California Magic & Novelty Co
Magic Tricks - Magic Teaching DVDs - Magic Books - Juggling Supplies - Practical Jokes
729 Castro Street Martinez, Ca 94553
Phone - 925 - 374 - 0056 Fax 925 - 374 - 0057
Magic has lost one of its greatest performers. Vic Kirk succumbed to cancer, December 30, 2000, after a 15 month illness. He has been praised by many of the greats...including The Professor, Joe Berg, Slydini and Ricky Jay, just to name a few. And anyone who knew him, had great respect for him and his work. Vic Kirk was born in Long Beach, California on September 16, 1942. He began studying and practicing magic at the age of eight years. Not knowing anyone else in magic, he studied and tried everything in the classic books; Modern Magic, Greater Magic and the Tarbell Course, in fact any and all of the books he could get his hands on. At the age of seventeen he went to his first magic convention in Vancouver, Canada. Mickey Hades (who had put the convention together) asked him to write a column in his magic magazine. Of course, Vic in his naive humbleness felt he was too young to tell other people how to do magic, so he declined. Vic perfected his skills performing weekly at the Monterey Postgrad school where he was for his four year stint in the Navy.
He performed on "Ted Mack Amateur Hour" on TV in 1960 and won the 12th Naval District talent show at Treasure Island, Ca., at about the same time...ask Dick Zimmerman about the date as Vic beat him out! He began working the Magic Castle yearly when the Palace of Mystery was still downstairs in the basement. According to "people in the know" at the Castle, he was nominated for awards every year he performed there... though he never won, fortunately he never put much stock in "winning." But he did put a lot of stock in doing his best. He will also probably go down as the only regular performer not to have his picture (caricature) done at the Castle.
Vic was always a favorite performer at the famed Magic Cellar nightclub of the 1970's in San Francisco, California. Also, a favorite performer at Magic Island in Houston, Texas. His performances were so popular, he became a full time performer in 1978 working private, corporations, cruise ships and clubs. Vic and his wife Mary performed what is considered to be the best and most believable two person telepathy ever seen. Though he performed everything from illusions to mentalism to close-up, he was never found without a deck of cards in his hands.
While Vic's knowledge of magic was encyclopedic, he studied only to be able to constantly improve and to do the best magic possible. His goal in life was not to show how clever he was but to entertain with magic to the point of allowing the audience to believe they had actually seen "Magic" If you have ever seen any of his shows you know he achieved this goal time and again.
He is survived by his wonderful wife - assistant - partner Mary and countless adoring fans.
He is greatly missed.
Respectfully submitted - Gerry Griffin - January 6, 2001