Page 2 Scribbling From A Master Class in Street Performance The Scribe of the Scroll Page 3 January Meeting Thoughts from the President presence and command of the area. Eric Evans Lecture was absolutely I mentioned this in my column, (page Page 4 amazing. We started our meeting a 2), but I find many street performers Walter Blaney Website little early and were treated to the to be too brash for my tastes. Like amazing performance of Eric Evans. his teacher Cellini before him, Eric Page 5 BeLieve Me But Cut The Cards. Evans came across as a real class I, your dear editor, was sitting to the act. Page 6 side of the performance. Crosspointe “The Veep Speaks” has a horse-shoe shaped seating This lecture reminds me of how lucky Page 7 area, but Evans was so bullet-proof, we are to be members, and have Proposed By-Law Changes that I could see everything. Or should access to the Dallas Club. I say, I could see nothing. His angles Page 8 ♣♥♠♦ Vintage Ads were flawless.

Page 9 Seeing this performance, I felt really The international magic community “Requiem for Tricky Boxes Geoff Grimes energized about the peformance was saddened by the recent loss of of magic. I really liked his stage Aldo Colombini. He will be missed. Page 11 Photos from Daryl Howard

Page 14 Gems from Diamond Jim

Eric Evans masterful handling of Slydini Silks. Photos by Daryl Howard. DMC Officers

Derrel Allen President Frank Seltzer Vice President I recently worked a strolling I would stay and “bounce” the gig for an awards banquet. door during the main act. Of Reade Quinton Secretary/Treasurer I’m almost cancelled as I was course I said yes. When the feeling quite sick since the Beckers did their act, I would Brad Ingle day earlier, but knew that it only let people in between their Sgt. At Arms would HAUNT me for years, phases. Debbie had her hands Mark Jensen and destroy my reputation, if I full of props and I would open Past President flaked out. I strove to ignore my the door. The only “bouncing” I illness, and solider on. did was to guide people in when Chuck Lehr the act changed Dean of The DMC When I got to scenes. Board Members: my gig, I saw Mike McElroy that I wasn’t the As I was driving Until July 2015 only magician home, my Jeff Halberg Until Nov. 2014 hired. Fred and illness that I had David Knight Debbie Becker, previously ignored Until Nov. 2014 who are certainly hit me like a ton of better than I am, bricks. I had to call T.A.O.M. Board Members were the main in sick to my “real” Frank Seltzer entertainment. job the next day. I was a little Hopefully, I didn’t S.A.M. Representative intimidated, as make anyone sick, Until July 2014 Cameron Rivers they are so awesome. I went but I think I was out of the over, shook their hands, and contagious phase. I.B.M. Representative told them exactly what I was ♣♥♠♦ Until July 2014 going to do. I didn’t want to Wizard’s Scroll step on any toes. I thought Eric Evans was Staff incredible. I think a lot of street Brad Ingle They were very kind, and since performers come across as Wizard’s Scroll Editor they had worked TAOM last brash loudmouths -- they [email protected] Summer, they asked about sometimes have to be. I was Daryl Howard DMC’s very own Mark Jensen. very impressed with the stage DMC Photographer presence that Evans showed. My gig went pretty well. I tried I wasn’t sitting in a good spot, Reade Quinton DMC Monthly Report to hit every table, and people but his act was so structured, standing in line waiting for that his angles were bullet Columnists: drinks. I did have a gothic chick proof. Frank Seltzer and Mark Jensen bring my act down by her too- Cameron Rivers assured me Michael Smith Frank Seltzer cool-for-school attitude. that I had to purchase his book, Derrel Allen The Secret Art of Magic. It Brad Ingle I only worked for a little bit, really is a fantastic treatise on but the organizer asked me if the management of crowds. Thoughts from the President

We have endured the winter chill, and spring smooth transition for the office of Secretary/ is just around the corner. Hopes for sunshine Treasurer, and if approved, Secretary and and gentle breezes dance in our heads as we Treasurer. drive the frosty memories of this cold wintery spell from our minds. The misery that is cold Some of you are aware of my work in is only deepened with the passing of Aldo online marketing. I am pleased to say that Columbini. His contribution to magic and to my efforts are being rewarded. I have been mankind in general is enormous and he will able to assist a couple of you with your web be greatly missed. presence, and would be happy to help even more. Later this year, my partner and I, along Looking to what is ahead of the club, we with others, will be conducting free online will be modifying the club bylaws to clarify webinars on local online marketing. If there the position of Secretary/Treasurer. As you are enough magicians, dj’s, local entertainers, know, Reade Quinton took over this double the sessions will address specific needs in duty when Dean of the Club, Chuck Lehr those niches. abandoned us and removed his lovely bride Joanie to the isolated climes of the Saint Louis In the meantime, I’m preparing for a nice area (just kidding, Chuck.) Since Dr. Quinton schedule of Blue & Gold, Upwards, and other has recently achieved more responsibility at events. I hope you are having success too. his work, it is necessary the he be relieved of some of his club duties. This change Derrel Allen to the bylaws will allow the club to have The Dallas Meets Monthly, Every Third Thursday.

We usually meet each month at We start at 7:00 pm, and meetings CrossPointe Church. There is a large usually until a little before 9:00 pm. theater area where we meet and peform. 2425 West Parker RD Carrollton, TX 75010 Walter Blaney

Just a note to say I have a new website, walterzaneyblaney.com

It will periodically have additions to a list of short videos of me talking about some of the events during my 60 year career in magic. Currently there are about a half dozen stories.... like

1. My long attempt to finally get booked on the Tonight Show and my back stage experience with Johnny Carson

2. My friendship with David Copperfield and his presentation of my Ladder

3. The infamous story of the Dave Hoy radio interview with me

4. Why I got bumped from my non-appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show

One can go to the website and view as many or as few as you care to look at. There will be many more added as time goes on.

Cheers, Walter Zaney Blaney BeLIEve Me, But Cut the Cards: A psychology of Deception For Magicians

Part 19

This month we continue our interview with Lawrence Hass, PhD, magician, mentalist, author, publisher, and philosopher. He is Associate Dean of the McBride Magic and Mystery School and is a Professor of Humanities at Austin College in Sherman.

Last month he began by sharing when he was first “bitten” by the magic bug and how magic appealed to an academic philosophy professor. This month we continue our interview.

MS- Philosophy originally meant” love of wisdom.” Magic is about deception, art, and entertainment. How do you put those together? How do you respond to Picasso’s statement that “all art is a lie that helps us see the truth?”

LH- Yes, it is true: from the beginning of Western-European intellectual history, magic and philosophy have been driven apart, with magic being vilified as “false, dishonest, deception” and philosophy being valorize as the source of wisdom and source of truth. Like most intellectual dichotomies, this one distorts the actual state of affairs. In this short space, I would simply like to say that to define magic as “the art of deception” or as “fooling people” is to miss almost everything I do as a performing magician. Fooling people is easy! Lying to people is easy! However, astonishing them, delighting them with an artful experience of the impossible is an exceptionally difficult and fragile thing. It takes all my intellect, heart, creativity, and a great deal of time to achieve. To give you my working definition of magic, I believe “Magic is the performance of impossible things, which brings about wonder, delight, and energy.” And notice: lying to people and deceiving them is not part of the definition!

Having said that, of course magic uses hidden, even secret “techniques.” But every artist uses hidden techniques to create effects: filmmakers, novelists, painters, actors, and sculptors, to name a few. The point of magic is not deception, and magic isn’t the art of deception- any more than is filmmaking, painting, or any other art form. Instead, magic is the art of creating energy, delight, and wonder in the face of impossible things.

Now, my view of this is an important part of why I am so committed to teaching about magic to laypeople and above all to magicians! Laypeople because they almost immediately understand the importance of an art form that creates energy, delight, and wonder; and magicians because once they understand the proper target of magic performance they are far more likely to hit it!

And so I return to Picasso’s famous quote. I don’t think that art of any form is a “lie.” To say even that much is to buy into the Platonic view that disqualifies the value of any and all art, including magic. In my view, art doesn’t “lie” at all; rather art “expresses” the world and the artist’s point of view of the world. Magic is simply the medium I have chosen to express my deepest sense of things, which I try to do as honestly as possible.

MS- Next month we will conclude our interview with Larry. Until then, remember to “cut the cards.” Mike The Veep Speaks Frank Seltzer

Our elections are coming up in April (along with example of what is possible is the Long Beach our Magician of the year contest) and as a result Mystics. While not a club like ours, it was set up and we need to make changes to our bylaws. For the run by junior magicians whose names today are well past 20 or so years, the position of Secretary and known…Dana Daniels, , , Treasurer have been combined. Most of those years, Michael Weber and Stan Allen to name a few. Joanie Lehr capably served in that dual role. She was helped? By Chuck, da Dean of the club. So in There was a great documentary on the group and essence there were two people doing the job. When we’ll look at a few clips from it. The goal is to get more Reade took over, he gave it a go. At first it worked of us involved with promoting magic to youngsters fine, but then as Reade’s duties at work grew his and to get cleared by the SAM. We’ll talk about that time became more tight. Reade has decided to not at the meeting. run for re-election and it was his suggestion that the duties be split again having a separate Secretary and Also there will be performance time so bring a trick Treasurer. When the clubs were founded that was or two and work on your act for the contest. We’ll be exactly what we had, so in essence we are going using the TAOM rules: back to the original set of officers. The act needs to be between 5 and 10 minutes…no In order have the roles broken out, we need to change more. our bylaws, to do that and we must do it before our elections. That is why at this month’s meeting we will STAGE SETTING – 0 to 10 points. be voting on the changes. We have also included General appearance, eye appeal, the possibility that someday we may find another attractiveness and appropriateness of dress, props, Chuck and Joanie who don’t mind doing both so we tables and equipment. left open that possibility for the future. STAGE PRESENCE – 0 to 15 points. I know your eyes glaze over considering bylaw Poise and confidence, intelligible speech, changes, but it is something we need to do. This direct and understandable theme. is a fast fix for now. Some have thought we need to totally re-write the bylaws and that may happen ENTERTAINMENT VALUE – 0 to 30 points. down the road but for now we need to keep this Indicated by audience reaction, appreciation short and sweet so we can nominate in March and and overall enjoyment. then elect in April our new officers. PRESENTATION AND OVERALL PERFORMANCE You all know how much I hate business meetings – 0 to 30 points Personality, projection, routining and but sometimes we just have to do it. continuity,professional presentation and technical ability. This month we focus on junior magicians. They are the lifeblood of the organization in that without ORIGINALITY – 0 to 15 points. new younger members coming in, the club would Original material, inventive presentation or routining eventually die. We have a chapter of the Society of to include new presentations of standard effects – Young Magicians as an adjunct to our club but over “something different” the past few months it has fallen by the wayside. Schedules are busy and there are more demands on the time of today’s kids…lots of activities to keep There ya go. We’ll sign up in March for the contest. them and their parents busy. You can do stage, parlor, closeup, … whatever you want. The winner will be announced at our banquet in May. The board is focused on promoting magic to younger people, while continuing to grow our own club. An Important Changes to By-Laws

Changes to the by-laws

As announced at the last meeting, we will be voting on changes to the bylaws. This needs to be done this month so we can nominate officers. Reade, our current Secretary/Treasurer will not be running for re-election. His new duties at work are going to keep him very busy and it was his recommendation that we split the Secretary and Treasurers positions saying it is too much for one person. The board discussed this and agreed. For many years and from our beginnings, the positions were separate but over the years they got combined. The board thinks it is good to divide this up so no one has too much to do. But we are allowing for the possibility that if we find the right person who actually WANTS to do both, we could combine them without another vote.

Here are the changes:

Article IV - Officers

Section 1 - Officers of the Dallas Magic Club shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant at Arms, and three directors plus one alternate director.

Section 2 – These officers shall perform their duties as prescribed by these by-laws and the parliamentary authority adopted by this Club. No member shall hold more than one office at a time, with the exception of the Secretary who may also serve as Treasurer but in that case the Secretary/Treasurer will only have one vote.

Section 3- The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Sergeant at Arms shall be elected to a one-year term.

Article VI – Duties

Section 3 - The Secretary shall keep all records and correspondence pertaining to the club, The Secretary shall keep notes on all Club meetings and provide monthly reports for inclusion in and M-U-M.

Section 4 – The Treasurer shall maintain all books and financial records for the Club. These books shall be ready for inspection by an auditing committee. The Treasurer shall deposit all funds in a Dallas Bank under the name of The Dallas Magic Club. Such funds shall be subject to withdrawal upon the signature of the Treasurer. No funds in excess of $50 shall be withdrawn for any purpose until duly authorized by a vote of the membership. Exceptions: Room rental, flowers for funerals or ill members, and miscellaneous expenses pertaining to Club operations.

(re-numbering the remaining sections in this article)

Section 5 – One of the three directors …..

Section 6 - At a meeting…

Section 7 – A vacancy…..

Article IX – Penalties

Section 1 – Upon notice being given by the Secretary…. (deleting reference to treasurer)

Requiem for Tricky Boxes Geoff Grimes

I’m a product of my times, I guess. No! More to They simply cost too much. The first little mirror the point, the product of the magical times of my box I purchased from Bruce Chadwick at The childhood. Isn’t it interesting how those of us caught Illusion Warehouse almost sixty years later fulfilled up in this “magic thing” fixate on “moments when” a childhood dream that had drifted in and out of my from our increasingly remote past. imagination for decades.

For me, it was the first time my dad took me So why is it that you’ll never find a tricky box downtown in Houston to Howard’s Fun Shop, the reviewed in MUM, Magic Magazine, Genii, or only I knew of for all the years of my Linking Ring? So why is it in recent months, when a youth. A cowbell dangling from the top of the tall youngster employed a square circle at the heart of door, painted in hunter’s green, slathered in layers his qualifying act, he received only polite applause, on the door frame and window facing, announced “knowing” smirks, furrowed brows, and severe, customers’ entrance and exit. Across the store sideways glances from his sober audience. Aside windows, posters featuring sleazy illustrations of the obvious paucity of demonstrated magical acuity, buxom girls with Marilyn Monroe look-alike eyes, did the collective chagrin stem from the performance hair and other things offered enchantments which, or from the props? at that age, I couldn’t even imagine. Norm Nielsen is selling break-away boxes and Dad escorted me gently past the bawdy gags and production tubes starting at $550 and has most on other questionable props to the two side-by-side back order. His four checker cabinets—priced $3500 glass counters at the rear of the musty store where each!—sold within three hours on the same day the real magic resided under the glow of two long they were announced on his website. More in the fluorescent light bulbs. Multi-colored thimbles , genre of Tony Andruzzi’s bizarre magic of the sixties, Chinese sticks, color changing silks, decks of cards, Outlaw Magic sells its electronically enhanced spirit mysterious coins, the ball and vase—all pretty cabinets, cubes, and quirky little contraptions at standard stuff to the initiated, but to the eye of a young outrageous prices and can’t keep them in stock. novice, they were treasures from faraway places. I Tora Magic now fills the vacancy left by the closure wanted them all, and I am sure today, looking back of Mikame with an array of magical production at that magical time, Howard Campbell, the owner, apparati. was probably eager to have obliged me. “Why won’t they get reviewed?” queries Norman But the greater enchantment came from up above— Beck, a regular product reviewer for MUM Magazine, above the cases, up on the highest shelves that “Let me give you a list of reasons.” First of all, lined three sides of the old store. There ensconced he notes, all products must be submitted to the were the “tricky boxes,” a term I wouldn’t hear for magazine for examination. Norm Nielsen, he says, almost fifty years. Painted elaborately in Arabian is not likely to donate a $3500 checker cabinet for designs, Chinese calligraphy, and Hindu caricatures, consideration for a paragraph or two in a product the props peered down like untouchable miniature review. Additionally, Norman says, stock items that shrines, most coated in a layer of gray dust. The little come back onto the market likewise are probably decorative doors on the fronts, the lids on top, the not going to be considered. “Someone or some secret hidden compartments, sliding panels, and company that has just released a newly designed sneaky revolving backs, each mysterious feature die box isn’t likely to get honorable mention in a masked amazing contraband—gigantic dragon magazine review.” scarves, miles of rainbow streamers, bursts of metallic blossoms, and fountains of snowflakes. “To tell you the truth,” explained Norman, “I don’t know any magicians who use them. Take “Botania,” But the tricky boxes sat out of reach, as far away for instance. Everybody knows that when the from the fingertips of my aspirations as the width magician slips off the tube, he didn’t have anything of my daddy’s economically-challenged wallet. to do with the spring of flowers that pops out. Where’s the magic in that? Everybody can figure the crates.” out they were crammed up inside the tube! I think that the same thing must be said for—what did you “You gotta have some of them, I guess,” says Chris call them?—‘tricky boxes’? The bottom line for me, Gracey, co-owner of McKinney’s Main I guess—and this is why I would never use them—I and Fun Company. “Our primary clientele, though, wouldn’t have anything intelligent to say with one.” aren’t into the more expensive stage props, so you Norman’s reluctance aside, one has to look at the may see most of these sitting up here years from phenomenon of tricky boxes and their allure for now.” Look around those top shelves, and you’ll see young magic aficionados from a broader perspective. some of the classic pieces, retreads for a whole new Have tricky boxes simply passed out of style? Do generation of young magicians—animal production they belong to a period of magical entertainment boxes, chick pans, lotta bowls, the Hippity Hop that has simply lost its allure? And if so, what does Rabbits, mirror boxes, phantom tubes—the whole that say for the large stage illusions and the possible lot. demise of the illusion show? Aren’t these stage props only “tricky boxes” on the shelves of Howard And I’ve bought my own copy of just about all of Fun Shops “writ large”? You probably won’t see them since getting back into magic a decade or so Pillsbury sponsoring another television series like ago—filled two warehouses and a storage bin. To ’s “Magic Circus” of the ‘70’s. And there tell the truth, however, every time I acquire a new hasn’t been a long-running illusion show on or off tricky box, I’m linking up with a wonderful time in Broadway in years. my childhood, a time when Dad would finally give in, take off a Saturday morning, pack me up in the Randy Clower, a producer of magical props in the family’s used car, and drive into town to the magic 1970’s and an avid collector of bizarre props today, store. I’d turn the knob on the door, the cowbell suggests that “audiences today have a ‘much more would rattle and clang, and I’d step into the magical discerning eye.’ They aren’t likely to be as easily paradise that was Howard’s Fun Shop, a museum impressed by a magician in a tuxedo running around in my memory and imagination today, a theatrical a ‘tricky box’ on stage, posturing with one applause workshop filled with “tricky boxes.” cue after another. The audiences know he isn’t doing anything but dancing! Where’s the magic in that?” I’m just sayin’ Will Baffle (that’s his acquired legal name), a regular Geoff Grimes at our Monday night sessions, explains that he has all but hung up his touring illusion show. “No one is booking these shows any longer,” he explains. “You wouldn’t believe the investment I have in all this, but what am I going to do? So, I’ve just decided to park Photos from Daryl Howard

Karl Hein Eric Evans

Gems From Diamond Jim

NEVER-ENDING THREAD

GAG: Someone notices a loose thread on your jacket and begins to remove it. To their horror they learn that it’s a never-ending thread which shocks them into a fit of laughter.

SECRET: If wearing a dark jacket, then you’ll want to use a light colored thread and vice-ver- sa. Place the end of a spool of thread through the eye of a needle. Pull about five inches of the thread through the eye. From inside your coat, use the needle to push the thread through your jacket at the point that is halfway between the collar and the shoulder on either side of the jacket.

Push the needle all the way through the material. Put away the needle and leave the thread hang- ing from the back of your jacket. Drop the spool of thread into the inside jacket pocket that cor- responds with the side you pushed the thread through. Carefully put on your jacket and run your arm behind the thread when slipping it into the sleeve of your jacket. You don’t want your arm between the thread and your pocket. The thread inside your jacket should rest on the front part of your shoulder nearest your chest.

Finish putting on your jacket. Pull the thread back into your jacket so that only a two-inch piece emerges from your coat. Press it down flat and you are ready for the fun. The nice per- son that offers to remove it for you will be in for a big surprise. Don’t laugh but act aggravated once they’ve started it. As they continue pulling the thread secretly retain a few loose buttons in your hand and drop them on the floor as you exclaim, “Wonderful!” Say something consoling like, “Is it your sole purpose in life to serve as a warning for others?”