The I.B.M. Blog & Articles

The International Brotherhood of Magicians

30 Dec

The British are coming! -- in January Linking Ring

Category:   Posted by: C. DENNIS SCHICK

As you’ll see on the cover of the January issue, the new President of Ring 25 has red, curly hair. Why? (It's not naturally that way.) You’ll want to read the seven-page profile on him and his wife, Barbara to find the answer. There are lots of photos, too, showing their colorful multiple careers over the past three decades 

 

Ian Adair, one of the most prolific writers in all of magic history, has been coordinating the January Parade of Ring 25 members for nearly four decades. That’s right, for thirty-nine years! This time there are seventeen effects included, brilliantly illustrated by Tony Dunn, as always. You’ll have fun with many of these.

 

Other major features this month include: a continuation of insights into the life of Charles Dickens and his connections to magic; a review of the Fourth Biennial China Westlake International Magic Convention by Dale Salwak; the first of a new series, Commitment and Passion, paying tribute to John R. Browne III; and a major article on soliciting grants for magic programs, by magician and grant veteran Dr. Lynn Miner. (Don’t miss this one!)

 

The regular columnists are back for your thoughtful consideration: both editor Sammy Smith and International President Shawn Farquhar devote their columns appropriately to resolutions; Skip Way gives us some great advice on icebreakers, energizers, and brain trainers for your Ring; veteran Bev Bergeron talks about “You and sound on stage” in his column, “Cutting Up Jackpots;” and John Tudor devotes his “Experiments in Magic Theater” column to “Wish Paper,” a discussion of the first of twelve items from his repertoire.

 

Of course everyone likes to read the “trick” columns each month, and The Linking RIng consistently has the best trick columnists anywhere. Mike Powers turns his “The Card Corner” over to Shannon Clark, who brings us “Another Coincidence,” (an evolution from Patrick Page); Joe Turner’s “Ways and Means” column features “Sidamo (A Utility Concept for Mentalism),” by Atlanta magician Chris Beason; the “Numismagic” column by Jean-Emmanuel Franzis, features “The Wishing Well” by Dr. Michael Rubinstein (a coin production routine); Andrew Woo’s “Simple Diversions” is called “Football Flip,” a heads or tails effect; Jeff Prace’s “The Expert at the Tech Table” brings us “LexiCON,” created by Josh Janousky; and Ed Solomon’s “Storytelling Magic” is called “X-traordinary,” using tarot cards.

 

And all those Miscellanous items just add frosting to this delicious cake: Pictures from the Past; another TVP profile (Greg Britt from New Zealand); “Operation Tricks are Treats,” by  Scott Hood; “Magical Moments,” by Adel Friel Rhindress (about Ann Mycrece James); and a first-hand report on “Magic as Therapy,” by William Jarvis.

 

By the numbers, in the January issue of The Linking Ring there are thirteen products reviewed in Hocus in Focus; eight magicians honored in the Broken Wand; seven Ring reports in Ring Events; and seventy-two Ring Reports.

 

And don’t forget all the terrific ADVERTISEMENTS throughout the magazine, too. They are the glue which holds the magazine together. Please go to their Web pages, send them e-mails thanking them for their support, and -- most important --  BUY something from them!  They need to know someone is reading their advertisements.

 

Thanks once again to Editor Sammy Smith and all his staff, not only for another great twelve issues in 2014, but also for getting off to such a terrific start in 2015.

 

 

  

 


« Back