New Meeting Place, Day and Time!

I.B.M. Ring 50 is excited to announce our new meeting place, day and time!

Starting with the THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 meeting, we will meet on the first THURSDAY of each month (except July) at the

Bishop Ireton High School
201 CAMBRIDGE ROAD
ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314

Our NEW agenda is as follows:

6:15 p.m. Counts of Conjuring (Magic Youth International)
7: 05 p.m. Teach-in
7:30 p.m. Meeting starts
9:30 p.m. Meeting ends



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2012-2013 Ring 50 Meeting Schedule

REMEMBER our NEW meeting location is

Bishop Ireton High School
201 CAMBRIDGE ROAD 
ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314.

PLEASE NOTE: Please enter at the doors for the Whaley Auditorium, which face Duke Street and have a bog parking lot. Do NOT enter at the main school entrance facing Cambridge Road.

6:15 p.m.  Counts of Conjuring (Magic Youth International)
7:05 p.m. Teach-in
7:30 p.m.  Meeting starts
9:30 p.m.  Meeting ends

The many fine restaurants nearby Bishop Ireton make it easy to visit with your friends before the meeting!

2012-2013 Schedule

WEDNESDAY, Sept 5 ....... Teach-In by Members
WEDNESDAY, Oct 3 ......... ESP/Mentalism Night
WEDNESDAY, Nov 7 ........ Simon Lovell Lecture
WEDNESDAY, Dec 5 ........ Annual Holiday Children's Magic Show
WEDNESDAY, Jan 2 ......... Houdini Night
WEDNESDAY, Feb 6 ......... Lecture (TBA)
WEDNESDAY, Mar 6 ........ Auction
WEDNESDAY, Apr 3 ..... Dan Lacey Contest, Officer Nominations

**Apr 5-6 .... Magi-Whirl 2013**

WEDNESDAY, May 1 ........ Lecture (TBA)
WEDNESDAY, Jun 5 ........ Winton Carroll Contest “Most Humorous Magician”

**No Ring 50 Meeting In July 2013**
**Jul 17-20, 2013 IBM Convention Phoenix, AZ**

WEDNESDAY, Aug 7 ........ Teach-In by Ring 50 members
WEDNESDAY, Sept 4 ....... Brown Bag Magic
WEDNESDAY, Oct 2 ........ Hocus in Focus Night
WEDNESDAY, Nov 6 ........ Jay Scott Berry Lecture
WEDNESDAY, Dec 4 ........ Annual Children's Holiday Magic Show

New Meeting Place for Ring 50 in Vienna, VA

Beginning with our Wednesday, January 4, 2012 meeting, Ring 50 will meet at 8:00 p.m. in Louis Meyer's

ChildTime Magic Party Place,
312 Dominion Drive NE, Vienna, VA 22180.

While the Vienna Metro is not within walking distance, we hope those members who rely on Metro can team up with other Ring 50 members to and from meetings. And taxi rides are only a phone call away.

In terms of logistics, there is plenty of nearby parking and there are several excellent restaurants nearby. We can easily be find a restaurant that would hold an area for us to dine as a group. (Amphora, anyone?) Louis even mentioned that Ring 50 members could use the dining area of his place and call in for pizza delivery, if that's what some members would like to do.
- Bob Patterson

The Great Zucchini to Lecture Sept. 7

If you ever have preschoolers or Kindergarteners attending your show, you MUST come to the September 7 Ring 50 meeting! The Great Zucchini (Eric Knaus), Washington's funniest and most magical PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN entertainer will give a lecture at I.B.M. Ring 50 on September 7, 2011 at 8:00 PM following a brief Ring meeting.

"In the world of local kid's entertainment, there is no bigger name than The Great Zucchini! You're like a phenomenon ... all the parents know you!"
- Tony Perkins, Fox 5 News

"The Great Zucchini is instantly likeable, and effortlessly charming."
- Gene Weingarten, The Washington Post

The Great Zucchini has been entertaining young children as a magician and preschool teacher. He performs his hands-on, interactive magic shows for more that 400 groups a year. His experience, coupled with his gentle nature and wacky facial expressions, makes kids immediately feel comfortable and ready to laugh. He will have you laughing at the gags he does to entertain toddlers. We each have different styles, but it does come down to keeping the kids attention and keeping control. If you EVER entertain children, this is a lecture you will want to attend. There is a lot to be learned from studying Eric's approach to entertaining young children. The lecture is free to paid-up Ring 50 members, all other magicians $15 at the door.

July Magi-Gram is here!

Due to the IBM Convention, we do not have a July meeting, and usually, no July newsletter. But despite his enormous duties as Registrar for the IBM Convention, erstwhile Editor Bob Patterson has managed to create a July issue! You can view it online by clicking here, or see the link in the right hand column ---->

Ring 50 Officers 2011-12

Congratulations to our new officers!

President
Danny Selnick
703-347-5540
president@ibmring50.org

Vice President
Kevin McGuire
703-675-5323
vp@ibmring50.org

Secretary
Wayne Spillner
secretary@ibmring50.org

Treasurer
Bob Patterson
(703) 490-1222
treasurer@ibmring50.org

Sergeant-at-Arms
Scott McDonald
703-491-7989
sgtarms@ibmring50.org

Webmaster
Theo Rushin, Jr.
240-988-3441
webmaster@ibmring50.org

Magi-Gram Editor
Bob Patterson
(703) 490-1222
magi-gram@ibmring50.org

Winton Carroll Contest Results in June Magi-Gram!

Congratulations to Past President Louis Meyer, who won the Winton Carroll Most Humorous Magician Contest and was awarded the well-deserved DC Comedy Magician of the Year staff! Read all about it here, or look at the right column for the link.

Special Magi-Whirl Newsletter is Here!

In addition to the May Magi-Gram, Editor Bob Patterson has put together a special edition of the newsletter, with an extraordinary look at Magi-Whirl 2011, which is rapidly becoming the best little convention in the East. You can also look in the right-hand column for the current links to the Magi-Gram and many other great things!

April Magic-Gram is Here!

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Treasurer Bob Patterson, the April issue of Ring 50's Magi-Gram is online and ready for you to read. You can view it online, print or download it here.
Later, you can simply click on the Magi-Gram link in the column to your right --->

Wayne Alan Lecture Debut Impressive

I.B.M. Ring 50’s April 6th meeting was opened by President Arnie Fuoco. After a few business details he introduced our lecturer, Wayne Alan, Corporate Illusionist.

Alan opened his lecture with balloon to bouquet and then two more bouquets appeared. After explaining the production and giving a few tips, he had two spectators join him on stage. He did a Two Card Monte with a regular size Ace and a Queen and then he did it with jumbo cards. Finally, removing the table cloth he showed two very large cards (40”x30”) which were set up on the stage. From these two cards a live Queen (Cassandra) was produced! He explained the workings of the effect and how to build it for less than $300. Next was a coin routine with his version of coins across and the coins appearing under a glass.

Alan's lecture was based on his decades of experience and proven show business concepts, covering 1/3 talent, 1/3 marketing, and 1/3 publicity. Wayne Alan says, " Be a showman and act like a star, be mysterious without being hokey, dress like a star, have beautiful assistants, and ride the coattails of the famous."

Other effects that he demonstrated and taught included the famous rabbit from a hat, card shark gags, a card routine ending with his business card, chop cup, a white board card revelation, a comedy mind reading routine using a spectator blindfolded with a Mardi Gras mask.

Alan also did a torn and restored card with the card reappearing in a frame held by a spectator. The card had a corner missing and it matched the one held by another spectator. He ended the evening with a crystal silk cylinder routine. Throughout the lecture he gave credits to contributors of the effects and routines. A great lecture by Wayne Alan! The May meeting is the Dan Lacey contest for Washington DC Magician of the Year.

- Bob Patterson

March Auction Has Something For Everyone

Forty-eight members and guests attended the auction with 37 registered bidders. Auctioneers Dick Christian and Wayne Alan ( photo, right) did a fantastic job demonstrating the live auction items and coaxing out the best dollar. Danny Selnick and Bob Patterson were the accountants, Louis Meyer helped with the bagging the winning bids. Reggie Rice contributed by putting the unsold items in a holding area. The drawback for the evening was there were too many items (142) in the Live Auction and the time ran past 11:00 PM.

Overall the lucky bidders bought some great magic equipment, videos, collectable magic, and publications. In the live auction, Louis Meyer walked away with a great deal on an Abbott’s Botania. Avi Littky was the lucky winner of a Voice Amplifier. Greg Clements acquired a Dancing Cane at a very reasonable price of $30. After some spirited bidding Sylvia Lett was the top winner for a Boy to Rabbit illusion with a bid of $115. Tom Bohacek didn’t go hungry, he won a Peanut Butter and Jelly set. Ed Kaczka was the top bidder and walked off with a Disappearing Cane and Louis Meyer found an appearing cane that he liked. A Deluxe Handle Style Change Bag was another piece of magic that drew a lot of bids but was won by Louis Meyer for only $40.

The Silent Auction had many great deals on magic items. A card effect, a Victorian-styled Box of Destiny, had several bidders with Cassandra Rogers being the winner for $30. A very nice Chick Pan went to Bob Malinchock for $14. Mike Wolfson was the high bidder for a set of cups and balls. Dan Miller was the top silent bidder for a Confusing Crayon with a bid of $13. Karl Keat won a Self-Lighting Light Bulb. Ken Busch was top bidder at $13 for the popular rope effect “Hang ‘em High”. Danny Selnick and Dick Guay battled it out for a Milson-Worth Card Frame, with Dick placing the winning bid of $12. Eric Henning snagged a $40 Shufton's Portal for only $5. Another Silent Auction battle raged on for a 2 inch Crystal Ball with Cassandra Rogers placing the final bid of $13.

Altogether, it was a very busy night with a total of 63 items being sold in the live auction for a total of $1,930 and 101 magic items sold in the silent auction for $676. - Bob Patterson

Photo credit: Eric Henning

March Magi-Gram Newsletter is Here!

Once again, thanks to the nimble cursor of Bob Patterson, we have the Magi-Gram uploaded. To read it, you can click here or visit the link in the right-hand column on this page.

February Magi-Gram Newsletter is Here!

The February Ring 50 Magi-Gram Newsletter is here! You can view it here, or look for the link in the right column.

TLR Reviewers Perform the Latest Items

The November 3rd meeting will be demonstrations of the latest magic items on the market by our Ring 50 product reviewers for the "Hocus in Focus" section of The Linking Ring. New items arrive at TLR editor’s office for review. He sends them to the Associate Editor, Jason Goldberg, for his reviewers to examine, tear apart, perform, and evaluate. Many are new items, books, DVDs, and some are revisions or modifications to classic magic effects. This will be a good chance to see a demo of an item you have seen advertised and want to know more about.

We appreciate the time the "Hocus in Focus" team spends on their reviews. It is not an easy task to critically examine the hard work of others. Our Ring 50 reviewers are:
Jason Goldberg, Tom Bohacek, Sam Brothers, Dick Christian, Eric Henning, Dick Kahane, Arnie Levin, Larry Lipman, Kevin McGuire, Louis Meyer, Bob Patterson, Tom Paxton, Dwight Redman, Danny Selnick, Dave Shepherd, Ed Spells, Michael Taggert, Geoff Weber, Rucj Uffelman, Bill Wells and Paul White.

October Magi-Gram is Here!

You can read it online or download it and print it out from your own computer if you like. Just click here. Special thanks to Bob Patterson, who in addition to his duties as Treasurer, has been faithfully creating this great newsletter monthly.

You can see the online newsletter archive at http://www.scribd.com/document_collections/2674897

Bizzaro, The Optical Illusionist, Lectures

The magician produced a red silk handkerchief, cleanly and magically. Ho hum. Then he pushed it INTO HIS OPEN PALM AND VISIBLY THROUGH HIS HAND, and we were off and running. Ring 50 had been pulled into Bizzaro’s eponymous world, where the magic is more than impossible – it’s uncanny.

For the next 90 minutes, Bizzaro showed us why he has been featured in Las Vegas and on network TV. Imagine your favorite manipulator combined with a Max Fleischer cartoon, and you can get close to the feeling. Bizzaro shared his own original work, plus his refreshingly different takes on classics such as the Bottle Production, Sponge Balls, Vanishing Sharpie™ and the Vanishing Bottle using – surprise! – a REAL bottle.

When Bizzaro punctuates his one coin routine by producing a jumbo coin, it’s nice, but normal. When he peels off the foil to reveal a chocolate coin, then visibly changes it back to metal, that is simply outrageous.

And that’s what makes Bizzaro….well, bizarre. He takes his magic a step further… and then runs it off the rails. A prime example is “One Step Ahead,” his take on the Ambitious Card, in which a signed selection does the usual dance through the deck (albeit very cleanly, with some nice moves for the move guys). So far, so what? Then the selection vanishes from the pack. A card that had fallen on the floor during an earlier routine turns out to be the signed selection!

He had our attention, and then spent the final 20 minutes or so on theory – which helped us to understand why his magic is so effective. He talked about the difference between style, persona and character, and how to use the boundaries of your character as fuel for creativity. His motto is “Don’t bend to the magic – bend the magic to you,” and he left us shocked and amazed and hungry for more. Bizzaro’s Website is www.smappdooda.com.

The Spirit of Houdini at Ring 50

President Louis Meyer opened the January 6th meeting promptly at 8:00 PM. After announcements about Magi-Whirl, the I.B.M. Convention in San Diego, and the KapitalKidvention the Houdini Night program began before a crowd of 62 people.

Rucj Uffelman (right) began with an escape from a chain dog collar locked around his wrists. Harry Houdini saw this system used to transport prisoners to Siberia (and we all know that no one escapes from Siberia). Rucj’s wrists were securely bound with the steel chain and padlocked by a spectator. He amazed the audience by getting out of the chain in a matter of seconds.

Challenges by the US Postal Service led Houdini into escaping from a sealed and locked mailbag (a canvas bag, with metal grommets on top). Danny Selnick (Photo: on left) re-created that event with his ankles and wrists tightly secured to the ends of long metal shackles by means of two heavy duty chains and locks before being locked in a mailbag using a solid steel bar is passing through the grommets, with padlocks on both ends of the bar. A backdrop was placed around him and within a record time he made his escape as the crowd applauded him.

John Roberts (right) claimed Houdini failed to have a timing device when performing his escapes. John displayed a small pole with a woodpecker at the top that he used to time his escape from his securely rope tied wrists. His hands were covered with a cloth as the woodpecker made his way down the pole, John began his escape. When the woodpecker reached the bottom before John could escape, he reset the timer and in a flash was free of the ropes.

Louis Hofheimer (a.k.a. Captain Token) and two lovely girl assistants performed two stage escapes. Using several pieces of rope one girl was secured to a 4 inch square totem pole 6 feet tall. A rope was tied around her neck, her waist, her legs and her ankles. In the blink of an eye, in full view of the audience, she magically materializes through the ropes! Next, a large mystic looking box was brought onto the stage area. A young lady entered the box. The doors were closed and without hesitation the magician stabbed ten swords into all parts of the box. The audience could plainly see the smallness of the box did not permit the girl evading the swords. The box was then opened and the girl had vanished! The box was revolved so that all sides were visible. The doors were closed ... the swords quickly withdrawn ... the top of the box was opened ... and up popped the girl, unharmed!


VP Arnold Fuoco (right) told the story about the time Dai Vernon fooled Harry Houdini (who in his early years billed himself as "The King of Cards"). Houdini often boasted that if he saw a card trick performed three times in a row he would be able to figure it out. Vernon then showed Houdini a trick, where he removed the top card of the deck and placed it in the middle, and then turned over the top card to again reveal the original card. Houdini watched Vernon do the trick seven times, each time insisting that Vernon "do it again". Finally Houdini's wife, and Vernon's friends said, "Face it Houdini, you're fooled." For years afterward, Vernon used the title The Man Who Fooled Houdini in his advertisements. The trick Dai Vernon chose to fool Houdini with was his own version of the classic ambitious card routine, so named because the spectator's chosen card always wants to get to the top of the deck. Arnie demonstrated this as he told the story.

Wayne Alan showed some pieces from the collection in his home “Houdini Room.” One was a handcuff made by a spectator and was used on Houdini during a performance. He also had the metal air vent grate from the hospital room in which Harry Houdini died. Wayne’s cookbook, Magical Meatless Meals shares over 100 healthy and delectable vegetarian recipes collected during his storied and award-winning career in show business. Many of these and the pictures are linked to the Houdini fame.

By the 1920's, Houdini's career was going into a slump. As he approached age 50, his escapes were becoming too strenuous and his "death-defying" feats no longer enthralled increasingly jaded audiences. Vaudeville itself was slowly being strangled by competition from radio and movies, which were cheaper for audiences and more profitable for producers. Houdini switched to exposing fraudulent spirit mediums. Louis Meyer presented Houdini's original “Fraudulent Spirit Medium Expose Lecture” with pictures. Although many believe that people were more gullible back then, the popularity of "mediums" such as John Edwards makes this a timely topic.

Houdini Night, February Lecture Slated

Houdini Night at the January 6th Meeting
The January meeting will be Houdini Magic Night. Houdini initially focused on traditional card tricks. At one point, he billed himself as the "King of Cards." But he soon began experimenting with escape acts and became widely known as "The Handcuff King." He would free himself from jails, handcuffs, chains, ropes, and straitjackets, He later exposed séances and spiritualism. If you have magic related to Houdini and would like to perform, please email Ring 50 President Louis Meyer so he can put you on the program.

Bizzaro, The Optical Illusionist slated for February 3rd Meeting
In a world full of reality TV and lackluster entertainment, Bizzaro, The Optical Illusionist strives to open people’s eyes and prove that Different isn’t Bad. Bizzaro has performed from coast to coast and appeared on FOX, NBC, America’s got Talent, and the Travel Channel’s Extreme Conventions. "My lecture has a little bit for everyone. Anyone who has seen me before knows a big part of my lectures is about building creativity and character as well.” All of that and some new products developed and performed in Las Vegas await you so come join the party and bring a friend! The lecture is free to paid-up Ring 50 members, all other magicians $10 at the door.

Ring 50 Magic Youth International Meeting "The Counts of Conjuring"
Don’t forget to encourage a youth to attend the Ring 50 MYI. The youth meeting starts at 6:00 pm at the Holiday Inn in Alexandria. The Youth Ring is open for children ages 7-17. Please let Louis know if you are bringing any youths so that we can be better prepared for them. A Magic Youth International Ring will offer a fun, interactive, and safe environment for the young magicians. We have averaged about 5 kids per meeting but we would love to build that up.

Ring 50 Treasurer Collecting Dues for 2010
Ring 50 annual dues of $15 for 2010 are due by February. Anyone, wishing to do so, can pay their dues at the January 6th meeting. The Ring 50 Treasurer, Bob Patterson, requests that you pay by check, as this eases the record keeping. Make checks payable to IBM Ring 50. Cash will be accepted providing you have the correct change ($15). If you are unable to make the meetings, you can also send a check to his home address at 3450 Wainscott Place, Lake Ridge, VA 22192-5362. Enjoy your Ring activities throughout 2010 by paying your dues now.

A Devious December Knight

Photo: Eric Henning

Gasps and nods of approval went around the room as salt poured out of the light bulb, which, just moments before, had been lit. Ring 50's December 2 meeting featured the unusual and clever methods of Pittsburgh's Devin Knight, a full-time professional mentalist. Devin was a protege of the late Al Mann, and has the same knack for creating devious foolers. In a direct, unadorned style reminiscent of the late Del Ray, Devin presented a number of his original magic and mental pieces, which had caused such a sensation at the recent Mindvention.

After Knight's opening gambit with the Salt from Light Bulb, he moved into mental magic, with "Poker Tells," in which a spectator correctly sorts the four Aces by suit sight unseen, and the performer reveals he predicted the outcome.

The one knuckle-buster came next, with Knight doing a slow-motion bare hand vanish of the four Aces one at a time, only to find them in his coat pocket. This "Dissolving Aces" was a beautiful piece, reminiscent of Slydini.

In the comedy magic realm, Knight offered his "Baby Gag on Steroids," in which the prediction actually does come out right at the end. The stand-up workers and emcees were very interested in this one.

Going into pure mentalism, Knight performed "Predictionary," in which a spectator's though-of word is found to be the only word circled in magic marker in a pocket dictionary. When Knight signed the page and gave the book to the helper to keep, it stunned the crowd.

Next came "Farsight." An audience helper freely chose one of twelve face-up cards, covering the remaining cards with a bandanna and placing the chosen card on top, then turning it face down. Despite the fact that his back was turned the entire time, Knight correctly identified the chosen card.

Next came "Spray Paint Surprise," in which a borrowed ring vanishes and is heard inside a can of spray paint. Knight "sprayed" the ring onto an index card and then squeezed the ring out of the card. This was a quirky piece that could be a feature in a parlor set.

"Out of Sight" is Knight's take on the David Hoy "Tossed-Out Deck," with a twist: a spectator examined and thoroughly shuffled the deck before Knight tossed it out for cards to be peeked. As usual, the method was devious and unexpected, and the necessary bits could be easily made up of things the average magician has lying around.

Perhaps the strangest item in an already-strange set was "Retro-Sight," in which printed flash cards were reflected in a mirror - and the printed words reversed themselves and could be read in the mirror!

"Around the Square" breathed new life into the venerable "Squircle," turning it into an ESP card revelation. When it was obvious that the helper had chosen the circle, but Devin had cut a square into the newspaper, he unfolded the paper. When the square cutout visibly and instantly changed to a circle, an audible gasp went around the room.

In "Deal or No Deal," Knight revealed the duplicate of a freely-chosen card inside a simple ungaffed cardboard box. This example of ultra-clean mental magic has been making the rounds of the message boards, and it really is as good as it it sounds.

Knight closed with "Food for Thought," in which a helper's menu choice is revealed to match the performer's, and "Chess Gambit," a super-clean prediction of a chosen chess piece.

Although each routine was available for purchase, Knight did explain in detail how to construct all the necessary apparatus, so it was not essential to buy anything. However, Ring 50 members swarmed the sales table at the break and again at the end of the evening.

For Knight, it was the end of a two-month, 24-city tour. For some Ring 50 members, it was the beginning of their work in mentalism.

NEWS: Click here to read the December 2009 Magi-Gram.

WInton Carroll Comedy Magic Contest in June

The June meeting began with Magi-Whirl Chairman Michael Taggert (left) presenting a HUGE check to Kevin Curry of Bishop Ireton High School for their portion of the proceeds from the Magi-Whirl Gala Public Show. We are very grateful to BIHS for their gracious partnership with us.




TVP Jim Flanigan (above, second from left) installed the new officers(from right): President Louis Meyer (not pictured), VP Arnold Fuoco, Secretary Eric Henning, Treasurer Bob Patterson, Sergeant-at-Arms Tom Paxton, Board Members Dwight Redman, Don Freedman and Michael Taggert. Congrats to all!

Next up was Ring 50’s annual contest for the Winton Carroll Comedy Magician Award. Jim Flanigan and Laurie Curry appeared as a pair of clowns named "Flim" and "Flam." They pulled a small white rabbit and a six-foot-long rabbit from their comic hats. They also produced two long strands of silk from their head ware as well as a 10-foot-long straw. They concluded their segment with a funny jumbo card effect using a sliding card frame.

An old lady took the stage, was chased behind the backdrop and emerged – as Reggie Rice! Reggie (above, center) followed with a comedy card trick with volunteers, during which the selection and a borrowed ring vanished. Reggie produced some quarters, which were put into a gumball machine to find the ring and the card. The machine jammed, and Reggie got more laughs from the struggle with the machine.

Bob Carnathan (left) did two card tricks which got progressively more difficult, with some hilarious byplay with his audience helpers.

Turley the Magician (below, left) began with an appearing wand, growing bow tie, and corsage to sunflower. He then invited a young man to assist me with the sword through the neck illusion mixed with gags and one liner comedy.



Dick Christian closed with comedy mental magic, in which he was “unable” to divine a selected card, but the entire audience received the card’s identity “telepathically” and yelled out the card on cue to the amazement of the chooser.

In the end, the audience voted for – Turley, who now has the custody of the Jester’s Staff and the title of “DC Comedy Magician of the Year 2009.” Congratulations, Hugh!

Ring 50 does not meet in July due to the IBM Convention, so we’ll see you in August for a special double lecture on the “Anatomy of a Show.”