I think it’s a shame that people don’t go to the source about us. Listening to rumors or spreading rumors is a bad thing. CW is alive and producing and Khyber Kobra is not dead as some may be lead to believe. We are simply revamping and improving the unit.
Since taking over the CW line we have had a number of production problems due to changes in the market place for parts, etc. that were originally used in the line. The Khyber is one of those casualties.
Certain integral parts that were produced by others are no longer available and we have had to redesign the unit. In doing so we have chosen to also improve and augment the workings to give the user more options and much more control.
These changes take time.
In order to bring an item such as the Kobra to market it takes extensive research and development. If it was not for the detailed research and development that is put into each piece made by us, we would not be the company we have grown to be.
We do not produce and item before it is ready and we pride ourselves on maintaining an incredible level of quality and reliability. Those that have recently purchased several of our new updated items can attest to the vast improvements we have made over the original CW line.
The Tray of Doom took us two years to bring back, but it is better than ever and from what we are told, worth the wait. A simple comparison ofthe before and after physical appearance will tell the tale let alone the electronic improvements not immediately evident until you go to use it. Yes, the learning curve was much greater than I anticipated in learning how to produce the CW line, but along with this learning comes our input… Continue reading The Khyber Kobra Is Not Dead
Like most people who practice the art of illusion, Aaron Balcom?s interest began at a very young age. At five years old, his parents took him to see a magician in Toledo, Ohio and he chose Aaron to assist him on stage. From that very moment, his fate was set?the interest in magic had begun.
At seven, his parents gave him a ?Houdini Magic Set? for Christmas and he began performing feats of mystery for anyone who would watch.
Not long after he was going to see other live performers, meeting them after the shows and getting advice. And every weekend he would faithfully visit the local magic shop, eagerly buying every gimmick and how-to book he that was of interest or use to him.
Now performing at local events and birthday parties with a small ?stand-up comedy magic act out of a suitcase,? Aaron was also busy learning difficult sleight of hand and dreaming about breaking into the world of large stage illusions.
However, that dream wasn?t far off. In 1996, with the assistance of his parents, Aaron purchased his first major stage illusion. Known as ?The Temple of Benares,? his assistant would enter a small representation of an East-Indian temple, and half dozen swords would be inserted in every direction. The cabinet would be opened?and she was gone!
I just watched Chris Capehart?s wonderful 3-Ring Routine DVD, and can?t help but wonder once more why Shoot Ogawa is still getting a total pass from the Magic Castle and the greater magic community. When Valentino did three exposure specials on TV we made him a pariah. When Shoot did three exposure specials we put him on the cover of Magic Magazine.
If you remember the March 2003 cover story, Magic didn?t seem to have much of a problem with Shoot?s past, but then again, who did Magic get to write the hard-hitting expose?
Shoot?s touring companion Apollo Robbins. Robbins wrote, “many members of the worldwide magic community misinterpreted his intent.” Really? Not only did they not appear to misinterpret his intent, for the most part they don?t appear to have cared or even noticed.
But what of Shoot?s intent?
According to Robbin?s article Shoot?s profit making mission to “educate” and “raise the perception of magic” should be seen and accepted as a much more noble and honorable endeavor than Valentino?s questionable goal to inspire magicians to come up with new methods.
For those who missed the video of Shoot?s TV work, apparently “raising the perception of magic” involves exposing the Classic Force, Muscle Pass, Thumb Tie, Professor?s Nightmare, Estimation, Lapping and the coin Matrix to name a few. God forbid we should stoop to raising our audiences? perception of our craft by entertaining and amazing them.
Robbins went on to say that “many of the professional magicians in Japan” saw Shoot?s specials as visionary and stated that only a “small group of amateurs” saw it otherwise, though this is clearly not the case.
There is a man in Germany who does nothing more than develop software for people like us.He cares deeply about his software and charges about a billion dollars an hour to develop it.He was kind enough to charge us only a few million for the new Links of Fame page.On the page you?ll see the survivors of last year?s Links of Fame.Many sites were dropped either because there had been no interest in the site during the last year or because it has vanished.
Adding a new site, maybe yours or one you visit, is now a piece of cake.As my father would say, ?Alls you gots to do is does it.?(He doesn?t have an accent but he talks funny when he?s been drinking ? so I?ve never heard him talk differently).You?ll have a chance to rate the sites.You can give a review of the site and even sign up for the Inside Magic Mailing list.
The Links of Fame even include non-magic links.I?ve added two of my favorites: the U.S. Chess Federation and Key Life.These are pretty divergent sites ? one?s all about chess and the other is all about finding God?s grace to be sufficient for all things ? so that should let you know that just about any site (non-porno) will be accepted in this category.
Check it out, add your favorites and visit often.If you do all this, we?ll be your best friends for life.
In the past issues, we?ve discussed the Fellowship of Christian Magicians based here in the US and this week the organization held its convention in Indiana.
We hope to have some coverage of how things went and a review of the great lecture line-up it featured.
While going through the web to find other magicians who use our art to promote religion, I found two neat sites.
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