All Magic, All The Time!

Kozmo

All Magic, All The Time! That's our motto here at Hocus Pocus. The week started off with a bang with the Kozmo lecture on Monday with a record attendance of 65 local magicians. Kozmo is a seasoned street/close-up performer and also the creator and distributor of Reel Magic Quarterly. His lecture began as a show that you would see him perform on the streets. Rather than having everyone seated, he had them stand around as they would in that venue. This created a unique atmosphere as he performed his best material for a solid 25 minutes. After the performance, everyone took their seats as he described in detail and taught what they had just seen. Everyone had a great time, and I urge you to see Kozmo if you have the opportunity; you won't be disappointed. Not only is he a great performer, both he and his wife are terrific people.

Distances Traveled


Hildevert comes to the USA to visit Hocus Pocus

We've had several out-of-town visitors this week at Hocus Pocus, from England to the Caribbean. I love when we get visitors, especially visitors from exotic places and other countries. So it was a great surprise to meet and spend time with one of our customers from the Caribbean, Hildevert Lorsold. Imagine our surprise when a taxi cab pulled up this morning and a very tall and exotic-spoken Hildevert stepped out, walked inside, and introduced himself. Talk about long distance! He spent most of his day with us, marveling at both the showroom and warehouse. Of course, he left here with several boxes filled with Hocus Pocus goodies that he'll be taking back home with him next week. Remember, if you are ever in our area, no matter what part of the world you are from, we would love to meet you!

All That Razamatazz


Rabbit Rampage

Boy, am I excited! Last year, my good friend, Wayne McEwen gave me a tip about a new company in England called Razamatazz Magic. I immediately went to their web site and marveled at the line of magic I saw. Always being on the lookout for new and exciting products to bring to Hocus Pocus, I immediately contacted Andy and Sue, the owners of Razamatazz Magic. I'm now excited to say that they have granted Hocus Pocus exclusive USA distribution of their product line. The first offering is called Rabbit Rampage. When you check it out on the web site, you'll see exactly why I was so excited to obtain this line. Andy and Sue are professional children's' entertainers and know what works. The quality, graphic design, and workmanship is all top-notch and fills a huge void in the children's/family entertainers marketplace. I can't thank Andy and Sue enough for allowing Hocus Pocus to partner with them in this exciting new venture. Check out Rabbit Rampage HERE!

Other exclusives obtained this week that you should definitely check out are:

Movie Time by Floyd Collins and Robert Haas
Thoughts Transmitter 2000 by Floyd Collins and Robert Haas
Flicker by Michael Paul
Automatic Silk to Ball by Alan Wong
New Animated Card Box by Diamond Jim Tyler

All of them are exciting new products, and we are honored that the creators chose us to be the exclusive dealer to carry their items!



Hit the Books!

Well, not really. The response to the new Mark Wilson Magic University project has been fantastic! So many of you have already jumped on the bandwagon to become Founding Members of this new magic venture! Because of his immense knowledge of magic and illusion, Mark Wilson is perhaps the most uniquely qualified person in the world to be your instructor at the Magic University. In addition to teaching you the essential principles of the art and how to perform many powerful magic effects, Mark will also instruct you on some of the unique, amazing magic he has collected in performances around the globe.

A unique feature for all Founding Members is The Magic University Library! All instructions taught will be recorded in the Magic University Library under the subscriber's name and secret password. Those lessons may be accessed at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This means that, if a subscriber doesn't watch any lessons for one week, or one month, or for a year, they shouldn't worry--- because those tricks are all waiting to be watched and learned at the subscribers convenience in the Magic University Library!

Think of the possibilities of this course, whether you are looking to become a student of magic or whether your children or grandchildren are interested in prestidigitation -- what better way to learn than from the master himself, Mark Wilson! If you're like me, and I know many of you are, your first introduction to the world of magic was watching Mark and Nani Wilson on their nationally televised, weekly series "The Magic Land of Allakazam." Now, you'll be able to give that same gift to your children and/or grandchildren and have them live that same experience. There is something in this course for everyone as well, whether you are a beginner, intermediate or pro. The quality of the video lessons you will receive is of the highest caliber, and it all works out to be around $1.60 per lesson if you are a Founding Member. So do yourself a favor and learn more about becoming a Founding Member of Mark Wilson's Magic University HERE!

So there you go. It really is All Magic, All the Time here at Hocus Pocus. I hope you have a great weekend.

Until next time,

Paul

The Best Teachers

Imagine being able to learn from Vincent Van Gough if you wanted to learn to paint. Imagine being able to learn from Tiger Woods if you wanted to learn to golf. Imagine being able to learn from Beethoven if you wanted to learn to play music. There's no doubt that these are probably the best teachers in their fields. Unfortunately, the opportunity to do so is at least impossible, but imagine being able to learn from Mark Wilson if you wanted to learn magic. Well, imagine no longer!



It's finally happening! Over a year and a half ago, Mark Wilson began work on what can be considered his largest contribution to the art of magic to date! The revolution of learning and making magic has begun! Hocus Pocus, in partnership with Mark and Nani Wilson, are excited to announce this exciting new concept to the magic community!

Mark Wilson long ago achieved his dream of presenting the first magic series ever on network television. Now, he invites you to share in his dream to expand the worldwide popularity of magic, as a hobby and as a profession, to a level never before possible. This is your opportunity to join him as a Founding Member on this truly magical journey.

Most magicians have heard the name Mark Wilson, even if only from his monumental volume of magic education, The Mark Wilson Complete Course in Magic. Published in six languages around the world, more than 850,000 readers have learned magic from Marks best-selling book. Now just imagine:

• What if Mark Wilson was available to give you personal instruction anywhere, any time?
  
• What if Mark's instructions were easy to follow in full color moving video images?
  
• What if, instead of having to shift attention from text to picture, Mark personally spoke to you, teaching you every move, every sleight, every detail?
  

Just think about it - in the past magic instruction has only been available in books, on videotapes and DVDs, or, for the lucky few, by personal instruction from an expert magician. Now Mark Wilson, through the Internet, has made possible a revolutionary new way of learning. It's easier, faster, and available instantly, at any time, anywhere in the world, from the world's most renowned magic instructor!

That's why Mark Wilson created the Magic University, to teach eager students throughout the world, how to perform high-impact, professional quality magic.

There are hundreds of web sites that merely demonstrate tricks or shamelessly expose magic's secrets to the simply curious. The Magic University is designed to stimulate untapped interest in the art, providing step-by-step, real time instructions from the world's foremost magic educator, Mark Wilson.

Quite honestly, there has never been an education program of this scope and magnitude in the history of the magical arts. And it is a perfect culmination of the goals that magic pioneers Mark and Nani Wilson have strived for throughout their honored careers as magical entertainers and educators.

The initial roll-out of the Magic University will be through Founding Memberships only, for which the fee is $250.00.

Founding Members will receive:

• 12 magic lessons per month (3 lessons per week) sent to you via your personal email
  
• Founding Member Identification Card, newly designed and signed by Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell Wilson
  
• Magic University Founding Member Certificate, specially printed with Founding Member's name, suitable for framing, signed by Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell Wilson
  
• Perpetual listing on the Magic University Founding Member's web page
  
• 8x10 publicity photograph of Mark and Nani personally autographed to the Founding Member

There are many additional student benefits including an internet chat room, continued updates on previously taught tricks and of important developments in the art, notification of magic events worldwide, interviews and articles from successful magicians on trick selection, performance and routining, all of which will be covered in the Magic University newsletter.

This is your opportunity to participate as a Founding Member in the revolutionary creation of the history-making Mark Wilson Magic University, which will change the future of the art of magic worldwide.

This special Founding Membership offer is good for a limited time only; when the goal is reached, Founding Memberships will never be offered again.

Please note that this is a pre-paid, "pre-application" offer. Actual delivery of three lessons per week will begin April 30. The opportunity to become a Founding Member will end on April 30.

As a special bonus, the first 40 people to become Founding Members will receive the Sorcerer's Apprentice Kit, Volume 1 by Mark Wilson, absolutely free so you can get started right away!

For an advanced preview of Mark Wilson's Magic University and the opportunity to become a Founding Member, please click HERE!

So this is your opportunity to become a founding member in what I believe is a monumental landmark in teaching magic. No one that I can think of has given more to the art of magic than Mark and Nani Wilson. So join us on this incredible new venture as we break ground and cut the ceremonial ribbon.

Until next time,

Paul

Membership Has Its Privileges

When we say that Membership Has Its Privileges, we're not kidding. Those of you who are already Hocus Pocus online members know exactly what I'm talking about. You know about the tremendous sales, generous discounts not found anywhere else, and special offers you receive through private member email. The great thing about it is, the service is absolutely free, it takes only seconds to join, and your information is never shared or given out. You'll receive weekly email with some of the greatest discounts and special offers on the latest magic effects, DVDs, books, etc. And today, every dollar saved counts more than ever. I guarantee you'll not be disappointed, and in the unlikely event that you are, you can opt-out any time you wish.

For example, here are a couple of reasons you should join today: We've recently acquired a massive private collection, and Mike, Betty, and I have been putting together a list of the hundreds of items and their descriptions. This is a huge undertaking, and trying to work it in between all our other daily duties here has proven to be more difficult than we anticipated. Each day, we continue to list and describe the many items that we'll be offering soon. There a wide range of items from close-up magic to large scale illusions on this list. Many items have not been available for years, and others are rare and even scarce. Now, if you wish to receive this list, the only way you can is if you are an online member as this will be a private email to online members only. If you are not yet an online member, I urge you to join now. You can do so HERE.



Last week, I mentioned an upcoming project with Mark and Nani Wilson. Yesterday, all the details were finalized, and we are now just days away from making a major announcement! This will be your opportunity to participate in what we consider to be a historical offering, the likes of which have never been offered before! To be the first to find out before anyone else does, you must me a Hocus Pocus online member. All Hocus Pocus online members will be the first to receive the announcement and special offer through your private member-only email. This is not an announcement you'll want to miss out on. I'll send out an announcement letter next week. If you are not yet an online member, I urge you to join now right HERE.

Those are just a few reasons to sign up and become a Hocus Pocus online member. For those of you who are already members, watch your inbox. For those of you about to join, we welcome you aboard!

Until next time,

Paul

True Astonishment

The True Astonishment Project finally arrived Tuesday morning with a vengeance! The most anticipated and talked-about project that we began taking pre-orders for in December finally became a reality. Having just taken shy of 200 pre-orders, we certainly had our work cut out for us. Everyone was here helping out, including my son, Cole. We flipped it into high gear and got every single order out before 4:00 PM Tuesday afternoon. By now, I'm sure most of you received yours and are undoubtedly enjoying it. From the unique wooden puzzle box that houses all 9 DVDs to the included props, this was worth the wait for sure! Paul Harris has chosen the best effects from selected artists to showcase in this masterful collection.


The magic puzzle box that houses all the DVDs and props


Stacks of True Astonishment Projects awaiting UPS for their new homes

If you haven't purchased your True Astonishment Project yet, we have them in stock for immediate delivery. Check it out HERE.

On the home front, my son, Cole, just returned from his month-long trip to Italy and France and celebrated his 21st birthday! He'll be here for the rest of this week until he returns to school to start his new semester. My daughter, Renee and new son in-law, Jonathan, are away on their honeymoon and will return tomorrow, so all is well here.

You might remember a few weeks ago, I told you about a top-secret project that Mark, Nani Wilson, and I were working on. Mark cleverly kept me in the dark for a while until just last week. This is a project he has worked tirelessly on for the last year and a half! He and Nani came to Fresno last Thursday and Friday and spent time going over the details of what I believe will be the first of its kind ever offered to the magic community. This is an exciting project of which I will be revealing all the details very soon! I promise.

While they were here, they presented Betty and I with several gifts, but the one I will cherish the most is this original Mark Wilson Magic Set that was sold in various stores in 1954, an entire year before I was born! Another interesting fact that Nani shared with us, is that they hand assembled each one of these magic kits and one of their helpers was a very young John Gaughan -- the very same John Gaughan who builds illusions for magicians all over the world!





So those 2 days they were here were filled with much excitement, anticipation, and promise over this new project. Betty and I will be working closely with Mark and Nani finalizing all the details. Once done, the big announcement will be made. Here's a hint: if you want to be one of the first to find out, all online members will receive first notification and a little bonus. So, if you're not yet an online member, make sure you sign up to become one absolutely free right HERE.

So there you have it: from True Astonishment to the Magic Land of Allakazam, there's never a dull moment here at Hocus Pocus, and that's just the way we like it!

Until next time,

Paul

One Proud Dad

Wow. Talk about being a proud dad! Last weekend was my daughter, Renee's wedding. Now I must tell you that most fathers, including myself, selfishly believe that no one is capable of taking better care protecting their daughters. That's until we met Jonathan, our new son in-law. From the first day we met Jonathan, we knew there was something special about him, and I have no doubt that he will take good care of my daughter.

Friday afternoon, we all met for the rehearsal, and afterwards we went out to dinner with the entire wedding party, of course. We all had a great time telling stories and enjoying each others' company and talking about the wedding, which was less than 24 hours away...


With Renee practicing the walk to the alter

Friday night, I had a hard time falling asleep. In fact, at 3:45 AM, I awoke and couldn't fall back asleep, so as hard as I tried, no dice. Time to get up and start getting ready for the big day. Around noon, I put on my tuxedo and Betty and I left the house with our son, Max, who was also in the wedding. When we arrived, I could not believe how beautiful my daughter looked. So excited and happy was she that a glow radiated.


Renee getting ready


Renee with her friends, Rachael, Stephanie, and Travis


Photos just before the ceremony


I know pronounce you husband and wife.


The happy couple


First dance


Father and daughter dance


The wedding cake was gorgeous




The cutting of the cake


Rocking out with air guitar



I hope you can tell by the few photos what a great time everyone had. For a father to see his daughter so happy celebrating one of the most special days of her life is an experience that I'll never forget. The look on her face all day and all night long was one of pure joy and happiness. Being able to share it with all our close family and friends made it all the more special. It's really cool to be the father of the bride. The honeymoon will begin Monday when they head for the Monterey Coast, and they will spend the entire week there.

On a personal note, I really want to thank all of you who sent emails and phone calls of congratulations for this special day. You are like an extended part of my family, and it's a real pleasure for me to share this special day with you here.

Until next time,

Paul

Where Has The Time Gone?

Renee and I


Renee teaching me new dance moves


Renee and her soon-to-be-husband, Jonathan

Today's blog is very short; my oldest daughter, Renee, is getting married tomorrow. It seems like only yesterday that she was born. Where has the time gone? It reminds me to make the most of every day, because time sure has a habit of speeding up the older you get. So today, I'm off to do my Father of the Bride last-minute duties: pick up the tuxedos and on to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner tonight.

I'm sure I'll have plenty to report, along with photos next week.

Until next time,

Paul

Mark Wilson's On The Phone

Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have thought I would hear those words: "Paul, Mark Wilson is on the phone." Imagine how great it is to have your idol call you on the telephone and want to speak to you personally! Almost every day, I get to talk to Nani and Mark. Who would have thought? Because of our great friendship, several products have been introduced to the magic market. The first was the Limited Edition Allakazam Hat, which sold out almost immediately. So successful was our first venture together, both Mark and Nani were willing to let me twist their arm and produce Mark's version of the Sucker Silk to Egg, the Allakazam Egg. The sales of this effect have soared which led to our third offering, the Sorcerer's Apprentice Magic Kit. It's been exciting and rewarding to see the tremendous response to each one of these products.

And so, with all this in mind, Mark called me yesterday to tell me that he has yet another project in the works that he wishes to share with Hocus Pocus. He did everything but tip what it was, and I have to say, I am on the edge of my seat! So big is the project that, rather than discuss it with me over the phone, both he and Nani will be making a special trip from their Los Angeles home to Fresno on Thursday, the 29th of January. They will be here for 2 days to discuss the project. Now, Mark knows just how to get to me; no matter how much I asked for more details, he told me I'd just have to be patient and wait until he gets here. I feel like a little kid again, waiting for next Saturday's Magic Land of Allakazam to air. So, for now I'll have to be patient, as hard as that is for me to do, and I know I'll be talking to him several times before then, and I'll try to wriggle out as much information as I can. But, I know Mark -- he'll keep me on pins and needles until the 29th. You can bet one thing: once I know, you'll all know too!

On the home front, I just heard from my son, Cole, who is now in Rome until the end of the week, he got to see the Sistine Chapel, and their hoping to see the Pope this weekend. The beginning of next week, he'll leave Italy bound for Paris, France, where he'll stay until the end of the month.

We're now just one week away from my daughter, Renee's wedding to Jonathan. Everything is set and ready to go. Now all we need to do is throw caution to the wind and hope that this is the best wedding on earth. I'm sure I won't be disappointed...

So, until next week, I'll try to be patient, waiting for news from the Magic Land of Allakazam, and you can bet I'll keep you posted.

Until next time,

Paul

A Brand New Year

Well, I did it. I actually took last week off, and it was great. Got a chance to catch up on my sleep, saw a few movies, and basically did what I wanted to and when I wanted to. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect week off. I will admit that coming to work on Monday was a bit of a challenge. It was like I was out of sync. By the end of the day, though, I was back in full swing. So many of you sent us Christmas cards and New Year's greetings and well-wishes, and I just want to say how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

On New Year's Day, my son, Cole and 18 other students from his college embarked on a 1 month overseas Jan term. He left from San Francisco at 2:00 PM Thursday afternoon and landed in Italy 3:00 PM Friday. While there, they will be studying art and architecture for approximately 2 1/2 weeks and then on to Paris they will go. He will return the first part of February, just in time to celebrate his 21st birthday!

In 2 weeks, on the 24th of January, my oldest daughter, Renee, will be getting married. I must tell you that this is a little hard for me to believe. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that I was holding her in my arms as a baby. Both Betty and I are very excited for her, and we could not be happier about our future son in-law; he is very kind and truly a great guy. I know they'll be very happy together. I'll keep you updated on the wedding plans, and of course I'll have plenty of wedding photos to share with you afterwards.

Here at Hocus Pocus, we've been so busy, it's like Christmas is still just around the corner. Lots of new items and even some hard-to-find antiques and collectibles have been hitting the door daily.



One project we're really excited about is from our good friend, and in my opinion, one of magic's biggest best-kept secrets, Michael Boden. As you know, Michael has been so generous this past year by supplying us with many free online downloads. If you've not yet seen them, make sure you head over to the Free Downloads category within the online shop and download them for yourself. I think once you've checked them out, I'm sure you'll agree with me that Michael is one clever guy! But he's saved the best for last; we are very excited to announce that Michael's first DVD release, a 2-disc DVD set, Beautiful Moves, is now available exclusively at Hocus Pocus. With a very cool online demo, you should check it out and see what all the commotion is all about HERE.

Now that January is here, it's that dreaded inventory time. With thousands of items to count, I've decided to make a special offer to all our online members. It will be quite an incredible deal for you and hopefully, afterwards, there will be less inventory to count. If you are an online member, be sure to look out for a very special email I'll be sending sometime this weekend... If you're not an online member, now is the time to sign up -- you'll be glad you did. You'll find the JOIN button located in the right hand column within the online store. Trust me, sign up today.

The new Masters of Illusion television show aired for the first time Monday night at 9:00 PM on MyNetworkTV. This is the first of 13 weeks of new shows featuring various performers in a one-hour format. The first episode was jam-packed with performers featuring all types of magic: illusion, close-up, street, and even geek magic. I thought the first offering was pretty good and the talent lineup for future shows is top-notch. If you missed the first episode, make sure you mark your calendar for this Monday's episode. Check your local listings for more information.

How many of you have made your New Year's resolutions? I know I've made mine, and believe it or not, I've already started putting them into effect with great success. I'm excited to see what 2009 brings; I truly believe it will be the year of change. This weekend, I plan to check out the new Clint Eastwood film and spend some time with my daughter before she gets married. You know, father of the bride and all...

Until next time,

Paul

Happy New Year!

First of all, I hope all of you had a great Christmas. Hard to believe it's already been a week since the celebration. We all had a great time with friends and family. On Christmas Eve, we spent part of the day at my mother in-law's house and then later in the evening, we headed over to my cousin Karen's house to cap off the evening. Christmas morning, Betty and I prepared for our celebration. This year, we spent Christmas day at home with all our kids. We had a great Christmas dinner, watched old movies, and reminisced about past Christmases. Before you knew it, the day was gone and it was time to go to bed to get up early for all those after-Christmas sales.

I arrived here the day after Christmas promptly at 5:00 AM, and it was like the day after Thanksgiving all over again. The phones were ringing off the hook, orders were coming in online, and we have all of you to thank! So, as I sit here today, on the eve of New Year's Eve, and I reminisce about all that's happened here this year, I think it's been pretty amazing. So much has happened this year: so much good and a few not-so-good, but that's OK. I feel pretty fortunate to be able to do what I truly enjoy every single day. So many of you have been with us since the first days of Hocus Pocus, and some of you have just climbed aboard the Hocus Pocus Express. The bottom line is: you are responsible for the continued success and growth of our business. Your support, suggestions, and viewpoints mean everything to us. We have never lost focus of that, especially in today's society of the rapidly-diminishing notion of customer service. So, for that, I sincerely thank you.

For the first time, I'm going to actually take tomorrow off and not return until next Monday. I say this every year but never do it. I'll sleep in a little bit, catch up on some movies that Betty and I want to see, and spend our New Year's quietly at home. So, all in all, I'm a pretty happy guy; my life is great and I can't wait to see what 2009 brings. On behalf of myself and everyone here at Hocus Pocus, I wish you a safe, healthy and happy New Year.

Until next time,

Paul

Hope You Had A Great Christmas

Hope you had a great Christmas. I’ll be back next week.

Until then,

Paul