, anyone can host these parties right in their own homes. They're usually done when a young boy or girl celebrates a birthday party.

IQ: That does seem like an ideal setting. So all ages can attend then?

Captain: Truth be told, kids under 3 might have a little difficulty following everything going on. These parties include loads of activities. But we believe in equal fun for all, so we don't worry too much about age.

IQ: What can one expect to do at these Super Hero parties?

Captain: Alright, let me take you through a typical party. When I arrive on the scene, I'm ready to party with the kids. High fives all around. Recruitment then takes place. All the kids want to be Super Heroes, so I take them through basic training (fun stretches & Super Hero exercises). Of course, physical training is only the beginning.
            Next up, I train their minds. this is done through guessing games and hero trivia. You'd be amazed at how much kids know about Super Heroes! Afterwards, it's time to introduce my sidekick. He's a soft, cute, plushy, mini version of me. My sidekick is instrumental in 3 fun-filled games we play: "Catch that Super Hero", "Hot Potato Super Hero", and "Dunk that Super Hero". It's an absolute blast.
            When it's time for my sidekick to take a break, we'll play "Mr. Freeze Dance" and "Super Hero Piggy Backs". If there's time, we might even play a little Super Tag. If my colleague, the Starfighter, is performing at the party, there's even a lightsaber training session!

IQ: Wow, I'm exhausted already. There's certainly a lot going at these Super Hero parties. Let me ask you though, does the birthday child get anything special? It is his or her special day, after all.

Captain: Of course, they do! When it's all done, the birthday child gets a special Super Hero Birthday certificate. It's the official proof that they graduated from Super Hero Academy! It's a great school. I graduated with honours. Class of '41.
            Of course, being a Super Hero means always being helpful. If mom or dad want a little help serving the birthday cake and singing, I'm always up to the challenge.

IQ: Let's go back a bit. Earlier, you made mention of your colleague, the Starfighter. Do any of your Hero friends help you out with these parties?

Captain: When you call BirthdayPartyMagic.ca for a Super Hero party, you have a choice of several heroes. There's myself, of course, the Captain. There's also my Spider friend, and a couple of Bats (both classic and movie versions). And as I've mentioned, there is the Starfighter from a galaxy far, far away. Of course, as time goes by, we'll be recruiting more heroes to the roster.

IQ: So many heroes to choose from.

Captain: Excuse me Ian, I've just received a call on my communicator. Duty calls. I have to go perform a Super Hero party now.

IQ: Thanks for joining me Captain. Have fun!

  There you have it, folks. If you want to book the Captain, or his Super Hero friends (the Spider, the Bat or the Starfighter), just visit www.birthdaypartymagic.ca or call 613-860-4747613-860-4747.

"Our birthday party service is intended as a fan representation only.  The characters that we offer are NOT name brand copyrighted characters; we only have professional theatrical costumes. Any resemblance to nationally known copyrighted characters is strictly incidental and unintentional. We only accept bookings from those who are aware that we do not represent any licensed birthday party character, nor represent them by their licensed name."

Here’s a few tips to help you out:

1. Plan ahead.  You don’t want to wait until the last minute to organize your party. If you wait too long, here’s what could happen: a) Guests can’t make it on too short of a notice, b) The Entertainment you wish to book may not be available, c) The venue you want to hold the party at may not be available. Start planning at least 3 to 4 weeks ahead.
2. Keep it manageable. You’re the host and you call the shots. Don’t let your child invite his/her entire class of 32 kids, plus all of their cousins.  Keep it to a size you feel comfortable with. Also feel free to ask a few parents to help out. A good rule of thumb for your number of children at the party is the age of your child plus 1. (e.g.: 7 kids for a 6 year old’s party). Also, keep it short and sweet. 2-3 hours is plenty of time for your party.
3. Don’t neglect the Entertainment. A room full of excited kids without something to occupy them is a recipe for disaster. Kids will find creative (and potentially messy or destructive) ways to have fun. Plan for games, or better yet, hire a professional children’s entertainer. If you do, don’t settle for your neighbour’s kid offering to do it for $20. You get what you pay for. Professional entertainers are trained and have experience managing parties and keeping the kids amused. They are worth the price. For entertainment ideas, visit www.birthdaypartymagic.ca (shameless plug!). Side note:  Keep the entertainment age appropriate. Toddlers won’t appreciate something more cerebral like magic, and older kids (10+) might not relate to a puppet show!
4. Menu planning is a must. Plan your menu before sending out invitations. You can keep it simple with things like pizza or hot dogs, but also have a healthy alternative available, such as fruits & veggies or even gourmet sandwiches. Once planned, send out the invitations and keep the parents informed of your food plans. Some kids may have allergies or special dietary restrictions. Let the parents know you can provide an alternative if required. They will appreciate it greatly.
5. Keep the cake and presents for last. Serving cake before the entertainment means asking sugar crazed kids to pay attention and follow instructions. Good luck! As for presents, opening them early means everyone tries to play with everything. You can wind up with lost or broken pieces before the birthday child even gets to play with his/her toys.
6. Have fun! Things can get a little crazy sometimes, but that’s OK. Just enjoy it and go with the flow. Kids can sense your mood. A stressed parent makes for a stressful party. A parent enjoying themselves makes for a fun event.

So...what's a guy supposed to write about?

My wife, being a genius (she'll like that I said that) suggested I blog about my expertise: Birthday Parties!... or more specifically all things birthday entertainment related. It made sense. You'd be surprised how many folks out there wind up ill prepared for a home invasion of children all looking to PARTY. Others are simply unaware of all the wonderful options available out there, from entertainment to menu options, from theme decorating to trendy new games.

I'm here to help you make sense of it all. Who am I? I'm Ian Quick, professional magician with over 21 years experience, and owner of www.BirthdayPartyMagic.ca, your one stop shop for birthday entertainment.

Since 1992, I've done a lot of parties... a LOT of parties. It's probably time I start sharing some of my hard earned wisdom with the rest of the world. My first bit of wisdom? Book www.BirthdayPartyMagic.ca for your next event! Ok, that's more of a shameless plug than actual wisdom, but it's still good advice. The next one will be more profound, I promise :)