2011 S.A.M. Convention

[erdnasephile]

Max:

Can you please be more specific about what was great about the Josh Jay lecture? What was the meaning of the title?

How was the dealers room? Any cool things you saw/picked up?

Thanks, you write great reviews!

[MaxNY]

Josh has put together a lecture about magicians that have died either doing illusions, or died in a way related to illusions. Many of these stories we have heard, but he seems to have dug up a few twists that make the story more complete.

I guess he has memorized the whole hour lecture, although no where, no how does any of it appear memorized. Have you ever attended a lecture where the subject was so well versed about the subject, that you can tell they have a passion for it? This was not your typical magic lecture, but an education....and mightily entertaining too.

I'm not one to really visit the dealer's room. I did however find a collection of 8 VHS tapes from the Paul Daniels Show...recorded EP! I have started to move these over to DVD. They were NTSC as they aired on YTV/Canadian broadcast. So far one tape has been moved over. There are missing heads, missing tails...commercials, some shows hop.... But yesterday I viewed my old friend Rudy Coby...without the big wave in his hair! (That's how old these are). As a collector of magicians broadcast on TV...I can tell you that here in the states Paul's stuff doesn't exist.

In the dealer's room I witnessed some 14 year old kid pressuring his Mom to buy him a Losander table. Without a doubt this is one of the best pieces of magic for sale, by one of the World's best inventors...but kid...really buy a book. I was boiling, I really felt for the Mom.

I tried to razz all of the dealers into selling me "some of those cool colored cards, that are being produced on stage." Do you want to sell out at a Magic Convention? Just sell every color of the rainbow backed cards!

[Bill Mullins]

Josh has put together a lecture about magicians that have died either doing illusions, or died in a way related to illusions. Many of these stories we have heard, but he seems to have dug up a few twists that make the story more complete.

He covered the same subject in Gibiciere about a year ago.

[smokemist]

Does anyone know who the judges were at SAM? Curious about their backgrounds..

[MaxNY]

They were all announced, they appeared to be all excellent judges. I think they were going to be from a pool of past FISM judges.

[smokemist]

where were they announced?

[MaxNY]

I think they were all announced during the last evening show, after the show, during an awards presentation. I could be wrong. Remember there are two sets of judges, three competitions.2 with appointed judges North American FISM, and SAM. (All too complicated.) ...and the Brad Jacobs's People's Choice Awards. Where else in this world is there a "People's Choice" named after a person?

[Brad Henderson]

Who is brad jacob's?

[MaxNY]

"Bradley Jacobs, the representative of the Society of American Magicians (SAM), has officially reported to the Presidium that the SAM shall host and organize the
1st FISM North America Championships of Magic (NACM)."

The above was taken from an online FISM newsletter. Mr. Jacobs is in charge of North American FISM. I chewed his ear for almost 15 minutes, and I can only guess at the following. I believe his heart is with mine. I think he pressured SAM to include a "People's Choice Award",(about a decade ago. This is a very popular item during the SAM competitions, and so maybe they named the award after him. I believe he alone reports to FISM President Mr. Eswin. He doesn't like profanity, and may ask you to leave the conversation if any profanity is followed by unintentional pieces of flying spit.

[Richard Kaufman]

Brad Jacobs is a great guy. Knows how to get things done.