Magician Dai Vernon is one of the most popular subjects to appear on magic magazine covers, giving collectors a great opportunity to build a neat collection.  Here's some covers from my personal collection.  I like collecting magic magazine covers of famous magicians.  The magic magazines are not expensive, they can be found on eBay from time to time, and there's always interesting articles inside.  It's the kind of secrets that magicians only share with each other.

According to an internet search on Magic Biography, Dai Vernon was named "Magician of the Year" by the Academy of Magical Arts in 1968.  He has appeared on the covers of magic magazines including "Genii" May 1983, May 1989, Dec. 2001, June 2006 and Aug. 2008; "The Linking Ring" May 1959 and Nov. 1973; "Magic" June 2006; and "M-U-M" Mar. 1975 and Nov. 1993.

Here's a few samples from my personal collection.

M-U-M, November 1993

Dai on the cover holding his Linking Rings, and inside, 12 more pages including "Dai Vernon: My friend" by Bruce Cervon, "Vernon: A fond retrospective" by James Patton, plus excerpts from the book "He Fooled Houdini: Dai Vernon A Magical Life" covering "What's wrong with magic" and "How to be effective," and some tricks revealed by Stephen Minch from "The Vernon Chronicles".  "M-U-M" is only distributed to members of the Society of American Magicians.  I've been a member for decades.  I enjoy getting their magazine.  It's one of the best in magic.

Genii, August 2008

Dai in the cover smiling and tilting his head, and inside 31 more pages including "Dai Vernon's secret mentor" by Karl Johnson and "Reminiscences in sleight of hand with Dai Vernon" by Richard Kaufman, loaded with pictures and secrets including The French Shift, Elliott's Riffle Pass, The Double Palm Change and the Diagonal Palm Shift.  "Genii" magazine is one of the most respected magic publications this century.  It's published by Richard Kaufman out of Washington, D.C.  I'm a long-time subscriber.  The quality is always high.

The Linking Ring, November 1973

Dai on the cover smiling, wearing a robe and bare chested, and inside a 2-page article on him by Lou Derman.  "The Linking Ring" is only distributed to members of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.  I've been a member for years, and it's a great value.  The magazine is fascinating.

Magic, June 2006

A silhouette of Dai over a montage of photos from his career, and inside 10 more pages on Vernon including "Dai Vernon: A legacy of magic" by David Ben and "'Circa 1915' by Dai Vernon, described by David Ben.  "Magic" is one of my favorite reads, since it's one of the best magic magazines in the world.  I highly recommend a subscription.  It's published by Stan Allen out of Las Vegas, Nevada.

My Own Dai Vernon Story

My name is San Diego Magician Michael E. Johnson.  I love collecting magic memorabilia.  It inspires me to learn about famous magicians like Dai Vernon. 

Yes, I met Dai Vernon twice at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.  That's a private magicians club for members of the Academy of Magical Arts.  He was always nice to me.  He hung out at the Magic Castle for years, performing and teaching and generally raising the quality of magic for performers.  I'm now a member of the Academy of Magical Arts, and it's an incredible club.  You can feel Vernon's influence there.  I highly recommend joining the AMA if you love magic.  It's possible for non-magicians to join too!  Somewhere, at the Magic Castle today, there's the next Dai Vernon lurking around, destined for fame.

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Have a magical day!