Showing posts with label Micky Hades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Micky Hades. Show all posts

19 February 2024

[Guest post] February 2024 Genii Issue Features Canadians

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

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February 2024 Genii Issue Features Canadians


The current issue of Genii opens with a heart-felt tribute filling an entire page in their "In Memorium" section to the late Micky Hades written by Stephen Forrester.

"The Eye" section (featuring stories from around the world of magic) curated by Vanessa Armstrong has two Canadian references:

  • A photo of Gabriella Lester illustrates a short piece linking to a longer New York Times article on diversity in magic, highlighting three women performing today including Lester. Armstrong refutes some of its broader generalizations.
    Link - https://myqrcode.mobi/70e1232e

  • A second longer piece about the Magic of Tony Eng Exhibition opening in the Victoria BC Chinatown Museum includes several quotes from Tony's daughter (the Executive Director of Magicana Julie Eng) as well as a link to the CBC television report on the Exhibition's openinglast December.
    Link - cbc.ca/player/play/2290720323810


Finally, in Shawn McMaster's column "Knights at the Magic Castle" Murray Sawchuck is prominently reviewed for his December holidays appearance at The Magic Castle along with Lefty (Doug Leferovich.)

 

- The Magic Demon

 

 

Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 

 

 

 

 

15 December 2023

CAM Creators Contest is back in 2024!

We're running woefully behind so you may have already heard the big news that the CAM Creators Contest will be back in 2024!  First launched in the spring of 2021, this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your original magic trick to the world. The winning tricks will be released globally, complete with industry-standard royalties.  

Stay tuned at the CAM website as we look forward to their official announcement in the future!

Also mentioned in last month's round-up:

  • Canadian Conjurors Interview (Ryan Joyce interviews Nicole Lee)
  • A tribute to Micky Hades
  • David Copperfield's Announcement, and the
  • Question of the month!
     

CAM Members log into CAMmagic.org for more information.









26 November 2023

[Guest post] A tribute to Micky Hades

The following is a guest post from Brent Smith.

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A tribute to Micky Hades

I'm sad these days as my friend and teacher in magic Micky Hades has passed away at the age of 97. I call him a teacher because he never mentored me but his door was always open for me and I could ask any question. They say to be successful in something you keep you mouth closed and your ears open and I did just that with Micky but I also asked a lot of questions. I enjoyed our time together especially because Micky would always ask me questions about magic, history and all about magic posters, not because he didn’t know, but to test me and see if I knew what I was talking about and I do :)

Micky Hades was a man who embraced all aspects of magic: Performer, publisher, collector, manufacturer, inventor, author, editor and a pioneer of the art of magic. He was born of Ukrainian parentage on a farm in Alberta. He got started in magic when he saw the magician John C. Green. Micky had mundane jobs but realised magic is what he wanted to do so he studied and learned all he could on magic. He then joined a travelling sideshow which featured not only magic but also fire eating. He then joined larger carnivals like Conklin Brothers Circus and then Clifford Entertainers Vaudeville circuit. Micky then quit show business for a while and went into Silk Screening and then went onto being a fire prevention Officer in the Army. Then for 13 months he worked in the Gold Mines in Yellowknife in the NWT. There in the Arctic climate he invented the Micky Hades finger chopper 2000 feet below the surface of the ground. Imagine just how many of those he sold. Micky Hades Enterprises became Micky Hades International and became a name recognized throughout the world of magic. 

Micky was behind the TV Show, Dale Harney's Magic Palace and Micky brought in all the top guys in magic at that time. Blackstone, Al Goshman, Paul Harris, Martin Nash, Slydini... the list goes on and on and on. I would get my dad to drive me down to Channel 2 and 7 TV Studios just to see Dale Harney with the worlds Top Magicians perform.

I miss that time in magic with no internet, without exposure on YouTube, magicians being babies online. Magic was real and everyone sacrificed and treated magic with great importance and value. When people don’t sacrifice much for what they have they do not treat it with great importance or value hence what some people are doing on the internet with exposure. Anyone who suffered for anything knows the value of what they suffered for.

Micky said to me once that you cannot make someone into a magician but they are born and that being a magician is a state of mind and a way of life. Micky never taught anyone magic, he never taught sleight of hand but he taught them the state of mind to make a living at magic. The only one I know of who Micky taught this to is John Kaplan.

Micky had many stories. How he told Martin Nash that he should call himself  "The Charming Cheat" and that he should wear big gold rings and fancy suits. He had a great ZIG ZAG lady Illusion story, How he gave Doug Henning a job and he accepted the position of editor of the Young Magicians section of the Hade-E-Gram MagiZette and performed his first professional appearance at the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary in 1965.

Micky had three Magic Shops, Vancouver, Seattle, and Calgary. They were eventually closed or sold off.

In 2015 Micky sold me his 500 piece magic Poster collection which some I will treasure forever. They are framed in my house and I still enjoy everyday.

I will miss Micky and the coffee time we had together, I will miss going to visit him and seeing what magic he still had for sale all of which the props I grew up with, I will miss the jewels and treasures I would find when Micky let me look through boxes. I will miss talking to him about illusions and I will miss talking to him about Magic Posters.

Micky once said to me that if you really want to make a living at something have NOTHING to fall back on that way the fire under your butt stays lit. We both laughed at that for a long time.

The Micky Hades story is too incredible for this short newsletter so look for this book coming out of the Magical Life of Micky Hades in the New Year by his daughter Brenda.

Rest well Micky you are the reason I am what I am today and I have cherished every last second I had with you.

Thank you!!

Brent

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Thank you Brent for sharing this heartfelt tribute to Micky Hades.

 

 

17 November 2023

Broken wand: Micky Hades

Updated November 27th to add:

  • Read Brent's Smith's touching Tribute to Micky Hades

 

Updated November 24th to add:

  • From Dignity Memorial:

    "It is with heavy hearts and tear filled eyes that the family of Micky Hades regretfully announce that he passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 16, 2023 at his home in Calgary at the age of 97 ½ years.

    "He was an internationally known magician, magic dealer, and magic book publisher.

    "Further details will be available in the Linking Ring magazine."

     

 

We were just informed of the recent passing of Micky Hades.

We will update this post as more information becomes available. 

Our sincere condolences to Micky's family and friends at this difficult time. 

 

From the November 17th Facebook post by Brent Smith:

My Dear long friend and teacher past away Micky Hades. He was 98 and a giant among mere mortals and for the people who never took the time to know him don’t know what the magic communtiy just lost. I’m not in shock but saddened …. damn I’ll miss the stories this guy had . He did more for magic than most people ever will … Including me

 

 

 

From the November 17th Facebook post by Scott McClelland:

Today, one of the most important people in Magic passed away. The Great Micky Hades.

Micky Hades was an innovator in magic, creating new and exciting ideas in illusion and mentalism. He built Reveen's Illusion Show and also some of Doug Hennings magic seen on TV.

Apart from that, Micky Hades had the largest publishing company of Mentalism books in the world. And he mentored some of the finest magicians in the country, including Dale Harney, Murray Hatfield and John Kaplan.

I was introduced to Micky at the 1977 International Brotherhood of Magicians Convention by my grandfather. 2 years later, I got my first job collating and printing many of Micky's publications. When I was 17 he asked me to illustrate two books for him, on a book on Key Bending and another a Magic Illusion catalogue.

Micky also wrote articles in the Linking Ring Magazine (a magic magazine) and had his own special periodical called the Hade-Gram.

One of the things back in the 70's and 80's all the magicians looked forward to was the Micky Hades Fun and Film Festival.

Micky was one of the most influential magicians in the magic community and a great supporter of new upcoming talent.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Micky for over 45 years and my life has been enriched with his wonderful friendship and knowledge, a true Showman and Magi and someone I will never forget.

I love you Micky like a grandfather, and I am so glad that we lived in the same time period of history to know each other, you will be missed.

Rest now Micky, fore you worked every day of your life. 

An inspiration to us all.


 

 

 

 

 

 

19 August 2018

Dear Micky Hades. From Doug Henning.

From Neil McNally's Twitter feed:
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20 March 2017

44th Magic Collectors Weekend Guests of Honour

From Magicana:
With the 44th Magic Collectors Weekend only two months away, we are pleased announce our Guests of Honor for the Weekend—William (Bill) Kalush and Michael (Micky) Hades.

It may be trite to say, but it is true. With accomplishments so rich, and spanning so many decades, our Guests of Honor need little introduction. Both, in many ways, have changed the course of magic history, particularly for magic collectors and historians.

Read more.

30 June 2012

Micky Hades: Lifetime Achievement Award

From the Canadian Association of Magicians:
Canadian legend Micky Hades was honoured by the CAM at it’s annual convention in Hamilton Ontario with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to magic in Canada and around the world. Micky was unable to attend the convention so it fell to CAM Board of Director and owner of the Vanishing Rabbit Magic shop, Brent Smith, to arrange for a fitting evening in Micky’s home-town to celebrate and present the award.

Read more.

05 May 2012

CAM Awards

With thanks to Doug Cuff from MagicInfo.ca for live tweeting the awards presentation at the convention!  (And for live tweeting the rest of the convetion too!)