Mum, 03 2014 PDF

MARCH 2014
BILLY SCADLOCK
Page 36
MARCH 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 3
MAGIC - UNITY - MIGHT
Editor
Michael Close
Editor Emeritus
David Goodsell
Associate Editor
W.S. Duncan
Proofreader & Copy Editor
Lindsay Smith
Art Director
Lisa Close
Publisher
Society of American Magicians,
6838 N. Alpine Dr.
Parker, CO 80134
Copyright 2012
Subscription is through membership
in the Society and annual dues of $65, of
which $40 is for 12 issues of M-U-M.
All inquiries concerning membership, change
of address, and missing or replacement issues
should be addressed to:
Manon Rodriguez, National Administrator
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manon@magic.bz
Skype: manonadmin
Phone: 303-362-0575
Fax: 303-362-0424
Send assembly reports to:
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For advertising information,
reservations, and placement contact:
Cinde Sanders
M-U-M Advertising Manager
Email: ads@magicsam.com
Telephone: 214-902-9200
Editorial contributions and correspondence
concerning all content and advertising
should be addressed to the editor:
Michael Close - Email: mumeditor@gmail.com
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4 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2014
MARCH 2014
M-U-M (ISSN 00475300 USPS 323580) is published monthly for $40 per year by The Society of American Magicians,
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to M-U-M, c/o Manon Rodriguez, P.O. Box 505, Parker, CO 80134.
Volume 103 Number 10
THIS MONTHS FEATURES
24 Stage 101 Practicum by Levent
29 Tech Tricks Bruce Kalver
30 Hit the Road by Scott Alexander
32 Not Just Kid Stuff Jim Kleefeld
34 For Your Consideration by George Parker
36 COVER STORY by Steve Marshall
44 Nielsen Gallery by Tom Ewing
46 Mental Breakdown by Christian Painter
50 The High Road by Mick Ayres
50 El Roberto Enigmatico by R.D. Michaels
54 Ebook Nook: Impossibilia
57 Paranormal Happenings Charles Siebert, MD
58 Cheats and Deceptions Antonio M. Cabral
60 Informed Opinion New Product Reviews
68 Salon de Magie by Ken Klosterman
69 Inside Straight by Norman Beck
70 Basil the Bafing Alan Wassilak
70 The Deans Diary by George Schindler
MAGAZINE
M-U-M
COVER STORY
PAGE 36
Cover Photo by Andy Eubanks
Photo by Andy Eubanks
S.A.M. NEWS
6 From the Editors Desk
8 From the Presidents Desk
11 M-U-M Assembly News
22 Broken Wands
23 New Members & Reinstatements
23 Good Cheer List
69 Our Advertisers
44
68
50
24
Editors Desk
If you attended the S.A.M. convention in Washington, D.C.,
last year, it is likely that you saw Billy Scadlock, for he was
there in many guises: as a stilt-walking Uncle Sam, as The Great
Scadini (in an act with Steve Marshall), and as the character he
has portrayed around the world, Charlie Chaplins The Little
Tramp. Billy has had a full and varied career in the variety arts,
from magician to circus clown to mime to celebrity impersonator.
Steve Marshall wrote the cover story on Billy, which youll fnd
on page 36.
Many readers, myself included, lamented the ending of
Levents Stage 101 column in December of 2013. Levent has
an extremely busy performing schedule (as anyone who is his
Facebook friend will attest), and his constant traveling made it
increasingly diffcult to maintain a monthly column. However,
Im happy to report that Levent has not left M-U-M permanently.
He will be offering a quarterly column titled Stage 101 Practicum,
which will focus on the specifcs of a particular stage effect. This
month Levent discusses the venerable Vanishing Cane. You will
learn a lot; I know I did.
This month is the fnal installment of Christian Painters
Mental Breakdown column. Christians columns contained
valuable information, not just for mentalists, but for all
performing magicians. Im sorry to see his column come to an
end, but the good news is that Christian will be back in alternate
months with a different column; a new contributor will take over
the mentalism column responsibilities. Stay tuned.
Don Theo III submitted a long, very interesting column for
this month, but with the addition of Levents column it turned
out that space was tight this issue. Rather than break up Dons
column into two parts, Im saving the whole thing for next month.
At the end of January, Lisa, Ava, and I braved the weather
and headed down to Columbus, Ohio, to attend the Magi-Fest
convention. The line-up of booked talent was remarkable; even
more remarkable were the attendees. If you had a question about
any contemporary (and perhaps not so contemporary) book,
DVD, or trick, the odds were pretty good that the creator was
there. The hot action was late at night when Juan Tamariz held
court in the lobby, but I am the old father of a seven-year-old, so I
missed all that. There was great magic to be seen and purchased
and everyone had a fne time. Congratulations to Joshua Jay,
Andi Gladwin, and Tim Moore.
Interested in placing an ad in the 2014 Combined Convention
Souvenir Program? Contact Becki Wells at Publicity@
ibmsam.com to request the Ad Rate and Specifcation Sheet.
The souvenir program is an opportunity for you to advertise
your magic business, show, convention or service, promote your
assembly, drive traffc to your dealer booth, and send greetings
of praise or congratulations. Your ad or message will reach 1,400
people! Previous convention programs, like the 2008 combined
convention program from Louisville, are now collector items
and this years program will be no different. Be a part of magic
history and place your ad now.
The Society of American Magicians Magic Endowment Fund
is offering a full tuition scholarship to attend the Jeff McBride
Extended Magic Class being held from August 17-23, 2014. The
scholarship is offered to any magician, regardless of age; you do
not have to be a member of any magic organization. The McBride
Mystery School has been recognized as one of the premier magic
educational experiences.
In addition, the Magic Endowment Fund is providing
scholarships to youngsters between the ages of twelve to eighteen
to attend magic camp. Applications are now being accepted for
the 2014 summer season for full tuition scholarships plus travel
expenses to attend the magic camp at either Tannens Magic
Camp at their location in Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania,
for the week of July 12-19, 2014, or the Sorcerers Safari located
in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada, for the week of August 15-20,
2014. Both camps are wonderful places for youngsters to learn
new skills, improve their performance abilities, and make new
friends with similar interests. The campers study under some
of the leading professionals, receive helpful critiques of their
performance ability, and attend classes.
All candidates must demonstrate existing talent and
dedication to achieve improved magical performances and
skills. Applications may be obtained by either writing to Trudy
Monti, S.A.M. Magic Endowment Fund, 803 Sherwick Terrace,
Manchester, MO 63021, or by email (stating your mailing
address) to TrudyMonti@aol.com. A copy of the application and
instructions may also be downloaded from the S.A.M. website
(www.magicsam.com).
This has been a long, tough winter for most of North America,
and the days were made a little colder by the news that my old
friend, and longtime M-U-M contributor, Aldo Colombini had
died from complications of a stroke on February 12, 2014. This
event was unexpected and was hard to accept. Aldo and I had
been friends for thirty years. I dedicated a chapter to him in my
book That Reminds Me. I led off that chapter with the following:
Aldo is from Bologna, Italy, and came to the United States in
1993. In a short time, he has managed to accomplish something
very diffcult he has learned to be funny in a second language.
Comedy is not just about words; it is also about the rhythm of
a language, the speed of delivery, the cultural references and
sensibilities, and the pacing of a punch line. This varies from
country to country. Aldo has not only improved his vocabulary
skills to the point where he can deliver (and understand) American
jokes, he has also absorbed the rhythm of American humor. He
favors short, direct jokes, and he gets big, genuine laughs from
his audiences.
Laughter was important to Aldo; he loved to laugh and he
loved to make people laugh. Over the years, we spent many
happy occasions together laughing. Aldo was a prolifc creator
of close-up magic, and he loved performing and lecturing for
magicians. He and his wife and partner, Rachel Wild Colombini,
traveled the world, sharing magic and laughter with magicians.
Im sure I express the sentiments of thousands of magicians
when I say that I am going to miss him very much. Addio, Aldo.
And thanks for the laughs.
Michael Close
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Dal Sanders
Presidents Desk
I dont know about you, but I am ready for winter to be over!
Ill admit, Im a little wimpy, but give me a break! I grew up in
Miami Beach, the furthest north Ive ever lived was Atlanta,
Georgia, and now I live in Dallas, Texas. Im not used to cold
weather, and so far this year, Ive seen plenty. Its not that this is
the coldest winter weve had in Texas in many years (it is), but Ive
been traveling, visiting assemblies and conventions in places that
are always cold this time of year. Of course, this has given our
compeers something to laugh about.
In New England I got to perform my magic lecture for
Assembly 21 and Assembly 16 and install the offcers of Assembly
17. While there I also got to visit Ray and Ann Goulet and tour
their Magic Art Studio and the New England Mini Museum of
Magic. This was certainly a thrill; it is something that any lover
of magic should add to their bucket list. I also got a short tour of
The Magic Barn, but because of extensive water damage, I only
got to experience a few of the treasures there.
Upon leaving New England, I went home for one day, washed
my clothes, and headed to Columbus, Ohio, for more cold
weather, snow, and the Eighty-seventh Annual Magi-Fest. Joshua
Jay, Andi Gladwin, and Tim Moore did an amazing job with this
convention. There were about 850 people there; 100 of them were
juniors. The talent was top notch too, with Juan Tamariz, Michael
Weber, Eric Mead, David Williamson, and Roberto Giobbi. I
really appreciate Josh, Andi, and Tims efforts to keep this magic
tradition alive. In fact, I appreciate them so much that I presented
them with Presidential Citations.
I have really enjoyed the discussions that I have been having
with magicians recently, especially those magicians who are not
currently part of the S.A.M. I keep hearing the same questions
from non-members; Why do I need to be a member of The
Society of American Magicians? What are the benefts?
We can start with the magazine you are reading right now. I
cant begin to tell you how many people who read the other magic
magazines have complimented what Michael Close and his band
of columnists have been doing. M-U-M is more than just a collec-
tion of tricks or fanzine articles. M-U-M is one of the ways that
the local assemblies communicate with each other. The reports
join us together and are part of our ethos. The magazine is also
full of information on being a better magician. If you travel at all,
you will want to read Scott Alexanders Hit The Road column.
We all need to support the M-U-M by supporting the advertisers.
If you are online, its easy; all ads have links to the advertisers
websites. Always let them know that you saw their ad in M-U-M.
Of course, our website is also a huge beneft of membership.
Ill admit that there have been issues over the past couple of years,
but the fact remains that the magicsam.com website is miles ahead
of others. Its full of news, articles, information, and even videos.
Speaking of videos, the S.A.M. Media Library is a vast library
that features magicians through the years performing, lecturing,
and having fun. The video and audio clips are available to all
S.A.M. members, and weve made it easier to view them, because
the entire library is being added to a special area in the Members
Home section of our website.
The Society of American Magicians is also active in various
social networks. SAMtalk is an email newsgroup that allows
members to ask questions, share ideas, and get magic-related
information. Of course the S.A.M. also has social presence on
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Plus.
Members also help to preserve the art of magic by support-
ing the S.A.M. Hall of Fame and Magic Museum Inc. and the
Magic Center Foundation Inc. Both work towards preserving
and promoting the art of magic and the history of The Society of
American Magicians.
Finally, through the Magic Endowment Fund, The Society
of American Magicians offers various scholarships and funds to
help promote the art of magic. Magicians who have fallen ill or
have been injured may be helped through the Houdini Fund, an
integral part of the S.A.M. Magic Endowment Foundation. The
Fund will assist any magician or allied artist who is in fnancial
need with extra expenses normally not covered by insurance,
such as nurses, oxygen, wheelchairs, and other similar medical
requirements. Funds are granted for comfort assistance, outpa-
tient aides, and additional drug assistance. The Fund has paid for
transportation to and from medical facilities. These are grants
and not loans. Payments are kept confdential. There are many
other benefts of being a member of the S.A.M. There are also
other grants available to magicians and allied artists who have
suffered loss through natural disasters.
ALDO COLOMBINI
I had this article wrapped
up but then I got the sad
news that Aldo Colombini
had passed away. I felt I must
say something about this
great magician and friend.
Aldo was one of the kindest
people I have ever met. He
was charming, funny, and
incredibly talented. Aldo
was a F.I.S.M.-winning
magician with a huge following, and yet he always made time for
Joshua Jay, Tim Moore, Dal Sanders,
and Andi Gladwin at Magi-Fest
Dal & Aldo
S.A.M. National Offcers
Dean: George Schindler, 1735 East 26th St.,
Brooklyn, NY 11229, (718) 336-0605, Fax (718)
627-1397, showbiz10@aol.com
President: Dal Sanders, 3316 Northaven Rd,
Dallas, TX 75229 (214) 902-9200,
Dal@MagicSam.com
President Elect: Kenrick ICE McDonald, P.O.
Box 341034, Los Angeles, CA 90034,
(310) 559-8968, ICE@MagicSam.com
First Vice President: David Bowers,
(717) 414-7574, David@MagicSam.com
Second Vice President: Jeffrey Sikora, (402)
339-6726 Jeff@MagicSam.com
Secretary: Marlene Clark, 274 Church Street,
#6B, Guilford, CT 06437, (203) 689-5730,
Skype: marlene.clark, Marlene@MagicSam.com
Treasurer: Eric Lampert, (215) 939-5555,
Eric@MagicSam.com
Regional Vice Presidents
New England: CT MA RI NH ME VT
Joseph Caulfeld (603) 654-6022,
rvpnewengland@MagicSam.com
North Atlantic: NY NJ
Eric DeCamps, (718) 896-5861,
rvpnorthatlantic@MagicSam.com
Mid Atlantic: PA DE MD VAWV DC
Phil Milstead, (703) 481-5271,
rvpmidatlantic@MagicSam.com
South Atlantic: FL AL GA MS NC SC
Debbie Leifer (404) 630-1120
rvpsouthatlantic@MagicSam.com
Central Plains: KY TN OH IN MI
Steven A. Spence, (317) 722-0429
rvpcentralplains@MagicSam.com
Midwest: IL MN WI MO ND NE KS SD IA
Shaun Rivera, (618) 781-8621
rvpmidwest@MagicSam.com
South Central States: TX AR OK NM LA
Michael Tallon, (210) 341-6959
rvpsouthcentral@MagicSam.com
Southwest: CA AZ NV HI
Ron Ishimaru, (808) 428-6019,
rvpsouthwest@MagicSam.com
Northwest: WA OR UT ID CO AK WY MT
James Russell, (360) 682-6648
rvpnorthwest@MagicSam.com
Canada: Rod Chow (604) 669-7777
rvpcanada@MagicSam.com
Society of Young Magicians Director:
Jann Wherry Goodsell, 329 West 1750 North,
Orem, Utah 84057 (801) 376-0353.
bravesjann@comcast.net
Living Past
National Presidents
Bradley M. Jacobs, Richard L. Gustafson, Roy A.
Snyder, Bruce W. Fletcher, James E.
Zachary, David R. Goodsell, Fr. Cyprian Murray,
Michael D. Douglass, George Schindler, Dan
Rodriguez, Dan Garrett, Donald F. Oltz Jr., Craig
Dickson, Loren C. Lind, Gary D. Hughes, Harry
Monti, Jann Wherry Goodsell, Warren J. Kaps,
Ed Thomas, Jay Gorham, John Apperson, Richard
M. Dooley, Andy Dallas, Maria Ibez, Bruce
Kalver, Mike Miller, Mark Weidhaas, Vinny
Grosso, J. Christopher Bontjes
his friends.
When Cinde threw me a surprise
fftieth birthday party, he was one of
out-of town guests who came to help me
celebrate. I will miss his magic and I will
miss his jokes, but most of all I will miss
that booming, gentle voice saying hello
just before being engulfed in a bear hug.
I am confdent that he has merely gone
ahead to preset the room and get things
ready for our arrival to whatever is next.
Aloha Aldo.
ASSEMBLY NEWS
Society of American Magicians Monthly News
MARCH 2014 Volume 103, Number 10
GO TO: WWW.MUM-MAGAZINE.COM
and use the easy submission form to fle your report
1
CAMARADERIE
REIGNS AT PA 1
NEW YORK, NY The Magic
Table was a little slow this month;
holidays and weather in NYC were
a factor. On different Fridays,
regulars Richard Bossong, Scott
Mero, Rene Clement, and Lee and
Jerry Oppenheimer joined me. We
meet for lunch and to share magic
at The Edison Caf in the Hotel
Edison. Its on 47th Street off
7th Avenue in Times Square. We
meet after 12:30 on Fridays. On
Saturdays the magicians gather at
the Pizza Place, which has lots
of action.
Our monthly meeting of the
Parent Assembly was on Thursday
January 9, 2014. President
Throwdini could not run the
meeting because he was per-
forming at the MGM Grand in
Las Vegas for several weeks in
January. So at the normal 7:15
start time we only had eighteen
members in attendance, two short
of a quorum for the PA. At 8:45
we called the meeting; general an-
nouncements were given. One was
of the Danny Reilly Roast by
our brother organization the IBM
on January 31st at the Musicians
Meeting Hall. Like me, many
magicians in the city are members
of both. Then we went to the af-
ter-meeting event at which others
joined us.
In January for the past few years
the Parent Assembly has had an
auction. We had lots of donated
materials, including a sword chest
for the head. Second VP Richie
Magic provided this and it went
to the SYM. We had a great time,
and camaraderie reigned this
night at the PA 1. Sal Perrotta and
I purchase material we donated
to the SYM. Kamaar had a lot of
great stuff he donated.
Doug Edward, Steve Horn, and
Lenny Greenfaders daughter
got some wonderful buys. Many
remarked it was the best monthly
gathering of the PA 1 this year.
Some of the money went to the
assemblys programs and the rest
went for new efforts by the SAM
PA 1 Gravesite Restoration Com-
mittees.
Our workshop was on January
17th at the Gemini Diner. We
had sixteen people and Doug
Edwards was in rare form. He
has a new book coming out. He
did Rolling off a Log by Charles
Jordan, some self-working tricks,
and some Marlo and Derrick
Dingle material. He patiently
taught all those attending how to
do the effects and performed many
fawless routines. We had a blast.
Tom Klem
The Parent Assembly meets on
the frst Friday of the month at
Mount Sinai Hospital on Madison
Avenue in Manhattan. Meetings
start at 7:15 PM Contact Tom
Klem sampa1nyc@gmail.com
(212) 7255258 www.sampa1.com
for more details.
4
WILL FERN LECTURES
PHILADELPHIA, PA Our
January meeting featured an
excellent Lecture by Will Fern.
Prior to the lecture, we mourned
the loss of our good friend and
Past President, Jim Straub, who
passed away at the age of sixty-one
on January 10, 2014, after a cou-
rageous six-month battle with
brain cancer. Jim, whose laugh
and smile were infectious, was a
superb coin and card manipulator
who was beloved by our member-
ship. President Brian Hurlburt and
Secretary Arlen Solomon presided
over the Broken Wand Ceremony,
which Jims widow Pat attended.
Jims full length obituary will
appear in the Obituary section of
the magazine.
Following the Broken Wand
Ceremony, we were treated to a
superb whirlwind lecture by Will
Fern, who is nothing short of a
human dynamo. Will, who is a full
time general practitioner, has
been a fxture in Northern New
Jersey and New York City for over
twenty years. Having performed
walk-around magic over three-
thousand nights in various res-
taurants in addition to private and
corporate affairs, trade shows,
cruise ships, nursing homes,
and childrens shows, Will came
equipped with a vast knowledge
of real-world experience which
he was eager to share with our
members.
Wills lecture included a wide
mix of close-up magic with
several routines geared specif-
cally toward children. His very
funny six-phase sponge bunny
routine, which included a lot of
audience interaction, was one of
the highlights of the evening. He
also delighted everyone with his
I.B.M.-winning memorized deck
routine during which he dem-
onstrated several lightening fast
card location effects. Another
highlight of the evening, which
astounded everyone, was Wills
exceptionally clean Any Card at
Any Number. Will taught so many
excellent effects during his two-
and-a-half-hour lecture that many
members commented afterward
that his lecture was one of the best
they had seen in years. Although
Will did not have enough time
to cover several stage pieces that
were featured in his lecture notes,
he was more than happy to stick
around after the lecture to discuss
his methods for those effects,
including a very practical Ring in
Nest of Boxes routine utilizing un-
gimmicked boxes. All in all, Wills
lecture was one of the best we have
ever had. Any assembly looking
for an excellent lecture need look
no further than Will Fern. It was
a fantastic night of magic for all.
Peter Cuddihy
The James Wobensmith Assembly
4 meets third Thursday at 7:00
p.m. at the Bustleton Memorial
Post, 810 (American Legion) 9151
Old Newtown Road. Contact
Information: www.sam4.org/ for
more details.
6
HOT MAGIC ON A
FRIGID NIGHT
BALTIMORE, MD Our
scheduled meeting having been
snowed out, we skipped a week
only to face super-frigid tempera-
tures. But the turnout was large
and included six guests. Prez
Andy London announced the sad
news of the passing of member Dr.
Richard Schindler on December
28th. After the usual raffe of used
magi, Dean Joe Bruno (74 yrs in
magic) led off with an intrigu-
ing face up/face down reversal
of a fan of cards, which he then
tipped. He followed with Long-
fellow the Magicians Take Ten,
handing out mini decks of cards
and instructions so we could all
follow along. Mentalist Oneil
Banks found a selected card under
a coin moved by a spectator.
Guest Jason Leh performed a nice
8-Card Brainwave followed by
two versions of card-back color
change. Craig Feinsteins fascina-
tion with coin magic continues: he
did a copper-silver effect using his
Boston Box, David Roths Coins
through Table, and a fne coin
assembly.
Guest Trevor Plumer found a
selected card when it appeared on
a stick of gum (!) from a randomly
selected sealed package. Guest
Ronann Carrero performed a Four
Will Fern Lectures
Eric Hoffman performing Dr.
Schindlers vintage production
box as a memorial to this fne
gentleman and magician
Assembly News
Robbers effect with Jacks followed
by Aces; hes polishing the patter.
Both guests are students at Johns
Hopkins. Eric Hoffman brought
the late Dr. Schindlers vintage
production box and performed it as
a memorial to this fne gentleman
and magician. Guest Dennis
Hasson did a smooth version
of the ever-popular Professors
Nightmare. Guest Jefferson Rose
had matches burnt, torn, restored,
and moving back and forth in mys-
terious ways.
Guest Jared Raitzyk performed
two card tricks, including a card-
in-shoe. First time weve ever
heard the line, Pick a shoe!
Howard Katz had a spectator fairly
select from four envelopes, each
containing money. The spectator
ended up with an envelope con-
taining a $1 million bill and a
wry note. Jay Silverman had a
spectator cut the pack randomly
into thirds, and then dealt to four
Kings and four Aces. Announcing
I want to do a [card] prediction
in the fairest possible manner,
Andy London proceeded to do so,
leaving most of us stumped. Our
other cardician, Jeff Eline, said
the regulars will be amazed to
see him do something without
cards and then performed a fne
Cups and Balls with four limes
as the fnal loads. Of course he
had to follow with a card trick,
a group trick that had us all
tearing packets of cards in half
only to fnd that they mysteriously
matched. Eric Hoffman
The Kellar/Thurston Assembly
6 meets every frst Thursday at
8:00 pm at the Magic Warehouse,
11419 Cronridge Drive suite #10
in Owings Mills, Maryland. 410-
561-0777. Contact Andy London
alondon@comcast.net www.
baltimoresam.com for more
details.
7
THE WIZARD
STRIKES AGAIN
OMAHA, NE This years
Wizards banquet promised to be
a real treat! We were honored by
the presence of National S.A.M.
President Dal Sanders, National
2nd V.P. Jeff Sikora, and Midwest
Regional V.P. Shaun Rivera.
And one of the past presidents of
Assembly 7, Bob Schmill, reac-
quainted himself after an extended
absence. To start it should be noted
that one of our performers took a
knee, relinquishing his time slot
to the rest of the group.
Prior to the wizardry, Most Il-
lustrious Dal Sanders presented
a Presidential Citation to Jerry
Golmanavich for his efforts with
Assembly 7, and then Assembly
President Tom Zepf presented
Larry Brodahl the frst ever Top
Hat Award for his contributions in
making the assembly successful.
Then the fun began with Bob
Schmill putting on his Scottisch
regalia and kilting the audience,
followed by Travis Newcombe
with his bag (or guitar case) of
tricks. Midwest Regional Vice
President Shaun Rivera brought
out the Linking Rings and brought
volunteers up onto the stage, and
Dal Sanders provided the grand
fnale comprising a bouquet of
effects to keep the audiences
attention. Dean Walter Graham
did a great job as emcee, doing
double duty as the Humorous
Trickster between acts.
The weather was record-setting
and the audience of almost one
hundred seemed captivated by the
festivities. Of course, the meal
was a highlight and the package
was well prepared by the banquet
committee that included Chairman
Jeff Quinn, Larry Brodahl, Bob
Gehringer, Donna Roth, Denny
Rourke, Walter Graham, Ann
Rourke, Ron Gerard, and Jeff
Sikora.
For 2014 the Offcers of the
Omaha Magical Society are:
President, Professor Emeritus
Tom Zepf; Vice President, Jerry
Golmanavich; Secretary, Scott
Klinger; Treasurer & Dean,
Walter Graham; and Sergeant-
at-Arms, Bob Gehringer. We
have high hopes for another
banner year with the help of
all of the board members and
continued growth of the assembly.
Jerry Golmanavich
The Omaha Magical Society
meets generally on the third
Monday of each month at 7
p.m. at the Southwest Church
of Christ near 124th St. and
West Center Road, right across
from where Hooters used to
be. Contact jerry golmanavich
golubki@cox.net (402) 390-9834
omahamagicalsociety.com for
more details.
8
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
ST. LOUIS, MO December
12th was our last meeting in 2013
and it was a magical evening. After
a brief meeting, Columbus Smith
performed Liquid Metal, to help
support Morgan Streblers lecture,
which will be here in February.
Greg Green performed the classic
Cups and Balls. It was not exactly
a party, but refreshments for all
and for all a good night!
Jan 23rd was a lecture by Karl
Hein. Karl packed the hall will
magicians eager to learn from
a professional. Included in the
lecture were Go with the Flow,
Heinsteins Dream, and Heinsight.
We all enjoyed Heins Catch Up.
All in all, it was a great night for
everyone! Thanks Karl.
Our assembly has been blessed
with some great magicians. Many
of them have been written up over
the years in M-U-M. Lots of our
compeers turned professional and
we have a couple of past national
presidents among us now.
Heres to a Happy New Year
2014! We are off to a great
start with PNP Harry Monty
in the January issue of MAGIC
magazine, but thats not all. July
brings the IBM/SAM convention
here too! Come meet us all when
you get here.
May great magic continue to
thrive, right here in St. Louis.
Dan Todd
Assembly 8 meets at Mount Tabor
United Church of Christ located
at 6520 Arsenal in Saint Louis,
MO 63139. Contact Dick Blowers
rmblowers@aol.com (213)
846-8468 http://Assembly8.com
for more details.
13
ERIC EVANS LECTURE
DALLAS, TX Welcome
to 2014! President Derrel Allen
welcomed the members of the
Dallas Magic Clubs to the frst
meeting of the year. Guests for
the night included Mike Kanlet
and Ernie Werbiski. After a brief
introduction, Derrel handed the
meeting off to VP Frank Seltzer
who had a few brief announce-
ments. After announcements,
Frank introduced the guest lecturer
for the evening, Eric Evans. Eric
is a very talented street performer
who trained under a number of
excellent mentors, including
Cellini. Erics most recent publi-
cation is 53 Friends: Card Tricks
for Everywhere. Erics lecture
covered many topics, including
cards, coins, Slydini silks, rope,
and wand moves.
There were no performances
from members this meeting,
allowing Eric as much time as
possible. Additional activities in
January included a lecture by Karl
Hein on January 26, 2014.
The Dallas Magic Clubs meet the
third Tuesday of the month at 7:00
PM at Theatre 166, Crosspointe
Community Center (see www.
dallasmagic.org for directions).
Contact Reade Quinton reade.
quinton@gmail.com (972)
400-0195 www.dallasmagic.org
for more details.
17
COLD EVENING WARM
FRIENDS
SPRINGFIELD , MA It was
a dark and stormy night. Windy.
Zero degrees! Many inches of
snow had fallen and some had
thought that the idea of a meeting
on such a night had fallen also,
but the members braved the New
England weather to come out
for the January meeting and the
theme, What is in your case?
One may feature an effect that
is in the case that may be used
whenever.
Business meeting was kept short.
The 50/50 raffe prize was won
by Jeff Pzyocha and generously
donated to the treasury for our
After the Holiday Get Together
dinner to be visited by Most Illus-
trious Dal Sanders and scheduled
to install our new offcers.
Dean, Tom Gentile presented
some foldable creations and
related them to Springfelds
City of Homes and another to
the upcoming possible gambling
casino to be built in Springfeld
Sergeant-at-Arms, Ed Kazar
performed his rendition of Pre-
dictalopes using 3 envelopes with
cards with numbers and properly
predicted a number and card.
FrancisButch Papianou brought
out his version of Max Mavens
Pick-a-lope using three volun-
teers with numbers and cards with
Mine and Yours and after
a few random selections ended
up with his, er, MINE. Magic
Dealer and shop owner Rich Pin-
sonnault quickly got our attention
with a Four-D Printing effect
with another set of magic cards.
He then exhibited a new Tenyo
effect and exhibited his expertise
of placing an item behind a steel
plate and totally unseen matched
Larry Brodahl wins the 2014
Top Hat Award
Meet Us in St. Louis
Assembly News
what was showed.
Then Rich produced a card
selected later to be between two
Jokers in a deck. Jeff Pzychoa
brought some warmth to the
evening with his HotWire, a
cool effect of a heated wire held
between his hands. Next he showed
us his HoverCard with a card that
seemingly foated and spun free
of any strings, wires, or cables
between his outstretched hands.
Then he brought us on a tour of
his case with many compartments
and capabilities of packing and his
reasons for picking the style case
he uses.
Last, newest member Kyle
Barbacki showed his case and
explained some history behind the
items within.
We all hope that when you are
in the area the frst Friday of the
month you will come by and visit
for a spell! Tom Gentile
We meet at the Moto-X
and Magic Shop, 69 East
Street, Ludlow Massachusetts
Contact Rich Gilbert-President
rgilbertmagic@yahoo.com (413)
210-5725 www.assembly17.org for
more details.
19
A NEW YEAR OF MAGIC
STARTS IN HOUSTON
HOUSTON, TX Our January
meeting started off the New Year
on the magical side. Our teach-in
session was on clowns and clown
magic. Don Billings and David
Hinken, both veteran profes-
sional performers, presented
a fne overview of clowns and
their magic. Don has extensive
service with the Shriners and
has received many awards for
his face and costume designs.
Davids Ronald McDonald work
is extensive as well. Both Don and
David presented magic routines
that would be appropriate for
clowns. It was just great!
Jamie Salinas performed a very
nice Coins Across routine using
only his hands and four Morgan
silver dollars. This was all done
in Jamies very professional style.
Jaden Rhodes had Shane Wilson
select a card, which was then lost
into a shuffed deck. After several
fourish cuts, the card was found
in a most delightful manner.
David Hinken had guest Michael
do the magic by fnding audience
selected cards from a shuffed
deck. Michael did not reveal his
secret.
Mark Melchor shared his card
skills with a series of nice manip-
ulations in which various selected
cards were lost and then found
again. Very nice work by Mark!
Scott Wells had Charlie Dodson
select a card and return it to the
deck, which was then shuffed
thoroughly. Scott then named the
position in the deck that Charlies
card would be found, and he was
right on!
Jeff Soderstrom used cards and
audience-selected numbers to
locate a card from a thoroughly
shuffed deck. A very impressive
routine! Angus performed a very
nice routine using three coin boxes
and both silver and gold coins. A
chosen coin was caused to transfer
from one to the other. Nice work!
Frank Price showed us all again
that he is master of the cards as
he beat us all in a craftily played
game of poker.
Roger Johnson used the story
of Houdini and his torture cell to
tell the most intricately created
tale revolving around two rubber
bands that I have ever seen.
Thanks to all who performed
at our January meeting.
Miles Root
Assembly 19 meets the frst
Monday of every month at the
IATSE Internationl Alliance
of Theatrical State Employees)
Local 51 Meeting Hall, 3030
North Freeway, Houston, TX. A
teaching lecture begins at 7:30
pm with the meeting beginning
at 8:00 pm. Contact Miles
Root milesroot@aol.com (832)
607-6678 houstonmagic.com for
more details.
21
BIRTHDAY MAGIC
HARTFORD, CT Our
theme captain for the night was
Jon Cap, and since our meeting
night coincided with his birthday,
he called for Birthday Magic. He
started things off by showing us
a beer bottle that he placed into a
paper bag. He then crushed up the
bag, proving that the bottle had
vanished. He then explained that it
was, of course, a collapsible bottle.
He also assured us that he uses a
ketchup bottle when he does the
trick at kid shows.
Kevin Aust performed Inferno,
in which imaginary matches burn
an imaginary deck. One card
was chosen to be saved from the
fames. That card, although
singed, appeared in the very real
matchbox. Dan Sclare showed Jon
several birthday cards, explaining
that he could not choose among
them which card to give to him.
Thus, he said, he would give him
all of them. So saying, he fipped
over the pile of cards and they
became one large card with all of
the small ones on it.
Norm St. Laurent had four cards
selected while lecturing on the
value of connections. It turned
out, surprisingly, that the denomi-
nations of the chosen cards formed
Jons birth year. Finally, Jason
Abate got Jon a birthday card and
a CD that played when Jason
ran a laser pointer over the CD.
By the way, Jon snorts when he
laughs. Dana T. Ring
Angelos on Main, 289 South Main
Street West Hartford Connecticut
meets on second Mondays except
December Contact Dana T.
Ring dana@danaring.com (860)
523-9888 www.ctmagic.org for
more details.
22
EUGENE BURGER IN LOS
ANGELES
LOS ANGELES, CA It was
a warm and pleasant evening in
Los Angeles for a large group of
assembly members and magician
guests. The assemblage came
for a much-anticipated lecture
by Eugene Burger. The premise:
doing a non-paying show for
family or friends; a one-trick show
or a three-trick show. Eugene also
discussed the psychology of the
show with the intent to maintain
audience interest. This involved
the proper selection of openers,
closers, and middle-of-the-act
tricks.
The frst trick demonstrated and
fully explained was Destiny Has
a Name, a card effect based on
Max Mavens Viva Las Vegas. He
uses this as his one-trick show and
sometimes as a middle trick in a
three-trick show. With spectator
involvement, it has several stages
and can stand alone. As an opener
for a longer set, Burger, for many
years, used a sponge ball routine
and still likes the trick. He now
opens with The Pack That Cuts
Itself. Invented by Al Baker, it is
in Bakers Pet Secrets. The trick is
also published in Eugene Burgers
The Performance of Close-Up
Magic (1987). For a closing effect,
Burger performed a selected and
signed card effect, The Corner
in the Glass. His handling of this
startling effect is published in his
The Experience of Magic (1989)
and Mastering the Art of Magic
(2000). While discussing closing
effects, Burger talked frequently
about Matt Schulien and recom-
mended the Phil Willmarths The
Magic of Matt Schulien.
Also performed were a Brain
Wave/Ultra-Mental Deck effect
called The Devils Deck and a
favorite coin trick called Fading
Coin, which was published in the
May 2000 issue of Genii magazine.
A very unusual card trick, a story-
telling effect, was next performed
and explained. It is published in
his books as A Bizarre Ritual and
as The Burned Card.
Eugene Burger closed his lecture
with what is probably his signature
performance piece, The Gypsy
Thread. He has been performing
this for thirty years, and he does
this effect to perfection. He has
published this in The Experience
of Magic as Cosmic Thread and
his full routine in Spirit Theatre
(1986) as The Thread of Life and
Death.
As good and entertaining as his
magic was, the stories and remi-
niscences about magic legends
he knew in Chicago were equally
entertaining and interesting. This
was also a lecture full of tips and
performance advice, much ap-
preciated by all in attendance.
Steven L. Jennings
Southern California Assembly
meets the third Monday each
month at 8:00 PM, St. Thomas
Moore Parish Hall, 2510 South
Fremont Avenue, Alhambra,
California Contact Ed Thomas
magicmred@earthlink.net for
more details.
26
HAPPY NEW YEAR
PROVIDENCE, RI
Twas the night before
Christmas
We were happy. The reason?
Summer Sizzler
performers Dennis and
Janet Pimenta
Jons birthday card(s)
Assembly News
All the fun times we had
this past magic season

Tom Holmes taught great magic
and some was hair-raising
The club members shouted
Baldinis Amazing!

Simon Lovell stopped by
and he lectured with humor
His tricks were all great
and that isnt just rumor

Garrett Thomass approach
was a bit more reserved.
His tricks were so baffing
some folks were unnerved

The Flea Market/Auction
was quite the success
I spent many dollars
I have to confess

The magic year ended
with a buffet and show
We packed it all in
before the impending snow

Twenty-fourteen
is upon us, I hear
So wishing you all
a Happy New Year
Chris Natale
Tuesday each month from
September to June at 7 pm.
American Legion Auburn Post 20,
7 Legion Way, Cranston, RI.
32
NEW YEAR NEW MAGIC
LYNCHBURG, VA The
magic of the New Year started
off by the assembly meeting
being postponed from Tuesday
to Thursday due to snow. Rumor
has it that one of our compeers
was practicing his Snowstorm
in China routine and got carried
away. This was never confrmed
but let me say, Hey, dude, its
called Snowstorm in China, not
south central Virginia please
follow the script.
The theme for the January
meeting of Assembly 32 was New
Year, New Magic, which meant
magic that was new to the user.
The frst new magic discovered
happening was someone must
have waved their wand and made
nearly all the degrees on the ther-
mometer disappear, because this
was one cold evening. But we
had a warm place to meet and got
the magic in this part of Virginia
started for 2014.
Bob Staton presented his own
modifed version of Cardiographic
that had great audience appeal.
Bob continues to show excellent
behind the effect thinking. Bill
Harris followed with two Tenyo
effects that he had worked on
and was able to demonstrate pro-
fciently. First was the Invisible
Zone, one of the fnest bits of walk-
around magic there is available.
Bill must have been in a zone
as he followed that up with Zone
Infnity, a very cleaver penetration
of a coin by a key.
John Jennings shared ideas
that he had been working on
with a hook coin. Our newest
young member, Trevor Albright,
performed a nicely done card
effect in which a dozen cards are
laid out as if marking the numbers
of a clock, a time is chosen, and
it was found when the cards were
turned over that all faces were
black except the chosen hour which
was a red card. We are all looking
forward to another magical year.
John Jennings
The Hersy Basham Assembly 32
meets (usually) the third Tuesday
at 7:00 p.m. at Tharp Funeral
Home, 220 Breezewood Dr.,
Lynchburg, VA. Contact John
Jennings investigatefre@aol.com
(434) 851-6240 for more details.
35
HISTORY COMES ALIVE
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY The
night began on a subdued note
with a broken wand ceremony for
member Larry Slezak. For the rest
of the evenings activities we were
treated to a presentation different
from our usual lectures. Our guest
tonight was Margaret Steele, who
gave us a talk on the life and times
of Adelaide Herrmann. With
the aid of slides, we were given
a glimpse into the life of Ms.
Herrmann, a name that for many
people, other than magic histori-
ans, would not usually warrant a
second thought.
Adelaide was the wife of
Alexander Herrmann. Born in
London in 1853, Ms. Herrmann
would be quite a remarkable
woman for any period in time,
but especially for the time in
which she lived. After some early
interests in other forms of enter-
tainment, it really wasnt until
she married Mr. Herrmann, that
she really came into her own. She
stated that she was the
frst female assistant to
do illusions. She viewed
herself and her husband
as equal partners, and as
such, they designed their
shows together.
They enjoyed their life
together, and made a
good deal of money. They
also enjoyed spending
their money, having
among other things a
mansion, a yacht, and
their own private railcar.
After the death of her
husband, when other
women may have thought that
their life was over, she instead
forged ahead and began her own
career as a solo performer. She
stated that she was the frst to do
silent magic to music. Foretelling
current media, she would change
her stage persona every few years.
It had long been rumored that
she had written her memoirs, but
it wasnt until just a few years ago
that they fnally surfaced, and
were published by Ms. Steele.
Towards the end of the evening,
Ms. Steele, accompanied by
different selections from The
Nutcracker Suite, performed
several effects as they might have
also been performed by Adelaide
Herrmann.
All in all it was an entertaining
evening to learn about someone
whose memory could have been
lost to the sands of time. I guess
she had one more trick up her
sleeve, and we are all the better
for it. Bravo, Adelaide Herrmann!
Darryl Bielski
The S.A.M. 35 meetings are held
at the Milanese Restaurant in
Poughkeepsie, NY. Typically,
meetings are held every 2nd
Tuesday of each month. Contact
Joel Zaritsky jizdds@optonline.
net (845) 546-1559 sam35.com for
more details.
37
PAST PRESIDENTS
NIGHT 2014
DENVER, CO Past Presi-
dents night came a little late this
year due to venue complications,
but it was an outstanding evening
nonetheless. Past Mile High
Magicians Society President and
Past National S.A.M. President
Dan Rodriquez swore in the new
board members with the help of
the most recent Past President,
Chad Darnell. President Matt
Brandt, Vice President Andrew
Bates, and Sergeant-at-Arms Gene
Gordon were there to accept. Past
President and new again Secretary
Connie Elstun arrived late and
Past four-time President and new
again Treasurer Dave Elstun along
with Editor Jess Ward were absent.
First up in the festivities for the
night was Gene Gordon. He incor-
porated the help of young member
A.J. Perea, who used magic string
to tie Gene up. Glenn Prouilx then
helped him with a lucky buck trick
straight out of Tarbell by using a
John Carney switch. Past President
and Past frst lady Bruce and Kitty
Spangler also had young member
A.J. help them out with a fshbowl
dice trick that ended with a prize
York Peppermint Patty for the
young lad. Gregg Tobo then tried
the same and one a Hersheys treat
as did member Lewis Peacock
and last but not least Lynn Keir
and his lovely bride Helen took
a shot at candy or $1.27. They
too won the candy and proved to
the audience it was a real sweet
trick. The Spanglers then brought
out an antique Abbotts Rabbit
Hypnotize-r that was once owned
by Orville Meyer and deceased
Past President Doc Pendergast.
Bruce had a great story about
how he came to own this unique
apparatus.
Chad Darnell then took the stage
with his rendition of changing
rings or Frisbees. Then Matt and
Andrew helped him out, with a
mental trick using a literal half
of the deck of cards. Past Co-
Presidents Karen and Jeff Wake
prepared a wonderful spread of
food for snack time.
After the break New President
Brandt presented and performed
a Color Vision Box so he could
advertise the next plastic trick
meeting. P.P and P.N.P. Dan
Rodriquez came up and with the
help of the very busy A.J. Perea
did a fantastic New Years trick
where A.J. picked both sides of an
apple cut in half. Everyone had a
grand evening. Connie Elstun
Assembly 37 meets the 2nd
Thursday of the month at River-
pointe Senior Center in Littleton
Colorado Contact Connie Elstun
connie@comedymagicbunny.
com (303)933-4118 www.
milehighmagicians.com for more
details.
47
COLD WEATHER HOT
JANUARY MAGIC!
ROCHESTER, NY The
weather changed to frigid cold
and snow, but twelve intrepid
magicians came out to meet! We
talked about the close-up contest
this April plus three lecturers!
Next up was the fea market.
Members brought in items for sale
or trade. Magic came next! Mark
Toker displayed and talked about
some of the books he had received.
He then performed a fne feat of
cognitive reasoning by having a
member think of a picture with
colors that Mark had mentioned. A
Assembly 37's new offcers Brant,
Andrews and Gordon are sworn in by
Past National President Dan Rodriguez
Assembly News
scene was described and a predic-
tion opened and there was a picture
very closely resembling the spec-
tators thought! Brian Nadworny,
always ready to perform, took
the fames from a Bic lighter and
pinched it between his fngers.
He then literally pulled the fame
away from the lighter and then
placed it back. Hot magic!
Joel Gallegos Greenwich
performed a three-phase
mentalism effect with the last
phase utterly under the control of
the spectator. Cards were counted
and each time a previous selection
was found. Amazing! Professor
Rem took pieces of a puzzle and
put it together. It was a poem that
he recited. He then turned the
poem over and when he put the
pieces together, one was missing.
It was found in an envelope. Rem
is a master at making puzzles and
other things unique. John Guerin
performed a classic of magic. He
borrowed a bill, folded it in half,
and placed it into a folded piece of
paper. He pushed a pencil through
both the bill and the paper. With
a mighty tear, the paper ripped,
but the bill was untouched! I
performed a Hello Kitty card trick
put out exclusively by Toys R Us.
A card was selected and placed
back into the deck. The deck was
then spread across the table and a
Hello Kitty windup toy was placed
at one end of the deck. It walked
and fnally stopped at one card
the previously picked selection!
I then gave out a printout of an
effect based on a principle by Jerry
Andrus. A T-Rex dinosaur is seen
to move its head as if following
you around the room! I then
brought out a really cool toy, the
Magic Jinn by Hasbro. But leave
it to Professor Rem to stump the
Jinn not once; but twice! I then
let prospective member Laurie
Guerin try it and the Jinn read her
mind with just a few questions.
Stay warm and practice magic!
Mike Ihrig
Assembly 47 meets on the 3rd
Tuesday of the month (September
thru May) at St. Josephs School,
39 Gebhardt Road, Penfeld,
NY 14526 Contact Mike Ihrig
ihrigmagic@aol.com (585)
377-1566 www.sam47.com for
more details.
50
BABY IT IS COLD OUTSIDE,
NASHVILLE, TN This
meeting started with all of the
members standing outside in the
cold waiting for our building to
open. There was a mix up with the
guy that opens the building so we
all had to jump into each other cars
and wait for the guy. The guy did
show up and it was well worth the
wait.
For the third time, we had a
welcome-to-the-club meeting for
a new youth member. We have
our club member each bring a
trick that they bought that they
no longer use or want, that has
instructions, and we give it to our
newbie. This time it was Albert. It
was an early Christmas for Albert.
Not only did he get plenty of stuff,
he got great stuff. We had all the
givers to perform the trick that
they brought for Albert; Kevin
King liked his trick so much he
took it back and promised to bring
something else he did not like to
the next meeting. Good for Albert
and good for us, seeing some great
magic. Thanks to all that brought
stuff. Stephen Bargatze
Assembly 50 meets the third
Tuesday at 7PM at Harvest Hands,
Nashville, TN. Contact Mike
Pile mike@py-logic.com (615-)
477-6639 for more details.
52
ONE OF YOUR FIRSTS IN
MAGIC
SAN ANTONIO, TX
January 2, 2014, Brother John
Hamman Assembly 52 held its
monthly meeting at LaMad-
eleine Restaurant. President Don
Moravits welcomed members,
wives, and guests. Welcome to
Jim Cook and also welcome to Ray
Adamss daughter and her family.
Tonights theme was One of Your
Firsts in Magic. Starting off the
performances was Don Moravits,
who shared with us his Magic by
Moravits box of goodies that he
never performs anymore, but is
still important to him, including
several effects given to him by
the late George Blackburn. He
also performed a ring and string
routine by Bob King. Ray Adams,
with assistance from his grandson,
entertained with the Chop Cup.
Claude Crowe amazed us all with
the Wellington Switchboard, and
Ed Solomon performed Spot-itis
and Spirit of the Mirror. Michael
Tallon performed the Vanishing
Coke Bottle, and Doug Gorman
closed the open performances with
a Tri-Colored Chop Cup Routine .
Many thanks to Joe Libby for
his mini lecture. He gave a
very informative lecture on the
Himber Wallet. In addition to
describing the wallet and its basic
function, Joe gave us several ideas
for creative uses of the wallet.
Thanks, Joe, for a very enjoyable
mini lecture.
Door prize winners were Doug
Gorman, Claude Crowe, and
Michael Tallon. Doug won Table
Magic book by Martin Gardner,
Claude won Duane Lafins
Knots Off Silk, and Michael won
Houndidi Deck by Tom Craven.
Brother John Hamman Assembly
52 meets at 7:30 p.m. on the frst
Thursday of the month at La
Madeleine Restaurant, located at
722 N.W. Loop 410. The restaurant
is inside Loop 410 on the access
road between Blanco Rd. and
San Pedro. For more information,
contact douggorman@att.net.
59
AND SO BEGINS SIXTY
YEARS OF MAGIC!
PORTLAND, OR Assembly
59s frst gathering of the year
took place January 19, 2014, at our
annual banquet. The event was
held at the Beaverton Elks and
a splendid time was had by all.
Performers for the evening were
Randy Stumman, Jay Fredericks,
Tom Waldrop, Danny Schreiber,
and Mel Anderson. Bob Eaton was
the emcee.
Larry Seymore was awarded the
Jack Sorrels Award for Service.
Glen Bledsoe was awarded the
Duane Duvall Award for Notable
Works in Magic. Randy Stumman
was awarded Performer of the
Year. Jay Fredericks was awarded
Most Improved Performer.
The 2014 Board was introduced:
Mel Anderson, President; Brian
Adams, Vice President; Randy
Stumman, Treasurer; John Edsall,
Sergeant-at-Arms; Tom Cramer,
At Large; Michael Jaffe, At Large.
Assembly 59 is currently without
a Secretary; Glen Bledsoe is tem-
porarily flling in for some of those
functions until a replacement for
this post can be found.
Our frst club meeting of the
month took place on January 28.
The lecture that evening was
Creating a Buzzkill-free Magic
Experience, or What Hypnosis
and Hypnotism Have to Teach
Magicians. The presenter was
Glen Bledsoe. Showtime per-
formers were Mel Anderson, Tom
Waldrop, and Randy Stumman.
Glen L. Bledsoe
Assembly 59 meets on the fourth
Wednesday of each month except
Jul/Aug/Dec at The Beaverton
Elks, 3500 SW 104th, Beaverton,
OR 97005. Contact Brian Adams
unicycleeagle@yahoo.com (503)
646-8097 htwww.sam59portland.
org/ for more details.
77
WHAT DOES THE BOX SAY?!
MASSAPEQUA, NY Yes,
we had more members than could
ft in a bread box. Thats because
our theme this month was boxes,
boxes, and more boxes. Several
members came up to display and
perform their wares.
First was our business meeting,
which came after our Early Bird
Lesson hosted by yours truly.
Early Bird Lessons are gaining
popularity as the number of our
members is gathering to under-
stand the concepts of magic and
its timing and sleights. But lets
open this box and fnd out what the
meeting has said to all of us.
President Phil Levy started off
with displaying four boxes of
different sizes, The Flip-over
Mikame Encyclopedia of Magic
(shown), a homemade Billet Candy
Box, a Mikame card/billet change
box, and a small rattle box for a
ring or coin vanish. Steve Rodman
pulled out a Magic Box from his
loaded shelves that caused a card
to rise out of the box. Look Ma,
one hand. Pat Darienzo showed a
devious box designed for x-ray
vision or getting a secret look
inside. It was a fooler.
Carol Klein showed off her
homemade box she learned to
build from our past lecture by
Jeff Hobson. Linda Robbins
performed a charming Ring Flite
from a Ring Box to her shoelace.
Gary Levenson brought in a
vintage die box using a pack of
cigarettes. Thats to show us how
old it is. Dave Rosenberg fried us
with Jon Allans Destination Box,
after which John Lepre brought
out one of his many boxes; from
within, he produced an oldie but
goodie, Max Mavens Black Moon
or Kurtosuke. Dr. Mitch Goodkin
presented the Box of Mystery to
us and had plenty of laughs with
every plug of his...well its an
inside joke.
Phil Levy with the box
Professor Rem Stumps
the Jinn
Assembly News
Ben Cohen turned the tables and
left us scratching our heads with
his routine using Deans Box.
Mike Maione took out the props
he needed out of a box and allowed
the thought of a chosen word to
teleport through the air from one
can to another. Nice punch which
made us all laugh!
Next month is a wondrous visit
from Margaret Steele and her dis-
cussion on the impact that the late,
great Adelaide Herrmann had on
future magicians, both male and
female. Other questions regarding
the biography of Ms. Herrmann
will be answered too. See you at
the diner. Lou Johnson
Long Island Mystics Assembly
77 meets at 7:30PM on the
second Monday of the month
at The Community United
Methodist Church Contact
Lou Johnson loucircus@aol.
com (516) 978-7735 www.
limystics.org for more details.
95
GREEK HERITAGE NIGHT
VANCOUVER, CANADA
At the January 2014 meeting,
members of Assembly 95 were
treated to delicious gourmet Greek
food prepared by meeting host
Chef Tony Chris. You would not
fnd better dishes in a Greek fne
dining restaurant, as evidenced
by the menu of Tonys creations:
Greek Spicy Stew, Lemon
Potatoes, Athenian Salad, Spartan
Meatballs, Kalamata Tzatziki,
Mediterranean punch, and Thesali
Stuffed Tomatoes. Everything
was exceptionally tasty and had
everyone coming back for seconds
and thirds. Thanks go out to
Tonys wife Penney for serving the
dishes while Tony was out doing a
flming.
Members had an opportunity
to purchase items from the vast
Eric Lenz collection of magic;
Eric, who was a past member of
Assembly 95, is in a nursing home,
and his wife, Donna, provided
Assembly 95 with the honor of
helping to sell Erics magic.
Starting the evening of Heritage
magic was Lon, who performed
Clearly Mental, an effect from
the Eric Lenz collection. A
surprise was that at the end all
the cards really matched! Glen
LaBarre showed a die with a slot
and a ring. Glen then went on to
penetrate the ring through a pin in
the die. Anthony Young showed
a vanishing handkerchief knot,
a disappearing knot, a safety pin
through handkerchief, linking and
unlinking safety pins, and fnished
with a fame through a handker-
chief. Dennis Hewson suspended
a brass vase on a rope. Rod Chow
did an electronic insurance policy
trick with a unique policy from
his familys heritage narrowest
building in the world, home of their
familys Jack Chow Insurance
brokerage. Henry Tom performed
a two-ring Linking Rings routine
that Henry said was part of his
Chinese heritage. Rod Chow
The Carl Hemeon Assembly No.
95 meets the frst Tuesday of
each month at members homes.
Contact Rod Chow rod@rodchow.
com (604) 669-7777 www.sam95.
com for more details.
104
CASH FROM THE EXCHANGE
OF TRASH AND TREASURES
IN SALEM
WITCH CITY, SALEM, MA
The Wednesday, January 1, 2014,
meeting of Assembly 104 was
moved by the obvious necessity:
it fell on New Years Day (not that
this wouldnt have proven to be
a highly festive occasion for the
two people who may have shown
up). Consequently, the January
meeting was held on the more
rational Wednesday: January 8.
This date proved to be eventful
in its own strange ways. A water
main problem had fooded out
our usual basement digs at the
Church. J Hubbard, our Ser-
geant-at-Arms and problem solver
extraordinaire, worked tirelessly,
all day, to clear out the problem.
When things still werent usable,
he prepared our former upstairs
quarters in time for the meeting to
be held. J certainly was the hero
of the evening.
And then the evening continued
along on an unusual path. Len
Lazars unfortunate absence
meant there was no School of
Magic class. Among other missing
folks, President Bill Jensen had
been TKOd by a fall on the ice. In
fact, attendance was unusually
light for an annual auction meeting
as well. Members did slowly
trickle in on this cold winter night
and Vice President Eddie Gardner
got us down to business and
planning for next months dinner
party, now scheduled for the
Prince Pizzeria in Saugus. With
hot dogs sizzling at the side of the
room, compeers fell into the
routine and began auctioning off
their unloved gaffs and props.
Visiting Marcus Steelgrave
offered a couple of magic kits, a
sponge cake, a baseball change
cap, several fash items, a cool
stuffed wizard owl in need of a
home, and many other items. He
had several takers.
Vince DeAngelis brought Stitch
by Paul Harris, Triple Intuition,
Tossed Out Deck by Gazo, Mind
Bender DVD, Gumble Glim
by Kranzo, and more. Tucker
Goodman stepped forth with
a mystery bag. He said it was
flled with complete DVDs and
gimmicks that included a killer
vanishing bill effect. Tucker got no
further. Marcus bought the entire
mystery bag for $50, the biggest
sale of the night. Eddie Gardner
wrapped up the action with a
volley of joke shop items and
magic DVDs. They ranged from an
old lady puppet and a wig to false
teeth and Soft Skin (dont ask).
The DVDs included Top Secret
and Wolverine Formula. Money
changed hands, a good time was
had by all, and yours truly exited
with a wizard owl under his arm.
Bob Forrest
Wednesday of each month,
September-June, 7 p.m., at the
First Baptist Church of Salem,
292 Lafayette Street, Salem
Massachusetts. Contact Bob
Forrest captainalbrightsq1@
comcast.net (339) 227-0797 www.
sam104.com for more details.
110
HOLIDAY PARTY AND
AUCTION
NEW CUMBERLAND, PA
December and January just few
by this year. December was the
time of our holiday party; we
almost flled our meeting room.
President Mike Snyder presented
the various trophies for 2012 as
well as 2013. Frank Bianco was
the big winner of the night.
There were eight people who vol-
unteered to do a little something
for the assembled members and
guests. Tom Narin did a Las
Vegas thing and Almar did
something with Toms card. John
Sergott did a mental effect with a
list of things in your pockets. Lou
Abbotiello entertained us with
miniature cups and balls while Joe
Noll gave us a Technicolor Pre-
diction. Rod Ries brought along a
Baby Magic doll to show us how
the baby could do some magic and
Frank Bianco provided a four Ace
effect and an Eddie Clever effect.
Mike Snyder closed the entertain-
ment with the production of pep-
permint candies from a coffee
vase.
In January we had an auction.
There was, as usual, a broad range
of values presented. One item was
so unusual that that the purchaser
reported to me days later that he
could not even locate another on
eBay to see what kind of bargain
he had obtained. We were happy to
have a few visitors at the auction
and very pleased to see Tess and
Sam Sandler. The father and
daughter team had just completed
a 130-show, ffteen-state tour with
their DEAFinitley Magic show.
This was the frst part of a fourty-
fve-state tour. Sam is Americas
only full-time deaf illusionist.
There are some great lectures
up-coming in the area. We will
be sponsoring Paul Draper and
Joshua Jay, while the Lancaster
club is having Mike Caveney
and Tina Lenert. I know that by
the time you see this they will
be gone; however, this illustrates
yet another reason you should be
joining your local organization.
Its where its happening.
Joe Homecheck Assembly 110
meets on the second Thursday
at 7:00pm, at Johns Diner, 146
Sheraton Drive, New Cumberland,
PA 17070. Email: Secretary@
SAM110.com
112
KID STUFF
PLEASANT HILL, CA Pres-
ident-elect Larry Zappo Wright
stood in for President Kovacich
for our December meeting. Zappo
reminded everyone where and
when the assembly will be holding
its annual installation banquet in
2014.
Theme for the evening was Kids
Shows/Holiday Magic. First,
though, was a presentation of the
Trick of the Month by Fred Nelson.
Fred demonstrated a neat coffee
shop trick by pulling a wooden
coffee stirrer right through the
side of a paper cup sleeve without
Eddie Gardner puts inventory
on the chopping block
Penney Kazoleas puts the
fnishing touches on husband
Tony Chris Kazoleas master-
fully prepared Greek meal
Assembly News
any damage.
Then David Miller, appearing in
character as Professor Paradox,
performed a number of magical
feats including a topsy-turvy cola
bottle and the disappearance of the
secret formula from a sealed top
secret bag.
Following David was Bob
Holdridge, who performed a pre-
diction effect. Bob presented Kara
Ewing with a sealed envelope
and then asked her to select as a
favorite one of six animals from a
set of large cards. Kara selected the
mouse, and sure enough when the
envelope was opened, it contained
a duplicate picture.
Next to perform were Ric and
Kara Ewing, who presented a
wonderful act with Ricky the
raccoon. Ric called Ian Baird
to the stage to hypnotize Ricky
to prepare him for his part in
the Chamber of Doom (which
looked suspiciously like a Zig Zag
device). Ricky was seemingly cut
into three parts, but a little magic
from Ric restored Ricky to his full
self.
Next, Zappo found a way to
provide Santa (a picture of Santa
on a large silk) with a new suit,
replacing the one lost at the dry
cleaners by using a magic bag and
a magic word from the audience. It
wasnt only Santa with a problem,
though. Rudolph was battling a
cold and sneezed so hard that his
nose fell off. Zappo replaced the
missing nose with a red balloon
which then disappeared when the
familiar red nose returned.
Zappo then performed a card
trick, having one audience
member select a playing card
which was then shuffed back
into the deck. After arranging
several of the cards into the shape
of a Christmas tree on a table,
Zappo asked another spectator to
eliminate, or recycle all of the
cards except one. The remaining
card matched the one chosen
earlier.
David Miller returned to the
stage to demonstrate two more
bits of impromptu coffee-shop
magic to conclude the evenings
performances. It was another great
evening of entertainment and
learning. Bill Marquardt
Diablo Assembly 112 meets on the
third Wednesday of every month at
the VFW building in Pleasant Hill,
California. Contact Larry Wright
Zappo@zappothemagician.com
(925) 685-5129 http://sam112.com/
for more details.
115
NEW OFFICERS AND A NEW
MEMBER
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
Our frst meeting of the New Year
welcomed our new offcers and
a new member. Vice President
Wes Iseli held the teach-in for
our S.Y.M. members Ashley and
Elizabeth Schmitz. Wes gave
hands-on learning about the
overhand shuffe, the double lift,
the glide, the Elmsley count, and
much more. A few of the S.A.M.
members even learned something
new. New President George
Buckley presented the frst draft of
our new by-laws and the assembly
meeting themes for the year and
welcomed any input on both. Dues
for the new year were collected
and active member contact infor-
mation was reviewed.
The theme for January was Levi-
tations and George started us off
with a detailed showing of The
Princess Flying Carpet from his
birthday party shows. Our newest
member, Tom Olshefski, followed
with an excellent performance of
Brandon David & Chris Turchis
Envy-Lope as well as a brief
history of his life in magic. Wes
Iseli followed with a video review
of him and his wife (Natalie) per-
forming The Floating Box Illusion,
followed by his performance of the
fying ring illusion, which turned
into an excellent teach in on the
use of invisible thread. Almost
every member got hands-on time
with the setup and use of invisible
thread. Mark Davis performed his
rubber band and ring levitation.
Dan Hall performed an excellent
Floating Coin routine followed
by his and Bethany Halls perfor-
mance of the Dancing Canes. Wes
Iseli offered a few subtleties on
the handling of the canes, which
turned into another teach-in on the
Dancing Cane with more hands-on
training by almost every S.A.M.
and S.Y.M. member. Wes closed
the evening with a performance of
Peter Pitchfords The Pickpocket.
Tom Olshefski was voted in as our
newest member. Bethany Hall
Assembly 115 meets on the frst
Friday of every month starting
at 7PM at the Forest Lakes
North Pavilion Building at, 1828
Pavilion Circle, Charlottesville,
VA 22911. For more info contact
s a ma s s e mb l y115 @g ma i l .
com. Contact George Buckley
gbbuckley@mac.com (434)
409-2643 for more details.
120
CIMA JANUARY 2014
CHAMPAIGN, IL The last
meeting of the year was a good
one. Chris Bontjes performed his
annual duties beautifully in deliv-
ering his wifes cookies safely and
in a timely manner. Mark Carlon
brought some delicious single
serving cheesecakes from Thats
So Sweet in Bloomington.
Topics of discussion included,
funny words, the passing of John
Calvert, Daryls lecture on Sunday
4/27, and the Central Illinois
Magic Get-Together on June 7th
in Springfeld, IL. As usual, the
topics were numerous, entertain-
ing, and informative with a focus
on Christmas magic stories.
Professor Higgins opened the
magic with his Torn and Restored
Bill, and his Marriage Card Trick.
Jim Percy told us The Legend of
the Christmas Tree and showed
us his Mis-made Snowman. Andy
Dallas demonstrated a Double
Change Bag.
See ya at the meeting. Ken
Barham
Assembly 120, Andy Dallas
Assembly, meets on the third
Wed. 7pm, (except Nov. and Dec.)
For location call Jim Percy at 217-
494-2222 or Ken Barham Sec,
2318 Winchester Dr, Champaign,
IL 61821. Phone: 217-841-5616
email: Kebram@aol.com
131
DANBURY
TOP HATTERS
DANBURY, CT Our 2013
Christmas banquet at Chucks
Steak House is now past. President
Magic Mo is still healing up
and extended his sorrow for not
being able to attend. Walter our
emcee shared the passing of Past
President Michael Piacente of
Assembly 194 with all in atten-
dance, along with a brief history
of his involvement with SYM 42.
The Danbury Top Hatters cel-
ebrated its Christmas banquet
on the Third Monday of January,
2014. There were twenty-four in
attendance and some wonderful
magic to go along with the great
food. SAM Regional Vice
President Joseph Caulfeld and his
lovely wife Cathy attended as our
guests. Joseph performed a short
strong piece of coin magic.
Our own Magic Des made an in-
triguing presentation of magical
props and notes left to him by a
WW II veteran. Mike Brochar
performed s comic card routine.
Tony Spiro wowed us all with a
Tannens Magic prop representing
a black hole, and had a matching
neck tie for the prop. Our own
Bob Able performed some classic
parlor close-up. John Bongo the
silent clown magician made a
presentation of a piece of magic
over ffty years old, followed by a
performance of the effect Bruillo.
Duran did a short card routine
followed by Lee Winters of SYM
42, another honored guest of the
evening, who wowed us with a
few routines using cards, coins,
pen, and comedy. Lee is only
fourteen years old and did an
outstanding job. Our own Chris
Pratt performed a mind reading
effect. Gayl Alexander performed
a Chinese Mystery Puzzle. The
great Charlini of Assembly 194
did a card to shoe routine and
some comedy. Magic Marty, yours
truly, ended the evening with
his signature gold fsh routine
and some coin sleights. A great
night of magic, friends, and food.
Thanks to all attending and to our
performers.
Assembly 131 meets the third
Monday at 7:30pm at United
Methodist Church, 5 Clapboard
Ridge Road, Danbury, CT.
Contact Magic Marty 845-797-
8363 for more details.
138
COWBOY TIME
FORT WORTH, TX Pre-
meetin activities began at
dusk with a 2014 TAOM Boot
Kickin Extravaganza of Magic
kickoff photo shoot of the FWMC
members in their fnest Western
attire. Afterwards, members and
guests packed their gullets with
some mighty tasty BBQ and sides.
After the grub, outgoin President
Larry Heil opened the meetin
with a greetin and agenda for the
evenin. He explained that weather
canceled our December election
meetin so we had two meetins for
the price of one. He commenced
to unload his saddlebags with a
heaping pile of awards. Michael
Stein received the Magician of the
Year award. Recognition for the
outgoin 2013 offcers came next.
Assisted by Kara Ewing and
Ian Baird, Ric Ewing performs
Zig-Zag raccoon. Fortunately,
the raccoon survived
Dancing with the Cane
Assembly News
Then Larry Brown was given an
award and special recognition for
his work on the FWMC registra-
tion website. Then National Prez
Dal Sanders took the podium and
awarded Bruce Chadwick with a
SAM Presidents Citation.
We lected the 2014 offcers and
installed em right then. Hats
off and a big yee-haw for our
new offcers: President Michael
Stein, Executive Vice President
and Program Chairman Matthew
Martin, Vice President and
Webmaster Bruce Chadwick, Vice
President and Editor of the Flash-
paper Geoff Grimes, Secretary
Cindy Chadwick, Treasurer Susie
Schulwitz, Sergeant-at-Arms
Michael Rubino, Historian Rick
Burcher, Members-at-Large Ash
Adams, Michael Dimsdle, and
Joshua Ayala, and Trustee Arthur
Emerson. It was a good race, but
only one rattlesnake can rule the
den.
Outgoin Prez Heil handed over
the coveted presidents wand to
Incomin Prez Michael Stein.
Stein gave Heil a plaque thankin
him for his service. That plaque
sure is a purty thing, displayin a
wand along with fancy words for a
job well done.
After gettin the formalities out
of the way, it was time to dust
off the duds, sit back and relax
to watch the hilarious and very
talented Mr. Trigg Watson. Trig,
as we call him cuz were all such
good friends, had us laughing in
our boots and leavin tear drawn
dust trails on our cheeks with his
comedy routine. Its worth the
detour off the trail to see his show.
The meeting adjourned
at 9:00 p.m. It was time for
all cowboys to hit the sack.
Yall come back now!
Cindy Chadwick
Spring Creek Barbecue, Arlington
Texas Contact Cindy Bighorse-
Chadwick cabighorse@gmail.
com (817) 846-4062 www.
fortworthmagiciansclub.org.
141
FREE MAGIC SHOW BIG
SUCCESS IN MIDST OF
WINTER STORM
COLUMBIA, MD On
Monday the public schools were
closed in the midst of a snow day
that came with frigid temperatures.
While many groups cancelled
their events, the show went on
at Christ Episcopal Church,
6800 Oakland Mills Road in
Columbia, Maryland. The congre-
gation may believe in miracles,
but the nights entertainment was
magic.
The Columbia Conjurers, an or-
ganization comprised of profes-
sional and amateur magicians, en-
tertained in circus style. Two
magicians performed simultane-
ously. The audience was divided
into two groups in which all per-
formers rotated. On the left there
were card tricks and on the right,
disappearing coins a two-ring
circus.
Molly Ward, by far the most en-
thusiastic and youngest patron,
was also the favorite of several
magicians. The young elementary
student assisted with two magic
tricks. Actually, in the perfor-
mance of Kenny Wardrick, the
trick was played on Molly. She was
called to hold Humpty Dumpty (a
boiled egg), but when she reached
for the egg, Mr. Wardrick dropped
the egg. Oh, there goes Humpty
Dumpty. That story ended well.
In this case, Mr. Wardrick was
able to put Humpty back together
again.
The group was smaller than
expected for a good weather day,
but right on target for a snow day,
conceded Theo Rushin, president
of the Columbia Conjurers. The
thirty people who attended the
show found a great getaway from
the weather.
While no one sawed a beautiful
assistant in two, the audience was
treated to a variety of amazing
acts. Cards, coins, and eggs dis-
appeared and reappeared. Each
magician had a different style, but
each entertained with tricks and
comedy that kept their audiences
fxated on the performances. A core
group of about twelve magicians
meet the second Monday of each
month. The total membership
is about sixty, according to Mr.
Rushin. We talk and perform for
one another, and perform shows
for the community, he said. The
group is socially-conscious. Mr.
Rushin said, We have done shows
for Leisure World on Georgia
Avenue. Many of us teach magic
throughout the community.
The value of the perfor-
mances was best summa-
rized when Molly was asked
what she thought about
the show. With a big smile
and a sparkle in her eye,
she simply said, Yeah, I like it!
by Ricardo Whitaker
Assembly 141 meets at Christ
Episcopal Church, 6800 Oakland
Mills Road, Columbia, Maryland.
Contact Kenny Wardrick
junedance@aol.com (240)
575-0991 www.sam141.org for
more details.
150
LENGTHY LEARNING
LECTURE
FT. MYERS/NAPLES, FL
Like magic! Thats what happened
when just a few days before our
scheduled meeting, word came
that the lecturer booked for the
occasion had (gasp) other obliga-
tions. But after a wave of a wand,
a sprinkling of woofe dust, and
okay a series of quick emails
and the show went on. Up from
his Louisiana origins came award-
winner Michael Dardant, with
his Cajun-favored accent, fedora
jauntily perched atop his head,
and nearly two hours of specially
prepared material to intrigue
everybody.
Specially prepared? Well, lets
take one everybody knows: The
one where you have four-of-a-kind
(Aces, say) on top, and then cut
the deck in four packets and ap-
parently randomly move cards
one, two, three from the top of
each packet to another. Then you
end up with one Ace atop each
packet, ta-da! Its a clever and easy
effect when done on a tabletop,
but Dardant made it stage-size.
He got four people up front, each
holding a packet, and had them
shuffe and switch the cards from
one to another haphazardly so at
the reveal each participant had a
Three on top. (His method to keep
one player from doing an actual
shuffe was ingenuous and laugh-
worthy.)
In another example of smart
routining, his Box of Mystery
involved a Brainwave deck that,
after the usual revelation, disap-
peared completely from the case
enclosing it. The three-part routine
called for a spectator to leave the
room while a card was chosen and
yet determine the selection when
a fan of cards was held before his
eyes. (A clever use of a thumb tip,
guys.)
Michael Dardant showed how he
could be ready almost at the drop
of a hat to present a full show,
half-hour or longer. Each deck,
gimmick, or other necessary prop
gets tucked into a clear vinyl
pocket on a roll-up bag that can be
hung over a door. It only takes
minutes to load each item into the
right pants pocket and reset the act
after a show.
Among the items for sale after
the lecture was the bag flled
with everything needed to do his
complete act or effects from it for
about $150. (Just add the practice
and the personality.)
Preceding the lecture, Secretary
Dick Payne noted elections
coming up in March and urged
members to get their dues in (they
were reduced this year to $25
from $35). And Eddy Lester bal-
lyhooed his upcoming production
in Naples. Comedy Two Nite will
feature Craig Diamond and Billy
Ray the Trailer Trash Magician
in a mostly-for-adults show.
Don Dunn
Fort Myers Magicians Assn. meets
the second Tuesday of the month
at Myerlee Manor, Winkler Road,
Fort MYers. Contact Richard
Payne, Sec. Richardhpayne@aol.
com (239) 433-6889 fmmaonline.
org for more details.
157
AWARDS AND NEW EVENTS
BEAVER, PA Ray Lucas
presented the awards for the year
2013. Magician of the year: third
Eric Davis and Tom Chidester,
second Ray Lucas, frst Don
Moody. The Bert Pickard award
went to Tom Chidester. Our guests
for the evening, Keith Simmerer
and his wife, told us about a mon-
eymaking project for the club. His
company has purchased a building
in New Castle, PA, with an audi-
torium for special events. Keith,
associated with magic all his life,
wants to have a magical event once
a month.
A round of applause was given
to Rich Howard for the success-
ful Christmas dinner. The Darryl
lecture will be in April. GPMN
Banquet will be at the Fez in April.
The Kranzo lecture will be the
frst Thursday of June at Ritters
Diner. The summer picnic will
be at Bradys Run Park the frst
Sunday in June.
The performances were emceed
by Ray Lucas. Bill Cornelius
produced an envelope with red,
orange, pink cards. He asked a
participant to pick a card. Back
A smiling Molly Ward is
thoroughly entertained by
magician Kenny Wardrick
Watch the deck go poof
Assembly News
of chosen card said I knew you
would pick this card. Doug Ries
presented two Queens and one
King. He then recited a poem
producing one card or another.
He then showed a container of
dental foss from which he broke
several pieces, crumpling them all
together until he produced one long
string. Eric Davis showed a large
envelope and a deck of cards. The
cards have the frst names of celeb-
rities, audience said the last name.
A participant sat on envelope and
split the deck in half, kept one half,
tossing the other over his shoulder,
done couple more times. Par-
ticipant put fnger on a card, had
Brad on it. A picture of a baby is
removed from the envelope. This
is Brad as a baby. Turns picture
over, it is Brad as an adult.
Ray Lucas announced he had a
deck of ESP cards. He hands out
several of the cards. Gets them
back and asks participant to
choose eight cards; he states what
each card is. Don Moody made a
new version of a trick of Chuck
Caputo. Three wooden blocks,
red, white, blue. Placed three red,
three blue, and three white chips
in bag. Participant chose one chip,
a white one. Don removed the
top block, sliding the other two
forward, removed the bottom one,
leaving the white one foating.
Judy Steed
The Mystic Magicians in Beaver
Valley, Assembly 157, meet the
second Thursday of every month
at the Towne Square Restaurant
in Beaver, PA. Contact Judy Steed
heyjude1943@MSN.com (330)
525 5389 for more details.
161
MAGIC COMPETITION
SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ Our
Jim Hart Excellence in Magic
Competition (back in June 2013)
brought seven performers to our
stage. Norm Rosen began with a
variation on a Chop Cup routine
involving space travel and a ray
gun. Bob Simek had three cards
selected and somehow he had
predicted them with numbers on
their backs. He also had a Red
Bull duplicator with a surprise
ending. The energetic Jeffrey
Wetzel played hip hop music
and danced the night away with
canes, scarves and coins. Charlie
Mulrooney was able to fold
origami behind his back and the
butterfy he revealed was a match
for a thought of number from a list
of origami creations. Scott Leavitt
performed Giovanni Liveras Salt
& Silver routine to some elegant
music. Doug Thornton was able to
predict the total of a menu order
an effect by Jim Steinmeyer. Gene
Soucek had something historical
computer cards that formed
the name of a chosen card. The
winners: 1st Scott, 2nd Norm, 3rd
Jeffrey, 4th Bob, 5th Doug.
This was Doug Thorntons fnal
meeting as president. During his
fve-year tenure, Doug booked thir-
ty-six lecturers from all avenues
of magic. During that time, our
membership increased, for which
our club received the Kellar Award
for Assembly Growth. Thank
you, Doug, for your kind spirit
and hard work. Be sure to visit
us when you are in New Jersey.
Christopher J Smith
Assembly 161 meets on the second
Monday of the month Stage House
Restaurant, 366 Park Avenue,
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
07076. 908-332-4224. Contact
Christopher J Smith - sam-161@
comcast.net (908) 850-8765 www.
sam161.org for more details.
181
A ROSE BY ANY OTHER
NAME
HIGHTSTOWN, NJ Since
neither snow, nor rain, nor heat,
nor gloom of night can keep a
determined magician from an
assembly meeting, our resched-
uled January meeting was impres-
sively attended.
The meeting started with a
workshop by Dennis James
(CoCo) on the Silk to Rose effect,
step by step on how to do it, and
how to make it. The Silk to Rose
is a DIY project. Starting with a
red clown nose, a couple of items
from a dollar store, and a diamond
cut silk, you
can make a
romantic piece
that you can
close your show
with. CoCo, the
recently elected
president of IBM
Ring 200, has
spent a lifetime
in magic having
performed at the
White House
during the
Reagan admin-
istration. He has also performed
with The Greatest Show on Earth,
the Ringling Brothers and Barnum
& Bailey Circus.
After the workshop, the open
mic portion of the meeting
begins. Magicians can perform
and/or teach items they are
working on. There must have
been a lot of pent-up performance
energy stored up during the cold
month of January because I do not
think the club has ever seen such
a plethora of performances. There
were too many to list here but I ap-
preciated them all.
President Stephan Sloan showed
a 1953 Ghostwriter pen used for
double writing that he recently
purchased on eBay. I think the
pen, unused for sixty years, was
older than most of the members in
attendance.
Our Rocco, and he is quite an
original, showed his take on self-
tying shoelaces, predicting a phone
number, spoon bending, and a
great version of Strange Travelers.
One of our new members, Zack,
did a clever select a card/fnd a
card routine.
Jeff Carson, a professional
magician from Philadelphia,
reminded us that we are all
getting a little older, showed us
the benefts of low vision, large-
indexed playing cards. Reba,
sometimes called Silly, followed
the nights theme with a disap-
pearing knot and then a Bob Little
item called Color Changing Kings
to Aces.
Just back from his deployment
as a jet engine maintenance spe-
cialist for our military in the
UAE, Randy, using a palmo, did a
perfect version of Duane Lafins
color changing silk. Perfect
timing, since we announced at
the meeting, Duane Lafin will
be doing a lecture at our meeting
in April. Come join us and bring
your best ideas. David Zboray
Assembly 181 of Hightstown
meets the frst Thursday of every
month, September thru June at the
First United Methodist Church ,
187 Stockton Street, Hightstown,
NJ 08520. Doors open at 7:00PM.
Contact Stephan Sloan lands10@
optonline.net (732) 757-5337
http://www.magicsam181.com/ for
more details.
188
MEMBERS, MAGAZINES,
AND MAGIC
OREM, UT Our annual
Christmas party meeting featured
Stan Allen, editor of MAGIC
magazine, as our special guest.
Hosted at Dave and Jann Good-
sells home, the party featured
great food, friendship, and con-
versation, gift exchanges for both
magicians and spouses, and some
excellent performances.
Ron Carrasco opened with a
giant Christmas Monte, then had
Stan assist in Stan Does a Card
Trick, involving a special book
that predicted a card. Al Lampkin
performed his torn and restored
napkin routine, then Walter Webb
spelled out Merry Christmas
with cards on a ribbon. Curtis
Hickman vanished a selected card
which reappeared in his mouth,
followed by Brian Souths inimi-
table talking wallet trick. The
less said the better.
Kerry Summers drew Santas
face on a poster only to have it
come to life talking and singing.
Then Kerry dressed two specta-
tors like reindeer and magically
had them sing as well, demon-
strating his impressive ventrilo-
quist skills. Steve Dawson made
a snowman out of rope and used
a Christmas stocking to change
three small handkerchiefs into one
large Santa silk.
Guest Theron performed several
excellent coin effects and sleights,
ending with a coin on top of his
head. He then had a card selected
and torn up. Theron vanished
the pieces, with the restored card
found in an unopened present. To
close the evening, Dave Magical
Johnson mysteriously exchanged a
one and fve dollar bill in specta-
tors hand.
Out of respect for Stan Allens
appearance at Christmas, our
January meetings theme was
magazine magic. Steve Dawson
performed a lightning addition
effect in proof of his memoriz-
ing 64,000 different combina-
tions. Jason Carling predicted a
word chosen in a magazine by
a spectator who drew two inter-
secting lines on a random page.
Magical Dave Johnson performed
a mentalism effect using four
chairs, four spectators, and
envelopes containing different
magazines. He also described a
picture a spectator was viewing in
yet another magazine.
Curtis Hickman showed two
magazines and asked a spectator
to choose one and randomly fnd
a word in a block of text. After
asking a few simple questions,
Curtis was able to correctly
Dennis James and Rose
SAM-161 Magic Contest 2013
Assembly News
determine the word selected. He
then performed a version of Chink
a Chink using four different coins
that was simply amazing, and then
performed Hickmans Psychedelic
Card Engine, a very clever card
prediction effect using his laptop.
Assembly 188 meets the second
Thursday of each month at the
Courtyard Jamestown, 3352
North 100 East in Provo, Utah.
Contact Brian South brian@
teachbymagic.com (801) 916-2442
utahmagicclub.org for more
details.
200
JANUARY 2014 MEETING
SEATTLE, WA Our January
meeting commenced with the
election of new offcers. Congrat-
ulations to J.R. Russel, President;
Mark Paulson, Vice-President;
and Chuck Kleiner, Secretary.
Our magic began with Ralph
Huntzinger showing us an ABC
block prop that was immediately
purchased by Michael Jacobs
at a bargain price that included
change of a $1,000 bill. Tom
Payne followed with an innovative
creation that involved string theory
and demonstrated how ten dimen-
sions could change into the four
dimensions that we can perceive.
Chuck Kleiner had everyone take
nine cards and after numerous in-
dividual selections every member
found the card they had selected at
the same position as everyone else.
Bill Murray, Ralph Huntzinger,
Ric Ruidl, and Roger Sylwester
all shared interesting magic books
and magazine articles from collec-
tors items to new releases.
Jim Earnshaw wowed us with
his amazing sleight of hand set
to music. He performed a routine
with silver dollars, a salt shaker,
and a dinner knife in which the
silver dollars magically vanished
from his hands and appeared either
under or on top of the salt shaker.
Michael Jacobs taught us the word
Houdinize and then performed
a very creative version of grand-
mothers necklace using props he
developed. John Cameron made
us laugh with his kid show cut
and restored rope routine, which
he gave us permission to use in
our shows. Ben Eskenazi fooled
us with two card routines. Danny
Dragon shared a story about is his
PTSD ( post traffc stress disorder)
where an arrow showing traffc
direction frst changed direction
and then changed color and
position.
Chris Carlisle performed a
Joshua Jay routine in which he
not only found the selected card
but also dealt a winning blackjack
hand, straight fush, and perfect
bridge hand from a mixed deck.
Larry Dimmit talked about robots
and showed us a control panel
with three different colored lights
and three matching switches. Even
when the switches were moved
or the bulbs were changed the
switches always lit their matching
color bulbs. Finally a thought-of
color lit just with the power of
the spectators mind. George Zuk
showed us a cool effect with hair
tie bands named Mister Muscles
and Little Pinkie. Mark Paulson
wrapped up our meeting with a
cool mentalism effect in which
he predicted the color of a ball
selected by one of four volunteers.
Chuck Kleiner
The Emerald City Wizards
meets the frst Thursday of each
month at 7:00 PM at a branch
of the King County Library,
WA. Please check website for
meeting locations. Contact
Chuck Kleiner chuckkleiner@
yahoo.com (206) 2360608 www.
emeraldcitywizards.com for more
details.
206
READING MINDS IN AUSTIN
AUSTIN, TX Austin
Assembly 206 devoted its January
meeting to mentalism why
it works, and why it sometimes
doesnt. The star attraction was
Brad Henderson, author of The
Dance, an acclaimed book on
cold reading. Sofa Dyer, AKA
The Girl Who Knows, performed
the opening act with her father,
assembly secretary Jake Dyer.
Mr. Henderson acknowledged
that both magicians and the
general public often perceive
mentalism in negative terms, that
it suffers a bad rap as an entertain-
ment form. This is because mental
effects unlike traditional magic
effects often are not visible to
the audience, he said.
Mentalism is invisible; its the
invisible art, Mr. Henderson
explained. With a magician,
sawing a lady in half, we see her
go back together. But the act of
(one person) thinking of a number
is something that nobody else
gets to participate in. Mentalism
is invisible in that way. But were
aware of these problems. So why
dont we solve them?
Henderson said that the invisible
aspect of mentalism can be both
a weakness and a strength, and
he used a simple card force as an
example. Depending on the pre-
sentation of the card force, the
audience could be led to believe
the magician possessed the ability
to read minds, read muscles,
foretell the future, implant
hypnotic suggestions, had super-
natural abilities, or had superhu-
man memory skills. Invisible
magic opens the door to endless
possibilities, he said. Henderson
also provided a number of quick
tips for the working mentalist.
The assembly also was treated
to a number of mental miracles by
The Girl Who Knows, a busking
street psychic based in Austin. The
Girl Who Knows correctly identi-
fed a number of cards, hidden
objects, and even the name of an
audience members absent friend.
In December the assembly was
treated to the comedy ventrilo-
quism of veteran entertainer Ian
Varella, who was the featured
performer for the annual holiday
banquet. R.A. Dyer
Assembly 206 meets at the Omni
South Park Hotel, 4140 Governors
Row, Austin, Texas. Contact Jake
Dyer jakedyer@yahoo.com (512)
658-0017 http://sam206.com/ for
more details.
215
KARL HEIN LECTURE
LOUISVILLE, KY The
January Louisville Magic Club
meeting began with congratula-
tions to former club president
David Garrard for his article
In Defense of the Rings in the
January issue of The Linking Ring.
The forty or so members present
welcomed new members David
and Arym Olden, Aries Chorazak,
and Dean Serneels.
The rest of the evening we were
entertained and mystifed by
Karl Hein, who is known all over
the world for his amazing card-
handling abilities. Besides cards,
Karl specializes in performing for
family audiences, and he shared
his thoughts and tips on perform-
ing shows for all ages.
The following are among the
many effects that Karl shared with
us: Heinsteins Dream, a torn and
restored card routine; Heinsight,
a trick with all Jokers that has
a kicker ending; Heinsteins
Triumph; various false riffe and
overhand shuffes, including
a double one-handed shuffe;
Breaking the Second Rule, a repeat
card-under-box routine; a color-
changing deck routine; Heiny
500, Karls version of Pat Pages
Easy Money in which fve $1 bills
change into fve $100 bills; Slow
Change; Heins Catch Up, a fve-
phase coin routine with copper/
silver/brass coins; a sandwich
effect called Grandmothers BLT;
an impossible Rubiks Cube trick;
and a hat trick in which a chosen
card is found in the magicians
hat, along with a bottle of ketchup.
There was something for everyone
in this lecture, from the beginner
to the experienced fnger-ficker,
and Karl demonstrated the ability
to both entertain and mystify.
Roger L. Omanson
Assembly 215 meets at the The
Kosair Community Center on
Eastern Parkway. Contact Roger
Omanson (502) 296-6577 for more
details.
266
A NEW YEAR OF MAGIC
AND FUN
LAKELAND, FL The new
year was kicked off with our
fnal planning to see the Masters
of Illusions Live show coming to
town next month. President Jerry
Kardos led us in style through the
spirited meeting.
In a change from his usual paste-
boards prowess Ed McGowan
showed off his mind powers by
having a nut unthread itself while
we watched; he then pulled his
IHOP tip off of the screen of his
phone. Amazing Sammy showed
us a color prediction and an effect
in which a one and a fve dollar bill
changed places in Beverly Ken-
emuths hand.
Beverly stayed on stage with
her hand-carved rising tube that
she created in her workshop. Our
other master craftsmanship Jerry
showed his version of a Jay Sankey
vampire effect that would raise the
dead. He also did a penetration
illusion in miniature with his die
stab.
Scribe Al DAlfonso scorched
the room with his take on Josh
Jays Inferno, a well thought out
routine thats easy to do. Marty
Bristow did a set that featured his
fve coin prediction in addition to
a trick in which the devil tempted
our guest Randy Smith. Clean-up
batter was a surprise appearance
by Mike Peterson, who showed a
Jack Carpenter card transposition
that delighted.
If your travels bring you to
Central Florida make sure to
squeeze in a visit to join in on our
year of magic! Al DAlfonso
Jim Zachary Assembly 266 meets
at 7PM on the second Wednesday
of the month at the Lakeland
I-HOP on the intersection of 1-4
and Rt 98 Contact Al DAlfonso
From left, mentalist Brad
Henderson, Sofa The Girl
Who Knows Dyer, and
Esthers Follies magician Ray
Anderson
Assembly News
keeper0499@embarqmail.com
(321) 4373814 for more details.
277
THE PMMC CELEBRATES
THE HOLIDAYS
STROUDSBURG, PA The
members, friends, and family
of the Pocono Mountains Magic
Club held their annual End Of
The Year Holiday Party this year
on December 20, 2013. The party
kicked off at 7:00 p.m. with Big
Daddys serving appetizers for the
guests in our section of the res-
taurant. We then performed some
magic for the club, with thanks
going out to Odes Odhner, S.
Patrick, Ryne Gade, Austin Miller,
and Jordan Benoit for performing.
Jordan Benoit, straight from his
frst professional strolling gig two
months prior, performed his chain
shackle escape. Austin Miller
was up next with an entertaining
fnd a card routine he learned
from Joshua Jay. Ryne Gade was
up next with a unique card trick
that he learned at the Kutztown
PA Magic Convention back in
November. S. Patrick was up
after Ryne with a great Christmas
tale that used everyone in the
room as a volunteer, two people
dressed in costumes, an entertain-
ing story, and a great fnale that
saw Rudolph Save Christmas.
Odes Odhner performed last and
brought his usual macabre twist
on the holiday. He helped Jordan
Benoit reveal the manner in which
he was going to die in the future.
After several gruesome deaths,
and some funny ones as well,
Jordan was relieved to fnd out his
death will be a peaceful one.
We then engaged in our annual
Holiday Gift Exchange Game.
This year there was a bit of a twist
in the game because this year the
gifts and exchanges followed a
very entertaining poem that was
read aloud by S. Patrick. S. read
the stanza based upon which
number was up and the poem
directed the player as to what to do
with their gift! From the feedback
we received, everyone enjoyed
the evening. Thanks again to
everyone who came out and we
hope to see everyone again soon in
the year 2014!
Our Library Workshops
continue to be a success.
December was a round table dis-
cussion on Technology in Magic
and January will be a Magic To
Music theme. We always have a
great time at these workshops and
everyone always learns something
new.
Check us out if you are anywhere
near Eastern Pennsylvania. Give
S. Patrick a call. S. Patrick
Assembly 277,The PMMC meets
at the Art Space Gallery (18 N.
7th St. Stroudsburg PA. 18360)
on the third Friday each Month.
We also meet at the Hughes
Public Library (1002 N. 9th St.
Stroudsburg PA. 18360) on the 1st
Monday each Month at 6:30 PM.
Contact S. Patrick damagician@
verizon.net (570) 242-6821 www.
pmmc.webs.com for more details.
291
NEW YEAR, NEW PLACE,
OLD FRIENDS
LOS ANGELES, CA The
meeting was called to order;
President Bill Beddacare informed
us of the upcoming magical ride
ahead for Assembly 291 in 2014.
Bill Beddacare and Les Cooper
awarded Stephanie Chase, one of
our newest members, her certifca-
tion from The Society of American
Magicians. We are now meeting
in a new location. Thank you to
Les Cooper and Doris Roach for
working very hard and diligently
to keep Assembly 291 and S.Y.M.
141 ongoing. We are now meeting
in Los Angeles instead of the Boys
and Girls Club of Venice. Venice
was a dear old friend, much like
the initial beginnings at Mark
Twain Middle School.
While in Venice during 2013,
we enjoyed some wonderful
lectures, a swap night, and our
annual cookout at Stephen and
Carol Levines striking home.
Our thanks to former president
Frank Padilla Jr. for volunteer-
ing and hosting the 80th PCAM
that brought all of the Pacifc
Rim (including: Japan, Hawaii,
Western Canada, and California)
together where new friends were
made and old friends reunited.
On Halloween we had a fun night
of ghouls and goblins, and then
ending the year with a pot luck
at Bill and Nancy Beddacares
beautiful home. We also welcomed
new members into our fold.
So if we piqued your interest,
come and see what fun and magic
we hold in store for you. William
Dow Jr.
Assembly 291 meets the 2nd
Tuesday of every month at OPICA
Adult Day Care Facility, 11759
Missouri Avenue, Los Angeles,
CA 90025. *This is subject to
change.* Contact Les Cooper
Cooperl@ucla.edu (310) 473-1820
www.westsidewizards.org for
more details.
292
APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS
GREELEY, CO Performanc-
es for our January liquid magic
theme resulted in two large tables
full of apparatus. (Members had
explained the effects and then left
the props on display.) We enjoyed
roaming around the tables and
viewing the apparatus at close
range.
Over lunch, during a brief
business meeting led by new
President Jim Pope, Paul Noffs-
inger discussed possible speakers,
and will try to book lecturers for
March 15, April 19, and June 7.
Reporters of shows performed
included Alex Acosta, Teagan
Brown, James Lopez, Rich Nakata,
Lloyd Worley, and Lew Wymisner.
Highlights were Tim Pendergast
raising $1,600 for a charity and
Paul Noffsinger performing in
a very beautiful womans yoga
studio. It was decorated with big
stunning photos of her in yoga
positions and his audience was
to be barely-adolescent boys. He
knew hed survive when the frst
boy to react exclaimed, She sure
is limber.
Show time! Jim Pope opened
by needling a Styrofoam cup of
water, which didnt leak because
he had used Aqua Slush powder
to gel the water. Alex Acosta
showed a version of U.F. Grants
Chen-Lee Water Suspension that
he made himself. We welcomed
guest Jaret Anderson who
performed a card effect. Teagan
Brown recited Kate and Edith.
James The Amazing James
Lopez linked two drawn rings
(Venti Diagram from Gregory
Wilsons DVD Coffee House
Magic). Rich Nakata performed
another Chen-Lee Water Sus-
pension, and displayed both Al
Bakers porcelain rice bowls and
the Morrissey Magic Ltd. three-
piece set of aluminum rice bowls.
Paul Noffsinger used Will Tsais
Vapr to make clouds of steam
(special effect smoke) billow up
from his bare hand. Tim Tim
Foolery Pendergast produced
snow and a giant snowfake. Lloyd
Worley the Wizard Worley did a
water-production.
Lew The Great Loudini
Wymisner contributed a suitcase
full of apparatus. He performed a
humorous Backstage Milk Vanish.
He displayed several sealed props
including a milk glass, Aldinis
Magic (Alex Weiner) Sealed Milk
Pitcher, and a John Fabjance milk
bottle. He showed the metal
pitcher that is half of Merv Taylors
Por-mor, Fil-mor Combination.
Lew presented Abbotts Chinese-
face Modern Lota Bowl, a P&L
(Petrie-Lewis Mfg. Co.) Giant
Copper Lota Bowl, and a clay
lota from India that was really
metal.
Since we were running way
overtime, Brian Hallisey gra-
ciously offered to perform at a
later date. Ron Dutton
The Dr. Ronald P. Dutton
Assembly 292 usually meets at
Kennys Steak House, 3502 West
10th Street (corner of 35th Avenue)
at 11:00 A.M. (lunch optional), on
the second Saturday of the month.
Contact Jim Pope jlp1616@
comcast.net (970) 339-3277
www.SAM292.com for more
details.
Backstage with Lew Wymisner
NEED TO WRITE AN ASSEMBLY REPORT?
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Submit Form. Youre done, and your report comes to us in format that makes our job a lot easier, too.
WALT CHILCOAT
Walt Chilcoat of Churchville, Maryland, passed away
on December 3, 2013, after an eleven-year struggle with
thymoma cancer. Walt was a student of magician Carl
Roberts, who presided over Walts wedding to his wife
Karen forty-one years ago.
Walt performed magic since he was in high school, but
stopped a few years ago because of complications with
cancer. As you can tell by his member number (9656), he
was a long-time member of the S. A.M. Walt is survived
by his wife, sons, twin granddaughters, and many friends
and other family members.
May he rest in peace. Phil Milstead
JIM STRAUB
MARCH 22, 1952 JANUARY 10, 2014
Jim Straub, past president
and longtime member of
Assembly 4, passed away
at the age of sixty-one on
January 10, 2014, following a
courageous six-month battle
with brain cancer. Jim, who
was born on March 22, 1952,
in Philadelphia, Pennsylva-
nia, was raised in the Mayfair
section of Philadelphia and
graduated Father Judge High School in 1970, where he
was an all-star athlete, playing both football and basketball.
Jim graduated Temple University in 1974 where he played
baseball. He married his high school sweetheart, Patricia
Wixted, in 1975. They settled in Bensalem, Pennsylvania,
where the couple raised three children, Jim, Michael, and
Trish. Knowing that her husband had been bitten by the
magic bug as a child, Pat gave him Bobos Modern Coin Magic
as a Christmas gift the year they were married. Although
Jim worked as an estimator for various engineering frms
over the years and more recently with URS, he decided to
perform magic professionally in 1979 after having joined
Assembly 4 in 1978. He worked hard as a dedicated member
of the organization and eventually became Assembly 4
president. He hosted David Copperfeld when the King
of Magic visited the assembly in the 1980s to discuss and
promote Project Magic.
An all-around entertainer who was both funny and
immensely likeable, Jim could just as easily enchant a room
full of small children as he could hold spellbound a corporate
audience. Jim quickly became one of the Delaware Valleys
most sought-after magicians and frequently performed at
trade shows, corporate events, and private parties. While
he excelled in stage, platform and close-up magic, he was
a superb card and coin manipulator. He was frequently
retained over the years to perform magic for various Phila-
delphia sports franchises, including the Phillies, the Eagles,
and the Flyers. He was even hired to perform magic for
the Rolling Stones when they visited Philadelphia for a
series of concerts.
Although Jim was passionate about magic, he was
equally passionate about his family and his friends. He was a
member and usher at Saint Ephrems Church in Bensalem.
In addition to being a member of Assembly 4, Jim was
a member of I.B.M. Ring 6 in Springfeld, Pennsylvania,
I.B.M. Ring 165 in Collingswood, New Jersey, and The
Delaware Knights of Magic. He lectured at these clubs
as well as at SYM Assembly 96 in Philadelphia numerous
times over the years and was always extremely generous
with both his time and talent. Jim originated several
killer effects over the years. He competed in numerous
magic contests over the years, often earning frst prize.
Several years back, Jim was awarded the Assembly 4
Charles H. Hopkins Award, which is the highest honor
that can be bestowed on a member of the assembly. Like
Hopkins, Jim was truly a gentleman in every respect.
Jim lived his life to the fullest. He was an amazing magician,
a wonderful friend to many, and a loving husband, father,
and grandfather to seven grandchildren. Love, kindness,
generosity, and unbridled enthusiasm were the hallmarks
of his existence. His smile and his laugh were infectious.
If you had the pleasure to know him, you were so much
better off because of him. The world is a much kinder and
funnier place because he was here. His family and friends
will miss him greatly. I know I will. My condolences to you
all. Rest in peace, Jim. Peter Cuddihy
NEW MEMBERS
Abreu, Roberto
Miami, FL
Abroms, James
Burbank, CA
Alpern, Michael
Skokie, IL
Ayala, Joshua
Fort Worth, TX
Bairefoot, Michael
Myrtle Beach, SC
Barnes, Benjamin
Elmhurst, IL
Biggs, Erich
Concord, CA
Bossert, Timothy
West Chester, PA
Braessas, Martin
Caba, Argentina
Branco, Chris
North Dartmouth, MA
Camardo, Edavid
Sutter Creek, CA
Chalmers, Diane
Rochester, MN
Chang, Sandy
Taipei City, Taiwan
Coats, Andrew
St Louis, MO
Covert, Rob
Murfreesboro, TN
Elleby, Clay
Yorkville, IL
Franceschini, Rick
Carolina Beach, NC
French, Bryan
Conesus, NY
Gallegos Greenwich,
Joel
Rochester, NY
Galore, Bizzaro
Las Vegas, NV
Gentry, Jeff
Chesterfeld, MO
Gerard, Tod
Long Beach, CA
Gerlich, Kat
Duluth, GA
Gerlich, Jack
Duluth, GA
Gerstner, Kevin
St. Louis, MO
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Shawnee, OK
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Broken Wands
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or deletions to: Anthony Antonelly, Chairman, Sick and Convalescent Committee, (215) 820-3192 ext. 1512. magicforfun60@aol.com
Roger Barr
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New Members & Reinstatements Cont'd
THE VANISHING CANE IN
NEWSPAPER
From January 2012 to December 2013
I wrote a monthly column in M-U-M titled
Stage 101. The basic idea was to explain
ways in which a beginning performer
could improve his craft. As is my literary
style, those columns were a broad mixture
of magic history, practical advice, theory,
and personal anecdote.
What you are reading now is a new
venture that is a bit different in two
important ways.
First of all, it is a quarterly column,
which quite frankly is a better ft for me
because my performing schedule is quite
busy and it can be diffcult keeping up with
a monthly deadline. But more important,
the big difference is that this new column
will be less theoretical; it will be devoted
primarily to the explanation of specifc
magic tricks. Since I am a stage magician
who specializes in stand-up magic as well
as manipulation, you can bet that this
is the area where I will concentrate this
column. That said, my aforementioned
literary style still applies. Finally, where
special apparatus is involved, you are free
to construct your own for personal use, but
I reserve all manufacturing rights to these
items.
Today I will discuss an effect that I have
performed for a very long time. I frst did
it when I was a fourteen-year-old kid-show
magician; in fact, I still perform it in my
show today. The trick is commonly called
the Vanishing Cane in Newspaper.
The basic effect is that a magician rolls
a seemingly solid cane into a single sheet
of newspaper. The paper is then unrolled;
the cane has disappeared.
Before I explain my method for this
effect, I will frst give a little history on
how this trick evolved as a direct result
of a confuence of disparate factors, such
as fashion, wartime rationing, and airline
security.
In my M-U-M column published in
April 2013, I explained that for hundreds
of years conjurers have used magic wands
in their shows. At frst these wands were
simple wooden sticks that were commonly
used to assist in the psychological conceal-
ment of palmed objects (as in the classic
Cups and Balls trick).
Later, in the nineteenth century,
conjurers began to use wands made
of hollow metal tubes that contained
apparatus that enabled the magician to
perform various effects. For instance, in
the 1876 book Modern Magic by Professor
Hoffmann there are two different me-
chanical wands that are used to produce
coins and candy. Because of centuries of
theatrical use and a reputation built upon
literary folklore, the magic wand has come
to be universally accepted as a device
with which a conjurer wields his magical
powers.
It should however be noted that the
main subject of this essay is a cane, and
a cane is a completely different object
from a wand. First of all, a cane is physi-
cally different, in that it is a lot longer and
thicker than a wand. Second, a cane has a
different use and is not normally associ-
ated with magic. Today a cane is seen as a
device that aids people who have diffculty
walking, hence the name walking stick.
But a long time ago that was not always
the case; most canes were actually fashion
accessories. This came about because in
the late eighteenth century as the western
world became a bit more civilized and less
violent, men began to forgo the carrying
of a sword and instead carried a cane.
And while a cane could be used as a blunt
weapon, the primary purpose was as an
item to be carried by a well-dressed man.
Another item that came into vogue at the
same time was the top hat. So by the mid
nineteenth century, a cane and a top hat
were very common articles; it did not take
long for magicians to develop magic tricks
with top hats. The most popular being
the magical production of items from a
borrowed top hat. This type of routine
became so iconic that even today people
still associate a magician with the produc-
tion of a rabbit from a hat. Interestingly,
during the 1800s tricks with canes were
exceedingly rare.
While a male theater patron from the
nineteenth century would commonly
wear a top hat and carry a cane, it was
considered impolite to actually wear the
top hat during the show, lest the adorned
hat would block the view of the stage for
others. The hat could be placed on the lap,
but the size of the item made it a bit cum-
bersome. The hat could be stored under the
theater seat, but that would risk soiling it
from the dirty foor. Therefore, most men
of that time were forced to leave their hats
with the coat check at the entrance of the
theater. It is for this reason that about two
hundred years ago someone invented a col-
lapsible top hat that could be conveniently
folded fat and placed alongside the arm
rest of a theater seat during a show. Thus, a
fashionable man could wear a top hat to the
theater and avoid the long lines at the coat
check. Because of its use by theatergoers,
folding headgear came to be known as an
opera hat.
It stands to reason that at some point
somebody would create a collapsible cane
as a companion to the folding opera hat.
Such a product was invented in the late
1800s and was made out of a coiled roll
of spring steel about three inches wide; it
came with a cap that acted as a decorative
knob. My mentor, Ricardo Fantasio, who
has vast knowledge about the history of
canes, tells me that this cane was actually
very similar to an appearing cane. By that I
mean that the coiled steel was tempered to
be in the fully extended position. So when
a man reached his theater seat, he would
remove the knob from the cane, carefully
compress the spring-loaded cane, and put it
under tension laterally into the top hat. He
would then collapse the hat, which held the
cane. When the show was over, the top hat
was popped open, the cane was removed
and allowed to fully extend, and the knob
was forced down on the top of the cane,
making it rigid.
In the early twentieth century, the
vaudeville magician Carl Rosini (1885-
1969) used exactly this type of folding
cane for a vanish. But the three-inch
width of the steel coil made it very hard to
palm and the natural tendency of the cane
to spring open made it very diffcult to
vanish effectively. While Rosini was doing
the vanishing cane, most other magicians
around the world were doing a far more
common trick: the Vanishing Wand.
THE VANISHING WAND
The frst really popular method for the
Vanishing Wand was the version described
in the 1914 book Tricks of To-day by Yelma
(Photo 1). That version used a black and
By Levent
Stage 101 Practicum
silver paper tube with a wooden dowel
hidden inside. The paper tube with the
dowel was tapped against a table to prove
that it was solid. Then, while the magician
picks up a sheet of paper, the dowel is
secretly allowed to slide out of the paper
tube and fall into a hidden shelf (called
a servante) on the back of table or into a
black art well on the top of the table. The
paper tube (which looks like a solid wand)
is then rolled up into the sheet of paper.
The rolled up paper (along with the paper
tube) is then crumpled up into a ball and
discarded, thus implying that the wand had
vanished.
Later, a much improved method was
invented that eliminated the necessity of
getting rid of the wooden dowel. In this
version the black portion of the wand was
actually a thin cardboard tube and the
white tips were wooden dowels simply
stuck into the ends of the cardboard tube.
This way this wand could be tapped against
a table; the sound created by the wooden
dowel gave the illusion that it was a solid.
The wand was then rolled up in sheet of
paper. The rolled paper (along with the
paper tube) was torn up into several pieces
and discarded, once again implying that
the solid wand had vanished. This method
became especially popular when it was
published in the original Tarbell Cor-
respondence Course in Magic (1927),
which took the extra step of shipping extra
cardboard wand shells (among other props)
to the people who subscribed to the mail-
order course.
THE VANISHING CANE
TO SILK
In the 1930s a magician named Russ
Walsh (1894-1971) invented the frst
practical vanishing cane and sold it to the
magic community. It seems that Walsh
took the original idea of the collapsible
cane and improved it in several important
ways. First, he had the steel coil tempered
so that it would naturally spring into the
closed position. He had the width of the
metal coil reduced to about two inches so
that it would be easier to palm (when fully
collapsed). Furthermore, Walsh added one
more idea to the trick that truly revolution-
ized the effect. He attached a silk to the
center of the coil and another silk to the
center of the knob. This way, when the cane
was fully extended and locked down with
the knob, it secretly contained two silks
inside. In performance the magician held
the cane aloft with one hand holding the
knob and the other holding the tip (called a
ferrule). When the knob was removed the
coil of steel rapidly collapsed and the two
silks instantly came into view, thus making
it seem as if the cane had changed into a
pair of silks. And since there was a silk in
each hand, the silks provided perfect cover
for the collapsed cane and knob that were
palmed in each hand. This trick became
an instant classic and ushered in the era of
cane magic.
As visually pretty as Russ Walshs
Vanishing Cane to Silk is, theres something
to be said for the old vanishing wand trick
in which the paper was torn up to demon-
strate that the stick had disappeared. The
process of tearing up the paper and tossing
away the pieces was a fashy affair that
exuded showmanship and was a sure fre
applause getter. In the 1930s stationary
stores sold a long shipping envelope with
an opening at the end. Coincidentally, this
stiff manila envelope was the perfect size
to hold a fully extended Walsh Vanishing
Cane. At some point a clever magician
came up with the idea of using one of these
envelopes for the Walsh cane, so that the
trick could conclude with the tearing of
the paper. This method quickly became
popular, and eventually in his instruc-
tion sheets Russ Walsh suggested that the
cane could be vanished in a long paper
envelope.
THE VANISHING CANE IN
ENVELOPE
The basic effect was that a magician
displayed a Walsh cane and tapped it on
the foor to prove that it was solid. The
cane was put into the end of a long manila
envelope. The end of the paper was folded
over and stapled shut. Then the envelope
was torn up and the empty pieces were
thrown out to the audience.
This effect was performed in the
following manner. The right hand holds
a cane at the knob; the long envelope is
held at its center in the left hand. The right
hand inserts the ferrule of the cane into
the opening of the envelope and pushes
the cane into it. When the tip of the cane
reaches the mid-point of the envelope, the
right hand removes the knob, while at the
same time the right thumb securely holds
the cane, preventing it from collapsing
prematurely. Then as the cane is pushed
further into the envelope, the right thumb
loosens its hold on the coiled steel so that
the cane collapses into the right hand. The
illusion is of the cane being pushed all the
way into the envelope, but in reality the
collapsed cane and knob are retained and
palmed in the right hand. The stiff manila
paper of the envelope retains the shape of
the cane, giving the illusion that the cane
is still in the envelope. The right hand
then reaches over to the table and secretly
dumps the collapsed cane and knob while
picking up a small stapler. The end of the
envelope is folded over and stapled shut.
The envelope is then rapidly torn into
bits and the pieces are thrown out to the
audience, thus proving that the cane has
truly disappeared.
Among the conjurers who did the
Vanishing Cane in Envelope was a man
named Edwin Jerome Ziegler (1920-2009),
who performed under the stage name
Bobby Baxter. Baxter was a fne manipu-
lator, the funniest magician I have ever
seen, and at one time he was my mentor.
During World War II, Baxter was perform-
ing in nightclubs; to his dismay he discov-
ered that due to wartime rationing he was
no longer able to fnd the long envelopes
for the Walsh cane. Interestingly, however,
newspapers were plentiful, so Baxter put
two and two together and created a better
version of the trick.
BOBBY BAXTERS
VANISHING CANE IN
NEWSPAPER
The effect is that a magician rolls a
cane up into a single sheet of newspaper.
The rolled paper is then held at the center
with the right hand. The right hand then
retains a corner of the newspaper, and in
a fash, the paper is allowed to unroll, thus
showing that the cane has instantly disap-
peared.
Baxters version of the trick had two
clear benefts. First of all, since a newspaper
is perceived as an ordinary item, it is au-
tomatically above suspicion. The other
beneft is that the action of letting the paper
unroll is quite visual and, if done properly,
it garners instant applause. Baxters trick
became so popular that Russ Walsh began
suggesting the rolled newspaper vanish in
his instruction sheet for the cane, but sadly
Photo 1
he gave no credit to Baxter. Eventually
Harlan Tarbell corrected this situation by
stating in print that it was Bobby Baxters
original idea.
The method for Baxters newspaper
trick is almost identical to the vanishing
cane in envelope, except that it begins
with the process of rolling the cane up di-
agonally in the single sheet of newspaper.
Next, while the left hand holds the center
of the rolled paper, the right hand grabs
the knob of the cane and pulls it halfway
out of the end of the rolled paper, as if to
show that the cane is still there. The right
hand then secretly removes the knob, while
retaining tension on the cane to keep it
from collapsing. In one smooth motion the
cane is pushed into the rolled paper as the
right hand loosens the tension on the cane,
so that the cane is secretly collapsed into
the right hand. Once the cane and knob are
palmed in the right hand, you must fnd a
way to get rid of it. Typically this would
mean that the magician would have to
reach into his pocket, dump the collapsed
cane and knob, and get another item.
This could be anything: a magic coin,
confetti, or even invisible woofe dust.
The manipulator Fred Kaps (1926-1980)
used to open his famous act with Bobby
Baxters vanishing cane. Kaps entered the
stage dressed in white tie and tails, while
carrying a Walsh cane and newspaper.
After he rolled the cane up in the
newspaper and stole the cane in this hand,
he dumped it into his trouser pocket and
then retrieved a salt shaker. He sprinkled
the magic salt on the newspaper and then
made the salt shaker disappear by tossing
it into a secret pocket (called a profonde)
in the tail of his coat. The non sequitur
of taking the salt shaker from his pocket
was odd, but in the end it all made sense,
since he closed his act with Roy Bensons
Long Pour Salt Trick. I would be remiss if
I did not mention that Kaps got the idea of
using magic salt after he did a TV show
in Germany in the 1950s with Paul Potassy
and saw that Paul did an entire act with a
salt shaker containing magic salt.
LEVENTS KID SHOW
CANE
When I was a boy I opened my kid
show with Baxters Vanishing Cane in
Newspaper, but I used a different ruse to
get rid of the cane and knob. I would get a
child up to help me. I told the audience that
I was going to make the black cane change
color. I rolled the cane up into the paper
and sealed the paper with a small piece of
scotch tape, so that it would not unroll pre-
maturely. I then handed the volunteer three
eighteen-inch solid color silks red, white,
and blue. The boy waved the red silk over
the rolled up cane; I would remove the cane
from the rolled paper and show that I failed
in making the black cane change to the
color red. I repeated the process with the
white silk, and once again failed in making
the cane change color. But this time I
retained the cane and held it by the knob
in my left hand; I put the rolled up paper
in my prop case. I then told the kids that I
only had one other color (blue) left and this
was my last chance to do the trick! I then
transferred the cane from my left hand to
my right hand and in doing so I retained
and palmed the knob in my left hand and
held the extended open cane securely in
my right hand. I went to the prop case with
the left hand to pick up the rolled up paper
and in doing so I dumped the knob of the
cane. The right hand then inserted the cane
into the rolled up paper, but I secretly let
the cane collapse into my right hand. Next
I used my right hand (which was palming
the cane) to take the red and white silks
away from the volunteer. I dumped the
two silks along with the collapsed cane
into my prop case. At this point the kids
thought the black cane was still in the
rolled newspaper, but it was actually
empty and my hands were clean. I then told
to volunteer to wave the blue silk violently
over the rolled newspaper. And afterwards
I said, I think he put too much blue on the
cane, because it blew away. And with that
pun, the paper unrolled and the cane was
gone.
LEVENTS VANISHING
CANE IN NEWSPAPER
As I started to do more real magic
effects in my comedy act in the 1990s I
decided to do Bobby Baxters trick in the
opening sequence of my show. But I felt
that the faw in his trick was that you had
to palm the cane and knob and fnd a way
to get rid of it. I then remembered the
early version of the Vanishing Wand from
Yelmas aforementioned book and the fact
that the rolled up paper was crumpled up
with the gimmick still inside the paper.
That trick relied upon the clever ruse
that if a solid object had been in a paper
container, the simple action of crumpling
up the paper psychologically implies that
the item had vanished. This is at the heart
of many tricks, most notably the old Weller
vanishing rubber beer bottle, which today
is associated with Norm Nielsens terrifc
collapsible bottles.
Knowing this ruse, I therefore reasoned
that if I could palm the cane and knob in my
hand, let the newspaper unroll, crumple up
the paper, and then add the cane and knob
into the balled up paper, I would have no
reason to dump the cane, thus making the
trick seamless.
An easy way that this could be done is
as follows:
Roll up a cane in a newspaper and hold
the paper at the middle with the left hand.
The left hand gets hold of the corner of
the paper so that it can later be allowed to
instantly unroll. In the standard manner
allow the cane to collapse and palm it and
the knob in the right hand. The moment it
is stolen, the left hand (which is securely
retaining a corner of the paper) lets the
paper unroll. As soon as it fully unrolls the
right hand (which is still palming the cane
and knob) comes up behind the paper and
both hands quickly crumple up the paper
over the cane and knob. The balled-up
paper (along with the hidden cane and
knob) is thrown away.
I said that this is how it could be done,
but this is not exactly how I chose to do
it. I believe that good magic is really a
sum of its parts; the right combination of
nuance, subtlety, and clever thinking can
make a big difference in the deceptiveness
of a trick. Bearing this in mind the exact
method that I used was as follows:
I am aware that its hard to palm a
collapsed cane and knob in one hand. That
is why when I did the trick as a kid show
magician, I chose to palm off and dump
the knob and the cane separately. The great
manipulator Fred Kaps had very large
hands, but if you watch him do this trick,
you can see even he is having a tough time
palming these two items effectively. So I
reasoned that it is best to have the smallest
possible cane and knob. Some metal
vanishing canes have a very long chromed
ferrule, which makes the palming espe-
cially diffcult. That is why I always used
an actual Walsh vanishing cane, because
the ferrule on that cane is very short and
compact. As far as I know the Walsh canes
are no longer made, but can be found on
the used market. The second problem is
that most of the cane knobs are too big
for the trick. So I got rid of the large ivory
knob that came with the Walsh cane and
substituted it with a thin brass pipe about
three-quarters of an inch in diameter and
cut it down to about three-quarters of an
inch in length. I covered it with white cloth
tape, so it was basically a white ring that
was forced over the top of the extended
cane. In this manner the metal cane and
knob formed a smaller package that was
easier to palm (Photo 2).
Stage 101 Practicum
The next thing I did was to utilize a
technique that I call wand theory (see
my column in the April 2013 issue of
M-U-M). Basically this means that if you
are palming an object, you can psychologi-
cally hide the object by holding a visible
object (such as a wand) in the same hand.
Bearing all this in mind, I did the
vanishing cane in newspaper in the
following manner in my comedy magic
act:
I rolled the cane up diagonally in the
newspaper. The newspaper (and cane) are
parallel to the foor and held at the center
with the left hand in the palm up position.
The right hand gets the knob of the cane
and pulls the cane completely out of the
rolled paper and momentarily displays the
cane to the audience. The right hand is then
turned palm downward and reinserts the
cane into the end of the rolled-up paper. As
the cane is pushed in, the knob is removed
and the cane collapses into the right hand,
where it is palmed in the standard manner
(Photo 3). Now comes the important part.
Without hesitation, the right hand (with
the palmed items) comes down on top of
the center of the rolled up paper and the
paper is transferred from the left hand to
the right hand. Next, the right arm is fully
extended outward with the palm facing the
audience, but the cane and knob cannot
be seen because the rolled newspaper is
covering them (Photo 4). The left hand can
now be shown empty. To recap, the illusion
is that youve simply pushed the cane into
the rolled up paper and transferred the
paper from your left hand to your right; the
so-called wand theory protects the cane
and knob in your right hand. Now comes
the part that takes a bit of practice. The
right thumb takes hold of the corner of
the paper and lets the paper fully unroll,
showing that the cane is gone (Photo 5).
Next comes the clean up, which is when
the left hand comes up to the right hand.
Both hands work together to crumple up
the paper over the cane and knob. Once the
paper is balled up with the cane and knob
safely ensconced within, the whole thing
is thrown into your prop case and you are
clean!
That is pretty much how I did the trick
for a long time, until the terrorist attacks on
September 11, 2001, an event that caused
me to make one more improvement on the
trick. Let me explain; I am a professional
entertainer, who almost never performs
locally. By that I mean virtually all my
shows require me to travel by commercial
airliners. The fact that sometimes luggage
can be lost means that I try to bring as
much magic equipment with me in my
carry-on bag. After the terrorist attacks,
the Federal Transportation Security Ad-
ministration was created and airport
security got stricter. I had to be very careful
about what I carried, because odd-looking,
metallic items in my case were under great
scrutiny. For some unknown reason the
metal vanishing cane was causing the TSA
agents to hand inspect my carry-on case,
thus delaying my travel.
METAL VS. PLASTIC
It became obvious to me that in order
to make my air travel easier, I had to stop
carrying the Walsh metal cane in my
carry-on bag. I began to consider using
a Fantasio plastic vanishing cane for the
trick, because the plastic cane would not
cause concern in the X-ray machine.
The problem is that the plastic cane does
not work well for the Vanishing Cane in
Newspaper trick! The reason is because
when the cane collapses it rubs up against
the newspaper; the plastic cane is just not
springy enough to do the trick without
fumbling. That said, in every other way the
Fantasio cane is a terrifc prop. So I came
up with a solution that not only allows the
plastic cane to be used, but it also makes
the trick smoother and the cane and knob
much easier to palm!
LEVENTS PLASTIC
VANISHING CANE IN
NEWSPAPER
To do my current version of the trick
you must go to an offce supply store and
get one of those small retractable reels that
people use for ID cards. The nylon cord in
these reels comes in different lengths, so
you might have to look around until you
fnd the right one. Next, you must cut a
Photo 2
Photo 4
Photo 3
Photo 5
large notch into the plastic Fantasio knob
and glue the reel into the knob. The end
of the retractable cord is attached to the
ferrule of the cane (Photo 6). In this manner
the cane can be extended with the spring
loaded nylon cord running through the
center of the cane. When you do the trick,
the spring loaded reel actually causes the
plastic cane to collapse far better and faster
than the metal cane. A secondary beneft is
that the collapsed cane and the knob are
now a single unit; you are no longer trying
to palm two different objects at the same
time. When I frst came up with this im-
provement, I let the right hand unroll the
paper; I then brought my left hand up the
bottom edge of the paper and I secretly
dropped the connected cane and knob
behind the paper from the right hand to
the left hand. The effect being that my left
hand was seen to be empty and then once
the paper had unrolled, I took the paper
into my left hand and the right hand was
also seen to be empty, before I crumpled
up the paper. Magically speaking this was
extremely deceptive, but I soon realized
that this move was basically designed to
fool magicians and not worth the risk of
accidentally dropping the cane on the foor.
THE GORDIAN CANE
At frst, I did this effect with the USA
Today newspaper. Then about ten years
ago I noticed that it was physically smaller!
This meant that the rolled up newspaper
could not fully cover the cane, which
is very bad for the trick. So, I started to
use the New York Times, but about a year
later it was also being printed on smaller
paper, which caused me to use the Wall
Street Journal. Then I heard that soon
the Journal was going to be printed in a
smaller format. I thought about purchas-
ing a big quantity of the larger Wall Street
Journal papers so that I could do the trick
for a while. But I eventually opted for a far
simpler solution to my problem.
Ancient legend has it that a king named
Gordius tied a rope into an extremely
tight and intricate knot; he prophesied that
the man who could undo his knot would
become the ruler of Asia. Many men tried
to untie the Gordian Knot, but failed.
One day a young king named Alexander
used his sword to chop up the knot and
untangled the rope. He eventually ruled all
of Asia and became known as Alexander
the Great. Taking a cue from this tale, I
took a pair of scissors and cut about a foot
of plastic off of the Fantasio cane, making
the extended cane shorter so that it could
be easily covered by the currently available
newspapers.
2014 Levent Cimkentli
Stage 101 Practicum
Photo 6
New Apps for My Home Screen
Mikael Montier is a very clever guy. He churns out some
real winning apps. In a time when magic trick apps are slowing
down, Mikael seems to breathe some new life to old classics; he
uses dramatically simple methods so the magician can concen-
trate on the presentation. Dont be fooled by the lack of clever
names for his effects; there is a lot of creativity and potential in
his frst three offerings.
Trick #1
Yup, that is the name
of the app. Lets get right
to the point. Remember
those art pads on which
you scratch away the
black to reveal colors un-
derneath? Thats what it
looks like when you have
the spectator rub away
the black on your phone
screen to reveal the chosen court card from a deck. Absolutely
free choice of any court card. Spectator rubs the screen and his
court card is revealed. Ive already thought of two presentations
for this one. Trick #1 is only 99 cents in the iTunes App store
and the Google Play Store for Android.
Trick # 2
Whenever I read
about the Knights
Tour trick, I get bored
instantly. Although
impressive, a few
thoughts arise: How
many people in the
audience understand
chess? What is the big
deal that he memorized all the moves? Hes not playing the
game with anyone so who cares?
Trick #2 is a more down-to-earth blindfold game. Its Tic-
Tac-Toe. Everyone knows that game. The magician sends an
email containing a link to a Tic-Tac-Toe game to a spectator.
You are going to play together on the spectators smart phone;
but to show off your memory skills, you will not look at the
game! You start to play and tell your moves to the spectator,
who makes his own decisions for his turn. You will never lose
and you will never play any previously played move. If you have
played Tic-Tac-Toe as an adult, you know that it is possible that
the game will end in a draw, but you will never lose.
This is a clever method with no memorization necessary.
This trick is so easy that you have to keep from smiling while
youre performing it. Trick #2 is available for 99 cents on the
iTunes App Store and Google Play Store for Android.
Trick #3
Are you beginning
to see a pattern to the
names of the apps?
Trick #3 is my favorite
because of the simplic-
ity of it. Its a book test
a really good one. For
the effect, I use a Harry
Potter book for kids and
families, and 50 Shades of Grey for the adults. Any book can be
used for this effect. The effect starts with the book on the table.
The magician lends his iPhone to a spectator who performs
the following steps on the calculator: multiply a random three-
digit number by another random three-digit number and then
divide the new number by a random four-digit number.
The magician then hands the book to the spectator to fip
through the pages to the corresponding number. Many times
you get a number with decimal points. Ignore the decimals.
The magician tells the spectator to concentrate on this
random page and look at the frst and last words on this page.
With some concentration, the magician reveals the exact words.
This is very easy to do, and it will work one hundred percent
of the time no memorization, no gimmicked book, no tricky
math. A different page and different words occur every time. It
is easy to carry around and looks natural.
A friend asked me why I use Fifty Shades of Grey for the
book. I use it because this book test only reveals two words and
I like to use the excuse that the book is so adult in nature that I
cant quote whole pages. I will quote the frst and last word of
the page and let your imagination wonder what was in between!
Spend the measly 99 cents in the iTunes Apple Store for a
real reputation-making routine. Bravo!
A Magicians Dessert
The folks at Fred and Friends
have really pulled a rabbit out of
their hat. But its no illusion, its
Neat Eats. This kit comes with
two silicone hat-shaped cupcake
molds and rabbit-ear forks. Follow
the easy to make directions and
you will have a pair of rabbit-
out-of-hat desserts. I wonder if
the two will multiply? You can
get this nice set in specialty shops, on amazon.com, or at
http://fredandfriends.com/products/view/neat-eats-magic-cup-
cakes
Bruce is always on the lookout for computer magic, iPhone/
iPod Touch apps, and tech toys that can be used in magic appli-
cations. If you have any suggestions for future columns, write
to him (SAMtalkBruce@cox.net).
ITS IN THE BAG
There is a reason the mantra you
get what you pay for is a time-honored
axiom. Thanks to the Walmart mentality
we have accepted in recent times, we are
more concerned with the bottom line than
the quality of what we buy. Its easy to
slip into the habit of ignoring this ancient
dogma in these challenging economic
times. We often bypass quality items and
begin searching for a better deal. We do
it with everything from hairdryers to
healthcare.
And, of course, who doesnt want to save
a buck, especially when buying something
as trivial as magic tricks. We relentlessly
search online for whos got the cheapest
version we can get away with using. We
fnd a vanishing cane that looks great for
twenty bucks. Of course, it slices the hell
out of our hand, but at least we saved sixty
bucks. Sometimes it pays to buy premium
products because they are durable, have
a guaranteed track record, and will last
you through your whole career. If you are
a road warrior and have spent the money
to buy good costumes, you might as well
spend the money to get some luggage to
pack them in. Puck discovered this while
looking for suitcases to use while on the
road. He found a great bag that not only
keeps his clothes coming out looking sharp
but has some added benefts that make it
well worth spending the money on quality.
Puck relates, When I was a fy-on
entertainer for Carnival Cruises, I traveled
in and out of the country at least twice
a week. This extreme amount of travel
really took a toll on the luggage I used.
When Puck says luggage, he uses the
term loosely. He, like many of us, fgured
that rather than spend a lot of money on
an expensive suitcase that was just going
to get beat to hell going back and forth
from ship to ship or country to country,
why not purchase a less expensive piece
of luggage from Walmart or Target? This
way if a wheel or two got knocked off or
if the zipper broke, we could just easily
toss it and grab another one for forty bucks
and wed be good to go. This sounds like a
good plan, given our proclivity for seeking
a good bargain. But there is a difference
between a real piece of luggage and a real
piece of...crap.
Puck continues, I primarily used one
small to regular sized suitcase that would
get checked, and a suit bag for my costume
that at the time was legal to carry on.
These bags would last about a month and
a half with the amount of abuse they took.
Straps would break off, zippers would fray,
holes would develop, and wheels would be
missing as my bag entered the conveyor
belt at baggage claim. I was burning
through luggage like crazy.
One day at Macys, while waiting
for my wife to fnish doing whatever she
was doing, I decided to take a look at the
luggage department. I saw sturdy and very
nice looking bags that I thought would be
great for my trips. When I took a look at
the price tags, I almost passed out! These
bags ranged in price from $250 to $600
each. For some reason I decided to bite
the bullet and purchase two bags at $400
each. It seemed crazy dropping a total
of over $800 with tax on two suitcases.
I actually spent more money that day
at Macys than my wife did. However,
they were very sturdy, looked sharp,
and were made by Victorinox, which
is a subsidiary of the Swiss Army
Company. Puck fgured if they made
a good knife that takes a lot of abuse,
chances are their bags would also be
up to the test of being tossed around by
airport luggage brutes.
One bag was a standard-sized
suitcase and the other a suit bag
that satisfed the new regulations to
be admitted as a carry-on, Puck
remembers. The suit bag is unique in
the fact that in order to be considered
a carry-on, it folds the suits in thirds.
The design is very organized and allows
for a lot of packing. I fll mine with a pair
of shoes, my microphone, MP3 Tech,
two suits, ties, belt, toiletries, one pair of
jeans, underwear, tee shirt, dress shirt, and
enough magic material to perform a forty-
minute show (should my checked props get
lost). And this all fts comfortably in the
overhead compartment on board the plane.
These bags really took a pounding
over the years, but have completely
outlasted the cheapo bags out of which I
would only get a few trips. In fact, Ive had
the same two bags without substitution for
a little over six years. My standard-sized
checked suitcase still works well and looks
good. As to be expected, even though
these bags are top notch, after six years,
my suit bag recently developed some
fraying on the zipper, which was starting
With Scott Alexander, Puck,
Jenny Alexander, and Adam Ace
Hit The Road
to become a problem when opening and
closing the bag. One of the wheels had
cracked, making rolling the bag diffcult.
I fgured that since I got six years out of
it, I can honestly say it was worth the high
price tag. It was time to retire the bag.
Just for the heck of it, Puck went online
to see if he could order another wheel
from the company; instead, he discovered
something remarkable. He continues, As it
turns out, according to the manufacturers
website, my bag may be covered by a
warranty. I picked up the phone and I
called them; sure enough, it was. They
directed me to a local authorized luggage
repair shop about twenty minutes from my
house. I took my bag there and they fxed
the zipper and replaced not one, but both
wheels within a few days. To top it off,
they even sent it back to me via FEDEX.
The whole thing cost me nothing! I didnt
even have my receipt from all those years
back. My bag is good as new and still
going strong.
Another feature of the Victorinox
luggage is the return plate that is in the
owner contact compartment. This is a
serial number that you register when you
get the bags. If your bag is lost or comes
up missing, the airlines know to use the
phone number and serial number to fnd
the owner. Not only that, but Victorinox
will make sure it gets back to you if it is
found.
Puck also revealed that there are a few
other little features that are quite nice.
These suitcases come with a universal
padlock that you can use to secure your
belongings. When TSA wants to check
your bag they have a universal key to
unlock and search your bag without
issue. They dont have to cut off the lock
to root through your bag to fnd out what
that coiled up piece of black spring steel
is. You know, the one with the white tips
lurking there inside next to an unusually
large coil of rope and sharp scissors. All
in all, Puck has been very happy with his
decision to spend the cash and get the right
bags for the job. He has convinced me to
wisely invest in these bags for myself. As
he points out, You can pay now or you can
pay later; its your choice.
Not Just Kid Stuff
By Jim Kleefeld
TRICKS ARE NOT
ENTERTAINING
Tricks are not entertaining, at least not
to most laypeople. That is to say, magic
is not inherently fun. If you want to be a
good performer you must come to realize
that audiences do not feel the same way
about magic that you do. Most people do
not enjoy magic, tricks, puzzles, or being
fooled. Some do, of course, and chances are
many of those will voluntarily attend your
magic shows. But often your audience is
made up of three types of spectators: fans,
the uninterested, and the nonbelievers.
Fans are the few people who have had
some contact with magic and are amenable.
They like the concept and are willing to
suspend their disbelief so they can be en-
tertained. Uninterested people are usually
the ones who come with the fans. They are
skeptical of magic and magicians, but are
willing to sit through what they hope will
be a theatrical performance with some en-
tertainment value. The nonbelievers are
the ones for whom you have to work harder.
They come in all forms, but they enter a
magic performance ready to dislike it. In
a kid show, maybe an older brother was
forced to take his little siblings along to
the library. Maybe everyone in the school
is expected to sit through every assembly.
Maybe you showed up at the family picnic
just when Cousin Ferdinand was winning
at tag. Maybe the twin brothers think
magic is stupid, but mom said they had
to go to their classmates birthday party.
However it happened, the nonbelievers
will be there. They will sit waiting for the
magician to screw up so they can laugh,
elbow their friends, and say, I told you it
was phony. Problem people are in your
audience. They are the people who do not
think that tricks are entertaining.
One of the causes of problems in magic
is that we magicians tend to believe that
tricks are entertaining. We expect all in
our audience to be magic fans, when in
fact those may be the smallest subset of
watchers. You are a magic fan. You like
magic or you wouldnt own a box full of
props and put on a magic show. But when
you present your show, you need to ac-
commodate, even charm nonbelievers and
the other people who are not fans, whether
they are children or adults.
Your show should be entertaining and
magical. I know many performers tout
that the entertainment comes frst, but I
dont quite buy that. I believe that if you
offer your services as a magician, then the
magic must be paramount. Yes, you must
be entertaining, but you must also focus
on magic. Much of what you present must
invoke a sense of surprise, wonder, or awe.
Otherwise, book yourself as a singer, a
storyteller, a comic, or a babysitter. If you
advertise a magic show, do magic.
If you went to see a ffteen-minute
magic show and the performer did one
trick with a Change Bag in which he
spent thirteen minutes passing out break-
away, fall-apart, color-changing, multi-
plying, bending, stretching, and noise-
making wands, would you be impressed?
Sometimes ancillary props and bits of
business add to a magic show because they
are funny and different. But they should be
a small addition to your act, not take up
more time than the magic effects. Do you
want kids to come up after the show and
ask, Why didnt you do any magic?
The frst step in honing your magic
show to accommodate everyone is to
examine your act. Go over your script and
think about what you do, how much time
you spend doing it, and how much of it is
actually magic.
The second issue is less obvious but
more signifcant. The fact that we are
magicians often makes us blind to the
magic we are performing. You have heard
that many magicians blink when practic-
ing a secret move. They psychologically
fool themselves into thinking that the
audience cannot see their sleight because
they, themselves, do not see it. You will
have to realize and work on that problem
on your own. My discussion here involves
something similar but larger the Big
Blink, or not selling the magic to your
audience.
Ill repeat the articles title. Tricks are
not entertaining. Most magicians perform
a magic trick in shortcuts because they
know and like the magic. You get enter-
tained thinking about the trick, practicing
the trick, and performing the trick. The
trick becomes entertaining to you, the
magician. You believe it will be equally
entertaining to an audience. But often it is
entertaining to you because you like magic.
You have a background knowledge about
magic. You appreciate effects, methods,
subtleties, and variations. Your memory
cannot help but recall the many times you
have seen or performed the trick. Almost
none of these conditions apply to your
audience. They do not know what is about
to happen. They have not seen a version
of it dozens of times before. They cannot
chuckle inwardly at a secret move or a
prepared event, or compare your presen-
tation with several convention perform-
ers. And on top of that, most of them will
not pay close attention to all the necessary
details that sell the effect. They do not stare
at your every movement or listen carefully
to your every word. They do not hold dear
to the verbs you used in your script. So
when you get to the climax and reveal the
surprising conclusion of magic, it is not the
same to them as it is to you.
They miss the magic, and to them the
trick is not entertaining.
So what can you do to make tricks
more entertaining? One of the main
weapons you have in your arsenal is your
script. Very few childrens entertainers
present a silent show. That fnely-honed
twelve-minute manipulation act with an
orchestrated background score may serve
you well at convention contests, but not for
a forty-fve-minute kids show. Childrens
performers have to talk, and here is where
you enhance and explain the magic. Your
storyline might be witty, mysterious, sad,
surprising, or funny, but it must also be
expository. To help the audience realize
the entertainment value, use your patter to
explain the magic.
Relinquish yourself to the fact that the
magic is not self-explanatory. Give up the
belief that children will understand and
love the magic when they see it. They are
not magicians, and despite what you want to
believe, they are usually not even watching
you all that carefully. Most of the time you
need to tell them what is magical. If you set
a box on a tray and it falls apart, they will
probably laugh. But suppose you explain
how you have to place the box carefully in
the center of the tray because it is a magic
tray that knows when something is not in
the right place. Then the box falls apart.
Now it is funny and magical. Pull a dozen
silks from a Square Circle. Thats a pretty
effect, right? How much better would it be
if it were both pretty and more magical?
Show your square empty. Show your circle
empty. Pull out a few silks. Stop and show
the pieces empty again. Tell the audience
that there could not possibly be anything
inside because they can see right through
the pieces. Put them back together and pull
out dozens more silks. Now its pretty and
much more magical.
The key is to sell the magic, not just
let it stand on its own. Think back on
your recent shows. How many times have
you dropped a routine because it was not
getting a good enough response? Maybe
the audience just did not realize how good
the magic was. There are probably several
ways to better sell the magic.
Lets look at a standard Coins Across
routine using a standard Coin Tray. I use a
Viking Stainless Steel Tray, round, about
seven inches across with a four-coin load.
Place eight coins on the tray. Load four
into the compartment. Have two helpers,
one on either side. Show the tray with eight
coins. Ask the girl on your right to count
them. Slide them off the tray into your
hand and drop them in her hand, holding
back four when you do so. Tell her to close
her hand tightly. Reach to your table and
grab four more coins, adding them to the
four you palmed from her stack. Count all
eight coins onto the tray. Make a gesture,
showing both hands empty. Turn to the boy
on your left and dump the coins from the
tray into his hand, adding the load. Have
the girl count her four. Have the boy count
his twelve coins. Several coins transposed
locations from one person to another.
Thats magical, right? Sadly, with all the
counting and moving back and forth and
recounting, many people miss what magic
actually occurred. Children, in particular
may not discern that the girls handful di-
minished and the boys increased. Even if
they do notice, a few coins more or less
does not seem as magical as a complete
vanish or appearance.
Now lets try it again and use a script
to sell the magic. Eight coins are on the
tray; four are in the load
chamber, and four more
coins are on a table behind
you, hidden, but easily
accessible. Two specta-
tors assist, one on your
right and one on your left.
Lets presume that you
have done a trick with the
two helpers and are about
to dismiss them into the
audience.
I want to thank our
two helpers by paying
them, if thats all right with
you two. Retrieve the coin
tray with eight coins. I
have a few coins here, but
I did not count them and I
want to split these evenly.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell
you. Magic rules say that
I can only give you these
coins if you are helpers,
not certifed magicians.
Real magicians get paid
by applause. Only helpers
get coins. You are not real
magicians are you? Turn
to both helpers to ascertain a response.
Okay, good. Now, dont do any magic,
or you will be real magicians and then I
cannot give you the coins. If you were real
magicians, then you would get applause.
Lets count the coins. Turn to the girl on
your right. Molly, can you count these
coins out nice and loud for everyone?
Touch each one and talk loud so everyone
can hear. Have her count the eight coins
out loud. Right exactly eight coins.
Good. Now hold out your hands. Turn
one hand palm up to demonstrate. Ill put
the coins in your hand like this. Dump
the eight coins into your hand. Then you
close your hand and hold onto them tightly,
okay? Turn your hand palm down, palm
off four coins, and drop the other four into
her hand. Leave your hand hovering over
hers for a moment to make sure she closes
her hand into a fst.
Turn towards the table and pick up
four coins, adding them to the four in your
hand. Start to address the boy, but then
turn back to the girl. Now Molly, do not
do any magic. If you are really a magician,
you would get lots of applause, but no
coins. Turn to the audience. During my
last show, the girl made all of her coins
disappear. Molly, you wont make all of
your coins disappear, will you? Turn to
the boy on your left. Kevin, I have more
coins here, but I want you to count them
to make sure you get the same as Molly.
Place the coins on the tray
loudly, one at a time, while
he counts. There are
eight coins. Good. Just like
Molly. Turn back to the
girl. Molly, remember:
do not do any magic. Do
not turn those coins into
chickens.
Turn back to the boy.
Kevin, hold out your
hand. Pause and pull
back the tray a bit. You
wont do any magic with
the coins, will you? Turn
to the audience. Last week
the boy made six coins turn
into ten coins. Since he did
magic, I couldnt give him
any of the coins.
Turn back to Kevin.
Hold out your hand.
Dump the coins into his
hand, adding the load.
Close your hand tightly.
Wave the tray a bit to show
it empty, set it down, and
gesture to show your hands
empty. Good job, helpers.
You can go back to...wait. I have to make
one last check to make sure that you didnt
do any magic. Turn to the girl. Molly,
you still have coins in your hand, right?
Turn to the boy. And Kevin, you still have
coins, right?
Pick up the tray again and address the
audience. Lets just double-check. I hope
they did not do any magic with those coins.
Two weeks ago a girl turned pennies into
quarters. Turn to the girl. Molly, you
had eight coins. Open your hand and
count them onto the tray. One, two, three,
four...four? You have four? Turn to the
audience. Didnt I just give Molly eight
coins? (Do not ask the girl, because she
may tell you that it felt like less in her
hands.) You made four of them disappear!
Uh-oh! Molly did magic. Turn and dump
the coins onto the table.
Lets see if Kevin did any magic.
Turn to the boy. Kevin, you had eight
coins. You counted eight, right? Did you do
any magic? Count all eight coins onto the
tray. One, two, three, four, fve, six, seven,
eightnine, ten, eleven, twelve. Twelve?
You turned eight coins into twelve coins by
magic. Hey! Kevin did magic! Set the coin
tray on the table and turn to the audience.
Well, I guess they both did magic, so I
cant give them the coins, but you can give
them a big round of applause.
In this routine the magic could stand
on its own, but the patter sells it better.
Some magic does not need an explana-
tion. If you stand still, hold out your arm,
and a four-foot cane appears instantly, you
wont need to tell anyone what happened
or why it was magical. But many childrens
routines, especially those with long or sto-
ry-driven plots can be strengthened with
some scripting. Check your routines. Are
you trying to let the magic stand on its own
merit, or do you help clarify what happens
and really sell the event? It might help to
frequently remind yourself that Tricks Are
Not Entertaining.
EMERGENCY EXIT
Murphys Law tells us that anything
that can go wrong will go wrong. Some
people go even further and claim that
Murphy was an optimist.
Sure, anything that can go wrong will
often go wrong at least one time. It will
happen to at least one person. And what
if that person happens to be you? In a
performance? Ive been there. Youve
been there. I have worked with many of
the greats, both Dutch and international
performers, and Ive seen Murphys Law at
work in their acts. Murphys Law is always
on my mind in the process of developing
a routine. What could go wrong? How
can I prevent it from going wrong? Or,
if something goes wrong, how can I save
myself? In other words: Where is my
emergency exit in any phase of the routine?
DESTROYING MAGIC
I feel much more pressure to prevent
failure while performing magic than I did
in other performance arts. When I played
music, I knew I could miss a note without
wrecking a whole performance. For a
while, I was an actor; missing a line didnt
mean that the whole play was ruined.
A glitch in a magic performance can
annihilate the whole routine because (part
of) the secret may be exposed. I feel deeply
ashamed after messing up a routine. And I
think that the feeling of guilt is deserved,
because ninety-nine percent of the time I
could have prevented the mistake. Better
preparation, including emergency exits, is
the answer most of the time.
I dont want to overdramatize this
issue, but I do feel that the nature of magic
requires us to prepare meticulously. Even
the casual performer needs to protect the
secret to create a magical experience. And
if youre paid for performances, like I am,
its even more important, because you want
to be fawless and surpass the expectations.
By discussing how and why we can fail, I
hope to provide a sort of checklist that will
help you to make yourself look better as a
magician, have more fun while performing,
and create memorable magical experiences
for your audiences.
I will talk about: the kind of faults that
can occur and some ways to prevent error
or recover from a mistake on stage; some
of the underlying causes for things to go
wrong.
Keep in mind that Im looking at those
mistakes from an audiences perspective.
It doesnt matter how bad I felt about the
mistake. The main criterion for me is
how the mistake affected the audiences
experience. Lets be honest, what I feel is
a bad mistake can sometimes turn into a
wonderful moment as far as the audience
is concerned.
MECHANICAL FAILURE
We use all kinds of invisible tools to
help us create a magical experience for our
audiences, from a sophisticated hold-out to
a simple thumb tip. Even the simplest tool
or gimmick needs to be maintained and
triple-checked. We can break an invisible
thread, our hold-out can fall apart, a
dropper that is attached to our coat can
come loose, the nail writer can break, a
coin shell may get damaged after falling on
the foor and may not ft the coin anymore,
a screw of our production box may come
loose, a rubber band may break while
doing the Crazy Mans Handcuffs, or the
roughing fuid of our Invisible Deck can
wear out so multiple backs are exposed.
There are thousands of mechanical things
that could break down.
My frst strategy is to avoid gimmicks
that may, at some point in time, fail.
If I really like the effect, I try to fnd
alternatives that rely on sleight of hand,
psychology, or low-risk gimmicks. If I
decide to use the gimmick after all, my
second strategy is to fnd the best quality
one and then buy two more. Having two
backups will ease my mind. Even if I never
use them, the peace of mind the backups
create will strangely reduce the chance
of things going wrong. Its like my judo
teacher always told me: the better you are
trained at judo, the smaller the chance you
will have to use your fghting skills.
For example, when I did a lot of
magic at corporate parties I did Nicholas
Einhorns Spooked a brilliant version of
the Haunted Deck that you can perform
in short sleeves, surrounded by a group
of people. I think Al Bakers version is
more reliable, but the hands-off character
of Einhorns version won me over. A card
is selected and put back in the deck. The
deck is placed on the foor; you step away
from the deck and make the top half of the
deck move away. To top it off you make
the selected card jump out. My index
fnger hovered over the deck and I used the
shadow of my fnger to move the top half
of the deck. Its an incredibly strong effect.
But it relies on a tool that could break down
(its a marketed effect, so I cant explain
whats going on in detail). So I bought two
extra gimmicks. I trained myself to handle
it the proper way to reduce the risk of
breaking. I also created an emergency exit
just in case it happened to break (see the
Emergency Exit paragraph below).
Apart from the backup and emergency
exit script, I need to maintain all the
gimmicks I use. For example, the rubber
band in a fipper coin can wear out. I will
replace it way before I risk breaking it.
ELECTRONIC FAILURE
Nowadays there are a lot of props and
gimmicks that depend on batteries. Im
not just talking about your portable sound
system or John Corneliuss FISM Flash.
Most of the time those tools arent essential
to producing the magic moment. Im
talking about gimmicks that are essential
to making the magic work. There are a lot
of magic tricks that depend on an electronic
system and there seem to be an increasing
number of mentalism effects that rely on
those types of gimmicks. Ive seen some
unfortunate examples of electronics failing
and felt bad for the performer as well as for
the audience. A backup, ready to go, may
be a solution. Personally, I prefer to go old
school when it comes to electronics. Im
not a purist in that sense. But I prefer to
avoid the stress and headaches caused by
By George Parker
For Your Consideration
things I cant fully rely on.
But if I really want to do such an
effect, I will start to think like an airplane
designer. I will assume everything will
go wrong at some point and build safety
nets to keep the plane in the air. This could
imply that I have a backup ready to go, or
a script that will save me, or an alternative
method that will produce the same effect.
I also carry a backup routine that I can
do after making a mistake that will erase
(part of) the memory of me failing.
TECHNICAL FAILURE
We can lose a selected card, drop a coin,
fash a palmed object, take the wrong billet
out of an index, or misread a marked card;
our timing can be off while executing a top
change. The list of possible mistakes goes
on and on. I can add items from memory,
because I have made every mistake in
the book fortunately, I have made most
of these in practice and rehearsal. But
Ive failed in a performance as well. I
have found that this is caused by being
under-rehearsed or unfocused during the
performance. Practice and rehearse two
months longer than you think you need to
before taking your routine live.
When I work on a routine I will
do anything to reduce the stress of
failing. Even if I can do Mike Skinners
Ultimate Three Card Monte routine while
sleepwalking, I will put pencil dots on the
false indexes (one for the Ace and two
for the Two) to double check while Im
performing. It sounds crazy when youve
done the routine ffteen hundred times. But
sometimes Im tired or stressed because
of a situation in my life. Seeing the dots
relaxes me.
Also, make sure you take away as many
of the causes (see the section on Why?
below) as you can.
EMERGENCY EXITS
In short, Ill write out a worst case
scenario for every trick in my repertoire
and create emergency exits for every
scenario. Ill focus on three basic exits:
1) Maintenance and backup. Make sure
the gimmick is in great shape and you have
one or two backups. Make sure you are in
great shape (practice, rehearse) and have
alternative techniques to fall back on to
achieve the same effect. I made sure that
the gimmick thats used in Spooked was in
great shape; I had two backups and I could
handle it perfectly.
2) A verbal way out. Write a script that
reframes what just happened like it was
intentional or was a preliminary phase to
something that will follow. If the gimmick
broke down in the Spooked routine, I
would say, Ah, this probably doesnt work
because the card needs more personality.
Please fnd your card and write your name
on it or draw a symbol so it becomes a
unique, powerful card. While they did
that, I set up my backup gimmick and did
the effect again.
3) Structural way out (as in the
structure of a show). Make sure you can
follow up with a strong effect and segue
into it using your verbal way out. In the
very rare case the Spooked backups didnt
work, I made sure that I had a follow
up routine. I wanted to make what just
happened look like it was a pre-phase to
the real effect. I took the deck of cards and
searched for the card (easy to fnd with a
signature). I would look at the audience
in desperation. Are you sure we put it in
here? While I did this, I controlled the
signed card to the top. Then I handed the
deck to the spectator as I did a one-handed
top palm. Maybe Im overlooking it. Can
you try to fnd it? I would relax while
holding out the card. Only after she told
me she couldnt fnd it, I would reach into
my pocket, take out my wallet, take out
the envelope behind the zipper, let her tear
open the envelope, and take out her card.
WHY?
Mechanical and electronic failure
maybe prevented and solved by maintaining
the gimmicks and having backups. But
technical failure may occur because of a
multitude of underlying causes. Id like
to list some of those issues. Im not a big
believer in remedying symptoms. Taking
away the underlying cause will provide
lasting solutions. Here are some of the
causes for failure.
1) Not enough practice. We all know
the sage advice: practice, practice, practice.
But we can be so in love with the rush
of performing or excited by the fantasy
of our future, successful performance
that we forget to practice enough. Its
understandable, because practicing a
routine can be a lonely, frustrating, and
sometimes tedious process.
2) Not enough rehearsal. Practice
means training and perfecting all parts of
the performance as well as going through
all of the performance. Rehearsal means
that we do the complete routine as if were
working for a live audience. After we
master the moves, learn our script, and
know the routine inside out, we need to
rehearse to make our delivery stronger.
3) Being unfocused. There are many
reasons for being distracted. We can be
tired, or a client (or peers!) can put pressure
on us. Maybe we ate too much food or
shouldnt have taken that glass of wine the
night before. There may be family issues
that take away our attention. During our
ffth annual Magic & Mystery School
week at the Magic Castle I began to lose
focus late in the week because everything
went extremely well and there was a lot of
appreciation. I had to slap myself back into
my game before every performance. Stay
awake!
4) Diffcult circumstances. Even
working in a theater can be less than
ideal sometimes. And working in living
rooms, meeting rooms, restaurants, and
all kinds of other places can be challeng-
ing. Lighting, angles, visibility, disturb-
ing sounds, and the size of your stage
(or corner...) can all play into failure. A
client wanted me to perform on a cherry
picker once: twenty feet up in the air for an
audience standing on a balcony. I restruc-
tured my act to prevent failure. Our small
club Mysterium (Tommy Wonder was one
of our members) meets in a very small
theater in Amsterdam. Its the hottest stage
in the universe; if the room is full I cant
do certain routines because my hands are
sticky.
5) Other peoples (often unintentional)
mistakes. There are always other people
involved when you do a performance the
host, the sound and lighting people, the
emcee. And sometimes their actions affect
your performance. I planned to perform my
toilet paper (yes, its a funny script) to egg
routine in a hotel one night; I discovered
that the staff had thrown the (innocent-
looking) toilet paper roll (including the
gimmick) away. I carried a backup routine
on me. Phew.
If, as some people say, Murphy was an
optimist, you can mark everything on your
checklist and still fail at some point. When
that happens, you dont have to feel guilty
or ashamed, because you did everything
you could. Shrug your shoulders, laugh at
yourself, and move on.
I
ts early in the morning and a man slips
quietly into a back lot make-up trailer
to begin his transformation. There are
no make-up artists around to help him; he
will do this all on his own.
He sits down in his chair, opens a can of
Coca-Cola, and fips a switch that illumi-
nates his face with a row of lights that line
the large mirror in front of him. He begins
by covering his face with a pale pancake
make-up base, then heavy black eyeliner,
black eyebrows, and fnally a small, square
mustache that is affxed with spirit gum.
There is no rouge or blush used since he
works from a strictly limited color palate
of black, white, and shades of gray. Next
come a black wig, baggy pants, a tight-
ftting jacket, oversized, beat up shoes, and
fnally the trademark derby and bamboo
cane. The man, Billy Scadlock, has ceased
to exist, and instead, Charlie Chaplins
iconic character of The Little Tramp
lives again, ready to go out and entertain
a whole new generation of fans. Although,
this time, it is not in a movie theater that
seats a few hundred people, but a theme
park that will be host to thousands of
visitors in a single day.
Billy Scadlock has come to be known
as one of the premiere Charlie Chaplin
impersonators in the world, and has been
in demand for promotional appearances,
private parties, theme parks, and televi-
sion commercials for three decades now.
Just how did a young boy who started out
doing magic tricks in Key West, Florida,
come to portray one of the most famous
movie stars in history? Well, I can tell you
this, the transformation didnt just happen
overnight.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Mile Marker Zero, the starting point
of US Highway 1, would be a good place to
start a journey, and this is precisely where
Billy began his life.
Key West, Florida, is an island with
a total land area of just 5.9 square miles.
Billys dad was an electrician, his mother
was a homemaker, and Billy was the fourth
of fve children. Billys two older sisters
both sang, danced, played musical instru-
ments, and acted in both church and local
theater groups. Billy feels that watching
them inspired him to go into the perform-
ing arts as well.
Growing up in Key West also had
certain advantages. When I was a kid,
it was just fun that I could go swimming
whenever I wanted to. Even when I became
a teenager and got a part-time job at a
grocery store, I would still go and jump in
the ocean for a swim before going to work.
Theres a place in Key West called
Mallory Square Dock where street per-
formers would gather to do their acts.
In the 60s it was mostly hippies playing
guitars and bongo drums, and women
in tie-dyed skirts dancing around with
tambourines. As years passed, northern
street performers, such as magicians and
jugglers, started showing up in the winter
months. For some it was just a stop on
their circuit, but others came and stayed.
Watching these performers inspired young
Billy to try different styles of performing.
Billy went through all the normal
childhood phases of wanting to be
a cowboy or a freman, but when
he said he wanted to be a magician,
he received a TV Magic Set as a gift.
Although Billy was interested in magic,
his interests included many of the allied
arts as well. I remember getting a Danny
ODay ventriloquist fgure for Christmas
one year. It came with a record that taught
how to be a ventriloquist. I listened to that
record over and over, practicing the tech-
niques and memorizing all of the routines.
Growing up, Billy had another inspira-
tion in the form of a great uncle whom he
never got to meet. I was always hearing
about this mysterious Uncle Sam who
was a magician. He had passed away before
I was born, but my relatives would tell me
about all the magic tricks and funny things
he did and how I reminded them of him.
One day, when Billy was thirteen years
BILLY
SCADLOCK
ITS ALL IN THE DETAILS
BY STEVE MARSHALL
P
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b
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M
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old, he was watching the TV game show
To Tell the Truth; the mystery guest of the
day was a magician. During the show the
magician mentioned the Chavez College
of Magic. When I heard the magician say
there was a college for magic I realized that
I wanted to be a professional magician.
LIFE AS KEY WESTS
TEEN MAGICIAN
Now that Billy knew there was a
college for magic, and he realized this
could be a full-time profession one day, he
began to search out magic shops and other
places to purchase magic tricks. I ordered
magic tricks from the back of Boys Life
magazine (most likely coming from the
Johnson Smith Company) and I found a
few magic shops in Miami that did mail
order; I also ordered items directly from
Fantasio, who was also located in Miami.
A few years later a magic shop opened in
Key West; Billy eventually worked there
for a while.
When Billy was fourteen, he met a
young man named Jim Boone; Jim was
a few years older than him and was in-
terested in magic and clowning. The two
became friends and even did a few shows
together.
Billys older sister Imogene attended
college in Miami and was a big supporter
of Billys love of magic. I would take the
Greyhound bus to Miami and stay with
Imogene. When the Florida State Magic
Convention was there she would drop me
off on her way to school in the morning
and pick me up later that night. One of
Billys most memorable trips to Miami was
to see Doug Hennings musical, The Magic
Show. Since it was the touring edition of
the show, Doug Henning wasnt in it, but it
still made a big impression on young Billy
and the way he approached his magic from
then on.
Early on, Billy also learned the lesson
of the hype versus the reality of certain
magic tricks. Sometimes I would order
a trick after just having read the ad for
it; when it showed up and I opened it and
saw what it was I would think, This is it?
Since I had already bought it and learned
the secret I couldnt take it back. This
would force me to play around with the
apparatus to fnd a routine and a method to
accomplish the trick that would suit me. To
this day, whenever I buy a new magic trick,
I try to fgure it out before I read any of the
instructions. In learning the trick this way
I sometimes come up with new or different
methods for the effect that I can combine
with the way the original creator had en-
visioned it.
Another big infuence on Billy at
the time was Mark Wilson. I used to
race home to watch The Magic Land of
Alakazam. When my sister Imogene made
me my frst magic costume it wasnt a
tuxedo but rather a wide collared shirt and
a jumpsuit like Mark used to wear. Billy
would also faithfully watch The Magician
with Bill Bixby, whose technical advisor
was Mark Wilson. (To this day, Billy still
dreams of owning a 1974 white Stingray
Corvette like Bixby drove.)
By the time Billy was ffteen, he had
become well-known around his hometown
as Key Wests Teen Magician and was
getting bookings for private parties, civic
events, and church groups. I wanted to
be a magician like Mark Wilson or David
Copperfeld, who was the newest magician
on TV at the time. I was working places
that had stages or larger performing areas,
but I was starting to get calls to do kids
parties. I wasnt really interested in that,
but didnt want to turn down the bookings.
Then he had an idea. One day my phone
rang and someone asked me if I could do
a kids birthday party. I told the lady that
I did bigger stage magic shows but I did
know a good clown whom I had trained in
the art of magic; I could send him to the
party. She accepted that offer. I didnt need
to call that clown, since that clown was
me! I put on white face makeup, frizzed
out my good head of hair, got some bell-
bottom pants and a t-shirt left over from
the bicentennial year, and topped it all off
with a red band jacket. Scaddiddills the
clown was born, and was already booked
for his frst gig!
Billy also idolized Harry Houdini and
decided to do an underwater escape at his
high school swimming pool. I was all
set to do the underwater escape and had
practiced at home with the chain cuffs
that would be on my wrists and ankles.
When I held my hands out in front of me
to be chained up for the escape, my coach
stepped up and insisted that my hands and
feet be chained behind me! I had never
practiced the escape this way and was a
bit worried. The next thing I knew I was
chained up in this new manner, picked up,
and thrown into the deep end of the pool!
I remember thinking to myself to just
remain calm since I knew how to get out
of the chains. I released my hands frst and
then got my feet free before swimming out
to the middle of the pool to make my tri-
umphant appearance at the surface! After
that, whenever I had the opportunity to
perform this escape, I would let the person
chain my hands and feet behind me since it
was more dramatic that way.
FURTHER EDUCATION
High school was coming to an end and
Billys high school guidance counselor
hadnt been able to fnd any informa-
tion on the magic college that Billy had
heard about. Billy was starting to think
of other options, such as colleges that had
good drama departments that could help
him further his performing ambitions.
He was also getting offers from US Army
recruiters. They told me that after my
basic training and two years of service,
they could put me in the USO and I could
perform my magic shows around the
world.
Key West's Teen Magician promo photo
In the middle of all these decisions
during his senior year Billy decided
to drive to Miami to see The Greatest
Show on Earth. As he looked through the
program he noticed an ad in the back about
the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
Clown College. At this point, I still wasnt
sure where I was going to go to college,
so I thought, Why not apply to clown
college?
Billy sent for an application to Clown
College; when it arrived he noticed that
the deadline was only two days away.
The next day, his dad drove with him to
Venice, Florida, the circuss winter head-
quarters. When they got there the offces
were closed. They went to a local diner and
Billy fnished flling out the application.
He dropped it in a local mailbox and went
home to wait for some good news.
A month passed and Billy hadnt heard
anything, so he went for an interview to be
a DJ at a local radio station. When I got
home after the interview my dad seemed
very anxious and said, Where have you
been? You had an important phone call!
It turned out that someone from Ringling
had called while I was out and wanted me
to call them back. This was certainly an
important call, and one that would change
the direction of his life. When he called
back, he was informed that he had been
accepted to that years class of RBB&B
Clown College and that classes would
begin in just a few months.
GOING TO CLOWN
COLLEGE
On the frst day of Clown College, Billy
looked out of his hotel room window at the
young men and women gathered around
the pool juggling fve balls and riding
six-foot unicycles. He thought, What am
I doing here? This is not an uncommon
thought for some clowns attending their
frst day of this unique school. (I had the
exact same thought on my frst day.) This
is because many different types of clowns
with different talents were accepted some
for their skills, some for their characters,
some because they showed promise and
wouldnt mind living in a 3 x 6 x 9 room
on a circus train. Billy had studied mime,
theater, magic, clowning, and juggling;
even though he couldnt keep fve balls in
the air he showed the potential to be a more
well rounded clown who could combine
more talent and skill into one package.
It was soon discovered that Billy had a
strong base in magic and so he was sent to
study with the magic teacher, Don Arthur.
On the frst day of classes, Don was
teaching the do as I do torn and restored
napkin trick. Don restored his pieces,
Billy recalled, and when he looked at
me I had done a switch and restored my
pieces too, like I had learned from the
Mark Wilson Course in Magic. Don was
surprised and then laughed because I
had one-upped the magician. After that I
became one of Dons core group of magic
students.
As before, Billy wanted to try to learn
everything that he could; he soon became
profcient at stilt walking, costume making,
juggling, and acrobatics, as well as in-
creasing his skills in magic and clowning.
The last day of Clown College is a big
gala show that is essentially an audition for
the producers to see who would be chosen
to get a contract to perform with The
Greatest Show on Earth. In 1978, when
Billy attended the college, the Ringling
Corporation still owned Circus World,
a theme park just outside of Orlando,
Florida. Billy was one of the eleven clowns
from his class who were offered a contract
to perform at the theme park. One of the
reasons that Billy was offered a contract
to Circus World was because there was a
magic show there and they were consider-
ing adding the clowns into it.
Soon after I got to Circus World they
started teaching us choreography; we
found out that we would be replacing the
male dancers who were dancing with the
showgirls, much the same as on the touring
editions of the circus. I still got to do magic
though, including some close-up tricks and
gags that I would do in the seats during the
pre-show. I had seen a gag with popcorn
in a box that was all strung together. I
would trip and the audience would think
it was going all over them but it would just
hang there. I made my own prop out of
the popcorn boxes they sold at the conces-
sion stand so it would be even more of a
surprise since the audience members were
holding the exact same boxes.
A few years later Ringling gave up
ownership of Circus World and there
was a big management shakeup. Billy
decided to stay on and became the boss
clown, which put him in charge of making
schedules and deciding which clowns
would be in what parts of different shows,
in the parade, the meet and greet, etc.
About a year later the new manage-
ment that was brought in decided to clean
house and lay off a lot of employees who
had been around since the Ringling days.
I was in a group of clowns that got let go
from the park. I was suddenly without a
job; I remembered the owner of Paramount
Theatrical Supplies, a theatrical make-up
and magic shop in downtown Orlando, had
always joked that I should work for him. I
went down to ask if he was at all serious
and he hired me on the spot.
FROM THE CIRCUS TO
THE SEA
While Billy was at Paramount he heard
that SeaWorld was going to start using a
mime for a pre-show to the sea lion and
otter show. This was already very popular
at SeaWorld in San Diego, California,
and they had already hired one mime in
Florida; they were having auditions for
more. The only mime training Billy had at
the time was the little bit he had studied
in high school and what he had learned in
Clown College. I wasnt really strong in
the traditional mime illusions, but I was
Sea World Mimes. From left: Jim Hackworth, Joe Wesson, and Billy Scadlock
confdent that I could entertain. When I
got to SeaWorld they showed me a video
of the mime in San Diego and asked me
if I could do that. I said, Yeah, sure; I
can do that! They asked me to put on my
mime make-up and costume, which I had
brought with me just in case, and go out
into a stadium and entertain two thousand
people with my mime skills.
Since the mime in San Diego also
followed people and mimicked them I did
a lot of that. They gave me a cue when it
was time to leave; as I walked offstage I
was told that I was hired!
In the beginning it was just Billy and
one other mime, Danny Burzlaff, doing all
the shows; eventually two other mimes,
Jim Hackworth and Joe Wesson, were
hired. Jim and Joe were also clowns with
Billy at Circus World. In the beginning
Billy and Danny were given video tapes
of the mimes in San Diego to watch and
get ideas from, but as they did six to eight
shows a day seven days a week, they
started to come up with their own bits and
routines. Billy is credited with a lot of the
new bits and the character differences that
made them different from the mime in
California. When SeaWorld opened a new
park in San Antonio, Texas, in 1988, Billy
was sent there for a month to train the new
mimes on site and do all the pre-opening
shows for the press and invited guests.
Once again Billy wanted to pay
attention to detail; he was the only mime
who wore only black-and-white makeup
while the other mimes had red lips. He
also took his job very seriously. The
mimes always worked in the sea lion and
otter stadium; they had as many fans as
the aquatic animals that performed there.
Many people would come back to the
park year after year just to see the mimes
because nobody knew what they were
going to do from show to show since they
reacted off the different people who came
into the stadium. They also found out that
a lot of the regulars made sure to get in
their seats early, since it was the latecom-
ers who got picked on the most!
We had a lot of stock bits that we
could do for different types people, like a
bald man, or a sexy lady, or a couple who
looked like they were lost. I would always
try to improvise something new if I could
before going to that rolodex of bits in my
head.
Billy performed at SeaWorld from
1981 to 1990; a conservative estimate says
that he entertained fve and a half million
people in that nine-year period. Thats
a lot of bald guys, sexy ladies, and lost
couples to riff on!
During my time at SeaWorld my
improv skills really sharpened and I
became confdent that I could walk out in
front of two thousand people and entertain
them without saying a word and with no
props except maybe a cape or a hat. I just
had to play off what people looked like
or what they were wearing. Occasionally
wed have a drunken person or some other
strange character come into the theater
and I could see the audience sitting up in
anticipation of what I was going to do to
mimic this person. Thats when I would
pull back, look at the audience, and shake
my head no. This would bring the house
down, because everyone realized there
was nothing I could do that could top this
real person. It was important to learn when
to pull back and when to pile it on.
Tube tops were very popular at the
time; when I played the Valentino character
I used to pretend to dip girls and kiss them.
One time I did this to a particularly well
endowed girl; when she came up from the
kiss her tube top didnt! This of course
got a big reaction. Although we were both
embarrassed, I quickly covered her with
my cape, and she was a good sport about it.
A year later some guys came up to me and
said, we came back to your show just to see
if that was a regular bit or not!
Because of his magic skills, Billy was
asked to do a street show as the people left
the park whenever there was a late night
show. This was a special magic show that
Billy did after already doing eight mime
shows during the day!
The sea lion and otter show went
through different themes, such as a
spooky-themed show in which Billy would
wear a vampire cape, a pirate-themed
show, a hotel-themed show in which the
mimes were bellhops with lots of luggage,
and Billys favorite show, Sea Lions of the
Silver Screen, in which he got to portray
different silent movie stars. Although Billy
had been a Charlie Chaplin fan for years
and had dressed as The Little Tramp
for Halloween, this was the frst time he
had portrayed this character in front of an
audience.
It was around this same time, in 1981,
when I frst met Billy; he occasionally
attended the magic club that I belonged
to. Once, the Circus World clowns set up
in a parking lot across the street from the
magic shop where we met and presented
some of their routines for us.
Billy was also a regular attendee of the
Florida State Magic Convention and was
always a crowd favorite with his magic
parodies, such as the time he recreated
David Copperfelds Statue of Liberty
vanish, which had just been televised
earlier that same year. It was complete with
a (toy) helicopter and (fashlight) search-
lights. I witnessed it and the magicians
loved it!
GOING UNIVERSAL
In the mid 80s Billy heard that
Universal Studios would soon be opening
a theme park in Florida; he knew they
would need a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like
for the park and this could be his chance
to portray his hero. In October of 1987
Universal sponsored a big Halloween
party at the hotel across the street from
Billy entertaining in the 2,000 seat sea lion and otter stadium at SeaWorld, Florida
SeaWorld. I dressed up as Charlie Chaplin
and went to this party determined to make
contact with the highest level person from
the company who was there. I found
someone and asked who was in charge;
they said the man was wearing a black suit
with a name tag that said, The Boss on
it. So, I set out to fnd this person among
the thousands of people who were there.
The hotel had a large atrium in
the center and there were lots of people
on every level. I spent the whole party
looking for him. Towards the end, I was
about to get on an escalator and here
came The Boss on the down escalator. I
walked up to him and asked if he was from
the Universal Company and he said yes. I
handed him my business card and said,
Hi, Im Billy Scadlock; heres my card.
Ill be your Charlie Chaplin when you
come to Orlando. He looked surprised
and said, You are? I just said yes.
This gutsy move paid off, since the
man gave Billy his business card and said
hed watch out for him. About a month
later Billy saw the notice for Universal
auditions and he called the man, who said
he would be coming out from California
for them and would see Billy there.
Now it was time for Charlie
Chaplin boot camp.
BECOMING CHARLIE
I seriously studied Charlie Chaplin.
I watched his movies to internalize his
movements and his mannerisms. At the
time, I was working some evenings at
the Mardi Gras dinner theater doing a
pre-show as a mime. I started working
on my Charlie Chaplin stage act, which
included some magic as well, and was able
to work it in front of an audience there.
Billy showed up at the audition in his
Chaplin wardrobe and make-up and stayed
in character the whole time he was there,
even when he was waiting. (He even had
a small cassette tape player in his bag so
he could play music from Chaplins flms
during his audition!) A lot of people asked
him why he was staying in character.
Billy really wanted this job and knew that
someone important might walk by; he
didnt want to miss a chance to be seen in
his best light.
Once again his attention to detail paid
off; he was hired to be the Charlie Chaplin at
Universal Studios Florida two years before
the park even opened. I was still working
at SeaWorld at the time, Billy said, but
Universal asked me to be the advance
Chaplin and go out on promotional appear-
ances for the park. So whenever Universal
would call me for an event I would use my
vacation time or take personal days off to
go out on the short tours.
The costume that Billy had put together
was so good that Universal asked him to
use it for all of the pre-opening PR events
and even for the frst few months that the
park was open. He had even made his own
Charlie Chaplin shoes by cutting the toe
portions off of a pair of beat up black shoes
and gluing them onto another pair of shoes
to create the oversized-shoe look that
Chaplin had while still remaining comfort-
able with all the walking that he was doing.
A few years later he contacted the Flor-
ida-based clown-shoe maker, Wayne Scott,
and had him custom make a pair of shoes
that were replicas of Charlies. Universal
Studios liked the shoes so much that they
ordered them for the other Chaplin look-
a-likes who worked at the studio. Even
though the shoes were identical in look,
Billy as one of the Men in Black
characters at Universal Studios
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Billys shoes were the only ones with
a special added secret feature he had
created with the shoemaker to enable Billy
to run and slide long distances down the
street at the park. Even when Universal
started to make his costume, Billy went
in and worked with the costume designers
to make sure the costume would be as
accurate as possible.
When Universal Studios Florida
opened on June 7, 1990, Billy left
SeaWorld to become a full-time Charlie
Chaplin look-a-like. He found that, since
Charlie Chaplin is a silent character, all the
years of bits that he created could be used
as a good base for Chaplin in the park. At
Universal Billy was given a lot of freedom
to create his own bits and come up with
new material.
He and his friend Jamie McKenna,
who portrayed Oliver Hardy, could also be
found outside his dressing room on a back
lot building props that would be used in his
shows.
All the hard work had paid off; Billy
was extremely pleased to be portraying
Charlie on a daily basis. I walked out of
my dressing trailer one day to go out on set
and saw my shadow on the wall. I thought,
Im Charlie Chaplin! Other actors
would also comment on how Billy stayed
in character, doing the Chaplin walk
from the moment he stepped outside of his
dressing trailer.
MEETING THE FAMILY
The frst things to be built at Universal
Studios in Orlando were the back lot
sound stages, since the theme park was
also planned to be used as a real, working,
movie studio. There were lots of PR events
there, but the most memorable one for Billy
was held at one of the nearby Lake Buena
Vista Disney hotels. This was an event to
promote the park to Florida-based movie
production companies, since they were
now touting Orlando as Hollywood East.
I was walking around entertaining
guests at the party, Billy recalls, and
when I walked up to one of the tables
a gentleman said, Hey Charlie, heres
your daughter! I was confused but when
I looked at her name tag the last name
said, Chaplin. I thought the man was just
having some fun because of her last name.
Since I dont talk as Charlie I couldnt ask,
so I did some little bits and had fun with
her and then went on to entertain the other
guests. At the end of the evening there was
a reception line where the guests could
meet the governor of Florida, the mayor
of Orlando, and several other dignitaries.
Well, being Charlie, I jumped in with this
group as if I were a dignitary too. As I was
standing there acting all dignifed, Gerard
Christopher, who was playing Clark Kent
in the TV series Superboy at the time,
came up to me and said, Hey Charlie, you
know that lady really is Charlie Chaplins
daughter, Jane Chaplin.
When Jane came up to me in the line,
I put my arms out to give her a hug; when
she hugged me back I could tell she was
getting a little emotional. She whispered
in my ear, I miss you. Then she stepped
back, looked at me, and said, You look
good...you look real good. As you can
imagine, this made me feel incredible;
it was the highest compliment I could
receive, coming from Charlie Chaplins
own daughter!
Later, when People magazine wanted
to do a story on Jane Chaplin, it was Billy
who got called to do the photo shoot with
her. A few years later Billy was told that
another member of Chaplins family was
coming to Universal studios to do a photo
shoot with him. I thought it was going to
be one of Chaplins granddaughters, but
on the way to the shoot I was told that it
was one of his other daughters, Geraldine
Chaplin. I was nervous because Geraldine
was an accomplished actress as well. (Its
interesting to note that in the 1992 movie
Chaplin, Geraldine Chaplin actually
played Charlies mother Hannah Chaplin.)
There were more magical moments when
I frst met her and her daughter; we had
a great time taking photos and playing
together in the park. At the end of the
day I saw her tour guide and mentioned
that I would have loved to meet her out of
make-up. He said that she wanted to meet
Left: Autographed photo that Geraldine
Chaplin sent to Billy. Right: Old-style
photo of Billy as Charlie Chaplin
me, too. I was able to go out and chat with her a bit about her
father, which was really incredible.
A few weeks later, Billy received a signed photograph and a
letter from Geraldine Chaplin that said, in part, I appreciate your
true character performance of my father, Charlie Chaplin...it was
my pleasure to work with someone who truly appreciates and rep-
resents my fathers talents... No higher praise than that can be
given!
Billy loved portraying Chaplin, but he also started working on
other characters as well. Through his years at Universal Studios
he has portrayed Chico and Harpo Marx, a tacky tourist, a Who
for the annual Grinchmas, one of the Men in Black charac-
ters, and countless other stilt-walking characters for Universals
Halloween Horror Nights and Mardi Gras events.
HEADING TO JAPAN
Although Billy loved his life in Florida and at Universal, he
had always wanted to travel a bit. In 1999, he received a call to
go to Japan to work for the opening of Tokyo Disney Resorts
newest property, IKSPIARI, a shopping and entertainment
complex; he jumped at the opportunity to live in Japan for a year.
Because of his talent at imitating different characters, Billy was
given two unique quick-change costumes that were designed
especially for him. These costumes had faps that allowed him
to completely change characters just by walking behind a pole or
quickly in and out of a door. One costume was a policeman that
would change into a robber; the other was an organ grinder that
would change into a monkey. He also had another costume that
made him a tailor character. In this outft he did a chapeaugraphy
routine, which allowed him to portray many more characters as he
made the different hats from a simple ring of felt. These were all
very popular with the Japanese guests.
While Billy was in Japan, he heard that Universal Studios was
coming to Tokyo to hold auditions for their newest theme park,
which would be opening soon in Osaka. Billy showed up at the
audition and surprised everyone. They asked Billy if he would be
interested in coming to Osaka to open the park there as Charlie
Chaplin. Since he was enjoying life in Japan he agreed and spent
the next year as Chaplin in Japan. Billy was surprised to fnd out
just how popular Charlie Chaplin still is in Japan. This is because
Chaplins flms were silent and his themes were universal, so they
could be enjoyed by everyone regardless of language or culture.
This was the magic of Chaplin that Billy wanted to bring to
audiences around the world.
After Japan, Billy headed back to Florida and worked part
time at Universal and SeaWorld, as well as doing private functions
as Charlie. Then he decided he wanted to move to Las Vegas for
a while. When he got there he realized how many tribute artists
there were and started to fgure out what other celebrities he
looked like. Others had told him he resembled Rod Stewart so
he got a blonde wig and some wild jackets and started to work
on this new persona; he would appear at look-a-like conventions
and trade shows selling himself as both Charlie Chaplin and Rod
Stewart. He was also contacted by his friend Betty Atchison, who
is one of the foremost Cher impersonators, since she was getting
a lot of requests for the 1970s era Cher and needed a Sonny. Soon
Billy bought a page boy haircut wig, a bushy mustache, and bell
bottom jeans, and practiced singing the song, I Got You Babe.
Billy and Betty have done quite a few gigs together and also do a
lot of the back and forth banter that Sonny and Cher did.
Billy also created another character called The Great Scadini, a
bumbling magician who never gets things quite right. While most
magicians worry about things going wrong in their acts, Billy
welcomes it. I love when things dont go quite right, because it
forces me to think on my feet and come up with a solution that
may be something that I can use again. Billy also does a version
of The Great Scadini as an old man doing a substitution trunk
illusion with his wife.
Billy originally created this act with his former wife Cricket,
but when they went their separate ways, I did what any good best
friend would do: I put on the old lady dress and wig and became
his old lady in the act. We did this once in Japan and last year at
the S.A.M. convention in Washington, D.C. When I go to conven-
tions in Japan I still get asked how Billy is doing, and I am told
how much they enjoyed the act and meeting him.
In 2007 Billy was called by an agent saying that Suzuki was
going to flm a commercial in Japan that would feature Charlie
Chaplin, but they were very picky and really wanted someone
who could look and act like Chaplin. Needless to say, Billy sent
his demo reel to Suzuki and he got the part, flming one commer-
cial in Japan and then another, the following year, in China.
By 2011 Billy was back in Florida; he got a call from some
guy in Japan (me) who wanted him to be his road manager for a
month-long, twenty-three city, show and lecture tour and also to
be part of a documentary called Sayonara to Hello, which would
be shot by flmmaker Nic Beery during the tour. Luckily, Billy
was available and we were off on the road trip of a lifetime. Billy
was invaluable during this tour. He drove the entire time and was
a great help with sales and with general moral support. That much
traveling, with a different city every night, can really take a toll
on a person, but having Billy along was just the right thing to keep
me energized.
I have known Billy for over thirty years now; these days he
and I are more like brothers than friends. Billy is also one of those
Group of entertainers from Tokyo Disney Resort's
IKSPIARI in 2000. Billy is in the police outft; and
Steve Marshall is at the upper right
people who never meets a stranger. He can make someone who
has just met him for the frst time feel like they are an old friend.
This is Billys true gift and talent.
As I write this Billy is performing as Charlie Chaplin at
Universal Studios in Singapore for one year and introducing even
more people to The Little Tramp.
Billys mission is simple: stay true to the details in whatever
he does, and whoever he is portraying; use his magic skills,
either a little or a lot, in each character he portrays; and keep the
memory and magic of Charlie Chaplin alive, introducing him to
new young fans in the hope that they will learn about him and
perhaps watch some of his flms.
He may take off the mustache and make-up, and hang up
the bamboo cane and derby at the end of the day, but the love,
curiosity, innocence, and creativity of The Little Tramp is with
Billy always. If you meet him, look for that twinkle in his eyes
and youll see what I mean.
Photos by Michael Young
The Nielsen Gallery
Dimensions: Half-sheet: 24" x 31" Lithographer: Imp. Chaix (Succusale Chret) Paris
Date: Circa late 1880s Nielsen Rating: Very Rare
Frikell de Carlowka (Wiljalba Frikell)
This months column is devoted to a man of distinction,
Wiljalba Frikell. According to Houdini, he was one of the longest
performing magicians in the world. He appeared before kings,
queens, and royalty but came from humble beginnings. Most
important, he is credited with entirely changing the style and pre-
sentation of stage magic that persists to this day an occurrence
only made possible because of a tragic fre.
Frikell was born in Sagan, Schlesien, Prussia, on July 27,
1816. He was the son of a physician and the youngest of nineteen
children. When only a boy he traveled across Europe as an
assistant to a magician, but by 1831, he was presenting his own
magic show.
In that era, magicians often flled their stages with tables of
glistening apparatus and automatons. Many performers appeared
as wizards in fowing robes and conical hats. Frikell was no
exception. That continued until, at some unrecorded date, he was
booked to appear in Hamburg; his entire show, most of which
was in sterling silver, his costume trunks, and stage settings were
consumed by fre. The despondent Frikell decided to cancel his
show and rebuild.
The famous German poet Heinrich Heine insisted that Frikell
proceed with the show and perform with whatever props he could
scrape up. The result was a pure sleight-of-hand performance
on an essentially bare stage. As Houdini notes, the audience
went wild over the innovation, the mere absence of draperies and
fowing sleeves by which the performer could so easily deceive
the eye. From that day forward Frikell was famous for the sim-
plicity of his performance and built a large fortune.
During continental tours he was honored by the King of
Greece, the King of Denmark, the Viceroy of Egypt, and received
expensive pins, rings, and other jeweled gifts for his dexterity.
He performed before the Czar of Russia and in 1857, appeared in
London with a two-hour illusion show. On New Years Day, 1858,
he performed by command of the Queen before the Royal Family
at Windsor Castle.
Frikell also toured in America twice. We have an account of his
performance in Philadelphia from Frederick Eugene Powell, who
attended the show with magic dealer Thomas Yost. In condensed
form, here was his show.
Frikell usually opened with the disappearing gloves, but this
night he produced three large bowls of water and goldfsh from
an empty shawl. Upon command, one bowl of liquid burst into
fame. Next, a borrowed watch showed any hour called for and
then the hands spun rapidly. The watch was smashed and the
pieces loaded into a gun. Two rose bushes were brought on stage
and one selected by the audience. The gun was fred at the rose
bush and upon it being pulled up roots and all, the selected watch
was found among the roots. The owner of the watch was allowed
to remove his property.
Six bullets marked by the audience were loaded into another
gun, which was fred point blank at Frikell. With a sweep of his
hand he caught the bullets and returned them for identifcation.
Other smaller effects followed, but his most puzzling trick
involved a canary, an egg, and two oranges. Simply, the audience
was given the choice of which orange would contain the egg and
which the canary. Canary and egg were vanished; upon a small
hole being cut in the chosen orange, inside was the egg, which
could not be extracted without further damaging the orange.
Cutting a small opening in the second orange, the canary emerged
unharmed. Both oranges never left the audience's sight from the
beginning.
A dove wrapped in a piece of brown paper turned into a
bouquet of fowers. Frikell then poured drinks from a wine bottle
for a few audience members; breaking the bottle, he displayed the
missing dove.
The second half featured Two Hundred Silver Goblets from
a Borrowed Hat. The stage remained empty except for two saw
horses with two long boards across them. A hat was borrowed
and shaken a little and then shown to be overfowing with silver
goblets. These soon flled the table. The hat again was shown
empty but soon disgorged more silver goblets. Powell said, The
tricks produced in most cases a complete illusion. I was sorry to
see the curtain fall.
Houdini attempted to meet and interview Frikell on a number of
occasions, but because of his reluctance to accept visitors, as well
as Houdinis crushing schedule, the event kept being postponed.
Finally a date was agreed upon. In advance of Houdinis visit,
Frikell and his wife had a new photograph taken of themselves and
the magician proudly arranged all of his ribbons, photos, awards,
and evidence of his career for Houdinis inspection. Arriving at
the appointed time, Frikells wife met Houdini at the door and
said, You are being waited for. To his dismay, Houdini found
that Frikell had passed away a few hours earlier.
And so, we owe a debt of gratitude to Frikell and the unfor-
tunate fre for moving magic from suspicious apparatus-clogged
stages to the realm of real magic with everyday objects. In his
book Lessons in Magic Frikell wrote, It has been my object in
my performance to restore the art to its original prominence, and
to extend that to a degree which it has, I believe, never yet hitherto
reached. I banish all such mechanical and scientifc preparatives
from my own practice, confning myself for the most part to
objects and materials from everyday life. The success that I have
met with emboldens me to believe that I have followed the right
path. Frikell died October 10, 1903.
Tom Ewing
Frikells last photograph, taken the day
before he was to meet with Houdini.
Nielsen Notes: What is signifcant about this poster is not only the magician, but that it was designed and signed by Jules
Chret, who is the father of modern lithography. This poster is not only collectible among magicians but also among French
poster collectors.
SEAN TAYLOR
Those in the United States might not
be familiar with the name Sean Taylor.
However, on the other side of the planet,
he is a magic powerhouse. Originally from
England, Sean moved to Australia. My
frst exposure to him was a trick called
Pineapple Surprise. I loved that trick. A
couple of years later I had the pleasure of
meeting him in person at Mindvention.
A friendly chap and someone who thinks
deeply about mystery entertainment, we
talked for hours. I was fortunate enough
to convince him to do an interview for
this column; I think you will thoroughly
enjoy it.
Sean has churned out over twenty
best-selling products. Some you might be
familiar with are the Symbology Deck, On
Target, or Psyconfabulous, to name just a
few. Aside from creating and marketing
high quality magic and mentalism, he
is also a busy performer. He is one of
Australias top corporate entertainers.
Not only has he travelled the length and
breadth of the worlds largest island, but
he has worked in a dozen other countries
as well. He has performed on cruise ships,
lectured, and taught magic...I think you
get the idea. Sean has quite a few products
available in the USA through Murphys
Magic.
Christian: Im dying to ask you this.
Why leave the UK and move to the other
side of the planet?
Sean: Ha, thats a very good question;
it is an awfully long way. I had parallel
careers in the UK as a management
consultant and a busy magician. At age
twenty-seven I landed a twelve-month
management contract to go to Sydney.
Who wouldnt go? I loved the place, met
my future wife Diana, became a full-time
pro, and stayed here. Ive just clocked up
twenty years!
Christian: You have done a lot of
magic; why turn to mentalism?
Sean: As my life and persona have
developed, different types of magic have
found me. I began doing kids shows and
won talent contests as an impersonator.
I went on to do comedy cabaret, then
close-up in restaurants and banquets, and
then back to stand-up; my stand-up act
always had some mentalism. Eventually I
got fed up with carrying equipment on and
off planes, so I went on to pure mentalism
in 2004.
Christian: How is the market in
Australia for mentalism?
Sean: Quick geography lesson:
Australia has the population of Southern
California in fve cities across a continent
as big as the USA. To work a lot you need
to fy a lot. Since the global fnancial
crisis, its been tough for any guys in the
corporate feld. Even the biggest Australian
companies are not huge in a global sense,
so the budgets are tight. A big fee, an
airfare, an expensive hotel, and cabs add
up. There are a few really busy corporate
magicians, but most of the stand-up guys
are working ships.
In the past couple of years, a couple of
magicians have done well on Australias
Got Talent and thats been great for them
and great for magic. Cosentino has now
had two TV specials and, remarkably, they
are the only magic specials ever made here.
As for mentalism, there are really only
a handful of true mentalists. Tom Berger in
Tasmania, Timothy Hyde and I in Sydney,
Nick Morton, and Mark Mayer are probably
the best known, with a few younger guys
starting to get some work. Other than that,
there are a few magicians bending forks,
fddling around with iPhones, copying
Derren Browns goatee, and trying to get
work with mentalist printed on their
business cards.
I am fortunate to have clients who
have booked me for years. I also do
some high-priced private parties. That
work is primarily mentalism; its a pure
mental act with as much comedy as I can
reasonably ft in. Aside from mentalism,
I still occasionally get some of the better
close-up work from other magicians
who know me well. I also do corporate
seminars (which have some mentalism
incorporated) on memory improvement
and sales or customer service, which is my
current favorite.
Christian: Speaking of selling, tell me
about Selling the Show.
Sean: I have trained a lot of sales people
and have I used the same techniques to sell
all kinds of magic performance over the
thirty years Ive performed professionally.
A few years back Tim Ellis asked me
to run a workshop on it at one of his
conventions. It caused a revolution because
the guys had never heard it discussed in
such a direct way before. I had letters from
part-time magicians who were lawyers
and accountants who told me they had
incorporated my techniques into their real
businesses. One guy even commented
that it had been worth fying in from New
Zealand just for my talk. That reaction
encouraged me to write it down. It took fve
years, in between other projects, to fnish it
but Im very proud of it. There are dozens
of books on marketing magic but really
only one on the process of selling magic.
Not since Michael Ammars Negotiating
Higher Performance Fees has anyone
tackled this. Even though Im not well
known internationally, I felt as qualifed as
anyone to write this. The feedback so far
has been very pleasing.
Christian: Tell me about your son who
does magic.
Sean: I have two sons: Patrick, who
is fourteen, and Jack who is ten. Patrick
showed some interest in magic when he
was around nine; over time I helped him
to get a little manip act together based
around an idea he had to be a classic
French style mime. He did very well in the
National Junior Stage competitions both
here and in New Zealand. That led to a
short documentary on the Disney Channel.
Since then, hes been on TV more than ten
times and has a regular spot on a Saturday
morning kids show called Possums Club.
He is naturally gifted in sleight of hand
and stage presence and he does quite a few
shows now. If he sticks with it, he could be
very, very good.
Christian: I really enjoyed your
mentalism book MindStorms. What
prompted you to write that book?
Sean: What I described in MindStorms
were largely tricks and routines I had
done hundreds of times, which is a rarity
in mentalism books. Many of them are
full of ridiculous pipedreams that are not
audience tested. What happened was that I
was beginning to see my work turning up
in other peoples acts. Thats frustrating,
but thats magic Im afraid. I fgured if I
published it frst Id make a few bucks and
By Christian Painter
Mental Breakdown
it would be recognized forever as being my
original material. The side beneft of all
this has been the friendships Ive formed
all around the world. The book has gone to
twenty-eight countries, which is fantastic.
Christian: How would you describe
your performing style?
Sean: I have a mixture of the comic
British style and the Australian version
of that, which is a little slower and a little
more cutting. I grew up watching Paul
Daniels and later Wayne Dobson, who had
a fair bit of infuence on me. I enjoyed all
kinds of stand-up comedy, word play, and
sit-coms, and all that has added to the work
I do. I try to be as funny as I can while
still delivering remarkable mentalism.
Bob Cassidy, Michael Weber, Eric Mead,
and David Berglas have all infuenced my
mentalism.
Christian: Name some other mentalism
books you would recommend.
Sean: Theater of the Mind by Barrie
Richardson has some terrifc magic and
mentalism. The Art of Mentalism 1 and
2 by Bob Cassidy are the bibles for me.
When I read AOM2 I seriously considered
buying every edition to keep it to myself!
The complete works of John Riggs is gold.
The Mental Mysteries of Hector Chadwick
is a terrifc book if you can fnd one. And
for something totally different, the little
Magic, Inc. booklets by George Anderson
are still available (You can get them from
Denny and Lee for about $7 or $8.) and
contain a wealth of useful and little known
stuff.
Christian: What are your most
memorable moments in this business?
Sean: There are hundreds, but here
are my top three. I saw Tommy Cooper
and Paul Daniels within a few months
with my parents in 1978 and that made
me want to be a magician. Getting the
MIMC from Alan Shaxon brought me to
tears, literally. Lastly, and more recently,
I emceed a mentalism show in Vegas with
Alain Nu, Andy Nyman, Max Maven,
and Bob Cassidy. Youd struggle to fnd
a better line-up anywhere; to see Bob
do the classic name and place with the
legendary Australian Peter Reveen was
very special for me.
Christian: How about some advice for
anyone thinking of doing mentalism?
Sean: Mentalism is not magic, despite
what you might think. My journey from
magic to mentalism was a harder transition
than any of the types of magic I have been
involved in. I have written about this a lot
elsewhere but let me cover three simple
things to help you.
First, unless you engage and interest
the audience, your show will be very fat
and not at all entertaining. The stronger
the effects are, the less reaction you might
get. Stunned silence can be unnerving.
You need to understand the dynamic of
the show and where the peaks and troughs
lie. Chuck Hickok talked about moments
of amazement; its possible to strip down
effects to take single climaxes and make
them into multiple revelations. This will
naturally add strength and tempo to your
show. Dont come out and do nail writing
of change in someones pocket. Its too
strong to open. Build up, not down.
Second, Ian Rowland gave me some
terrifc advice: keep talking. You need to
have things to say to fll the spots in the
show where some procedures are being
carried out. Commentating isnt enough.
Read about the brain, the mind, psychology,
body language, human behavior. And,
I mean really read. Get decent books,
download scientifc articles and research,
and write out the patter. Dont just use
lines from Banachek or Osterlind, as
good as they may be. Find interesting and
fun facts to add to your patter and be an
expert. Dont just make stuff up. You will
get tripped up at some point and that will
make you look foolish.
Third, try to be original. There are clone
mentalism shows now with fork bending,
a one-ahead trick, an electronic colored
cube in a box, a design dupe, a Rubiks
Cube, Mother of all Book Tests, and
Osterlinds center tear. Try to think how
each of these effects could be different.
Take the MOAB, but change the cover and
incorporate the book into another routine.
Disguise the center tear in some other way,
perhaps by printing a business card on
which they can only write in the middle.
Embed the cube into a real Rubiks cube
and hide it under a pudding basin. Use the
design dupe as a mind control exercise and
fnd a theme related to cold war, sports
science, persuasive selling, or hypnosis.
Dont just get someone to write or draw
something and then copy it. Thats not very
interesting. There is nothing engaging or
personal about it. Theres no smoke to
cover the process and so its a puzzle to
be solved. He must have seen it; I wonder
when? Think carefully what the premise
of each effect is and what ability you are
purporting to have.
COLOSSAL CARD
MEMORY
BY SEAN TAYLOR
The Colossal Card Memory previously
appeared in my book MindStorms and more
recently in this revised form in Moving
Cards. It grew out the need to plug a fve-
minute gap during one of my convention
shows. The incumbent audience had seen
me so many times before that I needed
something new in a hurry. To my delight,
this effect not only went down very well,
it has become a feature of my lectures
and, remarkably, fools magicians badly.
If that werent enough reason to learn it,
its also self-working! The construction is
a good example of a technique that Fitzkee
and others have called magnifcation,
taking smaller effects and increasing the
size of them for stage use. My original
performance used a jumbo Bicycle pack;
clearly, this works fne. It took on a
new lease of life when I discovered the
Colossal Playing Cards made by US Game
Systems. This pack is larger than A4 size
and very well made. There are a number
of companies making a similar pack. This
is what Bob Cassidy would describe as
a macro effect. It has a huge chunk of
audience involvement and it creates a great
sense of fun in the crowd. This is somehow
reminiscent of some of the great effects
used by David Berglas.
What the audience sees: A huge pack
of cards is handed to the audience for
shuffing. The cards are shown briefy to
the performer who claims to memorize
them. Two cards are selected and shown
while the performers back is turned. The
two cards are shuffed back into the giant
pack. The cards are collected and handed
to the performer who manages to fnd the
two selections.
Requirements: A pack of Jumbo or
Colossal Cards, a regular pack of cards,
and an audience of around one hundred
or so.
Set-up: Divide the large cards into odd
and even numbers; i.e. the top half of the
pack contains the odd-numbered cards
and the bottom half contains the even-
numbered cards. You should also have an
easily spotted card at the beginning of the
odd stack; I like to use the Ace of Clubs.
Performance: Bring out the regular
pack and ask a spectator in the front row
to shuffe the pack; retrieve the cards when
he has fnished. Looking towards the back
of the audience you comment, I wanted to
show you something with these cards but I
can see its going to be hard for you to see
exactly whats going on.
Remove the giant cards and hand them
to the same guy. This is a good sight gag.
Shuffe those, would you. Before he is
able to begin, you take the cards back,
explaining, Its going to be hard to shuffe
the whole pack at once; well divide them
up to make it a little easier.
Walk to the far left of the audience and
give a quarter of the cards to a spectator on
the end of the row. Move about a quarter
of the way in from the side and hand out
another quarter of the pack being sure to
cut at the half way point the Ace of Clubs.
A simple edge-marked card would also
enable you to do this without fumbling.
Walk to the far right side of the front row
and hand out half of your remaining cards
and then move back a quarter of the way in
and hand out the remaining pile. Ask each
of the four spectators to keep their cards
face down and to shuffe them thoroughly.
You will now ask the shuffers to take
one card and pass the rest behind them.
The cards are now distributed one by one
so that one side of the audience has the even
half and the other side has the odd half.
You need to keep reasonable control now
to ensure that there are people in the center
of the audience who have no cards. Make
sure that the cards are kept face down. You
now explain that you will try to memorize
all the cards and their relative positions.
This you claim you can do in two shots
of eight seconds. Ask for a person with a
second hand on his watch to time you.
Have all the people with cards stand
up. Indicate to everyone on one side of the
audience that they must hold their cards up
above their heads, faces towards you, until
you tell them to stop.
Hold them up when I say go. (Pause)
Go! (Pause as you study the cards.) Right,
got them; put them down and sit back
down
After you say go, count to yourself one
thousand, two thousand, etc. until you
get to seven thousand. Stop, how long
was that? Seven seconds? Ive beaten my
record.
You now do the same with the other side
of the audience, again in seven seconds.
This pre-occupation with timing and the
general hubbub and movement provide
the misdirection that ensures that nobody
is aware of the pattern that exists in the
cards each section holds. It is also hard
to get a panoramic view from anywhere
except where you are standing. Its simply
a mixture of red and black cards, pictures
and spots.
Once everyone is seated, have the
original shuffer in the center stand up.
Turn your back and ask him to select a
card holder from each side of the audience
and ask them to join him at the front. The
cards are shown to the audience. You now
ask the two chosen volunteers to swap
cards and return to their places. You now
have the four shuffers collect their cards
until there are four piles. At this point you
turn around and retrieve the four piles,
reforming the pack.
You job is now simple: look through
the pack and retrieve the odd card from
the even section and vice versa. Once I
have located the cards I like to put the pack
down and hold the two cards, one in each
hand with their backs to the audience.
Who was it that selected the two
cards? Would you stand up, please? What
was your card? What was your card?
(Pause for the count of three.) It doesnt
always work (pause), but it did tonight!
Turn the two cards around dramatically,
revealing them on either side of your face.
You are in the applause position.
This effect can work equally well in a
magic or mental performance. Ive used it
very effectively as an emcee piece; you can
use it for a family audience too.
Mental Breakdown
THE WHY OF THINGS
Make me care. Andrew Stanton;
Pixar Animation Studios
Nothing weakens a performance
of conjuring more than the unscripted
babbling of a magician describing his or
her own motions; far too many magicians
are guilty of this. It is almost understand-
able when it is part of a young practitio-
ners early morning competition act at a
convention. However, when this practice
remains unchecked and persists for years,
one must wonder: Why hasnt somebody
talked to this guy? Why hasnt some
magic club veteran pulled this fellow aside
and given him some advice? The answer
is easy: because the average magic club
veteran is doing it, too.
The problem is like a snake eating its
own tail. If an aspiring magician is looking
for performance guidelines from his peer
enthusiasts and sees them winging it when
speaking, then he believes this to be the
yardstick by which his own presentations
must be measured. Why correct something
you dont realize is broken? After all,
everyone else is doing it.
Good examples of scripted performanc-
es are rare on the Internet and uncommon
on our industrys teaching videos. So how
does one learn? The old adage applies
here: Knowing the problem exists is half
the battle.
Before you write a conjuring script,
before you develop a performance
character, and before you construct a
conjuring act, there is a loaded question
that requires an answer: Why? More often
than not, why is a diffcult question to
answer; so magicians babble about process
rather than doing the real work. They just
dont know what else to say.
For anyone who feels scripting isnt
necessary, consider that even silent acts
require scripted choreography if the
magician hopes to communicate anything
of relevance. Clear your head and imagine
this scene: The curtains open and you
see a magician with a top hat and gloves
performing one trick after another. At
frst glance, it all looks good, but it soon
becomes obvious there is no common
thread connecting each mystery. In truth,
the magician is demonstrating rather
than performing. Perhaps the tricks are
available for purchase after the show?
Playing cards and scarves appear, theres
a fash of fre, jewelry is produced, more
scarves jump out, a ribbon turns into a
rose, etc. Theres no rhyme or reason, no
obvious plot. The music has become better
than the show itself. Sound familiar? If you
have attended any magic conventions, you
have not only seen this stereotypical act,
but youve heard the magician hailed later
as a terrifc performer. Clueless people are
ruining the art.
Clear your head again and imagine
those curtains opening once more only
this time theres no magician in a tuxedo.
Instead, a cleaning lady is absentmindedly
pushing a broom around while the radio
on her supply cart broadcasts self-help
ads. The exhausted woman puts her broom
away, hangs her coat on the cart, and sits
down for a short break. The noise from the
radio switches to gentle music and the lady
seems to nod off. As if in a dream, a gloved
hand emerges smoothly from the sleeve of
her empty overcoat, snaps out a top hat,
and plops it on the mop head. The hand
taps the lady on her shoulder to awaken
her. Startled at frst, she gradually warms
to the Mop Man who magically changes
her knit cap to a colorful scarf and drapes
it across her shoulders. Her thick glasses
vanish. A cheap watch becomes a diamond
bracelet. With a fash of fre a loose mop
string changes into a pearl necklace. The
ladys smiles become less dour and more
confdent. By the end, it is obvious the
real magic here has nothing to do with the
props; it is more about the transformation
of the performer.
Do you see? In each act the same magic
effects are offered but one performance
is devoid of plot or purpose and the other
is dramatic theatre; not a word is spoken,
yet the script is obvious and an emotional
story is delivered. If you have not seen
Tina Lenerts wonderful mop act, a quick
Internet search is worth your time.
In his book Character & Viewpoint, the
author Orson Scott Card teaches aspiring
writers that a reader will unconsciously
ask three questions while engaged in a
story: So what? Oh yeah? Huh? These
questions must be addressed if the writer
wants the reader to keep turning the pages.
At the beginning of any story, a reader
asks, Why is this important? Why should
I care? Is anyone buying this idea? What
is going to happen next? Fail to answer
these questions satisfactorily and attention
is lost and interest soon evaporates.
The same thing happens when you
perform as a conjurer. Your audience
wants your act to be good and interest-
ing; that is why they bought tickets or
paused on the sidewalk or invited you to
their table. So explain why that card keeps
appearing on top of the deck or can jump
into your wallet. Justify the existence of
that weird brass box with the four coins.
Give a reason for that slate board and chalk
and why is it broken up into six squares
anyway?
You want your audience to have the
best possible chance to understand. The
message or plot that surrounds your pre-
sentation must be as clear as possible.
Make your magic relevant. Give your
audience belief. Give them emotional in-
volvement. Give them understandability.
Make them care.
You owe it to them.
If there is anyone who has their work
cut out for them in this regard, it is the
mentalist. At every show, mentalists ask
their audience to put aside common sense
and accept wild proposals as possible and
true. It is an especially diffcult challenge
for the mentalist to offer these concepts
The High Road
script writing, character
development, and act construction
for the modern conjuror
By Mick Ayres
with believability and humor. Unfortu-
nately, some mentalists think the audience
will take them more seriously if they are
perceived as highly educated and scholarly.
The worst thing a mentalist can do is weigh
their audience down with a lecture about
this psychological study or that psychiatric
theory. The best thing mentalists can do is
communicate their concepts with simple
clarity and offer examples that are relevant
to the people in the room.
Here is a demonstration of mindread-
ing that has been presented to hundreds of
people from around the world. It engages
a guests imagination in a way that makes
sense to just about anyone. Although the
presentation has a decidedly Disney
theme, the script is not targeted to children.
The ideal demographics for this drama are
teenagers and adults. There are no props.
All that is required is you and a coopera-
tive guest.
FINDING EEYORE
I have, and always will have, a
creative soul, or as it is called today:
Attention Defcit Disorder. Have you ever
been in a conversation with someone who
bounces from one topic to another with all
the frequency of a cheap ham radio? Then
you have met one of us!
How does this affect you? Disney
movies! I am convinced the folks at Disney
and Pixar get all their best ADD people to
come up with their most creative stories
and characters. Think about it. If you want
to look at a story from every possible angle
even the ones you havent thought of
who is going to do a better job?
Triggering the imagination is easier
than you think. Even now, just by men-
tioning Disney movies, some of you are
already romping with the gang through the
Hundred Acre Wood or joining forces with
everyone trying to fnd 42 Wallaby Way,
Sydney, Australia. Me, too! And thats the
beauty of imagination. Those images link
us together on common ground.
Ill give you a specifc example of how
this creative bouncing around can bond
us. Maam, may I borrow your imagina-
tion? Thank you.
Pretend I am handing you an invisible
die. Its a normal six-sided die, its just
invisible. Give it a roll. Dont tell me the
number but tell me this, is your number
odd or even? Even? Okay, remember that
number and roll the die again until an odd
number comes up. Again, do not tell me the
numberjust remember it. You can put the
die in your pocket. Its a gift. Seriously, its
nothing.
In fact, take both numbers in your
mind and add them together or subtract
one from the other. Its your choice. Using
your imagination, you have created a
random number that no one can know. Its
like I just walked into the room and asked
you to think of a number and you have
come up with the one in your brain right
now.
Here is an invisible index card. Its
blank. Heres an invisible pen you can
keep, too. Are you scoring like a bandit,
or what? Use your imagination and write
your number as a word on that card. Dont
draw the actual number, spell the number
out.
That card now has a handful of letters
on it that spell out a number. How about
this? Go all the way to the right and focus
on the last letter, whatever it is.
Your imagination started with a
die from a game board, then jumped to
numbers, did a little math, converted the
result to the alphabet, and now you are
thinking of one letter specifcally. This is
ADD heaven and were still not done
bouncing around.
Take your imagination into another
unexpected direction. Think of a popular
Disney character whose name begins with
that letter. You can choose from the classic
animated flms or from the Pixar flms. The
more places you have seen this character,
the better. Maybe you have seen this char-
acters image on clothing or as a plush toy.
Now that you have a character in
mind, turn your card over and draw a
picture of that character. Put a few details
in the background so your mind has plenty
to focus on. Just do your best. I promise,
no one will look at it and laugh.
This is when we fnd out if our imagi-
nations are on common ground. Pause for
a moment; then appear confused and ask,
Does your character have something to
do with water? The guests answer deter-
mines your response. Most of the time, the
answer will be no.
No? But I can easily picture a dark rain
cloud hanging over Eeyore. Her startled
look will confrm you have divined the
character accurately. Enjoy the moment,
and then build upon the impossibility by
adding, A few months ago a guest got the
letter E and chose Elsa. I think she was in
Frozen?
Once in a while, a guest will answer the
water question with a yes. If so, respond
by saying, Yes? Good. We certainly need
water to fnd Nemo. Again, enjoy the
moment, and then build upon the impos-
sibility by adding, A few months ago a
guest got the letter N and chose Nala. I
think she was in The Lion King?
This brings the presentation to an end.
Your guest will always choose Nemo or
Eeyore, more often the latter. By choosing
any even number and any odd number
from a die and then adding or subtracting
those numbers, the result will be one of the
following values: one, three, fve, seven,
nine, or eleven. The last letter in each of
these numbers is either an E or an N, and
the letter E shows up four times out of the
six possible results. The script carefully
nudges your guest toward the target char-
acters without actually naming them.
The Walt Disney Company has marketed
Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh) and Nemo
(Finding Nemo) intensely through flms,
plush toys, clothing, and trading pins
so their names are popular and quickly
recalled.
Do not overlook the fnal statement and
query about the alternate characters. This
provides evidence that the choices were
indeed considerable. Google it if you wish.
If the whole Disney angle is not really
your cup of tea, you can easily rewrite the
script so your guest is asked to consider a
U.S. president instead. The fnal question
would be asked with a grin: You didnt
choose one based on a scandal, did you?
The guests answer will guide you to the
names Eisenhower or Nixon. (Thank you,
Joshua Quinn.)
Finding Eeyore copyright 2013 by Mick
Ayres. For performance use only. Eeyore
and Nemo are trademarked by the Walt
Disney Company.
All rights reserved. Mick enjoys an eclectic
career as a parlor conjurer, storyteller,
and musician for the exclusive Walt Disney
Resort on Hilton Head Island, SC. He
welcomes input and dialogue and can be
reached at www.mickayreswares.com.
I AM CARTICUS
This offbeat effect will require some
arts-and-crafts skills on your part, but the
result is worth it. Track down and modify
the necessary components and youll have
a versatile prop that can be used in many
ways, including Bobs preferred handling,
I Am Carticus.
At the heart of this routine is a modifed
card box (not the case that a deck of cards
comes in, but the mechanical card box that
uses a fap to effect a card change) that
allows for two changes. For example, an
Ace can change into a Two, which can then
change into a Three. At the end of these
changes, the box can be left in the hands of
the spectator.
The box Bob uses is a Viking Magic
Magnetic Euro Card Box that has been
modifed with the addition of a second,
non-magnetic fap. A decorative top was
added (the Rustic Red Pocket Spell Book
from www.nemesisnow.com) and the
entire box was antiqued. Bob also uses an
antique key (non-magnetic) attached to a
ribbon. The key is ungaffed (any interest-
ing-looking charm could be used), but the
ribbon is not. A small, powerful magnet is
hidden in the end of the ribbon.
To understand how the box works, set
it as follows: Open the box. Place a Three
face up in the bottom of the box. Place the
magnetic fap on top of it. Place a two face
down in the top of the box and cover it
with the non-magnetic fap. Place an Ace
face in the bottom of the box, on top of the
magnetic fap. Place the end of the ribbon
with the magnet on the non-magnetic fap,
over one of the hidden magnets in the top
of the box. Place the key in the bottom of
the box. You can now open and close the
box and the non-magnetic fap will stay in
place.
To perform this, open the box. As you
do so, your thumb pushes against the non-
magnetic fap as your other hand removes
the magic key from the box, detaching
its magnet from the inside top of the box.
Display the box with the Ace showing.
Close the box and wave the key over
it. Open the box. The Ace has changed
into a Two. Close the box and hand it to
a spectator, turning the box over once as
you do so. This action drops the magnetic
fap, which adheres to the inside of top of
the box, hiding the Two and the non-mag-
netic fap. The spectator waves the key and
opens the box. The Two has changed into
the Three.
Now that you understand how the box
works, here is the effect and handling of I
Am Carticus.
Effect: A card is selected (assume it
is the King of Diamonds) from an ancient
deck that has been kept in a box of spells.
This box is used by the Ministry of Magic
Words, a secret government agency, to
validate the effcacy of new magic words
(sort of like a patent offce).
The card is signed on the back with
a unique magic word created by the
spectator. The card is placed face up in
the spells box and the box is closed. The
spectator holds the deck, snaps his fngers
twice, and waves a magic key over the
spells box. The magician claims that this
will make the card vanish from the box and
appear in deck, assuming that the magic
word is workable.
The box is opened. Some of the card
has vanished, but some of it is still in the
box. The box is closed and the spectator
tries the ritual again. The box is opened.
A jagged piece of the card remains, but the
translated from the spanish
By R.D. Michaels
El Roberto Enigmatico
The Magic of Bob Farmer
rest of the card has vanished. The deck is
spread face down; a face-up card appears
in the spread. It is the King of Diamonds
with the spectators magic word on the
back. When the King is removed from the
spread, the spectator can see that a piece of
the card is missing. The piece of card from
the box fts perfectly.
Im sorry, the magician says, your
magic word is defective.
Preparation: In addition to the card
box described above, youll need three
duplicate cards (the King of Diamonds
in our case) and a double-backed card.
Holding one of the duplicate cards face
down, tear off a small portion of the outer
left corner in a crescent shape. To know
where to do this, hold the deck face down
and note where your left thumb lies. Your
thumb will hide the missing portion of the
card during the performance. (Note: When
you actually tear off the piece, hold the
card face up; this will put the scalloped
edge on the back, which looks better.) Put
the torn piece in the bottom of the card box
and cover it with the magnetic fap.
Take the rest of the card and place it
face down on top of the double-backed
card. Place these two cards onto one of the
other duplicates (which is also face down).
Place these three cards on top of the deck.
Take the third duplicate and tear small
pieces from various places around the card.
Discard these torn-off pieces and keep the
now-partial card. Place it in the top of the
box, cover it with the non-magnetic fap,
and add the key and its magnet to lock the
fap in place. Place the deck in the box.
Performance: Remove the deck from
the box. Cut it in the hands and keep
a break. Riffe force at the break and
complete the cut. The three-card setup is
back on top. The outer left corner of the top
card is missing, but your left thumb covers
the torn edge.
Ask the spectator to nominate a magic
word. You write that word on the back
of the torn card, keeping the deck tilted
back so the missing corner doesnt fash
during the writing process. Perform a
triple turnover, which shows the face of the
un-torn duplicate King of Diamonds. The
signed, torn card is now face up under the
double-backed card.
Drop the King into the bottom of the
card box. The spectator can hold the deck
and the key. Close the box. Proceed as
explained in the description of the effect
above.
REFERENCES
The Card and Cigarette Case, Bert Al-
lertons The Close-Up Magician edited by
Robert Parrish (pages 18-19)
Impromptu Torn and Restored Card,
The Card Magic Of Le Paul by Paul Le
Paul (pages 161-163)
Roterberg Card Box Trick and Simpli-
fed Roterberg Card Box Trick, The Secret
Ways of Al Baker, edited by Todd Karr
(pages 733-735)
John Bannon is an attorney, a talented creator of card and close-up
magic, a long-time participant in the Chicago Sessions, and (according to
Wikipedia) the former premier of South Australia. Johns output includes
the marketed effects Call of the Wild and Twisted Sisters and the books
Smoke & Mirrors (1992), Dear Mr. Fantasy (2006), and High Caliber
(2013).
Johns frst large collection of effects, Impossibilia, was published in
1990 and is the focus of this months Ebook Nook. It featured magic with
cards, coins, cups and balls, and miscellaneous objects, and it helped
establish Johns reputation as an inventor of ingenious, high quality
magic.
The three routines excerpted from Impossibilia have become standards
in the repertoires of close-up magicians around the world. Play It Straight
Triumph adds an amazing kicker to Vernons classic effect and requires
no sleight of hand. The display sequence used in Discrepancy City
Prediction (which is remarkablly deceptive) has found a home in other
card routines. Shriek of the Mutilated provides a no-sleight version of the
torn and restored cigarette paper. (Note: This trick uses fash paper, so
take care when performing it.)
My thanks to L&L Publishing for allowing these excerpts to appear in
M-U-M. Michael Close
PLAY IT STRAIGHT TRIUMPH
Why would anyone offer another Triumph-type effect? My only
justifcation is that this routine has the distinction (advantage) of being
totally self-working; it uses no sleights, moves, or subtleties. Despite
this fact, Play It Straight is magical and entertaining to lay people an
added bonus. The routine is an outgrowth of the insight that the standard
four packet shuffe sequence (Simon, Thompson, et al) done exactly as
advertised with no pre-reversed cards or false shuffes reverses only
one-fourth of the cards, not one-half as one might think.
Effect: A spectator freely selects a card and retains it. The magician
cuts the deck into four packets. Two of the packets are turned face-up.
All four packets are then fairly shuffed together. The cards are spread
to show a true mixture of face-up and face-down cards. The magician
asks for the suit of the selected card. He spreads the cards and all of them
are now face-down except the twelve cards of the selected suit, in order
from Ace to King. The selected card, of course, is the one that is missing.
Work: There is a set-up. Begin with all thirteen cards of a suit, say
Hearts, in Ace through King order (or King through Ace, whatever)
on top of the deck. Contrive to have your spectator select one of the
Hearts by cutting off the upper portion of the deck and spreading the top
thirteen cards for her selection. Ask your spectator to note her card and
put it somewhere safe.
Assemble the deck, keeping the stack on top. Say, I am going to
complicate things a little. Riffe up the back end of the deck until you
spot the King of Hearts, cut off this upper packet (your stack), and put it
on the table. Do this riffe-glimpse openly as you say you will cut the
deck into four relatively equal packets. Cut the remainder of the deck
into three relatively equal packets, placing them to the right of the frst.
There are now four packets on the table, Ill call them: ABCD
Packet A contains all Hearts (minus the selection). Turn packets B and
D face-up. Riffe shuffe A and B together. Try to make this a fairly
even shuffe but allow the face card of A (the King of Hearts) and the
top card (the Ace of Hearts) to remain as the top and bottom cards of the
combined packet.
Turn the combined packet over (a face-up King of Hearts shows) and
shuffe the face-down packet C into it. For later appearances sake,
shuffe the packet mostly into the upper half of the combined packet and
allow the top face-down card (or cards) to cover the King of Hearts and
become the top card(s) of the packet.
Turn the combined packet over again and shuffe face-up packet D into
it. This time try to shuffe it mostly into the lower half of the combined
packet.
Pick up the combined packet and spread the frst ffteen to twenty-fve
cards. (The reason for the above controlled shuffes should now be
apparent. The ratio of face-down to face-up cards appears much closer to
one in this section of the deck than is actually the case.) The deck appears
all mixed up because it is.
I call this my Impossible Card Location. Why is it impossible? Because
she never put her card back in the deck. Nevertheless, even though the
cards are all mixed up, because I am a card expert (lay people never
know the difference), I can fgure out what card she took, if she tells me
its suit.
As soon as she does, close the spread and set the deck on the table,
turning it over in the process. Just turn your hand palm-down and deposit
the deck. Pause a beat, snap your fngers, and slowly spread the deck.
Only face-up Hearts will show. This is more magical looking than you
might think. Its almost as if the just shown face-up cards have changed
into Hearts.
Poke through the Heart sequence, calling out each card. Lets see;
theres the Ace, Two, Three... When you come to a break in the sequence,
announce the missing card as the selected one. There is no big mystery
at this point, but you have to end somehow. In any case, lay people are
intrigued by take a card effects where the selected card is not returned
to the deck, and there is some inherent humor in counting through the
Hearts to fnd the selected one.
Ex Post Facto: While this routine is self-working, the judicious
application of a false shuffe before starting is recommended. Because
everything in the shuffe sequence is legit, you may wish to emphasize
the fact by briefy spreading each packet before shuffing it into the
combined packet. Also, precisely because all the shuffes are real, Play It
Straight makes a perfect follow-up to Vernons original Triumph routine.
EBOOK NOOK
Excerpt From:
Impossibilia
Written By:
John Bannon
Description:
Ebook, 168 pages
Available From:
www.llepub.com
As many of you are no doubt aware, the Vernon Triumph shuffe (even
with Daryls six-fold display/cut sequence) is essentially a false shuffe.
Therefore, you can do the Vernon routine frst and the Heart stack will
be maintained. (At the conclusion of the Vernon routine, the stack is
directly beneath the face-up selected card.) You can bet, after you offer
to repeat the trick, your audience will be watching your shuffes very
closely. Thats the neat part they can.
(One last thing: Magicians familiar with the four-packet shuffe and
Triumph-type effects are totally lost after the frst two packets are
shuffed together.)
DISCREPANCY CITY PREDICTION
This is a fast, fairly impossible, prediction routine. As the name
implies, the whole thing is based on discrepancies, and brazen ones at
that. When I conceived of this effect I cast it as a modest little mystery,
almost a quickie; a routine to be performed briskly before moving on
to better tricks However, subsequent performances have shown it to
be one hundred percent effective for lay people and surprising to most
magicians. It now occupies a more prominent place in my impromptu
repertoire and is one of my favorite mental effects to perform.
Effect: The performer removes three cards as a prediction. Only
three cards are removed. The spectator then shuffes the remainder of
the deck and is instructed to deal the cards singly onto the table. The
spectator may stop dealing at any point. When he stops, the next card is
placed aside.
The stopped-at card is turned face-up and seen to be, say, a Queen. The
three prediction cards are shown to be the other three Queens.
Work: Pure bluff, a double lift, and an Elmsley count. Remove the
following three cards as your prediction: the Queen of Spades, the Queen
of Clubs, and the Queen of Diamonds. The packet must be in this order
with the Queen of Diamonds at the face. Do not let anyone see the faces
of your prediction cards. Handle the cards loosely and casually enough
to non-verbally convince your audience that there are three, and only
three, cards. I usually say something like: Most magicians only use one
prediction; I use three. This way, one of them has gotta be right. Place
your prediction packet on the table.
Give your spectator the rest of the deck and allow him to shuffe it.
When he is satisfed the cards are thoroughly mixed, instruct him to
begin dealing the cards into a pile on the table. Say, Please stop dealing
whenever you feel like it.
When he stops the deal, take the remainder of the cards from him.
Indicate the top card of this portion and point out the total freedom
of its selection. Deal this card (the top card of the talon) onto the table
next to your prediction packet. (You can glimpse this card. If it is really
the fourth Queen then you have a true miracle. One can always hope.)
Assemble the rest of the cards and set them aside.
Pick up the prediction packet in your left hand and spread it. At the
same time, pick up the selected card with your right hand. I remind
the spectator, I removed these three cards before you shuffed, dealt,
and stopped at this card. Place the selected card on top of the spread
prediction packet.
Square the packet, obtaining a break under the top two cards. Turn
over the two cards, as one, face-up onto the packet using the best double
turnover technique you know. The Queen of Spades is displayed; call
attention to this card as the chosen card.
Say, Would you be surprised if one of my predictions matched your
chosen card? What if you stopped at the only card that matched all
three? Turn the packet over and perform an Elmsley count to show
three Queens and one face-down card. (Big-time discrepancy city!)
Out-jog the face-down card as you come to it (third). This card is the
Queen of Spades.
Remove the out-jogged card and turn it face-up on top of the other
Queens. The actual selected card is never seen and lies reversed (face
down) at the back of the face-up Queens.
Drop the Queen packet onto the deck, fip the top three Queens
face-down, shuffe, and proceed with your next miracle.
SHRIEK OF THE MUTILATED
This is a very simple straightforward idea for the torn and restored
cigarette paper trick. It is so simple and straightforward I am surprised
no one has thought of it before. If someone has, the concept did not
get the recognition it deserves. I have shown this routine to some very
knowledgeable people and have been featuring it in my lectures for some
time; no one had seen or heard of it before. In my opinion, this comes
very close to a perfect why do it any other way method. It is very
magical looking and there is no switch.
A sheet of cigarette paper is removed from its package, torn into several
pieces, crumbled into a small ball, and impaled on a hat pin. A fame
is waved several inches below the ball of torn paper. There is a sudden
fash but the paper appears to be unchanged. The ball is removed from
the pin and opened to show the torn paper has been magically restored
into a single piece.
Preparation: You will need a package of cigarette papers. The package
should be of the type in which the papers are removed singly through a
slot like facial tissues. I recommend E-Z Wider brand papers. The
package is of the correct design and the papers are large. (For purposes
of visibility after the restoration, larger papers are better.) Additionally,
these papers are used for making marijuana cigarettes and thus allow a
wide variety of presentation options.
You will also need a pad of fash paper. (Figured that out already, eh?)
Remove the staple and you will have about twenty two-inch by three-inch
pieces of fash paper. Fold each in half along the three-inch dimension.
This gives you twenty three-inch by one-inch tents.
Take the package of cigarette papers apart and remove its contents.
The papers are arranged in a series of interlocking V-shapes so that,
when one is pulled out of the slot, the next one will pop into position.
Duplicating this arrangement, make a new stack, alternating cigarette
papers with folded sheets of fash paper. You will notice the fash paper
is not the same size or thickness as the cigarette paper. (Dont worry
about the size; Ill talk about that in a minute.) Due to the thickness of the
fash paper, only twenty to twenty-four sheets can be alternated (twelve
fash papers and twelve cigarette papers). End the stack with a cigarette
paper on top.
Place the new stack back into the package, carefully guiding the top
cigarette paper through the slot and put the package back together.
Lastly, you will require a long pin. A three- to four-inch hat pin is
best, but you can obtain
a corsage pin from any
forist and it works just as
well.
Prior to performance,
remove the top sheet
of cigarette paper from
the package. The next
sheet (fash paper)
should appear in the slot.
Crumble the cigarette
paper into a small ball
Figure 1
and then carefully open it out again. Pleat the paper in fourths along
the long dimension, then again in the other direction (Figure 1). Now
crumple the pleated packet into a loose ball. Prepared in this manner, the
paper will open quickly with little effort or fumbling.
Place the paper ball and the package of papers in your right jacket
pocket. You are now ready to begin.
Work: Remove the pin and a cigarette lighter. Since you are not going
to make a switch, you want to eliminate all the opportunities you might
have to do one. Reach into your right pocket and clip the paper ball
between your frst and middle fngertips. Take the package of cigarette
papers atop the clipped ball between your thumb and fngers and remove
it from your pocket. The package covers the clipped ball and can be
freely displayed from this grip (Figure 2).
With your left hand, open the fap of the package and pull out a sheet
of paper (fash paper). Show it briefy and then place it back in your right
hand on top of the package. Now take the package away with your left
hand and toss it to one side, leaving the sheet of fash paper in your right
hand. In this way the clipped paper ball remains concealed at all times.
Clearly tear the piece of paper in half. Place the left section on top of the
right, turn the papers ninety degrees, and tear them in half again. Again
place the left pieces on top of the right ones. The papers in your right
hand are not removed and keep the paper ball hidden.
Your left thumb and forefnger now pinch the torn papers around the
concealed ball. Your right thumb and forefnger assist in wadding the
torn pieces into a ball. Be sure to keep your other fngers spread wide
to insure a clean display. The real cigarette paper ball is now concealed
inside the fash paper ball.
Pick up the pin with your right hand and stick it through the paper ball.
Make sure the pin penetrates the inner ball as well. Hold the pin in your
right hand and, with your left, light the lighter and hold it well below the
paper ball. Slowly move the fame in circles beneath the ball, moving
it closer as you do. You will fnd the heat from the fame will ignite the
fash paper while the fame is several inches away.
The fash paper will burn away in a magical burst of fre and light,
leaving only the cigarette paper ball on the pin. Remove the ball and
open it up. The paper is a little singed, but completely restored.
Ex Post Facto: You will notice that the fash paper is not the same size,
not the same texture, and even not quite the same color as the cigarette
paper. You will but no one else will. Also, after the fash, the paper ball
on the pin will get a little smaller. Again, I have performed this routine
hundreds of times and these discrepancies are never noticed.
To reset: Just take out the next sheet (it will be a cigarette paper),
crumple it up, and youre ready to go.
EBOOK NOOK
Figure 2
Several issues ago, I discussed the
origins of spiritualism based on the spirit
rapping communication of two young
girls, Maggie and Kate Fox from Hydes-
ville, New York, in 1848. Soon, more and
better methods were devised to talk to
the spirits. An iconic method that was used
greatly during the late nineteenth century
was slate writing. It is an effect rarely used
today by fraudulent sance mediums, but
it is well known to magicians.
The basic concept was that the medium
would show two standard writing slates
as being clean on all sides, binding them
together with a piece of chalk between
them. Upon asking a question of the
departed, the slates would be opened to
reveal a detailed answer. Various methods
were used, and one only needs to look as
far as your local magic dealer or library to
fnd many of them. So, instead of discuss-
ing methods, I would like to discuss one of
the most famous slate writers of his day.
Henry Slade (1840-1905), born in
Johnson Creek, New York, is thought to be
the frst to add slate writing to his psychic
mediumship. Slade often referred to
himself as Dr. Henry Slade; he portrayed
himself as a spiritual doctor, although no
evidence was ever found that he obtained
an advanced degree qualifying him to use
the title.
Slade fooled some of the most
prominent scientifc minds of the time,
including physicist Johann Zollner (an
expert on illusions and Professor of
Physics and Astronomy at the University
of Leipzig), Sir William Fletcher Barrett (a
professor of physics at the Royal College of
Science in Dublin and one of the founders
of the still-existing Society for Psychical
Research), and Alfred Russel Wallace,
co-discoverer of natural selection with
Charles Darwin.
Despite being exposed as a fraud
several times during his career, Dr. Slade
made quite a healthy living. In London
in 1876 Slade was charging one guinea
for a private reading that lasted but a few
minutes. The equivalent in todays money
would be a little over one hundred dollars
per sitting, of which he did hundreds per
week. Soon after his arrival, he crossed
paths with Sir Ray Lankester and Sir
Horatio Donkin, both physicians, who had
their eye on Slade as well as several other
mediums. They arranged several sances,
at one of which Lankester grabbed one of
Sladess slates prior to the message suppos-
edly being spiritually written; the message
was already on the slate. This ultimately
resulted in Slade being arrested for fraud.
This accusation made worldwide
news in both the Spiritualism community
as well as the civilized world. During
the trial, the renowned physicist Lord
Rayleigh publicly declared Slade to be
genuine. The famous British conjuror J.
N. Maskelyne was a prominent witness
against Henry Slade. Maskelyne was
easily able to demonstrate to the satisfac-
tion of the court that Slades slate writing
was brought about by trickery. Slade was
convicted and sentenced to three months
hard labor. However, the charges were
dismissed due to a faw in the indict-
ment. While new summonses were being
prepared, Slade and his manager skipped
across the channel to France, never again
to set foot in the United Kingdom.
In 1884, the Seybert Commission,
which was the frst organized approach to
the investigation of spiritual phenomena,
sat with Slade for several sances while he
was back in New York; the commission
found his work to be fraudulent through-
out. After the commission sat with all of
the slate writers that responded to their
requests, Harry Kellar exhibited multiple
variations of slate writing, not claiming
any supernatural abilities, but merely to
express upon the commission how they
could be baffed by natural means. And
baffe them he did! The commission later
wrote:
An eminent professional juggler
performed, in the presence of three of our
Commission, some independent slate-
writing far more remarkable than any of
which we have witnessed with mediums.
In broad daylight, a slate perfectly clean
on both sides, was, with a small fragment
of slate pencil, held under a leaf of a
small, ordinary table, around which we
were seated; the fngers of the jugglers
hand pressed the slate tight against the
underside of the leaf, while the thumb
completed the pressure and remained in
full view clasping the leaf of the table. Our
eyes never for the fraction of a second lost
sight of that thumb; it never moved; and yet
in a few minutes the slate was produced,
covered with writing. Messages were
there, and still are there, for we preserved
the slate, written in French, Spanish,
Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Gujorati, and
ending with ich bin ein Geist, und lieb,
mein Lagerbier. For one of our number
the juggler subsequently repeated the trick
and revealed its every detail.
During the Seybert Commission's
investigations, a Philadelphia conjuror
named Remigius Weiss, aka Remigius
Albus, produced a signed confession
from Henry Slade admitting he was a
fraud. Mr. Weiss convinced Slade to hold
several private sances at his home during
which Weiss exposed Slades fraudulent
methods. He confronted Slade with a
written confession forcing Slade to sign
it or be put behind bars. Slade reported-
ly signed the paper and begged not to be
arrested. 1n 1923, when asked by Houdini
why he didnt come forward with this
evidence sooner, Weiss said at frst he
pitied Slade but then added he didnt want
other mediums to know the methods and
to start using them to take advantage of
people.
In 1886-87, psychical researchers
Richard Hodgson (1855-1905) and S. J.
Davey also exposed mediumistic slate-
writing as bogus, virtually ending it as a
spiritualist technique. In 1887, Hodgson
became secretary of the newly-founded
American Society for Psychical Research.
Houdini, in his 1924 book A Magician
Among the Spirits, wrote: Spirit slates
are now listed in the catalogues of houses
dealing in conjuring apparatus and the
fraud mediums who formerly made use of
them are employing the safer and easier
swindles of automatic writing, trance or
trumpet messages, and the Ouija board.
In 1905 Henry Slade was penniless and
friendless and wandered to Michigan. He
became ill from alcohol and was placed
in the sanitarium in Battle Creek, where
he died September 8, 1905. His remains
were buried in a paupers grave until word
got out of his death and several spiritual-
ists collected enough money to re-inter the
body at Riverside Cemetery in Albion.
By Charles Siebert, MD
Paranormal happenings
STACKING UP AGAINST
THE EXPERTS
As someone who performs in a
gambling/cardshark/all-around cheat
persona, I can tell you that it doesnt
take me very long at all to start felding
earnest questions about whether or not Im
allowed in casinos, even when I start off
in a more traditional card trick vein. And
while I spend plenty of time demonstrat-
ing straight-up impossibilities, I get very
strong reactions demonstrating the kind
of superhuman skills that people imagine
an expert cardshark possesses. Now, this
is a matter of style; Im not saying every
card trick should be a gambling routine
or that every card magician should be a
cardshark. On the other hand, gambling
material is less boring than youd think in
the same way that card tricks in general are
less boring than normal people (and many
magicians) think. And the skills employed
are useful beyond these demonstrations.
There are many great gambling routines
in the literature that dont require bucket-
loads of technical skill: the Gardner-Marlo
Poker Deal, the Vernon Poker Deal, and
Ted Annemanns Call Your Hand, for
example. However, I mentioned in my frst
column that while you absolutely have to
think like a magician when presenting this
material as an entertainment, it also helps
to possess a certain amount of the kind
of skill youre talking about. With that in
mind, lets talk about riffe stacking.
In The Expert At The Card Table on
page 34 (Blind Riffes, Part I: To Retain
the Top Stock), Erdnase describes better
than I can the action of performing a
riffe shuffe, holding back a single card,
and depositing that card on top of the
original top stock (Photo 1). That is the
essence of riffe stacking. Theres no big
secret to it. If you have four Aces on top of
the deck, and you want them to start fve
cards down, you perform four shuffes,
leaving one card on top of the stack each
time. This riffe, though requiring consid-
erable explanation, is quite simple, and as
easily executed as the true.
From there, try holding back two cards
at a time instead of one. Just try it. Itll start
to come to you easier than youd think.
Then try three. After three, try four. A drill
you can try while developing your feel for
it is to just sit for a while, riffe shuffing
the deck. Do four shuffes holding back one
card, then four holding back two, then four
holding back three, and then four holding
back four. You dont have to go any further
than that for now. And dont worry about
not looking at this point, either. Dont rely
on looking; youre trying to develop the
feel for it. But you dont have to practice
blindfolded or anything. Just follow the
directions in Erdnase and get used to how
those quantities feel.
This is a useful tool outside of
gambling demonstrations. Say for your
next trick you need to know the tenth card
down from the top of the deck. Glimpse
the top card; as you talk you riffe shuffe
the deck, putting three cards on top, then
three more, then two, and then one. Voila
you now know the tenth card down, and
the audience has seen you genuinely (up to
a point) shuffe the deck. To quote Erdnase
yet again: Nothing so completely satisfes
the average card player than the belief that
the deck has been thoroughly shuffed.
What better way to achieve this satisfac-
tion than to actually shuffe the deck?
When youre comfortable laying small
numbers of cards on top of the top stock,
try putting them under the top card of the
deck. Its basically the same action. You
just have to hold back one card on the other
side as you do the same thing as before,
and then conclude by dropping that single
card on top (Photo 2). Its not as hard as
it sounds; start with one under one, like
before, and work your way up.
When you can put four cards under
the top card la Erdnase, congratulations.
Now Ill show you how you can turn that
modest skill into an impressive one-shuf-
fe poker stack with a little bit of magician
cunning, presentation, and handling.
THE AINT NUTHIN
BUT A THING STACK
This routine demands some table
space. Remove (or produce) the Aces and
set them in red-black-red-black order from
the face to back. Hold the deck face-up in
dealing position and get a break under the
two cards on the face of the deck. If I were
the type to cheat at poker, I might put the
Aces on the bottom and try to deal them to
myself off the bottom. Youve seen this in
those old Western movies; someone deals
Aces off the bottom, and then John Wayne
punches them in the face! Suiting actions
to words, you place the Aces face-up on
the face of the deck and spread the frst
three to show the four Aces. If youre
allergic to knuckles, a better way to do it is
to deal them off the top, after stacking the
deck. Youve heard of stacking the deck?
As you say that, pick up everything above
Photo 1
By Antonio M. Cabral
Cheats & Deceptions
(For Entertainment Purposes Only)
the break (six cards) and turn the deck
face down into a dealing grip. Place the
Aces (and the two extra cards) on top and
re-spread the frst three Aces, keeping a
break under the six face-up cards on top
of the deck.
Someone will usually acknowledge
that theyve heard the expression stacking
the deck. If so, look at that person and
ask, Really? Whove you been hanging
out with? Square the Aces and turn ev-
erything above the break face down on top
of the deck. Spread off the top four cards,
square them, and place them face down on
the table.
Stacking the deck means rearrang-
ing the cards the way you want them.
One way to do it is to steal the deck off
the table, excuse yourself to the bathroom
for about half an hour, and put the cards
in the order you want. Then you return to
the table, deal a round of poker, and John
Wayne punches you in the face. As youre
talking, illustrate this by fanning the deck
towards yourself and moving groups of
cards around in the fan. In the course of
this, take a group of cards from the top
(with the Aces on top) and stick them in
the middle of the fan without separating
the Aces. Then take any group of four or
fve cards and move it somewhere else
in the fan. Next, take the uppermost Ace
and the four cards above it and move them
to the top, then another group of three
cards from anywhere else and move them
anywhere else, then the remaining Ace in
the middle and the two cards above it and
place them on top. When youre done, the
top eight cards of the deck should be: X, X,
A, X, X, X, X, A.
Place the deck face down on the table
and return attention to the Aces. A
better way to do it if youre allergic to
beatings is to actually
shuffe the cards into
position. Pick up the
packet from the table
without spreading it
and take it face-up in
dealers grip. Take the
Ace off the face of the
packet and fick it with
your thumb, revealing
the other Ace under-
neath. (The red Ace
on the face will have
changed, but this is
not something people
will notice.) This
reinforces the earlier
switch, and your
audience should buy that all four Aces are
in your hand. Turn the packet face-down,
reverse count it, and then drop them on
top of the deck. What all that preliminary
handling has done is to place two Aces
on top, and stack the other two for a fve-
handed game. From the top down, your
stack is now: A, A, X, X, X, X, A, X, X,
X, X, A.
Lets say were in a fve-handed game
of poker; Paula, youll be my partner. Lets
say youre sitting at the frst seat, on my
left. Now, since I have to shuffe the cards
into position, Owen, would you keep me
honest and count how many times I have to
shuffe to do this? Split for a riffe shuffe
and, as you practiced, hold back four cards
in the left hand and one card in the right
hand. The four cards go under the original
top card (an Ace). The remaining nine
cards of your stock must not be mixed as
you shuffe. Square up (again, the descrip-
tion in Erdnase has good tips) and turn to
the person counting the shuffes.
How many was that? They should
say, One. Perfect! Thats not suspicious
at all! (This is a presentational gag I use
whenever I want to sell the absurdity of ac-
complishing a crazy amount of work in a
single shuffe.)
Remember, its a fve-handed game,
Paulas the frst hand, and all the cards
come off the top...for once! Deal the frst
card, start to deal the second, and pause.
Look at the person who was counting the
shuffes and say, Wow, the way youre
watching me, youd think we were playing
for real money! Take the second card,
scoop up the frst, and drop both back on
top of the deck. You seem like you dont
trust me, so here: you deal! Hand the
deck to that spectator and have him deal,
turning over each card in the frst hand to
show that the Aces ended up where they
were supposed to.
This is, on the surface, a straightforward
demonstration of card table skill. However,
the handling allows you to get much
further ahead than the audience realizes,
and allows you to perform a superhuman
display of skill with much less effort
than if you were doing it for real. It was
inspired by a riffe-stacking presentation
by my friend Steve Ehlers on his DVD
The Arizona Card Expert. Its also related
to a Roy Walton routine called Oversight,
which uses a similar method to achieve a
no-shuffe stack.
Once youre comfortable with stacking
to the frst hand, you can add in an extra
shuffe and offer the audience a choice of
which hand to deal to. Give the cards a
shuffe as before, putting four cards under
the top Ace, saying Well lose the Aces in
the deck. Then ask someone where theyd
like to sit in a fve-handed game (reminding
them, of course, that the ffth seat is yours).
If they say one, riffe shuffe one card
on top (maintaining the stack), perform
a slip cut (explaining that you cut after
the shuffe), and deal as before. If they
say two, riffe one card under the top
card. Then as you begin to deal, stop at
the second hand, look at someone in your
audience and say something like, Wow,
the way youre watching me youd think we
were playing for real! Take the top card
of the deck, scoop up the dealt cards in the
order you dealt them, and place everything
on top. Hand the deck to someone else
and say, Just to keep things honest, you
deal! Starting and stopping the deal in
that manner places the top Ace in position
to fall to the second hand, and the rest
follow automatically. Likewise, if they say
three, put two cards under the top card,
deal to the third hand, stop, scoup, and
start as described. If they say four, put
three cards under the top card and deal as
before, stopping at the fourth hand.
One thing to remember: Dont make
the mistake of presenting this as if youre
working hard. The point is for it to look
effortless, as if youre just shuffing the
cards. You could present it as just that:
you shuffe the cards and just happen
to get the cards you want. Shuffe work is
supposed to look like shuffing, not like
bricklaying. As Ive mentioned before, the
secret to this style of work, real or fake, is
that is has to look like nothing just like in
a magic trick.
Photo 2
LATEST PRODUCT REVIEWS
Compiled and Edited by W. S. Duncan
INFORMED OPINION
HIGH CALIBER BOOK
BY JOHN BANNON
Available from: www.JohnBannonMagic.com
Price $60.00
REVIEW BY W.S. DUNCAN
John Bannon has been producing books
on the subject of close-up magic for as long
as I can remember, and his products have
always been good-to-excellent. His frst
major works, Impossibilia and Smoke and
Mirrors, contain a wide variety of effects
with coins, rings, cigarette papers, and, of
course, playing cards. In recent years hes
narrowed the focus of his considerable imag-
ination to a few very specifc subtopics in
the subject of card magic. These tricks were
published in small booklets, in magazines, and
on the occasional video, over the course of a decade of
exploration. High Caliber is devoted to collecting those subtopics
into a convenient and beautifully produced hard bound form.
Some of Bannons explorations in the feld of small packet
magic were published as single trick items under the banner of
Fractal Card Magic, which is his term for small packet effects
that are visually engaging, relatively easy to do, and self contained
(so no palming off extra or special cards). Two of these effects
lead off the volume, and each meets those criteria and exceeds
them by also being uncommon effects. The Royal Scam is a hybrid
twisting/Wild Card/color-changing-backs effect, while Duplicity
echoes Bannons marketed effect Twisted Sisters without the
gaffed cards. The Royal Scam, Duplicity, and a third fractal effect
(Spin Doctor) were all marketed as single-trick DVDs with the
necessary cards. Purchasing those three items would set you back
more than half the cost of this book (even considering you need to
collect the cards yourself).
The rest of the volume contains self-working tricks, what might
be the best Triumph routine ever (The Bannon Triumph, the trick
formerly known as Play it Straight), and some interesting work
on the Open Prediction. There are simple quickies like Counter-
punch, an effect in which you seem to have made a tactical error.
Your promise to use the four Aces to locate a selected card seems
bound to fail because the selection is one of the Aces. You make
good on your promise when the other three Aces vanish from your
hands leaving only the selected card. Quick, simple, direct, and
fun; the sort of thing the Paul Harris books used to offer. On the
opposite end of the card trick spectrum youll fnd a number of
excellent Ace assemblies. Before reading Bannons work on the
subject, I frankly found Ace assemblies a bit boring. Now Im
a convert. Hes convinced me that they can be fun for both the
performer and the audience.
Because this volume is a collection of previously released
items its a somewhat uneven read. The tone of the individual
items varies quite a bit. Some effects are described in a simple and
direct way, while others are written as if you are reading a novel in
which the narrator describes a character named Bannon who does
card tricks. I fnd this distracting because it calls attention to the
writing, and because I keep thinking about how what Im reading
is John Bannon describing John Bannon in the frst/third person,
writing things like Bannon handed me the deck. It does provide
a way for the author to show us the external reality of the effect
before revealing the inner workings, so its a minor complaint,
and only a handful of the tricks described use this style of writing.
If you have a lot of his material already youll want to visit
Mr. Bannons website where you can fnd a PDF of the table of
contents. With forty items in this volume only the most diehard
fans will have everything, and considering the quality of the
material you are almost certain to get your moneys worth in the
stuff you dont already have. If you like card magic, the contents
of High Caliber offer much to enjoy, and I can recommend it with
certainty that youll like what you fnd.
EXTENDED PLAY DVD
BY VALDEMAR GESTUR
Distributed by Murphys Magic Supplies
Price $30.00
REVIEW BY ANTONIO M. CABRAL
Valdemar Gesturs Extended
Play is a DVD collection of his
fve available downloads from
DanAndDave.com. (Gestur does
not appear on any of the items;
theyre performed and explained
by Shin Lim.) The offerings are
all playing-card based and consist
of a sleight-of-hand color change and
four items that turn the title into a nice
piece of wordplay, because they all involve the
presence and use of rubber bands.
The color change the Flow Change is probably the least
interesting item on the disc, although its a fun idea to play with.
The card is placed face up in the middle of the deck and slid or
snapped forward, where it visibly changes into another card. Its
a similar concept to Jack Carpenters Impulse Change, but in my
opinion not nearly as good. A better change is Click, which is one
of the rubber band items. Here the deck is wrapped in a rubber
band with a face-up card on top; with a snap of the rubber band the
card visibly changes. This is a nice item, because the rubber band
apparently acts as a deterrent to any manipulation while actually
being the engine for the effect. Thats the basic problem with most
card-and-rubber band effects. You wind the rubber band around
the deck in some way, and then the deck or the chosen card propels
itself, as if propelled by a wound rubber band.
Trixel is an item in that vein in which the chosen card appears
on top of the deck as the only card still trapped by the rubber
band. Its a decent trick, but not as good as Click, in which the
band is still around the entire deck at the end, or any of the tricks
in the literature in which the rubber band appears to vanish into
the deck to trap the selected card.
Even more in the mechanical vein is Trigger, which is another
handling for the rubber-banded Haunted Pack. The Haunted
Pack is probably one of the strongest magical things possible
with a deck of cards. The deck cuts itself of its own volition and
the participants card removes itself with no visible means of
motive power. I have a friend who seems to be always prepared to
perform a version of this effect upon casual request, on a tabletop
or sidewalk good luck following that with a double lift change.
When Charles Jordan (and/or Bert Fenn) applied a visible rubber
band to the same effect, it sucked the mystery out of the effect in
the way I described before: the deck becomes a wind-up toy. At
the same time, the jack-in-the-box pop goes the weasel aspect
of the trick makes it great fun to perform, and its great for en-
vironments like bars where the audience is game for this type
of snake-in-the-peanut-brittle type gag. Trigger is a decent, yet
unremarkable entry in this category of trick. Sadly, I couldnt fnd
any mention of Bert Fenn or any of the obvious progenitors of this
effect.
Last, but probably best, is Target, which is an actual step
forward in this approach to the Haunted Pack. Here, the rubber
bands are used invisibly to provide the motive power for the
deck. The approach is very similar to, and offered up as, an al-
ternative to the very popular method using Loops, but using a
type of rubber band that can be found in any corner drugstore.
I was very curious to try this method, because a good friend of
mine had sung its praises and offered up some interesting tips on
handling it. However, in practice I found the method problematic.
The deck still moves more quickly than if you employed a thread
and very slowly made the cards creep around. There are tips on
how to prevent this, but much like when trying to refne sleight of
hand, you end up fghting more tension than you want to appear
to be. Ive gotten better results with methods that simply rely on
gravity and no gimmicks at all. Also, Ive never played around
with Loops so I cannot speak to how long they last in practice and
performance. The rubber band method is touted as being more
resilient and long lasting than Loops, yet I managed to break four
or fve just trying to get the darn thing to work once. Still, I feel
like theres more to be had here, and will probably keep experi-
menting with it until I run out of bands. Other applications of this
method involve having the deck pop out of the case, a rising card
effect, or having a selection shoot out of the deck. But again, to
paraphrase The Amazing Jonathan, sometimes magic looks like
rubber bands.
If this were a stand-alone DVD, I might say that Target and
maybe Click were worth the price of the DVD, and the other items
are worth playing around with. However, since this is a compila-
tion of items available individually as instant downloads, I can
only recommend this DVD if you really like all of them, or are a
real stickler for physical media. Otherwise, Id say go to the Dan
& Dave website, check out the video clips, decide which items
you really like, and purchase them individually. Thatll be the best
bang for your buck.
SIX 2.0 DVD WITH SUPPLIES
BY MICKAEL CHATELAIN
Available from Murphys Magic Supplies
Price $39.95
REVIEW BY JAMIE SALINAS
Mickael Chatelain previously released an instructional
DVD called Six that contained half a dozen effects and all of
the gimmicks needed to perform
them. This second DVD
follows the same format: six
tricks, including the supplies
and gimmicks, which you
will need to assemble. There
are a variety of effects for
the close-up performer taught
on this DVD; those looking for
something besides another card
trick should take note.
The DVD has both English and French
versions. Although this is not a high-end produc-
tion, the production quality and viewing angles are very good.
Included with the DVD are the supplies and gimmicks that you
will need to perform the effects taught. All of the effects are fairly
simple to perform, and it is easy to construct the gimmicks that
are needed using the included supplies. Mickael provides clear in-
structions for the performances and construction of the gimmicks.
Included on the DVD are an impossible balancing effect using
common items in which everything can be examined when you
are fnished, a penetration of a Tic Tac from its box, a card routine
in which a selected card appears in an empty match box, a very
straightforward revelation of a selected card, a novel card routine
of moving hearts drawn on the back of a selected card, and a
shrinking-card routine. In addition to the six effects included,
there is a bonus effect in which the contents of a full box of Tic
Tacs vanishes and reappears, and a bonus move for a ring on
rubber band routine that was taught on the frst DVD.
Now the important information, are these effects good? In my
opinion, the answer is yes. Are they great? Well that is a different
story. The effects are straightforward, which means they are easy
for spectators to follow and are good, solid effects. You will not
be closing your close-up set with any of these tricks, but any
could be a nice addition to your performances. I really like the
card revelation; it is very direct and clean in appearance. And the
shrinking card looks very good. Although the bonus vanishing
Tic Tacs effect is clever, I do not like it because you cannot have
the spectator handle the box without performing a switch of some
kind, something that is not mentioned or covered at all. The bonus
handling of a ring on rubber band routine that was taught on
the frst DVD is alright, but does not look natural. Mickael does
not demonstrate the move very well; he fashes when demonstrat-
ing it.
The routines are good for the close-up performer. The material
is for the beginner and intermediate performer. There are two
effects that stand out (for me) and the rest of the material is solid.
Priced at $39.95 makes this something you may want to take a
look at if you are a close-up performer looking for some variety.
FIFTY-TWO SHADES OF RED DVDS WITH GAFFS
BY SHIN LIM
Available from: www.VanishingInc.com
Price $55.00
REVIEW BY NORMAN BECK
I had never heard of Shin Lim or seen any of his products, and
that has been my loss. Mr. Lim is a clever man. Im talking very
clever. He is the type who will fool you and make you like it. I
watched the entire DVD with rapt attention and loved it. I will say,
however, that I did not love what you are actually buying or think
you are buying. I know that makes no sense; let me explain. With
this project, I think Mr. Lim is in contest
mode, rather than in commercial mode.
I do not think that the deck of cards that
you are paying $55 for will fool anyone.
The basic effect is a color changing deck
routine; at the end the faces vanish and the
backs change color. I think that after his
performance if you asked any spectator
how the routine was done, they would all
agree that the deck was not normal. I dont
care for that type of magic.
I would, however, tell anyone that he
or she should buy and study this project. The reason is that some
of the things outside of the main routine are, well, great! I can also
tell you that Shin Lim has a new idea that I have never seen in
print that is really, really cool. And to tell you much about it would
spoil it for both you the buyer, and Mr. Lim the seller. I loved the
color changing box routine; it looks like real magic and is very
cool. It looks like you pass your hand over the box and it changes
color with no funny moves. I would say that it would fool anyone.
Another routine is an impossible card vanish in which you
show three cards and the center card vanishes in a very clean
manner. It looks great! My favorite item has you show four blue-
backed Aces; with a wave they change into four red-backed Kings.
That is the good news; now for the bad news: assembly is
required. You cant do anything without some assembly. I would
prefer that for $55 the trick would be ready to go, but it is not.
The majority of the DVD is devoted to teaching you how to
make things. I am fne with that, because what you are making is
something I have never seen in magic and is very good. However,
you should be aware of what will be required of you.
Also on the DVD is a routine to vanish a deck of cards that I am
certain would work and look great in a magic contest or a formal
show like you might perform at the Magic Castle, but in more
real world circumstances, I dont think it is practical. However
I would not bet against Mr. Lim. I hope to meet him sometime;
he is a very nice performer (who won FISM in 2012). He explains
things very well, although I think in future projects Id advise him
to lose the background music. (You are teaching me something
and the music is nothing but a distraction.) The basic routine that
is taught would probably fool no one who thinks about it for a
millisecond, but the rest of the DVD would fool anyone. I say buy
this and you will be very happy (except possibly for the assembly
part). I now am looking forward to anything that Mr. Lim puts out.
HEINSTEINS DREAM TRICK
BY KARL HEIN
Available from: www.karlhein.com
Price $30.00
REVIEW BY DANNY ARCHER
I love the classics; classics are classics for a reason. These
effects have stood the test of time and have been proven to be
the ones that audiences enjoy watching and that magicians enjoy
doing. The Torn and Restored Card is such a classic. On this well
produced DVD, one of the top pros in Florida, Karl Hein, shares
with you his work on this effect. The DVD opens as Karl explains
his history with the trick, and details some of the many handlings
he has used through the years as he strove towards his dream
handling (visual, repeatable, and designed to be used in real world
performing situations). He talks about the many great perform-
ers who have released versions of the effect, including Heinsteins
Dreams closest relative, Brett Brauns Torched and Restored. In
fact, this release updates an earlier version Karl had marketed,
and it is a nice improvement.
Next Karl performs the effect three times using three different
handlings. Each time the spectator can name the card that they
want used, and the card is signed. The frst is a fash restoration,
the second is a restoration in the spectators hand, and the fnal
effect is a one-piece-at-a-time restoration. All three are visual
and within the learning abilities
of everyone reading this. In
addition to playing cards, you
will also need something
easily obtained from an
offce supply store.
The explanations are
very clear, with the camera
shooting over Karls shoulder
so you can see what is going on.
Interspersed with his POV expla-
nations are shots of the performance. This
back and forth video style really makes it easy to see
what is going on and facilitates learning. All three handlings are
clearly explained, one at a time, and they all have their place for
different kinds of performances. The setup and preparation are
not diffcult, and Karl shows you exactly what you need to do
and how to do it. Another bonus is that the selection, folding, and
tearing procedures are the same for all three versions, so learning
one means you can learn the other versions without having to
remember three separate handlings.
I have two different versions of the Torn and Restored Card
in my repertoire (both were noted in the extensive credits) and
it looks like I am going to add a third (and a fourth and a ffth)
by working on Karls handling. I can attest to the power of this
effect, because I perform a version of TNR card many times each
night when I work. One of the other great things about Karls Torn
and Restored Card is that the spectator is left with a memento of
the magic that she witnessed. That is the icing on the cake for
an already incredible and memorable effect. One simple prepa-
ration, three different handlings, all backed up with a useable
and deceptive method means that I can easily recommend Karls
offering. I think that you should take a serious look at Heinsteins
Dream.
SANSMINDS SHARPIE TRICK
BY SANSMINDS MAGIC
Available from: www.SansMinds.com
Price $35.00
REVIEW BY DANNY ARCHER
This is a very cool idea. Imagine drawing an X on the back of
a spectators hand with a Sharpie, and then visibly moving the X
off of her hand and onto your own hand! You could also move the
mark or symbol from your hand and have it end up on the spec-
tators hand. Thats just what the SansMinds Sharpie will allow
you to do. In another presentation, you have a card selected from
a pack. You roll up your sleeve, showing the name of a card (8S)
written on your forearm. The spectator states that that her card
was the Three of Clubs. No problem. As you rub your fnger over
the writing, it visibly changes into the 3C. Or you can show two
small hearts drawn on the back of your hand and visibly move one
heart from your hand to the back of a female spectators hand.
This gimmicked Sharpie allow you to perform these effects with
almost no moves or sleights.
Herman is your host, and he shows you the work on the accom-
panying DVD. The camera work, audio, and disc navigation are
very well done. Without giving away too much, they have come
up with a method to allow you to easily remove a mark made with
this special Sharpie. It looks identical to a
real Sharpie, but there is a subtle way
to visually discern that this is not a
regular Sharpie. The gimmicked
Sharpie allows you to do some of
the effects that you can do with
the popular Frixion Pen without
the worry that someone will
recognize the special properties of
that type of writing implement.
I tried the pen out on my skin
and it worked very well (and I am at
an altitude of 8,500 feet in very dry condi-
tions). The producers do mention that climate and the
condition of the skin can affect the performance of the Sharpie.
You will have to have something drawn on your skin with a
regular Sharpie for many of the effects. This may or may not be
okay with all performers. If this is okay for you, you will also have
to make sure the mark is not seen before you perform the effect.
If you make the mark move to your spectators skin, the mark
that is left is in regular Sharpie ink and this must be taken into
consideration as well.
But that pales when you think about the reactions you will
get when you make a mark on your hand with a Sharpie (they
can rub it to make sure its real) and then visibly slide it off your
hand and onto the back of a spectators hand. That is a strong and
memorable effect. While the place I am currently performing at
may not be the right venue for this, I cant wait to try this out at
the bar, or a less formal venue. I think that you will have a lot of
fun with SansMinds Sharpie, and I can mark this trick as recom-
mended.
IMAGINATION COINS TRICK
BY GARRETT THOMAS
Available from: www.KozmoMagic.com
Price $40.00
REVIEW BY NORMAN BECK
I asked to write this review; the
product was not shipped to M-U-M
for a review. I purchased Imagination
Coins and looked at it last night and
this morning. I liked it enough that
I told our editor we needed to make
sure our readers knew of it.
I think products come to market
for three reasons: 1) Ego a guy
comes up with something and he
thinks it is great. 2) Money a magic dealer/lecturer who makes a
living from magicians has to come up with a new product in order
to live. 3) Love a guy comes up with something that is so good
he loves it and has to share. I know that love is what motivated
Garrett to put this out. I remember meeting him a number of years
ago at F.F.F.F. where he performed a trick with a fnger ring. I dont
as a rule remember a specifc trick but I remembered Garretts.
Most of the magic tricks that come in for review are just okay.
Some are really bad, and very rarely, some are great. Imagination
Coins is great!
Because Imagination Coins is based on a well known routine
by David Roth, when you frst get it you may not think its so
great. At least until you watch the DVD and you take some time
to think about it. The DVD sells for $40, but you are not really
paying for a DVD and a gimmick. You are paying for the hours of
thought that are packed into the DVD a lesson that ended sooner
than I would have liked.
You have seen tricks like this before. The spectator has four
coins in her hand. She pretends to hand you one; when she looks,
she has three and you have one. The next time you give her four
coins and then clearly take one back. That coin vanishes. When
she looks, she now has four again. Let me tell you how to judge
a trick. Simply watch the expression on a laypersons face; it will
tell you all you need to know. The reaction that he gets is priceless.
The one shot of Garrett performing this trick in a bar is all one
would need to buy the trick and then actually learn it and perform
it rather than put it away. You also get a bonus trick that he calls
Jump that I liked even better than the trick I thought I was buying.
It is a version of Cylinder and Coins with no cover, and I thought
it was really great.
Along with Garrett is Eric Jones, who also gives his thoughts
on Coins Across, and I was glad for the information. The DVD is
well shot with no background music (no distractions, thank you
very much) and the explanations are crystal clear. I cannot ask for
more. Please dont be put off when you frst open your present.
Watch the DVD and realize that at $40 this may be the best money
you have ever spent. I know I sound like I am selling or pitching
his product, but it really is that good.
ONCE UPON A TIME DVD AND PROP
BY WAYNE DOBSON
Price $20.00
REVIEW BY JIM KLEEFELD
This inexpensive one-trick DVD includes
a nicely produced prop, and will teach
you a decent card routine that goes
something like this: Two specta-
tors each get half the deck. They
each cut their half, turn one packet
upside down, and shuffe their
cards into a face-up, face-down
mix. Then one of them shuffes the
two mixed packets together into a
whole face-up/face-down deck. Now the
magician produces a small booklet and reads
it while the spectators check the deck. The booklet
announces how many cards are face up, how many of the face-up
cards are red, and the suits of the black cards. The fnale reveals
a specifc single card that was an exception mentioned in the
booklet. The routine is easy to do, almost self-working, and looks
magical, since it provides four sequential revelations. It is a nice
trick, taught on a very well-produced video, and worth the reason-
able price.
However, you should be aware of some limitations. Although
other arrangements are possible, it is designed to be presented to
two spectators, not one or fve. Both spectators should be able to
riffe shuffe and must follow several directions. Also, the printed
booklet shows four specifc revelations that do not change. In other
words, every time you perform it, the outcome will be exactly the
same. And, fnally, it uses a set-up deck, so you have to dedicate
a deck to the trick. You can use the deck for other tricks after this
one, but you will lose the setup.
The routine is entertaining if you use it in a casual setting with
no time limit, but it does take awhile for the spectators to follow
your directions and for them to count and separate piles of cards
a couple of times. I thought the paper prediction sheet was very
nicely produced, but it is paper and will not last forever, since you
fold and unfold it at each show. My booklet was apparently hand-
folded quickly and sloppily because the edges do not square up
well. Maybe youll get one that was folded more carefully.
The trick and prediction work well, but I felt the premise was
weak. Specifcally, the booklet is designed like a miniature old-
fashioned leather storybook, with the title Once Upon a Time;
however, there is absolutely no presentational hook in the script.
There is nothing anywhere about books, fairy tales, stories, or the
like, except that the frst sentence on the paper begins Once upon
a time there was a deck of cards that was shuffed and Nothing
the magician or the spectators do or say has anything to do with
stories or books, either before or after that. According to the in-
structions, you are supposed to bring out the cards, show people
how to mix and handle the cards, and then read the booklet. I
strongly suggest that if you get this, you work on a script that
gives the cute little booklet some context.
THE STESSEL BUTTON DVD AND PROP
BY JOHN STESSEL
Price $35.00
REVIEW BY JIM KLEEFELD
The last few years have seen an
infux of young people suddenly
delving into magic in a big way,
and then assuming they are
capable of inventing clever new
effects and selling them to other
magicians. Many of these young
adults do not know magic history
and are simply reinventing the work
of their predecessors. Most are simply
trying to make a quick buck or garner
quick fame by producing magic. This has led to
a few decent effects being rediscovered, a few horrible products,
and copious amounts of so-so in-betweens. The product under
review here lies somewhere in the middle. It is not a bad effect,
but the trick, the explanation, and the product all could have been
better. I am reminded of Al Bakers tenet that most magicians stop
thinking too soon.
This effect (I am deliberately not repeating the title here
for a reason Ill explain later) is simple and straightforward. A
spectator notices that one of your shirt buttons has been sewn out
of place, resting right next to another button. The hole for that
button, about four inches above it has no button in it. While they
watch, the mis-placed button moves straight up your shirt until it
is resting next to the empty buttonhole. You unbutton your shirt
and the spectator can see that every button is now correctly sewn
in its proper place. Your hands are empty and there is no evidence
of any extra buttons or gimmicks.
For the standard one-trick DVD price, you get a semi-fn-
ished gimmick, some craft supplies, a fair DVD, and two sheets
of written instructions. To prepare, you will have to fnd the
right button and do some arts-and-crafts work. Once prepared,
no further work is necessary on the gimmick, but to present the
effect you will have to spend a bit of time setting the gimmick
properly. It can stay in place all day, but each time you dress,
you will need to start all over again with a modicum of setup
and preparation. On the plus side, the performance is simple and
visual: a mis-sewn button physically moves into place while spec-
tators watch. It looks cool. The reset is quick and simple but must
be done out of the spectators sight.
The tricks negatives are small and mostly considerations
and hindrances rather than bad ideas. You have to be wearing a
standard button-up-the-front shirt. You need to leave your shirt-
tails casually untucked. It helps a lot if your shirt and buttons are
contrasting colors, which is less common than you might think.
(I checked my closet and two clothing stores.) A white button on
a white shirt simply does not read. You must be wearing pants
with belt loops. You have to wear the gimmick continuously, and
while it is not painful, it will be inconvenient at restroom breaks
and other times. The instructions show the performer tugging and
wiggling his shirttails to make the button move, which looks like
a dead giveaway to the method, and in fact, it is. The effect is
an offhand and impromptu stunt, not strong magic. How many
people at a time can see a button on your shirt? If you like the
effect and can use it under these conditions, then you may fnd it
worth your investment.
Although I consider this a fairly decent effect and rate it good-
to-average as a product, there are still some annoyances that fall
under the stopped thinking category. Here are a few examples.
You need an extra matching shirt button. The instructions say
that most shirts come with extra buttons sewn in the hem, or you
can remove one from a sleeve. This is incomplete information.
Many shirts have two sizes of buttons. Sleeve buttons are usually
smaller than front placket buttons. If you use a smaller button for
your gimmick, it will look odd when you perform; the moving
button does not match the rest of them. Ditto for some colored
buttons such as tortoise-shell, where multi-color patterns may not
be alike.
Without tipping too much, at one point you are told to glue a
whole playing card to the back of a button and then rip away the
excess. Three things are wrong with this. First, playing card stock
is not a good material to use because it is too heavy and multi-
layered. Second, gluing a large card to a button and tearing away
most of it proves tedious and inaccurate. A much better sugges-
tion would have been to use a hole-punch to make a small circle
of card and glue that to the button. Third, cardboard and glue are
less than ideal for the intended purpose. A better setup would be
to sew the button to a small round piece of fabric or no-tear paper.
Another point: You are taught to tug on your shirt-tails to
make the button move, but after a few moments I came up with
three other methods that do not involve you suspiciously pulling
on your shirt. Want more? You are told to make a loop in a piece
of thread by holding the strands together and wrapping clear tape
around them. No. Its thread. Tie it. And for those of you who buy
this, my experiments proved that a wire loop was more reliable
and less visible than a loop of thread. I mention these points,
not to provide your brain with possible solution avenues, but to
emphasize how this product, as I mentioned earlier, was put into
the market too soon. Someone stopped thinking.
As to why I have not repeated the name of the effect, or
the name of the person who gets your money for this product,
maybe its a bit of a personal soapbox, but for what its worth,
Alex Elmsley named his famous three-as-four display The Ghost
Count. The Hofzinser Cull was simply a cull to Hofzinser. Despite
those magical giants' models of selfessness, Ive seen several new
products on the market emblazoned with the name of the person
who put it into the marketplace, no matter how much they have
actually created. It is almost as if they want everyone to extol
the virtues of their name by discussing their brilliant magical
invention. Is it audacity, misplaced overconfdence, an attempt
at magic immortality, or a lack of forward thinking that allows
someone without so much as a score of years under his belt to
produce a product, market it to seasoned veteran performers,
and then name it after himself? Perhaps more young perform-
ers should do more research in magic history. Martin Gardners
Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic and Tarbell Volume 3 offer
similar button tricks to this one, and they are not named after
anyone. This one has a nice look to it, and a bit of advancement
of the method, but I doubt anyone will be extolling the virtues of
either the trick or the creator.
PSYCHO QUIZ PREDICTION TRICK
BY ANTHONY OWEN
Price $22.00
REVIEW BY JOSHUA KANE
Anthony Owen is well known as
the executive producer for Derren
Browns shows in England. He is
also a creative chap in his own right.
Psycho Quiz Prediction provides you
with the tools to prepare a copy of a
popular American womens magazine
to perform a strong and direct tri-
ple-threat prediction. The gaffs are
well made and the magazine can be
prepared in minutes.
The premise is that you have a
random volunteer answer questions
from the back page quiz regularly found in the magazine. Before
you even open the magazine, three predictions are written down
and given to another spectator to hold. You are able to reveal
specifc traits associated with the personality generated by the
spectators score, the values of the three answers, and the score
itself. There are no one-aheads, no stooges, and no switches. You
will need to provide your own magazine and prepare it before
performance. With good care it should last many performances
(although note that the effect will not bear repetition for the same
audience). There are no instructions included. You must go to
www.lulu.com, register, and download them in ePub format to
a device that will permit you to read it. I would have preferred
that the instructions had been printed out and included, or that
the document itself had been in the more standard PDF format. A
further annoyance is that in the ePub we are told (post purchase)
that television and Internet rights have been withheld. In the ePub
there are links to a demo video and very lucid instructions. The
annoyances aside, I look forward to seeing more releases from
Anthony Owen.
COMPLETE PEEK WALLET PROP
BY ANTHONY MILLER
Available from: www.Vanishingincmagic.com
Price $50.00
REVIEW BY JOSHUA KANE
The ad copy tells
us that this wallet is
designed to do three
things well: act as
a regular everyday
wallet, enable a full
peek of an item placed
inside, and work as a
card-to-wallet wallet
after the fashion of Tom Mullicas ingenious design. The Complete
Peek Wallet is made of soft black leather and at frst glance looks
like a standard bi-fold wallet. At second glance it became clear
that this will not work for me as an everyday wallet. The wallet
has a snap to secure it closed. When you open it on the left side,
there are two slots for credit cards that are open on the left side as
well as the top. This does not feel secure to me, and to my eye is
strange. There is a third slot, also open on the top and left side to
hold several business cards and to enable the peek. Unfortunately,
to get to your credit cards you essentially have to expose the gaff,
because the slots have not been stepped in a manner to provide
easy individual edge access. On the right side is a fap that buttons
shut above the bill compartment onto the right face of the inner
wallet opposite the side with the slots. This fap at frst looks like
a coin purse option but is not and it actually impedes access to the
bills; you would have to unsnap it to remove your money.
To perform the peek, you take out your wallet, unsnap it, and
remove one of the business cards that is sticking out from the pre-
viously described fap. The spectator writes or draws on it and you
bury it back in the stack of cards, close your wallet, and snap it
shut. The peek is a full one, which makes it good for drawing du-
plication effects, and in Anthony Millers hands it looks clean. As
with all peeks, you will have to watch your angles. On the expla-
nation video provided by Joshua Jay in place of written instruc-
tions, he suggests that the snapping of the wallet is a justifcation
for the handling that permits the peek, and then goes on to suggest
that you have the spectator hold on to your wallet. This suggestion
makes no sense to me. I would never hand someone my wallet to
hold on to, and it puts heat in the wrong direction.
As a Mullica wallet, I like it; a playing card loads easily. I
do not recommend it be used for an SUC peek as some users
have suggested, due to the aforementioned issues with the snap
pocket and the lack of ease you will fnd in naturally popping in
a business card. The instructional video is downloadable from a
website, though it requires registration to do so. Watch the demo
and decide if my concerns match up with your own. At $50, it is
a fair value.
ULTIMATE SIGNED CARD IN ENVELOPE
PROPS AND INSTRUCTIONS
BY NICK LEWIN
Available from: www.NickLewin.com
Dealers contact: www.NickLewin.com
Price $27.00
REVIEW BY MARC DESOUZA
This is a terrifc close-up routine that brings a classic effect
into the hands of even a beginner in magic. An envelope is placed
on the table. A card is freely selected, signed, and returned to the
deck. The card vanishes and, after a quick gag, appears in the
envelope on the table. There is no palming required and it can be
instantly repeated with no reset required.
There is a slight variation in which the
envelope is sealed (which has nothing to
do with the method), then ripped open to
remove the card, after which everything
can be examined. Both versions require
no sleights other than your favorite card
control.
You are supplied with several sample
envelopes and two 52-on-1 cards. (Now
you know the gag.) The gag cards are a
different design than the typical ones, and
have been used by Nick for many years.
Additional envelopes can be easily prepared in seconds, because
they can be purchased at any offce supply store. There is some
printing on the outside of the envelope that can be done by hand,
but it looks better to do it on your computer and printer. The in-
structions are a six-page photo-illustrated booklet that is clearly
written. Mr. Lewin provides you with all of the details, tips, and
nuances gained from years of live performing.
This may be dismissed by some as just another card-in-some-
thing effect, but I cant speak highly enough about this trick. The
routine is clever and engaging. It is so practical for the working
performer. Plus its not a wallet trick, so I can carry another type
of gaffed wallet effect! This one is going right into my close-up
set. Im sure if you check this one out, you might do so as well.
Very highly recommended.
IBALANCE DVD AND GIMMICK
BY MARK ELSDON
Available from: www.elmwoodmagic.com
Dealers contact: www.elmwoodmagic.com
Price $29.95
Imagine borrowing a spectator's
cell phone and balancing it on the
very fngertips of both hands. Then
you remove one hand. The phone
stays impossibly balanced on the
fngertips of the other hand. The
phone can even be balanced on the
tip of one fnger. You can then hand
the phone back to the spectator,
none the worse for the experi-
ence. This is the effect by the very
creative British magician and mentalist Mark Elsdon.
A number of years ago, Elsdon created an effect called Balance,
which he sold at his lectures. The effect is the same as the one
discussed in this review, done then with a deck of cards. The basic
method of this new routine is the same, but the gimmick has been
refned to the point of being unrecognizable to the original. With
this specially machined gimmick, you can borrow any cell phone
and perform the effect. Yes, you have to add the gimmick and get
rid of it at the end, but it is so tiny that it can be concealed very
easily and then disposed of.
The DVD, featuring Paul Richards (owner of Elmwood Magic
and master demonstrator), does a great job of covering all of the
details and will get you up to speed quickly. He discusses different
variations in handling, how to adjust to different types of phones,
and how to most easily set and get rid of the gimmick.
This is not a do it right out of the package type effect. You
will want to practice it suffciently to gain comfort with all aspects
of the routine, but it certainly is not diffcult to perform. Doing
magic with borrowed objects is very strong. Anyone can borrow a
coin from someone and do a trick with it, but to borrow something
like a cell phone, that is both personal and valuable, and do magic
with it, really impresses. This is something that you will carry
with you; with it you will be prepared to blow minds anytime,
anywhere. Recommended.
ULTIMATE SLOW MOTION NEWSPAPER TEAR TRICK
BY NICK LEWIN
Available from: www.NickLewin.com
Dealers contact: www.NickLewin.com
Price $35.00
For the last forty years, the gold
standard of Torn and Restored Newspa-
pers has been the Gene Anderson version.
Most recently, Axel Hecklaus brilliant
version has served as the newer choice
by many, but about ffty years ago Alex
Elmsley (yes that Alex Elmsley) created
a wonderful, very different version of
the classic effect. This version took the
opposite tack from the path followed by
Andersons and Hecklaus fash restora-
tions. The Elmsley version had the effect
of a slow, piece by piece restoration of the
newspaper. This is the version chosen by noted pro Nick Lewin as
the basis of his routine.
My favorite products are real working routines out of an ex-
perienced performers own working repertoire. It is even better
when it is a proven classic effect that can be easily tailored to ft
your own working style. As would be expected from a performer
of Lewins caliber, he has fully researched and experimented with
the original. He has performed the routine in his own shows for
over thirty years. In that time, he has tweaked Elmsleys method,
and perfected the setup and handling. In addition, he has created
a presentation that has made this routine the closer of every show
he does.
This DVD gives you detailed instruction in both the setup
and performance and will have you up and running in no time.
It is a no-frills shoot, but the camera work and sound are more
than adequate for the purpose. In addition, you get to see Nick
perform this in an actual show, so you get a real sense of his style
and timing. It will be up to you to tailor it to suit your own per-
sonality. I have seen Nick perform this in his shows in front of
laymen and magicians and I can vouch for the impact it has on
every audience. The slow-motion restoration has a far different
effect than the fash restoration. Which you prefer is your choice,
but this certainly bears consideration. I fully intend to try this one
out myself. This one gets my highest recommendation.
BUTTERFLY EFFECT AND RIPPLES DVD AND GIMMICK
BY BRUNO COPIN
Price $30.00
Bruno Copin is a world master of thread-based magic. I had
the pleasure of meeting him in
2007 at FISM in Stockholm.
The last evening he took
me aside in the bar and
blew my mind for over an
hour with his miraculous
magic. Copins concepts are
brilliant and captivating. His
effects look and feel different
than most. Copin eventually
released a large body of his work
in two DVD packages titled Friends. These
were very high priced, and as such, did not get the
wide range of acclaim from the general magic populace they
were due. Bruno has chosen two of the fnest effects, one from
each volume, and released them on this DVD.
Essentially, they are very similar animation effects using
playing cards. In Butterfy Effect, Copin tells the story of the
concept of the Butterfy Effect and demonstrates it by handing
a participant a pack of cards and asking her to shuffe it. She
places it on the fngers of her palm-up hand and cuts the pack.
The card cut to is placed on the palm of her hand. The other
half of the pack is fanned toward her hand. Slowly, the single
card turns over and lands on the other cards, and then spins in a
circle. The participant may handle all of the cards immediately.
In Ripples, a pack of cards is placed on the table. The tabled
pack is cut in half. A single card is placed between the two
halves; another single card is placed behind one half. The
magician gestures and both cards turn over onto their respec-
tive halves, and then spin merrily. Again, all of the cards can
instantly be examined. Both effects are startling and have great
audience impact.
The DVD is beautifully shot in a studio setting. There are
multiple split screens showing the explanations from several
angles. There are alternate audio tracks in English and French.
A sample packet of both the thread and putty used by Copin
are supplied. On the DVD, Copin explains very clearly how
to prepare the thread and how to perform the two effects. In
addition, he also explains his ITS system, which allows him to
easily place his thread setups into position for use, as well as
quickly replacing broken thread setups. The ITS is something
sold separately, but the clear explanation will demonstrate its
operation and help you decide if it is something that will suit
your needs.
I really like Copins work and hope that this DVD will
serve as a sampler and encourage others to delve deeper and
acquire his larger bodies of work. Thread magic is not for
everyone, but if you like working with it, you owe it to yourself
to check out Bruno Copins work. Although a little high priced
for two quick tricks, I found it well worth the price asked.
Recommended.
If you wish to have your product
reviewed, please
send it to:

Bill Duncan
P.O. Box 50562
Bellevue, WA 98015-0562
HOUDINIS TRAMP CHAIR
Throughout his lifetime, Houdini not only escaped from every
conceivable restraint, he also collected examples and modifed
them in such ways that escape was not only possible, it was
assured. Such is the case with this months item from the Salon de
Magie, Houdinis Tramp Chair.
The chair came from the collection of John McManus, former
president of Rolls Royce U.S.A. and an avid magic collector. It
was one of his most prized possessions. The name came from its
purpose: it was designed to restrain drunks and vagrants whom
police offcers found diffcult to control. It held them fast while
cells were prepared for their overnight stays.
The Tramp Chair was gaffed by Houdini in such a way that
even McManus could easily get free. After being shackled to the
uncomfortable device, he could escape in a matter of seconds,
which McManus did while being interviewed about his collection
for a national newspaper feature story. One minute, the reporter
wrote, McManus was locked in the chair. The next, only seconds
after the reporter had turned his back, McManus was up and
about, as if he had melted through his bonds, ala Houdini.
Dr. Morris Young, a confdant of McManus, saw his friend
tinker with the chair on several occasions. Once, in fact, Young
was asked to shackle him to the chair by his hands and neck.
McManus instructed Young to walk toward the doorway directly
behind him. As Young turned away and started for the door, he
felt a tap on his shoulder. It was McManus, offering to accompany
his friend into the next room.
In performance, Houdini was shackled to the chair with
borrowed handcuffs and by the neck with a borrowed padlock on
the neck collar. A screen was placed around him; when he judged
that enough time had elapsed, he reappeared from his curtained
enclosure. The chair is gimmicked for escape, but an instant
appearance would have suggested trickery; waiting a bit let the
audience imagine how he
was struggling to get free.
No known magic
apparatus craftsman
constructed the Tramp
Chair for Houdini. It may,
in fact, have been a real
device that the master
escape artist altered for his
personal use. Whoever built
it understood that the key to
the construction of escape
apparatus was to make
it look absolutely plain,
nondescript, and sturdy.
Whereas Blackstones
Pillory illusion was
decorated with red, yellow,
and blue paint, Houdinis
Tramp Chair appears to
be exactly what it was
advertised to be a restraint device used by police offcers.
In 1913, Houdinis brother Hardeen ran into another Tramp
Chair that was considerably more serious and heavy duty. He
was appearing at the Bijou Theater in Bangor, Maine, issuing
challenges to one and all to bring restraint devices to the theater to
challenge him. That challenge was taken up by a committee from
the Bangor City Department. They challenged Hardeen to escape
from their Tramp Chair, which resembled an iron-bound cell on
wheels. The cell was shaped like a chair. Once the prisoner was
seated inside, handcuffs were applied, the door was swung shut,
and a Yale lock was applied. In this position it was impossible
for the person inside to access either the handcuffs or the lock
outside.
Recalling the incident many years later before the National
Council of the S.A.M., Hardeen said he almost fainted when he
saw the chair when it was wheeled on stage. After fastening him
in the chair, one of the committee members said, We will be
around in the morning to get you out in time for breakfast. With
that remark he threw the keys out into the alleyway behind the
fre exit.
Hardeens red velour cabinet was placed around the chair and
the committee surrounded the cabinet to ensure he received no
assistance from anyone. In eleven minutes and ffty-four seconds,
Hardeen escaped from the Tramp Chair.
The Tramp Chairs last appearance outside of the Salon de
Magie was at the 1993 I.B.M. convention. It was included in a
museum exhibit attendees enjoyed, featuring memorabilia from
the very frst I.B.M. conventions, equipment from magicians of
the past, and selected Houdini props and printed ephemera.
By Ken Klosterman
Hardeen and Harry
Treasures from
the Salon de Magie
INSIDE STRAIGHT
BY NORMAN BECK
EN RAPPORT
Well, Im back. I took a little vacation that involved two brain
surgeries, two eye surgeries, and one unexpected trip to the ER.
I frst want to say thank you to all the people who supported
me in this bump in the road. I am now back at work and back
to writing. I have several stories and tips to share with you. My
hope is that you never have to use them.
I was in the Neuro ICU of the hospital, which is very close to
Fishhook, Arkansas, in that it is at or near the end of the line. The
two things I craved most were air and sleep. Air came easy, but
that sleep thing was very hard to come by. I was awakened for
things like blood and blood pressure, and I was even disturbed to
see if I was sleeping okay. I will say that the best course of action
was to stay pleasant through all of it. The people who wake you
have no choice; it is protocol. However, I do want to tell you
about Leroy.
It was 3:15 a.m. and I was asleep. Leroy, a black porter, had
walked into my room to clean it. I would have never known he
was there except that he was humming. Some people whistle
while they work; Leroy hums. I woke up to Leroy humming the
blues tune The Killing Floor. It was dark in my room and Leroy
had no idea if I was awake or not. I found that many patients on
that foor cant communicate, even if theyre awake. All I said
to Leroy was, Thats a Lighting Hopkins tune. If you are going
to hum a song, something other than The Killing Floor might
be more appropriate. I said it with a smile in my voice and in a
non-threatening way.
Leroy switched to Georgia on My Mind, a Ray Charles
song. I said, Oh man, thats Ray Charles. Thats too easy.
Leroy was shocked. He asked, How do you know those songs?
I said, Just because Im white doesnt mean that Im not so-
phisticated. Leroy and I were friends for the rest of my stay.
The lesson learned here is rapport: a friendly relationship; an
emotional bond based on a sense of understanding. Sometimes
you get it and sometimes you dont. In less than thirty seconds I
had it with Leroy, and it was with us the entire time of my stay
in the hospital.
I remember a number of years ago I watched a very bad per-
formance by a mentalist at a bridge function I attended. The
mentalist did a bridge deal in which he dealt himself a grand
slam. He referred to this feat as bidding seven no trump. The
statement seven no trump is accurate, but it is not a term that
most bridge players use. An experienced bridge player would
say he bid them all or he went all in. The word fnesse is
another example; a bridge player says hook. The mentalists
attempt to use jargon to gain rapport fell fat. If you do a poker
demonstration for real poker players and you have never actually
played poker, you will fall fat if you dont say the right words.
The right words will serve you well.
One time I was working at my day job doing a promotion in
a casino and an older man asked me what the odds of winning
were. I gave the fip response that they were 50/50: he would
either win or he wouldnt. The man came back at me, saying,
You dont understand. Im not buying pumpkins, Im selling
them. That one line was all it took to make me like him. Words
are so important; they often speak volumes, so please choose
them carefully. It is good to be back and once more thanks to
everyone who reached out to me.
OUR ADVERTISERS
B. Happie Entertainment 31
Bob Kohler Magic 10
Burgoon Magic 9
Christian Painter 48
Concept Magic 67
Florida State Magic Convention 28
George Parker 4
Hermetic Press 2
IBM/SAM Convention 2014 49
Jim Kleefeld 56
Joe Mogar - Magic Stars 69
LaRock's Fun & Magic Outlet 72
L&L Publishing 3
MiX16 Apps by Gregor Krasevec 3
M-U-M Advertising 4
Oceanside Magic Invitational 67
S.A.M. Life Membership 71
S.A.M. on Twitter 69
Showbiz Services 9
The Magic Bakery 7
T. Myers 56
Tony Cabral 53
By George Schindler
GRAVESITE RESTORATION
It is a sign of great respect when one visits the grave of a
departed family member or friend. I remember the feeling of
being part of the history of magic when Todd Karr took me to visit
the Harry Kellar grave in Los Angeles. I had the same feeling
when I saw the marker outside the crypt containing the remains
of Dante near San Francisco and in New Zealand where I saw
the repaired grave of Kudarz, one of the earliest members of the
S.A.M.
Since 2009, Richie Magic, past president of Parent Assembly
1, and his wife Barbara have paid their respects to some of the
legends of magic by visiting their graves. In 2010 they found the
graves of Alexander and Adelaide Herrmann at the Woodlawn
cemetery. They were upset by the fact that the site was in serious
need of repair. After speaking with the cemetery historian, they
were pleased that repairs and the resetting of the foot stones were
made by the cemetery at no charge. Richie determined then that he
would make it his mission to see that other famous magic graves
in the New York area, which were often abandoned, received care.
In October of 2011 he approached the board and members
of Parent Assembly 1 and got unanimous approval to set up a
Gravesite Restoration Committee to oversee this effort. Along
with co-chairman David Adamovich and members Pat Colby, Tom
Klem, Jordan Linker, Dr. Bruce Lish, Barbara Magic, Sal Perotta,
Alan Rubenstein, and myself, the committee was established. Not
every cemetery has been as accommodating as Woodlawn; funds
were needed to go forward with our plans. Richie and Dave set up
a series of magic shows with the help of local magic shops around
the city. The entertainers were all volunteers. Funds were raised
to carry out our goals to beatify, clean, and/or restore and repair
unkempt or deserted graves.
To date, the committee has completed repair to the graves
of the Great Carter (Charles J.), Al Flosso (Albert Levinson),
and Nate Leipzig. A team visit added fowers to Beatrice (Bess)
Houdinis grave this past year. With the coming of spring when
the weather gets warmer, plans to add a marker to the Max Holden
grave will be realized. The Magic Circle has a similar Memorial
and Heritage Committee. Other assemblies may wish to consider
setting up a similar program for this purpose to remember
magicians in their own areas.
Richie Magic at the Al Flosso grave
The Dean's Diary

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