Goodliffe's Abracadabra
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NumberMarch 28, 2009
3,296
 | |
| First issue | February 2, 1946 |
|---|---|
| Final issue Number | March 28, 2009 3,296 |
Abracadabra was a British weekly magic magazine whose publication life spanned sixty-three years. The first issue was published on 2 February 1946; the last issue was published on 28 March 2009; a total of 3,296 issues.[1]
Although the magazine name was Abracadabra, it was also known as Goodliffe's Abracadabra and the readers nicknamed it Abra.
Origins
The weekly magazine Abracadabra was created by Charles Goodliffe Neale (1912 – December 26, 1980).[2] He was a magician and author. From the very first issue, Goodliffe (as he preferred to be called) gave the magazine the cover tag line of "The Only Magical Weekly in the World". Goodliffe was a man of strong views and the magazine became the arena of many controversial debates about magic and magicians, sometimes initiated by the readers themselves through their contributions and letters.[3]
After Goodliffe's death
After Goodliffe's death, Davenports (one of London's oldest family run magic shops) and Rabbi Sam Gringras (Magico of New York) put together a rescue package and the magazine continued its publication uninterrupted.[1][4] Goodliffe is buried in St Peter's St Paul's & St Elizabeth's Churchyard, Coughton, Stratford-on-Avon District, Warwickshire, England. This information was extracted from Findagrave [5], where a transcript of the inscription can be seen.
Editors
All the editors have been professional magicians. Originally, Goodliffe himself was the principal editor with the help of associate editor Fabian (Ernest Raymond Griffiths, 1912–1965).[6] The next editor, who continued as editor after Goodliffe's death and kept Abracadabra running, was Donald Bevan.[7] The final editor was Walt Lees.[1][4]