Posted by Daryl Rogers on Sep 12th, 2022
by Mark CarbonaroI am writing this article for a few reasons. One reason is to shed light on the fact that many artists, including magicians, suffer from mental illness. Another reason is that I want to be an advocate for people struggling with mental health and introduce my magic therapy program for those who suffer from mental illness. I have been a magician since I was eleven years old and I...
Posted by Daryl Rogers on Nov 9th, 2021
“Like all great stories, The Wizard of Oz provides a template that allows us to open ourselves to the hidden capacities we had forgotten we had; the creative potentials we didn’t know how to use; and the deeper knowing . . . that is within every one of us. We are so much more than we thought we were.” (The Wizard of Us, Jean Houston, 2012, p. 12) When I was five years old, I saw the movie,...
Posted by SteelFyre on Apr 20th, 2021
“Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.” – Albus DumbledoreWords Create RealityAs magicians, we use words to create a reality for our audience. We carefully craft and edit our scripts to say exactly what we want to say in the manner we wish to say it, with no extraneous verbiage. The...
Posted by SteelFyre on Apr 17th, 2021
by Judge Gary Brown Charred remains of a Friedlander panel In the world of magic and collecting, cautionary tales abound: magicians and enthusiasts need to protect rare and expensive equipment, books and collectibles from numerous threats: light, moisture, water, mold, rust, theft and neglect. This is a slightly different story, but one laden with important lessons. In 2019, a power surge...
Posted by SteelFyre on Mar 17th, 2021
Effect: This three-phased jumbo card effect is an Irish-Themed Sidewalk Shuffle using ungimmicked cards. The spectator attempts to follow the Black Shamrock (Ace of Clubs) as it never appears in the chosen location. Props: Three jumbo Aces of Clubs and one blank face card. The backs must match. Set-Up: In this version, the Black Shamrock is the Ace of Clubs. From top to bottom, position the...
Posted by SteelFyre on Dec 13th, 2020
I perform regularly at Houdini’s Magic Bar. There is one in Canterbury and one in Broadstairs in the UK (see http://www.houdinis.co.uk ). Close up magic is performed at the bars, along with a couple of more formal parlor type shows. The bars have been shut for a number of months, opened for a couple of weeks and unfortunately they are about to close again for a short period due to the...
Posted by SteelFyre on Feb 16th, 2020
This past January was my second-anniversary in magic. That is to say, it was my second second-anniversary. My first second-anniversary was back in 1982, and I celebrated it by auditioning at the Magic Castle to become a magician member. It took me two years to go from being a long-time magic enthusiast to performing in front of the Academy’s membership committee. Those were two years of focused...
Posted by SteelFyre on May 2nd, 2019
When the latest news from quantum physics (and frankly the oldest news from Buddhism) proclaims that the universe is one big illusion, the magic community might get a certain thrill: the entire universe, literally the oldest trick in the book?! But then a sinking feeling: do magicians need to stop striving to be /real/ professionals, /real/ successes, if nothing is genuine? More troubling,...
Posted by SteelFyre on Dec 13th, 2018
An inaugural recipient of the “Eugene Burger Legacy Award,” Geoffrey Grimes, a member of the IBM and SAM, is a performing magician and 2019 president of the Fort Worth Magicians Club. “Hey, magic man!” came the shout from across the college plaza between buildings. “If you’re so good, man, you won’t have to reach into your pockets!” After years of staging community magic shows at the...
Posted by SteelFyre on Nov 14th, 2018
David Reed-Brown has been a professional magician since 1998. He has been one of Jeff McBride’s primary “audio guys” since 2000. David writes Magic Tech articles for the Magic and Mystery School’s Secret Arts Journal and produces Pro Hacks video segments for Mystery School Monday’s online video classes. He is regular guest faculty for those classes and frequently lectures for the school’s annual...