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
VANISH INTERNATIONAL MAGIC MAGAZINE NUMBER TWO June/July 2012 -