Magicians today acknowledge that the examples set by the legendary Cardini -- in technique, in suavity, and in career achievement -- shone the light for them. It is probable that Cardini has still not been surpassed as both an entertaining and an artistic exponent of pure sleight-of-hand within the limitations of a short vaudeville act. In his lifetime, he had received virtually every accolade a magician could have achieved, performing for presidents and kings, and being generally acknowledged among his peers as the standard by which perfection in his kind of magic should be set. He was quite simply the Fred Astaire of sleight-of-hand. By John Fisher
On June 8, 2007, the opening night crowd The Montana Wonder Theater was treated to a classic illusion-based magic show, complete with sleight-of-hand, levitation, and a Houdini escape. The experience was truly a Vegas-quality show put on by Duane and Mary Lafflin, two veterans of magic who could perform on any stage they desired. Yet here they were, in the struggling downtown area of a small town in one of the most remote areas in the lower 48 states. So how is it that they ended up deciding to open a magic theatre in Libby? By Ron Furlong
The two largest magic societies in North America held their annual conventions back-to-back this summer. Our photographers captured some of the highlights from the IBM in Reno and the SAM in Dallas. By H. Rick Bamman and Gary Hughes
As I drove across the hot, dusty desert, making my way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, one thought was on my mind: what new magical and medical wonders would be appearing before my eyes this weekend? I was headed to the MGM Grand Hotel to participate in the 25th anniversary celebration of Project Magic, David Copperfields stroke-of-genius idea to help hospital patients recover coordination and cognitive skills by teaching magic tricks specially chosen with professional occupational therapists. By Mark Paskell
From theme parks and casinos to corporate shows and the USO, Aaron Radatz has been trouping his magic around the world. But he hasnt done it alone. "Team Radatz" is the secret to his success. By Jaq Greenspon
Not quite three inches tall and roughly 400 calories, the Candy Magicians created by Cindy Atmore just might be the sweetest group of mystifiers youve ever seen. By Alan Howard
This month, read about how the magic of Harry Potter will live on now that the last book has come out, visit an exhibit in Buenos Aires where four hundred years of illusion are on display, experience Dean Gunnarsons latest escape that involves farming equipment, and spend "A Moment With... Milt Larsen" as he discusses some of the specifics behind the sale of The Magic Castle.
Twelve items are covered this month by Gabe Fajuri, Brad Henderson, Peter Duffie, Jason England, and John Lovick, including: ?Tricksandflourishesandeverythingelse (The Trilogy) by Dan and Dave Buck ?Covert Magic with Iain Moran ?Double Impact by Terry LaGerould ?Robert-Houdins Protean Pack by Gary Plants ?Breather by Rodger Lovins ?Brazen by Tom Jorgenson ?Party Animal DVDs with Matthew Dowden ?Prohibition by Charlie Justice ?Wrap It Up by Jay Sankey ?Stand-Up Magic Volumes 1-3
Angelo Lewis to Will Goldston It wasnt so much the contents of this letter that piqued Mikes interest, but rather the author and its recipient. One hundred years ago there were few names more widely known in the British magic scene than those of Messieurs Lewis and Goldston. At the time of this letter, 1913, Angelo Lewis -- better known by his pen name, Professor Hoffmann -- and his friend, J.N. Maskelyne were regarded as the grand old men of British magic (both were born in 1839). Even today, magic history is divided into two distinct eras: pre-Hoffmann and post-Hoffmann. This refers to magic as it existed before the publication of Professor Hoffmanns Modern Magic in 1876 and the Golden Age that followed.
Talk About Tricks features two moves to implement in your Cups & Balls routine from Venezuelas Mago Mai. Then its off to Italy to learn a devious three-card divination from Tony Binarelli. Back to Canada for two offerings: Spideys Ambitious climax called Blast from the Past and Chris Mayhews vanishing card trick called Holes. With Corey Harriss Impossible Card to Box and David Solomons new take on a card classic, we round out another jam-packed issue.
Magicians usually have to be careful not to leave a mess when they perform. But now that it is the summer, we will all be performing more shows outdoors. David Kaye suggests that we take advantage of being outside and use tricks that are so messy they cant be performed indoors. This month, he examines tricks where you leave the stage littered, including a very fun Hydrostatic Glass routine from Gay Ljungberg of Sweden.
Theres nothing like a shiny new paintjob to revamp that illusion thats been sitting in the garage collecting dust. With sharp, eye-catching new graphics, something you may have considered old-fashioned suddenly looks cutting edge. Especially when deep down you know the magic is solid and time-tested. So David Starr steps away from the "Concept Development" aspect of "StarrCraft" this month and takes a look at "Prop Design."
Gaetan describes his approach to the classic juggling stunt with eggs and glasses. You have three glasses and three eggs. You set a tray on top of three glasses, then balance three eggs onto three tubes on the tray. When you sharply strike the side of the tray, the eggs fall into the glasses. However, Gaetan has taken this stunt, added another element, and turned it into a two-phased routine. Find out how. In addition, Gaetan follows through on an idea from his first column, where he wrote about creativity and how to generate ideas by picking an object and doing some free association with it. For his second column, he asked Kevin James to give him an item to use as an experiment in creativity. The item suggested was a bamboo backscratcher. Gaetan shares the results of a one-hour brainstorming session.
Nikolai Friedrich Nikolai contributes an unusual effect where a member of the audience blows up a transparent balloon, which is then signed. The magician causes the air inside the balloon to change into helium and the now floating balloon is attached to a string and given to the assistant as a souvenir! This routine combines both a novel effect and a nice gift that should also transport the audience back into their childhood. For "Flicking Failures," Nikolai tells the story of buying one of the first electronic transmitter boards for about $3,000, and his dream of performing an almost perfect bit of mindreading. Find out what happened the first time he tested it out in front of an audience.
The author finds inspiration in many things and many places: in museums and antique stores, in movies and plays and television shows. But mainly he finds inspiration in books.
Analysis-Paralysis: The inability or aversion to perform in front of a live audience. A lack of drive to rehearse, or practice. Obsession with perfection. Powerlessness to make practical steps toward realizing your magical goals. Fortunately, the "doctor" is in.

Quantity: