* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MagicNZ e-zine * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #14 Date: Sunday 26th March 2000 Editor: Alan Watson ============================ Contents ============================ 1. Editors Message 2. Magicana to continue publication 3. Magician's collapse through part of art (3/17/00) 4. Tony Shelley, England, - magician's death 5. Richard Webster - books for sale 6. Magician who is allergic to rabbits 7. Magic on TV this coming week - by Ed Hall 8. Petrol article that appeared in last e-zine 9. All my Kiwi friends "best wishes" 10. 72nd Annual I.B.M. National Convention 11. Chuckles with Jerry 12. Wayne Roger's father passed away 13. Alan Watson bungee jumping off the Auckland Sky Tower 14. Read in the paper in Japan 15. Gary McCormick believes NZ entertainment industry will die 16. Overseas Schedule for Paul Romhany 17. Graham Rogers - cards for sale 18. Bill Reid rushed to hospital 19. Bill Reid - props for sale 20. News Items 21. Benefit of subscribing to the MagicNZ e-zine 22. Subscription Management 23. Contact Information ------------------------------------- 1. Editors Message ------------------------------------- Message from Alan Watson - The Magic One Pleased to learn that Michael Woolf is taking up the challenge of becoming Magicana Magazines new Editor. It's very important we all get behind Michael right from the beginning and send our subscriptions in this month to help in the planning of Magicana's future. So subscribe NOW! Subscription to New Zealand's Magicana Magazine - the annual sub at $40 NZ for six large issues (US = $US30; Aust. $A40; Can. $C40; U.K£20 to cover mail costs.) Box 38046 Wellington Mail Centre Wellington New Zealand Phone: +64 4 587 0045 Fax: +64 4 587 0042 Mobile: 025 577774 Market survey on Magicana: Please e-mail Michael Woolf your thoughts on the following questions: What new topics would you like to be included in Magicana? What sections did you enjoy reading most? What sections didn't you like? Michael's e-mail: michaelw@ihug.co.nz The MagicNZ e-zine membership has exceeded my wildest expectations. As from Sunday, 26th March 2000, we have 428 members (138 New Zealanders and overseas ex-pats, the balance of members are spread over 14 countries) ------------------------------------- 2. Magicana to continue publication ------------------------------------- Message from Michael Woolf - michaelw@ihug.co.nz You will be glad to hear that New Zealand's flagship magic magazine is to continue. The new Editor and Publisher is Michael Woolf. Known as a professional performer, writer, educator and public relations consultant, Michael is President of the Hutt Valley Magicians' Society and was Convenor of the 1999 New Zealand International Magicians' Convention. He has been a frequent contributor to Magicana. Michael says: "I am honoured and rather humbled by the faith that has been shown by Jim Reilly in entrusting me with Magicana, and by the support shown as magicians learn of the news. I will do my very best to maintain the high standards that have been established by Jim. In three years time Magicana will be fifty years old: a very significant milestone for a magazine from a small country. We intend to retain the best of Magicana while introducing some new attractive new features. We have registered the domain name for a Magicana website, soon to be established, and from the next issue the magazine will be printed with a full-colour cover. Thank you for all the messages of goodwill: please help by renewing or beginning a subscription - the annual sub at $40 New Zealand dollars for six large issues must be the world's best value in magic magazines. (US = $US30; Aust. $A40; Can. $C40; U.K£20 to cover mail costs.) Advertising rates are probably the best value in the world - you can have a full page for $NZ40 - ($US20) and smaller sizes are in proportion. Closing dates for copy are 1st Jan, 1st March, 1st May, 1st July, 1st Sept & 1st Nov. Please send contributions, advertisements and comments to: Michael Woolf (michaelw@ihug.co.nz) or contact me at: Box 38046 Wellington Mail Centre Wellington New Zealand Phone: +64 4 587 0045 Fax: +64 4 587 0042 Mobile: 025 577774 Thanks to Alan Watson for his support: it's going to be a lot of hard work but with your help we'll keep the flag flying. With very best wishes Michael Woolf ------------------------------------- 3. Magician's collapse through part of art (3/17/00) ------------------------------------- Message from Riley G The AP Newswire today (USA) reported that the collapse of magician Ron Watson, while performing in New Zealand, was applauded by an audience of hospital patients who mistakenly believed it to be a part of his act. Known as Uncle Ron the Magician, Watson (69) died after doctors spent 45 minutes trying to revive him. ------------------------------------- 4. Tony Shelley, England - magician's death ------------------------------------- Message from Burns Scandrett The news item regarding the death of NZ magician Ron Watson must have featured in many countries. In the same batch of emails, which included MagicNZ e-zine # 13, there was one from Tony Shelley, England, in which he also notified me of Ron Watson's death. Bad news travels very quickly. This is reminiscent of the death of famous English comedy magician, Tommy Cooper. He performed on a theatre stage, which was televised and shown live. During the second half, he appeared front curtain, coughed and slowly sank down until he was sitting hunched slightly forward. The audience, used to Tommy's outlandish actions, laughed and applauded, until arms appeared through the gap in the curtains and dragged him behind out of sight. At the conclusion of the show, the television presenter announced that Tommy Cooper had suffered a heart attack and collapsed onstage. He died a few days alter. ------------------------------------- 5. Richard Webster - books for sale - esp@psychic.co.nz ------------------------------------- Look at this - all coming after only a few reminders from you! Thanks alot. This is helping me get rid of a whole heap of stuff. Here's the list: I never expected these books to go overseas, but some of the books have gone to the United States, England and Australia. At this rate I won't have to put any on ebay. Here's the latest lot, all on children's magic: The Happy Birthday Business by Frances Marshall. Good condition,$10.00. The Kid Stuff of Louis Bertol. Good condition. $10.00. Magic for Children - It's Magic by Robert Ziekman. Supreme Magic. Good condition. $10.00. My Magic! by Hairy Harry and Jack Mayes. Good condition. $10.00. Kid Show by Tommy Windsor. Good condition. $10.00. ------------------------------------- 6. Magician who is allergic to rabbits ------------------------------------- Article from Tony Wilson New Zealand Herald Magician Ian Wragg never fails to get a reaction when he pulls a rabbit from a hat - he is allergic to them. "If they are near me for more than a minute my eyes are in agony and I start to sneeze my head off," he said. "I have tried taking antihistamines but they don't have much effect and there is no way I can stop using rabbits because the kids love them." For other parts of his act he uses giant puppets, a stuffed frog and a spring-loaded toy racoon. But it is his rabbit, Homer, which remains the tried-and-tested crowd-pleaser. "If I'm dying on my feet, there is one sure way of getting the kids screaming with delight and that's when I produce Homer", said Mr Wrag, 29, from Darlington. "But I have to be quick to put her back in her hutch before I start sneezing." ------------------------------------- 7. Magic on TV this coming week - by Ed Hall ------------------------------------- Sunday 2 April, 3pm, TV4. TV Guide lists the weekly series 'Masters of Illusion'. While not quite Magic, the Discovery Channel guide lists the following that may be of interest to some readers of this e-zine. Monday 27 March, 7pm, Discovery Channel. Discover Magazine. Deception. Camouflage, self-deception, hypnosis, the paranormal, true lies and fake smiles. Ed Hall email: edhall@ihug.co.nz http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~edhall/magic/ ------------------------------------- 8. Petrol article that appeared in last e-zine ------------------------------------- Message from Steven Sean Just a quick note on the petrol article that appeared in your last email. It has been pointed out to me that if you buy petrol *before* the weekend in question and buy petrol *after* the weekend but do nothing to cut down on your petrol consumption *during* the weekend, you will end up using just as much petrol as you regularly do. The weekend moratorium will only affect the cash flow of the individual station owners (who do not control the prices) but not the suppliers (who do!). To make it work it must be clear that you must *use less petrol* during that weekend. The less you use the more effective it will be. ------------------------------------- 9. All my Kiwi friends "best wishes" ------------------------------------- Message from Dan Garrett Just wanted to say to all my Kiwi friends "best wishes" from myself and my wife Carol. It's great to keep up with things going on in New Zealand through this MagicNZ e-zine. (It certainly is cheaper than when I was dialing overseas long distance to sign on the MagicNZ bulletin board in years past.) Keep up the good work, all of you. It has been seven years since my tour to Australia and New Zealand, but my wife and I have fond lifetime memories of the convention at Christchurch and lecture in Auckland. In particular, I wish to thank my hosts, Burns Scandrett and Alan Watson, respectively, for their OUTSTANDING Kiwi hospitality. Since that time we have forged lifelong magical friendships with the Watson family, Burns, Paul Romhany, the Wilsons, the Phillips, the Britts, the Websters, Wayne Rodgers, cartoonist Wayne Logue (who patterned the look of his "Merv" cartoon character after me!) and many others, some of whom we have met up with in the US and other subsequent travels! Isn't this what the brotherhood and sisterhood of magic is all about?! I regret that I personally cannot attend the S.A.M. Convention in Milwaukee this summer, but I assure you it will be a great one. Even though the convention is in the northern U.S., I'll give you a typical southern U.S. expression of hospitality... "ya'll come!" (ya'll is pronounced "yawl" with a "drawl" ... in other words, don't be in any hurry to say the word!) (:}D) Carol and I will be attending FISM in Lisbon, Portugal, this summer, and we hope to see a few of our Kiwi friends there! PS: Dan Garrett is the only Honorary Member of MagicNZ for his major contributions in the "early" days of MagicNZ - the Editor. ------------------------------------- 10. 72nd Annual I.B.M. National Convention ------------------------------------- Message from Tony Wilson - twilson@xtra.co.nz The 72nd Annual Convention of the International Brotherhood of Magicians will be held in Buffalo, New York on July 5-8, 2000! Come join the fun at the International Brotherhood of Magicians' 72nd Annual Convention! The Convention will feature stellar talent, first-rate shows, incredible lectures, and lots of fun activities (more than ANY other convention). Over 1,000 magicians convene annually for this magical event. The Early-Bird Reception begins the evening of July 4th... and the scheduled activities will end late night on July 8. You certainly won't want to miss this year's Convention! Our Annual Convention is the lowest cost-per-event for any magic convention! Our registration cost is one of the very lowest available anywhere! In addition to enjoying the magic and fellowship of some of the finest magicians in the entire world, you'll have the opportunity to partake in many other exciting Convention events. Additional IBM Convention information: The talent line-up The schedule of events The locale Travel arrangements How to register www.magician.org/ibmcon.htm ------------------------------------- 11. Chuckles with Jerry ------------------------------------- Article from Melanie Watson - melanie@watson.co.nz North Shore Advertiser 23/3/00 - front page Spruced-up Jerry Pulls heartstrings Doll-maker and former ventriloquist Pat Andrew is still chuckling over his encounter with famous ventriloquist doll, Jerry Jaxon. The 73-year-old has just finished restoring the Chuckles With Jerry radio show doll he has loved since he was a child. As a youngster, Mr Andrew was an avid Chuckles With Jerry fan and was thrilled when asked Jon Zealando to restore a somewhat worn Jerry. Mr Andrew is one of a very few ventriloquist doll-makers in New Zealand and at one stage was the only one. As a youngster he spend hours drawing pictures of Jerry, hoping he might one day get to touch and meet him. "You can imagine how it feels to get my hands on him now," says Mr Andrew. Jerry's exterior has been spruced up to look like new. But the doll's internal mechanisms proved too old to be fixed. Jerry is now enjoying pride of place in the window of Jackson's Museum in Devonport where he is sitting in a 1946 pedal car, wearing a tailor made New Zealand Air Force uniform. Mr Zealando inherited Jerry from George Tollerton, the ventriloquist who created Chuckles With Jerry in the 1940s. He has loaned him to Jackson's Museum. Jerry and George Tollerton was an incredibly popular pair. They had a slot on Radio 1ZB, performed live shows and were the subject of a number of books and drawing competitions. A suitcase full of memorabilia of their appearances and media coverage is with Jerry in the museum. In a twist, Mr Andrew's wife Vera attended a live ventriloquism show in the United Kingdom nearly 60 years where she was invited on the stage to have famous doll Archie Andrews sit on her knee. Now, she's also had Jerry Jaxon on her knee in Birkenhead. "She'd be the only woman in the world that has happened to," Mr Andrew says. ------------------------------------- 12. Wayne Roger's father passed away - chicane@nzmagic.com ------------------------------------- Wayne Roger's father passed away on the evening of 20th March. He had been in a Rest Home down in Marton for several years. Wayne tells us he last saw him at Christmas, but he has not really recognised the family for some time. Message from the Editor: Please accept our sincere condolences at this time of sadness. ------------------------------------- 13. Alan Watson bungee jumping off the Auckland Sky Tower ------------------------------------- Message from Michele Watson An article appeared in the March issue of the S.A.M. magazine M.U.M. under a photo of Alan bungee jumping off the Auckland Sky Tower: "Now here's an interesting way to perform "Sidewalk Shuffle", or your favourite jumbo ace routine - jump off a tall building with a bungee cord around your ankles! That's our friend Alan Watson, International Deputy for New Zealand hanging upside down. We trust the photo was taken after the first bounce and not just before the moment of impact. It must have been the former, because after this photo was taken Alan received a Scroll of Honour from The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand" ...in recognition of your major contributions and achievements in the professional art of magic and also for your expertise and dedication to introduce cyber technology to the entertainment profession. The Variety Artists of New Zealand thank you." Photo can be seen on the web page: www.watson.co.nz/magicnz.html ------------------------------------- 14. Read in the paper in Japan ------------------------------------- Message from Mike Twist Alan, How are you? I read in the paper in Japan about a magician by the name of Ron Watson, I think, which passed away recently while performing. If this is any relation to you then I am just writing to say that I am sorry to hear about this and I hope that family and friends are doing all right in coping with the death. Sorry, they did not give much information...at first I wasn't sure whether it was you! Anyway, all the best in the future, I will mail you again in the near future. Regards, Mike ------------------------------------- 15. Gary McCormick believes NZ entertainment industry will die ------------------------------------- Message from Richard Webster >From NZ Herald Sat March 25th: Entertainer Gary McCormick believes the NZ entertainment industry will die if promoters continue to leave entertainers unpaid after events. His comments come after it was revealed that he, Dave Dobbyn and Tim Finn was not paid their full fees for performance at last month's Food and Wine Fiesta in Hamilton. McCormick says the non-payment, in his case understood to be about $1700 - half his fee for the day - is "something that happens far too often to New Zealand entertainers". He says he has three other court cases pending over non-payment. He believes that if promoters continue to fail to pay entertainers it will be the "death knell of concerts and shows around New Zealand". McCormick's manager, brother Mark, says legal action to recover the money from the Hamilton event is an option. ------------------------------------- 16. Overseas Schedule for Paul Romhany ------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany April - Singapore May - United Arab Emirates October - USA The Magic Castle performing in the Palace - October 23 - 29 with new show times at 8:00, 9:30 and 10:45 p.m. November/December/January 2001 - Asia ------------------------------------- 17. Graham Rogers - cards for sale ------------------------------------- Message from Graham Rogers - magicgraham@hotmail.com Just back to New Zealand, if anyone wants any Bicycle decks (poker size) I have a few I have bought back with me, single decks $4.50 or I have dozen boxes 6 red/6 blue for $50.00NZ plus postage. ------------------------------------- 18. Bill Reid rushed to hospital ------------------------------------- Message from Bill Reid - - bmreid@magicians.co.nz Wednesday a week ago Mandy came home to find me collapsed and unconscious, hence I took a trip in the hospital in the white and red taxi. Ended up looking like a pin cushion by the time they sent me home Friday evening (2 half days in hospital) I have not been allowed to drive for the last week and have had to take it easy. The lumber puncher test they did give me one hell of a pain in the head. So I have spent most of my time lying down. Today is the first day I have been without painkillers, SO must be getting better. They say that it was most likely Labrithitis-middle ear problem (but also cannot rule out a minor stroke). I know for me the last week or so definitely has made me look at what is important in life. Message from the Editor: We must remember nobody is immune to bad health and we must all realise life is very precious and we must look after our health first and foremost. Michele and I wish you a speedy recovery Bill! ------------------------------------- 19. Bill Reid - props for sale - bmreid@magicians.co.nz ------------------------------------- The following is a list of magic I have for sale: 1 x FUNNY FUNNEL -Aluminium, As New $25 1 x Appearing/Colour Change Star Wand $10 1 x Skeleton in the Cupboard -A variation of patriotic blocks with built in levers (H.Chandler prop) $20 1 x Blocko- A solid block passes through a perspex wall (H.Chandler prop) Self working $15 1 x trace elements (Ben Harris) Never used $5 ------------------------------------- 20. News Items ------------------------------------- If you have any news items that you feel the majority of our subscribers would be interested in please e-mail me so I can include them in the next e-zine. The magician who e-mails me a particular news item FIRST will receive full credit at the top of that item. If the news is of major importance I will send them out immediately as a Newsflash. ------------------------------------- 21. Benefit of subscribing to the MagicNZ e-zine ------------------------------------- You will now be informed well in advance of coming events and kept right up to date with the latest news. MagicNZ e-zine is published weekly, late on Sunday night. ------------------------------------- 22. Subscription Management ------------------------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. To subscribe or unsubscribe from the MagicNZ e-zine: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html The opinions expressed in this e-zine are those of the individual contributors. Neither MagicNZ nor Alan Watson can vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via MagicNZ e-zine. We reserve the right to correct any errors or omissions as we see fit. >> This publication may be freely redistributed to other magicians if copied in its ENTIRETY << (c) Copyright 2000 Alan Watson ------------------------------------- 23. Contact Information ------------------------------------- Alan Watson Ph. (9) 483-9274 Fax. (09) 483-9274 Mobile 025 95-7070 e-mail alan@watson.co.nz www.magician.co.nz www.magicianz.com