060: Abbott's Get Together Day 2 - 2012

Although the schedule stated that Tom Mullica would be lecturing, he made it clear the night before while he was emceeing that he would not give a lecture. Now that Tom is regularly performing the Red Skelton Tribute in Branson, MO, he said he does not keep up with his magic skills so he felt that he could not give the type of lecture the registrants deserved. So his place was more than ably filled with Tina Lenert who talked about her character development. Mac King later that afternoon before the dealer's show and the cemetery tour.

But later that evening, I chatted with Steve Bryant, author of "Little Egypt Book of Ghosts" and the Little Egypt Gazette (http://www.littleegyptmagic.com/magicsplash.html), and The Rhythm of Magic, Michael and Jessica Blanco (http://www.therhythmofmagicproductions.com/The_Rhythm_of_Magic_Official_Websi..., who will close the Saturday night show. At the Legion Hall after the show, I spoke with Tom Dobrowolski about the Chicago Magic Bash which he will host next year (November 2013); Gabe Fajuri, owner of Squash Publications (http://www.squashpublications.com/) and co-owner of Potter & Potter Auctions (http://www.potterauctions.com/), about his lecture on the history of Abbott's Magic Company, and finally with David Merry (http://davidmerry.com/), whom you may have read about in the April issue of MAGIC Magazine.

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Photos from Abbott's Day 2

Day Two in Colon (that's "number two" or August 2nd which is number two, too) was another bright, sunny day with plenty of socializing on the schedule.

There were plenty of "buskers" on the main street entertaining the local residents and tourists who happened upon the lot of magicians. There has been a flurry of news reports in all the nearby newspapers promoting the convention.

Back at the high school before TIna Lenert's morning lecture, we had a photo opp with Mac King, Stan Allen, Tom Mullica, Scott Wells, Mark Holstein and Bill Smith.

Mac King gave one of his rare lectures to the group that afternoon which included a rope routine and several card effects along with lots of funny stories. His lecture sales had people lined up to the back of the auditorium.

Al the Only conducted the annual tour of the Colon cemetery with a record number in attendance this year of over 70 people who braved the blazing sun. Al gave us information about the deceased and their magical lives interspersed with several stories that brought them to life. It was fun to hear the stories amplified by some of the descendents who were in the audience including those from the Jack Gwynne and Jerry Conklin families. Of course it was Harry Blackstone, St. who started it all. He and Harry Junior both rest here.

Danny Black struck a funny pose at the headstone of a non-magician that was adorned with several garden gnomes.

059: Abbott's Get Together Day 1 - 2012

The convention opened with the "Open Colon" for a dedicated bunch of golfers. Of course not everyone is a golfer so many people milled around town, picked up their registration packets, visited the dealers both inside and out, then attended the first official lecture of the day, a lecture by Gabe Fajuri on the history of Abbott's Magic Company. I did not know that Percy Abbott started in Australia but there were many fascinating things I learned.

But my wandering Blue Microphone was placed in front of a few interesting people including Al the Only (organizer of the Open Colon Golf Tourney), Brian Miller, President of the British Ring (the world's largest I.B.M. Ring with over 1,000 members), and John Sturk who spoke about busking at the Get Together.

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