The Genii Forum

In my search for Stars of Magic versions, I came across this hardback version: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stars-Of-Magic- ... 7675.l2557

It has a red printed panel with an Ed Mishell drawing, apparently glued on top of the familiar blue cloth cover.

Does anyone know the story behind this version? (All of the hardbacked versions I've seen from Tannens have the gold logo on the front). Was this the first hard-backed printed version of SOM?

That's the version I have. I believe it was the first edition of the hardback, or perhaps a collector's edition - if they had them in 1961.

Not a deluxe, but the first Tannens reprint.


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More correctly: the first printing by Tannen where all the contents were gathered in book form.

Got it---thanks!

One more question: I had heard some lore that the red panel was pasted on the covers of the books because there was a misprint on the original covers....is this true or just malarkey?

No, it was because the original cover had a photo of the magicians in which they were wearing white blood-stained butcher coats, and were sitting at a table with doll parts and raw meat scattered about.

Hah!

Using a "cover card" (as it's called) is not unusual in publishing. Tannen's, for example, also used a cover card for Cliff Green's Professional Card Magic in 1961 (which I believe may have been the same year as their first bound printed edition of Stars of Magic).

Very good--I'm glad this myth is put to rest. Appreciate the information!

erdnasephile wrote:Very good--I'm glad this myth is put to rest. Appreciate the information!

Please don't put it to rest yet. I was told many years ago that the cover card was the result of an error which needed to be covered up. One book having one doesn't mean that another title had one for the same reason.

If someone is willing to carefully remove the paste over from their copy of Stars of Magic, we will then know for certain and be able to put the topic to rest.

Why does it matter?

AJM wrote:Why does it matter?

It doesn't matter really. Just another bit of trivial pondering I suppose...

I.M. Magician wrote:

AJM wrote:Why does it matter?

It doesn't matter really. Just another bit of trivial pondering I suppose...

No more trivial than the Erdnase thread.

Q. Kumber wrote:

I.M. Magician wrote:

AJM wrote:Why does it matter?

It doesn't matter really. Just another bit of trivial pondering I suppose...

No more trivial than the Erdnase thread.

True but we can solve the Stars of Magic mystery but I doubt that we will ever solve the Erdnase one.

What's under that label, Brad?

erdnasephile wrote:What's under that label, Brad?

Maybe his real name!

AJM wrote:Why does it matter?

Because the truth does matter. Erdnasephile wants to know if that pasted cover hides a glaring mistake by the publisher. Many wish to know the real identity of Erdnase. It's all part of the search for the truth.

If someone wants to solve this mystery and get to the truth, here's a cover card copy for only $37.