When Gregory Wilson opened the can of worms on episode 268, I guess I expected to give voice to the other point of view. But I did not want to be the "Jerry Springer" or "Maury Povich" of the magic world and pit magicians against each other who happen to have a "beef" with the other for "stealing" intellectual property. i still do not want to perpetuate animosity and derision in our community. In fact, I would rather open the floor to discussion about what constitutes thievery versus what is open to "fair use" in the magic world.

Apollo Robbins was at the epicenter of Gregory's accusations and his side needed to be heard. Shortly after the release of Greg's podcast, I spoke with Apollo. He was reluctant at first but after we chatted a bit, he agreed to publicly air his position and left to live on the information highway. But it was with the proviso that The Magic Word Podcast seek out first-hand accounts from those who were mentioned and have their own stories to defend.

So, I want to begin this week with the hope and promise of trying to fairly and diplomatically look for the truth, whatever that is and wherever that may lead. It could be that no one is right or wrong, it is just a matter of one's construct of reality. I will try to contact those mentioned by Greg to see if they will be willing to go on record to present "proof" that Greg was demanding or at least to tell their side of the story. In the end, you can make up your own mind on who and what you believe.

I like the idea of trying to emulate the idea of the wildly successful podcast series, "Serial". While I will not copy their format, I do want to try to get people to speak on the record about the accusations as they relate to Gregory Wilson and, more importantly, to reveal a subject that should be aired in our magic community: theft versus entitlement. You can follow and/or add to the discussion on Twitter by using the hashtag #MagicCereal

Hailed as the greatest pickpocket in the world, Apollo Robbins studies the quirks of human behavior as he steals your watch. In a hilarious demonstration, Robbins samples the buffet of the TEDGlobal 2013 audience, showing how the flaws in our perception make it possible to swipe a wallet and leave it on its owner's shoulder while they remain clueless.

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Magicians' Valhalla

Although the list below is not exhaustive, it does reflect the names of many well-known (and some lesser known) magicians, spouses and assistants who passed on in 2015. Some may not be as well-known to you, but they were my personal friends (hey, it is my blog!). If you are unfamiliar with any of these names, then it would behoove you to do a little online search of what these people have contributed to our craft. If you have someone you think was overlooked, then please post the name in the comments below on this blog.

Those whose names are highlighted were featured or interviewed here on The Magic Word Podcast. You can click on their name to revisit and listen to their voices again.

Claude E. Crowe, Jr.

Amy Dawes

Tim Deremer

Andrea “Andi” Diamond

Dean Dill

Tony Econ

Don England

Lee Grabel

Michael A. Hilburger

Gary D. Jennings

Douglas R. Kornegay

Stan Kramien

René Lavand

Ron London

Father Cyprian Murray

Woodrow “Woody” R. Pittman, Jr.

John J. Randall aka “Johnny Aladdin”

Barrie Richardson

Edward S. Solomon

Donald F. Stiefel

Daniel Waldron

Scott Weston, aka Cashetta

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270: Apollo Robbins on the Other Side of the Record

Magicians' Valhalla

The Magic Word