Updates & Errata

Often, as soon as a book is put into permanent type, errors and omissions begin to surface.  That, unfortunately, was also the case with my book, Joe Karson – Beyond Zombie.  For instance, the week I released the book, the late Jay Marshall immediately identified two unknowns in the photograph on page 75.  He was very good at that sort of thing!  Other friends in the magic history field would come across Karson material and knowing my passion, would pass the information on to me.  And during my own perusals of old magic periodicals, I occasionally stumble onto previously missed Karson items, too.

Fortunately, six years after the original publication, I had the opportunity to publish a second revised and expanded edition (in eBook form) where I was able to aid all the diehard magic history fans by publishing all of the updates and corrections that came to my attention.  So, if you have the original hard bound book edition, there is certainly some worth to obtaining the revised eBook, assuming you need to fulfill you habit of getting every morsel of information like I do.  Or if you missed out on getting the first edition, now you can get it all in eBook form (see the links on the “Karson Book” web page).

And one last thing; if you have a Joe Karson anecdote, experience, or any memorabilia you wish to share (or sell!), please feel free to get in touch with me.  I am always on the lookout for more Karson items.


Errata & Updates

Chapter 4
Page 54:  Magician Frank Clinton was mistakenly referred to as a “semi-professional,” he was actually a full time professional and performed over 400 shows a year.

Chapter 6
Page 75: The bottom photo lists two men as “unknown.”  Upon the book’s original publication, Jay Marshall saw the photo and immediately identified them (naturally).  The man next to Elmer Eckam is Burling Hull, and the man next to Hull is William J. Arenholz.

Chapter 10
Pages 127-129, 131, 202:  “Thornton,” in reference to the Thornton Reel (or Windlass) is misspelled as “Thorton,” the “n” being accidentally left out.

Appendix 2 – Annotated Bibliography of Zombie
(Omission) Here’s a book that featured Zombie that should have been in Appendix 2.

Jon, Finn. Magic of Finn Jon. First Edition. Paris, France: Georges Proust – Academie De Magie. 1984.  These Zombie ideas are different than the Finn Jon Zombie routine in the Ken Brooke book.  Page 15, “The Disappearing Zombie,” is a method for a complete vanish of the ball.  Jon substitutes a silver balloon for the ball, and a newspaper for the foulard.  By deflating  (not popping) the balloon, it apparently vanishes.  The gimmick is actually a  tube that plugs the balloon.  The performer removes a cork from the finger end of the gimmick, the balloon deflates, and the newspaper is simply folded up and placed under arm, the ball apparently has vanished.

Page 18, “The Zombie Ball With Wire,” again, Jon substitutes a silver balloon for the ball, this time not to create a vanish, but for it’s light weight characteristics.  The gimmick is made from flexible piano wire.  The ball can float about behind a lightweight silk, but can also float without the silk at all, merely bobbing about in front of the magician.  A dark suit and the constant motion of the ball keeps the gimmick hidden.  This is similar in method to the “Waltzing Matilda” dancing handkerchief and John Kennedy’s “Animated Self-lighting Cigarette.”

 

Copyright Michael E. Rose