CAM/PCAM Combined Convention: Close-up artists announced

Close-up entertainers Jon Allen and Diamond Jim Tyler have been announced as appearing in this year's CAM and PCAM combined convention. 

For more information about the convention, please visit MagicianConvention.com



[h/t: CAM]

Remembering the Society of Canadian Magicians

Do you remember the Society of Canadian Magicians (SCM)?  If so, go on over the the Facebook page David Donoghue has set up for remembering the SCM.  There is a dearth of information on the internet about the SCM.  MagicPedia has only two lines on the organization.

Help document the history of the organization by contributing to the discussions or adding to the collection of online photos.


[h/t: John Pellatt]

Colombini Farewell Tour

[Edited May 24 to add Toronto date.]

From WildColumbini.com:

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE COLOMBINI'S DURING WHAT WILL BE THERE FAREWELL TOUR OF THE CONTINENTAL US AND CANADA. After careful thought and deliberation we have decided that this will be our final lecture tour of the US and Canada.

Canadian dates include:

• Vancouver, May 12th
• Victoria, May 13th
• Edmonton, May 14th
• Toronto, June 1st
• Montréal,  June 5th

For more information, visit Wild Columbini Magic.


[h/t: MagicInfo.ca]

CBC: Joan Caesar and Julie Eng talk about women in magic

As a follow-up to the previous post "CBC: The Amazing and Astounding Invisible Women of Magic", John Pellatt pointed me to this Mary Ito interview of Joan Caesar and Julie Eng on the CBC program "Fresh Air" back on October 31st, 2009. 

Listen to Joan and Julie talk about magic, the Canadian Association of Magicians and Magicana.

CBC: The Amazing and Astounding Invisible Women of Magic

[Edited April 4 to add link to interview with Joan and Julie.]

Prompted in part by the recent death of Dorothy Young (Houdini’s Stage Assistant), today CBC Radio One reran "The Amazing and Astounding Invisible Women of Magic" a documentary by Frank Faulk.  You can listen to it from the The Sunday Edition website (it starts at about the 22 minute mark).

Listen to Mary Ito interview of Joan Caesar and Julie Eng on the CBC program "Fresh Air" back on October 31st, 2009.   Perfect Magic has a post on women magicians at Magie Montréal.

Recent articles on the subject of women in magic from:

• Slate: "The Next Queen of Magic -- Does magic need more female performers to be cool again?"
• Miller-McCune: "Why Have Women Magicians Vanished?"
• About.com: "Women in Magic - Interview With Krystyn Lambert", "Why Are There So Few Female Magicians - Interview With Suzanne", "Women in Magic: Margarette Le Claire","Women in Magic - Interview With Farrah Siegel"
• About.com: "Documentary: Women in Boxes", "Have Women Magicians Vanished?"
• About.com: "Readers Respond: Why Are There So Few Female Magicians?", "Article Asks: Does Magic Need Females to Be Cool Again?", "Readers Respond: Does Magic Need Females?"

[h/t: John Pellatt]

Doc Eason: June lectures

Doc Eason will be lecturing in Canada this spring.

The according to to the X-elent Lecture Series website Eason's lecture dates are:

• Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle) on June 6th
• Ring 28 (Edmonton Magic Guild) on June 7th [contact e-mal can be found at magicinfo.ca]
• Ring 66 (Calgary Magic Circle) on June 8th
• The Magic Club of Winnipeg on June 9th
• Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle) on June 10th

He'll be wrapping up the lecture tour with dates in the US (Seattle, Eugene and Portland).

Please confirm details about dates, times and locations by contacting each club directly.

April Fooled

I only saw one major Canadian magic prank yesterday.  The Vanishing Rabbit posted this on their website and Facebook page:

After very long negotiations, I would like to annouce that The Vanishing Rabbit Magic Shop has SOLD to a private Magic Shop Chain out of the United States. Although the shop will stay open and the Name will change, I will remain as a Manager and consultant, I would like to thank all who have supported my Magic Shop business the last 10 years and hope that you will remain customers of ours.

While not Canadian, this prank is certainly worth a mention!  From The Magic Newswire this post from The Magic Circle:

The Magic Circle To Mount Legal Challenge 

The Magic Circle is considering mounting a legal challenge to proposals which would see the composition of packs of playing cards dramatically altered from April 2012.

The proposals announced under European Union Directive 27745 / 3665 include the removal of the twelve Jacks, Queens and Kings from every pack of cards manufactured within the EU to reflect modern Republic Member States. A new suit of 'Stars' is to be introduced alongside the traditional Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades making the total number of cards exactly 50 in the new 'metric' packs.

Spokesman for The Magic Circle states "We are very concerned by these new rules. We very much value our Royal connections and cannot accept such a scandalous interference from the EU. The standard pack of 52 cards embodies a long legacy of cultural and magical history.”

A spokesman continues: “Frankly many of our Members are hoping to make these new rules disappear!"

Read the original post (complete with image of the new deck) here.
 

What April Fool's day pranks did I miss?