MUM,03-2012

MARCH 2012

Simon aronson Page 36

M-U-M

MARCH 2012

Magazine

Volume 101 • Number 10

S.A.M. NEWS

ON THE COVER PAGE 36

6 From the Editor’s Desk 7 Hero & Patriot Award Form 8 From the President’s Desk 10 Newsworthy 11 M-U-M Assembly News 24 Good Cheer List 25 New Members & Reinstatements 63 Our Advertisers

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES 28 30 34 36 44 46 52 54 68 69

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Ellipsis • by Michael Perovich A Magician Prepares • by Dennis Loomis Salon de Magie • by Ken Klosterman COVER STORY • by Michael Close Living with Simon • by Ginny Aronson Triple Play • by Simon Aronson Nielsen Gallery: Dante • by Tom Ewing Informed Opinion • New Product Reviews Basil the Baffling • by Alan Wassilak Bruce Chadwick’s Magic Wisdom

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COLUMNISTS

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26 32 35 50 63 64 66 67 68 70

Stage 101 • by Levent I Left My Cards at Home • by Steve Marshall Tech Tricks • by Bruce Kalver Unlimited Possibilities • Roger Blakiston (AKA Jolly Roger) Inside Straight • by Norman Beck Mental Breakdown • by Christian Painter Theory & Art of Magic • by Larry Hass Anytime, Anyplace —Any Deck • by Aldo Colombini The Dean’s Diary • by George Schindler Confessions of a Paid Amateur • by Rod Danilewicz Cover Photo by Scott DuJardin

M-U-M (ISSN 00475300 USPS 323580) is published monthly for $40 per year by The Society of American Magicians, 11086 S. Dartmoor Place, Parker, CO 80138 . Periodical postage paid at Parker, CO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to M-U-M, c/o Manon Rodriguez, P.O. Box 505, Parker, CO 80134. 4 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

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, 11086 S. Dartmoor Place Parker, CO 80138 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 P.O. Box 505, Parker, CO 80134 [email protected] Skype: manonadmin Phone: 303-362-0575 Fax: 303-362-0424 Send assembly reports to: [email protected] For advertising information, reservations, and placement contact: Mona S. Morrison, M-U-M Advertising Manager 645 Darien Court, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169 Email: [email protected] Telephone/fax: (847) 519-9201 Editorial contributions and correspondence concerning all content and advertising should be addressed to the editor: Michael Close - Email: [email protected] Phone: 317-456-7234 Fax: 866-591-7392

Submissions for the magazine will only be accepted by email or fax. VISIT THE S.A.M. WEB SITE www.magicsam.com To access “Members Only” pages: Enter your Name and Membership number exactly as it appears on your membership card. MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 5

tion is our cover story this month. The full conversation ran to 11,000+ words, and it pained me to have to cut it down, because it was all very interesting. I decided to do what Jon Stewart of The Daily Show does when an interview goes long: post the full interview on the Web. You’ll find it at www.MagicSAM.com. Simon also contributed a card trick to this issue, and I urge you to give it a try. It is well within the abilities of the average Michael Close card worker, and the trick is representative of Simon’s approach to card magic. George Schindler passed along the following two announceWay back in the early ‘70s, I subscribed to Hierophant ments: and Kabbala, two magazines published by Jon Racherbaumer. The Parent Assembly 1 of The Society of American Through those magazines, I learned of Simon Aronson, who was Magicians in New York City has set up a Grave Site Restorapart of Ed Marlo’s “exclusive coterie.” In 1978 I bought a copy of tion Committee to help preserve and/or restore the grave sites Simon’s first book, The Card Ideas of Simon Aronson; the book of some of the greatest magicians of all time, whose graves are was full of great card magic, including some terrific memorized in the tri-state area. Several fundraising shows are planned to deck effects, but the trick that caught my eye was a gem called support this effort. For more information, contact the chairman at Red See Passover. I went to some trouble and expense to have the [email protected]. necessary gaffed cards made (this was way before the USPCC The Society of Young Magicians will present the Weekend began printing gaffed cards), and I dropped this atom bomb of of Wonder (WOW) on August 10-12, 2012, at the Crown Plaza a trick on any unsuspecting magician I could find. (At that time Hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island. This highly successful, totalI had two magician-slayers in my repertoire: Simon’s trick and immersion weekend event, previously presented in 2008 and my own Wild Underground Transposition. I had the advantage of 2010, is being repeated and will bring young magicians from anonymity; no one knew who I was or what I knew. I saved those around the country under one roof for a weekend of magic studies. two tricks for very late night sessions at magic conventions, inIn addition to the training, friendships are made and social troducing them with the meek statement, “Here’s something that, activities, gifts, and special attention are offered by experts maybe, you haven’t seen.” I unleashed one or the other of those in all fields of magic. For details see the brochure at tricks and immediately retired for the night, assured that, when www.magicsym.com/wow.asp. I returned the next morning, the other magicians would still be With the passing of Tony Giorgio, magic has lost another of there, thinking about what they had seen.) its great, unique characters. He had a great “presence,” and he If asked about Red See Passover (and many magicians did ask), certainly knew his craft. Here’s more from Michael Perovich: I did the honorable thing and said it could be found in The Card “Actor/magician Tony Ideas of Simon Aronson. Simon Giorgio died on February 1, sold a few books because of 2012, in Southern Califorthis. When Simon and I finally nia after a long illness. He met a few years later, it felt like was reported to be eightywe were already old friends. eight years of age at the time I admire Simon’s effects, of his passing. Giorgio’s which are designed to fool swarthy good looks made him the most intelligent and ideal for small parts playing observant spectator. In 1990, hoodlums in such movies when I decided that I would finally break down and learn as The Godfather, Magnum a memorized deck stack, Force, and The Sting II. He Simon’s stack was the one had a nice part as a detective I learned. And I have never in the James Coburn vehicle, regretted it. Harry in Your Pocket, for A great benefit of knowing which he was also technical Simon was getting to know his advisor. A performer at the wife Ginny, who is an intelliMagic Castle since the 1960s, gent, charming, and gracious his act included an extended The Chicago Session – John Bannon, David Solomon, and lady. Ginny is an active parThree Card Monte routine Simon Aronson ticipant in Simon’s magic life, and his own card to matchbox editing his books and articles, effect. He made good use of attending magic conventions with him, serving as the “receiver” assistants, naming one ‘Ruby,’ and engaging her in an amusing in their astonishing two-person mindreading act, and surrenderclose-up magical playlet. In later years Tony became embroiled ing her kitchen for the Saturday meetings of the Chicago Session, with the Castle over legal issues that were a burden for all which has been gathering at the Aronson home for more than concerned. Giorgio had a working knowledge of the methods of twenty years. advantage play; his DVD The Ultimate Work is highly regarded I had the opportunity to chat with Simon and Ginny about for its inside information on gambling methods. His friend Dai their personal stories, their interests outside of magic, and the Vernon uniformly praised him, particularly for his knowledge development of the mindreading act. A portion of this conversaand skill with dice.” So long, Tony.

Editor’s Desk

6 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

HEROISM AND PATRIOT AWARD Dedicated to Magician John Eichler NOMINATION FORM

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PERSON SUBMITTING NOMINATION FORM: Name: SAM Membership Number: Address: City, State, Zip Code: Phone: Email: Relationship to Nominee: NOMINEE INFORMATION: Name: Title/Rank: Member of Society of American Magicians ( ) Yes ( ) No Home Address: City, State, Zip Code: Home Phone: Signature Qualifications/Distinguishable Action: 1. Please give a brief history of the nominee. 2. Describe the event or circumstance for which you feel the nominee displayed unparalleled heroism or patriotic duty and is deserving of the Heroism and Patriot Award. 3. Describe in detail why you feel the nominee went above and beyond the call of duty during this event. Important Details: • Answers to questions 1-3 should be typed on separate 8½ x 11 pages and attached to the nomination form. • The incident/meritorious act described in this nomination form must have occurred after September 11, 2001. Awards will be issued for each calendar year. • The award is open to all magicians. • The recipient of the award may be living or deceased. • The recipient will receive a medal and a certificate award. • The award will be presented at the Society of American Magicians Annual Convention • Nomination forms will be published in M-U-M magazine and on the Society of American Magicians website. • Incomplete nomination forms will not be considered. • Forms must be received by May 31, 2012 for consideration of the Heroism and Patriot Award for the previous calendar year. In remembrance of John Eichler and all of the heroes in the magic community, please consider making a taxdeductible contribution to the Magic Endowment Fund.

Please send nomination forms to: The Society of American Magicians National Administrator: Manon Rodriguez Attn: Heroism and Patriot Committee PO Box 505 Parker, Colorado 80134

MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 7

President’s Desk Vinny Grosso Boston S.Y.M. Celebrates 25th Anniversary What a great event! The Boston S.Y.M. celebrated its silver anniversary at their holiday banquet this past January. I had the privilege of attending and meeting so many great kids and alumni of the Boston S.Y.M. Please understand, it was a challenge for me to even make the trip. While it is only a two-and-a-half hour drive, I have only been to Boston two other times in my life. My aversion to Boston sports teams runs deep, especially being a huge New York Jets and New York Yankees fan. When I was invited to the banquet, I told myself, “It’s for the kids,” and begrudgingly stepped foot in Massachusetts. I am so glad I did. The banquet was attended by over a hundred people, including Ray and Ann Goulet. Boston S.Y.M. president Matt Leskanic did a wonderful job running the program; a show followed with Joe Howard, Ben Nemzer & Cassandra, and me. Many of you know the mentor for the Boston group is David Oliver. His contributions to the magic community are nothing short of incredible. Over the past twenty-five years David has missed only six meetings and most of those were within the past five years for medical reasons (he’s been dealing with less than forty percent Vinny Grosso and David Oliver lung capacity). It was an honor to present him with a Presidential Citation for all the hard work he has done.

Where Have Some of the Pages Gone? You may have noticed there were fewer pages in last month’s M-U-M. “What’s going on here?” you might ask. Well, none of the magic content of the magazine has changed; all of the regular articles and features were there in their entirety. The reduced page count was the result of fewer advertisements. It is no secret that print advertising is down. Not just for the S.A.M., but just about any magazine out there. Our annual budget relies on a significant amount of income from advertisement. When that income is down we have to make it up by either spending less or generating income in other ways. We have been fortunate to have kept our expenses down the past few years. We have also had an increase in membership this year. Income from membership dues is not the answer, though. All 8 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

the money generated from your annual dues would not cover the cost of producing the magazine. We need revenue from advertisers. Unfortunately, some of our regular advertisers are not seeing a high enough return on the money they invest in advertising in M-U-M. In conversations with them, they feel the content of our magazine is great, and our circulation is fine, too. We need a better response from our members in order to be a more valuable advertising source. Advertisers would also benefit from multiple ways to reach our members to reinforce their advertisements. While I am not proud to admit it (and I know I am not alone), I used to read magic publications almost solely for their advertisements. I know now I missed out on many magic gems “hidden” in the articles I skipped over. I couldn’t help it; I was mesmerized by all the new and exciting effects available. The first magazine I subscribed to was Magic Manuscript (let me remind you that I am only thirty-six years old). I think I had a mini-depression when they stopped publishing it. Luckily, I discovered MAGIC and Genii and then became a member of the I.B.M. and S.A.M., so the Linking Ring and M-U-M followed. Each magazine offered great content, but I still cannot deny it, I was drawn to the advertising. I was exactly what the advertiser wanted; a captive and active audience.

So What Can We Do? We the members and the S.A.M. as an organization can do a few things. As a member, the best thing you could do is support our advertisers. The obvious way is to make purchases from them, but you need to let them know you saw their ad in M-U-M and that their advertisement played a part in you making a purchase. Let’s show our advertisers that we appreciate their support of the S.A.M. When you make a purchase over the phone, tell them. When you place an order online, send a message in the notes. They need to hear from us. Also, when talking with fellow compeers, talk about what you have seen advertised in M-U-M. Encourage them, if they make a purchase, to let the advertiser know their ads are working. The S.A.M. is also committed to help from the organization level. We have been providing links on our digital version of the magazine to make it easier for readers to get to online content from our advertisers. We will continue to look into ways of improving and enhancing our digital content. We are also developing other methods for advertisers to reach not only our members, but the entire magic community. We all have our part to do; let’s do it together.

The Naples Winter Wine Festival The Naples Winter Wine Festival is the largest, most successful wine auction in the world. It is put on annually by the Naples Children & Education Foundation. Over the past twelve years they have raised over $100 million for children’s charities. That is not a typo; this year alone they raised over $12 million. It is truly magical what they do for the children in Collier County, Florida, and this year it was even more magical than usual. The Festival takes on a theme each year and this year’s was “Believe in the Magic.” As a part of that, festival co-chair Joan Clifford reached out to the S.A.M. to teach magic to some of the children in the charities who expressed an interest in learning. There was a lot that went into this and the results were amazing. Next month, you’ll read more on how Chris Bontjes, Dal Sanders, and I worked with them. In the meantime, check our website, Facebook group page, or Google “Naples Winter Wine Festival” to see some of the press it has received. 

S.A.M. National Officers Dean: George Schindler, 1735 East 26th St., Brooklyn, NY 11229, (718) 336-0605, Fax (718) 627-1397, [email protected] President: Vinny Grosso, 270 Mansion St., Coxsackie, NY 12051 (518) 756-1891 [email protected] President Elect: J. Christopher Bontjes, 2313 Atwood Ct., Danville, IL 61834 (217)431-4791 [email protected] First Vice President: Dal Sanders, 3316 Northaven Rd, Dallas, TX 75229 (214) 902-9200, [email protected] Second Vice President: Kenrick “ICE” McDonald, P.O. Box 341034, Los Angeles, CA 90034, (310) 559-8968 [email protected] Secretary: Marlene Clark, 274 Church Street, #6B Guilford, CT 06437, (203) 689-5730, Skype: marlene.clark, [email protected] Treasurer: Mary Ann Blowers, 3 Christopher Bluffs Court, St. Louis, MO 63129 (314) 846-8468 [email protected] Skype: maryan.blowers

Regional Vice Presidents New England: CT MA RI NH ME VT Joseph Caulfield (603) 654-6022, [email protected] North Atlantic: NY NJ Pat Colby, [email protected] Mid Atlantic: PA DE MD VAWV DC David W. Bowers, 169 Tobin Dr., Chambersburg, PA 17201(717) 414-7574, [email protected] South Atlantic: FL AL GA MS NC SC Debbie Leifer (404) 630-1120 [email protected] Central Plains: KY TN OH IN MI Jania Taylor, (231)242-8242, [email protected] Midwest: IL MN WI MO ND NE KS SD IA Jeff Sikora, 13023 Crown Point Ave., Omaha, NE 68164 (402)-339-6726, [email protected] South Cental States: TX AR OK NM LA Jeff Lanes, (713)850-1770, [email protected] Southwest: CA AZ NV HI John Shryock III (520) 885-7999 [email protected] Northwest: WA OR UT ID CO AK WY MT Michael Roth, (503)493-8316, [email protected] Canada Rod Chow (604) 669-7777 [email protected] Society of Young Magicians Director Jann Wherry Goodsell, 329 West 1750 North, Orem, Utah 84057 (801) 376-0353. [email protected]

Living Past National Presidents

TRY THE

IMPOSSIBLE www.SimonAronson.com

Bradley M. Jacobs, Richard L. Gustafson, Roy A. Snyder, Bruce W. Fletcher, James E. Zachary, Frank W. Dailey, Cesareo Pelaez, David R. Goodsell, Robert A. Steiner, 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 Ibáñez, Bruce Kalver, Mike Miller, Mark Weidhaas.


Newsworthy Magic at the Super Bowl Village The Indy Fringe Festival was approached by the Super Bowl host committee in Indianapolis in December to see if they could provide entertainment for the Super Bowl Village the during the ten days before and the day of Super Bowl XLVI. At first, they wanted volunteers; Pauline Moffat, Executive Director of Indy Fringe, said that her professional entertainers would have to be paid. The committee said okay, and Ms. Moffat approached Taylor Martin about organizing some of the magicians from Indy Magic Monthly to perform. Taylor sent out a general call and got eight names, including Ryan Siebert and Allan Head, who eventually worked with him in the Village. Then, the committee changed their mind and said they couldn’t pay the performers. They wanted volunteers, and those volunteers would not be allowed to solicit tips. Pauline said no thank you. About nine days before the Village opened, the committee came back and said they’d pay the street entertainers, including five other companies from Indy Fringe. This information was given to Taylor two days before The Second Indy Fringe Winter Magic Festival (which Taylor organizes) and also his opening night for a Magic Dinner Theatre at a local catering facility, The Propylaeum. Taylor called Ryan and Allan; they cleared their schedules and the three went to work, presenting forty hours of magic to nearly 400,000 people. Taylor had three major events on his calendar at one time. In the end, everything went well; there were over one million visitors to the Super Bowl Village, there was a sold-out house for the Dinner Theatre, and really great attendance for the second magic festival for the public. And, everyone got paid. In another highlight for Taylor, on January 21, 2012, at the Indy Fringe Winter Magic Festival, RVP Jania Taylor presented him with a Presidential Citation from President Vinny Grosso. It read, “For keeping magic alive Ryan Siebert, Taylor Martin as Rodney the in the eye of the Younger, Allan Head public in Indianapolis Photo by Deborah Martin through his creation of Indy Magic Monthly and participation in the Indianapolis Fringe Festival.” Taylor Martin had this to say about the honor: “A long way has come in the twenty-six years since I joined the S.A.M. I never knew I’d get this sort of respect for my efforts; it really means a lot to me and my wife, as well as to the people who were in the audience that night. To have this presented to me in front of a paying public crowd, and not just within the confines of our ranks, shows me how important an award like this is. It is so important that we do things like this in the public eye.” Congratulations to Taylor and the other performers who did a fine job representing Indianapolis to the world.

Shawn Farquhar Named Dean of Assembly 95 At the Annual S.A.M. Assembly 95 awards banquet held in Vancouver, Canada, Shawn Farquhar, assembly founder (chartered in 1988), first assembly president, and former RVP Canada, was 10 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

Updates From Our S.A.M. Members

inducted by Assembly President Lon Mandrake as the very first Dean of Assembly 95 – The Carl Hemeon Assembly. In front of two hundred guests, Farquhar proudly accepted a beautiful plaque from President Mandrake on behalf of the assembly to mark this auspicious occasion.

Shawn Farquhar, Lon Mandrake, and Rod Chow

As part of this historic event, Rod Chow, Regional Vice-President of Canada, on behalf of Most Illustrious Vinny Grosso, had the privilege of presenting a Presidential Citation to Shawn Farquhar: “For his contributions to the Society of American Magicians on a national level and locally with the Carl Hemeon Assembly 95 in Vancouver, Canada. For his election by his compeers as the first Dean of Assembly 95, the highest honor an assembly can bestow. He is a great source of pride to all who know him as he epitomizes our motto Magic Unity Might.” New Dean Farquhar was sincerely surprised, appreciative, and humbled to accept the honor of Dean, and to receive the citation. Farquhar becomes the first magician to have ever been presented a Presidential Citation in Canada. RVP Chow also presented Dean Farquhar with a commemorative binder containing written letters of congratulations from National Dean George Schindler, RVP Northwestern States Michael Roth, and others. Assembly 95 is proud to state that their new Dean Shawn Farquhar not only has achieved an unprecedented resume of international championship awards, accolades, media exposure, and respect in the world of magic, including S.A.M. national contest awards and the coveted FISM Grand Prix World Champion of Magic (China 2009), he has also truly been the inspiration, the lifeblood, and an outspoken ambassador for Assembly 95. – Rod Chow

Steve Cohen Presented with Presidential Citation On January 14, 2012, Steve Cohen was presented with a Presidential Citation by Most Illustrious Vinny Grosso in New York City. In part, the citation read, “For his contributions to the art of magic, preserving its rich history while modernizing classic routines and effects with unparalleled class; for his show Photo by David Linsell Chamber Magic, which for over ten years has given audiences a glimpse into romanticized magic presentations of yesteryears.” Congratulations, Steve. 

ASSEMBLY NEWS

Society of American Magicians Monthly News MARCH 2012

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January by Warren Kaps, added to the Auction Night valuable books and items sold. One of the treasures was a Lloyd’s New York, NY— January 6, production bird cage that created 2012. Once the pre-meeting pizza some competitive bidding. The at the back of the room ran out, Parent Assembly benefited with a MI Jim Kelly called the meeting small percentage of the proceeds. to order. New member Alvin Oh It was a most successful event. was sworn in and welcomed to —George Schindler the assembly. Richie Magic was Parent Assembly 1 meets at nominated to run for RVP of the Mt Sinai Medical Center, North Atlantic Region, a position 1425 Madison (at 98th street) currently held by Pat Colby. Richie NY, NY in the Goldwurm also announced the proposed date Auditorium 7:30 PM Jordan Linker of May 22 for this year’s Salute to [email protected] (646) Magic show. 670-7235. www. sampa1.com

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Pat Colby auctioneer

After a few committee reports, David Adamovich, who is the U.S. President of Record Holders Republic, the “Registry of Official World Records,” presented an award to Kamarr, who now holds the record of the magician who has appeared on the David Letterman Late Show forty times. Kamarr accepted, and performed his Torn and Restored Newspaper for us. George Schindler and Vinny Grosso gave us updates on the Las Vegas convention before the meeting adjourned and the “after meeting” auction got under way. Pat Colby, assisted by Richie, did a great job as auctioneer, keeping the proceedings going smoothly and adding humor. There was lots of interaction from the more than forty members in attendance. A few choice items, such as a suitcase full of magic donated

of playing cards; yet after each imaging he proved the cards were blank. Utilizing a random process involving two assistants, Nathan Ng correctly predicted a chosen card.

BLENDING THE OLD AND NEW

SAN FRANCISCO, CA— Celebrating the birth of 2012, members and guests blended the old and new. Tamaka showed a TV clip of Jay Marshall for our enjoyment. For his main routines Jay performed the linking rings and introduced his partner Lefty, who sang a song. It was a learning experience and provided an alternate teach-in. Jay’s patter and presence were first rate. Over the coming year a series of film clips of old-time magicians will be shown at our monthly meetings. Tonight’s theme centered on the presentation of something new: a routine, prop, or even a magical gesture. Walt Johnson offered a double feature titled Magic and Miracles. First he challenged members to stack thirteen nails on the head of one nail. We were each given a bag with nails. Three mages, who already knew the secret, solved the nail stacking puzzle. Then Walt (with Michael Baker and Ed Arce assisting) displayed his ability to cut a straw in half without cutting the string running through it. Employing psychic power, Bob Kuhn (with a little help from four assistants) transported three selected cards from one packet to another. Hippo Lau demonstrated the phenomenon of mass hysteria. With a deck of cards blank on both sides, Hippo produced in our minds the faces

Nathan Ng performs card prediction.

Corky LaVallee asked his three assistants each to supply an object. Bob offered a coin, Lois Terrell her watch, and Rich Seguine his wallet. Each assistant cut the deck, and the cut card designated the specific item: coin, watch, and wallet. Ed performed the compressed deck routine. Four cards of different values were deftly transformed into four Aces. Rob Shapiro placed an enchanted balloon behind his back and pulled it through his body, leaving both intact – no bursting of either balloon or body. Stu Bacon asked his assistant Ed to apply his birthday date in choosing a card. Stu’s predicted card was the same as Ed’s choice. With Corky’s help, John Caris revealed the miracle of Howard Adams’s ESP routine Celebrithree. By a random procedure a pair of identical cards occurred three times. Rich opened his box of magical goodies and, after showing an effect, gave it away. Cynthia Yee enjoyed the evening’s wonderment and the cookies. —John Caris Golden Gate Assembly 2 meets first *Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Community Room of Taraval

Volume 101, Number 10

Police Station, 2345 24th Ave., San Francisco. July meeting will be held on Thursday July 5. Tamaka [email protected] (415) 531-9332.

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Keith Cobb Lecture Fun for ALL

Oak Park, IL — Our last meeting was a Keith Cobb lecture, “Effective Magic for Children.” Keith began with an interactive change bag, followed by the Pom-Pom Sticks and an Egg Bag routine with Keith’s 6½year-old daughter. Since this is a zippered bag, there was a lot of byplay. The Bongo Hat (personality hat) started out as a small triangle, getting larger with each unfold until the funny ending. Keith’s handling of the Acrobatic Silks (“magic jumping scarves”) used eighteen-inch silks. After watching the routine, Nathan Colwell had to check out the stick that held the scarves. Keith feels this is an underused trick that kids all enjoy; Nathan had fun trying to figure it out. Rope in Vase was another fun routine. Next was an invisible “zombie” doing his tightrope walking on a stiff rope. Puppets are always popular with kids and Keith’s bunny in a hat was no exception. The bunny kept handing Keith “gifts” like a broken egg and a balloon to hold. (Bunny kept letting go when the balloon was stretched out so it would snap back at Keith!) Keith featured lots of byplay with puppets that kids love. The member audience reaction was great! Keith had Nathan up again to help with his linking rings. Keith was able to make them link and unlink, but Nathan could not seem to do that. Keith used Gordon Gluff for his Miser’s Dream routine and Chuck Gekas for his ring on scarf trick. Keith pointed out his vest, which had forty pockets to hold sponge balls, chicken nuggets, pierced navel (orange), squeaky rubber bands, eyeballs, cards, and large coins. Keith showed a color-changing feather plume

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Assembly News Any Card at Any Number, which required very little sleight of hand and which truly allowed the spectator to call out any card at any location in the deck. The “Teach a Trick” segment was followed by the strolling magic portion of the evening, during which four performers rotated between Chuck Gekas and Keith Cobb with the four corners of the RIng on scarf room where club members trick and a gag bag that changed were stationed. In one corner, colors and designs as he pulled Eric Johnson blew everyone items out of it. He even has away with a number of excellent juggling stuff in his large case, card effects culminating with including chain saws. Members a fabulous coin routine known were thrilled with his lecture, as Troy Hoosier’s Charming and enjoyed being able to try Chinese Challenge, utilizing some of his equipment for them- a handling by Lance Pierce. selves. Nathan and Frankini In another corner, Jeff Carson Glab had to try the large ring on demonstrated how such simple rope while Bob Syrup and Tim effects as the Hindu Beads and Casady looked on, and juggler Twisted Sister could be turned Mary Ziemba wrote out the list into minor miracles with the of items Keith had available to aid of very original patter. In a juggle, Every member in atten- third corner, Jim Straub deftly dance took home some valuable executed a very funny sponge information on doing kids rabbit routine that had the crowd shows. —Darlene Bull Assembly 3 meets at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake Street, Oak Park, ILLINOIS 0n the 4th Monday gather 7pm, meeting 7:30. President Neil Tobin Neiltobin@ hotmail.com (708) 308-1280.

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STROLLING MAGIC NIGHT

PHILADELPHIA, PA— The theme of our January meeting was “strolling magic,” better known as “walk-around magic.” The meeting featured four magicians performing a variety of effects that could be done surrounded, up close, and without the aid of a tabletop. After the presentations, the performers fielded numerous questions from the audience about the ins and outs of performing this type of magic; this yielded some very practical information about how to be a successful walk-around performer. The evening began with two wonderful “Teach a Trick” segments. First, Bill McElvenney performed and demonstrated a marvelous rope through silk penetration effect called Houdini’s Impossible Rope Escape with the assistance of Bill Brown and Fred Siegel. Following Bill, our newest member, Ed Cohen, wowed everyone by demonstrating his own very impressive version of

Ed Cohen demonstrating his own version of “Any Card at Any Number”

in stitches. Finally, in the fourth corner, Sam Sandler reminded everyone of just how much mileage can be gained from straightforward effects involving rubber bands, such as the torn and restored rubber band and the climbing or rising ring. All four performers then partook in a panel discussion about strolling magic which, left many who participated yearning to take up this most interactive branch of magic. It was truly a most informative and fun evening of magic for all in attendance. —Peter Cuddihy James Wobensmith Assembly 4 meets the Third Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Bustleton Memorial Post, 810 (American Legion) 9151 Old Newtown Road. Information: www.sam4.org/


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Magic for 2012

Baltimore, MD— Our first meeting of the new year 2012 was very well attended. All of our members from last year were there ready for a new year of wonderful magic and fellowship. Kudos to our president, Jeff Eline for making 2011 fun and exciting and keeping our membership strong. Some of our members have been sick, but they continue to attend just for the joy of each other’s company. We had a visitor, Paul Hoener Starting out with magic was Tony Anastasi, doing a wonderful Three Card Monte routine. Next up was Ralph Fowler. Using a Reader’s Digest book, he had a volunteer remove a page and tear in into little pieces. Ralph had predicted which word the volunteer had chosen. Our own Joe Bruno cut a deck of cards into four piles. They were all shuffled into face-up and face-down positions. Joe was able to produce to selected card. Oniel Banks did a selected card routine that ended with his prediction matching the select card. Howie Schwartzman did a very humorous large dice box trick. Joe Harsanyi also did a wonderful card routine. Charles Covington magically moved two rings, two ropes, and a silk. Eric Hoffman did a card routine in which the selected card ended up having a different colored back. Paul Hoener smoothly controlled the cards in poker game routine. Andy London did the Card of Destiny routine. The Amazing Jay Silverman had cards cut into four piles. After several moves, the selected card was able to be found by using three different cards to indentify it. Jeff Eline did a matching routine using four volunteers and four torn cards. —Rudy Jackson Assembly 6 meets every first Thursday at 8:00 p.m. Held at The Magic Warehouse 11419 Cronridge Drive site #10 in Owings Mills, Maryland 21117. (410-567-0777) Jeff Eline [email protected] w w w. b a l t i m o r e s a m . c o m

7

The Wizard’s Banquet

Omaha, NE— It was a dark night, and the Omaha Magical Society convened for its annual event – The Wizard’s Banquet. Dean Walter Graham was

emcee and everyone was appropriately decked out. After Denny Rourke, Bob Gehringer (our new President), and “The Amazing Lindy” got our guests into the spirit with some baffling close-up work, Walter introduce the opening stage act, awardwinner Jeff Sikora. He started with a comedy prediction, a version of the 20th Century Silks with a young volunteer from the audience, and closed with a snake basket effect using a chosen card. (The snake did the work.) Jeff was honored this year with the Omaha Magical Society (OMS) David P. Abbott award (see photo). In order to win, a nominee must have satisfied a long list of accomplishments. Second on the bill was Bruce Jacoby with Colorful Magic. Accompanied by electric-techno music, he performed a series of sponge ball manipulations, productions, color changes, and even a growing sponge. He followed this with a card trick he’d learned in a lecture by Roger Reese (of the OMS) using a volunteer, a paper bag, and several cute gags. He finished with a near poetic presentation of the tea kettle.

President Bob Gehringer(R) presents the David P. Abbott award to Jeff Sikora (L).

Following Bruce was a welcome visitor, Tom Burgoon, who presented a riotous act of jokes, gags, stunts, and tricks, involving everything from Swiss warblers to invisible mosquitoes to spoons, forks, Silly Putty, and of course the famous Timmy Toilet paper. Next up was Dr. Strange, who presented an odd collection of material, including everything from a mock hypnosis session to a vanishing and appearing salt trick, and closing with a feather that stood up. Chris Bontjes, S.A.M. pres-

Assembly News ident-elect, was up next, and presented the W-hole card trick, as well as a smooth handling of the Gene Anderson torn and restored paper. We hope Chris enjoyed his visit as much as we enjoyed him. Finally, Jared Schaugaard appeared in one of the strangest acts. He came out wearing “rock star” hair and performed some slick manipulations with cards, including fans, fancy multicuts, and the production of cards from a flattened and opened card box. He then got four volunteers onstage to assist with a four Ace routine, which is not your standard stage effect. The food was excellent, and Donna Roth did her usual fine job decorating the place. Congrats to the Banquet Committee. See you next year? —Larry Brodahl Assembly 7 usually meets on the third Monday, at Southwest Church of Christ, located at West Center Road and 125th St.- right across from Hooters. Jerry Golmanavich golubki@ cox.net (401) 390-9834 www.omahamagicalsociety.com

8

Jim Buffaloe – Coin Man

St. Louis, MO — I am saddened to announce the passing of our compeer, James G. Buffaloe. Jim passed away on Friday, December 30, 2011. He leaves his beloved wife Lillie M. Buffaloe, daughter Judy Buffaloe, and the late Terry Buffaloe. There was a Broken Wand ceremony Thursday, January 5, 2012, read by PNP Harry Monti. It was well attended. Recent photos of Jim performing are on Assembly8.com. Jim will be missed, but his coin work will live on.

James G. Buffaloe

We cancelled our first meeting of the year due to snow and ice, but we are looking forward to Midwest Regional VP Jim

Sikora’s visit and lecture January 26th. —Dan Todd Mount Tabor United Church of Christ, 6520 Arsenal. Dan Todd [email protected] (314) 409-7066 www.Assembly8.com

11

December Meeting

affordable outdoor facility. President Leland Pennington transformed a soap bubble into a beautiful clear plastic stone with advice on how to make it into a memorable effect for a performance for children. The winner of the competition was Professor William Pryor. In second place was Dr. Randall Wolf. —John Martini Queen City Mystics, SAM Assembly 11 generally meets on the second Friday of the month at Haines House of Cards in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Cincinnati, OH— Presidentelect Leland Pennington opened the meeting and discussed the upcoming year. Leland thanked Rick Gaffney, Joe Papania, and Bill Pryor for entertaining the patients at Children’s Hospital in November. And then the First Meeting holiday party began with a gift of 2012 exchange. The random selection led to great fun and banter. The Dallas, TX— President Mike gifts ran the gambit – holiday Smith welcomed the members silks, a really neat “yot,” DVDs, to the first meeting of 2012. Anbooks, and other fun effects. Re- nouncements included a recap of freshments were served followed a very special event that members by the magician of the month of Dallas S.Y.M. 73 took part in: competition. a lecture at the AT&T PerformDr. Randall Wolf presented a ing Arts Center featuring David clever two-deck card effect in Blaine. Three of our local young which a card was chosen from magicians (Aaron Maynard, one deck, which was placed in a Matthew Jensen, and Chet wood box. The selected card was Monday) performed for visitors then found in the second deck in the lobby prior to the show. and the two decks mysteriously The crowds were amazed and disappeared. Don Hinton showed delighted, and the kids got to us a packet trick in which the chosen card was the red card and the remaining cards turned into blanks. Professor William Pryor demonstrated an ESP card effect. He went through three iterations and it became more baffling as he proceeded. Denny Metz performed a three-coin effect with Walking Liberty dollars; the three half Aaron Maynard, David Blaine, dollars vanished after and Matthew Jensen he had produced them. Larry Payne (photo by Steve Foxall Photography) performed his only “real” card trick. A card was meet David after the show. selected (Two of Diamonds) and There were three performthen he tried to shoot it with a ers for the night: Frank Seltzer, bow and a flaming arrow. Mys- Mallari Kulkarni, and Ted teriously, a Two of Diamonds Gillum. Frank started off with a silk appeared in the hat and card effect, asking Mark Jensen the deck of cards had a Two of for assistance. Frank selected a Diamonds with a burned hole in prediction from a deck of cards it. Patrick Thermes performed – the Nine of Clubs. He then an effect he had learned from pulled out a second deck, asking a magic kit when he was ten Mark to select a card. However, years old – the ball and vase. Bii the audience could see that the Winzig presented a Sid Lorraine entire deck was made of the effect; a picture of a house for same card – the Nine of Clubs. sale that the potential buyer When Frank boldly asked Mark could not afford was shown. to show his selected card, Mark The picture was carefully folded showed a different card, the several times to a more modest King of Hearts. However, when abode until it represented an Frank displayed his prediction, it

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had magically changed to match Mark’s card, the King of Hearts. Next, Mallari Kulkarni stepped up to perform a card effect, but he said his assistant was caught in traffic. Mallari had a card selected, and then stalled for time by reading the headlines from a newspaper he brought. Since it appeared that his assistant would not make it, Mallari decided to create some impromptu assistants on the fly, cutting the newspaper into a string of paper dancers. When they were displayed, the dancers clearly held seven hearts between them, matching the selected card. Finally, Ted Gillum performed a mentalism effect using a borrowed dollar and five disposable cups. Ted asked young Ms. Henley to crumple up the bill and place it under one of the cups. He then asked her to change the order of the cups while he looked away. Ted slowly felt for the residual “aura” emanating from each cup, eliminating one at a time until finally the only cup left was the one containing the bill. The final part of the meeting was the magical “swap meet.” Numerous magicians brought their “slightly worn” magical items they were willing to part with, and just about everyone walked away with either new magic or a little extra cash. Dallas Magic Club meets the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM, Crosspointe Church and Community Center. www. dallasmagic.org for directions. Check out the Dallas Magic Club on Facebook.

17

All Decked Out

Springfield, MA— This was our first meeting of the new year in a new location thanks to member Rich Pinnsonault, and it started off with a bang, the house was full! After having a random card chosen from a deck, a corner was torn off the card and handed back to the spectator. Jeff Pyzocha banded the deck, and then threw it at a window. The torn card was found stuck to the outside of the window. Dave Dimock used the radial artery pulse of a couple of spectators to help him find the cards they had chosen and replaced in each other’s deck. Rich Gilbert performed a Chinese Matrix enhanced by a small speaker attached to his iPod. A sheer hanky simulated a “fog” cover


Assembly News over the four coins as each mysteriously disappeared and reappeared under a playing card. P.J. Pinsonnault placed four silver dollars in a spectator’s hand and reduced them down one by one to a lone coin that then changed into a worthless washer. Rick Mayer had a person put a deck of red cards behind his back, turn one card over, and then spread them on the table. There was only one face-up card, but the color of its back had changed to blue. Mike Wald pulled out the old fortyfour-cent deck he had purchased at a tag sale. He had someone choose a card, put it back in, and he shuffled the deck. He then counted down to the fortyfourth card to reveal the chosen card. Joe Bednar ended the night with an excellent rendition of Restless Colors. Four bluebacked cards turned green, then red, then yellow, ending up to be all different backs of the same card at the end. We are looking forward to our after-holiday party. —Karen Gibson Dr. I.R. Caulkins Assembly 17 meets the first Friday of every month at 7 pm at Pinsonnault Moto-X-Equipment, 69 East Street, Ludlow, MA www.assembly17.org Rich Gilbert rgilbettmagic@ yahoo.com (413) 247-7659. www.assembly17.org

21

No Cards, Please

West Hartford, CT— We had our second reading for Jon Cap, and after he performed he was duly accepted and welcomed into the club. Our club VP Jim Bentley announced his resignation and imminent move to Phoenix, Arizona. Dave Garrity announced that he will be back doing magic at Six Flags New England this summer. The theme for the night was, “Please! Not another card trick,” hosted by Dave Edwards. Our new member Jon started us off with a manipulation routine with a ballpoint pen and its cap. Jim Bentley did Oil and Water, but he used Tarot cards. Dana Ring did a quick coin through handkerchief. Rick St. Pierre borrowed a dollar bill, to be placed in one of several matchboxes. Several random eliminations later, one box remained; it contained the bill. Rick then wrote down some seemingly random numbers that turned out to match the serial number of the

bill. Lastly, he took a page from a calendar and demonstrated some clever mathematical tricks you can do.

Soll Levine with his locket

Our host, Dave, attempted a trick with three balls. Dan Sclare gave Marlene Clark a “snowball” (a white sponge ball). He then invisibly threw another one that joined the one in her hand. Finally, his “snowballs” became a tiny snowman. Roger Cisowski got Norm St. Laurent to sign a quarter which, covered by a bottle cap, penetrated the tabletop. Jason Abate folded up a blank piece of paper and it turned into a $20 bill, which he used to pay his club dues to Soll. Chris Mansfield decided to break the rules and do a card trick; he borrowed a deck of cards and had one selected. By reading “the group” he was able to identify the card. Soll Levine placed a penny in a strange locket. When the locket was opened, the penny had vanished, replaced by a receipt for Jason’s dues payment. To close the evening, Jim returned to do an honest non-card effect, a nice ring-on-rope routine. —Dana Ring Assembly 21 meets the second Monday at 289 South Main Street, West Hartford, Connecticut 06107 Dana Ring d.ring222@ att.net (860) 532-9888

22

More than Magic

Los Angeles, CA— It was a very chilly and wintry evening for the January 16, 2012, meeting of the Southern California Assembly 22. Assembly president Jim Callen presided over the short routine business portion of the meeting that included announcements of interest to the membership. It was the sad duty of our secretary, PNP Ed Thomas, to present a Broken Wand Ceremony for


member Triny Peller, who had been in ill health for a number of years. The program for the evening, a new one for the assembly, was the performance of acts frequently referred to as “allied arts” to magic. Producing the program and acting as emcee was Kim Hallinger. Kim also presented a lot of magic between acts. The opening act, James Holguin, aka “Jimmy H,” gave a humorous presentation of balloon animal magic with an audience member up to assist. Assembly president Jim Callen was next doing some dangerous magic using a finger chopper and a large menacing animal trap. The very skeptical Toni Perrine, who assisted, escaped without injury. Our third act was Suds. Ted “Suds” Sudbreck is always entertaining and tonight did so with a very humorous Troublewit routine.

Suds performing Troublewit.

Frequent M-U-M columnist Michael Perovich always presents the unique and the obscure during his many performances for the assembly. Mike gave a very humorous performance as he demonstrated various styles of juggling a variety of objects. Matt Savin then used a purple beaked stuffed toy bird as a ventriloquial dummy to present a dialogue routine. “Hobo Jim” Jones next played a game with a spectator guessing which of three switches turned on an elusive light bulb. To the surprise of everyone, a small wood “outhouse” exploded when the door was opened to look for the light. Closing the show as a ventriloquist was Ed Thomas, who conducted a humorous conversation with a hand puppet – you couldn’t even see Ed’s lips move. Ed concluded with a juggling demonstration using three colorful silks. It was a very diverse and interesting show for

members and guests attending. With the show concluded, it was time to enjoy the always-plentiful array of foods and treats provided by Corrine Murphy. Many lingered late into the evening to enjoy the fellowship that is always Assembly 22. —Steven L. Jennings Southern California Assembly 22 meets the third Monday each month at 8:00 PM, St. Thomas Moore Parish Hall, 2510 South Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, California Ed Thomas [email protected] (213) 382-8054

24

First Meeting of the Year

Latham, NY— The first meeting of the year started on a good note. Fourteen magi attended. President Joe Goode welcomed everyone. Those of us who had been able to attend the memorial service for Ruth Fonda Pitts described the sad event, including the Broken Wand Ceremony, which was organized by Cliff Bruce and read by SAM National President Vinny Grosso, Harry Keefe, Helen Patti, and Cliff. Ruth was remembered as an excellent magician and entertainer, and the first female member of The Society of American Magicians and Assembly 24! Joe then conducted the election of officers. The roster will be the same as last year: President – Joe Goode, Vice President – David MacDonald, Secretary – Cory Haines, and Treasurer – Robert Connors. Joe asked that we pay our dues, and many of us did so right on the spot! Joe also reminded us of the generosity of Gunther Pagal in donating the income from the sale and auction of his magic paraphernalia last April, for which he gave him the Martinka award. He then presented a certificate of appreciation to Chuck Tryon, who has been so helpful in offering the club the use of the superb close-up table he built for special occasions, including the national conference! After a break for refreshments we drew for the DVD on coin magic. Roger Borgen won. Then the entertainment started. Zak Middleton performed an excellent prediction, Silent Treatment. Roger followed with Travelling Coins, a nice transposition from one hand to the other with the use of two seethrough bags. Joe had three

Assembly News Tony Gerbio produced a silver dollar from a dollar bill, and made it vanish and reappear in the bill. John Henderson demonstrated various levels of psychic ability, using a John Bannon effect, wherein three people selected cards. They then counted off cards three different times using a The Amazing Karabini has trouble exfreely selected number. tracting a sword from Roger Their specific cards ended Borgen’s neck. on top of each of their piles. Next John did Time people pick cards for a predic- After Time by Swedish magician tion. After writing his answer Tomas Bloomberg, in which a on a board and discovering selected card found its way into that it was wrong, he erased it, a packet of four Queens. only to find that correct answer Sean Burke produced candles had appeared. Amazing! Bill from a color-changing scarf and Karabin picked Roger to assist did some nice Flip moves with a him with Sword Thru Neck. magic wand. Sean invited some Mark Brennen performed a card suggestions from his fellow effect, Fastest Card Trick. Dave members and got lots of good McClements was up next with a tips for motivated movements skillfully handled Cards Across. and natural motions. Next, Max Peter Beeble then took the stage Droge asked for brainstormwith an appearing dollar bill, a ing ideas for a new illusion brass tube to silk and paper, and he’s working on: the flash apsome good jokes. Chuck Tryon pearance of the magician. Max concluded the program with his stormed a lot of brains. Chris Key-Rect Prediction, which he Smith performed dual mindhad crafted himself. Very nice. reading with Sean Burke using Altogether it was an enjoyable Paul Cummings’s Tapalac. It evening. —Helen Patti was an unusual effect involving Jay Gorham, Assembly 24 meets “clocking” the cards to determine 2nd Tuesday at the SW Pitts which card Sean was merely Hose Company, Latham, NY at thinking of, and to determine 7:30pm, www.sam24.org. Joe which card Sean believed Chris Goode [email protected] had mentally selected. Last up was Eric DeCamps, who showed Your Latest an antique metal box that held Acquisition three silver dollars that jumped around a lot. He then did an Elmwood Park, NJ — Our effect with three Chinese coins first meeting of the year proved and a piece of string, in which to be full of good ideas and the coins jumped off the string suggestions for members. We to appear in Phil Germain’s learned that the S.A.M. has a hand, and then reappeared on new Facebook page, a great way the string. to see what’s going on. The evening was a perfect demThe theme was to perform one onstration of how the members of your latest tricks. First up was help each other out by sharing your scribe, Del Dixon. I did my ideas. —Del Dixon version of Out of This World The Rouclere-Zarrow Assembly with help from Cathy Burke, meets every thirds Friday of the who demonstrated her woman’s month at 8:00pm at the VFW intuition by separating red cards Hall, Veterans Place, Elmwood from black cards. (She missed on Park, New Jersey. Bill Schmeelk only one card, as predicted.) [email protected] (201) Richard Bangs performed The 497-8179 www.livemagicguide. Trick that Cannot be Explained. com/sam25 Cathy Burke assisted. The deck was divided up into separate Top Dog packets by use of a counting Winner and adding procedure. When all packets except one were Altanta, GA— Our meeting discarded, the remaining number this month found us hosting of cards in Cathy’s hand matched Most Illustrious Vinny Grosso. the top card of the remaining Vinny gave us all the latest inpile. formation about the upcoming

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convention in Las Vegas and the new look on the website. Vinny and Assembly 295 officers Mark Hall and Jay Shanerman served as judges for our Top Dog Cups and Balls contest. Dan Garrett provided an interlude before the contest with some nostalgia. He told us about the fabulous Dunes Casino in Las Vegas, which stood where the Bellagio now exists. Souvenirs of the Dunes are quite valuable and Dan had some chips from the casino of various dollar amounts that he had procured. He had someone choose one of the chips, and then predicted which one he would

Picture of Top Dog Cups and Balls winner Rick Hinze accepting trophy from SAM National President Vinny Grosso

choose. The prediction ended up etched into the wallet that held the chips. Dan also gave a little performance on coin bending. The entries in the Top Dog Cups and Balls contest were Mark Hatfield, Merritt Ambrose, Rick Hinze, and Gene Hendrix. Each presented the Cups and Balls in a unique and entertaining fashion. After much deliberation, Rick Hinze was declared the winner. An impressive wiener dog trophy was awarded to Rick. Congratulations to all for a wonderful evening of entertainment. —Carol Garrett Assembly 30 meets the second Tuesday of the month at Picadilly Cafeteria, I-85/North Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, Georgia.

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Jim Croop started us off with a bit of mathematical wizardry. He performed Summing It Up by Marc Oberon, which is a variation of Jack London’s The Almost Real Prediction. The sum of numbers randomly sorted by the audience was 1,812 – as predicted on a card inside a Fed Ex box. At that exact time his cell phone began to play the “1812 Overture.” Even more impressive was that the date of our show was January 8, 2012, 1-8-12! Professional magician Marcus Lehmann was awesome. He performed six different, fascinating effects. One was the Uncanny Hanks. He found the trick in Tarbell thirty-five years ago, his wife made it for him, and he has been doing it ever since. Three different colored silks were tied to a strip of cloth. By merely concentrating on one of the colors, that particular silk falls to the floor. Particularly entertaining was the Fred Kaps adaptation of the Eleven Card Trick, Fred Kaps Currency. This was performed with eleven dollar bills; no matter how carefully they were counted by audience members, the total never came out to be eleven. Barry Rice, who also served as our master of ceremonies, proceeded to do, among others, two effects that we are likely never to forget. First, he climbed inside a huge balloon that he had blown up and then did a card trick from inside the balloon. Next, he took off his shoes and socks and walked on the fragmented remains of fifty shattered wine bottles. He called a physician up on stage to stand by. Master magician and entertainer Don Miller did his own creative version of the linking rings, followed by a hilarious parody of Barry Rice’s version of walking on glass. The finale had everyone in stitches. He announced that audience

January Winter Magic Celebration

Indianapolis, IN— Seventyfive excited spectators showed up for our annual Winter Magic Celebration. After a lunch together at the Old Country Buffet, we proceeded to the Carmel Community Playhouse for the show.

Don Miller with the rings.


Assembly News member Christina Merrill would be the magician and he would be the assistant. The zings that flew back and forth between the two, along with the multiple miscommunications, had everyone laughing. Ultimately, the missing card was discovered – under Chris! In addition to the magic we were entertained by a musical version of some astounding creative balloon artistry by Balloongenuity. —Dale Benson Assembly 31 meets the first Monday of the month at 7:00 pm. If the first Monday conflicts with a holiday weekend, we postpone the meeting one week. Unless otherwise announced, the meeting location is the Irvington United Methodist Church, 30 Audubon Road on the east side of the city. Steve Spence sspence@ mediationalternative. com (317) 507-4534. www.sam31.com

35

Magnificent Magazine Magic

Poughkeepsie, NY— About a dozen members attended our January meeting. Members were asked to perform any trick they wanted to – provided they found it in the pages of a magazine. Terry Morgan was about to kick off the evening performing 2-4-2 until he learned I planned to perform it as well. With all the thousands of effects to be found in magazines, what are the odds? Thankfully Terry has forgotten more magic than I will never know, so he was able to pull another trick out of his hat. Terry performed a vintage M-U-M spelling card trick. After Terry finished, I performed 2-4-2 from the pages of MAGIC. My performance was described as “more than adequate.” I can’t ask for much more than that! Derrin Berger performed an effect from the pages of MAGIC with the assistance of Mike Bochar. We enjoyed a great effect using a stacked deck by John Olson. Terry Morgan performed a wonderful Dai Vernon trick using Paul Curry’s swindle cut. We got to see a great effect from the pages of Genii thanks to Joel Zaritsky. John Olsen performed another tremendous trick using a new deck of cards. We finished up the evening with some great discussions on magic. Thanks to every member who

shared an effect with members. —Craig Kunaschk Al Baker Assembly No. 35 (usually) meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at the Milanese Italian Restaurant, 115 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY. Check out our website at c o m p u m a g i c.c o m / sam35 to confirm time and meeting location. www.compumagic.com/sam35

52

New Year, New Magic

SAN ANTONIO, TX— January 5, 2012, Brother John Hamman Assembly 52 held its monthly meeting at LaMadeleine Restaurant. President Joe Libby called the meeting to order. We had a full house, including members, wives, SYM Assembly 114 members, and guests. Welcome to guests Jim Cox, Rich Mendez, and Arlene DeFries. Congratulations to Napoleon Savoy, who is now a member of Assembly 52. Scott Hollingsworth, Chairman of the SAM Veterans’ Entertainment Program, sent certificates of appreciation and lapel pins to Michael Tallon, Paul Amerson, Joe Libby, John Dahlinger, and Mark Travis for donating their time and talents to the Warrior Family Support Center at Fort Sam Houston during Magic Week. The theme for this meeting was New Year, New Magic, and starting off the performances was Joe Libby, who performed the Six Card Repeat with jumbo Ccards, and a Torn and Restored Balloon effect. Ray Adams, with help from a young magician, Cooper Scott, entertained with Scotch and Soda, and Don Moravits performed a perplexing rubber band effect. George Castillo amazed us with a Cell Phone in Bottle trick, and Doug

Gorman performed a card effect called Annihilation and also a two-cup cups and balls routine. Jim Cox entertained with a three-way prediction and John Dahlinger, with the help from an audience member, performed a prediction card effect. Claude Crowe performed a Coin Tray and Coin Wand Coins Across Routine, and Michael Tallon did a card prediction effect using New Year’s resolutions. Hector Marquez Jr. performed an iPhone app card effect, and Drake Stanton had us scratching our heads after he performed Math Magic. Dylan Pfeiffer amazed us with Nail through Coin and Paul Amerson entertained with Martin Lewis’s Tricolor Prediction. Closing the performances was Rich Mendez, who did a beautiful color-changing silk routine. Brother John Hamman Assembly 52 meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first 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

New Digs!

Portland, OR— Danny Schreiber has had numerous challenges in his opening weeks as president. Our annual banquet arrangements collapsed, and we found ourselves in need of a new meeting location. To top it off, he was out of town on business in many of the days leading up to and including our first meeting of the year, but he guided the club with an expert hand, nevertheless. The decision was made by the board to reschedule the banquet till later in the year. Arrangements to relocate to Robinwood Station, a community center in West Linn, Oregon, developed slowly, but all was in order by the night of January 25. The final official approval for SAM 59’s use of Robinwood was given on January 27. Founding SAM 59 From Left: Paul Amerson, Michael Tallon, member Duane Duvall Joe Libby and John Dahlinger displaying opened with a Q&A session revealing his their certificates of appreciation from personal history as a Scott Hollingsworth. Not pictured, performer, tips on magic, Mark Travis.


and advice about the business of magic. He has been generous in his help to dozens of magicians during his career and his words of wisdom were much appreciated. VP Kaleta read announcements, we voted in new member Andy Turner to our ranks, and annual awards were presented. The Entertainer of the Year Award went to Art Manning. The Most Improved Performer was awarded to John Edsall. The Sorrells Service Award went to Glen Bledsoe. Our meeting agenda has been simplified and reorganized. The business meeting has been eliminated. Starlight Magic and Snack have been combined into Session Time. This is an opportunity to grab something to eat and informally work with another magician or a small group to improve our magic. Pizza was a nice change from cookies and punch. The final segment of the evening was Showtime. The theme was “Get Any Good Tricks for Christmas?” and the performers were Mel Anderson, Neen Fitzwalter (aka Houneeni), Tom Cramer, Tom Waldrop, and guest Bob Sokolski. Our first meeting in our new location gathered about thirty members and guests. We saw quite a few new faces. NB: I neglected to add Tom Waldrop to the list of performers for our Holiday Hocus Pocus in December, although I had his name in my notes. Tom has performed at every club function that I can recall. He believes the magic is a performing art and practices what he preaches. —Glen L. Bledsoe SAM 59 meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month except Jul/Aug/Dec at Robinwood Station 3706 Cedaroak Drive West Linn, OR 97068. Details at www.sam59portland.org Glen L. Bledsoe glenbledsoe@ mac.com (503) 581-2795

77

Oh the Tricks That We Learned!

Long Island, NY— The Long Island Mystics started off the New Year right with a better room and a recap of the things that many of us have learned (and use often in our shows). After the brief business meeting regarding the reconstruction of our old room, I took over to host this meeting of the minds to

Assembly News discover many of our meetings really do make a positive difference in our shows. Gary Dudash started things off with a twisted (that’s our Gary) presentation of Six Card Repeat revolving around his uncle, who had too many beers. The black trash bag that Gary tucked into his waist to represent his uncle’s belly, made for a clean place for the cards to go into and a funny photo op. Pat Darienzo performed Topsy-Turvy Bottles with a finish that he learned from John Ferrentino and Joe Silkie. Bill Gleason offered up a Locking Coins followed by a stunner with a Houdini theme. Joe Lebue stunned us with Daryl’s Three Fly. Our president, John Lepre,

Gary Dudash performs.

performed a sponge ball routine from inspiration by SAM Dean George Schindler. As emcee, I brought out Joshua Jay’s Jumbo Overlap to introduce joker Phil Levy to perform with Jeff Hobson’s Egg Bag. Then the Millers went head to head to show us their stuff; first Dan and then Jeff (no relation). Dan performed a spelling card trick while Jeff Miller took home the laugh of the night award after Jeff presented Brian Platt’s Sugar Rush that he saw demoed by member at a past meeting. Jeff then threw candies to everyone and then shouted out,” Wait, which one of you has the gaff?” Linda Robbins popped in with Dan Harlan’s Popcorn. Full time pro and past president Steve Rodman showed off his new favorite close-up trick from Steve Marshall called Diamond Twist. Wayne Haarhaus performed a classic Card to Wallet. “I used a Jerry O’Connell No Palm Wallet. Craig Dickson demoed them at his lecture. It’s my current favorite method for Card to Wallet. The routine evolved as I played with the prop, but I learned the basics at The

Mystics.” With the extra time, Linda came back to perform Shawn Farquar’s Torn 2 Pieces and Pat Darienzo ended the night with of all things: The Six Card Repeat (non-gimmicked by Christian of Vienna from a lecture back in 1975). Next meeting is mentalism and bizarre magic. See you at the diner. —Lou Johnson L.I. Mystics Assembly 77 meets at 7:30PM on the second Monday of the month at The Community United Methodist Church. For more information, check www.limystics.org.

88

AAMC January Meeting/Clown Magic

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, MI — The January theme for our club meeting was “Clown Magic,” a great way to start out the new year with a funny way to do magic! The Ann Arbor Magic Club has its share of clowns, actually three professional clowns, Bob Waite (as Patches), Ray Wojciechowski (who goes by many names), and Dan Jones (as Tippy the clown). Many of our members do a variety of twists with balloons and comedy magic. Tony “Big T” Saputo drew a picture of a clown on a blank board that seems to come alive, with its eyes moving from side to side and then its mouth opening and closing. George Honer did a comedy card trick, in which he had a card chosen, threw the cards into a bag, and pulled out the wrong card. He asked, “Should it be bigger?” After a couple more times and asking again if it should be bigger, he pulled out a jumbo card of the selection.

Dan Jones showing his balloon work.

Dan Jones brought a nice comedy routine. A card was chosen by Pam Smith; Dan

handed her an eggbeater to point and spin towards me, and then asked me if I can “see” the card. Since I couldn’t, he handed me a small plunger to put on my head, while Pam spun the egg beater. Dan then lifted up a jumbo card, behind Pam’s back, of the selected card, which I named – very funny! Bill Brang was next with a black-and-white sad clown silk that was put in a small change bag. It came out as a happy clown in bright colors. Marvin Mathena performed with the circus coloring book and a cloth bag that changed color when turned inside out. Ray Wojciechowski had an old routine in which everyone picked a number, we added and subtracted, and everyone ended up with a Gray Elephant from Demark. Then our guest visitor from Italy, Renzo, performed a very good rope routine. Renzo also had a lot of new balloon twists to show us! This was the best meeting of the year so far – oh it’s only January? And a great way to say Happy New Year! —Randy A. Smith, Hank Moorehouse Assembly 88 meets the second Wednesday at 7PM at the Faith Lutheran Church, 1255 E Forest Ave, Ypsilanti, Michigan. Randy A. Smith r a n d y. r e m a r k a b l e @ g m a i l . com (313) 562-3875. www.aamagic.org

95

MAGIC DINNER LIVE 2012

Vancouver, Canada— This year’s Assembly 95 annual awards banquet was the first year that the event was made open to the general public through ticket sales. Also, it is the first year that the assembly hired outside talent to entertain both the members and the guests. Members were responsible for selling tickets, which responsibility they took on admirably, with a total of two hundred tickets sold, making the event a sellout. The top sellers were Henry Tom, Lon Mandrake, Dennis Hewson, and Rod Chow, who contributed with the rest of the members to make the fundraising event a financial success. Guests were treated to professional pre-dinner entertainment by the S.A.M. 95 Close-up Magic Stars: Ray Roch, Henry Tom, Rick Mearns, Dennis Hewson, Steve Dickson, Juan Garcia, and Jeff Christensen. The emcee for this evening of Asian fusion food

and live magic was FISM World Champion Shawn Farquhar, who was naturally outstanding in keeping the evening running smoothly, plus making sure the guests were well entertained and informed throughout the night. Congratulations to all the award winners: Linda Mandrake – Lottie Hemeon Award for Best Assistant; Steve Dickson – Carl Hemeon Award of Excellence; Henry Tom – Leon Mandrake Trophy for Outstanding Showmanship; and Rod Chow – Assembly Presidential Citation plaque for Distinguished Service.

Assembly #95 President Lon Mandrake presents The Leon Mandrake Award for Outstanding Showmanship to Dr. Henry Tom.

Congratulations to Assembly 95’s new Dean, Shawn Farquhar, who not only received a plaque from the assembly presented to him by President Lon Mandrake, but who also received a National Presidential Citation presented to Shawn by Rod Chow as Regional Vice President for Canada on behalf of Most Illustrious Vinny Grosso. This was a historic event, because Assembly 95 not only inducted their very first dean, but Shawn also became the very first person to receive a Presidential Citation presented in Canada. Shawn also received written letters of congratulations from National Dean George Schindler, RVP Northwestern States Michael Roth, Assembly 95 President Lon Mandrake, and RVP Canada Rod Chow. The headliner for the evening’s platform show was the internationally acclaimed, awardwinning magician, Stephen Bargatze. Stephen was absolutely hilarious as he played on the audience members while amazing everyone at the same time. Stephen also came back to do a well received lecture the


Assembly News next day. The event organization committee of Shawn Farquhar, Rod Chow, Lon Mandrake, Jens Henriksen is to be commended for a successful function. —Rod Chow The Carl Hemeon Assembly No. 95 meets the first Tuesday of each month at members’ homes. Rod Chow [email protected] (604) 669-7777. www.sam95. com

104

Empties the drawers on Auction Night

Salem, MA— The season’s fifth Bill Towne School of Magic session taught by Len Lazar preceded our January meeting. Members and guests can look forward to Len’s future classes: Stand-Up Card Magic, in March; Rubber Bands and Paper Clips, in April; and Impromptu Magic and Quickies, in May. The School of Magic continues to serve as not only a wonderful introduction to essential techniques in the art, but also as a healthy refresher for the more experienced performer. Len’s gift for finding easier handlings for so many card and coin effects makes the School of Magic a true treasure in which our assembly can take justifiable pride. Discussions continued around the success of our big, annual convention, SAMCON 10 and plans for the eleventh SAMCON, to be held once again at the Marriott in Peabody, Massachusetts. This SAMCON promises to be a major event, with Levent, Scott Alexander, and Norm Barnhart already on board. New plans to lower the admission price for the evening show alone to twenty-five dollars should encourage more family attendance. Whole day tickets will be $70 until October 30 and $80 from October 31. The date for SAMCON XI will be Saturday, November 3, 2012. While past producer Steve “Doc” Rogers has set the bar high during his tenure, Doug Rickenback and Evan BusoJarnis received a warm round of applause for volunteering to take up the challenge for this year’s production. We know they will do well. Secretary Bob manned the three Forrest family hot dog machines, supplying bidders with condiments, dogs, soft drinks and their daily nitrate requirement as Jim Luscutoff emceed the

“J” Hubbard, our favorite Santa, kicks off the bidding wars.

annual auction. It proved to be a long night as magician after magician presented the contents of emptied drawers and closets. Unloved or unperformed items ranged from larger stage props to humble DVDs and gaffs. Items that garnered no bids were donated for our S.Y.M. auction that follows at the end of the month. Activities planned for future meetings include our March lecture by Peter Samuelson; April’s meeting, with guest yet to be announced; the Boris Wild lecture in May; and June’s Officers’ Installation Banquet to wrap up the year. Information on SAMCON and on Witch City S.A.M. Assembly 104 can be found at the website. —Bob Forrest Assembly 104 meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Salem, 292 Lafayette Street, Salem Massachusetts. Bob Forrest captainalbrightsq1@ comcast.net (339) 227-0797. www.sam104.com

110

112

Holiday Magic

Concord, CA— After Kara Ewing had won the attendance reward, Christmas-themed magic began. To start off the themed magic, Michelle O’Keefe assisted Rod McFadden in his demonstration of crazy Christmas lights, in which the colored switches lit up the corresponding colored lights, but only for Rod. When Michelle tried, colored lights not corresponding to the colored switches began lighting up.

his will. Zappo later showed us how to create a tiny reindeer from a string of Christmas garland beads. He remarked that he learned the technique from Deezo the Clown, who reportedly never had to pay for a meal, because he performed making small animals from the beads in restaurants. At that point, Fred Nelson (aka The Big Kahuna) performed Overkill as the Trick of the Month with the able assistance of Kara Ewing. Fred credits Paul Harris as the originator of the illusion. Briefly, Fred is able to predict the same card again and again even though he mixes up the cards and has them cut again and again. And for the off-theme portion of the magic, Ric Ewing showed an illusion he has been working on; it is called Black Tie because it begins by having an audience member take a black tie wrap and zip tie Ric’s thumbs securely. He then has the person who did the tying place a silk over his hands as he adeptly struggles to free his thumbs. Finally, Doug Kovacich illustrated a larger scale escape with handcuffs. —Dave Anderson Diablo Assembly 112 meets on the third Wednesday of every month at the Round Table Pizza in Concord. Doug Kovacich douglassthemagicman@ hotmail.com (925) 435-4824. http://sam112.com/

115

Magic with Money

Charlottesville,

January Meeting

New Cumberland, PA— The January meeting was well attended and had two visitors who are prominent on the local magic scene – Lee Germain and Dave Pepka. Nice to see you fellas, come again. Plans for our one day convention are finalized with Saturday, May 19, 2012 as the day, The Men’s Club in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, the place, and $50 the cost. The price includes two meals, lunch and dinner, and also admission to the eight dealers, two lectures, an auction, plus the close-up and evening shows. Scheduled to be there are: Bob Little as emcee, Ben Salinas, Francis Menotti, and Kyle and Kelly Peron. Res-


ervations for dinner must be received before Saturday, May 5, 2012. The after-meeting contest had no particular theme and had seven members performing. There were three card effects; Al Bienstock, Joe Noll, and Lou Abbotiello; an escape from a coat while handcuffed by Jon Stover; an appearing cigarette by Almar; an instant restoration of a Rubik’s cube by Jason Hade; and rabbit mask “hat tear” by Mike Snyder. First place went to Mike Snyder, second to Joe Noll, and third place to Almar. Joe Homecheck, Assembly 110 meets 2nd Thursdays, 7:00pm, Doc Holiday’s Restaurant, Limekiln Road, New Cumberland, PA. Email: Secretay@ CentralPAMagic.org.

Michelle O’Keefe attempts to get Rod McFadden’s crazy Christmas light device to work correctly.

Bob Holdridge followed with a colorful Christmas prediction involving some drawings in colored envelopes. Then Zappo (AKA Larry Wright) treated us to a visit by Santa Claus – appearing via a festive plaid egg bag, Showing off that Santa is magic, Zappo demonstrated that Santa can come and go at

VA—

Winter Carnival at Pigeon Forge in March was announced. George updated the group on his efforts to raise awareness of our group and expand our membership. He submitted a Public Service Announcement to the local media. Mark D. informed the group that we have an opportunity to place a free advertisement in the Forest Lakes Newsletter, which will reach 1,400 homes. George has established an email account ([email protected]), twitter account (samassembly115), and a Facebook page (Sam Assembly 115). Please LIKE the page if you are on Facebook. George also developed a great logo for the group. The group discussed the potential of having a Peter Monticup lecture/workshop. May/June was discussed as a po-

Assembly News tentially good timeframe for the event. Every member participated in performing magic this month. The theme of the month was Magic with Money. Below is a brief recap of the terrific diversity of effects shared. Mark Trimpe performed a method of introducing coins using two playing cards, a series of coin flourishes, and a transformation of a coin into a key. Wes performed a coin vanish, a Karate Coin routine, coin behind ear with a kicker ending of a transformation to a Jumbo coin, and Hopping Halves. Dan H. performed Simplex Three Fly, Four Coins Across, and engaged the group with a demonstration and discussion of the Muscle Pass. George performed a Two Dollar Routine involving the transformation of a two-dollar bill into two one-dollar bills, and a card routine known as Knock ‘Em Dead. Dan R. performed an original Four Coin Production followed by a demonstration of how this move can also be used with great effect in ball magic. David performed Hypno-Bill, a visual transformation of a bill from one denomination to another. Mark D. performed the Tonight Show Matrix by Dean Dill and Color Changing Deck The official meeting was adjourned, but the gathering continued until close to midnight. It was another great evening of magic! Assembly 115 meets at the Pavillion Building in Forest Lakes subdivision the first Friday of the month David Clauss visionenhancement@comcast. net (434) 979-1698.

120

A Variety of Magic

Champaign, IL— Andy Dallas demoed his Bottle Up game with instruction on building your own. In old business, we discussed having a club show at the SoDo Theater in downtown Champaign and when would be a good time for another show at the VA in Danville. We also discussed going as a group to see Markus Clegg’s Magic and Other Nonsense: An Evening of Sleight of Hand and Legerdemain at the Sodo. We will firm up the details at this month’s meeting. J.R. Thomas opened with a poetic version of the torn and

restored thread and a “While You Were Out” message pad prediction. Jim Percy did a nice rising card followed up by finding a selected card using his olfactory sense. Chris Bontjes did a nine-card divination and a three-card count and reveal. Justin Dudley showed off his Rubik’s Cube solving skills and Prof. Rob Higgins read some minds. Chris was able to bring us all to our feet and stop the show by producing his wife’s Christmas cookies. —Ken Barham Assembly 120, Andy Dallas Assembly meets third Wed. at 7pm, (except Nov. and Dec.) For location call Jim Percy at 217-494-2222 or Ken Barham Sec, 2318 Winchester Dr, Champaign, IL 61821. 217-8415616 email: [email protected]

129

Catch Up

Pensicola, FL— November 17, 2011, was our awards banquet; no one left hungry. President Nathan Nickerson handed out the awards: Magician of the Year – Bill Metsch; Honored Magician of the Year – Beau Broomall; Sorcerers Circle – Bill Metsch, Beau Broomall, Bryan Drake, Perry Vath, Isaac Brady, Al Grimm, and Gene Burrell; Distinguished Members – Billy Countryman, Dave Kloman, Bill Mikulas and Harley Day. These members are always there doing whatever they can for the club Congratulations! November 19, 2011 was our public show; the performers were: Beau Broomall, Billy Countryman, Jeremy Sperling, Al Grim, Gene Burrell, Ronann Carrero, and emcee Nathan Nickerson. Special thanks to all who worked behind the scenes. We also did a Christmas show for the Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department; performers were Al Grimm, Beau Broomall, and Gene Burrell. In December we had our Christmas Party. The theme of the night was Christmas Magic. Dave Kloman started it off by running a knife through his finger. It was a trick; he’s okay. Beau Broomall used a change bag and turned some loose silks into one that said Merry Christmas. Gene Burrell had a magic book, drew a Santa, and made him appear. Bill Metsch performed a bean box that he made, and Nathan Nickerson

wowed us with some card magic. The January meeting started off with member Gene Burrell conducted a teach-in; he shared many useful tips that will be put to good use. Beau taught us an old gem, Who Will Lie. January’s theme was Homemade Magic. Jeff Sobel showed us his homemade coloring book that he is working on; he wasn’t making it for a kids show. Bill Mikulas entertained us with how to have fun with everyday objects, like what to do with those old cardboard toilet paper rolls. Gene Burrell performed his homemade ice pick hand stab; it was not for the faint of heart and kids should never try this. It was dangerous and scary. Our last entertainer for the night was Dave Kloman with his basket of magic. He put on a mini show with a silk tube, rose breath, solid block to ball, a mini finger chopper, my favorite gold ring on gold chain, and a coin trick. Dave is always great fun to watch. —Bill Metsch The Gulf Coast Magicians Guild Assembly 129 meets the 3rd Thursday of the month at the Bay View Senior Center, Pensacola, Florida. At 6:45 pm. Nathan Nickerson nate@ nathannickerson.com www.gulfcoastmagic.com

are the same price they have been for years, only $30 each. You can get yours by contacting the assembly treasurer (Scott), or you can get them at William’s Magic Shop. There is a possibility that we may need to move our meeting spot in the near future. Kenny has done a bit of research for us and has arranged for us to use the Fraternal Order of Eagles hall. It’s a cool place, it has a stage, it’s about three times the size of the Z Mansion Room, and it even has a bar with decently priced drinks ($3-$5 range). There is a sliding wall to separate “our” room from the bar patronage. There was a whole lot more discussed, and before we knew it, it was time to start the general meeting. Lots of folks made it in between the last of the business meeting and the start of the general meeting. Our Sgt-at-Arms (Nellie) introduced our newest faces: new members Niam Knoll and Michael Graff and previous member Christopher Martinez. —Gary Husson Assembly 136 meets on the first Monday of each month at the Z Mansion in downtown Tucson. Gary Husson: profgary@ prodigy.net (520) 616-8004.

A huge year ahead!

Fort Worth, TX— The January 2012 meeting of the Fort Worth Magicians Club was a lecture/meeting with a guest lecturer as a special “thank you” to our members. Our president, Ash Adams, opened with a warm welcome to all of our members. We had a very strong turnout in anticipation of our guest lecturer, Lance Pierce. After the welcome, Ash handed the program over for announcements. Bill Irwin reminded the club of the upcoming planning/organizational meeting for the Texas Association of Magicians convention on Labor Day weekend, 2014. With it just over two years away, there is a lot that has to be done for the convention to be a success, and now is the time to start making it happen. Geoff Grimes reported on the success of our volunteers with the Snowball Express Holiday event held in Dallas. The magicians who performed for these families shared their heart-warming experience with the club. Randi Rain, our vice president

136

Tucson, AZ— Our first meeting of 2012 got underway at 6:25 p.m. on Monday, January 2. We had a refreshingly large turn-out for the meeting, despite it being so close to the holidays. President DeSchalit held sway for the majority of the business meeting, reviewing the items he wished to discuss with the officers and membership. He has big plans for this year, and the future looks very bright indeed! The upcoming banquet tickets

Rady Atha performing White Line.

138

January 2012 meeting


Assembly News and program chair got us up to speed on our task of creating an act for our October installation banquet. She reviewed what we had previously defined, and introduced Larry Heil to help us with defining the motivation for the act. Larry gave us insights on motivation and how it helps define not only what we do, but how we do it. With Larry’s help, we determined the motivation for this particular act should be to entertain but as a “successful failure.” Mathew Martin performed for us from his professional repertoire. He did a routine that combined the sympathetic silks with a borrowed bill in orange. He passed the magic totem to Libby Sharpe who will perform for us next month. Our newest member, Pamela Jenkins, did her qualification act. In her act, she gracefully reminded us that a supportive spouse of a magician is one of the most important assets the magician can have. Lance Pierce provided a wonderful lecture covering a variety of close-up and parlor routines. His strength in thinking through the subtleties in each routine makes his material very impressive. I feel sorry for those who missed this special lecture. Assembly 138 meets as the Fort Worth Magicians Club on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus in downtown Fort Worth. See www.fortworthmagiciansclub. org for more information. —Jeff Hallberg Assembly 138 meets as the Fort Worth Magicians Club on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 P.M. at the Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus in downtown Fort Worth. Jeff Hallberg fo r t wo r t h m a g i c i a n s c l u b @ hotmail.com (817) 479-3186 www.fortworthmagiciansclub. org.

150

DUES NEWS CHOOSE!

Fort Myers, FL — With thirty members joining the dozen who regularly enjoy a pre-meeting dinner in the pleasant dining room of Myerlee Manor, the January session found president Tony Dunn and treasurer Richard Payne briefly discussing the new dues set-up. Members are now required to pay a very

modest $20 a year in dues and pay $10 each time they attend a lecture. Pay $35 for the year and it covers dues and admission to every one of the five or six lectures during the year. Our lecturer, Paul Lelekis, is a regular worker in Tampa restaurants and at corporate gigs. Paul is known to many from magic journals that publish his original effects and reviews of tricks and books.

Keep your eye on the coin, not the tie.

Lelekis opened fast with a rope-through-middle bit and then picked up the pace with a flurry of card, coin, and sponge ball routines that left numerous members blinking in amazed confusion. Finding it near impossible to keep up with the rapid-fire profusion of effects and “here’s how I do it” explanations, some members simply lay aside their pencils and notepads and sat back to watch the magic. Unlike some lecturers who insist that none of their material be videotaped, Paul graciously asked the club secretary to record his rope routine for members to study later. “It just seemed too complex to describe in the lecture notes,” he said. Combining a cut-restored, rope-stretch, and Professor’s Nightmare, the effect is one he’s done for years to great reactions. Virtually exhausted at evening’s end by the onslaught of magic and laugh lines – his sponge balls are called “Mama’s Meatballs” – some members found themselves with barely enough strength to gather around Paul’s display of his notes, ropes, and other “for sale” items. —Don Dunn The Fort Myers Magicians Assn., Assembly 150, meets the second Tuesday of each


month at Myerlee Manor, 1499 Brandywine Circle. Richard Payne [email protected] (239) 433-6885

Beaver, PA, the 2nd Thursday of every month. Judy Steed [email protected] (330) 525-5389.

New Year, Much Magic

Past Officers Present

157

Beaver, PA— The Fundraiser with Riverside High School is to be March 16, 2012. Doug Ries is working on the schedule of events and the helpers. Picnic dates for the summer and fall picnics are being reserved by Rich Howard. Several members are going to MagiFest in Columbus. The John Morrison Awards (those who had earned the most points for 2011) were presented to third place Frank Kietzke, second place Eric Davis, and first place Rich Howard. The Bert Pickard Award (for going above and beyond his work for the club) went to Doug Ries. Six members performed, with Eric Davis as emcee. Don Moody presented a higher dimension of Doug Ries’s OMG using an electronic die. When a button on top was pushed a vision of the die was seen by all. Jim Tate demonstrated how to take spots on and off a small paddle he had and how to include a second paddle into the mix. Ray Lucas asked an assistant to choose a card and show everyone but him. He produced a frame with a card in it. When shown to the assistant, it was not chosen card. Ray placed the frame down and the chosen card appeared. Jeff Mullins showed everyone a poker chip which he placed on the table. He had someone choose a card from his deck. When the helper picked up the chip, there was a sticker on it that was the same as the chosen card. Trent Rapp stated he had a splinter in his finger, bit on it, and pulled a toothpick out with his teeth. He then proceeded to play a hand of poker with an assistant. The helper chose which card will be his as the dealing went on. The participant turned over his cards and has a full house. Trent turned over his and had a royal flush. Eric Davis performed It’s a Match with a deck of cards and a “lucky” pack of matches. He shows two cards. He found the first card in the match packet. The second card was in deck with matches attached to it. —Judy Steed The Mystic Magicians of Beaver Valley, Assembly 157 meet at the Towne Square Restaurant in

170

Colorado Springs, CO — Present President Jamie Doyle was the emcee and showed us the second half of his “half off” magic show…“and the scarf has vanished!” Frank Klein led off with his sophisticated tribute to John Ramsey’s Cork and Coin routine. Frank followed this with the Empanada, in which a thoughtof” card was slowly surrounded by two Jokers that mysteriously worked their way in from either side of the deck. Jamie Doyle returned … “and the predicted card was also the King of Spades!” He then performed a signed coin to box nest. Dave Wintermute magically illustrated the Jonah and Whale bible story. Jamie … “and here is the signed card” introduced Dick Bowman, who performed two routines, a Triumph variation and a really neat “Seeing Spots” paddle routine. Spots appeared, jumped, and moved between two paddles – in a spotlessly clean routine. Jamie … “and the corner exactly fits the torn card” asked if others had anything they wished to share and Larry Scott (fearless and resourceful man that he is) said yes. Larry demonstrated a variation on the Professor’s Nightmare that I had never seen before. He showed the three ropes cleanly, palms to the audience, stretched from hand to hand; a volunteer could have easily traced the length of each with a finger. He then tightened his grip and vertically stretched the ropes up to equal length. To further show they were equal lengths, he tied them together so they made one long rope tied in three equal sections. He wound up the rope and applied his magic. He then unwound the rope to show the long rope was now tied together by a long, medium, and short rope. After untying these three different length ropes, we could examine them. So smooth, clean, original, and very deceptive – I wish I could do that. Come join SAM Assembly 170 - the Pikes Peak Prestidigitators. We meet 4th Tuesday monthly at Sand Creek Police

Assembly News Dept Community Room - 4125 Center. Park Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80916.

172

Annual Christmas Party

Port St Lucie, FL — December’s annual Christmas party at Manero’s in Palm City saw the induction of our new officers for 2012: Paul Hilko – President, Ed Malinowski – Vice-President, Danny Eisen – Treasurer, and Alan Greenwood – Recording Secretary. Dean Devitt, that’s me, will be assuming the role of Corresponding Secretary. Master of Ceremonies Dean Devitt led off the evening’s magic program, which featured performers Ed Malinowski, Jay Rene, Paul Hilko, and Al Chiaverini. The evening ended with our traditional gift exchange, which is another story in and of itself. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening of companionship, good food, and great magic, and the end of another great year at Assembly 172! The Donald E. Lea’s first meeting of 2012 started off with a bang, figuratively, anyway. After a call to order by our new President, Paul Hilko and some other “official” matters, Assembly 172 got down to the fun part. Take a little Let’s Make a Deal, combine it with American Pickers, add a bit of The Price is Right (or wrong as the case may be), top it off with a few Unsolved Mysteries, and throw it all in your favorite change bag. Do your best hocus pocus, open the bag, and you’ve got it – the Donald E. Lea Assembly auction night. Hosted by President Paul Hilko and his capable assistant Jay Rene, the annual auction night evolved into an all-out bidding war. Paul and Jay presented an amazing array of effects, from the Six-Card Repeat to color changing flower bouquets and from watch winders to the rabbit in the hat. Some great effects changed hands; Rocky the raccoon found a new home, and several buyers expressed concern that they might not be allowed back in the house with their new purchases. In all, it was a fun night for everyone, with a lot of magic, a lot of laughter, and a lot of “I’ll buy it; what does it do?” Fortunately, we had our own Ben Coraggio available to keep track

of the bids and sales. He would later tell us that the assembly had cleared over $25 on the night. Not too shabby for a pile of “stuff.” —Dean F. Devitt The Donald E. Lea Assembly 172 meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm at The Saint Lucie Lanes on Route 1 in Port St. Lucie. Come join us. Dean Devitt quindar46@yahoo. com (772) 466-1942.

benefits were also discussed. Scot Grassette informed us of a possible upcoming opportunity with Jeff McBride and a four-hour workshop in Rumford, Maine.

174

New England VP Performs and Lectures at 174

Augusta, ME— The SAM 174 and Magic Kings convened in Augusta on Sunday, January 8, 2012, and a good time was had by all! Thirteen members were present and more joined us at the after-meeting at the China King restaurant. A brief period of discussion set forth the agenda for the coming year as follows: March – Music and magic, April – Tri-State Auction, May – Flower Magi, June – Unknown’s Convention and Picnic Walkaround magic; July – Patriotic Magic, August – Liquid Magic, September – Illusions-Stagecraft-Black Art, October – Spooky Magic, November – Do an Aldo Colombini Effect, December – Christmas/Holiday magic. Our honored guests were New England Regional VP Joseph Caulfield, Esq. and his wife Kathy, also known as Lord and Lady Blacksword. Treasurer Karen Seymour presented Assembly 174 lapel pins to our guests. The Blackswords performed and lectured on bizarre magic, and the lecture was excellent! Lord Blacksword showed us where rubies come from, demonstrated the dichotomy between free will and predestination with a mind blowing three-card prediction performed in near laboratory conditions, and then wove a tale about the Duke of Verona in Sorrento, Italy, and the annual prisoner release. Lady Blacksword and Baxter the dog puppet were able accomplices in the affair, concluding with a production of the largest flower bouquet imaginable. Lady Blacksword shared some tips of prop manufacturing and Lord Blacksword lectured on making magic your own. The S.A.M. convention in Las Vegas and some work afoot with the S.A.M. and medical

Lord & Lady Blacksword.

I.B.M. Territorial VP Alan Drew III presented money magic and showed a very snappy table put together from readily available components. Conjuring Carroll shared a gem of a card effect he’d collected over the years. He shared that his new year’s resolution is to perform effects each month that he’s purchased over the years that ended up collecting dust. He also challenged other members to do the same. I’d say he met his goal for January. Dennis Labbe showed a commercial effect with a “baby gag” prediction that was 100% correct! Wes Booth made a blue card visibly melted through two red cards, and Lord Blacksword helped him perform Dai Vernon’s Piano Trick from Scarne’s Card Tricks —Carroll Chapman Assembly 174 and the Magic Kings meet the second Sunday of each month at 1:00P located at Kennebec Community Church on Glenridge Drive in Augusta, just behind Rite Aid. Carroll Chapman magic@ conjuringcarroll.com (207) 635-3133.

181

Paying the Rent and January Meeting

Three magicians from Assembly 181 “paid the rent” by performing a just-before-Christmas magic show for the tiny tots daycare at the church where we meet. We’ve done this Christmas show for Hightstown,

NJ—

quite a number of years and it’s always a delightful experience; the children are very responsive and very well behaved. Dennis Thomas, our professional child party guy, acted as emcee. It was flowers, flowers, flowers, as Magic Dave opened with a Crystal Casket, followed by the Magician’s Dream Boxes filled with flowers; he closed off his set with a Botania that brought gasps from the children. ERYX was up next and he opened with, you guessed it, more flowers, in this case, sleeve bouquets. This was followed by routines using a Silk cylinder, a Dove Pan and a Chick Pan. To close out, our resident kid show worker Dennis Thomas did part of his winterthemed library show. Dennis’s experience really shows; he got reactions from all the kids and involved a good number of eager helpers in the magic. The kids had a great time, as did we. We packed up in time for Santa to do his bit and we retired to the Perkins restaurant for a late breakfast. On January 5, 2012, we were supposed to have a lecture by Alex Lourido, inventor of the Butter Coin and a host of other magic effects. Unfortunately, the lines of communication got crossed up, causing us to improvise. Four new people showed up and promptly joined the assembly. Our club namesake, Dick Gustafson, also made an appearance and led an evening of discussing past magical experiences and stories of the stage. Nearly everyone performed some magic effects that they have been using lately or are working on. It turned into a most delightful evening. About half of the group then retired to the Claremont Diner for a late night dinner and more magic conversation. —ERYX Assembly 181 meets at the United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton St., Hightstown, NJ on the first Thursday of the month, Sept. thru June. Doors open at 7:00 PM ERYX eryx1@ msn.com (609) 324-0660 www. magicsam181.com.

188

New Assembly President

Orem, UT— In January, Brian Daniel South, as he now identifies himself, conducted his first meeting, starting out with a discussion on lectures, a public


Assembly News next time. Dave also showed us several routines with Creative Magic Alphabet Cards – shades of the ol’ 21 Card Trick. Al Lampkin further perpetuated his reputation as a klutz by clumsily handling a beautiful Mental Epic built by Mark Evans. I’m glad Mark wasn’t there to see this. Assembly celebrates Imed. Past Pres. Immediate past Kerry Summer’s birthday president Kerry show, our website, and other Summers was off on events Brian hoped to implement one of his supposed cruises, during 2012. Following Obama’s so we celebrated his birthday promise, Brian assured us there absentia with a song and a would be change. He then asked carrot cake with “HB KS” on it. for introductions around the Delicious. room as there were many new Assembly 188 meets every faces along with their old bodies. second Thursday, except July, The theme for the evening was at 7:00pm at The Courtyard at mentalism, so Brian kicked off Jamestown, 3352 North 100 the evening by “thinking” a East, Provo, Utah. Guests are joke and we all thought about welcome, contact Brian Daniel laughing. Mont Dutson, the con- South at brian@teachbymagic. summate professional that he is, com (801) 916-2442 for more began with mental gags leading details. www.utahmagicclub.org up to accurate predictions with show cards, numbers, tarot January cards, and coins. All proved 2012 Meeting accurate. Curtis Hickman gave a very clever introduction to Brevard County, FL— Our his mental routine involving a first meeting post holidays was key, a coin, and a playing card. a “back to basics” success. After We were all impressed with the club president Greg Phillips demeanor he developed for the closed our short business routine. meeting, it was right to the Ben Jones took a quantum magic! Greg has done a good job leap in his presentations, ac- in keeping interest and interaccurately predicting what Brian tion at a high level. This meeting would choose from the menu was no exception. Ben presented. It made us all Greg talked “Back to Basics” hungry. Steve Dawson, as is and then performed his version usual, showed us a very unusual of the Professor’s Nightmare. prop and a clever routine with Greg explained that none other chopstick-like things with than Gene Gordon taught it to numbers on them in a box. Steve him as a boy. (Greg grew up just predicted the outcome. outside of Buffalo.) A small disKim Walkowski, who Jan cussion ensued of the Carver/ Goodsell credited with getting Gordon “argument.” the assembly started, did a After that, he passed the ropes clever routine titled Grin and on to other members of the club Bear It. We understood where to perform on the spot. Mike the bear came from when Kim Futch did his routine, talking presented Chris Dutson with a about being a spaghetti maker small stuffed bear. Darn, she making medium spaghetti. missed out on the $500,000. Ron Cory Allen did a “Drunk Carrasco gave us much of his Test” routine that he performed subtle humor as he presented a in clubs and bars; Club VP Dr. lie detector routine involving David Sanders reached back a several members of the audience. couple years and then showed What’s said in Orem stays in his “backwards’ version of the Orem. No need to lie. Professors Nightmare. Each perDave “Magical” Johnson formance was a little different in broke out his Little Black Book set-up and handling. and fixed Roy Babbel up with Then President Greg “taught” an oh-so-cute chick that Dave his version, and had each knows. Sorry Roy, better luck performer come to the front

198


and “teach” their versions and talk about why they did certain things. Then things exploded! Everyone began handling the ropes, asking questions, discussing different handlings and performances. Nearly everyone left with a great trick for their arsenal. The magic continued as Pete Crummey used one of the ropes for his series of “Knot” tricks. Corey Allen talked about performing in foreign languages and demonstrated his color changing “mouchoir” (handkerchief). Don Leddin brought back an interesting effect from MAGIC Live. After having a new deck opened, shuffled, and cut by a number of people, he talked about another way to “cut” the deck. He brought out a paring knife and cut through the box and cards. After withdrawing the knife, he handed the box out and a large block of steel was withdrawn with no opening or holes in it. We then took some time with Don and discussed deck switches and pocket management with a real heavy object for maximum effect. Everyone contributed some great ideas and Don went away with a great performance piece. Treasurer Joe Massimini ended the magic with a unique version of Color Vision in which he read the thoughts of Mike Futch. The Space Coast Magic Club SAM Assembly 198 is a must stop along your Space Coast Visit! Come and find out, the second Tuesday of each month at 7PM at Church on the Rock, 4028 South Babcock Street, Melbourne, Florida 32901. Youth Session begins at 6:30. www.SpaceCoastMagicClub.com or see us on Facebook, SPACE COAST MAGIC CLUB. Contact Greg@ GregPhillipsmagic.com 1-87798-MAGIC.

200

January Meeting

Seattle, WA— Roger Sylwester started out the evening with a dice stacking routine that was very entertaining as well as surprising – the final dice stack was revealed to be a single large die. Dan Kennedy presented a quick numerical trick in which a series of cards with various numbers were presented; after the spectator revealed which cards the chosen number was located on Dan was able to tell quickly

what number was selected. Hugh “Danny Dragon” Castell presented a well thought-out routine involving the mixing of a martini. The jigger was used to vanish and reproduce the olive; the final shot was vanished completely. Hugh was then able to produce a shot from seemingly nowhere. Ken Marsh did a quick linking cards bit in which two cards with holes in the middle were linked and then unlinked and immediately handed out. Reymarx Gereda presented a quick card trick that was very magical; a spectator chose a card, replaced the card in the deck, and then two cards were selected and added to find the location of the chosen card in a mixed packet. Evan Reynolds presented a lovely piece of magic in which a small “fairy” door was presented. After the door was magically “cleaned,” a number the spectator chose was revealed inside the door. Bill Murray did a nice card matching routine that was very magical. Mark Paulson presented a great mentalism/ magic trick in which he had a spectator find his “lucky card” by looking up his birthday in a calendar book to reveal the card. When the spectator went to find his card in the deck, it was the only card not there. The card was revealed in Mark’s pocket. Larry Dimmitt presented a hypnosis effect in which the spectator remembered a card from a deck; once Larry hypnotized him he was then unable to see the card in the deck. Jim Earnshaw presented a cup and ball routine using marshmallows and cocoa cups based on David Regal’s Cocoa. —Jim Earnshaw Assembly 200 meets on the first Thursday of each month at a branch of the King County Library from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Jim Earnshaw jimear nshaw@comcast. net (206) 225-6715. www.emeraldcitywizards.org

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Las Vegas Headliners Come to Rochester!

Rochester, MN— On January 26, 2012, the Rochester Mystic 13 enjoyed a great turnout at our new meeting location at the Rochester Assembly of God church. Compeer Greg Chalmers negotiated this incredible location, which includes a

Assembly News huge meeting room, stage, sound system, stage lighting, and even a green screen for photography and video recording. There’s something about working on a real stage that enhances even the simplest effect. Add to that professional sound and lights and you have the foundation for some powerful creativity. The next evening, several members attended the RT Autism Awareness Foundation’s annual fundraiser – Mending Minds: A Magical Gala for Autism at the Rochester International Event Center. The show featured an all-star lineup including Las Vegas headliners Lance Burton and Mac King, juggler Michael Goudeau, and comedian Bob Zany from the Bob & Tom Morning Show. In addition to performing some of their best known routines, all of the artists contributed autographed memorabilia for the event’s fundraising campaign. We even spotted some Penn & Teller and Criss Angel merchandise in the silent auction room. In all, it was a wonderful evening of charitable giving and entertainment for a very worthy cause. —David J. Moitzheim The Rochester Mystic 13 meets the last Thursday of each month (barring holidays). Meetings are held at Rochester Assembly of God, 4240 NW 18 Ave, Rochester, MN 55901. More information can be found at our website: www.mystic13.com. Direct inquires to: david@ danzigthehypnotist.com

215

Brent Braun Lecture

Louisville, KY— Local Louisville magician and club member Brent Braun gave a lecture to Assembly 215 on January 17, 2012. Brent began with a routine he called This, That, and the Other. This is a card routine involving only four cards, and is very deceptive. Following this was his well-known Torched and Restored card routine, a classic routine with a twist. Mr. Braun followed this with the fastest card trick in the world, which he referred to as the Kickback Transpo; it is indeed, so very fast and awesome it amazed

everyone. He continued with a classic Triumph effect with a kick; it is available on his DVD, Decks, Lies and Videotape. Brent finished with a routine created and referenced to Harvey Berg’s Intercept. Brent is very talented, and is a master at magic development with an expertise in card routines. His website, decksliesandvideotape.com, has his items available for purchase; they are highly recommended. Any person traveling through Louisville may contact us for information on our monthly meeting and who will be our featured magician. —Tom Crecelius Louisville Magic Club, Assembly 215 meets at the Saint Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Tom Crecelius medimagic@ cs.com (812) 633-7875 www.LMCmagic.com

266

A NEW YEAR OF MAGIC

Lakeland, FL— Our pre-meeting activity was a talk by Jim and Joyce Zachary, “Treasures in M-U-M”. They went over the past few years and showed us some highlights. It was great rediscovering the hidden treasures that arrive in our mailbox every month. President Ed McGowan led us thru our business meeting, during which we discussed themes for the upcoming months’ meetings. The next year looks to be chock full of magical adventures for us all. Our normal performance portion of the night was replaced this month with a full session workshop with the theme of stacked decks. Our lead-off batter was Jerry Kardos, who showed a trick with a five-card stack in which the cards flipped over at his command. Next, funnyman Elmo Bennett was up with three effects: a poker-themed routine, an open prediction (in which he revealed the card before it was even thought of), and a Follow the Leader stack. Even after the explanation we were still baffled by this tricky routine. Al D’Alfonso was next with a short talk on the plusses and

minuses of the Out of this World one new members joined our effect. He finished up by putting group thanks to the efforts of our everything into practice with dynamic new President, Arnie his spin on a no-stack version Rosen. We had a return visit from courtesy of Eugene Burger. Aldo and Rachel Colombini, a Dean Bob Macey did a very popular couple who placed two-deck routine that came to their emphasis on entertainment us by way of Assembly 266 spiced with humor. The highlight alumni Tom Craven, who visited of the evening was the appearwith the gang over the holidays. Bob presented Tom’s gift of an incredible card at any number effect that almost works itself. The headliner on the bill was card maven Ed who gave a mini– lecture on the history of stacks, showing us six different stacks and discussing the adRachel, Arnold Rosen, Aldo vantages of each. He showed off some rare stacked and marked decks from ance of longtime member and his collection. Watching Ed talk former Treasurer, Sheila Rubin. a room full of magi through Sheila has been fighting a debiliidentifying a card by the back tating disease. It was inspiring to markings might not have been see her under these most difficult as mystifying as the effects he circumstances. Our prayers go explained, but it sure was en- with her. We were also honored tertaining! As a special treat to by the presence of PNP Warren those who stayed till the end Ed Kaps. shared with us a website that is As you may know, Rachel full of resources so we could Colombini underwent serious continue our study on stacks. surgery this past year. We are We have experimented with glad to report she is doing well. mini-workshops in the past, but This is the Colombini’s farewell this is the first time we have tour of the USA and Canada. devoted a full evening to it. They will continue to be active Everyone rose to the challenge, with magic. As dealers, they putting their own touches to charge only $10 for each of their the concept of stacks, which effects. Most of their material is really helped this program not difficult to do. Aldo previsucceed. Be sure to visit ously placed second in a FISM Assembly 266 the next time convention with a very difficult you’re in Central Florida; you cups and balls routine. Rachel never know what we’ll try next! showed us a simple version —Al D’Alfonso of the same effect. Both Aldo Jim Zachary Assembly 266 and Rachel performed effects, meets the second Monday which included cards, ropes, of the month at 7PM at the and mental tricks. One of Aldo’s Lakeland I-HOP, I-4 & US 98. best effects was a ring off rope Al D’Alfonso keeper0499@ routine. Another outstandembarqmail.com (321) 437-3814. ing effect was called Five Card Stunner, in which a black card ALDO & RACHEL continually disappeared from a COLOMBINI group of red cards. A wonderful LECTURE evening was enjoyed by all. —Marshall Johnson Boca Raton, FL — On Assembly 274 meets at the JCC Monday, January 2, 2012, the in Boca Raton, FL on the first Sam Schwartz Assembly 274 Monday of each month at 7:00 had one of its most success- PM. Arnold Rosen, President ful meetings ever! There was [email protected] (561) hardly a vacant chair. Thirty- 212-2575. 

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Go to:

www.mum-magazine.com and use the easy submission form to file your report. MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 23

Good Cheer List Please take a minute and spread a few words of cheer with a card or note to one of our less fortunate members. Send additions, changes, or deletions to: Anthony Antonelly, Chairman, Sick and Convalescent Committee, (215) 820-3192 ext. 1512. [email protected] Peter Anthony 5100 O’Bannon Dr. Apt 72 Las Vegas, NV 89146

Joseph H. (Ben) Grant 400 Commonwealth Ave, Unit 9 Warwick, RI 02886

Frank J. McNaughton, Sr 1926 Apple Street, Williamsport, PA 17701

Matt Savin P.O. Box 7693 Alhambra, CA 91802-7533

David Ball 40 Sandy Lodge Way Northwood, Middlesex HA6 2AS UK

Charlie Gross 16745 Gertrude Street, Omaha, NE 60136-3023

James J. Morrisey 24 Grove St. Wayland, MA 01788

Helene Schad 2440 Viginia Ave. Bensalem, PA 19020

Roger Barr 883 B Leverpool Circle, Manchester, NJ 08759

Roy Horn c/o Siegfried & Roy 1639 N Valley Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89108

Anthony Murphy 11 Angel Rd., North Reading, MA 01864

Grant Schofield (The Great Granzini) 9303 Quailbrook Ct. Bakersfield, CA 93312

William H. Brewe 1698 Montrose Cincinnati, OH 45214

Edward Kelly 224-15 64 Avenue, Bayside, NY 11364

John Clark 603 W Country Club Rd. Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215

Bob King 304 Suburban Court, Rochester, NY 14620

Cesareo Pelaez The Cabot St. Theatre 286 Cabot St. Beverly, MA 01918

Lawrence Clark 204 Hazelwood Ave Buffalo, NY 14215

Robert D. Knigge PO Box 5, Jones Borough, TN 3765

Larry Poague 34221 West 90 Circle Desota, KS 66108

Mario Susi 6 Bristol Rd. W. Peabody, MA 01960

Tony Corrao 100 Daly Blvd. #2804 Oceanside, NY 11572

Stanley R. Kramien 11205 SW Summerfield Dr. Apt 161 Tigard, OR 97224-3391

Jim Relyea 241 W. Lakeshore Rockaway, NJ 07866

Larry Taverner 805 LaPaz Ct. Bakersfield, CA 93312

Richard Laneau 4020 55th St. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33709

Harry Riser 8505 Woodfield Crossing The Forum Indianapolis, IN 46240

Jack White 4288 Arguello St. San Diego, CA 92103

George Gilbert Lott 1725 Great Hill Rd. Guilford, CT 06437

Dale Rumsmoke 430 Perrymont Ave Lynchburg, VA 24502

Daniel Cudennec “Dany Trick” 225, Stang-ar-Veild’an-Traon, Mellac-29300, Quimperle, France Dan A. Dorsey 98 Woodvalley Dr. Fayetteville, GA 30215

Nahmen Nissen PO Box 1856 Colfax, CA 95713-1856

Pat Ryan 43 Fairbanks Rd. Churchville, NY 14428

Sybill Simons 65 West 95 St. Apt 3A New York, NY 10025 Sam Stecher 1000 Loring Ave Apt. C-23 Salem, MA 01970- 4253

Michael Woolf Box 38046 Wellington Mail Centre Lower Hutt 5045 Wellington, New Zealand

Stars of Tomorrow Show Seeks Young Performers

Show producer Marlene Clark is seeking to hire young performers for the Stars of Tomorrow show, a professional stage show that features magicians ages seven through seventeen. The show is part of the annual S.A.M. national convention, which will take place July 23-26, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Applicants should submit: an application; a video, DVD or YouTube link of the fiveto-ten-minute stage act that they would like to perform in the show; a biography; and a photo for the convention program. Young magicians interested in emceeing the show also should include samples of introductions, jokes, and emcee bits in their videos. The deadline for receiving applications is April 20, 2012. Each performer will receive a cash payment, two free convention registrations (one for the performer, the other for a parent or guardian), plus one year membership in the Society of Young Magicians. Information and applications are available from Marlene Clark (203-689-5730 or [email protected]) or at www.magicsym.com (click on the Stars of Tomorrow graphic. For full details on the convention please see www.magicsam.com. 24 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

New Members & Reinstatements The following applications and reinstatements for Associate Memberships and Assembly Memberships have been received. For good cause shown, in accordance with Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution of the Society of American Magicians, any member in good standing may object to the acceptance of any new Associate Member (Assembly Memberships have already been approved by the Assembly to which they will be affiliated). Any objection should be directed to the National Administrator.

NEW APPLICATIONS

Jones, Matthew [Surrey, BC CANADA] Kafig, Paul [Westbourogh, MA] Kahn, Geri [Benicia, CA] Alos, Michael [Philadelphia, PA] Knyazev, Arie [Davis, CA] Alston, Richard [Canton, GA] Koerner, Ken [Neenha, WI] Anderson, Nick [Taft, CA] Koerner, Vicki [Neenah, WI] Anderson, Ronald [Westminster, CA] Kovalsky, Philip [Delray beach, FL] Aragon, Fernando [Lilburn, GA] Krevere, Dan [Vienna, VA] Avila, Hugo [Bell, CA] Krevere, Martha Beltran [Vienna, VA] Baker, Michael [Fremont, CA] Krishnamurthy, Nari [Santa Clara, CA] Baroch, Andrew [Washington, DC] Lester, Martin [Welling, KENT UK] Barr, Blake [Peabody, MA] Loudon, Ian t [Ft Lauderdale, FL] Bender, Charles [Boca Raton, FL] Love, Ron [Chino, CA] Binnix, G. David [Cumming, GA] Luescher, Fred [Oberwil, SWITZERLAND] Blanco, Mariano [Springfield, NJ] Lum, Ray [Las Vegas, NV] Blashek, James [Santa Clara, CA] Blumenthal, Ryan [Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA] Mccoy, Doug [Ancaster, ON CANADA] Mcneece, Kevin [Fort Collins, CO] Bottenfield, Robert [Riverside, CA] Meinzer, Jerry [Colorado springs, CO] Brennan, Mark [Watervilet, NY] Moore, Bob [Columbus, OH] Byers, Jason [Boise, ID] Morley, Thomas [Atlanta, GA] Byrd, Jordan [Blue Springs, MO] Morning Star, Autumn [Erie, CO] Calderon, David [Coral Gabels, FL] Campbell, Lawrence [Huntington Beach, CA] Munoz, Oscar [Pharr, TX] Nadeau, Dennis [Wynantskill, NY] Cap, Jon [New Britain, CT] Nelson, Karl [Boynton Beach, FL] Carrano, Chick [Anaheim Hills, CA] Neruda, Steve [Algonquin, IL] Chaikin, Josh [Lenexa, KS] Oh, Alvin [New York, NY] Clark, Julia [Independence, MO] Ovadia, Victor [Boca Raton, FL] Colvin, Richard r [Kelso, WA] Paone, Barbara [Colonia, NJ] Cordi, Joseph [Farmingdale, NY] Cranford, Michael [San Juan Capistrano, CA] Peterson, Ronald [Albuquerque, NM] Pettry, A.M. Buck [Arvada, CO] Davidson, Jason [West Hollywood, CA] Plowman, Travis [Orlando, FL] Deming, William [Paradise, CA] Pratt, Jill [North Mymms, UK] Dirks, Donovan [Omaha, NE] Price, Douglas E [Columbus, OH] Docherty, Stephen [San Marino, CA] Quick, Robert [Robinson, IL] Doire, Jim [Grand Prairie, TX] Duinker, Niels [Spijkenisse, NETHERLANDS] Rasmussen, Fred [Sunnyvale, CA] Rogers, Reade [Richardson, TX] Farag, F Joseph [Cincinnati, OH] Sawyers, Sam [Garland, TX] Farkas, Thomas [Hightstown, NJ] Schettler, Marcel [Wuelfrath, GERMANY] Fosso, Jason [Rio Rancho, NM] Schlanger, Steve [Los angeles, CA] Frame, Jason [Monroe, NC] Senocak, Julian [Cotati, CA] Frances, Arnold [Delray Beach, FL] Sergott Jr, John [Middletown, PA] Goldberg, Jordan [Delray Beach, FL] Shultz, Stephen [Rolling Hills, CA] Gorenstein, Alan [Boynton Beach, FL] Sica, Joe [Castle Rock, CO] Graham, Aly [Oro Valley, AZ] Silver, Hill [Pembrooke Pines, FL] Hamil, David [Richmond, BC CANADA] Slusher, John [Titusville, FL] Hatcher, Brian [Charleston, WV] Standard, Boyce Lee [Chester, VA] Heller, Kevin [Auburn, IN] Stern, Louis [Lake Worth, FL] Henby, Barry [Gurnee, IL] Hendry, Russell [Timaru, NEW ZEALAND] Sylvester, Thomas [Boca Raton, FL] Tamura, Junichi [Tokyo, JAPAN] Hoff, Seymour [San Jose, CA] Van Amburg, Gordon [Brooklyn, NY] Howell, Sean [Westland, MI] Vanriet, Joshua [La Mesa, CA] Humphrey, Jeremy [Brandenburg, KY] Vient, Timothy [Sierra Madre, CA] Ito, Masashi [Yokohama, JAPAN] Walton, John [Bellingham, WA] Janji, Steve [The Woodlands, TX] Ward, John [San Antonip, TEXAS] Jarvis, Mark [Solon, OH] Warnke, Dan [Port St Lucie, FL] Jones, Bruce [Overland Park, KS] Waters, Arthur [Tucson, AZ] Jones, Doug [San Jose, CA]

Weglinski, Jack [Boca Raton, FL] Weiss, Scott [New York, NY] Wilcox, John [Needham, MA] Wilkinson, Andrew [Bradford, W. YORKSHIRE UK] Wojtas, Ken [Forest Park, IL]

REINSTATEMENTS Akamatsu, Yoichi [Osaka 590-0007, JAPAN] Alexander, Scott [Parkesburg, PA] Anthonisen, Keith [Austin, MN] Arkin, Charles [Cincinnati, OH] Babcock, Derek [Troy, IL] Barth, Dan H [Congerville, IL] Barwick Jr, William Allen [Rockville, MD] Boyd, David [New York, NY] Brizendine, Bob [Palm Shores, FL] Brock, Hutson [Zachary, LA] Caceres Velez, Juan Carlos [Toa Alta, PR] Castro, Dennis I [Sugar Land, TX] Compton Jr, Dave [Trenton, NJ] Corrier, Shon [Houston, TX] Dicharry, Ryan [Saint Gabriel, LA] Dilley, Daniel [West Lafayette, IN] Doyle, Jamieson M [Colorado Springs, CO] Droge, Steven Max [Warwick, NY] Eastwood, Charles B [Bedford, NH] Flint, Sandy [Sealy, TX] Haddad, Peter W [Willimantic, CT] Hammons, Paul K [Whittier, CA] Harmon, Wayne E [Hudson, NH] Hartman, Craig [South Jordan, UT] Hirthler, Steve [Colorado Springs, CO] Howell, Michael [Cortaro, AZ] Hubble, Patrick [Lynchburg, VA] Ingleby, Robert Lynn [West Valley, UT] Javier, Ricardo [Dallas, TX] Johnson, Kent [Riverside, IL] Kerr Dmd, Brian C [Scranton, PA] Kikuchi, Takatomo [Kawaguchishi, JAPAN] Levinson, Doron [Holon, ISRAEL] Mangham, James [Snellville, GA] Martinez, Christopher [Tucson, AZ] Mclaughlin, John [Gloucester, MA] Moss, Lorne [Briggs Corner, NB CANADA] Perry, James [Marlboro, NY] Pforr, Beatrice [Brookline, MA] Portala, Eli [Toledo, OH] Saienni, Joe [Pheonix, AZ] South, Brian D [Payson, UT] Tessier, Christopher [Shelton, CT] Walsh, James Andrew [Marlboro, MA] Wollet, Wolfgang [Henderson, NV]


STAGE

LEVENT

101

Deciding on a Classic In the last column, I explained the virtues of the so-called classics of stage magic and why they are a great place for magic novices to begin, if they desire to build a working repertoire. When I think about adding a classic trick to my show, the first step is always the “research phase.” This is the process in which I learn everything I can about a trick so that I can answer the following important questions: • What is the effect? In other words, what does the trick actually look like to the audience? • How does the trick work (mechanically and psychologically)? • Am I physically able to do the trick? • Can I currently obtain the props and or make them myself? • Is the trick appropriate for the venue in which I plan to perform? • And the most important question: can I make the trick entertaining to the audience?

Research – Hit the Books For me, the primary means of researching a trick is to read every magic book and periodical that contains an explanation or description of the effect in question. I prefer to begin with the earliest version of the trick in print and work my way chronologically to the present. This method helps me understand how the trick has changed over time. I will talk more about these changes in the next column, but first I would like to discuss the old magic literature. Since we are talking about classic tricks, research into early versions involves 26 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

reading magic books from the nineteenth century or earlier. Unfortunately, I became a magician long before the Internet age; therefore, I was forced to spend a considerable amount of time and money collecting old magic books. Without the Internet, finding old magic books takes a lot of legwork and is not easy. However, today you can easily find these books on the websites of magic used-book dealers such as www.magicbookshop.com. You can also search the inventories of general book dealers at www.abe.com or look on auction sites such as eBay. As far as periodicals are concerned, you can purchase entire files of old magazines in searchable PDF form from publishers such as www.miraclefactory.net, www. lybrary.com, and www.martinbreese.com. Keep in mind that books are great, but never underestimate the wonderful ideas that are contained in magic magazines. For example, the mentor of my mentor (John Thompson) was the brilliant Charlie Miller (1909-1989). Mr. Miller was an enormously talented master of close-up and small apparatus magic and was a fine professional entertainer. In my bookshelf I have about a half dozen little booklets that he wrote as well as Expert Card Technique (1940) by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue, a book that contained many of Miller’s (uncredited) methods. Charlie Miller was such a great mind that one might wonder why he hadn’t contributed more to the literature of magic by writing a big book. Well, in my opinion, Mr. Miller did write the equivalent of a big magic book, because from 1964 to 1984 he wrote a monthly column of tricks in Genii magazine that was titled “Magicana.” I actually have a complete file of “Magicana” in my library. It is a treasure trove of ideas and advice; if you added up the pages it would be enough content to fill an 800-page book. So never discount the knowledge that can be gained from magic magazines, especially old ones. Lucky for us, the copyright on many of the old magic books has expired and various sources have appeared that allow these books to be downloaded in digital form. For instance, a paid membership to the Ask Alexander website located at www.ConjuringArts.org gives you access to a huge repository of magic literature; many old magic books have been scanned by Google and can be read for free at www. books.google.com Today, you can research a classic magic trick at a fraction of what it used to cost.

But please be aware that gathering information from old magic books is not always easy. The written language in use at that time is different from today and understanding exactly what the author is trying to convey is an acquired skill, one that can be very challenging. Furthermore, some of the old books do not follow the typical convention of describing the “Effect” followed by the “Required Props” and then the “Method” or “Presentation.” Many of the old books barely explain the effect. For example in The Art of Magic (1909) by T. Nelson Downs and John Northern Hilliard there is a series of three billiard ball sequences that together formed the ball routine that Downs used in vaudeville before he perfected his famous Misers Dream act. The “effect” for each of the three ball routines is printed as follows: “Four Solid Billiard Balls Appear, One at a Time, Between the Fingers of the Right or the Left Hand.” “Passing Four Solid Balls from Hand to Hand” “Color Change with Four Solid Balls” Unfortunately for the reader of that book, this is all you get as an explanation of what the effect looks like. Right after those one-sentence descriptions there is a very lengthy and complicated move-bymove rundown of how to perform the trick. If you only read the text, it will be nearly impossible to understand what the routine looks like or whether or not it is any good. But if you read it carefully with the props in your hands, doing what the author says, you will have a much better understanding of what the trick is all about. Because I am an amateur musician with very little talent, this reminds me of sheet music. To me a piece of sheet music offers very few visual clues as to what the song will sound like. But if I play the written notes on a piano keyboard, I can then hear the song and begin to understand what the composer had created. In my way of thinking, the magic in the old books are like songs that can only be appreciated if they are played and heard.

Is the New Better than the Old? As long as I am talking about old tricks, I should address the belief that some

Levent’s magic library people have that new tricks are better than old tricks. I can see why a person would have that notion; the modern world leads us to believe that the new is always better than the old. When it comes to things like technology, I can certainly agree with this idea. But when it comes to Art, that is not always the case. For instance, during the Italian Renaissance, there lived the artist Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), who was a master of not only of painting but also of sculpture. There are many masters of both those individual arts, but there has yet to have been another person who possessed as high a degree of skill with both sculpture and painting at the same time. In the theater we have the English playwright William Shakespeare (15641616), whose thirty-eight plays and 154 sonnets stand as a high point in drama and the use of the English language. And finally, in music we have the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (16851750), whose prodigious ability to create beautiful musical counterpoint with fluidity and precision is something that has neither been equaled nor approached since his death 261 years ago. These men might not have only been the “best in the world” while they were alive; they could be the

greatest artists in their respective art forms for the entire duration of human history. As I said before, unlike technology, in the Arts the latest or the newest doesn’t mean the best. There are many recent pop songs that have reached number one on the charts, but I doubt most of them will be played two hundred years from now. But I guarantee that two hundred years from now somebody will be placidly listening to Bach, marveling at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the Pietà at St. Peter’s Basilica, and shedding a tear for a Shakespearian tragedy. Let me ask you this: If we have had such great masters of painting, literature, and music, don’t you think it is possible for us to have had great magicians from the past whose work stands the test of time? I believe that the art of magic has had many great geniuses in the distant past and one of the reasons why I read old magic books is because I want to learn their secrets and marvel at their art and artifice.

Were the Vaudevillians Any Good? As to the style of the old time magicians such as those from the age of vaudeville

(1881-1932), there seems to be a popularly held assumption that those conjurers of the past performed in an old and stodgy manner. I think this is a misconception caused by the fact that most people today have never actually seen a vaudeville magician. The few people who believe they have seen a vaudeville magician, more than likely have only seen a Hollywood film, with an actor playing the part of a magician. Those movies bear no relation to real vaudeville, and quite frankly, a film actor with a few days rehearsal with selfworking props is no substitute for a professional vaudevillian with ten thousand shows worth of experience. There is very little motion picture film of real vaudeville artists, but the films that I have seen proved to me that those performers were fantastic showmen with tremendous talent. I have personally seen film of T. Nelson Downs (1867-1938) performing his coin star, click pass, and new fan pass, and I was blown away by his skill. I’ve watched footage of Tenkai (1889-1972) producing cigarettes on the vaudeville stage and Horace Goldin (18731939) doing apparatus magic with blinding energy. And in every film I have seen of Cardini (1894-1973) I’ve become a witness to the sublime. Speaking of Cardini: A few years back, I decided to recreate Cardini’s entire billiard ball routine (which uses eight solid balls of various colors and one shell) for one of my DVD projects. I studied many sources in the magic literature, but the primary source was a move-by-move write-up of Cardini’s entire act written by a knowledgeable magician in 1931. By following the written moves and blending them with the material from multiple sources, I was able to reconstruct the entire Cardini ball routine. Needless to say, Cardini’s ball routine (of which no complete film exists) is a masterpiece. As I rehearsed the routine, something occurred to me: there were several ball sequences that seemed very familiar. I had soon discovered that parts of Cardini’s routine were from T. Nelson Downs’s ball routine that was published in The Art of Magic in 1909. It seems that even the great Cardini did magic research when he included a classic in his act. If he did research, then why wouldn’t you? In the next column I will discuss how to use computers to your advantage when researching magic and how not every change to a trick is actually an improvement.  © 2012 Levent Cimkentli


Ellipsis*

[ih-lip-sis] an omission of a word, sentence, or whole section from an original text by Michael Perovich

The Leipzig Stop Trick Dai Vernon’s Tribute to Nate Leipzig contains a description of Leipzig’s stage act, including a number of card tricks. One of the effects, The Leipzig Stop Trick, is briefly described on pages 49 and 50 as a part of a series of locations. A chosen card (actually several, because a number of cards are found sequentially) is secretly brought to the top of the pack. The cards are dealt one at a time into the magician’s palm (thus secretly placing the chosen card on the bottom of the dealt pile) and the spectator stops the deal wherever he or she likes. The chosen card is revealed by the magician palming it from the bottom of the in-hand packet and depositing it on top without anyone seeing it. While this may seem straightforward, I felt these actions had to be done without hesitation. Any delay would seem to telegraph that something was going on and, furthermore, your hands were likely to be burned by the audience from the point at which the transferring of cards stops until the chosen card is revealed. The instructions read: “Immediately the man called ‘Stop,’ Leipzig asked, ‘This one?’ and then side-slipped the bottom card into his right palm, brought his right hand over the cards in his left hand, and deposited it on top. Without pause, his right hand travelled to the cards on the table, and as he pointed to the top card, he said: ‘or the next ….’” I frankly didn’t understand how this could be brought off. I mentioned to the Professor that it seemed very awkward to me and I marveled at how Leipzig was able to get away with it. How could this sequence flow as described in the book? I probably mentioned that I just didn’t see how anyone could get away with palming a card from the bottom of the pack and dumping it on top when the audience’s attention was directed at his hands. Asking such questions was somewhat of a risky business, as I had learned when I once told the Professor I didn’t see how anyone could get away with Ross Bertram’s Passing the Half-Bucks in Stars of Magic. I stated this at the Castle Main Bar and got a pretty animated response. “What do you mean? That’s a beautiful, beautiful effect. It can be performed exactly as described in Stars of Magic and will fool the keenest observer.” With that he launched into the trick and did it beautifully, perfectly, and without my glimpsing any of the secret transfers. He then went over the fine points of the effect with me, the angles to be considered, and a bunch of other stuff, but I knew that for a second there I had evoked his ire. In the case of the Leipzig effect, however, the answer came quickly, gently, and accompanied by a demonstration that made clear to me how it could be done. It could, in fact, be done under the closest scrutiny, somewhat as described in the book, but with the sequence revised and with an all-important turn of the wrist. The action he showed me might be known to you, but I had never seen it before nor have I ever seen anyone do it since. It is an exquisitely beautiful move. Once the chosen card is brought to the top, the deck is given to the spectator or placed on the table between the spectator and the magician. The spectator now deals cards one at a time onto the magician’s outstretched palm, or the magician can pull them one at a time from the top of the pack and place them on his palm (Photo 1). Regardless of how one goes about this, you end up with an irregular pile of cards in your outstretched hand. Now, in the act of squaring the cards you palm the bottom card of the pack. This 28 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

Photo 1

is done by the Leipzig move akin to the side steal. Rather than get into a deer-in-headlights mode as you fool with the pack, I typically take the pack from above with my free hand just as I finish squaring them, briefly gesture with the hand into which the cards were originally dealt, and as this hand returns it pushes out the bottom card with the extended fingertips and takes the dealt packet back as the hand holding the packet from above palms the chosen card (Photo 2).

Photo 2

Photo 5 Photo 3

Photo 4

The magician now says, “We have stopped exactly at a point chosen by you, but you still have a decision to make. Do you want this card or this one?” Suiting action to words, the hand with the palmed card reaches out and with the middle finger touches the top card of the tabled packet (Photo 3) as I say “this card....” I then bring the hand back toward myself and directly over the hand holding the packet of dealt cards; this is all done in one smooth continuous move. As the palmed card passes over the held packet, it drops its card onto those in the hand (Photo 4) and immediately turns palm up. I say, “...or this one?” as the fingernails of the middle fingers of the palm-up hand (which a split second before held the palmed card) tap the cards piled in the hand (Photo 5). If you’ve managed to follow along with these directions, you realize that the fingernails of the palm-up hand are now tapping the chosen card. Once you get the hang of this, you will love the way it feels. This method of depositing a palmed card can be used any time a reason can be found to point in succession to separate piles of cards, ending with the pile in your hand. This

is the reverse of the sequence described in the book; the feint of turning the hand palm up at the end and tapping the packet seals the deal. I think this is a case where the original description is on the right track but fundamentally wrong. Of course, the spectator may choose the card at the top of the packet on the table. In this case, that card is taken, placed on the magician’s packet and shown to be the chosen card using the double lift or changed as described in the Leipzig book. [Editor’s note: This change is like a very loose second deal, covered with a wrist turn. Remember, Leipzig used this as a stage trick; in close-up situations the double lift may be more suitable.] A little masterpiece in Leipzig’s hands, I’m sure. Next time we’ll examine the handling of the back palm in Dai Vernon’s Mosquito’s Parade. You might read it in the meantime and try to perform it as described so that we can better understand the complexities of this wonderful little routine. It appears in Dai Vernon’s More Inner Secrets of Card Magic, a book every card magician should own. 

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A Magician Prepares...

by Dennis Loomis

Seven Keys to Baldpate I have always been fond of the Seven Keys to Bald Pate plot of Ted Annemann (based on an idea of Joseph J. Kolar), and over the years I’ve worked out several ways to present it. Annemann’s original version was written up in his The Book without a Name. It involves (as far as the audience knows) a sturdy padlock, seven keys, and a cloth bag. The padlock was not gimmicked, but there were actually thirteen keys. Seven of the keys would open the lock, and the other six keys would not. The bag was a double compartment change bag. In the Annemann version it is the performer who makes the “psychic” selection of the proper key. Roy Johnson, in his book The Second Time Around, details the idea of a box into which you place a watch belonging to a spectator from the audience. The box is locked with the padlock; the helper tries several keys to show that none of them will open the lock. The performer produces one last key, which is shown to be the only key that works in the lock. The keys are mixed together and seven spectators each take a key at random. The assisting volunteer chooses one spectator; the keys held by the others are all dropped into the box through a slot in the top. If the one remaining key is not the one that opens the lock, it will be impossible to retrieve the spectator’s watch. Of course, the remaining key is the correct one, and the spectator gets his watch back. I like this version very much, particularly placing the watch into “jeopardy” and allowing the spectator to get the credit for the proper “psychic” selection. The plot is an inherently interesting one, and in a school you can make it more interesting by using the principal or another authority figure and putting his glasses, watch, cell phone, ring, wallet, necktie, and belt into the box before locking the box closed with the padlock. The students enjoy seeing the principal surrender all of these valuables, and then seeing his “goodies” locked up. However, I did not like Annemann’s version because the keys go out of sight inside the bag. There is also the possibility that the spectator, when reaching into the bag, might feel keys through the divider and realize the double nature of the bag. I didn’t like Roy Johnson’s method because it uses extra keys, requires that you steal an extra key from your pocket, and requires a sleight-of-hand switch. While the switch is not particularly difficult, I just wanted something cleaner. So, I purchased the mechanical version sold under the name of Key-R-Rect. It turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. It uses only seven keys, they never go out of sight, and during the entire routine you never touch the keys yourself except to bring the “correct” key from your pocket on a ribbon. Having said that, I freely admit that it’s the presentation that matters. Richard Osterlind performs this with the original Annemann version and it’s just fine. I just think that the use of the Key-R-Rect lock makes it much cleaner. I thought that a very sturdy box should be used for this. You can see the box I made in Photo 1. All of the keys, except for the “special” one, hang on hooks on the front of the box. That one “special” key is threaded on a ribbon and is ready in my pocket. In Photo 2, you can see that the lid of the box has a chromeplated light switch plate fastened to the top. There is a hole through the lid that lines up with the hole in the switch plate so that the keys can be dropped into the box once it’s locked. Since the keys are 30 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

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fairly small objects, I wanted to find a way for the audience to follow the action, and hit upon the idea of using sound. The metal keys produce a surprisingly loud sound when they strike a glass surface. I use a glass bowl (Photo 3) for the keys to be placed into once each one is tried by the spectator. I also mounted a jar on the underside of the lid (Photo 4). When a key is dropped into the slot in the top of the box it lands in the jar and makes a nice loud sound. This sound can be enhanced by holding the microphone by the slot when a key is dropped in. Once the first six keys are tried and dropped into the bowl, I take the “correct” key (on its ribbon) from my pocket,

remove it from the ribbon, and allow the spectator to try it in the lock; the lock opens. I have him take the key out himself and add it to the others in the bowl. Then I get him to relock the lock. I mix up the keys in the bowl by shaking it. I hold the microphone by the bowl so that the audience can hear the keys getting mixed. I now claim that the spectator has the psychic ability to find the key that will open the lock so that he can reclaim his goodies. I hold the bowl out to him and ask him to reach in and stir the keys around a bit; he is then to pick one that does not open the lock. When he withdraws a single key, I ask him if he is quite sure that the key does not open the lock. Usually the spectator plays along. If not, I cajole him a bit until he does. I then say, “Since you are confident

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that the key you are holding is not the key that opens the lock, drop it into the box through the slot.” I hold the microphone up to the slot as he does this so the audience can hear the sound of the key landing inside the jar. (The jar also prevents the falling key from damaging his watch, cell phone, and the other borrowed items.) As soon as the key lands, I act very surprised and say, “I can’t believe you really did that! You do understand, don’t you, that if that was the key that opens the lock, you have no way to get your valuables back?” I let him answer that as best he can and continue, “Well, in for a penny, in for a pound I always say. Go ahead and pick another key that you are sure will not open the lock. Good. You know where it goes, don’t you?” When he drops it in, you move right along, picking up the pace; he picks keys and drops them into the slot without wasting time. You stop when there is just one key left in the bowl. I ask, “Do you have any idea what the odds are that this key will open the lock?” He seldom has any idea and I tell him the truth: the odds are just over fourteen percent. Then I ask, “Why is it that you believe that you have psychic powers?” Usually, he can’t answer that. I try to look incredulous as I ask, “If you have no good reason to believe you have psychic powers, why did you drop all of the other keys into the slot? Surely it can’t be just because I told you to! Well, it hardly matters now; it’s time to find out how psychic you really are.” And then, addressing the audience I say, “If he found the only key that will open the box, I think you should give him a big round of applause.” I hold out the bowl; he takes the key and I just gesture toward the lock. As he inserts and turns the key, I hold the microphone by the lock so the audience can hear the

unmistakable sound of the lock opening. I very quickly remove the lock, hold it up, and then start the applause for my volunteer. When the applause starts to die, I open the lid of the box, allowing the spectator to retrieve his personal items. As he leaves the stage, I generally get another round of applause for him.

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5 To reset, I return the “regular” keys to the hooks on the front of the box, put the glass bowl into a protective bag, put the bag inside the box, put the “special” key back onto the ribbon, and put it into the box as well. To keep the keys in place during transport, I made a board of three-quarter-inch plywood with holes to go over the hooks on the front of the box to protect them (Photo 5). The box goes inside a heavy, protective, drawstring bag (Photo 6). Copyright 2012 by Dennis Loomis


i left my cards at David Garrard David is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. His dad mystified him with a few tricks when David was twelve years old. “I was really wowed by this magic; even after I had learned everything that my dad knew, he saw that I still wanted to know more.” David’s dad, who was a Baptist minister, had a good friend named Felix Snipes who was also a minister and a very well known magician in Christian magic circles. Upon hearing of young David’s interest in magic, he invited him and his father to the Georgia magic club; David was hooked. He said that growing up in Atlanta during that time was great, since he was able to learn from magicians like Tom Mullica, Abb Dickson, and Duke Stern, who all lived in the Atlanta area. David learned everything he could and was soon performing at local birthday parties and Blue and Gold banquets. Being a preacher’s kid, David started looking for ways that he could use his newfound magic and performing skills to help share his beliefs. He had a friend who was a humorist who inspired him and he started to pattern his presentations in a humorous way. The magician Andre Kole also influenced him. “I don’t want to be known as a ‘gospel’ or ‘Christian’ magician, although I don’t mind people knowing that I am a magician who is a Christian,” David said. “I just want to be the best magician and do the best show I can. If that makes me an interesting enough person for people to care about what else I think, then that’s great.” David attended college in Birmingham, Alabama, studying history and philosophy; he then moved to Louisville, Kentucky, to attend a Baptist seminary located there. Since he needed to have some kind of student teaching position while attending seminary, he started working with the children at his church and found that he really enjoyed it. Upon graduation his church asked him if he would stay on as the children’s pastor. Since he still wanted to perform magic, he said he would if it would be a part-time position. Everything worked out, and thirty-five years later he is still the “part-time” children’s pastor there. David chuckled when he said, “part-time,” since he said, “there’s no such thing as a part-time minister.” But his schedule at the church does allow him to perform sixty to seventy magic shows a year as well. Today, David lives in Louisville with his wife Stephanie and two children, Claire and Tyler. He also pulls duty as the president of the Louisville Magic Club. This club is a com32 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

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bination of the Lance Burton I.B.M. Ring 64 and the Mac King S.A.M. Assembly 215. Having had the chance to visit, and lecture for, the Louisville Magic Club, I could see what a vibrant and friendly organization it is. When asked what he felt makes a great magic club, this is what David had to say: “We try to build a team and create new leadership, keep members informed, keep the politics out, help out the younger members, and do things for the community. These are the points that I feel are most important for a magic club.” If you’re ever in Louisville, contact David and drop in on the Louisville Magic Club. Oh, and tell him that Steve told you to ask to be taken to the hamburger restaurant before the meeting. You’ll be glad you did!

Done with a Dollar By David Garrard Effect: Four quarters magically transform into two half dollars, and ultimately change into a silver dollar. Needed: Four quarters, two half dollars, one silver dollar, and a magic wand (Photo 1). Place everything in your right pants or jacket pocket.

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Performance: When you are ready to perform, reach into your pocket and bring out all four quarters making sure that no one sees how many you are actually holding. “The other day I saw a trick called Done with a Dollar. It’s a great trick, and I would like to show it to you, but times are tough and I only have seventy-five cents.” As you say this, push three of the quarters out of your closed hand with your thumb, letting them fall onto the table. Retain the extra quarter in fingerpalm position. The trick begins with the old two-in-the-hand, one-in-thepocket dodge. Pick up one of the quarters with your right hand and toss it into your left. Pick up the second quarter and do the same, adding the extra quarter as you toss. Take the remaining quarter and place it back into your pocket. Finger palm it and bring your hand out saying, “If I have one in my

pocket, how many should I have in my hand?” As you say this, hold up the first finger of your right hand, using the Ramsey subtlety to hide the fourth quarter. The spectator will answer, “Two,” especially if you emphasize the word “should.” Open your left hand as you say, “That’s right, but this is a trick done with three coins!” Jiggle around the coins in your left hand until one quarter settles in finger-palm position at the base of your middle fingers (Photo 2). Dump the coins in your left hand into your right hand, retaining the coin in left-hand finger palm as you do. Thanks to the extra coin in your right hand, the spectator will still see three coins. This is a very nice visual retention exchange. Place the three coins back on the table as you say, “Let’s try it again.”

2 Make a loose fist with your left hand (which conceals one quarter). Place one quarter on top of the fist. Repeat with the second quarter. Allow these two quarters to fall down into your closed fist as you place the third quarter in your pocket. This time, actually leave the coin in your right pocket. However, bring your hand out in exactly the same way you did previously, with your fingers curled. Again ask, “If I have one in my pocket (indicate with the first finger of your right hand) how many should I have in my hand?” As you deliver this last line, open the fingers of your right hand and gesture palm up to your left. This is fun and throws off any spectator who thinks you have a coin in that hand. Open your left hand to show three coins. Dump them into your right hand and then dump them onto the table. “A friend saw me do this trick and felt sorry for me. He gave me another quarter so the trick could actually be done with a dollar.” As you say this, reach into your pocket and finger palm one of the half dollars as you grab the extra quarter. Bring your hand out holding the quarter between your thumb and first finger with the half dollar finger palmed. Place the fourth quarter on the table as you say, “And now my trick really is done with a dollar! In fact, that’s all you need to remember from here on. Once again, I’m going to place two quarters in my left hand.” Do so, but as you toss the second quarter also toss the half dollar. “And I will put two quarters in my pocket.” Leave the quarters in your pocket but bring out the second half dollar finger palmed. “If I have two quarters in my pocket, how many should I have in my left hand? That’s right, two, but all you need to remember now is that this trick is done with a dollar!” Open your left hand to reveal two quarters and one half dollar. As you explain that the coins total a dollar, use the index finger of your right hand (with the second half dollar still finger palmed) to move the coins around so that the quarters arrive in finger palm position at the base of your middle fingers (Photo 3).

3 Apparently dump the coins from your left hand into your right hand, but retain the quarters in left-hand finger palm. As the half dollar in your left hand joins the half dollar in your right, keep your right hand closed and shake your fist gently so the coins rattle around. Ask again, “What is this trick done with?” Open your right hand to reveal the two halves as you say, “That’s right, a dollar!” Take one of the halves with the thumb and first finger of your left hand and the other in your right. Display them momentarily, and then place them on the table. Keep your hands relaxed (the left one still holds two quarters). “For the next part of the trick, I need a magic wand.” Reach into your left pocket first (as if searching) and ditch the quarters. Almost at the same time, reach into your right pocket, finger palm or classic palm the dollar, and bring out the wand. Place the wand on the table and pick up one of the halves with your right hand. Toss the half dollar into your left hand, but as you do, execute the Bobo switch, retaining the half and tossing the dollar into your left hand, which immediately closes around it. (Be careful that the coins don’t hit each other and “talk” as you do this.) Classic palm the first half as you pick up the second half, holding it at the tips of your fingers. Pretend to place this half into 4 the left hand as well, but as you do, let the classic palmed half fall down on top of it in a variation of the click pass. At this point, both halves will be on the fingertips of your right hand; the dollar will be in your left (Photo 4). Curl your right second, third, and fourth fingers inward, hiding the halves as you pick up the wand with your thumb and first finger. Wave it over the left hand and then put the wand away, leaving it and the halves in your pocket. Ask again what the trick is done with. When the spectator says, “A dollar,” you agree. Then open your left hand to reveal the silver dollar and let it fall to the table.

Steve’s Stuff Although it takes a while to read through all the moves, this trick goes pretty fast. It’s a fun routine that will get the spectators involved and, move-wise, it should be within the grasp of many reading this. Have fun with this one! 


Treasures from the Salon de Magie

by Ken Klosterman

continued to rise, leaves falling away to reveal tiny buds. As Germain continued his fanning, the buds opened up and sprouted fully grown, rich red roses – real roses. Many magicians At this point Germain broke his silence to address have featured a flower the audience: “This is no illusion, optical delusion, or growth trick in their hallucination. I assure you, it is reality.” On that cue, programs. Harry Kellar the bandleader began a lively number as Germain magically grew roses removed blossoms from the rose bush and distributed throughout his career, them to female spectators. from the 1880s until his From start to finish, Germain’s Flower Growth took retirement in 1907. The seventy-seven seconds. But preparing the stage, female magician Dell apparatus, and flowers for the final effect took well over O’Dell, Hardeen, and an hour. To the casual observer, the trick might have even Houdini included seemed simple enough to perform; in fact, throwing one it in their programs. In switch is all that is required to operate the trick. But its most basic form, it without the proper window dressing – setting the proper derives from the Hindu mood, playing the proper music – the Flower Growth trick in which a seed or is really just a mechanical marvel. In the hands of twig is thrust into the Germain, sensitively acted, it was nothing short of a ground and covered beautiful, graceful miracle – nature’s laws defied. with a cloth. The cloth Houdini performed his version in the magic portion is lifted occasionally, of his act before doing escapes in part two. He had each time revealing two rose bushes custom made by Rudolph Schlosser on a gradually growing contract for Hornmann Magic Company of New York. In plant. When the covering is finally removed, a mango his presentation, two flowerpots were introduced and bush is shown to have grown. brought to the footlights to show them empty. Setting There are four such illusions in the collection and each of the pots on top of its own table, one at either we’ll look at two of them. The side of the stage, Houdini then Flower Growth as performed and produced two small bouquets invented by Karl Germain around of roses. These were feather 1897 is a near perfect illusion. It flowers made by Schlosser. Each is stunning because the flowers – bouquet was placed in a pot and real flowers – grow in a pot without covered with a large, light handsuspicious magical apparatus, metal kerchief. As Houdini continued cones (Kellar’s version), springhis show, from time to time he loaded devices, or decorated took a sprinkling can to each pot bottomless containers. and apparently watered the soil. Germain’s interpretation of the Shapes were seen to slowly form classic plot was simplicity in itself. underneath each silk. When he At center stage sat an undraped, finally removed the coverings, three-legged gold leaf table. the small bouquets had grown Germain had it carved especially for into full-sized rose bushes. The the Flower Growth trick. Beginning feather roses looked real but with patter alluding to the famous could not be distributed to the mango trick popularized by Hindu audience as with Germain’s fakirs, Germain set an empty, method. The other Houdini rose ordinary flowerpot on a low side bush is in the collection of John table at center stage and visibly Gaughan. poured soil into it from a cloth bag. Germain had three copies of Next some seeds were added. He the apparatus made. Two were set the pot atop the table at center full-size and meant for the stage. From the Salon de Magie Collection stage and picked up a fan. As the One served as a backup in case of gentle melody of Edward Elgar’s a mechanical mishap. The third “Salut d’Amour” was played, Germain gestured toward was a smaller version for use in parlor settings. At one the pot with the fan, moving from one side of the table time I owned all three of Germain’s rose bushes. One to the other as he did so. remains in the Salon de Magie, one I presented to David Slowly, a bud began to peek out above the lip of the Copperfield for his museum, and the parlor-size version flowerpot. There was no covering cloth as in Houdini’s I presented to Teller, who is a great admirer of Germain. version. Growing inch by inch, the sprouting plant All the Flower Growths are in good hands.

The Blooming Rose Bush


Android Alakazam A week doesn’t go by without someone writing to me asking for some Android magic apps recommendations. The available apps were so bad that they weren’t worth wasting the page space. Also, because there are different flavors of Android phones (unlike the iPhone), the apps sometimes crashed. I decided to focus my attention on finding at least a few apps worthy to be showcased here. This was one of the hardest columns I’ve ever written. After ten days of diligent searching here’s what I found.

Wingman Card Magic and Wingman Card Accomplice

a magic app. The magician shows photos of Houdini and recounts information about his life and career. He asks the spectator to look into Houdini’s eyes and think of a card. When the spectator says what his card was, the magician shows a photo of Houdini’s family; Houdini’s brother is holding the exact, named card in his hand in a photo taken one hundred years ago. The routine is wonderful and the photos and bio add to the presentation. Houdini’s Last Magic Trick is available in the Android Market for $5.

This is a twenty-first-century way of using a stooge to find out information. Wingman Card Magic and Wingman Card Accomplice are a pair of apps that you deploy on two Android devices that have been paired over Bluetooth. The magician asks the audience to call out, draw, sign, or otherwise indicate a card, and the accomplice simply chooses it surreptitiously in the accomplice app. Wingman Card Magic is available at the Android app store for $1.99. Wingman Card Accomplice is available for free in the Android app store. Because it is free, you can set up different stooges without paying multiple times for the app.

Mind Reader Magic

Marty’s Magic Coin

A Wi-Free Presentation

This was the first magic trick I ever saw on an iPhone. Marty has now written the app for Android. The iPhone downloads have passed the 25,000 mark, so you know that this is a very popular effect. The performer asks for a quarter from the audience, “rubs it into the phone’s screen,” and shows that the coin is now inside the phone by letting the coin roll around the inside edges, letting it fall from one edge to the other. Finally, the performer shakes the phone and the coin falls out onto the table. Marty includes a few effects including the new carrot slice bit in which the performer cuts a carrot slice and rubs it into the phone. It’s then shaken out of the phone and eaten. Thirty-two different worldwide coins are programmed into the app. His instructions and video tutorials are first rate. Marty’s Magic Coin is available in the iTunes store and now for Android in the Android Market for $2.99.

Houdini’s Last Magic Trick This is my favorite Android app because it is similar to one of my favorite iPhone apps, PSYPIC. This app adds elements of a nice routine, which makes it look impromptu rather than like

A version of the very popular iPredict on the iPhone, Mind Reader Magic allows the spectator to think of an ESP symbol from a selection of cards placed in front of him. The magician draws an ESP symbol on the phone and amazingly the prediction is correct. Another routine is this: the magician draws a symbol on the phone and then sends his thoughts to the spectator who names a symbol. Of course, the symbol he names matches the drawing on the phone. Mind Reader Magic is available in the Android Market for $5.

Ever want to give a presentation from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch wirelessly? Most people do it with WiFi connections. If you are in a hotel ballroom, they usually want to charge you for that WiFi use. Here’s another solution. IM.PLAY is an audio/video transmitter for Apple devices. Plug the transmitter dongle into your device and the receiver into your TV and you are ready to go. Again I stress, no WiFi needed! The transmitter battery lasts for over three hours of continual use without ever draining the battery on your device. IM.PLAY retails for around $100. You can read all about it and download a brochure at agent.liquiddigital.com/au.  Bruce is always on the lookout for computer magic, iPhone/ iPod Touch apps, and tech toys that can be used in magic applications. If you have any suggestions for future columns, write to Bruce at [email protected].


Far More than Meets the Eye A Conversation with Simon and Ginny Aronson by Michael Close

Simon and Ginny Aronson are two of the smartest, nicest people I know. Through his five books (Bound to Please, The Aronson Approach, Simply Simon, Try the Impossible, and Sessions, co-authored with David Solomon), his marketed effects, and his three-DVD set Sessions with Simon: The Impossible Magic of Simon Aronson (L&L Publishing), Simon has established an enviable reputation as one of magic’s most thoughtful and thorough creators. Many of his effects, such as Shuffle-bored, Red See Passover, Side-swiped, and Prior Commitment, are in the repertoire of magicians worldwide. He is a pioneer in memorized deck magic, and his Aronson stack is one of the two most popular stacks in use. You can download his free, fifty-three-page introduction, Memories Are Made of This, from his website (www.simonaronson.com/memorizedhome.htm). He accomplished all this while pursuing a full-time, twenty-six-year career as an associate and then full-partner at the law firm of Lord, Bissell & Brook. Ginny’s thirty-five year, full-time law career at Sidley Austin LLP was even busier. She progressed from associate, to partner, to managing partner (in 1998), and was the first woman to reach the management committee in the 132-year history of the firm. One of her last accomplishments before retirement was supervising the development and design of the firm’s new forty-story office building in Chicago. The Aronsons share many interests, including modern art, ballroom dancing, and piano playing. But it is their collaboration in a two-person mindreading act that is particularly astonishing. Lisa and I experienced this firsthand, in an impromptu setting, during lunch, when Simon borrowed a dollar bill and Ginny, with her back turned, divined the digits and letters of the serial number. Their act is a forty-year work-in-progress, and it is a deep fooler. The depth of detail that Ginny is able to describe is amazing. (You can see an eighteen-minute portion of their act on Volume One of the above DVD set.) I chatted with both Simon and Ginny via Skype; we talked about their backgrounds, Simon’s life in magic, and the development of the two-person mindreading act. —Michael Close Michael: Let’s start at the beginning. Simon: I was born in Boston in 1943 (because both my parents’ families lived in the Boston area). But my parents resided in Chicago, so I lived in Chicago until age two-and-a-half, at which point we moved to New York State. I lived in Forest Hills until I was about nine, and then we moved to Rye, New York, where we lived until I left for college.

M: Your father had a very interesting career. S: My father, Arnold Aronson, was a lobbyist and promoter for all kinds of anti-discrimination programs – mainly nationally, but also locally. Civil rights was his forte. While he was in Chicago, he and A. Phillip Randolph worked to get the first Fair Employment Practices Act passed. He worked with Truman, and with every administration thereafter. He was passionate about civil rights all his life. In fact, not only did he do this for his entire working career, but when he retired in 1976 he moved to Washington, D.C., so he could do more on his own time. Ginny: He was a true civil rights leader. For his work on civil rights he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest civilian award in the United States) by President Clinton in 1998. 36 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

M: What did your mom do, Simon? S: My mother was a Radcliffe grad and a social worker, but also

an artist. She was a very dedicated painter, working in various media – oils, watercolors, collage. I developed an appreciation of art from my mother. Whenever I visited home in New York or later Washington D.C., she took me to the various museums. As you know, Ginny and I are collectors, and I’m sure that my appreciation of and desire to be surrounded by modern and abstract art comes from her.

M: Did the gift of a magic set begin your interest in magic? S: Yes. My first magic set was a Mandrake set, followed very quickly by a Gilbert Mysto set. My father’s cousin was in the toy industry and he brought me little tricks (like the Adams stuff). But when we moved to Rye, just before my ninth birthday, we were just three blocks away from Playland, the second largest amusement park in New York, second only to Coney Island. At that time it was a wonderful amusement park with rides, games, and a very large trick and novelty shop. My father, seeing that I was intrigued by the little junky plastic tricks, took me to the magic store there and we started buying tricks. I remember getting an egg bag, a money maker, and a small set of linking rings; I was just fascinated with everything they had there. It was the Playland magic shop that brought me beyond the normal simple “magic kit” phase, where many kids start and also stop. Another thing about Playland really intrigued me. Besides its magic shop, Playland also had a real boardwalk with carny games; games that, in retrospect, might not have been completely on the up and up. I was just fascinated by how those games worked. I think that those carny games enhanced my appreciation for the type of deception that goes on in magic – almost a conman thing. M: Later you worked at that Playland magic shop? S: Yes, I actually realized my “dream job.” I had been a regular customer for years and the owner got to know me; he enjoyed talking magic with me. When I turned sixteen, he was looking for cheap labor, and since I was home for the summers, he gave me the job managing and operating the shop. G: I think a lot of Simon’s humor, fast talk, and ability to get along with people came from this experience. Especially with the Guess Your Weight and Guess Your Age games. S: The magic shop owner also operated those games, so I filled in whenever someone was on break. Running those games was as close as I got to being a carny pitchman. It cost a quarter to play; if the participant won, he got a prize – but the prizes actually cost only a nickel or a dime. They were plastic kewpie dolls and Plaster of Paris statues, but everything cost far less than a quarter. The whole idea was to get the customers to pay the quarter.

M: At the beginning, you were interested in prop magic. S: Absolutely. Candidly, there’s one other thing that drove my interest in magic. I was an absolutely terrible athlete. I had no sports ability whatsoever. My father recognized that I needed an activity that I could practice and be good at, and he encouraged me. So I took to showing people tricks and doing little shows in the backyard. I eventually bought enough tricks from the Playland shop to do a whole show. I performed shows on the birthday circuit; my first paid show was at age eleven. My mother drove me. I actually charged a full dollar for that show. My mother, with amazing foresight, told me that I should frame that dollar. I still have it. And it’s valuable, because it’s a Silver Certificate, and they don’t make those types of bills anymore. It may even be worth three dollars now. A few months after my first paid show, the local newspaper sponsored a promotion that let kids run free classified ads. I put in an ad stating that I was available to do magic at birthday parties. The editors picked me to do a story and photo spread on because they thought it would be unusual. That photo of me with the dove pan appeared on the front page of The Daily Item on June 18, 1955.

Simon, age 12

M: What about the photo of you in the top hat? S: That was taken a few years later by a professional photographer who was one of my clients. I used that top hat in my Die Box routine. The trick ended with the die going to the top hat. The hat was not part of my image. (All laugh.) I was doing birthday parties from age eleven on, easily four or five a month, maybe more. It depended on my mother’s tolerance for taking me around. My MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 37

Lewis’s father. This club met once a month in the Department of Parks building. As soon as I heard about it, I joined. That’s when I got boosted up into more professional-level magic. The other club members were dedicated and creative – my peers in F.A.M.E. included Persi Diaconis and Johnny Benzais. They were already doing pretty advanced card magic. After the F.A.M.E. meeting let out, I would go over to Tannen’s and see every magician who was prominent in New York. On Saturday, Tannen’s closed at three p.m. and everybody went right downstairs to the 42nd Street cafeteria, which was an early predecessor to Rubin’s (where everybody hangs out today). There was a big long table. Dai Vernon would sit at the end, people like Howie Schwartzman and Ken Krenzel would sit near him, and Vernon would hold court. All of us kids would sit at tables around them, trying to listen in on the conversations. We weren’t part of the group, but we tried to learn whatever we could see.

Birthday party circuit circa 1959.

birthday show performing was something I continued all through high school and college. In fact, birthday shows were pretty much my sole source of income until I was thirty. I was very fortunate that my father continued to encourage my interest in magic. We lived near New York City, just a train ride away. My folks were culture buffs and loved to go into the city for theater and musical comedy shows. In 1954 they took me to see Milbourne Christopher do a full evening show at the Longacre Theatre. This was a famous show. After the show my father took me backstage and introduced me to Christopher. He was very encouraging. He told me about one of the tricks he did. (I also saw his Christopher’s Wonders show at the Maidman Playhouse a few years later.) I started to see New York City as a source of real magic, where the real pros were. I discovered Lou Tannen’s shop. From age twelve to fourteen, every Saturday I’d go to New York. Lou Tannen personally took me under his wing. Lou was a good salesman, but he was also a good mentor – guiding me toward the tricks that I could perform and steering me away from things I couldn’t handle. He taught me about presentation. He was a very enthusiastic guy. There’s one other important thing I should mention. The New York Department of Parks sponsored a boy’s program (magic was sexist in those days) that taught magic. It was called F.A.M.E., Future American Magical Entertainers; it was started by Abraham Hurwitz, Shari 38 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

M: At some point you made the transition from props to sleight of hand. Did this happen around this time? S: It was during my very late high school years and college. The big formative shift was my move to Chicago at age eighteen. Certainly while hanging around the New York guys in 1960 I started playing with cards. But when I started at the University of Chicago in 1961, within the first weeks of my arrival, I headed over to Ireland’s Magic Store (which later became Magic, Inc.). Everybody was doing card tricks there. Once I got to Chicago my interest shifted, except that I kept doing the birthday shows to earn spending money. M: What was your major at the University of Chicago? S: As an undergraduate I was an economics major. I loved university life. I’m an academic at heart; I love to learn new things. I would always prefer to be a student rather than a teacher. I graduated college in only three years rather than four, receiving my B.A. in 1964, but I wanted to study more. So I moved to the graduate school in the philosophy department, and I stayed there for six more years.

M: You studied philosophy for six years? S: Yes, at the graduate level, from 1964 to 1970. I received my M.A. in philosophy in 1965, and then stayed on to work toward my doctorate. I actually taught humanities in the college for two years during that period. But eventually I got tired of philosophy, so I turned part of my thesis into an article and published it in The Journal of the History of Philosophy (1972). Since I still didn’t want to face the real world, I thought that law school would be a wonderful way to postpone any career decisions for another three years. And that was really my main reason for going to law school. G: The faculty used to joke that Simon was the only student at the University of Chicago who had tenure. (Laughter from all.) S: But Ginny is not far behind me. I ultimately had a total of twelve years at the University of Chicago; Ginny had nine years, counting her undergraduate work, graduate work, and law school. I steadfastly avoided any decision that would be remotely described as going toward a career. I probably had a secret desire to see if I could stay in school until I was ready for retirement. M: And during the period that you’re a full-time professional student, you’re keeping yourself afloat by doing magic shows. S: It’s even more extreme. Because of all my years as a student in economics, philosophy, and law school, I had a lengthy period during which I had no income whatsoever. Simon with Bill Malone, Bob Syrup, and Ed Marlo - 1980

But there was very little outgo, either. I qualified for scholarships so my tuition was paid for, and I was a resident head for one of the undergraduate dorms. In return for keeping students under some control, and being a “dorm daddy,” the university gave me my room and board at the dorm. My birthday party shows, and later performing mindreading shows, were the only ways I got any money for my hobbies or for dating. M: Let’s catch up on your background, Ginny. Where were you born? G: I was born in Bremerton, Washington, a little town across the bay from Seattle. It was a Navy town. My dad worked on the big aircraft carriers in the Puget Sound naval shipyard. He died quite young, when I was nine. My mother remarried and I ended up with a large family. I had an older brother and sister and then acquired two more sisters when my mother remarried. I left Bremerton when I was eighteen to go to the University of Chicago. I was greatly benefitted by the university. They had a small-town talent search, because they didn’t want their entire student body to be just from New York or Chicago. You could consider it a type of “integration” plan. They went to Washington, Oregon, and Montana and chose kids from small towns who had done well. They gave me a full scholarship. S: Let me brag about Ginny: She was one of the few people from her high school to actually travel out-ofstate for college. She made it big. G: My first few years were quite a struggle because my high school education did not match up to the education that Chicago and New York students had received. I persevered and did fine and got my B.A. degree in sociology. Then I applied for graduate school and received a National Institute of Health full scholarship to NYU to study sociology. So I went to New York for a year, but I didn’t particularly like it; I came back to Chicago in June of 1970. S: It was a wondrously fortuitous thing for me that Ginny didn’t like New York and decided to come back to Chicago to continue her graduate degree. We had known each other casually during her undergraduate work, because she dated one of my friends, Bob. They broke up when she left for New York. At the time she returned to Chicago, I had recently been jilted by my girlfriend. I was available and looking, so I called her up and we had our first date. G: And the rest is history. I then did two more years of graduate study at U of C, working part-time at the National Opinion Research Center, to help support that education. Then, after three years of grad work and having finished everything but my PhD dissertation, Simon convinced me to go to law school. MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 39

M: You were still in law school, Simon? S: Yes. U of C law is a three-year program; I was in my third year as Ginny started her first.

M: Ginny, you saw Simon do the mindreading act before you began dating him, didn’t you? G: Yes. Simon had invited my boyfriend Bob and me on a double date. I was totally surprised when we arrived at a Chicago nightclub, and I discovered that the entertainment was none other than Simon himself and his girlfriend, performing an amazing mindreading act! (You have to understand that I was a real small town innocent and had never seen anything remotely like this.) On the drive home, while we all chatted, I actually tried to prevent myself from “thinking” private thoughts for fear that Simon might “read” them. S: I had two mindreading partners prior to Ginny. Ginny should tell you why she started being my mental partner. It was extremely reluctantly. G: I really was a shy, quiet, small town girl; although I admired the mindreading act when I saw Simon do it, the thought of getting up on stage and deceiving people was fairly intimidating to me. My problem was that, even though Simon and I were dating, Simon was continuing to do the act with his then ex-girlfriend (who was quite pretty). So every Saturday night (and sometimes twice a week), they’d go off to nightclubs to do the act, and there I was, his actual girlfriend, sitting alone at home. You can imagine what I was worrying might be going on.


S: I tried to reassure her that my relationship with my ex-girlfriend was purely business... G: ...yeah, right... S: ...but when you tell that to your girlfriend and you’re out until two in the morning with your ex... M: ...and it’s not like she could read your mind... S: ...and I loved doing the act, and I honestly needed the money. So I said that the only solution would be for Ginny to learn the act. So she did, and we started performing together by the fall of 1970. G: But the act was a lot simpler then.

M: Let’s give everyone some background on the two-person act. You saw Eddie Fields and George Martz in Chicago doing their dime-store mentalism. S: Yes, but my very first acquaintance with two-person mindreading goes back way before Eddie Fields. It goes back to when I was still in New York, and I remember this vividly. In 1956, when I was twelve, there was a Broadway show called The Great Sebastians; it starred Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, who were husband and wife. It was a comedy written for them about a vaudeville two-person mindreading team who are travelling around Europe as war is about to break out. The Germans see them, decide that they are real, and take them captive in order to get secret information by having them read minds. It’s a comedy about how this vaudeville team tries to escape and convince the Germans that it’s not real. But the Germans have been convinced.

My father, knowing that the show was about magic and mindreading, took the whole family to it. What was absolutely captivating, in my recollection, is that the first five minutes or so of the Broadway show opened with them apparently doing their vaudeville mindreading act – in the theater for the real audience! Alfred Lunt went through the first few rows picking out objects, and Lynne Fontanne was on stage, blindfolded, identifying them. That was my first introduction to that kind of act. Later, in 1965, in Chicago, somebody had mentioned that there was this guy reading minds at Woolworth’s, so I trekked from Hyde Park downtown to the Loop and went to Woolworth’s. There was somebody billed as the Professor, blindfolded, and he was calling out and describing objects that were held up by people in the store aisles. There was another guy, almost completely nondescript – he looked like a store clerk – who ushered the people together to form an audience and helped them with their various objects. It was Eddie Fields, secretly coding that information to the Professor, George Martz, who was a retired wrestler and boxer who Eddie had trained. I had very mixed feelings. On the one hand I was completely in awe at what they could accomplish and the audience reaction. There was no doubt that they were being believed completely. I was amazed at the depth of information they could convey. On the other hand, I was stunned by how ungrammatical and awkward Eddie was in terms of speaking – even though it fit him well. His character was someone who would mumble, who would speak in half sentences. He’d start something and then break off and talk to someone else. There was no good grammatical flow. I decided then and there that I wanted to do that kind of act, but I didn’t want to sound like him. And that meant I better figure out what goes on in those acts. For the next four months I basically skipped most of my classes so I could research (mainly in Jay Marshall’s library) everything I could I find on two-person codes. I accumulated everything I could find – probably fifteen to twenty different codes – and then started putting things together, but in the way I would speak. I thought a lot about what makes the coding in a mindreading act effective but invisible. M: So, Simon, you studied all the available information on the subject and then worked out a code to your satisfaction. S: I wouldn’t use the word “satisfaction.” The one thing that I can tell you (without going into detail on the method) is that our system is constantly evolving. The basic underlying cues we use are somewhat fixed, those don’t change, but how we handle certain situations changes. Even in the early years, even the beginning stuff was very malleable. I don’t know how someone could do this type

of act without a lot of experience. You don’t realize all the possibilities you’ll encounter.

M: I’m sure that from an intellectual standpoint what you both find fascinating about this type of act is discovering how much you can do with how little you say. But there is also a theatrical aspect; the danger is that once you establish that Ginny can sense these objects, what do you do next? Dramatically, how do you ramp up the procedure? Can you talk about that? S: I think you’re exactly right; if you want to do it as a theatrical act it has to build. Once you’ve shown what you can do, you want to build suspense. For us, we build suspense by hoping that the objects will become ever more challenging and difficult – at least as the audience perceives it. This act in a sense is ultimate jazzing, because it depends so much on the audience. You’d think we would want a bunch of objects that we’re prepared to do – combs, watches, wallets, lipstick – but in fact such commonplace things make for a deadly act, because it’s not interesting. The audience can quickly sense that you would be ready for such objects. We love it when we get objects that to the audience seem unlikely and challenging, but we’ve anticipated them and we’re prepared for them. It’s a question of how many steps ahead you can plan for. G: One thing that Simon has done is to build a sequence of tests within the act, which the audience perceives to be progressively harder, so it seems to build in difficulty. S: We don’t immediately open with objects. We start with a playing card test, to get Ginny warmed up. Then we do our dice demonstration. I have a big fishbowl filled with a hundred different-colored dice. One spectator selects any die, a second person picks another die of a different color; both are a free choice. Ginny, blindfolded, immediately calls out the two colors. When they give them a roll she not only calls out the total, she also tells them how it’s made up and which number is on which colored die. And, depending on how long a show it is, we have other tests we can add in also. By the time we get to the objects, the audience has seen a certain growth. Perceived challenges are what make our act interesting. For example, often a person takes off his shoe and hands it to you. This is a whole different level than watches and keys. The whole audience says, “Wow,” because they think this is an offbeat item, one they might not have thought to do. So, for that audience a shoe is a clever, novel thing. What they don’t know is that we see this in virtually every show. We’re ready for shoes – and boots, sneakers, sandals, and even socks! The interesting part for us is how much we can do with the things that are so far out that we’re not ready for them. We sometimes hit an object we can’t do, but perhaps Ginny can say what it’s made of, or tell a little MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 41

about it. And sometimes we get lucky in just winging it. Here’s our favorite example, which happened when we performed at Magic Chicago. A gentleman held up an object, and I saw immediately that it’s nothing we’ve ever done before, not even remotely. Ginny, blindfolded, says, “I have the impression that this object has something to do with music.” So far, so good, and people start nodding that she’s correct. Then I threw another cue to her, but I can see that she is puzzled as hell. G: I have no idea of where Simon’s heading, but I know what he sent me, a cue for silverware, specifically a fork, so I said, “Does this have something to do with a fork? Like a musical fork?” I was silently thinking, could someone play a musical fork the way they play spoons? S: And I immediately said, “That’s exactly right, it’s a tuning fork!” G: The audience just died. S: Ginny still didn’t know what it was. But when she said “musical fork,” I just chimed in, and confirmed, “Yes, exactly, a tuning fork.” Those are the challenges we love.

so when I immediately announced it was from Israel, the audience roared! One of the unusual features of our two-person act is that we can do it in virtually any venue, at any time. All we need is each other and an audience (that has stuff with them). We can do it in a large auditorium, a small living room – but we’ve also performed it poolside, and once, on a traveling tour bus (I stood up front, and Simon marched up the aisle). Simon used to joke that for closeup all he needed was a deck of cards; for mindreading, all he needs is a wife (preferably his own).

M: And as far the audience was concerned, you got it completely right. Simon’s comment was an affirmation, not a clarification. S: And when I say the code grows, after every show we add things to our lists, our categories, our experiences.

M: And you have to constantly revise those lists to reflect objects that are contemporary. So items will disappear. New items, especially new technology, will be commonplace. S: That’s right. We can still do a draft card or a telegram, but they don’t really exist anymore. In the past four or five years we’ve had to get very educated in electronics. We often get thumb drives. Five or six years ago no one would have had one of those. G: Let’s go back to Michael’s original question, which was how do you keep it entertaining, to make it something beyond just a recitation. There are two things going on. I don’t consider myself a naturally funny person, and since I do most of the talking, I’ve been trying very hard to be amusing or to reveal things in such a way that people laugh. I think that’s been working well. So that’s one element. We don’t try to do a bizarre or mysterious kind of act, in which I’m really reading minds in a serious manner. I’m kind of funny. Second, even with objects that seem normal, that everyone knows and carries, like a credit card, I will reveal level after level of detail, and this process becomes very interesting. Objects that allow me detailed description provide the audience with a lot of fun. We recently did a show at the University of Chicago, where someone held up a driver’s license. The guy then called out, “from where?” Fortunately, Simon had already cued me, 42 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

M: Have there been times when people come up to you to answer questions about their personal lives? G: During the ‘70s a woman came up after a show and said that her son was missing in Vietnam and asked if we could tell her if he was alive or dead. Simon promptly replied that we only dealt with objects. There was another incident after a show (and we make it very clear that what we do is entertainment) when a woman came up to me and said that her mother was at the edge of death; she wanted me to be with her after she died. The clear implication was that I could somehow talk to her mother. And then there was an incident after a birthday party. Sometimes, just to make it look a little more genuine, I will intentionally miss on an object. And so, when a woman held up her string of pearls, I said I just couldn’t receive an impression.

S: And keep in mind that a pearl necklace is something we can do easily. We can do many different kinds of necklaces, but Ginny purposely missed the necklace because I had told her to build in a few mistakes. G: The next morning we heard from the host that the woman had flushed her necklace – and they were real pearls – down the toilet because she thought they were jinxed, just because I couldn’t sense them. Fortunately, that type of thing hasn’t happened recently. But Simon now jokes that any intentional misses should only be on stuff like pencils, not valuables. S: Whether or not to make disclaimers, so you don’t mislead people, is an issue in mentalism. But part of the appeal of mentalism is that people aren’t sure. What the audience sees seems real, and that captivates and engages them. We always build in a disclaimer at the beginning; “We’re not here to convince anybody; we’re here to entertain you. But remember that even a skeptic keeps an open mind.” That’s one of those suitably ambiguous pronouncements that leaves the door open for anyone to think whatever they want. G: But remember, we do the act in an amusing way. S: I enjoy humor, and I’m constitutionally unable not to chuckle and make jokes. We were doing a show in New York recently and a lady handed me a piece of jewelry. Ginny identified it saying, “It’s a pin with diamonds in it.” The lady said, “Oh, but they’re fake.” So I replied, “Don’t worry, so are we.”

M: Simon, let’s talk for a moment about how you create your effects. I’ve been performing many of your tricks for more than thirty years; in fact, I established quite a reputation (and sold a few books for you) with Red See Passover. The thing that greatly appeals to me is that your material is designed to fool intelligent spectators. S: I make the assumption that my spectators are thinking people and that they know a lot. Not necessarily that they know a lot about magic, but that they are observant and rational. I don’t have absolutist principles about the way I try to create things, but certainly one guideline that I’ve always used is that whatever the method is, it ought to be counterintuitive. Whatever first thought people might normally have about a possible method, then the actual method ought not follow that same direction. I love to combine methods. Sometimes, by accident, people will fall onto the method. But if you have several things going on – a little bit of sleight of hand, a little bit of mathematics, a little bit of a stack, a bit of subtlety, some misdirection – then even if they get one part of it, it’s not enough to discover the whole method. I’ve always believed that the more advance preparation you have, and by that I mean anything that happens before the trick begins, then the less there is for the spec-

tators to observe. There’s nothing wrong with doing a trick with a borrowed, shuffled deck and starting from scratch. But in a situation in which you start totally impromptu and clean, then any clues to the method are, by definition, in front of the audience and potentially noticeable. If, however, before you begin you secretly arrange three or four cards – or the full deck – the audience doesn’t see that, and they can’t reconstruct a method from what they’ve merely seen, because you did things before the trick started. Triple Play, the trick I contributed to this issue of M-U-M, is a good example. Part of what makes that trick a little more deceptive is that you’ve prearranged some things. They see a shuffled deck, but they’re starting at the wrong place. Once you get them starting at the wrong place, it’s much harder for them to retrace the method.

Private Gathering, focusing on Memorized Deck Magic 1995 (Plants, Weber, Aronson, Pierce, Gagnon, Krenz, Tamariz, Rioboo, Kalush)

M: I’d like to touch for a moment on memorized deck magic, an area of card magic that has become quite popular in the past few years. You mentioned to me one time that the most useful stack anyone will memorize is the second one, because until you start working with a stack, you don’t really know how you’ll utilize it, and you won’t know what features you wish were built in. My question is: Is the Aronson stack your second stack? Had you learned another one first, like Nicola or Ireland? S: No. When I first got turned on to memorized deck magic in 1969, it came through Marlo, who had published a large section of great memorized deck tricks in Ibidem. That turned me on, and I decided I’d memorize a stack. It’s the same as with the mindreading act; when I decide to do something that will require a lot of memory, I do a lot of research before I settle on what to memorize. Marlo was using the Ireland stack. He had been turned on to memorized deck work from Laurie Ireland. I was MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 43

immediately faced with Ireland or Nicola. Given that I had the opportunity, I thought I should think about what was built into the stack. At the time I was doing a lot of gambling and poker tricks, because I had recently read Rusduck’s publications, so I put a lot of Rusduck’s and Michael Zen’s material into my stack. If I were ever to do it again, there are definitely things I would change in my stack, but I don’t think that those changes are strong enough to warrant a whole new stack. I’d probably change the Aces around a bit to make them more accessible for productions. But candidly, so much of what I’m finding is that the best memorized deck magic is the stuff that is stack independent. It’s based on the performer’s facility with the stack, rather than how the stack is constructed.

M: You’re both retired now and the two-person mindreading act is coming to the fore; I assume that you’ll be performing it as often as you are able. S: We have more shows booked for this year. Making money is not the goal; it’s for fun, for friends. We look forward to doing it. Certainly at some point, I don’t want to say when, I would love to put all our experience and thoughts and methodologies on the mindreading act into print. It’s kind of written, because we have a highly detailed notebook that we use to refresh our memories. It needs to be fleshed out in more of a descriptive form. I think that forty-five years of experience doing it has some value. Too many people have put out material that ends up being bare-bones lists. That’s not where the details are. The details are: how do you size up an audience; what do you do beforehand; how do you do scanning of a room; how do you avoid objects? There are millions of things you can do to enhance your performance, and these are just some of things we have learned over the years. G: The problem is that Simon doesn’t want to put it out while we’re still performing it. M: That is certainly understandable. S: When we do the mindreading, and (assuming people don’t believe) the spectators are trying to figure out how we do it, the very first thing that crosses their mind is that we’re communicating through some kind of code. So that’s the one method we try to dispel. In my card magic I want them to say, “He didn’t do anything.” In the mindreading act I want them to say, “He didn’t say anything.” G: And people say that all the time. S: People come up with all sorts of crazy explanations and they won’t stop. The one explanation that I love and Ginny hates is: “I know how you do it. Simon’s a great ventriloquist and she’s the dummy.” I wish that was the method; it would save us a lot of work. 


Living with Simon (or, Try the Impossible) By Ginny Aronson

S

imon and I could not be more different. Simon lives in his imagination, gets totally involved in his passions, and is addicted to whatever he’s doing at the moment. I’m the practical one, rooted in the real world; it’s a good thing he has me to bring him back to earth. Simon and I share deeply in whatever the other does. I love to cook, and he loves magic. So Simon gets to eat gourmet food, and I get to select playing cards. Somehow, I think he got the better of that deal. I’ve been his loyal partner in all aspects of his magic, from editing every one of Simon’s books and articles, to spending our vacations at magic conventions around the world (where I get to see our magical friends), from hosting magicians visiting Chicago (Michael Close was one of our earliest sleepover guests), to sharing my kitchen every Saturday so that the Chicago Session can brainstorm. For over twenty-five years I put up with Ed Marlo’s cigars (but after he’d had a session with Ed, I made Simon change his clothes before I’d let him back into our home). Don’t get me wrong – it’s been a unique, fascinating, eye-opening life. I have seen David Roth push coins through my kitchen table, ironed Guy Hollingworth’s shirt so he could look impeccable for his lecture, and had Boris Wild soulfully perform his romantic Kiss Act, complete with music, just for me, with red paper kisses fluttering around my dining room at the climax. One morning, before I left home for work, Lennart Green stumbled out of our guest room, still in his pajamas, and performed his entire FISM act for me over breakfast! Simon can be critical, and he isn’t afraid to offer his opinions. While I was initially shy and retiring, over the years my law career and my performing persona as a mindreader have made me pretty discerning and blunt on my own, and I’m not hesitant to tell Simon when his latest creation isn’t up to snuff, or when a move flashes, or when a plot is confusing. I enjoy good magic, but don’t have much tolerance for weak performances. Simon feels the same way, but doesn’t hesitate to help youngsters who are just starting out in this amazing hobby. At conventions, he’ll be accosted by some kid who wants to ask a question or show him something; Simon plunks himself down on the floor with him, and he’ll patiently spend time demonstrating, explaining, or trading ideas. (Simon says he’s forever grateful to his early mentors, and he just wants to pay it forward. Simon’s problem is, now, once he’s down on the floor he has a hard time physically getting up!) All in all, our life in magic has been one more, all-encompassing bond that’s brought us even closer together. It’s almost as if we can read each other’s mind. 


Triple Play By Simon Aronson Effect: From a shuffled deck, a spectator freely selects a card, remembers it, and replaces it into one half of the deck. That half is isolated on the table, under the spectator’s hand. The performer gives the remaining half an overhand shuffle, stopping this shuffle wherever the spectator designates, to form three random piles. He explains that these piles will tell him what the spectator’s selected card is. The performer turns the first pile face up to reveal, say, a red card on its face. Sure enough, the spectator confirms her chosen card is red. He next turns the second pile face up to reveal that its bottom card is, say, a Diamond. Again, the spectator confirms her chosen card is, in fact, a Diamond. The performer lifts up the third pile, so that only he can see its face card, and asks, “Does your card happen to be a Six, (or, whatever the value may be)?” The spectator nods that this value is, indeed, correct. For the climax, the performer turns over this third pile to reveal not just “any” Six, but in fact the spectator’s identical selected card, which has thus magically transported from under the spectator’s hand. Method: I like effects that combine several disparate methods, and Triple Play is a good illustration. It incorporates a small stack (of just four cards), some sleight of hand, and some minor multiple outs (all of which look the same). The end result is something that’s close to impromptu, is relatively easy, and allows a completely free selection from a (nearly) shuffled deck. Set-up: Before you begin, preset the bottom four cards of the deck so that there is one of each suit, in the following order (from the face): Spades, Clubs, Hearts, and Diamonds. (The values don’t matter, but it looks a bit more random if the two red suits aren’t the same value; similarly with the two black suits.) You can see that, by using just two of these four cards, we’ll be able to match both the color and the suit of whatever free selection the spectator chooses. Working: With the deck on the table, give it a few casual riffle shuffles. Your only requirement is to maintain the bottom four-card stack in its place, which is accomplished by simply first dropping the bottom four cards (or more) as a block as you begin the shuffle. Since the rest of the shuffle is fair, the deck looks convincingly mixed. We’re now going to have a card freely selected from somewhere in the center of the deck. With your right hand, pick up the entire deck from above, and dribble it back into your left hand, as you explain to your spectator Ginny, “In a moment, I’m going to dribble the deck like this, and as I dribble, just call out the word ‘stop’ wherever you want.” Be sure to time this initial demonstration so that the entire deck has dribbled into your left hand by the end of your sentence. Pick up the deck again and commence another dribble, timing it so that Ginny says “stop” somewhere around the middle of the deck. When she does, casually place the cards remaining in your right hand onto the table. With your left thumb, push the top card of the left-hand packet (the card Ginny stopped at) to the right for about half its width. Holding it in this sidejogged position, raise your left hand up to a vertical position, so that Ginny can see the face of this 46 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

sidejogged card (let’s assume it’s the Six of Diamonds, as in Photo 1).

Photo 1

After you’ve displayed the card, lower your left hand, with the selection still sidejogged, so the left-hand packet is roughly parallel to the tabletop. Now, with your right hand, pick up the tabled packet and hold it about twelve inches above the table, preparing to dribble these cards to the table. In a moment you’re going to do just that, and as the right-hand cards fall it will appear as if the left hand “tosses” the sidejogged selection into the dribbling stream of cards. In fact, the selection will secretly be retained on top of the left-hand packet by using Steve Bedwell’s Dribble Toss Control. Here are the details. Comment, “Remember your card. Now let’s bury it somewhere among these cards.” As you say this, start to release the right-hand cards so that they dribble to the table in a slow, even flow. Hold the left-hand packet – with its sidejogged top card – to the left of these dribbling cards, about six inches above the table top (Photo 2). When about half the right-hand cards have dribbled off, move your left hand sharply to the right, toward the dribbling stream of cards, as if tossing the selected card into the dribble. In fact, the selection actually is not tossed or released. During that sharp rightward motion, with your left thumb, quickly pull the selection back to the left, square with the top of the left-hand packet. (Steve Bedwell describes this as somewhat akin to the action of a rub-away vanish, in midair.) During this action, your right hand continues its dribbling action, until all of its cards have dropped to the table. This is a perfect illusion of the sidejogged, selected card being tossed somewhere among

Photo 2

the dribbled cards. (As an extra convincer, as you pretend to toss the card into the dribble, contrive to hit the stream of dribbling cards, knocking some of them a little bit to the right.) While Ginny believes her card is lost somewhere among the tabled cards, her selected card is actually still on top of the left-hand packet. You’ll now secretly learn its identity using the Funsky glimpse. Here’s how. When you secretly pull the selection back onto the left-hand packet, hold a break under it with the left little finger. As a result of the dribbling action, the pile of dribbled cards on the table will be slightly askew, so it’s natural to square up those cards a bit. To do this, turn both hands palm down, and simultaneously pinch the inner corners of this tabled pile. During this momentary square-up, your left little finger pushes rightward on its “broken” top card. This causes the index of the selected card to become sidejogged at the inner end of the packet. It’s natural for you to look down at the cards as you’re squaring them, so you’ll plainly see the index of the selection. From the front, your hands completely mask this sidejogged index. (The performer’s view of this glimpsing action is shown in Photo 3, where the “6D” index can be plainly seen. Photo 4 depicts the front or audience’s view.) As you complete this square-up of the tabled half, comment, “Your card is somewhere among these cards. Ginny, put your hand on this pile, so we’ll remember where your card is.” Push that half toward Ginny, making it easier for her and isolating that pile even further.

Photo 3

Photo 4

You’re way ahead of your spectators. Ginny thinks she’s holding onto her card, but in fact, it’s already secretly on top of your remaining half. And, because of the secret glimpse, you already know the identity of her card – the Six of Diamonds.

From here on the procedures vary slightly depending upon the suit of the selected card. Let me pause here to explain that this is actually part of the multiple outs I mentioned. Whenever someone shows me an effect that includes somewhat different endings or procedures depending on the spectator’s choices, I hate it when I only get to see the best or cleanest procedure, because the alternatives are often disappointing. So in this specific description I will actually present the weaker or more complicated “out” first, so you’ll know that any other out will in fact look even better. (But, really, in this trick “weak” is a misnomer, because all of the four procedures are exceptionally straightforward.) If the Selected Card is Red: Casually spread your remaining half face down between your hands, saying, “If I were to look through this half, I might learn some clue about your card. So we won’t look at them.” Use this spreading action to casually take a break above the bottom two cards of the spread (the two black cards in your stack) with your left little finger. Close up the spread, retaining that break. You’re now going to lose those two black cards, with a simple double undercut. With your right hand from above, cut off approximately the top half of your packet, as your left little finger pulls down on its break slightly. Insert the righthand portion into this break, allowing the right-hand cards to coalesce with the two “pulled-down” black cards, as your left little finger retakes a break above the inserted portion. Now simply cut that half again at the new break and complete the cut, squaring the cards. (The two black cards have now been lost, and the bottom two cards of your half are now the two red cards of your stack, with the Heart at the face). It simply appears as if you’ve just given your half a couple of cuts. If the Selected Card is Black: As you may have noted, the goal here is simply to position the two stack cards that match the color of the selection to the bottom of your half. If the selected card is black, then the two black stack cards are already in position, so nothing additional needs to be done. Thus, if your glimpse tells you the selection is black, you’ll omit the double undercut entirely, and proceed directly to the next step. Using an overhand shuffle procedure, you will divide your remaining cards into three piles – apparently at the spectator’s direction. Continue, “In fact, I’ll mix them up, and as I shuffle, please call out ‘stop.’” Here you commence a slow, face-down overhand shuffle of your half, but done in a particular way. I’m aware that most people overhand shuffle by drawing cards from the right hand into the left hand, but some people (mainly lefties, including me) shuffle the opposite way. In order to make this next description intelligible and unambiguous, instead of referring to “left-hand” or “right-hand” packets during the shuffle, I’m going to instead refer to the “upper-hand” and “lower-hand” packets. The “upper” packet is where the cards start, and they are drawn off this upper packet (either singly, or in clumps) into the “lower” hand, which receives them on top of its growing packet of alreadyshuffled-off cards. Commence your overhand shuffle by first “milking” just the top and bottom cards of the upper packet together. (Photo 5 depicts an exposed view of this milking action; basically, the top and bottom cards are simply peeled off together). Then continue shuffling, immediately pulling off a sizeable clump of cards from the upper packet, using your lower-hand MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 47

of A. (B and C thus surround A). The order of the packets, reading from left to right, will thus be C, A, B.

Photo 5

thumb to reach up over the upper edge of the upper packet to grasp them and pull them off. (We want this lower packet to contain a significant number of cards for a subsequent shuffle, and by pulling off a sizable clump we ensure that it does). Now continue to shuffle off cards either singly or in smaller clumps, slowly, as you wait for the spectator to call “stop.” As soon as she does, separate the hands and place the remaining upper packet onto the table. For convenience, let’s call this packet A. (In our specific example, the face card of this tabled packet A will be a Diamond; if the glimpsed selection had been black, it would be a Club). Please note that this placing of the upper packet onto the table, instead of the lower, just-shuffled-off cards, is somewhat atypical, and thus can be a bit hard to remember. There’s nothing difficult about actually doing it, and it goes by completely unnoticed, but I do want to call your attention to it as an anomaly when compared to what you might be used to doing. (As I start the shuffle, I remind myself of this upcoming action; such thinking about it beforehand makes it “automatic” as soon as Ginny calls stop.) For greater ease and naturalness in the following step, when you table this packet A, right-handed shufflers should place it slightly off-center, just a bit toward the left side of the table (left-handed shufflers should reverse this). You’ll see why in a moment. Now you’ll divide your remaining cards into two more piles. Casually transfer the remaining cards from your lower hand to your upper hand and commence a second overhand shuffle, again first “milking” the bottom card as you start this shuffle. Then continue shuffling off cards singly or in very small clumps (since you won’t have many cards left) as you request Ginny to “call out ‘stop’ once more.” As soon as she does, separate your hands, thus holding a small packet in each. Let’s call the cards remaining in the upper-hand packet B (the face card of B will be the spectator’s chosen card); the cards in the lower hand will constitute packet C. You’ll now casually drop these two packets simultaneously onto the table, next to the already-tabled packet A. But here we reach the second “alternative” procedure. It’s a very small difference in handling, depending on the suit of the glimpsed selection. More specifically, we’ll place packets B and C onto the table slightly differently, depending on whether the suit of the spectator’s selection is minor (Diamond or Club) or major (Heart or Spade). If the Selection is a Minor Suit: Simultaneously drop upper packet B next to and to the right of the already-tabled packet A, as you drop lower packet C next to but to the left 48 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

If the Selection is a Major Suit: Simultaneously drop lower packet C next to and to the right of the already-tabled packet A, as you drop upper packet B next to and to the right of C. (B and C thus are both placed on the same side, i.e., to the right of, A). The order of the packets, reading from left to right, will thus be A, C, B. All of this occurs in the blink of an eye, as soon as the spectator calls stop. There are only two alternatives, either to “surround” the tabled packet, or for both to go on the “same side” of the tabled packet. Since you’ll already know whether the selected suit is minor or major early on, you’ll have plenty of time to plan ahead for how to drop these last two packets onto the table. (As a mnemonic, I simply remember “Minor Surround” and that reminds me of everything I need.) Again, a caveat: the above minor/major alternatives are written for right-handed shufflers; left-handed shufflers should simply reverse the left/right designations. This will make either alternative feel and look completely natural, because your upper and lower hands won’t have to cross as they simultaneously table their respective packets next to A. The spectator thinks you’re just beginning; she’s apparently still covering her selected card, and you’ve just formed three piles. But in fact, all your work is done, and you’re ready for the climax. And, you’ll be glad to know, the revelations at the climax all look exactly the same, regardless of the suit of the selection. Situation check: If you’ve proceeded as described above, you’re now ready to reveal the card at the face of each of the three tabled packets, moving from left to right, as the matching color (but opposite suit), matching suit, and finally, the spectator’s selection itself. (For left-handed shufflers, if you’ve reversed the left/right packet placement onto the table, you’ll have this desired order, but reading from right to left.) Here’s how I present the several climaxes. Remind Ginny, “Your card is somewhere in your half” – point to the half deck still under Ginny’s hand – “but these other cards – gesture toward the three piles you’ve just formed on the table – “can tell me something about your card. For instance, this pile” – point to the leftmost tabled packet –“is the color pile.” Openly tilt that packet up a bit, to peek at the face card of that packet, but keep it low to the table so that only you can see it. After glancing at that face card, look up at Ginny and ask, inquisitively, “You stopped my shuffle at exactly this point. This indicates your card is a red one, right?” When Ginny acknowledges that you’re correct, only then flip that leftmost packet face up, to reveal that its face card is indeed a red one. (This delayed turnover establishes an action you’ll use for greater effect on the third pile.) Proceed to the next pile (the middle one), saying, “This is the suit pile. It should tell me the suit of your card.” Peek at its face card, again so that only you can see it. Then point at Ginny’s hand (to subtly reinforce where her selection supposedly resides) and say, “You picked a Diamond, didn’t you?” Once Ginny confirms, then turn your middle pile face up, showing that you weren’t making anything up, and indeed its face card is a Diamond. By this point the spectator will get the gist of where the trick is apparently heading. Point to the final tabled pile, commenting, “This last pile is the hardest, because it’s supposed to tell us the actual value of your chosen card – and there are thirteen possible values in the entire deck.” Pause as

you let this fact sink in, and once more point to the spectator’s hand, still holding on to her half of the deck. “And since your chosen card is already out of play over here, it’s even more difficult.” Gingerly tilt up this third pile, so that only you can see its face card, and ask, “Does your card happen to be a Six (or, whatever the value of the selection was)?” The spectator nods that this value is, indeed, correct. She may think the trick is over, since you’ve now fully identified her chosen card; she fully expects you will turn that pile over to reveal one of the other sixes. For the surprise climax, announce, “But the real magic is not just that you stopped exactly at the right indicator cards. Because this indicator isn’t just “any” Six – it’s in fact your very own card, the Six of Diamonds.” Turn this third pile face up, to reveal the selection on its face.

Further Comments Memory Guide: It’s actually pretty easy to remember the alternative procedures, because they boil down to only two simple rules: First, if the glimpsed selection is red, lose the bottom two cards with the pull-down and double undercut; if the selection is black, omit this. Second, if the selection is minor, drop the two shuffled piles “surrounding” the tabled pile; if the selection is major, put both shuffled piles on the “same side” of the tabled pile. That’s it. Setting it Up: The four-card setup is quite easy, and can

easily be done almost impromptu. If you start with a fully shuffled deck and run through the faces, it’s quite likely that you’ll spot two red cards in the order you need (a Diamond, with a Heart immediately below it). Just cut those two cards to the bottom of the deck. All that’s left is to casually move or cull any Club below the Heart, and then a Spade below the Club. That’s it. In fact, it’s not unusual to find within a shuffled deck three out of the four needed suit cards already in order; when this happens, cut all three to the face of the deck, and then cull or place the remaining fourth suit card into the necessary position. Credits and History: The Dribble Toss Control can be seen on Steve Bedwell Taped (A-1 Multimedia, 1995, subtitled, The Steve Bedwell Video, Volume 1) in the routine Parked Card. It also is described in The Trapdoor, issue # 61, p. 1181. The Funsky Glimpse was devised by my close friend Mergel Funsky to be used with the Dribble Toss Control; it first saw print in my effect About Face (MAGIC Magazine, September 2007, p. 95). In experimenting with this effect I originally devised other methods. The entire effect becomes much easier if you’re willing to have the selection forced, because then you only need a two-card setup and you don’t need any alternative procedures. My first attempts were along these lines, but I decided that an obviously free selection added much. I also developed a free selection version, with no setup at all – but it requires that you turn your remaining half face up, to cull the needed two cards. I ultimately decided that the minimal four-card setup described here gave me the best of all worlds, and I hope you like it as well .


Roger Blakiston (AKA Jolly Roger) Unlimited Possibilities

Is it Really Magic? Frequently, a young child will ask me if I am really doing magic. There are many different ways that I could, or could not, choose to answer the question. I could say “yes” or “no.” I could respond with a question, and ask him what he thinks. If I ask him what he believes and he says “yes,” do I then agree with him? I consider the answer of great importance for a children’s entertainer who performs magic. Your response could unknowingly have a profound effect on the child. It is as important as the answer you give when a child reaches a certain age and asks if there is really such a person as Santa Claus. I would guess that many of my readers believe there is no such thing as real magic, and as performers we all know that there is a logical explanation for all the tricks that we do. However, children see the world through very different eyes, and a young child may well believe in magic in the same way as she believes in her imaginary friends or believes that one year is an eternity. What right do we have – or what do we gain – by taking away the belief a child has in magic?

“Never ever doubt in magic. The purest honest thoughts come from children; ask any child if he believes in magic, and he will tell you the truth.” – Scott Dixon Quite often when I take out a puppet in my show, a child shouts out, “Is it real?” Obviously, this child thinks that there is a possibility that it is real; do we say to the child, “He thinks he’s real,” or “Of course he’s real,” or “Yes, he’s real,” or “Don’t be silly, he’s only a puppet!” If you say he is real, then another child may say, “No he’s not,” and an argument ensues. Oh the joys of entertaining children! Another situation that may happen is when a child comes up to you before the 50 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

show and makes the statement, “I know that magic is not real!” Here again, think carefully about the way you react to this. You could say nothing, you could agree with the child, you could disagree with the child, or you could say something like, “Are you really sure?” In truth, the very fact that the child makes this statement could be that he or she is trying to prove something. Ask yourself what the child is really getting at. Maybe the child has always thought that magic was real, and a friend says it is not. Maybe curiosity has prompted the question; your answer could dispel some doubt.

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” –Dr. Seuss When a potential client calls me up and asks me to describe my show, I include the statement that I end my show by levitating myself and becoming invisible. I do not mention that I do a magic trick in which it looks as if I am levitating and becoming invisible. I actually imply in my response that I really do magical things in my show. The client never asks me if there is a trick to it. Even as adults, it is almost as though we are all yearning to believe in magic in a troubled world. It is likely that the clients are creating a picture of what they are going to see at the end of their child’s magic show, and may well be as excited about witnessing this as their offspring. They are looking forward to seeing magic! I love tricks in which the magic happens in the child’s hands. It is great to hear a child say, “Did I do that?” One routine I created, which is currently available on my website, is Jolly Roger’s Ridiculous Ribbons. As part of the routine, a child has three different colored ribbons hanging around her neck while she is wearing a top hat. She removes the hat, places the ribbons inside it, and waves a magic wand; the ribbons become linked together! The child does

all the magic. I did this at a show recently and the mother of my helper came up to me afterwards and said her child was so excited that she was able to do the magic. The child’s reality was that it was her that caused the magic to happen and not me. What is reality? As magicians, we create a false reality (an illusion) through careful manipulation. When performing conjuring tricks, it also becomes necessary to tell false truths. As an example, we announce that we are moving a coin from one hand to the other, when in truth we are retaining the coin in the original hand. I prefer to call this a false truth, as the word “lie” seems too harsh. We are creating illusions – an alternative reality. The majority of the members of our audiences accept this reality without question. The fact that most older folks know that you are using trickery to perform your illusions does not take away from the reality that they cannot logically connect the data you give them to the astonishing conclusion. I do not think that we all experience the same reality, whether in real life, or while watching a magic show. What is real to a young child is quite different to an adult’s perception of reality. You make the determination of what is real and what is not. Last summer, I attended MAGIC Live in Las Vegas. There was a lecture unlike anything I had attended before. It presented the concept of what it would be

like to experience magic if you were blind. We were all given a blindfold and led to a chair, where we were seated for an hour. All we could hear was a voice telling us what to do. There were various objects that we could feel on the side of the chair, and through the sense of touch we were able to experience magic in our hands. It was quite fascinating and indeed amazing. It was another reality, and one that many who are blind must experience on a daily basis. For most of us, light is a reality. For these people, darkness is a permanent reality, and light does not exist. There are those who believe that what we perceive as color is not real – rather it is our perception of bent light (wavelengths) reflected off of or absorbed though our eyes. No two people perceive or “see” color exactly the same. Couldn’t our perceptions of anything as “real” be bent and altered by the experiences we each have in life? My wife never wants to know how (technically) a trick is done. To her, it takes away from the magic, plain and simple. She is a computer programmer, and her life is filled with logic and formulas. There are things that she figures out on her own, of course, especially after seeing a trick performed many times, but she doesn’t want to try to figure it out, even though sometimes I am dying to show her how “simple” it is. I believe there are many people (and for sure, many children) who do not even want to question the validity of the illusion or their perception of it. I am not going to tell you what to say to a child when he or she asks you if magic is real. My purpose in this article is to invite you to ponder on the possible responses, realizing the implications that they can have on the child. When I moved from England to the United States in 1992, my son Nicholas was just eight years old. He had always believed in Father Christmas, although he discovered fairly quickly that Americans called him Santa Claus. I explained to him that it was the same person, and he accepted that. Enter his third grade teacher, who decided to make the statement one day in class that, “As you all know, there is no such thing as Santa.” My son came home from school devastated and confused, and it became necessary to have the conversation with him sooner than was necessary. Santa was real to him even at the age of eight, and in my opinion it was wrong of the teacher to make the presumption that nobody in the class still

believed in him. A magical part of my son’s childhood vanished in that moment in time, never to return.

“Wonder is a very subtle, precious emotion, often lost in the gross hustle and bustle of modern life. When we feel wonder, we are immediately reminded of the purity and innocence of our childhood. Then, everything was magical and mysterious. Magic should help us relive that wonder.” –Doug Henning I consider it of great importance for those of us who entertain children to try to enter their reality. One way of doing this is to take yourself back to the days when you were a child. If you were lucky enough to have seen a magic show at a young age, try to recall what kind of emotional experience you had. Did you think the magician was just a silly man who made you laugh with his antics? Were you fooled by the magic; did you try to work out how the tricks were done? Or dare I suggest that you actually believed that what you were seeing was a real man of magic who cast spells and worked wonders? Have you ever observed young children in their own little creative world? They are oblivious to anyone or anything around them. They are lost in their own imaginative land of makebelieve. They might be singing to themselves or scribbling without thought on a scrap of paper. They could be playing imagination games, or maybe creating towers in their room out of their toys. Often a child’s toy, a toy that to us adults is quite simple, is the toy the child will play with the most. Many times, the box that the toy came in is more appealing than the toy itself.

Time, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.) We all create our own reality. If you are a professional children’s entertainer, you manifest your working life by your actions. If you want more shows, you advertise, organize a marketing campaign, and network with others. If you don’t want to do shows for a couple of weeks to take a vacation, you make that choice. You are master of your destiny, and what may start as only a dream very quickly becomes your reality. Children coming to see you at a magic show expect to witness magic. They may consider it real or trickery, depending on their age, but it is still magic. In my opinion, each child should be allowed to react in a natural way to that magic. They do not all experience the same reality – just as none of us shares the same reality.

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” –Albert Einstein Just a final note: I hope that most of you read James Munton’s excellent Pro Files column in M-U-M. James, like me, is a Brit who has left the UK. He now lives and works in Dallas, Texas, doing shows for both children and adults. James has recently done a one-hour podcast interview with me, and I encourage you all to check this out. I give lots of tips on entertaining children, among other subjects. This podcast will also help you get know me in person, in addition to my ramblings in this column. You can access this podcast by visiting www.MagicBistro.com and clicking on the podcasts list at the top.

“Children see magic because they look for it.” – Christopher Moore In the book The Force is with You, author and movie producer Stephen Simon states that, “both spirituality and quantum physics today are questioning the so-called reality of the world around us. We are coming to realize that this life we live may indeed be an elaborately designed illusion in which we play out the evolution of our consciousness.” (Stephen Simon produced of one of my all-time favorite films, What Dreams May Come, starring Robin Williams, as well as Somewhere in

As always, I welcome all your comments and emails. I can be contacted at [email protected].


The Nielsen Gallery Dante Portrait

Dimensions: Half-sheet 18.5” x 28” • Lithographer: Adolph Friedlander, Hamburg. • Date:1931 Nielsen Rating: Scarce performed as part of Red Skelton’s 1949 tour. Loo’s big break came on September 11, 1961, when he performed on the premiere of Bozo’s Circus. This live TV Large touring illusion shows such as show featured Bob Bell as Bozo, host Ned those staged by Dante and Blackstone Locke as Ringmaster Ned, a thirteenneeded a never-ending supply of “boys” piece orchestra, circus acts, cartoons, and “girls” to serve as assistants and games, and prizes, all presented before onstage confidants. Most who served in an audience of several hundred children. those roles did so for a while and then Resplendent in a Chinese dragon robe, went on to other careers. Others used Loo did tricks involving vanishing their experiences as a proving ground for chickens and pagoda illusions. In 1980, their own interest in magic and became he performed on the Bozo show for the well known and successful magicians twentieth and final time. By that time in their own right. Such was the case for Di Yip Loo (right) assisting Dante and there was an eight-year wait for tickets De Yip Loo, who cut his magical teeth Moi-Yo Miller in the Sawing illusion. to the show. working for both these magic dynasties. In 1985, Loo launched the Shang Po Harry Jansen was an accomplished Magic Show, a family act that included magician by the time Howard Thurston his wife Arlene and daughter Mai Ling, picked him to head his number-two unit which traveled extensively across North and gave him the stage name “Dante.” and South America. But it was through that show that the Commenting on Loo’s impact on world came to know and admire the magic, noted illusionist and magician magical artistry of this talented illuJim Steinmeyer wrote: sionist. He carried a full contingent of There’s little question that Louie was onstage personnel; for three years in the “the real thing.” When you’re growing 1940s, one of his most valued assistants up, you take all those people for granted. was the young Chinese man, De Yip Loo. De Yip Loo was just “the magician” that Loo came to the United States in I saw once or twice a year on Bozo’s 1936, at the age of eleven, to join his Circus. I thought that every magician father, who had settled in Minnesota. Di Yip Loo levitating his daughter was supposed to be that good (or was The rest of his family remained in China. Frances Mai-Ling, who assisted in his show. going to be that good). But it’s only At the age of fifteen, he got a job as a been in recent years that I think about busboy at the Nankin Restaurant in how good he really was. And very few Chicago. One day, Blackstone stopped performers since then have measured in the restaurant between shows at the up. I don’t think it’s just my boyhood nearby Oriental Theatre and struck up a memories. I distinctly recall his act, and conversation. Hungry for new assistants, have seen tapes of his material in more he asked young Loo if he wanted a job recent years. He was “the real thing,” on his show. The manager of the restauand he’d done it all. rant reportedly encouraged him to take Over the course of his sixty-year it, because he was such a lousy busboy. career, Loo has been credited with Thereafter, he worked for Blackstone as inventing, rebuilding, and improving a personal valet and stage assistant for a illusions used by such magicians year until Blackstone started touring for as Harry Blackstone Jr. and Doug the U.S.O. and reduced his troupe. Henning. He was particularly admired From the Blackstone show Loo for his creative improvements in Blackserved as onstage assistant to Dante, stone’s Lightbulb Penetration. a position he held for three seasons. Loo in colorful Chinese costume assists Dante He toured for a while as part of an His steady hand and attention to detail with the Crushing a Woman illusion. act with friend and fellow Dante assistant served Dante well in illusions such as George Johnstone. The comedy turn was Crushing a Woman, Sawing a Woman in Half, and the Backstage Illusion. Soon after becoming a U.S. titled, “Johnstone and O’Rourke,” with Loo playing the Irish part citizen in 1945, he was drafted into the Army and joined the Quar- of the act. Loo retired from show business after suffering a stroke termasters Corps, serving in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and in 1998, but he remains an inspiration not only to magicians young and old but also to people who have had strokes. He lives Okinawa. After the war, he resumed his magic career working in in Chicago.  —Tom Ewing nightclubs, burlesque, and corporate trade shows. He also De Yip Loo and Dante the Magician



INFORMED OPINION Latest Product Reviews Compiled and Edited by W. S. Duncan

Mentalism, platform magic, hardcore card technique, tricks with gaffed cards, a lost lecture video, and even some coin magic come your way this month. If you are looking for something different in the close-up arena, check out Norman Beck’s review of Photoshop, and don’t overlook The Gathering, which uses a playing card, but is not a card trick. If you are really looking for something different, Jim Kleefeld reviews a bill-to-impossible-location effect that will amuse you and your audiences.

Avant-Cards – The Card Magic of Tom Gagnon Written by Wesley James Available from www.TomGagnonMagic.com Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $50.00 Review by Antonio M. Cabral Avant-Cards is the longawaited collection of the unique card work of Tom Gagnon. Every so often a book comes along that really captures the card worker’s imagination, either through novelty, difficulty, creative potential, or some combination thereof. I’m thinking of books like The Card Classics of Ken Krenzel, Ernest Earick’s By Forces Unseen, anything by Jerry Andrus or Ray Kosby. Tom Gagnon’s card work is firmly in that category, exploring a variety of applications of a handful of very intriguing moves. The move monkeys are going to eat this one up. The book itself is beautifully produced, and copiously (and well) illustrated by Tom himself. Some of you might recognize or remember Tom’s illustrations from the Vernon Chronicles series, and his work hasn’t dropped a bit in quality. In addition there are detailed descriptions of each item by Wesley James, and if you’re familiar with Wesley’s writing, his word count hasn’t dropped a bit, either. If a picture is worth a thousand words, between the two gentlemen you’re certainly getting your money’s worth. One caveat about the writing is that in a few places, it’s difficult to distinguish between Wesley’s voice and Tom’s. In describing Gagnon’s Versatile Spread Control, the sentence “Since I needed to learn this technique to assure I could describe it properly…” is clearly Wesley, while elsewhere, describing Cavorting Aces, “Although the patter and the presentation are Dr. Daley’s, the routine is strictly mine” refers to…Gagnon? I think? It’s probably safe to assume that the content is one hundred percent Gagnon, while only the writing is Wesley James. Still, it makes for a confusing read. That quibble aside, the items in Avant-Cards aren’t for the beginner, or for the faint of heart. There are no new and clever self-working principles, nor is there anything for the stand-up or walk-around performer; all the moves require the use of a table, a close-up mat, and ample room. For the enthusiast looking to master every sleight in the calendar however, this book is like 54 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

discovering an extra month between July and August. Leading off is Gagnon’s Tabled Spread Pass, in which Gagnon started from an old gambler’s move and created a shift that has to be seen to be believed. In fact, if you look for Tom on YouTube (or his website, above), you can see him execute this move perfectly; it’s flat-out invisible in his hands. Of the variants and applications offered, the two that caught my eye were the refinement of the original Draw Shift in which the pack never seems to lift off the table, and a handling of the classic Cavorting Aces (aka The Acrobatic Jacks) in which all the action happens with the cards ribbon spread on the table. Following that are the Gagnon Spread Controls, which, while not easy to acquire, are going to be worth their weight in gold to the card worker who develops the kind of facility with them that Tom has. There are very few ribbon spread techniques in the literature; I’m going to be practicing this one. Once you get it under your fingers, it’s a force, a switch, a control, and a reverse. Tom has developed some very creative and practical applications for this idea. Rounding out the collection is a selection of bottom deals, less of the gaming table variety and more of the magician’s switch variety. In many instances, the “bottom” is dealt off the top of the packet, and if that sentence intrigues you, congrats, you’re the exact target audience for this material. One thing that comes through in all of these moves is a very distinct style of handling cards that governs how these moves are executed. It’s all very, very natural – when you see Tom Gagnon do it. Someone else might have to assimilate some new habits in order to make these moves look as good as they should. That’s not a bad thing; the same goes for most card table or gambling moves. With the material in Avant-Cards, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tom Gagnon cuts a path for a whole new crop of card workers. Recommended for the card enthusiast.

Mr. Mysto’s Wizard Academy Book By Mr. Mysto (as Revealed to John Carney) Available from www.CarneyMagic.com Price $20.00 Review by David Goodsell This handsome, soft-cover, eighty-page book will be perfect for that relative or friend who is just getting started in magic. Most of the tricks are the common stuff of beginner’s books, such as the paperclips and the dollar bill trick, the use of a key card, the fake bending of a spoon, and the “sausage between the fingertips” optical illusion. There are a few that are more uncommon, such as the Creepy Crawly Creature, made from a paper napkin and motivated by a rolling lemon under the napkin. But, the magic is not for those already on their way in our craft. Except – that

each trick or stunt is accompanied by wonderful black-and-white inked cartoons showing John as “Mr. Mysto” performing and explaining the tricks with his black cat assistant “Nepomuk” dressed up in rabbit ears (Kudos to artist Stephanie Gladden). Many will buy the book for that reason alone, especially if they have ever seen John Carney perform as Mr. Mysto. The material is simple enough for your ten-yearold niece, but clever enough for your co-worker at the office. These things raise Mr. Mysto’s Wizard Academy several cuts above the average introductory book of magic.

Al Koran – The Unique Years Book Compiled by Martin Breese Available from www.Abracadabra.co.uk Price $47.00 Review by Payne Al Koran is associated with mentalism. And while there are mental effects aplenty to be found in the pages of this new book from Martin Breese, there are other tricks and moves to be discovered as well. Granted, most of these tricks are dedicated to the use of playing cards, but since the majority of the material in this book has been extracted from routines he published in many of the journals at the time, this is to be expected. According to the blurb on the front flap, Al Koran was associated with Harry Stanley’s Londonbased studio, Unique Magic, hence the title of this book. Mr. Stanley encouraged his friend to write up some of the effects used in his act so they could be marketed through the shop. Five of these appear in this volume, along with two effects Koran sold after he moved to the United States. The rest of the material, over thirty tricks in all, has been taken from the various magic magazines Koran contributed to over the years: The Gen, The Magic Wand, Pentagram, and The Wizard. He also submitted material to Abracadabra, but since these articles were reprinted in The Magic of Al Koran a few years ago, they have not been included here. Because he ran a column in The Gen, some of the effects included in this portion of the book aren’t Mr. Koran’s but were selected by him for publication. This section also contains basic information on sleights such as the top change, the crimp, and a deck switch. So it is a veritable potpourri of material, though as already mentioned, it is mostly cards. But there is a torn and restored cigarette paper routine that is worth a look. Those looking for mentalism will not be disappointed; there is plenty of material from Mr. Koran’s working repertoire included here. Instructions for his Miracle Pack, a powerful gaffed deck that I had the pleasure of seeing Johnny Thompson perform at a magic lecture earlier this year, are to be found in these pages. It is

a truly stunning piece of mentalism in which, with only a question or two, one is able to name the card a spectator has mentally chosen from a fanned deck. Most of the material requires minimum sleight of hand, and should be within the technical abilities of the average performer. Some of the tricks require minimal prop construction. Again, there is nothing too complex, but some of it requires the use of colored carbon paper, which you might have a difficult time procuring in this digital age. However, a couple of the effects (the ones taken from the instruction sheets from Unique Magic) require props that either have no instructions on exactly how to build them or will require some delicate skill to construct. These, I believe, were included more as documentation to preserve the legacy of Mr. Koran than to be included in anyone’s act. But apart from these three or four routines everything else in the book is quite usable.

Pentagon: Super Powers Book By Patrick Redford

Available from www.PatrickRedford.com (password tarbell) Price: $40.00 Review by Joshua Kane If one were to draw up a psychological profile of shared interests among magicians and mentalists, noting a penchant for comic books and super hero culture would in a large percentage of cases be a palpable hit. Many of us first bought our magic sets in the hope of gaining actual powers. And every time we read a dealer description that lists all the methods that an effect does not use, we are secretly hoping that we may finally have stumbled on something that does indeed run on pixie dust or dragon’s blood. The theme of Pentagon, the latest volume in Patrick Redford’s Shape series, is superpowers. There is nothing that comes across as prop-y, and the learning curve is both low on mechanics and high on presentation. The first effect, which is found in the introduction, is a sweet take on the strongman stunt of ripping a penny in two. Methods are included in which the penny can be signed. This is stronger than standard coin bending and leaves your audience with an interesting artifact. Patrick’s Super Hearing routine will enable you to deduce the number of pennies in a fistful of change shaken in a spectator’s hand. This can be done in person or over the phone. With X-Ray Vision you will be able to tell which hand a spectator has hidden a quarter in, as well as the state on the back of the coin, and whether the coin is heads or tails up. This is a strong multi-part routine that can be performed in phases or in its entirety. It is excellent for impromptu situations. His extension of Banachek’s P.K.Touches is innovative and weds several pseudo-hypnosis stunts to the initial effect to create a strong suite. A drawing duplication and a time travel effect are also included. All required sleights are capably taught and the crediting is good. There are inside jokes in the comic sections, and the graphic novel format of the book effectively eliminates the need for a DVD. Pentagon is a fun read and worthy of your consideration. I suggest you pick up a copy of Pentagon and the other volumes today as much for the uniqueness of the format as for the continued quality of the material. MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 55

Heart and Soul: Presentations for the Gospel Storyteller Book By Ed Solomon

Richard Osterlind: Live...Without a Net Three-DVD Set By Richard Osterlind

Review by Payne

Review by Joshua Kane

I have heard it said that gospel magic and bizarre magic are simply opposing sides of the same coin. Granted, the performer postulating this theory was a practitioner of bizarre magic. The fact that he also made this proclamation within earshot of a gospel performer should also be taken into consideration. But after giving it some thought, I tend to agree with the hypothesis. Strange as it seems, bizarre and gospel magic have much in common. Chief among them is the use of storytelling in the presentations. So it should come as no surprise that one of bizarre magic’s most prolific of authors, Ed Solomon, has released a slim volume of material specifically created for gospel performers. The book contains twenty-three presentations. But unlike most of the gospel routines I have been exposed to in the past, few of Mr. Solomon’s tales directly refer to scripture. Just as the Bible often uses parable to impart “truth,” Mr. Solomon uses this literary form to frame most of his stories. In fact, many of his presentations would work to illustrate the common themes found in any of the Abrahamic religions, because they touch on the universal beliefs of virtue, compassion, and humility. But at least ten of the routines in the book are built around New Testament teachings. Of these, one discusses the Catholic martyr Saint Rita, another employs Tarot cards, and a third involves the possibly sacrilegious act of filling a water pistol with holy water to fend off an invisible yet malevolent entity. As is common in many of Mr. Solomon’s presentations, the magic takes a subservient role to the tale. In fact, a few of the stories contained in this book are either completely devoid of the use of a magic effect or the author recommends not presenting a trick with the tale because he feels it would only weaken the story. The magic is in the telling of the stories themselves. Those presentations that do involve the use of a trick generally do so only at the very end, using the illusion as punctuation to the story rather than weaving the magic effect through it. Those stories that do employ magic in them use common props that most of us have or can easily obtain. The only routine one might have an issue assembling is the very first routine in the book. This one utilizes a set of gimmicked scales found in Christian Chelman’s Capricornian Tales, a fairly esoteric tome that is most likely not to be found in the average magician’s library. Finally, unlike many books devoted to the genre of bizarre magic, the stories contained here are general enough in their structure and verbiage to be easily adapted to the average performer, something that is unusual in the bizarrist’s circle. More often than not, bizarre routines are so geared to the creator’s persona that they usually have to be completely reworked or re-imagined to fit another person’s performance style and personality. Nearly all the tales in Heart and Soul can (and in many cases should) be performed exactly as they are written lest they lose their impact and meaning.

Live...Without a Net is the latest Richard Osterlind release from L&L Publications. This three-DVD set includes a lot of solid material gleaned from the classics, underused texts, and Osterlind’s own estimable repertoire. There is value to be found here. However, I feel that Richard has done himself a disservice by frontloading the first disc with a series of rants and complaints about the fraternity, and their response to him. It reduces his effectiveness, as he comes across tired and defensive. The first disc is also the weakest of the three. Richard has an agenda that goes beyond teaching good magic and mentalism to magicians. He makes it clear that he is tired of people suggesting that his performances and material will not make the same impact on a non-L&L studio audience. Some people, he asserts, feel that the audience is unrealistic in their reactions and are coached to applaud. This is his chance, he says, to “shut up the mouths of some of these people” who have attacked him on various forums and to prove that he can garner equal (if not greater) reactions before a lay audience. While the first DVD does include a full performance in front of a Reno comedy club audience, we do not actually get to see Richard at his “best.” We are also told in the introduction that he had not walked around warming up the audience as he is accustomed to do. He also makes it clear in the post-show commentary that the set of material he performs has been assembled from various acts he has performed over the years; I doubt that this is the “A” material he would perform if we hired him for a live show. Richard also takes the time in the introduction to vent that today’s magicians are “jaded by the wealth of material” made available to them. This is somewhat ironic, given that Richard himself has contributed to this overabundance by having not only presented his own material to the community, but having also harvested other creator’s effects and, in Ammar-esque fashion, put out pre-gleaned collections. These have, in part, been responsible for raising a generation of mystery entertainers, who feel no need to read and who have not gained, through trial and error, their own personal criteria on how to judge material. Among the material Richard has shared over the years are secrets such as Acidus (which I suspect its creator would not have happily made available to an indiscriminate audience). But, like Richard, I digress... Richard starts off his set addressing the question “Can mentalism and magic be mixed?” with a well received performance of Vernon’s Symphony of the Rings. He then segues into metal bending as he impressively causes several spoons to bend. It did seem odd in a restaurant/club environment that he was using his own spoons rather than spoons from the participants’ tables. His Mental Epic includes the Ronnie Gann gag and finishes stronger than most presentations. Unfortunately, the prop

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Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $99.95

itself is clearly a prop: the best you can say is that it resembles an antiquated restaurant board. Richard argues that a blackboard has less glare than a white board and can be read more easily in the room. I assert that a white pad of paper also has no glare and is commonly found, whereas one would be hard pressed to find a handheld slate even in a classroom, unless one were to go to a Colonial reenactment. He then moves into Par-Optic Vision, a routine using his Dynamo deck in which a spectator selects a group of cards and drops them into his own pocket. Richard, divining the cards, calls them out and the card the spectator pulls out does indeed match each time. This was my favorite effect on the first disc. His Add-a-Number routine does not require a magic shop pad, and the subtleties regarding this routine are exceptional and worthy of note. His Combination Padlock effect, which requires a Grismer lock, a hard-to-find and expensive commercial item, is well routined. Almost half of the performance is taken up with Richard’s presentation of Q&A using a Dunninger box. This is not a method that Richard routinely uses; as he tells us, he explored this method and moved beyond it in developing his Thought Scan device (which, while it has wings, is certainly less boxy than the Dunninger box). Richard has a reputation for performing Q&A. Unfortunately, this reputation is not well served here; in his explanation as much time is spent dismissing anticipated attacks on the routine and the props as in teaching the methodology. In fact, while it is called Q&A, it is actually closer to sealed message reading, of the type Kreskin is known for. No questions are asked, except for the ones used by the mentalist to pump for information. There are no questions answered. Instead, Richard only reveals information that was clearly written down. After already putting too much heat on the Dunninger box by explaining the reasons for its strange construction, he then spends a great deal of time staring down into the box catching thoughts from the air and writing them down before revelations actually begin. The pieces of paper that the thoughts are written on are not even folded up; Richard asserts in the explanation that with the slips being on card stock there would be no reason to fold them. This routine was an excellent lesson in how not to perform Q&A (and why perhaps most performers should not try). Everyone in the audience writes something down and yet only a few people end up directly involved and rewarded – the larger the audience, the greater the discrepancy. While I appreciated Richard’s performance of Q&A with Thought Scan on Mind Mysteries Volume One, I found this presentation ineffective. He closed the set with an uncredited version of Clip Line known as Alpha Mental. Not only are you able to predict where the newspaper strip will be cut, but you can then go on to read the spectator’s mind as he focuses on a word in the first four lines of text he is holding. This is as strong as Clip Line can get, and is worthy of your attention. It is easy to make up with a computer and any desktop publishing program, and is a real fooler. This version was sold a number of years ago by Uwe Schenk and Otto Sondermeyer. Fortunately for the fraternity, Osterlind has come to an agreement with the creators and has put it out with both his personal handling and updates through his website, where it can be found as Alpha Mental Plus. While finding the “good stuff” on Disc 1 was a bit of a slog, I felt amply rewarded by the richer material found on the rest of the set. Disc 2 includes an encore from the stage show, a clean handling of the Linking Finger Rings, and several strong pieces well suited for close-up and post-show performances. A triple prediction effect with index cards from his book Mystique is perfect for walk-around and packs light. If you have ever wanted

to be able to do an Add-a-Number calculator type effect with a borrowed iPhone you will be quite pleased; there is no longer a need to bring your own calculator, and you end clean. His presentation of Dr. Sack’s Dice Routine suited the casino environment perfectly and will soon be in my pockets as well. This is a classic effect from The Phoenix and always manages to fool and delight me. The disc closes off with a performance-only segment of a double penny bend that looks quite good. The third disc has Richard performing in the casino concourse in impromptu encounters. We are treated to more of his spoon bending as well as several kick-butt routines with the Osterlind Radar/Dynamo deck. His Knife through Coat routine, harvested from Tarbell, is a sound reminder that the best material has already been published in books and is only waiting to be rediscovered and employed. It is arguably ungaffed and is taught with all necessary caveats. Richard then goes on to demonstrate multiple routines maximizing the usefulness of his Perfected Center Tear, as well as some compelling reasons to practice with, pack, and use a Swami gimmick. Bob Cassidy’s Chronologue diary effect (marketed by Viking magic) is taught with the Osterlind touches. The performance-only Hypnotic Hands effect, which closes the final disc, leads me to hope that somewhere down the road we will see a Richard Osterlind hypnosis DVD set. It has been said that every time a mentalist picks up a prop his fee goes down. I agree with this and it is one of the main reasons I was not happy with Osterlind’s performance on Disc 1; there are simply too many writing surfaces and implements used. I am not sure if it is that my audiences are sharper-eyed or if Richard’s are more polite, but I am certain that I would be caught out or walked out upon if I performed the Q&A as he does it. I also feel that there should be a warning on the set to indicate that there are many routines that will require specific store-bought props, some of which are expensive and hard to find. Overall, there is too much running when one is not being chased and over explaining of the ordinariness of store-bought props, as well as an assumption that audiences don’t notice certain things. Two pieces are not taught and not everything is taught in order. Is this Osterlind’s best set? No. That would be Mind Mysteries. Is there enough good material to justify the purchase? Yes. Will it encourage you to revisit old books in your library? Definitely. The material presented ranges from classic routines culled from old books that play well today and are worthy of consideration, to deeper explorations of material from Osterlind’s older discs, and one or two pieces that were brought in to avoid repetition from the earlier discs but were not as strong. As with earlier Osterlind sets, there is a mixture of magic and mentalism. There is solid material in the set but you have to wade past the first disc to get it.

Old School Kranzo DVD By Nathan Kranzo

Available from www.KranzoMagic.com Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $35.00 Review by Danny Archer In 2001, a Nathan Kranzo lecture in Dallas was recorded. The original VHS tape was lost, but was recently discovered and converted to DVD. For an older recording, and a onecamera shoot, the sound and video are fine (and there are close-ups at times). DVD navigation amounts to “Play All” with no choice to jump to specific effects or explanations. Nathan starts the performance by putting both hands in his MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 57

jacket pockets and slowly turning around. When he again faces front, he now has a lollipop in his mouth. He then removes his wristwatch, revealing a tan line. He grasps the tan line with his other hand and drags it up his arm (the tan line is no longer on his wrist) until he stops and shows that the tan line is now on his bicep. A candy bar is removed from its wrapper, displayed, and then slid back inside. Demonstrating the art of psychic eating, Nate removes the candy bar and shows that it has a few bites out of it. When he smiles, there is chocolate smeared on his teeth. Explaining how he was unable to cash a check for $10.25 at the grocery store, Nate rips the corner from the check and touches it to a flame; the corner changes into a quarter. The check is then folded and changes into a ten dollar bill. In the routine called Low Tide, three coins are produced from the flame of a lighter and are then vanished and reproduced. Nathan ends the performance at this point and goes on to explain the handlings and methods he employs. From a technical point of view nothing is too hard or difficult for the average magician. The moving tan line effect has been performed on TV by Penn & Teller, Marco Tempest, Chris Korn, and others, and it shows the right-of-center thinking Nathan uses for his clever and creative effects. Low Tide is a nice coin effect that really got me thinking. And the check routine is a wonderful presentation for the classic $100 Bill Switch. Kranzo continues by dropping a lit match into his fist and producing a packet of hot sauce. When he opens the packet, smoke comes out. He also shares an alternate use for the smoke production, which I think more people would actually use. Nate then busts out the pasteboards for an impossible location effect. Probably better suited for parlor than strolling, this is a serious fooler. Then Nate has a sheer handkerchief and a silver dollar examined. He uses the two for a series of visual penetrations of the coin though the silk. In a short interlude, a roll of breath mints turns into a can of breath spray. Then, it’s back to the cards as Nate has two spectators each peek at a card. He has them each name the card and as they both say, “Four of Hearts,” he shows that the deck has vanished, except for that card. Nate stops the performance and explains the effects from the second part of the lecture. The silk and coin routine is different than Ammar’s and I think it’s better. Because only one coin is in play, the audience’s attention can be very focused. The two card effects are great and are off the beaten path (as is a lot of the magic on this DVD). Kranzo is a very talented creator and performer, and watching him at the start of his career, sharing some of his very best material in a live setting, makes for an experience that I highly recommend.

A Little R&B DVD with gimmicks By Dan Harlan

Available from www.danharlanmagic.com Price $19.95 Review by Dan Garrett On his website, Dan Harlan describes the material on this DVD as the “Color-Space-Time-Warp-Sandwich-Express!” The 58 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

packaging (an homage to a rhythm-and-blues music CD cover) displays Harlan’s skills in the graphic arts, but the “R&B” refers to something other than music. In this case, it is the abbreviation for a nifty (and fairly well known) playing card gimmick: the red/blue double-backer. The DVD generously includes three of the gimmicks for you – standard Bicycle 808 Poker Rider Back cards printed by the US Playing Card Company. However, most of the routines require only one of the R&B cards, so you’ll have extras if you need them. The DVD gives us ten varied and sundry effects/ routines, with ten varied and sundry presentational themes. You’ll be surprised at the variety and one or two will stand out. For me, those favorites are Star Trek (being a hard Trekker myself) and R&B Special (a multi-phased Holy Grail of signed card transpositions with the R&B card). Having live performances to show how the material plays in the real world for real people is always a plus on any instructional magic DVD. No exceptions here. Each routine is taught with a true Dan Harlan flare (spelling intentional). You won’t be bored. The skill level is not that difficult. If you have a decent double lift and can competently execute an Elmsley count, then all the material taught here will come very easily to you. If not, then a portion of the material will still be within the grasp of even a rank first-year card wizard. (Work on that double lift!) If you are interested in exploring some magical, entertaining, commercial card routines with the R&B gaff, this DVD is a very good buy.

Metal Eclipse DVD By Tristan Mory

Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $40.00 Review by Marc DeSouza I’ve never met Tristan Mory, but I would not want to bump into him in a dark alley. He gives the impression of being one weird dude. I love the fact that he took a very different direction for this video, but I don’t think it furthered either the performance or teaching of the material. It only highlighted the fact that this guy Mory is one odd man. The disc is subtitled Expert Coin Magic, and, for the most part, that is correct. There are two non-coin effects. One is called Hell, and it is a very old papercutting stunt that isn’t even magic. I have no idea why it was included. The other is called Chemical Flower. A cigarette is pushed into the fist; when the fist is opened, the cigarette has changed into a paper flower. Upon closer examination, it is seen that the paper flower is actually made from a cigarette. It’s an odd little effect, but not one I would be

interested in performing. So now, let’s go to the main subject. I would classify the majority of the techniques and effects to be magician’s magic. Mory’s work is very idiosyncratic. He has amazing accuracy with moves that are what I call concealed juggling. The moves are very “knacky,” but all are telegraphed by actions that betray the actual methods. He has a Spellbound transformation in which the hand is slapped on the coin and the coin changes. This can be repeated endlessly. Again, I think that when viewed a couple of times, the method is a bit obvious. He shows several vanishes, productions, and hand washes that all suffer from the same types of actions listed above. There are also several Matrix routines. In one of them, Matrix Evaporation, the coins disappear instead of assembling, and I think it is very good. His Matrix 450 is also a very fine version of this neo-classic effect. The performances are shot outdoors along a desolate country road. It seemed to be shot in an almost David Lynch-ian manner and, indeed, Mory would not be out of place in Twin Peaks. The explanations are shot in a studio with Mory performing some odd shtick at the beginning of each sequence, usually involving throwing something off screen. Everything is well shot and the explanations are clear, but I was bothered by the fact that there are no credits anywhere on the disc. If you are a coin nut, you’ll find a few things on here that will be of interest. If you are an average magician looking for new material for your performance repertoire, you probably won’t find it here. Given the high price asked for this single disc, I don’t recommend it.

3 DVD By Eric Ross

Available from www.ericrossmagic.com Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $25.00 Review by Danny Archer On the DVD named 3, Eric Ross presents three different effects, all card revelations. The DVD is of the homemade variety, shot with a single camera; a few times the action was not as well framed as I would have liked. But overall the sound and video get the job done. The DVD menu allows you to choose each individual performance, construction, and/or explanations. Mr. Ross begins by performing Chapped for a spectator on the street. She is handed a tube of ChapStick and is asked to select a card. After failing to find the card, Eric has the spectator read the logo aloud, “ChapStick.” As he rubs his finger over the logo, the text changes into the spectator’s selected card. The ChapStick tube is fully examinable. Included are gimmicks needed to make up the effect. It’s not that hard to construct the gimmicked tube. The change of the words ChapStick into the selected card looks great. What’s needed is a better presentation for introducing the ChapStick in the first place. The second effect is called Shades. A spectator selects and signs the King of Hearts. Eric then takes the card and openly draws

sunglasses on one of the King’s faces. Then he visually moves the sunglasses across the card and onto the other King’s face. He then hands out the card for immediate examination as a unique souvenir. Eric clearly covers the construction of the gimmick using materials most of us already have. There is a little more work involved compared to the Chapped gimmick, but anyone should be able to make this work. It takes about five minutes to make a gimmicked card, so restaurant workers probably won’t use this, but it looks great in performance. Watermark is an effect that was previously released in Eric’s lecture notes. A card is selected and returned to the deck. The spectator removes a bill from his pocket; the performer holds the bill and points out the watermark on it. He asks the spectator to name his card; a watermark of the selected card is now clearly seen on the bill. The bill can be shown on both sides and then is handed back. The card watermark is no longer visible. As before, some construction is required and a file on the DVD (you must put it into your computer) contains what you will need to make the gimmick. It is pretty easy to make the gimmick once you take the file to a print shop. The effect looks very good, but here is one caveat: you will need a light source that will allow you to see the watermark in the bill. This may limit your performance opportunities in a professional working environment. As with Chapped and Shades, you end dirty and Eric briefly discusses ditching the gaff, but in all cases, audience reaction should be strong enough to cover the ditch. All three of these revelations are strong and visual and two end with an unusual object (although you probably won’t give away the ChapStick). I like all three effects; the inclusion of the artwork for two of the effects makes this an easy DVD to recommend for anyone looking for a unique and memorable card revelation.

Sly News Tear DVD By Tony Clark

Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $30.00 Review by Jim Kleefeld Ahhh…the elusive search for the perfect Newspaper Tear! It’s been game-on for decades. Many pros thought Gene Anderson found it, although most hobbyists did not discover the beauty of his remarkable work until Doug Henning performed it on national television. It’s so well conceived that its popularity skyrocketed, then plummeted due to overexposure, then rose back up, and eventually leveled off at a more reasonable rate. It’s safe to say that on any given day someone is performing it somewhere. But the Anderson tear has its limitations. It is time-consuming to make up. Newspapers have changed in size, structure, and consistency, and are no longer exactly the best proportions. Daily newspapers, on which the Anderson tear is based, are not ubiquitous as they once were, having been replaced in many households with online and televised news. Tabloids and weeklies, a very different size and format, are increasing in number and popularity. In addition, the Anderson trick has some serious MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 59

preparation in both time and components. Even finding the right wire is no longer a given. Uh-oh. Did I let “wire” slip? I meant “magnets.” And “Velcro.” Back to newspaper tears in general: Improvements, additions, alterations, and alternatives have been offered by Robert Baxt, Alex Hecklau, Mark Mason, and Andrew Mayne, among others. L&L Publishing has a DVD available with versions by six performers. So, why should you consider Tony Clark’s Sly News Tear? Well, there are several positives to Tony’s method. It is easier than most to set up and prepare. You do not need wire, magnets, Blu-Tack, or any other special equipment. There is some craftwork involved, but you will need nothing more than scissors and glue. It uses the common street papers that you can get for free. The restoration is easy and visual. Tony’s video instructions are clear, solid, and easy to follow. And the video includes several important tips on the construction and handling that you could apply to any newspaper tear. The trick can be presented in many settings, including stage, parlor, and even casual or pseudo-impromptu situations, and the price is only $30 for one of the most visual and startling tricks you will perform. The routine is shown in a couple of venues, and then explained well. Clark’s presentation is – well, I don’t want to say “dull” or “dry” – let’s just call it “standard.” You show both sides of a single, double-page spread from a newspaper. You fold it in half and tear down the fold four times, ripping the sheet into sixteenths. You show numerous separate torn pieces. You push the pieces all together. You instantly drop the bundle of pieces and it falls open into a restored full sheet. This is a very decent method – simple, cheap, quick, and easy to prepare and present. It is well documented in a fine and straightforward manner so you can learn it easily and quickly. Getting this product is money well-spent. But if you hang tightly to every dollar and don’t buy your magic lightly, I have a few inherent concerns that you might consider. Although you only use one single sheet, you need four duplicate papers to make up a performance set. Not a problem if you grab a stack of free papers from the stand outside your grocery store, but inconvenient if you want to use a fresh current local paper each time. Tony’s presentation is essentially Anderson’s, the same one Henning performed in the 1970s: “This is an illusion. You only think you see paper being torn.” I would have liked to see his video beefed up with a few fresh presentational ideas. What about special patter for tearing up a specialty paper such as Rolling Stone or USA Today or a local Apartment Guide? I can see doing this for a kid’s birthday party if you have a special birthday newsletter printed. One small flaw I saw in the performance (twice, actually, one in each performance video) is the movement required to vanish the torn pieces. Without tipping the method, I can only say that it looks exactly like what it is. When I watched the initial performance, I knew exactly what Clark was doing and correctly guessed the method. Probably I’m too seasoned and a lay audience would miss this move, but you may want to watch the trailer on YouTube and judge for yourself. Another issue is that the reveal, at least on the video, is a tad slow. The paper drops open instantly to show a vertical half of the front page, which you then flip open to show the entire front page, and open again to show the full front and back spread. There is nothing wrong with this – to the audience it is clearly a fully-restored newspaper – but compared to the Anderson or Hecklau tear where the entire two-page spread opens instantly, it is less visual. The other consideration is whether you want to do a newspaper tear at all. Yes, everyone in the audience knows what a newspaper 60 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

is, but in light of CNN, Facebook, and Twitter, are you branding yourself as old-fashioned by using one? Maybe it depends on whom you perform for. My advice is, know your audience. If you do want to present a newspaper tear, then overall, Newsflash 2.0 is a better newspaper tear, probably the best one so far, but it will set you back a whopping $132. For the money, Tony Clark’s Sly News Tear is a good investment for anyone who wants to update their program with a classic trick.

Photoshop DVD and Props By Will Tsai

Available from www.SMProductionz.com Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $25.00 Review by NormaN Beck When you get a product for review, it is like Christmas: you never know if you’re going to like it or not. I just received two presents, and this is the first of them. I like Photoshop very much. I had never heard of Mr. Will Tsai, the inventor/performer of Photoshop, but I know a good deal about him now from watching this DVD. Mr. Tsai thinks a lot about his magic, and he is a smart fellow. In Photoshop you show a small plastic case with a photograph inside. The photo shows a picture of a candy kiss. You remove the photograph, flex it over a spectator’s hands, and a real piece of candy falls onto the spectator’s palm. And yes, the piece of candy is gone from the photograph. The prop is well made. Besides the effect itself, I liked the format of the DVD; Mr. Tsai gives you many other ideas for the prop. I felt like the DVD was a kick start for being creative. The fact that there are now add-on packs available to extend the gimmick to other effects indicates that we haven’t seen the last of Photoshop. You cannot go wrong with this prop. It will be in my close-up case as a worker from now on. I can’t wait to meet the creator.

Miracle Monte Trick By Wolfgang Moser

Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Retail Price $25.00 Review by Jamie Salinas The Three Card Monte themed card trick is one of close-up magic’s classic routines. There have been many variations, with Michael Skinner’s Ultimate Three Card Monte as arguably the best routine available. Will this one measure up to Michael’s version? The DVD begins with a multiple-camera shoot of a live performance in a formal close-up setting. The routine uses two black cards and a red Ace. The

spectators are invited to try to follow the Ace, but several times, under what seem to be very fair conditions, the Ace is not where they think it should be. Even when a paper clip is used to mark the Ace, it is not where it was expected to be. In the last phase of the routine, a corner of the Ace is torn and removed to mark the money card, but once again is not where we expect. The performance is very easy to follow and looks very magical. The DVD includes special cards printed on Bicycle Mandolin-backed cards. Each time you perform the effect, you will destroy a card, but this card can be given away as a souvenir to the spectator. This routine combines some of the best ideas from Michael Skinner’s routine with some less well known ideas from Harry Anderson. The beauty of this routine is that there are none of the suspicious or confusing moves found in many Monte routines. Also included on the DVD is a bonus routine that uses the specially printed card. Usually a bonus routine is included as an afterthought, but in this case the effect is actually very good, adding greatly to the value you receive with your purchase. You will use this routine, as you will be able to perform it over and over without damaging the special card. Included with the DVD are enough cards for twenty performances. Replacement cards are going to cost you fifty cents each, but for the right situation, this should not be an issue. The table-hopper may think twice about performing this at each table, but the effect and routine are very strong. This is a very good alternative to Michael Skinner’s version, so if you are not put off by the cost of refills, you may want to invest your time and money in this.

Stand Up Monte Trick by Garrett Thomas

Available from www.KozmoMagic.com Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $30.00 Review by W.S. Duncan I should begin by laying my own cards on the table: I do not like card tricks with a Three Card Monte theme. I’m not sure why exactly, but lying to people who believe I’m showing them something that will protect them from cheaters makes me feel like a dirty cop – or a politician – whatever. This is an emotional response, not a logical one, but it seems to me that if you are going to tell your audience that you will demonstrate how cheaters work, then you shouldn’t cheat them by doing a freakin’ card trick. Just do the real Monte with the hype, the bent corner, and all. If you do cards, you already have at least one book with a legitimate (?) routine, and it’s no harder to learn than most card tricks. If you think that’s an untenable position, well, it’s just gotten worse. Garrett Thomas has released, through Kozmo Magic, a card trick called Stand Up Monte, and it’s brilliant. Honestly, it makes me reevaluate the whole thing about cheating people, because the blow off is so over the top.

With quotes praising the routine from stars like Daniel Garcia, Eric Jones, Jeff McBride, and Paul Harris, it’s hard to imagine that people will overlook this. It’s probably more likely that it will become the standard routine, as was Michael Skinner’s before it. Yep, it’s good enough that you might toss away your Ultimate Three Card Monte set in favor of this collection of gaffed cards. The routine consists of the usual bewildering series of transpositions between the money card (here a Queen) and two indifferent cards. But then things begin to get weird, when, after admitting that you have extra cards, you introduce a second Queen, and then a third indifferent card until you end up with three Queens and three indifferent cards. And then the three indifferent cards change places with the three Queens under test conditions. It’s an over the top, not at all legit, card trick pretending to be a gambling demo – which used to bother me, but not so much anymore. Recommended for folks who like playful and interactive card tricks.

Ultra Gum DVD By Spidey, Devon Ye, and Richard Sanders Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $30.00 Review by Jim Kleefeld For a nifty, quick, casual effect that looks impossible, it’s hard to beat Ultra Gum, conceived by Devon Ye and Spidey. This is essentially an “object to impossible location” trick. A small object appears sealed inside one capsule of a clear, blister-pack-style chewing gum package. Ultra Gum is priced the same as most other one-trick DVDs, but you get a couple of gimmicks and two-and-a-half hours of clear instructions that detail the original premise and numerous variations in both handling and effect. The basic trick is that you borrow a dollar bill, tear off the corner, vanish that corner, and cause it to reappear inside a brandnew, factory-fresh, sealed blister pack of gum. The gum package is the kind that has a cardboard sleeve outside and a multi-bubble blister pack inside. You can have the gum package in play, even held by a spectator, before you borrow or vanish anything. Variations include using a selected card instead of a bill, or causing the entire bill to transport instead of merely the corner. Although the shaky hand-held camera irritatingly wobbles and bounces around in what I assume is an effort to look “slick” or “urban,” you can still see some looks of surprise, amazement, and incredulity on the spectators in live shots. In a close-up, impromptu setting, the effect looks like amazing magic. Devon Ye and Spidey demonstrate and explain the trick that they created, and Richard Sanders teaches most of the preparation, setup, and handling. This works well, because Ye and Spidey get the credit they deserve for their creation while Sanders clearly comes across on camera as the most succinct presenter. Although the variations are minor, you’d do well to watch all the presentations, as some may be much more appealing to you than others. One of the nice things about this product is its adaptability. The creators transport a bill corner, an entire bill, MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 61

and a card corner into the sealed blister portion of a gum pack, both under cover and visibly. Small pieces, such as the corner of the bill appear in the blister along with the gum. If you use a full folded bill, it replaces the gum piece. The trio shows several routines for each presentation. The flaws in the product are small, mostly ones of redundancy. Each part is taught and retaught with many repetitions of action. The performance of Time Travel, for instance, is shown three times with little variation. Also, the presentations were not scripted, and could have used some film retakes or editing. Several times the video is cut off and replaced by a black screen with text giving you additional advice or a correction. The producers obviously knew they had left something out. How hard would it have been to just refilm that five-minute segment? Another thing I found curiously lacking is any exploration of other package products besides gum. This effect and method would surely work with other types of packages and blister-packed products. Your major consideration in buying this should be how much you will want to use it. Although amazing and visual, there are some downsides. Each performance instance finds an object embedded in a new package. The spectator tears open the package to retrieve the bill or card corner. What that means is that each time you want to present the effect you have to use another prepared packet. If you make four at home and carry them with you (a package of gum, is fairly small, after all), you can do it four times (possibly eight) in an evening. This may be fine for that once-in-a-lifetime moment with friends, but not as handy for restaurant table-hoppers who do twenty-four sets a night. The prep is easy, but will take you about fifteen minutes, so consider reserving this for that one special moment in the evening. Another consideration is that it clearly plays better as an off-hand or impromptu effect. If you do concise scripted sets, this may stand out as a setup. However, if you like to have something ready to totally amaze a small group of people at any given time, Ultra Gum is a clever idea, a great effect, and well-worth the price of admission.

The Gathering DVD by Jamie Dawes

Available from www.full52.com Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $35.00 Review by Marc DeSouza Here is a compelling penetration effect. A card is chosen and the participant signs it. You take a hole-punch and punch two


holes in the top end of the card. You then take a borrowed ring and link it through the two holes. You can hand the spectators the card to examine; the ring is really linked on the card. You finish by tearing through the card to remove the ring and return it. The spectator can keep the card as well. So, what’s the catch? Well, it’s not real magic, so you need a gimmick. Jamie and Dave Forrest take you through the preparation of the card, which at first seems a little daunting, but it is just a knack you will need to develop. Once you get it, you should be able to prepare one in about five minutes. You do need a new card every time you perform this effect, so you will most likely not use this in every set if you do strolling or restaurant magic. There is a little fiddly moment when you actually link the ring onto the card, but I think it should pass muster in front of a real audience. As a one-trick DVD, I would consider this to be too expensive for the effect, but wait! No, there are no Ginsu knives, but a bonus effect that is a great color-changing deck routine. A card is chosen from a blue-backed deck. Suddenly, the card turns red, then the rest of the deck changes to red as well, but then the card turns back to blue. Finally, the entire deck goes blank on the backs and the fronts, except for the selection. Now what would you pay for this two-trick DVD? Well, it is still an expensive DVD, but a little closer to reasonable. I would not expend the effort required to make each gaff to perform this on a regular basis. I would consider using it once in a while, though, for a special audience. The Color Changing Deck is excellent and I will certainly use that one, so the DVD is worthwhile on that basis. $35 is probably not a high price to pay for a piece of magic that I will actually use, but you may feel differently. It’s not for the curious. On that basis, I give it a guarded recommendation. 

If you wish to have your product reviewed please send it to: Bill Duncan P.O. Box 50562 Bellevue, WA 98015-0562

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INSIDE STRAIGHT BY NORMAN BECK

Much Ado About Little Everything is bigger in Texas; at least that’s what we say. I am not here to talk to you about the big things in Texas, nor are we going to discuss trivial matters. Rather, we are going to talk about the little things. I am a big fan of tells and minutia – precise details, small or trifling matters. I love Mac King’s show, but I don’t love it because of one single trick or effect. I love it for the thousand little things that happen along the way: the call-backs, the perfectly placed jokes, the wonderfully motivated sleights – the details that in combination become much more than “little.” My topic this month is the word “little,” a word that crops up in many famous quotes. Writer Robert Brault said, “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” Winston Churchill said, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” I will tell you from personal experience that “little” is a word that you should use sparingly. Very often, little is not the best word choice. I came to learn this one day while I was a claims adjuster for State Farm Insurance. A very crusty curmudgeon who worked next to me said, “You know, you get off on the wrong foot with everyone you talk to on the phone.” I was shocked. I normally have a good bedside manner and am normally not rude (unless I am in a 7-Eleven convenience store). What could I be doing wrong? I had to ask my coworker straight up, because he would not volunteer the information. Here was my error: When I called someone about the claim he had pending, I said, “Good morning Mr. Doe, this is Norman Beck the adjuster for State Farm. I am calling to talk to you about the little wreck you had last week.” That one small word was my downfall. At first I didn’t understand what I was doing wrong, even after it was explained to me. The problem with the word “little” is that for the person who had the wreck, it wasn’t little and it wasn’t trivial. It was a major bad day for them. We may forget what we had for lunch yesterday, but we remember every wreck we have been in. The fact that I used the word little started me off on less than firm footing; without realizing it, I was being insensitive to the situation. One day, one of the women who works at my current office was very excited that she had been given a promise ring. A coworker made the statement “My, what a cute little diamond it has.” As you can imagine, that comment was not taken as a compliment. As a magician, you could also fall into this trap. You go to do a kid’s birthday party and you tell the parents, “I am here for the little magic show.” The problem is that in relationships (and it’s all about relationships) you just don’t know what is “little” to someone else, or how sensitive they may be to the word. You are much safer to not use it.  MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 63

Christian Painter

Mental Breakdown

The Mentalist’s Dilemma Recently, Katalina and I performed for a college journalism class that was learning to write from an objective viewpoint about what they have experienced. They were aware that we were entertainers and had seen our website. We performed twenty minutes of show and then took questions for fifteen minutes. Most of the questions were pretty standard, but then Katalina was hit with this one: “How long have you known that you possessed your special abilities?” There was a long pause; they knew we were entertainers, we injected much levity and fun in the presentation, and we never stated that we had any psychic powers. And yet, here we were, standing at the edge of the mentalist’s dilemma. Why is answering this question such a dilemma? We have performed over two thousand college shows over ten years. We learned very quickly that if, at the conclusion of the show, you share with your audience that everything you did was a trick or a deception, they will be greatly disappointed. They feel cheated. They wanted to believe in something more and you took that away from them. This all happens at an emotional level. Do not confuse this with a rational, intellectual exposition of psychic powers; what I’m talking about is an entertainment show. It is an emotionally driven event. Not everyone will believe that you have powers. Over the years of performing, we have come to validate that Dunninger was correct: “One third will believe no matter what; one third will not believe no matter what; and one third remains uncommitted.” As a mentalist entertainer, I have no agenda concerning psychic phenomena. It is merely one premise for the show. My wife and I are not consciously trying to make any statement about the psychic world. To be clear, in our show Katalina and I never state that we have any psychic powers. We never claim that we have 64 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

abilities beyond those of the rational scientific realm. We do create an aura of mystery and wonder and we want our audience to stretch cerebrally. We think of our performance the same way one would think of a Spiderman or Star Trek movie. In these movies, people get to watch something that they know is not real, but yet are able to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the movie. Once it is over, they are able to discuss details, but always in their mind they know that it is fantasy. So then, why do people believe that a mentalist might have powers, but Spiderman and Captain Kirk do not? Here are two possible answers: 1) People are emotional beings; they want to believe that there might be more to the world than what they’ve currently seen, read about, or experienced. People thirst for a greater consciousness. As mystery entertainers, we give them those glimpses – that hope. 2) We have come to understand that no matter how good a movie is it can be faked, through CGI, editing, or advanced technology. However, for a live mystery performance the audience can rule out any movie trickery; they are forced to decide whether what you do is real or a trick. Most audiences believe that they are able to see through any normal magical techniques. They believe they know and understand to some degree about sleight of hand, the use of the sleeves, or secret mirrors. When, after viewing a live performance, all of this is ruled out, they begin to wonder, “Is this real?” If your script is believable, your premises plausible, and your technique excellent, then you have led your audience to the edge of their belief system. This is where I enjoy taking my audience. However, the drawback is: at the end of the performance, how do you handle the questions from those individuals who, regardless of what you may have said or done during the show, believe that you have extraordinary powers? Katalina and I used to think we would simply answer them honestly. However, we learned that this upset people. Hearing the stark, barren truth was like showing the empty sets and half-constructed buildings of a good movie. It was an emotional letdown. At one time or another, we have all read that, for performers, the show begins

when you arrive and ends when you drive away in your vehicle. Katalina and I have learned, the hard way, that this is very true. Who is at fault if the audience begins to believe that you have real powers? You never said you had any, the performance was in an entertainment environment, and you called yourself an entertainer; it would seem that to any logical person, you were nothing more than an actor on a stage (nod to Robert-Houdin). However, a very good performance, like good music, strikes us at an emotional level, and then our rational faculties begin to leave us. However, is leaving people wondering a bad thing? Isn’t this how inspiration can ignite finite possibilities? Should we destroy their wonderful feeling just to instruct them that we are mere tricksters? Do we have a civic responsibility to inform our audiences that we are nothing more than deception artists, no matter how it impacts the show? Or should we let them enjoy the emotional rush that they paid to receive? This is an ethical and existential question. Katalina and I have never believed that we will change the belief system of a person coming to our show. We might inspire them, make them laugh, make them wonder, or give them an emotional rush, but we won’t fundamentally change the fabric of their thinking. Occasionally, we do get someone who comes up to us after the show with much deeper questions about what is possible and what is not. We handle these situations on a case-by-case basis. The mentalist’s dilemma is not connected to the conmen who might use trickery for personal gain, but for those entertainers who are thrust into decisions about when the show ends. When do we break the spell that we have created? When are we no longer entertainers? These are personal questions, and they are not as simple as they seem. In the classroom, when Katalina was asked that question there was a long pause. Katalina and I glanced at each other. We have non-verbal cues born out of years of performing together; without saying a word, we knew that we agreed on how we were going to handle this one. I stood back and Katalina began her answer. 

The Contest of Magic at the S.A.M Convention

Las Vegas, Nevada July 23 – 26, 2012 If you would like to be considered for The Contest of Magic at the S.A.M. Convention in Las Vegas, you must obtain an application packet. To do this, email Paul Critelli at: [email protected]. Put “S.A.M. – Contest” in the subject line. Please make sure to include your email and your full name, regular postal address, and your phone number. If you do not have access to email, send your request to:

Paul Critelli, 858 Iroquois SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 All application packets will be sent out on or after January 5, 2012. Please note the following deadlines: • All requests for an application packet must be received by May 18, 2012. • All applications and DVDs must be received by June 25, 2012. • Do not send any DVD without a completed application form. Thank you and good luck! Paul Critelli, Chairperson – Contest of Magic MARCH 2012 - M-U-M Magazine 65

Larry Hass

Theory and Art of Magic

Taking the Career Plunge As a magic teacher and college professor, hardly a week goes by in which I don’t receive emails from dedicated magicians who have pressing questions about our craft. One question that comes up a lot is about how to make magic a full-time career. Many people love performing magic; it is their passion and their “calling.” How can they go about doing it full time? Since I am asked about it so frequently, this month I want to share my best insights on “the career question,” insights arrived at through personal experience, many conversations, and considerable reflection. My goal is to help magicians who are wrestling with this understand the options, so they can arrive at the best course of action for themselves. First, I have found that the career question primarily comes from people in one of two groups: those who already have a day job (or career), and mid- to late-teenagers who are troubled about whether to go to college or to become a full-time performer. I have things to say to each group, but a first important reminder applies to everyone: there have been countless excellent performers and creators who had non-magic day jobs. Some famous historical examples are Dr. Jacob Daley, Milt Kort, John Ramsey, and Alex Elmsley; a few current examples are people such as Marc DeSouza, Jack Kent Tillar, John Bannon, and Norman Beck. I suspect most readers will know many other people who fit the bill. Clearly, it is possible to have a first-rate career in magic keeping it as an avocation, rather than making it a full-time vocation...and the money is better! But let’s say you have heard the sirens’ song calling you to quit your job or career and take the plunge. What then? Assuming this is not simply “bad day at the office” daydreaming, I believe there are two different ways to make the transition. The first one is what I call “sink or swim.” That is, you just up-and-quit your 66 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

day job and then knuckle down to get performing work. I am not criticizing this approach; I know a number of successful full-time magicians who have done it this way. For them, needing to pay the bills forced them to find work and become good enough to get more work, again and again. Having said that, I also know several people who have tried this and sunk; they are not involved with magic anymore. Yes, “sink or swim” is risky business indeed. My perception is that the people who succeed at this already have considerable performing experience and a solid repertoire of good material. They also have extremely modest lifestyle needs and a special talent for improving under fire. “Perform or perish” is not for everyone, but it is for some people, and perhaps you are one of them! The other approach is what I call “plotting and planning.” Here, one plans to go full-time at some point in the future, and, in the meantime, strategically works hard to prepare for the big day. This “strategic work” typically involves performing lots of shows, getting promotional materials in place, building a large network of clients, and saving money for the rainy days that will soon be upon you. It may also involve many complex conversations and negotiations with your partner or spouse who, at first, is going to think you’re nuts! I can tell you that plotting and planning is an excellent way to “take the plunge.” I say this with confidence because it is how I made the career transition. I used to be a full-time college professor, teaching a variety of subjects in philosophy, but over a period of about ten years I slowly and surely changed my career. I currently work on magic about ninety percent of the time as a performer, magic teacher, writer, and publisher. Yes, I said “ten years.” This approach is not for the impatient among you. But please note: I worked on magic just about every day of those ten years to develop the repertoire, skills, experiences, and network of relationships that made it possible for me to go (mostly) full time. And this approach didn’t drive a semitruck through my family life either. Plotting and planning is a fine way to go. On the other hand, perhaps you are a teenager wrestling with the question of whether or not to go to college. I keenly

appreciate the dilemma: you feel the excitement of a career in magic while college looks like a big, fat drag, and a waste of time. I hear you, but the correct answer is: go to college! You might think I say this because I am a college professor. The truth is actually the opposite: I am a college professor because I understand the unsurpassed economic and personal value of a college education in America today. Here are two shocking economic facts to consider (College Pays 2010, CollegeBoard Advocacy and Policy Center): 1) Median earnings of bachelor’s degree recipients are $21,900 more than high school graduates. 2) Median earnings for men ages 25-34 with a bachelor’s degree are seventy-four percent higher than for high school graduates (seventy-nine percent for women). Please read the above two sentences again; they shout volumes about the economic imperative of being college educated in the world today. But the economic benefits are small compared to the personal growth benefits: college vastly expands the global horizons and cultural literacy of people. It gives them desperately needed communication skills. Further, wise young magicians choose courses of study that fuel their magic careers, such as theatre, communications, business, and marketing. And they make countless opportunities to perform on campus and become famous as “the magician.” The bottom line is that going to an excellent college, and working hard there, rather magically transforms you into a more interesting person – the exact kind of person who smart, wealthy people want to hire. Over the years I have spent time with a significant number of magicians who opted out of college. While there are a few exceptions (those who created selfeducation programs), the vast majority of them regret it. Go to college and build your magic career at the same time. It is not an “either/or.” I wish you the very best as you wrestle with all the complex factors involved in “considering the plunge.” In matters such as this, where your quality of life and happiness are squarely on the line, it is imperative to listen to both your heart and your head. Good luck! 

Aldo Colombini Anytime, Anyplace ‑ Any Deck In the Outback

This uses the Bluff Jog Force. The inspiration for the move came from John T. Sheets’s Betcha in his one-man parade in the May 2003 Linking Ring. Effect: A card is chosen from one half of the deck. Two cards appear in a startling way in the other half, revealing the value and suit of the chosen card. Performance: Take back a shuffled deck and spread it with the faces of the cards toward you. Glimpse the top two cards of the deck. Let’s assume that the Six of Clubs is on top, followed by the Ten of Diamonds. Look for either the Six of Diamonds or the Ten of Clubs and bring it to the face of the deck. Let’s assume we find the Six of Diamonds and bring it to the face. Cut the deck into two face-down piles. Pick up the pile with the Six of Diamonds on the bottom and perform the Bluff Jog Force as follows: Pick up a break over the bottom card. Grasp the deck from above with the right hand in an overhand (Biddle) grip. Use your left thumb to peel off cards into your left hand until stopped by the spectator. Point to the last card peeled into the left hand. The right hand moves forward with its half, as if it were pushing the top card forward with your middle finger (Photo 1). Actually, nothing moves; when the right half is out-jogged over the front of the deck, drop the card below the break onto the bottom packet (Photo 2), and

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 4

Photo 3 then move your right hand straight back, leaving the bottom card out-jogged from the deck (Photo 3). Properly timed, this looks exactly as if you were pushing the top card of the left-hand portion forward. Drop the right-hand cards on top, leaving the Six of Diamonds out-jogged. Set these cards aside on the table. You are now going to do the Outback Display used by Jack Birnman in his routine And a Pair of Kings. Pick up the other pile (with the Six of Clubs and Ten of Diamonds on top) and hold it face down in left-hand dealing position. Do a double turnover to show the Ten of Diamonds. Leave the double face up on top of the pile. Grip the packet from above in the right hand. Your right forefinger swing cuts the top half of that pile into the left hand. The right-hand cards are brought over the left-hand cards and the middle finger of the right hand is placed onto the face-up Ten of Diamonds. Square the right-hand cards with the left-hand packet, but in so doing the middle finger of the right hand pushes the Ten of Diamonds forward, forcing it to be out-jogged (Photo 4). The Six of Clubs remains face up

between the two packets. The left forefinger pushes all the cards below the Ten of Diamonds backwards (toward you) so that the Six of Clubs appears on the protruding portion of the packet (Photo 5). This is the Outback Display; the whole sequence is a continuous move that only takes a few seconds.

Photo 5

Point first to the Six of Clubs, referring to its value, a Six. Then point to the Ten of Diamonds, referring to its suit, a Diamond. Point to the out-jogged chosen card on the other packet on the table. The spectator removes it and he will find that it is, in fact, the Six of Diamonds.  Ciao, Aldo [email protected]


George Schindler

The Dean’s Diary

I didn’t need Marilyn Monroe; I had Pamela Smith singing “Happy Birthday” to me that night. A year later we Magical Birthdays were working in I was born on Easter Sunday, March 31, Canada at Perfect Magie and was the only baby boy delivered in that Magic’s hospital on that day. The nurses thought Montreal, and more it was an omen. But the only connection magic friends offered I have with Jesus was that we were both best wishes. I had milestone born Jewish. The Israel Zion hospital in another Brooklyn is still there and was renamed the birthday in 1999 when Maimonides Hospital. My mother always Bill Walsh gave me told me that I had to be born on March 31; a surprise bash in a day later and I would have been an April Sydney, Australia. He presented me with a fool (close call). Lots of kids have a magician at their hat that was a wok with birthday parties. But in recent years I have the underside covered with a hairy wig been lucky enough to have many magicians and designated as “Hair’s Wok.” (We at mine. How wonderful it is to be in this had already seen Ayres Rock on an business where our friends and colleagues earlier visit.) My largest magical family is the are “family.” As I get older, I recall many special dates that marked milestone events. S.A.M. national council. The midyear meeting is usually In my line of work I in March, and just get to travel a great deal; before the start of it seems that March is the dinner show in always a busy month. St. Louis (2004), Once the “Ides of March” Gary Hughes had a pass, I’m on the road a lot. special announceIn 1979 I remember celement to make. He brating my birthday with called my name many newfound friends and presented me in Birmingham, England, with a delicious at a Jack Hughes Wizards cake. The Texas Weekend of Magic. It meeting in 2007 was the first (and last) was no exception. time I drove in England. Richard Garriott I rented a car in London. hosted a really Lee Noble, Nina, and I Wearing the Hair’s Wok. great afternoon of packed Denny & Lee, magic at his home their canvas trunk, and all of our luggage into a very small Aston in Austin, with close-up walk-around Martin. The following day, we celebrated magic and a show in his automaton the fact that we were all still alive and that it museum. In mid afternoon, Virginia Apperson insisted I see the display on was my birthday. In 1984, Nina and our two closest non- the patio. And there it was – two large magical friends arranged for dinner at birthday cakes! It was fortunate that Mostly Magic on a Thursday, which was they did not have a candle for each year sometimes open mic night for comedians, or the fire marshal would have shut us and not always a full house. It seemed a bit down. There are no tighter bonds than odd to find the place full, but the giveaway those among the S.A.M. and our magical was that my father and Nina’s mother were fraternity. See you in Vegas. By the way, sitting at a front table. Nina and her cohorts July is Jann Goodsell’s birthday.  had a great magical surprise party for me. 68 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

Birthday in Austin

Rod Danilewicz

Confessions of a Paid Amateur

Watching Others If you are serious about becoming a better performer, there is educational value in watching others perform, but only if there is no magic in their presentation. We always get distracted by the magic. I collect videos of older performers – Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Sid Caesar, and the like. Find these if you can. Have a pen and pad handy as you watch them with the volume off on your TV. Our purpose is not to enjoy, but to observe, take notes, and learn. Watch how Bob Hope and Jack Benny made an entrance – body erect, head up, long confident strides. Their body language says they are in command. As they approach center stage they will look at and acknowledge the audience. Once at center stage they pause and their gaze sweeps the audience. Without saying a word they convey the message: “I am here because of you, and I want you to know I appreciate that.” The pause also gives the audience time to focus their attention. Hope and Benny were two of the biggest stars of their day, but without an audience they would have been nobody. If you’re happy practicing card fans in front of the mirror or doing a half-baked spongeballto-square presentation at the club meeting, you need read no further. You don’t need an audience, because it’s all about you. The audience does not need to be bored by another lackluster demonstration of tricks incoherently strung together. Your fellow magicians don’t need you out there giving magic a bad name. Are you catching on? I feel the entrance sets the tone for the entire show. For us part-timers there will be variables we have to control. We will not often have the luxury of being introduced by a professional emcee. Write an introduction the Kiwanis Club president can read. This is his time in the spotlight as well. Expect him to add his own spin 70 M-U-M Magazine - MARCH 2012

and a bad joke. Keep it short and simple. A hometown crowd will already know who you are. Just tell them enough to let them know you are competent at your hobby. Save the B.S. for your obituary. We will see few formal stages that allow a grand entrance from the wings. Most of us work at audience level from the floor. While our introduction is read we stand beside the emcee with our head down and hands clasped like a mourner at a funeral. Our grand entrance consists of looking up to suddenly realize there are other people in the room and taking three weak steps forward. In this instance, I would make my entrance from the back of the room. It creates interest; all eyes are on you as you appear for the first time. If you’ve been standing up front like a sad sack the audience has already formed an opinion about you. If there is a center aisle use it. Act confident and show enthusiasm as you come forward. Acknowledge the audience and connect with both sides of the aisle. If you must use a side aisle, don’t forget the far side of the room. A casual wave and smile as you look directly at those people works nicely. We are now center stage, smiling at the audience. While they are forming an opinion of us, we are, in turn, sizing them up. If you did your preshow work, it only takes a few seconds to determine where key people are seated. If you scanned the group while setting up, you should know who the shy people are, people who would not be good volunteers. You will have identified troublemakers you don’t want to call on. When you do zero in on a potential victim, observe her. Pick up clues on how to best invade her space without upsetting her. I never directly ask someone to come up and assist me. I first engage in a little small talk. If you can ask a couple of questions that elicit a yes answer, she will be more receptive when you ask her to come up. “Madam, that dress you are wearing

To be a magician you need only to learn a few tricks. To be an entertainer, you have to acquire some verbal tap dancing skills. Your effects and methods will rarely change, but each audience will be different. is stunning. Would you consider joining me on stage so the rest of the audience has an opportunity to admire it?” Even if she refuses, you have shown that you care enough about your audience that you notice individuals. To be a magician you need only to learn a few tricks. To be an entertainer, you have to acquire some verbal tap dancing skills. Your effects and methods will rarely change, but each audience will be different. Everything you do should have a presentation for seven different types of audiences: children’s shows (of course), savvy teenagers (a special challenge), baby boomers (who were brought up believing it’s all about them), the boisterous crowd where alcohol is served, an audience of all older people, genteel groups, and the audience that is made up of all of the above. The body language and words you choose for each audience are more important than your selection of what tricks to perform. Next month I put my hand up your shirt and you get to speak.  Email me at [email protected].

MUM,03-2012

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