The Newest Tops

Thank you all in that great magic organization, the SAM, for all the work and for the wonderful convention you produced in a great facility. There are naysayers and such but anyone who went has to report a fun time. The dealer room was spacious with tables for play. Richard Turner absolutely blew me away and we reminisced about Vernon, who was his best man and a great mentor of mine. If you ever have a chance to see him, up close as we did, get all you can from this one of a kind, never to be seen again master.

Losander with his magical art was dealing and demonstrating real magic and Whit Hayden had the cool cool stuff and many others who I have read about were there and the old stand bys too, namely Bob Little who made the dealer room especially enjoyable. The break out rooms were on the same floor, The Main Showroom had professional risers and all the stagecraft by Bruce Chadwick to make the shows a success. Hats off to his tech helpers. I especially love to see the eager young magicians and their cards and sleights. I enjoyed the Thursday evening contest show with great flash magic. Visual magic is where it’s at for me. I too am working on a new 7 minute act, no Skilldini, more flash and show off. So once again thank you all who made this a great time.

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I was admonished by Tim Deremer regarding last months article. Tim, a carny, has very high literary standards. It’s surprising for a man who has a 6 legged cow and a girl in the fishbowl to critique form and style. This month more Strunk and less rambling. Before we leave last month, let me reiterate. Skill is great but gags pay the bills. Yucks are bucks Kevin James told me first.

I just spent 24 hours in my old stomping ground of Batlle Creek and Colon. It looks different bad. When I arrived back in my little hamlet in Ohio I felt comfortable. Getting old.

I attended the church of gambling, the new casino in Battle Creek and dropped some cash. I could smell the place before the door opened. Casinos. The bane of states. Ohio will have these halls of pain soon.

You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As times go by.
What the heck am I talking about?

Just an ole gag … “you must remember this…”, stated emphatically followed by some lines from the song.

Gags. Who named them Gag? My X used that term. I have it written on the wall. Jay Marshall told me to get more. I have tried. Not as diligently as I should. (continue reading…)

Dec. 6 2009. Tiger Amanda Jobs Zhu Zhu Warm Cold Left Right Fat Slim Iran Iwalk. Life is a gay spoof an old funny man told me.

OK, shall we begin … Mysterioso was great. The combination of music and magic. Integrated professionally. Les and his cute daughter are great. Joseph Gabriel was very nice and helped me with my parakeets. David and Dania were swell and David Sandy and his Mom and shop teacher were very nice. And last but not least the music was wonderful. Go to the symphony. Get good seats and soak it up. An old friend was there, Martin Preston, who has a tribute show as Liberace. Go to http://www.liberaceshow.com. He remembered a Johnny Carson suit I had on when we first met. What a memory. That should tell you how long ago it was. I still remember that suit and the Countess Mara tie.

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This past month has been busy, but I need to focus on good busy, busy with a payoff. I can be diverted 10 ways from center. I’m making a prop stand that will fit on a mic stand. A 12” quarter inch plywood circle with a 4” dowel affixed to its center. That dowel clips into the mic clip. Handy. I am a table nut! I attended the Ron Allesi auction in Eaton Ohio. Larry Mechan was the auctioneer and Mike Bishop helped with the explanations and so on. It’s a lot of fun with a great family feel. The Reed sisters were there to brighten the room. A group of magic collectors are a grim sight. I bought quite a bit and am selling some on ebay. It also means I have to go to Colon, which I did, and leave some props to be worked on. I delivered the last of Catalog 26 to Greg too. If you don’t have a hard copy there are 11 boxes there and no more. Greg will not print another. Out of print as a collector would say. So buy 26 from Greg, quick like.

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Tim Wright, The Great Skilldini

NEW YORK – My good friend Bob Torkova had me as his guest in Jersey City. He has a wonderful home with the best TV I have ever seen. A Samsung LCD I believe. We watched Key Largo and it was so good looking I thought I could touch Lauren Bacall. Really it was weird how the image looked. Maybe it was the cable. My big rig does not compare.

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Tim Wright is an experienced entertainer who blends audience participation with humor and mystifying magic into a people pleasing performance. Tim also specializes in theme-focused programs designed to educate, enlighten and entertain.

Tim is a rare two time winner of the Neil Foster / Bill Baird Award for Manipulation during the 2003 and 2009 Get Togethers and also a recipient of the Best Stage Performer Award at the Columbus Magi Fest in 1995. Tim is a regular performing member of The Magic Castle Hollywood and also an International Brotherhood of Magicians life member. Be sure to visit him at http://www.skilldini.com