Mel Babcock

Mel Babcock
Born	Melvin Leroy Babcock, Jr. July 10, 1931 Cashmere, Washington

Mel Babcock, Jr. (b. 1931) is a magic prop builder.

Biography

As an only child, he lived on a twenty acre orchard. Sometime in thelate 1940's, Babcock ordered a two dollar magic set from the back of a comic book and became hooked on magic.

After graduating from Cashmere High School, he went on to Washington State University where he studied pharmacological sciences, geology, and general business. Followed by a three year stint in the Army as a guided missile electronics repairman, he realized that magic sounded like fun so he taught himself magic. Performing at club and banquet shows, making his own props. His woodworking skills improved dramatically and during the early 1900's his grandfather had built a thirty by sixty foot, insulated building for fruit storage which he used for storage and machinery.

Syd Brockman, a Seattle magic dealer in the market for used props, noticed Babcock's quality work and requested that he make some for him. This was followed by other magicians who wanted custom work.

All the while this was going on, he was also attempting to run the twenty acre orchard he had grown up on. His daughter Sheri made costumes for him while she was in High School. Along with his son Jay, they toured the local service clubs, business conventions, schools and churches, and traveled as far as Spokane to appear on television a couple times. This lasted until the late 1970's when Sheri and Jay graduated from high school.

His first real magic convention was the 1989 Phoenix Magic Convention and two weeks later, at the Desert Magic Seminar, Joe Stevens asked Mel to build a few things for him. A great amount of exposure resulted from this leading Babcock to retire from the orchard operation business and spend full time building magic props.

References

This biographical material is about a living person.
Such material requires a high degree of sensitivity,
and must adhere strictly to all applicable laws in the United States.
See MagicPedia:Biographies_of_living_persons for more information.