I
couldn't think of a really snazzy title for this LONG overdue Monthly
Muse. The
topic concerns magic and my fascination for it. Presto! Alakazam!
.. . .and other incantations just didn't seem to fit. So-------we're
stuck with ? ? ? ? !
No
secrets will be revealed here; only reflections on a lifetime love of
the art of legerdemain and prestidigitation. . . undoubtedly nurtured
by a special Santa Clause gift. See it below. (That's the exact
Mysto Magic Set by A.C. Gilbert. There were five sets in that particular series. Eventually, I owned them all.) And a career was born.
Actually just an--on again--off again interest in magic which never
completely abandoned me.
******************************
My
cousin, Betty, who also gave me my first book about cartooning, Draw
Comics! --Here's How-- A Complete Book on Cartooning by
George Carlson, married Jack, a very professional amateur
magician—forgive the oxymoron. Jack pointed me to the Abbott's
Magic Manufacturing Company catalog. From that point on, there was no
looking back. He also introduced me to a young magician in a nearby town, with whom I
visited; we had fun practicing our tricks, sharing ideas. Here's Ted
Blau.
During
a two year hitch in the Navy, while stationed in New Orleans we
visited the Rex Magic Shop; Bernita
bought me Greater Magic. The
tome of more than 1005 pages of text pulled back the shroud of
mystery from cabalas, hundreds in number; from small pocket tricks to
large scale illusions. Dr. HarlanTarbell--himself a polished
magician--drew more than1150 illustrations! A dozen or so years later
I met Tarbell. He autographed his own first volume of The Tarbell
Course in Magic which I'd purchased.
#################################
High
school years were the soil where the seeds of both magic and
cartooning germinated, masking feelings of inferiority. Folks find
that a condition, in me, difficult to entertain.
But,
many birthday parties, service club meetings, class reunions and
family gatherings were subjected to the perspiring performances of
VALDARO, the Magician. I chose the name Valdaro because the letter
“V” was prominent on each of 52 cards in a deck someone had given
me. Think I'm kidding about being shy? When elected president of my
sophomore class I passed out cold.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Ultimately
I joined IBM, the International Brotherhood of Magicians. During that
time I was elected President of the Ithaca, NY Ring.
I
didn't pass out.
It
was a treat and a delight to meet a number of childhood magi-heroes;
Blackstone, Sr., Gene Gordon (one of the founders of IBM) and Lou
Tannen, proprietor of Tannen's Magic Shop in New York City to name a
few. Got to chat with David Copperfield back stage . . . and Harry
Blackstone Jr.
***************************
Some
years before moving to San Diego from hometown Watkins Glen,
NY,teacher/author Frank Steber and I posed for a library publicity
shot. I think Frank is trying to show me how to do a trick.
What a privilege to be asked to design a logo for two IBM conventions held in San Diego.
Here
is the most recent one.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The
Rabbit Under the Hat, a book for which Ellen Friedman and I are
responsible, is a collection of magic inspired cartoons. Most of
them were originally published in the IBM Ring 76 newsletter
MagiCurrents over the past nine years.
It
should be available within a couple of months. It's been fun for us.
I know you'll like the finished product.
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
We're
almost to this blog's vanishing point. I'm hoping that Jim
Williamson's picture (shown as if he were contemplating a floating
grapefruit) will be seen by someone who remembers him. Aka LEN, the
Magician, Jim was a friend and member of the Ithaca magic club. Where
ARE you, Jim??
?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
The
predicament depicted in our final picture could conceivably reflect
my own confusion. Let's leave it at that til next time.
SIM SALA
BIM!
Jim
