Here we see the depths to which children's fashion had sunk by 1977. The emulsion in the photo has started to deteriorate, so there's kind of an ethereal orange glow in the photo. In case you're wondering, that is the same Magic Hat from the previous photo. I'm not sure whether my whole act was the same at this point, but working with an assistant was definitely a new twist. I'm sure it will be immediately apparent to the reader that I had by now developed an uncanny ability to fashion stylish and functional capes from just about any towel or fabric to be found in the house.
Good magicians can improvise.
Louis Tannen, Inc. . As a young boy from Mississippi, Tannen's thick magic catalog provided a great many hours of reading and dreaming. I won or placed in some little local talent competitions, got my picture in the paper, and did some kids' birthday parties. On the whole, these years of parties and talent shows were great fun and excellent preparation for the theatrical ambitions I would have later in college. In late high school and college, I drifted away from magic as a serious preoccupation.