Congratulations to Shawn Farquhar, Talent Chairman of the Eighty-fifth Annual Phoenix I.B.M. Convention, for putting together an outstanding lineup. You won’t want to miss being part of this magical event.

For those of you showing up early, there will be several activities Tuesday evening, July 16. Registration will open at 6:00 p.m. so that you can get your badge and join us for these events. At 7:00 p.m., Make Believe, the first screening of the I.B.M. Magic Film Festival, will be shown. Join the teen magicians  and watch this award-winning magical film. Immediately after the film, join Lance Burton, Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger, and other stars from the film for a panel discussion. Tony Chris will also give an Early Bird lecture later that evening -- and that is just the beginning!

(READ MORE)

Every now and then someone comes up with a neat idea, and shares it with the rest of us. And sometimes they even invite one or more of us to be a part of the idea. That's what we thought when we heard about what the Watershed program and the University of Bristol are proposing -- a Magician in Residence. What a fun idea and a terrific opportunity for one or more (group) magicians in the UK. Want to know more? Read on. But hurry; the deadline for applications is June 10, 2013.

(READ MORE)

The Carnival of Illusion will celebrate its 250th performance of its blockbuster vaudeville-inspired show in April, 2013. The magic duo's milestone will be celebrated in Tucson on April 12th and 13th at the Doubletree Reid Park Hotel; and in Phoenix on Saturday, April 20th at the Arizona Biltmore Resort. "It is exciting to see a unique, fun, and dynamite nighttime atraction to highlight the creativity and expertise that we have in Arizona. We're ecstatic that Sarlot and Eyed created this audience generator in our state," one of the few female magicians in our state," said Reini Marsh, President of the Southern Arizona Attraction's Alliance.

(READ MORE)

World-class magicians and illusionists, The Spencers -- Kevin and Cindy -- are currently working on an amazing new documentary about the power of simple magic tricks to make a significant change in the lives of people with disabilities. And you can be part of making it happen. First, start by going to the Website below and reading all the details. Then, please make a donation in the amount of what your heart says. Further, please SHARE this with your Facebook friends and LIKE their new Facebook page (BagOfTricksDocumentary) Please go to: http://igg.me/p/303770/x/2002156

(READ MORE)

Since I have an iPhone, recently I was asked to review a new magic trick which uses the iPhone, for "Hocus in Focus," the New Product section in The Linking Ring. I received the package, watched the DVD, have played with the included gimmick, and concluded that this is something that all magicians should have. More on that later. Then I read a conversation on the I.B.M. Group on Linked-in (<www.group-digests@linkedin.com>), and learned about some other uses of the iPhone by magicians. Here is some of that conversation, and my own thoughts:

(READ MORE)

What would you say if someone asked you what is magic? What would you say if you were asked to write an article or essay about magic? What would you say if a local civic club invited you to come to their next meeting, not to "perform" magic, but to talk about what this thing called magic is all about? Well, here is help. World class magic performer, teacher, and lecturer Michael Ammar thought about it and shares his ideas here. Thanks, Michael!

(READ MORE)

Not so long ago I devoted a column to one-liners which you could adopt for your patter, whether in a show or just to add to your already-quick wit. I simply passed on the list from one of those e-mails which all of us receive. (Scroll down several items under Blogs & Columns if you missed it.) Well, here is ANOTHER list for your repertoire, this time one-liners which are in the form of QUESTIONS -- which have no answers, of course. We can't give credit to the author (or authors) because most of these kinds of e-mails are anonymous. Enjoy and use them -- with only a little guilt. (Disclaimer: some are funnier than others.)

(READ MORE)

Last Spring, we asked members of the I.B.M. to help submit information and ideas for several types of stories we were working on and thinking about. Two of those articles -- one on  Magic Summer Camps and another on the Benevolence of Magic -- have been published. The Linking Ring and the I.B.M. Web Portal are both still looking for help in gathering information for several other topics about magic. The following are some of the stories we're still working on, and we would appreciate it if anyone with something to contribute on any or all of them, would get in touch with the person designated.

Anytime you hear an unusual name in the Wonderful World of Magic, you should suspect that it probably is the name of a magician or magic team or a magic act. So when I heard that friend Paul Lelekis had written a feature story about "Windy & Sunny," I concluded it was NOT a weather report. And sure enough, right there in the December issue of The Linking Ring is a nice profile of Russell and Maryellen Douton of Seminole, Florida, who have been making people wonder and laugh for over six decades.

(READ MORE)

The International Brotherhood of Magicians headquarters has received an e-mail from a casting producer for the hit Fox television show, "MasterChef." They are always looking for interesting people to be on their show, and the thought arose to them -- as they watched the magicians on "America's Got Talent" -- that a MAGICIAN should make an entertaining and interesting guest. Not only would this be a terrific publicity opportunity for any magician chosen -- not to mention for the magic world as a whole -- but there is a big cash prize at the end of the competition for the winner. Get all the details by reading the e-mail in its entirety.

(READ MORE)

I.B.M. 2013 Stage and Close Up Contest

Stage Contest Signup:  Online  | Printable PDF

I was doing a "First-of-The-Year-Clean-up" of the I.B.M. Web Portal front page, and was getting ready to delete this item on the availability of a PDF edition of the printed program of last July's Convention to download. But then I was reminded that it is packed with I.B.M. history, and that some of you who missed it the first go-around might like another chance to have that history at your fingertips. So here's your chance. Just click on the cover to the left, and it should download the PDF of the program. Happy history.

(READ MORE)

When Gustavo Populos Meza, 83, of Tampico, Mexico, died May 23, 2012, we learned that -- in addition to being a magician -- he was a respected poet, known as "Mr. Karlo," having written over 300 unpublished poems. One of those poems was entitled "Gentlemen of Magic," and we reprint it here in its entirety for your enjoyment.

(READ MORE)

Last June I wrote two special columns on the I.B.M. Convention -- one telling you what you should BRING WITH YOU to the convention, and the other HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE CONVENTION. Rather than write them again, or even cut and paste them, you can benefit from both by scrolling down to the BLOGS & COLUMNS heading below, and then down to the Dennis Anyone columns with these titles. Enjoy.

I.B.M. Portal Advertising Manager BJ Hickman has been at it again -- working his magic to give advertisers more BANG for their Bucks -- More SIZZLE for their Steaks. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see a new concept -- a "Box of Buttons" -- some of our leaders in magic. Click on each ad. To include YOUR ad, contact BJ at advertising@magician.org. 

By Jason Goldberg