21 February 2021

Broken wand: Dennis Schick

It is with great sadness that I share with you the news that long time friend of, and contributor to the blog, Dennis Schick, passed away early last December. 

Dennis, as many of you already know, managed the Broken Wand section for the IBM's Linking Ring magazine.  He and I were in touch frequently keeping each other up to date.  You may also know that Dennis was the driving force behind the Linking Ring's recurring feature "Benevlonce of Magic" which featured giving initiatives and included Canadian projects such as: Magicana's Sharing Wonder, Jeff Christensen's Celebrate the Child Foundation, John Kaplan's Fundraising Magic, Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp, and the Mosquitoes Suck tour.

He always had a kind word and a good wish.

Dennis was the first person to interview me about Canada's Magic.  The interview was published just over a year ago in the Linking Ring.  I continue to be honoured and grateful to have had this opportunity.

Thank you Dennis, for your friendship, kindness, support, and encouragement.

Our sincere condolences to Dennis' wife Jan, and their family and friends.


From Arkansas Online:

We are sad to share with you that C. Dennis Schick passed away at home Monday December 7. Dennis was a husband, father, grandfather, and friend to all.

He is preceded in death by his father and mother Dean and Ardyce Schick. He is survived by his wife Jan of 61 years; by his three children Leslie Gorrell (Doug), Greg Schick (Christa), and Tim Schick; his four grandchildren Alex, Lisa, Katie, and Emily Schick; his brother Darry Schick (Alice) and sister Kay Weaver (Ron); and many extended family members.

Dennis and Jan moved to Arkansas in 1979 where he served as the Executive Director of the Arkansas Press Association, a state trade association of newspapers. In that capacity, he supervised the operations of three companies: the APA, Arkansas Press Services, and the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation

Read more.


20 February 2021

Isaac Willis, The Great Boomsky, in Halifax Today

From the February 14th article "Remember This? When Isaac met Blanche" by Margaret Steele in Halifax Today:

At age twenty-five, Isaac Willis – The Great Boomsky – was already a renowned magician. That night he was playing a block away at the Academy of Music with Richards & Pringles Famous Georgia Minstrels.

By 1905, Isaac had already been touring for nearly half of his life. He had started as a teen apprentice with the legendary magician Herrmann the Great, playing the assistant character “Boomsky.” Now he was a star in his own right.

With ads foretelling “A Gleeful Comingling of Joviality” and “A Coalition of Mirth, Vivacity and Gaity,” America’s premiere Black minstrel company packed theaters everywhere they went. The group’s fifty men lived and traveled on a private Pullman railcar. Their 1905 summer tour would play eighteen Nova Scotia towns in three weeks, including a three-day stand in Halifax.

That evening Blanche jostled her way to her seat at the Academy of Music. The capacity crowd howled at the opening comedy skits then tapped their feet and clapped along to the band’s rousing ragtime tunes.

Read more.


19 February 2021

Benefit show for Danny ZZZZ [Feb 21]

From the February 16th Facebook post by Anthony Lindan:

PLEASE SHARE & SUPPORT
I'm hosting a benefit Zoom magic show for my friend and fellow magician Danny ZZZZ.  
Danny lost all of his magic equipment and gear (and lot of other personal stuff) in a storage facility fire in Niagara-on-the-Lake last week. 
The show is this Sunday Feb. 21 from 7 PM - 8 PM. Admission is free and donations to the Danny ZZZZ GOFUNDME campaign are being accepted at https://gofund.me/f81c06cf 
I will be joined by several guest magicians who will perform amazing magic tricks! 
Thanks for your help & support!






18 February 2021

Carisa Hendrix and Kayla Drescher talk Modern Wonder

Very exciting!  Carisa offered a teaser for this project about a year ago when she lectured for Ring 17!

 

From the February 8th Facebook post by The Society of American Magicians:

Kayla Drescher and Carisa Hendrix are no strangers to podcasting. They started Shezam back in 2018 and it has been going strong ever since. Now. Kayla and Carisa check in with The Books of Magic to talk about new project "Modern Wonder," a video project bringing the effects of Tommy Wonder's Books of Wonder to video.