Vanish SPECIAL EDITION | Page 5

How

After 52 years as a professional comedy magician , what are your plans now ?

I am now “ somewhat ” retired , which doesn ’ t mean I have stopped performing ; it means that I am only doing the gigs I want to do . One thing I am enjoying is returning to one of my first loves in magic , and that is close-up magic . Over the years , I have often said that if I could have made the same money performing card magic as comedy magic , then that is what I would have done . It is a blast seriously revisiting my card work .

I am currently enjoying writing about magic and the magic scene . I am very proud to have been involved with “ Vanish ” since its first issue . I have contributed to every single issue . I has been exciting watching the growth and evolution of this fabulous magazine . After being encouraged by Richard Webster and Alan Watson , I began to start seriously writing about magic . I contributed a weekly column to Alan ’ s Magic New Zealand for many years because I wanted to record some of the great stories about the remarkable magicians I had met over the years . I feel it is essential to preserve some of the personal stories about our community . There are now entire generations of magicians who think of “ Elmsley ” as a count and know next to nothing about Alex Elmsley the man .

Do you have any more magic books in the works currently ?

Yes , I am just finishing work on a new book about magic . It is entitled , Funny is Money : The Art and Business of Comedy Magic . It is filled with the information and discoveries I have acquired in the last 50 years . I ’ m very excited about this book and hope it becomes a handbook for magicians on the same path I have followed . It is the first of three books I plan to publish as a legacy of my performing years .

We are also continuing to create and market video downloads via our company www . LewinEnterprises . com on a regular basis . Some things work best as written word while others lend themselves to video . Sometimes both forms are needed to do full justice to a topic . About 12 years ago , I published a book Cruise Magic 101 , and later I released a three-hour companion video . It has been immensely gratifying that they have allowed many magicians to develop a career performing in the cruise market between them .

How did the Covid pandemic affect your life ?

Like everyone else , things went into suspended animation for me for the last couple of years . In January of 2020 , I flew into Los Angeles to film some segments for Masters of Illusion ; by the time I returned to Austin , Texas , the entire country was closing down . Like so many other magicians , I learned a great deal about Zoom and live streaming during the pandemic . It was impressive how quickly the magic world changed the dialogue from double lifts and linking rings to webcams and streaming software .

Our company started to do some international streaming events , and we enjoyed getting together with our friends and clients from around the globe . We featured free seminars on many different topics and magical personalities . Our deep dives into the magic of Fred Kaps and Billy McComb were my personal favorites . We will be resuming our series of seminars in April , and they will once again be offered free to magicians on our website mailing list . It was not uncommon for us to have online participants from New Zealand , Germany , Austria , Holland , Ireland , Scotland , Denmark , Canada , and other locations joining us for events . Magic has seldom seemed as immediate and international . It will be fun to restart this venture .

In 2021 , I gave a three-hour Zoom Masterclass on the Ken Brooke Multiplying Bottles routine . The event was limited to ten people and was very well received . We will be offering more intensive MasterClass and workshop sessions during 2022 . Combined with the one-on-one teaching sessions I am giving , I have become very excited about how Zoom has added to our magic business . It has been very enjoyable to present my magic lecture without leaving my home .

Do you have any other exciting new projects you can share with us ?

In April , I will launch my new NickPod internet show . I decided to launch a fun but informative 45-minute program about all things magic . This project is an extension of my blog www . RemarkableMagic . com and will feature an eclectic blend of commentary , video clips , interviews , reviews , and tricks . My goal is to take a lighthearted , irrelevant , and interactive look at the magic world . We will be revealing more details and information through

the launch date .

Is there anything else you would like to share ?

Only to extend my thanks to everyone ’ s support during my first 70 years on this beautiful planet . I have been profoundly lucky in spending my life doing what I love most , making magic . I plan to continue lecturing , teaching , writing , and , yes , even doing an oc-casional magic show or two . I may have reached the ripe old age of 70 , but I plan to continue with the energy and vigor I have al-ways had .