Vanish magic magazine #100 | Page 10

have said they wished their industry had something like this . One of these came in from another well-known musician who again has over 1 million followers !! Every now and then , right out of left-field , I will get emails from people who I had no idea were subscribers and it makes me realise I am on the right track .
I have also seen VANISH as leading the way in how it delivers the magazine to its readers , and with the new feature being launched in this issue nothing is more evident than the hard work that goes on doing this . In the early days Vanish came out bi-monthly and would be 200 pages . I kept this going for a few years , until I realised a smaller monthly publication was the way to go . Originally , I took the concept of Apple Magazine where it produced a large magazine every few months , and it would take that long until you finished it . One of my favorite parts of that magazine included the advertising for new products and accessories . The same can be said for magic . I remember growing up and getting various magazines , and the first thing I would open would be the advertising pages to see what the latest and greatest tricks for sale were . Advertising still plays a big part in Vanish , and without them the magazine would not continue .
Vanish is , and always has been , a labor of love . Magic has always been good to me , and having been performing professionally for over 35 years , this was a way for me to give back to the community . The secret is to surround yourself with dedicated and like-minded people who I respect and who have carved out incredible careers in magic . Vanish gives them a voice to share their knowledge with magicians around the world , and hopefully make you think about what you do .
Nick Lewin has been with Vanish since day one and you will find something inside every issue from Nick . There is nobody I respect more than Nick , and it ’ s such an honor to have him as part of Vanish . Over the years , other friends have joined the team including Ben Robinson and Hal Meyers . Both have offered wonderful articles ; Ben also had several special editions that I produced , and although these aren ’ t always magic related , they are important for magicians to read . Hal has offered his hand in helping with contacts and editing , as well as several major breaking stories , and continues to be my go-to person all things magic . Very few people have the skill and knowledge that Hal has , and having him on the team has been wonderful . Connie Boyd joined the team a few years ago , and has really provided Vanish with such amazing stories and introduced us all to a world of magicians we probably didn ’ t know , or who are about to hit the world stage . Again , by having this team we can get you stories long before anybody else .
Louie Foxx is another who manages to get his article in every month , and every month has a creative and original routine that he performs at different events . His volume of work and creativity is truly remarkable . Felicity Fields has also provided Vanish with a different and modern point of view with topics no other magic magazine would touch . Again , she can reach out to a generation of magicians that are coming up and able to give them a voice .
I would like to thank my Kiwi friends Richard Webster , Wayne Rogers , and Alan Watson . Sadly , Wayne passed away a few years back , but like Alan and Richard , he was a great supporter and encouraged all my endeavors . I am forever grateful to them , and to Chipper Lowell for his support in the early days of Vanish , who could see a need for such a publication . Having great mentors has been part of the success of the magazine .
Perhaps the most important part of Vanish is giving people a voice that most publications wouldn ’ t touch because they aren ’ t “ well known ,” or “ famous .” This has always been something I pride myself on and we continue to strive for . More than any other magic magazine , Vanish offers a diverse range of cultures and topics in our