The Magic Word Podcast

Just Alan owned a magic shop near Woodstock, New York, for over 40 years. During that time he worked on his Zen archery, meditation, and relaxation. His search for real magic in his early years took him to India where he followed his heart and the stars as he was led to understand what is important in life. Also during the past several years, he studied with Jeff McBride, he entered magic contests...

Schedule SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2026 TBD - YOUTH ACADEMY 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM REGISTRATION OPEN - 2027 CONVENTION 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM HOUDINI COLLECTION DISPLAY - Adjacent to Dealer Room Rare Houdini artifacts provided by various collectors and museums 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM DEALERS ROOM OPEN 9:00 AM THE S.A.M. AWARDS & RECOGNITION SHOW Contest winner awards, recognitions and installation ceremony 10:30 AM L...

Schedule FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2026 TBD - YOUTH ACADEMY 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM HOUDINI HISTORICAL CENTER @ MUSEUM at the CASTLE Free admission for convention attendees 12:00 AM- 5:00 PM HOUDINI COLLECTION DISPLAY - Adjacent to Dealer Room Rare Houdini artifacts provided by various collectors and museums 12:00 PM- 5:00 PM DEALERS ROOM OPEN 9:00 AM S.A.M. NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING 11:00 AM LECTURE - BORIS WILD...

Schedule THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2026 TBD - YOUTH ACADEMY 11:00 PM- 4:00 PM HOUDINI HISTORICAL CENTER @ MUSEUM at the CASTLE Free Admission All Day for Convention Attendees 12:00 AM- 5:00 PM HOUDINI COLLECTION DISPLAY - Adjacent to Dealer Room Rare Houdini artifacts provided by various collectors and museums 12:00 PM- 5:00 PM DEALERS ROOM OPEN 9:30 AM WORLD RECORD CHAIN ESCAPE @ Houdini Plaza Join 300 m...

Schedule Tuesday June 30, 2026 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM OPEN FORUM SESSIONING 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM HOUDINI SÉANCE HISTORY, DISCUSSION and METHODS Featuring Dorothy Deitrich and Bruce Kalver Wednesday July 1, 2026 10:00 AM- 1:00 PM YOUTH ACADEMY Youth-focused lectures, workshops and group events for SAMY members ages 7-17 12:00 PM- 5:00 PM DEALERS ROOM OPEN 10:00 AM S.A.M. LEADERSHIP TRAIN...

Last episode we visited with Scott Pepper, the proprietor of the Magic Saloon in San Antonio, Texas. This week we chat with the featured stage entertainer who performed there: Jade. She was the winner of the I.B.M. Gold Medal for Stage in 1990, which is a distinctive honor in so many ways. The Gold Medal and Gold Cups (for close-up) are not awarded every year, but only when a performer is so outst...

Scott Pepper hails from England but is soon to be a Texan through and through once his citizenship papers are completed. In the meantime, he is successfully running the Magic Saloon as a magic venue in the heart of San Antonio, Texas, just across the street from the Alamo. Soon, people who have been shouting “Remember the Alamo” will be chanting “Remember the Magic Saloon!” This is a great venue t...

Kenrick “Ice” McDonald is a man who stands on many well deserved accolades. Aside from the many performance awards, he was the first African American to become the National President of the S.A.M. and he has been recognized for his work in the community by being inducted into the S.A.M. Hall of Fame. He served on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle) and appeared...

Gary Brown is a U.S. District Judge from New York, but he knows a con man when he discovers one. His recent revelations about Claude Alexander Conlin who had several aliases, but is most well know among magicians as “Alexander, the Man Who Knows.” Judge Brown has written several scholarly books about the history of magic including an innovative book, “Wandcraft” as well as “The Inventive Magicians...

Doug Gorman specializes in story telling. And he has lived a full life with stories to tell. He weaves storytelling into his magic that makes it relevant and interesting to his audience. He is an award winning magician and also a creator of some unique, rather bizarre “artifacts” that he sells at conventions and online. But one thing that makes him stand out, is his relationship with Richard Turne...

Bob Bengal worked for Hitachi for many years as their “in house” magician. That meant that he had all the benefits like insurance, vacation, 401-K, etc. He was responsible not only for performing at their trade show booths around the world, but also for playing golf with their premiere customers and keeping them happy. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize In this week’s chat wit...

Schedule Thursday, May 14, 2026 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. – Dealer Room Open 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Session #4 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. – Dealer Room Open 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. – Session #5 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. – Cocktails & Close Up 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. – Dinner & Show View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize...

Schedule Tuesday, May 12, 2026 10:00 a.m. – Registration Opens 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. – Dealer Room Open 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. – Session #1 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. – Session #2 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. – Dealer Room Open Wednesday, May 13, 2026 9:00 a.m. – First Group Bus to NYPL/Lincoln Center 10:15 a.m. – Second Group Bus to NYPL/Lincoln Center 11:30 a.m. – First Group Leaves NYPL/Lincoln Center 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. –...

Everyone’s favorite close-up comedy magician, Bill Malone, joins us this week. He gives us his all including his career, his starring role on a TV show (NCIS Los Angeles) his first magic bar work, learning from a comedian, working trade shows around the world for years, training executives, his relationship with Ed Marlo, opening Malone’s Magic Bar in Boca Raton, Florida, his health scare that nea...

Doug Scheer has been performing thousands of school assembly shows since 1987. He has a proven formula that he fine tunes every year as he returns to many of the same schools year after year because of his entertaining and educational programs. There is more to school shows than just considering them as an oversized birthday party show. It involves a lot more business acumen in booking the shows a...

Dan Stapleton is one of those magicians who has seen it all and now in his 60’s could easily set his remaining days on “cruise control” for the rest of his life; however, that is not who he is. He was a cruise magician for 23 years and served as a cruise director, too. Early in his career, he performed in Circus World where he got his chops at performing illusions. But his passion and goal was alw...

For many decades, Joe Eddie and Betty Fairchild were “road warriors” traversing the country to perform at state and country fairs. They toured with assistants and even a big cat that kept them on the road over 40 weeks out of the year. At one point, they had a residency in Las Vegas at the Riviera with their big show. Now retired from trouping and performing, Joe Eddie has retired to Florida where...

Magic dealer, creator, consultant, lecturer, and performer, Paul Richards joins us this week as we talk about a treasure chest full of topics. Paul has been at the epicenter of innovation first as a brick and mortar magic shop owner, then online dealer, coordinator of one day magic events, as well as a well-known and highly respected magic dealer. He is often seen at all of the large magic convent...

Michael Breggar is a columnist for The Linking Ring journal (the house organ for the I.B.M.) and has written dozens of articles about putting new scripting ideas to old close-up tricks. He has also authored several books that fit his style and are quite cleverly written. For example, “The Expert at the Cod Table” by S.W. Ordfish and “Raiders of the Lost Card” by “Jerseyana” Michael Breggar. These...

John Guastaferro has his priorities straight. He thinks of others before himself. From his magic career to his professional life as a director on the board of Hundai’s “Hope on Wheels” philanthropic organization. John has just released the third book in his close-up card magic trilogy “The Final Degree.” In these books, John emphasizes how small degrees of change can make a big difference in the e...

Dean Carnegie is the host of The Magic Detective podcast . He has blown past 100 episodes and there appears no stopping in sight. His podcast takes deep dives into the lives and worlds of magicians (mostly from yesteryear) and released sporadically as his research unearths something of interest. Beyond his podcast and blogging, he is also an accomplished artist having painted the visages of severa...

The National President of the S.A.M. is often referred to as “Most Illustrious.” This week’s guest, John Midgley, is a Past National President and also a “Most Wonderful Illustrator” creating magic posters and graphic novels. As a magician, he is one of the house magicians at Nashville’s “House of Cards” where he regularly entertains at the card table. Not content with just those vocations/hobbies...

Once upon a time in a distant place near the Sands and Stardust of our memories was a kingdom below the desert called Caesar’s Magic Empire. Well known magicians performed there among many younger, magicians who became very well known after they honed their craft before thousands of diners and revelers. Yes, this was a real place (but not below ground) that was a premier, immersive dinner-show att...

When in Las Vegas, most magicians plan to see shows by other magicians like Mike Hammer, Mac King, David Copperfield, and others. But there are other attractions not to be missed whilst visiting Sin City. One major attraction (in terms of both scope and physical size) is the Neon Museum. Just a few blocks from the downtown Fremont Street Experience lies one of the best kept secrets of the city. As...

As Monty Python would say, "and now for something completely different.” This podcast tries to explore all facets of our jewel we call magic. And one part of our entertainment community has its roots in the side show. Specifically, in the early to mid-1900's magicians were part of the traveling carnivals and performed side show acts using such illusions as the stocks, blade box, and more. But as t...