COVER: Fielding West — Chasing Funny
By Alan Howard
Fielding West has been a performer of magic, hypnotism, sideshow skills, and more. After being inspired by another act who would soon become famous, Fielding realized the road to his success was paved with wild and crazy comedy.
A League of Illusionists
By Alan Howard
Take seven magicians from across the globe, give them each a character to portray, and craft a show in which they perform individually and together — and that's what the Sydney Opera House did, with great success.
Lost At Sea
By Mago Martin
On January 13, the Costa Concordia sank into the sea and leapt into the headlines. When the cruise ship ran aground, many of the passengers on board were watching the magic show of Mago Martin. Here, in an exclusive account, Martin gives his tale of the fateful night.
Social Media For Magicians, Part 3
By Rachel Stoll Armstrong & Tiffany Hindman
Wrapping up our three-part series on modern trends in marketing and promotion, we turn to social bookmarking, and other ways to let people know who you are and where your interests lie.
The Coolest Person in the Room
By Shawn McMaster
"He's smooth; a James Bond-like character." That's how the magician describes his stage persona in his act with doves and classic manipulation. Now back after a hiatus of several years, we take a look at Douglas — Mike Douglas.
Illusion Fusion
Illusion Fusion, which premiered on January 12 at the Golden Cabaret of the Horizon Casino in Lake Tahoe is the newest magic show produced and directed by Tony Clark. The star of the show is Alex Ramon, who Tony believes is "the next up-and-coming guy in magic."
Houdini Lives on in Death
Garnering enthusiastic, four-star reviews in the Chicago press, Death and Harry Houdini returned to The House Theatre January 21. Befitting the title, the show portrays the illusionist as a man bent on defeating his own mortality. This is the third incarnation of the show, which was originally staged in 2001.
After the Fire
The Magic Castle is sporting something of a new look these days, having reopened after repairs necessitated by the fire that occurred on the roof of the Hollywood landmark last Halloween. The traditional Founders Day celebration — commemorating the January 2, 1963 opening of the club — was moved back to January 13 this year, the day of the official reopening.
Plus...
A report on the seventh annual Session Convention in the UK, news of the three new magic shows opening in February in Las Vegas, and sad farewells to Francis Martineau and Tony Giorgio.
Marketplace
Edited by Gabe Fajuri
Twenty-four products are reviewed this month by Michael Claxton, Farrell Dillon, Peter Duffie, Gabe Fajuri, Brad Henderson, Francis Menotti:
Magic Page by Page by Patrick Page
Practical Magic by Harry Anderson
Magic to Mentalism by Max Gordon
The Art of Restaurant Gigs by Benji Bruce
Restored Credit by David Regal
The Minotaur by Dan Harlan and Marv Leventhal
Where's Tom? and Baby Back by Harry Anderson
FourFit by Reub en Moreland
Tarbell's Hindu Rope Mystery by Harlan Tarbell
A Bibliography of English Conjuring, 1581-1876
by Raymond Toole-Stott
X Ray by Ben Harris and Steve Shufton
Pure Smoke by Jason Brumbalow
iContact by Chris Congreave
Enigmaths Vols. 7, 8 & 9 by Werner Miller
Essential Magic Classics by Danny Archer
The Complete Works of Wolfgang Riebe
by Wolfgang Riebe
Transformed Knives by Rodger Lovins
A Little R&B by Dan Harlan
The Nazi Séance by Arthur J. Magida
Canned Card by Bazar De Magia
Pop Coin by David Ethan
Vertigo by Rick Lax
Clue & A by Max Gordon
Talk About Tricks
Joshua Jay
Even Better ReactionsChris Randall shares the strangest use for a double-backed card ever to see print, while we explore a technologically advanced way to perform one of the best-selling marketed effects of the last two decades. The rest of the issue contains four smart, useable card ideas, rounding out another informative installment of "Talk About Tricks."
The Almighty Dollar
Gregory Wilson
ChapSchtickFor pure impossibility, it's my estimation that object-to-impossible-location is one of the most astonishing effects one can perform — and it's even better if you can use the magnetism of money.
The classics are Bill to Lemon, Bill to Cigar, Bill to Wallet, and now introducing: Bill to ChapStick!
Directions
Joanie Spina
#3. Scripting & PerformanceIn the previous two months, we touched on entrances and act structure. This article pertains to performers who speak, and we'll examine several different aspects of scripting your lines. Too often we hear the same old patter, familiar jokes repeated in numerous performers' acts. It is tiresome and says little for your creativity and effort to bring the audience something that is unique to you.
Loving Mentalism
Ian Rowland
Gold from Good AirFrancisco has a spectator choose a card, look at it, and keep it temporarily hidden from view. He then invites the spectator to draw any kind of random squiggle. Francisco takes the pen and highlights certain areas of the spectator's squiggly line — two curves that form a shape like a numeral three, then a diamond shape. Having shown everyone that these shapes really are contained in the line the spectator drew, he deduces that she was subliminally conveying three and diamond. Sure enough, the spectator's card is the Three of Diamonds!
For What It's Worth
Mark Kornhauser
ME ME ME MEOMG. Timothy Leary was right. It's time to "drop out." I started dropping out right around My Space, dabbled briefly with Facebook, and Tweeted maybe twice. I'm still Linked-In, if I can remember my password — but basically, I'm done with social media. How is that supposed to work for everyone, especially those of us w ho really, really want to be at the center of attention? I mean, don't we need to be at the center of attention, at least long enough to make a living? These amateur egocentrics are ruining it for us professional egocentrics.
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