Wayne's Magic & Illusion Blog August 2005 Archive

This article profiles Marc Salem, who has a new show in London. According to the writer, "He stops his own pulse, he moves the hands on a watch forward an ... Read More

This story talks about how Houdini, the world's greatest escape artist, the "handcuff king" and "world-famous liberator" shared his wealth with the poor of Edinburgh in the early 1900s. Houdini's ... Read More

Magicians have long known how to distract spectators to perform their surreptitious work. But scientists at University College London have discovered why people often miss the obvious and have located ... Read More

This article in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette profiles magician David Shareef. "What makes me different is that most magicians either come out as comedians or as very, very mysterious," ... Read More

If you want to win a magic contest, take advice from someone who knows. Noted magician and FISM winner Tim Ellis offers a useful four part article on his site ... Read More

I've reviewed lots of DVDs of late, but Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster's Ellis in Wonderland stands above the rest. This DVD offers 12 solid effects that range from close-up ... Read More

Can "The World's Greatest Magic Show" live up to its name? Magician Nicholas Carifo visits The Greek Isle Casino in Las Vegas to find out. But with stars such as ... Read More

Adding a bridge at the end of a basic shuffle results in a flashy variation. Here's how, step-by-step.

The book review in South Florida's Sun Sentinel evaluates Jim Steinmeyer's "The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson."

Help For Abused Partners, a non-profit Domestic Violence Agency that serves northeastern Colorado and the panhandle of Nebraska, is hosting "A Magic Show," Friday, September 23rd, 2005, at 7:00 pm ... Read More

According to an August 21 story in the Las Vegas Advisor, The Desert Passage Mall at the Aladdin has signed a multi-year agreement with magician Steve Wyrick to develop a ... Read More

Las Vegas magician and comedian Keith Stickley opened his new show "Magic: Unplugged" at the Carsen Theatre inside the Dairy Center for the Arts as part of the Boulder International ... Read More

The world loses the Professor, Dai Vernon, on August 21, 1992. Thanks to www.magictricks.com for this date.

The Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) recently announced that its members can listen to developments for the upcoming S.A.M. Convention through their web browsers. Members may listen via their internet ... Read More

This article in the Cincinnati Post talks about the annual illusionists' showcase, "Abracadabra," which benefits the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. The 15th anniversary production features illusionist Tim Kole and ... Read More

With a strikingly different look, Ellusionist.com's gorgeous new Ghost Deck offers a black & white Bicycle-style deck that makes spectators sit up and notice. If you want cards with a ... Read More

If you want to learn a proven routine, nothing tops a complete, preplanned script that covers technique, presentation, patter and subtleties. And for this, "Ron Bauer's Gadabout Coins Revisited" provides ... Read More

This week, the Castle celebrates the 50th anniversary of the illustrious Long Beach Mystics, a club that produced an amazing array of professional magicians that includes this week's Palace performers. ... Read More

In a recent press release, illusionist John Gabriel announced that he will be appearing on Saturday, August 27, at 8:00 p.m at The Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, ... Read More

This article in the Hartford Courant profiles Richard Dooley, the new head of the Society of American Magicians. In the story, Dooley is quoted as saying "This is my way ... Read More

We introduce a new series for beginners on basic magic technique. To start, every magician needs to know how to perform a basic card shuffle. If you've always wanted to ... Read More

A couple of articles about David Copperfield and his legal battle with Chicago investor and real estate developer John Melk over a private island in the Bahamas: "Magician Copperfield a ... Read More

Daryl's Acrobatic Knot, his take on Pavel's Fantastic Knot, is a visual and entertaining effect where a knot jumps from one rope to another amidst other assorted zaniness. If you've ... Read More

This week, I report back on magic that I saw aboard the Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Sea. Magician Jean Pierre Person delivered excellent comedy magic that baffled and entertained ... Read More

According to a recent A&E press release, Criss Angel Mindfreak, delivered the youngest series premiere in the network's history with a median age average of 33.5 years.

The Syd Bergson IBM Ring 45 of Miami invites all to attend Magic on the Beach XI on September 2, 3 & 4, 2005 (Labor Day Weekend) at the Fontainebleau ... Read More

The Society of American Magicians and International Brotherhood of Magicians, the two oldest and largest magic organizations in the United States, have joined together to stage an International Magic Competition ... Read More

Two recent articles talk about the yearly gathering of magicians in Colon, Michigan: "Magicians Appear in Colon for Weeklong International Event" appears in the Kalamzoo Gazette and "Colon Abuzz with ... Read More

Not one, but two recent articles about magician Michael Turco. The 23-year-old is profiled in "Sleight of Hand with a Hip-hop Beat", an article in NorthJersey.com that says his magic ... Read More

A spectator marks a coin and after handing it to the magician, finds it inside of a fully inflated balloon. Michael Bairefoot not only teaches this brilliant effect, but explains ... Read More

Tom Ogden's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Magic Tricks offers an excellent introduction to magic and a solid foundation to those who want to seriously learn and pursue magic. Like ... Read More

This article in philly.com talks about Jeff Greenfield, who worked as a magician to pay for chiropractic college and then used the concept called buzz marketing to raise the profile ... Read More

This article in the Kansas City Star profiles magician Scott Henderson who talks about his rules as a magician. He also teaches readers a magic trick that they can do.

This week, The Magic Circle celebrates its centenary. This article in the Online Sun talks about how the world's top tricksters are descending onto London to attend a series of ... Read More