In these high-tech days, we sometimes forget about the time-honored forms of entertainment that enticed our parents and grandparents. Magicians, for instance, were once a huge draw for audiences – when the Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show back in 1964, they were immediately followed by illusionist Fred Kaps.

Of course, you don’t see acts of this sort on prime-time TV anymore. But there are a few people who are still carrying on the torch. Merrimack resident Ken Wilson counts himself among their throng, having befuddled and amazed audiences for the past six decades.

“I’ve been doing this since I was 6 years old,” Wilson said. “One time, my favorite uncle, Norman, made a quarter disappear and then pulled it out of my ear. Ever since then, I was hooked.”

Wilson’s uncle happily showed him how the illusion could be pulled off, and that set him on a journey of magic that would follow him for the rest of his life.

“I’ve been learning ever since,” he said. “Mainly, it was from books, because that was all there was, back in the day, before the internet and DVDs.”

There was, however, the advent of TV, and Wilson found a mentor in a particular Saturday morning show.

“I used to watch Mark Wilson’s show, ‘The Magic Land of Alakazam,’ every week,” he said. This program ran from 1960-64, and featured the magician performing live in studio before an audience. His wife, Nani Darnell, was his assistant, and all illusions were performed in real time so that the audience at home would experience the same effect as those in the studio.

“I would look at how some of the effects were done, and take out books from the library, and fill in the techniques,” he said. “Probably one of the most influential books on magic is ‘Mark Wilson’s Encyclopedia of Magic.’ It’s still a huge seller, right to this day.”

Like many aspiring artists, Wilson never quit his day job. He was a pharmacist for 48 years, having just recently retired. This, however, has given him plenty of time to pursue his favorite vocation.

“I’ve done birthday parties and charity events,” he said. “I presently belong to The Society of American Magicians Assembly 118, in Nashua. Through them, I’ve performed at Veterans’ Administration Hospitals and The Nashua Children’s Home. I’ve also appeared at the Rotary Event on the Fourth of July, Saint James School, Merrimack Kindergartens, and so much more.”

On April 14, Wilson will be appearing at the Merrimack Crimeline Fourth Annual Magic Show, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the American Legion Post 98, 43 Baboosic Lake Road, in Merrimack.

As is the case with many performers, Wilson has his own particular favorite routines.

“There’s one act, called ‘The Invisible Deck,’ which involves having someone catch an imaginary deck of cards, which they then shuffle up,” he said. “It’s a whole lot of fun and laughs, as they really have nothing, and just go through the motions. I tell them to take one card out of the deck, remember the suit and the value of the card, and turn it upside down. They then pretend to toss the deck back to me, whereupon it magically appears in my hands. I ask them what card they picked – say, the seven of clubs – and I spread the deck out on the table. The card they picked is turned over. That’s one of my favorite routines.”

Another gem in Wilson’s routine is a trick entitled “Miser’s Dream,” where he pulls invisible money out of the air and places it in a tin.

“I push all the money together, squeezing the container,” he said. “Then, I end with a big finish and throw it up in the air. What I end up with is one giant half dollar.”

There’s something definitely fishy about Wilson’s third favorite.

“With this one, I take an empty bag, and shake it about to show everyone there’s nothing in it. Then I take a bottle of water, and pour a little into it, along with some fish food,” he said. “Then I grab a fish net, and a little fake fish appears in it. The kids always know that the fish isn’t real, so I put it in the bag and take it out, and another fake fish appears in the net. At this point, I reach into the bag and pull out a fish bowl with two real goldfish swimming around in it.”

As magical as these routines are, Wilson sees little mystery in their enduring appeal.

“Actually, magic has made a major resurgence recently,” he said. “It puts you in a world of fantasy. There’s something that happens that you know can’t really be occurring, and in the process, you suspend all your worries and stresses. It takes your mind off things when you see something happening and think it can’t really be done.”

And how does Wilson deal with the skeptics in the audience?

“I have a favorite retort when people ask me how I did that,” he said. “I always respond that ‘I did it very well.’?”