No collector should be without this whopping 160-page "10th Anniversary Issue of MAGIC," which features a full-color six-page foldout of the 120 magazine covers of the first decade. "Cover Story" tells the behind-the-scenes tales of how some of the magazine's most interesting covers came to be. Other full-color photo features are: "Paul Kieve: Theatrical Magic" by David Britland, "Reflections on Frank Everhart" by Max Howard; "The Evasons: Marvels of the Mind" by Rory Johnston; and "Shooting Sessions," a peek at the striking photography of Damon Webster, by John Moehring. Joshua Jay debuts his "Talk About Tricks" column, featuring close-up contributions from Paul Harris, Lance Burton, Phil Goldstein, Harry Lorayne, Jay Sankey, and David Williamson. The subject of the "In His Words" interview by Shawn McMaster is none other than MAGIC's Editor, Stan Allen.

You may not know Franz Czeiler, but you will after reading John Moehring’s cover story on the spectacular career of El Gran Tihany. Building both his own career, and props for most everyone else, Bill Smith has indeed proven to be "A Real Crafty Guy." With the passing of Frances Ireland Marshall, Gabe Fajuri looks back on this unique woman in the annals of magic. At the same time, Darren Romeo’s career is just taking off, and Rory Johnston looks at his new Siegfried & Roy-produced show. David Britland analyzes the "Tricks of Faith" utilized by the boldest of magicians. "In His Words," Tom Mullica speaks of life, magic, and seeing Red. "Professor’s Nightmare" gets a new routine in David Kaye’s "Turn It Around," thanks to Al Garber, and Jim Sisti details his "Card on Forehead" routine in "Magic on the Menu." Joshua Jay devotes his "Talk About Tricks" column to effects with the special "Overlap" card - the card is even included inside the issue!

Magic Affairs, Topas' full-evening show that's touring Germany, is the subject of a cover story by Jörg Alexander. "The Tenth was a Ten" is Scott Wells review of the recent "MAGIC...Live!" convention in Las Vegas. There's a feature by Jason Womack on the close-up mastery of Chuck Smith. Jarle Leirpoll reveals a parallel of Aikido techniques to magical misdirection in his "Magic as a Martial Art." In "Novel Magicians," David Britland surveys some of the intriguing characters created in the fiction of Clayton Rawson, William Lindsay Gresham, Walter Gibson, and others. David Kaye's "Turn it Around" features a trick for Halloween from John Bundy. In addition to the close-tricks from Earl Nelson, John Bannon, Troy Hooser, Dean Dill, and Chris Korn, Joshua Jay has come up with a novel trick actually using the magazine itself in "Talk About Tricks."

SOLD OUT! "The Illusionary Magic of Rick Thomas" goes into its fifth year at the Tropicana, and Rory Johnston's full-color pictorial story tells all about how the production has become the most successful afternoon show in the history of Las Vegas. Shaena Engle visits John Zander's unusual magic lecture club in "Home is Where the Workshop Is." Oscar Weigle's "In the Times of Paul Curry" paints a nostalgic picture of what was truly a golden age of inventive close-up in New York City. Stan Allen reports on the "7th Los Angeles Conference on Magic History," and John Moehring covers Lance Burton and the US Postal Service's unveiling of a new commemorative in "The Houdini Issue." Joshua Jays "Talk About Tricks" has contributions from Gary Plants, Michael Eaton, Ryan Swigert, Jon Armstrong, and Erik Allen. David Kaye features a holiday-theme "Beads of Prussia" in "Turn it Around."

SOLD OUT! Le Grand David and his own Spectacular Magic Company" celebrates its 25th anniversary, and David Bull has created "Viva la Magica!," a heartfelt tribute to the grand show's creator Cesareo Pelaez. There's a story on The Hamners, a couple with a penchant for presenting a message with their magic, who just won the World Magic Seminar Award for Originality with their inventive illusions. Diego Domingo writes of the stage aspirations of pioneer radio mentalist Mel-Roy in "Tuning Back to Another Era." Linda Odette offers a Valentine's Day peek at certain magic couples in "Be Mine." Tim Hannig's rendition of "Balls in the Net" for the family audience is featured in "Turn it Around." A double issue of "Talk About Tricks" has contributions from Bill Malone, Chris Bruce, Steve Beam, David Jelinek, Danny Archer, Christopher Borer, Basil Smith, Apollo Robbins, Charles Justice, Jon Armstrong, and Harry Lorayne. Stan Allen talks to comedy magician Mark Kornhauser for the "In His Words" interview.

Christopher Hart did not form his entire career single-handedly, but that aspect of his life has certainly helped; Rory Johnston tells all about Hart’s life and magic. George Schindler celebrates 100 years of the SAM. Profiled by Michael Close, Norman Beck not only works to fool people, but works hard to keep others from cheating in high-stakes games of chance. Steve Beam tells about his magical creations "In His Words." Along with Mac King and John Carney, David Williamson held an evening of comedy magic in Cedarville, Ohio - Joshua Jay was there to tell about it. In his "Talk About Tricks" column, Joshua reveals effects with coins, cards, and raffle tickets, and Terry Herbert strings together tricks for "Turn It Around." Not to mention columns by Billy McComb, Martin Gardner, Charlie Frye, and more.

Gaëtan Bloom is both "Clever and Seriously Funny," as evidenced by Kevin James' picturesque story of the wild-'n'-crazy times spent in France with his friend Gaëtan. If ever there is a magical entertainer who's given new meaning to the age-old expression "It's fun to be fooled," it's the inimitable Mr. Bloom. Dan Waldron brings us up to date on the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan, as the institution celebrates its 25th anniversary. In the story "20 Years on the Breakthrough Card System," mentalist Richard Osterlind reflects on how his revolutionary deck set-up came to be. John Moehring takes a look at the Discovery Channel's latest science-magic offering, concluding that More Science Magic is indeed better than the cable network's science-magic show of five years ago. Mike Caveney digs into the archives of his Egyptian Hall Museum to discover "An Illusion for the Times" - it's Horace Goldin's 1938 on-stage exploitation of the adventures of Captain "Potato" Jones. Silver-tongued pitchman-magician Joel Bauer tells "In His Words" how to not only survive in the trade-show industry, but how to prevail. "Talk About Tricks" features "icebreakers" from Nathan Kranzo, Gregory Wilson, Serge Kalloghlian, and Gene Turner; "Turn it Around" has another close-up trick for kids from Trixie Bond; "Magic on the Menu" presents a fun version of Pseudo Psychometry for the restaurant worker; and Jim Steinmeyer's "Conjuring" explains a powerful yet fun effect called Pushing the Envelope.

"Working Wizard of the 20th Century" is the title of the tribute to Stuart Cramer, who passed away April 15, 2003. Cramer was the biographer of Karl Germain, a pioneer in both trade-show and television work, an attorney at law, a creative advertising director and illustrator, and a professional magician. Richard Hatch profiles Alexander Adrion, Germany's "Conjuring Philosopher." "My First Fechter's" is the tale of Lance Pierce's journey to the famous invitational close-up convention that's now 32 years old. Ryan Oakes takes a look at "Paul Daniel's Week in America," telling how Great Britain's charismatic TV star was more than eager to share and teach his business secrets of show business. Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger, and Bob Neal are interviewed on the eve of the release of their new book, Mystery School. Among the products reviewed in "Marketplace" are John Kennedy's Card Through Window and Visual Broken and Restored Cigarette, Roberto's Giobbi's Card College 5, The Flicking Fingers' The Movie, and The Magic Wand and Stanyon's Magic magazines on CD-ROM. "Talk About Tricks" features tricks and moves from Mark Aspiazu, David Stone, Eric Anderson, Daniel Garcia, Tom Stone, Luke Dancy, and Shoot Ogawa. "Conjuring" offers up Jim Steinmeyer's "Building a Better Slot Machine."

"A Conversation with Simon Aronson" by Joshua Jay is an intellectual study of one of our craft's most overlooked categories, the serious amateur. Aronson is not only one of close-up magic's best behind-the-scenes creators, he is a practitioner who's perfectly content with magic as an intense avocation. This month the entire "Talk About Tricks" column is devoted to the explanation of Simon's latest variation of his classic Shuffle-bored effect, something he calls Random Sample Shuffle-bored. Gabe Fajuri's "Abbott's: A Tradition of Magical Marketing" tells the story of how Australian vaudeville magician Percy Abbott formed a magic manufacturing company that, within two decades, became the largest mail-order magic business in America. Gordon Bean profiles close-up wizard Armando Lucero. And there's a review Lance Burton's Guerilla Magic that aired on Animal Planet and featured such acts as Mac King, Dana Daniels, Penn & Teller, Fielding West, Ed Alonzo, and others. "Turn it Around" features a trick from Bibik; "Magic on the Menu" has a party trick from Al The Only; and Jim Steinmeyer presents the Allergic Card Trick in "Conjuring." A stack of DVDs are reviewed in "Marketplace," with offerings from Shoot Ogawa and Apollo, Doc Eason, Trevor Lewis, Gary Ouellet, Alex Elmsley, Trevor Lewis, Troy Hooser, and Michael Ammar.

Jim Steinmeyer transports readers back to the turn of the 20th century, as he solves the mystery of "Beau Brocade," an illusion that might have been the most astonishing illusion of David Devant's entire career. Mike Caveney provides front-row coverage of the Owen Magic Supreme Centennial Celebration. John Carney explains the tedious three-year process of creating and publishing his Book of Secrets, a new work that actually teaches, in a lesson-style format complete with assignments, 25 classics of stage and close-up magic. There's a pictorial peek at the 60-year history of the Super-X Levitation. Joshua Jay reports on three-days of location shooting for Shade, the new Hollywood crime-thriller about the high-stakes world of poker hustlers. "From Times Square to Television," is Richard Cohn's review of the dark-fantasy style of Criss Angel Mindfreak that aired on the ABC Family Channel. Jim Steinmeyer's "Conjuring" presents The Stapled Card as Escape Artist, David Kaye offers a Santa's stocking Egg Bag routine in "Turn it Around," and Jim Sisti's "Magic on the Menu" has some valuable tips on how magicians can turn a restaurant's wait staff into fellow entertainers. Joshua Jay's "Talk About Tricks" features a variety of close-up contributions from Mark Aspiazu, Michael Huot, Paul Richards, Ryan Swigert, and James Swain.