OCTOBER 2012 KEITH STICKLEY PAGE 36 MAGIC - UNITY - MIGHT Editor Michael Close Editor Emeritus David Goodsell Associate Editor W.S. Duncan Proofreader & Copy Editor Lindsay Smith Art Director Lisa Close Publisher Society of American Magicians, 6838 N. Alpine Dr. Parker, CO 80134 Copyright © 2012 Subscription is through membership in the Society and annual dues of $65, of which $40 is for 12 issues of M-U-M. All inquiries concerning membership, change of address, and missing or replacement issues should be addressed to: Manon Rodriguez, National Administrator P.O. Box 505, Parker, CO 80134 [email protected] Skype: manonadmin Phone: 303-362-0575 Fax: 303-362-0424 Send assembly reports to: [email protected] For advertising information, reservations, and placement contact: Mona S. Morrison, M-U-M Advertising Manager 645 Darien Court, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169 Email: [email protected] Telephone/fax: (847) 519-9201 Editorial contributions and correspondence concerning all content and advertising should be addressed to the editor: Michael Close - Email: [email protected] Phone: 317-456-7234 Submissions for the magazine will only be accepted by email or fax. VISIT THE S.A.M. WEB SITE www.magicsam.com To access “Members Only” pages: Enter your Name and Membership number exactly as it appears on your membership card. 4 M-U-M Magazine - OCTOBER 2012 M-U-M OCTOBER 2012 MAGAZINE Volume 102 • Number 5 ON THE COVER PAGE 36 S.A.M. NEWS 6 From the Editor’s Desk 8 From the President’s Desk 11 M-U-M Assembly News 22 New Members & Reinstatements 23 S.A.M. Spotlight 23 Good Cheer List 24 National Council Meeting Minutes 69 Our Advertisers 58 THIS MONTH’S FEATURES 28 A Magician Prepares • by Dennis Loomis 36 COVER STORY • by Doc Dixon 42 42 2012 S.A.M. Convention Coverage 52 Magic From Scotland • Edited by Ian Kendall 55 Salon de Magie • by Ken Klosterman 58 Nielsen Gallery • by Tom Ewing 60 Informed Opinion • New Product Reviews 68 Basil the Baffling • by Alan Wassilak Photo by Chris Manos COLUMNISTS 32 Stage 101 • by Levent 55 34 Ellipsis • by Michael Perovich 51 Tech Tricks • by Bruce Kalver 56 I Left My Cards at Home • by Steve Marshall 69 Inside Straight • by Norman Beck 68 The Dean’s Diary • by George Schindler 70 Confessions of a Paid Amateur • by Rod Danilewicz Cover Photo by John Juritech M-U-M (ISSN 00475300 USPS 323580) is published monthly for $40 per year by The Society of American Magicians, 6838 N. Alpine Dr., Parker, CO 80134 . Periodical postage paid at Parker, CO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to M-U-M, c/o Manon Rodriguez, P.O. Box 505, Parker, CO 80134. OCTOBER 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 5 Gateway in Arlington, Virginia. From Technical Chairman Bruce Kalver comes this important information: “When the S.A.M. switched over to the new website, all of your previous passwords were supposed to move over. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. We now have a problem with members trying to get on and their password is not working. Editor’s Desk We do not know which ones are not working. We have a fix but we can’t help you unless you write to us and tell us that your Michael Close password doesn’t work. Email your full name as it appears on your membership card and we will do the fix and write back to The fellow eating fire for your entertainment pleasure (and you. Send your request for help to me at [email protected] kids, don’t try this at home) on the cover of this month’s M-U-M and use PASSWORD PROBLEM in the subject line. Remember is Keith Stickley. I first met Keith some years ago at a gathering of that we need your name as it appears on your card.” the Gary Darwin magic club in Las Vegas. We both subsequently Also on the S.A.M. website (www.magicsam.com) is a section moved from Vegas, so I haven’t seen Keith in a while. I knew with blogs written by experts in many different areas of magic. that he performed around the world and that he was currently You’ll find posts by PNP Bruce Kalver on tech tricks, David working on a law degree, but what I didn’t know about was his Kaye (Silly Billy) on kids’ magic, and George Saterial on stage avid interest in a vintage form of entertainment called the spook magic. The best part of the blogs is that they are interactive. You show. As you’ll read in the cover story by Doc Dixon, Keith has can comment, discuss, ask questions, and share with both the expended considerable time, energy, and money to recreate an original writers of the articles and with all S.A.M. compeers. Be authentic spook show experience. sure to check the site often for the latest posts and comments. This issue also contains coverage of the S.A.M. national con- The Whittier Museum and the Society of American Magicians vention in Las Vegas; you’ll find reports by PNP Bruce Kalver are currently presenting “Behind the Smoke and Mirrors.” The and Christian Painter, and photos by Dale Farris. The dealers exhibit, which explores the history of magic and illusion, opened are a big part of any convention, and we send our thanks to in September in Whittier, California. The collection includes those who participated: Astor Magic (www.astormagic.com), illusions, props, costumes, posters, and photographs selected BJW Magical Jewelers (www.bjwmagicaljewelers.com), Card from the archives of The Society of American Magicians Magic Shark (www.card-shark.de), David Cresey Products (www. Hall of Fame and Museum. The exhibit will continue until July cresey.com), Custom Magic Cards (www.custommagiccards. of 2013. For more information go to www.whittiermuseum.org or com), Daytona Magic (www.daytonamagic.com), Fantasio call 562-945-3871. (www.fantasio.com), Fantasma (www.fantasmamagic.com), My old friend Max Maven wrote to point out an error in the Fanastic Magic Company (www.fantasticmagic.com), David September “Treasures from the Salon Magie” column. Near the Goodsell (www.davidgoodsellmagic.com) Flip Disc Productions end of that column, a reference is made to Bernard “Ackero” (www.flipdisc.com), Andy Greget Books (602-404-3100), Whitman. Bernie Whitman, a high school teacher by profession, Genii Magazine (www.geniimagazine.com), Paul Hallas did an elaborate Chinese act as a semi-pro, but he used the stage (www.paulhallas.com), High End Magic (www.highendmagic. name “Fu Ling.” “Ackero” was Louis Ackerman, who was also com), Houdini Magic (www.houdini.com), Hughes Magic (www. from Massachusetts. He also did a Chinese act. hughesmagic.com), Japan/Hawaii Silk Magic, Kozmo (www. At the end of August, Lisa, Ava, and I drove up near kozmomagic.com), Meir Yedid (www.mymagic.com), Michael P. Haliburton, Ontario, to spend a few days at the Sorcerers Safari Lair (www.lairmagic.com), Bob Little (215-672-3344), Losander magic camp. (Mike Segal, founder of the camp, was the subject (www.losander.me), MAGIC Magazine (www.magicmagazine. of our May cover story.) I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but com), Magic Smith (www.magicsmith.com), Nielsen Magic at the end of our three-day visit, I was blown away by the experi- (www.nnmagic.com), SEO Magic (www.seomagic-usa.com), ence. Campers had the opportunity to interact with three FISM and SWC Magic (717-292-5305). Please visit their websites. Your champions (Soma, Shawn Farquhar, and Greg Frewin), who were support of M-U-M advertisers is important to the success of the part of a talented staff that included Lee Asher, Aaron Fisher, magazine. Ben Train, Eric Leclerc, Johnny Toronto, and Nathan Kranzo. I At the national council meeting in Las Vegas, the council can’t wait to go back next year. unanimously elected Joshua Jay as our newest S.A.M. Ambassa- dor of Magic. (Ambassadors are tasked with spreading the word about the S.A.M. to others around the world. Our other ambas- sadors are David Copperfield, Lance Burton, and Brad Jacobs.) Congratulations Joshua! The S.A.M. is proud to have you as an ambassador and we are confident that you will do an outstanding job. Producer John Apperson has announced that former magic dealer Al Cohen will be the honoree at the Society of American Magicians annual convention, July 3-6, 2013. Al has the reputa- tion of having been the best and most honest magic demonstrator in the country. He closed Al’s Magic Shop in 2004. The Wash- ington, DC, convention will be held at the Marriott Hotel Crystal 6 M-U-M Magazine - OCTOBER 2012 OCTOBER 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 7 also had the opportunity to represent the S.A.M. by recognizing people and events. I presented a Presidential Certificate of Recognition to Abbott’s Magic for reaching the milestone of seventy-five con- secutive Get-Togethers. Past I.B.M. President June Horowitz President’s Desk presented a similar certificate on behalf of the I.B.M. I presented two Presidential Citations to outstanding compeers as well. The first was to Adele Friel Rhindress, assistant to Harry Chris Bontjes Blackstone Sr., for helping to preserve the history of magic in her book, Memoirs of an Elusive Moth. The second was to legendary magician Eugene Burger in recognition of his life-long mission Las VEGAS to help other magicians elevate and advance their art. Now that we have made it to the convention issue of M-U-M, let me again say, “Wow! What a convention!” The lectures, the WEEKEnd OF WOndER shows, the dealers, and the fellowship were outstanding.