The other day I was walking through New York City when I noticed these skinny letters in the street. Turns out nearly all the words painted on public roadways in America are skewed in a similar fashion. That’s because the type is designed to be read at an extreme angle by motorists whizzing by at 30 mph or more.

As part of what will be an ongoing series of articles concerning significant people in the world of magic, we will kick off the series with a profile of a truly remarkable individual. We stayed close to home for this inaugural piece, for the subject is someone who occasionally takes up residence and works right here in the offices of the Conjuring Arts Research Center. Meet Mahdi Gilbert.