RING 22 is proud of its unique members and from time to time we like to feature one of our many “superstars” of magic.  Whenever I think about the long-running history of our club, I’m always reminded of  MARVIN MATHENA, who actually became a RING 22 member soon after the club OFFICIALLY began!   In case you didn’t know, MARVIN was originally from Bluefield West Virgina and moved with his father in his early years to Detroit, his father seeking work in our auto factories (the rest of his family reunited in Detroit shortly after a year or two).  He's been a "Detroiter" ever since, becoming a professional magician as a mere teenager after frequenting and “sessioning with the guys” at the Roy Hall Magic Shop in downtown Detroit.

He’s the proud recipient of IBM’s rarely issued certificate for 60+ consecutive years as an IBM member.   MARV actually served as a past President of RING 22 (way back in 1986, when the club met monthly in Ferndale, Michigan), and he has taught magic to many students while working for about 12 years behind the counter at an unnamed magic shop in Garden City that has since fallen by the wayside.

MARVIN is certainly an impressive and accomplished magician.  He has officially been inducted into the IBM MAGIC HALL OF FAME (yes, that’s his picture currently displayed in the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, MI). He’s also been honored in recent years, being inducted into the MICHIGAN MAGIC DAYS HALL OF FAME in 2014, along with well-known magicians Claire Cummins (as in “Milky the Clown”), and Kevin James.  Like many of us, he cut his teeth reading magic books, attending countless lectures, and perfecting his craft while learning the finer points of magic from a couple of well-known mentors you may have heard of -- Carrol Fox and Wayne Dobson.

There are a lot of “FIRSTS” under MARV’s belt since he became a full-time stage illusionist back in the 1970s – the FIRST to cut a lady into sixths, the FIRST to use a fiberglass Hindu Basket (as well as the FIRST to fill the basket with no less than three assistants at one time!).  Not surprisingly, he’s well-versed and familiar with close-up effects as well, and currently his favorite tricks make use of cards, coins, silks -- just about anything he can get his hands on (he even does memdeck work) – all quite remarkable since he is the survivor of two strokes in recent years and is still going strong in the world of magic!

Hats off and a "STANDING O” to MARV MATHENA – it’s safe to say he’s truly a “magician’s magician”, and we're glad he’s always happy to share his unique history with all of us!  THANKS MARVIN!