Published by the International Brotherhood of Magicians
Honest Sid Gerhart Ring 76
Editor and Publisher - Malcolm Campbell, [email protected]
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, [email protected].
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:[email protected]
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 [email protected], 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:[email protected],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
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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.
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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
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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,
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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-
[email protected]. 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.