John George

John George Fancher, born on June 24, 1971, in Los Angeles, California, was introduced to magic by his father, Gary Fancher, who performed tricks during Christmas and worked part-time at Disneyland. This early exposure, combined with witnessing strolling magician Dana Daniels at Disneyland, ignited John George’s interest in the art form. He pursued higher education at California State University, Fullerton, graduating first in his class with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Initially focusing on woodworking, he crafted a wooden unicycle that was acquired by Irving Lipton, a notable collector of woodworking. After graduation, he worked for Custom Magic, a company that designed magical apparatuses for prominent magicians such as Lance Burton and David Copperfield, where he contributed to props now held in significant magic collections, including Robert Albo’s.

His professional magic career commenced in 1995 after he met and formed a lifelong friendship with Johnny Ace Palmer, a mentor who guided him into professional performance. In the same year, he began performing at private parties, corporate events, and restaurants across Southern California. John George is a member of the Magic Castle, an exclusive club for magicians, where he has performed regularly. He also formed a partnership called the Magical Misfits with fellow illusionist Doug Brewer, performing together for over six years at venues including the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort. Beyond his partnership, John George has maintained a solo residency at the Waterfront Beach Resort since 1995, where he also hosts charity galas for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He holds another residency at Warren & Annabelle’s in Lahaina, Hawaii.

John George’s performances integrate a variety of magical disciplines, including sleight of hand, mentalism, card and coin manipulation, cups and balls, levitation, and Rubik’s Cube magic, blended with comedy and audience participation. He has performed for numerous celebrities, including Nicolas Cage, Francis Ford Coppola, Drew Barrymore, and Sir Paul McCartney. His works extend to red carpet premieres for films such as “The Prestige,” “Maleficent,” and “WALL-E.” John George has achieved considerable success in magic competitions, securing first place and the People’s Choice award at the 1998 International Brotherhood of Magicians Gold Cups Competition, a first place at the Society of American Magicians Gold Medal Competition, and a Silver Medal Award of Merit from the Society of American Magicians. He also won first place in the Florida State Championship for Close-Up Magic. Inspired by Will Smith’s performance in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” John George developed an interest in speedcubing and has competed in World Cube Association events for the Rubik’s Cube and Pocket Cube, achieving personal bests of 26.75 seconds and 12.41 seconds, respectively. He later collaborated with speedcubing champion Tyson Mao to create a DVD tutorial titled “You Can Solve the Cube.”