Magic Roadshow

Wandcraft by Judge Gary Brown & Lawrence Hass – A Review

This is the Ad Copy:

Although the magic wand is a primary symbol of magic, many magicians today disregard it as an affectation, anachronism, or empty contrivance. And so, they lose sight of its power and promise as an instrument of magic.

In this groundbreaking book, Judge Gary Brown reawakens us to the potential of magic’s most ancient tool. Growing out of his own dawning realization and impassioned play, Wandcraft includes:

– Six fully-scripted routines that integrate a magic wand into their performance.
– Complete instructions on how to build five types of relatively simple, yet attractive wands.
– Practical theory about the history and functions of a magic wand to help this powerful tool come alive in your heart and hands.

“Wandcraft is essential reading for any magician. It is a practical guide to making your own magic wand that also re-empowers this ancient magical tool for modern times.”
– Jeff McBride (Grandmaster of Magic)

“The wand is an essential tool for magicians, and this book is an essential companion that teaches how, and why, to add this symbol of might to your own magic.”
– Steve Cohen (Chamber Magic)

“Wandcraft covers everything a magician needs to know about using a magic wand. Aside from clarifying ten various uses, Judge Brown offers tips to help you make your own wand. And, yes, a few of his favorite tricks are included. I am happy to include this in my library.”
– George Schindler (Dean of the Society of American Magicians)

“Of all the books on making and using magic wands I’ve read, this is the only one.”
– Harrison Greenbaum (America’s Got Talent, The Illusionists: Direct from Broadway, owes Gary a favor)

My Thoughts:

My gosh.. what can you NOT say about the venerable magic wand? A mainstay of the past and a must-have of the Potter generation.. magic wands represent the essence of magic and magical endeavors. Some magicians would just as soon perform without their knickers as to walk onstage without their wand.

Wands may have been used by prehistoric peoples. Cave drawings clearly show men with sticks in hand, implying perhaps they were people of power. They were without a doubt used as early as the 1200s in both religious ceremonies and the occult. In Wicca, they were used to exert control over angels and genies. Since, they are used during the casting of spells, think Harry Potter, and in a gentler manner during the performing of magic.. as magicians are aware.

Traditionally made of wood, wands are commonly formed from oak, hazel, and other craftable woods. They are frequently carved and adorned to the liking of the beholder. WANDCRAFT is solely for wands used during the art of magic.

Judge Gary Brown, a United States District Judge in New York, is very well-known in magic circles as both a writer and an inventor. Some of his original effects include Vikings “Spirit Trumpet” and “Telekinetic Chess”, “Psy-Colony”, “Believe”, and “Double Boston Box”. Some of his written works include “Al Flosso.. The Coney Island Fakir” and “Henry Slade and His Slades”.. among others.

I was afraid I might be pushed to review something I found boring. That comes from having never used a wand. It’s such a pleasure to be totally surprised. Judge Brown constructed WANDCRAFT in a way that made it highly interesting and entertaining from the first chapter. I certainly learned far more than I anticipated.. and have regrets only for those of you who will never read WANDCRAFT.

Short but concise chapters on wand theory, defining the wand, finding your wand, and ten powers of an ungimmicked wand served as a perfect beginning for folks like me.

Next, more detailed chapters discussed not only building tips, but actual effects, six in all, you can perform with your wand as the centerpiece. The Twenty Fiirst Century Anti-Gravity Wand and The Heartbroken Wand are two of my favorites. There’s a wealth of information on tips, finishes, exotic woods and a chapter on Willard The Wizard wands and both their construction and handling. (Fairly easy to construct, they are made from a wood dowel and bullet casings..)

More chapters on the Deco Wand and the Rolled Card Wand follow.. plus additional effects. The Hoffmann Coin Wand, Turned Wands and Two Piece Threaded Wands are discussed and illustrated in detail. You can’t ask for more..

WANDCRAFT ends with a final flourish and is followed by a lengthy bibliography sure to interest anyone who loves magic history.

WANDCRAFT is almost 100 pages long and is published by THEORY AND ART OF MAGIC PRESS and Larry Hass. I’m not skilled enough to tell you about paper and page thickness.. but it’s plenty good enough! It’s exactly what you’d expect of a thirty dollar book. (Hard cover. To my knowledge, not available as a soft cover.)

If you have an interest in wands, the history of wands, or creating a custom wand, you will not find a better book. WANDCRAFT discusses different types of wands and tips, but does not go into deep detail about the physical construction of wands. If you want to make your own from scratch I assume you have some woodworking skills, or access to something or someone that can help you along. Don’t let this deter you. WANDCRAFT will provide you with multiple options, and through a multitude of pictures help you envision what you want.. and why.

I am recommending WANDCRAFT to all my magical friends and Magic Roadshow Readers.

$30.00 From Murphy’s Magic and all their associates..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=68032

Review by Rick Carruth

FROST (Gimmicks and Online Instructions) By Mikey V and Abstract Effects – A Review

Here’s the AD Copy:

From one of our favorite new artists, Mikey V, comes the absolute last word on the blank deck: Frost!

Frost is a completely gaffed deck that does all the work for you making it one of the easiest and most fooling, self-working card effects you will do! Printed with high quality stock at the United States Playing Card Company, Frost comes ready to go right out of the box!

Start by showing a full deck of 52 cards front and back, and with the snap of a finger reveal that every single card has become blank on the front and back except for the spectator’s chosen card. You not only get the visual of showing all of the faces blank, but also get an extra kicker when you reveal that all of the backs have also turned blank except for their signed card! Your spectators can see the deck visually change around their card!

The Other Brothers and Mikey V teach their favorite routine using Frost along with some bonus visuals that are perfect for social media!

And for those of you in a hurry, here’s the TL; DR version:
Visual
Easy to do
Self working
Ready to go out of the box
Printed by USPCC
Instant reset
No rough & smooth
No flaps
Full routine taught plus bonus visuals that are perfect for social media!

My Thoughts:

I tend to like everything The Other Brothers are involved in.. I like their style and their casual ways. Mikey V I’m not that familiar with, but he is a good instructor.. when not dressed as a killer clown. 😉

FROST is a very visual deck change, where a regular card is picked or signed, placed into a deck shown as normal on both sides, and the deck changes to a totally blank deck, both sides, leaving the chosen card as the only printed card in the deck. There are additional effects. Another involves placing two blank cards on each end of a ‘regular’ deck.. and the entire deck changes to blank cards.

The results are always visual.. and fairly easy to accomplish. Although the effect is listed as beginner level, I would place it more in the advanced beginner level. A couple of sleights are needed, primarily an Erdnase Color Change and a simple top change that’s more of a top placement. Both are demonstrated in detail if you aren’t familiar with the method.

Also, Mikey V teaches an interesting variation of the color change, using the back of the hand, palm up, as cover instead of the conventional method.

Traditional fans are used to display the face changes. One other sleight is taught.. a deck change. Although not needed for the primary handling, it’s an alternative method for a second effect.

FROST is a heavily gimmicked deck. It is actually gimmicked in four different ways.. and is not examinable. I wish it were. The deck is designed specifically for this effect. FROST is ideal for strolling and opening a set. It’s fast and visual, and gets your spectator’s attention for sure. When I say the deck is gimmicked, it is gimmicked via the printing.. and not with physical gimmicks like flaps, wires and rough and smooth. The ad copy indicates FROST is self-working. I would say it is.. to the extent you perform the right moves. Orientation is everything…

I’m sure you can find other uses for the FROST deck. It’s printed on traditional Bicycle stock, mine was red backed, and handles like regular Bikes. I recommend using stock from another deck if you’re going to do a signed card effect.

For a good idea of how FROST looks to the spectator I suggest going to Murphy’s site and watching the promo video. Nothing helps the understanding like a good video.

Instructions are via a 35 minute instructional online video by the Other Brothers and Mikey V. This is a single camera video. Sound and quality are typical Murphy’s Magic standard.

FROST is a great effect as an attention-getter. It works if you can find an ideal spot for its performance. Not being able to show the deck requires a bit of work-around, but I trust those of you who appreciate the visual quality will find the right moment.

My only negative is.. I would like to see it priced a little lower. I know custom printed decks aren’t cheap, and I hope you can learn the multiple handling options and make it more than a one trick pony. The options are there for you…

$40.00 From Murphy’s Magic and their associates..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=65779

Review by Rick Carruth for The Magic Roadshow

Warrior (Midnight Edition) Playing Cards by RJ – A Review

The Ad Copy:

Warrior Playing Card (BLACK) features:
4 of Clubs duplicate
Custom court cards by Daniel Schneider
B9 SlimLine Linen Finish stock
Manufactured by Cartamundi

Designed in consultation with none other than Daniel Schneider (Black Roses Playing Cards), with some of the biggest names in the industry represented on the court cards.

While the back design might be minimalistic, the deck is packed with hidden revelations and built-in magic tricks.

These are the Warrior Playing Cards by RJ.
The cautionary tale of the moth.

There is wisdom to be gleaned from the tale of the moth. A foreboding story, a warning to us all to employ caution in all matters concerning one’s insatiable desires.

The moth is a symbol of resilience and determination, of the cruel ways of the world and the most obvious example of the devastation that awaits those who desire that which will eventually lead to their destruction.

The moth is relentless in its pursuance of its love: light. There is no length the moth will not go to in order to reach that which it desires. This is the part of the story which begs our admiration, one must wonder at the level of perseverance the moth exhibits. Identical to the inevitability of the way in which darkness envelopes light, so too is the moth’s unrelenting race to its own demise.

Herein lies the lesson we ought to learn, be cautious of the things we seek with blind determination. For in attaining our utmost desires, we may find our reality turn to dust, as quickly as a moth caught up in its beloved flame: and in the moment when we think we have it all, in the split second when the moth and light are one, darkness will be all that it will ever know.

Be cautious of the things that burn too bright, for there is often solace to be sought only in the shade.

My Thoughts:

Warrior Playing Cards were the object of a Kickstarter project during the 2020 year. They shipped out in mid-October to all the backers and to Murphy’s Magic for distribution. I don’t know the percentage of projects that exceed their promises.. but Warrior Playing Cards are one of the few.

First and foremost, I want my cards to feel right and handle right. All the bells and whistles mean nothing to me if the cards feel like a standard deck of Bicycle cards. I know.. some of you are thrilled to open a standard deck of Bikes, as that’s all you’ve used for years.. but some of us have developed a feel for slim linen cards, smoothly cut on the edges, and once you’ve done so, it’s hard to go back to what served us well for years. So.. that’s the very first thing I look for.. For the record, Warriors are B9 SlimLine Linen Finish Stock, printed by Cartamundi.

Warrior Playing Cards by RJ (Romy RJ Meermans) feel and handle right…

Second.. I appreciate an artistic, but simplistic, design on my cards. I don’t want the design to distract from whatever effort I’m putting forth.. but I do want the cards to look like I’ve made an effort to provide a deck that’s pleasing for my spectator. I’m not one of those who thinks my audience is suspicious of anything not Bicycle… The court cards are custom designed, but not too far outside the norm. Well, Laura London IS the Queen of Spades.. but other than that….

Warrior Playing Cards are either midnight black or white with a very urbane moth printed on the back. They describe it as ‘minimalistic’. I like it…

Third.. Aside from their sharp handling, each deck has been designed to give you several custom cards to provide you with a number of ways to reveal their card. The Jokers have a Four of Clubs on one and a Nine of Clubs on the other within their design. Several court cards have ‘hidden’ reveals as well. Eg.. check the sword of two of the Kings for reveals, plus.. the hand of the Queen. The Ace of Clubs has a fancy custom design as well. There is a 4 of Clubs duplicate in each deck and either a double backer in the whites.. or a specially printed gaff card in the blacks. I’m sure there are others..

At $15.00 a deck.. they are reasonably priced. I would venture to say these will become collectable.. but.. I can’t leave a deck in cellophane! I cannot find the total printing, but I do know they were almost 70% funded their first day. If you appreciate an attractive deck of cards with multiple bonus features.. I recommend Warrior Playing Cards for your collection AND for those special effects where a little style will go a long way.

$15.00 From Murphy’s Magic and their associates who carry their line of magic.

https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=67948

Review by Rick Carruth for the Magic Roadshow

Warrior (Full Moon Edition) Playing Cards by RJ – A Review

The Ad Copy:

Warrior Playing Card (WHITE) features:
1 double-backed card
4 of Clubs duplicate
Custom court cards by Daniel Schneider
B9 SlimLine Linen Finish stock
Manufactured by Cartamundi

Designed in consultation with none other than Daniel Schneider (Black Roses Playing Cards), with some of the biggest names in the industry represented on the court cards.

While the back design might be minimalistic, the deck is packed with hidden revelations and built-in magic tricks. These are the Warrior Playing Cards by RJ.

My Thoughts:

As there is only a slight variation in bonus features between the White Warriors and the Black Warriors, I’m going to refer you to the review for the Black Warrior Playing Cards for the details. The review for the Blacks should be posted directly above this review. I hope you take a moment and give it a read..

I’ll say again.. I really like these cards. I like the way they handle and the SlimLine Linen Finish stock. They are cut for flourishes and faros, and designed for style without being overbearing.

They provide a variety of features, including special reveals on court cards and the Jokers.. as well as custom designed court cards that are different without being too different.

I’m recommending Warrior Playing Cards to my friends and readers.

$15.00 From Murphy’s Magic and their associates…

https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=67949

Review by Rick Carruth for the Magic Roadshow