And the Animals Came

"Cali"

As many of you may recall several months ago, I told you about a cockatoo circus that I purchased for my son, Max. He's been actively searching for a cockatoo ever since. Last weekend, there was a bird show held here at the fairgrounds, and Max wanted to add some more finches and button quail to his outdoor aviary. So off we went to check out the bird exhibit. Now, let me tell you: every kind of bird imaginable was there. It was amazing. Max quickly found his white finches and button quail. As we continued to walk the aisles, we came upon a woman selling cockatoos! She must have had at least a couple dozen, and Max went wild with excitement. The cool part was that most of them were not even caged; they were walking around freely. We walked up to her booth and one instantly came up to us as if to say, "Take me home." After a long conversation with the breeder, we hesitantly walked away and continued to look at some of the other birds in the show. Betty looked at both of us and said, "Why don't you two just go back and get the bird?" It didn't take much prodding, and I don't know who was more excited -- Max or me. So, we adopted "Cali," a white female goffin cockatoo.

I'm extremely impressed with how smart these birds are; in just the few days we've had her, we've already trained her to come when we call her name, climb up and down a ladder, and pick up and bring us a ball. All this accomplished by just spending a few hours an evening with her. It's been a great project for both Max and myself, and we can't wait to see what new trick we can train her to do. I'll keep you posted as the weeks progress as far as any new trick Max and I have taught Cali. If you are an experienced bird owner and have hints and tips insofar as cockatoo training goes, feel free to leave your comments for Max and me here on the blog.



A couple of weeks ago, while at the Magic Castle, I had the pleasure to witness David Regal perform his close-up act. One of the effects he performed that evening was his coin effect, "Trans-Locations." After the show, I discussed with him the possibility of Hocus Pocus carrying this item, and I'm happy to say that David has given us the exclusive on this awesome close-up effect. Check out the product details as well as the online video of it HERE!



Speaking of exclusives, check out Brian Geer's Knife Through Coat. Not only is this an exceptional routine, the price is way to nice to pass up! Brian was nice enough to grant Hocus Pocus the exclusive on this item and you can also check out the product details and the online video HERE!


Happy Holidays?

Can you believe it? In less than 2 weeks, it will be Thanksgiving! How can that be? This year has gone by faster than any other year I can remember, and it's not just me; the staff agree as well. 2007 has really flown by in the blink of an eye. And, no sooner will Thanksgiving be here and in a few more weeks, the big day will arrive. WOW! Speaking of which, have you started your holiday shopping yet?



Mike has just put the finishing touches on the 5th installment of Trick Talk MagiCast, which you can download from iTunes or by directing your web browser HERE! This has proven to be a very positive and popular feature of the site, and it's apparent by the number of downloads it has gotten. Both Mike and I are dumbstruck by the number of downloads each installment gets. Just last night, after the fifth episode went up at around 4:00 PM, it received 105 downloads by 11:00 PM. We really appreciate your support and interest in this project, and we invite you to submit your comments and suggestions on the web site or by emailing Mike at tricktalk@hocus-pocus.com

This weekend, Mike has both music and magic shows, and it's apparent by his schedule that this year is going to be a doozie! Who knows, with the cockatoo trained, maybe Max, Mike, and I can all go on the road together with magic and music and the cockatoo circus! Oh, wait -- I have to run Hocus Pocus. Scratch that idea for now... Maybe someday. No matter what you are planning to do this weekend, I hope it's a good one!

Until next time,

Paul

Phenomenon?

Hello, all. Well, Halloween has come and gone and it didn't leave us without a little bit of controversy in the magic community. If you watched Phenomenon that evening, you know what I am referring to. Thanks to our friends at iTricks, we were able to learn the following:

Criss Angel and paranormalist Jim Callahan had to be separated by host Tim Vincent and Uri Geller on live television during Wednesday’s two-hour episode of Phenomenon. As he was judging his act, Criss objected to Callahan’s claim that he was actually speaking to the dead and said he would offer $1,000,000 of his own money if either Callahan or Geller could name what was in a sealed envelope in his hand. The video can be seen here on Access Hollywood’s site.

Callahan has claimed that he is going to take the James Randi Educational Foundation’s $1,000,000 prize for proof of paranormal abilities under scientific testing.

On the Magic Cafe message boards early Thursday morning, Callahan posted the following…

It was not staged.

And it was not a fight but rather a heated confrontation.

I almost did pitch Tim (The host) into the audience and held him to prevent him from being injured as I saw he would have gone over the edge of the stage.

Sorry I cannot post more right now but thought I should clear this bit up right now.

Best Wishes,

Jim

As for those following the cuts, Jim Karol and Successor contestant Ehud Segev were dismissed in favor of "Russian Roulette" stand out Eran Raven and "Human Phone Number" stand out Gerry McCambridge.

Wow. So what did you think about the special that aired on Halloween? Was it an improvement over last week's episode? Was it exciting or did you feel as if the confrontation was staged? We'd love to hear from you!


Guy Bavli

On a related and brighter note, I felt our good friend Guy Bavli did a fantastic job creeping out the audience and especially Raven Simone with his "heart-stopping" performance. We really want to hear your thoughts on the show and performers, both good and critical right here on the blog. Feel free to post what you like below.



Switching gears, a new product hit the doors this week called Insta-Cube, and wow is it cool! Remember Daryl's version of the Enchanted Cube that came almost ten years ago? You know, the effect where a mixed-up Rubik's Cube is tossed into the air and instantly solves itself when caught? Well, what would you say if you could actually hand it out for examination after the cube has been solved? Well, now you can; Insta-Cube delivers that promise, and the method is extremely clever. When we took a look at it yesterday morning, we all had smiles on our faces when we figured it out. Check it out for yourself and watch the online video of Insta-Cube in action HERE!



Wow! The response to our latest contest has been truly overwhelming since we officially posted the rules on our site on Wednesday. We've received well over 200 entries for the chance to win a $1000.00 gift certificate to spend at Hocus Pocus, and all you have to do is follow the simple rules. It's like getting free money! If you're interested, check it out HERE!



The 2nd Annual Hocus Pocus Swap Meet and Get-Together is coming together quite nicely. In addition to finalizing all the talent to be showcased that weekend, we are also excited to announce that it looks like Johnny Thompson of The Great Tomsoni & Company fame will be joining us as well to lecture and host a workshop on the following Sunday! If you haven't already reserved your space or purchased a table to sell your wares for the swap meet, contact us now at sales@hocus-pocus.com or 800-407-4040 or 559-266-5150.

So here we are in the second day of November, and how time has flown this year! Last night they were already showing Christmas commercials, although I shouldn't be surprised; they were already selling decorations and fake Christmas trees in September... Oh well, it's time to get into the holiday spirit and mind set. Don't forget to check out the web site for all your holiday needs for upcoming shows, and there's a good way to make sure you're on top of things: sign up for our daily updates inside the shop. Every new product that is put up daily will get sent to you via email with a direct link to the product's description and image. Pretty cool, eh? All you have to do is enter your email address on the right-hand column underneath the New Feature.

Well that about wraps it up for this week. Have a great weekend.

Until next time,

Paul

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween, everyone! We're just a few days away from the huge candy-fest know affectionately as Halloween! Our cupboards at home are bursting at the seams with candy, and I'm sure it will be all gone come Wednesday evening with the number of trick-or-treaters we regularly receive each year.


Phenomenon

Speaking of Halloween, that evening will host the 2nd episode of "Phenomenon," in which our good friends Guy Bavli, Angela Funovits, Mike Super, and Jason Scott will make their appearance. So stay tuned and make sure to vote for your favorite performer.

This week has been very busy here at Hocus Pocus. Obviously, judging from the orders we've taken, many of you are gearing up for the holiday season, which is rapidly approaching. You may even want to check out the new "Holiday Items" category on the web site to help you make your holiday effects come to life. There are many effects we've hand-picked that are perfect for any holiday party in which you are performing this year! Remember, adding one or two effects like these to your show sets you apart from your competition, and your audiences and clients will remember this the next time they book you.

Just got off the phone with Robert Baxt who has been working at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas substituting for Jeff Hobson for 10 days while Jeff is away. Robert's having a great time, and he was telling me how he spent last night at Lance Burton's house until 3:00 AM along with Johnny Thompson and 30 other guests. They are filming a new Johnny Thompson DVD, which will make its appearance in the near future. Robert was amazed with Burton's new home which was built like a castle to meet Lance's entertaining needs. Filled with trap doors, secret passageways, it's a magician's dream home, for sure! Robert jokingly remarked that the house itself is so big that you need to stop and rest every so often just to get from one end to the other. He's taken many pictures, which we'll post here next week, so look forward to that.

Special thoughts and prayers go out to our many friends who are dealing with the fires in the Los Angeles/Southern California area. We've been in contact with many of them over the phone, and they have managed to escape any harm so far. One of our friends has been without power now for several days, and it's taking our very own local PG&E crews to travel down to those spots to help out. Special thanks to all the firefighters and others who have done so much to help get this situation under control. Hopefully, we're coming to the end very soon.



Wedding Bells toll for our very own Tony Blanco who is getting married Saturday morning at 10:00 AM. We wish Tony and Lisa all the happiness in the world as they begin a new chapter in their lives together.

How would you like to have $1000.00 to spend at Hocus Pocus? Don't forget to check the special page on our web site on October 31st for all the details. One lucky person will win a $1000.00 gift certificate to go on a Hocus Pocus shopping spree!

Until next week,

Paul

Home From Hollywood!

What a weekend it was! Betty and I left early Friday morning for Hollywood, California, and arrived around 11:30 AM at our usual destination, Musso & Frank's! My friend, Craig Harlan and his fiance, Deborah, followed us from Fresno and hooked up with us as well in time for lunch. The whole gang was there, including Robert Baxt, Carl Ballantine, Chuck and Gerald Kirchner, Steven Steele, Joe Porper, Glenn and Melinda Farrington, and Big Lou Hirschorn. We all had a great time, and it was good to be back together with my old friends.


Clockwise: Steven Steele, me, Carl Ballantine, Robert Baxt, and Lou Hirschorn


Craig Harlan, Deborah, and Glenn Farrington


Joe Porper, Steven Steele, Betty, Me, and Carl


Big Bad Lou Hirschorn

After lunch, we trouped down Hollywood Boulevard to a new store that captured my fancy online, called Dapper Cadaver. This place is filled with the strange, weird, and bizarre. In short, I loved it! The owner, B.J. Winslow and his staff graciously gave us a tour of his facility. They are a major prop rental and sales house for the television and motion picture industry, and chances are, you've seen their props in more than a few movies. Anything from an iron maiden to pickled punks, they've got it all! They even custom make props as well. I made a couple of purchases to add to my collection. These folks are great, and I urge you to visit them on their web site, and tell them Hocus Pocus sent you:

www.dappercadaver.com


The Dapper Cadaver entrance off Hollywood Boulevard


The Iron Maiden


The Electric Chair


Are you talking to me?


Chupacabra in the window display


Have a few skeletons in your closet?


A view of the showroom


Alien autopsy. Yes, I bought this.


Pickled punks galore


Scoping out all the gory details


Watch out for the giant cockroach!

Thanks again to B.J. Winslow and his staff at Dapper Cadaver for showing us a great time!

Back in the car to the hotel where I met up with Chuck and Gerald Kirchner again where we talked about magic, I caught a glimpse of David Regal walking through the hotel lobby. We called him over, and he told us that he was there filming for a TV reality show that will air on VH1. It will be like Dancing With the Stars, only celebrities will be taught to perform with professional magicians as coaches. Some of the coaches are David Regal, Simon Lovell, David Kaye (Silly Billy), Rocco, and more. All these guys were staying at the Magic Castle Hotel while filming, so stay tuned for more details on VH1.

As David Regal left our room to get ready for his spot on the show, who else but Terry Seabrooke showed up! Having just arrived from England to work his week at the Magic Castle, we realized we were having quite the magical afternoon, and we hadn't yet gone to the Castle yet!

Time to get ready to go to the Castle for dinner, so we dressed up and met up again with Craig, Deborah, Chuck, and Gerald, Robert Baxt, and his girlfriend, Yumi.


Betty and I, Deborah, Craig, and Chuck

After a terrific dinner, we all went to the Palace of Mystery for a great show, and we were in for a pleasant surprise, when our friend, Shoot Ogawa, showed up as guest entertainer. Shoot opened the show with a bang and really set the show for the rest of the evening! After the Palace of Mystery show, we went downstairs to enjoy David Regal perform some of his signature close-up magic. Late now, we had to go back to the hotel room to get some rest before the Swap Meet the next day.


Saying goodnight to the Magic Castle

The next morning came rather quickly. I was first in line for the Swap Meet, and the doors opened right on time at 9:00 AM. Lots of things to see, and I was lucky enough to pick up a few of the more rare items. One of the highlights for me was acquiring another of Doug Henning's costumes for my collection. We were excited because Mark and Nani Wilson had asked us to stop by their warehouse on the way home for a tour, and I couldn't have been more excited! Unfortunately, there was a massive accident the night before on the Interstate 5. It was closed, so we were unable to make our appointment with Mark and Nani. What would have normally been a 3 hour trip home turned into 6 hours! Mark and Nani have graciously extended their invitation to us the next time we are down their way, so I plan on taking them up on their offer. I can't wait...

So there you have it. Thanks to Mike for taking over the blog last week. I want to also thank all of you who have written us and given us your comments and compliments on the new interface of our web site. My son, Cole, is home from college this weekend in time to celebrate Betty's birthday this weekend, so whatever you're doing, make sure your weekend is a good one.

Until next time,

Paul

New Website Launched!

Hi, kids. Mike Giusti here hijacking the blog while Paul is off to the Magic Castle Swap Meet.

I am happy to be the one to announce that the new Hocus Pocus web site is now up and running with tons of new features for you to enjoy. You can now do things like click on a product image, and its larger image and details (along with video features) will load immediately underneath rather than load in a separate page! All the product links are now fully featured on the left and right-handed columns for those with low resolution monitors, and there's even a Best Sellers feature on the right hand side if you are interested in seeing what products are flying off the shelves! Soon, we'll be adding even more new features to make your virtual shopping experience more enjoyable and easier than ever before!

Also, since there are many products that go up on the site on a daily basis (many of which are not listed on the front of the site), you may wish to choose to sign up for daily updates of ALL the products that are added daily. Simply sign up under the NEW FEATURE section on the right-hand column inside the shop and you'll be all set. And, of course, you can opt out at any time if you wish.

Now, having said that, as with all new software, there may be a few glitches here and there, and nobody knows about them until someone stumbles upon it randomly. So, if this happens to you, please let us know by emailing the situation to support@hocus-pocus.com, and we'll get on the problem immediately.


Shoot Ogawa

I am also happy to inform you that Shoot Ogawa has selected Hocus Pocus to carry his line of products, so for your convenience, I have created a new product category called "Shoot Ogawa" (I know, I know, I'm so smart) so you can find all of the products there. More will be added as the day progresses, so keep refreshing your browsers and remember to sign up for those daily updates. Thank you, Shoot.



Also, Hocus Pocus was able to obtain Real Ghost by Christopher Taylor! Ever since the MindVention 2006, the underground buzz on Real Ghost has been phenomenal! Now, it can be yours! Check it out along with the video clip HERE!



On the home front, I am happy to report that MAGIC Live was a great success last weekend in Campbell, California. I want to thank each and every one of you who took time out of your weekend schedule and joined Ray Lum, Marshal Magoon and myself for what I feel was a tremendously entertaining show for the entire family. Ray was kind enough to send the below photos of the show:


The Medicated Magician makes his appearance

Performing the Lumball Machine


Getting as far away from the spectator as possible as her ring vanishes


Ray swindles the crowd


Performing Cardiographic for an enthusiastic spectator


Ray makes sure a spectator doesn't lose his head


Performing an impossible prediction with a spectator and the audience


Ray closes his show by making it snow


Curtain call


Signing autographs after the show

After the late show and packing up all of Ray's and my props, I did something that wasn't very smart: I drove 3 hours home at 1:30 AM! The next morning (afternoon), I felt like I was run over by a freight train, so I took some time on Sunday to recuperate before traveling north again on Wednesday to perform in Berkeley, California for the Bayer Corporation. After an hour of walkaround magic, it was my turn to take the stage and the crowd gathered and had a great time. At one point, I had a spectator laughing so hard on stage, he was actually crying! At first, I thought I had actually made him cry, but he was just having a lot of fun. Whew! Wish I had a picture of that...

Paul will be back next week to tell you all about the Magic Castle Swap Meet! Until then, have a great weekend!

Mike

1 More Week

I know we talked about the launch of our new website in last week's blog. We anticipated launching it this week, but we needed to clear out a couple of the cobwebs and glitches before it goes live, SO... look forward to the website being launched sometime in the next week. It is very important for us to have everything letter perfect for you in order to make your experience at Hocus Pocus safe, secure and fun! We appreciate all your anticipatory emails, comments and suggestions, and are glad to see that you are just as excited as we are about the next step in the evolution of the Hocus Pocus website.



The Big Fresno Fair

The Big Fresno Fair started up again on Wednesday, and Betty, Max, and I took off early to go see what it had to offer this year. My good friends, Tom Jorgenson and Terry Godfrey both are performing magic this year at the fair, and Tom has three different attractions: a kid's karaoke, Picasso's Place (a kid's arts and crafts area), and his Mr. Wizard Magic Show. Terry is performing walkaround magic on the open air stage and does the best Magic Mouse pitch you will ever see!

After catching their shows and visiting, we went on to the Exhibit Center and then onto Betty's favorite attraction, soft tacos! Next, Max went for some cheesy nachos, and I had bottled water. Yum. Yep, I'm still keeping a close eye on my food intake, especially at places like the fair. After everyone had their fill, we hit the midway, and Max wanted to win a huge "Ball of Money." All I can explain is that it is a large bouncing ball covered in a cloth printed with money on it. Hilarious. Now, you might be asking yourself, "Why would he be wanting this?" The answer: he's still a kid, and he had to have it. So, we went from game to game, trying our best to win this thing. After about $65.00 and several failed attempts Max finally won it! Now, I completely understand that the actual cost of this thing is probably about $5.00, but I guess it was the thrill of winning it that really counted. Max proudly carried this with him for the remainder of the night around the fairgrounds, all the while being stopped by people asking him what it was and where he got it. You just can't put a price on the thrill of winning.

One last stop at the Cinnamon Roll booth (you can smell it for miles) because as everyone knows, you absolutely cannot go to the fair without having one of these delicious cinnamon rolls. Except for me, of course, and man, what a battle it was! My mouth was watering the entire time I watched Betty and Max eat theirs. As if it wasn't enough fun, we're going back tomorrow. Who knows, maybe Max will win another giant "Ball O' Money!"


The Magic Castle Swap Meet

Next Saturday is the Magic Castle Swap Meet, which I will be attending. I'll be leaving Friday to meet up with the gang at Musso & Frank's to have lunch, see the show that evening, and then check out all the wares that the vendors have to offer, because you never know what you're going to find there. Even if you don't find anything, it always great to see old friends at the Castle and visit with them. If you're there, as always, please stop and say hello.

Speaking of Swap Meets, the date for the 2nd Annual Hocus Pocus Swap Meet & Get-Together has been set, so mark your calendars now for Saturday, January 19th and Sunday, January 20th! Performers and lecturers already booked are:


David Regal


Daryl


Shoot Ogawa


Losander


Mark & Nani Wilson

And more to be announced...

Last time, we had almost 300 people in attendance. There were lots of vendors, and a great time was had by all! We'll have some special announcements as the weeks go by, so stay tuned. We guarantee that this next year's affair will be even bigger and better than before! If you are interested in participating as a vendor to sell your used magic or attend, please contact Tony Blanco or myself toll-free at 800-407-4040 or 559-266-5150 or email sales@hocus-pocus.com.

Thanks to everyone who has signed up to be pals on MySpace. You can check out Hocus Pocus' MySpace page here if you haven't already joined:

http://www.myspace.com/hocuspocusmagic

And if you haven't already done so, make sure to check out Mike Giusti's new podcast, Trick Talk, which is rapidly gaining popularity on iTunes by going here:

http://tricktalk.mypodcast.com/

So that about wraps it up for this week. Maybe Mike will grace us with his presence next Friday on the blog. In the meantime, wish Max good luck as he tries his luck trying to win his next treasure at the Fair. I can smell the cinnamon rolls already...

Until next time,

Paul