* (restored)
Denny and Lee’s Magic Studio, Baltimore
Where Magic Begins, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Magic Corner, Mirror, Bangladesh
Lincoln Magic Shop, Mt. Vernon, WA
The Magic Apple, Los Angeles
Cooper’s Magic Shop, Sussex
Davenport’s, London
International Magic Shop, London
House of Minalima, London
Magic Shop, somewhere in the desert, NM
Ziggy’s Magic Shop, Lancaster, PA
Magic Shop, Lebannon
Magicland, Tokyo
Manora Magic Shop, Tokyo
UGM, Nagoya
Dragonolia, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Tricks Magic Shop, Auckland, New Zealand
The Wonderfun Shop, Pompton Lakes, NJ
The Magic Shop, Oldwick, NJ
Zauberkönig, Berlin
Houdini’s Temple of Mystery, Atlantic City
Harry Houdini’s Magic Shop, Laguna, Philippines
Java Magic, Semarang, Indonesia
Bernard’s Magic Shop, Melbourne
Tallula, Edinburgh
Aha Ha Ha, Edinburgh
Tam Shepherd’s Trick Shop, Glasgow
Rigas Melnais Balsams, Riga
Vienna Magic, Vienna
Market Magic and Novelty Shop, Seattle
Y.E.S. Magic, Orlando
Old Town Magic, Kissimmee, FL
Misdirections Magic Shop, San Francisco
Houdini’s Magic Shop, San Francisco
The Crystal Magic Shop, Sedona, AZ
Doc’s Magic Shop, Gattlinburg, TN
Clownin Around Magic Shop, Vancouver
The Magic Shop, Las Vegas
Houdini’s Magic Shop, New York New York Hotel, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Magic Shop, Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Magic Shop, Stratosphere Hotel, Las Vegas
Magic, Brighton
Woodland Magick, Gillingham, UK
Merlin’s Magic Shop, Disneyland, Anaheim
The Magic Joke Shop, Cambridge
Theater Magic Shop, St. Augustine, FL
Jongs Magic Shop, Shanghai
Ang House of Magic, Shanghai
Tannen Magic, NYC
The Magic Shop, NYC
Funny Store, NYC
Abracadabra Superstore, NYC
Eclectica, Rome
Hardy Har Har, Kingston, ONT
The Vanishing Rabbit, Edmonton
Mayette Magie Moderne, Paris
Academie de Magie, Montpellier, FR
Ollivanders Wand Shop, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Orlando
Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Orlando
Magic Shop, Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN
The Magic Shop, Tucson
El Rei de la Magia, Barcelona
The Cuckoo’s Nest Magic Shop, Pittsburgh
Ash’s Magic Shop, Chicago
Riley’s Trick Shop, Chicago
Star Magic Shop, Goa
Abracadabra Costume and Magic Shop, Dayton
Big Hearted John’s, Ocean City, NJ
Morley’s Magic Shop, Butler, NJ
Joe Sam’s Fun Shop, Pasadena, TX
B Magic Shop, Arlington, TX
Top Hat Magic and Fun Shop, Tulsa
The Vanishing Rabbit, Niagara Falls
Theater Magic Shop, Universal Studios, Hollywood
St. Pierre’s Hollywood Magic Inc., Hollywood
Owen Magic Supreme, Azusa, CA
Black Fox Magic Shop, Big Bear, CA
Mom Crosewl’s Magic Shop, Crownsville, MD
Magic Shop, Budapest
Bartt Rocket Magic Shop, Eureka Springs, AR
The Magic Shop, Levittown, NY
Tricks Magic Shop, Alberta
Witchcraft and Magic Shop, New Orleans
Magic Shop, Tijuana
Dave’s Killer Magic Shop, Vancouver
Charme et Sortilege, Montreal
Morrissey’s Magic Shop, Toronto
Marty Magic Shop, Half Moon Bay
Barry’s Magic Shop, Rockville, MD
Dynamite Magic Shop, Velden, Holland
The Magic Shop, Stockholm
Pantry Magic, Hong Kong
Abbott’s Magic Shop, Collon, MI
Queen of Hearts Magic Emporium, Polton, NC
The Wunderground Magic Shop, St Clawson, MI
Joke Shop, Blackpool
Manaleak Magic, Birmingham
MagicNevin Shop, Lincoln, UK
Tomfoolery, Rye
Magic Castle, Four Corners, FL
Shuffle’s Magical Ice Cream Shoppe, Canta Clara, CA
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p.s. Hey. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hey! I’ve done VR a bit, and I haven’t much liked anything, but god knows any medium can allow greatness, and there’s certainly technical promise there, so, yeah, hold out hope at least? Btw, I loved the PT episode. It was very a dreamy and spacey and moody one. So much so that I lost track of which track was which, but I especially was taken with the last half or so, starting with that surprise ‘California Dreamin” cover, which sounded almost like a Strawberry Switchblade outtake to me, and from there on. The Forest Kelley track made for a brilliant ending. So, thank you, maestro! ** Dominik, Hi!!! One of my early poetry books was named after a Shangri-La song: ‘He Cried’. Yes, and apparently I won’t receive my copies of ‘Flunker’ for another 1 1/2 weeks! Eeek! Any cartoon character in particular? I wonder if I masturbated to a cartoon character who I was 10 or something. I can’t remember. I think I masturbated to Batman’s Robin, but it was the TV show not the cartoon. Love making magic shops become the height of coolness for the TikTok set consequently flooding the world with them, G. ** Joseph, Hi. Well, yeah, of course! When I was living in Amsterdam in the mid-80s, I got really bad German measles, and, given the time period, I was convinced until I was finally diagnosed that I had AIDS, which was a death sentence at the time, and that kicked my ass into finally starting to write the Cycle books on what initially seemed to be my death bed. So I get you. Yeah, I think I have to try out doing some sound effects with my mouth. The Bobby Lees are in my sights. Jack Terricloth Day? You bet. You want to do it, or should I? I don’t know his stuff, but I’m a quick learner when need be. Eat boulders even, motherfuckers! ** Lucas, Hi! Yes, Bjork was married to the artist Matthew Barney at the time, and he dragged her to it. Some say their divorce was in some small part due to ‘Jerk’. I hate Lars von Trier’s movies, but I guess every body knows that. My day was ok. I finished the draft of the film script, and I’m about to send it to Zac to see what he thinks. I ate an extremely delicious Armenian sandwich. I looked at art. Not bad. Your day sounds quite good. Good luck polishing off the collage, and on the zine work! Good way to battle the heat. There’s heat sort of rumbling under the surface of the weather’s niceness here, but it hasn’t escaped yet. xo. ** Harper, Hi. ‘Confidence in my uncertainty’: I’m so totally with you there, as you know. Blanchot really helped me key into who I am, and especially into what I wanted my writing voice to be. It was kind of remarkable. It is allergy time. I’m not feeling it, but a bunch of my local friends are. I think because I grew up in LA where there are the very dreaded Santa Ana winds, which are basically pollen in motion, every other allergy season seems kind of small fry to my nose, etc. Good luck. ** Sarah, Hey. Me too, being glad I mean. I’m excited by your story idea. I’ve had dreams of writing about a game developer, but I never could figure out how to do it given my voice or whatever. Can you say anything about the story? ** Corey Heiferman, C-Level was fantastic. I used to go there all the time. Genius concoction/place. An ‘Out 1 style group’: dreamy, obviously. Yeah, collaborating with a planner/promoter sounds like kind of a no brainer idea? You have anyone in mind? It sounds like a great plan to me iow, and, I don’t know, your instincts seem very attuned. ** Nicholas., I can relate to that. I’ve been in one of those too. Cran makes things good. Almost always. It’s curious. Those are excellent paragraphs you shared there. I can see why you’re chuffed by them. You’re obviously in the zone. Stay there if you can. xo ** Oscar 🌀, We have LIDL. I’m not sure about the other one. Zac was just telling me the other day that LIDL is trying to up its game and be legit bordering on fancy. But I haven’t checked. My favorite snack used to be this chocolate bar called ENO, which pre-dated Eno the music guy, but they don’t make them anymore. Unless LIDL has successfully faked them. Ooh. There’s a secret message for you in this: shiposcillatestherabbit. Ouch, sorry for the browser breakage. I do test the limits, bad me. I’m happy you liked Eddo Stern! He’s great! Where are you moving, and why? I hope you find some long lost important personal item or a stray billion dollar bill under some seat cushion or something. My day is … sending a draft of the new film script to Zac for his input, and maybe seeing if Krispy Kreme’s lines are less than a hour long by now, and email, and watching some movie or other. Okay seeming. Big one! ** Right. When I was a kid, if I saw a magic shop somewhere, I would practically faint from excitement. The real IRL world is perfectly cool as is, but I do think back when every town had a magic shop, towns were maybe more poetic. See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
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Oh, I know one of these near where my partner lives! I remember they started out pretty normal, but since shutting down a year or so ago they’ve been filling their windows with posters explaining “how society is really run”, that largely revolve around antisemite conspiracy. It’s pretty bleak, but I guess being into esoteric stuff maybe makes you a bit more open to that. I guess coming up with one guy / race who embody everything going downhill is probably a pretty similar impulse to the polytheist occultists who would make gods for pretty much anything, like luck, or bathing. etc.
I didn’t know Lidl was going upmarket! That’s a little bleak, they’re sort of the ultimate budget shopping destination for me. I think they had 4 tins of peas for seven cents at one point, pretty out there.
Also – the people who are publishing Flunker are incredibly nice, they let me know I’d overpaid for postage. Have a great day!
Hi!!
I have a copy of “He Cried.” It’s one of my most prized possessions. I didn’t know it was named after a Shangri-Las song, though!
Shit… What’s going on with your “Flunker” package?
Hmm. Maybe Kurt from “X-Men Evolution”? Strictly paired up with another guy from the series. I’m never in my own fantasies. Robin is a sound choice as well, haha!
I don’t understand why magic shops aren’t already the height of coolness!
Love parking the tiny Tricks Magic Shop right under your window and hoping desperately that you’ll take his message on the license plate seriously, Od.
Before my time, but back in the 70s there was a UK kids TV Show called Mr Benn. He wore a black lounge suit and bowler hat, leaving his suburban home to visit a fancy-dress costume shop. “As if by magic… the shopkeeper appeared.” He was invited by the shopkeeper to try on a particular outfit. He then left the shop through a magic door at the back of the changing room and entered a world appropriate to his costume. Definitely had its own whimsical, psychedelic charm.
As ever, thank you for the Play Therapy v2.0 praise! Always a pleasure to receive positive feedback.
Mr. Benn is a national treasure.
Hey Dennis!
Growing up in Philly, there was a spot called Harry’s Occult Shop that had all kinds of stuff relating to magic, wicca, sorcery, etc. About a decade ago it merged with a New Age shop and now it mostly sells tarot decks and reiki stuff, apparently.
Thanks for your kind words about the book. I feel like it’s probably my best, too, though I don’t want to get too cocky or anything. I’m trying to “move beyond it” and start on some new projects but having some trouble doing so…but I think I’m coming out of it, as I have two impending deadlines for prose pieces and those tend to set off my poetry as well. Or maybe I’ll stick to prose? Who knows. A friend of mine said I should write YA novels and try to make some bank, but that truly doesn’t appeal to me too much, and I know next to nothing about the genre, so…
Things are fine here otherwise.
xot
I released a new single, “Boot Camp Healing,” yesterday: https://callinamagician.bandcamp.com/track/boot-camp-healing . On FB, someone described it as a church organ having a nervous breakdown.
Any progress on your script for the short film?
hi!
yeah, I know you hate lars von trier’s movies, and in some way I’m glad you do because that gives me a reason to never watch them, haha. that’s cool about the film script! I hope your wednesday was also ok (or better than that, even). was it? I’m alright if a bit frustrated because the photos I took with the disposable camera in paris are taking longer than I thought they would to be developed. I ended up taking most pics in the cemetery in montmartre but I’m waiting to see if any of them came out well so I can scan them and include them in the zine somehow or make a collage out of them. on that note, here’s the collage I started yesterday. it’s really cluttered and messy, but that’s precisely where I was trying to go with it.
https://imgur.com/a/oYf99Jr
I think you could write about a game-dev for sure, that’d be awesome. Why do you think your voice doesn’t lend itself to that? You already wrote up that fake game for God Jr which seemed like it’d be super fun if you weren’t going through what that guy was going through.
I actually kind of wanted to be a gamedev when I was a kid, like a little kid, but I never pursued it. Just never had any desire to learn how to code at all, not in my nature to do logical type stuff like that. I still kind of want to write a game at some point in my life, an RPG or something. It’s pretty hard to imagine actually happening right now, though.
And yeah, the story is about someone who works on big games like GTA and stuff going through crunch. Idk if you know about crunch in games, it’s like this brutal mandatory overtime that people working on really huge games have to do near the end of the project, 70-80 hour weeks. If they quit during that, their name gets wiped from the credits and they won’t let you use them as a reference for other jobs. Rockstar, the ppl who make GTA, are apparently owned in part by some kind of mafia or something? Don’t remember. There are stories of corporate sending thugs in to threaten people with baseball bats. Crazy.
The story isn’t really about that kind of violence or anything, unless you count bad working conditions violence, which I guess I kind of do. It’s just about a guy who’s strung out working as an exterior designer, like making the textures and the shape of the ground in the game, who’s kind of an agoraphobe and doesn’t like being outside in real life. And his girlfriend kind of suddenly abandons him to move to Mongolia. At least that’s what happens right now, I don’t know, that part might change, a little cheesy. I think I read a little too much Iowa Writer’s Workshop type-stuff recently and need to reset my brain before I decide on that lol.
Anyways, long ass reply. Happy Wednesday!
Hi Dennis! Sorry for the delay again. I’m not sure if you saw my last comment on the most recent Slaves post. Understandable, you get so many I imagine it’s easy to slip through the cracks.
Congratulations on the not-as-horrible-as-predicted French election results!
The other day I saw you mentioned the Gamecube game ‘Eternal Darkness’, which made me very happy. That was one of the few horror games I was brave enough to play as a child, and this last month I’ve been watching a friend of mine play it for the first time – not only is she having a great time, but I think it holds up as a spooky, atmospheric horror game. It’s nice when childhood favourites hold up.
Speaking of nostalgia, forgive me if you get asked about it a lot, but I did recently watch the film adaptation of Frisk, not having seen it before, and I wonder how you feel about it now 30-ish years on.
It’s been far too warm up here in the PNW. There’s no air conditioning in my room, so I’ve been sleeping in two-hour chunks. I’m going to Seattle for the weekend, and I hope it’s a little more tolerable.
My copy of Flunker is en route, apparently, so that’s very exciting…happy Wednesday!
Hi. I was a big fan of magic shops as a kid. Unfortunately the one in my neighborhood was run by the worst guy imaginable. I remember being really small and he shouted at me for playing with the display toy. When he saw that he upset me he awkwardly tried to show me how to use it, I can’t remember what it was. Anyway, they’re out of business now. And yes, you’re right, I feel bad that kids don’t have so many of these kinds of places anymore. At the same time though, I was collecting old coins and random ephemera when I was a kid, so where there’s a will there’s a way. Did you collect anything weird as a kid?
I have had a bit of a nightmare today. Remember that blood test I was telling you about? Well, the clinic I sent it to who wanted to do a check up saw that my testosterone level is abnormally low, and they started asking me all these questions about sexual health over the phone. Anyway, they’re convinced that something in the test went wrong so they’ve recommended that I do it again. And it will be halfway into next month before I’m able to get any results probably so I’ve emailed the clinic pleading my case. My results aren’t abnormal and I don’t know how the initial blood test could have gone wrong. These setbacks are so frequent that I didn’t even acknowledge it at first, but I’m going to do what I have to. If I have to pay a lot for a private test then I’ll just have to do it.
Oh woah! “Queen of Hearts Magic Emporium, Polton, NC” NC is my state!
Let me check the distance.
Oh its closed. Damn.
There’s a place downtown on Front St called “Black Cat Shop” and I used to like it but its over expensive back when I was in HS me and my friend shoplifted a cool devil hat that someone stole from me. Karma.
Another notable thing is there’s thiss guy who hangs outside around that area and makes different array of balloons, honestly impresive results, I got one when I was…eight? Thats hoe long he’s been doin it. He’s a bit eccentric, and my friends think he might be ap edo or something but idk he’s chill! My friends are lame.
Starting soon im revising myself. Its crazy how quickly friendships start to dwindle after highschool 🙁 also since im so busy with school and other stressful factors I cant even really plan a day to make new ones, go out, some times im just so mentally exhausted and detached its like, –EH!-
Did you ever feel that way after…? Orr I dont know its weird because I feel that im struggling but then I get reassured–but in my head im thinking–they are just trying to make me feel better, liars, im a hopeless mess? Why did I even say this again?
Oh yeah!
I dunno got any adive. Nothing serious, you dont owe me that it can be funny or lighthearted.
OH wait I got a little nosey the other day reading but…you said you have a theater director friend who does puppetry?.
Im still thinking about what I want to do but im actually starting to consider graphic design. Idk I want something that can be versatille and range into quite a different field of oppurtunitys.
I think im too sick and unwell to be a starving artist so I have to keep things in check.
In “balance”
Like for example, graphic design can be artistic–or it could be more typogrpahy and business based.
Yada yada, you know. I dunno. I just like typing right now because I have the “clickity-clickl-click” sounds effects turned on.
You should try it somethings when writing. Not like serious writing but fun leisure writing/ I dont like noise when im focusing on my book, but if I want to transform into an 18th century paranoid writing in his Victorian abode i’ll play some piano and put keyboard effects ob.
My medication kicked in, so midway through this comment I got a little hyper.
C ya.
ughhh I forgot to proofread. I’m very sorry in advance for spelling laziness. Imagine a lazy writer. :>>{
Hey, Dennis! Fun post. It triggered a nearly forgotten memory of going to a local magic shop with my dad. I remember it being a fun browse. My dad was looking for a couple of those novelty fake turds to place on my mom’s brand new, all-white carpet; yet another one of my parents’ short-lived and questionable design choices. When she saw the faux shit, she screamed and was ready to toss out my beloved cat. My dad sure thought it was funny, though. I can’t say that I’ve ever really been a fan of pranks—I always place myself in the shoes of the prankee, and that’s worked to thwart any prankster-like impulses. Any idea when you’ll hear from the festivals about the acceptance(s) of ‘RT’? I hope that does the trick re: your difficult producer. ‘Serial Mom’ was recently added to Netflix, so I’m off to watch that as I’ve been wanting to revisit that film since your John Waters day a few months back. I’ve been on a bit of 90s film kick this week: revisiting ‘Nowhere’, ‘My Own Private Idaho’ and ‘Happiness’, so ‘Serial Mom’ will slot in nicely. Here’s a weird and painfully Millennial question: Do you have a ‘comfort’ film that you like to revisit? I think if I were pressed to pick one, it’d be ‘Amelie’, as it almost never fails to change my mood. 👀🎥