Karrell Fox – The "King of Korn"

Possibly the earliest (and only) playing card Karrell used to advertise.

Born 30, 1928, Karrell Fox was born in Rainelle, West Virginia. As a young man, he bussed tables at his parent’s restaurant. Sometime in the 1930’s, Karrell was handed a bag filled with tricks. According to Karrell, a smooth talking magician did a ‘dine and dash’ at his parent’s restaurant. The magician left the tricks thereby eluding his parents from having to pay for his meal. It was the perfect way for the young pre-teenager to be introduced to the world of magic. Karrell learned all that he could with the tricks that were left in his care and began performing magic and getting paid! He did have a good place to find more magic when he needed to add something to his show. Less than forty miles away was the magic’s Mecca in Michigan known as Abbott’s Magic Novelty Company in Colon, Michigan.

The shop became Karrell’s ‘home away from home’. Karrell combined his magic show with comedy, juggling, and fun for all ages. He booked his show as “Karrell Fox – the King of Korn” and it stuck. To earn a little extra cash, gain experience, and to be able to have hands on advantage of the current magic available, Karrell worked at Carlos’ Magic Shop in Toledo as well as Harold Sterling’s Magic Shop in Detroit. When the Abbott’s magic shop in Colon was expanding their operation, they readily hired Karrell to manage the Adams Avenue shop in Detroit and friend and fellow magician, Duke Stern to manage the Indianapolis Abbott’s Magic Shop in the English Hotel. Duke and Karrell always had a great time entertaining audiences with their performances. That helped during their time at Abbott’s because of their combined knowledge and love for the art.

Karrell ran the Detroit branch location of Abbott’s Magic Novelty Company on 123 Adams Avenue in the Tuller Hotel Building in the late-1940s while his pal Duke Stern ran the Indianapolis Abbott’s Magic Shop in the English Hotel.

Karrell and Duke Stern searching for another laugh at Abbott's Get Together Conventions  in Colon, Michigan.

 

In a 1947 review in The Conjuror’s Magazine, Walter Graham donned the honor of giving Karrell a high compliment after witnessing him perform at the 5^th Annual Convention of Magicians Alliance of Eastern States in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Graham said of Karrell, “…The King of Korn provided golden kernels of komedy as only His Royal Slyness, Karrell Fox could supply.” Karrell had lots of friends in the magic profession. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who met Karrell who didn’t become a friend to him. Along with his longtime buddies Duke Stern and Abb Dickson, Harry Blackstone Jr., Jay Marshall, there were dozens more, Karrell was a pal, and all around great friend to so many performers throughout the country.

Kornfidentially...everybody loves Karrell Fox!

 At twenty-one, he received the award for his trick “all-thru Cane” published in 1948 issue of The Sphinx. In 1949, Karrell won the “The Sphinx Award” medal. In the one of the issues of The Conjurors’ Magazine in 1949, an excellent review was mentioned, “…Karrell Fox the King of Korn whose komical and komedy magic has placed him right up in front in magic entertainment. A young man hailing from Detroit who has developed an original form of entertainment which is a combination of a Kansas cyclone, a riot of Zombies and a three ring circus. Aside from his efforts to slay his audiences with his tumultuous magic Karrell is an experienced magician. His presentation of tricks with cards, coins and ropes rates him with many well-known and popular performers. His services are in continual demand and, up to date, there have been no dissatisfied customers.”

Here are few samples of Karrell's early advertising

In 1950, an advertising company was looking to produce a daytime children’s show on television and the contacted Karrell. Did you miss Karrell’s 1953 appearance of Karrell on Old Dutch Polka Revue with Comedienne Hope Zee, Bree Peters, Mary Martha Brimley and others? Well, you had to be in front of your television tuned to Zanesville, Ohio’s WHIZ-TV channel 50 on Tuesday night at 10 p.m. I know I wasn’t watching. If you remember the show, please let us all know what we missed! For Karrell, it wasn’t difficult to keep his booking calendar filled. In the summer of 1955, he was booked at the ever-popular LeSourdsville Lake in LeSourdsville, Ohio.

Karrell "Kornered" the market on Korn!

 

In 1961, joined other USO performers for the United Community Fund of the Twin Cities’ United Fund drive out of Benton Harbor, Michigan. Karrell performed on The Ed Sullivan Show that aired the day before Christmas along with puppeteer Shari Lewis, Korean Orphans’ Choir, and Burger’s Animal Act. The 1960’s were especially a good year for Karrell because he traveled the country working with the Ford Motor Company in their promotion of “The Magic World of Ford” for the Detroit Auto Show. Ford Motor Company kept their working association with Karrell for over twenty years.

 Karrell continued to perform shows the convention circuits, magic conventions, as well as being a regular at the Abbott’s Get-Togethers in Colon, Michigan. His partner in fun on stage was Duke Stern as well as Abb Dickson. Karrell wrote insightful and enjoyable articles in the Tops magazine titled, “Fox-Tales”. In 1974, Karrell appeared for 17^th year at the 59^th Detroit Auto Show as the multi-talented “Milky” the clown, juggler, impressionist, comedian and hypnotist. In 1975, Karrell was booked at the auto show in Chicago for the Dodge Corporation as their master of ceremonies, presentation magician, and master showman. 

Not meaning to pass over Karrell’s ideas as magic effects, he created ideas like “Nite-Cap”, “Baffling Blow-Outs”, “Knifty Knot”, and a number of others that can still be found online or possibly at your favorite magic shop. Karrell had so many great ideas, he had to put them down in writing (fortunately for us!). From the early 1950’s up into the late 1990’s Karrell gave us nine books filled with ‘Karrell-isms’ including Kornfidentially Yours, Abra K Fox, for My Next Trick, and Much Ado About Something. Kornifidentially Yours still is a must have in any performer’s library. Inside the book you find routines, patter, card effects, comedy ideas, and even a pitch act. It’s a must have today. Karrell was the 48^th International President of the I.B.M. from 1986 to 1987.

Zounds! Yet, another persona! Yes, indeed!

I can’t leave out another alter ego that seemed to follow Karrell around daily and was his persona and presentation of W.C. Fields. Called it fate or kismet, Karrell stepped into the performer’s shoes with ease and fun. Watching him perform for audiences, who might not have known the actual persona Karrell was portraying, was actually even more fun. His “Zounds, an Imposter” show in the 1980’s was true fun for everyone.

Karrell would drop into Hollywood and stop by Hollywood Magic and then make his way up to the Magic Castle to enjoy sharing ideas and stories with his fellow magicians. I would see more often in the library going through books or periodicals. Most likely he was researching material for his next book. Karrell was in Las Vegas enjoying talking magic with his friends, meeting magicians, as well as all of the festivities of the event. He was doing what he loved and that was being surrounded by magic. Sadly, while he was attending the Las Vegas Desert Seminar, Karrell passed away on March 12, 1998.

Karrell and Harry Blackstone Jr. were longtime friends and it was Blackstone Jr. who identified what made his good friend ‘tick’. He said, “...The strongest possible effects achieved with the simplest possible methods has always been the Fox formula.”