Magic New Zealand® E-zine

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* Magic New Zealand®
* Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment Ltd (New Zealand)
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Issue Number: #1596
Date: Sunday 15th November 2020
Editor: Alan Watson QSM
www.watson.co.nz
E-mail: editor@magicnewzealand.com
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Hi here is the latest news
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1. Editors Message
2. Hybrid Multi-Venue Concept
3. Broken Wand - Walter "Zaney" Blaney
4. The Magic Word Podcast
5. Vanish Subscription News
6. Don't Fold Up! - John Carey #100
7. Ongoing Adventures Of Romany! #33
8. Ken Brooke Special Limited Edition
9. The Orchante Saga - Beginnings
10. E-zine Archives
11. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice

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1. Editor's Message
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If you would like to read the Magic New Zealand e-zine in HTML format
go to: http://www.magicnewzealand.com/ezine-archive/2020-Jan-to-Dec-2020/1596-Nov15-2020.html

If you would like to write a regular column for Magic New Zealand or have some magic news drop me a line:
Editor@MagicNewZealand.com

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2. Hybrid Multi-Venue Concept
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Message by Eric Eswin

A positive perspective for the future of magic is presented by Eric Eswin in a paper about a Hybrid Multi-venue concept.

Although it focuses on the FISM World Championships, the concept is certainly applicable to other magic congresses.

http://www.magischewelt-plus.de/Plus/Download.html

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3. Broken Wand - Walter "Zaney" Blaney
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Bart Whaley - Who's Who in Magic

Blaney, Walter (Edwin) "Zaney"

(Dallas, Texas: 11 Feb 1928- ) Inspired at age 9 by classmate doing show-&-tell & then seeing Blackstone show. Learned from library magic books. Debut in high school. Billed as "Zaney
Blaney" since 1946. Took dramatic arts degree in 1950 from U of Texas. Full-time pro stage comedy magician since 1950. Pet effects: Repeat Vanishing Birdcage & Blaney method of Shirt Removal. In 1965 founded "Show Stoppers Company" in Houston, Texas. TAOM President 1970-71. International President of the World Alliance of Magicians until 1999. Father of Becky Blaney.

Awards: 1960 TAOM Werner Trophy for Best Comedy Act & Crofts Award for Act Most Interesting To Children. 1986 Las Vegas Seminar Silver Lion Award. 1996 SAM Hall of Fame.

Invented his Ladder Levitation in 1955, premiered it at 1965 IBM Convention, & marketed it since 1986 (first to Copperfield); Giant Rabbit Production from Shopping Bag (1960); Blaney Live Feet Thin Sawing (1960, built & premiered 1980); Blaney Lighted Sword Cabinet (1969, built & premiered 1979).

Articles in Linking Ring, Genii, Tops, Lines from Lawton, MUM. Several TV shows beginning with Carson in 1973.

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4. The Magic Word Podcast
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Message by Scott Wells, M.I.M.C. with Gold Star

Aiden Sinclair, Patrick Thernes and Ariann Black on The Magic Word Podcast

One of the advantages of listening to The Magic Word Podcast is that you are often introduced to new "friends" whom you may not have known nor heard of before. Two of these three names are not "celebrity" magicians in our small universe, but they should be on your radar. The third had her own show in Las Vegas and also made the cover of a recent issue of M.U.M.

Prior to Halloween we released an episode featuring Aiden Sinclair, a "paranormalist" who works in the famed Stanley Hotel in Colorado. Over 100 years old, this hotel is perhaps best known in recent years for being the inspiration for Stephen King's epic novel, "The Shining" that spawned the blockbuster movie. Aiden "raises spirits" in the Stanley with his one man show, "Illusions of the Passed" which is also presented at other notable haunted locations like the Winchester Mystery House and the Queen Mary. But perhaps even more importantly than that is the fascinating personal history that is an inspiration. This one is well worth hearing any time of the year, Halloween or not! You can listen wherever you get your podcasts, but for more info, videos, photos and more, please visit: https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/583-aiden-sinclair

One of the highlights (if not THE highlight) of the 2013 MAGIC Live! convention was when Joanie Spina took the stage to talk about mentoring a stage performer. After showing a video of his original act, Joanie introduced Patrick Thernes who came on stage to present his new act under his new character. To say it was transformative and…well, magical, would be categorically true. He left the stage to a standing ovation and giving the audience one of the best memories from this or any other convention. It last week's podcast, Patrick Thernes talks about working with Joanie Spina and how his act transformed and mutated into a totally new direction. You can listen to his story and his journey on this episode at: https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/584-patrick-thernes

This week we travel to Canada where Ariann Black resides after leaving Las Vegas while fleeing this pandemic. In our conversation, she talks about the new book she is writing about female magicians from the past up until the 1970's. She has done a lot of exhaustive research and her book will prove to be a beautiful coffee table book complete with many photos. The second half of this week's episode has Ariann talking about her work in Las Vegas wither her one-woman show featuring a full evening of magic, illusions and mystery. She also talks about "four walling" a showroom in Vegas and in particular, her challenges as a woman in a male-dominated profession in "Sin City." You can listen to this week's episode wherever you get your podcasts. But for more info, please visit the website at: https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/585-ariann-black

This week's episode is sponsored by the Yankee Gathering 2020 taking place this weekend, November 14-15. For more information about their online, virtual convention, please visit: https://nemca.com/wp/the-virtual-yankee-gathering-2020-registration-now-open/

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5. Vanish Subscription News
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Message by Paul Romhany - Editor Vanish Magazine

Important News - we have made the decision that with your year's subscription to Vanish you will also have full access to every back issue - that's over 80 plus issues of Vanish Magic Magazine!! To subscribe and have access visit http//www.vanishamgazine.com

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6. Don't Fold Up! - John Carey #100
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Message by John Carey (UK)
http://www.johncareymagic.co.uk/

Don't Fold Up was put together while exploring some applications of Equivoque. Some say you shouldn't mix Mentalism techniques with magic, to which I say why not?! You will require just a few simple materials. Take four of your business cards and write the name of a playing card on the back of each. I use the AC, 4H, 7S and the 10D. Edge mark the two long sides of the card with 7S on it with your thumbnail. In addition you will require an actual 7S which you fold face down into a small package. Pop that inside your right side pocket. Finally you need a small piece of paper. Write "YOUR CARD!" on it and fold that up and pocket that.

I use this effect in bar situations which justifies the use of a small glass. Bring out your four business cards and the folded piece of paper. Place the paper message under an inverted glass. Display the playing cards written on each business card and then turn them face down and hand out for mixing. Ask your spectator to deal them into a face down row. Sight your edge marked card and execute a simple Equivoque forcing that card on your helper. Pick up the other three business cards and put them away in your right side pocket, and take that opportunity to finger palm the folded playing card.

"So through choices made by you, just one card remains." Have your helper turn over the business card to reveal the Seven of Spades written on it. "Would you be impressed if your card is written on my message we placed under the glass at the beginning?" Allow them to respond and then lift up the glass with your left hand and ask them to pick up the folded slip of paper and unfold it and read out what it says.

This gives you ample shift of focus to pass the glass to your right hand and secretly load the folded card under the glass and quietly set it back down onto the table. Allow the audience to laugh and groan at your silly joke message. "Actually you know, it would be far better to actually make your card appear- like under the glass!" The sudden unexpected appearance of the folded card is a very strong moment. To conclude the routine ask your spectator to lift the glass and unfold the card and its mission accomplished.

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7. Ongoing Adventures Of Romany! #33
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Message by Romany (UK)

Hello from my Magic Cottage!

Crazy! I finished my first ever painting and posted a photo on Instagram. Someone asked whether it was for sale and offered me £1000.

Sold!

Now I have to figure out the logistics of packing and posting a canvas. I am officially an artist!

Wouldn't that have been nice?

Let me tell you what really happened.

That's right, I haven't sold a painting. Yes, fake news. I did spend this afternoon painting my first piece of art but no-one has offered me any money for it. I don't blame them, I don't like it much myself!
So far this week, I haven't got much done. Monday was my birthday and an official day off. Tuesday, Wednesday? Hmm, lockdown days.

Today, I was meant to be filming the lessons for my new four week E-course. Working title 'How to get Happier in Tough Times.' When it was time to actually do something today, I didn't fancy doing it.

I've talked before about how it's a good idea to listen to the 'whispers' of what you'd like to do. Today, the whispers said, "Do some painting."

I had a lovely time. I used this colour and that, poured on a bit of water and watched the colours drift over the paper before I blotted and dried it off with a hair dryer as per the instructions on the course. Very relaxing.

I made some coffee downstairs.I returned to my art room and took a fresh look at my genius work. Hmmm. It looked a right old mish-mash. A mess. I tried a few things to improve it but left it drying to write this. I don't think it's going to look any better when I return. That's fine. I'm a beginner. It's meant to be fun. It was. Mission accomplished.

What it did give me was clarity. I'd love to produce something wonderful in my cosy magic cottage and send it out all over the world to make people happy, It doesn't look like we'll be doing magic shows in the UK until Easter next year, but creating something beautiful would be nice.

Looking at my finished art today it's probably not that, but something.

Watch this space.

I'm going to take a break from writing to you for a while, maybe until magic gigs come back.
Until then, take good care of yourselves and keep believing in yourselves.

Love Romany

Have you read Spun Into Gold - The Secret Life of a Female Magician? Because I'll keep reminding you until you're the 9,999,999th person who hasn't!

You can read more about Romany's magical adventures in her inspiring memoir Spun Into Gold - The Secret Life of a Female Magician, available worldwide and as an audiobook.
Manifest a Million Blog www.romanymagic.com/blog
Book Depository Free Shipping bit.ly/2ONMFvB
Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3cTHpR6
Amazon USA https://amzn.to/34bohu5
Audible https://adbl.co/3dt7oiA
Book Depository -Free Shipping.http://bit.ly/2ONMFvB
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/romanydivaofmagic Please subscribe!

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9. Ken Brooke Special Limited Edition
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Message by Paul Stone

November 3rd 2020 is a very significant date in the magical diary. And no, I'm not referring to the U.S. Presidential Election. November 3rd would have been the 100th Birthday of one of the most influential magicians of the last century, Ken Brooke.

A wonderful performer, teacher, mentor and magic dealer, Ken was one of the greatest magic demonstrators of all time, and his advertising materials and detailed instruction sheets were superb and way ahead of the time.

If you are a Ken Brooke aficionado or a magic collector watch out for a couple of special limited edition releases commemorating this landmark for a very unique and much loved magic personality and performer.

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9. The Orchante Saga - Beginnings
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Written by the late Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)

'Linking Rings', courtesy of a Ghost!

Can you remember when you bought your first set of Linking Rings? I can, and will never forget it! We had stopped off late one afternoon and booked into a motel for the night, in the City of Palmerston North, which is 143km (90 miles) North of the 'Capital City of New Zealand', Wellington (It should've been Auckland -whoa, I'll bet that has started a furore!). The motel complex was quite large, built in a quadrangle shape with units both on the ground floor and identical units upstairs, with parking for two cars outside each ground floor unit.

I'm going to describe the interior of the ground floor unit we had been booked into, as it is very important to what I'm about to relate. Parking up outside, the front door was virtually right in front of the car. Please note, the front door was the only entrance/exit to the motel unit. On opening the door, it swung back against the left-hand wall, which separated us from the unit next door. Entering the room there was a large double bed on the immediate right - if you were standing outside, and had. X-ray vision, you would be looking at the headboard. Also in the room was the usual furnishings, wardrobe, television, table and chairs etc. At the other end of the room was the only other door, which led, to the immediate left, into the bathroom/shower, toilet etc. or, on the immediate right, the kitchenette, which contained the usual; refrigerator, stove/oven etc. and that was about it!

Later that night, at around 1am in the morning, Veronica had put down the book she was reading and turned over to go to sleep, I was sitting up with her little hand held make-up mirror and a pair of tweezers, digging out some pesky ingrown hairs from out of my face; they can be a right little pain (was that a pun?), that can become unsightly blemishes - thus spoiling my 'extraordinary good looks' - well, I can dream, can't I! So there I was, concentrating like mad and going cross-eyed as hell, trying to focus on the bloody hairs with the magnifying side of the mirror when, out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw movement.

I looked up and nearly crapped myself! Standing in the doorway that led into the bathroom/ kitchen, was some bloke with a black beard, looking at me like - I don't know, 'like a man watching another man pulling hairs out of his face'! I quickly looked down at Veronica, grabbed her arm and shook it like mad to wake her up then, looked back up at the doorway as she sat up ready to give me a 'mouthful' for disturbing her just as she was getting to sleep. He was gone! In the few moments that I had taken my eyes of him, he had vanished! Wildly spluttering and babbling, trying to explain to Veronica what I had just seen, my brain was going crazy, telling me that the bastard had ducked into the toilet or kitchenette and, at the same time, logic was telling me that there was absolutely no way anybody could have gotten into the room without us knowing about it! Putting on a brave face and quaking in my toes (well, I don't wear boots to bed), I threw all the lights on and, not surprisingly found - nothing! We didn't sleep much that night and, I had a sneaking suspicion that Veronica thought I was - 'bullshitting'!

Later the next morning, when we in the office (which was attached to the motel owners large home), checking out and paying the bill, I told the elderly lady who was serving us of what I had seen, and could only explain as - A Ghost! Fully expecting her to laugh in my face and to take pity on Veronica for having a fool on her hands, she calmly said, "Oh, that would've been my late husband!" She then went on to say that, the week before, an undercover drug detective who had been staying there for a few days, had come down one morning, very disturbed and as white as a sheet, after seeing him in his room! Then she dropped the bombshell! "My husband was a magician you know, as well as an inventor and, a poet." When I informed her that I also, was a professional magician, she invited Veronica and I into her home for a 'cuppa' and a chat.

I can't be absolutely positive about this, but we are sure she said that their surname was 'Ross', and that he had invented some sort of aid for the vehicles of handicapped car drivers. As I mentioned, he was also a prolific poet and she showed us several examples that he had written; apparently he would scribble poetry on any bit of paper he could find - she was still discovering stuff that he had written inside book covers, serviettes, scrap paper, practically anything where there was space to write a few poetic lines. We can't recall whether she told us when he had died, but if she did, we have forgotten.

Some of his magical equipment was still lying around, I couldn't tell you know what it was - but I vaguely seem to remember that she was reluctant, for some reason, to part with any of it. What did catch my eye was a set of, 'Linking Rings' - I think they were 8 inch and were obviously homemade, as the welding on the joins was very rough and had never been smoothed off. Nonetheless, they were better than the ones I had, which were all warped and twisted out of shape. Somehow, I managed to convince her to part with them, probably because she knew
that I would put them to good use and perhaps, it was why her late husband had put in an 'appearance' to me. Who knows! It was with this set that I learnt the late Dai Vernon's routine, with a few added moves of my own! They did the job until I bought a really nice set - 10 inch 'True Tone', from Alf Hayes shop, in Sydney Australia.

-Postscript-

I would personally be very grateful, and I'm sure, the readers of the Magic E-Zine also, especially the New Zealanders, if any of the 'Magic Boys' In Palmerston North, who may have any knowledge and or history of this man, who appears to have been quite a colourful character, could pass on to us all whatever knowledge they may possess - of Mr. Ross? - It would make for the most interesting reading, not only magically, but also from a historical point of view as well!

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10. E-zine Archives
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Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e- zine go to:
www.magicnewzealand.com

Click on the red button centre right "Archives"

When you enter the archive the e- zines are in issue order in folders for each year and are Coded, e.g. 001 Nov06 1999.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (Nov06) and the last figures the year (1999)

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11. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice
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Magic New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday.

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