The Linking Ring

The Linking Ring is a monthly print magazine devoted to magic and published by the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM), one of the major international organizations serving professional and amateur magicians. The magazine began publication in 1922 and functions as both an organizational journal and a specialist periodical for the wider magic community. Its principal editorial role is to connect IBM members, document activities of local IBM chapters, review developments in the field, and preserve the history and working knowledge of magic. The publication is based in Bluffton, Ohio, and is distributed primarily through the IBM membership structure. Although it is associated closely with the organization, its editorial subject matter extends beyond administrative notices. Regular material has included articles about performers and contributors to magic, reports from local IBM Rings, reviews of books and instructional media, discussion of marketed magic effects and utility devices, bibliographic resources, and columns addressing performance practice and the history of the art. This combination gives The Linking Ring the character of a membership journal, trade publication, cultural record, and specialist reference source. Among its recurring features is Hocus In Focus, a review section covering magic books, marketed effects, utility devices, and magic-related videos. Hocus Pocus Parade is another established department; although the table of contents may identify an individual contributor, the continuing column title remains Hocus Pocus Parade. Ring Reports gathers monthly submissions from reporters associated with individual IBM Rings and provides a decentralized view of club activities. Other documented departments and series have included The President's Page, Our Side of the Pond, The Expert at the Tech Table, Situationally Yours, and Marcom...from the table of my memory. The magazine has also carried substantial historical and bibliographic content. Memoirs of a Magician's Ghost: The Autobiography of John Booth appeared as a continuing feature, while Jack Potter's Potter's Bar series ran from 1952 through 1969 and supplied bibliographic references to descriptions of magical effects in periodicals and books. The material from Potter's Bar was later gathered into The Master Index to Magic in Print, illustrating how the magazine's contents could become durable reference material for researchers and performers. The Linking Ring has regularly featured notable magicians on its covers and in cover stories. Its cover-related editorial record includes a December 2007 issue devoted inside to the life and contributions of Nelson Hahne, even though the cover used an illustration in Hahne's style rather than a literal photograph or appearance by Hahne. The magazine has also featured performers from successive generations of magic families; Kristen Johnson followed her mother Sunny Johnson, who had appeared on the cover in March 2002. In 2007, magician, author, and publisher Samuel Patrick Smith became the magazine's executive editor. Earlier editorial leadership included Phil Wilmarth, who also served as assistant editor, and Howard Bamman; both are identified as editors emeriti. The available reference material does not establish whether Smith remains in the role today or identify a current editor. The publication's continuing purpose is to serve IBM members while maintaining a long-running archive of magical performance, literature, technology, personalities, and club life.

The Linking Ring began publication in 1922 as the magazine of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. From its inception, it has served an organizational and editorial purpose: it communicates with IBM members while also documenting the people, practices, literature, equipment, and institutional life of magic. Its long publication history makes it a continuing record of developments in twentieth- and twenty-first-century conjuring, particularly from the perspective of a membership organization rather than a general-interest publisher. The magazine is based in Bluffton, Ohio, and is issued monthly in print. Its primary audience consists of IBM members and readers interested in professional and amateur magic. The publication's recurring coverage links the central organization with local IBM Rings, the name used for many IBM chapters. Ring Reports, compiled from monthly submissions by Ring Reporters, gives the periodical a distributed reporting structure and records activities across the organization's local network. Over time, The Linking Ring developed a broad editorial mix. Hocus In Focus reviews magic books, marketed effects, utility devices, and videos related to magic. Hocus Pocus Parade is a recurring column whose contributor may change from issue to issue, while the department retains its established name. Other documented features include The President's Page, Our Side of the Pond, The Expert at the Tech Table, and Situationally Yours. These departments indicate that the magazine has covered organizational affairs, performance methods, technical matters, and viewpoints from different parts of the magic community. The publication has also supported historical and bibliographic scholarship. Memoirs of a Magician's Ghost: The Autobiography of John Booth appeared as a serialized or continuing feature. Jack Potter's Potter's Bar series, published from 1952 to 1969, provided bibliographic references to descriptions of magical effects categorized by subject. The Potter material was subsequently collected in The Master Index to Magic in Print, showing how the magazine's serial content could be transformed into a standalone research tool. Cover stories and cover portraits have provided another recurring editorial format. The magazine has featured many magicians, and its documented cover history includes performers from successive generations. Sunny Johnson appeared on the cover in March 2002, and Kristen Johnson later followed in the magazine's cover tradition. The December 2007 issue is a useful example of the distinction between cover artwork and cover subject: although the issue's cover used an illustration drawn in the style of Nelson Hahne, its cover story addressed Hahne's life and contributions rather than presenting him as literally appearing on the cover. Editorial leadership has included Phil Wilmarth and Howard Bamman, both identified as editors emeriti. Phil Wilmarth also served as assistant editor. In 2007, Samuel Patrick Smith, a magician, author, and publisher based in Eustis, Florida, became executive editor. The available source material does not provide a complete chronology of editorial appointments or confirm Smith's current status. The magazine remains associated with the International Brotherhood of Magicians and continues to be presented as a monthly publication for its membership.

1. 2007Samuel Patrick Smith becomes executive editor

   Samuel Patrick Smith becomes executive editor of the magazine.

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2. 2007Nelson Hahne cover story

   The December issue carries a cover story about Nelson Hahne; its cover artwork is an illustration in Hahne's style rather than a direct appearance by Hahne.

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3. 2002Sunny Johnson appears on the cover

   Sunny Johnson appears on the March 2002 cover, later becoming part of a documented mother-daughter cover connection involving Kristen Johnson.

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4. 1969Potter's Bar series concludes

   The documented run of Jack Potter's Potter's Bar series ends after appearing in the magazine from 1952 through 1969.

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5. 1952Potter's Bar series begins

   Jack Potter begins the Potter's Bar series, which provides bibliographic references to magical effects described in books and periodicals.

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6. 1922Publication begins

   The Linking Ring begins publication as a monthly magic magazine of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

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A specialist membership magazine and reference publication for the magic community, combining International Brotherhood of Magicians news with performance coverage, reviews, historical writing, bibliographic resources, and reports from local magician clubs.

• The Linking Ring monthly issuePrint magazine1922

  The core offering is a monthly print issue published by the International Brotherhood of Magicians for its members. It combines organizational communication with articles, reviews, performer coverage, historical material, technical discussion, and reports from local IBM Rings. The issue format supports both current community news and archival content about the development and practice of magic.

• Hocus In FocusReview section

  Hocus In Focus is a recurring review department covering a broad range of magic-related material. Its documented scope includes books, marketed magic effects, utility devices, and videos. The section gives readers evaluative information about products and media relevant to performers, collectors, students, and researchers.

• Hocus Pocus ParadeEditorial column

  Hocus Pocus Parade is a continuing column in The Linking Ring. Individual issues may identify the contributing magician in the table of contents, but the department retains the Hocus Pocus Parade title. It is part of the magazine's established editorial framework for presenting material from individual magic contributors.

• Ring ReportsMembership and chapter reports

  Ring Reports is a recurring collection of monthly submissions from Ring Reporters associated with individual International Brotherhood of Magicians Rings. It documents local club activity and connects the magazine's central editorial platform with IBM's geographically distributed membership network.

• The Master Index to Magic in PrintBibliographic reference

  This reference work grew out of Jack Potter's Potter's Bar columns, which ran in The Linking Ring from 1952 through 1969. The collected index organizes bibliographic references to descriptions of magical effects in books and periodicals, extending the usefulness of the magazine's research-oriented content beyond individual issues.

• 2007Samuel Patrick Smith became executive editor

  Magician, author, and publisher Samuel Patrick Smith became executive editor of The Linking Ring.

  Leadership change
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• 2007December 2007 issue featured a Nelson Hahne cover story

  The December 2007 issue discussed Nelson Hahne's life and contributions in its cover story. The cover itself used an illustration in Hahne's style rather than depicting Hahne directly.

  Other
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• Kristen Johnson followed Sunny Johnson in the magazine's cover history

  The magazine's documented cover history notes that Kristen Johnson followed her mother Sunny Johnson, who appeared on the cover in March 2002.

  Other
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1. The Linking Ring
2. The Linking Ring — International Brotherhood of Magicians