Broken Wand for
Vanni Bossi
December 2008
by GIACOMO BERTINI (Italy)
[via AlanWatson]

It is with great pain within the entire Italian magic world that I am sad to announce the loss of a friend and great magician Vanni Bossi. He may be gone, but his creative ideas, his original and wonderful magic, and especially his passion will continue to live with us now and into the future.  He had an operation to the throat and for the last two months he has had poor health. (Graphic from Magic Christian) (read more)

 BROKEN WAND
Christian Fechner
by Maria Ibâñez 
November 26, 2008

We received a communication from Sonny Fontana this morning. It is with deep sadness that he reports on the passing of the great Christian Fechner... Christian Fechner's career started as a magician, musician, and record producer before he embarked on creating successful films, including classic titles like Camille Claudel. As a performer, Fechner won the invention prize at the 1979 FISM and has devised magic effects for David Copperfield and Siegfried and Roy, and many others. (read more)

IN APPRECIATION FOR THEIR LIFE IN MAGIC
by Dennis Schick • Editor, The I.B.M. Broken Wand
May, 2008

As a members of our great fraternity, linked in fellowship with magicians all over the world, we celebrate the interest, activity and skill of performing magic that was enjoyed by those who we were privileged to share in friendship. (more...)

Herb Zarrow Passes Away • By  Meir Yedid • May 2008
Herb Zarrow was perhaps best known for the shuffle that bears his name. Since the creation of the Zarrow Shuffle, Mr. Zarrow's name has been used in magic books in the strangest ways: as a noun "...after losing the Aces do a Zarrow," as an adjective "...do a Zarrow full-deck false shuffle," even as a verb, "...now Zarrow under two cards." The shuffle however is just the tip of the iceberg as far as describing this very unique gentleman whose love of magic and magicians has spanned a lifetime. ... (read more)