Archive for August, 2004

Brent Smith and The Vanishing Rabbit Magic Store – Incredible

Brent Smith and Lovely Assistant

It is my habit, when visiting any new town, to look through the Yellow Pages for magic shops or magicians.  Most of the time, I don?t have time actually do anything more than just drive by the shop or leave a crank call for the magician in between meetings.  When I do have time, like during this vacation, I get as excited as a kid going to a Ritalin store when I visit. 

Brent Smith has a wonderful store in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  It was my honor to visit his location and suck up his time for a couple of hours.  He was kind enough to show me his shop, the newer and newest tricks and practically demonstrate every trick in the shop.  I will tell you about some of the stand-out effects in a second, but first let me give you a bird?s-eye lowdown on the physical plant and Mr. Smith.

Read On . . .

Located on Centre Street, not far from the Calgary Airport, Mr. Smith?s store is called ?The Vanishing Rabbit? and is exactly what you would seek in a magic store.  He has magic, books, gimmicks and audio-visual materials for every level of magician.  The store stocks over 4,000 items from basic, starter tricks to full-scale illusions.  You can pick up a set of Sponge Balls, beginner?s magic set or instructional DVD all the way up to the latest in mentalism or illusions such as a beautifully made Thin Model Sawing a Woman in Half or two types of Sub Trunks. 

The Vanishing Rabbit Magic Shop

The prices were great; so great that I bought several tricks with the full intention of returning this week ? on my way out of town ? to buy some more.  This is the first store I have found…
Read more…

Magic Anonymous – A Meeting Revealed

Counseling and Sharing: Cornerstone of MA

Easy Does It.

?Hello, I?m Tim and I?m Magic Addicted,? I offered to the table of eight others like me.

They may not have been the same age, same race or gender but they were like me.  We were all here in the smallish side-room of the Denny?s in Mystic Hollow.  There were five tables in the room, each with a wicker basket in the center holding various numbers of dollar bills.  Some of the MA members clutched their coffee cups, rolled half dollars over their fingers.  Some of the fingernails were stained with nicotine as they tried to replace one addiction with a seemingly more manageable one.  The desire for the rush was still there regardless of the drug sought.

?Hi Tim,? they responded with one voice. 

It is a tradition of the 12 Step programs to welcome anyone who speaks in this manner.  It takes a lot to admit ? even if for the 100^th time ? that you are addicted.  This wasn?t my 100^th meeting, though; it was my 20^th but the first in which I admitted my addiction to Magic. 

I paused, gave a nervous smile and began my testimony.

Read On . . .

One Magic Addict…
Read more…

Magic Live Update No. 7

Inside Magic: Great Reading when Bored!

When we last left our hero, he was stumbling away in a bewildered daze from the booth of Meir Yedid ? Boy Magician. 

I had to return to sanity.  I had to remember it was all just pretend.  Mr. Yedid was not a ?true magician.?  He didn?t have real magic powers.  He couldn?t turn me into a __(Insert Political Party You Hate Here)___.  After all, I?d been a loyal __(Insert Political Party You Love Here)____ since I was just a small __(Insert Young Mammal You Like Here)__.

[By the way, Inside Magic is a proud recipient of the Mad Libs Award for Journalism on the Internet.  And frankly, we?re just as __(Insert an Emotion Here)___ as a ___(Cute Mammal or Reptile Here)__ in a ___(Insert a Household Furnishing or Food Source Here)__].

I bumped into John Sterlini and nearly toppled the side panel of his booth.  Fortunately, his expertly crafted Headed Chopper was there to break my fall.  I looked up, still in a daze, and tried to focus on what stood before me.  ?Sterlini? read the sign.  Guilt kicked in like the famed transmission of a 1991 Dodge Dynasty ? late and hard. 

Read On . . .

I knew of Sterlini Magic from their beautiful advertisements in Magic Magazine.  I checked out their ads, fell in love with the quality of both the advertisements and the products the promised in their glossy photos and wonderful descriptions, and then noted they had a Michigan Area Code.

…
Read more…