I N T E R N AT I O N A L M A G I C M A G A Z I N E
MARCH 2023 NO. 105 #104 APRIL 2023
Bond Lee Behind the magic
Jamie thinks differently “ and this book can help you shake up your own thinking. ” PENNJILETTE
JAMIEALLANBOOK.COM INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING AVAILABLE GET YOUR COPY TODAY AT JAMIEALLANBOOK.COM
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VANISH
D D R R
MAGAZINE
PUBLISHER Paul Romhany & Joomag
FROM THE EDITOR
A ROAD TRIP
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & DESIGN LAYOUT Paul Romhany
This past month I travelled to Toronto and performed some theatre shows, a comedy club show and a lecture. It was a great week and reminded me of the great people we have in this business. I got to work with the hilarious Matt Disero who gave a masterclass in his performance on how to handle young audience members. It is always a treat to work with real pros who fully understand the business.
COVER PHOTO Photo by Wesley Chan BACK COVER PHOTO Photo by Chase Stevens
If you are in Toronto, be SURE to visit Jokers Theatre. & Comedy Club. Not only is it a great venue with a great line up of acts, including variety acts, but you MUST experience Le Petit Chef. It is an interactive experience that happens on your plate with a five-course meal that is truly memorable. It is an immersive culinary journey. The way I described it to friends is calling it "Disneyland on a plate."
THANK YOU TO Chipper Lowell SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR
I finally got to meet Connie Boyd who has been writing for VANISH for many years and promoting Magical Women on social media and her YouTube channels. Connie is a real treasure in the magic world and as one friend said, "I'm meeting magic Royalty," when he met her. We had lunch with the very busy and talented Julie Eng, and it was exciting to hear all about Magicana and the new projects they are working on. Magic is very well supported in Toronto, and I recommend a visit there if you come to Canada.
Nick Lewin ASSOCIATE EDITORS Hal Meyers, Ben Robinson CONTRIBUTORS
I'm very honored to have Bond Lee on the cover with his story. His skills and devotion to magic as a performer, creator and producer are second to none and he is leading the way in how magic is produced. He shares his insights on to how to take an idea and turn it in to a fully marketable product.
Paul Romhany, Dan Stapleton, Louie Fox, Nick Lewin, Connie Boyd, Pierre Hamon & Gus, Dave Attwood, Hal Meyers, David Regal, Romany, Puck, Alain Nu, Chuck Jones, Jeff Scanlan, Dibya Guha
There is so much in this issue so take your time and enjoy.
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Jennifer Holden
Paul Romhany
CREATIVE DESIGNER & LAYOUT Paul Romhany VANISH CONVENTION DIRECTOR Steve Hocevar CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION Joomag With Matt Disero ADDRESS PLEASE NOTE: New address so email prior to posting any product reviews to VANISH. editor@ vanishmagazine.com
Le Petit Chef
The Great Pokkus
BY PIERRE HAMON AND GUS
With Connie Boyd
TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIAL - PAGE 05 BOND LEE - feature story - PAGE 08 PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT- 4D Box - PAGE 16 MAGIC BUSINESS- daniel chen - PAGE 20 PROUDCT HIGHLIGHT- iq pro - PAGE 22 IF IT PACKS FLAT - ARE YOU PLAYING IT BIG?- nick lewin-PAGE 26 3 WAYS TO STAND OUT FROM OTHER MAGICIANS- cris johnson - PAGE 30 JOAN DUKORE - connie boyd - PAGE 34 ROLLER COASTER #4 - the guillotine - dan stapleton - PAGE 44 PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT - instant coffee - PAGE 50 DR. EDWIN DAWES- in memory by ben robinson - PAGE 54 GLORIA DEA- in memory by lance rich - PAGE 68 WHAT'S NEXT ON THE ROAD- trick by louie fox - PAGE 83 THE INVISIBLE PREDICTION- dibya guha - PAGE 84 THE PERFECT FAKINI BALL HOLDER- hal meyers - PAGE 90 PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT- multi-sense - PAGE 102 REVIEWS- PAGE 108
VANISH
#105 April 2023
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DESIGN & EFFECT
illusionplans.ca
WORKSHOP PLAN Design by NIGEL HARRISON
THE GREEN ROOM The Appearance of the Magician
62 74
PLUS Link to CAD Model
78 68
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BOND
LEE
Proofreading services provided by Professor Tommy Kochel
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BEHIND THE MAGIC WHO IS BOND LEE? Bond Lee is a professional magician based in Hong Kong, founder of MS Magic and Hong Kong Magic School. His magic spans everything from close-up to grand illusion, as well as creating original concept and designs for corporations and magicians. His product line has raised the level and quality Have you ever wondered what it takes to get an original ideal to the market place? Bond shares the steps it takes to do just that! THE BEGINNING My journey of magic started after my classmate showed me a card trick and invited me to join our university magic club. I learned the very basic magic props and tricks from my seniors. After one year of learning magic in the club, I got my first chance to go on stage and fell in love with the feeling; that feeling got me hooked on magic and it has become my passion ever since. MY STUDY IN THE US After I graduated from university, I had two choices: one was to continue my study in Psychology; the other was to travel all the way to United States and study magic. After lengthy consideration, I chose magic and studied in the Chavez Studio of Magic with
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"I started working professionally, doing shows in all kinds of situations: kid’s parties, street shows, dinner parties, and weddings." BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL While working in a magic shop, I competed in multiple magic competitions in Asia, and I won a few awards. I got the chance to experience different international conventions, saw some of the best shows in the world, and met lots of good friends in magic. After that, I started working professionally, doing shows in all kinds of situations: kid’s parties, street shows, dinner parties, and weddings. These experiences influenced my magic designs afterward because I now know what professionals really need on the front line. TV SHOW
one of my mentors, Dale Salwak. Dale taught me Chavez’s classic manipulation magic, at the same time inspiring me to develop my magic. At that time I was filled with questions about magic, career and future, and Dale always answered my questions without reservation. I was a new man when I finished my study with Dale. After Chavez, I also studied with three other magicians. Tony Clark helped me a lot in my professional career planning. Shoot Ogawa let me understand there is no technique too difficult; all you need is practice. And the last one was Jeff Mcbride, the person who inspired me to create my awardwinning act, SNOW. From Jeff, I learned how to create and elevate magic, which greatly influenced my magic thinking process till today. During my study, I got a chance to travel to Las Vegas and see the world’s best shows, including David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, and Cirque Du Soleil. These performances opened
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my mind and changed my vision about the performing arts. The trip to the US was short, but it changed my life completely. MAGIC SALESMAN I got back to Hong Kong and started working in the magic store, “City’s Magic” as a salesperson. This was the first time I got in touch with the product side of the magic industry. Everyday different customers came into our store. In addition to demonstrating magic, I had to sell magic sets. I was not used to it at first. My boss, Mr. So, one of the most experienced magicians in Hong Kong, slowly taught me how to use the simplest props to achieve great performances, and the technique of reading your customer. With the information we read, we were able to sell magic sets more efficiently. I worked in City’s Magic for almost a year. This experience taught me the basics of how to run a magic shop.
After working as a professional for two years, I had the opportunity to perform on a few local TV shows, giving me more exposure and exploring a completely new form of magic. The requirement of TV magic is that it be quick and easy to understand; visual is the key element, like modern day social media magic. On almost every TV show I have worked with, there were never enough resources or time, which pushed us to our limits to design and create the magic in the most efficient way. For one of the TV shows, we only had seven days to create an act from zero to completion, including brainstorming, prop making and practice. It was extremely difficult, but we managed to make it work, thanks to the good team we had. This was a great lesson and prepared me for future product development problem-solving. Hong Kong Magic School After I worked as a professional for a few years, I watched some young people performing in a magic competition. The level at the competition was not high because the basic skills of the magic were not solid enough. Then I realized, there was no magic school in Hong Kong. How could