Eugene Burger (June 1, 1939 – August 8, 2017) was an American magician. He was born in 1939 and was based in Chicago, Illinois. He was acclaimed for his close-up skills and his work in mentalism and bizarre magic. Burger was also a philosopher and a historian of religion. He had degrees in philosophy and earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1964 from Yale University and taught university courses in comparative religion and philosophy. Burger frequently taught at the McBride Magic & Mystery School in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was the author of books on the presentation of close up magic and was featured on several instructional DVDs and videos for magicians. He produced an audio program called Growing in the Art of Magic. Burger died of cancer in Chicago on August 8, 2017. He was 78.

Books and DVDs

Notable appearances in print

In February 1982, Burger was featured on the cover of The Linking Ring. Then in October 1986, he was featured on the cover of M-U-M, the monthly publication of the Society of American Magicians. Five years later, in May 1991, he was featured on the cover of Genii (magazine). Eighteen years after that, Burger was featured on the cover of The Magic Circular in May 2009, the monthly publication of The Magic Circle (organisation). Four years later, Burger again was featured on the cover of Genii (magazine) in October 2013. Four years later, in October 2017, Genii (magazine) published a feature article on Burger, written by Dr. Larry Hass.

Awards

Burger was considered "one of the 100 most influential magicians of the 20th century" by MAGIC Magazine. In 2012, the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (FISM) presented him with a special award for Magic Theory.