Summer Time ReadingInside MagicMagic News Updated Daily for the Professional Magician

It may be the summer heat finally making its way up I-75 to Michigan or my new sense of peace that comes from any sort of 30-day regimen of psychotropic medicine, counseling, shock therapy, aversion therapy and aroma therapy.

What ever the cause, though, as I sniff my small flask of elderberry and violets, I have found a great truth. I prefer newsletters or catalogs for magic over the electronic version. Maybe you are like me, and if you are, we should form a support group and embrace right before we bang a drum and declare our freedom from negativity. We should also indulge in three of my favorite paper newsletters.

Read On . . .

Hank Lee’s EXTRA, Laflin’s Magic HAPPY MAGIC and, a new entry, FAB Magic’s THE DECEIVER, illustrate all that is good about paper versus electronic magic advertising.

The benefits of a non-computer based newsletter should be obvious to anyone who does their reading in the restroom of truck stops, McDonalds or their own home. I used to bring a mini-computer with me into the bathroom but had an unfortunate misunderstanding where others in the facility objected to me plugging the wire on one side of the area and stretching it under three stalls to get to my reading area. I think they were also upset because I was in the ladies room. (It’s cleaner and they have more stalls).

Hank Lee asked his customers last year whether they preferred the EXTRA in paper or on the Internet. According to his research, the votes were almost dead even. In fact, in the case of IN RE HANK LEE v. ACLU, the United States Supreme Court stopped his recount of the votes before he could verify the final tally. He decided to proceed with both media.

Hank does a bang-up job with his newsletter. Each trick is described in
words that are actually written by someone at his company. Often, magic shop owners will use whatever text they receive from Fun Inc., Murphy’s or Robbins. As a consequence, you can find the same typo in the ad copy from eight different retail dealers. Hank takes it a step further.

He has line drawings produced for each effect. You won’t see the same, worn-out, over-exposed, gimmick-hiding pictures with some guy or gal with dirty fingernails holding the prop against the eight close-up pads assembled to represent a background. The drawings are true to the actual appearance of the effect and usually highlight the thing that makes the trick special.

Some of you younger kids won’t recall the days of the Tannen’s Catalog. It weighed over…

Read On . . .

Hank Lee’s EXTRA, Laflin’s Magic HAPPY MAGIC and, a new entry, FAB Magic’s THE DECEIVER, illustrate all that is good about paper versus electronic magic advertising.

Some of you younger kids won’t recall the days of the Tannen’s Catalog. It weighed over 750 pounds, had thousands of pages, no meaningful index, and outdated prices. But it did have the wonderful line art of Ed Mishell for most of the effects. The magicians were depicted as strong, handsome and mysterious. The women were drawn with curves and outfits not seen outside the two-dimensional plane. Hank’s EXTRA harkens back to the Tannen’s era in quality, care and art.

Laflin Magic puts out a couple of newsletters to which I subscribe. The edition I just received and brought with me to the local Burger King, is HAPPY MAGIC. True to its title, it features magic that one can perform for kids and adults. In the past, I have written glowing (almost awkwardly so) praise for Duane and Mary Laflin.

I am so impressed by their energy and innovation; in addition to their outstanding talents. I think they do about 9,000 shows a year, run their Laflin Magic business, actually grow their own silk worms, spin the silk, import black market Palmo Balls and lecture at every gathering of more than one or two magicians. Yet they still have time to put out HAPPY MAGIC.

If you perform magic for the young ‘uns, you need to subscribe to this journal. Sure it has advertising for great magic and plugs for the next stop for the magic duo that brought new meaning to the words “No Gimmick Blendo” (I do not know what that means so don’t sue me). I think the magazine costs about $25.00 and can be ordered from their website.

I have read and re-read this month’s periodical until they were calling a Burger King Locksmith to force me out. There are practical effects, great stream of consciousness writing by Duane or Mary and illustrations to show you how to make happy magic.

The final entry is The Deceiver from my friends Cheryl and Rick Fisher of FAB Magic in beautiful Colon, Michigan. I received their first edition and am very impressed. The cost of four-color printing has dropped in years, but not that far. It is a fold-over set of 8-1/2″ X 11″ paper with some of the newer tricks offered at FAB Magic as well as news and notes of what’s coming up this summer.

FAB will sponsor its First Annual MagiCelebration August 4th – 7th with contests for every performer and will put it all under a big top. On the 7th, FAB will have a Magic Flea Market with free entry for the public and tables going for $15.00 for one and $25.00.

Inside Magic had planned to have something similar that same week but due to a printing error – or deliberate sabotage by that guy with the tattoo and cheek piercing that runs Kinko’s – the flyers said, “Inside Magic’s Head Lice Market. Flea Entry on Public and Stables for $100.00 for one and $1,000,000.00 for two. Bring your infestation to Inside Magic and see the salute to France. You may even see the Paris Sites!”

Well, I am about done writing this. One of the girls in the next stall apparently pulled my cord out of the wall and so I am down to battery power. I want to make sure I save this before I leave to the inevitable screams and recriminations. Do yourself a favor and contact the vendors I discussed: Hank Lee’s Magic Factory, Laflin Magic, and FAB Magic and ask to be put on their mailing list. Enjoy the last remnants of a technology that served well mankind for thousands of years.

Okay, I have to go, now. My flask of Stress No More Aroma Therapy – a bountiful mixture of skunk oil, sulfur and stilton cheese – broke on the bathroom floor and I can hear people starting to dry heave. They’ll need this stall.