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        The loss of some very well respected magicians this November.

        The loss of some very well respected magicians this November.

        It was a sad month for the world of magic as we lost several terrific magicians. Matt Field was well known to many in the UK and was the past editor of The Magic Circular. David Maas, half of the well known quick change act David and Dania, succumbed to Covid-19. The great Walter 'Zaney' Blaney, entertainer and creator of the Blaney Ladder Levitation passed away at the age of ninety two (92). These gentlemen were passionate about magic and gave so much to so many throughout their careers. They will be missed by all who knew them. Thank you to Nick Lewin and Tim Drake for their tribute to Walter.

         

        Vanish has a dual reputation as both an International and Independent magic magazine. This means we feature artists from around the globe more than any other publication, and we aren't afraid to have articles that are slightly outside the box. This was my goal from day one when I started VANISH eight years ago and it continues more so today. The world around us is constantly changing, having a magazine that reflects these changes will be important for future generations as they research the past. I would like to think many years down the road that when youngsters have to do a school project on "The Great Lock-down of 2020" that those who like magic will be able to find examples within the pages of Vanish, its affect on the entertainment business and what people did to survive.

         

        This edition reflects both of my goals as we feature the incredible artist Malin Nilsson from Sweden. She is a remarkable performer with a unique view of our craft. It is an honor to feature her as the cover story.

         

        I recently received an email from a reader who said they felt VANISH has done more to promote unity and diversity than anything they’d seen from other magazines or organizations. This warmed my heart, and it’s wonderful to see that in the past few months magic groups have embraced what we have been doing for the past eight years and are becoming aware. We continue to provide ground breaking articles covering numerous subjects from a variety of contributors situated across the world. In this issue Eric Walton shares what the SAM is doing with an on-line show called FLAVORS OF MAGIC. Felicity Fields continues her series on Diversity in Magic and gets the view points from two very different people at complete ends of the age spectrum. 

         

        Connie Boyd’s chat with Diana Zimmerman, who paved a path for generations of magicians with her performances and continues to do so with her writing and producing is a must read. Ben Robinson is one of the most profound, ground breaking magician that I know. VANISH got the exclusive story of Ben's new book release and launch. If ever we needed an Outlaw Hero, the time is now and nobody is more qualified for that title than Ben.

         

        Finally, a big thank you to Kevin Bethea. Kevin has helped open all of our eyes with his Black Lives Matter series. These stories are a must read if magic has an opportunity to move forward.

         

        Stay safe and wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and Happy Kwanzaa …

         

        Paul Romhany

        Thank you

        Thank you
        Find out all about what is inside the October edition of VANISH.

        Read more

        REVIEWS & UPCOMING UK TOUR MAY

        BACK WRITING A BLOG

         

        Now that I've kind of got VANISH under my belt and know what I'm doing with that I thought it was time to start writing the BLOG again. It's a good way to introduce the latest magic tricks that come on the market and share my thoughts on them. I will remind people that I really only talk about tricks that I like and enjoy. The same is for VANISH - I only review the ones I like. 

         

        I'm looking forward to bringing my lecture to the UK - would love to see anybody if you are in the area.

         

        UK LECTURE TOUR COMING UP May 11th-22nd 2014

         

         

        11th May - Bristol Day of Magic (Performances)http://www.bristolmagic.co.uk/dom.php
        14th May - Zodiac Magical Society http://www.zodiacmagicalsociety.co.uk/
        15th May - Leamington & Warwick http://lawms.wordpress.com/
        16th May - Bradford Magic Circle http://bradfordmagiccircle.co.uk/
        18th May - Newcastle (times and venue to be confirmed but check with Graeme Shaw)
        19th May - Manchester Circle of Magicianshttp://www.taurusmagic.net/maninfo.html
        20th May - Blackpool Magicians Clubhttp://www.blackpoolmagic.com/about/
        21st May - Riviera Circle of Magicianshttps://www.facebook.com/rivieracircle.magicians
        22nd May - Sussex Magic Circle http://www.sussexmagiccircle.co.uk/

         

         

        ROMHANY'S PICKS OF THE WEEK

         

        HANDS OF FORTUNE BY ANTHONY WATSON III

         

         

        ADVERTISING:

        Imagine being able to read spectator’s fortunes without having any prior knowledge of cold reading, palm reading or Tarot. This deck does this and MORE!

        You are supplied with 30 different fortune cards in Tarot size, which fit perfectly in to your pocket for walk-about. The spectator can choose any card and read their fortune. You can leave it there or continue with any number of routines supplied.

        These special cards are made from the highest quality and the design is breathtaking. Built in to the design of the cards are also secret marks that allow you to do a wide variety of material. Anthony himself sometimes just takes this ONE deck with him when hired to perform for the elite in Europe and the UK.

        WHAT DOES THE DECK DO?

        READINGS ON THE FRONT – each of the 30 cards have different positive readings on the front. Each reading is carefully worded so there are no negative connotations. Some will make them think and leave them with questions but there is nothing ‘bad’.

        NUMEROLOGY – on the back of the cards between the fingers are numbers. This enables you to give quick and effective numerology readings.

        MAGIC SQUARE – this is the world’s easiest Magic Square. If you add up every number on every card you will find they all add up to 42. This makes a great giveaway on the back of your business card.

        MARKED DECK – The cards are marked in a subtle way so you can either use this as a stacked deck system, or if somebody chooses a card you know what the reading is without looking at it. Also provided is a crib sheet to help. You can also do this as a Tossed Out Deck for stand-up or stage performances.

        ONE-WAY DECK – Because of the unique hand drawing if all the fingers point in the same direction.

        TOSSED-OUT DECK – a stand up routine where people select cards and you can actually tell them which ones they have chosen.

        Fortunes Hands is Anthony’s first public release from the vast array of material he has honed and collected over many years and will be welcomed by both mentalists and magicians who want to add something unique to their working repertoire.

        MY THOUGHTS:

        Having tried this out the past two months at walk-about gigs I can tell you this is one of the strongest pieces I’ve added to my professional repertoire in a very long time. You can do as many card tricks and flash shuffles as you like, but there is nothing the paying audience want more than to have their fortune told. This specially designed deck does exactly that and much more. Not only does it allow people to have their fortunes told, it also has lots of extra additions that enable you to perform some true miracles.  Each card is marked in a very unique way that allows you to also give a very basic numerology reading then do a magic square on a person using their selected numbers. What is so clever about this deck is you don’t have to actually know how to work out  a magic square, it’s the easiest version I’ve ever seen. For walk-about this makes the ideal effect because you can work this on several people doing different readings and effects.

        You don’t need any prior knowledge of cold-reading to use this and actually it isn't even cold-reading.  It allows you to connect with your audience and they become emotionally involved. I’ve never had so many people ask for business cards before – perhaps that is the real strength of this. The deck is designed so it allows you to do several different routines as well as give various readings. You can have predictions on your business cards, or just read a person’s mind or just tell them their fortune. If you’ve never given a ‘reading’ before then you should invest in this and find out how strong this can be. If you are a seasoned pro then I know you’re going to love what this deck of 30 fortune cards can do.

        Whether you are a magician or a mentalist, if you do any type of walk-about entertainment I highly recommend this deck by Anthony Watson.  The instructions are well written and the deck will open up a lot of possibilities for routines and making connections with your audience. The cards are Tarot card size and printed on high quality Tarot card stock. I carry mine in a little pouch and it fits perfectly inside my inside jacket pocket. A good friend of mine just bought this and he also told me the reactions are some of the best he's getting. He isn't a cold-reader or mentalist and just does mostly walk-around magic. I told him to try it out and he said people were loving having their fortunes told and then having the addition of the effects really made it strong. 

        PRICE: $45.00

        AVAILABLE: http:www.hocus-pocus.com

        WHOLESALE: www.murphysmagic.com

         

        NEAL SCRYER'S BOOKS

         

         

         

         

        MY THOUGHTS:

        Five of the most influential books in the field of mentalism since 13 Steps. Quite a bold statement but once you've read the material you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. These books have come in to print and sold out almost instantly. Only a certain amount were released and so once they go chances are that's it.

         

        Within the pages of all these books are a lifetime of effects and articles that Scryer has made a career from, as well as his friends who include the Whose Who of mentalism. The material ranges from powerful mentalism style routines to techniques on giving various readings to everything else under the sun when it comes to the field of mentalism.

         

         All five books offer such a vast array of material it's almost impossible to choose a favourite or even describe them all.

        I will say that I have been a huge fan since the very first Black and White books by Scryer which went out of print very quickly and thankfully was introduced back as a double book. These books are GOLD and the information in them can help make careers for people.

        Many contain not just 'effects' but entire presentations and routines that you can create an entire evenings entertainment from.

        I am fortunate to own all of the books and these are the books I refer to more than any other in my huge library. I am constantly reading and re-reading them getting ideas that I can develop and work on.

        The material is valuable for magicians, mentalists as well as people who like to do cold-readings. Magicians will find it valuable for the effects as well as learning more about making a connection with their audience. Scryer's routines with Svengali decks are the best I've ever seen and I've fooled not only lay people with them but many magicians as well.

         

        To find out more about the books visit www.hocus-pocus.com and read the material in each book - my advice to every performer is if you are looking at getting books filled with wonderful gems, insights and effects that you WILL use these books are for you. Do check with the contents as some are geared more to 'readers' (cold-readers, etc such as Band of Readers) than others.