From the Magic Castle to Happy Birthday!

This week has certainly flown by! Last Friday, at 6:00 AM, Betty, Max, Aimee, and I headed south to Paramount, California where we spent the entire day with Chuck and Gerald Kirchner, owners of Magic City, one of our major suppliers. Around 5:00 PM, we all then drove to Long Beach, California to have dinner on the ocean at Gladstone's. Gerald's wife, Marilyn, and his son, James, also joined us. We all had a great time and a great meal as well. Then everybody loaded up and headed to Hollywood. We arrived around 10:00 PM, where we were met by my good friend, Robert Baxt, who helped us settle in. We sat up for several hours catching up and trading ideas.


Gerald Kirchner with his son, James and wife, Marilyn


My daughter, Aimee, my son, Max, and Gerald Kirchner


Chuck Kirchner and me


The Magic Castle


The Magic Castle Hotel

Saturday morning, Mike and Tony arrived with a van full of Hocus Pocus merchandise for Sunday's Dealer's Day at the Castle. After checking in, we all walked down Hollywood boulevard to our favorite hangout spot, Musso & Frank's where we were treated to a fantastic lunch. Afterwards, we walked across the street to Hollywood Magic and visited there with owner, Greg St. Pierre, Woody Pittman, and the rest of his staff.


The Virgin Megastore on Hollywood Boulevard

Time for shopping afterwards, where we accosted many stores, purchasing several Marilyn Monroe paintings for Aimee's birthday and then back to the hotel where we ran into Rafael Benatar, who was performing that evening in the Close-Up Room at the Magic Castle! Before we knew it, it was time to get ready to go to the Castle for dinner and shows. Because my daughter, Aimee, just turned 21 years-old, this was her first visit to the famous Magic Castle, and she couldn't be more excited. We enjoyed the shows after dinner, and Robert Baxt graciously gave Aimee an insider's tour of the Castle. Next was a surprise played on me as Mike gained access to my Magic Castle membership card and gave it to Robert, who had secretly uploaded my picture into a brand new digital picture frame hung in the hallway to the Palace of Mystery. He slid my membership card into a secret area and up popped my picture among all the legends at the Castle. This is a new gag recently installed for all members to take advantage of. This can also be your five minutes of fame. Around midnight, we headed back to the hotel to get some much-needed sleep as it was going to be a full Sunday!


My picture used on the digital frame at the Castle

Mark and Nani Wilson had invited us to be featured dealers at Dealer's Day, and on Sunday morning, we took full advantage of the opportunity and started unloading all the merchandise into the downstairs bar area of the Magic Castle. We used a full 12 tables to display everything, and it was a sight to behold when we were finished setting up (in record time, I might add, thanks to everyone involved). Mark and Nani showed up and were as gracious as ever as our hosts, making sure that our needs were attended to, from having enough tables to enough coffee for Betty and Mike! 11:00 AM came quickly and the doors flooded with people! Business was brisk and I was certainly happy to meet many of you in person. There was not a moment when people weren't flooding the tables taking a look at what we brought with us. I'd like to thank Mark and Nani again for inviting us to this great event and thanks to all of you who attended.


Tony, Mike and I are ready for the doors to open!


Tony and I look over the placement of the magic props


A view of one of the tables


Another view


Yet another view


Did we bring enough?

At 3:00 PM, we began packing up the van and, believe it or not, we were back on the road heading to Fresno by 4:00 PM! Everyone arrived safe and sound by 7:15 PM and couldn't believe we did so much in so little time!

Before I go, I have a special announcement: my son, Max, turns 15 today. I know this because he has reminded us continually on a daily basis. His laundry list of wants for his birthday goes from DVDs to a miniature pot-bellied pig! Guess what he WON'T be getting?! Tonight, he's already put in a special request for his birthday dinner: halibut with mashed potatoes and peas. Of course, for dessert, he wants Oreo Cookies & Cream from Baskin Robbins. Not a bad life for a kid.


My son, Max, at the Castle on Sunday

Mother's Day is this weekend, so Happy Mother's Day! Make sure you thank your mom, wife, grandmother for all they've done.

Quite a lot this week, so until next time,

Paul

Have Fun Stormin' the Castle!

Hi, kids! Mike Giusti here with another exciting episode of "From the Desk of Paul Gross," who has left for the Magic Castle a day early to help prepare and set up for Dealer's Day this Sunday! I'll be there after a gig tonight, Tony will be there as well, and this Sunday, May 6th from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, if you are a member of the Magic Castle, lots o' fun will be had. And, if you are not a member of the Magic Castle and wish to attend, check this little secret out:

Simply tell the Magic Castle receptionist that you are a guest of Hocus Pocus and you will be able to attend the event! How cool is that?

We hope to see many of you there, and please stop by and introduce yourself to Paul, Tony Blanco, and myself. There we will be showcasing and demonstrating some of our most popular products, signing autographs, and taking pictures!

We've been packing up for this event for a week (you know how Paul is), and we've even rented a truck to help us get all the merchandise over to the Castle. I hope my back can take all this action and excitement.

Personally, it's been a feast as far as magic gigs are concerned. My phone, all of a sudden, has been ringing off the hook with requests for appearances and performances. It appears (and I didn't even know this) that my MySpace page is the number-one ranked comedy page in the Central Valley, and I've already appeared on television to talk about it. It felt weird not performing in front of a camera for once.


Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco

The highlight of all these gigs was last weekend at the beautiful, famous Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco for the Board of Directors of a major hospital in this area. The gig was one of the best ever, and now the entire board of directors remembers a certain doctor who attended as "Dr. Viagra." Ask me about that some time...

Here are some pictures of that fantastic weekend:


A great hotel room offers all the comforts of home


Where, oh where do I set up my laptop?


The view through the window


Wow!


Wow again!


I can see the terrace from up here!

The next day, we took in the city. Now having grown up in San Francisco, both Jules and I knew where to go, but we decided to go to the tourist spots together for the first time, so the first stop was, of course, Pier 39:


On a clear day, you get a great view, and the weather was terrific!


End of the pier at Pier 39 with a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge


Another great view: Alcatraz Island

Although Ghirardelli Square was going through some major renovations, Jules and I decided to walk over there from Pier 39 and have some lunch at a restaurant both of us truly enjoyed! If you are ever in the area, make sure to stop by McCormick & Kuleto's (pictured below at the bottom right of the picture). The view was amazing, the atmosphere was incredibly romantic, and I recommend it highly!




Walking back to the car with a great view (the background, too!)



After lunch, I decided to take Jules on a tour through the Presidio, where she had never been. It's like the Central Park of San Francisco, and the views are spectacular!


What a great day after a stormy night!



What a great weekend it was, and what a great weekend it will be as the Magic Castle hosts Dealer's Day this Sunday, May 6th. We'll have lots of pictures to share with you next week, so stay tuned. If not, we hope to see you there!

Until Paul returns,

Mike

Back to the 70s

Talk about taking a trip back in time, last week at the Magic Castle Swap Meet, I purchased several of the late Doug Henning's costumes. The one with the stars is most recognizable as the costume Doug wore when he performed the Dancing Handkerchief and Things That Go Bump in the Night on his network television special. I was also fortunate to pick up several Henning posters and other memorabilia as well. I intend on putting these items into a custom shadow box and displaying it in the showroom. If any of you have any Doug Henning items you wish to part with, please contact me via phone at 800-407-4040 or email me at sales@hocus-pocus.com


Two of Doug Henning's costumes

Speaking of the Magic Castle, next Sunday, May 6th is Dealer's Day! The entire Hocus Pocus gang, including Mike, Tony, Betty and myself will be attending and selling. Also at our booth will be the legendary Carl Ballantine, who will be signing and selling his special edition posters, and our good friend, Robert Baxt. We hope that if you are in the Southern California area, you'll make a point to stop by and say hello. If you're not a Magic Castle member and wish to attend, simply tell the receptionist at the front desk that you are a guest of Hocus Pocus. It starts at 10:00 AM and ends at 3:00 PM and promises to be a very exciting and fun-filled event!



Lots of new products this week, including one of the most notable, The Red Carpet by Jason Palter! This is entertaining mentalism with an ending that is so startling and funny, it is sure to bring the house down!

Originally presented in its debut performance in 1985, the routine caused such magic notables as Sid Lorraine, Howard Lyons, Norm Houghton and Bruce Posgate to give a standing ovation! This closely guarded routine is now being released to the public for the first time.

The Effect:

We are a society that is obsessed with celebrities and famous people. Their sometimes fairy-tale stories are published all over, and many of us seem drawn to these reports. Everywhere we turn there is some story about someone famous doing something!

With that introduction, you display a large sketch book of celebrity and character illustrations drawn by your friend. No, your friend is not a stalker; just an admirer of the rich and famous! The book contains 40 different images of famous people and personalities.

An audience member is brought on stage and allowed to randomly select one of the images from the book. The spectator mentally focuses on their chosen icon. Then, while you are blindfolded by the "Red Carpet" (actually a red fabric bag that covers your head to prohibit any peeking), you actually fail to find the name. After what appears to be a botched attempt at entertaining and mystifying the crowd with an experiment in telepathy, you whip off the hood to reveal you have now transformed into the exact likeness of the chosen celebrity! A hilarious smash climax that will bring the audience to their feet!

The Red Carpet is simple to learn, and is easy to perform. It is a hysterical and astounding commercial mentalism effect that is perfect for all professionals and hobbyists and the routine has been honed through countless live performances. This is a fresh and brand new approach to mentalism, and the eye-popping routine will play to audiences of all sizes.

The Red Carpet comes complete with everything you need to perform the full routine, including all props, gimmicks, the detailed 8-minute audience-tested comedy script, a performance DVD, and live and broadcast performance rights.

Each trick is hand signed, numbered and comes in an authentic metal film-reel canister from the movies!

You are supplied with EVERYTHING YOU NEED to perform this trick, right out of the box (or the film canister, as it were!), and that includes the comedy, audience-tested 8 minute routine.

Also includes a sketchbook with custom, hand-drawn, ROYALTY-FREE celebrity and character images. To have one of these produced, it would cost more than $1100.00! Any performer can use it without any worry of copyright infringement during performance.

To read more about this exciting product and to check out the performance video as well as the many other products that have come through our doors this week, click here!




Where's Laurel and Hardy? That's who you'd expect to see driving this car... If you are looking for a vintage Model-T, the same one pictured above, give me a call. This belongs to Max, my youngest son, who's more interested in a Chevy Chevelle right now. He's hoping to sell the Model-T to help fund his Chevelle passion. Max will begin driving lessons this year, and he can't wait.

That about wraps it up this week. I'll be back on Thursday of next week before Hocus Pocus' trip to Hollywood, so until that time,

Paul

Castle Capers

It's been quite the week, to say the least! Last Friday, Betty and I left for Hollywood, California to attend the Magic Castle Swap Meet. Friday, we arrived around 11:30 AM and met up with Chuck and Gerald Kirchner from Magic City and gathered for lunch at Musso & Frank's along with Robert Baxt, Pete Biro, Joe Porper, Doug Malloy, Glen Farrington, Steven Steele, Lou Hirshorn, and Carl Ballantine. Carl was in rare form, as always, keeping the table in stitches while we TRIED to eat, and he asked me to bring Scott Alexander's Slashed Rope routine for him, and he was delighted and intrigued by this prop and looked forward to checking it out. Joe Porper and Pete Biro showed me two brand new items, which you will see appearing very soon on our web site. One is a prop that most mentalists will be extremely interested in purchasing, and the other is a very unique new paddle involving a wine bottle. I really liked this effect as it is completely different from any other paddle on the market today.


Carl is happy with his gift




We always have a great time with Lou Hirshorn


Robert Baxt orders his "usual"


The gang at Musso & Franks, our semi-annual tradition

After lunch, we made our way back to the hotel, sat around the pool relaxing until it was time to get ready to go to the Magic Castle for dinner. Carl Ballantine joined us for dinner and told stories of his days in Vaudeville and reminisced about the many different magicians and acts he'd witnessed. Spending time with Carl is a true gift, and just being near the man, you know he is someone special.


John Cassidy

Our good friend, Robert Baxt, was the MC at the Palace of Mystery and, as always, he did an outstanding job balancing all the acts and keeping the crowd entertained as only Robert can. The first act was Magic Christian from Europe who performed a silent manipulation act (his manipulation of cards while wearing black gloves was outstanding). Closing the Palace show was John Cassidy. The only way to describe this man's act is: scripted insanity with balloons and magic. He had the entire room laughing and was a fantastic way to close the show. I really don't know who could have followed him. If you are attending a magic convention or event, I can't recommend seeing John's act enough!

Afterwards, we made our way backstage to talk with Robert, and the following photo was taken:


Betty, Gerald Kirchner, Carl Ballantine, Me, and Chuck Kirchner

Saturday morning, I got up bright and early to be first in line for the Swap Meet and man, was I glad to be there! I bought so many items, you couldn't see out of the rear mirror of my Jeep while driving home. While there, I saw a lot of old friends, and as I was getting ready to leave, who shows up but one of my favorite comedians, Rip Taylor! This man is just as funny as he was 30 years ago! And what a nice guy! We talked for a while, and he told me about an upcoming one-man show he's working on. A great way to end the day, that's for sure!


Clowning around with Rip Taylor


Rip Taylor, always in rare form!

Heading back to Fresno, my good friend, Chuck Kirchner, came back with Betty and I to see the new location and to witness the Mark Mason lecture, held last Monday evening. Mark and his wife, Trish, are two of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. We all had dinner Monday night before Mark's lecture and then back to the shop for the 7:00 PM lecture. It was easily one of the best lectures we have had, and I urge your club or organization to book Mark whenever you can! Afterwards, we all went back to my house and sat up and talked until well after 1:00 in the morning. Great people, great time.


Me, Mark Mason, Trish Mason, and Chuck Kirchner


Mark Mason visits Hocus Pocus


Mark Mason puts on one terrific lecture!

I promised an update on the aviary my son, Max, and I built. Check out the photos below and tell me what you think:


The famous aviary


Max with Mugsy

So there you have it: lots of excitement, and I can't wait to see what's in store for next week.

Until next time,

Paul

One Day Early, Part 2

That's right, we're a day early again. That's because tomorrow, I'm headin' south! South to Hollywood, California for the semi-annual Magic Castle Swap Meet which hopefully, will be every bit as good as last year's. Of course, we'll start with our ceremonial luncheon with folks like Robert Baxt, Carl Ballantine, Steven Steele, Joe Porper, Pete Biro, Glenn Farrington, Doug Malloy, and who knows who else will show up? Later on, we'll all have dinner at the Castle and watch as Robert MCs the Palace of Mystery show. I know Robert will do a great job hosting Magic Christian and John Cassidy.

Speaking of Robert Baxt, Robert sent me a few photos of the Academy of Magical Arts Awards Banquet, which honored Carl Ballantine with the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented to him by actor/comedian/magician Steve Martin. Robert reports to us that it was quite the swanky affair and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Our hats are off to Carl, who certainly deserves this award!


Robert with the "celebrity crowd."


Robert and Lifetime Achievement Award-Winner, Carl Ballantine


Robert with Steve Martin

We had several visitors this week at Hocus Pocus, including our good friend Daisuke Seo of Seo Magic of Japan, who brought many new samples of excellent products that we'll be offering to you very soon! Watch the web site over the next few weeks as they begin to appear. I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised!


Stoil and Ekaterina

On Tuesday, Stoil and Ekaterina dropped in after performing at a private event at Table Mountain Casino on their way back to their home in Los Angeles. What a nice and charming couple they are, and they both had a field day in our warehouse and showroom. They have a terrific act which includes many different costume changes and highlights many unique magic effects.


Ultimate Ring Grinder by Chance Wolf

Speaking of unique magic effects, we here at Hocus Pocus are proud to be the exclusive dealer to carry Chance Wolf's latest creation, the Ultimate Ring Grinder. There is a very good reason the word "ultimate" is in the title, because it really is the best around. It has so many funny and unique features, including a full routine, why not check it out on the web site to see what all the hullabaloo is about?


An Evening with Mark Mason

Don't forget: Monday evening, April 16th at 7:00 PM, Hocus Pocus will be hosting an Evening with Mark Mason! Mark has been a full time professional magician for over 15 years and has performed his unique brand of magic at every type of event imaginable, from small select celebrity parties to the Las Vegas Strip. With his silky skills and fast wit he has rapidly become one of the most sought after magicians in the corporate world. For more information and to participate in Monday's lecture, CLICK HERE.

AVIARY UPDATE!

Max and I finally finished the aviary last Thursday and Friday and released all the doves into their new home. On Friday morning, Max called several local pet stores looking specifically for Bob White or button quail. He was excited to find a store that carried both, and we headed on over almost immediately and bought four Bob White quail and six button quail. Of course, while we were there, Max spotted some beautiful white racing pigeons and a new dove we'd never seen before, called the Diamond Dove. In case you haven't figured out where this scenario is going, they are all now living in the aviary as well. As of this morning, the quails, a few pairs of doves, and the new pigeons have all created their nests and have laid eggs. I guess that's the sign that they are all comfortable and happy with their new home. Next week, I promise to post photos of the completed aviary, so stick around.

And now, it's time for me to pack up and head on over to Hollywood. Don't forget, if you are planning to attend the Swap Meet, be sure to stop me and say hello. I'll be sure and let you all know what great things I've picked up along the way and post photos as well...

Until next time,

Paul