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BillWheeler New user Naperville, IL 80 Posts |
Hi Todd--
It is my understanding that assembling all of Al Baker's material was an unbelivable chore (which is why it took so long for his material to be republished). Why were you able to succeed where so many other publishers failed? Bill |
Todd Karr V.I.P. Los Angeles 152 Posts |
Bill
Good question. Maybe my heart was in the right place! I was lucky enough to connect with collectors who had Baker material, but the real challenge was getting the rights to the books published by the Carl Jones family (Magical Ways and Means, Pet Secrets, and Mental Magic). The Joneses are very cautious about any project involving the Jones book (Richard Kaufman had a similar challenge with Greater Magic). We agreed to pay them a substantial royalty, and then it took almost a year to get all the family members to agree and sign a contract. It just took a lot of dogged pursuit to get permission, then months and months of transcribing, typing, and collecting material. A great but exhausting project. |
Paul Chosse V.I.P. 1955 - 2010 2389 Posts |
Todd,
I have owned all the Baker material for years, including the magazine articles I clipped over the years and held in a Baker file. I can't tell you how happy I was to see you put it all in one place! You did the magic world a great service. At the same time, I have to say I was less than happy about everyone having access to the material I held so dear for so long. I have files on several other magicians that should be done as books like the Baker tome, but, at the same time, I like having it to myself! Charlie Miller would be a great project, if you ever need something new to pursue. Thanks again for the great service you do us all. I doubt that people realize just how difficult your job is, and how little compensation you recieve, really... Best, PSC
"You can't steal a gift..." Dizzy Gillespie
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Review King Eternal Order 14446 Posts |
Todd, fantastic job on the Al Baker project. Superb!!!
Chris
"Of all words of tongue and pen,
the saddest are, "It might have been" ..........John Greenleaf Whittier |
fredrux New user 55 Posts |
The Secret Ways of Al Baker is such a beautiful book in every respect. The vast magic material, the design, the editing, the artwork, the essays, the typesetting, etc etc. I love it!!!
Thank You Todd! Fredrik |
Todd Karr V.I.P. Los Angeles 152 Posts |
Fred and Chris...thanks so much for the compliments on Baker. It's one of my favorites of the books I've done and I'm glad it's found a place in your hearts.
Paul: You bring up a good point about access. There are diverging opinions on whether material of that calibre should be made available to just anyone. The usual concern people mention to me (and I know this isn't yours) is that hacks will not do the material justice when performing. I don't really share that concern. I think the important thing is to put it all under one cover, like you stated, so that magicians can access the knowledge and apply it to their acts. I also think it's really important to preserve this material in a form that may give it a chance to survive another few hundred years. In Baker's case, many of the instructions sheets and mimeographed publications weren't printed to last, but I hope now magicians of the future will be able to read these ephemeral gems. And as for Charlie Miller, stay tuned. |
Review King Eternal Order 14446 Posts |
As the saying goes, if you want to hide soemthing,put it in a book. The majority of people these days learn from DVD's. It takes a dedicated person to read a magic book and to understand and what is being taught.
Charlie Miller? he doesn't get enough credit. I'm THRILLED that Todd will be sharing the work of one of the gerats in magic!! Chris
"Of all words of tongue and pen,
the saddest are, "It might have been" ..........John Greenleaf Whittier |
Todd Karr V.I.P. Los Angeles 152 Posts |
Chris: Thanks for the support, but nothing's been planned officially or unofficially yet. It's on my wish list, though.
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ferryascanio Loyal user Jakarta - Indonesia 264 Posts |
I have the book : secret ways of Al Baker, the material are old and classic, but anyway still is a good book & source about the great Al baker.
Thank's Tod Karr you did a great job. |
Todd Karr V.I.P. Los Angeles 152 Posts |
Thanks, FerryAscanio. While you're here, I'd be very curious if you could tell us a little about magic in Indonesia!
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Necromancer Inner circle Chicago 3076 Posts |
I love this book -- doubly so because Jay Marshall autographed it for me. I'm not big on material possessions, but this is one of the few things with which I will never part.
Infinite thanks, Todd. Best, Neil P.S. And oh, those Abbott books!
Creator of The Xpert (20 PAGES of reviews!), Cut & Color, Hands-Off Multiple ESP (HOME) System, Rider-Waite Readers book, Zoom Pendulum ebook ...
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Todd Karr V.I.P. Los Angeles 152 Posts |
Thanks, Neil. Glad you like the Abbott books! A lot of love, care, time, and energy went into them!
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