The Genii Forum

It seems to me that a lot of the "Name" magicians are from Ohio:

Howard Thurston
David Williamson
Dan Harlan
...

What other names belong on the list?

Searching MagicPedia http://geniimagazine.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special%3ASearch&search=Ohio&go=Go ....

A few...
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/John_Scarne
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Cha ... eph_Carter
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Del_Adelphia
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/MacDonald_Birch
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Bruce_Cervon
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Paul_Fox
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Ralph_W._Hull
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Stewart_Judah
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Del_Ray
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Charles_Reynolds
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Tommy_Windsor
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Johnny_Ace_Palmer
* http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Maurice_F._Raymond

Josh Jay

The funny thing is grew up in the boondocks of Ohio and always felt so alone in magic. Sigh...

As a minor footnote, I'm originally from Canton, Ohio.

And I was raised in the Wooster area. Quite close to Canton.

I was once in Cleveland.

Matt Field

Three? Doesn't strike me as a lot. By contrast, Canada, with only about three times the population of Ohio and one-tenth that of the United States does seem to have produced a disproportionate number of magicians: Dai Vernon, Doug Henning, Randi, Sankey, Acer, David Ben, etc. (Of course "etc." means "I can't think of any more"; still, it's a surprisingly long list.

Three? We're up to 17 so far, and I'm sure there's names still missing from the list.

Tony Miller, Ed Ellis and Michael P. Lair are from Ohio.

Richard Hughes of feather flower fame is from Ohio.

I can spell Hioh...

Ohio is a state, Canada is a country.

It sounds like both Amos and Harry could have qualified to graduate at the top of the class at Ohio State University.

I believe Angela Funovits, who was on the show Phenomenon, was born in Ohio.

Angela Funovits was born and raised in Avon Lake, Ohio.

Cut the crap and stop being a bunch of sexist knuckleheads--this is exactly the type of thing that puts more women off becoming magicians. (And if you don't know what I'm writing about, it's because I've just cleaned up this thread.)

And if you want to know why there are so many magicians in Ohio, it's because that's where the IBM was founded.

I didn't even know it was losted.

Matt Field

The IBM was founded in Canada, Winnipeg.

Rk, that's the point. Many magicians fawn over female magicians who - if they were male - would not be given the time of day. Calling attention to sexism is not sexism.

Richard,

Thanks for deleting those comments. I was bitching to my GF about it all the way home from the office today.

And thanks for the explanation as to why so many name magicians seem to hail from Ohio.

Ray Eden

The IBM was founded by WW Durbin in Ohio.

Richard Kaufman wrote:The IBM was founded by WW Durbin in Ohio.

...and Len Vintus in Canada...

It's also interesting that there are about 12 IBM Rings in Ohio: http://www.magician.org/portal/ibm_localrings/Ohio

Let us not forget the gone but not forgotten Nick Trost, the quiet but deadly Troy Hooser, the Mysterious Robert Nelson, and while not actually born here, Allan Ackermans family is from Columbus, OH and actually has a street named after them. Plenty of others too.

Doomo wrote:Allan Ackermans family is from Columbus, OH

Doomo -- what are you smoking?

Matt Field

Back in 1980 I accompanied George Johnstone to a gig he was doing in the Cincinnati Hilton for the Boilermakers' Union.

I was also once in Cleveland but I didn't see Matt Field.

Matthew Field wrote:

Doomo wrote:Allan Ackermans family is from Columbus, OH

Doomo -- what are you smoking?

Matt Field

The above information is directly from Meester Ackerman. In fact he said several relatives still live here in town. And the road is just north of Ohio State University campus.

So in answer to yer question big fellah... I smoke reality... Non-filtered.

Now go watch the Olympix. Those opening ceremonies... Wow. And you ask me what I am smoking?

Someone from Ohio once told me that if I see someone wearing an Ohio State University T-Shirt anywhere in the world, I should say to them "O!" and they would reply back "HIO!"

Is that true?

(Being from LA, I'm afraid to try it for fear of getting beaten or shot)

If you say just "o" they will look at you like what?
If you say "O H" then the proper reply would be "I O" for many of us living here in this state or former Ohioan's

Allan Ackerman visits his family in Ohio as stated before.

Cleveland, Ohio has quite a magical history. Someone should write a book about it. There used to be many magicians that would pass through town on their way to Chicago and New York as it is situated half way between them.

Doomo -- Harry Houdini had a cousin in Paterson, New Jersey. What the hell does that prove?

Matt Field

Mike P wrote:If you say just "o" they will look at you like what?
If you say "O H" then the proper reply would be "I O" for many of us living here in this state or former Ohioan's

Ah! Thanks, Mike--saved me a lot of future blank stares :)

Matthew Field wrote:Doomo -- Harry Houdini had a cousin in Paterson, New Jersey. What the hell does that prove?

Matt Field

It proves that his sister and other immediate family members are from Ohio. And he returns here frequently...

You English people are cranky! Must be all the cctv...

Met a fellow Ohioan and Magician over the weekend not yet on the list: David Kaplan.

Has Andrew Martin been mentioned? And son Eli?

Also, the Reed sisters are part of the face of the Ohio magic scene.

Besides Robert Nelson, his brother Larry also had a long career as a mentalist and magician.
Columbus had at the same time, dealers: Nelson, S.W. Reilly, U.F. Grant/Menge. Columbus also had 3 different magic clubs at that time back then.

William P. Taylor, who performed as "Koran-The Crystal Seer Supreme", had long career as a magician, stage and radio mentalist, and the co-founder of a mail order religion, was born in Zanesville, Ohio.

What about Wyoming? We're ignoring Wyoming!

Matt Field

I think it's being discussed in the Why-omh-ing thread.