615: Shaun Jay - Bright Ideas

The future of magic lies in the hands of our youth. This week we prove that the next generation of magicians is in good hands and going in the right direction as we speak with Shaun Jay. Shaun was on the cover of the M.U.M. journal in 2020 and has appeared on the “Masters of Illusion” on the CW Network. He is involved in making magic and magical things. And he respects the history, inspiration and mentorship of those with more years of experience.

Shaun has his own podcast which is totally different from The Magic Word Podcast but worth your time to explore. See his “Making Magic with Shaun Jay” podcast video interviews at: https://YouTube.com/shaunjaymagic or you can listen here: http://bit.ly/makingmagiconapple

This week’s podcast episode on YouTube.

This week Shaun talks about his path on how he got on the national network television show, “Masters of Illusion” and he discusses some of the things he has made such as his wristwatches that are pieces of art, plus he talks about how he developed his act. For more information on his 3D design and prop making, please visit: https://utilitygaffs.com

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594: Sean Bogunia - Accidentally Creative

During a recent trip from Houston, Texas, to Michigan, I had the opportunity to sit down for an in-depth conversation with one of magic’s creative thinkers, Sean Bogunia. Although he might be best known to you as the creator of the Ultimate Dancing Hank (in a Bottle), he prefers for that not to be his seminal legacy. He has many other creations to his credit that are in the working repertoires of professional magicians and he has even more that he is working on to bring to the magic community. He is a performer and creator who has consulted with many top magicians.

The no assistants need Dancing HankBy Sean Boguniahttps://www.ultimatemagicproductions.net/store/p50/Ultimate_Dancing_Hank.html

In this week’s episode, Sean talks about a pivotal moment in his life that led him to follow magic as a full time professional and never look back. He also tells many “behind the scenes” stories about some of his creations and the people he worked with and some of those whom he showed his ideas. A usually quiet and reserved person, Sean opened his heart and soul in this podcast unlike he had ever done before. In fact, he states that this is only the second interview that he has ever given. This episode contains perhaps more stories than any other that we have broadcast. I am certain that you will get a lot out of this week’s “longer than usual” episode.

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592: Romany - Diva of Magic - Dealing With It

From England, Romany talks about the arc of her career that brought her from the dreams of a young girl to seeing her name in lights on the grand stage. It has not all been a “bed of roses” and she has dealt with hardships, heartbreak and mental issues. From a nine to five job with British Telephone to performing the streets then to Las Vegas and cruise ships, Romany has had quite a life. Or should I say she “is” having quite a life as she is far from finished. One thing she did finish is her book, “Spun Into Gold” which is a nice promotional piece about her life but also containing advice for young girls like her who suffer(ed) from weight gain and shape issues that can lead to bulimia.

In the early part of this week’s episode, Max Maven drops in to give us his prediction of what we might expect in 2021 as it relates to Covid and “getting back into the world.”

In this episode, Max Maven kicks off the New Year with his prediction for 2021 regarding Covid. In the main part of this episode, Romany talks frankly about her bulimia and gives advice for young women to heed to avoid falling victim to this disorder.

Romany shares her life story in this autobiography on the secret life of a female magician. Order through Amazon by clicking on this graphic and helping The Magic Word through their Affiliate Program.

Hail and Farewell

to magicians who left us this year.

2020 was not a kind year in general, but in particular, I had more magic friends pass away this year than any other. Perhaps it was the anxiety of the pandemic or the pandemic itself, or it could be that as I’m getting older, so are my friends. Although the list below is not exhaustive, it does reflect the names of many well-known (and some lesser known) magicians, spouses and assistants who passed on in 2020. Some may not be as well-known to you, but they were my personal friends (hey, it is my blog!). If you are unfamiliar with any of these names, then it would behoove you to do a little online search of what these people have contributed to our craft. If you have someone you think was overlooked, then please post the name in the comments below on this blog.

Those whose names are highlighted with a “hot link” were featured or interviewed here on The Magic Word Podcast. You can click on their name to revisit and listen to their voices again.

Roy Walton

Bob White

Fred Wood

Orson Bean

E. Raymond Carlyle (Ed Fowler)

Chuck Lehr

Dennis W. Wilson

Joan Lawton

Norm Nielsen

Harvey Rosenthal

Roy Horn

Nick Ruggerio