MAGIC ROADSHOW SPECIAL #5
April 2020

Hi Friends..

Welcome to a new edition of the Magic Roadshow. I know some of you are new to the Roadshow, so feel free to read this issue online or download it as a PDF file and read it at your convenience… or print it.. or share it.. or save it…

Well.. I hardly know what to say.. With the worldwide pandemic in full force, I know there are far more immportant things than magic. That said.. I also feel we need to stay in touch and support one another as best we can. We WILL get through this.. and things will be different on the other side. But, there will still be magic, and performances, and club meetings and magic sales and conventions. There will still be a love of our art. I hope everyone reading this is in a good place; safe and fed. I also hope God will hear our prayers and grant us another day with our friends and family. Please.. Be Well…

I’m sorry this issue is so late getting out, but the enormity of this situation is something I could not control. Aside from stringent work demands, I have also hemorrhaged in my right eye and cannot see. Two years ago it was the left eye and I have not fully recovered from that little incident. Folks.. it’s a chore trying to hold up a magnifying page with one hand and type up an issue with the other..Oh what fun! Not looking for sympathy, just a little understanding. All will pass in time and I’ll be back to semi-normal… just frustrated I haven’t had the pleasure of devoting some of this down time to writing and learning a thing or two.

I am SO glad to get this issue out. I’ve accumulated a stack of reviews, more than normal, and really needed to publish them in PDF form. I am not a paid reviewer, but review items because… One; I like to write.. and Two; It provides me with good content for the Roadshow. So, when you see a ‘Murphy’s Magic’ url beneath many reviews that doesn’t mean I’m an affiliate of Murphy’s… It means my friend, Sydnie, at Murphy’s has sent me items to review and publish to the Roadshow, benefiting readers around the world…. So there…

This is our fifth ‘Special’ issue.. following the first two hundred regular issues.
Everything is available to download on our ARCHIVE page, located in the menu bar at the top of the page and just under the header at MagicRoadshow.com .. All past issues can be read online or downloaded as a PDF.

Hit the Control (CTRL) key and the Plus sign key (+) to enlarge text on your computer. Makes it considerably easier to read blogs and PDF documents… You can hit it multiple times to make it larger and larger.. or hit control/minus to make it smaller.

Email me at: rcarruth@gmail.com

** This issue is 51 pages and 16700 words…  Download or Read this issue as a PDF –  HERE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

•LESS IS MORE, MORE OR LESS By Christopher M. Reynolds
•Everyone Has A Story – Article By Jim Canaday
•Children’s Magic: A Fun Simple Prop! by Kyle Peron
•The Transfixed Pack – An Effect by By Christopher M. Reynolds
•Fire When Ready – John Bannon – A Review by Rick Carruth
•Do You Believe in Magic? Protect Your Magical Property .
•Ultimate Self Working Card Tricks.. vol. 2 – A Review
•Card Magic For The Enthusiast – Paul Hallas – A Review
•Fortune Collection – Paul Hallas Packet Trick Treasures -Review
•The Vault – Triumph – Volume 1 – A Review By Rick Carruth
•Penguin Magic Podcast w/ Erik Tait
•The Russian Genius Coin Trick Tutorial
•Top 5 False Shuffles Tutorial
•10 Bottle Tricks Compilation – Tutorial
•Illusions
•Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi: George Devol – PDF
•Slightly More Podcast
•How to Do the Math Magic Trick That Will Impress Everyone.
•Fortuity – David Jonathan – A Review By Rick Carruth
•OU KNOW (UNO) – David Jonathan – A Review By R.Carruth
•McDonald’s Aces and a Bonus – Paul A Lelekis – A Review
•SINIS – Playing Cards – A Review By Rick Carruth
•Mono – Xero Playing Cards by Luke Wadey. A Review R.Carruth
•PARADIGM – Playing Cards – A Review By Rick Carruth
•The Vault – Project Straw by Brandon David & Chris Turchi –
•KEEP LEARNING – Motivation
•Other Important Stuff….

“Your style has to fit you, not just your fantasty of you.” John Carney

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LESS IS MORE, MORE OR LESS
By Christopher M. Reynolds

In his book, The Card Magic Of LePaul (1949), magician’s magician Paul LePaul advocates for the value of simplicity:

“The illusion of magic is an idealistic fantasy; it exists only in the imagination of the spectator. Its appeal is to that natural love for the strange, the mysterious, and the fantastic which lurks in the minds of every one possessing ordinary imaginative powers. One of the most important factors conducive to creating the impression that magical forces are at work is the simplicity of effect. It is significant to note that those effects which get over best with an audience invariably are very simple in their conception. Their presentation is always straight to the point, and the methods employed are likewise the simplest and more direct than it is possible to conceive.”

Despite this wise advice, many performers choose to take the opposite route. Allow me to paraphrase 1 Corinthians 13:11 from the Holy Bible.

“When I was a beginning magician, I spoke, understood, and thought as a beginning magician; but when I became an advanced magician, I put away beginners things.”

Skilled magicians often frown upon basic tricks and sleights, seeing them as too simple to fool anyone. Why bother performing something as mundane as having a spectator choose a card and having said card found under a drinking glass? Why not do a double under in-jog, followed by a bottom push-off, center steal triple lift, false shuffle inside run-up. And, for the finale, find the spectators chosen card under a drinking glass?

After years of practice and dedication to advancing in their craft, they feel that they’ve earned the right to put away fundamental maneuvers and never look back. What they fail to realize is that simple methods aren’t preferred because they’re more satisfying to perform, but because, by nature, they’re more magical.

Let us take a step back from the art of conjuring for a moment and look at the craft of songwriting. Many great pop songs feature only one chord, and writing a great song with such limitations is no easy task. It means that the arrangement and production must be so good that the listener overlooks the fact that there’s not much melodic or rhythmic variety in the song. If great musicians like John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Harry Nilsson, and John Fogerty can show such restraint in their chosen art, then you can too.

When working on a new card trick, treat it the way a musician would write a pop song. Think of your sleights as chords and your patter as the lyrics. Sometimes a one-chord song can become a huge hit. Just like one simple, elegant sleight is all you need to make a masterpiece of card magic.

Let’s take a look at a fundamental maneuver in the conjurer’s bag of tricks: the break. A break is a gap retained in the deck using any finger. Card magicians also use the thumb or the flesh at the base of the thumb.

The little finger (pinky) break beautifully fits the definition of the word simplicity. It is the most natural and versatile break in all of card magic. It allows the magician to control the deck freely and has many applications: forcing a card; marking the location of a specific card; separating 2-3 cards from the top of the pack, making the double or triple lift easier; and is the first step in preparing for the side steal, the two-handed pass, or the glimpse. And all that can be accomplished with just one little finger.

When a neophyte musician takes up the guitar or piano, they learn the five basic chords: E-A-D-G-C. The C-chord (and C-Major scale) is one of the most common key signatures used in western music. The pinky break is the sleight-of-hand equivalent of the musician’s C-chord. It’s easy to execute, but never unsophisticated in its application.

Mind-boggling magic effects are often the easiest to perform. The easy way is also the right way. The less wastage of effort there is, the closer the magician moves to pure magic.

It’s as simple as that. Simple and complicated, as most true things are.

o0o———————o0o

Everyone Has A Story – Article
Jim Canaday

Every one has a story if you take the time to listen.

For instance, a lot of us remember Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies but did you know that she and her husband, Jack, had been stars on the vaudeville stage or known how attractive she really was?

A few years ago my grandmother was in a nursing home. Some of the local high school kids came in and helped the residents write their autobiographies. If it wasn’t for this, I would have never known that my great grandfather had made his living carving wooden shoes in Denmark or that his wife did not own a pair of shoes as she seldom left the house. Everyone has a story.

My wife and I had taken some furniture to sell at a used furniture store. Before we even left the parking lot, a piece had been sold. The older man who purchased it wanted to know how he could get it delivered, When told that it would cost around $50.00 for the delivery, his face fell. He had come on his bicycle and couldn’t afford the delivery. My wife asked him how far away he lived and volunteered to watch his bike while I took him and his purchase to his home. On the way, we began to chat and I found that he had made his living being shot out of cannons. If we hadn’t helped him, I would never have heard this wonderful story. Everyone has a story.

Quite a few years ago, a friend has invited me to his home for a New Year’s Party. During the course of the evening, he asked me if I would mind keeping his elderly father company for just a bit so he could visit with his other guests. The man was a good friend so of course I helped him out. His father and I started chatting and I found that he and his wife had been in vaudeville with a tumbling act and were know as the Dalys. He had performed on the same stage as Thurston. I sat fascinated listening to his exploits. When my friend returned to relieve me, I volunteered t spend the rest of the evening with him. What a treat. Everyone has a story.

If you have the chance to spend some time with some old timers, do it. You just might hear some wonderful tales that otherwise you would have never heard. You might hear some real gold. And even if you don’t, you have brought some joy to someone who has been places and done things you can only dream of. Some of them will have trouble remembering what happened this morning but can tell you, in vivid details, after something that happened to them back in high school years before. Everyone has a story. Take the time to listen to it. You won’t be sorry.

Jim Canaday for The Magic Portal – http://themagicportal.us/

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Children’s Magic: A Fun Simple Prop!
by Kyle Peron

I thought I would share an interesting and simple prop I use at my shows that is really not magical in nature at all but serves several purposes. I was talking to a friend about it the other day and thought I would share it with you all.

It is interesting to note that when doing children’s magic, it is often the journey you take people on that is often times more fun for the audience then the main effect itself. This tends to be the nature of kid show performances. Kids want to have fun and the journey you take them on should be as much fun if not more fun than the main trick itself.

With this in mind, I love the use of funny props or comedy props used in the course of the show that really have nothing to do with magic but are used to make the journey and experience a fun one for all who are watching, both kids and adults. If we are there to entertain, then we do not always have to spend 100% of our time entertaining with just magic alone.

There are also times in a kid show performance where you know people are going to do certain things. This cannot be any truer than when performing for a birthday party. You just know from the nature of a birthday party performance that certain things will happen in the course of the show by the adults or parents. These are often things you cannot control and are not in nature wrong by any means but can slow down the performance.

One of these situations that happen for me all the time is when people want to take photos during the performance. When little Joey is up on stage, mom and dad are inclined to want to snap photos left and right. This really does not bother me at all because I am there to make Joey and his parent’s day the most magical possible while solving the problems they hired me for.

I started thinking that there must be a way in which when this happens, I can be prepared so that I can add humor to this moment and not cause the show to slow down the pace. I wanted to devise a way in which the situation was prepared for by me in some fun manner.

When parents did take photos during the show, the problem for me became that the shots and flash would go off leading to a kind of bad photo because the parent has no idea when to snap a good shot. This happens simply because they do not know the show or what I am going to do next. I tried to figure out a fun way to give them a cue to take a good shot but have it play for laughs and be entertaining to the show format itself.

The solution was a simple clapper board used in movies. I got mine at a novelty store for a few bucks. You can probably find them most anywhere if you keep your eyes open. Now I place my stage name on the board and my website URL. I keep this behind my table at all times and I am ready to go.

This can be used in several ways. If you see someone about to take a shot, you can scream, “WAIT!!!!!” then run back get the clapper board, pose and get the laugh and a decent shot at the same time. The other way is if the parent does not know when a good shot might be there for the b-day party child. This is when you can cue them and take out the board, pose and say, “Kodak Moment Take One!”. In both ways it gets a laugh but serves a purpose.

Now I have created comedy in the show and the show still flows even when a situation like this comes up. It not only helps the parents, but it shows how much of a professional I am that I have thought of something for the situation when it occurs.

Also, the beauty of having your name and URL on the board is that now every single photo that is taken is branded with your information. You know they will show the picture around long after you leave. This is effective marketing done in a fun manner. Long after you are gone, the photo on the fridge will be marketing you and anyone they show the photo to.

It is a fun little prop that I have had a lot of fun with and hope you all may as well. Enjoy.

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I have a new book out I would like you to know about all about working the Festival market. If you would like additional and detailed information on this topic, please see my book/eBook at: http://www.kpmagicproducts.com/Festival_Magic.html ;

Kyle Peron – Magician and Illusionist
http;//www.kpmagicproducts.com
http;//www.Facebook.com/perondesign

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The Transfixed Pack – An Effect by By Christopher M. Reynolds

While recently rummaging through my magic library, I stumbled upon a book that I haven’t looked at in years: Henry Hay’s LEARN MAGIC.

Comedy magician Mac King has cited the work, in many interviews, as one of the first books on magic that he ever read. It’s a resource that he still refers to for inspiration. I can’t think of a better endorsement than a magician of Mac’s caliber.

Inside the pages of this book is a card trick that’s obsessed me for decades. The trick is called “The Transfixed Pack.” It was once a popular effect used by stage magicians on the vaudeville circuit over 100 years ago. In my mind, the trick is so old that its new. It is a conjuring classic that deserves to be revived, in print and performance.

The plot is simple: two cards are chosen by spectators and shuffled back into the deck, which is then wrapped in a sheet of paper and secured with a rubber band. The performer then takes a sharp knife and thrusts it into the neatly wrapped package. Miraculously, the blade of the knife is found to be between the two chosen cards.

I’ve deliberately adapted (plagiarized if you will) from three different sources. The previously mentioned LEARN MAGIC, and THE AMATEUR MAGICIAN’S HANDBOOK, both written by Henry Hay. I heartily recommend purchasing both.

The dialogue I’ve written is a modified version from the pages of T. Nelson Downs/John Northern Hilliard’s 1909 book, THE ART OF MAGIC. Downs (a close friend of Henry Hay) was a well known, 20th-century coin manipulator, famous for his version of the “Miser’s Dream.” On pg.52, he claims to be the inventor of the following trick. Who am I to argue?

The nuts and bolts of the effect can be done in many different ways. The way I describe it involves using the vintage two-handed pass and a simple bridge. The two-handed pass was once considered the backbone of card conjuring. Now, it’s about as outdated as an RCA Victrola. So, my old-timey method is just a suggestion. If you have a more modern way of doing it, then feel free.

1.) Have someone choose a card and return it to the pack. Hold a little-finger break below it. Make the pass, bringing this chosen card to the bottom.

2.) Let a second spectator draw a card from the pack. Tell them to show their card to the first volunteer. As they are doing this, make the pass again, bringing the first chosen card to the middle of the pack. Hold a little finger break under the selected card. Stick out your left hand, containing all the cards below the first chosen one, for the second spectator to replace his card.

3.) Place the upper half of the pack on top of the packet in your left hand. As you do this, slip your left little finger between the two halves of the deck, separating the two chosen cards. Make the pass again. The first chosen card returns to the bottom; the second card is now on top. A casual false shuffle at this point adds an extra layer of conviction.

4.) Bend the whole pack (lengthwise) sharply in half, downward. Then, bend only the upper half sharply upwards. The cards should now resemble a pair of reversed parentheses: )(. The technical term for this sleight is referred to as “making the bridge.” Remember, no one in the audience must notice any of this.

5.) Make the pass. The two chosen cards are now together in the middle of the pack. The two halves of the deck will now bulge away from each other, forming an egg-shaped ellipsis: ( ).

6.) Wrap the deck in a sheet of paper. Place the rubber band lengthwise around the package. As you do this, run the tip of your left thumb along the side of the wrapped package. When you feel the hole, mark its location by pressing your thumb firmly into the gap of the bridge. Poke a small hole into the indentation with your thumbnail. Display the package to your audience from all sides, keeping your thumb over the tear in the paper.

The preliminaries are over. Now the build-up to the finale begins. Toss the pack into the air a few times. Pick the knife up and wave it around dramatically, parrying and thrusting like an Olympic fencer. Without saying a word, you subconsciously let your audience know that something important is about to go down.

Performer:
Ladies and Gentlemen, let us review what has happened. Two cards have been drawn by spectators and shuffled back into the pack. The experiment I’m about to perform is a simple one. I shall endeavor to bring the two chosen cards back together…and this done while they’re wrapped securely in a sheet of paper.

Where the two cards are in the package, I couldn’t tell you. Your guess is as good as mine. It is now absolutely impossible for anyone to find them. Anyone except a magician that is. The operation is simple. I merely lay the package flat on my palm (suiting the action to the words) and command the chosen cards to fly together. Presto, abracadabra, PASS! The two cards have obeyed my command and are now side by side in the swaddled pack. What’s that you say? That isn’t much of a trick? You want me to prove myself? Very well, then.

Upon saying, jab the knife through the hole that you made with your thumbnail. You want to do this in one deft and precise motion, not stab it repeatedly like a crazed mafia thug.

Make a large enough hole with the knife so that you can tear the rest of the paper with your bare hands. Showing your hands empty before you do this adds to the deception. You don’t want anyone to think that you smuggled the cards back into the pack as you were tearing it open.

There, on each side of the knife, are the two chosen cards.

Afterthoughts:
Having an audience member sneaking a peek at the bulging gap between the two cards would ruin the illusion. At some point, when no one is paying attention, bend the deck back and forth to remove the bridge.

I didn’t bother putting in directions for how to execute the two-handed pass. Henry Hay’s two books listed above do it better than I ever could. In fact, I wrote this piece as an excuse to hype his writings.

He was born June Barrows Mussey in Staten Island, New York, on March 30, 1910. When not writing about magic, under his pen name Henry Hay, he worked as a journalist, ghostwriter, and translator in Germany after World War 2. One of his more notable assignments was as an anonymous writer translating Adolph Hitler’s book, MEIN KAMPF (MY STRUGGLE), for the American publishing market. He died on July 27, 1985.

I think that the AMATEUR MAGICIANS HANDBOOK is a criminally underrated piece of how-to conjuring literature. If only one person purchases a copy after reading this, then I’ll consider my work done.

Hay writes in chapter 2 of the AMATEUR MAGICIAN’S HANDBOOK: “Book patter abounds in words like “endeavor” and “observe.” Don’t be taken in. Go right ahead, saying “try” and “see.” But maybe you’re the endeavor sort of fellow. Very well, then. Endeavor it is… for you. Don’t talk like Professor Hoffman; don’t talk like me; talk like you.”

I agree, yet disagree at the same time, with Hay’s advice. Let me explain: the dialogue I have written probably isn’t to everyone’s taste. I don’t like it much myself. I think it’s cheesy. But, I’ve included it for a particular reason.

If a magician is nothing more than an actor playing a role, then proper dialogue (patter) should be included with the description of each trick. No matter how corny prefabricated patter can be, it gives magician’s a starting point to build their presentation upon. Not every performer has the talent or desire to make up their own patter. And that’s OK.

Sir Michael Caine has acted in over 130 movies. Many of those films, like JAWS 3, were filled with the most God awful dialogue in cinema history. Michael Caine has transcended the verbal sewage he’s sometimes forced to deliver. Like a true professional, he brings class and dignity to every role he performs. If he can do it, then so can you.

o0o——————–o0o

Fire When Ready – John Bannon – A Review
Rick Carruth

Part Three in a John Bannon Trilogy.. from John Bannon and BigBlindMedia.. This is the Ad Copy..

After the best selling smash hit releases ‘Bullets After Dark’ and ‘Bullet Party’, John Bannon is finally ready to close out his ‘Bullet’ trilogy. The third and final entry is ‘Fire When Ready’, a veritable feast of card magic delights. Fuelled by Bannon’s inimitable style of easy-to-achieve, yet staggeringly powerful card magic, this is a project you NEED!

Over an immense 180 minute running time, Fire When Ready will arm you with some of the strongest card magic imaginable. From Bannon’s go-to opener for more than a decade ‘Line Of Sight’ to the impossibly clean think of card ‘Proxy Shock’. The ten featured routines are audaciously constructed and require only the most basic sleight of hand, yet, they are tricks that are destined to be in your arsenal for EVER!

My Thoughts:

Typical John Bannon. Of course, ‘typical’ John Bannon is like saying ‘typical Beatles’.. or ‘typical Dali’. For what it is, this is about as good as it gets. This DVD is listed as for beginners, so you know you aren’t getting knuckle-busting card effects. But, just because it’s for beginners doesn’t mean it should be ‘card tricks 101’.. and it’s not.

This is a very intelligent collection of effects that virtually anyone can learn from. There is something for everyone. Yes, some of the tricks require more work than others, but unless you want to remain a beginner for the rest of your life.. just go with it.

Don’t be afraid.. regardless of which end of the spectrum you’re on.. Everyone will come away happy and the proud possessor of at least two or three effects you’ll put to good use. What I like about Bannon is.. he wants every effect to look like something a very skilled performer would perform. Not a single effect in this collection is a dud. Not a single effect is something I’d be shy to perform for a table full of spectators. Several are magician foolers, which naturally get an extra star.. if I gave stars.

Run time is about 3 hours, and video and sound are typical BigBlindMedia. Nothing distracting or over-the-top, or less-than-expected. Just plain ‘ol good production qualities.

The first line or two in these descriptions are from the Ad Copy. I have added my comments to the bottom of each effect…

Proxy Shock – They think of a card. The deck is shuffled. It looks like you miss… then BOOM! They realise they were just being set up for the sucker punch.
– This uses a regular deck and no setup. All the magic happens during the effect. This does use a sleight, taught carefully by John, and something that virtually anyone can do with a little practice. As with several of John’s effects, he uses a double undercut during the effect, which is something you probably already know or can learn quickly. This is one slick trick when done at speed. It’s also something you can show your magician buddies and they won’t know how you did it.. unless they watched this DVD.

Rock The ‘Voque – A spectator reads your mind, bit by bit, nailing the card you thought of… and you can prove it!
– Equivoque. Nice example of a technique familiar to magicians but not familiar to the public. You may not fool a lot of magicians with this.. but you WILL fool the dickens out of lay folks. Easy to do, if you can remember a few simple steps. No sleights, but may use a ‘move’ of sorts to help with selecting the right card. I can see myself adding this to a table hopping lineup as it’s easy to set up and keeps cards off wet tables. One of my most favorite effects..

Mundo – All the impact of ‘Out of This World’, but in a small packet, and with a twist that will fool EVERYONE!
– Bannon adds a personal touch to this Out of this World plot that gives it a unique look. Not hard to do.. most of the work is done beforehand, and the only ‘sleight’ is a false shuffle. My personal opinion.. a few folks may discern a portion of the effect, but the vast majority of folks will be totally fooled. It’s up to you to sell the improbability.

Cut & Run – Produce the Four Aces from a deck repeatedly shuffled and cut… by your SPECTATOR! This is a killer utility!
– Another effect with a slight bit of prep.. but you can actually achieve everything needed with the spectator watching you. Sort of a ‘Ben Earle move as interpreted by John Bannon’ makes everything possible. You will need to practice this to make it work properly, not because of difficult moves, but just to be able to perform the moves swiftly and convincingly. Another of my personal favorites.

Hybrid Holdout – Your participant shuffles and cuts. Top stock: Controlled?!?
Additional instruction on a fairly simple sleight…

Stealth Aces – A classic Ace Assembly, that combines easy handling with a devious construction!
– Ace Assembly. A John Carey effect with a John Bannon move. Although this effect has been around awhile.. it’s still a winner. It reminds me of something I’d normally have to get from Paul Gordon. If you’ve bought packet effects from Paul, as I have, you’ll know what I’m talking about..! You think cards are at one place, and discover they’re someplace different. Everything is accomplished with one move, and NOT a shuffle or count. Slick…

Big Fat Bluff Aces – John’s hidden gem. This assembly is a showpiece, and features several astonishing kickers, and will leave EVERYONE reeling – laymen and magicians alike!
– An Ace Assembly.. without the assembly. Uses an Elmsley Count and a couple of variations. This is the most commercial of all the effects.. and will require a little more practice than most effects.. but it will be well worth it. Learn to do this effect with pace and confidence and you’ll be performing this for years to come.

Blues Alley Jokers – Truly shocking appearance of Jokers sandwiching a selected card.
– Sandwich effect. Jack Carpenter inspired effect utilizes a shift to move three cards from one known location to a seemingly impossible location. Everyone will love this one if you’re willing to put in a little work.

Clean Out Of Sight – Vernon’s classic gets the Bannon treatment – a spectator shuffles and thinks of a card, without you touching a thing. Then, following the spectators intuition, you zero in on a card they’ve genuinely thought of, and never named. BOOM!
– A little Vernon.. a little Martin Gardner. Math is the secret, but no worries. Everything is self working up to a point. Then, you need to perform a gentle sleight or two to get the final outcome. This will fool anyone, including most magicians.

Question Zero – A borrowed, shuffled deck. A thought of card. Zero questions, maximum bang for minimal buck!
– This is, technically, perhaps the most challenging effect on the DVD. But, with a little work, will offer the most reward. The deck CAN be borrowed, there is NO setup, and you do NOT ask any questions. Yet, you know their selected card and can reveal it in any number of ways.

Line Of Sight – What does John open his card sets with? Line of sight. And you will see why! John teaches all the tips that make this shocking moment of mental card magic work, with the pack in the spectators hands.
– Inspired by a Alain Nu effect, Line of Sight uses a very casual glimpse, taught by John, to obtain a freely selected cards identity. This effect relies on a story to sustain the mystery, and the spectator will never figure how you knew their card, leaving them with no choice but to believe your improbable story. This is a quick opener.

– Additional instructions on getting a glimpse..

I will recommend this to all my friends and readers of the Magic Roadshow. It’s a good, quality instructional DVD that impressed me with all the strong effects you wouldn’t normally expect from a DVD with so few sleights. NOT a self-working video, but some of the effects are darn close to it. Others will require you to get your hands slightly dirty.. but it will be well worth it…

$25.00 From Murphy’s Magic and dealers who carry their line of products..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=65048

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Do You Believe in Magic? If Not, Protect Your Magical Property Rights.. Article
By Gerald Lebovits and Minji Kim

‘Own Your Magic’ is not just for magicians. All who want to protect their work, and any lawyer who wants to help them safeguard their work, should own it.
Magicians pull rabbits from hats. Seconds later, they make the rabbits disappear into thin air. You know a magic trick is at play. You are entertained despite having been fooled. But you want to know how you were fooled.

Magicians belong to one of history’s oldest occupations. The first trace of magic dates back thousands of years to the Egyptian age. The Westcar Papyrus (c. 1700 BC) shows that magicians served at the royal palace during Egypt’s fourth dynasty.

Wherever there is a secret, there is a desire to uncover it. The history of magic is replete with fear that tricks will be revealed and that ideas will be stolen. One well-known dispute happened in Goldin v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 22 F. Supp. 61 (S.D.N.Y. 1938). In 1923, Horace Goldin, a magician, patented the box he used in his famous “Sawing a Woman in Half” performance. To draw attention to their cigarettes, tobacco company R.J. Reynolds posted ads in newspapers 10 years later. These ads revealed several magic tricks’ secrets, including Goldin’s. Goldin sued R.J. Reynolds for unfair competition. Goldin’s case was weak; patent applications require that inventions be described in some detail. That makes the contents of a patent publicly available. The court wrote: “Certainly this is a clear and detailed expose of the secret to the public by the plaintiff himself. Anyone who cares to can rightfully and lawfully procure a copy of said patent, containing a full detailed and diagramed explanation of the trick … .” Id. at 64.

The key to magic is keeping it a secret. Jim Steinmeyer, a famous inventor of magic tools, said, “In magic, people don’t get inspired by a great trick. They just take it. You would hope that what you do inspires, but instead, it just inspires theft.” Chris Jones, The Honor System, Esquire 140, 145 (Oct. 1, 2012). Today, especially with social media, magicians face the possibility of seeing their secrets revealed sooner than ever.

IP laws help magicians. The laws can be used to enjoin other magicians from performing illusions and to prevent secrets from being disclosed. But magicians worry that the law offers insufficient protection. Magicians have therefore developed and enforced informal community norms to protect their magic.

Goldin’s example shows the importance of knowing the limitations of intellectual-property laws to protect magicians’ rights. The music and film industries have armed themselves well, understanding what IP laws can and cannot protect. The magic industry has not yet caught up with music and film. Magicians have been waiting for someone to teach them how to protect themselves.

Little has been written about protecting magic through IP laws. Valuable articles like Abracadabra!—Why Copyright Protection for Magic Is Not Just an Illusion (Janna Brancolini, 33 Loy. L.A. Ent. L. Rev. 103, 132 (2013)) and a book, Law and Magic: A Collection of Essays (Christine A. Corcos ed., 2010), discuss magic and IP law. But they are limited to areas like copyright law or contain only academic discussions. They do not offer practical advice useful for non-lawyers. And they do not cover the entire field of IP law applicable to magic. Chapter 7, F. Jay Dougherty, Now You Own it, Now You Don’t: Copyright and Related Rights in Magic Productions and Performance, deals with copyright law; Chapter 8, Jacob Loshin, Secrets Revealed: Protecting Magicians’ Intellectual Property Without Law, focuses on non-legal protection; and Chapter 9, Florian Faust, Selling Secrets: Legal Problems of the Magic Market, deals with German law and European Community Law.

Filling that gap is Sara J. Crasson’s 2019 book, Own Your Magic: A Magician’s Guide to Protect Your Intellectual Property. Own Your Magic is a comprehensive guidebook to protect magicians’ works. It covers all areas of intellectual property: copyright, patent, trademark, and unfair-competition law. It contains practical information as well as academic content, including the forms and information magicians need to register their intellectual property. Own Your Magic will not substitute for retaining an IP lawyer. But magicians—and IP lawyers themselves—can put Own Your Magic on their bookshelves and use it as a reliable asset.

Crasson, a lawyer and magician, is the right person to have written Own Your Magic. With degrees from Harvard College and Fordham University School of Law, Crasson has established herself the leading authority on how IP law applies to magic. She has already published several articles on the relationship between IP laws and various performances, including magic. See Sara J. Crasson, Intellectual Property Laws and Magic, Genii Mag., March 13, 2013, at 40; The Limited Protections of Intellectual Property Law for the Various Arts: Protecting Zacchini, Houdini, and Cirque du Soleil, 19 Vill. Sports & Ent. L.J. 73 (2012).
Read More..

https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2020/02/26/do-you-believe-in-magic-if-not-protect-your-magical-property-rights/?slreturn=20200305010545

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Ultimate Self Working Card Tricks.. vol. 2 – A Review
Rick Carruth

This BigBlindMedia product is the second volume in a line of DVD’s featuring self-working card tricks. The Ad Copy reads as follows:

“The nine stunning routines on offer prove that it’s not HOW the trick is done – it’s 100% about WHAT your audience perceives. None of these tricks require sleight of hand, but they are absolutely, mind fryingly awesome. Some of the methods are so devious that you’ll fool yourself when you perform them.

From John Bannon’s self working, instantly resetting packet trick ‘Poker Pairadox’ to Ryan Schlutz’s three phase masterpiece ‘Sense-sational’ to Peter Duffie’s ingenious ‘Four Most’ – these are tricks that you will perform again and again and again.

So grab a deck and join your hosts James Went (from the smash hit BBC show ‘Help, My Supply Teacher Is Magic’), Liam Montier, Iain Moran, Ryan Schlutz and Owen Packard, and prepare to learn some of the greatest card tricks ever invented.”

Tracklisting
1. Mind Mirror (Jack McMillan)
2. Convergence (Cameron Francis)
3. Stock Exchange (John Guasterferro)
4. Sense-sational (Ryan Schultz)
5. Poker Pairadox (John Bannon)
6. Four Most (Peter Duffie)
7. Password Fallacy (Jim Steinmeyer)
8. Amara Rises Again (Ryan Matney)
9. Blind Choice (Roy Walton)

My Thoughts:

As everyone knows, I have a propensity for self-working card tricks.. or at least card tricks that are, as Steve Beam would say.. semi-automatic card tricks. I think there is a whole segment of magicians who are not true card workers.. but specialize in other forms of magic. Regardless, they do not want to be totally left behind when it comes to card magic. They want to be able to give the public the impression they are very adept with a deck of cards.

Of late, self-working card trick dvd’s are hot. Big Blind Media leads the field when it comes to producing dvd’s for the magician who doesn’t want to spend weeks learning one card trick. This one, featuring James Went, Liam Montier, Iain Moran, Ryan Schlutz and Owen Packard continues their series of self-working instructional dvd’s with entertainment, skill, great production values, and a selection of female spectators exponentially more attractive than their male counterparts..

You’ll find something for everyone. Look at the names of the effect creators and you’ll get a good idea of the value of each effect. These creators are among the Best of the Best, and their self-working effects are something they are willing to attach their names to.. The performers/teachers are also among the Best of the BigBlindMedia stable.

Without revealing too much.. here is a brief description of each of the effects on this DVD:

Mind Morror.. Jack McMillian from Expert Card Technique .. A card is picked at random. After two riffle shuffles or two smush shuffles, the magician is able to read the mind of the spectator and reveal their card…

Convergence.. A Cameron Francis effect.. Nice trick involving two decks and a random selection. This is a ACAAN type effect that uses s Stebbens stack in a simple manner to reveal a card and a number.

Stock Exchange… a John Guastaferro effect.. two spectators mix two packets of cards, and ultimately colors match, numbers match, and predictions are correct. Spectators perform all the shuffling and are truly surprised at their own dexterity. One of my personal favorites.

Sense-sational…a Ryan Schultz effect… Three spectators select cards and the performer finds all three. Lots of simple shuffling by the spectators keeps everything busy and everyone properly fooled.

Poker Pairadox.. John Bannon.. Several pairs of mis-matched cards are shown. It’s referenced that they would not be ideal for a hand of Texas Hold’em. After the spectator selects just one of the cards, they are shown to now ALL be matching pairs… ideal for Texas Hold’em.. Very easy to perform.

Four Most.. Peter Duffie… Three spectators each place a wager on a random pack of cards as they are dealt by the magi. After everything is gathered, the magic makes a bet also. When the top card of each packet is revealed.. there is a strange coincidence. Nice Gemini Twins type effect.

Password Fallacy.. Jim Steinmayer.. Remove nine cards at random from a deck. Remember the bottom card. Think of a password. Spell your password dealing one card for each letter, and move them to the bottom. After a secret phrase is spelled, and the password spelled, the spectator’s card is revealed. Perfect for multiple spectators or for performing over the phone or radio.. My personal favorite..

Amara Rises Again.. Ryan Matney… After a number of cards are dealt randomly by a spectator, they are divided in to three piles. A fair series of shuffling each pack reveals one step toward discovering the identity of a hidden card. After all three piles are gently manipulated, the selected card is found in the previously empty card box.

Blind Choice… Roy Walton… A ‘Coincidence thingy’ with several spectators and a pack of cards. The cards are mixes and handed out in packets to each spectator. The cards are mixed again and a number discarded. Each spectator keeps a certain number of cards based on a formula and after the magi selects a few cards, the coincidence occurs.. with a homage to Out of This World.

As always, the lighting, production values, and sound are first class. The dvd run time is typical. As there is not a time on the dvd or the site I can’t give you a specific time. The skill level is listed as ‘intermediate’.. but it is definitely a beginner level dvd. There are NO real sleights involved in the effects.. nothing more than shifting a few cards or stacks here and there. This volume is probably the most simple-to-perform of all the BBM videos I’ve reviewed.

If you are in the market for self-working card tricks, I recommend this and all the BigBlindMedia products…

$30.00 Available through Murphy’s Magic and dealers who carry their line..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=51245

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Card Magic For The Enthusiast – Paul Hallas – A Review
Rick Carruth

This is the latest from one of the most respected writers/performers in all magic. He has amazed folks on both sides of the ocean for many years. Here’s the Ad Copy for his new book – Card Magic For the Enthusiast:

Welcome back to another compelling compilation of clever card conjuring for the card magic enthusiast. This book is not intended for beginners, as some knowledge of card magic is already expected. But there is nothing contained to bust your knuckles.

It’s guaranteed that the card enthusiast will find a number of routines to whet his appetite, so why are you wasting time reading this? Get your cards out for the first effect!

Paul Hallas released his first magic book in 1979, and the creative bug has remained with him ever since. His main interests are close up magic (mainly cards) and mentalism, and his books reflect that. Having written perhaps the most well-known book on ‘packet tricks’, a book just on one card plot, ‘Across the Void’ (the Cards Across plot), and a book on the use of various types of cards in mentalism, “Mentalism With Cards”.

He has authored over a dozen books and has contributed articles to various magic magazines over the years. He is a professional entertainer who now lives in Florida.

My Thoughts..

When I recently learned Paul Hallas had a new book on the market, I couldn’t wait to review it. Now, it’s much harder to review books than to review DVD’s and ebooks, particularly if you’ve had cataract surgery like yours truly, but the payoff is significantly greater. I enjoy being able to read over an effect until it makes perfect sense. Watching videos isn’t in the same realm.

There is a wide assortment of effects and reveals throughout CMFTE. You’ll learn new methods to find cards, manipulate cards, and reveal cards. This is NOT a book of beginner magic, nor is it a book for knucklebusters. It’s just a good ‘ol fashion 120+ page book full of original thoughts from a magician and mentalist who has performed for many years on both sides of the ocean.

The downside of reviewing a book is the inability to speak to all the many effects. Paul’s book contains almost thirty effects and I can’t do everything justice, so I’ll try to write about several different effects I found very interesting. I think these are a good cross section of CMFTE.

Up/Down Oil and Water… Oil and Water is one of the all-time classics of magic. Many performers have put their own twist on it, myself included, but it never occurred to me to use Zener cards. ( Zener cards being what some folks call ESP cards ) This is a two phased routine that uses seven cards, although the audience assumes it to be six – Circles and Wavy Line cards. Based on the formative Judah method, Paul takes it to places unseen.

Let me say this.. although the ad copy says no skill is needed for Paul’s book, I would say there is definitely a certain skill level needed… probably somewhere between beginner and intermediate. A number of different sleights are used throughout the book, but most are sleights that don’t require a great deal of physical skill. The above effect, for instance, uses a multiple turnover and an optical count, neither of which are beyond the average beginner, although you may need to look a move or two up.
This is NOT a deal breaker, nor should it be of great concern to anyone wanting to buy Paul’s book. Like most good works.. you’re going to learn a thing or two.

Another favorite was Streamlined Jumbo. This four Ace production uses a very original method to reveal the Aces. Based on Aldo Colombini’s Jumbo, except easier, cards literally ‘fall’ into the spectator’s hand. This was one of several effects where ample photos made the handling so much easier.

Wouldn’t Play Cards With You is another favorite because I’m a sucker for Ace production effects. This one has the spectator finding their own selection.. and then the four Aces. Quicker than some of the other effects, but packs a surprise. Very good if you perform restaurant magic or walk-around.

Soft Curve is one of a couple effects using the classic Dudeney folding procedure. Paul’s version uses Zener Cards and a unique tracking method he discusses during the instructions.

Every effect in this book ends with a crediting section that not only credits the handling, but usually offers a bit of history and the lineage in relation to his method. Very helpful if you enjoy knowing a bit of history about a certain effect or technique. Paul knows his stuff, and has an almost encyclopedic mind. I’m jealous..

Thoughts On Multiple Card Revelations. This was one of my favorite sections of the book. Paul and I sat in a convention room recently and watched as Steve Beam amazed the audience with his multiple card revelation. I wanted to learn it so bad, but the time was limited and the explanation complex. Reading Paul’s explanation gave me great insight into what may well be the single greatest visual card effect in all magic. Being able to reveal the identity of ten cards or so goes far beyond the audience’s ability to grapple with the mind of the magician… not to mention the fact it fools even most magicians.

Some of the effects read more like a treatise on technique and magic. Oh, Paul always gets around to the crux of the matter.. but it’s interesting to take little side journeys with Mr. Hallas as he talks about the paths that lead him to an effect, a method, or a conclusion. There’s way more here than simply twenty-eight tricks between two covers.. There’s an assemblage of original thoughts and methods from a consummate professional you can buy for a trifle..

Complete list of Effects:
Under Pressure – Traveler in Time – Being In the Right Place – Up/Down Oil and Water – Assembly Reverse – Simple Addition – The Marriage – Repeat Bluff Sandwich – Foursome Moresome – Before Some – Wouldn’t Play Cards With You – Streamlined Jumbo – The Dudeney Coincidence – Soft Curve – The Special Spectacles – The Tree of Knowledge – Direct Gypsy – A Cato Named Klondyke – Pinky Ovette – Center Double Control – Simple Double Card Control – Thoughts on Multiple Card Revelations – Fate or Foutune – Squaring the Circle – Dominant Arthur – Combo – Magic For Distant Friends – The Last Word

$25.00 From Murphy’s Magic and dealers carrying their line of products.

https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=65883&fbclid=IwAR2jPOZ7GgVD17DBPuTX4OeIERaYsn_mx-oWk5mgOKDsufI2PS_QjYw1J64

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Fortune Collection – Paul Hallas Packet Trick Treasures – Review
Rick Carruth

The Ultimate Collection of Packet Tricks! The future is a mystery. Or is it? Baffle spectators with this stunning collection of packet treasures.

The Fortune Collection packet contains some of the best routines in fortune cards you will find. Your audience will be completely amazed by your ability to know their selected card!

In the training course Paul Hallas gives you step-by-step instructions on how to perform each packet trick plus additional material about performing card readings. With this collection your audience will be left wanting to know more!

Course Includes:

Fortune Forces
VooDoo Trick
Possible Readings with the Cards
Original Routine & Variations
All magic cards included!

My Thoughts…

Original Routine – Uses the Fortune force. A spectator has a free choice of cards to choose among a packet of cards. After a bit of word play, the selected card is revealed to match a card being held by a second spectator.

Variation of Orig. Routine – A number of different tricks are possible with self-made cards using the same principle as above. One of the effects demonstrated has a spectator using a variety of cards to select a city in a given state. Paul reveals what city he is from in that state.. and a map is opened to reveal a straight line from Paul’s city to the one city selected by the spectator.

Fortune Forces – Another force allows the spectator to look through a shuffled packet and pick one card at random from the pack. After the card is fairly placed back in the pack and the pack shuffled.. the performer reveals the card selected by the spectator.

Voodoo 2007 – The Fortune force is used to reveal an injury to a voodoo doll. A number of victim cards and voodoo doll cards are used.. but the outcome is spot-on.

The Cards – The cards are designed to allow simple readings if you want to go in a different direction. Each card has a different picture, and a creative mind could create many different outcomes for cards randomly selected by the spectator.

$24.97
https://magicmakersinc.com/products/fortune-collection-packet-trick

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“The strongest prestige-builder is your own magic. The stronger each effect is, the more your prestige builds as the performance progresses. Each effect you perform acts as an advertisement of the one you’re going to do next.” (Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz, pg. 89)

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The Vault – Triumph – Volume 1 – A Review
(Video Download)
Rick Carruth

This offering from The Vault is a classic of magic. This is the ad copy.. and then my thoughts..

“The real work on the Triumph plot taught to you by the performers closest to the secret.

If card magicians were to make a list of what they believed were the most powerful effects in card magic, Dai Vernon’s Triumph would almost certainly be on every list. Though the plot of Triumph – cards mixed face-up and face-down magically righting themselves while at the same time revealing a selected card – was almost certainly not new at the time, Vernon’s elegant method was. Triumph was first published in 1946 as part of the Stars of Magic series of manuscripts, taking the magic world by storm, and ever since, magic creators have been putting their own presentational and methodological spins on this indisputable classic card trick.

On this download, you’ll meet six performers who have each taken the Triumph plot and made it their own. Appropriately, Johnny Thompson, a close Vernon confidante, leads off by performing and demonstrating not only Vernon’s published method for the trick but also his preferred – and unpublished – way of doing it. Jon Armstrong is next with a motivational presentation while James Swain not only rights the reversed cards while finding the selected card but also returns them to factory numerical order. Boris Wild continues with a very funny yet amazing version while Larry Jennings offers a great variation that can be performed in a strolling situation with no table required. Finally, Bill Malone performs and teaches perhaps the world’s fastest – and maybe easiest – version of the trick, one that originated with Ed Marlo.

Triumph remains popular with card magicians because audiences simply love it. They’re generally stunned by the mixed-up cards magically righting themselves, so much so that the fact that their selected card is also found becomes almost secondary. In short, it’s a card trick that looks like real magic and on this video, you’ll watch and learn from some of the best card magicians in the world showing you how to do perhaps the greatest card trick ever invented.”

Dai Vernon’s Triumph – Johnny Thompson
Goal Triumph – Jon Armstrong
Perfect Triumph – James Swain
Not That Drunk – Boris Wild
Outstanding Triumph – Larry Jennings
Lightning Fast Triumph – Bill Malone

My thoughts:

Every advanced cardman has their own version of Triumph. It’s sort of like a jump shot in basketball.. regardless of what other shots you possess.. you have to have some form of the jump shot. Murphy’s Magic ‘The Vault’ brings singular effects and classic videos, like this one, to the magic market. Since the Triumph effect is considered one of a handful of true classics, this video, formerly available only as a DVD, has been re-released as a downloadable video.

Although made famous by Dai Vernon, he was not the very first to perform a Triumph, or a variation. Several others prior to Vernon produced their own version, although most used some form of gaffed cards. Vernon published his version in 1946 and Marlo published several versions a short time later.

This download was first published several years ago as part of the L&L World’s Greatest Magic series. Generally, they take several different performances in several styles of the same effect and combine them into one DVD or download. What I like about the WGM series is the diversity and the relative low cost, not to mention seeing several of my favorite performers on the same video.

It seems nowdays every idea that crosses the mind of an unknown magician gets published. Thousands of ideas each year, and some are worth your time and effort and some aren’t. The World’s Greatest Magic series always took the best of the best and packaged it in a way that made it a true value. If you don’t like one performer’s presentation.. chances are you’ll like the next one.

On this video:

Johnny Thompson used a masterful strip out shuffle and a block transfer to reveal what he knew to be Dai Vernon’s true method, regardless of what you’ve read in print. Everything depends more so on cover than fancy sleight of hand. If you aren’t familiar with Vernon’s method, this will be a revelation.

Jon Armstrong’s Goal Triumph takes a bit of a serious turn, as he tries to inspire an audience member with his performance and patter. Best suited for a small group or individual, Jon’s Triumph used a side steal and a single card turn over to make the magic happen.

James Swain based his Triumph on a gambling demonstration. It both begins and ends in a new deck order. Although a little more involved than the other versions, this was my personal favorite. It adds a very unique twist to the ending that will surprise even fellow magicians.

Boris Wild plays the part of an intoxicated performer trying to shuffle a deck. His back and forth shuffling technique gives the audience the impression everything is hopelessly mixed. This Triumph is actually a demonstration, as there isn’t any audience participation. They’re entertained regardless…

Larry Jennings version is very straight-forward, depending on the Vernon patter. Larry performs a one card pass to set the deck up.. everything covered. He then uses a Bill Goodwin move to make everything copacetic. From this point, everything is patter and presentation. A classic video.

Bill Malone’s Lightning Fast Triumph is just that. Of course, in Bill’s universe, a minute is like three minutes to the rest of us. Bill actually talks so fast in this video even HE gets tongue-tied.. His Triumph is self explanatory and can be performed in about a minute. Only one move makes it possible to fool your audience.. and perhaps other magicians… particularly if you want to make them wish they were paying closer attention. Don’t perform it a second time for these nerds… let ’em sweat it.

All in all, if you don’t have this video, you should. It really needs to be a part of your collection. Many folks call Triumph the best card trick of all time. Vernon would certainly tell you so.. and who am I to argue with the Professor.

$14.95 From Murphy’s Magic and dealers who carry their product line..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=66080

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Penguin Magic Podcast w/ Erik Tait

What you’ve missed since the first episode on Sept. 5th…. Nothing to download, just click icons and listen. Each episode will run approx. 20 to 30 minutes in length and are hosted by one of our favorite magicians – Erik Tait. You can subscribe and receive notification of new shows, share the podcasts, or download and listen later.

117 – A Genuine Conversation (feat. Vinny Grosso)
116 – Ownership Is Nine Tenths Of This Episode (feat. Sara J Crasson Esq.)
115 – What Do You Want To Talk About? (feat. Harrison Greenbaum)
114 – Two Technicians Walk Into A Bar (feat. Daniel Chard)
113 – When You Have A Crew (Feat. Alexander Marsh)
112 – One Of The Champions (feat. Kayla Drescher)
111 – Air Dancers and Train Wrecks (feat. Nick Diffatte)
110 – Three, Two, One, It’s an Interview! (feat. Shezam)
109 – Secret Public Library and The Road to Tomsoni (feat. Julie Eng)
108 – Conjuring In A Series Of Tubes (feat. R Paul Wilson)
107 – Halloween Suplex (Feat. The Shocker)
106 – Couldn’t Get The Plane Out Of The Hangar (feat. Dave McCreary)
105 – Passionate Amateurs (Feat. John Bannon)
104 – Metamodernity and Cocktails (Feat. Carisa Hendrix)
103 – Geeks, Freaks, and Consultants (Feat. Ryan Stock & AmberLynn)
102 – Conversation With A Stranger (feat. Jonathan Levit)
101 – Machine Shop In A Hotel Room (feat. Jaime Schoolcraft)
0 – Preview Episode

http://podcast.penguinmagic.com/402133

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The Russian Genius Coin Trick Tutorial

The Russian Genius teaches a quick but thorough coin sleight that’s ideal for those of you who are trying to get a grip, so to speak, on coin magic.

http://magicblog.org

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Top 5 False Shuffles Tutorial

Rich Ferguson teaches five different false shuffle ideal for those of you who would like to have a solid false shuffle to add a little something to your card magic.

http://magicmysteries.org

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10 Bottle Tricks Compilation – Tutorial

This crazy foreign guy teaches ten different tricks with a bottle. These are primarily bar tricks, but they’ll fool someone non-the-less. (I can’t use this guys real handle, as Google will flag my site..)

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Illusions – Videos

Are you familiar with 3-D art? Not the kind you squinch your eyes to see.. but one dimensional drawings that appear to be three dimensional from certain angles… Check it out…

https://fbwat.ch/1LSfbMNqj8gQYBkC

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Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi: George H Devol – Special FREE PDF

This is a special little treat for Roadshow readers. You don’t need to buy this 300+ page ebook.. although Amazon will be glad to sell it to you.. just click the link, download the PDF, and read… Enjoy the story of a master of deck stacking, bottom dealing, and three card monte at a time when getting caught could cost you your life!

“A cabin boy in 1839 could steal cards and cheat the boys at eleven stock a deck at fourteen bested soldiers on the Rio Grande during the Mexican war won hundreds of thousands from paymasters, cotton buyers, defaulters and thieves fought more rough and tumble fights than any man in America and was the most daring gambler in the world.

George H. Devol was the greatest riverboat gambler in the history of the Mississippi. Born in Ohio in 1829, he ran away from home and worked as a cabin boy at age ten. At Fourteen he could stack a deck of cards. Over the years, he bilked soldiers, paymasters, thieves, cotton buyers and businessmen alike. He fought more fights than anyone and was never beaten. This is his story…”

https://47416e.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/fortyyearsgamble01devo.pdf

Epub, Kindle and PDF source…
https://digilibraries.com/ebook/forty-years-a-gambler-on-the-mississippi

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Slightly More Podcast

Interesting and intelligent podcast. Definitely check it out…

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How to Do the Math Magic Trick That Will Impress Everyone You Know..

YouTuber Michael Stevens (who hosts the popular Vsauce series) has brought a classic math magic trick back from its ‘90s heyday.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a31136091/math-magic-trick/

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Fortuity – David Jonathan – A Review
Rick Carruth

From the creative mind of David Jonathan comes Fortuity. An amazing prediction that looks so clean and fair, it will truly blow your spectators’ minds!

David has taken the Duel Match premise to incredible new heights with a complete change of method.

By rolling two dice, your spectator generates a random number. You cleanly count to this number from either end of a rainbow deck and remove their chosen back design.

The deck is now completely spread to show that there really is only one card with this unique back design. The dice are rolled again and once again the cards are counted from either end of the deck to arrive at a random value. The deck is completely spread to show absolutely no duplicates are in play.

In essence, your spectator has created a random playing card from these two free selections. You now ask him to open an envelope that has been sitting in view from the very beginning — inside is a perfect duplicate of the card that has been created.

Your package comes complete with a very special custom deck, two beautiful dice and full video tutorial. Fortuity is so easy to do; even a beginner could do it with only a few minutes of practice.

No Loaded Dice, any numbers can be rolled (or use imaginary Dice)

All the cards can be shown both front and back

Absolutely Zero Sleight of Hand

My Thoughts:

David Jonathan, the creator of Cutting Edge, Fourtunate, You Know (UNO), and Arbitrium.. among others.. has a new release – You Know (UNO). David is one of my favorite creators; I’ve reviewed a couple of his effects previously, and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw his name attached to FORTUITY.

David is both a real worker and a practical guy. His effects always make sense. They aren’t overly complicated or contrived, and do exactly what they claim to do. When you read the ad copy for Fortuity, or any of David’s effects for that matter, you can be assured you’ll get what he promises.

Fortuity is a prediction effect. Before the effect begins, you place an envelope on the table. It remains in view throughout the effect and doesn’t need to be picked up until the prediction is revealed. Actually, the prediction inside the envelope is 100% correct in advance, so why tamper with the Truth.

A pair of dice is provided, and the spectator is instructed to roll the dice, as you deal down, from the bottom or the top, to that number. You tell the spectator this is intended to reveal the back design of one card. After removing the card at that number, the back is shown and the cards spread to show the back of every card is different… a rainbow deck.

The spectator rolls a second time, arrives at a second number, and you deal down, again from either end of the deck, to arrive at a number. The deck is spread to show this card’s value and suit is the only one in the deck. Now you’re ready to have the spectator open the envelope to reveal a card with the same back design, suit and value inside.

Yes, it’s this straight forward. If you like mental magic, this is about as fair as it gets. With the right patter, this will fool all your spectators.. including many magicians. In all fairness, the ad copy states all the cards can be fully ‘shown’ both front and back.. and they can… but, they cannot be handed out. This is NOT a problem for me, as I don’t let my audience handle my cards regardless. Anticipate audience reactions and be prepared… have a witty reply you can deliver with a smile. Some secrets need to be kept secret!

All in all, I recommend Fortuity to all my readers. Everything you need is included, even the envelope and dice, Bicycle cards and detailed online instructions. You will be performing Fortuity soon after receiving it. Beginners can perform this with a small amount of practice.. as there are NO sleights.. only a little bit of handling that most of you are already familiar with..

$37.25 From Murphy’s Magic and dealers who carry their line of products..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=59192

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YOU KNOW (UNO) – David Jonathan – A Review
Rick Carruth

YOU KNOW is a brand new effect from David Jonathan, one of my favorite creators. Here’s the Ad Copy:

You Know is a powerful display of foresight that is so direct, so fair and so utterly baffling. It uses an ancient, underused principle that has been dusted off and modernized with new twists to create a stunning hands-off prediction.

So what’s the effect? A pack of UNO cards is introduced and a participant names any of the four colors in the game to be their target color. They take the cards and genuinely shuffle them into a truly random order. They now look through the shuffled pack and remove the first three cards of their target color that they come to. The numbers on these cards are added together to arrive at a sum. An envelope, that has been on the table, is turned over to show one number was written on it – the sum of the three numbers! Even more impressive, inside the envelope is a prediction of the SPECIFIC COLOR they named and the EXACT THREE NUMBERS they arrived at!

Ends clean
No gimmicks
No sleight of hand
Super easy to do

Tons of extra ideas and variations are covered on the tutorial, as well as ways to incorporate the concepts into a variety of routines (e.g. book tests, pin code revelations, etc.).

You Know provides an engaging change of pace from run-of-the-mill card tricks, so download it today to learn one of the strongest effects with a pack of UNO cards!

Note: While this effect was designed for UNO cards, it is also easily adapted to playing cards

My Thoughts:

I just reviewed FORTUITY, another David Jonathan effect, for Murphy’s Magic a few days ago.. and out of the blue David contacted me about his newest release – YOU KNOW (UNO). Having reviewed three of David’s effects in the past, I knew his work, his style, and his dedication to offering customers a great deal for their money.

That said.. if you read the Ad Copy above, you have a good idea of how the effect plays out. You Know is performed with a partial deck of UNO cards (not provided), but can be performed with a regular deck if you want.. I don’t want. I love the idea of performing this effect with a deck of UNO cards. Performing with UNO cards makes this a very unique effect.. one unlike anything the spectator is apt to have seen previously. Plus, no one thinks of UNO cards as being gaffed or marked, which they aren’t, adding to the mystery and improbability.

I’m going to go ahead a say.. this is one of the very BEST effects I’ve reviewed in a long time.. and the BEST effect for the money. The instant download is $8.95, which is an absolute steal. As I mentioned, you need to supply your own UNO deck which, if you don’t already have one, can be bought at virtually any drug store or big box store for a couple of dollars. From that point, David shows you, via a Vimeo link, what to do with the cards. Only 40 of the cards are needed, and you’re almost ready to perform.

The spectator is handed the deck and he/she really performs a riffle shuffle of the deck. For good measure.. they perform a second riffle shuffle. They go through the deck as explained in the ad copy and remove three cards of a color they selected. Now, they total the three cards.. and find the number matches the prediction in a sealed envelope produced earlier by the magician. For good measure, the magician also predicts the color the spectator will pick. There is NO deck switch and nothing added or subtracted to the deck.

The secret is a very old secret and -possibility- one you’ve read before… if you’re a student of magic. But, I’m willing to bet you’ll not figure this one out, as it’s the unique formulation of the cards from the beginning that enables the mathematics to work. Don’t let that word scare you.. there’s nothing for you to calculate. It’s actually self-working once the spectator gets cards-in-hand, even though you can count on the spectator NOT being able to riffle shuffle perfectly. They don’t have to… This effect works despite their imperfection.

David provides a link to a Vimeo video which runs 40 minutes. Every step is taught carefully and everything explained in detail… The Materials, Preparing the Prediction, Setting up the UNO pack, The Number Force and The Routine. He also provides alternate handling, including using a standard deck, and a PDF with final suggestions, including a shortcut not shown on the video.

There are almost Zero sleights. There is one brief move you make which I’m not even going to call a sleight… if you can cut a deck, you can perform this simple move.

If you perform mental magic in your routine, this is an excellent effect to have in your repertoire. I urge you to take time to create a line of patter that matches up with the effect.. and you can easily increase the dramatics two-fold. Spectators love effects that permit them to shuffle the deck and perform the handling. It makes YOUR magic so much stronger. I highly recommend YOU KNOW (UNO) to all my readers…

$8.95 Instant Download.. from either of the two links below..

https://www.davidjonathanmagic.com/product-page/you-know-uno
https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/12973

Reviewed by Rick Carruth for the Magic Roadshow

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McDonald’s Aces and a Bonus – Paul A Lelekis – A Review
Rick Carruth

I recently got the opportunity to review Paul’s 56th ebook, a masterwork on McDonald’s Aces. This is part of the intro from Paul:

“This is my 56th e-book of magic (including a few physical books), and I’m proud of the amount of excellent magic that I have accumulated after decades of being a very busy performer.

I am very proud to present these two fantastic effects…one is an ‘exercise’ of apparent great manipulative skill and the second one is an example of unbelievable ESP ability.

These are NOT just tricks…and should NOT be treated as such. They are masterful presentations (dependent upon the performer), that also require some finesses, patter, conviction, and story-telling ability.

People believe what they want to believe. And I, for one, am NOT going to assume that my spectators don’t believe!”

My Thoughts:

First, a little something about ‘McDonald’.. and his story, courtesy of Paul…

“This routine was attributed to Mac McDonald (John W. “Mac” McDonald), who was born in Mississippi in 1907 and died circa 1981. Mac was a magic pitchman and only had one hand…and was considered an amazing magician, much like the great René Lavand.

Mac lost his hand as a 10 year old boy while working in a saw-mill in Alabama, in 1917. He moved to California in the 1920s as a young man and became a successful diamond broker forming “McDonald’s Diamond Exchange”.

However when the Depression hit, his diamond business “went under” and Mac became a magician and was quite successful, performing for royalty, and even President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, twice.”

McDonald’s Aces, in one form or another, has been popularized by a multitude of performers.. including Ricky Jay and Dai Vernon. Paul’s version, although it uses a unique collection of sleights, sticks close to the original performance.

Four Aces are shown, and then dealt to the table to create four future piles of cards. One of the Aces, generally the Ace of Spades, is dealt close to the performer and later becomes the pile in which the magic happens. Three more indifferent cards are dealt, face down, onto each of the Aces .. forming the four stacks.

After due patter, each pile is picked up, the Ace inserted into the middle of the pile, and, like magic, the piles are each shown front and back… and the Aces have vanished. To bring the effect to a climatic end.. the final pile, the Ace of Spade pile, is revealed to contain all four Aces.

Now, Paul’s is a much better effect than it reads in my quick recap. You can easily make McDonald’s Aces a centerpiece of your set with Paul’s handling. I don’t want to scare anyone off when I say he uses several sleights to achieve the magic, because Paul includes videos of each of the sleights to give you a deep dive of the techniques.

Paul teaches each of the following:
Benzais Spin-Out Move
C. Miller’s Up-the-Ladder Cut
Hollingworth Multiple Shift
LePaul’s Invisible Turnover Pass
Vernon Strip-Out Addition
Veeser Switch
-plus- Two False Shuffles

Each move is used by Paul in his performance, but not all moves are necessary in your performance. He gives you work-arounds if you don’t want to use his suggestions.

At the end of the day, this is a really good study of how a very skilled card guy would perform this classic of card magic. Paul’s writing is always complete and nothing is left out. Plus, I’m sure you can write Paul if you have a question, and he will be glad to help you over the hump.

As is customary in many versions of McDonald’s Aces, you will need three gaffed cards, which you can get from magic dealers or make yourself.. in the event you don’t already have them – You need three double-facers with Aces on one side and indifferent cards on the back. Heck.. you can even glue two cards together to make yourself a working prototype.. and practice till you get the real thing..

Included in this 20 page PDF is FREAK OUT, a mental magic effect that allows the magician to surprise the spectator by knowing the identity of their card without looking at or touching the deck. The spectator does all the hard work and the magi takes all the credit.

The spectator cuts the pack.. the spectator looks at the card cut to… the spectator shuffles the packet.. and the magician, after a bit of patter aimed at making the spectator a believer in magic, reveals the identity of her card. The patter is important, and the lack of handling is important. Paul will explain it all…

Anyone who can perform a false shuffle..(taught via another video by Paul) can perform Freak Out. I would say McDonald’s Aces is more on the advanced beginner to intermediate level. Paul also provides a treatise on JACKS and their history, since he uses Jacks instead of Aces to perform McDonald’s Aces.. Can you still call it McDonald’s Aces if you use Jacks? Ask Paul…

As I mentioned, this is a 20 page PDF, along with multiple videos (8 MP4s), for $8.00 .. Available through Lybrary.com. and Penguin Magic

https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S28431
https://www.lybrary.com/mcdonalds-aces-and-freak-out-p-923429.html

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SINIS – Playing Cards – A Review
Rick Carruth

SINIS is a new addition to the collector card market. Designed by Marc Ventosa and
created by Cardinates.. here’s the Ad Copy:

BREAK FREE from mainstream custom playing card designs with SINIS Playing Cards.

With modern base-line art reflected throughout the deck, EVERY detail of SINIS Playing Cards was considered to create an original and authentic artistic expression.

The custom Court cards mirror the square block theme on the tuck. The Aces reflect the explicit typograph approach.

Together, the striking balance between thin and thick objects is an intriguing surprise for the collector, cardist and magician when viewing or fanning the deck.

Even the name itself, SINIS, is a Palindrome integrated into the card artwork.

Highlighted on the backs, the name SINIS is completely symmetrical (rotational and front-to-back), breaking the traditional two-way design –while maintaining the feel of symmetry.

Available in Turquoise or Raspberry and Black on Bee stock, both are a tasty treat.

Features:
Custom seal
Custom designed Court cards, Jokers and Aces
2 gaff cards included
Bee stock
Printed by US Playing Card Company
Designed by Marc Ventosa
Created by Cardinates

My Thoughts:

SINIS is a new entry in the collector card market. Although designed as an artistic endeavor, they are printed on Bee card stock to increase handling.

There is a custom designed factor to almost all the cards. The court cards are definitely different, with the face not covering the entire surface of the card, but a smaller, square area. I think this is a method to capture the ‘museum’ feel of the image, as it resembles a painting mounted on a wall.. I could be wrong.. but that’s my notion.

The Aces are adorned with the word ‘Ace’ and the suit of each Ace spelled out in the middle of the card. This is a very unique look.

The cards are available in two colors: Turquoise Blue, and Raspberry and Black. Each is a matt finish that eliminates any reflective surfaces. The back of the tuck box and the back of each card are identical.. each with the word..’SINIS’ printed from top to bottom. The combination of the turquoise and blue as well as the raspberry and black, makes the backs of all cards two-way.

The name SINIS is, as the ad copy explains, a palindrome… reading the same both ways. You can tell there is an overall effort to wrap all the cards into a symmetric little world of their own.. and I think they have succeeded very well.

As a collector card, they are definitely one of the better cards available, and as a card capable of being used for magic or gaming.. the Bee stock assures it will handle as well as virtually any card. Needless to say, I am VERY partial to Bee stock.. and I am very partial to SINIS cards as an addition to my collection.

$12.00 Available from Murphy’s Magic and dealers who carry their line..

https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=65453

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Mono – Xero Playing Cards by Luke Wadey. A Review
Rick Carruth

Welcome to round two of the popular Mono series of playing cards. This is the Ad Copy:

The latest deck in the Mono collection, exploring the use of a single color palette and combining patterns and gradients to achieve a dynamic and unique deck of cards.

Mono – Xero picks up from distinctive theme set by Mono – X, using a bold 2-way back design combined with side details on the card faces to allow for cardists to flourish and magicians to excel in their routines. The deck uses a variety of line thicknesses with negative space and gradients to maintain the recognisable theme is carried through from the distinctive card back where a ‘O’ is created, all the way through the custom pips and court cards. The deck uses a blue theme throughout, still with clear distinction between the suits.

-Manufactured by Cartamundi
-New slim-line stock with B9 finish
-Fully custom 56 card deck, including a double backer card
-Custom tuck, designed to partner with Mono – Xero R
-One time print run, only 2500 decks produced

Be sure to grab both Mono – Xero and Mono – Xero R, their bold designs are a true show-stopper and be a part of design with community in mind. Together, we are Xero.

My Thoughts:

When I first opened Mono Xero I wasn’t overly impressed. The lack of multi-colors made the cards seem a little stale.. until I began to handle them. They cam alive, and now I’m a fan. I actually received Mono X, the first of the series, and Mono Xero, the newest addition, at the same time.. so I wasn’t familiar with the X cards. Had I been, the Xero cards would have been received with anticipation.

I don’t want to repeat the ad copy verbatim.. but I’ll offer my personal observation nonetheless. The X and the Xero are both created with a single color. The X is black and lighter black, almost a charcoal.. and the Xero cards are available in two different designs – One a differing gradient of dark blue and the other a gradient of what they call red, but what I call maroon. Maybe it’s just me…

Each deck, X and Xero, relies on a series of lines to create the design of the card. The lines vary in thickness and width apart to create a design… A stylized X on the X cards and a Zero on the Xero cards. Some of the lines extend onto the side of the card, giving the deck a very unique look. Although the backs are two way, reversing a card doesn’t change the design on the sides… a smart move by London designer Luke Wadey.

The cards are printed by Cardimundi. Although very popular in Europe, Cardimundi has always felt rather stiff to me.. because of my life-long use of Bicycles. Xero is printed on a new slim-line stock that makes the deck somewhat thinner and a pure pleasure to shuffle and faro.. not to mention flourish. I could perform perfect faro’s with Xero after three or four shuffles. Compare that to fifty or more shuffles with a standard deck of Bikes..

I’m going to let a couple of pics fill in the gaps. Seeing X and Xero is, as they say, better than a thousand words. These cards are both limited to a one time run of 2500 decks.. so it would be wise to purchase several before time runs out. If you are a card flourisher, you’ll love both the feel and the design of Xero. I know I did….

$12.00 Available at Murphy’s Magic and dealers who carry their line..

https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=65318

Review by Rick Carruth for the Magic Roadshow

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PARADIGM – Playing Cards – A Review
Rick Carruth

This is my take on Derek Grimes PARADIGM playing cards. The Ad Copy reads:

A Paradigm is a standard, perspective, or set of ideas. A Paradigm is a way of looking at something. I set out to do just that, and after a year in the making, Paradigm Playing Cards is here. The cardistry community is fascinating in every aspect of the word. I wanted to design a deck that was engineered specifically to your favorite flourish while also being a magician’s best friend. A crossover deck in many ways, or the best of both worlds. I wanted to design a deck with which you could begin by showing the slickest packet cut off, then right after do an Ambitious Card routine! With pretty standardized Pips and indices and standard reimagined Courts, this deck is sure to not raise any suspicion. Although the concept and design are mine, I couldn’t have brought this deck to its final glory without my two best friends.

Daniel Schneider (Black Roses Playing Cards, Orbit, Polyantha) and Luke Wadey (Mono-X, Grid, Typographic Playing Cards) played a pivotal role in the life of this deck. Daniel helped bring the visions of the number and court cards to life and is the leader in custom Courts. He proved it again with the six custom Courts in this deck. Luke took my original back design, broke it down and reimagined it, giving it depth and formatting it to an intricate grid; whilst also designing an infinite tuck box design, perfect to the style of the deck…

-Limited edition 2500 print run
-Printed by USPCC
-Crushed Premium stock
-Traditionally cut
-Air Cushion finish
-Duplicate 3 of Hearts
-Duplicate Jokers
-6 custom Courts
-Card reveal
-First edition

My Thoughts:

I recently received about ten different decks of cards from Murphy’s Magic for review.
After laying all the decks out, I was first attracted to the design of the Paradigm deck. That was the first deck I opened. I immediately went to Murphy’s site to read the ad copy and see what insight it had to offer. Secondly, as much as I hated to break the seal on this collectible deck, I opened the deck, fanned through the cards front and back to get a good look.. and then performed what is always my first official task – a pressure faro shuffle.

The copy says they are made by USPCC and utilize crushed premium stock. They do feel fine and handle like you would expect a flourish deck to handle.. but do they handle like a more traditional deck used by magicians? Yes…

The cards didn’t faro perfectly the first time, but feeling the edges I didn’t expect them to.. They were far superior, cut wise, from a deck of regular Bicycle cards, and I could tell they would only need nine or ten faros to perform up to par. Unfortunately, traditional Bikes sometimes never faro or riffle properly.. so the fact Paradigm conformed quickly is an important measurement for me. They flourished perfectly the first time. No stickiness and not overly slick. Air cushion finishes are one of my two favorites for flourishes, maybe because of my personal touch, so I am not at all hesitant to recommend these well-designed cards.

Part of the feature design was creating a card that could be flourished and then immediately used by magicians without appearing to be gaffed.. which it isn’t. All the numerical values and pips are traditional, and only the court cards are custom designed, although not so much so as to raise concern. The faces of the Jacks, Queens and Kings are personalized, but not to an extreme, and the orientation is slightly off-kilter.. but I didn’t find that a problem.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Paradigm as: “A philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated.”
It’s easy to tell the creator, Derek Grimes, intended to produce a card that was both unique, which it is, and disciplined enough to be within the framework of what magicians find acceptable. Designing a card that satisfies the magician and the cardists isn’t easy, and I have a number of never used decks to prove it.. but I WILL definitely use Paradigms during magic performances ( I’m not a cardist ) and I will recommend them to anyone who wants the best of both worlds.

Paradigm is limited to a production run of 2500.. and will NOT be rerun. That puts folks like me in a bit of a conundrum, as I would like to have a couple packs of unopened cards to add to my collection.. and they look SO GOOD in use I want a few packs for effects. Oh well… better get yours before I get mine…

$12.00 From Murphy’s Magic and dealers who carry their line of products.
https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=64677

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The Vault – Project Straw by Brandon David & Chris Turchi – A Review
Video DOWNLOAD
Rick Carruth

It’s all about straws.. and the magic within. This one hour and forty minute video download is perfect for restaurant and walk around magicians.. or just to entertain friends and family. This review is a mix of ad copy and my thoughts.. You’ll know the difference..
——-
Drink your fill of 10 hyper-visual effects all done with an everyday organic object! In this refreshing new project, the geniuses behind “Envy-Lope,” Brandon David and Chris Turchi, share secrets hidden inside every straw wrapper.

Here’s just a taste what you’ll discover:

STRAW THROUGH BILL/RECEIPT A straw punctures a borrowed bill or receipt, and is visually pulled right through the very center. The straw is pulled cleanly through without any marks or tears on the receipt/bill. Both objects can be immediately handed out and inspected.

Me- This is the centerpiece of the video. The straw is gimmicked.. and Brandon and Chris carefully walk you through the making of the gimmmick. No worries.. there’s no complicated or time consuming DIY.. the gimmick is made from a small section of a straw and a pair of scissors, and only takes a couple of minutes. The look is real and you can use any small piece of paper, like a receipt, or a folded bill/currency. You can borrow it from the spectator for greater effect.

Torn and Restored Wrapper: A straw wrapper is torn to reveal the straw inside. With a wave, the magician can heal the torn wrapper and hand the straw out for inspection. Sure, this is probably the most useless super-power ever, but the effect is AMAZING!

Me- Again, the illusion is real. The Torn and Restored Wrapper also requires a small gimmick you create in a matter of minutes. None of the DIY on this video is complicated.. we’re talking about straws here.. and the gimmicks are created out of straw pieces. Because you do actually tear the wrapper, you will need to create several of these gimmicks if you want to perform it multiple times. Don’t fret.. this is not a problema, and those who know me know I’m not a big DIY guy.

Torn and Restored Straw: A straw is torn into two parts, one in each of the magician’s hands. With a simple toss, the torn straw is now made whole!

Me- You actually need an outside object to complete this illusion… a piece of tape. This is really a very good looking illusion, and one of my two favorites on the video. Unlike most of the other illusions, it’s a tad angle sensitive, but considering it’s more of a one-on-one performance, that shouldn’t be a problem. You will require a bit of timing.. so practice a little before your first performance.

Moving X: The magician draws an X on a straw with a Sharpie. Slowly and visually, the X begins to travel down one end of the straw to the other. The straw can then immediately be handed out and inspected by the spectator.

Me- I can see this being the best illusion in the bunch.. or the weakest. Depends on your handling. If you perform very close to Brandon and Chris’ method, I don’t see a problem. The X does travel up and down the straw.. with a little coaxing.

Straw through Straw: A ultra-visual penetration of two straws. Melt a straw through another or just cleanly pull it through in one motion. This one, you’ve got to see to believe!

Me- When you aren’t prepared for this.. it’ll catch you totally off-guard. The illusion is near perfect and the setup is quick. Again, you do need a very small gimmick, but you can create one in a minute. Once again, a little practice will help.. but the upside is SOOO worth it!

You’ll learn all these effects, plus more!

Me- Two of my personal favorites are in the bonus section. They don’t get cred in the ad copy, but I’ll speak kindly of them now. One I knew from years ago.. it’s the straw out the mouth effect. They perform their version differently from the method I’ve used for years.. and I like theirs better. I’ going to definitely use this, as it is one of my favorite things to do when I catch a kid watching me from another table in a restaurant. A little cough.. and then a straw-out-the-mouth goes a long way!

The guys also teach a psychic straw effect similar to a spoon bending effect. I like their method because they teach you how to pre-bend the straw, making it so easy to perform. This is the type effect I’ve spent ten bucks to learn in the past..

Another strong effect is the straw that rewraps itself.. Yes, I said it. It takes a little prep, but it sure is worth it.

With a nearly 2-hour deluge of expert instruction taught by Chris Turchi and Brandon David, there’s something here for everyone – from beginner to the advanced, from the mentalists to the magicians, and even social media performers!

Quench your thirst for visual organic magic with Project Straw! You’ll be lovin’ it!

Me- For the money and the potential new material you’ll get, this is well worth the cost. I know a lot of downloads today are $9.95, but they are generally one effect. You get eight or nine very useable effects on Project Straw.. stuff you can use almost impromptu.. if you have a moment to prepare a gimmick. Being a restaurant guy myself, straws are the perfect object to use as a magic prop. Both adults and kids will appreciate your performances and you can put that two hundred dollar coin in your pocket and amaze them with free props.. thanks to Chris and Brandon..

I recommend this download to all my readers and friends.. If you like quick magic, you’ll really like PROJECT STRAW..

$19.95 From Murphy’s Magic and dealers who carry their products..

https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=66444

Review by Rick Carruth for The Magic Roadshow

o0o————————o0o

KEEP LEARNING

“A wise person is hungry for knowledge.” Pr 15:14 NLT It’s been said that we forget more than 80 percent of what we learn in school and college. That raises the question, “Why bother? Is education really worth what we invest in it?” It is. There are many valid reasons for learning, even if forgetting will take its usual toll. Here are five of the most important ones:

(1) The most important function of the learning process is the self-discipline and control that it fosters. Good students learn to follow directions, carry out assignments, and channel their mental faculties toward a constructive end. These are skills you’ll need in order to succeed in life.

(2) Even if the facts and concepts can’t be recalled, you know they exist and where to find them. So you can retrieve the information when you need it later on.

(3) Old learning makes new learning easier. Each mental exercise gives you more associative clues with which to link future ideas and concepts, and you are changed for having been through the process of learning.

(4) Your brain is like the programming in your computer. You don’t really forget anything that is beyond the reach of your memory. The information is still stored in your brain and will return to consciousness when properly stimulated.

(5) You are shaped by the influence of the people who teach you. The Bible says, “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,” (NKJV). Perhaps you wish that an easier process for shaping the human mind could be found, rather than the slow, painful experience of education. But until a “learning pill” is developed, the old-fashioned approach will have to do.

http://theencouragingword.org

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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 see published on the Magic Roadshow site.. send it to: TheMagicRoadshow@gmail.com

Be Blessed!
Rick Carruth / Editor

Professor – Camelard College of Conjuring of Chemmis, Egypt
http://www.camelardcollege.org/

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science.”
Albert Einstein