Steve Black arranged to take our Club Group Portrait tonight. He put it up on our web site shortly after the meeting ended. What a good-looking bunch of magicians! We also voted in a new slate of officers who will assume duties in January: Dave Storey as president, Ed Winkens as VP, Bill McElvenney as Recording Secretary, and Sue McElvenney as treasurer. Congratulations!
Tonight we had another member of Ring 6 sharing years of real-world magic experience. Ed Winkens spent years working in the Carnival entertainment industry in the Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland area as a walk-around entertainer. He would use stand-up magic effects to entertain customers who were waiting in lines for ride tickets and rides. Ed also has a wealth of experience in parlor and stage magic. Ed’s main topic: Magic using gimmicks and loads.
Ed prepared a booklet length set of notes on a club download. He first defined fekes, gimmicks, loads, and gaffes. At each step, Ed showed examples of the devices. He explained how to repurpose things like Bulldog clips, Bankers’ clips, and Cotter Pins to hold small items such as playing cards, coins, and silks. Ed also uses strong magnets to create silk fountains and other holders. His sources for many of these devices? JoAnne Fabric, Michael’s, The Home Depot, and craft stores.
Need a billiard ball holder? Simple, according to Ed. He showed how to use 16 gauge floral wire to create a variety of holders. He uses safety pins, Velcro, and magnets to attach the holders to different positions.
Ed showed the many different places to install holders and gimmicks. Some require a suit coat, others used vests, and some used assistants, tables and other props to hide. Ed showed 24 places to place holders on a regular suit coat! Who knew?
A night of practical magic and great stories from one of our own masters, Ed Winkens. Most of us present will be making up a lot of these items for use in creating new magic themselves. Thanks again, Ed.
DAVE KELLY, Recording Secretary