Annual Calendar
September Meeting
Flea Market
October Meeting – Parlor Competition
November Meeting
December Meeting – Holiday Party
AAMC Board Elections
Other Events
Ring 22 Monthly Meeting
Parlor Show – Afternoon
Parlor Show – Evening
Coming Up
Flea Market
- AAMC
October Meeting – Parlor Competition
- AAMC
Monthly Board MeetingRepeating Event
- AAMC
Parlor Show – Afternoon
- AAMC
Parlor Show – Evening
- AAMC
November Meeting
- AAMC
The Magic Messenger
The Magic Messenger is published monthly by the Ann Arbor Magic Club (AAMC). The AAMC the Hank Moorehouse Assembly 88 of the Society of American Magicians and Duke Stern Ring 210 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
The AAMC (est. 1971) is a Michigan Domestic Non-Profit whose focus is to advance the magical arts by making available equipment, education, mentors and opportunities for magical enthusiasts of all ages to expand their craft.
Ann Arbor Magic Club
Board of Directors
- President: Sean Howell
- Vice-President: Wendy Stone
- Treasurer: Rob Krozal
- Secretary: Karl Rabe
- Sgt at Arms: April Barrett
The Ann Arbor Magic Club meets the 2nd Wed of each month at 7p at the Plymouth Community Arts Council.
Plymouth Community Arts Council
774 N. Sheldon Road at Junction Street
Plymouth, MI 48170
Published by Karl Rabe using Generate Press Theme and Generate Blocks Plugin on WordPress.
©Copyright 2026. All rights reserved, Ann Arbor Magic Club.
In This Issue
- The President's Corner
- The Ring Report
- Hocus Focus
- Around the Town
- Ex Libris
- The Vanishing Archives
- Funny Business
Website:
Email:
US Mail:
https://aamagic.org
annarbormagicclub@gmail.com
P.O. Box 532244 Livonia, MI. 48152
Cap'n Sean's Corner
By Sean Howell
Ahoy, Magicians!
Summer may be winding down, but things certainly aren’t slowing down at the Ann Arbor Magic Club.
First, a big thank you to everyone who came out for our annual club picnic. It was great fun! As always, one of the best parts of our club is simply having the opportunity to spend time together, talk magic, share a few tricks, and enjoy each other’s company outside of our regular meetings.
The AAMC Literary Challenge Begins!
September marks the beginning of our inaugural AAMC Literary Challenge — and your first opportunity to earn a raffle ticket!
The challenge is simple: learn something new from the literature of magic and perform it at an AAMC meeting. Books, magazines, lecture notes, and other legitimate published magic literature all qualify.
To earn your ticket, perform an effect that is new to you and tell us the publication or source and the original creator. Proper credit is part of the challenge.
You may earn one ticket per monthly meeting in September, October, November, and December, for a maximum of four tickets. Each qualifying performance must be a different effect.
The Grand Prize, valued at approximately $100, will be revealed at our November meeting, with the drawing held at the January meeting.
So get into your magic library and start digging. September is your first chance to get your name in the hat!
Flea Market — September 26
Don't forget that our AAMC Magic Flea Market is coming up Saturday, September 26, from noon to 4:00 PM.
This year we're at our new location with considerably more room, plenty of parking, and space to sit down, eat, visit, and jam with other magicians. The auction begins at 3:00 PM.
Tables are only $10, so start digging through those drawers, closets, magic cases, basements, and garages. One magician's forgotten prop may be exactly what another magician has been looking for.
October Parlor Show
Our October Parlor Show is coming up October 24. This is one of the club's important fundraising events, so your participation and support matter.
Besides helping support the club financially, the Parlor Show gives us an opportunity to put good magic in front of an audience and show the community what the Ann Arbor Magic Club is all about.
More information will be coming as we get closer.
Michigan Magic Day 2027
Planning for Michigan Magic Day 2027 continues, and I'm happy to report that things are on track.
MMD27 will be April 9–10, 2027, at the Sheraton Detroit Novi Hotel. We’re excited to have Jeff Hobson joining us as our headliner and emcee, and we're continuing to develop the rest of the talent and programming for the weekend.
There is still plenty of work ahead, but the pieces are coming together. I'm excited about what we're building and look forward to sharing more as plans are finalized.
September is going to be a busy month. Come to the meeting, take the Literary Challenge, join us at the Flea Market, and stay involved.
The strength of our club isn't measured by how many names are on the membership roll — it's measured by how many of us participate.
See you at the meeting!
Cap’n Sean
President
Ann Arbor Magic Club — IBM Ring 22
Ring Report
We had a lot of fun at our August meeting! Our featured performer was Stanley the Snake with his side-kick Ming! Ming performed his routine with his vintage Collector's Workshop Snake Basket. Stanley was able to find Jackie Clark's card after a lot of by-play, back-and-forth and up-and-down.
Club President Sean Howell presented Ming with the IBM "Order of Merlin" recognizing Ming for 25 years of continuous membership in the I.B.M.
Then it was time for Member Performances.
- Robert Langefeld performed a very nice version of the Six Card Repeat.
- Phil Mann the Magic Mann performed a silk Houdini escape. Phil then made a signed golf ball disappear and reappear in a glass filled with beads held by the spectator.
- Next "The Wizard" presented a "sole reading" effect with several volunteers. Volunteeers were given a few random tarot like cards and they each were able to select and focus on one of the cards. The Wizard then was able to predict the thought of cards.
- Then Bill Morrison a former Ring 22 member now living in the South West makes it to Abbott's each year and then usually attends our meeting immediately following performed a card routine. A spectator blew a kiss at a deck of cards in the magician's hands and a lipstick mark was found on the selected card. After failing a second time the selected card was found printed on the card box.
- Karl Rabe then performed a trick with a supposedly ordinary deck of cards which turned out to be teeny-tiny. Robert selected a random card. The cards were placed in a thimble and Karl's trained flea Bruno III was shot out of a cork cannon, flying over the thimble and landing on Robert. When the flea was found and displayed for Robert it was found holding the selected card.
Next was a drawing for a give-away. Karl gave away coasters and a Get Together History book that was given to attendees at the Get Together. Lucky winners were Bob Goodwin (book), Jim Molnar and Barbara Louie.
Back to the Magic...
- Mike Thornton did a mind reading routine with Rob Krozal as his subject. Mike was able to devine who Rob received his first kiss from.
- Next up Dan Jones performed the zig zag illusion with a deck of cards.
- Then Ken Magee as "Sandy Wedged" shared few every day carry golf routines he would use. First he transformed a four of clubs to a dollar bill. Next Ken made a $100 bill appear from between two cards (a black jack hand).
- Captain Sean performed his Cups and Balls with a unique tequila climax.
- Ron Houle then shared a unique routine he is working on with a puppet using technology to make the puppet speak. He shared his method and a good discussion followed.
- Chuck Kimbrough then transformed a silk into a golf ball.
Then it was time for socialization and jamming.
Hocus Focus
By Various Contributors
Around the Town
By Karl Rabe
Next Meeting
October Meeting – Parlor Competition
Volunteer's Needed
Other Events
September 2026
Flea Market
October 2026
Ring 22 Monthly MeetingRepeating Event
Monthly Board MeetingRepeating Event
Parlor Show – Afternoon
Parlor Show – Evening
Past Events
Our Reporter in the Field, Dan Jones had this to report on the Club Picnic.
On Saturday, Aug. 15th the Ann Arbor Magic Club held its Annual Summer Picnic at the homestead of our President Sean & Tracy Howell in Parma Township. In attendance were Dan Jones, Bob Goodwin, Jackie & Dave Sanders. Wendy Stone, George Honer, Ryan Hoffman, Jody Gladden, Austin Peczynski , Rob Krozal and John Machniak. And of course Mirf.
Good food. Good friends. Good conversations and good magic. Thank You for hosting Sean & Tracy.
Stay tuned for the date of our winter Picnic in January.
Our Field Photographer, also Dan Jones was able to capture these shots at the picnic confirming that Sean is truly out standing in his field.
Bill and Karl Rabe reported a Jeff Boyer sighting at the Saline Fair. Jeff was performing John LaChance's Comedy Farm Magic Review. We were blown away, along with Jeff and the stage when a heavy wind storm came through. Jeff survived and the shows continued Saturday and Sunday.
Ming and Barbara Louie shared some photos from their trip to London. On the right are Marco and Martin McMillan owner of International Magic. The couple joining Ming and Barbara on the left are Mark Oberon and Emily (The Oberons). The Oberons perform a second sight act aboard the MSC cruise lines.
Last but not least, Ryan Hoffman reported a Cap'n sighting, presumably at the MIchigan Renaissance Festival… hey, that would be a good name for a cat...
Ex Libris
By Dr. Joaquin M. Ayala, PhD
Hello folks and welcome to the Ex Libris article for September 2026! As I used to do in the past for the articles in September, I shall continue here. Namely, as September is the beginning of the school year, the article will focus on a book that is aligned with the new beginning of an education, relative to our continuing topic from the previous two articles.
This month I will be focusing on two separate editions of the same book and that book is Hello Sucker! The 3 Shell Game – Exposed Completely for the First Time, an 8-page, 5.5” x 8.5” saddle-stitched softcover book written by Jack Chanin, originally published in 1934 and illustrated with line drawings by Bill Hanna.
This edition, as far as I am aware, was the earliest booklet on record that was solely dedicated to the Three Shell Game. With only eight (8) pages, this is a no-frills, no-thrills basic education on the absolute basics of the moves, the grips, transfers, and steals. In reality, this covers only six of the eight total pages. If you really pay attention and give it some thought, this booklet contains more than enough information to put your own routine together. As I said, no-frills, no-thrills.
Fast-forward to 1948/49 when Jack re-published an updated version, entitled Hello Sucker! Encyclopedia of the 3 Shell Game – Completely Exposed, Revised and Enlarged. The format was the same: 5.5” x 8.5,” saddle-stitched softcover and illustrated by Bill Hanna, only now it contains seventy-two more pages for a total of eighty pages!
This edition expands the education of the reader as it discusses the proper performing surfaces, the correct material for, and, how to make the proper pea, a discussion on the shells themselves, etc. Furthermore, it discusses further come-ons and gags, different sleights, and ways to involve/influence your audience participants, sucker gags and more. It also talks about the use of gimmicks, which, ordinarily, are not necessary in the execution of this con game, but they can make it even more deceptive, and, dare I say, magical…
This version also includes the famous (to those familiar with the history and mechanics of this con) Chanin Master Move, as well as how to deal with Mr./Ms. Smart Alec, dodges for when they pick the correct shell, and even how to compose and present the con as either a genuine demonstration or a magical feat.
Because of the depth, scope and nature of this con game, especially given its extended association with the School for Scoundrels, I offer two further addendums for this article. The first is a link for all readers interested in seeing the total sum of the cons/swindles discussed in this and the previous two articles, demonstrated by Whit “Pop” Haydn, Chef Anton (Riniti) and Bob Sheets. It is a 30 minute video from a previous School for Scoundrels class held at the famous Hollywood Magic Castle. You can watch that video at this link: Highlights of School for Scoundrels 2014
The second is something that I did for an article that was written over ten (10!!!) years ago in the May 2016 article on the Erdnase book: There was an addendum which was published but not included in the body of that monthly article. I will do the same with this article on the Three Shell Game, owing to the literal thousands of articles, ideas, publications, and iterations related to the Three Shell Game since the Chanin booklet has become known. This addendum will be a list of resources for your own research and further education/information, and it will be focused on more prominent sources of said information. By absolutely no means will it be complete or exhaustive. The link to the addendum will accompany this article and you can click on the following link to read it:
As for the Chanin book and the con game itself: I HIGHLY recommend the expanded booklet by Chanin, and if you have never performed the shell game as it was originally performed (NOT as a Cup & Ball(s) routine), if you have ever been interested in the true origins of that iteration, PLEASE, consider this an invitation to begin! As with the Fast & Loose and the Three Card Monte,the Three Shell Game is yet another effective way to both demonstrate a genuine con to an audience and create an engaging, if not magical performance piece for your show.
That is ‘almost’ all for this month, unless you read and follow up on the addendum! Please join me again in October as we delve into an appropriately spooky tome fit for my favourite holiday of Halloween!
--- J. M. A.
The Vanishing Archives
By Mike Bogdas
From the Vanishing Archives: Assembly 88’s Homecoming with Michael Mode
(Originally reported in the December 2015 issue of M-U-M Magazine)
Pull up a chair, fellow vanishing artists—today we’re cracking open a yellowed page from the December 2015 M-U-M and dusting off a night when Ann Arbor’s magicians proved that even inactive members can reappear on cue. Think of it as a classic “Homecoming” where the only thing that vanished was any doubt about booking a Michigan pro who actually delivers. And no, the rubber bands stayed safely away from necks this time.
REPORT OCTOBER 2015
ANN ARBOR, MI— Our October meeting was a fantastic success. Billed as a “Homecoming Event” designed to attract inactive members (and new ones too), a free lecture was offered to all. Five guests were introduced; John Luka, John Pullum, Gene Fogel, Linda Triemer, and mystery guest “Clem Cadiddlehopper.” Then the magic began!
Michael Mode, a nationally known pro from Michigan, was booked and he did not disappoint. With a full house of past and current members and guests, Michael presented hard-hitting commercial routines well within the abilities of the group. His presentation was casual with a heavy dose of quirky humor. It was great!
Included in the lecture were twelve very practical effects, featuring his new card mystery, Red Handed. In fact, this was the venue at which it was introduced to the magic community. Michael got everyone’s attention, opening with his Bowling Pin Production and proceeding through two hours of solid entertainment. Along the way, he interspersed the puzzling magic with gags, bits of business, and interesting anecdotes from his professional experiences. Michael went to great lengths in the explanation of his material and thoroughly answered questions from the audience. A highlight of the evening was his in-depth discussion of the development of the The Napkin Rose, a beautiful and innovative creation. Michael also offered insights into the psychological aspects of handling and treating audiences. He rarely does lectures and in fact has presented only a handful over the last decade. Hard to believe, because I found it to be one of the best I have ever seen. The power of the material presented was reflected in the activity at Michael’s vendor table during a break and after the lecture.
As an added attraction, President John Russell crowned royalty for the evening: dual Queens Mrs. Pam Smith and Mrs. Linda Treimer with attending King Bill Brang.
—Jim Folkl
Assembly 88 meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month at Denny’s restaurant 39550 Ann Arbor Road, Plymouth, MI beginning at 7pm. Contact John Russell john@rjassociates.com (734) 2828235 http://www.aamagic.org/ for more details.
(Note for the archives: Michael Mode was recently inducted into the Michigan Magic Hall of Fame—proof that the best “Red Handed” moments eventually get the permanent recognition they deserve.)
And there you have it: a night when practical magic, quirky humor, and a bowling-pin production left the house full and the vendor table busier than a miser’s dream. In the vanishing world, some lectures disappear into the ether; this one stuck around long enough to earn a Hall of Fame nod. Until next time, keep your Napkin Roses fresh and your audiences thoroughly puzzled.
Funny Business
By Karl Rabe and various contributors
Thank you Dan Jones and Frank & John Machniak for your contributions.
