457: Michael Kaminskas - His Cups Runneth Over

Michael Kaminskas is a corporate magician who may not be as well known to the magic community as he should be. Not only is he one of the busy trade show magicians working today, he is also the “King of CUps” in that he has designed and manufactured his own unique brand of cups and Chop cups and fake fruit for the final loads. He worked for over a decade as a demonstrator in a Magic Shop and also had his own one-man magic show traveling up and down the Atlantic seaboard playing in the finest hotels and sponsored by a car company.

His coin work is flawless and he loves to talk about close-up. He has been featured at several magic conventions so his name is starting to get “out there” plus he was one of the dealers at this year’s MAGIC Live! event and sold out of nearly everything. His well crafted items are highly sought after by professionals.

From KPRC Channel 2 in Houston, a great news piece covering the rebirth of the Magic Island. For more information, still pictures, plus links for more videos, visit: https://www.click2houston.com/news/rising-from-the-ashes-the-rebirth-of-houstons-magic-island

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429: Gone in 60 Seconds

Many of us have had something stolen and some of us have had magic stuff stolen. I'm not talking about intellectual property theft or someone lifting your joke or outright stealing your act, but physical thievery of props and equipment. This week we hear cautionary tales of woe from some magicians who have had their magic props stolen and we learn lessons from their losses.

This week's podcast was inspired by a friend of mine, Marien Hopman from Chatham, Canada, sent me a link to a short radio broadcast where he told his story about having his magic stolen from his car. We were unable to get together to record his story, but you can hear his short, five minute story from "Afternoon Drive with Chris dela Torre" on CBC Listen by Clicking Here.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:01:26 - Taylor Martin

00:06:46 - Lynx Kim

00:15:06 - Rudy Coby

00:23:00 - Christopher Hannibal

00:27:30 - Sebastian Tabany

00:32:21 - Michael Night

00:38:51 - Dan Garrett

00:43:35 - Russell Anderson

00:49:37 - Andrew Payne

00:54:37 - James Harrison

00:58:09 - Richard "the Magician" Ribuffo, Jr.

01:04:00 - Michael Kaminskas

01:07:29 - Mike Segal

01:12:39 - Ron Wilson

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Click on the graphic above for more information on how you can help Russell Anderson with his "Go Fund Me" campaign.

330: Bob Schulien on "Schulien's" Bar Magic

Schulien's was one of the legendary magic bars in Chicago that thrived throughout most of the 20th century. At the soul of the restaurant was its owner, Matt Schulien. Chicago-style magic was born here where the magic came fast and furious as drinks were served and the motto was "GTFM" (Get The F'ing Money).

In this podcast, Robert "Bob" Schulien, the grandson of Matt Schulien worked at Schulien's under his father who was heir to the bar and who encouraged Bob to perform magic for the patrons. He was told that people came to the bar not only for food and drink but also for the magic. They expected magic and so Bob became the "designated magician by default". Other magicians later came to work and perform at Schulien's (like Al James and Chuck Morris) until it closed on January 27, 1999. There is an excellent article online that tells its history at The Chicago Bar Project.

Bob carries on the tradition of bar magic each week at The Chicago Magic Lounge along with a bevy of prestidigitators who entertain every Thursday and Saturday night. You can listen to a previous episode with the owners/managers that was broadcast #213: Chicago Magic Bars and Lounges

Chicago Magic Lounge quickly became 2015's speakeasy for many professional traveling magicians. Not only to perfom but also relax by enjoying the camaraderie of fellow Chicago magicians, as well as honing their craft. I've been collecting fun behind the scenes video and photos taken over the first year of shenanigans at the CML.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:04:36 - Bob Schulien talks about the early years of his grandfather Matt Schulien's Bar in Chicago from its earliest days until it finally closed. Bob regales us with many stories about his grandfather and the magic and pranks he used to perform for and on his customers.

00:56:45 - "Brother Paul" West invented a new product called the CellGrasp which makes it easier to hold you mobile phone while taking selfies. This is a product I keep on my cell phone all the time and I find indispensable. He also has a special offer to listeners of The Magic Word Podcast.

01:03:54 - "Flaming Coffee" by SansMinds is a visual stunner that takes the Fire Wallet to a new level. Recommended with reservations. Also, not available to those under 19.

01:07:49 - "The Deceased" by Jamie Daws is a creepy, dark and bizarre bit of magic that could have your audience feeling the goosebumps. This is a :Living or Dead" test that is well made and can be carried around in your wallet to creep out people at a moment's notice. Recommended.

Order a CellGrasp and receive your choice of any one of Brother Paul's five downloads from his website. Order two CellGraps and receive two free downloads. Oder three, and...well, you get the idea.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

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