Legendary close-up magician Derek Dingle (July 1, 1937-January 11, 2004) died on Sunday morning at the age of 66. Dingle was instrumental in changing the face of close-up magic in the second half of the twentieth century. His novel presentational approaches combined with multiple endings to his routines are what made his magic stand out. He was also a highly skilled card and coin technician and was commonly referred to in the press as "the greatest card manipulator in the world." His two books "Dingle's Deceptions" (1971) and "The Complete Works Of Derek Dingle" (1982) contain most of his outstanding routines. He has also released several sets of lecture notes, videos and has published many original routines and techniques in magic magazines. Later this month he was planning to embark on a lecture tour throughout France and an appearance at the Blackpool convention in England. A memorial will take place in a few weeks at his favorite pub in New York City.(1/12)
--A memorial has been scheduled for Sunday Feb. 8 at 2-5pm at Ryan's Daughter (350 East 85th Street - Bet. 1st-2nd Ave.) in New York City. If you are planning to attend please RSVP to: derek@palookaproductions.com.(1/13)

"Mondo Magic With Benn & Korn" has been mentioned as a new television special to air on the A&E channel this year. A Hollywood Reporter article  reported that it is "a showcase for 'street' magicians J.B. Benn and Chris Korn." Not mentioned is that René Lavand will appear on the show. To read the Jan. 5 article by Andrew Wallenstein titled "A&E Bio Includes Series, TV Movies" click: HERE.(1/12)

John E. McLaughlin who is the deputy director of the CIA and the number two person in the organization is also a magician. McLaughlin is featured in a Washington Post article that reported, "At the end of the interview, McLaughlin, a master magician and always the analyst, ripped to shreds a recent Washington Post article about the CIA. See, he was saying, seldom are things what they appear to be -- even when you know you are being fooled. Then he unfolded the same newspaper page -- unripped. 'Now, you're probably thinking, how could I top that?' McLaughlin said quietly. With that, the door behind his desk swung open, and out popped the CIA director. 'He does everything,' Tenet said, his arm around McLaughlin's shoulders. 'He's a real partner.'" To read the Jan. 9 article by Dana Priest titled "The CIA's 'Anonymous' No. 2" click: HERE.(1/12)

Jack Arthur Avis (July 27, 1921-January 8, 2004) died on Thursday at the age of 83. Avis is best known for the hundreds of routines he contributed to magic magazines throughout his life and for his "Siva Count" card sleight. Two books featuring his magic were released recently with Vis A Vis (with John Derris 1997) and Ahead of the Pack (with Lewis Jones 2002). At one time he performed under the stage name Siva which is Avis spelled backwards.(1/12)

David Copperfield appeared on the Friday Jan. 9 edition of Inside Edition where he gave a tour of his New York apartment and discussed his collections and upcoming tour. The show will re-air in some markets on Monday – check local listings.(1/12)

The exposure of Houdini's Metamorphosis at the Appleton museum is reported in a Montreal Gazette article that "Houdini himself understood about magic and daylight: in 1926, on his deathbed, he told his brother Theo to burn all his stage gear. Instead Theo gave it to a protegé, from whom it found its way to museum curator Kim Louagie, who now plans to reveal the secret. Her exhibition might also open the curtains on other Houdini tricks." To read the Jan. 8 article titled "Keep Houdini's secrets" click: HERE.(1/12)

David Blaine's book Mysterious Stranger is given a glowing review in The Malaysia Star where they report, "Blaine does an amazing job of tightening every loose end -- like he does for his death-defying stunts -- to ensure that every micro-millimetre of the book is worth the paper it is printed on, such that you will have a life-enriching experience reading it and believing in it." To read the Jan. 9 article by Catherine Siow titled "Endearing enigma" click: HERE.(1/12)

"The World's Greatest Magic Show" at the Sahara in Las Vegas is featured in a Las Vegas Sun article that describes Kevin James as the consultant on the show and quotes him, "The best part about our show… is that instead of having one magician trying to do an hour and half with some filler material, you get seven or eight doing their absolute best 10 minutes. The fans are getting all A-plus material." To read the Jan. 9 article by Jerry Fink titled "Juggling Acts: Ever-changing lineup highlights 'The World's Greatest Magic Show' at Sahara Theater" click: HERE.(1/12)

Kevin Spencer's appearance on The Saturday Early Show on CBS-TV is reported in the news programs website, "For thousands of years, magicians have been using their craft as a form of entertainment. But illusionists Kevin and Cindy Spencer discovered a whole new use for their tricks: making patient's ailments disappear." To read the Jan. 10 report titled "Healing With Magic" click: HERE.(1/12)

Peter Phillips was honored by the Queen of England with an "Order of the British Empire" award for his pioneering work in insolvency issues with financial firm Kroll Buchler Phillips. A Hendon & Finchley Times article reported that "When not conjuring people out of financial scrapes, Mr Phillips is a keen magician although he is unlikely to swap bulls and bears for rabbits and hats in the near future." To read the Jan. 8 article by Hugh Christopher titled "Conjuring up honours" click: HERE.(1/12)

Dany Larry who appeared with his show Magic Storm at the Casino du Liban in Lebanon is featured in a Daily Star article that reported, "It is a glamorous mix of fun stage acts, with girls dancing in short dresses, at times in Pharaonic style then changing to Broadway costumes and ballet skirts." To read the Jan. 9 article titled "An evening of magic and variety theater at Casino du Liban" click: HERE.(1/12)