Magic Roadshow #179

Magic Roadshow #179

MAGIC ROADSHOW #179
August 2016

Hello Friends..

Welcome to the latest Magic Roadshow! This issue has been a work-in-progress for some time.. but here it is, flaws and all, for your enjoyment.

Vector-Background-Red3a

Read this issue as a PDF..   MAGIC ROADSHOW 179

I’m going to keep this intro short. I could tell you all I’ve done since last issue, but most is not very important. Carolyn and I lost one of our precious children.. Scotty, in a tragic accident. Scotty was the second oldest of our six children, and the absolute life of any gathering. Scotty not only brought endless joy to his wife and
children, but always brought endless pride to his Mother, who literally gave birth to Scotty on the side of the road on the way to the hospital. Scotty couldn’t wait to get started.. In one final gesture of kindness,he gave his organs and tissue to, the doctors say, over one hundred people who will be forever grateful for his gifts. Life has not been easy these past couple weeks, but Carolyn and I are a family of Faith, and we believe beyond a doubt all things happen for a reason.

I want to dedicate this issue to Jonathan Scott ‘Scotty’ Owens and all the happy memories he brought everyone who shared a part in his life. All this reminds us of how fleeting life can be, and how precious our Time can be, and how we need to dedicate ourselves to creating lasting memories with those we love. One day all of our friends and family will be left with only OUR legacy.. and we should strive to make that as BIG as possible.

Honestly, I’m not looking for condolences. I just want everyone to remember tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. One day you’re casually eating a Big Mac and talking football with your loved one.. and the next day you’re saying your goodbye’s. So, I think that’s reason enough to tell your Loved Ones just how much you love them, every single opportunity, and always strive to be MAGICAL, in one way or another, every single day !!

Finding ways to pass your time can be difficult, but not with the Olympics on! I love the Olympics, and as my weary-eyed wife can attest, I love watching the Olympics. They are on several different channels at any given time, and I have two DVRs… I am absolutely amazed with the abilities of those who push themselves to extremes. I understand certain animals are faster, stronger, and more nimble than their human counterparts, but I’ve never seen an animal do a double-soumersault-twisting-side spin- with a half nelson and stick the landing… except once when I accidentally pushed the cat off the back porch. Even then, a clean landing wasn’t needed, as Carolyn’s hydrangea bush factored in… Kitty didn’t stick around to see his scores…

Questions or Comments? EMAIL ME ( rick@magicroadshow.com )

.
/////////////////////
In This Issue
/////////////////////

  • Auto-Magic – A Principle in Search of an Effect – by Michael M. Breggar
  •  Double Flash Change – An Effect by Paul A. Lelekis
  • Chameleon – A Magic Effect for the Underdog – Rick Carruth
  • Werner Miller’s TRICKS WITHOUT NAMES – Another Semi-Automatic Trick
  • The Magicians – Season 1 – A Review by R.Carruth
  • The Amazing Number 9 – The Expunged Numeral – Stephen D.T. Froggatt
  • Chad Chesmark – The Trade Show Guy – Free PDF
  • Karl Fulves – The Ultimate Sampler
  • The Amazing Kreskin – A Biography.. David O’Connor
  • Art of Magic (w/ Elliott Terral) Presents Magical Thinking with Daniel Prado – Podcast
  • A New VANISH Magazine – Free to All
  • How to Fan a Deck of Cards Evenly – The Thumb Fan Tutorial
  • A Treatise on the Three Card Monte and its Sucker Effects – Audley V. Walsh – PDF
  • Sankey’s Vanishing Marker – Video Tutorial & Gimmick
  • Levitating on the Streets of London – Video Tutorial
  • Big Think – How Con Artists Manipulate Your Emotions in Genius (and Evil) Ways.. Video
  • Chain thru Finger trick Tutorial – Featuring Sthlm Panda – Julien Magic
  • 5 Easy Bar Magic Tricks – Tutorials
  • The Royal Road to Card Magic – Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue – New PDF
  • Practical Mental Magic – Theodore Annemann PDF
  • Google Takeout – A New Service for All Things Google
  • Other Important Stuff..

—————————

“When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciate’s everything one does have.” Stephen Hawking

Does it disturb anyone else that “The Los Angeles Angels” baseball team translates directly to “The The Angels Angels”? Neil DeGrasse Tyson

If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month. Theodore Roosevelt

One time, a guy handed me a picture and said, “Here’s a picture of me when I was younger.” Duh.. Every picture of you is when you were younger. Comedian Mitch Hedberg

I went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast at any time,” so I ordered “French toast during the Renaissance please.” Steven Wright

How many people here have telekenetic powers? Raise my hand…. Emo Philips

.
////////////////////////////////////////////////

Auto-Magic – A Principle in Search of an Effect
by Michael M. Breggar

Magic principles, slight-less or sleight-ful, are often so horribly neglected these days. The need for instant gratification has made too many magicians look for the instant coffee equivalent of magic. Want an ambitious card effect? Get a highly gaffed pack of Bikes … just add water.

Those who take the time to study effective magic principles and then turn on the creative juices to figure out how to apply these principles in a manner that suits their magic style and produces something entertaining and amazing are the ones who really move our art forward.

This is really the essence of good self-working magic vs. just plain ol’ self-working magic. But it requires time, and thought, and creativity and presentational skills … and these things are sadly not viewed as importantly these days as before.

Gang, magic is an art form. And we as magicians – whether pro or amateur – owe it to the art that we love, and to our spectators, to do something that furthers the art while making our spectators smile.
Please read that last paragraph again. And again.

While you are contemplating that, here is a card trick principle that could use your serious consideration to turn it into a wonderful effect.

“Red Influences Black”…

The spectator thoroughly shuffles a borrowed deck of cards. The magician writes a short note on a piece of paper and folds it placing it back in the card box, or under a beer mug. The deck is then separated into two equal halves. One half is given to the spectator to thoroughly shuffle. Then that is handed to the magician who then gives the spec the other half to shuffle. The spec then selects either half to “work with”.

The spectator is asked to count the number of red cards in their shuffled and selected half. Let’s say they count 10. The magician, channeling Karl Fulves, comments that “frequently, in a well used deck of cards, red influences black, so let’s find the 10th black card in my half.” You peel off the top card and move it to the bottom of the pack. If it is black, count out loud, “One.” You continue this action until you reach the named number (of red cards in the other half) … which in this case is 10. The tenth black card is, say, 5 of clubs.
You reach for the folded prediction. “Red does influence black,” you reiterate. The paper says simply, “Five of Clubs”

How it’s done …

This is a slight variation of “Color of Thought” from Karl Fulves My Best Self-Working Card Tricks. Following the description above, have the deck fully shuffled by the spectator and count off the top 26 cards. Hand the top half to the spec to shuffle and glance at the card at the bottom of the deck. That is your prediction card. Write simply the name of the card on a piece of paper and place it somewhere conspicuous. (You could do this after the shuffle and before the 26 card split. You’ll need to figure out what works best for your effect.)

Hold your half (with the known card on the bottom) as a pack between your index and second fingers of the right hand. When the spec is finished shuffling their half, take the pack with the left hand and wedge it between the thumb and index of the right hand. Without missing a beat, the left hand then takes away the packet between the index and second finger and the right hand extends the other packet – between the thumb and index finger – to the spec. “Please shuffle this half.” The illusion is perfect and very strong if your movements are fluid. Your half with the force card on the bottom stays intact and the spectator shuffles their half twice!

You could use the “magician’s choice” to have the spec select the “deck we will work with” (how ambiguous is that?!), but it really isn’t necessary. Just ask the spec to count the number of red cards in their pack.

That number, thanks to Dr. Gilbreath and his famous principle, tells you how many black cards are in your half. Don’t mention any of this, of course, just count down as described earlier to the named number of black cards and reveal the prediction.

This is pretty startling stuff, but the Fulves book fails to wrap a decent presentation around this principle. Nor do I.

Consider this to be a gift to you…a strong principle. But now it is your turn to give a gift to the magic community and turn this into a strong presentation!
—————–

Michael M. Breggar is an executive at one of the world’s largest consulting firms where he takes pride in fooling his clients with drawing duplications before his team delivers their consulting summaries.
mbreggar@gmail.com

Oh.. an Michael also writes the wildly popular ‘AUTO-MAGIC’ feature in Linking Ring each month!

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Double Flash Change – An Effect by Paul A. Lelekis

The impetus for this effect must go to Karl Germaine who gave us many magical gems in his time. His routine spawned others like it, including this rendition. Properly performed, there seems to be no explanation.

EFFECT: Two cards are selected from a deck and then very fairly lost into the middle. The deck is placed into a stemmed glass with an indifferent card appearing at the face. An opaque silk or bandanna is placed over the glass and cards. A second later the silk is lifted and the first selection appears at the face! The selection is placed back into the deck and the first card is again seen at the face of the deck. This time the silk is merely whisked over the glass and cards and the second selection is now at the face of the deck!

SETUP: You will need one double-face card say, QH/8S. You will also need a duplicate of any indifferent card, preferably one that is noticeable, say the AH. Place the AH on the bottom of the deck, face down. Next place the QH/8S double-face card on the bottom below the AH. Let’s say that the QH side is facing up and the 8S side is facing down, the same direction as the AH above it. Now place the duplicate AH, face up on the bottom. Finally place the real QH and 8S on the bottom of the deck. The bottom of the deck now holds a 5-card stock.

In addition you’ll need a stemmed glass that is just big enough to accommodate the deck so that the cards will remain erect in the glass. If you don’t have one at home, do what I did and go to a Goodwill or Salvation Army with a deck of cards to be certain the cards fit snug. You also need a large (at least 24”) opaque cloth.

PERFORMANCE: Give the deck a casual overhand shuffle, keeping the bottom stock intact. Next double buckle the real QH and 8S as you kick (or swing) cut about 2/3 of the deck to the bottom and then undercut to the break. The real QH and 8S will now be on top of the deck. Be careful not to flash the reversed bottom card (AH).

Cut the top half of the deck to the bottom and hold a left pinkie break above the QH and 8S. Force these two cards on two different spectators with the Riffle Force. Be sure they memorize their selections and place them into two different locations in the middle of the deck. Be very fair and deliberate when you “lose” these cards into the deck. You want everyone to realize that the cards are really lost – and they are!

Hold the deck in the left hand and double buckle (or pinkie count) the bottom two cards – the reversed AH and the double-face card. Hold the break in right hand Biddle grip as you again kick cut about 2/3 of the deck from the top to the bottom. Then undercut 4 or 5 times until you just reach the break. Lift up the outer end of the deck so that the AH on the bottom shows. This will effectively “kill” the appearance of the QH/8S double-face card as it comes to the top of the deck!

Place the deck into the glass with the AH facing the audience. Ask if the AH was one of the selections. They’ll reply in the negative, of course, but at the same time, you’ve caused the audience to implicitly take note of the AH. This will later be a “convincer”!

Hold the goblet by the stem with your left hand and the bandanna or silk cover with your right hand. Drape the silk over the glass and cards from the front to the back. However, just as you drape the silk over the cards, give the stem of the glass a half-turn so that, now, the QH is facing toward the audience under cover of the silk. The AH will be facing toward you. Ask that spectator what her selection is and she’ll reply, “…the Queen of Hearts!”

Whisk off the silk to display the QH, actually the double-face card! If your timing is good, there will be absolutely no indication of the glass turning. This is startling! Drape the silk over your left arm and carefully lift the QH/8S from the glass and an AH will appear at the face(?) of the deck. Actually this card is the duplicate and is reversed so be careful not to expose that the deck is reversed. Take the double-face card and pretend to insert it into the middle of the deck, actually it is inserted at the very back of the deck. The reverse side of the double-face card (the 8S) will now secretly be facing you.

Ask the second spectator what her selection is (8S), and this time as you take the silk into your right hand, hold it in front of the glass and deck for just a split second as you give the glass another 180 degree spin with your left fingers. As you do this, merely whisk the silk over the glass back toward your body and it will seem that the 8S appeared almost instantaneously within the glass!

Again lay the silk over your left arm and then remove the deck from the glass, keeping the 8S side facing out only. Thumb off the double-face card onto the table again making it clear that the AH is again on the face of the deck.

There will be a commotion so take the opportunity here to add the double-face card to the bottom of the deck and then double buckle that card and the reversed duplicate AH and palm them into your left hand. The right hand then takes the deck and, in a sweeping motion, spreads it onto the table. The right hand then picks up the silk draped on your left arm and lays it onto your left hand, effectively covering the palmed cards, the AH and the double-face card. Casually place the silk (and cards!) into your pants or jacket pocket leaving you clean!

NOTES: It is a good idea in the above performance to remind the spectators that since the cards are “imprisoned” within the glass, that your hands cannot possibly be manipulating the cards in any way.

This is one of those tricks where it is a good idea to practice the spin of the glass just as you cover it, in front of a mirror! You will shortly learn just when to spin it and when to whisk the silk away. When practiced, you’ll amaze yourself at how effective and startling this magical revelation really is! Remember, on the second card, the silk is merely brushed across the glass and cards without really stopping. Practice this and you will be about as close to performing real magic as possible!

—————–

You can view ALL of Paul’s effects in 33 different ebooks at: http://Lybrary.com .. They are, undoubtedly, some of the best values in all of magic.. Many are considered underground classics and several NEW publications are climbing the ladder.. Look for Paul’s two newest .. Classic Card Magic III & Classic Card Magic IV. They both cover the classics of card magic, upon which all great effects are based. I promise you’ll love ’em!

http://lybrary.com/paul-a-lelekis-m-163788.html

.
////////////////////////////////////////////////

CHAMELEON – A Magic Effect for the Underdog
Rick Carruth

It’s nice to have your own, personal magic guru. I have one, and her name is Carolyn. Most people know her as my wife, but few know that she does double duty as both my life partner and my backboard. For those of you who unfamiliar with the term – in the tennis world it’s a solid wall you relentlessly hit a ball against – and the backboard (wall) constantly bounces it back to you. In other words, you can’t get anything passed it… and that pretty well describes my wife..

Penn and Teller.. they frequently expose a magic trick to make yet another magic trick work. True, most of what they expose could easily be gleaned from library books, but there’s just a little ‘something’ about exposure that makes the audience feel as if they’re being allowed to ‘look inside’ the magician’s mind. This effect utilizes that principle, and should be added to your repertoire only IF you’re comfortable with the idea of a minor exposure.

Thursday, August 11th, started like any other day in paradise. My feet hit the floor about 11:45 AM. I’d been up till 5 AM working on a new Magic Roadshow. After a quick lunch, I took to the road to pick up a few medical specimens, put them on dry ice, and mail them to sunny Minnesota. I went to an adjoining county to visit with the personnel at one of the pharmacies I service. Four delivery contractors met me there at 5:30 PM and we discussed typical problems, not actually solving anything, but venting our problems and earning a little sympathy from one another.

I was back home by seven, having stopped at my favorite barbeque joint and picked up two plates of barbecue and chicken. Carolyn and I ate, very well I might add, and settled in for the evening.

An hour or so later Carolyn remarked that I seemed a little ‘on edge’, and I bristled at the thought that I could be read so easily. Still.. I was pacing the floor, much like an athlete trying to psyche himself before the game..
Sometimes I go a couple of weeks between showing her one of my effects. As I said, I can’t get anything pass Carolyn. I NEVER show her an effect until I’m confident I can withstand the gut-wrenching experience of being ‘exposed’. No, it’s not the same as being publicly exposed, but it hurts non-the-less, and the pain doesn’t help my fragile ego.

Imagine a chameleon, sitting on a tree branch, confident in his surroundings and his natural ability to hide himself from ominious predators. Imagine the chameleon, springing from one limb to another, and suddenly realizing he’s sharing his limb with a hawk. The hawk’s not fooled by the chameleon’s sudden metamorphosis from one color to another. The hawk see’s the movement and quickly recognizes the chameleon for what it is…

Lunch…

That’s me…

I picked up my current working deck, a pack of Bee’s World Poker Tour, from the coffee table and sat next to Carolyn on the sofa. She knew what was coming, and with a slightly annoyed look, she put down her hand-held Tetris. Just for the record, she’s cleared over six hundred lines, which I think is some kind of record.

I looked through the deck and removed five cards: a Six of Spades, Three of Clubs, Ace of Hearts, Three of Diamonds, and Eight of Diamonds. I wasn’t ‘locked in’ to these five cards, but these five have worked well for me in practice. I mixed them a little and spread them face-up into a fan so she could see the faces. Asked to mentally pick one of the five, Carolyn said she had, and I asked her which one she’d picked. She admitted to the Ace of Hearts…

I removed the Ace and handed it to her, asking her to ‘check it out’ and make sure it was a perfectly normal card. As she was looking at the card I got a little opening between the second and third cards so when I was handed the ace back, I could effortlessly slide it into the number three position, in the exact center of the small packet.

Still holding the packet in my left hand, I turned the packet over with my right hand to a face-down position.

” Watch as I magically remove the Ace of Hearts from the pack..” as I performed a little make-believe move and pretended to take a card from the top of the pack.

I ‘showed’ her the imaginary Ace, and then pretended to put it in one of my pockets for safe keeping.

With the packet still face down in the left hand, I reached over with my right thumb and middle finger and grasp the top card by the LEFT top and bottom corner and turned the top card over with much the same motion as opening the back cover of a book. I moved the card off the stack, still holding it between the thumb and middle finger, and showed it to Carolyn.

“As you can see, this is NOT your card..” and I laid it face-up on the coffee table. She agreed and the effect continued..

I took the second card and turned it over with the same motion used to turn the first card, and commented on it not being her card either. It was put on the coffee table, face-up on top of the first card.

I then took both the third and fourth cards and turned them as one, showing them to my nemesis and laying them on top of the other two. So far, so good. She didn’t notice the double lift or her Ace under the bottom of the top card, as she had no reason to suspect a double lift at this point.

Lastly, I flipped the last card in my hand for her to confirm that it wasn’t hers, and I used that card to slide UNDER the stack on the table and flip all the cards over.. face-down. The last card she saw is now the top card on the face down packet.

“OK.. where’s the Ace?” she murmurred.

“You didn’t see the Ace?  We’ll do this one more time..”

I picked up the face-down packet and put it back into my left hand.. Now was the perfect opportunity for me to use my favorite David Blaine phrase..

“Waaatch..”

I flipped the top card again, just as I had done before, except this time I let the card slide back onto the top of the packet. Carolyn was looking at four face down cards with a face up card on top of the packet.

“Again, this is not your Ace, correct..?” to which she agreed. I removed the card from the top of the packet with thumb and middle finger and dropped it on the coffee table. I performed the same move again with the second card and Carolyn again agreed that it was not her card.

I lifted the third card and flipped it over onto the top of the packet. ” Not your card, right? ”

” No, it’s not my card..”

(What she didn’t see..) Immediately AFTER flipping the third card, I used my thumb to slightly pull down on the bottom card so I could lift both the top card ( the third card), and the card under it, the Ace, as one, and drop it on the other two on the coffee table.

Because the card under the third card is the face-down Ace, I need cards with a white border, just in case these two card separate as I lay them down. I don’t want to give away that I’m lifting a face-up and a face-down card simultaneously.

I flipped the last card in my hand, showing her that it wasn’t hers, and put it face-up on top of the other four.

Checking for a reaction, I saw a very foreign look; one that seemed a little bemused and restrained, but still slightly curious..

” So, where’s the Ace really? ”

” I told you it was in my pocket, Sweetie..”

It may have appeared to a stranger, in this glorious moment in Time, that I was on the cusp of achieving the holy grail of my measly card career.

Without saying a word, I reached in my shirt pocket, and produced the Ace of Hearts.

“It’s right here…Sweetie.”

“So.. How’d you do it?”

I was hesitant to spill the beans so quickly, but,  this was special circumstances…

“Honestly… the Ace was in my pocket from the beginning of the trick..”

I could see her take a deep breath and then exhale a relieving sigh as I layed the Ace on the coffee table, face-up and to the left of the original pack.

“What would you have done if I had picked another card..? ”

” Well, if you had picked another card, I had it here also..” as I took the Three from the same shirt pocket and put it, face-up, into the left hand…

What Carolyn didn’t see was.. as I reached with my right hand to take the second card from my pocket, I plucked a small piece of double-stick tape from my belt with my left hand, a piece that had been very secretly, and very loosely, placed there before the effect began.

With the three now in my left hand, I reached for another card in the same pocket with the right hand. Sweetie was watching my right hand pull cards from my pocket, and didn’t notice as I took the small piece of tape, stuck to my left index finger, and stuck it to the back of the Three.

” And if you had picked the…” I pulled a third card from my pocket, looked at it, and said.. “Six, I had it right here, and the Eight was right here as well. And last but not least, the other Three…”

** I pulled each card from my pocket BEFORE I named it, to prevent mis-calling a card.. but made it seem as if I knew what card was coming out. All the cards were actually in a small index, and I knew where to look to find the Ace. Hey, a five card index is easy peasy.. 2/5th’s of the time the named card will be either on the front or very back of the index. All I had to do was make sure to pull out her selected card at the right time. I could then relax and pull out the remaining cards in any order, name them, and lay them on the table.
When pulling the Ace from the pocket, I didn’t tell her what I was about to do.. Telling her would have only drawn undue attention to the pocket. Just reach in the pocket, find it, and pull it out.. naming it in the process – as the two of you see it for the first time.

As I removed cards from the pocket, I dropped each one into the left hand on top of the three of clubs with the tape on its back. Then all four cards were dropped on top of the ace already on the table.

I could see a slight smile at the corner of her lips . Once again.. All was well on the home front.

“You do know that’s a really lame trick… don’t you?”

I reached down and gently lifted these five cards from the tablet. After squaring them, I gave the center of the cards a little squeeze to secure the Three of Clubs to the face of the Ace and turned the packet face down.

” But, I do have one more little bit of magic..”. I shook the small packet back and forth a couple of times with my left hand. I paused, then removed the top card with my right hand, turned it over for Carolyn to see, and dropped it face up on the table. I repeated this with the second card, then the third card, and finally.. the fourth, and last, card…

Her cocky little smile was gone.. So was the Ace of Hearts..

I reached for the original packet of cards, still laying face-up on the coffee table, and with my index finger, pushed the cards apart. You could clearly see four face-up cards, and one face-down card, in the center of the pack.

” Flip it over, sweetheart..”

Carolyn reached for the face-down card, pulled it from the packet, and dropped it face-up on the table.

It was the Ace of Hearts.

Somewhere in the wild, a chameleon sharing a limb with a hawk was spared as a sudden gust of wind from the north shook the limb and forced the hawk to spread her mighty wings, maintaining her balance. Tucking them back against her sides, Ladyhawk was disappointed to see that the chameleon was gone. Had he changed colors and blended with the leaves, or had he bolted from his perch to a safer location?

It didn’t matter. For on THIS day, at least, the chameleon would not be lunch for the much quicker and much smarter hawk … Yes, even trying to survive among the harsh realities of nature, sometimes fate favors the underdog… and the little guy can raise his fist in victory…

—————-

All that’s required is five cards, generally three red and two black, a small piece of double-stick tape, or magician’s wax if you prefer, and five duplicate cards to match the five picked from the deck.

Aside from a couple of double lifts, this effect is basically self-working.

Take the five duplicates, arrainge them in an index (order) that’s easy for you to remember, and put them in your shirt pocket. Loosely stick the double-stick tape on your belt, and you’re set…

Of course, the Ace is upside down in the original packet from the moment you do the last double pick-up. And the Ace disappears from the second packet the moment you apply pressure and stick it to the back of the second card out of your pockets.

If you will set up the cards as suggested and then simply read the story and perform the tasks as you read, it will work beautifully for you, as it does for me.. You can easily master this effect in a short while, and have an effect that seems to be much more sophisticated than it is… Let me know how it works for you. I say this because I have been known to get in a hurry and leave out a move, leaving readers stuck.

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Werner Miller’s TRICKS WITHOUT NAMES
Another Mathemagical Medley of Semi-Automatic Tricks

Trick #12

This trick can be used to pep up your business card. Simply draw or print three dice on the card, as shown in Fig.1

Trick#12

Use dice of different colors in an easily memorable order, e.g., red – yellow – green. It’s necessary that three adjacent sides of each die are clearly visible, and the numbers of spots on these sides are vital, too: 1 – 3 – 5 (red), 2 – 3 – 6 (yellow), 4 – 5 – 6 (green).Hand your business card to a spectator, also an invisible (!) die. Invite your “victim” to check the die (it isn’t loaded!), then request to roll the die obtaining a secret random number from 1 to 6.

Now ask three questions:

1. “Is the red die showing your number?” (If the spectator’s answer is “yes”, remember 1.)

2. “Is the yellow die showing your number?” (If the spectator’s answer is “yes”, remember 2, or – if this happens to be the second “yes” – mentally add 2.)

3. “Is the green die showing your number?” (If the spectator’s answer is “yes”, remember 4, or – if you already have a number or subtotal in mind – mentally add 4.)

It’s done: The spectator’s number is no longer a secret! The result of your mental addition tells the story, for instance: “yes” regarding yellow and green = 2 + 4 = 6, “yes” regarding red and green = 1 + 4 = 5, “yes” regarding yellow only = 2.

By the way: You can perform this stunt using real dice as well. Here’s an alternative method that doesn’t require different colors. (Fig. 2)

Place three dice side by side so that their top faces, from left to right, read out the numbers 3 – 1 – 5, then ask: “Is one of the top faces showing your number?” Count a “yes” as 1.

Pick up the middle die (1), move it to the left of the first die and push both dice back to the right (new order: 1 – 3 – 5). Turn over the left die and the right die, thus bringing their complementary numbers to the top (6 – 3 – 2), and repeat the question. Count a “yes” as 2.

Again, pick up the middle die (3), move it to the left of the first die and push both dice back to the right (new order: 3 – 6 – 2). As before, turn over the left die and the right die, so that their complementary numbers come to the top (4 – 6 – 5), and repeat the question. Count a “yes” as 4.

(End of Series.)

For more (and more elaborate) math-based magic by Werner Miller visit  http://www.lybrary.com/werner-miller-m-7881.html

** The Magic Roadshow would like to thank Werner for his contributions to our newsletter. This 12 part series, just like his previous series, was both well received and much anticipated. Hopefully, we can include more from Werner in the future..

.
////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Magicians – Season 1 – A Review by R.Carruth
$19.95 ( 4 DVD set )

p12313781_b_v8_aa

I am truly impressed by the level of programming originating from cable channels formerly dependent on reruns and older movies. ‘Mr. Robot’, ‘Preacher’, ‘Walking Dead’, and ‘Breaking Bad’ are/were four of my very favorite shows on all of TV. Now, you can add SyFy’s ‘The Magicians’ to my list of favorites.

I was a fan of Harry Potter, both the books and the movies, and when I discovered SyFy was producing Lev Grossman’s NYTimes best selling ‘The Magicians’, from the Magician’s trilogy, The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land, I was both excited and apprehensive, as I wanted the series to succeed.. but wasn’t sure it could on cable. I got my wish..

Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) and Julia Wicker (Stella Maeve), two childhood friends and budding magicians, are recruited by Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy for their secret studies. Both are very talented, but only Quentin is selected for entry.

Quentin balances life, being young, and his love of magic.. for a short while. What had been his dream world, a series of books called “Fillory and Further,” involving a family of children discovering a Narnia-like land called Fillory, takes on a realism as a beast, appropriately named the Beast, appears in a classroom one day to dine on a fellow student.

‘The Magicians’ part ways with any similarities with Hogwart after this materialization, and the students of Brakebills realize magic is far more serious than they had imagined.

What separates Brakebills and its students from Hogwart and its young cast is ‘The Magicians’ is a fantasy for adults. There are serious love interests, serious acts of violence, and serious life and death situations that leave the fate of all characters in the balance.

Magic as practice in Brakebills is learned through hard work and endless study. Nothing, aside from parlor magic, comes easy. Spells are complicated and sophisticated tapestries of words, gestures and positioning. Spells can conjure beast and demons when misused, as was the case with the first appearance of the Beast.

Character development in The Magicians is central and several of the characters are, like most of us, a mix of the good and not so good. Relationships blossom, and end.. And students grow from hedonistic youths to young adults with serious attributes. Along the way they discover that Fillory is a real place, at least in the world of magic, and that the Beast resides in Fillory.

A journey to Fillory ultimately leads to one final battle with the Beast, but before the finale, students face truths, lies and betrayal, and travel through time to other ‘worlds’. Students are trapped, others are discovered who vanished previously, and the Neitherlands, a space between worlds, holds one of the central characters captive.

Despite their ‘heady’ responsibilities, life doesn’t cease for the students, as they must deal with a wide array of ‘adult’ problems while mastering the skills of magicians. Rape and molestation are broached. The death of parents, infidelity, and murder all take the stage at one point or another.

The Magicians is full of creative visuals and adult storytelling. The array of characters does require your attention, as the story constantly evolves, characters come and go.. for one reason or another, often nefariously, and the plot is anything aside from simple or boring. Also, since we are dealing with young adults here, there is an abundance of sexual themes. If you are easily offended, perhaps you should pass. Remember, this is a cable series, and they are allowed to go a little further than network TV.

I would feel as if I were being unfair to readers if I didn’t say this… I was not overly impressed with the first couple episodes. Everything seems to be going a little too fast, characters were introduced right and left, magic was real.. or not, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to invest the mental resources – and time – necessary to watch each week. As the following weeks went by, the characterization became clear and I knew who to root for.. and who not. The plotting took a sudden turn and it was as if the cruise ship passed from the Gulf Stream into the calm Caribbean waters. I knew the characters and I knew what was at stake. What I didn’t know was, like Game of Thrones, who would reappear the following week and who would vanish forever. Each episode became a joy and a highly anticipated part of my week.

Reviews for Season 1 are both good and bad, but largely good. I personally rely on Rotten Tomatoes when I’m unsure if I want to watch a certain movie or series. This past season was ranked right at 70% positive.. This is a very good cross-section of viewers from all demographics. Personally, I’d give it a solid 4 stars, out of 5. Sometimes, in its first season, a show wiggles somewhat to find its place in line. Writers are not as familiar with the characters, or one another, and there is a slight learning curve. I think The Magicians worked through any shortcomings and found a solid following for Season 2.

Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Network: SyFy
Premiere Date: Dec 16, 2015
Creators: Sera Gamble, John McNamara
Executive Producers: Michael London, Mike Cahill, Sera Gamble, John McNamara, Janice Williams, Henry Alonso Myers, Scott Smith
Producers: Michael London, Mitch Engel, John McNamara, Michael London, Janice Williams, Laurie Lieser

Season 1 is packaged as 4 DVD’s, including deleted scenes and gag reel. Available at most big box stores for around $25.00
You can purchase the 4 DVD package from Amazon for $19.95 – http://amzn.to/29YQJ9c

Rick Carruth

////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Amazing Number 9 – The Expunged Numeral
Stephen D.T. Froggatt

This effect is straight out of “MATHEMAGIC.. 25 Tricks For Teachers… A Manual of Minor Miracles for
Magically-Minded Mathematicians!” by Stephen D.T. Froggatt. The PDF covers 25 mathemagic ‘tricks’ as taught by Stephen to his math students. I am 99% sure I’ve linked to the PDF in a past issue of the Roadshow, but I’m quite sure I didn’t sample this effect.

You DON’T have to understand everything going on to appreciate the trick. There are always explainations provided that even I can understand. Visit the link and immediately access the complete PDF. No download is necessary.. unless you want to save it.. as well you should.

Effect
Every pupil in the class writes down their telephone number (without area code) or a number of as many digits. They then shuffle these digits around to make a smaller number. For example, 5249 can be shuffled round to make 2954. The more digits in their number, the better! Now they subtract the small number from the big number and keep the answer to themselves. I recap on the instructions at this point to make sure everyone understands what to do. Now they put a ring around any digit in their answer, “but not zero, because that already looks like a ring” and add up all the OTHER digits:

Lets assume the student circled the ‘4’..
3 4 1 6 2 2 9 => 3+1+6+2+2+9 = 23

I now go around the class, asking for the final answers and IMMEDIATELY telling the pupils which number they circled:

“17” “You circled 1”
“24” “You circled 3”
“51” “You circled 3 as well”
“23” “You circled 4” (above)
“11” You circled 7” and so it continues, right round the room, as fast as I can speak.

Method
One of the most incredible properties of our number system is its power to make tricky calculations very easy. Since we write our numbers in base 10, it follows that when we subtract the digits from a number we always end up with a multiple of 9.
(This is basically saying that 1000 – 1 and 100 – 1 and 10 – 1 are all multiples of 9.) One of the properties of any multiple of 9 is that its digital root (the sum of its digits, with the addition repeated until a single digit is reached) is also 9.
Putting these two together we can see that the answer to the subtraction is always going to be a multiple of nine. All I have to do is answer back with the smallest number that will make their total up to a multiple of 9. If it is already a multiple of 9, then they must have crossed out 0 or 9, but zero was forbidden, hence 9 is the answer.
This trick was described well over a century ago by “Professor Hoffmann” on p237 of his book “More Magic” (1889) where it is offered as a routine for the Victorian Stage Magician. “Expunged” just means “Crossed out”. I have amended this to ringing because it provides a neat way of eliminating the problem faced when either a zero or nine is “expunged”.

http://www.northeastern.edu/seigen/11Magic/Teaching/Mathemagic.pdf

///////////////////////////////////////////////

Chad Chesmark – The Trade Show Guy – Free PDF

Chad Chesmark is “The Trade Show Guy.” He specializes in making exhibitors shine on the trade show floor with live, interactive and entertaining marketing presentations. For 16 years, he was also a headlining magician for 5 major cruise lines, including Disney and Royal Caribbean. He combines his speaking & entertainment skills masterfully with a company’s product or message on the trade show floor. Chad is based in Houston, Texas but performs internationally. He can be reached at: Chad@TheTradeShowGuy.com

Here is a small sample of the Free PDF available through Chad’s site..

The Zoom Zone

Some people believe that having their booth near the main entrance is a great idea. The thinking being that everyone will have to pass by on their way in.

The problem with the entrance is that it is known as the zoom zone. Meaning that when people first walk into a show, they’re very excited and simply “zoom” right past the first few booths. They immediately want to see what else is inside.

I believe that the entrance can go either way. It might work for some, but not for all. If you have great promotions, activities, and presentations, the front might be right for you.

Dead Zones

The dead zones are the booths that are located immediately to the right and left of the entrance. These stretch all the way to the back of the room along the wall.

They traditionally get the least amount of foot traffic. While these spots might not be ideal, it’s still possible to make them work if you have a combination of excellent promotions, pre-show social media posts, awesome giveaways and a great presentation.

The Action Zone

The action zone is ideally where you want your booth to be. To find the action zone, imagine walking into the trade show entrance, then draw an imaginary “V” from the entrance to the back corners of the room. The point of the “V” is at the entrance.

https://www.magicshow.com/blog/how-to-attract-attendees-to-your-trade-show-exhibit-86

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Karl Fulves – The Ultimate Sampler

I am a big fan of Karl Fulves. I love his fairly simplistic view of magic. He published effects that, with the right handling and patter, played much larger than they read. Karl Fulves (b. 1939) has taught thousands of beginners, young and old, to perform remarkable feats of sleight of hand through the books he has published (as Gutenberg Press), especially with his “Self-Working” series he did for the general public, published by Dover Books.

Fulves lives in Fairlawn, New Jersey, and is a private person who has repeatedly turned down all requests for interviews. There is not much known about him other then his incredible output of magic literature.

Karl Fulves has been married to his wife Jean with whom he as three children.

Fulves has used over 30 different pen names throughout his works, especially in magazines, which have included: Ralph Gironda, Robert Hess, Fred Lessor, Glen Kehler, Gray Leese, Peter Alexis, Francis J. Baker, Alan Brown, Ben Christopher, B. Jordan. ( http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Karl_Fulves )

Below are numerous samples of some of Karl’s many books. Most ebooks contain 15 to 20 pages, which, if you’re familiar with his books, probably covers ten effects or so. (The publisher of these books allow Google to legally sample them. So -please- don’t write me complaining about copyright laws!)

I’ve also included a link to Amazon, where many of these books in their entirety are available at a very modest cost. ( $3.00-4.99 for most Kindle versions and $5.99-9.99 for hard copies..) If you like the samples I highly encourage you to buy the whole book. You’ll be glad you did….

https://books.google.ca/books?id=R0Bwfuy3zy4C&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://books.google.ca/books?id=_LZFRqhxhM8C&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

https://books.google.ca/books?id=Ubo0bcHVmo8C&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://books.google.ca/books?id=isk1i8CrQMMC&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://books.google.ca/books?id=hfTsu1uH3pEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22Karl+Fulves%22&hl=fr&ei=s0mWTIWMJYL48AbNhLCPDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=6&ved=0CEIQ6wEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://books.google.ca/books?id=Td12nLKbDysC&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22Karl+Fulves%22&hl=fr&ei=_kqWTK2uF4OC8gbRheSfDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=6&ved=0CD8Q6wEwBTgK#v=onepage&q&f=false

Karl Fulves on Amazon….
http://amzn.to/2aRzAgE

////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Amazing Kreskin – A Biography..
David O’Connor

After publishing the links to the audio recordings of The Amazing Kreskin in last months issue, I received several emails regarding Kreskin. There has always been a considerable amount of interesting in Kreskin, good and bad. Although now in his 80’s, he continues to perform and stir interests in his art. I think it would be safe to say Kreskin is to mentalism what David Blaine is to magic. A polarizing figure no doubt, but someone who prompts conversation, speculation, and inate interest in their art.. Now, to David’s article…

A person who can make predictions with a fair number of these forecasts eventually coming true always stirs up wonder and amazement. The Amazing Kreskin is just that sort of person, and in this week’s History of Magic, he takes center stage.

Named George Joseph Kresge at birth, Kreskin was born of Italian and Polish parentage on January 12, 1935 in Montclair, New Jersey. He was to become and still remains a remarkable performer as a hypnotist / mentalist specialising in “thought reading.” Kreskin has been at the forefront of psychological mentalism and hypnosis shows for over four decades now, and he continues to amaze and bewilder his audiences with his supposed powers which he assures is not brought about by paranormal or clairvoyant means. He distinctly dislikes being called a ‘psychic.’

His interest in magic stems from being an ardent comic reader of Lee Falk’s famous Mandrake the Magician comics, which featured a crime-fighting stage magician. He dabbled in magic at a very early age and around age eleven, he was hypnotising people and was credited as the youngest hypnotist in America. He presents himself as a true entertainer and he is still a highly successful performer with all the attributes of a real showman. He gives the appearance of being a very intelligent performer with a deep understanding of parapsychology and the paranormal and more importantly, the power of suggestibility. However, he has been known to be rude and abrasive with some audiences.

After many years as a successful mentalist on the American and Canadian College audience circuit, he has had numerous guest appearances on major TV shows like those of David Letterman, Jay Leno, Mike Douglas, Jimmy Fallon, Johnny Carson, and Larry King Live. Kreskin is still sought after for his unique performances and lectures.

From 1970 to 1975, Kreskin’s television series, The Amazing World of Kreskin, was broadcasted throughout Canada and the United States and was highly successful. Throughout his career, he has made many long-term predictions on such subjects as horse race placings and American presidential election results. He also predicted the winner of the Super Bowl series by forecasting three days before the event that the Baltimore Ravens would win with a score of 34 points.

He legally changed his name to ‘The Amazing Kreskin’ and uses the same techniques that other mentalists use—suggestion, misdirection, sleight of hand, reading body language, and listening to the way a person speaks. He is a real master of influencing people through suggestion.

In 1997, he appeared in Trump Plaza New York on the hottest day of summer and caused the crowd to shake and shiver with cold and run for blankets, proving that “the mind can beat the heat.” He also presented a Halloween séance in 1997 with his host Howard Stern who stated, “That was the most amazing thing I ever saw.” Kreskin has performed for royalty and presidential families and has had over 500 television appearances.

In 2002, Kreskin made a prediction that a UFO sighting would occur over Las Vegas on June 6 at 9:45 PM. Hundreds of people assembled and many camped out to witness this event. He even put up a $50,000 bond that would go to a selected charity if it didn’t happen. No such sighting occurred. He made light of the offer stating that the sighting was a total fabrication showing how susceptible people were to suggestion. Kreskin stated that he was concerned that a terrorist having the skill of a mentalist could probably influence people the same way, which might lead to tragedy. When asked specifically about the $50,000 donation, he stated that the forecast sighting was merely an experiment, but there was indeed a sort of single sighting of glowing red lights purportedly seen in the sky around midnight, long after news photographers and cameras had left the scene. Kreskin argued that because of this lone sighting, his prediction was validated, but many were of the opinion that the stunt was merely for publicity. However, his appearances on talk shows fell off markedly after this episode. Not all his predictions come to fruition but when he gets a hit, he gets the acclaim.

Kreskin performs on stage and auditoriums with practically no stage props or paraphernalia, unlike most mentalists. However, he does sometimes begin with a few sleight-of-hand tricks and the Linking Finger Rings as a prelude to his ESP. Then he will sit in a chair facing the audience with just a pad and pen jotting down notes as he feels thoughts coming to him. He will call out a person’s initials and once verified, he will state their full name and a few details about them. He would relate numbers that people were merely thinking of and the names of other family members or the name of a pet. It looks as though he is picking up ‘thought waves’ from different audience members and it is very effective. Joseph Dunniger did something similar and it has been suggested that Kreskin may have in fact obtained Dunniger’s method and adapted it to his performance style.

One of the Amazing Kreskin’s routines stems from a childhood game called “Hot & Cold” where children hide an object and a player endeavours to find it by asking if they are hot or cold while searching for it. Kreskin developed a particular skill for this as a child. Now as a professional performer, he has his cheque for a show hidden by an audience member pre-show. If he fails to find the cheque, he forfeits the money. He is nearly always successful in this. He states, “I am 90% successful—10% of the time.” He also believes that Adolf Hitler used hypnotic techniques in his speeches with torchlights and the sombre beating of a drum and that he was able to plant persuasive suggestions to the multitudes.

As well as being an accomplished mentalist/thought reader, Kreskin is also an excellent concert pianist. He has given recitals and performed as a soloist pianist with two major orchestras. He is a rather talented comedian as well and some of his shows include many witty one-liners like “I have nothing against the politicians in Washington but I just wish they had been on the Titanic.”

Kreskin has written nearly 200 books, many of which suggest that the reader could learn the secrets of what he does. I have two of his publications that are far removed from exposing his methodology and they have not helped me to develop my extra sensory perception. However his latest book for 2016, entitled In Real Time, has just been published and it may perhaps reveal just a little more about this amazing performer. There is no doubt that his show still has strong appeal, made evident by the fact that he averages around 200 shows a year.

The Amazing Kreskin can be very persuasive when questioned about his supposed powers of perception and ability to read minds, and the way he does this is very reminiscent of a clever showman—which he indeed is. People are drawn into his ‘pseudo speak’ very easily because the attraction of ‘not knowing’ will always have that sort of appeal to lay people.

ESP still has its adherents who will always believe in the paranormal and Kreskin keeps that belief going. There can be no doubt that his shows after all these years can still draw big audiences and they like what they get. Although he is a skilled performer, he is rather reticent about mixing freely with other magicians or fellow mentalists. At this stage, it remains to be seen what type of legacy he will leave in the history of magic, but he must be acknowledged as a fine performer who leaves his audiences in awe, wonder, and amazement.

“The Amazing Kreskin promo video..”
https://youtu.be/Jdz6ihhObJk

David O’Connor
David J O’Connor is a semi retired professional mentalist and children’s entertainer. He has performed throughout South Africa, New Zealand and aboard cruise liners. David is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and loves mentoring young people in magic.

First published at:   http://magictricksforkids.org/history-of-magic-the-amazing-kreskin/

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Art of Magic (w/ Elliott Terral) Presents Magical Thinking with Daniel Prado – Podcast

Daniel Prado joins Elliott to talk about life, magic, travel, music, and life. Daniel is a truly gifted performer with experience in many different facets of entertainment, and he’s got some great wisdom and stories to share.

Over two hours of great magic thinking and ideas. You can download the podcast to your player or phone and listen at your convenience.

https://soundcloud.com/artofmagic/ep-16-daniel-prado

////////////////////////////////////////////////

A New VANISH Magazine – Free to All

Paul Romhany has announced a new Vanish magazine has published. I’m sure most of you are familiar with Vanish, but if you aren’t.. it’s the premier Free magazine in all of magic. Slick, informative, topical, and downright magical.. Vanish is an absolute must-read.

This month’s issue features Morgan Strebler, Thom Peterson, John Carey, Bill Abbott, Timothy Hyde, and Nick Lewin… to name just a few of the masters of magic in this months issue.

– It’s fully interactive with 13 FREE magic tricks including video instructions.
– 37 of the latest magic trick, books, DVD reviews from around the world.
– New series by Bill Abbott called The Dream Show Series
– EXCLUSIVE interview with Supervising Art Director of HARRY POTTER World in Hollywood.
– Filled with essays and articles by magicians and artists who make a living from performing.

Be sure to let Paul know how much you appreciate his effort and dedication to our magic community…

https://www.joomag.com/magazine/vanish-magic-magazine-morgan-strebler-edition/0350988001470434128?short

////////////////////////////////////////////////

How to Fan a Deck of Cards Evenly – The Thumb Fan Tutorial

California’s Tom Interval of Intervalmagic made this tutorial of the Thumb Fan and the subtle nunances that make it work so well. If you like a quick and tight fan.. this is it.
A little over 9 minutes long..

////////////////////////////////////////////////

John Scarne Explains Why YOU Can’t Win..
A Treatise on the Three Card Monte and its Sucker Effects – Audley V. Walsh – PDF

“John Scarne is known and praised by the world’s best magicians for his clever manipulation of cards.
It is doubtful if there is another card man in the country who can entertain and mystify as John Scarne. His effects are of a lightning nature and done with the ease and control of a master. His “Card in the Pocketbook” is a masterpiece and imitated by many. There is no doubt that he is the greatest table worker we have in the world today.”

“Gamblers have offered him enormous sums for some of his table workings.”

http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/151924

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Sankey’s Vanishing Marker – Video Tutorial & Gimmick

Another nice effect from Mr Sankey! This one vanishes a magic marker right under the spectator’s nose. There is a gimmick involved.. but Jay provides that as well. You’ll like the simplicity and smart thinking that brings this to life…

Have a watch and try it out.

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Levitating on the Streets of London –  Tutorial

There are so many videos on Youtube that expose the secret behind this classic far-eastern effect. This particular method is somewhat different from most.. and perhaps something you would consider. Guys make good money performing this on the streets… -if- you have the patience..

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Big Think – How Con Artists Manipulate Your Emotions in Genius (and Evil) Ways.. Video

The Ben Franklin effect is an oddly simple phenomenon. It was first discussed, as one could guess, by the man himself in his autobiographical writings. Benjamin Franklin used it on legislators that he was at odds with, to make them be more kind to him.

Franklin said, “He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.” What he was getting at is that if you ask someone for a pencil once and they oblige, it establishes a kindness pattern. They’re more likely to help you again later on and perhaps in a bigger capacity. That’s right, you might get a pen out of it next time. Whoa, Nelly. And the final part of his quote is not to be glossed over: this kind person may even be nicer to you than someone you have done a favor for, who technically owes you one back.

Maria Konnikova, psychologist, writer for The New Yorker, and author of The Confidence Game , explains that this same principle is also called ‘Foot in the Door’ and is a favorite tactic of con artists; they will start by asking you for a small favor first, and if you acquiesce, then they’ll go for a bigger request. Watch the video..

The article is at:

http://bigthink.com/videos/maria-konnikova-on-how-to-recognize-and-subvert-the-con-artist

There is a link titled.. SHOW TRANSCRIPT beneath the image of her book for those wanting to read the transcript instead of watching the video..

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chain thru finger trick Tutorial – Featuring Sthlm Panda – Julien Magic

Make a solid metal chain pass through a spectators finger.. leaving the finger intact! I can’t say this is a brand new effect.. but it will be brand new to some of you. The video is like I prefer – short and sweet, direct and to the point. Actually, it will probably take you as long to read this as it will to watch the tutorial.. Get on with it partner.. ( Thanks to Mr. Lyth for the link! )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyMozF_6XPo

////////////////////////////////////////////////

5 Easy Bar Magic Tricks – Tutorials

Mr Fredenza teaches his 5 favorite bar magic tricks. There’s a little something for everyone. I must admit I don’t totally understand the card-behind-the-back trick fools someone, but I’m sure it fools folks in a bar…
The first trick on the video is my favorite. I’ve seen it before.. but sort of forgot about it until this video reminded me. If you aren’t familiar with the method, It will fool you.. no doubt.

http://www.etricks.info/

////////////////////////////////////////////////

////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Royal Road to Card Magic – Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue

Archive.org has published a very nice PDF copy of Royal Road to Card Magic. This version contains a very interactive navigation system, making the reading of this 436 page ebook immensely easier. All the great illustrations are there.. along with the true pillars of card magic.

“We cannot emphasize too strongly that knowing the secret of a trick is not the same as knowing how to perform that trick; and that knowing the secret of hundreds of tricks is of little value unless each can be performed smoothly and entertainingly. It is far better to know only a few tricks which can be performed with grace, skill and effect.
In writing this book, we have attempted to teach you card tricks which may be performed anywhere, at any time, under any circumstances, for any company, and using any pack of cards. You will not need “trick” packs of cards, nor special cards, nor expensive accessories. This is most important, for it means that no matter
where you may be, you need only borrow a deck of cards when called upon to entertain; the ability to amuse and interest will be literally at your finger tips.”

I’ve published links to free versions of Royal Road in past issues, but I’ve not published a link to a version nicer than this one.. You HAVE to have this in your library.

https://ia800207.us.archive.org/32/items/The_Royal_Road_To_Card_Magic/The_Royal_Road_To_Card_Magic.pdf

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Practical Mental Magic – Theodore Annemann PDF

Since I’m republishing a link to Royal Road of Card Magic, I might as well publish one to Practical Mental Magic. Annemann’s authoritative work on mental magic and mentalism has stood the test of time and still ranks as one of the great works of any age..

260+ pages of essential magic…

http://mfnco.com/e-library/books/Practical%20Mental%20Magic.pdf

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Google Takeout – A New Service for All Things Google

If you use Google for any of their many services, you now have a great option that may save your hide one day. At Google Takeout, you can now download every single email stored in your account. This allows you to store the data, say, in a portable hard drive or zip drive in the event you should suffer a major problem with your data online. You can also download your Blogger blogs, your Bookmarks, Calendar, Chrome, Contacts, Drive, Google Photos, Google Books, Google Maps, and on an on.

Buy you a little zip or thumb drive for 5 bucks, download this data for safe keeping, and rest a little easier. I did..

https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Magic Trick Reviews… Free to Everyone Facebook Group

Please consider joining us at ‘Magic Trick Reviews’ on Facebook. You’ll find a very nice selection of reviews, particularly by our friend, Jim Canaday, who is now reviewing for Big Blind Media as well as Murphy’s Magic. Check it out…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1755782251317278

////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

47980

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Very Inexpensive Electronics – Direct from the Source..

http://www.banggood.com/?p=AK25004782984201605X

/////////////////////////////////////////////////

BLINK – My New Toys

(Click)
My newest purchase for the home.. I enjoy being able to detect ANY movement in my home.. particularly since I have a lot of ‘stuff’ that’s important to me.

////////////////////////////////////////////////

SIGN UP FOR THE MAGIC ROADSHOW….

Remember.. signing up for the Magic Roadshow Journal of Magic is Totally FREE. There is NO obligation and your email is 100% safe. (I don’t even share it with my closes fellow magicians..) You will be notified each month when a new issue of the Roadshow publishes and you can unsubscribe with one click.

Subscribe Here.. https://magicroadshow.com
—————————–

MAGIC NEWS.
You can get your magic fix on Magic News every week. Don’t wait a month for the next Roadshow. Instead, go to Magic News for the latest, along with the more interesting stories in the world of magic. Honestly, no other site publishes the breadth of magic related stories and videos as Magic News.
http://MagicNews.org
————————————–

LIKE us on Facebook.. ( THANK YOU !! to all you Kind Folks who have…)
http://www.facebook.com/magicroadshow
http://www.facebook.com/themagicnews
————————–

Magic Bullets from the Magic Roadshow – Our first 6 years of the Roadshow ..
http://streetmagic.info/blogger.html

Dozens upon dozens of magic trick tutorial videos… http://etricks.info

Even MORE magic trick, card trick, street magic and videos.. http://magicians.website
______________

That does it for this issue. I hope you found something to help your magic along. Remember, if you have something you would like to share with the magic community, send it to: Rick@MagicRoadshow.com

“Vive Tus Sueños – Live Your Dreams “
Rick Carruth / Editor

Senior Professor – Camelard College of Conjuring of Chemmis, Egypt
“Magic’s Only Worldwide Honor Society”
http://www.camelardcollege.org/

——

Leave a Reply