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Hey, what do you think about mark wilson he lives in the same town as me and i am thinking about going over to his warehouse and talking to him. So I was just wondering what you guys think of him. Is he a very good magicain. I know he wrote a book I have it but have not read it yet.

totalmagic wrote:Hey, what do you think about mark wilson he lives in the same town as me and i am thinking about going over to his warehouse and talking to him. So I was just wondering what you guys think of him. Is he a very good magicain. I know he wrote a book I have it but have not read it yet.

The book to which you refer is an absolute classic magic textbook, that is regularly talked about and recommended to newcomers, and to everybody who doesn't own it.

And yes he is a very good magician.

I'd suggest you read the introduction of his book. That way, you'll see exactly how big a name he is!!

Never seen him perform before but his book is excellent.
I understand he had a tv show in the US in the 60's/70's.
Never seen it but would love to.

The book is really excellent. Very well written and tons of stuff !

Mark is/was like a U.S Paul Daniels in some resepcts he did some grand old illusions and worked with some top show biz type people. I think from his book if you read it you will understand he is quite a magician in fact asking if he is any good is like asking can Steve Vai play a guitar?

Mark would get a kick reading this thread...

Mark Wilson was, from the late 1950s and well into the mid-1970s, everything there was about Magic... or so it would seem. Because of him most of your 45+ year old performers of today, got their their biggest inspiration and start into magic, myself included.

He was the primary technical (and prop supplier) to the Bill Bixby show THE MAGICIAN and one of the original Theme Park Gurus when it came to live show production.

Though "retired" I believe Mark is still on the Board of Directors of the Magic Castle (which he helped establish in the early 60s)

I'm showing my age here:

I remember Magic Land of Alakazam and the Magic Circus specials, and enjoyed them.

Mark Wilson's the main man, his book is brilliant. I'd recomend it to anyone.

From what I can gather, his shows were huge in the US, the way David Nixon and Paul Daniels were/are here.
Sadly none of his tv shows have made it across the pond. Are there any region 1 DVD's of them?

If Mark lives in your region and is OK about visitors then I strongly suggest you go visit him as soon as possible. Many of the Masters of Magic are no longer with us and the time to meet and greet them and see what they do is while they're alive, not via obituaries and old vids on Youtube. As many have mentioned above, Mark is responsible for a lot of successful magic and magicians and I'd class it a real privilege just see him in person and say thanks for all he's done. Same applies to other Masters of Magic who are still around - see them while they're here!

I found this clip of Mark Wilson doing a classic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUoWIBc32bE

Mark and Nani have been dear friends for a good while. Mark doing his original Time for Magic in Dallas back in the early 1950's spawned my interest in magic. My first magic apparatus was a Magic Kit that he and Nani put together in their Dallas Apt. and sold thorough a local dept. store. When my father and mother went on a vacation to Los Angeles and my dad took me by to meet "Uncle Harry" (Blackstone, Sr.) I had no idea of who he was. I did my cups and balls from my Mark Wilson magic set for him (which was probably the worst performance of cups and balls he ever saw), but I was barely 6 years old at the time. He made a bird cage vanish from between my hands, and I realized he also had an interest in magic. I proceeded to tell him that if he really wanted to learn magic he needed to learn from Mark Wilson. (My dad insistes Uncle Harry got a chuckle out of that). We lived in the Market area of Time for Magic, the interim "Magic Circus" (syndicated in local markets, not the later specials), and the Magic Land of Alakazam.
I can't say enough about Mark and Nani, two of the nicest , warmest, friendliest people in the world. Mark loves magic. You can find him and Nani at the Magic Castle teaching frequently. If you ever get a chance to see his lecture, go. The man has a billon dollar knowledge of the business of magic. When magic was on the verge of dying, he turned it into a multi-million dollar a year business. Trade show magicians, Corporate magicians, and theme park magicians owe their careers to him, he virtually invented those markets. He is still the only magician to have a regular weekly network magic show on a major television network. If it is Television or film, Mark Wilson is probably the magician behind it. Magic Magazine named him one of the 10 most influential magicians of the 20th Century, and that is a group which included Houdini, Uncle Harry Blackstone Sr., and many other Legends of magic. Mark is a living Legend, and one of the most approachable magicians u will ever meet. By all means go by and introduce yourself. Tell him Fr. Photius from Texas says Hi.

mark wilson came to michiagan, usa for a lecture unfortunatly i missed but im givin another chance im still waiting to find out more but for now im waiting for aldo comumbini to come in october.

His book is amazingly well written and consise. I would love to see him perform though, anyone know of a DVD featuring him? Thanks.