MY ACCOUNT
British Ring Featured in January 2016 Linking Ring
Category: Article Posted by: C. DENNIS SCHICK
THE LINKING RING -- JANUARY 2016
The British are coming! On the cover, and the subject of a personal profile in the January 2016 issue of The Linking Ring, is Ring 25 -- the British Ring -- President Paul Ray. Read about his involvement in magic and how he became President of the I.B.M.’s largest Ring. Also read the special Parade of magic tricks contributed by members of the Ring. Of course, Peter Scarlett keeps us informed about all things British in his monthly column THE LONDON EYES.
Announced in the full-page ad advertising the 2016 I.B.M. Annual Convention, are the special honored guests, Johnny and Pam Thompson. Also knon as The Great Tomsoni and Company. the Thompsons will be recognized for their many years of contributions to the magical arts.
Other features this month include: Daniel Hernandez who won first place in the youth category of the 2015 I.B.M. Stage Contest, and received as one of his prizes a trip to New York City with a visit to Fantasma Magic. Read his first-hand report. Christopher T. Magician shares secrets of his comedy kid-show success. After twenty-five years, one of the largest brick-and-mortar magic stores in the country, Mr. Magic in Little Rock, Arkansas, closed December 31; another victim of the Internet. Read about the evolution of the store, from beginning to end. Also in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the third annual Festival of Magic was bigger than ever, but with several changes.
Our columnists have been busy, too. There are TEN this month. Kent Cummins writes about “Publicity and Promotion” in his MARKETING AND MAGIC column. John Tudor continues to tie magic and the theater together with “The Sword of El Duco” in his EXPERIMENTS IN MAGIC THEATRE column. Bev Bergeron is still telling personal tales in his CUTTING UP JACKPOTS column, this time focusing on “Roy Huston: Illusionist, Drummer, Showman.” Scott Hood continues his column THE THERAPY OF MAGIC, focusing this month on gags and laughter. Skip Way is still POLISHING THE RINGS, and in his current column gives advice on “Developing lesson plans,” regarding teaching magic.
THE CARD CORNER by Mike Powers, lets Paul Lelekis use his space this month, with “Horse of a different color.” a “twisting” routine. In SIMPLE DIVERSIONS, Andrew Woo brings us “Pocket Floating Queen,” his version of the Floating Lady as a walk-around effect. Jeff Prace’s THE EXPERT AT THE TECH TABLE this month features his adaptation of rope magic to technology, using earbuds. In his SITUATIONALLY YOURS column, Chris Beason tells us about his “Die Cast,” an on-the-spot challenge you can make using gimmicked dice. Michael Breggar brings us “A Self-Working ACAAN” in his AUTO-MAGIC column. However, he does add a cautionary, “Maybe” about that self-working claim.
Add to all this the standard features of Hocus in Focus (new product reviews), Ring Events, Ring Reports, Pictures From the Past, etc., and the new year kicks off with another stellar journal of all-things-magic. A deep bow and tip of the Top Hat to Editor Sammy Smith and his staff, including all contributors, and graphic artists, Tony Dunn, and Jessica Friend.
