Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 27

Nurturing magicians since 1939

"The love of magic usually starts young,"
Dunagan says. "A child sees a magic trick. Maybe
he or she checks out a book about magic tricks from
the local library. Maybe he or she watches some
YouTube videos. It grows from there."
Dunagan adds that magic encourages social
interaction, enhances communication skills and
builds the performer's confidence level.
"Think about it," he says. "It takes a lot of guts to
pull out a deck of cards and do a magic trick."

Tricks-not just for kids
With locations in Stone Mountain and the
Marietta Square, Eddie's Trick Shop has been a
go-to source for amateur magicians since 1978.
Today, the store sells more than 5,000 unique
products, including magic tricks, props, theatrical
makeup and costumes.
"For young beginner magicians, I recommend
a ball vase trick," says Keith Beavers, co-owner of
Eddie's Trick Shop. "It's very easy to learn and very
believable. The magician shows a ball in the vase to
the spectator, and then the ball seems to disappear.
The prayer vase trick is another great starter illusion
for smaller hands."
For adults, Beavers suggests starting with trick
decks that are easy to learn to use and that facilitate
an array of fascinating card tricks.
"Magic is something everyone can learn to do
with the right tools and training," he says. "At the
end of the day, everyone loves seeing a great magic
trick."
Amber Lanier Nagle is an Adairsville-based
freelance writer.

GEORGIA M

AGIC CLUB

We watch every movement as magicians pull rabbits out of hats, saw
assistants in half and pick out our secret cards from a shuffled deck of 52.
We've all wondered, "How did he or she do that?" Indeed, magic is an art
form, beloved by all ages and backgrounds.
"Magic is so much more than just a bunch of tricks," says Mike
Dunagan, president of the Atlanta-based Georgia Magic Club, known
formally as the IBM's Ring 9. "It's about amazing another person-the
tremendous impact you have on the other person."
The Georgia Magic Club provides a support system and nurturing
environment in which people can learn, practice and perform magic tricks.
"There's such a wide range of magic enthusiasts within our club," he
says. "There are hobbyists who have an interest in magic; collectors who
love magic and collect old tricks, props and antiques; amateur performers looking to expand their knowledge and repertoire; semiprofessional
magicians, who make a good secondary income performing at parties and
special events; and professionals. Fifteen [percent] to 20 percent of our
members are professionals."
The club facilitates magic meetups with pre-announced themes such
as coins, cards or rubber bands. It hosts charity shows and lectures featuring some of the world's leading performers, including world-renowned
mentalist Max Maven and Jeff McBride, known internationally as the
Grandmaster of Magic.
"In normal years, we meet each month in person," Dunagan
says. "The pandemic hasn't shut us down, but we've switched to
virtual meetings for now."
Right now, the group has
about 200 members from all over
the state. There is a second
magic group in Atlanta,
and other groups operate
in Augusta, Macon and
Warner Robins.

COURTESY

Far left: Ken Scott performs a
twist on the old "pull a rabbit
out of a hat" trick. Left: Lynn Fox
entertains Georgia Magic Club
members.

COURTESY GEORGI

COURTESY KEN SCOTT

★★
★

A MAGIC CLUB

★

★ ★
★★

★

For more information
* Ken Scott Magic, kenscottmagic.com
* Georgia Magic Club, gamagicclub.com
* Eddie's Trick Shop, eddiestrickshop.com

www.georgiamagazine.org

http://www.kenscottmagic.com http://www.gamagicclub.com http://www.eddiestrickshop.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Georgia Magazine - October 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - October 2020