Paul Diamond may not be a household name in the world of magic today, but everyone that I speak to from Johnny Thompson, to Mac King & Lance Burton, etc... all knew "Mr. Humble." I was very sad to learn today that he had passed away. As a boy discovering the art of magic while living in South Florida, making the trip to Paul's shop in the Lauderdale by the Sea area was a must! I was lucky enough to get my first exposure to magic through a teacher associated with Paul's shop when I was in...

It has been a rough week for magic.  This afternoon I learned that we had lost yet another member of magic's royality, "Princess" Irene Larsen.  From Erika: It is with the greatest sorrow imaginable, that we announce the passing of my beautiful, beloved mother, Irene Larsen. She left us suddenly, but not before touching many, many lives deeply and permanently. She was grace personified. Her love is all around us. She will be missed forever. The family is grieving, and we appreciate your kind...

YOU ARE ALREADY MISSED MY FRIEND As a native Atlantan, I have very fond memories of seeing Tom Mullica perform at his magic bar on Peachtree Street, The Tom Foolery. I am sad to report that today, we lost one of magic's great performers and a genuinely nice guy. When we recorded this, Tom had been battling leukemia, but it was in remission and Tom was preparing to renew his Red Skelton tribute show in Branson. There was recent talk about the opening of a new Tom Foolery on Las Vegas as well....

Chris Ramsay is a magician. He's a photographer. He's a guy that can't be easily categorized, which is probably exactly how he likes it. Chris discovered magic as a child and honed his skills as a traditional magician while working in a restaurant, but it wasn't until he discovered cardistry and flourishing that he really came into his own.  These days, he has become one of the most popular performers posting material to social media. Listen in to learn what it is about magic that inspires...

Jim Steinmeyer & Mike Caveney rejoin me on the Magic Newswire's "Spirit of Magic" podcast to talk about several topics including magic snobbery, the 20th anniversary of the LA Magic History Conference which just wrapped in Los Angeles, their new release from Taschen Books, "Magic: 1400 - 1950",  and their current projects including Steinmeyer's biography of Howard Thurston and Caveney's long anticipated "Magic of Mike Caveney."   

In the conclusion of my interview with magic creator, consultant, historian and author Jim Steinmeyer we cover a wide range of topics. What makes the Masked Magician Specials possible? Can the secrets of magic really be protected from exposure? What challenges are faced by Cirque when developing a new presentation of magic for the public? What's missing from modern magic as it is presented on television today? In addition we discuss the release of his upcoming book on Howard Thurston and his...

Magic creator, consultant, historian and author Jim Steinmeyer is our guest on this episode of the Magic Newswire podcast. In addition to talking about his magical youth, Jim shares his experiences working with some of the biggest names in magic. Doug Henning, David Copperfield, Lance Burton and Siegfried & Roy are just a few of the professional performers who have all turned to Jim for assistance over the years. In addition to writing a new work on Thurston and completing an oversized...

Here is a repost of the two part interview with David Ben which was originally published in October of 2009.  It has been remastered to remove the ads and consolidate both parts into one continuous interview. David talks about Marlo, Vernon and many other notable figures from the history of magic. From the original post: The public, the press and his peers have recognized David as one of the world’s foremost sleight-of-hand artists.  In Dai Vernon: A Biography (2006), David penned the first...

On this episode of the Magic Newswire's "Spirit of Magic" podcast we have a chat with Australia's honest conman and one of the hosts of the latest incarnation of The Real Hustle, Nicholas Johnson. The concept for the Real Hustle as a television program originated in the UK and has gone through several incarnations in various countries. Nicholas is a con artist, magician, speaker & comedian who uses sleight of hand, card cheating, pickpocketing & psychology to recreate the world of the...

As we approach the 100th anniversary celebration of the mansion that serves as the permanent resident for the Academy of Magical Arts, we continue to explore the rich history of the Magic Castle. My guest on this episode of the podcast is George Seigel. George is the architectural historian for the Castle and the man that knows the complete history of the mansion. How many people have died in the Castle? Are there any reports of paranormal activity? Is there a connection between the family...

A long time promise is now fulfilled for MagicNewswire Podcast listeners.  Some time ago, I recorded a fantastic interview with "Magician's Magician" Armando Lucero.  Unfortunately, due to a perfect storm of technical issues, I thought that it had been lost.  In addition, time constrains placed upon me by my nob and family have prevented me from dedicating the time needed to try and recover this gem.  Fortunately, I st aside some time and have managed to resurrect this conversation.  Armando...

The public, the press and his peers have recognized David as one of the world’s foremost sleight-of-hand artists.  In Dai Vernon: A Biography (2006), David penned the first half (part two being in production) of the definitive portrait of Dai Vernon, the most influential magician of the twentieth century. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Magicana, a performing arts organization and registered charity which serves to educate and increase the public’s understanding and appreciation...