All Packed & Ready To Go

Mike and I have just finished packing up both our vehicles as full as we possibly could with magic effects, DVDs, and just about everything else you can think of... Tomorrow, we'll head for Hollywood to prepare for Sunday's big event: Dealer's Day! I hope that those of you who live in the Southern California area will make the trip to come and see us. Remember, it's absolutely free -- just tell the Magic Castle's receptionist that you are a guest of Hocus Pocus.

Tomorrow night will be an evening of entertainment and a fine dinner with Mark Nelson and Mark & Nani Wilson, and I suspect, we'll tap out early to be ready for an early morning on Sunday. I'm especially excited to be with Mark and Nani Wilson as we are in the final stages of putting the finishing touches on a special project. We're honored that Mark and Nani chose Hocus Pocus to be involved in this brand new release. Without saying too much before the official unveiling, I will inform you that it is a limited edition item that most performer's will want to own, especially if you are like me -- a true Mark and Nani Wilson fan! This project has been in the works since last December, when we visited the Wilsons in December, and I'm more than excited about the quality of the actual finished product.

After we return, once again, we'll be hosting a special lecture by none other than magic's own Joshua Jay. My good friend, Dick Barry, who's been in magic for many, many years, said it was easily in the top 10 magic lectures of all time! That's really saying something coming from a seasoned pro like Dick Barry. We are just about filled up for this lecture, so don't wait; reserve your seat NOW by calling us toll-free at 800-407-4040. Remember, tickets are $15.00 now or $20.00 at the door.

We'll be back next week with lots of photos of our adventure and tales to tell as well, so we'll see you then.

Until next time,

Paul

Almost There...

We are just over a week away from Dealer's Day at Hollywood's Magic Castle, and we couldn't be more excited. Mike is getting his Mac ready for the list of items we'll be bringing with us. A van has already been reserved, and it looks like we'll be heading out very early on Saturday, March 1st to arrive and have lunch with more than a few friends at our regular hangout, Musso & Frank's. We'll be Mark Nelson and Mark & Nani Wilson's guests that evening at the Castle and, of course, take in a few shows that evening at the Castle. The lineup:

CLOSE-UP GALLERY

Early Performer - David Regal
Late Performer - Mark Haslam

PARLOUR OF PRESTIDIGITATION

Early Performer - Ted Karmilovich
Late Performer - Will Fern

PALACE OF MYSTERY

Mystina & Ice McDonald

W.C. FIELDS BAR

Friday and Saturday - Glenn Farrington

The next day, Dealer's Day will officially begin at 11:00 AM and last until around 3:00 PM. Anyone can attend Dealer's Day at the Magic Castle. All you need to do is tell the receptionist that you are a guest of Hocus Pocus, and you're in! We will be located where we were last year downstairs near the W.C Fields Bar. We hope to see and meet many of you there.



On the home front, Mike Giusti has updated Trick Talk MagiCast, and the latest episode hosts Phenomenon's very own Guy Bavli. Within mere hours of uploading, it received over 120 downloads! Check it out along with the past episodes here:

http://tricktalk.mypodcast.com/


It's been 3 weeks since Paul Romhany started blogging for Hocus Pocus, and we couldn't be more impressed with not only the number of readers he's received, but the quantity and quality of the information he's shared. The latest offering is a real treasure trove of stories, interviews, and honest product recommendations. We're extremely happy that Paul is on board, and judging by the email responses and those of you who I've spoken to over the phone, you are as well. I speak to Paul almost every day, and he's tipped me about some of the special guest interviews he has planned as well as other treats, and trust me when I tell you: you don't want to miss it! Make sure you grab a cup of coffee, as Paul says, sit back, relax, and take a gander at his blog, located here:

http://romhanyreport.blogspot.com/

The Flu has flown!

We were down to a less-than-skeleton crew last week as the recent flu bug wreaked havoc on the Hocus Pocus staff. Happy to report that everyone is back and we're at 100% again. I have to admit that even though there were only a few left last week, it was a bit nostalgic finding myself running the place almost by myself, reminding me of the old days. It was great fun to be in the thick of it again, and took lots of calls from some of you I haven't spoken to in quite some time! However, when the staff began to return, I was happy to have everyone back. Hopefully, the dreaded bug hasn't hit you and you've managed to avoid it.

My son, Max, hasn't stopped grinning from ear to ear since last Friday, when his car was finally delivered after a major overhall in the shop. Power steering, new brakes, and air conditioning, and other miscellaneous features were installed to the world-famous 1969 Chevy Nova. He's been patiently awaiting its return for the last 2 months for all to be done. Since its return, he's been more than happy to run Betty and I to the grocery store or any odd errands that need to be done. The next step is new upholstery and new tires, but he doesn't want to let the car go again for that long, so he's going to hold onto it for a few weeks before getting it to the upholsterer. Each time we take it out for a drive, he's had many people admire the car, and he beams with pride and delight at their accolades.

Wedding Bells



Exciting news: I am happy to report that my good friend Robert Baxt finally popped the question to his girlfriend, Yumi, and she said yes! Officially engaged, both plan to be married sometime this Summer. Betty and I had the chance to meet Yumi for the first time last Thanksgiving, and found her not only to be charming, but very good for Robert! Congratulations, Robert and Yumi. Here's to a lifetime of happiness!

So there you have it: lots o' stuff happening, as always, with us here at Hocus Pocus. I hope to see those of you who can make it next weekend at the Magic Castle Dealer's Day on March 2. And don't forget -- Monday, March 3 at 7:00 PM, we will be hosting a lecture by Joshua Jay. Reserve your seats now if you already haven't done so, and we hope to see you here at Hocus Pocus.

Have a great weekend.

Until next time,

Paul

And Then There Were Four

The flu bug has hit hard here at Hocus Pocus, and as a result, we are down to a skeleton crew. Only Betty, Mike, Jan, and myself are survivors, so the blog will be short today.



Ever since we offered a brand new section of our web site called Free Downloads, the bandwidth has been insane! Our first offering, John Mendoza's Whispers Four Times Three, has already had more than 2000 hits! We're so excited about it, we're already working on the next free download, which should be up soon.



Masuda Mania

You all know Masuda from his insanely creative invention, WOW! It spread like wildfire through all the chat rooms and whispers amongst magicians. Well now, I am proud to say that Hocus Pocus now has the entire line of Masuda products available for you in the special Masuda category! From the classic Frozen in Time to the crafty new Hole Mystery and everything in-between, there are 18 products in all from which to choose, so go wild!

Remember to mark your calenders for the Magic Castle's Dealer Day on Sunday, March 2 and just one day later, Joshua Jay will be joining us for an evening of magic on March 3!

I'll be back in full force next week. Until then, have a great weekend.

Paul

Tons O' Stuff Happening

I'm back after a short (very short, by the way) vacation. Spent some time with my family in San Francisco and had a great weekend, but it went by way too fast! Speaking of fast, can you believe we're already almost half way through February? And I don't think the extra day is going to make it longer (the leap year 29th).


Magic Castle

We're gearing up for the Magic Castle Dealers Day, which will be taking place Sunday, March 2nd. Once again, we're honored to be invited by Mark and Nani Wilson to be the featured dealers that day amongst David Regal, School for Scoundrels' Whit Haydn & Chef Anton, Mike Caveney, Todd Carr, Shoot Ogawa, Tony Clark, and who knows who else? We did this event last year and had a great time, and we always enjoy our days down in Hollywood. So, if you are in the Los Angeles/Hollywood area, we invite you to join us at the Magic Castle from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM for a great time, demonstrations, products, chat, and fun!


Joshua Jay

And if that weren't enough, the day after our return, Monday, March 3rd at 7:00 PM, we'll be hosting a lecture by Mr. Joshua Jay. We're really excited that Josh could fit us into his 2008 World Lecture Tour, and it promises to be a fun-filled, magical evening. If you'd like to participate, we've set up a special page on our web site for more information. CLICK HERE!



Lots of new products hitting the web site on a daily basis. One in which we are particularly excited about comes from our friend David Goodsell called Golden Oldies. This is the perfect blend of mentalism, audience participation, nostalgia, and comedy! This is an excellent routine that is specially suited for any audience, and I urge you to take a look at it on our web site.



Also, we're very proud to announce that the highly anticipated Holy Grail DVD has arrived and is shipping to all our customers! This could very well be the Holy Grail of Torn & Restored Card effects of the year! If you haven't already done so, order your copy today because our stock is going fast.



We are extremely proud to announce that through special arrangement with Martin Breese, Hocus Pocus has obtained the US Exclusive of Terri Rogers' BlockBuster, an effect that took 20 years to make the correct way and one that will still fool you, even when you know how it works! Because of the intricate construction of each handmade unit, we will be receiving our first shipment of 50 near the end of this month and it could be several months before more will be available, so make sure you pre-order yours today to insure delivery. Regardless of what you may read elsewhere, Hocus Pocus is the only dealer in the United States to carry this item first, so you can order with complete confidence!

The big Blackpool Convention is just days away now, so stay tuned to our web site for all the new and exciting products that will be released immediately afterwards. We've been tipped about several already, and although we're not allowed to detail them here at the moment, but keep watching our site for details immediately following Blackpool!

Departures



Tony Blanco has been my faithful right-hand man for close to three years. No matter what needed to be done, I could always count on Tony to do it and then some! To say he is a jack of all trades is an understatement. A talented and eclectic performer, Tony can do it all from puppetry, juggling, mime, clowning, and magic. He excels in all. Since Tony's arrival here in Fresno from Las Vegas, he has literally turned the town upside-down as his weekends and weekdays were constantly filled with bookings and shows, several restaurants, zoo affairs, television, and more. His schedule becoming so full, there wasn't much time for Hocus Pocus anymore. Let's face it: Tony's first love has and will always be performing. It saddened me when Tony told me that he wished to venture further in his performing career, but who can blame him? As hard as it will be with Tony gone, I know he has made the best choice for himself, and I wish him all the best. Tony's a pro and will always have a soft spot in our hearts here at Hocus Pocus.

A New Face In The Crowd



With Tony's departure, his blog will now be filled by our good friend and performer Paul Romhany. As most of you know, Paul is a full-time working pro who has so much knowledge and experience to share, he promises interviews with other performers, honest product reviews and insight on the world of magic. His first blog, published just yesterday, is already up and ready for your perusal, so check it out HERE!



Do you feel the love?

Well, Valentine's Day is just around the corner (next Thursday). Don't forget that special someone in your life. My special someone, Betty, and I plan on going out to a nice restaurant the day before Valentine's because the restaurants are always packed on that particular day, with waiting times STARTING at 1 hour... So start planning your special Valentine's evening with your special someone. Don't forget: they're the ones who've heard you time and time again say "Pick a card, any card..." You know what I mean.

Until next time,

Paul

Just a Little Break

I'm taking a little time off to spend with my family. The blog will resume next week as usual.

Until next time,

Paul