Tony, Ann, and Sandra Eng

When I was young I lived in a small village on the west coast of Vancouver Island.  Just before my 9th birthday my father died in a freak helicopter accident. A few months later my mother, younger sister, and I moved to Victoria BC. After this in the Spring of 1984 is when I started to get interested in Magic. I started to get magic books from the library and started on my road to magic. However at that time I never knew a place such as a magic shop existed. I just made my own magic props from cardboard and stuff I had around the house. Around my 11th birthday I found out that Joke Shops sell magic. I knew about a Joke shop in Victoria called Crazy Franks Trick and Joke Shop. I convinced my mother to let me take the bus downtown to go visit the shop. After I was there I was in my dream come true. Magic was not the main thing of that shop but they did sell some magic props such at the Royal magic cups & balls, ball vase etc. So as a young kid I bought tons of these and as well my mother bought me the Royal Magic magic kit. A few months later the shop was closed down. And I was heart broken. A few months later I was downtown with my mother and I saw that a new Trick and Joke shop was opening within the next week. I was ecstatic. Then one day we had some friends visiting us from the small town were we used to live and we went down town and went to this new shop. This shop was Tony’s Trick and Joke Shop.  This is were my interest in magic became stronger than it have ever been.

When we entered the shop it was full of people. Standing behind the counter was a Chinese guy doing magic. This is the first time I had really seen any real professional close-up magic in real life. My eyes were open and I could not stop watching. I still remember what this magician was doing. He first performed a diminishing card set that was being sold for about $3.00CND at that time. Then after this he started doing what I know now as the ambitious card. From that moment I was so hooked on magic and as well didn’t realize I met a man that would change my life.

This man was Tony Eng. Who I found out later actuality bought the old Trick and Joke shop. During this first visit to this shop I noticed the Tony offered magic lessons. I knew I must take them. Later that week I told my mother I wanted to take these magic lessons. She was not so convinced but she said she would come with me to the shop and find out more information. So one night after school we went to the shop. First Tony showed my mother some magic. What he showed her was a trick where he changed a 1$ bill ( we still had them in Canada at that time) to a $100 dollar bill. After talking with Tony my mother said it would be ok If I took the magic lessons. So wee booked a lesson. I just could not wait until the lesson.

When I arrived to my first lesson Tony took me behind the counter down a back hallway  into the secret magic room. The shelves were full of the magic props from my dreams. Tony sat me down and started to teach me basic card flourishes such as the ribbon spread, how to shuffle cards and some very basic card slights and tricks. One of these tricks he taught me this first day I still perform today as a regular part of my close-up show. Tony wrote notes ( I still have all these notes that Tony wrote for me back at my mother’s house in Canada) for me what he had taught me and told me to practice them until the next week and that before we learned new stuff I have to show him what I learned at the first lesson. This continued for a few years. After about a year or so of lessons he started to take me with him to his private shows. I was his rabbit keeper. Not only did Tony establish good magic practice habits for me from his lessons now what I learned was he was now teaching me how a real magic show is done. I looked after his rabbit and got  the rabbit ready for the final production. He also sent me to go help his daughter Julie Eng. I was 13 years old and Julie was 16 at that time. I am sure she was not happy having a 13 year old kid with her when she went to do magic shows. However, I learned how to to go and do real magic shows. Later that summer when I was 13 Tony Said it was time for me to go and do a show and he booked a show for me. I had done only one magic show before then where I got 5$ . This was before I met Tony when I did some magic at my sisters friends birthday party, but now Tony was preparing me for a REAL show where I would earn $50! I was 13 $50 for doing magic OMG I was excited but nervous. Tony helped me create this show and made me practice it over and over. The show was on Salt Spring Island a small island between Vancouver Island and Vancouver. So my mother took me to the ferry on the day of the show and I went to the small island by myself. The person who booked the show picked me up. The show went well and I was glad to report so back to Tony. Just after this time I started to work for Tony as his shop where I worked until 2003 just before I moved to Japan. During these years I basically grew up with Tony, Ann, Sandra and Julie. I traveled with Tony to magic conventions in Canada and the US. As well I work with him on his stage show as a stage manager. I toured with Tony, Juile, Suley ( Juile’s Husband) around western Canada. Also Tony started to allow me to be his fill in at the Japanese Village a Japanese restaurant in Victoria were Tony performed close-up magic for 21 years.

Tony taught me everything I know about magic, he taught me not just magic but the business, the attitude and so much more. Unfortunately Tony Passed away May 4, 2008. I was happy to see him a few months before he passed. In December of 2007 I came back to Canada and was lucky as both his daughters Sandra and Julie were also in Victoria at the same time. We went out for dinner and this would be the last time we would all be together. The picture is this blog is from that night. It was the end of December 2007.  I owe so much to Tony.

At the beginning of this blog I mentioned when my father passed away. Well When I heard Tony passed I felt exactly the same. I was in Japan but the pain was the same. I kept up with what was happening with Tony while he was hospitalized before his passing. Julie was keeping updates on his blog and when he passed I did not know how to deal with it. Now more that a year and a half later I can and so I write this blog to tell you all how Tony effected my life. He effected many peoples lives. If you want to know more about Tony please check out the Tony Eng web site. Also on this site you can find out about the Tony Eng Youth Program run by Magicana.  Also below his my magic boo about Tony I did a few months ago.

Thank You Tony
Aaron