Ron Bauer

Ron Bauer
Born	Ronald Raymond Bauer 1938 Portland, Oregon
Categories	Books by Ron Bauer

Ron Bauer (b. 1938) is a professional writer in the computer and video industries, and a semi-professional magician. He's the author of a series of 24 "annotated performance scripts" for magicians, called the Ron Bauer Private Studies Series. He's also well-known for his T.T.T. (Two-card Turnover Technique) and R.A.P. (Riffle Action Palm). He maintained longtime friendships with Milt Kort, Jack McMillen, Don Alan, Ed Marlo, Dai Vernon, Charlie Miller, "Senator" Clarke Crandall, Bruce Cervon, and many others.

Biography

The Mr. Trix MagicFun Time Mall Show, with Bauer as the MagicFun Man

After being intrigued by a sign in the window, Ron Bauer walked through the door of his first magic shop at age 11, and he was hooked. He trained in Portland, Oregon, under Ted and Marie Hall, R. Vernon Cook, and Stan Payne of Star Magic. He voraciously devoured every magic book he could get his hands on, and in 1952, he was the first one in town to get a copy of the brand-new Modern Coin Magic by Bobo.

Shortly thereafter, Bauer's family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He met and began learning from Jack Dean and Charles Aste, Jr. He also started training in acting, and got involved in local radio, television, and live theater. In fact, Bauer was the first magician to appear on the first two television stations in Memphis.

In 1959, Bauer married and moved to Detroit, where he became the first full-time professional close-up magician working in the area. Several years later, he started his training in marketing at Maxon Advertising. In 1968, he founded Mr. Trix Enterprises, a children's entertainment company based in the prestigious Detroit-suburb Birmingham. Employing magicians, clowns, puppeteers, and party planners, Mr. Trix's popularity grew and it became the largest and most successful children's entertainment company in the Midwest. Children couldn't get enough of the MagicFun Man, Elmo D. Clown, Professor B'loon (sometimes played by Milt Kort), Kelly the Klorophyll Klown, and of course, the group's rabbit-in-a-hat mascot, Mr. Trix. Their shows included the "Mr. Trix MagicFun Time" show, the "Elmo D. Clown Show," "The Instant Puppet Show," and the "B'loon Circus." During this time Bauer also produced several Mr. Trix television projects.

Vernon, Miller, Bauer, and Marlo in Santa Barbara, June 1983

After almost a decade running Mr. Trix, Bauer turned his attention to television production. He was writer and producer for over 100 episodes of the Bozo the Clown show at WJBK-TV in the late seventies. Then, with an eye on the emerging video industry, he wrote, produced, and marketed the first training course in non-broadcast video production. After seeing his video production course, Sony contracted Bauer in the early eighties for a new project, so he headed to California.

In the summer of 1983, Bauer managed to persuade his friend Ed Marlo to venture out of Chicago and attend the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians' 51st annual magic convention in Santa Barbara, California, much to the delight of West Coast magicians, many of whom had never had a chance to see Marlo. The convention was a huge hit, with Marlo, Dai Vernon, Charlie Miller, and Jack McMillen all in attendance. It was the only time Marlo and Vernon ever shared a stage. A photograph of Vernon, Miller, Bauer, and Marlo, posing on a sunny Santa Barbara beach, appears in The Vernon Chronicles, Volume 2: More Lost Inner Secrets by Stephen Minch (1988, p. 216). It's inscribed by Ron Bauer to Bruce Cervon. The same photo without the inscription can be seen to the right.

Bauer with Milt Kort and Stephen Minch, c. 1998

Returning home to Detroit after finishing his work with Sony, Bauer turned his focus to a new technology: personal computers. He wrote the first book for the public on Microsoft DOS, called Easy DOS It! (1986), which went on to become one of the best-selling computer books of the 1980s. (It's also how Alex Elmsley learned DOS!)

In 1994, Bill Kalush held a private convention in New York City, inviting less than fifty of the top "workers" in the world to discuss and present ideas on a single card trick. Although Bauer was invited, he was unable to attend, but he sent his contribution for the benefit of everyone there. When Lance Pierce published a private book containing all the material from the event in 1997, he described Bauer like this:

Ron Bauer is the underground legend. A strong creator of routines and effects, he is rarely seen by the cogniscenti and even lesser known among the majority of the fraternity. For those who know, though, Ron represents the type of artist many of us would aspire to be.

The nickname caught on among magicians, and Bauer has often been known since as "THE Underground Legend."

Works

Ron Bauer Private Studies Series

This is a series of 24 annotated performance scripts written by Ron Bauer and illustrated by Sandra Kort. The first 12 were originally published by John Luka's Magic by Mail. In late 1999, Sandra Kort began publishing the series at her Electronic Graphic Art Design Studio (E-GADS), and released expanded and revised editions of the first 12.

According to Bauer:

...each of the items in my series is an "annoted performance script." They're intended to help out those with aspirations to perform in front of the public and (now get this part) have something to say that is at least somewhat as clever and amusing as the trick. Sometimes, performing a trick for friends or doing a little show is a person's only chance to be clever in public. Having the words and some help on the technical details can (almost assuredly) make the difference between having some fun and volunteering for humiliation.

#	Title	Creator	Close-Up	Parlor	Platform	Stage	Luka	E-GADS
1	Gadabout Coins Revisited	Ron Bauer					1998	2000
2	Sudden Death Gypsy Curse	Ron Bauer					1998	2000
3	Feminine Side (Out of This World)	Tony Chaudhuri					1998	2000
4	Butch, Ringo, and the Sheep (Thieves and Sheep)	Ron Bauer					1998	2002
5	Hornswoggled Again! (Bamboozle)	Ron Bauer					1998	2001
6	Owed to Poker Dan	Ron Bauer					1998	2001
7	Dixie! (Cups and Balls)	Ron Bauer					1998	2002
8	The Cursed Ring (Ring off Wand)	Ron Bauer					1998	2000
9	Fair and Sloppy (Slop Shuffle)	Ron Bauer					1998	2002
10	Left-Handed Hank	Charlie Miller					1999	2001
11	Mechanical Deck (The Pack That Cuts Itself)	Ron Bauer					1999	2001
12	Bar Bill Stunt (Bill Switch)	Paul Chosse					1999	2001
13	Cut-Up Card Trick	Senator Crandall					----	2003
14	Four Squares and a Knot (Sympathetic Silks)	Ron Bauer					----	2003
15	The Siamese Goose Egg Bag	Ron Bauer					----	2003
16	Time Machine	Ed Marlo					----	2004
17	Second Finger Top Deal	Ron Bauer					----	2004
18	Xerox Money (Himber Wallet)	Ron Bauer					----	2000
19	All-Outs Think-of-a-Card	Milt Kort					----	2005
20	That's the Spirit!	Ron Bauer					----
21	Final(ly) Aces (Ace Assembly)	Brother Hamman					----	2006
22	Hat Trick	Jim Bergstrom					----	2007
23	Worn Out Deck	Bob Longe					----
24	Sneaky Nudist Rides Again	Don Alan					----

Private Studies Special Editions

• Don Alan's Devano Card Rise (1999)
• The Chick Trick (2002)
• Basic Cups & Balls Technique (2004)
• The Complete Don Alan’s Chop Cup (2005)
• The Ron Bauer 2008 Lecture: Notes from "THE Underground Legend" (2008)
• The Revised Ron Bauer 2008 Lecture: Notes from "THE Underground Legend" (2009)

Contributions to Magazines

How to Perform Magic on Local TV

Title	Magazine	Vol.	No.	Date	Page(s)
"How to Perform Magic on Local TV"	The New Tops	22	2	1982-02	6-7
"Television Time"	The New Tops	22	3	1982-03	19-20
"What is a Stereotype–Really?"	The New Tops	22	5	1982-05	6-9
"Who’s Who in a TV Production"	The New Tops	22	7	1982-07	31-32
"The Shot"	The New Tops	22	8	1982-08	16-18
"Staging and Blocking, Part One"	The New Tops	22	10	1982-10	41-43
"Staging and Blocking, Part Two – Subjective Close-Up Magic"	The New Tops	22	11	1982-11	24-25
"Staging and Blocking, Part Three – Objective Close-Up Magic"	The New Tops	22	12	1982-12	24-25, 30-31
"Preparing for Local TV Interviews"	The New Tops	23	2	1983-02	8-10

Abbott's Jet Set

Title	Magazine	Vol.	No.	Date	Page(s)
Staging Ideas With Abbott’s Jet Set	The New Tops	21	9	1981-09	47
More Staging Ideas With Abbott’s Jet Set	The New Tops	22	9	1982-09	45-46
How to Porta-Drape Your Abbott’s Jet Set	The New Tops	22	9	1982-09	47-48

Card Technique

Title	Magazine	Vol.	No.	Date	Page(s)
T. T. T. (Two Card Turnover Technique)	Genii	46	11	1982-11	750-751
Card Technique (Ovette Master Move)	Genii	46	12	1982-12	824-825
The Screened Leipzig Pass	Genii	47	2	1983-02	113-114

The Key Ring Cycle

Title	Magazine	Vol.	No.	Date	Page(s)
Lots O’ Lock	The New Tops	21	12	1981-12	30-32
D-D-T!	The New Tops	22	2	1982-02	25-28
Hoppy	The New Tops	22	3	1982-03	23-28
A Timely Escape	The New Tops	22	7	1982-07	11-13

Other Tricks

Title	Magazine	Vol.	No.	Date	Page(s)
The Far East Far Out Coins	The New Tops	1	2	1961-02	8-9
Gagbag Routine	The New Tops	1	12	1961-12	32
Linking Pins Routine	The New Tops	2	2	1962-02	6-7
Phony Cast Gag	The New Tops	3	3	1963-03	23
Yogi Bear says... "Thanks"	The New Tops	3	8	1963-08	13
Silver Replacement	The New Tops	20	7	1980-07	49-50
Susan B's Diminishing Dollar	The New Tops	20	8	1980-08	6-9
Your Pencil–My Ring!	The New Tops	20	8	1980-08	24-26
Tootsie!	The New Tops	21	8	1981-08	6-10
The Big Bag of Tricks and the Little Black Hat	M-U-M	71	5	1981-10	41-45
Pig Pad	The New Tops	21	11	1981-11	6-7
Bauer’s Delusion	Genii	46	3	1982-03	169-171
The Jellis Ring	Genii	46	4	1982-04	237-239
Instant Lunch	The New Tops	22	8	1982-08	6-8
The Clones From Brazil	Genii	47	7	1983-07	464-466
Spirits	Genii	47	9	1983-09	616-618
The Presidential Production (Dick Zimmerman)	Genii	47	11	1983-11	773-775
The Lie Detector	The New Tops	33	10	1993-10	6-10
Key to the Draw	The New Tops	34	1	1994-01	22-25
Second Sight	The New Tops	34	10	1994-10	10-13
The Magic Coin	The New Tops	34	11	1994-11	26-28
Sure-Fire Think of a Card (Milt Kort)	The Linking Ring	77	10	1997-10	113-115

Articles

Title	Magazine	Vol.	No.	Date	Page(s)
Diana, the Enchantress (Profile of Diana Zimmerman)	Genii	47	11	1983-11	760-762
Milton Kort (1917–2003)	The Linking Ring	83	10	2003-10	69-70

Contributions to Books

Title	Book Title	Author	Year	Page(s)
Beanie Puppet Routines 1&2 (written by Oran Dent)	Ireland Yearbook 1960		1960	30-32
Made in Japan	The New Modern Coin Magic	J. B. Bobo	1966	485-486
The O-Korto Box Routine (with Milton Kort and Walter Wilson)	The New Modern Coin Magic	J. B. Bobo	1966	497-498
Gag Penetration with an Okito Box (with Milton Kort)	The New Modern Coin Magic	J. B. Bobo	1966	504
Off Color Elevator (with Milton Kort)	Off Color Card Tricks	Milton Kort	1970	5-6
Off Color Prediction	Off Color Card Tricks	Milton Kort	1970	49-51
The Screened Leipzig Pass	Daryl’s Ambitious Card Omnibus	Stephen Minch	1987	73-77
Peek, Look, & Think	Cardfixes	Jon Racherbaumer	1990	142-147
Bauer's Delusion	Secrets for the Part-time Magician	John Luka	1992	17-20
The Hofbauer Force	Card Finesse II	Jon Racherbaumer	1992	116-120
Screened Leipzig Card Pass	Card Finesse II	Jon Racherbaumer	1992	190-200
The Real Color Change	The Rainbow Deck	Randy Wakeman	1995	7-9
These Cards Are Marked	The Rainbow Deck	Randy Wakeman	1995	30-32
Sleightless Switches	The Rainbow Deck	Randy Wakeman	1995	41-42
Win at Gin!	Bill Kalush’s New York City Conference 1994	Lance Pierce	1996	104-117
The Lie Detector	L.I.N.T.: Luka in New Tops	John Luka	1997	1-8
Key to the Draw	L.I.N.T.: Luka in New Tops	John Luka	1997	20-26
The Magic Coin	L.I.N.T.: Luka in New Tops	John Luka	1997	65-69
Second Sight	L.I.N.T.: Luka in New Tops	John Luka	1997	77-82
Devilish Trickery	L.I.N.T.: Luka in New Tops	John Luka	1997	133-141
Good Luck	Card Tricks Galore	Bob Longe	1999	48-49
The O-Korto Box Routine (with Milton Kort and Walter Wilson)	KORT: The Magic of Milton Kort	Stephen Minch	1999	209-227
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie	Clever Close-up Magic	Bob Longe	2003	151-152
Super Toothpick (John Dowdy)	Clever Close-up Magic	Bob Longe	2003	152-153.
Slick Sticker Trick	Mystifying Card Tricks	Bob Longe	2005	37-44
Drawn Instead of Quartered	Switch: Unfolding the $100 Bill Change	John Lovick	2006	293-294
R.B.'s Delusion	Uncovered: Secrets for the Serious Magician	John Luka	2006	73-76
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie	Mind-Blowing Magic Tricks	Bob Longe	2007	82-83

External Links

• Think Like a Conjurer Official Ron Bauer Private Studies Series Website
• Ron Bauer Riffle Action Palm & TTT Video demo on YouTube
• Ron Bauer Interview MagicBunny.co.uk