662: Jeffrey Alan - American Museum of Magic

David Copperfield’s museum is private and only open by invitation. In another part of the country, The American Museum of Magic (AMM) is open to the public. This week, Jeffrey Alan talks about the museum, its history, how it came to be, how it expanded and much more. Jeffrey is on the Board of Directors for the AMM as well as the I.B.M. He is also a full time performing magician in the Michigan area. If ever you are in the Midwestern U.S., then you owe it to yourself to visit this wonderful collection of our history’s treasures.

If you are more of a visual person, you can watch a YouTube video of our chat recorded over Zoom.

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Jeffrey shares a lot of information about the history of The American Museum of Magic that brings our history to life. For more information, directions, and to make an appointment for a private tour, please visit their website at: https://americanmuseumofmagic.com/

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145: Marty Hahne - Winner By A Hare

Andy Warhol was quoted as saying, "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." I say that as magicians, we should try to extend that fame for as long as possible. Longevity in "celebrity" and future bookings depends upon people remembering our name. Otherwise they may as well go to the first name that pops up on Google. Branson, Missouri magician, Marty Hahne has inadvertently and unintentionally found himself at the center of an issue that has given him worldwide notoriety since the summer of 2013 and continues to this day.

It all began in July 2013 with a letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture beginning with, "Dear Members of Our Regulated Community." Essentially they wanted to make sure that the animals used in his magic show were permitted. Moreover, he needed to have a detailed "Disaster Plan" on what he would do, where he would go and how he would treat his animals (specifically, his pet rabbit) should there be a disaster such as a fire, flood or tornado. Keep in mind that this is a requirement for one animal, not a Warren of rabbit.

The issue soon got national attention when he, along with a few other small entrepreneurs, appeared on a network television investigative show, "War on the Little Guy with John Stossel". His special interest story also appeared in many newspapers and magazines who all had a field day with the headlines, such as: "Watch him pull a USDA-mandated disaster plan out of his hat" and "Magician's Rabbit Get Tangled in Government Red Tape" and "Hare Brained: USDA Reportedly Orders Children's Magician to Produce 'Disaster Plan' for His...Rabbit". You can find a multitude of online articles and YouTube videos on this issue with a little search cross-referencing "Marty the Magician Rabbit Disaster Plan".

Others should heed his advice and find out if you need an animal permit for using your pet in your show in your area. The Washington Post posted a copy of Marty's "Emergency Management and Contingency Plan" posted on their website. Click Here to view the article and the plan.

Although this story is nearly a year old, it still has relevance in the daily lives of every magician who owns and works with livestock in his/her show. In this podcast, Marty tells us the details of what he did, how he responded, the help he received and how he got so much publicity. Do you think he got more shows as a result of this publicity? Listen to his insights and stories and advice in this week's podcast.

At time stamp 00:57:02 I added an edited clip from an interesting chat I had with Nicholas Saint-Erne, a renown veterinarian (and magician). Here Nick gives us some sound advice on the care, feeding and handling of your animals. This was recorded last summer and the full chat can be found Here as part of my report of Day Two from the I.B.M. convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

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In addition to being a full-time professional magician, Marty is also a magic dealer who owns Dazzling Magic. Marty will be a dealer plus lecturing at the Battle of Magicians (magic convention) in Canton, Ohio. He will talk about this experience plus he will be a dealer. Be sure to see him live in Canton where you can ask your own questions and get his advice on what you might need to do to be prepared for when the USDA comes knocking at your door!

Magic & Martinis' Thursday

Don't let your pet rabbit turn into a mutant because you don't have a "disaster plan" for a nuclear attack. Cheers!

130: Greg Bordner - Las Vegas Comes to Mayberry

The Andy Griffith Show aired on TV in the 1960's set in the fictional rural town of Mayberry, South Carolina, a friendly, close-knit community that clung to the 1930's...a time gone by.  Colon, Michigan is not dissimilar in that it has a rich tradition where many come back to relax and to enjoy a simpler time.

With a population of 1,161 people and one flashing traffic light, Colon nearly doubles in size each year for the annual Get Together as magicians from around the world convene to enjoy each others' company and share magic. It is truly a "Brigadoon" type of event that has the entire community turning out to celebrate the craft of magic then disappears afterwards with no trace that anything ever happened.

Greg Bordner wishes everyone a Happy Holiday from the showroom of Abbott's Magic Company.

Greg Bordner gives an after hours tour of the Abbotts Magic Factory. See where the magic begins before making it to the shelf!

Magic is a big house with many rooms. We have a rich history of magic that is filled with many people contributing to give us the texture that makes up the fabric of our craft. Greg Bordner, proprietor of Abbott's Magic Company, is one of dealers who continues the tradition started 80 years ago in the small village of Colon, Michigan.

Greg Bordner joins me on this podcast to talk about the history of Abbott's Magic Company, the transition of a brick-and-mortar magic shop to a successful online store, popular tricks sold through Abbott's, how Colon, Michigan came into being starting with Harry Blackstone, Sr., the many magicians who have moved to Colon, what there is to do in and around the Get Together (i.e. garage sales, Amish dinners, Curly's close-up contest, American Museum of Magic, Colon Museum) and so much more.

This is an interesting chat with some funny stories along the way about Blackstone, Sr. and others. For more information on Abbott's Magic Company, the  annual Get Together or the Close-Up Convention, visit their website at: http://AbbottMagic.com/

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As mentioned in the chat, many magicians are buried in the Colon cemetery. Thanks to Al the Only, here is an alphabetical list of those buried there (as of this writing):

Don Alan, Arthur Glen Babbs "Arturo", Bill Baird, Jack Barrows, Harry Blackstone Jr., Harry Blackstone Sr., John Nicholls Booth, Recil Bordner, Peter Bouton, Jerry Conklin, Shirley Conklin, Ted Coppin "Ted Banks", Della Coppin "Sally Banks", Ricki Dunn, Vince Fabek "Quincy the Clown", Karrell Fox, Anne Gwynne, Jack Gwynne, Kenneth Husted "Roy Huston", "Little Johnny" Jones, Skippy Lamore, Elaine Lund, Robert Lund, Fred R. Merrill, Hank Moorehouse, Jack Rench, Duke Stern, Marx Edward Straw, Jesse Thornton, Donald "Monk" Watson. You can learn more about each of these past magicians and see their grave sites by Clicking Here.

Karrell Fox gives a friendly tribute to his old friend Duke Stern in the Colon Cemetery. Also seen in this 1993 video is Bibik and Al the Only..

Magic & Martinis Thursday

Well, 'tis the season and everyone is working and partying hard. Our tree is appropriately festive with the right mix of...well, Magic & Martinis, what else? Cheers!