Published by the International Brotherhood of Magicians

Honest Sid Gerhart Ring 76

Editor and Publisher - Malcolm Campbell, Editor@ring76.com

Proofreader - Sherry Luft, Photographer - James Thayer

San Diego Ring 76 September 2016 VOL. XXX #9

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

MagiCurrents

Ring 76 2016-17 Calendar Sep 12 Silk Magic*

Oct 10 Halloween Magic*

tbd Kozmo lecture

Nov 14 Swap Meet

Dec 12 Holiday Potluck

Jan 9 New (to me) Tricks*

Feb 13 Close-up Competition

Mar 13 Teach a Trick*

Apr 10 Kids Magic*

May 8 Standup Competition

Jun 12 Elections, Food Magic*

Jul tbd Installation Banquet

Aug 14 Magic with Bags*

*Opportunity for Members to Perform

San Diego Ring 76 meets the second

Monday of the month at:

Denny’s

4280 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.

San Diego 92117

(the 3rd block west of Balboa)

Upstairs Meeting Room

Our next meeting is Monday,

September 12 at 7:00.

Venues for special meetings will be

announced

Direct any questions concerning the

calendar to VP Entertainment Richard

Ustick, ru9@ring76.com.

PRESIDENT’S

MESSAGE

By Joe Mystic

Greetings all you Ring 76

members, family and friends. As

I write this message, I want to

thank all of the people that have been instrumental in

creating the finest Ring newsletter in the I.B.M. The

high standard and format have been handed down a few

times and currently Malcolm Campbell is carrying on the

tradition. Kudos to you all.

I invite all Ring 76 members to come to this month’s

gathering to see our new meeting format.

I also invite you to bring something to show us all

after the theme performers do their effects related to Silk

Magic. That’s right, we want to open up stage time to

those that want to try out a new effect, hone your skills

on an ongoing effect or just take a chance that something

new will work (or not).

We want our Ring members to participate in some

fashion. Be bold, don’t worry, we are your friends. We

can help bring your skills up a notch or even learn

something from you. It is just like practice but with an

actual audience instead of a mirror! If we still don’t fill

the full meeting time, we will have someone teach

something to make us all wiser and better. Let’s be the

brotherhood that is part of being I.B.M.

I look forward to seeing some new and unfamiliar

faces along with those who are regulars at each meeting.

mailto:ru9@ring76.com

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 2

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

Minutes of the August 8, 2016

Ring 76 Membership Meeting

The meeting was called to order by our new

President for 2016 -17, Joe Mystic McGrievy at

7:10 pm.

The room arrangement was modified from

what we typically have with the “Stage” being in

the south end of the room instead of the north

end which reduced the amount of table

rearranging necessary.

Joe mentioned his desire to get more

members to participate in performing and a plan

to use all of the time available at meetings with

scheduled events such as panel discussions, trick

teaching, help with tricks, as well as spontaneous

items after the main program.

He also discussed the need for assistance

from the Membership in finding a more suitable,

permanent meeting location.

Bob Meigs then took the floor and recapped

his plan to find public venues for Ring members

to perform in regularly scheduled events. Two

possibilities would be Farmer’s Markets and a

neighborhood space such as someone’s lawn or a

park. Bob asked for a show of hands from those

who would have some interest and there was a

moderately positive response.

MagiCurrents Editor, Malcolm Campbell,

asked for a volunteer to report on the Magic Live

Conference coming up the following weekend.

There was no response.

The meeting was then turned over to the V.P.

of Entertainment, Richard Ustick who introduced

the competition theme of the night, “Bag Magic.”

Each contestant had been instructed to bring a

bag containing a few items from which a trick

might be constructed. Richard had each select a

bag which was not theirs and the group retired to

the hall for 10 minutes to inspect the items in

their bag and plan a performance. They were

allowed to use any or all of the items in the bag.

When the contestants returned, Richard

called the names one at a time to perform.

First up was Kenny Shelton. Kenny’s bag

contained the props for a linking rope trick from

which Kenny constructed an impressive routine.

Greg Wauson drew an ever changing

change bag which seemed to unfolded endlessly

to display many different colors and patterns of

fabric.

Gary Dismukes discovered an aerosol paint

can and several other props from which he

devised a routine to insert a stirring ball into the

can.

Jeff Marcus used a prediction ball he

found to accurately predict cards drawn by two

spectators.

Craig Blackwood’s bag looked like a

clearance sale at a magic shop. From the dozens

of items, he chose a giant deck with which he

successfully preformed a card matching routine.

Malcolm Campbell employed a fool-proof

routine which could be successfully used

regardless of what he found in the bag. He chose

a deck of cards from the two items he found and

soon found that nothing is fool-proof. But it was

so close….

The meeting concluded with Jeff Pearson

demonstrating a card-in wallet effect.

Following adjournment, members stayed for

dessert and socializing.

….. malcolm campbell, acting secretary

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 3

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

GARY DISMUKES

BAG NIGHT COMPETITION

THE CONTESTANTS

GREG WAUSON

Audience Ready Rules Reviewed What’s in Your Bag?

Where did it go?

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 4

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

MALCOLM CAMPBELL

CRAIG BLACKWOOD JEFF MARCUS

AND THE WINNER IS ………

Kenny Shelton

There’s a trick in here someplace

I found it! It was absolutely foolproof ..

CONGRATULATIONS KENNY!

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 5

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

SHAVINGS FROM THE BOARD

MINUTES OF RING 76

BOARD MEETING

August 22, 2016

The meeting was called to order by President Joe

"Mystic" McGrievy at 7:00 pm. The First V.P.

(entertainment) Richard Ustick, and Second V.P.

(membership) James Thayer, were absent. The

other board members were all present: Secretary

Ken Intriligator, Treasurer Bob Meigs, Sergeant-at-

Arms Sherry Luft, Member-at-Large (Past Pres.)

Kenny Shelton, and Member-at-Large and

Newsletter Editor Malcolm Campbell. Also present

was guest Lupe Shelton.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND AGENDA

The minutes of both the June and July Board

meetings were available, and both were approved.

REPORTS

Treasurer’s report - Treasurer Bob Meigs

reported that the ring received dues payments from

three members, including a late fee. The available

cash balance as of 8/22/16 was reported to the

board.

The report was approved.

Library report - Kenny Shelton reported that

the library items have been safely stored. He will

bring some to upcoming meetings for members to

check out.

Membership report – It was noted that Ring

76 has 55 members in good standing, including 13

Life Members.

August ring meeting report – Joe had

rearranged the tables prior to the meeting, which

was viewed as an improvement. There were

positive comments about the theme (Bag Night) and

member’s performances; Kenny Shelton was

congratulated for winning the competition.

OLD BUSINESS: None.

NEW BUSINESS

Ring meeting venue – Joe had asked the

Board (and all members) to look for a permanent

location for our meetings which would better suit

our needs. A few possibilities were discussed, but

were generally too expensive or small.

Joe reported that we might be able to hold future

meetings at the San Diego Mission Bay Boat and

Ski Club, and he requested for a couple of Board

members to meet him there the next day to get their

opinion. Joe, Bob, and Malcolm agreed to meet

there the next day.

(Bob subsequently reported to the Board an

enthusiastic, positive description of the venue. Joe

was to contact the management of the location to see

if an arrangement can be made for us to us the venue

on a regular basis.)

Ideas to enhance Ring meetings – Joe proposed

plans to enhance the meetings, with additional

performance and learning opportunities after the

monthly contest segment has ended, time permitting.

For example, members could perform in a more

informal setting, including trying out ideas that are

still in progress and getting feedback from others. Or

the time could be used for teach-a-trick or

techniques. Joe also suggested sending additional

communication and reminders, to increase

attendance at Ring meetings and to encourage

members to perform.

NEWSLETTER UPDATE

Malcolm reports that Andy Custer will send him

a detailed summary of Magic Live 2016, to be

published in the newsletter. Greg Wauson will also

send reviews of his favorite events from Magic Live.

Andy Custer offered to regularly contribute book

reviews, including of some out-of-print books from

the Ring’s library collection.

The board meeting adjourned at 8:26 pm.

……. ken intriligator, secretary

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 6

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

The next membership meeting will feature a “Silk Magic” competition. The rules are simple: the effect you do must somehow involve a silk. Taking one out of your pocket to blow your nose in the middle of card trick would, technically, qualify but may not get you many votes. Remember, the members will be instructed to consider the originality of your effect as a large part of how it is rated so look at what you have, put a new twist on it or come up with something entirely new. It is important, according to the published rules, that you register with the V.P. of Entertainment, Richard Ustick, at Ring76ibm@yahoo.com, if you plan on performing at the September meeting. The Ring also has other rules governing the competitions which you may find at ring76.com. Click on “Contests” on the left. There will also be time after the competition for members to share new material or get help with something they’re working on. Hopefully, this will continue to be a regular part of our meetings in the future. …….. richard ustick, ist v.p. of entertainment

Monday September 12

theme is Silk Magic

New Feature to Begin with Next Issue of MagiCurrents

Starting with the October Issue, member Andy

Custer will author a regular column entitled "The

Tome Sifter".

The column will be dedicated to reviews of physical books, ebooks, pamphlets, and other

written materials, both new and old., related to

magic.

Although his primary interest and expertise is

close-up magic, Andy will be making efforts to

review materials in other genres, including parlor

magic, mentalism, and magic theory. Emphasis

will be on the items in the Ring’s extensive library

which contains many well-known works which are

out of print. Hopefully, this will stimulate

members to take advantage of what is available to

them.

Andy has been a member of Ring 76 for just

over a year. He has studied and performed coin and

card magic since his early 20's, an interest sparked

from viewing an Albert Goshman video and

leading to hours poring over Bobo's Modern Coin

Magic.

However, it is only in the past 10 years that he

has actively engaged the magic community,

happily entering a rabbit hole of knowledge and

possibility. He is excited to be able to become

more active with the Ring while also sharing his

passion for reading and learning about the craft of

magic.

……. editor

mailto:Ring76ibm@yahoo.com,ring76.com

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 7

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

Magic Live! 2016 Report By Andy Custer

I have good news, and I have

bad news. First, the bad news: Stan

Allen, publisher of Magic Magazine

every month for the past 25 years

announced his retirement on Monday, August 15.

Inevitably, Magic Magazine will soon cease to exist

in its current incarnation.

However, the good news is that Mr. Allen’s

retirement will be a phased one. A limited-run

periodical called Magic Legacy will be published

over the next two years. Referred to as a “re-

imagining” of Magic Magazine, it seems that this

magazine may include some of the best of the

previous publication, along with new content. (See

the Magic Magazine website for details).

The even better news is that Magic Live will

continue as a convention—at least for the immediate

future—as the next Magic Live is already scheduled

for 2018. That’s a relief, as Magic Live is certainly a

well-run convention that is worth attending at least

once.

This was my first experience with Magic Live,

and it was a high-quality experience despite its size,

with many magic luminaries present, both

performing and lecturing, as well as simply

attending. If you want to spot magic celebrities just

walking around, this is the place to do it. While the

number of attendees is high (around 1600), the

convention is well organized, splitting the attendee

population in half and assigning each half to a

different type of event in the mornings and

afternoons. For example, half of the day was for a

large General Session with several speakers in a

large theater, while another half of the day was

dedicated to three available Focus Sessions, two of

which could be chosen by a convention-goer to

attend.

One of my favorite features of the convention

was that a mini-magazine was provided each day that

accurately reflected the day’s speakers, and included

essays and lecture notes for at least one routine that

was presented. These aren’t programs that you throw

out the next day, but a publication with actual

valuable content inside that allowed you to sit back

and enjoy the presentations, without madly scribbling

notes or having to run to the back to purchase lecture

notes at the end.

For those who may attend Magic Live in the

future, be aware that the high number of attendees

did result in some long lines that began forming up to

an hour prior to a show or session, giving me

flashbacks of attending Comic-Con .

However, I quickly discovered that the effort to get

in a line and standing around for an hour was

unnecessary. The venues were all well set-up for

maximum visibility, and video display of the

speakers was highly effective, regardless of your

seat.

Day 1 (Sunday) – The convention kicked off

with a Gatsby-themed mixer and an open dealer’s

room, allowing attendees to check-in, get oriented,

and find their friends. Purchase of items in the

Dealer’s Room would get you tickets for raffle prizes

announced throughout the evening; Of course, the

more you bought, the more tickets you received. The

(Continued on page 8)

2016 MAGIC LIVE CONVENTION

Magic Live is a regular event which attracts magic aficionados from all over, particularly Southern

California. The Las Vegas location is convenient and accommodations are usually reasonable. Most

importantly, there is a lot of magic going on for four full days.

Two Ring 76 members who attended this year took the time to recap their experiences. First-timer, Andy

Custer, presents the chronology and his impressions of the four -day event. Repeat attendee, Greg

Wauson, offers his choices for the crème de la crème.

…….. Editor

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 8

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

dealers were a Who’s Who of magic publishing and

item creation, as well as a few dealers of magic

collectibles, such as Potter & Potter auctions. If you

couldn’t find something of interest in that dealer

room, you couldn’t possibly have an actual interest

in magic.

Day 2 (Monday) – The three Focus Sessions

included a demonstration of costume quick change

techniques by Retonio, Natalie and Eli, a Flashback

session reviewing favorite routines featured in

Magic Magazine’s past issues (with Steve Reynolds,

Richard Kaufman, and Joshua Jay), and presenta-

tions on invisible thread techniques by Yigal

Mesika. I chose to attend the Flashback and Quick

Change sessions, and was treated to well-presented

content for both topics.

The Quick Change session covered a variety of

techniques for accomplishing quick costume

changes, with demonstrations of both preparing and

performing those techniques.

The Flashback session was card-focused, with

Steve Reynolds demon-strating a small-packet card

routine, as well as a bill-counting routine (in place

of Jon Racherbaumer who was unable to attend).

Richard Kaufman presented two stand-up card

routines, and was followed by Joshua Jay who

demonstrated and described a card at any number

routine using a book to reveal the prediction.

The General Session lasted around two hours,

and had six presenters. Lance Burton gave a keynote

address, emphasizing the tradition of passing

knowledge to the next generation of magicians.

Mike Caveney followed by analyzing correspond-

dence between him and Stan Allen in their youth,

and exhorting magicians to correspond with pen and

paper to better allow history to be preserved.

Luis Piedrahita, a magician and comedian from

Spain, described his current project of “exposing”

magical effects as a form of entertainment, while

Michael “Six” Muldoon discussed the positive

impact of his involvement in the non-profit

Magicians Without Borders. Kevin King gave a

hilarious “presentation” on the future of magic that

left me reeling, although not necessarily from its

prescience. Max Maven spoke about “death” of

originality and thought in magic, which was

followed by a sobering slide show remembering the

great performers who have passed away over the

last 25 years.

Monday evening’s events included a one-man

show by Mark Haslam entitled “The Secret Class.”

This was a compelling piece of magic theater that

illustrated the passing of the torch between

generations of magicians, one of the highlights of

the convention.

A large theater show was also presented on

Monday evening and emceed by Stan Allen. The

theater show included a refreshingly diverse mixture

of acts in a single evening. Christopher Hart

manipulated cards, mixed flame and silk, and

discovered what happens when you try to destroy

sheet music.

Juan Mayoral presented a romantic interlude

with a woman who was not there, while Vik and

Fabrini showed a magician’s difficulties with a

robotic assistant. Jinger Leigh (introduced by Mark

Kalin) provided a lovely sphere levitation, while

Marco Zoppi of Italy manipulated bubbles along

with music to great effect.

David Williamson closed the show with a high

energy and hilarious presentation with three young

assistants and his raccoon. The Amazing Jonathan

also spoke briefly, announcing that he has been

steadily overcoming his health issues, and will be

doing some limited performances in the future.

Day 3 (Tuesday) – The three available Focus

Sessions for Tuesday included lectures by Daryl

Martinez (on Practical and Performable effects), Jeff

McBride (on Show Doctoring), and Rafael (on

Innovative Ideas in Family Entertainment). I chose

the sessions with Jeff McBride and Rafael. Jeff

McBride, along with his wife Abbi, provided food

for thought on why magicians should analyze their

shows closely to improve them, as well as some

techniques for doing so.

(Continued from page 7)

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MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 9

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

Rafael, a Belgian magician, gave an entertaining

lecture on interesting ideas for effects that can be

used for family magic shows.

Tuesday’s General Session was hosted by Mat

Franco, who also spoke about his personal rules in

creating illusions for television, as well as ex-

plaining a recent illusion he orchestrated for

television that illustrated the rules he follows.

Julie Eng, a Canadian magician and director of

the non-profit Magicana, told the story of her

journey from full-time magic professional to full-

time non-profit leader, and described the impact of

magic on young lives.

Martin Lewis (a recent lecturer for Ring 76)

demonstrated and described his use of the Gravity

Pull, emphasizing its flexibility for a number of

magic effects.

Master Payne gave an engaging Power Point

presentation on defying your audience’s

expectations and not being afraid of doing

something that not everyone will like. I realize that

the words “engaging Power Point” may sound

oxymoronic, but the slide deck was highly

entertaining.

Mike Elizalde discussed the links between magic

and his business of practical effects in movies,

including his journey from Owen Magic Supreme to

founding Spectral Motion, Inc.

David Copperfield made an appearance to

introduce Marvin Roy aka Mr. Electric, who made a

short speech to a well-deserved standing ovation;

Mr. Roy then presented Copperfield with Roy’s Mr.

Electric stage paraphernalia for inclusion in David’s

museum.

David Penn described and demonstrated his

effect Refraction, a bending effect with a stemmed

glass.

The General Session was capped off by a panel

discussion of the Gambler’s Ballad with Johnny

Thompson and Penn Jillette. The magicians

described the history of the 52 stanza poem, and

then jointly presented the poem with accompanying

gambling card effects. This portion of the General

Session was filmed as part of a short web

documentary that will be available sometime in

October of 2016.

The evening’s festivities included an event

hosted by Justin Willman titled The Game, an

interactive event that included prizes for attendees.

Sadly, exhaustion had already set in, so I decided to

forego The Game in preparation for the Close-Up

experience later in the evening. The Close-Up

Experience was hosted by Steve Valentine, with

performances by French card expert Bebel, Charlie

Frye, Jared Kopf, and Pierric (2016 FISM Grand

Prixe winner). Steve Valentine performed some old

(but highly entertaining) effects with a Demon

Wonder Box, as well as with a coin vanishing and

reappearing in a chocolate box.

Bebel wowed the crowd with his card leger-

demain, while Charlie Frye performed a Chaplin-

esque silent act with cards and coins. Jared Kopf

performed some mentalism and card effects, and

Pierric closed the show with an offbeat act of a

magician getting old watching his act crumble

before his eyes.

Day 4 (Wednesday) – Wednesday’s Focus

Sessions included a Close-Up Clinic in which

attendees had an hour to get interactive teaching

from nine different close-up experts, a presentation

on Improv for Magicians, and a session called 20/20

Hindsight, in which six speakers gave a 20-slide

Power Point presentation in which they were only

allowed 20 seconds of time per slide. I chose the

Close-Up Clinic and the Improv for Magicians

sessions.

The Close-Up Clinic was a wonderful

opportunity to indulge one’s curiosity about a

variety of close-up magic by simply walking around

the room and sitting at a table hosted by a teacher. I

spent most of my time with Pit Hartling, who was

discussing memorized deck techniques, and Eric

Jones, who was teaching a variety of coin magic

techniques. Given the number of experts in the

room, the Close-Up clinic could easily have lasted

(Continued from page 8)

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MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 10

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

all day.

Other teachers in the room included Allan

Ackerman (cards), Jason England (gambling

techniques), R. Paul Wilson (palming), Tom Frank

(cups and balls), Paul Green (classic force), Bob

Kohler (shell game), and John Lovick (bill

switches).

The Improv for Magicians session was presented

by Navaris Darson, a teacher at the Groundlings

Improv Theater and School of Los Angeles. Navaris

Darson provided tips and techniques for honing

improvisational skills, and led members of the

audience in illustrative improv games.

Wednesday’s General Session was hosted by

Michael Weber, who demonstrated an interesting

take on an Al Koran routine for predicting a number

of objects. Weber’s routine used liquids instead of

coins.

Ken Weber gave a presentation on how magic-

ans can improve their performance, as well as some

useful do’s and don’ts for giving and receiving

critique.

Bizarro theatrically presented ways to re-purpose

magical props in order to give them life and interest

for an audience. Ian Rowland provided insight into

working as a non-magical corporate speaker and

trainer, while Steve Spangler discussed his thoughts

and experiences with getting on television.

Finally, Curtis Hickman, Chief Creative Officer

for a virtual reality company, The Void, compared

the similarities (and differences) between magic and

virtual reality, and demonstrated how he developed

an immersive experience with The Void’s tech-

nology.

The final stage show on Wednesday featured

diverse acts from around the world. Mark

Kornhauser hosted the event, which was led off by

Joseph Gabriel doing an impressive dove act. Tom-

my Ten and Amelie Van Tess (Austria) entertained

the audience with a clairvoyant routine echoing the

clairvoyant acts of the 19th Century, and Rafael

(Belgium) performed an offbeat take on standard

stage effects, with a little cameo from Mac King.

Cheng Min Lee of South Korea (winner of the

manipulation category at FISM 2015) performed his

innovative theatrical card manipulation act. Axtel

Aldercreuz of Sweden performed a surreal act in

which he had three legs, along with a lovely piece

involving large rings and silks. Tom Burgoon (U.S.)

had the audience laughing with magician-centric

routines, and Raymond Crowe (Australia) presented

a shadow art routine to the strains of Louis

Armstrong’s classic “What a Wonderful World”.

Overall, the Magic Live! 2016 convention was a

fun, well-organized experience that gave participants

an opportunity to completely immerse themselves in

magical education and entertainment. I guarantee it

will sell out again in 2018, so plan ahead

and keep an eye out for it.

GREG WAUSON’S

MAGIC LIVE TOP 10

FOR 2016

The 2016 Magic Live

convention in Las Vegas has finished a fabulous run.

Everyone I talked to there, including the folks from

San Diego who attended, had great things to say

about it. Given that this convention celebrated 25

years since the first issue of Magic Magazine was

printed, there was a lot of anticipation that this

would be something special and it certainly

delivered. Here's a list of my top ten highlights:

10. Hearing Stan Allen say the next Magic Live

is planned for 2018, with more after that.

9. "The Future of Magic" lecture by Kevin

King. Mr. King was introduced as a futurist we need

to listen to. As he confidently walked onto the stage

and began talking, I was hanging onto every word,

(Continued from page 9)

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MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 11

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

trying as well as possible to grasp his points, which

somehow seemed just out of reach. Then the

audience began to realize that there really was

nothing to grab onto. And that was really Kevin's

point.

This double-talk artist presented dead pan humor

at its finest. He's had fun breaking into one of his

serious but nonsensical monologues with

salespeople who eventually thank him for his time

and walk away with their arms flailing in the air.

8. Julie Eng's talk. Julie worked for years in the

magic shop her dad, Tony Eng, owned. During this

time, she perfected many card sleights. When

someone came into the shop and expressed concern

about how difficult it would be to perform an

Elmsley count needed for a trick he was selling,

Tony would tell them, "Why, even this little girl can

do it."

7. Lance Burton's talk. Lance demonstrated how

he teaches the next generation of great magicians

the sponge ball false transfer in a manner easy for

kids of all ages to learn. He reminded us to invest in

young magicians.

6. The dealer room. This place was packed with

the latest in gizmos, books and DVDs for magicians

of any level. This was kid-in-a-candy-store time.

Many of the dealers were from overseas.

5. Breakfast with present and former San

Diegans. One morning this included Bob Ingalls,

who now lives in Yuma, Arizona, Sherry Luft, Bob

Meigs, Dan Thomas and me. Just seeing Bob was a

highlight and then he topped off our time together

by showing us his nun trick.

4. Jeff McBride's "The Show Doctor" lecture.

His magical director for several years has been Bob

Fitch, a world-class performance troubleshooter.

This showed me that even the best such as McBride

need expert feedback. It also showed the importance

of investing in our art.

3. My favorite takeaway from McBride's lecture:

“Don't use a mirror for practicing except when just

starting with a new trick. Mirrors won't show me I'm

blinking when I perform a move; My eyes will be

closed. Use a video camera instead - and then watch

the video.”

2. The talk by the founder of The Void hyper-

reality company (website: www.thevoid.com). He

first described what his company does, then showed

some of the technical thinking behind it. That was

followed by a video of how it looks to the parti-

cipants and their reactions (including one by

Michael Ammar). This immersive technology

appears like magic.

1. The lecture by Mat Franco, the "America's

Got Talent" winner. This reminded me that my

assumptions sometimes are just not right. A few

weeks ago I watched a YouTube clip of him

performing an effect on TV in which he disappeared

from one of the 24 40-passenger cars, 200 feet in the

air, on the world's biggest ferris wheel. See it at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkhMYGc8294.

Ten seconds later he appeared 250 feet away on the

hub of the ferris wheel.

I readily concluded the 12 or 15 spectators in the

car were stooges, actors and actresses who faked

looks of amazement while Mat simply stood there

out of sight of the camera. Basically, I thought it

was a staged, bogus, event built up to appear to the

TV audience as something impossible. I remember

thinking this was terrible for magic's credibility.

Well, after watching Mat's talk and video walk-

through of the effect and then how they did it, I

realized these people are not actors and I would

have had the same reaction. This was diabolical

stuff, thinking outside the box and a brilliant effect!

If you have the chance to attend one of the

future Magic Live conventions, take it.

…….. greg wauson

(Continued from page 10)

Thanks to Andy and Greg for their informative

complimentary reviews. I’m sure both will be

happy to answer any questions from the mem-

bership at the next meeting. ….. editor

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 12

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

MAGICURRENTS ENTERS 29TH

YEAR OF CONTINUOUS PUBLICATION

Starting from casual meetings at a local restaurant, San Diego Ring 76 was officially Chartered by The

I.B.M. in December of 1948 with the receipt of a type-written sheet titled "Temporary Authority to operate

as an affiliated Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, dated December 6, 1948. The paper

granted authority to operate as I.B.M. Ring 76 and was signed by C. James McLemore, Supervisor of

Rings, I.B.M.

The Ring thrived until 1953 when its activity suddenly ceased. Due to war-related activities and other

demands on Ring members, I.B.M. Ring 76 was abandoned by those who International President Smith

only a few years earlier had charged with "carrying on the art of magic."

In late summer of 1958, Art Hannum and Sid Gerhart decided they needed another night of magic club

meetings every month. The two of them decided to reactivate the old I.B.M. Ring 76 charter and, in

December 1958, the Ring opened for business again with new leadership and a new period in history. In

November 1958, Ring 76 was re-chartered. Founding member Sid Gerhart was instrumental in keeping the

Ring active, through good-times and bad, until his death in 1975. In honor of his efforts, Ring 76 is known

as "The Honest Sid Gerhart Ring".

Thoughout its early history, the Ring published no regular newsletter, there was no email or texting, so

information was primarily distributed verbally at the meetings.

In July of 1988, J.P. Jackson pecked out a newsletter on his typewriter. In addition to the Board

meeting minutes, banquet and President’s reports, there was an article about the need for a new meeting

venue—an ongoing discussion in the Ring today.

Of particular significance was announcement of a contest to name the new publication. The August

issue announced Frank Syren as the winner with the name MagiCurrents. It has been published monthly

under that name since.

The first issue of MagiCurrents also announced the 1989 I.B.M. Convention to be held in San Diego.

“Sixty-Dollars will lock you in.”

MagiCurrents first appeared in color in the 2008-2009 year.

Over the years, MagiCurrents has had relatively few, but dedicated, Editors. The full list includes:

J.P. Jackson 1988 - 1991

Dick Dale 1991 - 1995

Jim Fry 1995 - 1997

Greg Wauson 1997

Don Soul 1997 - 1999

Richard Ustick 1999 - 2002 (Edited in Word Perfect)

Jack White (Int. Pres.) 2002 - 2008 (New format retained for many years)

Don Soul 2008 - 2009 (First color)

Michael Johnson 2009 - 2010 (First edited in Microsoft Publisher)

James Thayer 2010 - 2014

Malcolm Campbell 2014 - Currrnt

(Continued on page 14)

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 13

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

It is with great joy that we announce the wedding of Cristina

Ustick to Alexander Grint this last August 20th. Cristina Ustick is the daughter of Richard Ustick, currently the V.P. of Entertainment for Ring 76. Cristina has been a hard working member of the Ring 76 family for most of her young life. She has even performed at the 2002 IBM National convention, here in San Diego, with her father and brother. Most of you will remember her as the young blond lady who helped Sherry Luft collect your money after our bi-annual auctions or the energetic girl behind the tables at out annual Holiday pot luck. For the last eighteen years she has worked alongside the Board of Directors to make sure all Ring events ran smoothly. Christina met Alex Grint on an Internet Dating service several years ago and have dated steadily ever since. Alex proposed on Valentine's Day 2015, and they had been planning the wedding for most of the last year and a half. The ceremony and reception was held at Wedgwood, the Golf Club of California, in Fallbrook and attended by close family and friends. Please join us in hoping that this next chapter in Cristina's life is as magical as the last. ….. richard ustick

To Our Magical Friends,

Some of you may have known Bob Elliott or Elliott

the Great personally or knew of him and know what

a “Giver” he was of his Time and Magic. Bob would

literally even give you the magic trick he was per-

forming at the moment, without hesitation. If you

would like to honor his memory or the memory of

someone else taken by Alzheier’s, then please sup-

port me in the Walk4ALZ Alzhelmer’s research

fund raiser by clicking the link Sponsor Me. If it

doesn’t open, right click and select Open Hyperlink.

All donations stay in San Diego to help our com-

munity. Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading

cause of death in the United, affecting more than

five million American’s have Alzheimer’s disease.

It is likely to affect someone in your family.

…. Happy Elliott

Sponsor%20Me

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 14

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

(Continued from page 12)

(Continued on page 15)

Sample of First Ring 76 Newsletter, Later to Be Named MagiCurrents

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 15

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

Cartoons titled “MagiToons by Jim Whiting and Ellen Friedman first appeared in March of 2003.

Copies of all known issues of MagiCurrents have been located, either as hard copies or digital files, and

are available as PDF files on Ring76.com.

The January, 1990 issue was the first to carry a volume number (Vol. II, No. 7). Through the years,

several anomalies in numbering appeared, adding up to nearly a year’s advance in Volume Number. Part of

the discrepancy was due to numbering according to the fiscal year (August – July) instead of calendar year at

times.

Hard copies of MagiCurrents exist in various places including Jack White’s files and the Ring archives.

Thanks to our V.P. of Membership and Webmaster James Thayer for the historical research and

information., more of which can be found on our website.

Ring 76 currently has no designated Historian so documents, photos, etc., are not

being archived. We also need a secure storage space. If you are interested in becoming the

Historian and collecting archival materials, please contact any member of the Board.

…… editor

(Continued from page 14)

Foolproof - “so simple, plain, or reliable as to leave

no opportunity for error, misuse, or failure .”

The theme of the August competition was “Bag Night.” Knowing I would be up against members with a much more extensive stable of tricks to apply the bag contents to, I wasn’t going to compete. But, the day before, I thought of a routine I could do no matter what I found in the bag. The trick would be to write a prediction and hand it to someone to hold. Then, using a method suitable to the contents, I would have another person make an un-forced selection from the objects in the bag and have the prediction read. They would match. It was foolproof! My bag held a deck of cards and a gimmick which I discarded. A random card selection from a shuffled deck with a little flourish was a no-brainer. After writing my prediction and handing it to a member of the audience to hold, I had the deck shuffled. Then I dealt 8 cards face down and asked the person who shuffled to pick a number from 1 to 8. He picked 6 and I turned it over to discover a 5D.

Confidently, I asked that the prediction be read. The prediction, which I had written ahead of time and only pretended to write on the spot said, “When asked to read the prediction, say, ‘Y ou will choose the (insert the name of the one selected)’” - Thanks Foolproof trick? Not so. The holder of the prediction opened it and started to read out loud from the very beginning –“When asked to read.....” After the first few words, the whole room knew what had happened and burst into laughter. I haven’t heard a trick get so much laughter in a long time. It was almost better than if it had worked, surely deserving an “A” for entertainment! I’m working on a book with Ralph Felder which addresses the application of Outcome Based Evaluation to ensure a successful performance. The book discusses reducing the probability of mistakes and, recognizing that they can’t be totally elimin- ated, also addresses recovery. There was no way to recover from this one but, if you decide to try it, when you hand the prediction to the reader, just ask her if she can read your writing which will prompt her to look at it before you go one. ….. malcolm campbell

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 16

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

Focus On THE LINKING RING

Each month, Magic-

Currents features items in the

current issue of The I.B.M.’s

The Linking Ring in which we

feel the members might be

especially interested.

This month’s issue features plenty of

photos of the big names and amateurs

performing at the 88th I.B.M. convention.

There is also an interesting Parade by Ian

Adair with a stable of effects mostly using

props and gimmicks easily made at home.

Who knows, there might be something

original there you can use at a Ring

competition night.

……. editor

MAGIC MIKE STILLWELL

PERFORMS AT DAVE AND BUSTERS

Ring 76 member Magic Mike Stilwell, just hit

his 2 year anniversary at Dave & Buster's!

If you need help with a new coin or card sleight

or routine stop by on a Wednesday night for some

free advice. —Or if you just want to take your kids

to a fun place. Dave and Busters has all games 1/2

off in the arcade every Wednesday night!

Either way. you will have a great experience at

Dave & Buster's, 2931 Camino Del Rio N. , San

Diego.(off the 8 at Qualcomm way)

Some nights I walk in and there are decks of

cards on many of the tables .

…….. magic mike stillwell

MagiCurrents — September 2016 Page 17

San Diego Ring 76, International Brotherhood of Magicians

© 2016 I.B.M. Ring 76

Thanks to all who contributed to this issue of MagiCurrents!

….. editor

NOTES AND REMINDERS

The intended publication

date of each issue of

MagiCurrents is the Fri-

day 9 days before the

monthly meeting. Sub-

missions from officers,

reporters and other members are due the

Wednesday before the publication date. If

you want your newsletter on time, please

be prompt!!

Have magic to sell, stage equipment to

rent? Looking for something to buy or rent?

Need a ride or have room for a passenger to

an out of town event such as the Magic Cas-

tle?

Have a special skill another member

might use? Need a temporary assistant?

Advertise it at no cost to Ring 76

members in MagiCurrents

LIBRARY REMINDER

Ring 76 has a large library of books DVD’s,

even VHS tapes covering every phase of magic. All

of the Materials are available for members to check

out and use at home.

Kenny Shelton, our Librarian, regularly brings a

sampling to our meetings and those are available for

immediate check out. But you may not know that

the “Library” link on our website leads you to a

complete list. If you find something there that you

would like to use, contact Kenny at magicjug-

glerks@gmail.com. Tell him what you want and he

will bring it to the next meeting.

Remember, we are looking for prod-uct reviews. It doesn’t matter if you liked what you paid for or not, we want your opinion for the benefit of the rest of the members. If you’re not a writer, we can arrange a short sit-down to gather the facts and write the review.