I would like to get this out of the way early. I am not surprised that I enjoyed this. While Erik Tait did not fool Penn and Teller he did win the I.B.M. Gold Cups Close Up Competition. He is obviously a talented Magician. But he is much more. While it is true he is quite the thinker I think, possibly more importantly, Erik knows how to apply what he thinks to constructing Routines that are Practical for Real World use.
Nothing that he teaches on this At-The-Table Lecture is unusable in a Working setting. Erik shows a wonderful ability to construct modular Routines that can be incorporated into different places within an Act. He explains which items he considers appropriate for openers and why.
That leads me into the next portion of this review. What is in the Lecture? That is a tough one. Erik teaches seven full Routines. If you have ever wanted to do a Svengali Deck Routine with a Non-Gimmicked Deck this is the place to learn it. I have been doing a version of this for years. I walked away with some visual elements that have elevated my Routine to another level. A Bar Trick with a Bit of Cork and a Borrowed Dollar is now in my regular carry and is another Routine that I frequently did prior to this Lecture that I am adjusting because his version is better.
This Lecture is about SO much more than the Routines within. Erik teaches his work on the One Handed Top Palm, the Dribble Pass, the Click Pass, and Culling. Additionally, he shows uses for some traditional card gaffes that most of us have lying around. The Coin Coaster could have been released as a solo release and people would have bought it. If you are ready to try something bold and knuckle busting take a stab at the Spanish Train Change.
The level of difficulty in this At-The-Table Lecture is definitely not for the Novice. While Erik does teach the techniques necessary to accomplish the Routines, the Novice would have to get VERY comfortable with them before they could even attempt to work with the material. That said, I would still recommend this Lecture to a Novice for the Theory contained within. The section on the Fool Us and I.B.M. Routines is a great window into the process a Professional goes through when developing something. Limiting yourself to Create is a mindset that is not often considered, but it generates some phenomenal results. Erik explains very well how he uses this concept in his approach to creating Magic.
Much like every At-The-Table Lecture the video quality is top-notch. Multiple demonstrations of Technique are used to capture the important elements. The audio is phenomenal. Perhaps it is a little too good. There are points where you can hear EVERYTHING. Certain things, like Clicks or Riffles, are very much louder than you would expect them to be. This is just nit-picking on my part to be honest as I really did not mind it. The quality of what has been provided in this Lecture more than compensates for that very minor annoyance.
At The Table Live Lecture Erik Tait April is $7.95- From Murphy’s Magic and dealers who carry their product line.
I’m glad to be back in touch with Roadshow friends and fans. (It really hasn’t been that long since we published our 200th issue! ) You can look forward to future specials, just like this one, periodically.. as I gather and write material. Thankfully, I have friends like Paul Lelekis and Donavon Powell who were willing to contribute material and play important roles in getting this issue ready. Thanks guys!
I honestly think this is one of my most informative issues ever. One of my favorite resources is the daily mailing I receive from Mel Kientz. I’m sure a number of you are familiar with Mel’s MAGICIAN’S LIFE Web Notes. He sends one email each day, detailing one magic-related story in the news. Like me, I’m sure he subscribes to daily Google Alerts, which gives us a heads up on stories featuring our chosen key words. Mel picks his favorite story and sends a copy/link to everyone on his list. A couple of features in this issue were links I was made aware of by Mel’s mailings. Do yourself a nice little favor and email Mel at: [email protected] and ask to be added to his list. You will NEVER be spammed in any way. Yes, I frequently look through all the Google Alerts myself.. but some days I know there won’t be a better story than the one Mel sends me..
Here’s hoping all of you experienced a pleasant Memorial Day! There would not be a Magic Roadshow without the amazing contributions of all the brave soldiers who fought to preserve our freedom. Instead of massive growth, our country would have spent the past sixty years struggling to recover from defeat. Hurrah!
Broken Wand – David Neubauer.. My friend, David, passed away on Sunday, May 19th, from a terminal illness. David was only 59 years old. He was one of the few guys I corresponded with on a regular basis. He was the compiler of MAGIC In LAS VEGAS each month.. and he and I worked together to get all the necessary info.. David was also a well known big band musician and a hard working magician who performed regularly all over Southern California.. including the Magic Castle. He is survived by his wife and daughters, Bonnie, Caylee and Amanda. God-speed, my Friend…
^^ This Issue as a PDF… 48 pages and 12450 words – DownloadHERE
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TABLE OF CONTENT
The 10 Card Poker Deal – Effect from Paul A. Lelekis
Children’s Magic: Taming the “Creepers” – Article – Kyle Peron
Bridge The Gap: Moving Towards The Future Of Our Art – Donavon Powell
Making Magic at Meetings: A Guide from Jez Rose
Only Three? – Card Effect From Issue #121 of the Roadshow
VANISHING INC. – 10 Year Anniversary Download Bundle – Free
A Few Words from David Blaine…
The Magic Man Project – Rubber Bands – Review by Rick Carruth
How to Master Any Subject – Short Video
How to Prevent Magic Burnout – Article – by Dominic Reyes
Unleaded – by Justin Miller – A Review by Donavon Powell
False Cuts and Shuffles Project – Review by Rick Carruth
The Vault – CHINK-A-CHINK Elements – Review by Rick Carruth
VIista Print – My ‘Go To’ Guys for Business Cards
The Endless Chain – A Review – Review by Rick Carruth
The Vault – Phosphorus by Victor Sanz – Review by Rick Carruth
Watch: The 11 Best Tricks From ‘Penn & Teller: Fool Us’ – Videos
Super Easy ‘Torn Page’ Magic Trick – Video Tutorial
Card Portal Pop Out – Video Tutorial Featuring Shin Lim
Card Tricks With Willie (Nelson) – Video
How to Solve a Magic Square -Tutorial / Article
Ten Tricks With Rubber Bands – Video Tutorial – Rich Ferguson
Dice Mysteries – By Steve Drury
If you have anything to do today.. Stay Away From This Site!
Other Very Important Stuff..
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“Maturing is realizing how many things don’t require your comment..” Unk.
“It’s in the small details that one recognizes the great artist..” Arturo de Ascario
“There is a lot of comedy in magic, and magic going wrong.” J K Rowling
“Never tell the auidience how good you are, they will soon find out for themselves.” Harry Houdini
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THE 10 CARD POKER DEAL – Effect
Paul A. Lelekis
The 10 Card Poker deal is easy to do, has many variations and is a lot of fun for both spectators and the performer!
I would suggest that the performer create a scenario, in your patter, of the spectator being the “winner” in a fictional game. That way you won’t make him or her, the sucker…which is NOT a good thing to do.
Be fanciful with your scenario…brag about you (the performer) being so skilled as a Poker player, that “…NO ONE can beat me!”
“I ALWAYS win at poker! I’ve got MAD skills! Let me show you!”
Continue with this patter until you start “losing” the hands, one after the other! Then you can’t “understand how this is possible”!
What is the 10 Card Poker Deal? The dealer shuffles and deals out two hands from a 10 card stock…and the dealer always wins…normally. In this poker deal, the performer always loses!
The spectator will win the game each time with two pairs, three of a kind, or a full house. The hand holding the Jonah Card will ALWAYS lose.
The 10 cards will consist of three sets of “three-of-a-kinds” (9 cards) and one “Jonah” card (the 8C is the Jonah Card). The Jonah card is the one odd-ball card that doesn’t match any of the three-of-a-kinds.
Whoever gets the Jonah card automatically loses…every single time. (I prefer that the PERFORMER lose each time instead of the spectator.)
It is NOT a good idea to make the spectator the “sucker”…except when you perform kiddie magic. Plus the spectator never gets the Jonah card!
10 cards to use: The Jonah card will be the eight of Clubs (8C). The other 9 cards should be; two black sixes and one red six, two red nines and the nine of Clubs, and any 3 Kings, any 3 Queens or any 3 Jacks.
ALSO…the Jonah Card (8C) will always be in the performer’s hand and will never be noticed!
In addition, the performer’s bragging about “how good he is” will also make people laugh! Making the performer the “sucker’ is a great way to make the spectators relax. They KNOW that you are failing on purpose!
Preparation:
First, remove the one Jonah card and mix the other nine cards, well. Then place the Jonah card, the eight of Clubs (8C), second from the bottom of the packet…or ninth from the top.
Place this 10 card packet on top of the deck. Then as you begin your presentation, false overhand shuffle the deck to protect the top stock. Hold a left pinkie break above this 10-card stock. At this point, you can either use a Riffle Force, or the Criss-Cross Force to force the 10-card packet.
You have essentially forced the top 10 cards. Count off the cards, one at a time onto the table. The Jonah card will now be second from the top. When you deal out two hands, YOU (the performer) will receive the Jonah Card (8C) and will automatically lose.
1 st Deal:
With the Jonah card second from the top, you will receive the eight of Clubs (8C) when you deal the two hands out. While you are dealing, brag about how you never lose! After the deal, show that you have lost! Act as though you can’t figure this out!
2 nd Deal:
Overhand the packet again getting the Jonah card to the bottom of the packet. The 8C is will again be dealt to you. Act confused!
3 rd Deal:
This time, place the Jonah card (8C) second from the top of the deck. False shuffle the packet, keeping the 8C second from the top. Deal off the first card, one to each hand, (performer gets the 8C!) and then stop as you if you just thought of something!
At this point, deal out the next two cards (FACE DOWN!) and let the spectator decide which card she wants without showing her the cards.
“I’ll tell you what…I’ll let you decide which card goes to whom! Maybe THAT’S my problem!”
Repeat this “spectator’s choice” for each of the next four pairs of cards.
You again lose because you ALREADY HAVE the Jonah Card.
4 th Deal: OPTIONAL DEAL!
You are going to palm off the Jonah Card this time…but don’t worry about it! No one will be looking for a palm so it’s very easy to do! Shuffle the packet, getting the 8C to the bottom of the deck. As you hold the packet in both hands, bottom palm the Jonah Card into your right
hand and then say, “Excuse me…do you know how to deal?”
This question seems nonsensical but aptly covers the palm as you reach out to hand the spectator the packet…all eyes will follow the packet. When she has finished her shuffle, reach out and drag the packet toward yourself AS YOU ADD THE 8C on top. This will go unnoticed!
But just as you start to deal the cards, you will stop and say “Wait – why don’t you be the one who deals the cards this time…maybe THAT’S the problem!” Hand the packet over to her.
She will deal you, the performer, the Jonah card…and AFTER SHE has shuffled the deck! As soon as she finishes dealing the last card, immediately say “I won!” This will make people giggle…until they look at the cards! You lost again!
5 th Deal:
Shuffle the packet, again secretly getting the 8C second from the top of the packet. Then deal out two cards (you get the 8C!) and stop as you say “You know what? This time I’ll let you look at ALL of the cards as I deal them out, TWO AT A TIME, so that you choose which cards you
want!”
Guess what? You still lose!
This is a light-hearted, friendly type of demonstration and it is important for you to “build it up” for the spectators! That’s your job as an entertainer!
NOTE: This can be even more fun when you play this enough times. How? Because you’ll be able to look at your hand and immediately know what the spectator has in her hand!
You might say, “Alright…this time I KNOW I dealt myself a Full House, nines over sixes!”…or whatever hand you KNOW she received! Play this part of it up – it’s a lot of fun!
** All of Paul’s ebooks can be found on Lybrary.com .. Please check ’em out. ( I lost count of how many ebooks Paul has authored.. 55 is my best guess! and they’re ALL listed here… and one of the most affordable deals in all of magic. )
Children’s Magic: Taming the “Creepers” – Article
Kyle Peron
So what does taming the creepers mean and just what am I talking about? I wanted to take time in this article to talk about an aspect of children’s magic that probably affects every children’s performer but is not about the magic itself or about the effects that we do. This is a situation where as you perform your show, at some point you look out and realize your audience is gone. Well they are not really gone, just gone from your eyesight. The reason being is that throughout your show the kids have been “creeping” up on you and now they are pretty much around your ankles. Many of you know exactly what I mean.
Now the above situation may be an extreme one but I think it is safe to say that every children’s performer faces this issue of maintaining your stage and working area for performance during the show itself. This article is going to talk about this issue of how can you control the creepers and how can you go about it in a way that works for you but does not send the wrong messages to the children or the parents.
I think the first thing I would like to state is that kids creeping up on you throughout the performance should not always be seen as the children misbehaving. It does not always need to be perceived immediately by you that the kids are being bad on purpose. I often find the kids creep because of their interest in the show and what they are seeing. Let me explain.
Kids live in a world of magic every single day. When they turn a switch, light appears. When they touch a button sound comes out of this box. In many ways young children do not see this as technology; they see it as magic in a way. To them a lot of what they visually experience is magic in of itself. So when they see things happen like this, they are curious about it. The same can be said about kids at a magic show. The curiosity and interest of the magic they are seeing interests them and because of this, they may get excited and want to get a closer look.
Now I am not going to say that every kid out there is creeping up on you just out of curiosity alone. We all know some kids will creep just because they may want to put you to a test of how much they can get away with. This does happen. However, my point is to not always foresee it in your mind immediately as a bad thing. Do not let the creeping first get in your mind so much that it causes you to give or send out a very negative vibe to the audience. Maintain your cool and realize that perhaps the real reason is that the kids just like what you are doing and want to get into it more.
To me that is rule number one. I never make assumptions during a show and perceive the creeping situation as a negative thing. I realize that children will be children and so the way I handle it must also be done in a fun and professional way.
To me as a performer my goal is to entertain the children and the audience watching as well as be a solutions provider to the parents who are hiring me. My main role while I am there is not to lecture the children on proper behavior. Nor is it my main goal to discipline children every chance I get. The reason for me being there is to create the best entertainment experience I can give to the children while meeting the needs of the client.
So how do we handle the creepers and what can we do in our show to establish a performance area and maintain this throughout a children’s performance.
– First rule of thumb is what I mentioned above. Never assume that the kids creeping up on you is always a negative thing. Do not immediately draw a conclusion that the children are being bad. By thinking in this way you start to send out the wrong signals through your body language. One thing every children’s performer should know is that children can read you like a book. They really can tell easily if you are mad or frustrated. Do not send off the wrong message when it may not even be warranted.
– Verbally define your stage area for your performance. I like to first establish my performance area right as the children are coming in to sit down. I do two things here that may be of interest. 1) I am actually standing in front of my table in my performance area. This idea of actually being in the performance area as the children come in actually establishes that the area is for the performer right from the start. And 2) I will verbally talk to the children as they are seated and tell them where the first line is to be. I will also mention that the birthday child is to sit front and center. This makes the child feel special but also allows me as a performer to establish the very first row of children and do so in a logical way.
– Visually define your stage area. There are many ways in which a performer can visually define a performance area by use of an actual object that defines the edge of your “stage”. Some of the various ideas are as follows:
A) rope laid down on the floor
B) drafting tape or painters tape on the floor
C) small orange cones spaced out in front of your area. (can work well for outdoor events)
There are many others but you get the idea. The important thing here to note is that you are physically defining your performance area and the children know to stay behind it during the show. Just keep in mind that no matter what you are placing down to define your space, that 1) you make sure it is not going to cause any damage and 2) you clean it up and leave the area the same way as when you got there.
– Setting up of the ground rules during your introduction. Another great way to keep children from creeping is to set up your ground rules early in the show through your verbal introduction. Now the idea here is to define your rules but to not come across as lecturing to the kids or talking down to them. It needs to be defined for them but should be done in a fun process where the children get the idea clearly.
How I like to handle this is through telling the children how I select my helpers for the show. I basically cover off on 3 rules that I look for from the kids who I want to be my helpers. I need:
A) A child who is sitting down crisscross applesauce style. Now many of you may know what I mean. It is basically sitting Indian style. My wife is a teacher in elementary school and she tells me that a lot of teachers are using this in the early grades and so the kids are familiar with this position through the phrase.
B) I look for a helper who has their hand raised when they want to help out.
C) The most important rule of all is I am looking for a helper who is having fun, paying attention and has a BIG smile on their face. I then ask the children to see their smiles and applaud them for doing so.
By setting up these 3 simple ground rules I am establishing my performance area and rules for conduct but doing so in a fun manner that is not threatening or scary to them.
If at any point in the show someone starts to creep I can simply refer to my rules to remind them how I select my helpers. I can ask the kids if they know how I pick my helpers. In most cases the children will answer back correctly and I will look to make sure they are all adhering to it. They want to help out in the show because it is interactive and fun for them. So they usually will adhere to the rules simply because they want to help out as well.
– Do not be afraid to pause the show a bit in order to make sure you have the room you need. Now this does not mean you halt the show and stare the kids down. It really just means pausing briefly and perhaps mentioning to the children if you can have them all move back just a little bit so that everyone can see all the fun we are going to have. Something along those lines gets the message and point across but in a non-confrontational way.
As always, I encourage you the readers to let me know your thoughts. So if you have any thoughts on my articles or suggestions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me directly at: [email protected]. I would love to hear from you…!
Bridge The Gap: Moving Towards The Future Of Our Art
Donavon Powell
Anyone else notice people complaining about the Modern Conjurors and their YouTwitFace Camera Magic not being practical and a purchasing epidemic of useless Magic? Or others complaining about the Previous Generation Magicians being out of touch with what is really going on in the world of Magic these days? I am asking for a reason. Stick with me. This is not a rant that bashes one side or the other.
Instead it is a brief collection of some of my thoughts on the subject and ideas to resolve this “conflict”. I recently saw a trailer for something that is interesting conceptually. It is not a new concept, but a modern take on an old one. It is unfortunate that the trailer sort of gives away the method to astute Magicians since that is the customer base. It is a way to wring in and out a deck, and it is hyper visual.
Todays Spectators respond only to that visual impact is often said, but it is not a correct statement. Appearing Deck From Case (Origins in Card Manipulations Onward- My favorite is Kuniyasu Fujiwara’s The Appearing Deck [1992]), Appearing Candles (More Magic Onward- My favorite is David Garrard’s Candle Appearance in a Flash [1993]) , Numerous Glass Productions (Modern Magic Onward- My favorite is John Cornelius’ A Toast [2001]). These are just a few examples of visual impact in the past. Go back further. Illusion. Stage Manipulation. Highly Visual areas of performance styles that go back a few centuries. The difference is, at least as far as I can tell, Modern Conjurors are rediscovering this concept that was never really lost.
Is it true that new, insanely visual, products are flowing out like water from the minds of creators these days? Absolutely. But they always have been. There are just more people doing it and a wider audience consuming it. What we saw at the forefront of the “previous generation” of Magic releases were Routines primarily. Just like today’s market some were good and many were bad. Many releases were from the working repertoire of Magicians. Several were not. This too is true of todays market. Releases previously taught Routining and Act Construction. Modern releases are, or seem to be, more focused on Openers, Closers, or Jaw Droppers. Just like in the past it is up to you to decide if it fits in with your needs as a Performer.
Consider the following scenarios:
I have a solid Card Routine. Do I just pull out a deck of cards and do it? No. I should Produce the cards. I am a Magician after all. So… Produce cards. Execute Card Routine. Now What? Do I just put the cards in the box and put them away? No. I need to Vanish them. I am a Magician after all.
I have a solid Four Coin Production. I have Produced the coins. Now what? I need to do something with them. I am a Magician after all. So… Produce coins. Execute Coin Routine. Now what? Do I just put the coins back in my pocket? No. I need to Vanish them. I am a Magician after all.
What I am getting at here is that the comparisons I made earlier between the two sales pushes are made in an effort to get across the balance needed between the mindsets of Modern and Previous generations of Magicians in their ways of thinking. Visual Magic has always been there. It just was not the focus of the consumer. Routines have always been there. They are just not the current focus of the consumer. The most successful Entertainers are the ones who can see the value in a product and incorporate it into a performance market that is viable.
Modern market production seems to be bolstered by a Consumer belief in a performance market that does not really exist. The reality is that “Street Magic”, as many perceive it to be, is not a genuine market. Because the consumer may not understand this, they presume that just doing “Quick Trick” after “Quick Trick” is the way to do it. Why? Because this is what they see. They are presented with the “Walk up to strangers and Perform” approach and make the incorrect assumption that this is how the market actually works.
This is not the case though. The snippets of performance shown are shown to highlight the Effect being sold itself. Does a performance really stop there in real world use? It does in what is shown to the consumer. If the consumer does not understand that purpose it is not the fault of the producer. This is one of the fundamental areas in which the misunderstanding lies.
Here we have an interesting opportunity to look at trailers with a more practical/utilitarian mindset. Understanding the value of a product is realistically on the consumer and not on the producer. The producer already knows its value. Typically, the producer will expand on when and where to use the product in the product instructions, but this does not help the consumer decide on a purchasing decision. An understanding of the real uses for products affords the consumer a better opportunity to obtain value for money.
Conceptually, there are two ways to look at buying Magic:
1) Am I buying something because it is hot and new, or I want the secret, or I have to have it because I hoard Magic like a dragon hoards gold?
2) Am I buying this because I see the potential it has to be utilized in genuine Performance settings and will use it? If a consumer stems the urge to buy what they see for the reasons in #1 they likely have a stronger understanding of their needs and the needs of their chosen performance market. They have a plan for the Magic that they purchase. This allows the consumer to make purchases that they actually need or will use. This plan is often not fully developed amongst those from the consumers in #1.
So why do people buy Magic without an exact plan in mind? It is partly the feeling good aspect of buying things, partly the need for the secret, partly the need to accumulate things one may “possibly use someday”, and probably other things that I have not included. Additionally, I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the markets that budding Magicians and Modern Consumers, will actually be performing in and the actual applications of what is being presented to the consumer.
The traditional primary markets are Busking, Restaurant, At-The-Table, Stage, and Strolling/Walk Around. These are not all of the markets, but they are the most common markets. In my opinion, an understanding by the consumer of where a product is designed to be utilized, and how to integrate it seamlessly into existing Routines or Effects, is what is really at the core of the “purchasing epidemic”.
How can this be mitigated? Mentorship.
Instead of endlessly complaining about the changing uses of presentation media, lack of understanding of craft fundamentals, and a myriad of other complaints, those with experience and wisdom should attempt to aide those interested in progressing. Instead of endlessly complaining about how out of touch the “old” Magicians are, their lack of understanding of the modern media and its uses, and a myriad of other complaints, those who are not experienced or have only performed for a camera/friends/family should attempt to take what advice is given to them and try to apply it.
The producers will continue to produce as long as there is a market for the product. This is not a bad thing. What is bad is a generation of Magicians isolated from the previous generation due to a lack of understanding of points of view on both sides. Find a Mentor. Find a Mentee. Help close the divide in our Art by establishing this relationship.
Donavon Powell
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Making Magic at Meetings: A Guide from Jez Rose
The headline isn’t metaphorical—here’s how to have a magician entertain guests without being corny, or cornering…
Inventive performers strive to keep event organizers interested year after year through variety. But magic is not as widely respected as a performance art as most others partly because of how it is positioned, how it is used, and because many magicians have allowed their acts to become tired. Notwithstanding the success of magic productions in Las Vegas and London’s West End, as well as high-profile television magicians, there’s a sea of sameness in magic. Apple’s innovation resulted in iPad magicians and some embracing the use of mobile apps, but even from the inside, working more than two hundred events each year, I’d struggle to name any other imaginative alternatives available to the events industry when it comes to magic.
Magicians have been performing short shows at tables, commonly known as “table hopping,” since the late 1980s. The doyenne of magic, Fay Presto, was perhaps the first magician to present in this format of short, punchy shows at tableside, moving between groups of diners. The classic variation of this is the “mix and mingle” format where the magician strolls around a reception entertaining informal groups of guests. But the entire magic industry jumped on that bandwagon and is still riding it some forty years later, with little development or creative variation to excite event professionals.
The result is that magic is not valued, and the ideal circumstances for showcasing magic at its best are not being leveraged. I care passionately about magic being performed well—about the memorable moments of disbelief and wonder I am privileged to create for people who will remember them for years afterward. Done right, magic can be a profound experience for audiences. Read More…
Jez Rose is The Unusualist, performing for business events and private parties. He is an associate member of The Inner Magic Circle (with silver star) in London; a member of The Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood; and resident Curator of Magic for Ned’s Club at The Ned in London.
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Only Three? – Card Effect
From Issue #121 of the Roadshow
Here is another effect from Magic Tips and Tricks.. Although not original, I cannot credit this effect to one magician, as many magicians have performed one version or another.
Have three spectators each chose a card at random from a shuffled deck. Ask each to look at their card and memorize it, but not share the value with the other spectators.
Deal a pile of ten cards on the table, Now, deal a pile of fifteen cards to the right of the pile of ten and then another pile of fifteen cards to the right of this one. Lastly, you should have nine cards left in your hand.
Drop them as a pack to the far right of the rest of the packs. Deal all cards face down. Ask the first spectator to put their card, face down, on top of the pile of ten. Ask them to cut as many cards as they want from the middle pack of fifteen and place them on top of their chosen card.
Repeat this with the second spectator, asking them to put their card on top of the first pack of fifteen cards you dealt, and then cut as many cards as they want off the other pack of fifteen and place them on top of their selected card. Ask the last spectator to put their card on top of the second pack of fifteen and cut as many cards as they want off the pack of nine and drop them of top of their selected card, just as the other spectators did..
Pick up what remains of the pack of nine and put it on top of the pack next to it. Put this pack on top of the pack next to it and repeat until all the cards are in one stack. Pick up the stack and, holding it face down, casually move the top four cards to the bottom of the deck.
Remind the spectators that you had no control over how many cards they cut off the packs.
Now, deal a card face up on the table and another next to it face down. Ask the spectators to call out when they see their card. Continue to deal cards, one face up onthe face up pile and another face down on the face down pile. If no one saw their card,(and they shouldn’t have) pick up the face up cards and move them to one side.
Pick up the face down cards and repeat the same procedure… a face up card and then a face down card. Eventually, you will be left holding only three cards face down, and guess what? They are the three chosen cards. This is self-working, although it doesn’t seem quite possible because of the random way the cards were cut by the spectators.
R.Carruth
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VANISHING INC. – 10 Year Anniversary Download Bundle – Free
To celebrate their tenth birthday, our friends at VANISHING Inc., Andi and Jay, have picked out ten downloads, each one special for a different reason, for you to enjoy. $50 of amazing magic for free.. All that’s required is to sign in or sign up…
“This is our gift to you. A small thank you for being a part of our journey over the last ten years. We’ve had the time of our lives and we cannot wait for the next ten years!”
Reswindled by Caleb Wiles – It all started here! We kick off with our very first Vanishing Inc. Artist, Caleb Wiles, doing a trick that we STILL consider to be the very best “Reset” routine ever created. It was one of our first downloads, and now it’s yours for free.
From the Center- from Andi’s GAMBLE download. This unusual take on a center-deal demo (no actual centers required) has a novel premise and is sure to impress anyone who loves gambling mateiral.
A Lady Up My Sleeve from Giobbi on Garcia – An excerpt from one of our favorite and most overlooked products. We asked Roberto Giobbi to revisit the work of Frank Garcia–to talk about the man and the material, and teach highlights from his repertoire. This is a shining example.
Pelikaan’s Hole Change – Peter Pelikaan is THE master of packet trick magic, so we’re giving you a packet effect in which we were COMPLETELY fooled. We think you will be, too.
Grade A Choice by John Guastaferro- John G is one of our favorite creators to work with. He exudes a calm, kind, and fluid demeanor, and his magic is always exceedingly smart and refined. This is one of our favorite routines by John.
Buckle-lectors from Cullology – Perhaps the best trick in this collection on the culls, it predates Harapan Ong’s smash hit Principia, but don’t overlook this stunning Collectors routine.
Prediction Cards from Tu – We feature a beautiful and self-working trick by team member Tu! Three prediction cards are removed from the deck and placed aside. The spectator selects a card and places it under their hand to ensure that it cannot be switched. The prediction cards are turned over one by one. The first reveals the color of the card, the second reveals the suit and the last reveals the value. When the selection is turned over, it matches the prediction perfectly. This is an impromptu effect which works every time.
Alex Elmsley Lecture – We miss Alex Elmsley, and this is an excerpt from a lecture he gave late in life. This is the closest we can now be to sitting down and learning from this legendary mind.
Mecka by Dan and Dave – We wanted to include something from our recent acquisition of Art of Magic, and so we’re featuring a stunning flourish by Dan and Dave Buck.
It Cuts Deep from Super Strong Super Simple – Ryan Schlutz released an entire collection of self-working magic on Super Strong, Super Simple, and this is a great way to showcase the quality of that material, as well as his skills as a performer and teacher.
“Magic’s an art where you use slight of hand or illusion to create wonder. And I was just intrigued with that idea.”
“Magic is not about having a puzzle to solve. It’s about creating a moment of awe and astonishment. And that can be a beautiful thing..”
“To most magicians, cards themselves are marvels…For one thing, they feel special in your hand. Touching them, holding them, shuffling – the whole process is almost poetic. If you’re in a room full of magicians and someone just mentions the word cards, within seconds, everyone is digging into their pockets and pulling out a deck of cards. It’s one of the most amazing feelings ever.”
“As a magician, I try to show things to people that seem impossible. And I think magic, whether I’m holding my breath or shuffling a deck of cards, is pretty simple. It’s practice, it’s training, and It’s practice, it’s training and experimenting, while pushing through the pain to be the best that I can be. And that’s what magic is to me.”
– David Blaine
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The Vault – The Magic Man Project – Rubber Bands – Andrew Eland
Review by Rick Carruth
This unusual offering from Murphy’s Magic is quite unlike anything I’ve reviewed. It’s not a full fledged DVD.. and it’s not a single effect. The Ad Copy reads as follows:
In this electrifying new HD download series, Magic Man shares two of his favorite rubber band routines. These are two real-world routines that he has been performing for over 20 years – refined and tweaked through thousands of performances in every environment possible!
You will learn:
The Boomerang Band routine
A mini rubber band routine including Magic Man’s unique presentation for the Crazy Man’s Handcuffs
These are real world, in-the-trenches routines that have been audience tested and perfected!
Full HD | Full live and in-studio performances included | Real world magic | 1 hour
Who is Magic Man?
Magic Man is one of South Africa’s best kept secrets. Magic Man has been touring North America, Canada and Asia for the past 20 years building an impressive list of achievements. From the Rolling Stones at the Sticky Fingers restaurant in London to the wrap-up party in Vancouver for U2’s Zooropa Tour, Magic Man has entertained the finest!
He has worked at the Edinburgh Festival and headlined at top nightspots across Europe, Canada and South Korea. Combining unbelievable sleight-of-hand with his unique sense of humor, Magic Man can keep any room enthralled with wonder for hours!
My Thoughts:
First, I’m going to address the elephant in the room. Since this 1 hour video highlights the elusive Boomerang Band.. I’m going to start there. Although the Boomerang Band effect has been both written about and videoed, there are still those who believe it’s only a myth. A magi takes a rubber band, contorts it around his fingers, shoots it about fifteen feet across the floor.. and, just as the rubber band reaches its fartherest point… it reverses direction and literally rolls back to the magi with impressive speed. Rumor has it a certain magician can even make it roll up his arm and settle in his shirt pocket. I’m not sure about that.. but I am sure the Boomerang Band is NOT a fairy tale, as I have watched the bands dance their way back to the waiting magi numerous times.
Although the origin is unknown.. Charlie Miller, Dan Garrett, Chris Kenner, Dan Harlan, Paul Daniels, Don Cox, Al Angello, Michael Weber, and Paul Sponaugle have all made contributions to Boomerang Band, not to mention Magic Man.. Andrew Eland, who is making his contribution with this download.
Andrew.. aka, Magic Man, demonstrates and patiently teaches viewers how to perform Boomerang Band. (BB). He routinely performs his version in outdoor locations around the world, as he spends a portion of each year performing in locations from North America to Europe to South Africa.
This is one of those quirky little effects that will catch most audiences, and magicians, off-guard, as they’ve never heard of BB.. much less actually seen it. It’s the type effect that will draw crowds out of curiosity, and give you the opportunity to perform your complete set to a full house.
After teaching Boomerang Band, Andrew teaches his entire routine. Although not very long, it’s efficient.. and consist almost entirely of rubber band effects, utilizing a few small props like a battery, a wand, a spoon and a coin.
One effect is based on The Moving Ring.. but without the ring. Andrew creates a small diversion and uses this little prop to perform both this effect and to make his Crazy Man’s Handcuffs unique and very visual. You need to see it to understand what I’m saying. If you currently perform either of these two effect in a conventional way, you’ll have no problem adapting to the Magic Man method.
(Crazy Man’s Handcuffs, devised by Arthur Setterington, Peter Warlock, Herb Zarrow and popularized by David Copperfield.)
He also teaches Two Way Stretch, which is a method of showing one band as two.. and Snap by Harry Lorayne. Combined, everything creates a very nice routine for busking or traditional walk-around. You can’t beat it for the money, and it has my recommendation.
Quality wise, it is a typical Murphy’s Magic product. Filmed outdoors at VIctoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town and indoors at The Capetown College of Magic in Cape Town, everything from the outdoor setting to the indoor teaching session is good, quality work. Sound is good, lighting is good, and I have no complaints.. and I don’t think you will either.
Don’t think you will learn Boomerang Bands overnight. Andrew tells you such, and you need to be prepared to put in the time to learn something unique and captivating. There’s no doubt you’ll be glad you did. Be different, and proceed to the front of the line..
$12.95 Instant Download. From Murphy’s Magic and their associates.
How to Prevent Magic Burnout – Article
by Dominic Reyes
We’ve all seen it happen…
You introduce a friend to the fascinating world of magic tricks, and they get HOOKED. Suddenly, they’re pulling out a deck of cards everywhere you go. They’re practicing their double lifts on the bus, perfecting their coin vanishes at work, and busting out their favourite tricks on everyone they meet.
‘There’s no rush,’ you tell them. ‘You’ll burn out!’
But they don’t seem to notice. They carry on practicing magic fanatically… Until a few months down the line, they quit.
This is a common—and worrying—occurrence that happens ALL the time.
Magic BurnoutPeople are introduced to the hobby and fall in love at first sight. They stock up on all the equipment they need, and get going. But it all becomes too much for them, and life gets in the way.
In fact, statistics from our research at the Merchant of Magic have shown that almost 70% of total beginners drift away from learning magic within 6 months of ordering their first proper magic trick, book or DVD. The remaining magicians tend to stay studying magic long term (5 years+).
So the question becomes: how do we keep ourselves interested in magic for the first 6 months and beyond without getting ‘burnt out’?
Here are four of the most common mistakes that lead to this problem, and the steps you can take to prevent them from happening to you (or someone you know). READ MORE…
UNLEADED – by Justin Miller – A Review
Review by Donavon Powell
Review:
Upon my first watch of Justin Miller’s Unleaded I knew that this effect was going into my working repertoire as soon as possible. I did not think merging the Pen-Through plot and the Torn-And-Restored plot was possible, but he did it. Flawlessly.
In previous versions of these plots I never liked that the pen was in view and then suddenly through the bill or that when the card was torn a good amount of effort was required to allow for examination. With Unleaded Justin has addressed these concerns that I had with the plots and more.
Unleaded is a fantastic effect for the Walk-Around Strolling Magician, the Restaurant Workers, for At-The-Table, and even in the Parlor. This effect, though not self-working, can be learned with some practice and put in to use very quickly. It does require a little bit of preparation, but the Spectator(s) will genuinely feel that Unleaded is completely impromptu. It is not angle-proof, but the angles it does have are very easy to manage.
Justin Miller has provided us with this tool for our use. He teaches this effect very thoroughly and includes a discussion on what influenced its development. It can be purchased directly from Justin through email at – [email protected] –
He is limiting the quantity that he is releasing so act quickly. If you are looking for a unique addition to your working arsenal that ends clean with a signed souvenir for your Spectator(s) Unleaded is what you are after.
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FALSE CUTS AND SHUFFLES PROJECT – A Review
Liam Montier and Big Blind Media
Review by Rick Carruth
Big Blind Media has released a false cuts and shuffles ‘project’, taught by Liam Montier, and this is the ad copy…
“There is nothing more valuable in the card magician’s arsenal than the ability to convince your audience you are shuffling the deck, when in actuality you aren’t. If your spectators believe the cards are being mixed, whilst all the time you retain control of their order – then you can perform true MIRACLES! Indeed, this one skill can help transform simple self working tricks into jaw dropping slabs of IMPOSSIBILITY!
There are thousands of ways to false shuffle and cut the deck, but this project is not a cold encyclopaedic list of them. These are the A1, 24 Karat GOLD techniques that host Liam Montier has sought out and road tested on your behalf. To make the grade the featured cut or shuffle had to be practical, utterly deceptive and something YOU WOULD USE!
These powerful, deceptive skills are within the technical reach of any card handler (including some that are SO easy you could do them in your sleep!), and will have you up and running in no time.
Learning just one or two of these techniques is essential, but learning more will enable you to ‘mix and match’ the skills to create the unquestionable impression that you really are shuffling the pack. These are practical techniques – whether you are working walk-around magic, or sitting at a coffee table with some mates, you will be fooling them all in no time!
And at the end of the project four incredible magic tricks are also taught, so you can head out and test your new skills straight away!”
My Thoughts…
First, I agree wholeheartedly that cutting and shuffling is a vital part of magic. The ability to convince your audience you’ve fairly shuffled and mixed a deck is paramount to your success. I’m probably preaching to the choir here.. but I had to say it..
Liam and BBM have created a fine work for that guy who only knows a couple of cuts/shuffles. There are MANY such guys out there. I’ve answered their emails.. I’ve talked to them at meetings and conventions.. and I’ve seen their interest in works like this – aimed at the beginner to intermediate magi who has spent the majority of his time watching good card technicians from afar.. with admiration.
This download will not make you a superstar. It WILL make you better than 75% of the magicians out there. It will make you one of those guys other magicians turn to when they need to know a good cut or shuffle.. particularly false shuffles.
Rather than take the download apart, move by move, I’m going to summarize the moves and leave it to you what floats your boat. What I like and what you like WILL differ. Left handers will favor certain sleights or flourishes that don’t appeal to me.. and vice versa. The size of your hands, your speed, your dexterity and your confidence will all influence your choices. The good thing is.. there’s enough diversity that you’ll find ‘something’.. more than just something actually.. that appeals to you.
You WILL find moves you’ll use. The skill level for most of these moves is low enough that you can’t help but find a couple of good cuts and a couple of good false shuffles you can add to your repertoire this week. Most will require a night sitting in front of the TV with a deck of cards in-hand. Nothing more…
Most of these descriptions are my initial thoughts/notes… short and to-the-point.
Overview and Practice – Liam discusses how he practices and the use of tools to help with practice. This is a quickie session to give you an instant tip or two..
Overhand False Shuffle – This session includes various types of overhand false shuffles including the Dan Garrett Overhand/Underhand… very nice to watch.
The Blind Shuffle – Erdnase version of the Blind Shuffle.
The Ireland Shuffle – Good for Out of This World. Actually shuffles the cards. Good for decks set up all black/all red.
The Running Cut Shuffle – Convincing. Good for situations where you have a stacked deck and cutting the cards is OK.
About Optical Shuffles – Another brief overview to get you on the right track.
The Wiggle-Woogle Shuffle – You don’t actually DO anything. Maintains original order. Only appears as if you’re cutting the deck.
Optical Shuffle – Similar to wiggle-woggle except some cards are actually dropped on rear of pack.
Mike O’Dowd’s Slop Shuffle – Looks good as it can be done fast. Actually only
cuts the deck once.
The Lift Shuffle – Two methods. Good for preserving a portion of the cards on top of deck.
The Jog Shuffle – Another good method for preserving a top block of cards.
Swing Cut Shuffle – Good cut using a swing cut and allows spectator to see the face of the cards as they are being run. Preserves top or bottom block of cards.
Bottom Stock Shuffle – Preserves bottom stock.
The False Riffle Shuffles – Preserves small top or bottom stock… Or both..
Push Through Shuffle – Preserves full deck order. Plus additional tips.
The Triumph Shuffle.. Dai Vernon’s version.
The Charlier False Shuffle – Makes it look messy and if you couldn’t possibly maintain control..
Up the Ladder – Nice on the table shuffle to preserve a full deck. Fast.
Cuts.. Including the Swing Cut and Charlier Cut. These are legit cuts, unlike the cuts below.
Bobby Bernard False Cut – Very deceptive and very easy.
Jay Ose False Cut – Simple On the Table cut.
Tarbell 3 Way False Cut – Convincing when done fast.
Royal Road False Cut – Similar to Ose cut, but slightly more involved.
Erdnase False Cut – Used by many great workers through the years. An on-the-table cut.
Frank Thompson False Cut – Used by many of todays best performers.
The Cut – Another simple cut that works.
Crane Beak False Cut – Owen Packard’s design. In the hand cut that also gives you a glimpse of the top card.
John Bannon’s Fly Trap Cut – Nice flourish cut. In the hand.
John Bannon’s CrocoEdile Cut – Probably not something I would do, but a good cut regardless.
Gary Ouellet False Cut – Uses a swing cut in a simple manner.
Lewis Jones False Cut – Hand to Table cut with a swing cut.
David Acer’s Trinary Cut – Another in-the-hand cut that’s flourish y but not complicated.
Mini Sybil Cut – Uses three packets instead of the customary five.
The download ends with four effects that play well with a lay audience. You aren’t necessarily going to fool a room full of magicians.. but then again, magicians probably aren’t going to tip you very well either.
WEIGH Performed and Explained – Expert At The Card Table effect.
Dai Vernon’s TRIUMPH Performed & Explained – Classic magic trick. This is not a simple, shortcut method.
SHOCK TREATMENT P&E – John Bannon’s stalwart effect.
THINK OF A CARD P&E – Paul Curry’s trick using a stack. Simple effect, but fools a lay audience every time.
I am a big fan of the basics. This download, roughly 2:15 min. long, teaches a very wide section of basics.. with a flourish. You’ll be glad you bought this download. Video and sound are typical Big Blind Media. Ladies posing as the audience are typical BBM.. and very easy on the eyes… Much more enjoyable than some ‘ol hard-tailed magician.
I enjoyed this download. I learned some things.. and I can’t always say that about some of the DVD/downloads I’ve watched of late. Believe me.. time is important to me.. and the FALSE CUTS AND SHUFFLES PROJECT was time well spent..
“A great leader doesn’t treat problems as special. He treats them as normal. If you’re working, expect problems. If you’re dealing with family, expect problems. If you’re just minding your own business and trying to relax, expect problems. If everything goes according to plan, then be pleasantly surprised. If it doesn’t, and you’ve planned accordingly, you won’t get so frustrated. A problem not anticipated is a problem. A problem anticipated is an opportunity.”
Al Davis, fformer owner of the Oakland Raiders football team..
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The Vault – CHINK-A-CHINK Elements by Patricio Terán
Review by Rick Carruth
If you enjoy Matrix effects, or wish you could perform Matrix type effects, Chink-a-Chink may be just what you need.. Here is the Ad copy:
“The best Matrix I have ever seen! I thought my eyes were malfunctioning.”
– Richard Sanders
After ten years of keeping his routines underground, Patricio Terán, the Matrix specialist, brings you his legendary handlings of the Chink-a-Chink plot.
You will learn three wonderful routines, complete with all of the subtle elements that will transform your Matrix into a miracle.
These incredible effects are explained step by step with the best quality video and the best possible teacher.
If you have ever wanted to do a hyper visual Matrix with 4 different objects, download this today!
My Thoughts:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia –
“A magician performs the “chink-a-chink” coin trick, having started from a square of four coins. Chink-a-chink is a simple close-up magic trick in which a variety of small objects, usually four, appear to magically transport themselves from location to location when covered by the performer’s hands, until the items end up gathered together in the same place. Variations, especially the Sympathetic Coins, have been performed since the 1800s.”
“Sean McWeeney, the author of the first dedicated e-book on Chink-a-Chink, has a history dating back to at least early/mid-19th-century Germany. The trick was famously covered in Edwin Sach’s seminal book Sleight of Hand in 1877, utilizing four sugar cubes. Max Malini, who popularized the trick in the early 20th century, using cut-down wine corks, is generally credited with naming the trick. Doug Henning performed Chink-a-Chink on television in the early 1970s, using seashells.”
Many magicians, popular magicians, have performed this effect using a variety of objects. Anything concealable by the palm of the hand has been fair game. In recent years Chink -a- Chink morphed into the Matrix effect, using playing cards instead of the palm. That said.. this video download is about the classic effect.
I have to first say I prefer the classic Clink-a-Clink to the Matrix. Why? There is no lifting of objects beneath the palm as opposed to lifting coins beneath the transfer of a card. All the transportations involve covering objects with the palm and sliding them from one position to another. This is, to me at least, much easier to master than the latter.
This “The Vault” download was produced by Nacho Mancilla. Honestly, I don’t know a lot about Nacho other than he has published a couple of other effects under his name.. UP SLOW and REFRACTION. After the initial intro, Nacho turns everything over to Patricio Terán, a serious Matrix master from Chile.
Due to the language barrier, the entire effects portion of the video is performed to some excellent chill music. Thankfully, everything you need to know can be taught without words. There are camera angles from both forward and rear positions, giving you multiple views of the same move. The video itself is just over 30 minutes, and is more than long enough to teach all the moves. Both sound and video are fine. I have no problem with the production qualities, and they are precisely what I would expect for the cost and subject. There wasn’t a credit at the end of the video, so I can’t comment on equipment.. only on what I saw. So, if you’re one of ‘those’.. I can’t help you.. Sorry!
The three effects were inspired by Mott-Sun, Takahiro, Daniel Garcia, Al Schneider, and others..
FANTASY: This is a very enticing, very visual effect that, due to the simultaneous movement, makes it darn near impossible to solve. The spectator is left pondering, I was left pondering, and most of the dirty work is the result of a gimmick.
FANTASY uses four half dollars and a change purse.. (well.. maybe slightly more than four). This was similar to the traditional Matrix many of you are familiar with, but uses the palms instead of cards. Again, my preference. This effect reminded me of another effect I recently reviewed.. “Z Matrix.. an effect by Ziv”, in that a gimmick is required. You will need a clear acrylic sheet, not hard to find, a pair of scissors, and some double stick tape. Although I don’t like constructing gimmicks, this one isn’t hard to make. It makes a couple of the moves possible. You also need a Servante. The video teaches how Patricio and Nacho make theirs, which is a very simple open-top savante, stuck to the inner edge of the table. You could probably lap if you didn’t want to purchase or make a savante. You WILL like this effect…. and it’s not overly hard to learn or perform, once you learn the moves.
METAMORPH MIX: This is a true Clink-a-Clink effect. You use a half dollar, a key, a ring, and a Chinese coin. Again, Patricio performs what appears to be a series of complex vanishes and switches, most achievable once the moves are memorized. This is not only a joy to watch, but would be a joy for you to perform. Like FANTASY, it’s next to impossible for the audience to figure out. Too much going on… Dai would love this one.
ELEMENTS: Quick effect similar to the above. This uses a few less moves, but the same tokens. This is a great place to start and a good point to get your feel for what’s going on.
Honestly, my best advice is – go to the Murphy’s Magic link and watch the demo video. I’m a visual guy myself, and this will give you a good idea of what you’ll learn, plus the FANTASY effect, which is not on the demo. I sincerely hope you’ll consider buying this download. I think you’ll really enjoy performing this for your friends, fellow magicians, and your audience. There’s no doubt they’ll see you in a different light, a good light, and you don’t have to tell them you learned it all from a nineteen dollar video…
This is where I buy my business cards.. always. They usually run a 500 for $10.00 special, but I prefer to pay $17.00 and get cards that are really thick. They survive being carried in my pocket much better than the thinner cards. I have also purchased postcard-size cards to give away at conventions if I had a table. They always make a good first impression. You CANNOT have too much advertising.. but you can definitely have Too Little…
The Vault – The Endless Chain – A Review
L&L Publishing and The World’s Greatest Magic
Review by Rick Carruth
Johnny Thompson, Bobby Bernard, and Phil Matlin teach this magic standard. If you aren’t familiar with this magical con, or if you need tips from three consummate professionals, read on… The Ad Copy reads:
Something Totally Different!
The underground con game known as the Endless Chain has its roots in an old gypsy swindle from the 1500s called “Pricking the Garter.” It was subsequently adopted by magicians in the 1800s and has been used to delight, captivate – and humorously frustrate – audiences to this day.
In this video, you’ll meet three different performers who each take a turn at demonstrating this classic scam. Johnny Thompson leads off with a three-phase routine coupled with a very funny kicker ending while providing additional moves and subtleties in the explanation segment. The UK’s Bobby Bernard also demonstrates and teaches a three-phase routine but also supplies an ending that can add a bit of magic to the effect. Finally, Canada’s Phil Matlin performs a three-phase routine with a pseudo-explanation segment that brings his version to a very satisfying end.
Audiences are enchanted by tales of con men and swindlers and with the help of the world-class performers featured here, you’ll be able to add a routine to your show that is not only inherently interesting, but is something that your spectators are unlikely to have ever seen before.
Download the video and learn this today!
My Thoughts:
Although I’ve seen The Endless Chain performed numerous times by both professional and amateur magicians, I can honestly say I’ve never tried to learn it or perform it… in part because it seemed too easy for the audience to surmise its performance. Although the audience would be wrong, without the finesse taught by Johnny Thompson and friends, I didn’t realize I, too, was wrong with my silly assumptions.
For those of you not familiar with The Endless Chain.. The magician introduces the audience to a fairly long loop chain. The chain is quickly manipulated into a figure eight and an audience member is asked to place his/her finger inside one of the loops formed by the eight. The magician pulls the chain, and if it ‘catches’ around the spectator’s finger, the spectator wins. If the chain doesn’t catch on the finger and comes free.. the magician wins. It is a betting move, and it is a con.. The spectator only wins when the magician wants him to win..
After a series of bets, the magician is confirmed King of The World.. and the effect is over.
Unless you learned from Johnny Thompson… He adds one final move that seems impossible for the spectator to lose.. but he does. (See video below)
This move made the video worth the cost.. to me. It transformed The Endless Chain from a ‘cute’ little trick into a mystery. Suddenly, I could see the possibilities.. and I could see why a magician would devote six or more performance minutes to this innocuous little scam. It went from a ‘trick’ to a ‘performance’.
Each of the performers added something personal to the effect, but it was Johnny’s performance that stood out to me. The download is just over thirty minutes and is typical L&L production values… Nothing earth-shattering.. and nothing distracting. Although this is a
re-introduction of a World’s Greatest Magic selection, it’s timely, with the interest in gambling sleights/demonstrations and the recent passing of Johnny Thompson.
All you need to perform this effect is an inexpensive chain somewhere between 36 to 48 inches, and an afternoon’s practice. It’s not difficult to learn, just a few timely twists, and can be performed with something like para cord or thick string to get you going. I recommend the chain when in front of an audience, partly because of the ‘flash’ and the visual quality.. making it much easier to see from a distance.
The Endless Chain is very similar to, performance wise, 3 Card Monte. If you perform, or want to perform, 3 Card Monte because of its gambling qualities.. The Endless Chain is the perfect addition to your routine. It’s much easier to learn, for sure, but establishes the same persona of a skilled gambler -if- you learn the Johnny Thompson method.
This is definitely something I will add to my repertoire.. I recommend you guys do the same.. If you aren’t familiar with the Endless Chain, check out the video on Murphy’s Magic site..
$14.95.. From Murphy’s Magic and their associate dealers…
The Vault – Phosphorus by Victor Sanz
Review by Rick Carruth
Quick pocket trick download from Victor Sanz and Murphy’s Magic.. Here’s the ad copy:
Find the spectator’s match without looking — in only one second!
Victor Sanz shares his brilliant new interactive close-up miracle. A spectator picks a matchstick out of many and signs their name on it. They then put the signed match back in the box with the others and shake them all up. The magician takes the box back and, in one second, produces the signed lit match!
Everything can be examined before and after the effect. Make the gimmick in less than 5 minutes. Easy to perform.
My Thoughts..
Victor Sanz is another creative mind from Spain, home to some of the most creative magic on the planet. Victor is also the creator of Self-Flipping Note Pad, Contrasts, Vibrate and Revolver, among other effects.
As a fellow who has a fondness for walk-around, I’m always glad to find a quick trick I can add to my repertoire. This effect from Victor Sanz can, literally, be carried in a matchbox.. and doesn’t require much to learn. I think most of you will find this an attractive addition.
The effect performs like the ad copy. Aside from a small gimmick, everything works as advertised, and the learning curve is minimal. The magi shows a spectator a wooden matchbox full of matches. The spectator is allowed to pick a match and mark it to be easily recognized later. The magi partially inserts the match into the box and the spectator pushes the match the remainder of the way in and closes the box. The spectator shakes the box to thoroughly mix the matches. The box is returned to the magi who.. with only a very slight pause.. places the box behind his back with one hand – as the other hand brings a lit match from behind the magi, lit..
It’s the spectator’s match.
It’s not exactly like vanishing the Statue of Liberty.. but it’s a nice, quick effect that creates a mystery. You do have to create a small gimmick to make the effect work. As this is a download, you get to make the gimmick with thoughtful instructions from Victor. It only requires something you probably have around the house, plus a pair of scissors, and about 4 or 5 minutes. Everyone knows my dislike of DIY effects, but this is admittedly simple to make…
The download is typical Murphy’s Magic quality. The effect is taught with subtitles. As the effect is not very complicated, this wasn’t a problem for me. They could have taught everything sans subtitles and I think you would still understand everything you need to know. The video runs 33 minutes with several minutes performance mode.
I would recommend PHOSPHORUS to anyone with ten bucks and a desire to add a little something-something to their routine. It’s a quickie, easy to perform, and a great little effect for those of you who love to play with fire…
Watch: The 11 Best Tricks From ‘Penn & Teller: Fool Us’ – Videos
By Thor Jensen for GEEK.com
One thing that unites geeks around the world is that we love to solve problems. Our hyper-flexible minds latch on to challenge, whether it be in a video game, with a tricky Lego build or programming an app. That’s why one of the most lowkey brain-bending shows on TV is Penn & Teller: Fool Us, starting its sixth season on Monday, June 17, on the CW.
If you haven’t watched it, the premise is simple: guest magicians show a trick to the duo, who then have to figure out how it’s done without telling the viewing audience. Even if you don’t dig illusions, it’ll have your mind racing looking for the methods behind the magic. The show has a bunch of people putting clips up on YouTube, so we wanted to share our 11 favorite acts from previous seasons.
Do Super Easy ‘Torn Page’ Magic Trick – Video Tutorial
Jay Sankey does a bit of stickman magic with a small note pad. It’s not completely ‘sleightless’.. but the moves are really easy and you can perform them with confidence. I haven’t published anything from Jay in some time, so I was glad to run across this nice tutorial… about 15 minutes in length.
https://youtu.be/MfTlSK_JSro
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Card Portal Pop Out – Video Tutorial Featuring Shin Lim
Great way to reveal a card in a sandwich effect. It appears you are holding two cards.. and suddenly a third card flies from the middle with no obvious effort on your part. Featuring Shin Lim and Nic Suriano…
Willie performs the infamous Sam The Bellhop effect… Cool !
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How to Solve a Magic Square -Tutorial
This arithmetical stunt is not difficult when you know how, says Jason England.
Magicians often include acts that are not strictly magic, but leave their audiences feeling that they have witnessed something impossible. Memory stunts, unusual scientific demonstrations, playing chess blindfolded and rapid mental mathematics are some examples.
Successful stunts of this kind suggest the performer has an enhanced talent. In some cases, this is true – they may have an extraordinary memory or be a chess grandmaster. But in most cases the performer is using a system. These systems can be simple, or can require tremendous skill – but they are still easier than doing the stunt without any system at all.
A popular mathematical stunt is to create a “magic square”. This is a grid, most commonly 3×3 or 4×4, filled with numbers. The numbers in every row add up to the same number.
Making a magic square before an audience, if done properly, can be an impressive demonstration of one’s apparent command of higher-level mathematics. I’ll show you how to do this, using a seemingly more difficult 4×4 grid… READ MORE (Text and Pics)
Ten Tricks With Rubber Bands – Video Tutorial
Rich Ferguson
Helpful tutorial by Rich with ten convincing effects. These are not all simple-appearing effects. Some are effects I’m sure a few of you have paid money to learn. My MagicMysteries.org site makes sure you get it au gratis… Enjoy!
Our friend, Steve Drury, notified me a few days ago of the release of his master work on Dice.. Haven’t had time to get my hands on it.. but I’m betting it’s going to become THE book on anything related to Dice…
Dice Mysteries – By Steve Drury
Dice Mysteries is a study into the world of dice aimed as a resource for the mystery – psychic entertainer. As a hardbound, dust-jacket covered book – it runs at over 580 pages !
It initially delves into its journey from the shaman to the layman, then through history into its roles in society, religion and science, including various cultural and indigenous perspectives. Many types of dice are reviewed, alongside their varied uses, from reading systems to gambling and cheating plus performance applications and routines.
Steve Drury’s own ideas are included throughout, plus there are varied supporting contributions from: Les Cross, Richard Webster, Stephen Ball, David Berglas, Lior Manor, Mark Chandaue, Richard Osterlind, Ronald J. Dayton, Pablo Amira, Docc Hilford, T.C.Tahoe, Seamus Maguire, Dale Hildebrandt, Danny Proctor, Kenton Knepper, Craig Conley, Steve Cook, Scott St Clair, Neal Scryer, Jackie McClements, Cara Hamilton, Vito Gattullo and Sudo.
Remember.. signing up for the Magic Roadshow Journal of Magic is Totally FREE. There is NO obligation and your email is 100% safe. (I don’t even share it with my closes fellow magicians..) You will be notified periodically as new material publishes to the Magic Roadshow site and you can unsubscribe with one click.
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: [email protected]
The Vault – The Magic Man Project – Rubber Bands – Andrew Eland
This unusual offering from Murphy’s Magic is quite unlike anything I’ve reviewed. It’s not a full fledged DVD.. and it’s not a single effect. The Ad Copy reads as follows:
In this electrifying new HD download series, Magic Man shares two of his favorite rubber band routines. These are two real-world routines that he has been performing for over 20 years – refined and tweaked through thousands of performances in every environment possible!
You will learn:
The Boomerang Band routine
A mini rubber band routine including Magic Man’s unique presentation for the Crazy Man’s Handcuffs
These are real world, in-the-trenches routines that have been audience tested and perfected!
Full HD | Full live and in-studio performances included | Real world magic | 1 hour
Who is Magic Man?
Magic Man is one of South Africa’s best kept secrets. Magic Man has been touring North America, Canada and Asia for the past 20 years building an impressive list of achievements. From the Rolling Stones at the Sticky Fingers restaurant in London to the wrap-up party in Vancouver for U2’s Zooropa Tour, Magic Man has entertained the finest!
He has worked at the Edinburgh Festival and headlined at top nightspots across Europe, Canada and South Korea. Combining unbelievable sleight-of-hand with his unique sense of humor, Magic Man can keep any room enthralled with wonder for hours!
My Thoughts:
First, I’m going to address the elephant in the room. Since this 1 hour video highlights the elusive Boomerang Band.. I’m going to start there. Although the Boomerang Band effect has been both written about and videoed, there are still those who believe it’s only a myth. A magi takes a rubber band, contorts it around his fingers, shoots it about fifteen feet across the floor.. and, just as the rubber band reaches its fartherest point… it reverses direction and literally rolls back to the magi with impressive speed. Rumor has it a certain magician can even make it roll up his arm and settle in his shirt pocket. I’m not sure about that.. but I am sure the Boomerang Band is NOT a fairy tale, as I have watched the bands dance their way back to the waiting magi numerous times.
Although the origin is unknown.. Charlie Miller, Dan Garrett, Chris Kenner, Dan Harlan, Paul Daniels, Don Cox, Al Angello, Michael Weber, and Paul Sponaugle have all made contributions to Boomerang Band, not to mention Magic Man.. Andrew Eland, who is making his contribution with this download.
Andrew.. aka, Magic Man, demonstrates and patiently teaches viewers how to perform Boomerang Band. (BB). He routinely performs his version in outdoor locations around the world, as he spends a portion of each year performing in locations from North America to Europe to South Africa.
This is one of those quirky little effects that will catch most audiences, and magicians, off-guard, as they’ve never heard of BB.. much less actually seen it. It’s the type effect that will draw crowds out of curiosity, and give you the opportunity to perform your complete set to a full house.
After teaching Boomerang Band, Andrew teaches his entire routine. Although not very long, it’s efficient.. and consist almost entirely of rubber band effects, utilizing a few small props like a battery, a wand, a spoon and a coin.
One effect is based on The Moving Ring.. but without the ring. Andrew creates a small diversion and uses this little prop to perform both this effect and to make his Crazy Man’s Handcuffs unique and very visual. You need to see it to understand what I’m saying. If you currently perform either of these two effect in a conventional way, you’ll have no problem adapting to the Magic Man method.
(Crazy Man’s Handcuffs, devised by Arthur Setterington, Peter Warlock, Herb Zarrow and popularized by David Copperfield.)
He also teaches Two Way Stretch, which is a method of showing one band as two.. and
Snap by Harry Lorayne. Combined, everything creates a very nice routine for busking or traditional walk-around. You can’t beat it for the money, and it has my recommendation.
Quality wise, it is a typical Murphy’s Magic product. Filmed outdoors at VIctoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town and indoors at The Capetown College of Magic in Cape Town, everything from the outdoor setting to the indoor teaching session is good, quality work. Sound is good, lighting is good, and I have no complaints.. and I don’t think you will either.
Don’t think you will learn Boomerang Bands overnight. Andrew tells you such, and you need to be prepared to put in the time to learn something unique and captivating. There’s no doubt you’ll be glad you did. Be different, and proceed to the front of the line..
$12.95 Instant Download. From Murphy’s Magic and their associates.
Welcome to the last ‘regular’ issue of the Magic Roadshow! I decided some time back that issue# 200 was my ultimate goal. You have no idea how close I came to stopping after issue# 100 because I saw that as my last issue. But, for whatever reason, it didn’t feel right. I felt like I still had a few issues left in me and I decided to just publish until I wanted to stop.
It’s not that I want to stop now.. but I want to be able to publish on MY schedu 200le and not on some perceived schedule I have in my head. I’m a stickler on ‘doing the right thing’, and don’t know when to take a break. I feel as if I’ll be letting someone down.. so I publish on a timetable.
Oh, I’ve had reader after reader tell me not to worry about a schedule, but I have just as many readers wanting to know if the next issue is around the corner. I try to keep everyone happy and I try to publish the best free newsletter money can buy. I cannot tell you the ‘thank you sir’ emails I’ve received from both here and abroad.. particularly from less fortunate countries where magic resources are hard to come by… and from young adults who cannot afford other publications. THAT is the source of my feelings of obligation.
(The photos?… The Carruth family. Carolyn and Zoey have patiently let me spend endless hours publishing the Roadshow..)
I am so thankful that friends like Paul Romhany now publish online magazines that exceed my imagination. If you don’t subscribe to VANISH, which is totally free, you aren’t serious about magic. ( http://www.vanishmagic.com/ )
I am still going to send out an issue when the mood strikes. I am still going to publish regular features and reviews to https://magicroadshow.com .. I’ll probably start to publish even more to the Magic Roadshow homepage since it’s so simple and quick. I’m just NOT going to publish issues on a regular schedule. Fourteen years nonstop, and never charged a single cent, is long enough.
So much has changed in the last 14 years. There was a time when I would receive 40 to 50 replies every time I published a new issue. It was such a pleasure to respond to the replies and get to actually know something about readers. Now.. I do good if I receive 4 or 5 replies. Times have changed.. the internet has changed.. people and their responses have changed.
I sorely miss the early years. I could get my newsletter to almost all subscribers.. spam filters weren’t a problem, and the Can Spam Act was only a notion in some Congressman’s mind. Now, I don’t know where the heck the Roadshow goes. Folks tell me they got it.. folks tell me they didn’t. Google changes it algorithm about as ofter as I change my socks. A little guy doesn’t stand a chance!
True story…. There was a time I bought an ebook off Ebay.. “David Blaine Secret’s Revealed”. I bought it for $3.99 and it came with ‘free resale rights’. What did I do? I created a little one page website.. wrote some sales copy.. created a Paypal ‘buy now’ button.. carefully worded the sales copy to include some good key words (which I knew how to do).. and put it on the web. I waited for the search engine ‘bots to index my site, and after about three
weeks it started showing up in their search results. I was making about $15 dollars a day for an ebook that the purchaser downloaded after making their payment. Three months after it was indexed, I was selling an ebook every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You do the math…
I would be embarrassed to tell you how much I generated in sales off affiliate ads in the first 100 issues. Think six figures. Then, a well-known figure in the magic community emailed me at 5.30 one morning to tell me all my affiliate ad links would be shut down at 7am. He resented that my ads were being indexed above his ads on Google. (Again, I knew how to maximize search engine results). If this guy had been smart, he would have paid me to drop my ads.. and work as a consultant for his company. He didn’t.. I didn’t.. and his company is now so far down the ladder it’s a non-factor. Oh well..
Now you know why I ‘almost’ quit after 100 issues.
That was also when I decided there was more to magic than making money. I cut almost all ads from the Roadshow, except a few Google Ads to help pay for hosting and mailing out the Roadshow. In recent years, I sometimes excluded them as well.
Eventually.. all that was important was telling the story….
Remember, this is not the last you’ll hear from the Roadshow. I will stay in touch and I’ll continue to find good stuff across the internet and pass it on. So, don’t be afraid to tell friends about us and don’t discourage anyone from signing up! Till next time…..
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Pr 16:9 NIV).
-Open Travelers – Larry Jennings and Paul Lelekis
-Sherlock Holmes And The Case Of The Lying Liar – Christopher M. Reynolds
-Royal Magic’s “Zig Zag Card” – Al Albers’ presentation and handling:
-The Patron Saint Of Magicians – Christopher M. Reynolds
-When Harry Met Howard: The Unknown Collaboration.. Christopher M. Reynolds
-The Sudden Flash of Genius That Made Magician Rocco Silano Rich – Article
-The Power of a Name – Two spelling effects by Werner Miller
-Our FREE PDF – Full of Effects from Past Issues – Effects
-The Previous Nine PDF’s – Effects
-4 EASY effects to perform with the Faro Shuffle – Video Tutorial – Shin Lim
-How To Perform Isolations – Cardistry Tutorial Feat. Anna DeGuzman
-Presentation and Showmanship Advice – Vinh Giang Ted Talk
-The Art of Cognitive Blindspots – Kyle Eschen – TEDxVienna
-Reading Minds Through Body Language – Lynne Franklin – TEDxNaperville
-The Magic of Chemistry – with Andrew Szydlo – Video Lecture
-Science or Magic? – Free PDF
-Cutting The Aces – Video Tutorial
-Bobo’s Modern Coin Magic – Free PDF
-Z Matrix.. (Impossible One Handed Matrix) – A Review – Rick Carruth
-Amazing Magic I – Paul Lelekis – A Review – Rick Carruth
-The Vault – Revolt by Geraint Clarke – A Review – Rick Carruth
-The Mysterious Puzzle of the Missing Dollar Bill – A Review – Rick Carruth
-All Tied Up – Chris Philpott – A Review – Rick Carruth
-How Young Magicians Are Learning to Cast a Spell on a Modern Audience – Article
-9 Yr. Old Guitar Prodigy Taj Farrant – Video
-Other Important Stuff….
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( One of my favorite parts of each issue has been the Quotes section… little morsels of truth..)
“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” Norman Vincent Peale
“Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business.” Tom Robbins
“Scientists have calculated that the chances of something so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.” – Terry Pratchett
“When you’re touched by magic, nothing’s ever quite the same again. What really makes me sad is all those people who never have the chance to know that touch. They’re too busy, or they just don’t hold with make-believe, so they shut the door without really knowing it was there to be opened in the first place.” – Charles De Lint
“Magic is not done, it’s not performed. Like any performance art, it withers away to nothing if it’s not presented in the grand style. Moving your feet around is not dancing, reading the lyrics is not singing, and pulling a rabbit out of a hat is not magic.” – John Cassidy & Michael Stroud
“Magic and all that is ascribed to it is a deep presentiment of the powers of science.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“I don’t want realism… I want magic!” – Tennessee Williams
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OPEN TRAVELERS – Larry Jennings and Paul Lelekis
This is my version of Jennings’ classic effect. Many magicians shy away from this trick because they feel it is too easy to “get caught”!
If you follow the simple directions below, you will have a very convincing piece of theater that appears to be real magic – it is THAT good!
I have added a little-known “deceit” that will (when casually done) have a very powerful impact on your spectators. It has been around for a long time.
EFFECT: The four Aces travel from the performer’s hands to join the Ace of Spades on the table…the 4th Ace traveling from the deck, to the packet!
SET-UP: Arrange the 4 Aces, in the order, from the face…Ace of Spades, red Ace, red Ace, and Ace of Clubs – the Ace of Clubs will be on top of the face-down packet.
The Aces will be referred to as…AS, AH, AD, and AC from here on out.
METHOD: Hold the deck face up, in your left hand. Get a left pinkie break under the card at the face of the deck – whatever it might be.
Have the four Aces, face down on the table in the above order, use your left hand with deck, to scoop up the four Aces, adding the extra card (I’ll call it the “x” card) to the back of the face-up Aces – the Ace of Spades will be seen at the face.
Your left hand spreads the three Aces at the face, displaying all four Aces. The extra card is kept hidden behind the AC, held as a double. (See Bob Stencil Display)
Display: Bob Stencil Squiggle Move –
Hold the 5-card packet face up in your left hand. Push over the three Aces at the face, holding the AC and the extra card (the “x” card) as one.
Take the AS and red Ace into your right hand – the AC double and the other red Ace, spread in the left hand. Your thumbs move the cards around in a “squiggly fashion”, keeping the AC double, intact.
1st Ace Travels:
Place the right hand cards back onto the left hand cards, holding a left pinkie break beneath the AS and the red Ace beneath it.
Grasp the AS/indifferent card double, as one card in right hand Biddle grip, flipping the double, face down and re-taking it into Biddle grip.
You next mention that, “…the Aces will travel, one at a time, from the packet of Aces, to join the leader Ace of Spades.”
As you say the above line, ‘…packet of Aces…’, take the three cards remaining (the red Ace, AC, and an “x” card) in your left hand and spread them, face down, as you reach out and lay them down away from you, closer to your spectator(s).
At the same time that you place the supposed three Aces down, quietly lay the AS double, face down on the surface, close to you as one card.
NOTE: To keep the AS/”x” card double from “splitting”, keep the nail of your right index finger, pressed against the back of the double as you release your other fingers. Then lift your right hand, straight up, and away. This action will keep the double, perfect.
Don’t worry about the double card, AS/red Ace, at this point…the other “three Aces” will draw all attention away from the AS double – there’s NO reason for anyone to think that there is anything ‘funny’ with the AS…so relax!
Plus, remember the “rules of misdirection”…since your left hand with the three spread “Aces” moves first and fastest AND is placed out near the spectators, all attention will be brought there and NO ONE will even suspect the AS double.
Mention that one of the Aces will travel, invisibly, to join the Ace of Spades.
Pick up the ‘three Aces’ and perform a Rub-a-Dub vanish of the top card of the Ace packet. Rub it on the table top until it ‘vanishes’ – but pretend it is in your right-hand palm…but it’s invisible.
I’m not going to waste time explaining this sleight, but rest assured there is someone on YouTube, somewhere, explaining how it works.
Hold your right hand, with palm upward, and place this ‘invisible card’ onto the supposed AS by placing the edge of your right palm onto the right edge of the double.
Then as you turn your right hand, palm down, the fleshy edge of your right palm will make the double split by pulling the top card of the double to your right…but not until your right hand turns down, far enough to hide the ‘splitting’ movement.
This side-jogged “split” of the double (pretending to place an invisible card down with said card “reappearing” almost visibly!) needs to be practiced for best results.
However, when done properly, the spectators will audibly gasp! It is an amazing sleight and looks like real magic!
Now you will ‘show’ that one of the Aces has vanished from packet in your left hand! Turn the triple (supposedly only two cards), face up into your left hand.
Your left thumb then pushes over the red Ace, exposing the AC double card beneath – being sure to keep the double squared up.
Here is where the “choreography” continues…take note that this is a fairly original approach that I have been using for years and years:
First of all, use both hands to square up the two (actually three) cards in your left hand and turn those cards, face down, into your left hand.
Then your right hand takes the two Aces on the table (AS and red Ace) and turns them face up, tossing them gently, toward the middle of the table – away from you.
Now transfer the three cards in your left hand, to your right hand in Biddle grip, in readiness for the Kelly Bottom Placement Move/Ovette Master Move as follows:
As you toss the AS and red Ace outward, the right ring finger, pulls the red Ace (at the face of the face-down packet) over, angle-jogging it to your right, as your left hand reaches outward to the two face-up Aces, turns them face down, and brings them close to you and in front of you. The three cards are still in right hand Biddle grip.
Your left hand returns and grasps the two upper cards in your right hand by the left long side, left thumb on top. The left hand then takes only two cards, the AC and “x” card, instead of all three cards, and places them at the outer part of the table, away from you.
As the above happens, the red Ace is retained in the right hand due to its angle-jog, in a sort of Gambler’s Cop.
All eyes will follow the left hand and cards going to the table. This is similar to a Vernon Transfer Move…only the red Ace is more hidden beneath your right hand.
Then in one motion, the right hand and red Ace, drops down to the AS and the other red Ace below, adding the red Ace to them, as you drag the cards to the edge of the table, and into your left hand, squaring them up into both hands.
This choreography is undetectable if performed fluidly.
Situation Check: At the outer part of your working surface are two face down cards, supposedly the AC and the other red Ace. Actually they are the AC at the face and the “x” card on top of the AC.
The other cards (in your hands) are the AS, AH, and the AD. The spectators only believe there to be two cards in your hands, the AS and only one red Ace.
2nd Ace Travels:
Turn the three (supposedly only TWO cards) in your hands, face down. Hold them firmly in right hand Biddle grip.
Buckle the bottom card, the Ace of Spades, and pull it over to your left, holding the double above it firmly. Turn your right hand, palm up, to show, apparently, only two cards, the AS and a red Ace (actually a double card with a hidden red Ace).
Turn the double, (actually three cards!) face up with your right hand to show the AS and the red Ace double, side-jogged, for just a moment.
Turn the side-jogged cards, face down, and lay them on the table near your inner right. The double card (two red Aces) will be side-jogged to your right, and above the Ace of Spades – all face down – it will appear to be just two cards.
Make the supposed red Ace vanish!
Square the two cards up and hold them in your left hand, face down. With your right hand fingers on top and right thumb below, pick up the top “x” card a little to your right, and turn it clockwise until the “x” card is facing you…only you can see the face!
Then rotate the card so that the right long edge of the card is now pointing toward the ceiling and the other long side closest to the spectators is upon the outer edge of the AC below it. This is the Finely Tent Vanish position.
The “x” card will have its long side nearest your body and held up by the left thumb like a “Pup” Tent over the AC. The “open long side” of the card tent will be facing only you and is held up by the left thumb… only you can see the 3 of Diamonds.
Put your right hand in front of the leaning card and pretend to palm it off – but instead – allow the long side of the card to drop off of your left thumb and fall flush with the AC. Then pull away with your right hand as though you have the card palmed in that hand.
Turn your right hand palm up to show that the supposed AD appears to have become invisible!
Place your open hand over the AS pile, turn your hand down and pretend to place the invisible card down onto the AS pile, secretly moving the AD over to your right…again it will appear that the card has suddenly become visible!
Pick up the AS pile and toss them, face up to the middle of the table. There will now be three Aces at the main pile…the AS, AH, and AD!
3rd Ace Travels:
You will still be holding the AC/”x” card as one card…the Ace of Clubs. Again turn the Ace pile, face down, bring it, in a sloppy 3-card pile near to you and just a little to your right.
Now hold the AC double up, with the face of the Ace of Clubs toward the audience. You will now appear to be placing the AC, face down on the table.
A COOL SWITCH! (See video!)
You will now perform a switch that has been a favorite of mine for many years and I use it with several effects. I believe it to be reminiscent of a Marlo sleight.
What you will appear to do, is to display the Ace of Clubs (a double) and merely place it, face down, out in front of you on the table. You will then pick up the AS pile.
This switch and load is very deceptive! When you finally DO perform it, you will get that “warm feeling” of satisfaction!
Here’s what actually happens…
Hold the AC double with the face of the double, toward the audience. Your right hand index and middle fingers, contact the upper left non-indexed corner of the double and your right thumb, holding at that corner from behind.
Keep your right hand fingers from blocking the upper, right indexed corner by keeping them closer to the non-indexed left corner, at the upper short end of the double.
Be very casual at this point because you are “only displaying”, a supposedly single card…the Ace of Clubs!
Now you will casually grasp the double at the LOWER left corner with your left fingers, and in one smooth motion, pull the double card’s lower short end, backwards toward your body, in a circular motion.
When the double’s face is toward the floor (out of view) your right ring finger pulls the AC over to your right (the same as the Kelly Bottom Placement Move/Ovette Master Move described above) so that it will be in position to be “copped”.
Continue the circular motion (as you pull the hidden AC over) until the “x” card is now facing ONLY YOU! Your left hand will have invisibly switched in the “x” card – don’t let this card be seen! Place this “x” card, face down, at the outer part of your working surface.
AS YOUR LEFT HAND reaches forward with the “x” card (supposedly the AC!) and places it face down (still unseen) on the outer part of your working surface.
THEN the right hand comes down (with copped card) on top of the AS packet, secretly adding it to the top. Drag these cards towards yourself and square them up.
The choreography and misdirection of this move is compelling. I’ve performed it for very knowledgeable card guys and have never even raised an eyebrow!
3rd Ace Travels:
When you have secretly added the AC to the top of the AS pile, pick them up and square them.
Turn this 4-card packet (all four Aces!) face up into your left hand. The spectators will think that you only have 3 Aces at this point.
Push over the two face Aces (the AS and a red Ace), showing three Aces…the Ace of Clubs will be hidden behind the third red Ace from the face of the packet. Turn this side-jogged packet, spread packet, face down, and lay them onto the table.
Now pick up the supposed AC (“x” card) at the outer part of the table and place it on top of the deck.
Now take your right hand and pretend to palm this card off of the deck. Turn your right hand face up to show that the AC has turned invisible, and then pretend to lay it on the AS packet, spreading the AC to your right – just like the other two times!
Turn the AS packet face up to show all four Aces have arrived! Then turn the top few cards of the deck, face up, to show NO Ace of Clubs! This is a SUPERB effect and it is easier to do than you think!
** All of Paul’s ebooks can be found on Lybrary.com .. Please check ’em out. ( I lost count of how many ebooks Paul has authored.. 54 is my best guess! and they’re ALL listed here.) https://www.lybrary.com/paul-a-lelekis-m-163788.html
** I would also like to thank Paul for all the great contributions he’s made to the Magic Roadshow through the years. Without his help I would not have made it to Issue 200. It was a relief knowing I could depend on Paul to provide me with a commercial effect and not have to write one of my own at a time when my time was stretched thin. Thanks again Paul !!
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Sherlock Holmes And The Case Of The Lying Liar
By Christopher M. Reynolds
Sherlock Holmes. The name has now become synonymous worldwide with the concept of the super-sleuth; detective heroes with ungodly intellectual powers, a keen sense of rational observation, an uncanny ability for deductive reasoning, and highly educated in the applications of forensic science.
The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has sold more copies(other than the works of William Shakespeare and the Holy Bible) than any other book in the English language. The fictional crime-solver also has the distinction of being the most portrayed movie character in cinema history, according to Guinness World Records. More than 70 actors have played the part of Holmes in over 200 hundred films, and many more in other media such as television, radio, and the stage; the latest adaptations being in role-playing and video games.
With this deceptive puzzle, you step into the role of the greatest detective ever written and follow in the footsteps of such acting greats as Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing, Robert Downey Jr., and Benedict Cumberbatch. Using your methodical detective skills, you single-handedly solve the case of the lying liar.
If a magician is an actor playing the part of a magician, then in this trick you’ll be a magician playing the part of an actor, playing the part of Sherlock Holmes. Get into character-really ham it up. Get a pipe, magnifying glass, one of those silly looking deerstalker hats, and speak in a British accent. Just don’t take your method acting too far. Holmes was written as a depressed, anti-social opium addict. You don’t have to suffer for your art that much*.
EFFECT
You put a red ace and a black ace in front of you, and tell the two volunteers needed for the trick that you’ll be leaving the room. While your gone you want each of them to pick one of the cards on the table and put it in their pocket. They’re also to decide who is to tell the truth and who is to lie. Tell them that when you return you’ll ask one question. Which one of the two should you ask?
Once they decide who will answer the question, you leave the room. Each person picks up one of the cards and they decide who will lie and who will tell the truth. When you return, you ask one question and immediately tell who has the red card and who has the black card.
SECRET
The question you ask when you return is, “Did the liar take the red ace?” The answer will tell you who does have the red ace and, consequently, who has the black ace. You look for the negative answer about the red ace. If, when you ask for it, the person answers no, then he has the red ace; if the answer is yes, then the other person has the red ace.
THE TRICK
Place a red ace and a black ace on the table in front of you.
Magician: In a moment I’m going to leave the room. While I’m gone I want each of you to pick up one of these two cards and put it in you pocket. Also decide, while I’m gone, who is to lie and who is to tell the truth. When I come back I’ll ask one question of one of you. Whom should I ask?
You! Good, now I’ll leave, and you can each select a card and decide who will tell the truth and who will be the liar.
Leave. When you return, approach the person who is to answer your question.
Magician: Does the liar have the red ace?
If they answers yes:
Magician: That means you have the black ace and he has the red one.
If they answers no:
Magician: That means you have the red ace and he has the black one.
Afterthought’s
RULE #1 OF MAGIC: NEVER REPEAT A TRICK! With that said-if you want to repeat the trick, then ask for the black ace instead of the red ace. Also, you don’t have to use playing cards in order to accomplish this effect. Any two small objects will do. Regardless of what object you have asked for, always go to the negative answer. Try it and watch your audience believe that you just used sophisticated mental gymnastics to solve a complex problem of logic and deduction.
*A funny show biz story about the importance some thespians place on method acting; for Dustin Hoffman, method acting was a religion. In his collaboration on the film Marathon Man, with the classically trained Sir Laurence Olivier, the script called for a scene in which Hoffman’s character had been awake for 72 hours. Hoffman admitted that he too had stayed up 72 hours in order to reach artistic authenticity. “My dear boy,” Olivier retorted , “why don’t you just try acting”.
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Royal Magic’s “Zig Zag Card” – Al Albers’ presentation and handling:
In my routine, “A Ghost in The Light” (The Magic Roadshow #198), I recommended the performer sign the ghost card before giving it to the spectator assistant, as a souvenir. Here’s another example of a “playing card souvenir handout” for your consideration.
Spoiler Alert. The secret behind Royal Magic’s Zig Zag Card is revealed on You Tube. (It’s unfortunate that some believe, or feel obligated, that it’s their right to divulge magic secrets.)
The above said, please read on.
Foreword.
As magicians, we know that surprise is the result of an unexpected event. For example: a coin visibly vanishes (think 3-Fly) from the magician’s fingertips. That action resulted in a violation of the rules of expectation. In simpler terms, it’s impossible that that could have occurred. The result: astonishment – a gap between our assumptions and expectations.
What You Need….
-Three-quarter-inch diameter, self-stick labels. (I use white labels, but if you opt to use color ones, use a light color such as yellow, light-green, orange or light-blue. The reason is that you’re going to have a spectator initial the label and you want their initials to stand out.
-Preferably, a fine-tip black ink sharpie.
-A one-way forcing deck that matches the gimmicked card embedded in the frame. (For these instructions, we’ll assume the card is the Jack of Spades.)
-A regular deck of Bicycle playing cards that match the one-way deck.
-Self-stick mailing labels; use a size that’ll neatly fit on the back of a playing card.
Preparation…
-Prepare the mailing labels with your personal information. Once you’ve printed out a full sheet, cut the sheet in half from top to bottom. Then accordion-fold the half sheet.
-If this effect will be the finale in your card routine, use your favorite method to get the Jack of Spades to the top of the deck before you display the card frame. If this is the only card trick in your set, have the Jack of Spades already on top of the deck.
Set-Up…
-Place the card frame in your right jacket pocket.
-Place a mailing label half-sheet, and the deck, in your inside jacket pocket.
-In the left jacket pocket, place the sharpie pen and a sheet of the round labels.
To Perform.
With the Jack of Spades in forcing position, give the deck a few false cuts or shuffles. Then casually place the deck face-down on the table to your right.
Say, “Have you seen the illusion where a lady is placed into a box, cut into three pieces and her mid-section is moved two feet to the left?” Wait for a reply.
Continuing, say, “I’m going to try to replicate that illusion … but on a much smaller scale.” As you say this, reach into your pocket, remove the card frame and place it on the table to your left. And instead of a lady, I’m going to use a playing card.” Pick up the deck of cards and using your favorite method, force the Jack of Spades.
Say, “Please place the card you selected face-up on the table.”
Return the deck to your pocket. Next, bring out the sharpie pen, and the round label sheet. Hand these two items to the spectator and request he initial one of the labels.
Place the sharpie in your pocket. Have the spectator peel off the initialed label and firmly place it in the center of the face-up Jack of Spades. Retrieve the label sheet and place it in your pocket.
Pick up the card frame with your right hand, holding it so the single cutout window is to your left. Pick up the initialed card (keep the face toward the spectator) with your left hand and insert it into the frame’s slot. Then slide the card to the right so it’s visible through the top, middle and bottom cutout windows.
Pause and then pull the center of the card to the left, stopping when the initials fill the cutout window. Pause again, and then slide the center to the right. Remove the card from the frame and immediately hand it to the spectator.
Without hesitation, return the frame in your pocket. Bring out the accordion-folded mailing labels and carefully place one on the card’s back. Hand the card to the spectator as you thank him.
Afterthoughts.
The first time I presented this effect, the spectator wrote his initials in broad strokes that were slightly off-center. He was astonished at the effect, which pleased me, but I instinctively knew that if it happened once, it could happen again. Hence the reason I immediately decided to use round labels. This ensured the spectator kept within the label’s border and it was placed where I wanted it: the center of the card. That said, the use of labels is your choice.
To Reset.
Remove a Jack of Spades from the one-way forcing deck and place it on top of the regular deck. You’re ready to perform the routine again.
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The Patron Saint Of Magicians
By Christopher M. Reynolds
In the Catholic religion, a patron saint is a type of guardian angel. They watch over a variety of people, places, and things. Don’t worry. You name it; the Catholic Church has a patron saint that has it covered. Some examples are Doctors, nurses, beekeepers, beggars, teachers, sailors, and firefighters. Others are downright bizarre. Dysentery, hangovers, torture victims, clowns, jugglers, beer drinkers, arms dealers, and disappointing children. Up to and including butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers. Even ugly people get a saint to call their own. It’s only fair that something as implausible as magicians could get added to the list.
On first glance, the Catholic Church has as much in common with magic and illusion, that convicted dogfighter, Michael Vick, has in common with the S.P.C.A. Whether one is a devoted Catholic, Christian, agnostic, or atheist, a patron saint of magicians seems too far fetched to be true.
Don Bosco was a priest, and amateur conjurer, who was ordained a saint in 1934 by Pope Pious 11th. Every January 31, Don Bosco’s feast day on the Catholic liturgical calendar, magicians celebrate by performing free benefit shows for children. Performing for kids is immensely gratifying. It’s not hard to see why Don Bosco chose to spread his passion for God to them with his use of magic and illusion.
In January 2002, a raucous, carnival-like atmosphere swept Vatican City. On this day, hundreds of glitzy, costumed magicians, ventriloquist‘s, fire eaters, and jugglers, from around the globe, gathered to present a petition to his Holiness, Pope John Paul 2nd. Leading the crusade was Salesian Father Silvano Mantelli. He and his army of entertainers called upon the Pope to declare, St. John Bosco, as the patron saint of magicians.
For twenty-five years, Fr. Mantelli, has been the principal organizer of the Mass Of The Conjurers, a celebration held every January 15, in St. Boscos hometown of Becchi. Magicians from around the world are invited to attend the special Magicians Mass and perform for the congregation. He also stays active in the Italian magic community as president and founder of his non-profit organization, The Mago Sales Foundation. This charitable institution travels to third world countries to perform magic for planets poorest children.
Fr. Mantelli handed the eighty-one-year-old Pope a very special gift. A crystal box containing a polished teak wood wand from India. It was a symbolic gesture to encourage Pope John Paul 2nd to continue performing the great magic that the world needs. Vatican officials said it was the first time any Pope had received a magic wand. It was a present from a young boy whose father had been an itinerant street magician. The child had been raised in one of, Mother Teresa’s, Missionaries Of Charity orphanages. He stoically offered this cherished memento to, Fr. Mantelli, to give to His Holiness on this special occasion. The Pope responded to the gift by announcing to the gathered crowd, “We’ll need a lot of magic wands to change our world; let’s start with this one.” Was this the Catholic Churches unspoken, yet long-delayed, public apology to the many conjurers who were condemned to death centuries ago?
Sigmund Freud characterized hostile humor as disguised aggressiveness. He argued that antagonistic wisecracking releases psychological tension and stifles homicidal impulses. The vocabulary of stand-up comedy is notorious for using violent sounding words to describe success at making an audience roar with laughter: “I murdered them!” or ”I killed!”
In Elizabethan times, being accused of being a magician was no laughing matter. The victimized found it about as funny as dying of the Black Plague. Words like murder and kill, directed towards them, took on more sinister meanings. The Catholic Church of yesteryear was known for many things. Having a sense of humor about heresy isn’t one of them.
Morton Smiths 1978 book, Jesus The Magician; Son Of God Or Charlatan, laid down the theory that Jesus was a wandering sleight of hand magician. Smith claims the miracles he performed were nothing but basic conjuring tricks. Early Christian artists of 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., regularly depicted Jesus Christ performing miracles while holding a and in his hand.
During the first ten centuries of its existence, the fledgling religion was weak and few in numbers. By the eleventh century, the Church had become more powerful. Not seeing the irony of the situation, they launched a brutal campaign of terror against the practice of magic. The Ten Commandments were loose guidelines the clergy were expected to follow. What the Bible had to say about magicians and their ilk, wasn’t up for interpretation. Take, for example, this passage from the King James Bible:
Revelation 21;8-But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore mongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death
The Papacy had a list of reasons to justify this persecution. Magicians denied the existence of God. They blasphemed. They committed incest, murder, and bestiality. They worshipped Satan and called him by name. They used their own children as human sacrifices to the devil. In their eyes, magicians were mindless, hedonistic slaves to Beelzebub’s sexy and sinful ways.
Rumors were good enough to prove a charge of heresy. The tiniest bit of gossip whispered into a blabbermouths ear, could set off a tragic chain of events. Even if the accusation was proved to be false, witch hunters dished out a suitable punishment regardless. Guilty or not guilty were differences without a distinction. This was done as a friendly reminder to stay on the path of God.
Among the innocents caught up in the deluge were a number of persons practicing the ancient art of sleight of hand. It was presumed that their entertaining deceptions were aided by evil spirits. Those who dared ply their trade were hunted down and persecuted with extreme prejudice.
The making of a saint dates back to the time of Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The first public churches were built over the graves of Christian martyrs. Supply couldn’t keep up with demand. Soon, Christians began dedicating churches to other holy men and women. Having been crucified or beheaded, in the name of Jesus, wasn’t necessary anymore.
At first, becoming named a saint was a simple process (the equivalent of a high school popularity contest.) Things got out of hand fast. Overzealous parishioners started making up fictional exploits, even fictional martyrs, to get their guy or gal elected to sainthood. Church officials decided to intervene. Soon it became like The Academy Awards. The nomination process was taken out of the hands of the commoners. This left the voting procedure to members of an official governing body.
In 1983, Pope John Paul 2nd made radical changes to the canonization process. Local bishops would begin an investigation into the life of the nominated saint. In order to gain a historical perspective, this sometimes took years after their death. If they lived up to their holy virtues, these findings were brought before a panel of Vatican sponsored theologians. This group then gave the yes or no as to whether the beatification process could move forward. To the secular, beatification sounds like the title of a Jack Kerouac novel. To Vatican officials, it’s a term that means, Blessed. To be beatified, the planned saint needs to perform one miracle after their death. If they pass this crucial test, then they can officially be put on a pedestal by their devotees.
Performing one miracle is a rarity. Performing two is a miracle in itself. In order to be canonized a saint, the venerated must have two miracles under their belt. Once this is accomplished, the Pope can give the official thumbs up. The proposed saint is then awarded membership into the club. Being bestowed this honor tells us that person is in Heaven for leading a holy life. This highest honor is to be recognized by the Universal Church.
John Bosco ( Italian: Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco; 16, August 1815-31 January 1888) was born in the hillside village of Becchi. It’s a quaint and picturesque hamlet in northwest Italy, bordered by France and Switzerland. His father, Francesco Bosco, was a poor tenant farmer. He died two years after his youngest sons birth. His mother, Margerhita, was left to raise him and his two brothers-illiterate, unskilled, and alone.
Ninety days before giving birth to the future saint, French General Napoleon Bonaparte’s army was defeated at Waterloo. For three years prior, the Italian peasantry of the Piedmont region, which Becchi was a part of, had fought boldly against the French. Their resistance finally crumbled after Bonaparte had taken command of the invading forces. He ordered his regiment to lay siege to the rustic countryside village. They left little standing. The aftermath was dreadful. Hunger, drought and organized crime became unwelcomed parts of daily life.
In order to survive, young John Bosco found work as a shepherd, tending farm animals, picking fruit, and any other employment that a young boy could find. His mother may have been illiterate, but she made sure that the same handicap wouldn’t befall her youngest son. He was sent to the local parish for basic instruction in the four R’s: reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion.
Despite the hardships, life growing up wasn’t complete misery for John Bosco. In-between work and study, on market days, he would go to town with his mother. Live entertainment was a frequent attraction in the bustling marketplaces. Young John became enamored of the magicians, fire-eaters, acrobats, and jugglers who performed for the jostling crowds. He especially leaned towards the magicians. With a keen eye, he studiously observed their performances. Gradually he figured out how these seemingly impossible feats were carried out. What tricks he couldn’t figure out on his own, he begged and pleaded for the traveling showmen to teach him. Through sheer dedication, he was able to cobble together enough sleight of hand moves, plus juggling and acrobatic stunts, to put together a small act.
Lying, cheating, and stealing are three necessary skills in the performance of magic. Stage magicians consider themselves to be practitioners in the art of honest deception. Magician, escape artist, and psychic debunker James Randi has referred to the practice as, “Telling lies for fun and profit.” Even at such a young age, John Bosco knew that performing magic in a conventional way wouldn’t suit him. Instead, the adolescent showman replaced the fibs, hoaxes and tall tales normally associated with conjuring, with something more spiritually nourishing. In his young hands, gaudy tricks became stories and presentations that illustrated something more divine.
Free time for John Bosco was a luxury. What little was available he spent performing his routine. Prayer was the price of admission to his shows. The pious young entertainer began and ended his programs by leading the crowd in worship. His act consisted of magic tricks, juggling balls and plates, walking a tight rope, and other impressive feats of acrobatics. In-between tricks he taught scripture. Any village bullies who heckled him were promptly challenged to a contest of strength. He instantly earned their respect. Week after week, Bosco gave sermons to flocks of curious bystanders who had stopped to watch his feats of conjuring. These audiences were made up of some of the poorest children in his neighborhood. The experience stayed etched into his memory.
Mentalist Max Maven says, “Young boys somewhere between that ages of nine and twelve go through a phase of wanting to learn magic. The phase is usually abandoned just as quickly as it’s taken up, and they’re off to the next phase of their adolescent arch.” Young Bosco was one of those boys, only the typical phase was no typical phase at all. Magic, along with a love of reading, study, plus his intense religious devotion, stayed with him for the rest of his life. These passions set the tone for his future life as a priest.
The word, Don, in Italian, is a title of respect, meaning Sir or Mister. Italians used this term centuries before actor Marlon Brando portrayed Mafia boss, Don Corleone, in Francis Ford Coppola’s epic film, The Godfather. After his ordination in 1841, the newly christened, Don Bosco, was just another ordained priest serving parishioners in the capital city of Turin. He had made a commitment to work exclusively with poor children, the kind he had entertained with his magic tricks years prior.
After the devastation of the Napoleonic wars, suffering continued in the form of the industrial revolution. It caused more earthly misfortune than the human progress it claimed to represent. In Bosco’s eyes, it brought with it a lack of faith in God. To the poverty-stricken farmers, the mysteries of the Almighty lacked the basic appeal of the almighty dollar that factory jobs produced. Unable to properly support their loved ones, young men left the countryside in droves looking for work in cities. The grass seemed greener on the other side. Sadly, it was all an illusion. There wasn’t enough work to go around. Many of those same boys ended up homeless on the streets and took to lives of crime.
As any religiously minded parent knows, getting children interested in the church can be an uphill battle. Offering bribes and bait only seems to cheapen the benefits of attendance. It’s like a timeshare salesperson offering an all expenses paid trip; with the full knowledge that you’ll have to sit through a hard sell presentation by some conniving hustler. The charity was looked upon with the same suspicion as a member of the Mafia handing out offers you couldn’t refuse.
Don Bosco got past the skepticism and began working with these wayward children. He took them off the mean and squalid streets, taught them trades, and in the process, taught them to love God. The Salesian order grew out of these boys. They became dedicated, hardworking, and holy. They reached out to others like themselves. As they grew in numbers, other priests came to join them in their work.
Founded in 1859, The Salesians of Don Bosco, are part of an internationally consecrated religious community comprised of both brothers and priests. Their mission is to educate and spread the word of God to young people who are poor or headed for a life in prison. At the time of his death, the original group of seventeen men had grown to over 1,000, with fifty-seven foundations throughout Europe and South America. It’s now the third largest amongst Catholic men’s orders. The Salesian sisters, like their male counterparts, follow Don Bosco’s norms for education and character formation.
Their works have expanded to include trade, academic, and agricultural schools; seminaries; recreational centers and youth clubs; summer camps, and parishes in large cities. To this day, both orders help street kids involved in gangs throughout the world. This includes some of the most dangerous cities in the United States, South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa.
“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original. Whereas if you simply try and tell the truth (without caring two-pence how often it’s been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without having even noticed it.” This quote by C.S. Lewis aptly describes how the juvenile, John Bosco, single-handedly created the underground sub-genre of conjuring known as “Gospel Magic“.
At trade shows and conventions in the United States, sales pitches lurk around every corner. Modern corporations employ magicians to perform at company booths. They pay top dollar to capture the hearts and minds of potential clients. The job of these hired magicians is to adapt their tricks to help promote and sell products, ideas, and services. It’s not easy work. What Don Bosco was doing with his magic wasn’t that much different. Instead of being a shill for some Fortune 500 company, Don Bosco was mesmerizing the crowds by selling the benefits of God.
It isn’t what you do, but how you do it. Therein lies the secret of performing magic. The effects used by gospel magicians are exactly the same as effects used by secular magicians. The difference lies in the presentation. Gospel magicians alter and tailor their routines to instruct children and adults on some aspects of Christianity. They demonstrate theological principles by weaving together themes such as Gods love and forgiveness, Christ’s parables, the immaculate conception, or the Holy Trinity.
The early followers of Christianity had to hide in the shadows, forever fearful of violent oppression. Modern-day gospel magicians have things a bit easier. Hurt feelings at the hands of snickering, humorless atheist’s is as bad as it gets. But, they are not alone. There are several groups that offer a community of like-minded Christian and Catholic magicians. The Fellowship Of Christian Magicians and the Catholic Magicians Guild are both popular in North America. According to The Christian Conjurer Magazine, both organizations combined operate in over thirty countries and six continents.
Fr. Mantelli sees Gospel Magic as an antidote to superstition. Others see it as a confusing contradiction. “In Italian, the word for magician-mago-is ambiguous,” explains Fr. Mantelli, “You can have good magicians and bad ones, just as you have white magic and black magic. We are on the side of white magic, you understand?” Unfortunately, everything old is new again. A small minority of fundamentalist Christians are going on the offensive against author J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series of books. They see the harmless tale of good vs. evil as a type of gateway drug that encourages innocent youth into practicing the occult.
Fortunately, the Catholic Church has mellowed with age and softened its views against magic as entertainment. Now their anger is directed towards frauds like psychic surgeons. These con-artists, who prey on the naive, operate in spiritually devout countries like the Philippines. They make bogus claims of using Gods powers to heal terminal diseases like cancer.
Magician, juggler, acrobat, tailor, writer, publisher, patron saint of apprentices, editors, publishers, and juvenile delinquents. St. John Bosco became all these things in order to bring children closer to God. He firmly believed, like Father Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, that there are no bad children. There are only bad environments, bad training, bad example, and bad thinking.
He set out for the rest of his life to prove these convictions. The shepherd boy of Becchi, who performed magic to win souls for God, who became a priest, the founder of missions, the teacher of children, a beloved apostle of youth, and the architect of Gospel Magic, is, now and forever, is St. John Bosco: patron saint of magicians.
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When Harry Met Howard: The Unknown Collaboration Of Harry Houdini And H.P. Lovecraft
By Christopher M. Reynolds
In April of 2016, a long lost thirty-one page manuscript by horror writer H.P. Lovecraft went on the auction block and sold for $33,600. The documents were just a sampling of a larger and more ambitious expose entitled, The Cancer Of Superstition, that was to be part of a book debunking the so-called religion of spiritualism. The treatise was to also explore everything from the dangers of such primitive beliefs as voodoo, witchcraft, psychic powers, and communicating with the dead. It’s heavy-handed and patronizing tone let readers know that belief in crass superstitions was an exercise in idiocy and a rejection of modern science. Lovecraft had been commissioned to write the piece by none other than the world famous anti-spiritualist crusader, Harry Houdini, who had declared war against slimy psychic grifters who preyed on the recently bereaved.
For almost seventy years a stack of papers belonging to Bess Houdini, Harry Houdini’s deceased wife, lay hidden in a medley of memorabilia in a now-defunct magic shop. The collection had bounced from owner to owner, like a journeyman baseball player bounces, trade after trade, from team to team. The papers were never cataloged, researched, or inventoried. In all those decades a historical gold mine was collecting dust; just waiting, like Houdini, to escape from the shackles of history.
Publisher, J.C. Henneberger, was at wit’s end. He was the proud father of the barely one-year-old fiction magazine Weird Tales. After only thirteen issues the infant fantasy publication was already on life support and forty-three thousand dollars in debt. He needed money desperately. Should he pull the plug on his sickly brainchild, or fight to keep it alive?
The name of the magazine says it all. It was a cheaply published periodical that devoted its pages to stories about ghouls, ghosts, werewolves, murderers, vampires, mad scientists, bloodthirsty barbarians and alien invaders from the far reaches of outer space. It boasted some of the crassest and highly imaginative artwork of any of the pulps. Tits, ass, and monsters were the typical subject matter splashed on the front covers. Pastel paintings, in loud and garish primary colors, depicted alluring, semi-nude women being ravaged and menaced by creatures from galaxies far, far away. That might have turned off some more discriminating readers. But, for others, it was the sole reason they bought the chintzy rag, to begin with.
Despite the lurid subject matter, the magazine managed to attract a roster of talent that included some famous, or soon to be famous, contributors: H.G. Welles (War Of The Worlds), Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451), Richard Matheson ( I Am Legend), Robert E. Howard (Conan The Barbarian), and Tennessee Williams (A Streetcar Named Desire).
It wasn’t the money that attracted such a steady flow of output from these and other unknown writers. At a penny a word or less, it was the lowest of the low-paying pulp magazines. That’s when they even paid at all. The magazine always had one foot in the grave, teetering back and forth between financial solvency and outright collapse. Poor sales, mismanagement, plus bankruptcy were only a few of the problems. Every day was a walk on the razor’s edge. Selling blood made more financial sense than churning out a constant supply of low-quality fiction for Weird Tales. For writers just getting their start, or writers whose output was more sensational, it was a Godsend. It was the only magazine on the newsstand for stories outside the bland and humdrum. It’s hard to envision the Saturday Evening Post publishing bottom-rung fiction filled with savage barbarians hacking and slashing off the torso, head, and limbs, of evil sorcerers or monstrous fiends conjured up from the depths of Hell.
Harry Houdini had a chip on his shoulder the size of a wooden railroad tie. He was a poor rabbi’s son, in the days before immigrant Jews had a firm foothold in American society. Houdini wanted nothing more than respect as a man and as a performance artist. More than a century before daredevils Evil Knievel and Jack Ass’ Johnny Knoxville, Harry Houdini laid the groundwork for a new genre of death-defying physical entertainment: escape artist. Despite show biz success, Houdini saw himself as an artistic failure.
An irreverent single panel cartoon from the 1980s, the kind made popular by Gary Larson’s The Far Side comic strip, showed a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The rabbit says to the magician, that most cliché of Hollywood clichés, “What I really want to do is direct.” Harry Houdini’s risky escape stunts had brought him fame and fortune, but what he wanted most was respectability. He considered himself just another dog & pony show on the vaudeville circuit. He wanted to be taken seriously as an artist. Not unlike the artistically frustrated cartoon rabbit, what Harry Houdini really wanted to do was write.
He was a competent wordsmith on subjects of magic and illusion, authoring several books independently and with ghostwriters. But, the work fell short of the literary ambitions that Houdini secretly coveted. Cranking out tawdry, sub-literate pornography would have gotten him more distinguished accolades. He and Tennessee Williams were both published in Weird Tales, but that didn’t make them artistic equals. Self-doubt gnawed at him. Writing about magic, or for an audience of magicians, wouldn’t be putting him on the road to a Pulitzer Prize.
The man was well-read and self-educated beyond his meager grammar school tutelage. He was an ardent book collector and his library was massive. His Bethel, New York home was engulfed in so many books that it could’ve been considered a fire hazard. From the bottom of the basement to the rafters of the attic, and every nook and cranny in-between, the house was packed air-tight with books on numerous subjects. Yet underneath the brilliance lied embarrassing, deep-rooted insecurities about his lack of formal schooling. He doubted his ability to be taken seriously by the highbrow authors making up up the New York literary establishment. One just can‘t imagine Houdini yucking it up with Dorothy Parker and her fellow wits at The Algonquin Round Table. He’d even considered leaving show business to pursue an English degree at Columbia University.
In 1923 his insecurities about his place (or lack of) in an elite high-society became justified. The editors of Who’s Who, a yearly reference almanac, on prominent people in modern day society, had rewritten the brief profile he had submitted for his entry. Houdini’s version listed himself as an actor, inventor, and author. Who’s Who knocked him down a peg. Their version listed a one-word, three syllable profile: magician.
Houdini had met, J.C. Henneberger, in 1921 through their lawyer, Bernard Ernst. The two had become close friends. Houdini championed his friend’s magazine from day one. He lent his name and support by submitting an expose of fraud mediums entitled, The Hoax Of The Spirit Lover. He also penned a column named, Ask Houdini. It was a type of Dear Abbey for the strange set. One night, Henneberger was invited to dine with the Houdini’s. In a rare moment of self- conscious uncertainty, Houdini pulled from his desk drawer a half completed novella. He’d been secretly working on it for months. The story revolved around an arch-villain skilled in the arts of magic and illusion. It was a pastiche of Harry’s favorite writer, Edgar Allen Poe. Unfortunately, his attempt at fiction writing was like his acting in silent films. Stiff and wooden to the point of rigor mortis.
Houdini confessed his secret at the right time, and to the right person. Henneberger was seized by a brilliant flash of inspiration. This lucky fluke was how he’d get his struggling magazine out of the red. He told Houdini that his latest literary discovery was going to be the next Edgar Allen Poe, maybe even bigger. How would Houdini like to collaborate with the fledgling author on his own supernatural short stories for Weird Tales? These stories, he assured Houdini, would be published monthly and get front cover billing. The name of that fledgling author was H.P. Lovecraft.
Houdini excepted the offer to have Lovecraft ghostwrite without ever having read any of his fiction. He made his decision after skimming through a poorly written letter Lovecraft had sent to Henneberger, politely turning down the job of editor for Weird Tales. The remainder of the letter went into boring detail his views on the creation of weird fiction. It went on to explain why the general public was too slow-witted and uneducated to appreciate it. Maybe Houdini thought the same of his largely illiterate fan base. Lovecraft held similarly unflattering views on spiritualism and the swindlers who performed it. Houdini seemed to have found a kindred spirit in the fight against the primitive belief in superstition.
More than any other contributing author, Lovecraft’s eccentric personality and writings helped put the WEIRD in Weird Tales. His writing style was awkward and clunky. But, his stories, steeped in doom, gloom, and paranoia, were tailor-made for the magazine. With the exception of one story published in a rival science-fiction pulp, Weird Tales was the only place to put his work into print.
The two men could not have been more different: Houdini was a 5’6’ Hungarian immigrant Jew; Lovecraft was a 5’10’ anti-semitic W.A.S.P. from Rhode Island. Houdini had worldwide fame and millions of adoring fans. Lovecraft was a recluse who had a fan base that barely reached a baker’s dozen. Abject poverty was his financial reward for his literary efforts. He died destitute and forgotten until his posthumous discovery in the mid-1960s.
Lovecraft claimed to have seen Houdini twice while he toured the vaudeville circuit through Rhode Island. He got a kick out of reading newspaper accounts of the magicians’ efforts to hunt down psychic charlatans and expose them as frauds. While the thought of writing for a Jew was distasteful to Lovecraft, poverty left an even more foul tang in his mouth. He was constantly without a dime in his pocket, barely ever having enough money to afford the cover price of the magazine in which he was published.
It is often said that there is ‘someone for everyone’. Even someone as eccentric as H.P. Lovecraft. The gangly hermit was engaged to be married. Broke and unknown was no way to start a new life as a devoted husband. This explains why he accepted the job. In 1924, the $100 he received for ghostwriting Houdini’s story was more money than he had ever seen in his life. In 1924, when you could buy a gallon of milk plus a loaf of bread for a nickel, $100 was Rockefeller money. And, it was paid in advance. Much to Lovecraft’s annoyance, he lost the manuscript at a train station while on his way to New York to get married. To his new wife’s dismay, he spent most of his honeymoon retyping the story by memory.
Houdini and Lovecraft’s first collaboration was the short story Imprisoned With The Pharaohs. Houdini told Lovecraft an outlandish tale about a voyage he had made to Egypt in 1910. He claimed to have been captured by sinister thugs and held prisoner. Not letting the facts get in the way of a good story, Lovecraft took poetic license with the raw material Houdini had supplied him. He rewrote the completely fabricated “true story” into something more Lovecraftian.
In this version of the story, Houdini is captured and becomes a human sacrifice to an ancient monster, held in captivity, in a tomb beneath the pyramids. Houdini frees himself (no surprise) from the clutches of the shady villains. When he reaches the surface he suddenly awakens from a sound slumber…only to find out it was all a dream, despite the mysterious bruises and cuts on his body. Henneberger lived up to his promise and, Imprisoned With The Pharaohs, was the cover story for the May-June-July extra- large triple issue. It was one of the magazines best-sellers.
Houdini loved the story. He contracted Lovecraft to collaborate on, The Cancer Of Superstition. It was, in his eyes, to be his crowning achievement. Lovecraft was thirty pages into the project when Houdini died of a ruptured appendix in 1926. A disheartened Bess Houdini immediately put a stop to the project and the papers were filed away…thought by magic scholars to be lost forever.
According to Gabe Faruji, owner of Potter & Potter Auction House (specializing in historic magic memorabilia), the hodge-podge of hocus-pocus bric-a-brac was bought from a private source. As the new owner began sifting through the glut of loose papers he stumbled upon the manuscript; a page here, a page there, until piece by piece the puzzle came into focus, revealing an important artifact of magic history that had been given near-mythical status by scholars and collectors for three-quarters of a century. To conjuring historians, it was as important a discovery as the 1946 finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran caves was to archaeologists.
In the 2008 music documentary, The Wrecking Crew, the film exposed the real talents behind the scenes on some of the 1960s most well-known AM radio hits. Unknown, but infinitely more talented, session musicians actually played the instruments for band members in such famous groups as Sonny & Cher, The Mamas And The Papas, and The Monkees. For some people, it’s like finding out that there’s no Santa Claus. It’s as common an arrangement in the publishing world as it is in music.
The practice has a long and illustrious history. Some of the most famous artists, writers, and politicians have used the clandestine services of ghostwriters. They’ve been able to achieve literary fame and fortune without knowing the difference between a subject and a predicate. It’s a quid pro quo situation that continues to thrive in the shadows to this day.
The stories published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales lived up to their hype. But, the truth is stranger than fiction. The short-lived partnership between the man who invented Cthulhu and the man who escaped everything will be looked upon as one of the weirdest tales in the history of magic.
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The Sudden Flash of Genius That Made Magician Rocco Silano Rich – Article
by Larry Getlen
When pediatric dentist Dr. Eyal Simchi posted a video of himself performing a magic trick for a patient last May, he was stunned to see it go viral, surpassing 10 million views in just three days and hitting 42 million by the time he pulled it from his Facebook page last November.
Dr. Simchi had experienced the Prisma Lites effect, an upshot of using the best-selling magic trick of all time.
The trick was invented in 1994 by magician Rocco Silano, who had a revelation as he played with a fake thumb.
“The fake thumb was already a [common] magic prop, and a battery and light was too. I combined the two,” said Silano. “It was like a chocolate and peanut butter, Reese’s kind of accident.”
The effect makes magicians appear as if they’re tossing a ball of light from one hand to the other. Called D’Lite at the time — Silano has since renamed it Prisma Lites and currently sells versions with and without sound — it became a true phenomenon with over 6 million units sold worldwide.
To mark the 200th issue of this journal: The Power of a Name
Two spelling effects by Werner Miller
From a poker deck, sort out the twelve court cards. Arrange Jack, Queens and Kings in three separate spreads, face up, in the same suit order. (Fig. 1)
Square each spread, assemble the three packets by placing them on top of each other, in any order (the spectator may decide), then turn the combined packet face down and have it completely cut by the spectator.
Deal the cards into three piles, singly and rotationally (Fig. 2). Automatically, in the positions marked * will be cards of the same suit, say Hearts. With crossed arms, openly switch the third packet and the second one, then similarly the second one (the former third packet) and the first one – see arrows. (Note the new positions of the Heart cards!)
Take the first packet, and spell “T-H-E”, with each letter shifting a card from top to bottom, then place the packet back. Take the second packet, and spell similarly “M-A-G-I-C” transferring five times a card down to the bottom. Finally, take the last packet and repeat this procedure, now using the word “R-O-A-D-S-H-O-W”. (Fig. 3)
Turn the top card of each packet face up: The suits match, i.e. the spelling located a royal family! (Fig. 4)
Remove these three cards, and place them together, still face up. Snap your fingers, then turn over the new top cards: another family (e.g., Spades), that goes next to the first one. Continue this way until all the cards are sorted into suits. (Fig. 5)
Note. The three cards of each suit don’t appear necessarily in J-Q-K order. If you care, you can adjust their order when placing them together for the final layout.
2.
A standard ESP deck with 25 cards (5 symbol sets), cyclically stacked as usual.
The spectator cuts the deck completely, removes the final top card as his selection, and tables it, face down and unviewed. Let’s assume this card is showing a Circle (1).
Take the deck and shuffle the top four or nine cards down to the bottom so that the order of the top ten cards matches exactly the situation after the spectator’s cut (1-2-3-4-5-1-2-3-4-5).
Deal these ten cards into two piles, singly and alternately. One replica of the selection ends up on the bottom of the first pile, the other one in the exact middle of the second pile. (Fig. 1)
Take the first packet, spell “M-A-G-I-C” and transfer with each of the first four letters one card to the bottom (4, 2, 5, 3). The card falling on the last letter (1) turn over and place it back on top of the packet, face up. Set the packet down, take the other one, and spell similarly “R-O-A-D-S-H-O-W” shifting seven times a card from the top down (5, 3, 1, 4, 2, 5, 3) before you turn over the one falling on the last letter (1) and leave this card face up on top. Both cards matches!
Ask the spectator to turn his selection also face up: the very same symbol! (Fig. 2)
Remove the two replicas of the selection from your packets, and place them below the spectator’s card. Snap your fingers, and turn over the two new top cards: they match each other, too (4, 4). Remove them and table them below the last tabled pair, one card on the left, the other one on the right. Continue this way until the packets are exhausted. (Fig. 3)
** I owe a big debt of gratitude to Werner Miller and all his contributions to the Roadshow. It has been such a pleasure to publish so many of his effects. I am also in his debt for compiling all the PDF’s featuring effects from past issues of the Roadshow. Check out his publications on lybrary.com https://www.lybrary.com/werner-miller-m-7881.html
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Do you know how an oyster makes a pearl? When a grain of sand gets into its shell and irritates it, the oyster wraps the sand in layers of beauty until a pearl is formed. An unknown poet wrote, “This tale has a moral, for isn’t it grand, what an oyster can do with a morsel of sand? What couldn’t I do if I’d only begin, with all of the things that get under my skin?”
Our FREE PDF – Full of Effects from Past Issues – Effects
Here’s 40 more pages of effects from past issues. This is the last of ten PDF’s compiled by Werner Miller of effects previously published in the Magic Roadshow. There’s something here for everyone.
-Chameleon – A Magic Effect for the Underdog
-The Amazing Number 9 – The Expunged Numeral
-Floating Lemon Slice – ( David Blaine meets Bill Nye..)
-It’s All About Words
-A Day-Time Nightmare
-The Gambler in Person
-Five Coins – An Effect
-iPhone Magic
-Ed’s Impromptu Rainbow Deck Variation
-Telepathic Spectator
-Aces By The Number
-The Floating Key Principle – and Faro Shuffling
-Flick Your (Telekinetic) Pen
-Sampler: Werner Miller – A Free Ebook Download
-Endrick’s ACAAN
-Arithmental Whoopee
-An Easy Assembly
-Blood is Thicker than Water
-Coin Gone!
-Inspector #1953
-Five Digit Numbers
-Flying Colors (Again) – An Effect of Redemption
-Card To Wallet… Without The Wallet
-Do You Have ESP?
-The Puzzler Card Trick
In case you missed out on any of the past PDF’s, here are the previous 9. I think there’s about 380 pages here, which I think is a fair amount of magic..
4 EASY effects to perform with the Faro Shuffle – Video Tutorial
Shin Lim
Including the Faro Fan, The Anti-Faro, The Triple Multiple Faro Shuffle, and a last, unnamed effect. Since most of Shin’s effects are self-working.. you too can be an international star.
I am a big fan of the Faro Shuffle, and appreciated this video. Shin doesn’t perform the Faro like I would, but his method may be easier for some folks than my method. Regardless… enjoy.
How To Perform Isolations – Cardistry Tutorial Feat. Anna DeGuzman
What are Isolations? Well.. if you’re young enough, you know. If you’re NOT young enough, watch the video. They are a visual method of controlling cards, usually only one card actually, and can be mastered without months of practice, like some sheights.
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Presentation and Showmanship Advice – Vinh Giang Ted Talk
“This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. With magic as his metaphor Vinh Giang will share with you an extremely powerful way to improve your presentation ability dramatically. A technique used by many magicians all over the world, it’s deceivingly simple yet very effective.”
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The art of cognitive blindspots | Kyle Eschen | TEDxVienna
“Using two classics of magic, Kyle Eschen explores the psychological techniques that underlie theatrical deception. As people wander the world, they use assumptions and heuristics to filter out everything that they deem unimportant – Kyle gives a conjuror’s perspective on the brain’s predictable blind spots.”
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“If the world smells like poop… it might be you” Unk.
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Reading minds through body language | Lynne Franklin | TEDxNaperville
“Can you read someone’s mind by looking at them? Almost. Lynne Franklin teaches you how to connect with 3 types of people by understanding how their bodies communicate. After a boy threatened to kill her with a machete, Lynne Franklin decided to learn everything she could about persuasion. She became a neuroscience nerd, studying how the brain works and how to build rapport with people. She has since worked with organizations to use persuasive communication to increase their performance, productivity, and profit, and published a book about her personal research called Getting Others to Do What You Want. In addition to her marketing and consulting work, Lynne is a member of the National Speakers Association and President-elect of its Illinois chapter. After a boy threatened to kill her with a machete, Lynne Franklin decided to learn everything she could about persuasion. She became a neuroscience nerd, studying how the brain works and how to build rapport with people. She has since worked with organizations to use persuasive communication to increase their performance, productivity, and profit, and published a book about her personal research called Getting Others to Do What You Want.”
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The Magic of Chemistry – with Andrew Szydlo – Video Lecture
If you were able to make a substance change colour, or turn from a solid to a liquid, would that be magic? In this Ri event from Wednesday 23 April 2014, Andrew Szydlo leads us through a world of magical molecules and enchanting elements. From a liquid that boils at room temperature to gases that are heavier than air, this family event is full of practical demonstrations of the magic of chemistry.
Jim has provided the Roadshow with so many great links through the years.. I salute you Pal !!
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Science or Magic? – Free PDF
Thames & Kosmos produces a very nice magic and science kit for children. This is the PDF you would receive with the kit. It’s well drawn and full of chemical related magic that’s not only ideal for kids.. but ideal for adults who choose to entertain kids with educational magic..
“Thames & Kosmos was founded in 2001 by a science museum director and her son, who saw the great need and demand for better science education materials — resources for parents and their children that are more engaging, more effective, more relevant, and more fun.”
Two Scientists walked into a bar..
The first scientist said ” I’ll have a glass of H2O”
The second scientist said ” I’ll have a glass of H2O too..”
The second scientist died…
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Punctuation Matters…
” Lets eat, Grandma..”
” Lets eat Grandma…”
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Bobo’s Modern Coin Magic – Free PDF
Although I’ve provided links to this ebook a number of times in past issues, I felt it only right to provide a link in issue#200.
“The most complete treatise on sleight-of-hand coin conjuring, including best traditional methods and modern innovations. Guides you systematically from basic techniques, through integrated tricks to complete routined acts, 18 in all. 510 clear illustrations by Nelson C. Hahne. The best manual for amateurs, an encyclopedic source for professionals.”
Z Matrix.. (Impossible One Handed Matrix) – A Review
Effect by Ziv.. Review by Rick Carruth
If you are a fan of Matrix coin effects, this is for you. The ad copy says:
“A fast, easy to do, impossible matrix routine from Ziv. You’re not hiding the coins under any cards – in fact, there are no cards at all! Amazingly, this all occurs using only ONE hand and it happens FAST! Spectators won’t believe their eyes as the coins assemble and return to their positions.”
BONUS:
Includes bonus routine Z – SPELLBOUND, whereby coins impossibly vanish, reappear, and turn into other coins. Incredible!
My Thoughts:
I was not familiar with Ziv before watching this video. Actually, I was familiar with a couple of effects created and/or sold by Ziv that I did not realize were his effects ( CORNER, for one ). If you purchase this instant download from Murphy’s Magic, you’ll STILL not know a lot about Ziv, other than he is very, very good at what he does. In this case, a one-handed matrix and a second effect titled Z-Spellbound that uses a silver dollar size coin and a Chinese coin.
Now, as for the ad copy.. If you read the second line of the description, it says you are not hiding coins under cards. That’s partially correct. The first part of Z Matrix does use playing cards, three cards, to conceal coins. This in itself is a series of very magical moves, then.. the cards are discarded and the one handed matrix is displayed. It does not use cards. It IS fast.. and it is fairly easy to do. It is also one of those things you will be asked to ‘do again’, since the audience will not be sure they saw what they thought they saw.
I like Z Matrix. This is definitely something I would purchase as I could not stand not knowing the secret. I will tell you that the real secret, aside from some nice handling, is a gimmick. You are left to create your own gimmick, taught on the video, and you can create it in about a minute. This is one of the few DIY gimmicks I didn’t mind making.
Z Spellbound is a coin-in-hand routine that produces and vanishes both a Chinese coin and a dollar size coin. The handling is ideal for anyone who enjoys working with coins. You will have to practice a little.. it’s not self-working.. but I honestly think you’ll appreciate the time invested.
The quality of the video is very good. It was obviously created over a period of time and with care. The total video is silent, accompanied by background music, and a careful series of frames to show you exactly how to perform each aspect of both effects. Words really weren’t necessary, and I’m sure they realized that.. Magic knows no boundaries..
A quick note.. the video is a crisp 6 minutes long. This was long enough to teach everything needed to successfully perform the effects. I know this doesn’t sound long, but once you watch it, you’ll know all is well..
If you want to add a couple of strong, quick effects to your repertoire, I recommend Z Matrix. I am not a strong coin guy, but I would, (and did) fell confident tackling Ziv’s effects.
You can download Z Matrix instantly from Murphy’s Magic and their customers. $9.95
AMAZING MAGIC I – Paul Lelekis – A Review
Rick Carruth
This collection from Paul Lelekis continues the string of successful ebooks he has published on a very regular basis. Working from the repertoire of a very seasoned professional, Paul continually finds a mix of card and coin effects that are both worthy of publication and of interest to both beginning and intermediate magicians.
AMAZING MAGIC I includes seven effects, each requiring a different level of skill and each different in style and performance. Paul includes videos whenever he teaches something you may not be familiar with.. to clear up the learning curve and make each effect something you can perform in fairly short order.
A couple of effects are more mental magic than card magic, although they can be readily performed by either type performer. One effect uses a paper bag, one uses a coin, and one is a flat out showy production of four Aces. I can see one performer performing all seven, and I can see performers picking and choosing. It’s all a matter of style.
My point is… everything in this ebook is appropriate for someone who, as Paul does, works the tables.
The first line of each effect is the ad copy. The rest is my thoughts.
DIRECT COLLECTORS – Three selections travel in between the four Jacks and appear in a very unusual way!
This is a great effect for the intermediate performer. Paul teaches the Vernon Transfer Move by video.. This is a slick trick, and one you’ll use regularly.
TRIPLE MIRACLE – A blend of ESP with some remarkable card magic…this is killer!
Your three predictions match the spectators three predictions every time. Smart adaptation of a Mark Ellison effect that cuts out the gaffed cards. I also appreciate that Paul includes his patter, making a good trick even better.
APPARITION COIN – Someone asks you to do a trick…this is it!
Paul’s version of a Clyde Cairy effect. This is a legit quickie, giving you a chance to perform a coin trick before your spectator has a chance to catch their breath. I like surprising effects that give me the opportunity to catch my spectator off-balance.
SLCTETC – Want to do a “show-off” type of 4-card revelation, four times? This effect reveals a 4-of-a-kind in a very flashy manner…and yet it is very easy to do! No stupid knuckle-busters!
Produce all four Aces in four totally different ways. Paul includes a video of one of the methods, and explains the other three in great detail. This is NOT a knuckle-buster, but an effect that requires a little patience and practice. You can do this…
PAPER BAG BLINDFOLD – A brilliant ESP demonstration by one of the greatest showmen of all time…Kuda Bux!
Neat way to prepare a paper bag for a reveal. You can easily develop a ten minute routine around this effect. Particularly useful for mentalists, but easily modified to allow you to reveal cards.
YOU MUST BE PSYCHIC – An incredible method of performing ESP that will shake them up!
Paul modifies a classic technique to enable you to fool everyone… including fellow magicians. There are no sleights invloved other than a false shuffle. (check the videos )
A spectator removes five cards from the deck.. and you name ’em all. This is one of those effects you can build up and customize for use in either a card routine or a mentalism routine. Maybe my favorite…
SYMPATHETIC CARD MIRACLE – A brilliant card coincidence that fooled the hell out of Ed Marlo!
When played up properly, this may be the strongest effect in this ebook. I would consider this an intermediate effect as it uses a sleight taught with one of the enclosed videos. For some of you, it will require virtually no practice and for others.. a chance to learn one of the most popular sleights in all of magic.
Like almost all of Paul’s ebooks, this one sells for $10 from Lybrary.com and is one of the true bargains available in a world of overpriced, overhyped magic. This is straight up magic effects for guys who are serious about expanding their repertoire, but who are not willing to spend months working on one effect. Paul’s magic is for the masses.. of magicians.
The Vault – Revolt by Geraint Clarke – A Review
Rick Carruth
Geraint Clarke has produced a video of three cards effects. Each is similar in style, but very different by nature. Here is the ad copy:
“Welsh underground superstar, Geraint Clarke, offers three brilliant playing card divinations from a shuffled deck in use. But these are far from your standard ‘pick-a-card’ trick. Each effect is more impossible than the one before, with the magician revealing the chosen card though there was no way to for him to have any idea what the card was. Each effect is diabolical, practical and most of all, potent for a lay audience. This is Revolt. Here’s what you get:
Essential: A FREELY CHOSEN card is selected at random and the spectator is then able to shuffle the card into the deck, losing it completely. The magician is able to locate the card despite these test conditions. This effect relies on a very clever principle that, once mastered, will help you create miracles in this and countless other effects. Geraint offers several ways to get into and out of the effect, and offers advice on how to handle less than optimal conditions to create the strongest effect possible.
Alter Ego: A card is chosen at random and lost in the pack. The spectator can then shuffle the cards, losing the card legitimately. The magician is able to divine the name of the card without ever having to touch the deck. The method is genius, can be set up while interacting with the audience between tricks, and has the potential to create a real moment of astonishment.
Momentum: You’ll be using this one within moments of seeing this clever method. Again, a freely chosen card is selected and replaced in the pack and can be lost in the deck. Before the cards have been handed to the spectator to be shuffled, and without turning ANY cards face up, you will instantly know the name of the selection. Momentum allows you to take a very commonplace item, one that you carry with you daily, and turn it into an impromptu gaff. Get miles ahead in your card work, creating true miracles with pasteboards. ”
My thoughts:
I know.. three card tricks on a video aren’t going to impress anyone – quantity wise. But, REVOLT has a couple of things going for it.. One, three good effects for $6.00 IS something to get excited about.. And Two, three good effects that are thoughtful, magician foolers, are more than I’ve gotten from some double dvd sets.
Although not self working, all three effects are easy enough that a beginner can learn them, and perform them, successfully in short order.
ESSENTIAL uses a borrowed, shuffled deck. There is no setup. You ask a spectator to select any card at random, and after the card is returned to the deck and the spectator allowed to shuffle the deck, you can tell the spectator the card he picked. I appreciated the various ideas and tips Geraint offered up. Sometimes there may be a slight bit of fishing, very slight, but the wording nullifies it. The audience is non-the-wiser.
ALTER EGO uses the same premise.. a card is selected, lost in the deck, the deck thoroughly shuffled by the spectator, and the magician can name the card afterwards without touching the deck. (Except during the selection). This is as close to self working as it gets without being actually self working. You do need to conduct a little subterfuge, but it’s a natural movement and will slide by the audience.
MOMENTUM is a thoroughly modern version of an early 1900’s card technique. The method is old as the hills, but the dirty work is accomplished with a very modern tool everyone carries. Practice your handling and this will be ‘maybe’ the killer of the three. Actually, Alter Ego may be my personal favorite, because of the lack of handling, but I’m not totally sure… duh…
For six dollars.. you can’t go wrong. The video is well recorded. Sound and lighting are good. And the total length is about 23 minutes. This probably ranks as one of the best deals for the money of all the videos I’ve reviewed for Murphy’s…. and that’s a LOT of videos.
The Mysterious Puzzle of the Missing Dollar Bill by Nick Einhorn – A Review
Rick Carruth
This is a classic puzzle first brought to life in magic circles by Daryl, who performed the first version in London. Known as A Puzzling Bill Vanish, It inspired Nick to create this version. Nick also discovered Gregory Wilson also performed a couple of similar effects. That said… here’s the Ad Copy from Murphy’s Magic….
“Three guys go out for lunch. They pay. Yet each time they count their change, there is a missing dollar bill. So, they try it again. Another dollar is found missing. Each time they count the total dollars, one always goes missing.
Nick Einhorn (winner of Penn & Teller: Fool Us) breathes life into a classic riddle that you have to see to believe. Count the dollars, one is missing. Count again, there goes another.
It’s a smashingly fun puzzle that you will show at dinner parties and gatherings, where they will scratch their heads in disbelief. Open and honest deception has never been so much fun.”
Works in all currencies
Easy to learn and perform
Instantly repeatable
Carry it and perform it anywhere
Inspired by Daryl’s original routine ‘A Puzzling Bill Vanish’ and released with his blessing.
My Thoughts:
First, there is nothing in this description deceiving in any way. The puzzle is a fooler, the effect is a fooler, and it IS quite easy to learn and perform.
Let’s get this out the way… Like many magic effects.. it requires a gimmick. Most folks know i dislike DIY magic effects. I think magicians should give me what I need to perform the effect I’m purchasing. In this case, I can understand NOT supplying the necessary gimmick. There are way too many types of currency to provide everyone what they need. Fortunately, the gimmick for this effect can be created in a couple of minutes with the two notes you intend to use and a little glue and scissors. It’s so easy to create I’ll give it a pass, particularly considering the many countries and the many different type notes.
The riddle itself is confounding. If you give it a little thought you can figure it out, but probably not in the midst of battle. Even -if- you can solve the puzzle, you still have the gimmicked effect to contend with…
You will have to ‘learn’ a simple count that requires a bit of sleight.. but the visual that accompanies the sleight hides it nicely. Trust me.. it’s simple.
Aside from these necessities, I like The Mysterious Puzzle of the Missing Dollar Bill. It’s simple to perform and entertains the audience… the key word being ‘entertain’. Unlike many card effects that leave the audience perplexed and uncaring, this one leaves the audience with a true smile. They don’t ‘get’ it.. but they don’t care. They’ll think about it on the drive home. They’ll figure out the puzzle.. but not the effect. (Well, at least some will figure out the puzzle.)
For the cost.. you can’t beat it. It’s something you’ll actually add to your repertoire and carry with you for that moment when someone asks you to ‘..do something..’. It’s available as an instant download and total running time is about 21 minutes.
$7.98 – Instant download from Murphy’s Magic and dealers who carry their line of magic products.
All Tied Up – Chris Philpott – A Review
Rick Carruth
All Tied Up is a single trick download, optimized to create a mood and tell a story. The ad copy reads:
“One of the most powerful tricks you’ll ever do with a pack of cards.”
– Steve Valentine (four-time Magic Castle Award Winner)
All Tied Up begins as a psychological game, veers into an emotional exploration of your spectator, reveals itself as a card trick and then, in a powerful finale, becomes an act of empowerment that your spectator will remember for a long, long time.
The strength of the effect is all in its script, but Chris Philpott (with Steve Valentine) also go into details about the handling for both an impromptu version and one using a gimmicked deck (which you may already own). All the handlings are easy-to-do, so you can concentrate on performance.
Originally printed in Chris’s book, Intimate Mysteries (“A must buy!” – Mark Elsdon; “One of the best books I’ve EVER owned!” – Stephen Young; “A major contribution to our art!” – Neil Somerville), the effect in this video contains much more details on both handling and presentation.
“Of all the effects I’ve come up with, this is the one I do more than any other. I have fried a room full of knowledgeable magicians with it and done it for friends who became very emotional when it was performed for them. If I have time for just one effect, it’s All Tied Up.”
– Chris Philpott
My Thoughts…
The video features Chris Philpott and Steve Valentine, both teaching the intimate handling of All Tied Up.
This is NOT a complicated effect. In fact, you probably already perform it. ( I bet that got your attention..) I’ll say up front you’ll need a specific type deck to perform All Tied Up. Fortunately, almost all of us have one or two. It’s a magic standard. This is also NOT intended as a magician fooler.. they will recognize the deck… But I promise you your audience won’t. This isn’t just a ‘trick’.. it’s a personal experience.
The power of All Tied Up is in the presentation. It tells a powerful story that, according to Steve Valentine, even prompts some of his spectators to cry real tears. It’s a story your spectator will associate with personal feelings and psychological thresholds. Even so, it’s not worded to hurt someone’s feelings, but to free their feelings… so tears are a good thing.
It’s difficult to review All Tied Up without telling too much. Basically, it’s a series of questions that guide the spectator to a prediction. There are NO forces or manipulations on your part. Everything is geared to getting the spectator to select a card. They do not realize they’ve selected a card until you reveal their answers point to a specific card. That’s part of the complexity, as they realize their selection was totally free… and it was.
That’s when you use your special deck to show how you were somehow attune to their innermost feelings. Then, in an act of cathartic release, you give your spectator the opportunity to rid themselves of supressed feelings. I know.. it sounds a little far-fetched, but I can see this applying to certain folks – probably not a room full of crusty magicians, but definitely that cute, sensitive brunette behind the makup counter.
This is one of those effects that will leave a lasting impression on a segment of your spectators. It’s well worth the price because of its potential to really impress. Although created by Chris, Steve presents his own handling with a regular deck. Everything is explained in detail and the total length of the download is one hour and fifteen minutes. There is even a link to a special Facebook group devoted to All Tied Up, and you’ll have the opportunity to join a learn even more detailed handling and tips.
How Young Magicians Are Learning to Cast a Spell on a Modern Audience – Article
By Alex Wong: While the subculture is more popular than ever, those practicing the craft are having to figure out how everything works on the fly
Xavier Caffrey is here to show me a magic trick. With a slim frame, knowing grin and an organized mess of tangled curls atop his head, the 22-year-old pulls out a deck of cards.
Caffrey radiates positive energy. He is soft-spoken and even a bit shy, but when it’s time to perform, even to an audience of one outside a coffee shop in downtown Toronto, Caffrey assumes an entirely new persona. He suddenly wields a commanding presence, one that’s massively engaging and yet, genuinely personable. There remains a warmth to him as he carefully places a deck of 52 cards on the palm of my right hand and asks me to cover the cards with my left.
A professional magician, Caffrey immigrated from Lebanon to Canada at the age of 15. While other high-school students loitered in back alleys and caused headaches for nearby convenience-store owners, Caffrey hung out at the library, reading English books and learning the language. If he couldn’t pronounce a word on the page, he would scamper over to the nearest librarian for a quick lesson. “Once I get into something,” Caffrey says. “I have to do it all the time.”
It seems as though this type of obsessiveness lends itself well to the study of magic. From Harry Houdini escaping from a hanging straitjacket to David Copperfield walking through the Great Wall of China, the art of illusion is not something that comes naturally. It takes devotion and hard work — perhaps now more than ever. Read More…
Brilliant young guitarist from Australia. Some say he is reincarnate of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Others say it’s impossible for someone so young to feel the Blues.. as he obviously does.. Taj sometimes cries as he plays, being so moved by the music….
** Well.. after two hundred issues, these are my last two little features. Just a Taj may be the future of great guitarists, I HOPE that somewhere out there a young man, reading this issue perhaps, will be the future of magic and illusion. Hello Young Man!
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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: [email protected]
Gold Cups Close Up Competition. He is obviously a talented Magician. But he is much more. While it is true he is quite the thinker I think, possibly more importantly, Erik knows how to apply what he thinks to constructing Routines that are Practical for Real World use.
forward to future specials, just like this one, periodically.. as I gather and write material. Thankfully, I have friends like Paul Lelekis and Donavon Powell who were willing to contribute material and play important roles in getting this issue ready. Thanks guys!
reads as follows:
Oh, I’ve had reader after reader tell me not to worry about a schedule, but I have just as many readers wanting to know if the next issue is around the corner. I try to keep everyone happy and I try to publish the best free newsletter money can buy. I cannot tell you the ‘thank you sir’ emails I’ve received from both here and abroad.. particularly from less fortunate countries where magic resources are hard to come by… and from young adults who cannot afford other publications. THAT is the source of my feelings of obligation.
packet face down and have it completely cut by the spectator.
showing a Circle (1).