Jason Latimer and the "Impossible Science Student Challenge"

From the "Jason Latimer & engineering.com presents: Impossible Science Student Challenge!" Project Board:

ProjectBoard Description
What cool projects are you working on in science (and STEM) classes today? We want to know about them! Your experiments, drawings, videos, and papers... All of them qualify!

Winning team with the most awesome, crazy, creative experiment, or STEM project will receive a LIVE IMPOSSIBLE SCIENCE STAGE SHOW at their school, by World Champion Magician and curator of Impossible Science, Jason Latimer!
https://youtu.be/mFH6eWeqKh0

See DETAILS & WHITEBOARD to learn more about how to enter, challenge guidelines, and more!

ProjectBoard Details
Who can compete?
Current Middle School & High school Students in USA & Canada

Read more and sign up.

Kickstart Mahdi Gilbert's new deck, "Hidden Leaves"

From the "Hidden Leaves" Kickstarter page:

The cards are made from the same Premium Bee Stock used in world class casinos for durability & flexibility. This premium stock has been Crushed Thin so that they can be used for superior and fine card manipulation by card experts worldwide. Finally they have been enveloped in a Smooth Finish so that they are long lasting and glide effortlessly in any environment.

~~~

Every single card in every pack of Hidden Leaves playing cards has been drawn by Mahdi to evoke a nostalgic feel. Crafted with love, this deck is inspired by & a homage to the legendary card artist who in 1885 designed cards for Andrew Dougherty including Tally-Ho.

~~~

Many of Hofzinser's finest deceptions were only possible because of the playing cards of the era. Hidden Leaves playing cards feature no indexes just like playing cards used to be made. This unique feature allows you to explore all sorts of forgotten card transformations, hypnotize your audiences with hallucinations of duplicates, renders well-known prearranged stacks completely invisible (even to magicians).

These are only a sliver of the secrets you will find in Hidden Leaves.

~~~

I have also found through performing with Hidden Leaves that the audience is able to concentrate more on the plot of the card effect you are performing. I believe the reason for this is that there is less information for the spectators to process (they are not seeing a bunch of numbers & letters all the time) which allows them to focus on their cards and the magic that you are presenting.


Read more and back this project.

Three more days to get your nominations in!

Delighted to see so many of you celebrating talented people past and present in your nominations for the top 10 Canadian magicians of all time!

We have FIFTY fabulous nominees.

If you don't see your favourite on the list, submit your nominations in the comment form on the post "Who are the top 10 Canadian magicians of all time?"* by 11:59PM EDT on Friday April 6th.  You may nominate as many Canadian magicians as you like.  (Number of nominations don't influence the vote.  If you see your choice(s) listed, please refrain from submitting duplicates.)

Thanks for playing!


--
* or email me.  I'll send a confirmation back to let you know I received your email. 

Who are the top 10 Canadian magicians of all time?

Updated April 3rd at 6pm to add the following nominations:

• Celeste Evans and Reveen The Impossiblist (Reveen Sr.)

Updated March 31st at 9pm to add the following nominations:

• Greg Frewin and Mahdi Gilbert

Updated March 29 at 7am to add the following nominations:

• Billy Kidd, Carisa Hendrix, Joan Caesar, and Julie Eng

Updated March 24 at 10am to add the following nominations:

• Alain Choquette, David Drake, Mickey Hades, and Shin Lim

Updated March 23 at 9am add the following nominations:

• Bob Farmer, Carl Coultier, Francis Martineau, Gary Ouelette, Howard P. Lions, Mel Stover, Romaine, Roy Cotte, Tom Ransom, Tony Eng, Willis Kinney

Updated March 23 at 7am add the following overnight nominations:

• Additional submissions:  Bedros "Spidey" Akkelian, Bill Abbott, Bobby Motta, Dale Harney, Eric Leclerc, Johnny  Giordmaine, Juliana Chen, Leon Mandrake, Sid Lorraine, Stewart James, Ron Leonard, and Vincent C

Updated at 12:15pm to add:

• Additional submissions: Darcy Oake, Luc Langevin, Murray Hatfield, Ross Bertram, Tom Auburn

Updated at 10:15am to add:

• The following names have been submitted for consideration:  Chris Ramsay, Dai Vernon, David Acer, David Ben, Doug Henning, Gary Kurtz, James Randi, Jay Sankey, Martin Nash, Richard Sanders, Shawn Farquhar

Complete list of nominations received (alphabetical by first name):

1. Alain Choquette
2. Bedros "Spidey" Akkelian
3. Bill Abbott
4. Billy Kidd
5. Bob Farmer
6. Bobby Motta
7. Carisa Hendrix
8. Carl Coultier
9. Celeste Evans
10. Chris Ramsay
11. Dai Vernon
12. Dale Harney
    
13. Darcy Oake
14. David Acer 
15. David Ben
16. David Drake
17. Doug Henning
18. Francis Martineau
19. Eric Leclerc
    
20. Gary Kurtz
21. Gary Ouelette
22. Greg Frewin
23. Howard P. Lions
24. James Randi
25. Jay Sankey
26. Joan Caesar
27. Joel Machtinger
28. Johnny Giordmaine
29. Juliana Chen
30. Julie Eng
31. Leon Mandrake
    
32. Luc Langevin
33. Mahdi Gilbert
34. Martin Nash
35. Mel Stover
36. Mickey Hades
37. Murray Hatfield
38. Reveen The Impossiblist (Reveen Sr.)
39. Richard Sanders
40. Romaine
41. Ron Leonard
    
42. Ross Bertram
43. Roy Cotte
44. Shawn Farquhar 
45. Shin Lim
46. Sid Lorraine
47. Stewart James
48. Tom Auburn
49. Tom Ransom
50. Tony Eng
51. Vincent C
52. Willis Kinney

Devon Murphy recently posted the article, "Top Canadian Magicians and the Tricks That Made Them Famous," at the CBC website.  Devon lists seven outstanding magicians (Julie Eng, Dai Vernon,  Doug Henning, Billy Kidd, Mahdi Gilbert, Greg Frewin, and David Ben).  (Of note, two of the seven on that list are recipients of the "Editor's Choice Award" in the Canada's Magic "Readers' Choice Award" festivities.)

Devon's list got me wondering.

Who do you, dear readers, consider to be the top 10 Canadian magicians of all time?

For those of you who don't like to be influenced by the decisions of others, we're going to start with a clean slate and let you choose all ten!

Submit your nominations in the comment form below,* by 11:59PM EDT on Friday April 6th.  You may nominate as many Canadian magicians as you like.  (Number of nominations don't influence the vote.  If you see your choice(s) listed, please refrain from submitting duplicates.)  Voting will open shortly thereafter.  

What say you?  Who are your top (living or dead) Canadian magicians of all time?


--
* or email me.  I'll send a confirmation back to let you know I received your email.

Toronto: Potted Potter returns

In what was I think their first visit to Toronto, Ben Kaplan of the National Post had a nice write up "On the Town: Hogwarts in Hogtown with the Potted Potter crew" of the Potted Potter's cast visit to The Browser's Den of Magic, which was published on March 3rd, 2012.


From Mirvish.com:

June 13 to July 8, 2018

Returning to Toronto for the fourth time, Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience – A Parody by Dan and Jeff takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books (and a real life game of Quidditch) into seventy hilarious minutes.

A Critics’ Pick by the DA Critics’ Pick by the Daily Herald, New York Times, New York Magazine, Time Out London, Washington Post, and Boston Globe, the show won the prestigious 2012 Olivier Award nomination for Best Entertainment & Family Show, playing to sold-out houses worldwide.

This fantastically funny show features all your favourite characters, a special appearance from a fire-breathing dragon, endless costumes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props, and a generous helping of Hogwarts magic!

Read more and buy tickets.

Alex Kazam's AGT journey

When last we left Alex, he was telling us about his decision to audition for AGT.

Alex gives us an insider's perspective into the thought and effort involved in getting a shot at a chance to become "an overnight success."

Catch up on his journey thus far at his blog at The Alex Kazam.


From his December 20th post "America’s Got Talent – Part One: Getting Told “GO”":

In due time, for now, let me begin at the beginning. It was December 7th, 2017. I was performing at my usual Thursday night spot, St.Louis Bar and Grill in St. Catharines, Ontario. It was one of the first really cold nights, the evening was just starting up. The restaurant was still fairly quiet, and slowly starting to fill with patrons anticipating dinner service. I moved to my usual spot in the back corner of the space, hung up my coat, and prepared what I needed to perform. I noticed my client Jim Reaman (the owner) standing near the bar chatting with some staff.

Since I had a few minutes to spare, and genuinely enjoy catching up with Jim, checking-in and so forth, I headed towards him. We quickly moved from talking about personal affairs, to talking about what I’d been working on, my aspirations, and so on. I mentioned an idea that had been floating around my head, like an annoying little balloon. Sometimes it was filled with helium, sometimes with Sulfur Hexaflouride. The idea was light, in that it was clever, fun, inspiring, educational and full of potential for awesome. It was heavy in that it was terrifying, risky, draining, and full of potential for embarrassment, failure and rejection.

Read more.

From his January 16th post "America’s Got Talent – Part Two: All Out of Ideas":

So December 11th, we began the video with my getting out of the trunk of my car, shoving balls of dough in my eyes, and putting coins over top of the dough. Duct tape fastened the lot to my face, and then I covered the lot with a sleep mask, just in case someone thought I could see through dough, coins and duct tape. Off we went. The entire journey took less than 10 minutes. Remember, the final clip was supposed to be no longer than 3.  Thus, on December 12th 2018, I trimmed it down to size, added a quick opening clip of me breathing fire, and a title screen with my contact information at the end of it.

Read more.
 

From his January 24th post "America’s Got Talent – Part Three: Effects That Affect":

How was I making a living at this whole performing arts thing, when I couldn’t find any effects within my repertoire that was good enough to get the attention of someone representing a television network?

Read more.

 From his March 1st post "America’s Got Talent – Part Four: The Sort of Conclusion":

 I’m hoping, through the volume of these posts, specifically through some of these rather wordy digressions, to shine a light on the secret and dirty side of the show business world. So that should you one day be in the position of meeting a celebrity, on the set of a movie, walking by a creative project of some kind, or even just running into your friendly neighborhood mystery entertainer: you will have the experience now to engage respectfully, and with the appropriate etiquette.

Read more.

Interested in a pre-FISM tour of South Korea?

From Joan Caesar:

Pre-FISM tour of South Korea.

Cost each with 8 people is $1375.00 USD for 7 days.

If interested please contact Joan Caesar
jcaesar [at] sentex [dot] ca   by March 31st.

Day 1: Visit of Haeinsa temple

Saturday, 30 June 2018

Haeinsa

• The Gayasan park is well-known for its historical sites and landscapes, and especially for the Haiensa temple.
• Visit the temple. After the visit, spend the night in the temple.

Day 2: End of the temple stay and road to Andong

Sunday, 1 July 2018

Andong

• The temple stay experience ends around 12 noon
• Then you will take the road to Andong and rest in the afternoon. 

Day 3: Visit of Andong

Monday, 2 July 2018

Andong

• Andong is the ancestral, spiritual and traditional capital of South Korea because of its Confucian traditions during the Joseon era. There, you will find many relics dating back to the Joseon dynasty, such as the magnificent Confucian school and a typical village of that time.
• You will visit the Byeongsanseowon Confucian School. 
• You will visit the Hahoe village, the Hahoedong Mask Museum and the Byeongsanseowon Confucian school.  

Day 4: Road to Gyeongju

Tuesday, 3 July 2018

Gyeongju

• Located in the Gyeongsangbuk Do region, Gyeongju was the capital city of the Silla Kingdom and one of the oldest historical cities in the world. It is a major spot for Korea’s culture and heritage today, as well as a UNESCO listed site.   
• You will take the road in the morning to Gyeongju. 
• Visit Tumuli Park which houses numerous royal tombs, visit the Cheonmachong tomb (the flying horse tomb), Cheongseongdae Observatory and the Anapji pond. 
• Night in a hanok. (a traditional Korean house)

Day 5: Visit of cultural sites (UNESCO) in Gyeongju

Wednesday, 4 July 2018

Gyeongju

• Take a trip to some of Gyeongju's historical sites: the National Museum, Tumulus Park, and the Royal Tombs of Daereungwon. 
• Enjoy a visit of the Bulguksa palace (built in 528) and the Buddhist cave in Seokguram, national treasures registered on the UNESCO world heritage. You can go there on foot or with bicycles. 
• Night in a Hanok.   

Day 6: Day at the Namsan Mount and Gogulsa temple

Thursday, 5 July 2018

Gyeongju

• Considered as a Sacred site during the Silla Dynasty, the Namsan Mount is full of mysteries, temples and sanctuaries. It is a real open-air museum with 100 temples, 80 Buddha stoned-statues and 60 pagodas. You will enjoy quaint landscapes.
• In the afternoon, visit of Gogulksa temple and a stop to the Yangdong village. 

Day 7: Busan

Friday, 6 July 2018

Busan

• The second Korean city and the first harbour of the country. Busan is considered a dynamic city with big shops, luxurious restaurants, parks and beautiful beaches.

Highlights: 

• Visit its beaches: Haeundae beach and Gwangalli beach.

• The city centre, the Yongdusan park and the Busan tower will give you a panoramic view of Busan. 

• The Yonggungsa temple (built on the side of a cliff: unique) 

• Busan and its impressive Jagalchi fish market which show the riches of its sea and harbour.  

Pro-tip from Perfect Magic

From Perfect Magic's February 14 blog post titled "What Every Magician Should Know":

The other day I got a call from an old customer, a good magician I’m told by those who have seen him perform, and he wanted a certain electronic device. We had it in stock. He took a long drive to get to our shop as he wanted it right away and he’s from out of town.

I got a call from him today asking if we had another one in stock. I said yes. He asked if we would try it out to see if it worked. We did and it did. He said his didn’t.

“Strange,” I said. “Did you put a battery in?”

“Of course,” he replied.

Read more.

Do you market with darts?

From the article "Marketing Your Magic Business - Do you shoot guns or toss darts?" by Peter Mennie at Magician's Masterclass:

When developing your magic business marketing plan there are two potential strategies:  shotgun or darts.  In my experience, most magicians use the shotgun approach which targets a broad base of potential clients with little to no focus.
I prefer the second strategy called D.A.R.T. which stands for Directed At Responsive Targets.

Guns are loud, fired from far away and hurt or kill their prey. Darts are tossed at their targets from 10 feet away and everyone drinks when you hit the bulls-eye.

Let me explain.

Read more.

Canadians on AGT 2018

The next season of America's Got Talent is right around the corner.  How many Canadians will we be seeing this season?


From Alex Kazam's blog:

In due time, for now, let me begin at the beginning. It was December 7th, 2017. I was performing at my usual Thursday night spot, St.Louis Bar and Grill in St. Catharines, Ontario. It was one of the first really cold nights, the evening was just starting up. The restaurant was still fairly quiet, and slowly starting to fill with patrons anticipating dinner service. I moved to my usual spot in the back corner of the space, hung up my coat, and prepared what I needed to perform. I noticed my client Jim Reaman (the owner) standing near the bar chatting with some staff.

Since I had a few minutes to spare, and genuinely enjoy catching up with Jim, checking-in and so forth, I headed towards him. We quickly moved from talking about personal affairs, to talking about what I’d been working on, my aspirations, and so on. I mentioned an idea that had been floating around my head, like an annoying little balloon. Sometimes it was filled with helium, sometimes with Sulfur Hexaflouride. The idea was light, in that it was clever, fun, inspiring, educational and full of potential for awesome. It was heavy in that it was terrifying, risky, draining, and full of potential for embarrassment, failure and rejection.

Read more.

From Eric Leclerc's Facebook page:

Magicana accepting nominations for the 2017 Allan Slaight awards

I'm still hoping they are going to create a category for "Best Blog Focused on Canadian Magicians Run by a Member of IBM Ring 17."

From Magicana:

Magicana is pleased to announce on behalf of the Slaight Family Foundation the creation of the Allan Slaight Awards to recognize outstanding achievement in the pursuit of the impossible.

Initiated by the Slaight Family Foundation to honour Canadian media mogul and philanthropist Allan Slaight, and his lifelong passion for and contribution to magic, Magicana will distribute, on behalf of the Slaight Family Foundation $250,000 over five years - $50,000 per year - to recognize excellence in magic.

Read more and nominate.

2017 Readers' Choice award results

Thank you all for participating in the spirit in which the awards were intended:  a fun way to recognize and celebrate all of the fabulous talent in our country.

One hundred and seven votes were cast in this "bragging rights" only contest.  This year there was an option to add a comment to your vote.  My favourite comment?  "I hope no one can see I voted for myself..."  (Bonus points to you if you can guess who wrote that.)

Here are the results of our second annual  "Readers' Choice Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award!

Beacons of Inspiration (in alphabetical order by surname)

Ryan Brown
Nominated by dmdlfyer.

It is clear from his multiple nominations that Ryan has worked hard to get this far in his career.  He is an inspiration to the students at his alma mater.   Ryan continues to stretch himself by seeking opportunities to learn with and from world class magicians.

Website: RyanBrownMagic.com

Neil Croswell
Nominated by Anonymous.

In 2017, Neil appeared on "Masters of Illusion" and performed across Asia which helped raise money for charitable causes in Sri Lanka.

Neil's Asia appearances include the "Knights of Illusion" magic show held in Colombo, Sri Lanka alongside Michael Finney and Xavier Mortimer.  He also performed 32 stage shows in Beijing, China at the annual "Happy Valley International Magic Festival."  This year, Neil performed over 300 shows across five countries.


Website: NeilCroswellMagic.com

Caiden Finch (12 yo)
Nominated by Phil Matlin.

Caiden was the youngest nominee in 2017.  It is clear to me that he is on a similar trajectory as the others nominated this year.  He is a hard worker, who actively seeks out feedback, and implements advice received.  I had the pleasure of meeting Caiden at Sorcerers Safari in 2016.  I have no doubt we'll continue to hear wonderful things about him as the years progress!

Website:

• Read more about Caiden at the Perfect Magic Facebook page and the Perfect Magic blog.

Murray and Teresa Hatfield
Nominated by The Magic Demon.

The Hatfields had another amazing year! Murray and Teresa Hatfield starred in and produced their second ever extraordinary magic and illusions-filled phantasmagoria "Unbelievable" at this summer's PNE in Vancouver. It was again one of the the most inspiring and entertaining stadium-scale magical events Vancouver has ever seen.

Additionally, Murray and Teresa amazed on season 4 of Penn and Teller Fool Us this year where Penn said of their performance "I haven't seen a better version of Metamorphosis ever." Murray is also the President of the Canadian Association of Magicians.


Website: MurrayHatfieldMagic.com

Editor's Choice

Julie Eng
Nominated by James Alan.

Along with running programs such as "Senior Sorcery" and "My Magic Hands," in 2017 Julie was also a major driving force behind the publication of "The Magic of Johnny Thompson," Magic Live (as performer, presenter, and host), Magicana's Magic Collectors Weekend, Magicana's A Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities (as publisher, project manager) and the CBC's show Magic and Science.  I'm exhausted just thinking about it all!

Somehow, while doing all of that, Julie still found time to be the Executive Director at Magicana.


Website: magicienne.com

Readers' Choice

Benzi Train
Nominated by Ari.

Congratulations to Benzi for winning the 2017 Readers' Choice award!

Keep up your great work with the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club, Newest Trick in the Book and Toronto Magic Company!

Fergus: Bringing magic to the Fergus Grand Theatre

From the January 5th, 2018 article "Ryan Joyce aims to bring world class magicians to Fergus" by Jaime Myslik in the Wellington Advertiser:

“I’m trying to find ways to stay more locally bound and still do what I love,” he said. “I think we might have found a unique way to do both.”

The first project he’s working on is called Magician’s Masterclass, which is an educational show for magicians hosted by a guest magic legend and will be filmed at the Fergus Grand Theatre.

The goal is to “see how they learn and teach and explore magic, all on camera,” Joyce said.

The first episode was released in December with host Michael Close, a magic consultant for Penn & Teller: Fool Us.

Read more.

From Fergus Filming:

I asked Michael (Close) to join us to film an exciting new project for the magic community that teaches some of magic’s most well-gaurded secrets.  The project is turning out better than I expected and there is interested to bring other world-famous magicians and variety artists right here to our community.

While filming, it became very clear the opportunity that lay ahead.  I am gearing up to bring some of the world’s greatest magicians, variety artists and visual entertainers right here to Fergus Grand Theatre and film shows for distribution.

These performances will be free* and we need to fill all 255 seats with an enthusiastic live studio audience.  Sorry, I can’t mention too many juicy details yet.  You’ll be the first to know by signing up for updates below!  Don’t worry, I don’t have time to spam you– kinda busy working to make this happen (plus travelling like crazy for my job)

Read more and subscribe to newsletter.

Introducing "Magician's Masterclass"

Magician's Masterclass is brought to you by Ryan Joyce, Graeme Reed, Peter Mennie, and Matt DiSero.

From Magician's Masterclass:

A place where magicians help magicians.

Registration is free and you can join now.  Behind these walls are videos, podcasts, ideas and trade secrets for serious magicians, enthusiasts and professionals. We’ll also offer incredible classes and resources from the minds of the world’s greatest magicians.

Read more and register.

Happy 2018!

Wishing you and yours a year filled with awe and wonder!

A very Canadian optical illusion

I remember seeing this at a lecture, but I'm not sure which one ...

Thanks Owen, for reminding me about it!


From Owen Anderson's Twitter feed:

Coffee sleeve #opticalillusion! Can you guess which @TimHortons sleeve is bigger? #timmies #WarmWishes #HamOnt
(Actually they're all the same size -- Google 'Jastrow Illusion' for info) pic.twitter.com/IYm9oP0uX1

— Owen Anderson (@OwenTAnderson) November 29, 2017

Vote now for the 2017 Readers' Choice award

 

The nominations are closed and voting is now open for the 2017 "Readers' Choice Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award!  Voting will close on Saturday, December the 23rd at 11:59pm EST.

To vote, scroll down to the bottom of this post and participate in the poll.  (Unfortunately, the poll does not appear in the mobile version of the site.)

Let's have a look at the nominees (in no particular order):

Caiden Finch (12 yo)
Nominated by Phil Matlin.
"He has performed on stage for paying audience and I might say he was great. His magic was excellent. He was dressed for the occasion. He had a themed routine and what I really liked was that came in [to Perfect Magic] about week before the show and asked for some advice. I talked, he listened and implemented 95% of it in his show."

I had the pleasure of meeting Caiden at Sorcerers Safari in 2016.  He's a fine young man with a bright future ahead of him!

Website:

• Read more about Caiden at the Perfect Magic Facebook page.
• Read more about Caiden at the Perfect Magic blog.

Ryan Brown
Nominated by dmdlfyer.

"Ryan started performing magic very early in school. While he was in my class, he would bargain his work completion in order to go to the kindergarten class and perform his latest trick. He continued to perform and cam back several years to perform free at our school's fun fair. True school and community spirit. Ryan has inspired many of the students to believe in their dream and to work hard to achieve it. He continues to seek advancement in his craft by seeking peer help and taking classes taught by more experienced magicians. In 2017 Ryan performed at Screemers at Exhibition Place Toronto in October. Great show Ryan!!  Increased his knowledge of magic by taking classes in Las Vegas with the master of masks and magical knowledge, Jeff McBride earlier this year."

Supporting information from Patricia Silver:

"Ryan Brown is an example of a young man who knew what he wanted to accomplish, kept focused under difficult conditions, and has achieved it - a life in magic. Not only is he talented, he is a joy to work with, both personally and professionally. My agency had the pleasure of mentoring and booking Ryan from early in his career. He takes his magic very seriously, and is constantly working to raise the bar on his show and learn from others. He is worthy of an award."

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"The magic or Ryan Brown. I have known Ryan for many years and not only is he a close friend but amazing magician who is dedicating his life to magic and works extremely hard so he definitely deserves an award."

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"I'd like to nominate Ryan Brown ("The Magic of Ryan Brown"). I've known Ryan since he was a youth and was shown his first magic tricks. From that point on, Ryan became dedicated to learning the craft, and perfecting tricks and routines. He recently won a scholarship to an exclusive magic school in Las Vegas where he had opportunity to perfect his craft further. Ryan creates routines to amaze his audiences with thought to ages he he performing in front of. He continues to create illusions himself. Seeing a performance by Ryan is nothing short of amazing. "

Supporting information from Unknown:

"I second all these nominations of Ryan. I have worked with as his assistant. And he is always improving and raising the bar, trying and accomplishing new tricks and striving to be the best magician he can be. "

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"I nominate Ryan Brown because having known him since he was 15, I have seen him hold fast to his dream of being a professional magician in the face of having his mother suffer a devastating illness when Ryan was age 11.

As a result Ryan had to grow up in a blue collar single parent household in a low income area, having to overcome many obstacles in order to be where he is today."

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"Many years ago, I gave Ryan Brown his first opportunity to perform professionally. Seeing his accomplishments to date astounds me, just like his magic does.

Ryan continues to diversify his act. In 2017 he added new stage illusions and executed them flawlessly in his own style. As Ryan moves to the next phase of his career, I can't help but be inspired by his daily dedication to the craft of magic. New wardrobe, new card manipulation, new stage illusions, he's been hard at work this year.

On a personal level, 2017 was an extra challenging year for Ryan, with the passing of his father. Ryan's first performance on a Las Vegas stage this past September would have made him very proud.

It is for these reasons that I nominate Ryan Brown for "Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year"."


Website: RyanBrownMagic.com

Neil Croswell
Nominated by Anonymous.
"I would like to nominate Neil Croswell. I have watched Neil devote his life to magic from a young age and he has stuck to his vision from day one. His determination and work ethic over the years make him an inspiration as well as his countless awards and international TV appearances (Fool Us, etc.). In 2017, he appeared on "Masters of Illusion" , completed 250+ shows on a cruise in the Bahamas, and performed internationally across Asia which helped raise money for charitable causes in Sri Lanka. To accomplish what he has at his age, I believe, is an inspiration to Canadian magicians with goals of a professional career. "

Neil's Asia appearances include the "Knights of Illusion" magic show held in Colombo, Sri Lanka alongside Michael Finney and Xavier Mortimer.  He also performed 32 stage shows in Beijing, China at the annual "Happy Valley International Magic Festival."  This year, Neil performed over 300 shows across five countries.


Website: NeilCroswellMagic.com



 

Julie Eng
Nominated by James Alan.

Along with running programs such as "Senior Sorcery" and "My Magic Hands," this year Julie has had a few other things on the go!
 
"The Magic of Johnny Thompson": Julie has been project managing the production and publication of "The Magic of Johnny Thompson." Her roles include: photographer, photo editor, and editor.

Magic Live - performer, presenter, and host: Julie was invited back (for the third time since 2015!) to co-host all the general sessions with Jonathan Levit. Sometimes hosting meant interviewing interesting magic characters, like the one-and-only David Williamson, or being part of something like a “show and tell” with Levent (where he talked about 3D printing).

Magicana - Magic Collectors Weekend - producer, host, project manager:  As part of Magicana, Julie staged and produced a Magic History Conference called the Magic Collectors Weekend in Montreal (first time out of the USA).  It coincided with the opening of Illusions: The Art of Magic poster exhibition featuring some of the top-drawer posters from the newly acquired Allan Slaight Collection of posters.

Magicana - A Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities -  publisher, project manager: This year, Julie also worked closely with Dr. Eddie Dawes and his family to start the process of publishing the historical series A Rich Cabinet of Curiosities (published in the Magic Circle’s organ the Magic Circular). Magicana will produce and release Dr Dawes's collected monthly series in an epic, multi-volume compendium spanning forty years, of over 450 articles. The first volume is now in the works and with hopes of getting an edition out by the late fall of 2018 or perhaps early 2019.

Magic and Science - performer, host, presenter: Julie was included as part of the Magic and Science special, one-hour documentary for CBC’s "The Nature of Things: which will air sometime in the early part of 2018. Julie acts as “host” and helps to link the segments together, performing a bit of magic along the way. This is Julie's first major television piece.

Somehow, while doing all of that, Julie still found time to be the Executive Director at Magicana.


Website: magicienne.com

Murray and Teresa Hatfield
Nominated by The Magic Demon.
"The Magic Demon nominates Murray and Teresa Hatfield for starring in and producing their second ever extraordinary magic and illusions-filled phantasmagoria "Unbelievable" at this summer's PNE in Vancouver. For the second year in a row, it was again one of the the most inspiring and entertaining stadium-scale magical events Vancouver has ever seen."

In addition, Murray and Teresa amazed on season 4 of Penn and Teller Fool Us this year where Penn said of their performance "I haven't seen a better version of Metamorphosis ever." Murray is also the President of the Canadian Association of Magicians.


Website: MurrayHatfieldMagic.com



 

Benzi Train
Nominated by Ari.
"I nominate Benzi Train because of his tireless work over the years to promote the performance of live magic in Toronto and his efforts at the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club and bringing in of top quality lecturers to our community. His (and partner Jonah Babbins) show Newest Trick in the Book gives any magician a venue/opportunity to perform in front of a live audience. He has inspired many magicians to challenge themselves creatively or to even perform live."


Supporting information from Steven Lafond:
"I second the nomination for Ben Train for his incredible work with the Toronto Magic Company. He is an amazing performer and producer and has worked very hard to keep magic alive in the Toronto performing arts scene."


Supporting information from Natasha:
"I’m nominating Ben Train for all the work he’s done for the Toronto magic community. Besides becoming one of the most popular performers in the city, Ben also founded the Toronto Magic Company and produces different magic shows every week across the city. Whether working with aspiring young magicians to give them the confidence to go on stage, provide professionals with new opportunities to share their magic, or bringing the best magic in the world to Toronto for public shows and lectures, there isn’t anyone in the city doing more for magic than Ben."


Website: BenTrain.ca




Cast your vote now at Poll Junkie!

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Happy belated birthday Clive!  Wishing you a wonderful retirement and excited to see this new chapter of your life unfold!

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

I have decided to pack away my gags and trickery---and hang up my wand. I will focus my future efforts on lobbying to improve Canadian television and offering a limited, no-cost publicity service to Canadian magicians, visual entertainers, and maybe a couple of international athletes. Just a small group.

CBC Kids casting call for kids for magic show series

Deadline for Self-Tapes: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28th , 2017 by 5:00PM EST

Oh to be 12 again ...

From eBoss Canada:

CASTING CALL FOR
“UNTITLED KIDS MAGIC SHOW SERIES”
Based on The Illusions of: Jesse Feinberg and Stu Stone!

SYNOPSIS: The first ever digital series to explore the mystical and fascinating world of magic with kid magicians! Our team of 3 master magicians are guaranteed to blow-your-mind. Watch as they travel the city of Toronto, gaining access to various VIP locations like; The Nike Factory, Apple Canada, backstage at amusement parks and concert halls as well as preforming their trickery for celebrities!Behind the scenes, “Untitled Kids Magic Series” are brought to you by some of the masterminds behind largest thrills in the history of television magic, who have worked with the biggest names in the industry such as: Criss Angel, David Blaine, Dynamo and David Copperfield.

***TALENT MUST BE NON UNION
***TALENT MUST BE A CANADIAN CITIZEN
***TALENT MUST BE A TORONTO LOCAL AND LIVE IN THE GTA
NOTE: If you live OOT you can still submit, but you must be able to work as a TORONTO LOCAL, and MUST BE A CANADIAN CITIZEN

SEEKING:

BOYS AND GIRLS: 8-12 years old who are interested in magic!
IDENTICAL TWINS:8-12 years old who are interested in magic!

Read more.

The 2017 "Readers' Choice Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award

 

Updated December 1st to add:

• The nomination period is over.  Please check back regularly to see when voting starts!

Updated November 28th to add the following nominee:

• Neil Croswell - "I have watched Neil devote his life to magic from a young age and he has stuck to his vision from day one. His determination and work ethic over the years make him an inspiration as well as his countless awards and international TV appearances (Fool Us, etc.). In 2017, he appeared on "Masters of Illusion" , completed 250+ shows on a cruise in the Bahamas, and performed internationally across Asia which helped raise money for charitable causes in Sri Lanka. To accomplish what he has at his age, I believe, is an inspiration to Canadian magicians with goals of a professional career."

Updated November 27th to add the following nominee:

•  Ryan Brown - "Ryan started performing magic very early in school. While he was in my class, he would bargain his work completion in order to go to the kindergarten class and perform his latest trick. He continued to perform and cam back several years to perform free at our school's fun fair. True school and community spirit. Ryan has inspired many of the students to believe in their dream and to work hard to achieve it. He continues to seek advancement in his craft by seeking peer help and taking classes taught by more experienced magicians."
  
  "Performed at Screemers at Exhibition Place Toronto in October. Great show Ryan!!
  Increased his knowledge of magic by taking classes in Las Vegas with the master of masks and magical knowledge, Jeff McBride earlier this year."

Updated November 24 to add the following nominee:

• Benzi Train "because of his tireless work over the years to promote the performance of live magic in Toronto and his efforts at the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club and bringing in of top quality lecturers to our community. His (and partner Jonah Babbins) show Newest Trick in the Book gives any magician a venue/opportunity to perform in front of a live audience. He has inspired many magicians to challenge themselves creatively or to even perform live."

Updated on November 21 to add the following nominee:

• Murray and Teresa Hatfield - "The Magic Demon nominates Murray and Teresa Hatfield for starring in and producing their second ever extraordinary magic and illusions-filled phantasmagoria "Unbelievable" at this summer's PNE in Vancouver. For the second year in a row, it was again one of the the most inspiring and entertaining stadium-scale magical events Vancouver has ever seen."  In addition, Murray and Teresa amazed on season 4 of Penn and Teller Fool Us this year where Penn said of their performance "I haven't seen a better version of Metamorphosis ever.".  Murray is the president of the Canadian Association of Magicians.

Updated at 4pm to add the following nominee:

• Julie Eng - Along with running programs such as "Senior Sorcery" and "My Magic Hands," this year Julie (with Jonathan Levit) interviewed David Williamson at Magic Live! in addition to being the official photographer for "The Magic of Johnny Thompson."  Julie is also one of the guides in an upcoming hour-long documentary for CBC's The Nature of Things that will be looking at the the intersection of science and magic cross paths.  Julie is the Executive Director at Magicana.

Updated at 1:30pm to add:

• First nomination is for 11 year old Caiden Finch!
  "He has performed on stage for paying audience and I might say he was great. His magic was excellent. He was dressed for the occasion. He had a themed routine and what I really liked was that came in [to Perfect Magic] about week before the show and asked for some advice. I talked, he listened and implemented 95% of it in his show."
  (I had the pleasure of meeting Caiden at Sorcerers Safari in 2016.  He's a fine choice for inspirational nomination!)

The Canada's Magic "Readers' Choice 2017 Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award nominations are now open.

You may nominate living Canadian Magician(s) of your choosing by leaving their name along with a short note about how they inspired you in 2017, in the comments below.  (Or you may email me your nomination.)

Nominations will be accepted up until 11:59PM on Thursday November the 30th.  I will contact the nominees via email and give them one week to accept or decline their nomination.  The full list of nominations will be published and voting will commence in December.  (Canada's Magic is not eligible for the award, nor will it be participating in the nomination or voting process.) 

This is a "bragging rights" only contest.  There is no cash value for this award.

Here are some ideas for potential nominees (individuals and groups can be nominated):

• The Canadian magicians appearing on US television shows this year, including but not limited to: Richard Forget, Yan Markson, Patrik Kuffs, Murray Hatfield, Sheldon Casavant, Neil Croswell, Shawn Farquhar, and Billy Kidd.
• The owners of Canada's brick and mortar magic shops.
• Brent Kloeble and his team for establishing a magic festival for Regina.

The list of worthy entrants goes on and on ...

I look forward to seeing your nominations!

In the spirit of celebrating all Canadian magicians, last year's winners of the Readers' Choice award (Steven Lafond) or Editor's Choice award (Mahdi Gilbert) are not eligible for nomination in 2017.