TV Magician Ali Bongo Dies

By John Freeman on March 8, 2009

downthetubes is sorry to report that TV Magician Ali Bongo — described by friends as “the most influential and respected man in magic” — has died following a stroke, after being taken ill in France last month during a lecture. He was 79.

Bongo, real name William Wallace, was born in India and acted as a consultant on The Paul Daniels Magic Show and was also an assistant to fellow magician David Nixon. He was awarded the 1993 Carlton Award for Comedy and was elected President of The Magic Circle last September.

Perhaps of most interest to readers of this website, however, were his appearances in The Tomorrow People (in the story The Revenge of Jedikiah by Roger Price) and his work advising on Jonathan Creek. Indeed, Creek’s creator David Renwick once said that Bongo’s work was the inspiration behind the main character. He also acted as the full-time magical advisor to 1970s cult TV show, Ace of Wands also building specialised props for the show, such as the snake in the story “The Power of Atep”, the smoke bombs in “Now You See It, Now You Don’t” and even played the mummy in “The Eye Of Ra”.

Bongo also advised Doctor Who during the making of the Tom Baker story The Talons of Weng-Chiang. His input, alongside Larry Barnes, went uncredited but his involvement was appreciated by Tom Baker in his autobiography, Who on Earth is Tom Baker?

“This is especially distressing after reports of his progress had been so encouraging, and the whole world of magic will mourn his passing,” a statement reads on the web site of The Magic Circle. “Ali devoted his life to magic, and The Magic Circle in particular, for whom he was our finest international ambassador. Our sympathies go out to his family and close friends at this sad time. The numerous tributes that continue to flood in are testament to his far reaching influence and popularity.

Ali Bongo (William Wallace), magician, born on December 8, 1929, died of pneumonia on March 8, 2009, aged 79

• Daily Telegraph Obituary
• The Times Obituary
• Home Counties Magical Society

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.