MAGIC MAKERS SUES CHAZPRO

From the Argus Leader we learn of a lawsuit between two distributors of magic supplies. According to the article, Rob Stiff of Magic Makers filed suit last week against Chuck Leach of Chazpro. According to the suit, Leach used copyright claims to flag Stiff’s products on eBay, Amazon and YouTube temporarily removing Magic Maker's products. Attorney's representing Chazpro responded saying that Magic Makers is in the business of selling knock-off magic products. It went on to claim that some were knock-offs of Chazpro’s products and that the takedown notices were proper.  The article then recognized the murly waters of intellectual propery within the world of magic.

“It’s very murky as to what you can copyright in magic,” said Jacob Loshin, a Washington, D.C., lawyer and former amateur magician who wrote a paper on copyright law in magic for Yale Law School in 2007. “Magicians have developed a lot of norms that allow them to share secrets but shame people who take too many liberties with someone else’s work,” Loshin said.

READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE

WHAT'S NEXT FOR JIM STEINMEYER

CBS News Entertainment has posted an interview with Jim Steinmeyer for "Author Talk."  Discussing "The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston Versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards" with Jeff Glor, Jim talks about his next project.

JG: What's next for you?

JS: I've written a few books that aren't books on show business or magic, and my next book will be one of those. It's called, "Who Was Dracula?" and it's a historical story about Bram Stoker's novel and the important influences that were responsible for that character. It will be published by Penguin early next year. It's really a great tale, with lots of surprises and ties to history. And, I confess, there's plenty of "show business" in this story, too, because Stoker was heavily influenced by the late Victorian theatre. I think that Dracula has to be seen in that context.

READ THE COMPLETE CONVERSATION

MORGAN STREBLER CHALLENGES CRISS ANGEL

Following Angel'schallenge to Dynamo, we have Morgan Strebler issuing another challenge to Criss Angel:

SKULL AND BONES

I just received this info from my friend Bill Kalush of the Conjuring Arts Research Center. For your ske, I hope that you are a member! If not, JOIN NOW!

Conjuring Arts is quite pleased to finally be able to release our newest design the Skull and Bones deck! As might be expected we didn’t create this deck out of whole cloth but in fact found an amazing single card dating more than 100 years ago. To our knowledge this is the only card like this that is known to exist and we don’t think any other collector has another single card, let alone a whole deck of them! We found the subject matter fun and up to date for today’s tastes so we had the art redrawn by hand and printed at USPCC. Imagine all of the additional presentations and drama added to your routines with a deck or even a couple of these cards for a surprise finish!

As per our custom we used their larger press and their thicker Casino stock to print this deck. We have done a few things differently though. We have printed two colors, Black and Blood red simultaneously and we also managed to do a very interesting hybrid of these colors which is boxed in a special all black tuck case and is not for sale. This special deck is extremely limited and only 700 decks will be circulated. To get one you must buy a solid brick of either Red Air-Cushion, Red Ivory, Black Air-Cushion or Black Ivory. As with our last promotion if you buy a brick you will get one special deck as our gift to you.

Act now as these will sell out very quickly. They are offered at a special discounted rate for members only!

HAS DYNAMO FREAKED CRISS ANGEL?

Last night, Criss Angel posted the following statement on his official Facebook Page:

I was disappointed and disgusted by this video that popped up. Someone in the UK is blatantly ripping me off and I need your help to spread the word. Post comments on the actual YouTube video to show your support and let your voice be heard. Love you all! XC http://youtu.be/B9uOXuZqlw0

The video link that he shared hs since been taken offline after an apparent copyright claim by UK Channel Management and UK Gold Services LTD, but was entitled "Dynamo Exposed! A Criss Angel Wannabe."

The clip was taken from Dynamo's UK series Magician Impossible which debuted in 2011. The show was renewed for a second season which began airing in July of this year.

BLAINE INSPIRED "MAGIC WITH MEANING"

Photo by Jason BellVanity Fair profiles Drummond Money-Coutts, a young British magician inspired by David Blaine. According to the article:

Now 26, D.M.C. (as he likes to be known) has heftier ambitions than purely entertaining at parties. Having devoured everything produced by David Blaine, he is planning his own physically challenging stunt in London this autumn. He has already created a portfolio of short films, and with his easy charm and astonishing looks he’s an ideal host for a much-talked-about TV show—“about magic with meaning”—in development. But in the meantime Drummond continues to hone his craft. “Being able to elicit the feeling of the unfathomable in intelligent adults is like falling in love.”

Read the complete article.

ANDY NYMAN AS KICK ASS VILLAIN

HitFix.com is reporting that British magician and actor Andy Nyman has been cast to play a villian in the upcoming sequel to "Kick Ass." His character, Tumour, is a member of Red Mist's gang of super villians "The Toxic Mega Cunts." Filming is scheduled to begin next week. 

As a magician, andy performs as The Tabletop Grifter, wrote the sell out book "Bullet Proof" and is one of the co-writers and creators of the TV shows Derren Brown - Mind Control & Trick of the Mind. He recently co wrote and co directed 'Derren Brown – Live', 'Derren Brown – Something Wicked This Way Comes', Derren Brown - An Evening of Wonders and the current live show, 'Derren Brown - Enigma'. All four of the shows have enjoyed sell-out UK tours and West End runs.

MNW336 :: CHARLIE MILLER

Image Courtesy of Genii Magazine in which Charlie appeared on the cover of the November 1964 IssueSeconds, bottoms, the pass, Malini, Vernon and so much more. Charlie Miller is one of those names that are often mentioned in the context of modern card magic. In that same context, he is one of those technicians that I think that many of us know too little about. I hope that this conversation with some of his closest friends does something to rectify that. In this episode of the Magic Newswire's "Spirit of Magic" podcast, our good friend Johnny Thompson is joined by two other legends in magic, Harry Riser and Bob White. Enjoy and learn!

LISTEN TO THE CHARLIE MILLER DISCUSSION ::

OTHER WAYS TO LISTEN: ITUNES ::    MP3

HTML 5 PLAYER ::

DECEPTIVE PRACTICES PREMIER IN NYC

One of the films premiering at the upcoming New York Film Festival is the Ricky Jay documentary "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay."  The film by Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein will premier on October 4th at 6:30 and bears the following description:

Few lives seem to have been as preordained as that of Ricky Jay. At the tender age of four he was already learning sleight-of-hand from his beloved grandfather, Max, an amateur magician. By seven, he was performing before audiences, and as he grew up he received lessons, advice and encouragement from many of the true giants of magic: Al Flosso, Slydini, Cardini, Francis Carlyle, and Roy Benson. So it’s little wonder that, now in his sixties, Ricky Jay is widely considered the world’s greatest magician, a performer whose one-man shows draw rave reviews and sold-out houses. Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein’s warm and fascinating portrait of Jay offers a rare glimpse into the very private world of professional magicians, an entertainment tradition that stretches back hundreds of years and yet continues to delight and astonish contemporary audiences around the world.

Since we can't see that one in general release, here's another documentary on Ricky from the 1990's entitled "Hustlers, Hoaxsters, Pranksters, Jokesters and Ricky Jay."

IS HUGO AUTHOR'S "HOUDINI BOX" COMING TO THE BIG SCREEN?

Maybe. This just in from InsideMovies.com:

Chernin Entertainment has snatched up the feature rights to Brian Selznick’s 1991 book The Houdini Box, a representative for Chernin has confirmed to EW.com. The young adult novel is about a boy, Victor, who aspires to be a magician and meets famed illusionist Houdini. He later receives a locked box of secrets from his hero.

Selznick scribed the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which Martin Scorsese adapted into his award-winning kids adventure film Hugo.