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Events leading up to the success of Dicky Dean as
a leading Canadian Magician
Dicky Dean Develops an Interest in Magic
When Dicky Dean was ten
years old he received a small book on magic, by magician and writer Walter
B. Gibson. It was a present from his aunt and uncle that was about to
change his life. He never had heard of magic before, but as he started
learning the secrets of magic, he knew he wanted to become a
magician.
At age twelve he entered
the entertainment section of the London Hobby Fair and won first prize.
It was also very fortunate for him that London’s foremost magician
Everette Mires and his wife, Sue, were present in the audience to see his
show and meet him. Later, he learned numerous tricks from Everette as well
as how to properly present them. Even with their large differences in age
they became best friends.
The following year when
Dicky Dean was only thirteen years old, the Kiwanis Club was
offering a scholarship for the overall best act in the entertainment
section of the London, Ontario, Canada Hobby Fair. Dicky Dean
was successful in winning the scholarship.
Thirteen Year Old Dicky Dean
This is what was written
in The London Free Press:
“A slim youngster, who
wore his dress suit with the air of the accomplished proved to a cheering
audience of his contemporaries and their parents last night in the library
auditorium he had every right to do so – 13 year old Dicky Dean
literally was a wizard.
Moppets mobbed the doorway
of the auditorium and sat on parent’s shoulders to see Dicky’s magician’s
act, scholarship-winning performance of the entertainment section of
London’s Hobby Fair.
At a Kiwanis luncheon June
13 Dicky will be awarded the club’s scholarship for the most outstanding
performance. The judges were unanimous in selecting his act from
some 60 they had reviewed during two days of preliminaries and
finals.”
He Performed at Abbott’s
Convention in Colon, Michigan.
When Percy Abbott of Abbott’s Magic Company in Colon,
Michigan, which is known as the magic capital of the world, heard that
Dicky Dean had won the scholarship, he asked his parents if he could
perform his magic show at Abbott’s annual convention as Dicky Dean,
Canada’s youngest magician. Percy wanted the magicians attending the
convention to
see how far Dicky Dean had taken his hobby.
Along with his parents, his aunt and uncle and his ten-year-old cousin
they made their way to Abbott’s magicians’ convention. As a
thirteen-year-old aspiring magician with a ten-year-old assistant he was
well received by the much older and more experienced magicians. He had
never been to a magicians’ convention before, let alone perform at one.
What an experience this was for him as he pursued his fascinating hobby.
He Was Taught Magic Personally by Ben and Marian Chavez
At age fifteen Dicky Dean enrolled at the Chavez
College of Magic in Hollywood, California. He returned again at age
seventeen and graduated.
Dicky Dean receives his certificate of
graduation from Ben Chavez
Leaving Teaching for Magic
For
ten years he taught school in London, Ontario, then he and his wife, Marg,
both left teaching determined to fulfil their destiny as full-time
professional magicians. They had no hidden regular job while claiming to
be full-time professional magicians. Magic was their only form of
employment as they travelled across Canada with their show. It is a career
choice they never regretted. He now presents an amazing show featuring
doves that appear at his fingertips and quickly disappear without
the use of clumsy props, and there is much more. Entertainment
agents refer to it as a class act. It is a show that is sure
to bring you compliments for lining up the kind of special entertainment
that everyone enjoys. Just phone (519) 473-3990.
Other Accomplishments in the Life of Dicky Dean
-
His photograph appeared
on the cover of The New Tops, a monthly magazine for magicians
that was published by Abbott’s Magic Company in Colon, Michigan, U.S.A.
for magicians around the world. The inside story was written about him
by London, Ontario magician, Everette Mires.
-
Dicky Dean also appeared
in the Tops Pictorial Album of Magicians along with great
magicians such as Harry Blackstone, Cardini, Okito, Chop Chop, Milbourne
Christopher, Dante, Kalanag, Houdini, Jack Kodell, Kellar, Ormand
McGill, Nicola, Ovette, Sorcar, Harlan Tarbell, Thurston, Dai Vernon,
Mark Wilson and others.
Fifteen-year-old Dicky
Dean and Harry Blackstone on the corner of Hollywood and Vine,
Hollywood, California
-
He has been written
about in hundreds of newspapers and magazines as he travels across
Canada with his amazing show. It is applauded enthusiastically by adults
and children alike. He received a huge photo spread in The Globe and
Mail, Canada’s national newspaper, in which the photograph of him
covered almost one third of the page. It is, perhaps, the
biggest coverage ever given to a magician in a Canadian national
newspaper.
-
In addition, a
photograph of Marg and Dicky Dean was featured above the masthead (the
front page above the name of the newspaper) in The Sarnia Observer.
It showed him entertaining hundreds of people. It was 15 centimetres
wide (about 6 inches) and it extended 35 centimetres (about 14 inches)
from one edge of the newspaper to the other edge. This appears to be a
first for a magician. Magical historians appear not to know of any other
magician who was fortunate enough to get an entire photo-spread above
the masthead.
-
Dicky Dean was
nominated, by the directors of Hocus Pocus Magazine, for an
award for his contribution to the field of magic. Here are some
excerpts from the letter to him. “Awards are presented in New York City
at our semi-annual Hocus Pocus Awards Convention…We would like to
arrange a date with you to appear at one of our future conventions to
accept the award…This past years winners have included Harry
Blackstone Jr., James Randi, and Tom Ogden.” Dicky Dean does not just
win awards and praise from other magicians he has the outstanding type
of magic show that other magicians have tried to imitate for years – but
there is only one Dicky Dean.
-
Len Vintus, who was a
founder and first member of the I.B.M. International Brotherhood of
Magicians, featured Dicky Dean’s large photograph under
Canadian Magic Busters in his book Magicians of the
World.
-
Dicky Dean has made
numerous contributions to the art of magic. The Pentacle was a
journal published in the United States for magicians that were willing
to think about the art of magic. Discussions and debates in The
Pentacle had to be on a highly intellectual level. If you had a
point of view regarding magic you had to justify it with an intelligent
argument. Dicky Dean and Dr. Oran Dent (Magician and Doctor of
Psychology) would debate their differences regarding the philosophy of
magic.
-
As well as having been a
regular columnist for magical publications and newspapers he has written
books: Magic, and Using Magic
in
Teaching.
He also has invented numerous tricks and illusions that are performed by
other magicians around the world. His most popular three are The
Impossible Link, The Five to One Sensation and Zombie Fire
Climax. His invention of the Zombie Fire Climax is now
documented in the book “Joe Karson – Beyond Zombie” by Michael E. Rose,
1999.
-
While Dicky Dean and
Marg have appeared at numerous theatres as they travel across Canada
they set a record in their own career for the number of
continuous appearances at a theatre in Quebec. They presented 36
consecutive magic shows at the Magic Lantern Theatre (Lanterna
Magika) in Montreal.
-
They were also featured
six times on CBC-T.V. from the studios in Montreal as well as
numerous other television shows across Canada.
-
As a result of Dicky
Dean’s popularity on TV he and Marg were soon featured all over
Quebec and eastern Canada with their show.
-
The story of the life of
Dicky Dean was featured in John Booth’s, Memoirs of a Magician’s
Ghost in The Linking Ring. It is a monthly publication of the
International Brotherhood of Magicians from Durham, North Carolina,
U.S.A. John Booth wrote “Marg…has been his assistant in conjuring
performances …a most graceful and professional figure.” and “The
immaculate, full-time act and show of Dicky Dean & Marg plays
almost entirely across Canada’s midwest and eastern provinces.”
Author, and magician, John Booth also included Marg and Dicky Dean along
with a short story in his book
Creative
World of
Conjuring. “University graduates Dicky and Marg Dean of London,
Ontario were full-time teachers for ten years. When their magic shows
ballooned almost out of control…they left pedagogy for
prestidigitation…they handle… dates…from Manitoba to Nova Scotia.”
-
In 1999 Dicky and Marg
Dean toured the province of Newfoundland appearing at festivals and
extravaganzas with their show making it the last remaining province in
Canada for them to appear professionally with their magical dove show.
It was an exciting way for them to have been part of Newfoundland’s 50
years in confederation. They now have performed in every province in
Canada with their show from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This is
what one client wrote “…we thank you and your wonderful assistant “Marg”
for putting on an excellent show that has not been seen for years in
Central Newfoundland. The
enthusiasm expressed by both young and old alike during the show,
and the number of comments after, provide a record of the success
of the show.” What a wonderful and exciting adventure they have as
they amaze, mystify and entertain thousands of people across Canada with
their magical dove show year after year. They have accomplished their
dream.
-
August 2003 M-U-M
editor David Goodsell featured a picture of Marg and Dicky Dean that appeared on the cover of The Society of American
Magicians’ M-U-M (Magic, Unity and Might) magazine along with a
feature article about the magical careers of Marg and Dicky Dean.
Appearing on the cover of M-U-M is a huge honour for any magician
– especially a Canadian magician from London, Ontario. The cover
features magicians who have contributed significantly to the world of
magic. The Society of American Magicians is the oldest continuous
magicians’ organization in the world. Almost every famous magician in
North America and the United Kingdom has been a member of the Society of
American Magicians. Houdini was the national president during the last
ten years of his life. Canadians should be very proud of the
accomplishments of Dicky Dean.
-
Following his appearance
on the cover of M-U-M magazine Dicky Dean became a regular columnist in
M-U-M. In his column “Stage Magic” he shares creative stage effects that
he has invented with other magicians around the world.
-
January 2005, Joan Caesar featured
a picture of Dicky and Marg Dean on the cover of Canada's Northern
Peaks, a Journal for Canadian Magicians
Click here to find
out how you can make your special event an outstanding success with Dicky
Dean the Magician.
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