inking A LEgacy

The Magic Castle’s walls are adorned with hundreds of magician’s caricatures by the legendary artist Ted Salter.

For nearly 40 years, Ted illustrated some of the most iconic acts in the world of magic. From the 1960s until the early 1990s, notable magicians were immortalized by Ted’s brush. The Academy of Magical Arts will forever be grateful for his brilliance.

The castle’s caricatures have been stagnant for almost three decades, with only a handful of magicians privately commissioning their own artwork with varying degrees of success.

For the 2019 AMA Awards we were tasked with creating artwork mimicking Ted’s iconic style with a quality that would last for decades. Three winners (Zabrecky, Mike Pisciotta, and Steve Valentine) were presented with hand-inked illustrations capturing not only their likeness but also their signature routines. Brian Gillis’s caricature is now part of his museum display inside The Magic Castle, paying homage to his accomplishments within its walls and to our community.

The Peppermint Mafia strives to continue Mr. Salter’s legacy by honoring his unique artistic view of the magic world.