I was at a show today and there was a kid wearing these very shoes. I almost stopped the show to find out more. But instead I tried to look them up online when I got back. A little less creepy that way, lol. Look at these. Tell me they don't look 100% like something Doug Henning would wear on stage? And then there is the other pair below. Again, perfect for Doug.  They are not Doug's shoes. But if you are interested, here is the link  https://www.zappos.com/p/skechers-kids-twinkle-sparks-shooting-star-brights-314775l-little-kid-multi/product/9878537/color/767?utm_source=go ..read more

  On Tuesday, March 5th 2024, my friend Michael Stroud, passed away. Michael was known professionally as Majinga the Magician and was a very popular California based illusionist. I really want to emphasize that word ILLUSIONIST, because many use the moniker, but they don't perform illusions. Michael/Majinga invested in tons of illusions and he used them and performed them!!! If you never were lucky enough to meet Michael or see him perform, then you really missed out. But there is some good news. He left behind a huge archive of video footage. One of the first things you'll notice about ..read more

  I couple weeks ago I was gathering up a bunch of information on the history of exposure, specifically exposing the secrets to magic tricks. Regrettably, exposing magic has a long history . And depending upon which side you are on.....Side 1, the side who gets hurt by exposure, Side 2, the side making money from exposure. Hmm, I think that says it all. The side making money from exposure. I guess you could be neutral, but if you are into magic for long, rest assured you'll get injured by one of these exposure people.  In the process of putting this article  together, I didn't ..read more

  Last Fall, David Copperfield told the world he would make the Moon Vanish in February 2024. And, February has now come and gone, but the Moon still remains. What gives? Well, according to an article on SPACE.COM,  " a lot of organizations have said they want to collaborate and make it an even bigger event that could do even more good. We're going to try to use it to get telescopes in rural schools and indigenous schools around the country, to encourage kids to really look at the sky and dream about their future, and become scientists and engineers. So, because w ..read more

  Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero was her real name, the Broadway World knew her as Chita Rivera. And she was a singer, dancer, actress and Broadway Royalty!  She was nominated 10 times for Tony Awards and she won twice. One of those nominations was for her role as The Queen, in the magical musical MERLIN, also starring Doug Henning.  She died January 30th, 2024, she was 91 years old and didn't look a day over 60. She had an amazing career.  ..read more

  I will begin by saying, I have no idea what is going on here. The top image is from the book, Houdini His Legend and Magic by Doug Henning and Charles Reynolds. I assume this image first appeared in a magazine article during Houdini's time. If you flip it upside down, clearly the face looks like that of Houdini.  So explain to me the image below. This is the exact same image except it has been doctored. A drawing has been placed over Houdini's name. The name DUNNINGER has been added. If you flip it over, the previous face of Houdini has been altered very slightly, but more hair h ..read more

  The Florida Magic Collector's Conference 2024 just finished up and it was both educational and historical. OH, and lot's of fun as well. A smaller conference than some, it has a charm all it's own. I missed the first day's events which had a flea market and auction. And then in the evening, a charming presentation was given by Skilldini, Tim Wright. He has a history with Abbott's Magic Shop in Colon Michigan. He worked there and knew many of the various characters who built, painted, welded, sewed and created the various treasures that were sold at the shop. A really fun presentation ..read more

  Here is a forgotten gem. It's called The Rice and Water Trick in Later Magic by Professor Hoffmann. In Greater Magic it's referred to as The Rice Bowls. As a dealer item sold at magic shops it's often referred to as The Chinese Rice Bowls. The basic effect consists of two empty bowls. Rice is added to one of the bowls, then the two are placed together. When separated, the rice has doubled in quantity. Then the doubled rice is leveled off and the bowls are again placed together. This time when separated, the rice is gone and in it's place is water! It's an amazing trick. The actual ori ..read more

  Magic Dealer and performing magician, Frank Ducrot had some very memorable things about him. First, he had 3 nicknames: Fritz, Duke, and Dukie. Next, he was well known for three things, a magic wand, his slippers, and his flowing tie. I kept reading about this 'flowing tie' in articles on Frank but I had no idea what it was. I assumed maybe it was some sort of bit or joke he used in his act. The opposite turned out to be true. The so-called flowing tie turned out to be nothing more than an unusual neck tie that he wore. If you've ever seen images of Buster Brown from the Buster Brown ..read more

  Tommy Smothers, one half of the famous comedy duo, The Smothers Brothers, passed away on Dec 26th, 2023 at the age of 86. He passed after a battle with cancer. Though Tommy was not a magician perse, the duo does have a couple really special connections to the world of magic. First, one of the writers on The Smothers Brothers Show that ran on CBS in the late 1960s was magician/comedian Steve Martin. In fact, Steve appeared on one of the episodes and did presented his comedy magic act. See below. But the second and lesser known connection to magic was Mr. Harry Blackstone Jr.. Harry w ..read more