Shane Cobalt on Erdnase

From Shane Cobalt's Facebook page:

I just wrote this as a comment to someone asking "Who's Erdnase" and thought it might be interesting to a wider audience.

Let's pretend this is a real question.

The first answer, which will assume you know about the book and are just looking for the identity, is still a mystery. As it stands, I am of the mindset that Marty Demarest has found the most current convincing candidate with Wilbur Edgarton Sanders. However, everyone is speculating and as Erdnase never actually came to get the books from the printer, I believe we are in a position where we may never truly know with 100% certainty who Erdnase truly was. Unfortunate really.

That being said, let's assume you are asking the greater over arching question that many new to the field ask. What/Who is Erdnase (all about).

A relatively small book was published in 1902 under the name S.W. Erdnase. A pseudonym name we assume of the author.

While there is a lot of mystery and searching going on regarding who he was, let's discuss what the book is, why it's important, and what you can expect from it.

Read more.

Broken wand: Arshan Khan

We were notified by Dennis Schick, the editor of the Broken Wand in the International Brotherhood of Magician's magazine, The Linking Ring, of the passing of Arshan Khan.

You may remember that in 2011 Arshan was awarded the Order of Merlin - Shield Award.


From Canadian Obituaries:

KHAN, Dr. Arshad  -  Loving husband to Rita, and father to Rajal (Jennifer) and Aanchal (Bradley), passed away surrounded by family on February 5, 2017, at St. Mary's Hospital, in Kitchener.

He is survived by his brother, Amin (Talat) and his sister, Parveen.

He was a dedicated psychiatrist in Kitchener-Waterloo for 29 years and a devoted member of the community. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Brandon and Prince George: Ty Reveen

See Ty at the WMCA in Brandon on March 25 and in Vanier Hall in Prince George on April 1st.

From the Prince George Citizen:

Pushing the mental buttons of Canada is now a best-selling tradition for one Canadian family.

Like his father before him, the name Reveen is now being worn by a hypno-entertainer who is touring the nation, wowing audiences from coast to coast with a combination of comedy and feats of the human mind.

Organizers call the Reveen experience "the most popular show in the history of Canadian theatre," for its longevity and public appeal over the two generations it's gone on. An estimated audience of more than six million viewers have taken in the first generation of performances, and now those numbers are set to grow.

Read more.

From the Facebook page of Reveen the Legend Continues:

Introducing "Magic Convention Bingo"

• 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?

We've got just the thing for you!

Canada's Magic is proud to introduce Magic Convention Bingo!

Click here for your Bingo card (or make an Unofficial #BrowsersBash2017 edition) 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!

Vancouver: Camilo Dominguez in "Abracadabra"

From the Daily Hive:

Camilo Dominguez, aka Camilo the Magician, is a Vancouver-trained magician who is stepping outside of his comfort zone with his upcoming show, Abracadabra.

The show will be held March 31, April 1, 7, and 8 at the York Theatre in Vancouver, and will feature classic illusions from historic magicians, something that Camilo said is a step away from his illusionary roots.

Read more.

David Ben on the cover of Genii

Congratulations to David Ben, who is on the cover of the April 2017 edition of Genii!

David is also scheduled to perform at the Genii convention this coming October.

(Dai Vernon is also listed as a performer.   Interesting.)

London: Mike Fisher at the 2017 Fringe

From the Charming Cheat:

London Fringe Festival 2017

Is he cheating, lucky or is it all just a trick? Decide for yourself at Corbin’s incredibly entertaining shows at the London Fringe Festival.

Tickets available at the door, or online at www.londonfringe.ca

Thursday June 1rst @8:45pm
Saturday June 3 @9:15pm
Sunday June 4 @7:00pm
Thursday June 8 @ 5:30pm
Friday June 9 @8:45pm
Saturday June 10@4:30pm

Shows are at the McManus theater,  first floor of The Grand Theatre
 471 Richmond St.,
 London, ON N6A 3E4
 Canada


Read more.

44th Magic Collectors Weekend Guests of Honour

From Magicana:

With the 44th Magic Collectors Weekend only two months away, we are pleased announce our Guests of Honor for the Weekend—William (Bill) Kalush and Michael (Micky) Hades.

It may be trite to say, but it is true. With accomplishments so rich, and spanning so many decades, our Guests of Honor need little introduction. Both, in many ways, have changed the course of magic history, particularly for magic collectors and historians.

Read more.

Broken Wand: Msgr. Vincent Foy

From the IBM Ring 17 newsletter:

Longtime members of the club will have heard of Msgr. Vincent Foy. One of the country's longest-serving Catholic priests, passed away earlier this week at the age of 101.

Among magicians, he was better known for his contributions to the literature of magic, including publications released under the pen name "Dr. George E. Casaubon" and for his assistance in writing the important books The Magic and Methods of Ross Bertram and Bertram on Sleight of Hand. Later, in his nineties, Ron van Someren photographed him performing the nearly one hundred one-handed cuts with playing cards he invented, which were compiled and published in 2011 A Cut Above.

More information is available at:

http://www.catholicregister.org/item/24590-msgr-vincent-foy-longest-serving-priest-in-toronto-archdiocese-dies-at-101

Read more.

Calgary: Wes Barker

From Wes Barker's Facebook page:
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PCAM/CAM: Buster Balloon

At the bottom of the post, there's a list of the talent line-up.


From Mike Norden's Facebook post:

Space is limited to 20 people and we have 8 so far, We NEED the 20 people to make this happen or it won't. So do NOT delay - contact me to register today!!

From Mike Norden's Facebook photos:

Winnipeg: A family day of magic 2017

From Carey Lauder's Facebook page:

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Vancouver: James Randi In Conversation With Matt Dillahunty

There will also be a show with Shawn Farquhar with Camilo The Magician and Matt Dillahunty!

From UBC:

Sunday 02 April 2017

Matt Dillahunty is thrilled to return to the Chan Centre stage to share the evening with one of his great idols in magic and skepticism. Matt is well known for his role in the Atheist community, but he also dabbles in magic! The amazing James Randi has an international reputation as a magician and escape artist, but today he is best known as the world’s most tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims.

Read more and buy tickets.

 From the Pangburn Philosophy Facebook page:

Brent and Sarah in "My Kawartha" and "Muskoka Region"

From Muskoka Region:

GRAVENHURST — The Brent and Sarah Comedy Magic Show will entertain Muskoka families March 17 at 7 p.m.

“This is definitely going to be a highlight of St. Patrick’s Day in Muskoka,” noted Ann Curley, operations manager of Muskoka Discovery Centre. “Brent and Sarah deliver a unique fast-paced show that offers a clever mix of mind-reading, illusion, magic. There’s even talk of a daring escape act."

Read more.

From My Kawartha:

The couple’s Laugh Out Loud Comedy Magic Show takes the Academy Theatre for Performing Arts at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 18.

Unlike a traditional magic act, featuring magician and assistant, the husband and wife team take equal footing on the stage; even if Brent turns out to be the brunt of most of the jokes.

Read more.

Bobby Motta's "Cryptic"

From Bobby Motta's Facebook page:
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Stream "Houdini and Doyle" until 2021

From the Twitter feed of HouDoyle:
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Good news for Canadian cable subscribers. Thanks to @Global_TV you can now stream #HoudiniAndDoyle until 2021! 🎩🖋️https://t.co/yaNBxkXnWx

— HouDoyle (@HouDoyle) February 3, 2017

Vitaly Beckman in Ontario

From Vitaly Beckman's Facebook page:

New tour dates are updated on the website! http://www.eveningofwonders.com

First stop is Northern Ontario:

 March 25 - Cobalt
 March 26 - Kirkland Lake
 March 29 - Parry Sound
 March 31 - Sudbury

For tickets see: http://www.eveningofwonders.com/tickets

Toronto: Will and Matt at the Isabel Bader Theatre

From the Facebook page of Will and Matt:

International Award Winning Duo performing magic LIVE! in UofT's Isabel Bader Theatre on 3/19/17

Ticket link: http://willandmatt.com/
 You will see...

-15 Grand Illusions
 -Opening Performance with World Class Mentalist - Ben Train
 -Featuring dance acts
 -Las Vegas level production
 -World class magic inventions
 -2 hours of magic that will completely BLOW YOUR MIND!

Early bird price ends on March 12th. Price will go up by $10 after that date!
 With early bird ticket, you also get exclusive and limited W&M Magic Tutorial. We will show you how some of our magics are done!


Read more and buy tickets.

Where to find Shawn Farquhar in March 2017

Good luck keeping up with Shawn in March.  With NEMCON tomorrow and Friday, shows in Cambridge, Chilliwack, and Hawai'i, he's going to be spending a lot of time in airports!  If you want a head start for next month, he'll also be at the FFFF Convention in April.

For more information about NEMCON, visit the New England Magicians' Conference.


From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook page:


From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook page:





From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook page:

Michael Close reviews "The Aretalogy of Vanni Bossi"

From Michael Close:

As I left my forties behind and entered into late middle age, I became aware of a sad, odd occurrence. Some of my friends were turning into books. They had left flesh and blood, heart and bone behind, transforming into a form that allowed one-way (but sometimes surprisingly comforting) communication. I would regulary head to my library, not so much to seek information, but to visit again with Stewart James, Billy McComb, Howard Lyons, Arturo Ascanio, Barrie Richardson, T.A. Waters, Tommy Wonder, and Dai Vernon. And now, eight years after his death, another friend arrives from the printer in a beautiful and most fitting presentation.

The Aretalogy of Vanni Bossi features a portion of the creative output of a true polymath – a collector, historian, craftsman, performer, and creator. Concerning Vanni’s collection, Roberto Giobbi writes in the Foreword, “He possessed practically every important book of magic, from the beginning of printing to modern times, in many languages, but above all in Italian. He also knew what was in them, how to place their contents in the evolution of magical ideas, and who invented what. He was one of the most educated and well-informed people in magic that I’ve ever met.”
 
Read more.