Welcome to HoustonMagic.com

Magic Calendar of Events (National Events)

Last Updated: July 29, 2010

Breaking News!

Current Internet Magic News Updates from Google:

Top Talent Productions will present “Capital Comedy Magic” on Saturday August 14th featuring our first out of town entertainer, Cody Fisher. Residing in Austin, Texas, Cody Fisher is one of the most in demand entertainers in the world today! His unique blend of stand-up comedy mixed with mind blowing magic has taken him all across the United States and over 15 countries worldwide. Over the years he has won numerous national and international awards for his magic! Cody’s extensive performance résumé includes TV appearances, radio, trade shows, corporate events, comedy clubs, and theatres throughout the USA, Canada, and Europe. Over the years he has become “a favorite” with Hollywood celebrities and fortune 500 companies.

It was Magic Week on Great Day Houston with Debra Duncan. Becky Blaney was featured first performing the Zaney Blaney Ladder Suspension. You can Click Here to visit the KHOU Channel 11 website to watch her performance or you can click on the video below.

Michael and Jessica (The Rhythm of Magic) were up next on June 24th as they entertained with their version of Metamorphosis. Click Here to visit the link and watch them in action.

Walter “Zaney” Blaney recently presented his Ladder Suspension for the last time in Chicago, IL at the annual Magic Collector’s Association convention on May 14, 2010. William Pack wrote in part, “Walter sat before an enthralled audience of just under 200 to tell the story of his invention. Sitting, listening, to Walter is like an evening with a favorite Uncle. He is the personification of easy charm. Seductive, but in a friendly way. I can see why he was such a successful performer; no booker could resist that kind of traditional style and class. He spoke for just over an hour. I wish it had been two.

“Then, it was time. Julie Eng was to be the last floatee. If you saw it on YouTube, you know what we saw. But I felt a chill, goose bumps. My eyes welled up. I would not be the only one. Everyone I spoke with confessed the same. We were seeing history, something us historians and collectors only read about. Of course, it was a standing ovation. The performance deserved it.”

Norm Nielson is offering a special autographed poster of our native son. You can click on the graphic here to go to Norm’s website and order your copy. Congratulations Walter on 50+ years of magic that you have shared with the world!

The recent quarterly magazine of the Magic Collectors Association magazine, MAGICOL featured the cover story of "The History of the Zaney Blaney Ladder Levitation". In case you have not already seen it elsewhere, Click Here for a PDF link to it, by permission of the MCA. If a bit of magic history interests you, then you will enjoy reading Walter’s story.

With a touch of hocus-pocus and a dash of abracadabra, the Houston Museum of Natural Science pulls a spectacular new exhibition out of its hat. Magic: The Science of Wonder, opened Friday, February 26, 2010 and will run through September 6, 2010. The extraordinary show examines how science and magic are intertwined, tapping into our universal desire to know "How does that work?" Magic is the perfect subject to inspire people of all ages—especially kids—to learn about the science behind the magic, and the world around them.

Richard Hatch: Cups and Balls from HMNS on Vimeo.

This special exhibit will be wonderful for magic in general and for Houston area magicians in specific as people are exposed to our craft without having magical secrets actually exposed. This exhibit will feature some of the local magicians performing close-up strolling magic including Scott Hollingsworth, Ben Jackson, Richard Hatch, Bill Palmer, Michael Blanco, and Scott Wells along with others who will perform their stage acts, too. Christopher Hart will be the next visiting magician performing his stage act from May 12th through June 6th.

To get a sneak peek at the exhibit, please Click Here to preview a short video plus see some incredible photos taken by several members of the Flickr Meet-Up Group on Monday April 12th. Some of the artifacts that will be shown in the exhibit include a few sets of Cups and Balls from Bill Palmer’s collection and his Cups and Balls Museum. Click on Richard’s picture to view the video of him performing the cups and balls. This video is being shown during the exhibit. Some of the other unique, unusual and historic items are shown at the Museum’s website. You can view some of them by Clicking Here.

The media was quick to pick up on this extraordinary family exhibit. You can read the story from the Houston Chronicle by Clicking Here. Paper City posted an article HERE on their blog that mentions Scott Wells. A video news story featuring Richard Hatch is posted on Click 2 Houston HERE and another on Wild About Houston on channel 55 (Click Here). And here below are a few videos promoting the exhibit:

You can now follow what’s happening in the Houston Magic Community by joining Twitter and following @magichouston which is our new Twitter account name. Updates of who is doing what and where will posted as they are relevant to our community. Follow us and we will follow you and retweet as necessary. Go to www.twitter.com/magichouston to begin following us NOW!

Scott Wells is a regular host and contributor to MagicNewswire.com. You can hear his weekly podcasts on This Week in Magic along with co-hosts Chase Goforth, Cameron Ramsay, David “Silly Billy” Kaye and producer Dodd Vickers as they talk about all things magic with a special guest magician. Scott also contributes irregular audio diaries as “Scott’s Signals” to the MagicNewswire podcast. Be sure to tune in and listen. You can listen online or by downloading at iTunes and carry it with you for your daily commute. If you have any news items, comments or suggestions, then please contact Scott at Scott@ScottWells.com with your newsbits.

If you are looking for old stories, please click on the Archives link in the frame to the left.

Lecture News is the Breaking News!

1. Wayne Houchin – August 17

2. Mark Worgan – October 5

3. Jonathan Pendragon – September 21 (tentative)

4. Dan Fleshman – October (tentative)

5. Matt Johnson & Christopher Taylor – November (tentative)

6. Mark James – January 2011 (tentative)

7. Christian Chastain – February 2011 (tentative)

8. Joshua Quinn – March 2011 (tentative)

9. Jay Scott Berry – April 2011 (tentative)

10. Doug Anderson – May 2011 (tentative)

Welcome Information

Welcome to HoustonMagic.com where all are welcome and all are one. Here there are no politics or club meetings. This site is free for all members of the houstonmagic.com list serve group…and that is a group that is free to join. This site is intended to promote good and welfare, peace and harmony among the local Houston magic community. It is your site where you can find out what’s happening on the Houston magic scene, regardless of club affiliation. It is also a place to find things of interest to local magicians whether it’s news and reviews about who’s working where to magic conventions or TV Specials or even a place to buy and sell used magic!

This is YOUR site.

Please contact Scott Wells, Webmaster, if you have any questions, any information to share, or want to join the growing list serve group. We must count on you keeping this site fresh with current activities.

Enjoy HoustonMagic.com

Bookmark this site and come back often. Magic is an art of things appearing and disappearing regularly and quickly. Don’t be left out. Find out what’s happening in Houston, around Texas, the country and the world.

Lecture Information – additional information on HoustonMagic page

Who: Wayne Houchin

When: Tuesday August 17, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: IATSE Hall

Who: Jonathan Pendragon

When: Tuesday September 21, 2010 (H&R Magic Books)

Where: H&R Magic Books

Who: Mark Worgan

When: Tuesday October 5, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: IATSE Hall

How to Navigate through HoustonMagic.com

It’s as easy as clicking your mouse. When you see something underlined, most likely it is a hyperlink that will take you to another place on the page or to somewhere enchanting on the Internet. This Home page is set up to be your guide, but when in doubt, click on something on the left.

What’s Where?

You can find things that relate to the general magic fraternity in and around Houston on the HoustonMagic page. Information specifically related to the magic clubs are available with a click on the button next to the web page on the table of contents bar on the left.

Magic Calendar of Events

Please note: The things listed below are just a few items of interest to local magicians. Let me know if there is something you think we should list. We believe that the information presented below is correct. Changes may have occurred. Always check with the host before making definite plans. THANK YOU.

September 3 – 6, 2010 – T.A.O.M. Convention in Austin, TX. See www.TAOM2010.com for the most up to date details.

June 28 – July 2, 2011 – I.B.M. Convention in Dallas, Texas. The next big I.B.M. event will take place before the Independence Day weekend in 2011.

July 13 – 16, 2011 –S.A.M. Convention in Pittsburgh, PA. The next big S.A.M. event will take place a week after the I.B.M. convention. Be sure to sign up now!

Last revised: July 29, 2010