Canada's Magic: Jay Sankey

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14 June 2023

Checking in with Matt DiSero and The Fog Machine of War

We had the opportunity to check in with Matt DiSero and learn more about his recently released book, The Fog Machine of War: Observations, Stories and Advice from the Showbiz Trenches.

As many of you are aware, Matt is a show biz veteran who has accumulated over 30 years of experience and stories about both the entertainment industry and life on the road.

What is your first memory of magic?

First memory was of my great uncle doing magic. I couldn't have been more than 5. He worked in the side show occasionally and played piano at private gigs. Black sheep of the family. Naturally I was drawn to the dude who was doing card tricks for me. Better than being drawn to Uncle Jimmy the pot dealer. The real thing that got me hooked on magic happened at Morrissey Magic, and that story is in the book, so you'll have to read the story of the crack that got me hooked on magic.

Who inspires you that isn't a magician?

Fran Lebowitz, Peter Hujar, William Gibson, John Wing, William Burroughs, Edward R Murrow, Hunter Thompson and a zillion others. Worthy of note, I don't see much of their influence in my own work. Ironic. I can be a lazy arse about work sometimes. By that metric I suppose another influence is Garfield. Also I noticed just now that I'm influenced by a lot of older or deceased artists. That's troubling.

Who from the magic community inspires you?

A lot of people inspire me for a lot of different reasons. Jay Sankey for his ability to create, Steve Valentine for being an obsessive student of the history of magic and one of its greatest performers, David Ben for many of the same reasons and for treating this like an art, though I'm not sure it can be. (Let's start the fight! It's in the book too.) Mostly though, I'm inspired by any magician doing the type of work they want to do, that's OF them and who are still excited to be in this. The juice is performing live. For me, that's where the respect is at.

What prompted you to write this book?

I had no real desire to write a book because WOW I'm lazy... but magicians are often asking me to write one. They seem to like my Facebook posts and think I have something to say. Well, I'll prove them wrong, just you watch. Not sure I have anything to say, but when I thought about it, the idea of putting out a book would silence the constant ask. At the same time donating profits to a magic school in Bolivia absolves me of any guilt from asking for cash for the work. See the goal here is to straddle the constant self loathing while equally promoting this thing. Apathy, it's my sword and shield. Hey, lets also not forget that the published author tag also sure helps on the green card application, which I'm currently in the middle of getting through. Not long until I'm outta this frozen hell hole of Hoth we call Ontario.

What is your favourite anecdote from the book?

I'm fond of the Magic Castle story, because the first time performing there is super special and I think people ought to read how it feels if they've never been. Mostly though, it's the Monkey story. The whole thing screams show business. If nothing else I was hoping to show people just how crazy this business can be, and that's the coolest thing about it. Even when the money wasn't great, the stories were. It was the best way to grow up. Oh... there's also a ton of swearing in it. Apologies, but I swear a lot. It's a personal failure. Take it up with the editor of this thing.

You're not making a profit from this book. All proceeds are going to charity. Tell us about the charity you're supporting.

As charities go, this is a good one. It's a magic school for kids in Bolivia. If you've ever been anywhere in South America you'll notice they have it pretty rough compared to here. It's a good place to try and raise some cash for. To be fair it was Shawn Farquhar who put me on to that school. I always wanted to do something to help kids in magic and Shawn had a connection to the school, so it was a great fit. Magic has given us all so very much and so many crazy adventures. I like the idea of helping out a kid who loves magic who might one day have their own crazy stories. Maybe because we bought some props and helped them along.... hey I'm just a steel town girl on a Saturday night, looking for the fight of her life. In the real time world no one sees me at all, they all say I'm CRAAAAZZYYY... she's a maniac....maniac on the floor.....

[Editor's note: Great. Now that Michael Sembello song is stuck in my head.]

Is there anything else you’d like to share about you or The Fog Machine of War with our readers?

I always say this is bathroom reading for magicians. It's not a long book, really not long. I'm saving trees. Short stories, often less than a page at a time. I'm not trying to put out a Ken Weber style work. It's light reading, hopefully, to make you laugh and think about the industry. There's a few pieces in there specifically designed to start some debates, maybe even fights. I was always a fan of Metropolitan Life by Fran Lebowitz, so I sort of patterned the book after that. Naturally my book is nowhere near as good as Fran's. That said, maybe I can build an empire off publishing a single book. Hey, worked for her.

Thank you Matt, for making the time to answer our questions!

To learn more about The Fog Machine of War and to purchase the book, visit MattDiSero.com/book/

Learn more about Matt at his website MattDiSero.com and follow him on Instagram.

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11 March 2022

FISM Quebec 2022: Talent

It was recently announced that Lee Asher, Philippe Beau, David Ben, Max Maven, Lisa Menna, Pierric, Ta Na Manga, Topas will be in Québec City for FISM WCM 2022! They will join Michael Ammar, Mike Caveney, Alexandra Duvivier, Dani DaOrtiz, Shawn Farquhar, Paul Gertner, Luc Langevin, Xavier Mortimer, Walter Rolfo, Jay Sankey, R. Paul Wilson and Zabrecky!

Even more recently released talent includes Tobias Beckwith, Stéphane Bourgoin, Will Bradshaw, Marc DeSouza, Julie Eng, Larry Hass, Jeff McBride, Miguel Muñoz, Giancarlo Scalia, Bernardo Sedlacek, Scott Steelfyre and Jeki Yoo! Oh my!

Do you ❤ #playingcards? Me too! And I'll be discussing them at the upcoming @FISMmagic this summer in Québec City 🇨🇦! Join me, and I guarantee you'll leave knowing more about playing cards than ever before! pic.twitter.com/oIHAP8V83v
— Lee Asher (@LeeAsherMagic) March 2, 2022

David Ben @theconjuror will present a never-to-be-repeated lecture at FISM on the life and magic of #DaiVernon Discover why Vernon was, as @RealMaxMaven has described, like James Joyce—a person who comes along once a century and change everything. MORE: https://t.co/xieYsSZG58 pic.twitter.com/tXnUctfMsl
— Magicana (@sharingwonder) February 28, 2022

I hope to see you at FISM convention in Quebec! https://t.co/j47DpK1VBD pic.twitter.com/uSwzrUwfk2
— Jay Sankey (@jay_sankey) March 7, 2022

We are delighted to announce that our executive director, Julie Eng @anjusan, will be in Quebec this July for #FISM2022 to talk more about Magicana and sharing wonder. MORE: https://t.co/t1LTb1cc0X pic.twitter.com/HeWzbiZ01E
— Magicana (@sharingwonder) March 7, 2022

09 May 2021

UnConventional.Fun at Magicland [May 29 & 30]

Return to Magicland May 29th and 30th!

From the Unconventional.Fun website, the virtual line-up includes:

Caroline Ravn
Sean O
Mario "The Maker Magician" Marchese
Chris Westfall
Jeremy Griffith
Steve Reynolds
Xavior Spade
Carisa Hendrix
Avi Yap
Danny Goldsmith
Kevin Ho
Dustin Dean
Jay Sankey
Wes Barker
Spidey
Chris Pilsworth
Kaitlyn Chen
Doc Dixon
Noah Sonie
Ryan Kane
Jonah Babins and
Ben Train

From the May 7th Facebook post by UnConventional.Fun:

After MONTHS of hard work, tickets to Magicland have finally gone live!!!
We put together a convention weekend packed with shows, lectures, jams, dealers, panel talks, and even games (with real world prizes!).
Head to www.Unconventional.Fun to see what we've got planned - then comment below what YOU are most excited for!
#VirtualMagicConvention #Magicland #TicketsAreNowLive!

10 March 2020

David Regal, Jay Sankey, Dan Harlan, and Shawn Farquhar to the MAXX

I've had the good fortune of seeing all four lecture and they were all fabulous. It'd be awesome to see them all again in one place!

From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook post:

Imagine if David Regal, Jay Sankey, Dan Harlan, and Shawn Farquhar hosted a magic party. Four of the world's most brilliant magicians, teaching tricks, hanging out, performing shows, being hilarious. It'd be epic, right? Well, they are! And 300 of you will get to experience it.

Registration is now open for MAXX 2020, an exclusive 2-day magic convention strictly limited to 300 attendees.

"Had one of the best experiences of my life here" -Samuel Moore, MAXX Atlanta 2019
WHERE? WHEN?

Dallas, TX: April 3-4
https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/12249

Atlanta, GA: May 1-2
https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/12250

Baltimore, MD: Sept 11-12
https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/12525

Los Angeles, CA: Oct 9-10
https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/13024

Chicago, IL: Nov 13-14
https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/13121

05 March 2020

Toronto: Jay Sankey at the Ontario Science Centre

From the Ontario Science Centre:

March 14–22

Mind-bending Magic: The Science of Perception

World-renowned magician Jay Sankey makes the impossible possible by playing with perception, blurring the line of what is and what seems to be. As Jay mesmerizes, astounds and delights with his mind-bending routine, discover the connections between magic and the mind. You’ll even learn a quick magic trick that you can do at home to wow your family and friends.

From Vegas to Paris to Tokyo, Jay has captivated audiences with close-up magic—and comedy—for more than 25 years. He holds the world record for creating more original illusions than any other human being alive.

We’re dealing in magic this #MarchBreak! Don’t miss Mind-bending Magic: The #Science of Perception with master magician @jay_sankey. ♣️ ♠️ ♥️ ♦️ https://t.co/c6JgOAZdPq pic.twitter.com/ApOiffMskT
— Ontario Science Centre 🔬 (@OntScienceCtr) February 27, 2020

25 January 2020

Canadians at Blackpool 2020

Updated January 27th to add:

Eagle-eyed reader John Harrison noted that Chris Ramsay will be in attendance at Blackpool this year.

From the Blackpool Magic Convention website, I see that Jay Sankey and The Evasons are scheduled to attend.

Who am I missing?

Aside:

Have you ever been at a magic convention and found yourself with 17 seconds where there's nothing to do?
Have you ever searched for a distraction so that you wouldn't have to make eye contact with the humans in your proximity?

Do you fancy yourself to have Sherlock-esque powers of observation?

Don't forget about Magic Convention Bingo! Click here for your Bingo card and click refresh until you generate a card you like. Simply print it off and bring it to your next magic convention!

Stay alert and keep an eye open for the items on your card. See how long it takes for you to get your first bingo or even fill your card!

Remember to be respectful and don't shout out "bingo" during presentations or performances. And don't bother the conference organizers with questions about Magic Convention Bingo -- they might not even know it's going on!

10 January 2020

Toronto: April Fools Magic Spectacular

From the Toronto Magic Company:

When was the last time you were fooled? I mean REALLY fooled?

Well you’ve NEVER been fooled like this!

In honour of April 1st, the most fooling day of the year, The Toronto Magic Company has gathered together some of the best and most popular magicians to ever appear on the hit TV show “Penn and Teller Fool Us”. Using world-class sleight of hand and mind-blowing illusions, these master magicians will prove that there’s nothing more fun than being fooled!

Featuring (in alphabetical order)

Jason Palter - Fool Us, Season 5.

Jay Sankey - Fool Us, Season 2

Matt Disero - Fool Us, Season 3

Nicholas Wallace - Fool Us, Season 5. FOOLER.

Richard Forget - Fool Us, Season 4

Ryan Joyce - Fool Us, Season 3

The Sentimentalists - Fool Us, Season 5. FOOLER.

Wes Barker - Fool Us, Season 2. FOOLER.

Yan Markson - Fool Us, Season 4

This is a once in a lifetime event with VERY limited seating! Get your tickets before they disappear!

Read more and buy tickets.

14 December 2019

OWOW Recap by Ryan Joyce

From the December 7th article "Magic festival appears in Fergus Ontario" by Ryan Joyce:

We organized a three-day magicians convention, produced a four-day festival featuring five stage shows, two parlour shows, and first-ever Livestream Magic Special during the seven days.

The OWOW Festival scheduled magicians performing table-to-table at local restaurants, secret sessions for magicians, world-class gala magic shows at the Fergus Grand Theatre and exclusive private events around town.

This year we featured twelve internationally acclaimed magicians, Stephen Bargatze, Michael Close, Greg Frewin, Carisa Hendrix, Rick Merrill, Paul Romhany, Jay Sankey, Nicholas Wallace, Owen Anderson, Ryan Joyce, Cody Moynihan, Peter Mennie, Graemazing Reed and Ed Stone.

Read more.

21 September 2019

Austin Kaiser interviews Jay Sankey

From the August 12th post "Interview: Jay Sankey, A Magician Who Vanishes Into His Audience" by Austin Kaiser on Medium:

A: What is magic to you, personally?

J: Magic is also the experience in the magician. Fifteen minutes into a gig, I’m starting to flow. I have this wonderful experience of not being anywhere else. I’m in a pure response mode. It’s surreal. I’m inspired by the Dadaists, the Greeks, and Salvador Dali.

A: What is it that people love about magic? What makes them fall in love with it?

J: In this age of Google, we apparently know everything. One hundred years ago there was not that feeling. Magic and people’s love of magic can be a response to the idea of a know-it-all world.

Read more.

12 July 2019

Las Vegas: Jay Sankey presents 'Being More Believable'

Catch Jay's 'Being More Believable' lecture October 4-6 at the Rediscover Event in Las Vegas.

From Jay Sankey's Twitter feed:

I'm presenting my 'Being More Believable' talk October 4-6 at the Rediscover Event in Las Vegas!. Click link for details on this multi-media 'marketing experience.' https://t.co/hd9APQoQw6 pic.twitter.com/pxQKpF9Z6s
— Jay Sankey (@jay_sankey) June 26, 2019

28 March 2019

Toronto: Jay Sankey on creativity

You can also see Jay at the 'Masters of Magic' convention in Italy May 18-19th. See Jay's Tweet at the bottom of this post.

From YouTube:

'Stop Trying to 'BE CREATIVE!'" How To Nurture Your Natural Creativity

When: Thursday April 4th, 2019

Where: YouTube Space Toronto - 230 Richmond St E, Toronto, ON

As a master magician and stand-up comic, Jay Sankey has performed all over
the world. He's also developed websites, created product packaging,
authored books, drawn cartoons, invented direct marketing pieces, designed
logos, created television series and produced hundreds of videos.

Read more and register.

I'm presenting a FREE creativity seminar in Toronto on April 4 @ 6:30-8:00. To reserve your seat click here! https://t.co/Mn3HdmLbzX pic.twitter.com/CTNDg7gTHv
— Jay Sankey (@jay_sankey) March 21, 2019

I can't wait for the 'Masters of Magic' convention in Italy in May! It's going to be AMAZING! https://t.co/2pLgOwqFgs
— Jay Sankey (@jay_sankey) March 22, 2019

27 January 2019

Rounding the Central rings in February 2019

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.

Montreal, QC	Ring 62 (20th Century Ring)	- N/A.
Hamilton, ON	Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club)	- Members' Choice.
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- TBA
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- Buck Macleod Lecture.
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- Literacy Magic - Charity Show: Rehabilitation Hospital
Ottawa, ON	Ottawa / Gatineau magicians	- N/A
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- Jay Sankey lecture.

Please leave a comment or email me about corrections or omissions.

25 January 2018

Toronto: Garrett Thomas announced for Browser's Bash 2018

From the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook group:

Dear Denizens,

We are very happy to announce that Garrett Thomas will be joining us at this year's Browser's Bash.

You read that right! Magician Garrett Thomas Thomas will be at this year's 'Browser's Magic Bash'.

Mr. Thomas is known for being an innovator as well as one of the top card, coin, and ring sleight of hand men in the world. His numerous releases include Imagination Coins, Banded, Stand-Up Monte, Speedreader Deck and Ring Thing.

His original effects, extreme technical skills and keen understanding of human psychology culminate in highly visual, entertaining and enlightening routines. Garrett was a stand-out artist in the close-up show at the last Magic Live!

Garrett's dedication to the art of magic manifests not only in his performances but also in his strong commitment to teaching the science and psychology of magic to other magicians.

Garrett Thomas is joining Jay Sankey, Dick Joiner, Pop Haydn, Michael Close, Chris Pilsworth, James Alan, Nicholas Wallace and many others to help make Browser’s Magic Bash 4 the best Bash yet!

Hard to believe, but The 'Browser's 2018 Magic Bash' is now only three months away.

Tickets are still available. And we would love to have you join us for the day.

For full details on Browser's Magic Bash 2018 or to Buy Tickets please visit http://www.browsersden.com/bash/

Thank you for your kind support
Old Jeff, Young Jeff, John Talbot & The Browser's Den Team

Read more and buy tickets.

13 December 2017

Toronto: Jay Sankey added to Browser's Bash line up

From the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook group:

Dear Magic Friend,

We are so pleased to announce that Jay Sankey will be joining us for the 2018 Browser's Magic Bash!

Now might be the perfect time to request a Bash ticket for Christmas...or maybe to get a gift for yourself!

Jay Sankey is widely considered to be one of the most original thinkers and finest magic teachers alive today. He is also one of the most prolific magic creators on the planet.

Jay has created over 700 original magic effects; many of which have been performed by some of the most famous magicians alive including David Copperfield, David Blaine and Criss Angel.

A bit of Browser's Den history....Some of you may not know that Jay Sankey used to hang out at the Browser's Den shop table in the 1970's. Founder of Browser's Den, Len Cooper was the very first person to show Jay a magic trick.

We are very proud of all the young magicians who have started their career at Browser's Den. But truth be told no magician who started his journey at Browser's has had a bigger impact on the world of magic than Jay Sankey.

The list of tricks and instructional videos that Jay has released is truly stunning. But just to jog our dusty magic memories here are a few of the titles of Jay's creations: Paperclipped, Revolutionary Card Magic, Revolutionary Coin Magic, Anytime Anywhere, Holy Moly, In a Flash, Wrap it Up, Airtight, etc. etc. and etc.

Let's face it... Jay has put a lot of smiles on our faces and brought astonishment into our lives. And no doubt his performance and lecture at the Bash 2018 will do likewise.

Jay Sankey will join Dick Joiner, Pop Haydn, Michael Close, Chris Pilsworth, James Alan, Nicholas Wallace and many others to help make Browser’s Magic Bash 4 the best Bash yet!

If you have not yet purchased a ticket please take a moment to click on the link for full details:

http://www.browsersden.com/bash

Thank you for your kind support
Old Jeff, Young Jeff, John Talbot & The Browser's Den Team

02 July 2017

Canadians at IBM SAM 2017

The IBM-SAM Combined Convention is coming up July 12th to 15th!

Canadian roll call please!

So far, I've got:

Julianna Chen (stage and lecture),
Jay Sankey (close-up and lecture),
Murray Hatfield and Teresa (stage and lecture), and
The Outerbridges (stage and lecture).

Who'd I miss?

From Ted Outerbridge's Facebook page:

09 May 2017

Toronto: Jay Sankey fan appreciation event

From Jay Sankey's Twitter feed:

I'm hosting a live 'fan appreciation' event on June 17 in Toronto. Going to be a BLAST! https://t.co/rfDpaoK8Gq
— Jay Sankey (@jay_sankey) April 27, 2017

20 November 2016

Jay Sankey on Bringing Magic To Your Business

From Twist Image:

Welcome to episode #540 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Mirum Podcast. I have been blown away by Jay Sankey. He's a magician who has managed to do some pretty amazing and impossible things. I'm not just talking about the 700-plus illusions he has invented over his incredible career. I'm not just talking about the fact that David Copperfield, Criss Angel and David Blaine have performed his illusions. He knows so much about business, marketing and storytelling that this could be one of the important things any business professional might listen to this year. (and that's not hyperbole) With close to 200,000 subscribers to his Sankey Magic YouTube channel, Jay has broken down the wall between the audience and the mystic of magic.

Read more and listen to podcast.