Ed Marlo

Ed Marlo (born Edward Malkowski in Chicago, Illinois, October 10, 1913 – November 7, 1991) was a prestidigitator who specialized in card magic. He referred to himself and others of his specialty as "cardicians".

One of the most notable names in card magic, Marlo himself coined the term cardician, a term which has since been used for performers who do card magic exclusively. His first publication in 1938, Pasteboard Presto, merely hinted at the bulk of work which was to follow.

The many sleights he created have changed the face of card magic. One notable example is his snap change, used in David Blaine´s Street Magic Special. Marlo was a prolific publisher of card magic, but he was not without controversy. Many of his students found success as creators and performers of magic such as the world famous Bill Malone. Ed Marlo was also noted for his ever present toupee.

Marlo wrote over sixty books and manuscripts, and contributed over 2000 tricks in the field of card magic. He did not limit himself to cards as he also authored works on coin magic and dice magic. His most famous works are The Cardician and Revolutionary Card Technique, the latter of which was originally published as a series but later compiled into one weighty tome.