MUM,10-2014

OCTOBER 2014

MARTIN GARDNERPage 36

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MAGIC - UNITY - MIGHT Editor

Michael Close

Editor EmeritusDavid Goodsell

Associate Editor W.S. Duncan

Proofreader & Copy EditorLindsay Smith

Art DirectorLisa Close

PublisherSociety of American Magicians, 18915 East Briargate Lane, #1F

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4 M-U-M Magazine - OCTOBER 2014

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OCTOBER 2014

M-U-M (ISSN 00475300 USPS 323580) is published monthly for $40 per year by The Society of American Magicians, 6838 N. Alpine Dr., Parker, CO 80134 . 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.

Volume 104 • Number 5

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES28 Nielsen Gallery • by Tom Ewing32 Not Just Kid Stuff • by Jim Kleefeld35 Tech Tricks • by Bruce Kalver36 COVER STORY • by Tom Ewing42 Hit the Road • by Scott Alexander44 Illusions of Grandeur • by David Seebach46 Cheats and Deceptions • by Antonio M. Cabral48 Messing with your Mind • by Christopher Carter50 El Roberto Enigmatico • by R.D. Michaels52 The High Road • by Mick Ayres54 You Bet Your Life • by Michael Close57 Cinematrix • by Max Maven58 Informed Opinion • New Product Reviews 67 Chicago Magic Competition • by Neil Tobin68 Salon de Magie • by Ken Klosterman69 Inside Straight • by Norman Beck70 The Dean’s Diary • by George Schindler70 Basil the Baffling • by Alan Wassilak

MAGAZINEM-U-M

Cover Story Page 36 Cover photo courtesy of the Charlotte Observer

OCTOBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 5

S.A.M. NEWS 6 From the Editor’s Desk

8 From the President’s Desk 11 M-U-M Assembly News 22 Broken Wands 24 National Council Minutes 26 Good Cheer List 69 Our Advertisers

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Editor’s Desk

I don’t recall when the name Martin Gardner entered my consciousness, but it must have been when I was twelve or thirteen. At that time I bought as many magic books as I could afford, and one of my purchases was Bruce Elliott’s The Phoenix. Gardner was part of the Friday Night Sodality, a group that included Dai Vernon, Doctor Jaks, Jay Marshall, and other prominent New York magicians, who met regularly at the Elliott apartment. I learned Gardner’s 1-10 Sponge Ball Routine and studied his columns in Hugard’s Magic Monthly. And then, of course, there were the columns in Sci-entific American and his great book, Mathematics, Magic and Mystery.

This month marks the one-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Martin Gardner. Tom Ewing penned the cover story, which includes remembrances of several of Martin’s friends and colleagues. The tricks this month from regular contribu-tors Bob Farmer, Christopher Carter, and Mick Ayres have a Gardner theme. In addition, there are two tricks, one by Max Maven and one by me, that are Gardner-ish in their methodol-ogy. I think you’ll really enjoy them. The Farmer offering is a remarkable bar bet that is completely counterintuitive. Unless you make up a set of dice and play around with them for a while, you won’t believe that the game is a losing proposition for the spectator. My trick is a recent invention. I came up with it in May of this year and showed it to a few select friends at the 31 North gathering in Toronto and at the combined convention. No one had seen anything quite like it, and the payoff of the trick came as a big surprise. If you assemble the props and give it a bit of practice (the patter needs to be memorized), you’ll have something quite different with which to fool your friends.

Columnist Norman Beck was featured in a short profile in New Yorker magazine. The article discusses Norman’s day job as vice president of claims and security for S.C.A. Promotions. If you are unaware of this aspect of Norman’s life, you may be in for a surprise. You can find the article online here: www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/07/21/risky-business-2

I can only blame fatigue for the fact that I misspelled Steve Kline’s name three times on page 46 of the September issue of M-U-M. Steve’s last name is spelled “Kline” and he is the head of Steven Kline Productions. And now that I’ve spelled his name correctly three times, I guess that makes it even. Sorry about that, Steve.

If you’re going to be in Las Vegas during the last two weeks of October and you’d like to take in a new magic show, consider The Naked Magicians, which features the sleight-of-hand magic of Charles Bach, Chris James, Jason Baney, and Andrew Goldenhersh. According to show-creator Bach, The Naked Magicians “are an elite group of close-up magic and sleight-of-hand artists who create extraordinary magic with ordinary objects displayed ‘naked’ for the audience to examine

before the wonders happen on-stage. The Naked Magicians is a really fun show and an entertaining, outrageous way to showcase amazing world-class close-up magic.” The show runs from October 17-31, 2014, at 4 p.m. daily at the Tommy Wind Theater on the Strip.

PNP Dal Sanders sent me an email with the following infor-mation about National Magic Week:

“On Monday, April 28, 2014 the United States Congress recognized magic as an art. Magicians in the United States can now refer to this Congressional Record for support in obtaining arts grants. Now it’s time to promote and educate the public on the art of magic. National Magic Week is October 26-31, 2014. This is a perfect time to launch and promote the art of magic to the general public.

“This year, S.A.M. members and assemblies have more reasons than ever to celebrate National Magic Week because we are also celebrating the recognition of magic as an art. To help promote the celebration, official press releases will be sent to major newspapers around the country. They will also be sent to the local assemblies to encourage them to reach out to their local media outlets.

“Mayors across the country will be contacted, requesting each of them to submit a proclamation in their cities acknowl-edging the art of magic. The goal is to have the highest number of proclamations ever proclaimed by mayors from around the country for a single event. Local assemblies and S.A.M. members will just have to contact their local city governments and pick up the proclamations.

“National President Kenrick ‘ICE’ McDonald has set a goal for S.A.M. members to give one thousand free performanc-es for retirement homes, hospitals, orphanages, and for other groups not able to get out and enjoy a magic show.

“We are also calling on all members to participate in an event we are calling ‘A Magical Moment in Time.’ On October 26, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. CST, magicians from Disneyworld in Orlando, Central Park in New York City, the streets of New Orleans, Six Flags in Dallas, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the Magic Castle in Hollywood, and everywhere else are asked to join together and perform a levitation at the same moment in time to the American population. Anything can be levitated…a dollar bill, a paper rose, a silver ball, a table, or even a volunteer from the audience. This one single event could highlight and promote the art of magic to over three hundred million citizens. This would be a perfect way to launch National Magic Week.

“We will need to reach out to every S.A.M. member and assembly and even nonmembers in order to involve as many magicians as possible. If we all work together we can generate publicity and spread the word that magic has finally been rec-ognized as an art.”

Just as this issue was being finalized, the news arrived of the death of Lubor Fiedler on September 3, 2014, at age eighty-one. Lubor was a chemical engineer by trade, but those in the magic world will remember him as the creator of some of the most ingenious magic tricks ever devised, including the Gozinta Boxes, Lubor’s Lens, and the Anti-gravity Rock. A large book of his creations was in preparation at the time of his death. He will be missed.


Michael Close

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Kenrick "ICE" McDonald

President’s Desk

Something to Think About: I recently had the honor of per-forming with Assembly 136 in their twenty-seventh annual Stars of Magic show. Performed by members of the Tucson assembly, this show raises money to pay for lectures, allowing the members to attend lectures for free. There were eleven performers, including me and two students from the University of Arizona magic club. This show was totally self-contained – from the person calling the show to the stage help. The theater was packed; the performances ran like a well-oiled machine.

Often, I hear people ask, “What does my local assembly do for me?” This is a great example of an assembly doing great things for its members. Another great example is the Vancouver, British Columbia, Assembly 95. This assembly does fundraising shows to pay for its members’ dues every year. Imagine the loyalty of the members to their club, knowing their assembly cares enough to cover them financially. Several months ago, Rod Chow, former RVP and member of the Vancouver assembly, sent me a packet that outlines what they do. I would love to pass this information on to other assemblies that would like to use this fundraising model to honor their members.

Attention Assemblies: I am still looking for those outstand-ing members of the Society. I hope that by now your RVP has contacted you for your submissions. I want to highlight one member per region monthly, so please submit your selection to us. Associate members: please send your submission to the National Second Vice President Dick Bowman (Professor1@ higginsmagic.com).

Young Magical Artists Unite: Calling all young magical artists ages eighteen to thirty. I might be a little older than you (okay, a lot older than you), but I have young ears and I am listening to you. Tell me what benefits you would like to see at the S.A.M., your ideas for the future of S.A.M., and who and what would attract you to the national convention. How can I get you interested in the Society? Talk to me; I will listen.

Magic Week: We have several exciting things in store for National Magic Week, October 26-31, 2014. In last month’s issue I spoke of the “1,000 Magical Acts of Kindness” and “A Magical Moment in Time.” National Magic Week will promote the art of magic and celebrate the recognition of magic as an art by the United States Congress. Official press releases will be sent to major newspapers around the country and to the local assemblies to encourage them to reach out to their local media outlets. The S.A.M. will reach out to mayors across the country, requesting each of them to submit a proclamation in their city, acknowl-edging the art of magic. The goal is to have the highest number of proclamations ever proclaimed by mayors from around the country for a single event.

Las Vegas Here We Come: Join me at the S.A.M.’s national council meeting and The Magic Summit on the same weekend, at the same place. This year The Society of American Magicians is sponsoring The Magic Summit along with MAGIC magazine and The Magic Summit organizers, headed by Brian South. The national council meeting and The Magic Summit will both be held November 14-16, 2014, in Las Vegas at the Sam’s Town Hotel.

The national council meeting kicks off the weekend on November 14 at 1:30 p.m., followed by The Magic Summit. Come and be your assembly’s representative/delegate at the meeting. Hotel res-ervations be made at www.magicsummit.com.

Thank you to the members who responded to my “What’s on Your Mind?” request. It is not too late to chime in; email me ([email protected]).

Congratulations to Presidential Citation recipient Bryan Lee, director of theater operations for The Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle.

THE PRESIDENT’S GOOD WILL PERFORMER OF THE MONTH: JOHN ENGMAN

John's interest in magic started in the 1940s, when he learned tricks from the back of cereal boxes. He visited Owen Magic Supreme most Saturdays and bought magic books. Les Smith, the owner of Owen Magic, suggested that John join the S.A.M., which he did in 1967. He has been active in his assembly ever since. John was elected to many positions in the S.A.M., including president and first vice president.

John Zweers took John under his wing and taught him stage-craft. John likes all kinds of magic and has performed close-up and illusions. But the genre of magic most dear to his heart is parlor magic. John was elected to the S.A.M. Hall of Fame in 1996. He became Life Member #165 in 2002, joined the I.B.M. in 1986 and Los Magicos in 1996, and is an AIMC with Silver Star in the Magic Circle of London. He is a graduate of the Chavez College of Magic.

John graduated from UCLA School of Law. He was an attorney for Home Saving and Loan Association for thirty years, retiring in 1996.

In 1970, John was one of the original thirteen workers at the S.A.M. Hall of Fame and Magic Museum. In April 1971, they moved into the space, putting in displays and decorating the museum for their grand opening during National Magic Week, October 25, 1971. In July 2014, John stepped down from his lead-ership role at the S.A.M. Hall of Fame, turning the reins over to Ed Thomas. Thank you, John, for a job well done.

THE PRESIDENT’S YOUNG MAGICAL ARTIST OF THE MONTH: TRENT JAMES

Trent became fascinated with magic at age five. Now seventeen, he has already won over a dozen awards for his craft. A resident of Chicago, Trent is no stranger to the stage. He was one of the chosen few youth performers to present his act at both the I.B.M and the S.A.M. annual conventions. His dynamic personality and original sleight-of-hand magic combine to create an unforgettable experience.


S.A.M. National Officers

Dean: George Schindler, 1735 East 26th St., Brooklyn, NY 11229, (718) 336-0605, Fax (718) 627-1397, [email protected]: Kenrick “ICE” McDonald, P.O. Box 341034, Los Angeles, CA 90034, (310) 559-8968, [email protected] Elect: David Bowers, (717) 414-7574, [email protected] Vice President: Jeffrey Sikora, (402) 339-6726 [email protected] Vice President: Richard Bowman, 719-527-0678, [email protected]: Marlene Clark, 274 Church Street, #6B, Guilford, CT 06437, (203) 689-5730, Skype: marlene.clark, [email protected] Treasurer: Eric Lampert, (215) 939-5555, [email protected]

Regional Vice Presidents

New England: CT MA RI NH ME VTThomas D. Gentile, 413-533-7653, [email protected] Atlantic: NY NJ Eric DeCamps, (718) 896-5861, [email protected] Mid Atlantic: PA DE MD VAWV DCArlen Z. Solomon, 215-443-7908, [email protected] South Atlantic: FL AL GA MS NC SCJames M. Driscoll, 770-603-9266, [email protected] Central Plains: KY TN OH IN MISteven A. Spence, (317) 722-0429 [email protected] Midwest: IL MN WI MO ND NE KS SD IAShaun Rivera, (618) 781-8621 [email protected] South Central States: TX AR OK NM LAMichael Tallon, (210) [email protected] Southwest: CA AZ NV HIRon Ishimaru, (808) 428-6019, [email protected] Northwest: WA OR UT ID CO AK WY MTJames Russell, (360) 682-6648 [email protected] Canada: Lon F. Mandrake, 604-591-5839, [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

Bradley M. Jacobs, Richard L. Gustafson, Roy A. Snyder, Bruce W. Fletcher, James E. Zachary, David R. Goodsell, Fr. Cyprian Murray, Michael D. Douglass, George Schindler, Dan Rodriguez, Dan Garrett, Donald F. Oltz Jr., Craig Dickson, Loren C. Lind, Gary D. Hughes, Harry Monti, Jann Wherry Goodsell, Warren J. Kaps, Ed Thomas, Jay Gorham, John Apperson, Richard M. Dooley, Andy Dallas, Maria Ibáñez, Bruce Kalver, Mike Miller, Mark Weidhaas, Vinny Grosso, J. Christopher Bontjes, Dal Sanders


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ASSEMBLY NEWSSociety of American Magicians Monthly News

OCTOBER 2014 Volume 104, Number 5

GO TO: WWW.MUM-MAGAZINE.COM and use the easy submission form to file your report

2MAGICIAN’S CHOICE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA— Tonight was magician’s choice. Some mages chose new material to explore, while others presented old favorites. Walt Johnson began the evening’s show with a trans-formation routine. He gave each member a small stone that was examined. Then the members dropped their stones into a paper bag. Walt, taking a magic wand, stirred the bag’s contents. When he emptied the bag by turning it upside down, all the stones had changed into pieces of candy. Tamaka, assisted by Hippo Lau, asked his assistant to choose between two decks. Hippo shuffled the selected deck and chose a card. When the card was replaced, Tamaka brought the selected card to the top of the deck. Tamaka then took a third deck and spread it. The selected card’s double was the only card turned over. Rob Shapiro utilized cards with different cereal brands printed on them. After Walt chose his favorite cereal, Rob dealt all the cards into two piles. The backs of the pile with Walt’s card had changed from blue to red. Rob, the Assembly’s balloon conjurer, then entertained by taking an orange balloon with a zombie face and biting it. The balloon turned green and shrank, becoming an alien or shrunken head. Corky LaVallee, using Bob Swadling’s magic box, skillfully performed several amazing Okito box routines. Afterwards he demon-strated each move, so the members gained a better understanding of the enchanted box’s power. Stu Bacon showed five cards, each with a different vowel printed on it. Walt selected a vowel and then replaced it in the packet. Visual-izing the vowel, Walt transmitted the image to Stu who, holding his hand over the packet, discerned the chosen vowel. Hippo told a story about the Jack of Hearts, who went to college and ultimately became homesick. Hippo placed the Jack in an empty envelope that had the word “college” printed on it. When Jack became homesick, he sneaked

back home. Hippo showed the envelope was now empty and then discovered Jack back in the deck. John Caris charmed the members with a performance of Howard Adam’s Cidentaquin, an ESP card effect that borders on real magic. As usual the cookies vanished by the evening’s end with Mary Caris assisting the members. —John CarisGolden Gate Assembly 2 meets first Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Community Room of Taraval Police Station, 2345 24th Avenue, San Francisco. Contact Corky LaVallee [email protected] (415) 648-1382 https://www.facebook.com/groups/249018441875771/ for more details.

3OFFICER ELECTIONS AND “CHEATERS ALWAYS WIN”

NIGHT

CHICAGO, IL— Our Cheaters Always Win night featured a number of bar bets, stunts, and gambling routines from our members. New member Daniel Shutters showed a visually stunning shell game routine using a coin and three clear glasses. Gordon Gluff displayed a clever bet-cha using matches and a coin. Bob Syrup “fairly” dealt a few hands of poker. Frank Glab showed his Three Fish Monte routine. Ted Resner showed his three-shell game routine, learned from local magician Glenn Morphew’s marketed DVD on the shells.Assembly 3’s officer elections

are normally held in February, but the meeting was cancelled at the time due to severe weather. New officers are John Sturk as president, Neil Tobin as Vice-President, and Frank Glab as Secretary. Don Dvorak was re-elected treasurer, with Bob Syrup, Gordon Gluff, and Chuck Gekas elected as members of the board of directors. Assembly 3 is also gearing up

to hold its first performance and workshop in partnership with the Oak Park Public Library. We are planning to use this opportunity to promote our assembly; we hope this will inspire interest in the art of magic among young people.

Many of our members recall seeing a magician doing a library show in their youth, and Assembly 3 looks to continue that tradition by making live performance ac-cessible to the public. —John SturkAssembly 3 meetings are held at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake St, Oak Park, IL Contact John Sturk [email protected] (773) 769-7646 www.magicalchicago.com for more details.

4ASSEMBLY 4 MAGICAL

HAPPENINGS

PHILADELPHIA , PA— Last month’s column featured our annual banquet. Unfortunately, we were unable to submit a pho-tograph of 2014 Gustafson Award Winner “Gentleman” Jim Fioren-tino with the column. To cure that omission, we are publishing Jim’s photo in this month’s column. Jim can be seen in the photo proudly displaying the award, which was bestowed upon him at the banquet by Assembly 4 Historian Tom Ewing in the presence of PNP Dick Gustafson and his wife Joan, for whom the award is named. The award, like its predecessor, the Hopkins Award, recognizes the Assembly 4 member who best exemplifies the virtues of a true gentleman; Jim certainly fits that description. Congratulations, Jim!Although Assembly 4 held no

meetings during the summer, its members were as busy as ever. PNP and assembly member Mike Miller traveled to China with some

of magic’s best talent, including Shawn Farquhar; the cast included S.A.M. members who performed on tour in various venues to sold out crowds. Meanwhile, SAM Sandler and his daughter Tessa traveled cross-country perform-ing his Deaf-initely Magic Show to schools and assemblies in over forty states. Finally, PNP Dick Gustafson announced that he and his lovely wife have been invited to return to the Broadway Theatre of Pitman this holiday season for the fifth consecutive year to perform their wonderful illusion

show, which is modeled after those of the great illusionists of the past. As for the rest of us, we look forward to a great year ahead that will culminate with the S.A.M. in-ternational convention being held right here in the City of Brotherly Love. If you are in the Philadel-phia area when we are meeting, please stop by and pay us a visit. We would love to see you! —Peter S. Cuddihy

James Wobensmith Assembly 4 meets Third Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Bustleton Memorial Post, 810 (American Legion) 9151 Old Newtown Road Contact President Eric Johnson [email protected] (267) 317-5675 www.sam4.org/ for more details.

6MAGICAL DAYS OF SUMMER

BALTIMORE, MD— Our August meeting brought many members and guests, all of whom


Frank “Frankini” Glab demonstrated his Three Fish

Monte routine

2014 Gustafson Award Winner Jim Fiorentino Holding His

Award


Assembly News

wisely ignored the president’s stated theme, “Magic with Large Farm Animals.” Jay Silverman reported on the combined I.B.M./S.A.M. convention in St. Louis and showed items he brought back. The magic got off to a roaring start when Peter Wood had one spectator name a suit, another a value, and a third a count-to number. Counting down to that card, it exactly matched the spec-tators’ calls. Guest Arthur (Art) Pekarsky did a great little finger ring on string routine, from a Jim Sisti lecture. Art’s nephew Alek got called frequently to assist other magicians. Guest Justin Simpson performed an impressive multi-phase ring on rope routine using a thick, heavy rope he borrowed from Tony Anastasi. Mike Parkinson mystified us

by, without looking, having his spectator roll three dice with three-digit numbers on their faces and then look up their sum in a book to get an eight-digit number. Mike then divined, digit by digit, the chosen number (from Bob Cassidy’s Artful Mentalism). Jason Leh’s spectator randomly selected a card. It ended up being the only reversed card in the deck. Finger flinger extraor-dinaire Joe Harsanyi performed Michael Ammar’s delightful Coins through Sheer Scarf, mere inches from our eyes. But this was just a warm up for the Cups and Balls routine he performed for us after the meeting ended, a veritable graduate course in misdirection. Guest Les Albert showed us some wizardry with his Boston Box and silver dollars. He followed with his take on a couple of card classics, including his Clock Trick (and then came back at the end of the meeting to show a second clock trick, which he graciously tipped). Guest Neal Pertnoy placed a die on a dollar bill on top of a glass held horizontally (and tightly) by a spectator. A quick snap of the bill and the die suddenly appeared inside the glass. Jay Silverman performed X-Act, the mystifying

Mike Kirby ACAAN that Mark Mason sells. —Eric HoffmanThe Kellar/Thurston Assembly 6 meets every first Thursday at 8:00 pm at the Magic Warehouse, 11419 Cronridge Drive suite #10 in Owings Mills, Maryland. 410-561-0777. Contact Andy London [email protected] www.baltimoresam.com for more details.

7ANNUAL PICNIC AT BOYS

TOWN

OMAHA, NE— This year the performers at the OMS-Boys Town picnic had a new experi-ence – flooding. A storm the night before left several inches of water around the stage, but quick work with mops got the area ready in time for the show.The annual picnic treats some of

the boys and girls at Boys Town with a picnic lunch, close-up magic before the meal, and a stage show afterward. Vicki Hughes, wife of member Tommy Hughes, even tutored some people in how to twirl bolo-like objects.Denny Rourke, Ninh Nguyen,

Bob Charleston, and Neil Bable all did close-up at each table. For the stage show, Bob Charleston demonstrated mentalism items, including one using rune-stones and members of the audience. He followed with a prediction of a number.

Tom Zeph then took the stage. He started with a predicted color from a box of soap, and had a member of the audience separate a deck of card successfully into black and red, earning the volunteer a quick $5. And during the potentially boring process of separating the cards, Tom performed the Hydro-static glass.Pete Petrashek then performed

Soft Glass, in which objects penetrate a solid mirror. Neil Bable (Rutiger) then got volunteers up from the audience and did a col-or-changing scarf along with the

Jacobs Ladder and a sponge ball routine while everyone onstage wore fake noses, mustaches, glasses, and had Germanic names. You really had to see it to under-stand.Walter Graham stepped up

next, performing the Six-card Repeat, Egg to Silk, and the Nest of Boxes. At this point, Walter (our oldest member at ninety-one) said the line of the show, when he quipped – as the volunteer was taking forever to unscrew the lid: “You know, I don’t have a lot of time”. Walt finished with the ten cards to pocket.Tom Neddo closed the show

with a comedy routine using cups, rubber chickens, and one of the sorriest umbrellas ever seen. When the water vanished and a streamer poured from the cup, the volunteer visibly flinched.Throughout the entire per-

formance emcee Jeff Sikora kept things moving, doing a trick using colored lights and colored switches, a wand-pro-ducing machine, and some of the dumbest jokes I’ve ever heard get laughs. —Larry A. BrodahlThe Omaha Magical Society meets every third Monday at the Southwest Church of Christ (124th & West Center) Contact Larry A. Brodahl [email protected] (402) 5929038 www.OmahaMagicalSociety.com for more details.

8CONNING AROUND

ST. LOUIS, MO— Con-Game Effects was the theme of our July 10 meeting. After a brief business meeting, Columbus Smith performed his Ring and Rope routine. Joey Lortz conned Andrew Coats with the Three Duck Monti. George Van Dyke conned Sandy Weis in all direc-tions! Randy Kalin taught several card con-game effects. PNP Harry Monti demonstrated the old Barrel Con with a chain, called Fast & Loose, for Ron Jackson. Joey selected a card from Greg Lewis, only to be conned, too. Rebecca Harness is conned by Richard Thomas with cards.Uncle Larry, the shyster,

performed a Four Card Monte! Dan (the Great) Todd performed Grandma’s Necklace. Randy performed a mixed-up card effect. Closing the show was Andy Leonard, more powerful than a single die.At our July 24 meeting, Dan

Todd had some photos from his recent visit, a week after the opening of Diagon Alley. George Van Dyke performed and taught Impromptu Matcho from MAGIC

magazine, January 2014, page 70. Randy Kalin introduced a new segment for new magic reviews. Columbus Smith reviewed Bently, an interesting close-up bending of a paperclip. After the meeting, performances

were started off by Chad Jacobs and a Ring on Chain effect. Joey Lortz knew the exact word that Columbus had freely chosen from anywhere in a book. Andy Leonard performed a Color Vision test that had us seeing spots changing places and then a rope effect that we had our eyes on. John Davit performed Card Warp utilizing a dollar bill and followed it up by teaching us his dollar-bill ring techniques. PNP Harry Monti presented a magician’s challenge with great prizes at stake. Paul Rygelski evoked a sympathet-ic reaction effect with Bicycle playing cards. Randy performed a “puzzling” effect that seemed like a “fitting” ending to the evening’s show. —Dan (the Great) ToddAssembly 8 meets at Mount Tabor United Church of Christ located at 6520 Arsenal in Saint Louis, Missouri 63139 Contact Dick Blowers [email protected] (213) 846-8468 http://Assembly8.com for more details.

19HOT MONTH FOR MAGIC IN

HOUSTON

HOUSTON, TX— August is a hot month in Houston and the magic is even hotter. In addition to our regular meeting we also have Wayne Houchin lecturing on August 19. Mentalism was the theme for the

pre-meeting magic. Jeff Lanes began with an offer to Marti Stein to freely select a card. Out of all the cards she could have selected, Marti’s ended up with a bold “X” on the back. Eric Falconer was able to predict three times accurately with the use of his grandfather’s pocket watch and Marti Stein’s as-sistance. Jamie Salinas twice had items from his “to do” list selected and was able to properly discern them. Thanks to Don Billings and Marti Stein for helping out.David Rangel was able to name

the location of all of the Clubs from a shuffled deck of cards that had been randomly cut into two piles. Frank Price used a deck of cards with Rubik’s cube faces and had Kim Lampkin freely select any card. The card’s cube matched exactly Frank’s prediction. This was a fun set of magic and was followed later in the evening with our regular performances.Jeff Lanes used a set of ESP

symbols to show us how he could correctly foretell a choice that

Joe Harsanyi at the finale of his Cups & Balls routine

Vicki Hughes teaching twirling stunt


Assembly News

Herb was selected to make. Jerry Paul had Sylvia help out as three coins travelled, vanished, and changed places with one another and Jerry’s pockets. Don Billings had any Queen selected from a packet of four cards and then showed that it was the only Queen present in an otherwise blank packet.Jamie Salinas tried to mentally

discern Donnie Kornegay’s birth date and month with the use of just a few questions. David Rangel caused a selected card to change places with another card, and at the same time, the packet from which it originally came all changed to the Aces.Caesar had Frank Price select

a card, and then name any other card, a “lying” card, that was not his actual card. Caesar’s predic-tion card, which had been in full view, magically changed into the “lying” card and Frank’s original selection was revealed. Eric Falconer did a nice cutting of the Aces from a continuously shuffled deck of cards. Shane Wilson caused the signatures of Jerry Paul and Marti Stein on the backs and faces of two selected cards to jump around and reverse themselves. Thanks to all for sharing. —Miles RootAssembly 19 meets the first Monday of every month at the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 51 Meeting Hall, 3030 North Freeway, Houston, TX. A teaching lecture begins at 7:30 pm with the meeting beginning at 8:00 pm Contact Miles Root [email protected] (281) 3347508 houstonmagic.com for more details.

21TENYO TRICKS

WEST HARTFORD, CT— This month was another lazy summer evening, with emphasis on classic Tenyo magic. President Dan Sclare showed us a vanishing coin bank, a Zig-Zag rope, and a large plastic Cubio. Jon Cap had a volunteer think of a card, and then deal out some cards face down based on suit and denomi-nation. Jon correctly identified the card, but then showed that the entire deck had blank faces.Soll Levine borrowed a bill and

put it flat in a contraption; he then bisected it with a piece of plastic. However, once the bill was removed, it proved unharmed. Lastly, Dan put a pen through a hole in a plastic card, moved the pen to another point in the card, and removed it; the original hole disappeared. —Dana T. Ring Assembly 21 meets on the second Monday of every month (except

December) at Angelo’s on Main, 289 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT Contact Dana T. Ring [email protected] (860) 5239888 www.ctmagic.org for more details.

22COMEDY, VARIETY &

MAGIC’S ALLIED ARTS

LOS ANGELES, CA— Departing a little bit from the usual program of magic performances, the August 18 meeting emphasized comedy, variety, and other “allied arts.” President Michael Perovich began the program with a detailed demonstration of a card sleight briefly described during a recent lecture. Mike then reviewed a valuable website used to search for references and credits for magic effects. Hugo Avila was then introduced as the producer and emcee for the evening program: a competition for several of the assembly performance awards.Opening the show was Matt Savin

who presented a character act as a mad/angry scientist. Some inter-esting props were used to produce electrical energy and sparks. Ted “Suds” Sudbrack was up next, out of the Old West as a wagon master and singing cowboy who could do card tricks. Suds is always enter-taining. John Engman presented the Egg Bag and a “Do as I say” card revelation with low key humor for a comedy magic per-formance. Act four was Brian Regalbuto. Brian, as a tax accoun-tant professional, turned tax forms (paper slips) to bills and made a borrowed and vanished bill appear inside a packaged and sealed cigar held for security. Harrison Lampert next did a monologue about his employment as a demon-strator behind the magic counter of a major Hollywood toy and magic shop.After a long intermission to

enjoy the snacks and foods prepared by chef Bill Yamane, the show resumed with President Perovich presenting a very seldom performed “allied art.” Mike did a very interesting mini-lecture-demonstration about chalk talk magic. Drawing upon Harlan Tarbell material from the 1920s, Mike, as always, gave a unique presentation. Henry Springer, showing his skill as a money hustler, changed a fan of one-dollar bills to twenties and back to ones. The small fan of bills then became a huge stack of bills in Henry’s hand. Act eight was Taylor Hughes demonstrating his first magic trick performed at various ages during his childhood. Taylor closed by playing the guitar and singing a tribute song to his mom,

which was full of cliché quotes familiar to all parents. Very funny. Nate Kvetny next gave a spectator a chance to win an iPad; the spectator won. Missing out on cash prizes, the spectator won a pad for his eye.Closing the show was Bob

Carroll, an S.A.M. member moving to Los Angeles from Mas-sachusetts and at Assembly 22 for the first time. Bob presented a very funny act that included some song and dance routines in addition to his magic. —Steven L. JenningsSouthern California Assembly 22 meets the third Monday each month at 8:00 PM, St. Thomas More Parish Hall, 2510 South Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, California Contact Ed Thomas [email protected] (231) 382-8504 for more details.

23A HITCHCOCK MYSTERY

WASHINGTON, DC— Newly elected Assembly 23 President Larry Lipman initiated a per-formance theme for the year at the August meeting based on mystery films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The first featured motion picture was The Lady Vanishes, filmed in Great Britain in 1938 before the movie master moved to Hollywood.Dwight Redman opened the

night using the theme by causing a Queen to vanish. His effect was based on Play It Straight Triumph by John Bannon. Eric Feinberg, a fan of Tenyo effects, offered a miniaturized version of the classic Metamorphosis illusion. Arnie Fuoco performed a color change sequence with the four Queens. Stan Hillard used a “Poor Man’s Marked Deck” to have an audience member select a card face up from a blue-backed deck that changed to a red-backed card with bold writing on the back.Joe Tessmer asked several

audience members to call out random numbers that matched a borrowed bill’s serial identifi-

cation. Noland Montgomery delivered a series of fine card ma-nipulations, including randomly mixing up a deck face up and face down before magically bringing it back to order. Jim Flanigan presented a routine that thorough-ly confused all present, as a series of white dots on a slate multiplied in number at his will. Dan Holton performed a slick Chinese coin and ribbon routine. —Stan Hillard and Jim FlaniganNational Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045 Contact Jim Flanigan [email protected] (202) 494-7302 for more details.

26ONE BUSY CLUB

PROVIDENCE, RI— Before taking a quick break for the summer, the club had plenty of activities. We held our magic banquet at West Valley Inn. Russ DeSimone did a great job putting it all together. As always, the meal was delicious, the enter-tainment was top notch, and everyone had a wonderful time. There was no shortage of food on the buffet, with plenty of Italian favorites. After dinner, there was a grand raffle with both magic and “civilian” bounty. Tom Holmes and his family had plenty of luck this year, making a number of trips to the prize table.The evening ended with a great

show, featuring Lord Blacksword, Mark Thomas, Pete Haddad, and comedian Mike Murray. Cameron Ramsay acted as emcee, perform-ing a trick or two of his own. The show spanned the range of emotions, from the serious side of Lord Blacksword, to the comedy magic that Pete Haddad presented. Mike Murray closed the show, leaving everyone in stitches. Mike has a knack for letting everyone into his world to see the humor within.The club also held its annual magic

contest, with Bob Boardman, Russ DeSimone, and Peter Lennis judging the contestants. Siblings Jazz and Tasha Sussman were the first two performers, with Jazz hitting the audience with a nice Quad Card Prediction. Tasha followed her brother with a silent performance of the Never-ending Gift Bag. Tasha’s routine was the smile-maker of the night. Jeff Smith presented a smooth perfor-mance of Coin, Card, and Box, as well as Oil and Water. Mixing it up with a nod to the dairy industry, Mark Thomas managed to transport chocolate milk across the stage. David Hill presented a fine one-time act using cards and rubber bands. Closing the contest was Tom Holmes, with his Torn

Noland Montgomery receives past president plaque


Assembly News

and Restored Doves.When the votes were tabulated,

Tom Holmes was awarded third place, Mark Thomas came in second, and first prize went to David Hill. Tasha Sussman took home the coveted People’s Choice Award.Congratulations to all, and be

sure to support our friend and fellow magician Mat Franco on America’s Got Talent. Best of luck, Mat! —Chris NataleC. Foster Fenner, Assembly 26 meets first Tuesday each month from September to June at 7 pm. American Legion Auburn Post 20, 7 Legion Way, Cranston RI.

32REHEARSING THE MAGIC

LYNCHBURG, VA— The Hersy Basham Assembly’s August meeting (in anticipation of a magic show or two our assembly expects to present in the next few months) was basically treated as a rehearsal for members to brush up on any effect(s) they wanted to nail down pat. Our program chairman Mike Kinnaird led off the prestidigitation by performing the Elite Chinese Fortune Sticks, a dealer item made by Tenyo. And yes, Mike correctly identified the chosen symbol – several times. Compeer John Jennings presented a routine with toilet paper, with one length of paper being torn and held by one spectator and another length of paper having a hold cut from the middle and held by a second spectator. After some ho-cus-pocus, the balls of paper were found switched in the spectators’ hands. As if toilet paper wasn’t funny enough, there was a gag at the end that provided added humor. Young member Trevor Albright did his part by perform-ing a nice handling of a pick-a-card, find-a-card mystery. Highly experienced assembly member Bob Staton finished up the evening’s magic by first dis-cussing methods involved in using a key card as a locator. He followed that by performing an excellent handling of a rope

routine that included elements of the Professor’s Nightmare, but was much more and quite magical. It all added up to a lot of magical fun in Lynchburg, Virginia. There is an open invitation to magicians everywhere to visit with us at any of our regular meetings. —John JenningsThe Hersy Basham Assembly 32 meets the third Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at Tharp Funeral Home, 220 Breezewood Drive, Lynchburg, VA. Contact John Jennings [email protected] (434) 851-6240 for more details.

37AUGUST TEACH-IN FOR

DENVER

DENVER, CO— Another teach-in went in the books for the steamy month of August. This time four clever parlor/close-up feats of magic were taught and shown. President Matt Brandt made a few announcements about upcoming events and then the twenty or so participants divided up into four groups to learn a new effect. My group started with instruction on color changing silks from Sergeant at Arms Gene Gordon. Gene in-corporated his own patter into the lesson and added silks out of your ear, multi-colored silks, and silks to a small bouncing ball. The white silk changed into a red silk right before our eyes.Next my group moved to Vice-

President Andrew Bates station dedicated to theatrical prin-ciples and an explanation of how to turn the Magic Square into a magic trick. It included a printout handed to everyone. His advice on the three magic rules went: no exposure, no repeat, and practice. There was also a brief discussion on magic and movement including facial gestures and expressions, writing, scripting, adding mystery and an-ticipation, reviewing and the ever-important rewriting.My group was made up of Bruce

and Kitty Spangler, Yuy Gordon, Treasurer Dave Elstun, Karen

Wake, and me. We all headed to club member Jeff Jensen’s area to learn a short version of a classic dollar bill routine with five bucks on the line. Four blank envelopes and one loaded envelope were mixed up and passed around. It was amazing how Jeff would get the one with the five-dollar bill in it every time. He showed a clever calculator effect and we had enough time left over to listen to Karen Wake recite her memorized recital of all fifty capitals of the United States. We then witnessed instruction from President Matt Brandt on Mark Wilson’s version of the torn and restored dinner napkin. Lewis Peacock had a few items to sale and a fun evening was had by all. —Connie ElstunAssembly 37 meets at the Riverpointe Senior center in Littleton, CO Contact Connie Elstun [email protected] (303) 933-4118 www.milehighmagicians.com for more details.

38ANNUAL AUCTION

KANSAS CITY, MO—Assembly 38 met on Tuesday, August 19 for our Annual Auction. Doors opened at 6:00 p.m. for early arrival to review the items; 7:00 p.m. for the auction itself. This reporter arrived around 6:40 and found the joint jumping with en-thusiastic assembly members and guests visiting and laughing and ready to begin the auctioning. It began on time with President Rod Sipe rapping the opening gavel and getting things underway.And that’s about it as far as

reporting on people goes, in that there was no business meeting nor was there any magic performed by members. There were, however, several interesting asides, such as a visitor who identified himself as a P.I., and who apparently attracts clients by making quarters vanish. (A fragmentary report, to be sure, but that’s all that came across.)There were excellent books and

discs on the block, many of which were gotten at exceptionally good prices, yet members were willing to enjoy the “thrill of the chase” and succeeded to keeping prices sufficiently strong so as to nicely enhance the assembly’s treasury.For those who did not have

enough back issues of magazines lying around, there were hundreds of copies of Genii, MAGIC, M-U-M, and The Linking Ring, enough to meet even the most dedicated packrat’s needs. They were carefully bound into one-year sets and proceeded to sell like hot cakes.

A member wishing not to be identified, in an effort to remove one picture from his camera, succeeded in removing the whole file of about four hundred; another lost their cell phone, but happily it was recovered; and Trevor Korso not only doubled as a second auc-tioneer but stood on his hands to wring an extra $2.50 out of someone bidding on bundles of magazines.Afterwards it was off to the Not

Quite Five Star Bar and Grill, where a skilled card mechanic got caught with a gaffed deck. The deck was taken from him. —Don Becker

Assembly 38 meets at the Westport Coffee House and Improv Theater, 4010 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, MO. Contact Don Becker [email protected] (816) 886-6780 for more details.

49MEMBERS PERFORM

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL— Assembly 49 held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, August 13. The theme was Cards or Money or Coins or Balls. Most of the performing members did card effects.Sid Marcus performed a mental

card effect wherein a selected card was matched by the right prediction. Henry Epstein found a selected card from a comical spotted card in his shirt pocket. Vinnie Rosenbluth did a Ten-Cards-to-Pocket routine rem-iniscent of the classic Six-Card Repeat count. Phil Labush spelled out a spectator’s chosen card that was also found between two mated indifferent cards.Roger Firestone turned a black-

and-white card into a colored one. Billy Byron performed a card effect wherein three different chosen cards were found one by one by the spectators who chose them. Michael Easler found a chosen card by the use of a small mechanical hand accompanied by an Egyptian patter story.

Pete Haddad with spectator Morgan Roy, making her dollar “go up in flames.”

Gene R. Gordon demonstrates color changing silks

John Hicks, Shaun Rivera and Paul Benner are flabbergasted

by Bob Goodin’s prize auction book


Assembly News

Two members, Mark Horowitz and Ron Lubman, did ball manip-ulation. —Billy ByronAssembly 49 meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7pm at the Northwest Focal Point Senior Center, 6009 Northwest Tenth street in Margate, Florida. Contact Billy Byron [email protected] (954) 522-1466 fortlauderdalemagicsociety.com for more details.

50DAVID'S

BIG NIGHT

NASHVILLE, TN— David Torres, now a ninth-grader, had the local newspaper there doing a story on David. David started magic at the age of seven; his skill set has grown year after year. He and his family attend a local ministry called Harvest Hands, in Nashville, and David performs both magic and puppets for that ministry.David makes his own puppets.

Kevin King has shared many ideas he has on the art of puppetry with David and more people than I can name. Kevin has been making puppets since he was in his teens. David performed and got all the pictures the paper needed, but also brought out one of our largest attended nights of the year, with over nineteen people.Other performers of the night

were Stephen Bargatze, Wayne Clemon, Mike Berger, Jason Michael, Scott Cantrell, Albert Sautner, and Kevin King. There was some great magic and teaching from all the above, with Mike Berger once again blowing everyone away with his new trick, followed by Albert Sautner getting the most applause. We also had a new family from

about an hour and a half away join us; what a pleasure it was for us. Sherril and Samantha Knox did

an escape routine that they had worked on with great patter and great likability. We all fell in love with these girls, who really have only been doing magic for three years. Sherril even performed her color changing knife routine and her vanish at the end fooled most in the room. Great having her family there; Sherril’s father builds most of her equipment that she uses in her show. We hope that they return soon and often. They found our assembly on the S.A.M. webpage, which you can too. —Stephen BargatzeAssembly 50 meets at the Harvest Hands Ministries, Nashville, TN. Contact Mike Pyle [email protected] (615) 519-1210 for more details.

51IT’S A MAGICAL JULY

(AND AUGUST) IN PEORIA, ILLINOIS!

PEORIA, IL— July’s meeting theme was Magic and Music. To start the meeting, we introduced ourselves to several guests, who came to check us out after learning of us through some of the public events and from other members. It’s great to see all the new faces! There was a brief bit of business to bring us up to speed on upcoming events, and to recap those just finished.

Jerry Tupper performed a very nice routine called, The Mother of all Diamonds; Jerry had appro-priate music playing in the back-ground.New member prospect Matthew

showed his chops by performing a coin in a nest of boxes, appearing cards, and a mentalism trick with numbers on cards. Very ac-complished for a young person, he will make a good addition to our group. Terry Meridan performed an appearing wand. The prop was not behaving well, so there was some input on how to remedy the problem, so it will work better. Helping each other is part of what we do here. Michael Baker performed his spin on René Lavand’s Three Card Monte to Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer.” There was a lot of discussion of

techniques with music, different sound systems, how to choose music, how to choose magic to go with a piece of music, how to edit, etc. Overall, the meeting was good and seemed to be enjoyed by all! August meeting: Vice President

Kyle Bassett opened the regular meeting. We heard updates on upcoming events, our annual picnic, the Diamond Jim Tyler lecture, and the Houdini Tribute Show. We then introduced ourselves to new guests and welcome back some repeats.

The magic began with our theme this month, “Color Changes.” Kyle Bassett performed an instant color change of a white silk to a red silk. Matthew, one of our young guests, performed a full deck color change, and Kyle Pfister performed a card transposition that involved two decks, one of which began still sealed. Jerry Tupper showed us a nice and colorful trick called Hot Spots, a Hot Rod type effect that uses a Jacob’s Ladder principle. Grant Golden taught our young

guests a trick with two cloth loops that changed color, by changing position with one another. Michael Baker performed Pavel’s Rings and Rope and then discussed a few different sets of Color Changing Records, all made by Tricks Co. of Japan.The following Saturday, several

of us gathered at the Riverfront Market and did magic for the crowd on what was a very hot and humid day. —Michael BakerPeoria Magicians Assembly 52 meets the third Monday of each month, 7:00pm at Schnuck’s in the Metro Center, 4800 N. University Street in Peoria. Contact Michael Baker [email protected] (205) 612-3696 http://peoriamagicians.com/ for more details.

52SOMETHING YOU MIGHT

PERFORM AT TAOM

SAN ANTONIO, TX— August 7, Brother John Hamman Assembly 52 held its monthly meeting at La-Madeleine Restaurant. President Ray Adams called the meeting to order. We had several guests tonight: Ray Adams’ family: son James, daughter-in-law Marion, and grandkids Kylie, Katie, and Andrew. Also, welcome to Susan Ruiz, guest of Michael Tallon, and Matthew Orta, guest of Paul Amerson. It was also great to see both Napoleon Savoy and David Pitts and his son Nathaniel back. Quite a few of our members will

be traveling to Ft. Worth to the Texas Association of Magician Convention, August 29-September 1. In honor of the convention, the theme for this meeting was Something You Might Perform at TAOM. Up first for the open per-formances was Ray Adams, who performed the Passe-Passe Bottles with the help of his grandson, Andrew. Paul Amerson did a nice in-the-hands Chop Cup routine, and Joe Libby did a silverware predictions effect with the help of guest Susan Ruiz. John Murphy was up next with an artworks pre-diction, and Napoleon Savoy did a quick version of cards from the mouth. Michael Tallon performed a coins-across routine, and Doug

Gorman entertained with Dai Vernon’s dice routine. Ed Solomon was at the Teaching

Table tonight. Ed provided us with a marvelous teaching table that consisted of, believe it or not, a card trick of sorts, wherein several cards were torn in half, each half shuffled, and matched up in a magical way. Ed brought all of the necessary cards so we could all tear them up, shuffle them, and match them. And then as a bonus, he showed us how to make a dollar bill curl up and then straighten out without the aid of wires, threads, or “chambers of smoke!” Thanks, Ed, for an entertaining and very practical teaching table.Door prize winners were

Napoleon Savoy, Ray Adams, and Michael Tallon. Napoleon won How’d He Do That, Ray won Solid Thru Solid, and Michael won A Hell of a Bell. Many thanks to Ed Solomon for donating his original magic as the door prizes.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 [email protected].

56AUGUST MEETING

DAYTON, OH— Our August Meeting was held on Friday, August 15, in Compeer John Love’s office building. Our theme was Blocks, Silks, Tubes, and Glasses, brought to us by Oran Dent. Oran writes, “Okay, where did this topic come from? If you think of an old-fashioned brick-andmortar magic shop, maybe in cramped quarters, on the second floor of a walk-up building in Manhattan, you enter the door and what do you see? Props, that’s what! And you’re sure to see, yes, that’s right, blocks, silks, tubes and glasses! So, tonight we’ll pay homage to those old time props, with any selection or combination from those four to be used in our presentations. If your props have some historical story about them, that’s even better! Of course, if you’re not inspired by these thoughts, any magic you want to do is welcome.”Magic, discussions, and

stories by Oran Dent, Fred Witwer, Jo Ann Kinder, Paul Burnham, and Craig Morgan. —Matthew David StanleyAssembly 56 meets in various locations please contact Paul Burnham [email protected] (937) 4740647 for more details.

Kyle Bassett performs for some Farmers Market

attendees, as Michael Couri and Grant Golden look on


Assembly News

88OUTDOOR CORN ROAST

SOCIAL

ANN ARBOR, MI— August, another outdoor social, two picnics over two months. The Ann Arbor magicians are getting spoiled! Our annual corn roast was graciously hosted by the Placidos (Maura, daughter Kiley and Jim) on August 10. The club provided the corn and chicken, with members bringing a side dish to share. Again, we had great weather and a beautiful setting for the social. Also, we were fortunate to have a number of lay attendees to share the food and entertainment. After the feast, all settled in to enjoy the magic show, which this year featured seven poised prestidigitators.Jim Placido served as the emcee

and did a great job introducing the acts and keeping the audience entertained during transitions. Jim Folkl set the stage (no pun intended…well maybe) for the mysteries to follow. He presented Dean’s Box, a variation of the classic Stewart James effect Se-falaljia. Two ropes inexplicably link as they pass through an empty box. Next up was VP Scott Kindshy,

fresh from a sojourn in Ireland. Scott had a card freely selected then successfully revealed his pre-diction on a jumbo (52) card. As the laughter subsided, he turned the card over revealing the actual card selected. Marvin Mathena demonstrated three jumbo card effects/locations that progres-sively became more perplexing. George Honer identified three selected cards from an extensively shuffled deck. After a spectator shuffled and randomly removed and discarded pairs of cards, George ended by successfully pre-dicting the number of black and red cards that remained. A truly puzzling effect.Emcee Jim Placido demonstrat-

ed the trick Passe-Passe Bottles using peanut butter and jelly jars. It was a nicely presented routine of a classic effect. Kiley Placido and friend Angelina presented the Vanishing Bandana. The routine on its own is funny, but the girls’ acting made it hilarious! I foresee budding magi in the Placido household. President Bill Brang closed the

show with three great tricks. He began by vanishing a liter bottle of Coke under a silk and then proceeded to penetrate a sheet of steel with a solid block of wood. Bill ended with a science fiction theme, producing three silks (red/yellow/blue) and then transform-ing them before our eyes to a figure of superman!

With the show concluded, it was time for the magicians to pack up their wares and slowly vanish. —Jim FolklAssembly 88 meets second Wednesday each month 7pm at Faith Lutheran Church, 1255 East Forest, Ypsilanti, Michigan. Contact Jim Folkl [email protected] (248) 8514839 http://www.aamagic.org/ for more details.

94MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION,

MAXIMUM MAGIC

SILICON VALLEY, CA— For the pre-meeting Learners’ Workshop, Kim Silverman taught his handling of the $100 Bill Switch, done without a thumb tip. Emphasis was on correct handling, covered in painstak-ing detail, with the objective that everyone attending could actually perform the effect.The formal meeting began with

Kim and Sy Hoff reporting on the recent Golden Gate Gathering, a great Bay Area convention. Kim also gave a brief review and read a selection from Tobias Beckwith’s new book, Beyond Deception, Volume 2: From the Wizard’s Corner.This was one of those rare

meetings (for us, at least) when everyone there gave some kind of presentation. Sy Hoff kicked things off with an entertaining card routine. Ken Gielow wrote a prediction on a sticky note pad. He chose a card by chance (just cutting the deck). A spectator chose a card by choice (she named one out loud). Ken’s prediction of the spectator’s card, on the original sticky note pad, referred her to another note stuck on the back of his chosen card. (The effect is Mark Elsdon’s But Not Here). James Tedrow made a $1 bill and a $5 bill change places in a spectator’s hand. Jesse Rosenberg gave a hypnosis demonstration using an effect called Clutch by Oz Pearlman. Susan Zeller performed the Vanishing Bandana (Banana). Hugh McDonald described his performance as Chrysopoeia, but in typical Hughdini fashion, it was much more than just turning something ordinary into gold. Joe Caffall had two spectators cut cards behind their backs. Both cut to the same card, but then Joe magically switched the red card to the blue deck and vice versa (Eric Ross’s Election).Terry Liu created two figures,

a star and a double star, with a rubber band, then made a band penetrate through his thumb. John Jones performed Brother John Hamman’s Dead Man’s Hand and Twins. Bill Benson presented a

Ten Card Poker Deal. Jeff White, an actual martial arts instructor, did a really energetic Karate Koin. First-time visitor Janice Guan told us about her renewed interested in magic. Kim Silverman ended the night with Manfredi Corradino’s Red and Black Color Separation.Assembly 94 members continue

to entertain for Magic Mondays at Morocco’s Restaurant. August performers were Kim Silverman, Sy Hoff, Alan Leeds, and John Jones. September performers are Joe Caffall, Alan Leeds, and John Jones. —Joe CaffallWe do not currently have a permanent meeting location. Please email Joe Caffall at [email protected] for meeting information. We meet on the second Monday of each month. Contact Joe Caffall [email protected] (408) 3751905 for more details.

95PCAM 2014

VANCOUVER, CANADA— The Pacific Coast Association of Magicians held their annual convention this August 2014 in Coquitlam, in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia. Many Assembly 95 members attended this very successful four-day event hosted by hard-working compeer Mike Norden and super-organized Gord Boyes.Given the honor of being part

of the judging panel in the general contests were Assembly 95 President and new RVP for Canada, Lon Mandrake, and Assembly 95 Secretary and immediate Past RVP for Canada, Rod Chow. Congratulations to all the winners in the contests from Assembly 95: Henry Tom (gold platform, gold most novel, and silver comedy), Tony Chris Kazoleas (gold stage and silver mentalism), Jeff Christensen (gold mentalism), Alex Seaman (gold children’s), Ray Roch (silver close-up)! Also congrats to Glen LaBarre, second place bag-o-tricks!The stage manager who was

also responsible for supplying and running the sound and lights was Assembly 95 member and new FISM 2014 North American champion Trevor Watters, ably assisted by his wife and partner, Lorena Watters. Trevor ran ev-erything smoothly and profes-sionally, which made for such a high quality event enjoyed by all. Lorena even had a booth where she provided a profes-sional photography service to all the magicians present looking to put together a high quality promo photo portfolio!

Assembly 95 Dean and new 2014 IBM International President Shawn Farquhar regrettably missed his first PCAM because he was in China on a touring performance gig with fellow 4F close-up magicians. However, a huge highlight of the convention was Michael Dardant’s hilarious, but so accurate impersonation of Shawn, which he first debuted at the 2014 4F earlier this year! Also, it was wonderful to see Shawn’s wife and new IBM first lady, Lori Farquhar, IBM first daughter, Hannah Farquhar, and Shawn’s mom, Barbara attend PCAM for a great Farquhar representation! —Rod ChowThe Carl Hemeon Assembly No. 95 meets the first Tuesday of each month at members’ homes. Contact Rod Chow [email protected] (604) 669-7777 www.sam95.com for more details.

104THE BUSY BODIES OF

SUMMER

WITCH CITY, SALEM, MA— As summer winds down, the September 3 meeting that begins Assembly 104’s new year ap-proaches. The magic does not rest and neither do our compeers. Several officers met in Woburn on August 27 for last minute prepara-tions, as well as furthering plans for SAMCON, on November 15. With the extra-added attraction of Jad joining the roster of perform-ers, our thirteenth convention, at the Double Tree Hotel in Danvers, Massachusetts, should be as-tounding. Jay Sankey is on board for a lecture and master class the next day, at Diamond’s Magic, in Peabody. Christian Painter and wife Katalina will lecture and perform, as will Oscar Munoz.Excellent lecturers are being

lined up for the new assembly year, and along the way compeer Vince DeAngelis has kept things

Henry Tom receives three PCAM 2014 medals from

PCAM President Mike Norden and Vice-President, Gord

Boyes


Assembly News

hopping over at Diamond’s Magic, where his own lecturers include Wayne Houchin on October 7. His grand reopening celebration was a wonderful catered party, filled with comedy and magic. Among the lower calorie treats were our own Evan Buso-Jarnis, breath-lessly entertaining the crowd with his very original spins on classic magic, as “Evan Northrup.”Meanwhile, the S.Y.M. 124 kids

were busier than ever. In addition to great meetings held in July and August, the kids displayed their impressively improved skills at two other venues in August. In Chelmsford, Massachusetts, President Derek DuBois joined with talent from the Boston S.Y.M. Assembly to produce Magic’s Rising Stars. This three-hour showcase had the audience pumped from the first minute and didn’t let go until the final, richly deserved standing ovation.

Camp Evergreen, in Andover, Massachusetts, is the site of the annual S.Y.M. 124/S.A.M. 104 barbeque, flea market, and magic competition. This year, the fel-lowship among young and old ran high and the children brought their competition performances up several notches. It was a tough call for judges Bill Jensen, Pete Jackson, and Bob Forrest. By the end, President Derek DuBois and Vice President Michael Ricciardi had retained their offices for the coming year. Judging by the plans they’ve been outlining for 2015, Assembly 124 is in very good hands. The shape of Second Vice President J Hubbard’s car was not too good after a recent accident but J and wife Cheryl are coming along fine, as are their carload of plastic ducks. Secretary Forrest is himself slowly rejoining life after recent surgery – but he is smiling. For details on Assembly 104 and SAMCON please visit our website. —Bob ForrestAssembly 104 meets on the first Wednesday of each month, September-June, 7 p.m., at the First Baptist Church of Salem, 292 Lafayette Street, Salem, Massachusetts. Contact Bob Forrest captainalbrightsq1@

comcast.net (339) 227-0797 www.sam104.com for more details.

110AFTER-MEETING

NEW CUMBERLAND, PA, There were four members who had some magic that they wished to present to the group in contest form. There was no particular theme for the night’s contest. After drawing cards to determine the order of performance, the first to perform was Joe Noll with an effect marketed by Marc DeSouza called Die of Destiny. Joe asked Charlie Shields and Rose Ab-botiello to assist him in a demon-stration of how some aspects of our lives seem to be predestined. Charlie freely selected a card from a face-down spread and showed the card to everyone except Joe and Rose. The card was returned to the spread and the deck reas-sembled. Rose was asked to roll the Die of Destiny, a blank-faced die, while Joe dealt the cards into six piles, setting aside the remainder face-up. Rose counted to her freely chosen number. The remaining piles were set aside face up. The final pile was laid out face down to show six cards, the remaining two cards shown face up and set aside. Rose once again rolled the die to choose a number and counted to that number. That card proved to be the one selected by Charlie.John Sergott brought something

that he had composed on a white board and a box of dominoes with pictures of fruits and vegetables in place of numbers. Troy laid out the dominoes matching similar ends until all of the dominoes were used up. During this time John told us about the value of having fruits and veggies in one’s diet. The two ends of the domino chain laid out by Troy, bananas and oranges, matched what John had drawn on the white board.Performing third was Almar,

who showed us a short routine with a small silk, a thumb tip, and flash cotton. Very quick but very entertaining. Lou Abbotiello was the final performer who showed us a large (four to five inches in diameter) coin and indicated the head and tail sides. Lou then sat in a chair facing a corner so he could not see anyone or anything behind him and was able to divine whether the coin was heads or tails up.The vote was Joe Noll first,

Almar secondm, and a tie for third place between Lou Abbotiello and John Sergott.Joe Homecheck, SAM Assembly 110 meets 2nd Thursdays, 7:00pm, at John’s Diner 146 Sheraton

Drive, New Cumberland, PA 17070 Email: [email protected]

112MAGICIAN’S TOOL KIT

PLEASANT HILL, CA— For this month’s workshop, President Larry Wright presented his Magi-cian’s Emergency Kit, an updated version of his previously published lecture notes. The list of non-magical items in the kit includes a large number of things such as a Leatherman tool and gaffer’s tape, while the list to cover magical mishaps includes: a Brainwave Deck, Invisible Deck, Magician’s Insurance Policy, Devil’s Hanky, and a Change Bag or similar prop. See Larry’s lecture notes on the assembly website for more information.The open performances began

with a presentation of Coincidenc-es by Bob Holdridge, a routine originated by Alan Ward, recount-ing the remarkable number of numerical coincidences between a gaming die or a deck of playing cards and the annual calendar.It was then Ric Ewing’s turn

to present a new rope trick, but when he mentioned that he hadn’t practiced, President “Zappo” Wright asked him to sit down and not perform. Zappo seized the opportunity to present his own performance of a three-card trick in which the cards featured Star Wars characters. Zappo correctly predicted which card would end up in his hand, the spectator’s hand, and which one would be in an envelope.

Next up was Roy Porfido, who performed another mentalism feat called Mind Control. Roy correctly predicted which of three differently colored cards the audience would choose. Ric returned to the stage in

another attempt to show his rope trick and again was sent to his seat, so it was guest Alan Leeds’ turn to demonstrate his skills at Three Card Monte. Alan showed just how easy it is to be cheated out of a bet no matter how closely you

watch the card man’s moves. Following Alan, Ric was finally

allowed to perform his new Stare at the Rope trick. The object is for the rope to remain rigid when the magician lets go of one end, but due to lack of practice, it only seemed to work when Ric was looking away and unaware of what was happening. Of course, this is a running gag trick that is a real favorite with kids. The final performance

came from guest wizard Kim Silverman. Kim delighted the audience with a magnificent per-formance of the Ninja Rings and followed with a multi-stage card prediction routine he calls Free Choice.Our evening concluded

with the ever-popular raffle. —Bill MarquardtDiablo Assembly 112 meets on the third Wednesday of every month at the VFW building in Pleasant Hill, California. Contact Larry Wright Z a p p o @ z a p p o t h e m a g ic i a n .com (925) 685-5129 http://www.sam112.com/ for more details.

115GIVING THEM ENOUGH ROPE

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA— President George Buckley opened the business portion of the meeting with a report on the new SAMAs-sembly115.com website. Our new website is up and running with monthly meeting times and themes, as well as the current monthly meeting notes. George then reported on the rest of the ongoing preparations for National Magic Week. Preparations are set with the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Hospital to return for our second Annual Magic Show on October 31.Tim Carrier and Anne Wilson

with the Jefferson/Madison Regional Library are making plans for magic workshops and displays at some of the area libraries to promote National Magic Week. Phil Milstead, John Jennings, and some of the S.A.M. Mid-Atlantic Officers will be presenting a lecture on October 3. The lecture was awarded to S.A.M. 115 for winning this year’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Growth Competition.The magic theme for the month

was Ropes and Escapes. Dan Rowan gave a forty-five-minute teach-in on how to make the rope bunny from his wonderful book, Magic Rope Artistry. He then blew everyone’s mind with the rope rat and another teach-in on Dan Garrett’s Judy the Mouse routine using the rope rabbit. Members then discussed the Swiss Warbler

Our Evan Northrup turns the Princess and the Pea into a

clever card revelation

Larry “Zappo” Wright demonstrates his Magician’s

Emergency Kit


Assembly News

and its many uses. George than showed some different kinds of handcuffs and talked a bit about the theory of lock-picking. Dan Rowan performed his rope and ring routine and then performed a wonderful “Magician’s Competi-tion” in knot tying.Nathan Clauss followed with

a Paul Curry rope effect he learned at the Lance Burton Young Magicians School in St. Louis. Nathan then performed Aldo Colombini’s Contact Colors. He then showed the members his working on The Card Trick with no Name from Dan Hall’s teach-in from last month. Nathan showed that he had solved the problem with the spectator drawing four very low numbers or four Aces. Nathan and Dan Hall then provided members with another teach-in on the card trick. David Clauss ended the night by performing his Houdini Card Trick. Another wonderful evening of magic was enjoyed by all. —Bethany HallS.A.M. Assembly 115 meets on the first Friday of the month, at 7:00 pm at the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Building at, 1150 Pepsi Place, Charlottesville, VA 22901. Contact George Buckley [email protected] (434) 409-2643 SAMAssembly115.com for more details.

120TV MAGIC SHOWS

CHAMPAIGN, IL— The August meeting was held at Manzella’s Italian Patio and as usual, the food was excellent and the service was outstanding. They are very kind to let us meet there before meetings and, when needed, hold our meetings there.The next club show for the

Danville VA is scheduled for November 9 at 2 p.m. Please contact Chris if you would like to participate. You can do stand-up or walk-around magic and they are a very deserving and appreciative crowd. At the August meeting, we

discussed the recent assortment of magic shows on TV. Wizard Wars, Masters of Illusion and Penn & Teller’s Fool Us are three different

formats with some outstanding talent, so you should be able to find at least one show that meets your taste.Professor Higgins opened the

magic portion of the evening by making it rain ones, floating a ring, and predicting a chosen shape. Chris Bontjes penetrated a finger ring on and off of a piece of string. Mark Carlson dem-onstrated his precognition. The Professor took the stage again and lit a bulb (unscrewed from a lamp in the room) in his hand. Ken Barham appeared and disap-peared a silver dollar, changed the color of a large pocket knife, and, after penetrating his hand with a quarter, changed it to an oversized coin. He finished by finding a predicted card without actually touching the deck of cards himself (Untouched). Chris demonstrated his card on the back of a spectator as seen on TV and his version of A Card is Found. Randy Shields combined four colored silks into one four-colored silk. See ya at the meeting, —Ken BarhamAssembly 120, The Andy Dallas Assembly, meets the third Wed. 7pm, (except Nov. and Dec.) For location call Jim Percy at 217-494-2222 or Ken Barham Sec, 2318 Winchester Dr, Champaign, IL 61821 217-841-5616 email: [email protected]

148THE BRIT AND THE WINNER

ELMHURST, IL— The members are still talking about the fine lecture from the Big Brit himself, Mr. Keith Fields. He generously presented and explained the A-list stuff that he actually does for a living, including his unique Chop Cup routine with all his time-tested handlings, bits of business, gags, and great performance tips. The man does every type of magic, from kid show stuff to mentalism, accompanied by his zany and beautifully delivered sight and, sometimes sound, gags.A couple of weeks after the

Fields lecture, a group of our guys journeyed to Hines Veterans’ Hospital and put on a spectacular show for these most deserving gentlemen. Unfortunately, there will not be a detailed description of their mysteries because your scribe was out of town on an annual gig. However, the performers were Rudy Alfano (also the organizer of the event), Don Clancy, Gordon Gluff, Bob Syrup, and the national winner of the combined S.A.M./I.B.M. convention in St. Louis, of whom we are inordinately proud, our own Trent James. —Tony NoiceAssembly 148 meets at Epiphany,

Evangelical Lutheran Church on the corner of Spring Road and Vallette in Elmhurst, IL (downstairs) every third Monday. Contact Tony Noice [email protected] (630) 993-3740 www. SAM#148 for more details.

150SAD START, GREAT FINISH

FORT MYERS, FL— Sadly, the August meeting began on a down note with word that a founder and longtime member of FMMA had passed away over the weekend. Terry Harris and his warmth, humor, and magical skills will be greatly missed.Both life and magic shows must

go on, however. So after President Tom McVey and members discussed how best to honor Terry’s memory, the talk turned to plans for a future Christmas party/show and an invitation from a guest, Glenn Gary, to visit his Cabaret of Magic in Venice, Florida.Then, with “mental magic” the

night’s theme, Rich Stekowski led off a parade of performers offering a rash of card tricks that involved predictions: of a selected card, or the number of cards left after an elimination counting process, or which chosen card would have a large X-mark on its back, etc. Dan Tong, John Levy, Wally Feather, and several others were among the conjurors shuffling, tossing out decks, counting, double lifting, and otherwise demonstrating their skill with the pasteboards.

After Kent Sheets made paper balls from four napkins to forecast a number and visitor Gary divined the serial number on a member’s dollar bill, yours truly demon-strated two book tests – one using a thrown die and random mul-tiplication of six digits to select a page in a phone book where a number was predetermined (from Annemann’s Practical Mental Magic), and another employing an instant stooge.Tony Dunn, who stooged flaw-

lessly, combined a card prediction with a Gozinta Box representing his brain. And Tony Chaudhury and wife Gretchen finished up

with an every-way-you-win spot-card effect and a version of Ken Fetsch’s Mental Epic.Afterwards, a half-dozen folks

headed for Perkin’s and iced tea to talk over what virtually everyone agreed was one of the best meetings of the year – no lecturer, just good magic from a majority of the twenty-odd attendees. —Don Dunn

Fort Myers Magicians Assn. meets 2nd Tues each month at Myerlee Manor, 7 p.m. Contact Tony Dunn, sec., at [email protected] Contact [email protected] (239) 433-6885 for more details.

161NEW MEETING LOCATION

AND CLUB NEWS

NORTH BRANCH, NJ— Paul Draper, who lectured for us in February, worked at the Venetian in Las Vegas for five years. He performed the opening effects from his show: one in which he was able to determine which of five spectators held a gold candy while the others had white ones, based on Max Maven’s Kurotsuke, and a spoon-bending demonstra-tion with references to Banachek and Richard Osterlind. Paul said that mentalism only works if the audience likes you and your pre-sentation is engaging. He said your character is important and you need to decide: What do you want your audience to walk away with? Paul said William Larsen, Sr.’s Mental Mysteries spoke to him and he recommended it. (A quick search found it for $150 on Amazon!) He also demonstrated pocket writing. And then, in a first for our club, Paul played a Southwestern flute while his sweetheart Megan sang a song from Bed Knobs and Broomsticks! Paul also gave us some tips on cold reading using playing cards. In March, Nathan Kranzo, who was born in Detroit, visited with a mix of mentalism and magic. He did a magazine test in which one of three magazines was picked, and a page was torn to pieces; he revealed a chosen word. He also had a book test in which the top line of any page was read and Nathan divined the image. This is a great marketed effect called The Coolest Book Test Ever. Nathan is very affable and knowl-edgeable, showing us a copper/silver/brass effect including ideas by Yuji Wada and a variation of 3 Fly referencing Ramsay, Geoff Latta, Troy Hooser, et al.April 2014 brought us Paul

Hallas, who is from Reading, Pennsylvania, but originally from England. Paul’s books include Small but Deadly, Still Small, Still

Dan Rowan’s Rope Rabbit

Wow! Guest Glenn Gary Guessed It!


Assembly News

Deadly, and Magic from the Over-ground. Although he does many packet tricks, he focused this lecture on mentalism. He was able to divine the image on a postcard from a variety of pictures; this is based on Sid Lorraine’s Drink Trick. Paul’s 2012 Book Test had its genesis in Stewart James’s 1984 Book Test; the difference was that Paul can use any book. There was a great reaction to a routine titled Psychic Poker Too and Paul taught a very simple way to force a packet of cards. He also shared his So Easy Card Stab utilizing his PHS Control” (Paul Hallas Slip Control). When you are in our area, please visit us. —Christopher J SmithNew Location for Assembly 161 we meet the second Monday of the month Stoney Brook Grille, 1285 Route 28, North Branch, New Jersey 08876 Contact Christopher J Smith [email protected] (908) 850-8765 http://www.sam161.org for more details.

170CARD, CARDS, CARDS

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO— Seeing that cards take up most of our magic books and notes, having a night of cards is not an issue. As to put icing on the cake, Jordan Myers took the lead as emcee for the night, blowing us away with some very impressive sleight-of-hand magic throughout the show. Jordan wowed us with tricks, and tips on the faro shuffle; he then tipped on how most of the cards feats were done. I would say shame-shame, but nobody in the audience including myself was mad to see the secrets of the mi-raculous feats with cards.The first effect performed by

Jordan required the use of four spectators. To begin the effect, Jordan started by tearing a card into fourths and laying the torn pieces on the table. The four spec-tators each selected a card from the deck. The cards were reinserted into the deck and found moments later to have all been reversed within the deck. Upon removing the four selected cards, each card was found missing a corner. The missing corners matched the four pieces left on the table from the initial card that Jordan had torn at the beginning of the effect.The line-up between Jordan’s

cards went like this. We started with a new member to the local club, Jason Gunnels; he performed a signed card stab in a paper bag, and then followed up by producing a full shot glass inside of the same bag! Jason drank the substance in the shot glass and must assume it was water? Larry Marsh took

the stage and showed everyone the process for obtaining a girl-friend before the age of computers with a few cards. Mark Weidhaas performed an impromptu card effect in which he made the spectator the magician. A great twist to the ordinary. Jeremy Chisum performed an Oil and Water effect that used the specta-tors mixing the cards. Tom had three spectators select a card, and used another spectator to locate the cards by wearing a special set of magical glasses. I need to find a pair of those. Dick Bowman performed a packet trick with the four Deuces called Blame it on Bud. The Twos changed to Jokers, and the backs went from the “green bud” to the favorable drink called Bud. The night was packed, and as expected there just was not enough time to fit it all in. —Larry ScottAssembly 170 meets at the Sand Creek Police Station in Colorado Springs on the 4th Friday every month January through October, then on the 2nd Friday November and December. Contact Dave Wintermute [email protected] http://www.170sam.org/ for more details.

181PLANNING FOR THE YEAR

AHEAD

HIGHTSTOWN, NJ— This August some of the members of Assembly 181 met over some hot dogs and burgers to discuss the upcoming year. The hosts of the get-together were Mitch Geier and his wife, who graciously offered their home as a meeting spot for those who were able to make it. This is the third year we met as a group, so all who were inter-ested in participating in planning our agenda had the opportunity. Although there are thousands of possible topics that can be discussed in magic, it always seems like a struggle to hone it down to ones that everyone would enjoy. There were many excellent ideas and ultimately we whittled them down to ten. During the year our monthly

club meeting usually starts with a half-hour workshop given by one of the club members and is then followed by performances by others. We try to have the performances follow the theme of the workshop. For example if the workshop was on The Profes-sor’s Nightmare, we hope the per-formance would at least be rope tricks. However, any performance is welcome, no matter what the performer chooses to do.Additional topics discussed

at the meeting were formatting

our second monthly meeting, getting volunteers to perform at a fundraiser for a local food bank, and organizing a magic swap meet at a local flea market that would be open to all S.A.M. and I.B.M. members. It would be a good way to meet fellow magicians and expose our club to possible new members. A big thank you goes to Keith Warner who did all the cooking at the picnic. Keith, a former chef, also made and brought homemade salads as well as his homemade veggie burgers. Of course, after the planning and food, someone broke out a deck of cards and the magic started. It was another great day for Assembly 181. —Stephan SloanAssembly 181 of Hightstown meets the first Thursday of every month, September thru June at the First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Doors open at 7:00PM. Contact Stephan Sloan [email protected] (732) 757-5337 http://www.magicsam181.com/ for more details.

200SUMMER MAGIC

SEATTLE, WA— Our August meeting had members sharing new effects, books, and even giving away magic. Mark Paulson kicked off the meeting by sharing all of the upcoming magic events in the area. Roger Sylwester shared some stories from The Magician and the Cardsharp. He also showed us some beautifully engineered billiard balls. Tom Payne shared ideas for practice that included a surrounding of mirrors and how to simulate two spectators.Reymarx Gereda shared a

Michael Close effect called The Way of the Duck in which he claimed that luck was involved, but this amazing routine was clearly based on skill. Jim Earnshaw first gave away a set of rings and then gave us some amazing moments with his Okito Box routine. Chuck Kleiner magically sent a selected card from the past into the future.Mark Eskenazi shared his ex-

periences from the recent PCAM in Vancouver and Ben Eskenazi performed a routine in which five spectators mixed up a deck and then ended up dealing a straight flush. Bill Murray predicted the identity of two selected Tarot cards and then described the cards in detail.Hugh Castell shared a book that

was entirely about the bill switch. This led to a lively discussion on whether or not to use a thumb tip for this effect. John Cameron gave us a nice routine based on

the McCombical Prediction. Larry Dimmit closed our meeting by bringing a huge box of old magic and letting all of the members select any tricks they wanted. This had younger members excited about tricks they’d never seen before and older members remi-niscing about tricks they hadn’t seen in a long time. In magic, everything old can be new again. —Chuck KleinerThe Emerald City Wizards meets 1st Thu. 7:00 PM each month at a branch of the King County Library. Contact Chuck Kleiner [email protected] (206) 236-0608 www.emeraldcitywizards.org for more details.

206 MAGIC AT THE CAPITOL

SHOWS AND WAYNE HOUCHIN LECTURE

AUSTIN, TX— Assembly 206 joined with their brothers and sisters from I.B.M. Ring 80 in July to present two Magic at the Capitol stage shows. The first-of-their-kind events were sell-out successes, with proceeds going to support the local magic community. The venue was the venerable Scottish Rite Theatre. Assembly members worked both in front of behind the curtains. Close-up specialists Ed Boswell, Albert Lucio, and Roger Gorss en-tertained the lobby crowds during intermission. Houston’s Scott Wells served as master of ceremo-nies.Local celebrity Ray Anderson

joined with his assistant Ellana Kelter to headline the early chil-dren’s matinee. Other matinee performers included Houston mentalist Jamie Salinas and Assembly 206 members Ken Cummings, J.D. Stewart, Tim Dietz, and Connie Paprika Leaverton, a juggler. Also giant crowd pleasers were young James Irwin and Drake Stanton, two out-of-town junior magicians who rounded out the matinee perfor-mance.The evening show featured

many of the same performers, but also included Austin magician John Maverick and South Texas performer Oscar Munoz. The show’s executive producer was Trixie Bond. The producer was I.B.M. Ring 60 president Carlos Santillan, the stage manager was Chris Walden, and the technical director was Ken Dickensheets. The front-of-the-house team included Heather Poggi-Mannis, Peter Garcia, Cathy Wells, and kids from the Austin Magic Camp, under the direction of Bertil Fredstrom. Will Mannis, Mark


Assembly NewsSchaffer, R.a. “Jake” Dyer, and Grettel Granados comprised the stage crew.August meeting: If you take

away one message from Wayne Houchin, it might be this: don’t forget the needles in your mouth. The popular Discovery Channel star delivered a first class lecture in Austin for the Assembly 206 meeting in August, regaling members with stories of tricks sure to amaze as well as tricks gone horribly awry. He also performed and explained several effects, including a perilous nee-dle-in-the-mouth stunt.

Another crowd favorite was Houchin’s minimalist bit involving a single helium balloon attached to a ribbon. A small child is selected from the audience and is handed the balloon. The magician asks the child to take a deep breath. The balloon magically drops as the child fills his lungs. When the child lets out his breath, the balloon rises. That effect and others in his lecture can be found in his book, Remix, which can be purchased at his website.“The relationship that we create

when we perform for ourselves and our audience is always the most important element of our magic,” Mr. Houchin explained. “How you react with your audience – it’s relationship building – that what makes the difference. If you give your audience love and respect, they’ll give it back.” —R.A. DyerOmni South Park Hotel, 4140 Governors Row, Austin, Texas, 78744. Contact Jake Dyer [email protected] (512) 658-0017 http://sam206.com/ for more details.

215BRENT BRAUN DEALER

LECTURE

LOUISVILLE, KY— The Lou-isville Magic Club met on July 8. We welcomed former member Sonny Bass back as a new member; then club member Brent Braun, who represents Penguin Magic, entertained us with about thirteen effects that are marketed by Penguin Magic:Bently (a self-bending paper

clip), Poker Text 2.0 (blank cards to royal flush), Flux (a moving ink prediction), Phoenix Prophecy (invisible-ink nail writer and holdout), Perfect Open Prediction (a Boris Wilde effect in which a card is predicted before it is selected), Psypher (a magnetic impression device), Cosmos Duo (an out-of-this-world red/black separation), Pip Streak (a Doug Conn idea for a moving pip card trick), Vortex (a Dan Harlan effect of a strange card melting), White Bikes (a deck turns blank with no rough and smooth), Double Take (a double color changing deck), NFW (a Twisting the Jokers effect with an Ace finish), and Token (a no-force ESP prediction).Brent has created some terrific

magic himself: Torched and Restored, his version of the torn and restored card effect; This That and the Other, a very visual and entertaining packet trick; Decks, Lies, and Videotape, a DVD with super effects; and Bullseye, a DVD with a thorough explanation for performing a trick with a dart and a deck of cards.If you haven’t already invited

Brent to lecture at your magic club, hurry and do so. He has thought a lot about the “hows and whys” of magic, is skilled technically, and has a quick and fun sense of humor. —Roger L. OmansonThe LMC, Assembly 215, meets at the Kosair Community Center on Eastern Parkway. Contact Roger L. Omanson [email protected] (502) 296-6577 or visit www.lmcmagic.com for more details.

226CONVENTION SHOW AND

TELL

WILLAMSBURG, VA— Two members of the Baker-Temple Assembly 226 attended the I.B.M./S.A.M. combined convention in St. Louis: Michael Heckenberger and Bill Baber. The theme of the meeting was convention show and tell and that is just what Mike and Bill did that at the meeting. Bill took the time to document dealers, performers, lecturers, contestants, and winners, as well as the flow of the convention! Bill wore his Society of American Magicians dress shirt (see attached picture) and Mike made sure to bring his badge and the commemorative I.B.M./S.A.M. lapel pin. Both brought several items purchased at the convention.They basically went through

day by day and gave the high-lights and observations on what they liked and what they thought could have been better. (Face it, even this convention could have been better despite how great it

was.) Following that was the real highlight of the evening: magic by members!

First up was Ron Grossman, who performed Henry Evans’s Instant Travel Coins. Ironically, our assembly had Henry Evans lecture in April and the members loved it! Ron’s handling was very good and everyone enjoyed his presen-tation. Next up was Alexander, who did a very nice Ten, Jack, Queen, and King Assembly performed to the theme of eating Tapas (a wide variety of appetiz-ers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine). Next was Michael Heckenberger, who performed two tricks he bought from Magic, Inc. at the convention: Al James’s Almost Impromptu Card in Balloon and Selec-trick Deck – a trick with the electric deck! They were a little rough, having just been purchased, but the members were glad to see some new stuff from the conven-tion. Following Michael was Scott Fridinger who performed Dean Dill’s Box and after the meeting explained it to the members! Last and definitely not least was Watt Hyer, who brought out Doc Eason’s All Screwed Up and asked the members for feedback on how they perform this classic. All in all it was a fun and informative meeting. —Michael HeckenbergerAssembly 226 meets the fourth Wednesday of each month (except for August and December) at the Williamsburg Library, Room B, 515 Scotland Street, Williamsburg, VA. Meetings start at 7:00PM. Contact Michael Heckenberger ,[email protected] (757) 812-3299 https://sites.google.com/site/samassembly226/Home for more details.

252AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

FAIRFAX, VA— President Keith Pass opened the business portion of the August meeting by present-ing a membership certificate to Assembly 252’s newest member, Cherylya Thompson. Cherylya confirmed her qualifications as a magician later in the meeting by performing a perplexing card effect. Phil Milstead reported on his work in forming an assembly in Winchester, Virginia. And

there was a discussion of the work in progress in creating a new website for Assembly 252.Audience participation was

the theme for this month’s magic. Keith Pass performed the old funnel pumping liquid from the elbow routine but with an elegant new patter and presenta-tion scheme that made the classic trick seem new and fresh. Richie Klein followed up with a cute take on the ice bucket challenge assisted by Phil Milstead. And Greg Clements, assisted by guest Nathalie Thompson, found a $20 bill hidden under a choice of four Styrofoam cups.

Bob Malinchock performed several effects that were stunners, as usual. He started with a nickel coin effect that his dad showed him when he was a kid. Bob followed that by stabbing a $20 bill with a pen and then restoring it. He ended with a commercial trick using four blocks that had Bob’s original touches when he predicted which spectators would select certain blocks.Phil Milstead performed a sur-

prising and very effective golf effect using cards with four letter words on them that had a comedic ending. Greg Clements ended the evening’s magic with an effect he was working on that caused a nickel dropped in a folded napkin to bend as it dropped. —Alan WheelerAssembly 252 meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM in the Knights of Columbus Hall behind St. Leo’s Catholic Church on Old Lee Highway in the City of Fairfax, Virginia. Contact Tom Bohacek [email protected] (703) 754-2005 for more details.

266BACK TO SCHOOL MAGIC

LAKELAND, FL— Students in Central Florida are going back to school, which inspired the Lakeland magi with ideas for new tricks for the upcoming school assembly season. Our pre-meeting

Wayne Houchin performs his needle-on-a-string stunt

Convention Show and Tell with Bill and Mike

Greg Clements finds the twenty bucks


Assembly Newsdinner discussion centered around the new magic shows on the CW with many mixed opinions. We all agreed that any magic on TV is great exposure for the art. We also discussed the Tampa magic club’s successful Magic Fest convention the prior weekend.President Jerry Kardos helmed

the meeting through a discus-sion about our fallen magi, Elmo Bennett’s obit being published, the progress of our website, and how to draw people to our Facebook page. We also discussed President Ice McDonald’s Year of the Member and the upcoming Magic Summit.Jerry stayed on stage to kick off

the magic portion of the night by shooting a loaded gun at a deck of cards and being able to hit just the card selected by Ed McGowan. Scribe Al D’Alfonso was up next with his dollar store force bag made out of back to school items followed by a story using Lubor’s Cube that illustrated the value of gifts.Beverly Kenemuth, inspired by

a Magic -Fest find, did a packet trick that tested our memories as cards changed before our eyes. Next up was the monthly duel of the card masters. Dean Bob Macey explained how algorithms control a simple deck of cards, which Ed countered with by counting down in the same deck to Bob’s chosen card. Looks like another draw till next month. Visitor Mike Peterson did an

unusual Wild Card effect that had us guessing, in addition to a creation of his own called “the battery powered card.” Inspired by all the card play, Al returned with Cameron Francis’s lie detector effect Nothing But the Truth before the group broke up for the night.Another month of magic festivi-

ties and all that was missing was you. Be sure to visit next time your plans bring you to Central Florida. No matter if school is in session or not, you’re guaranteed to have a good time! —Al D’AlfonsoJim Zachary Assembly 266 meets the second Monday of the month at 7PM at the Lakeland I-HOP, I-4 & US 98 Contact Al D’Alfonso [email protected] (321) 4373814 https://www.facebook.com/SAM266MAGIC for more details.

277“IT’S ABOUT TIME”

STROUDSBURG, PA— The members and guests of the PMMC gathered in August for some fun magic and an updates on what the club will be up to in the coming months. The PMMC will be per-

forming at a local charity event called “Mady’s Snow Day” that benefits many local charities. In October we will be at the “Lehman Township Community Day,” and in November we will be again performing for the Big Brothers/Sisters telethon.S. Patrick also reminded

everyone that he will be perform-ing at the “Cape Cod Festival of Magic” at the end on the month in Massachusetts. Check out the photo for the entire cast.Our August meeting theme

was “It’s About Time.” The per-formances were all based on the concept of time. S. Patrick was up first with a routine about horoscopes and the signs of the zodiac. A random spectator was chosen to reveal her star sign and it was shown that S. correctly

predicted the sign with a personal message on the back.He then shared a story about how

he and his brother used to have marathon tic-tac-toe sessions in the back of the family car on long road trips. A spectator played a game with S. and then S. took out a prediction of a previously played game that matched the current game exactly.Our own Odes Odhner was up

next with a neat little routine called Clock Faced in which a round disk was shown to represent a clock. The disk had no hands. The spectator placed the clock behind his back and, with a sharpie, drew the hour hand. Odes then showed that his prediction matched correctly.The Magic of Ricardo was up

last and took us on a trip to the old west. Ricardo performed his Smilin’ Assasin, in which a selected card was shown to have been shot in the smiley face head. Of course, Ricardo dressed up this routine with a cowboy hat, badge, and six-shooter, all made from balloons. Any magicians who may be

visiting the Pocono Mountains please give us a call and visit one of our two meetings. We’d love to have you stop by. We meet on the first Monday and the third Friday each month. —S. PatrickThe Pocono Mountains Magic Club meets each third Friday at the “Art Space Gallery” (18 N. 7th

St. Stroudsburg PA. 18360). We also meet on the first Monday at the Hughes Public Library (1002 Route 611, Stroudsburg PA.) Contact S. Patrick [email protected] (570) 242-6821 www.pmmc.webs.com for more details.

279BACK WITH A BANG

COCOA, FL— We are proud to finally make our way back into the pages of M-U-M. With a small but dedicated member base who are either busy out entertaining the world with magic or relaxing in re-tirement here in beautiful Brevard County, things have moved at a slower pace down here in Florida. But the year is looking promising with things to come!

President Dr. Dan and his family at the Magic Dove Magic Shop are planning something big. As a society we often think and talk about “preserving the art,” but come May 22-24, 2015, something is going to get done for those we sometimes

neglect. The children!While we do meet

monthly to discuss perform-ing, help each other critique our routines, and introduce old and new members to old and new magic alike, our coming months will probably be busy with ideas and news about the Magic Dove “Youth” Convention. Encourag-ing youth and mentoring them in the art of performing magic is something our members are growing adept in. This May, newly elected Vice President Danny Sanz represented our small group in the FMA fiftieth anniversary convention in Orlando and was awarded first place in adult stage magic. But not to be outdone, four youth members of S.Y.M. #143 competed, and William Zaballero won both stage and close-up in the youth division! All who attended had a great weekend. We are sure we have a positive message to share with young ones interested in magic. —Danny SanzAssembly 279 “Cocoa Beach Magic Club” meets the second Saturday of every month at 8 a.m. at the Magic Dove Magic Shop. Caption: Danny Sanz 1st place in Stage at FMA 50th, Orlando

291A NIGHT OF NUMBERS

LOS ANGELES, CA— Our President Bill opened up tonight’s meeting by talking about upcoming shows and websites to

broaden our horizons. Also, he informed coming lectures, events, and holidays for us. After, the floor was opened up

and Raul and Frank told us about their time in Vancouver, British Columbia, during the 2014 PCAM. It was a vast variety of workshops, in which Frank and Raul both competed. As we were getting ready to

segue into the evening’s scheduled topic, we had a very wonderful interruption. S.A.M. National President Kendrick Ice McDonald presented Assembly 291 with the plaque he received on our behalf for the fastest growing assembly. He presented this prestigious award to our current and past pres-idents. We were very honored!

Right after, our subject got underway. President Bill intro-duced our wonderful talker, Les, to teach us about numbers in magic. He brought to us many uses for numbers that we don’t realize we use on a daily basis. From dice, to Keno, to sticks, to squares…It’s all about the numbers. And Les opened our eyes and showed us the way to hone our knowledge.So what did we take away

from this lecture? Bring Les to a casino, because the house will lose. Therefore, we predict that he will be banned from casinos after this article is published. —William Dow Jr. Assembly 291 meets the second Tuesday of every month at OPICA Adult Day Care Facility, 11759 Missouri Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Contact Les Cooper [email protected] (310) 473-1820 www.westsidewizards.org for more details.

292SINCLAIR’S SUPER SEANCE

GREELEY, CO— In August we greatly enjoyed a brilliantly designed, quick moving, and high impact séance show (and lecture) by Aiden Sinclair. He is a very ex-perienced full-time showman who has performed in more than thir-ty-five countries. He designs his séance shows around an historic person such as the Unsinkable

Past and Present Presidents of 291 with IceThe Cast of the Cape Cod

Festival of Magic - Assembly 277

JOANIE SPINA(AUGUST 4, 1953 – AUGUST 17, 2014)

Joanie Spina, well known in the world of magic for her choreography, coaching, and mentoring, died on August 17, 2014, in Houston, Texas, at the age of sixty-one. Joanie had been treated for cancer and suffered from pulmonary fibrosis. Several months ago, she moved from Las Vegas to Houston to await the replacement of her liver and lungs.

Joanie was born in Boston on August 4, 1953, and grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts. She studied dance as a child, but gave it up at age eleven. She returned to that field at age twenty-six, and took extensive training in ballet, jazz, acting, and voice. Over the next two years, she danced in a few Boston companies before moving to New York and ultimately answering an ad to be a dancer in a show with “an international stage and television star.”

She joined David Copperfield’s company as a principal performer, choreographer, and artistic co-director; she worked with Copperfield for eleven years, choreograph-ing ten of David’s annual CBS specials and his Broadway show, Dreams and Nightmares. Concerning Joanie, Cop-perfield said, “She left a mark not just on my magic but on the world of magic...She developed a different way of having magic seen by the public – more sensual, more dance-driven.”

After leaving the Copperfield show, Joanie developed her own act, playing in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and the Bahamas. She retired from active performing in 2000 and became a consultant and director, working with many of magic’s top acts, including Kalin & Jinger, Jeff Hobson, Juliana Chen, Marco Tempest, Melinda, and Dirk Arthur.

She worked with Franco Dragone, the original artistic director of Cirque du Soleil, helped design illusions for Ghost the musical on Broadway, and assisted in the casting of the touring shows Kung Fu Panda, The Circus McGurkus, and How To Train Your Dragon. She was also an animal rights activist and produced several documentaries on this subject.

Most of all, she was a great friend to all in the magic community, who will miss her very much.

DOUGLAS ALLEN SLATER (FEBRUARY 9, 1950 – AUGUST 3, 2014)

Doug Slater passed away quietly at his home in Lakewood, California, on August 3, 2014, with family members present. He had been a member of S.A.M. Assembly 22 since 1998 and was a former assembly president. Doug Slater was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He moved to Southern Cali-

fornia with his family as a very young child and resided in the Los Angeles area for the rest of his life. He attended Loyola Marymount University, the University of Southern California, and California State University, earning degrees in physics and electrical engineering. He had a long career in the aerospace industry with TRW and Northrop Grumman, continuing on a part-time basis after official-ly retiring in 2005. Doug’s profession was as a software/missile tracking engineer.

Doug had a childhood interest in magic, but his real passion for magic began in 1988 after taking an adult education magic class. He soon became a Magic Castle member, a founding member of the Southern California Association of Magicians, and a member of other local magicians’ organizations. Doug was a performing magician

Broken Wands


Assembly News

Molly Brown, Jack the Ripper, and in the show we sampled, Titanic survivor Anastasia O’Dell. His show was a model of ingeniously linking standard effects to a single patter theme. He uses two “silent disclaimers”:

big long banners describing him as a Paranormal Illusionist, and even more pointedly, as a Master Magician. His costume suggests a formal undertaker, but one with showy chains and a big cross. He worked in shirtsleeves, while still wearing a vest. Like Chelman’s “hauntiques,” some props were found in thrift stores. He made a few props, including aging an Invisible Deck. He speaks quickly, and paces much of the time.Paul Noffsinger introduced him.

Aiden got right into Anastasia’s dramatic life story with Think

Ink. During Jim Critchlow’s Titanic living-and-dead effect, White Star, with the assistance of Mitch Harwood and Dave Win-termute, Aiden vigorously threw their rejected cards on the floor.Marilyn Dutton and Lew

Wymisner were the volunteers for Banachek’s gutsy dual-reality Psy-chokinetic Touches. James Lopez

tied up Aiden in a straitjacket. His escape included cringe-worthy dislocating of both shoulders (by a gimmick he made), and led to a bent key trick. For Adam Grace’s cell phone Ringtone, Brian Hallisey and Tim Pendergast assisted.Aiden had familiarized us with

an old Ouija board by using it as a table top throughout the show. It was really Tim Wisseman’s elec-tronic apparatus, The Darkboard, from Outlaw Effects. Aiden used it well in an emotional closing routine that included clearing the Think Ink with a large crucifix, the board’s planchette moving on its own, and Anastasia ringing a simple (spirit) bell to indicate that she is at peace.In Aiden’s follow-up lecture he

focused on “believable theater.”

He shared the performing touches he uses to move spectators from thinking to feeling, and beyond that, to experiencing strong emotional impact and visceral clout.The only thing Aiden had for sale

was a $10 booklet of lecture notes. This would be a terrific program for assemblies with members in-terested in how a real pro presents bizarre and séance effects. —Ron DuttonThe Dr. Ronald P. Dutton Assembly 292 usually meets at Kenny’s Steak House, 3502 West 10th Street (corner of 35th Avenue) at 11:00 A.M. (lunch optional), on the second Saturday of the month. Contact Jim Pope [email protected] (970) 339-3277 www.SAM292.com for more details.

Lew Wymisner, Aiden Sinclair and Marilyn Dutton

at the Magic Castle and was very active in the Southern California Assembly. He gave his final performance to a full house at the S.A.M. Hall of Fame & Magic Museum show in Whittier, California, only fifteen days before his passing.

Doug Slater had many interests outside of magic, including fencing/sword fighting and extensive international travel with his father. He was beloved in his neighborhood as generous and caring and will be missed by all who knew him in and out of the large magic community. The many tributes and remembrances expressed at his memorial service by so many who knew Doug Slater was a genuine display of what a good person he was.

TONI PERRINE(AUGUST 1, 1925 – MAY 9, 2014)

Toni Perrine was born on August 1, 1925, as Pamela Young in Brighton, Sussex, England. Toni passed away on May 9, 2014, in Carlsbad, California. Toni remained an active member of Assembly 22 even after moving from the Los Angeles area several years ago. Toni was also active in magic clubs in Long Beach and San Diego, Cali-fornia. She also belonged to clown clubs and many other organizations.

Toni grew up in England during a time when England was experiencing the bombing by Germany and the effects of World War II. Her early training and education were in dramatic arts and dance. Toni also graduated from a trade school secretarial course. Her first employment as a secretary was short lived before she began what was to become a lifelong career as a professional performer. Toni sang, danced, and acted in theatrical circuits. She came first to the United States as an acrobat with Cole Brothers Circus and she traveled the U.S. and Europe as a performer and actress in a variety of shows.

Toni’s first permanent home in the U.S. in 1952 was in Las Vegas. She sang and danced in nightclubs and had a TV exercise show. She soon married and had two children; she later divorced and eventually moved to Southern Cali-fornia. In 1968 Toni married Bill Perrine, who passed away in 1980. Toni is survived by their daughter.

Toni’s later years were very active as she continued singing, dancing, and acting in community theatre, became a clown and a magician, and traveled internationally. Toni had a full and exciting life and will be missed by Assembly 22. – Steven Jennings

MICHAEL “TERRY” HARRIS(MARCH 2, 1939 – AUGUST 11, 2014)

“Terry” Harris, master photographer, magician, antique magic collector, and dealer passed away quietly in his sleep on August 11, 2014, at age seventy-five. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Order of Merlin Excalibur, and a member of Ring numbers 189, 258, and 303. He was also a member of The Society of American Magicians.

Terry was born in Newark, Ohio, where he graduated from Liberty Union High School and spent the first forty years of his life in the area. In 1979, he and wife Sue moved to the Ft. Myers area of Florida and later to The Villages.

Terry’s interest in magic began with a deaf mute friend, Danny Johnson. Danny taught Terry magic and Terry helped Danny learn sign language. Terry’s interest in magic blossomed into a full-time living as “Terry the Trixter,” perform-ing in more than one hundred school shows,

birthday parties, illusion and close-up shows per year with his wife Sue. He has performed on TV and internation-ally in Canada, Puerto Rico, Spain, Portugal, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. He also provided magic entertainment at trade shows for the Kodak Company. In the ‘70s, he ran three-day “Magic Fests” that brought major magicians, such as Doug Henning, to his home for dinner.

Later in life magic took a back seat to becoming a pro-fessional photographer. He excelled at photography, and later founded the Senior Photographers International, the largest photographers association in the world.

After retirement, photography took the back seat and his passion for magic took front and center again. He continued to perform in Florida and created “Old Magic Props,” a web site for the discussion of and sales of antique magic. He is survived by his wife Sue, son Brian, daughter Coby Beach, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

IRVING FRIEDMAN(MAY 27, 1932 – AUGUST 16, 2014)

Irving Friedman, loving husband of Lorraine Friedman, father of Susan (Ed) Allen and Daniel (Sandy) Friedman, and grandfather of Alex, Ariannah, Aliyah, Mackenzie, and Katie, passed away August 16, 2014, at the age of eighty-two. Irv made his living as a magician in the Washington, D.C., area for thirty years. He and his wife retired to Wil-liamsburg, Virginia, in 2007. Born on May 27, 1932 in Ports-mouth, Virginia, he loved theater, movies, art, and dancing. Irv was a great scholar of religion, philosophy, and litera-ture.

Lorraine and Irving Friedman began doing shows part-time for friends’ kid’s parties. Soon, due to word of mouth, they found themselves getting more show requests than they could handle and made the decision to become full-time entertainers. Over the years, they entertained thousands with their professional comedy magic and clown act as Aladdin the Magician and Lollypop the Clown.

Irv and Lorraine performed at the White House, Kennedy Center, and at many foreign embassies. Private parties were a specialty for many years. Irv graduated from Staunton Military Academy in 1951. Following service in the Navy, he enrolled at George Washington University, majoring in history. Lorraine studied at the University of Syracuse, where she majored in psychology. Husband and wife enjoyed special studies together in Jewish mysticism at the University of Maryland.

Broken Wands



AnnuAl nAtionAl CounCil Meeting July 3, 2014 St. louiS, MiSSouri MinuteS (Draft)

SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MAGICIANS

Call to order:Most Illustrious Dal Sanders called the

annual meeting of the National Council of The Society of American Magicians to order according to ritual at 4:15 pm. The invocation was given by PNP Jann Goodsell, who also requested a moment of silence for departed compeers.

MI Sanders acknowledged Past Presidents George Schindler, Dan Garrett, Don Oltz, Harry Monti, Jann Goodsell, Ed Thomas, John Apperson, Andy Dallas, Mike Miller, Mark Weidhaas, Vinny Grosso, David Goodsell, Chris Bontjes, Brad Jacobs, and Dan Rodriguez. Honored guests included I.B.M. incoming President Shaun Farquhar and I.B.M. President-elect Joe Turner.Approve minutes of March 8, 2014,

meeting: Motion: PNP Ed Thomas moved that the minutes be approved with the correc-tion of the spelling of Cesareo Pelaez. Vote: motion passed.Counting ballots: PNP and Election Chair

Ed Thomas requested permission to leave the meeting to count the ballots. MI Sanders granted permission.

REPORTSNote: full reports are in the Blue Book except

those listed as live reports. The Blue Book is available electronically from National Secretary Marlene Clark, as hard copy from National Administrator Manon Rodriguez, or online in the member-only section at www.magicsam.com.NATIONAL OFFICERS: All had reports

in the Blue Book. (Note: Second VP & Magic Week Chairman Jeff Sikora was not present because he was called to perform a broken wand ceremony and be a pall bearer at the funeral of Alex, an 11-year old S.Y.M. member from Omaha and whom Jeff had befriended.)Most Illustrious Dal Sanders discussed

the process he used in his successful bid to get congressional recognition of magic as an art from the House of Representatives and read the following resolution that was entered into the Congressional Record on April 28, 2014, by Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas. The resolution is a first step toward full congressional recognition of magic as an art, which could open doors to possible National Endowment for the Arts funding for magicians.

President-elect Kenrick “Ice” McDonald announced that he was reorganizing some of the S.A.M. committee lineup. He is contacting committee chairs, but was able to announce the following new chairmen: Ethics: Steven Spence; Marketing Director: Dal Sanders; Advertising Director: Cinde Sanders; S.A.M. Members Facebook Page: Manon Rodriguez. He said he is grateful for those who decided to stay on with him this year. There was no discussion, and the consensus was that there was no need for McDonald to seek council approval for his appointees.Later, McDonald sought approval for a new

award to recognize exemplary members – one from each region – who will be nominated by their respective Regional Vice Presidents.Motion: Dick Bowman moved that the

council approve the new award. Discussion: None. Vote: Motion passed. First VP Dave Bowers referred to the

previous approval of the S.A.M. caring and maintaining the Houdini Gravesite. He said the committee expects that it will be a 3-year project to restore the gravesite to what it looked like in 1926, and there may be some fundraising involved in the future.National Secretary Marlene Clark –

thanked all for sending reports in a timely manner and said that working with MI Sanders was a positive experience. National Treasurer Eric Lampert said that

despite some ups and downs, the S.A.M. made it through the year with no issues. He drafted the proposed budget on a conservative basis, but some new programs could give the S.A.M. more name recognition and hopefully, more members. He is streamlining budget catego-ries to simplify the budget. National Treasurer Lampert sought approval for the proposed 2014-15 FY Budget of $380,550.Motion: Arlen Solomon moved to approve

the $380,550.00 FY 2014-15 budget. Discus-sion: None. Vote: Motion passed. Counting Ballots:PNP Ed Thomas returned and announced

the election results, congratulating those who were elected.Elected to office for 2014-15 were the

following:

National Officers:President-elect:Dave Bowers1ST Vice President: Jeff Sikora

2ND Vice President:Richard BowmanSecretary: Marlene ClarkTreasurer: Eric Lampert

Regional Vice Presidents: New England: Thomas Gentile Midwestern States: Shaun RiveraNorth Atlantic States: Eric Decamps South Central States: Michael TallonMid Atlantic States: Arlen Solomon Northwestern States: JR RussellSouth Atlantic States: Jim Driscoll South-western States: Ron IshimaruCentral Plains States: Steven Spence Canada: Lon Mandrake

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTSAbsent – report in the Blue Book: Gifts

& Insignia Craig Schwarz; Investment Committee Richard DooleyAbsent – no report in the Blue Book:

Chaplain Michael Douglass; SYMbol Editor Michael Raymer.National Administrator Manon

Rodriguez referred to her Blue Book report, adding that she was proud to report that the S.Y.M. is growing. Insurance Advisor Joseph Caulfield

referred to his Blue Book report.Legal Counsel Stuart Schneider said this

has been a good year with few problems.M-U-M Editor Michael Close (live

report) said he was happy to renew his contract for another 3 years. He noted that assemblies use M-U-M as a resource for meetings and thanked those who contrib-ute to the magazine. He is always looking for good ideas and people to write.Roles & Responsibility – Dick Bowman

explained that the handbook he is creating will enhance the membership experience.

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT REPORTS

Absent – report in the Blue Book: Eric DeCamps – North Atlantic.New England – Joseph Caulfield noted

that he was at the end of his term of service and said it had been an honor to serve his region as RVP.Mid Atlantic – Phil Milstead reported

on the Mid Atlantic Regional Growth award. He acknowledged John Jennings, who thought of it, and Assembly #115


of Charlottesville Virginia, which will receive a free lecture. Central Plains – Steve Spence referred

to his Blue Book report.Midwest – Shaun Rivera welcomed

everyone to his region. His goal is to visit every assembly in the Midwest: he has 5 more to go.South Atlantic – Debbie Leifer referred

to her Blue Book report. She said it was an honor and a privilege to serve as RVP. The assemblies in her region are going well and she is working hard to welcome potential members. South Central – Michael Tallon referred

to his Blue Book report and thanked all for allowing him to serve. Northwestern – JR Russell talked about

the “tyranny of distance” of his region that he tries to overcome in other ways, such as a membership campaign. This year’s winner of the Impossible Bottle was Mont Dutson of Assembly 188 in Utah. The award for next year’s contest will be a magic wand. Southwest States – Ron Ishimaru said

it has been a pleasure to serve as RVP. He said that Assembly 248 has honored its founder by establishing the Robert L. Bluemle Excellence in Magic Award to recognize magicians who have shown dedication and selflessness to the art of magic. Kenton Knepper and Barry S. Schor were the first two recipients of the award. Assembly #248 has requested that the assembly’s supplemental name be changed to “The Jack Sutherland/Robert L. Bluemle Assembly.” He added that someone may be working to reactivate Assembly #218.Canada – Rod Chow reported that

he logged 200 miles jogging around St. Louis and found 58 cakes that were placed around the city in honor of its 250th an-niversary. As this was his last meeting as RVP, he thanked everyone he worked with and recognized I.B.M. incoming president Sean Farquhar, who is also dean of Rod’s home assembly, Assembly #95.

COMMITTEESAbsent – no report: Ethics – Marc

DeSouza; Member promotion – Steve Marshall; National Deputy Coordina-tor – Clem Kinnicutt; Sharing Awareness Mentoring Program – Bob Carroll; SAMtalk – Bruce Kalver; Technology – Bruce Kalver.

Absent – report in the Blue Book: Assembly Contact Coordinator Kyle Peron; Deaf Magicians Deputy Simon Carmel; FaceBook – Eric DeCamps; Media Librarian Mark Jensen; New Assembly Coordinator Les Cooper;Weiss-Houdini Gravesite Curator Eric

DeCamps.Ambassador of Magic, FISM Liaison,

Magic Endowment Fund – Bradley Jacobs reported that the MEF had a net worth of $1,033,000.00, and that the trustees will continue to act in a prudent manner. The trustees plan to ask those who paid $1,000.00 for life membership to put in another $500.00 over the next couple of years to match the current as-sessment. At the July 1 MEF meeting, the fund granted the following: Hall of Fame, $5,000.00; Magic Summit $5,000.00; Magic Camp scholarships up to $7,000.00. He will represent the S.A.M. as a judge at the Busan International Magic Festival in Busan, So. Korea.Conference Executive/IBM-SAM

Convention Mark Weidhaas announced the winners of the “find the cake” contest. He said that discussions are still underway regarding a possible IBM/SAM joint con-vention in 2017 in Louisville, KY, but he could not recommend appointing addition-al members to the 2017 LLC at this time.He announced the following upcoming

annual S.A.M. conventions:2015: July 1-4 in Philadelphia, PA, at the

Marriott Philadelphia Downtown.

2016: IndianapolisWeidhaas announced the following

appointments to the S.A.M. convention committee: Paul Critelli – Contest Chair; Kyle Peron – Artistic Director; David Goodsell – Convention Program Editor.Motion: Weidhaas moved that the ap-

pointments be approved. Discussion: none. Vote: motion passed.Dean George Schindler (Houdini

Fund, International Deputy Coordina-tor, Publicity) – referred to his Blue Book report. He added that the Houdini Fund is available to magicians and allied artists who need money for medical expenses.Good and Welfare – Anthony

Antonelly thanked all who have helped him and conducted a raffle, giving prizes to several in attendance. He presented President-elect Kenrick “Ice” McDonald

with a medallion, a plaque in recognition of his hard work, and a clock that reads, “Use your time wisely.”Hall of Fame and Magic Museum

(live report by PNP Ed Thomas): the temporary exhibit at the Whittier Museum society will close at the end of July, and the Hall of Fame will hold its final gala show on July 19. The museum is negotiat-ing with two cities that have facilities and hopes to open again, soon.Heroism and Patriots Award – Bill

Gleason referred to his Blue Book report. He thanked the Marketing Committee for the great poster, said he may have an article about the award in The Linking Ring and added that the committee has received many inquiries about the award. He announced that Lance Burton is a new committee member. IBM/SAM Combined Convention

– Mark Weidhaas referred to his Blue Book report. Life Membership – Dan Sclare said

he signed up two new life members at the convention and thanked Cinde Sanders for making the Life Membership gathering a success. Magic for Special Education – Trudy

Monti referred to her Blue Book Report.Marketing (PNP Vinny Grosso

reporting for Brian South) thanked MI Sanders for the FaceBook Page that’s open to the public; the page has 6,000 likes and is a great marketing tool. He discussed the Magic Summit being held in November and being sponsored by the S.A.M. and Magic Magazine; it is a great way to expand the reach of the S.A.M. while improving the club experience. People are asking how to participate. Another marketing avenue is the “Road Show,” being taken in conjunction with Penguin Magic and others.Magic Center Foundation – Dan

Rodriguez announced the center’s new officers: President Dan Rodriguez; Vice President Rodney Housley; Secretary/Treasurer Randy Kalin. He encouraged people to purchase the collectible pins that are being sold at the convention.Membership – Kelly Peron referred to

her Blue Book Report.National Historian Tom Ewing said

it will be a pleasure to serve again as historian and thanked all current and past editors of M-U-M and the Linking Ring for their appreciation of magic history.


SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MAGICIANSParanormal Investigation Committee –

Charles Siebert referred to his report in the Blue Book.Spotlight Program – Barbara Dallas

(live report by PNP Andy Dallas) said the committee would like to see increased effort to honor people in the trenches and at assemblies.Veterans Program/Military Liaison

Chris Bontjes encouraged members to volunteer their time to thank our vets for their sacrifice. He reminded members to notify him when they perform for veterans.Young Member Program Jann Goodsell

thanked those who helped with the young member program at the convention – the National Officers, plus Kayla Drescher, Ed Thomas and Arlen Solomon.

Old business – none Society Business (Items from caucus):1. Announcement: MI Sanders is

making progress with the Be Amazed TV contract. We plan to hire an entertainment attorney to review the contract when needed.

2. Motion: MI Sanders moved that the S.A.M. sponsor a mobile magic store,

along with Penguin Magic, Magic Magazine, and other dealers. Discus-sion: none. Vote: motion passed. Society business (New Business/

other)1. Motion: National Secretary Marlene

Clark moved that the name of S.A.M. Assembly #248 be changed to The Jack Sutherland/Robert L. Bluemle Assembly #248, Society of American Magicians. Discussion: none. Vote: motion passed.

2. Motion: National Secretary Marlene Clark moved to approve the Charter of Ring of Smoke S.Y.M. Assembly #145 and Magic Emporium S.Y.M. Assembly #146. Discussion: none. Vote: motion passed.

3. Battery: A battery was given for IBM/SAM Convention Chairman Mark Weidhaas.

Awards: Several awards were presented to

honored compeers, including the following: 50-year membership awards went to

Robert H. Little and George Vandyke, Jr.MI Sanders gave PNP Chris Bontjes the

Houdini bust.MI Sanders presented presidential

citations to compeers Randy Kalin, Frank Stelzer and Anne Weidhaas, adding that he was amazed that Anne never got a citation.First Vice President Dave Bowers

presented the Assembly Growth awards to assemblies that showed the greatest percentage of growth in their respec-tive categories, PNP Jacobs presented the Leslie Guest literary award, and Bill Gleason presented the Eichler Award.

Good and WelfareMI Sanders thanked all for their support

and guidance during the year. Benediction given by PNP Jann

Goodsell.Adjournment: The meeting was

adjourned according to ritual at 7:07 p.m., following which the installation of officers was held. Respectfully submitted,

Marlene Clark,National Secretary

Good Cheer List

Please take a minute to 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]

Daniel Cudennec “Dany Trick”225, Stang-ar-Veil-d’an-Traon, Mellac-29300, Quimperle, France

Dan A. Dorsey98 Woodvalley Dr. Fayetteville, GA 30215

Charlie Gross16745 Gertrude St. Omaha, NE 60136-3023

Roy Horn c/o Siegfried & Roy1639 N Valley Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89108

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Dick Kohlhafer408 Century Vista Dr.Arnold, MD 21012

Stanley R. Kramien11205 SW Summerfield Dr. Apt 161Tigard, OR 97224-3391

Richard Laneau4020 55th St. N.St. Petersburg, FL 33709

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

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James J. Morrisey24 Grove St.Wayland, MA 01788

Nahmen NissenPO Box 1856 Colfax, CA 95713-1856

Allen Okawa2101 Nuuanu Ave., Tower 1,#2203Honolulu, HI 96817

Jim Relyea241 W. Lakeshore Rockaway, NJ 07866

Harry Riser11755 N. Michigan Rd. #313Zionsville, IN 46077

Pat Ryan43 Fairbanks Rd.Churchville, NY 14428

Matt SavinP.O. Box 7693Alhambra, CA 91802-7533

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The Nielsen GalleryDimensions: 8-Sheet: 80" x 105" • Lithographer: Otis Litho

Date: 1926 • Nielsen Rating: Available

Houdini - Buried Alive

Throughout his career, Houdini performed escapes designed to capture the imagination of his audiences and play upon their darkest fears. Would he die in a large, locked, water-filled metal milk can? Would he meet his death upside down in a Water Torture Cell? Could he escape from manacles and a ball and chain at the bottom of a river? And perhaps the greatest fear – could he survive being buried alive? It was a stunt he not only contemplated but accomplished, and it is the subject of this month’s poster.

Houdini considered presenting such a feat on stage as early as 1914, as evidenced by a full-color lithograph created at the time. There is no proof he accomplished the staging at this time; the first record we have of him attempting a Buried Alive stunt is in California in 1915. It was a simple affair – no trunks, boxes or caskets – just him and a pit in the earth six-feet deep. Tucked into a face-down ball at the bottom, dirt was shoveled on top of him until the grave was filled. He planned on using what air there was below his body until he dug his way to the surface. Unfortunately, the dirt got in his mouth and nose, his air ran out, and the task of digging upward was nearly impossible. He later admitted, “The weight of the earth is killing.”

Houdini shelved the idea until the mid-1920s when he performed Buried Alive to debunk an Egyptian performer, Rahman Bey, who was claiming he used supernatural powers to survive in a sealed casket for an hour. Houdini first did his stunt as an endurance test – remaining in a sealed casket submerged in the pool of the Hotel Shelton in New York for ninety minutes using controlled breathing to stay alive. True, he was not exactly “buried” alive, but again the use of a coffin and the specter of death were omnipresent.

The noted Houdini expert and author, Patrick Culliton, recently discovered that Houdini undertook a second underwater “burial” in Worcester, Massachusetts, in September 1926. On the heels of that, Worcester resident Mark Russell discovered a third performance from that same time, this one done in public view. Houdini reportedly had a new, custom-made, glass-topped casket made for the stunt, but it didn’t arrive in time for the second stunt, so he used the one from the New York stunt. Eventually it did arrive, and the above-ground test took place in front of Summerfield’s Furniture Co. on Main Street in Worcester on September 30, 1926.

Again, he wasn’t actually buried and he didn’t escape from the coffin. But he did escape when he performed Buried Alive as part of his big stage show. In a letter written to magician James S. Harto, Houdini says that he

is performing it that week and calling it, “The Mystery of The Sphinx.” He says, “I am placed into a coffin with a glass front that is lowered into a vault that has a glass, so I can be seen all of the time until the sand completely covers everything – one ton. [There are] Fastenings on the vault and in about two minutes I make my escape. I like it very much. Have everything to make it look Egyptian but am not going to do it except for two- or three-week stands.”

The logistics of presenting such a feat must have been tremendous. It would have required him to travel with many tons of sand, a large glass-sided tank, ladders, buckets and shovels, and set up, but that didn’t stop Houdini.

Houdini’s new air-tight casket was made by the Boyertown Casket Co. of New York for $5,000. Ever the sharp publicist, Houdini put the new casket on display in the window of Summerfield’s in the days leading up to his third test.

He wouldn’t escape from it a little over a month later, when he collapsed on the stage of the Garrick Theater in Detroit, Michigan, on October 24, 1926, his last performance.

He collapsed because his appendix had ruptured following an incident several days before, when he allowed himself to be punched in the stomach by a student from McGill University in Quebec. He was also hobbled by a broken or fractured ankle sustained doing the Water Torture Cell escape in Albany, New York, several weeks before. Rushed to the hospital with a fever of 104 and with peritonitis setting in, he passed away on October 31, 1926, at Detroit’s Grace Hospital at the age of fifty-two.

Following his death, the family needed to return his body to New York for burial and used his newly made, glass-top casket to transport the body by train. We know it was this last casket because advertisements at the time of the stunt noted that it would be done in the “…coffin in which he will be buried when he dies.”

It is interesting that time and again Houdini returned to the theme of cheating death. Even after his death the battle continued; séances were held annually by his wife Bess, who attempted to reach Houdini in the afterlife. It is a ritual repeated to this very day…without success.

— Tom Ewing

Much of the background for this article came from John Cox’s wonderful website, Wild about Harry (www.wildabouthoudini.com).

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Not Just Kid StuffBy Jim Kleefeld

ESTABLISH YOUR CHARACTER

Allow me to offer a few examples of routines for your consideration.

1) The magician bends over to grab some short ropes and bonks his head on the table. He gets the ropes and tries to tie them together, but they fall apart – twice. He finally gets them tied and sets them on the table edge, but they fall to the floor. He picks them up and stuffs them into a tube, but they fall out. He gets them in the tube and the tube’s end caps fly off. He gets the caps back on and waves his wand, which breaks apart, over the tube. He opens it and the pieces of rope have been restored to one long rope. Ta dah! Magic!

2) The magician hands a red silk to a helper and promises to make it change color. He waves his wand over the silk, but nothing happens. He gets a bigger wand and waves it over the silk, but nothing happens. He gets a bigger wand and waves it over the silk, but nothing happens. He gets a bigger wand and waves it over the silk, but nothing happens. He gets a huge wand and waves it over the silk, and the cloth changes to yellow. Ta dah! Magic!

3) The magician shows an empty clear tube and a silk printed with a picture of a rabbit. He drops the silk into the tube and covers it with a sparkly cylinder. He makes some magical gestures, dramatically removes the cylinder, and a rabbit appears inside the clear tube. Ta dah! Magic!

Now, give these scenarios some in-trospection. From my briefest of descrip-tions, you can tell that these are shows that involve three different magical characters. In which show was the magician a clever and competent adult who could transform things with his powers? In which one was the magician a goofy child-person who always bungled things? In which show was the magician a regular person in control of his props, ready to find whatever he needs to make something magical happen?

All of the above are fair and decent routines, as might be evidenced in any good children’s show. Here is the problem: I saw all of these specific routines performed in a single show by the same magician. The message I garnered from his performance was: This was a magician who had not es-tablished his character. His show was weak because of it.

When you prepare to put a show together, you choose tricks and routines you like. But do you always consider your character or your professional persona? A magical performer, just like an actor in a play, must stay in character. And in order to do that, you have to know your character. The magician that the audience came to see is not you; it is a character you portray. If someone has seen you before and returned, then you probably have a likable persona. But most of your audiences come to a performance not quite knowing what (or, rather “who”) to expect. One of the most important moves you can make right now to improve your future outcome in magic is to Establish Your Character.

Many performers will say that they are just themselves on stage. Usually that is not true. What an audience sees is a stronger or more dynamic version of that person. You cannot help but change your persona at least a little when you agree to stand before a live audience and perform. In fact, the conscious act of performing auto-matically causes changes in your brain that affect your behavior. Performing releases endorphins, a hormone that increases your sensation of pleasure. It also increases your body’s production of oxytocin, which typically relieves anxiety and enhances feelings of trust. So it becomes inevi-table that when you perform you become more of a “character.” Learn to channel those natural inclinations and define the character you want to portray.

You may want to begin by watching a video of yourself presenting your favorite show. But you could also simply sit and think about your act. (You remember thinking, right? It was the pastime that engaged many of us before phone apps and Facebook.) Try to define your stage behaviors in a sentence or two, or perhaps

a list of traits. Are you silly, reserved, coy, playful, smug, mysterious, befuddled, goofy, confused, demanding, capable, whimsical, enlightening, sincere, reckless, knowledgeable, friendly, caustic, wry, dry, or spry? After you examine who you are, consider who you want to be. Do you aspire to be so nutty, goofy, and silly that everyone will roll in the aisles laughing at you? Or do you want to be the smart, kindly Uncle who knows mysterious secrets? Are you poised to become an avid apprentice wizard who almost gets into trouble with his props, but who works everything out in the end? Or are you a teaching adult who shows children just enough of his advanced knowledge that they can learn from it?

After you have made some decisions about your performing persona, write down what you want your character to be. Literally. Write. It. Down. With a pen and paper. Defining your character is never easy, but it will be easier if you try to describe it to yourself in a few simple words.

Establishing your character can be difficult, but it is necessary for anyone who aspires to present good and consis-tent shows. After you write down your character, re-examine that show you watched or pondered. Did you see any in-consistencies in character? Were you silly for one routine and serious for another? Did you show two different sucker tricks and act smug during one and baffled during the other? Were there simple props that “misbehaved” and got the better of you and others that you eventually caused to operate perfectly? Usually there is a way to routine all of your effects so that they match your character. If you cannot find a way to make a trick fit in with who you portray on stage, then discard it.

Here s a fairly open routine with which you can experiment. The effect is that you display a packet of three cards. One at a time, you show that the bottom card, the top card, and the middle card each have a red circle. Then you turn over all three cards to show that they have changed to one red circle, one blue triangle, and one green square. Learn this quick-and-easy trick and then try adjusting your presen-


tation to different characters or personae. Here is how to make it.

Set three jumbo playing cards in a stack. Use a ruler and razor knife to trim a thin triangular sliver off both long sides of all three cards (Figure 1) to make them stripper cards. If you already have a jumbo stripper deck, you can just use three of

those cards. Print a large red circle, a large green square, and a large blue triangle on separate pieces of opaque paper and use spray adhesive to affix those geometric shapes to the faces of the cards. Trim away the excess so you have a set as shown in Figure 2. The two outside cards have the wide end at the bottom. The center card has been reversed so the wide end is at the top. You are ready to perform.

Hold all three cards in a fan with the backs facing the audience (Figure 3) to show that you have just three cards. (Note that the illustrations all exaggerate the slanted sides of the cards for clarity.) Square up the fan and turn your hand over to show a red circle on the bottom card (Figure 4). Say that the bottom card shows a red circle.

Turn the cards around and point to the back of the top card. Grip both wide cards at the bottom and pull the center card up and away. Hold the two cards as one and turn them around to show a red circle, os-

tensibly the top card. Say that the top card has a red circle (Figure 5). Turn the double card face down and slap it atop the single card to reassemble the packet of three, and then fan them. The stack will be, from the back, blue triangle, red circle, and green square. Up-jog the center card (Figure 6) and ask the audience to guess what that

might show on its face. They should guess that it will have a red circle. Turn it around to show they are correct (Figure 7). Say that the middle card has a red circle. You have now presumably shown that the

bottom, top, and middle cards all have a red circle. For the climax, turn over the outer two cards to reveal a blue triangle and a green square (Figure 8).

[Editor’s note: This trick is a simpli-fied and gaffed version of Bill Elliott’s 3 Card Monkey Business, which appeared in Ibidem #16, March 1959. Elliott’s routine used normal cards and incorporated Ed Marlo’s Quick 3-Way move to show that all three cards were identical. It had a spec-tator-versus-hustler theme. Color Monte (a packet trick sold by Emerson and West) was merely the Elliott trick with specially printed cards. Although Color Monte (and the many knock-offs that followed) were huge best-sellers, Bill Elliott’s name has been forgotten as the originator of the effect. The handling Jim Kleefeld describes comes from a Barry Hinnant lecture. Hinnant credits the moves to a close-up card trick published years ago in a Linking Ring Parade.]

Now that you have learned a good trick, apply this to help establish your character. Run through the trick a few times and you will see how easy it is. You will probably also see that it has potential, as the images


Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 7

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 8

are generic and you have not yet resolved any patter. The next thing to do is to make the trick yours. Think about how you want to portray your persona in your shows. Then think of a way to adapt this trick to fit that persona. You have probably already realized that you can change the images as well as the patter. What would you use for the faces of the cards?

If you want a troubled magician approach, you might change three kittens into a kitten and two skunks. For a silly character, you might change three inflated balloons into an inflated one, a deflated one, and a burst one. For an incompetent bungler act, you might change three rabbits into a rabbit, a tiger, and an elephant. A sophisti-cated card worker might change three Aces of Spades into Aces of Hearts, Diamonds, and Spades. In a sensible teacher role, you might change three Junie B. Jones figures into three different literature characters to emphasize that kids should read a variety of books. (If you don’t know who Junie B. Jones is, put down this article and go to your local bookstore right now. Anyone who does kid shows of any kind absolutely

must read a couple of books in Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones series.) If you have a clear idea of your stage persona, you should quickly come up with a few ideas for how to routine this trick.

First, use your character to determine what type of pictures, objects, or images you put on these cards. Then use those same traits to determine how you script the routine. You could act self-satisfied because you know exactly how you are fooling the audience. Or you could be flip and carefree during the exposition, and then act surprised at the climax. You could portray the type of person who is casually unaware as the trick proceeds and who is then filled with wonder at the ending. Or you could fumble your way through every move, miscalling the pictures, showing them upside-down, and otherwise failing miserably, and then be as surprised as the kids at the revelation.

This isn’t an important trick in the field of magic. But it could be very important to you. You can use this trick (or any one of hundreds of other tricks) to help you determine your character. Use this routine,

or something similar, to define who you want to be in your performance guise, so you can build your presentations around that character. Without a defined persona, you are just a guy who went shopping at a magic store. “Here is a trick I bought; and here is another trick I bought.”

None of us should be getting paid for showing off the toys we chose to buy. Or for knowing a secret few others know. People deserve to see an act, not just a person working with his own stuff. Your tricks and routines should all fit your character. Start examining your routines. Do you have any tricks that you present just because they fooled you? Or because you liked the way some other act did it? Your act has to fit you. Every trick. Every routine. All the patter. All of it has to be done by a single character with a single perspective. Your persona can be simple or complex, as people in life are, but it still has to appear unified. The way to begin is to Establish Your Character.

NOT JUST KID STUFF


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Texts from a Stooge

One of the biggest problems I face when performing is remem-bering the spectator’s name. No matter what I try – repeating his name when he says it, making a mental picture, or simply

just trying to remember – doesn’t work for me. Later I simply forget. Try this: Silence your phone and tuck it into a prop or inside your table. Establish a texting conversation with a friend in the audience to set up your memory aid.

When a person comes up on stage, ask him his name and repeat it out loud to the audience. Your stooge in the audience texts you the name. What is great about it is that each person who comes up will be on a list, in order, on your phone. As you get near the end of your show, you will have a long list of names that you can recite backwards with a quick glance.

I got a huge round of applause when I said in my final trick, “Isn’t that so Stephen, Mary, George, Marisa, Karina, Steve, Lynn, Chloe, and Margaret?” I glanced at each one as I said the names. The fact that you can recite them backwards really impresses an audience.

The person who hired me remarked about my amazing memory and even gave me a big tip for my efforts. A name is personal. Remembering someone’s name makes them respected and important. This simple ploy will make you respected for your efforts.

A stooge can also text you the name of a card that a spectator shows to the audience or the total of a series of numbers that have been written on a board. Please write to me with your ideas on using a texting stooge.

Second Look at Magic-Card

Magic-Card is an app that has been sitting on my iPhone for a while. I didn’t think it was that exciting. It was just another card moving around inside a phone. Well, with a second look, I’ve decided that it defi-nitely has some merit and I now know how to make it better.

A spectator is shown the back of your phone and draws her favorite card on the back. Flip the phone around and you will

see a card floating face down on the home screen. You remove the card from the phone and hold it invisibly in your hand. Turn the invisible card face up and place it back into the phone. The card the spectator drew appears inside the phone.

When I perform this effect, I have added the following: After the card appears face up inside the phone, rest the phone on top of an Invisible or Brainwave Deck and watch the card melt away on the screen. Now open the deck and show the card

reversed in the deck! This makes it a perfect combo trick. Mag-ic-Card by iPhonestreetmagic.com is available on the iTunes App Store for $3.99.

Can You Hear Me Now?

The number-one question I get whenever I lecture is about the microphone I wrote up in this column and demonstrated at the S.A.M. conventions. Wherever I perform, I use this mic; ulti-mately, the other performers on the show end up buying one. The microphone is the Samson

Airline Micro. It is worn on your ear and is very lightweight and powerful. Originally created for aerobics instructors, this rich-sounding device is so easy to use. The receiver is about the size of a TicTac box and plugs into any sound system.

This normally sells for around $300, but there seems to be a lot of unemployed aerobics instructors, so there is a steady stream of mics available on eBay for $175-$250. A Google search will also find them.

Read Me to Sleep

Our friends at thinkgeek.com have a neat-looking product that I think would be useful for anyone doing a chair suspension. The Olde Book Pillow Classic is a pillow that folds in half to look like a giant book. Classics include Alice in Wonderland, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, or Treasure Island. I could see

you starting a routine by reading from the book, opening it on the board, and letting the spectator lie down on the pillow. This would also be great for your magic room. The pillows are priced from $18-$50.

I want to remind you about the great S.A.M. scarves in the S.A.M. Store. These are great for covering things, penetrations, and productions. These can also be worn by your wife or girlfriend. They are the perfect thickness and have a silky feel. I have found many uses for these. They are only $15.

Bruce is always on the lookout for computer magic, iPhone/ iPad apps, Android apps, and tech toys that can be used in magic applications. If you have any suggestions for future columns, write him ([email protected]).


The above title reflects just one aspect of Martin Gardner’s multifaceted life – mathematical puzzles. As you will read below, Gardner was fascinated by (and wrote about) a plethora of subjects. He was a quiet and

reticent genius, whose published works have inspired generations in many fields of study.

[The numbers in parenthesis in the title are the answer to this puzzle: Make the number 100 by inserting “+” or “-” signs between the digits 123456789 in order. There are other solutions; you might enjoy trying to discover them. You can find some answers on page 69 of this magazine.]

On October 21, it will be one hundred years since the birth of the mastermind, Martin Gardner, a man so well known for his original thoughts, creations, and writings, that he hardly needs introduction. He was interested in many areas – mathemat-ics, puzzles, philosophy, physics, logic, skeptical inquiry, and pseudoscience. But throughout his very productive life magic remained his constant star. He once told an interviewer, “My main interest in magic is because it arouses a sense of wonder about the universe. It’s like life is a big magic trick and scientists are trying to figure out how it does what it does.” He certainly tried to figure it out himself, taking generations of admirers along with him on the fascinating journey.

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1914, his lifelong interest in magic as his primary hobby continued unabated until his death on May 22, 2010. Awards, accolades, and accomplishments aside, the best way to define the impact Gardner had during his lifetime is through the eyes of those who admired him most. You will hear from a number of these and learn how many of them keep his memory and love of curiosity alive. But first, here’s a peek at his past, drawn from an article written by Richard Hatch, then associate editor of M-U-M, in January 2006.

Martin Gardner’s father showed him his first trick, in which three small

pieces of paper stuck to both sides of a butter knife were openly removed, but which appeared magically back on the knife. Gardner’s name first appeared in The Sphinx in the February 1930 issue, where the fifteen-year-old was listed as second prize winner in a contest sponsored by magic dealer Blair Gilbert. The May 1930 issue contained his first published trick, New Color Divination, a variation on the crayon color divination trick, sub-stituting colored gumballs for crayons and a moistened fingertip for the fingernail. Regular contributions followed in that and other magical publications.

Gardner moved to Chicago in the early 1930s to study at the University of Chicago, where he majored in philosophy, gradu-ating in 1936. He was a regular at the Chicago Magic Round-table presided over by “Dorny,” who became the sixth dean of The Society of American Magicians in 1973. During this period, Gardner wrote his first books on magic: Match-ic (1935), Joe Berg’s Here’s New Magic, ghostwritten by Gardner (1937), 12 Tricks with a Borrowed Deck (1940), After the Dessert (1940), and Cut the Cards (1942).

He served four years in the Navy during World War II, nearly two of them hunting German submarines, and then returned to Chicago. He worked in the public relations department of the Uni-versity of Chicago until he sold his first short story in Esquire. Titled “The Horse on the Escalator,” the tale was inspired by Gardner’s friendship with Dorny; it appeared in the October 1946 issue. Its acceptance for publication gave Gardner the con-fidence to pursue a full-time career as a freelance writer. While still in Chicago, he tracked down and interviewed Marshall D. Smith, illustrator of S.W. Erdnase’s Expert at the Card Table, in an effort to identify the anonymous author.

His writing career took him to New York City in the late 1940s, where he edited a children’s magazine, Humpty Dumpty, for eight years; he then originated and wrote the “Mathematical Games” column for Scientific American for twenty-five years, from 1957 through 1982. In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting System in 1994 he explained, “I didn’t take any math in college and I don’t consider myself a mathematician in any real creative sense. I’m just a journalist who writes about what the real math-ematicians say.” His lack of mathematical sophistication proved

an advantage, forcing him to express complex ideas in laymen’s terms. The column was widely read and remains highly regarded in mathematical and scientific circles.

One of Gardner’s best known magic projects began with a column in the March 1951 issue of Hugard’s Magic Monthly. Titled “Encyclope-dia of Impromptu Magic,” the column ran for seven years and featured magic performed with all manner of commonly available objects, with the exception of card tricks and rope tricks.

Martin Gardner: a Celebration of His (12 + 3 - 4 + 5 + 67 + 8 + 9)tH Year

bY toM ewinG

Martin with his wife Charlotte and sons Jim and Tom (standing)


The columns were collated into a book in 1978, published by Magic, Inc. It remains a valuable resource for any magician who wants to perform tricks on the spur of the moment. In 1994, Kaufman and Greenberg published Martin Gardner Presents, a large collection of Martin’s published and previously unpub-lished conjuring material.

His first book for the general public, In the Name of Science (1952), was based on an article on pseudoscience he’d written for The Antioch Review. But the book was quickly remaindered and did not become successful until purchased for $500 and reprinted by Dover in 1957 under the expanded title, Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science. It has never been out of print since and much of it – such as the chapters on Scientology, known then as Dianetics – remains topical today.

In 1976, Martin was one of the founding members of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Para-normal (CSICOP), becoming widely regarded as the “dean” of American skeptics. Speaking of his interest in pseudoscience he said, “I cannot recall when or why I first became interested in pseudoscience. Not being a scientist, but only a science jour-nalist, I have always been intrigued by fringe science, perhaps for the same reason that I enjoy freak shows at carnivals and circuses. Pseudoscientists, especially the extreme cranks, are fascinating creatures for psychological study. Moreover, I have found that one of the best ways to learn something about any branch of science is to find out where its crackpots go wrong.”

For magicians, Martin authored two books under the pseudonym, Uriah Fuller. Titled Confessions of a Psychic (1975) and Further Confessions of a Psychic (1980), these books were “a factual account of how fake psychics perform seeming incredible paranormal feats.” In particular, the books explained methods for duplicating effects made popular by Uri Geller, including bending silverware and keys, starting broken watches, duplicat-ing drawings, and much more.

Gardner’s long relationship with Dover Publications began with the publisher’s release of his second book for the general public, Mathematics, Magic and Mystery, in 1956. This title also has never been out of print and remains an engaging and useful compendium of many of the mathematical principles used by magicians. It explains the math behind many of the top card

magicians of the day. It was also designed as a force book; the fifteenth word of each chapter is “of.”

In the early 1990s, Gardner moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina, where he continued to write books, columns, and articles. His most successful book has been The Annotated Alice, first published in 1960 and reprinted many times. There are currently over a half million copies in print of that title alone.

After the death of his wife, Gardner moved back to his native Oklahoma in 2002, where his son James is a professor of education at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. He continued writing articles for different magazines, including a column for The Skeptical Inquirer. His works in the first half of this decade include Smart Science Tricks (2004), The Annotated Night before Christmas (2005), and an updated paperback edition of his New Ambidextrous Universe (2005). Just for good measure, he co-wrote The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems, edited by his official biographer, Dana Richards. His twenty-five years of “Mathematical Games” columns had already been anthologized in fifteen books, but were reissued in digital form in May 2005.

THE G4G FOUNDATION

Being widely admired by so many people, a non-profit orga-nization, The G4G Foundation, was formed in the early 1990s to honor Gardner and “promote the lucid exposition and discus-sion of new ideas in recreational mathematics, magic, puzzles, and philosophy.” Tom Rodgers conceived the idea of hosting a weekend “Gathering 4 Gardner” to honor him and bring some of his friends together. The first G4G1 was held in January 1993. Elwyn Berlekamp publicized the idea to mathematicians. Mark Setteducati took the lead in reaching the magicians, and Tom Rodgers contacted the puzzle community. Since that time, ten more biennial conferences have been held; the most recent was in March 2014, when hundreds of people met in Atlanta to com-municate in the lingua franca of Martin Gardner.

An article in Scientific American noted that a feature of all the G4Gs has been magic. Gardner was an inventor of magic effects for eight decades, but shied away from performance. He admitted as much during an interview with the CBC: “Magic is strictly a hobby with me. I’ve never been a performer. The closest I ever came to getting paid for magic was when I was at the University of Chicago; during the Christmas season I demonstrated magic sets at Marshall Fields.” Still, well-known magicians owe a debt to Gardner for finding, sharing, and, in some cases, creating the principles they use today.

In conclusion, one must wonder what Gardner thought of his life’s work, upon which he labored day in and day out. Was it work or a labor of love? With a twinkle in his eyes he summed it up saying, “I just play all the time and am fortunate enough to get paid for it.”

Tom Ewing is the S.A.M. National Historian and writes The Nielsen Gallery column each month in M-U-M.

Just a few of Martin Gardner's publications


MARK SETTEDUCATI

Setteducati was a close friend of Martin Gardner and a co-founder and organizer of G4G. In March 2012, he was appointed president of the G4G Foundation. He is a magician and inventor of magic, illusions, games, and puzzles and one of the most suc-cessful artists in the world to integrate magic and illusion into commercial products.Tom Ewing: When did you first meet Martin?MS: I first met him in 1990 and visited with him often over

the years. I was first introduced to him through his friend Mel Stover. I went to Martin’s house in Henderson, North Carolina, and, like everyone, was impressed with his file cabinets. He had files on everything. Plus he corresponded with everyone and those files were filled with newspaper clippings, flyers, letters, and reference materials. This is how he could write so broadly on so many subjects. TE: How did the G4G conference come about? MS: The G4G was meant to be a one-off thing just for his

friends and people who had direct contact with him. It quickly developed into a major event. Tom Rodgers drove him to the first conference and he attended one more. Eventually, it got so big we decided not to do it every year, but every two years. Martin didn’t fly, and his health also kept him away, but his heart was in every convention. And finally, he was a very shy man. He didn’t want to be idolized. TE: Give our readers your sense of the man. MS: Martin was one of the kindest, nicest human beings

you ever met. Forget about whatever he accomplished. That’s nothing compared to the most important thing about Martin. He was a genuinely nice human being. No ego, just kind and very inquisitive. Even in his last days, you’d show him a trick and he’d be like a little kid. He never lost his childlike sense of curiosity and wonder. TE: Do you have a favorite book of his? MS: My favorite is Mathematics, Magic and Mystery. I love

principles; it’s filled with many of these, but it’s easy to read. It’s very accessible. Martin wrote simply and the principles were so fascinating that no matter how many times you looked at the book you could find something new or be reminded of something you forgot.TE: What makes him special? MS: He never lost his curiosity or enthusiasm. He never got

bored with the topics he was interested in. He loved ideas and interacting with people – that’s why he loved magic. Even though he was interested in many areas – math, magic, puzzles, and skeptical inquiry – he was very kind and truly open minded. Even though he was a skeptic, if you gave him proof of something that he didn’t agree with, he would actually change his position, unlike others who can’t admit they were wrong.TE: What’s your favorite anecdote about Martin? MS: It happened at the G4G event two years ago. I organized

the magicians and Elwyn Burlecamp organized the mathema-ticians. So Elwyn and I had to give a few announcements. I told attendees that Martin loved magic more than anything. But Elwin said, “No, no, math was what he loved more than anything.” I suddenly realized that when you’re with him as a magician you think that’s his main interest. But when a math-ematician is with him, he gets the impression that math is the only thing he’s interested in. He was a chameleon who went into all these different areas and had just as much enthusiasm for the math as he did for magic.

DANA RICHARDS

Dana Richards is Gardner’s official biographer. Richards is a professor of computer science at George Mason University and a noted author. He was the driving force and editor of Gardner’s last book.

TE: How did you come to help Martin write the Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems?

DR: It happened by default. Gardner’s wife had died, and he wasn’t handling it very well. He became listless and disinterested. I had an idea for him to have a project and told him, “Look, if you’re not feeling particularly creative, why don’t you just put a book together of all the puzzles that appeared in your Scientific American column over the years.” He didn’t think he could get around to it, so I copied all of the puzzles, pasted them up, and sent them to him saying, “Something like this.” He still wasn’t sure, so I organized it more, put the puzzles in categories, sent it to him, and said, “See, this would be a really fun project for you to do.” Finally he said, “Why don’t you just put your name on it,” and that’s what we did.

TE: How did you first meet him? DR: We got to know each other because I stumbled

on a paper he’d written in 1950 called “Mathematics and the Folkways” in the Journal of Philosophy. I wrote him asking for a bibliography of his works. He sent me a Xerox list of his books, but I told him that I wanted to know about everything he wrote. That began a give and take; I visited him over the years and he’d show me things in his files and his library and we became really good friends. The first time I actually saw him was 1979; he did an effect called Card Warp. He gave me those cards. One of the proudest moments for me was that I figured out how the trick was done by studying the tears in the card. I came back the next day and told him how it was done. He’d use tricks to break the ice.

TE: What were his most striking attributes? DR: He was a very humble person. Except for demon-

strating magic sets at Marshall Fields, he never performed in public. This humility kept from doing that, but it also kept him from doing other things like accepting honorary doctorates and speaking engagements. In fact, I’ve never found a single example of when he spoke in public. He was always in the mix and liked being in the room when things were discussed, but never set himself up as an expert.

TE: Which do you think Gardner liked most, math or magic?

DR: He definitely liked magic best. He published in magic journals for over eighty years. He didn’t do that with math. He was a latecomer to math, but had an early appreciation for it. Initially, the math was in service to magic. His only degree was in philosophy; I guess I could say that his first love was philosophy and not magic or math. But the reason I put magic before math is because magic was closer to philosophy for him. What made magic interesting to him was that it was a vehicle to opening people’s eyes to the wonders of our world. He was a “Mysterian,” someone whose philosophy is that we should study life but we will never understand everything – there will always be mysteries. Magic primed people’s minds for the awe he felt when he appreciated nature.

REMEMBERING MARTIN GARDNER


JOHN RAILING

One of the country’s top close-up magicians, Railing is based in Chicago and performs regularly for an impressive roster of celebrities, entertainers, presidents, foreign dignitaries, and heads-of-state from around the world. He is actively involved with the Gathering 4 Gardner Foundation and serves on its Magic Advisory Council. He is a member of the organizing committee of the annual, worldwide Celebration of Mind event, focusing on Gardner’s life and work, including his playful and fun approach to mathematics, science, art, magic, and puzzles.

TE: How did Martin Gardner come to your attention?JR: I spoke with him on a number of occasions, but never met him

personally. Like most admirers, I was exposed to him through his columns in Scientific American. In fact, when I was in high school in the late ‘60s, my twin brother and I used to rush to the local library in Scottsburg, Indiana, to read each new issue. To us, the rest of the magazine was simply a wrapper around Martin’s column. This was long before I ever became interested in magic.

TE: What was it about his Scientific American articles that inter-ested you?

JR: Several things. It was a wide-ranging series of articles about curious things that, for the most part, had some wonderful math and underlying principles; they were presented simply at first, but when they finally opened up to you, they created an “Aha!” moment. He put together these columns in a natural way, written like a student and not a professor. He would pose a puzzle or a problem and you’d have to wait until next month to learn the solution. People would write him and he’d direct them to other experts. Long before the Internet, he was a one-man social media resource, connecting people behind the scenes, which became the genesis of the Gatherings.

TE: Gardner made it to the first several Gatherings. Do you think he wanted them to continue after his death?

JR: Absolutely. He didn’t want any memorials. He didn’t want anyone to do anything special for him. He was cremated and just wanted his ashes thrown away. He didn’t want any idolatry. Even with his autobiography he simply told a friend, “Do whatever you want with it.”

TE: What fascinated you about him? JR: He seemed to somehow be connected with so many interesting

super minds in fields unrelated to what people thought he was inter-ested in. We’re talking great poets, inventors, and writers like Isaac Asimov and even some of those working on The Manhattan Project. During World War II, he was in the Navy; when the commander of the ship talked about a special bomb that had been dropped that would change the course of the war, Gardner said he knew exactly what it was because of his connection with the University of Chicago. He and the commander were the only ones who knew what was going on and what the bomb was.

TE: How do you think he’ll be remembered? JR: I think he’ll be remembered for how he touched so many people

in so many different fields. I’m talking life-changing encounters. And it’s these people, the founders and attendees at the Gatherings, who are working to ensure Martin is remembered by future generations. They all nurse Martin’s celebration of mind. No matter where people are in the world, they should take time during this centennial of his birth and get together and have a party. It could be two people in a bar in Tokyo or 1,500 people in Omaha, Nebraska. It doesn’t matter. Come together to share a puzzle, a magic trick, a toy, a mathematical diversion. Just give a toast to Martin and the Celebration of Mind. In describing the essence of Gardner, one word comes to mind – “wonder!” Throughout his life, he wrote articles, books, and essays on a range of topics driven by that sense of wonder or surprise.

MAX MAVEN

Orson Welles wrote that Max Maven has “the most original mind in magic.” He’s published over 1,700 creations in the conjuring literature, and has been an advisor to over a hundred television shows. As a consultant he has worked with David Copperfield, Siegfried & Roy, Doug Henning, Penn & Teller, Lance Burton, and many others. MAGIC magazine included Max among the one hundred most influential people in the field of theatrical magic during the twentieth century.

TE: When did you first encounter Martin Gardner?

MM: I can’t remember exactly when I began reading Martin Gardner’s “Mathematical Games” columns; it’s simpler to say that I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t reading those columns. My father was a physicist, so from my earliest childhood, Scientific American had a presence in our household, and somewhere in the late 1950s I became a fan, eagerly awaiting the arrival of each month’s issue for the express purpose of devouring whatever odd and wonderful ideas Martin had chosen to share.

TE: How did you come to know each other?MM: I corresponded with him beginning

in the early 1970s, mostly about mathematical puzzles. But I was also interested, of course, in mentalism and underlying principles, and that was another subject of mutual interest. It wasn’t until the first Gathering for Gardner that I actually met him. However, he was a big part of my life – almost like family. Of all the people I have encountered during my life, precious few have informed and inspired me as much as Martin. One shelf of my library is devoted to Gardneriana, and I revisit his pages frequently.

TE: What made him special from your stand-point?

MM: Gardner is at the center of this huge collection of intersecting sets – mathematics, magic, puzzles, logic, linguistics, philosophy, theology, physics, and I’m certain I’m leaving out a lot of things, but they all intersected in this one fascinating guy. This is evident in the people who attend the Gatherings. There are scientists, mathematicians, magicians, puzzle enthusiasts, physicists, skeptics, all interested in exploring these areas and sharing their wonder and fasci-nation.

M: Which of his books is your favorite? MM: My favorite is Mathematics, Magic and

Mystery because it was the first. In fact, I may have read it before reading any of his columns. It all happened around the same time. It’s worth noting that Martin’s own favorite among his books was Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener. My guess is that very few people actually read that book all the way through. I did, but didn’t tackle it until about fifteen years ago.



RICHARD HATCH

Richard Hatch is known as the translator from German into English of works about Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser (1806 – 1875), Paul Potassy, and the first four volumes of Roberto Giobbi’s acclaimed Card College. He is the author of the illustrated bilingual (English and Japanese) children’s book, Taro-san the Fisherman and the Weeping Willow Tree published in December 2012.

RH: I had never cared much for Erdnase. But I cared a great deal for Martin Gardner.

It seems I had known about him almost since I began to read. I had borrowed his Mathematics, Magic and Mystery from an older neighbor boy in Ames, Iowa, when I was about twelve and soon thereafter began reading his columns in my father’s copies of Scientific American. The Dr. Matrix columns particularly fueled my imagination. I became obsessed by magic, then abandoned it for a time and studied theoretical physics, and then became re-obsessed by magic and abandoned physics to pursue it. But all the while I continued to read and admire the works of Martin Gardner.

Then Charlie Randall and I started to sell magic books, both new and used, and even to publish a few ourselves. At some point Martin got in touch with us. He had a few books to sell, ones he no longer needed, would we be interested? Of course we were interested! Anything Martin had handled had to be interesting, even if he no longer wanted it.

Then one day, in the summer of 1999, I went to the mailbox and found an uninsured book-rate box from Martin Gardner. Inside was his first edition copy of Erdnase, signed on the title page by illustrator Marshall D. Smith. Although not in good condition, I knew it was a valuable book. Charlie and I decided to sell Martin’s first edition on eBay, which was relatively new at the time and something we had no experi-ence with. We discussed it with Martin; he seemed intrigued with the notion of an online auction and suggested that it might be made more interesting by the addition of his research materials on Erdnase, including his correspondence with Edgar Pratt, Marshall Smith, and others. We agreed and in due course another box arrived with those things. We were all surprised when his first edition and research materials sold on eBay for over $10,000 in February 2000, leading to a front-page story on Erdnase in The Wall Street Journal!

Charlie and I visited Martin several times in North Carolina (once to pick up his library of magic) and then a few more times after he moved to a retirement home in Norman, Oklahoma. Others who knew him better and who were more familiar with his incredible output have elsewhere ably described this remarkable man. To me, he was a modest genius, a generous friend, an unpretentious intellectual, and a real magician. I am grateful that our mutual interest in magic brought me for a brief time into the orbit of this uniquely gifted individual.

[Excerpted from MAGICOL with permission.]

JAMES RANDI

Retired stage magician and author James Randi is best known for his challenges and investigations into paranormal claims and pseudoscience. He founded the James Randi Educational Foundation. His comments are excerpted from the afterword of a new book, Undiluted Hocus-Pocus: The

Autobiography of Martin Gardner.JR: I’ve really no idea where – or exactly when – I first met

Martin Gardner. I believe that moment may have occurred in the offices of Scientific American magazine almost seven decades ago, but it seems I have always known him. He became such a fixture in my life, such a dependable part of my world; I was so very accustomed to picking up the telephone to call him, or answering a call from him that would always result in an improvement of my knowledge of the universe.

He always expressed delight at something he had just stumbled upon or that had occurred to his agile mind as he applied it to a problem at hand. Indeed, “delight” was a major characteristic of this man’s makeup. That enthusiasm certainly carried over into his books and SA column. He was constantly celebrating discoveries, expanding on them, and looking for new ways to communicate them to the public – and especially young people. He was never happier than when in the company of kids to whom he would present a brainteaser, followed by the “Aha!” phase in which he would provide the answer – usually totally unexpected – that made everything quite clear.


James Randi and Martin

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TROUPING ILLUSIONSSo, you want to be an illusionist?

The idea of performing illusions onstage beckons through a swirling cloud of wind, intelligent lighting, and stage fog. It may seem sexy to own a big shiny box with a lovely assistant alluringly locked inside while facing the peril of flaming spikes or sharp blades, especially to those of us who grew up watching David Copperfield on television. Some of you may have one, two, or more illusions; or perhaps you are thinking of getting some. But transport-ing, setting up, maintaining, and perform-ing illusions is no easy task. Here are some tips on schlepping them from show to show.

When I first decided I wanted to add larger props to my shows, I considered many options. I finally bought as my first illusion an Owen Magic-built Zig Zag, based on the Robert Harbin plans. This prop was awesome because it folded down flat and would fit in the trunk of my Chrysler Sundance. There are illusions such as a sword basket, sword suspension, or Temple of Benares that will fit in the trunk or backseat of a car. Illusions like this are relatively easy to transport and set up and are a great way to get your feet wet.

If you are adding larger props such as a Ladder Levitation, Blammo, Wakeling Sawing, or Crystal Box to the act, it might require you to get a van. Early on when I was touring colleges, I bought a panel van, which is a great way to troupe a small illusion show. Nowadays, there are minivans that can be a great general-use car, especially for a family, and can double as your illusion transport vehicle for your local gigs.

If you are already doing some smaller illusions that travel by car or van, but want to jump up to some bigger gear, you’re going to need a bigger truck. I added a Fire Spiker, Windshear, Water Levitation, Cremation, Eclipse, and other large props

to my show; this required a box truck to transport them. These trucks look like they have a box stuck on the back. Rather than lay out the expense of buying a box truck, I found a local company that rents these trucks at a more reasonable rate than the big boy rental places such as U-Haul, Hertz, or Budget. It may pay to look around your area and find a rental place that is more of a mom-and-pop joint. They often give you unlimited mileage and cheaper rates. Plus, the trucks are usually plain white and don’t say in big, bold, tacky letters on the side, “Rent This Truck!” A plain white box truck can give the impression to clients that you actually own the truck, which can help if you are trying to score prestige points with a client. Companies sometimes sell their used box trucks and vans after a while, so you may be able to get a good deal on buying one of your own from them, if you think you are going to continue doing the big stuff. They always maintain them, so you know that it is most likely a good buy. This type of truck, at about fourteen to seventeen feet in length, should fit all your bigger show needs until you are ready for that next step, which is the big semi truck. You know, the one with your smoldering, sexy eyes painted on the side. Well...all things in good time.

EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE

Every illusion should have its own case or shipping crate. This keeps ev-erything from getting banged up during transport. Each illusion should be packed with its own container that holds all the necessary tools to break down and set up the prop and all of the nuts and bolts to hold the prop together. For example, my

Crystal Box takes a standard wrench and a socket wrench along with twenty lag bolts and cap nuts. All of these, including the tools, are kept in a small plastic Tupper-ware container. Crown Royal bags, pencil boxes, and Tupperware containers are all great receptacles to hold all your illusion hardware so that everything is in its place when you go to put your props together. Having the tools included makes it easy and convenient when it’s time to build the prop. Inexpensive tools can be purchased to include with each prop; you’ll find that the convenience definitely outweighs the extra expense.

If I have to do a really fast load in, I will often rent a box truck and travel with everything pre-assembled. This way I can just roll everything right into the venue and not have to take time building the prop. If you do this, just make sure you use packing blankets to protect the edges of your props and invest in some durable ratchet straps from Home Depot to secure everything and keep it from rolling around


Photo 1

With Scott Alexander, Puck, Jenny Alexander, and Adam Ace

Hit The Road

(Photo 1). Even if everything is being transported in its cases, it is still a good idea to strap everything down.

THE ILLUSIONIST’S “JUSTIN CASE”

Last month I talked about having a “Justin Case” for emergencies in case you need to repair or fix up things in your show. When you are doing illusions, your repair kit needs to be expanded a bit. In addition to your black gaffers tape, zip ties, colored Sharpie markers, and the other items I suggested, you should also have these items along if you are doing illusions.

Black Spray Paint/Painter’s Tape: It is inevitable that while moving props around the stage dents and chips will happen. Black spray paint combined with some blue painter’s tape can easily touch up any minor dings.

Spray Silicone: A lot of these props have sliding and moving parts. A spray

silicone lubricant can come in handy to keep your equipment lubricated and working flawlessly.

Hot-glue Gun: A hot-glue gun can easily make quick repairs on a multitude of parts and surfaces. It cools quickly, molds to any shape, and can even be used on fabrics.

Extra Screws and Bolts: Along with having all of your necessary parts in a convenient container packed with your props, it is a good idea to have some extra nuts and bolts with you in case one falls through a crack in the floor while you are building your props.

Tools: You should also carry some general tools with you, such as pliers, a crescent wrench, a hammer, screwdrivers etc. And remember that your entire prop is really a tool as well. A tool that helps you create an illusion during your perfor-mance.

This just scratches the surface of all the multi-level challenges that you will

encounter while trouping with illusions. But please remember, although we call them illusions, the illusion is not the prop; it is the whole performance that incorpo-rates the prop. My favorite analogy is one brought to my attention by Jim Steinmey-er. He suggests that a Broadway director doesn’t point to a pile of scenery and say, “There’s my latest musical.” The prop is just the scenery and it needs a compelling story or presentation to make it a success-ful illusion. Always take care to protect the prop with some quality cases, and take everything with you to keep up and maintain the prop. Have extra parts and pieces for the prop, in case some get lost, and be sure you have the right vehicle to get your prop from point A to point B. And most important, before you just roll that prop out on the stage and do it the way you saw the guy on YouTube do it, make sure you have an entertaining presentation that takes it from just a piece of scenery to an amazing illusion.


The Society of American Magicians Contest of MagicPhiladelphia – July 1-4, 2015

Probably Warm – Probably Crowded – Definitely Exciting!The Society of American Magicians Contest of Magic is open to all members of the S.A.M.; it will be a featured event of

the 2015 convention. As performers from all over the world who have shared their skill and art with us will attest, the S.A.M. Contests of Magic are unique, fair, independent, welcoming, and hot – sort of like Philadelphia itself and what got started there: The USA!There are two contests: The Dr. Paul Critelli Close-Up Magic Contest and The Father Cyprian Murray Stage Magic Contest.

You may apply for either or both.If you would like to be considered for this event, your first step is to obtain an application packet. To do this, email me at:

[email protected] with “S.A.M. – Contest” in the subject line. Please make sure to include your email address, 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 49506All application packets will be made available electronically or sent out on or after December 31, 2014.

Do not put any act on line or send it to me in any form before you read, complete, and submit the application form.All requests for an application packet must be in my possession by or sent on or before May 15, 2015.All applications and all videos must be on line as instructed in the application packet by June 5, 2015. (These videos must

be sent so that only I, Paul Critelli, can view them on YouTube or some other video service. More details will be given in the application packet.)

Thank you and good luck!

Paul Critelli, ChairpersonContest of Magic The Society of American Magicians

Joe Fox to the Rescue!You may recall that my last column was about Zella’s Divided

Lady illusion as supplied by Abbott’s Magic Co. I commented that I had no idea who Zella was. It turns out that Zella was the nom de plume of U.F. Grant! He worked at Abbott’s from 1940 to 1942, but did not get along with the “Caliph of Colon,” Percy Abbott. While working there, Grant also invented/developed the Modernistic Amputation, the Bullet-Proof Girl, and the masterful Super-X Levitation. The parting was acrimonious; after 1942 there’s no mention of U.F. Grant as the inventor of these effects, except for the Divided Lady under his fictitious name. For any younger readers, you should know that Grant went on to produce lots of entry-level magic apparatus sold under his own name. Much of that line would be familiar to you today as MAK Magic. Here’s a sincere thank you to reader Joe Fox, who filled me in on these details.

Come With Me to ColonI’m composing this just a few days after the seventy-seventh

annual Abbott Magic Get-Together. I will share my personal observations of the five public shows and the performers who featured illusions. The talent line-up was very good this year, with one night devoted to “under twenty-five” talent and another to cruise ship entertainers. There seemed to be more acts making their Get-Together debuts.

The performers must contend with a typical high school stage in a gymnasium that has limited wing space, not much backstage space, and Spartan lighting, with only a cobbled-to-gether mid-stage traveler and no flies for backdrops. But, the event boasts a very dedicated technical crew that will move heaven and earth to “make it work.”

Outerbridge was the name of the act that closed the Friday night show. This was a very slick act with illusions that looked terrific. I felt that this couple demonstrated a lot of experience; the performance was very smooth. Although not an illusion, his handling of Tricky Bottles was impressive to me with a great surprise finish. They closed their act with an exchange illusion with the illusionist winding up at the back of the gymnasium.

Earlier in the show, Losander performed and received a tre-mendous standing ovation (the only one of the Get-Together) for his signature levitation of a table. His surprise finale was unex-pected and certainly helped him receive the Jack Gwynne award for excellence.

The Saturday afternoon matinee can be a hit-or-miss show because it often has performers who are not as experienced as their evening counterparts, but this year’s matinee was excep-tional.

Jason Hudy was the illusionist and impressed everyone and provided a never-to-be-forgotten incident, which needs a bit of explanation. My long-time stage manager, Brian LeBoeuf (thirty years experience with my show!), who is also Abbott’s audio engineer, had mentioned to me that he had seen a Wiz Kote prop

for sale at the combined I.B.M./S.A.M. convention. Apparently, the seller decided not to part with it, even though Brian met the asking price with cash. I told Brian he was welcome to borrow mine if necessary, but I cautioned him about one of the act’s issues. The load chamber is very small and only a really small shoe will fit. Therefore, the audience helper must be quite young. And, at that age, the helper may not realize that the destruction of his (or her) shoe is fantasy and not reality. (This is a lesson that I learned the hard way.)

And, unfortunately, so did Jason Hudy. The young boy who surrendered his shoe was horrified when Jason’s almost mon-strously large – and unique – prop gobbled up his shoe, and with some smoke and sparks disgorged a burnt bit of footwear.

The boy’s screams and shrieks filled the gym. Jason did every-thing he could to persuade the moppet that it was all part of the show, but the lad was inconsolable, much to the uncomfortable delight of all in attendance. Jason raced (I believe) to get to the finish to return the shoe, and I suspect we missed some aspects of the routine. And, I’d like to have seen that, since the Rube Goldberg prop was immense and very fanciful.

Jason opened his set with the clear, see-thru version of sawing and executed it well, although this illusion concept does abso-lutely nothing for me. He had an updated version of Jim Stein-meyer’s Girl in the Puzzle that also doesn’t do much for me, but it was presented well. He scored much better with Steinmeyer’s masterpiece, Op-Art. This may be the greatest illusion of recent invention. His show closed with the transposition of a lady assistant in a glass box atop a pedestal and himself on stage level. The “switch” was breathtakingly fast.

It was announced that Jason is soon to begin a long-term run in Asia and I’m sure he will only get better. His Saturday afternoon matinee appearance was outstanding. He had three female as-sistants who were uniformly adept in the mechanics required of them. I think their costuming could be much improved and I’d start by getting them appropriate shoes with heels for more of a showgirl appearance.

The evening’s show had emcee Chris Mitchell dressed and wigged as the cruise director of our magical voyage. He was


by David Seebach

Jason Hudy

extremely effective and immediately reminded me of the Tony Curtis role in Some Like It Hot, when Curtis masquerades as a pseudo-Cary Grant to woo Marilyn Monroe.

John Shryock and Mari Lynn featured the popular Origami illusion. I feel it is a major mistake to introduce the illusion with the three swords in view. Why alert the audience to their presence? After you’ve accomplished the impossible – folding your assistant into a tiny box – introducing the swords has even greater impact. Assistant Mari Lynn was fantastic throughout John’s act with wonderful stage presence and poise and a perfect showgirl’s beauty and grace. I hope Jason Hudy’s girls were watching.

Later, the stage was taken over by Fred Becker and wife Bobbie. They opened with a very clever version of Hans Moretti’s cardboard sword-box effect using umbrellas. This may not sound like much, but it was a superb bit of stagecraft; I do not want to spoil it for you by giving away more here. Although not an illusion, Fred’s routine with animal crackers captivated everyone. It was wonderful.

Fred came across as a very genuine, likeable person (as did Jason Hudy). I felt some of the other acts were a bit over-the-top with stage swagger; the people in our party commented that it appeared that some acts were doing their best to elicit the coveted “Standing O.” I don’t care for a posture that begs applause as you finish your turn and then ask, “Do you want to see one more?” We witnessed that more than once.

Bobbie Becker stopped the show when she sang a very appro-

priate number; her vocalization was a tour de force.I cannot emphasize how impressed I was with the Beckers.

I felt that – more than any other act at the Get-Together – they displayed a complete understanding of entertaining: humor, drama, strong personal emotion, and exciting magic.

The Beckers and John Shryock returned for a combined finish that involved a straitjacket escape and a transposition that had – another – appearance from the audience and a surprise substitu-tion onstage. And, as if this wasn’t enough of a finale, the entire cast returned for what was billed as “The Fountains.” It played like a Sid Caesar sketch from his old Your Show of Shows and it won the cast the Senator Clarke Crandall comedy trophy. It was funny, but it was also self-indulgent and w-a-a-a-y too long. It was a good finish, but it would have been even better if it had been edited, especially since this show was already clocking in at two-and-a-half hours.

Losander electrified the crowd and won the big trophy. I’m glad I didn’t have to choose the winner; I would have wrestled

between Losander and the Beckers.Please do not take any of the criticisms here to indicate that I

did not care for any of the acts mentioned. These were all top-notch performers. I’m sharing a lot of personal preferences; you might disagree. I’d gladly watch any of these artists again.

I must also mention a pair of college roommates who appeared at the matinee, the Sensational Suitemates. They were funny and inventive, and like Jason Hudy, they managed to pick a little girl from the audience who turned everything onstage on its ear. I expect to see more of these fellows and I hope it’s soon!

It’s Halloween!For the twenty-fourth consecutive year, my Illusions in the

Night show moves once again. It will play on October 10, 11, 12 and 24, 25, 26 on Milwaukee’s southwest side. We’re going to an abandoned department store where half of the building will become a Halloween Express retail outlet and the other half will be converted into our performing space. I’m expecting to stage a sequence of Chinese magic with multiple stage illusions, a return of the spooky “Monkey’s Paw,” and other seasonal surprises. Please contact me for additional information.

David [email protected]

Photos by David Linsell


The Beckers

John Shryock - Origami Illusion

Losander

PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH

I recently received a very nice com-pliment in the form of a question from a magician friend of mine. Most magicians ask me questions along the lines of “Do you have any tips on the second deal?” or “How did you learn the table faro?” or “You do two hours of walk-around and don’t do the sponge bunnies?!?” My friend, on the other hand, asked me, “How do you go about scripting your effects? I’ve noticed a really nice, clear imagery when you perform, like carefully placed jokes, etc.” It’s a compliment, because finding a good script is as much work as learning any advanced card technique.

This magazine already has a terrific column about crafting scripts (by my colleague Mick Ayres). This is the card magic column. The kind of card magic I specialize in, however, presents its own scripting problems. So I thought I’d talk a little this month about how I work out what to say for the kind of card magic I perform.

WHO CARES?Typically when I meet other magicians

and they find out that I perform exclusively with cards, and I then tell them I do gam-bling-related material, Ace assemblies, countdown effects – basically anything other than “pick a card and find it in the mashed potatoes” type card magic – they smile politely and wait to admire my technique. They think that kind of card magic is only good for magicians, and that “audiences don’t care.”

They’re not wrong. Gambling-related material aside, there’s nothing inher-ently interesting about finding unknown playing cards, or making playing cards jump around, or making the Aces turn face up one at a time, or any of those kinds of events. Eugene Burger has famously referred to these kinds of tricks as “the adventures of the props in the performer’s

hands.” And to be perfectly frank, there’s a whole vast subbasement of card tricks that are created for the amusement of the performer, based wholly on intriguing or clever methods. But there’s a whole other group of card tricks that get a bad rap even though they’re very effective with audiences.

These types of tricks usually suffer from what the late Tony Giorgio dubbed “cooking show patter”– walking through the steps of the trick while describing what you’re doing. I suspect that part of the reason for that is that the performer is too busy recalling the steps, moves, and sequence of the trick to figure out what else to say about it. And if that’s as far as the performer cares about the trick, the audience certainly isn’t going to care. They might think it’s nice you have a hobby and read a book, but that has nothing to do with them.

The good news is that audiences will care. You just have to let them know why they should care.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT (ALFIE)?

The first step – after deciding the trick is worth performing, naturally – is to figure out what the trick is about. What’s actually happening? Card magicians have been ruined by the idea of “plots” and “problems.” Terminology is handy to be able to classify and codify the vast ocean of magical possibilities with a deck of cards. But anyone who’s taken notes knows of the entry in his notebook that made perfect sense when he wrote it down, but years later became a meaning-less scribble. Effects that are miracles get reduced to concepts.

Take Triumph, for example. Every card magician past the 21-Card-Trick stage knows a version of Triumph: the cards are mixed face up and face down, and all the cards magically straighten out (except for the chosen card, or the four Aces, or whatever). But the reason that this magical event is a “triumph” is because it’s a powerful demonstration of creating

order out of chaos. More specifically, Dai Vernon used the story of someone else mis-chievously or maliciously trying to ruin a performance by mixing up the cards that way, only for the performer to “magically” pull the fat from the fire. Both of these things are a big deal. If you keep that in mind, you’ll go a long way towards normal audiences appreciating your topsy-turvy shuffling more than your bored magician friends do.

Another thing worth remembering is that while you and all your magician friends may have seen a gazillion versions of a given “plot,” ninety-nine percent of normal audiences haven’t. (The exception that tests the rule is the pick-a-card trick. They know you’re going to find the selected card; they just don’t know how.) So to do Triumph or an Ace assembly or such with a bored air of “you all know how this goes” is a recipe for death on toast. If you’re bored with this thing they’ve never seen before, the audience will be bored; they’ll follow your lead. But if you present these tricks like you’re the first person to ever do them, your audience will follow suit. As NBC once said about summer repeats, “If you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you.”

LIKE I’M A FIVE-YEAR-OLD

Once you have a clear understanding of what’s going on, the next task is figuring out how to explain it to your audience so that they have a clear understanding of what’s happening.

We generally like to keep our effects as simple as possible for that reason, but you can also present more complex effects successfully if you can figure out a way to communicate them simply. A two-card transposition is a dead-simple effect to un-derstand; this card is here, this one’s here, and presto-chango, they change places. It’s a favorite with bar magicians and tradeshow workers because it’s easy to un-derstand and packs a punch.

The standard description of a one-at-a-time (or “slow-motion”) Ace assembly, on the other hand, is usually: “We start with


By Antonio M. Cabral

Cheats & Deceptions(For Entertainment Purposes Only)

four Aces and twelve indifferent cards. We lay out the Aces in the classic T-formation, and the Ace of Spades will be the leader Ace. We’ll put three indifferent cards on this Ace, three indifferent cards on this Ace, and three indifferent cards on this Ace …” I almost fell asleep writing that, and I’m a big fan of card tricks.

But forget “indifferent cards,” “classic T-formation,” and “the leader Ace.” That’s magician jargon, and jargon obfuscates. A one-at-a-time Ace assembly is just three transpositions in a row. So, for example, when I do my version of Jazz Aces for a regular audience, I don’t talk like I’m at the Magic Castle bar or the Marlo round-table in the middle of a session. I say, “It’s my job to get each of these Aces, one at a time, to change places with the card I put over here.” And that’s what happens: three two-card transpositions, one after the other – easy to follow, easy to understand.

Sometimes card magic can be a little more complex or abstract. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the trick won’t fly for a normal audience. It just means you need to figure out the simplest way to explain what’s happening. This is how science fiction TV shows and movies find wide audiences outside of physics and computer science PhDs. They described it best on the animated show Futurama:

Fry: Usually on the show [Star Trek], they came up with a complicated plan, and then explained it with a simple analogy.

Leela: Hmmm...If we can reroute engine power through the primary weapons and configure them to Melllvar’s frequency, that should overload his elec-tro-quantum structure.

Bender: Like putting too much air in a balloon!

This can be a good way to find your emotional hook to a trick. I was once privy to an online discussion/argument about whether or not Any Card at Any Number is a good effect for normal audiences. Some folks argued about what the actual prob-ability was, some argued that “improb-able” isn’t “impossible,” and some were complaining about having to deal more than ten cards in front of an audience. After thinking about it, I realized the best analogy I could think of for why ACAAN is a good trick also makes a great emotional hook for any audience: “Has anyone here ever played the lottery? Has anyone here ever won the lottery?” For anyone who’s ever played the lottery with any hope of winning, the appeal is undeni-

able. For those who think the lottery is “a tax for people who can’t do math,” you’ve communicated the idea of something so improbable, it might as well be impos-sible. Once you’ve created those pictures in everyone’s mind, when you have to count down twenty to thirty cards to get to the named card, you don’t have to worry about whether or not they’ll care about the outcome.

The tricky part is finding the right analogy; it has to inform, but it has to be simple. You want to evoke without obscuring. I have a vivid memory of wit-nessing a professional performance of Card Warp play to complete silence. Not stunned silence – dead, indifferent silence. The performer had decided to do the trick with a presentation about psychological blind spots, but in an effort to sound in-telligent and informed he’d filled his script with buckets of techno-psychobabble. As a result, his script – rather than enhancing what was happening – completely drowned out the effect. This is an effect that almost speaks for itself. He could’ve gotten a better reaction by saying, “Now, watch!” I’m not saying his presentational idea couldn’t have been effective. Where he went wrong was that he gave a compli-cated explanation, and forgot to include the simple analogy. The audience’s mind, as a result, got overloaded – “Like putting too much air in a balloon!”

GO TO THE SOURCEI would love to be able to say that I’ve

learned what I know about scripting/pre-senting card magic sprung fully formed from my skull and my performance ex-perience. That’s half-right. You’ll ulti-mately know what works by doing it in front of humans. But I will, in a heartbeat, recommend a number of my favorite resources for putting together presenta-tions:

John Mendoza, Close-Up Presenta-tion. A little obscure and hard to find in

this day and age, but an influential and extremely practical resource for present-ing close-up magic for real audiences.

Pete McCabe, Scripting Magic. A writer’s approach to creating scripts for magic performance.

Provides many different approaches from many great and successful performers and tips on crafting and writing scripts.

Michael Close, Workers 3. A succinct and extremely in-formative essay on “patter,” featuring one of my favorite bullet-point guideline lists for evaluating a script for a trick.

Darwin Ortiz, Strong Magic. Probably the most exhaustive treatise on every facet of presenting close-up magic. It’s not a joke book of one-liners, or a handbook of ready-made presentations, but a post-graduate course on everything you have to consider to perform close-up magic that is not just entertaining, but truly mystifying.

In addition I’d recommend watching video footage of magicians you admire (either readily available on DVD, or on YouTube) performing tricks you’re familiar with. I’m not advocating copying presenta-tions or stealing jokes; I mean study their presentations. What did they say, and why did they say it? Was it to cover a moment, or to sell a condition? Or both at once? Sure, you could just copy what someone else did and what someone else said and it might get a better reaction than what you were doing before. But you won’t under-stand why. And you won’t know how to get the same reaction in a different trick. It’s a Band-Aid solution; for this situation you want a developed immune system.

This column (as are any of my previous columns) is a matter of discussion and debate. I welcome any questions or comments. If any M-U-M readers want to get in touch, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to answering your questions and opening a dialogue or two.


When my esteemed editor asked if I had a contribution that connected to Martin Gardner, I was at a loss. I do nothing in my act that involves mathematics. This is not because I don’t enjoy it, but because I can’t find a way to make mathematical effects congruent with my favorite theme, manipulating people. So I scoured my col-lection of books by Martin Gardner, and happened upon a routine from Encyclope-dia of Impromptu Magic that bore a resem-blance to something I do.

The Gardner effect in question is a precursor to a popular swindle, The Endless Chain, also known as Fast and Loose. In that effect, you lay out a chain or necklace into a figure eight and invite a spectator to place his finger into one of the loops. When you straighten out the chain, the spectator’s finger is either entrapped by the loop or free from it. The nature of the game, you explain, is for the spectator to guess which loop will result in his finger becoming trapped. If he does that success-fully, he wins. If not, he loses.

Gardner’s impromptu version involves coiling one’s belt on the table and inviting the spectator to place his finger into the coil. The challenge is to see whether he finds the middle of the belt. If he does, he wins. If not, he loses.

I’m sure you know that the swindle is that you, the operator, control the outcome. You can trap the person’s finger or allow it to go free depending on your evil whim. In the case of the belt, you control whether his finger ends up in the middle or not.

In the routine that follows, the fact that you secretly control the outcome is the driving force behind the method. It’s not a case of “I win, you lose,” as per the traditional presentation. Instead, the game becomes a means of creating a series of ap-parently random choices. Although I will describe it using the Endless Chain, feel free to substitute Mr. Gardner’s impromptu version if you prefer.

I begin by bringing out an envelope and the chain. I say, “Every winter my wife and I spend a week in Cozumel, Mexico. We’re from Chicago. If you can get out of the snow, you do it.

“There’s a game they play on the street corners in Cozumel and on the mainland of the Yucatan. It involves a little chain like this. It’s a gambling game. They lay out the chain into a figure eight, and you get to decide which loop to put your finger in. When they pull the chain, you get two possible results. Either your finger gets caught in the loop, or it doesn’t.

“Here’s the catch. The operator can lay down the chain in two possible ways. Sometimes the loop that traps your finger is on the right. Sometimes it’s on the left. And you can’t tell by looking at the chain which side will trap your finger. The only thing you can go by is the operator’s body language. He knows, and if you know how to read him, you’ll win the game.”

As I deliver these lines, I demonstrate the operation of the loops on my own finger. One time I trap my finger; one time I let it go free. Then I lay it out for a third time and I continue with the story.

“I’m going to play this game with you, but I’m not going try to psych you out. I’m going to be as neutral as I can be. There are the loops. Take your guess.”

When the spectator places his finger into a loop, I pull the chain so that his finger goes free.

“Well done. Be honest with me. Was there anything about my body language that tipped you off?” Usually the spectator answers, “No.” I respond with, “Then you’re very intuitive. Of course that was easy for you because there was nothing at stake. I forgot to mention at the beginning, this is a gambling game. You start by wagering fifty pesos. If you win, you double your money. If you lose, you lose it all.

“But we’re not going to play for money. We’re going to play for a fabulous, all-expense-paid vacation. It’s a completely imaginary one; but trust me, your subcon-scious mind won’t know the difference.

“Imagine you’re on a trip to Cozumel. You could go to one of two places. Right now, place your finger into one of the loops. If your finger breaks free, you’re going to

the luxurious Occidental Grand Resort. Beautiful beaches, women in bikinis, all the drinks included. If you lose, you’re going to Jose’s Hotel. Umm...it’s a dump. No beach. In fact it’s right on the fishing pier. You get to wake up to the stench of fish. Which will it be? Place your finger down now!”

After the spectator chooses a loop, I pull it so that his finger goes free.

“Very good,” I say. “You’re a natural at this. Now you’re sitting on a beach chair at the Occidental Grand. You look down the beach. A woman is walking up to you. Choose a side. If your finger breaks free, she’s Olivia, a five-foot-ten Brazilian super model. If your finger is trapped, she’s Olga, the captain of the Russian women’s weightlifting team.”

This time when I pull the loop, I trap the spectator’s finger. “Uh, oh. Not so good. But I’m sure Olga has a lovely personality. Let’s play again. You and Olga decide to go for a drive. The rental car has two choices. One is a brand new Mercedes 500 SL. The other is a rusty Yugo. Choose a loop. If you break free, you get the Mercedes, if not, you get the Yugo.”

I pull the loop so that the spectator’s finger is trapped. “Okay, so you’re driving around the island in your Yugo. I don’t know how you do it, but you get it up to fifty-five miles per hour. Unfortunately the speed limit is thirty-five. A cop pulls you over. Place your finger down. If you get trapped it’s a 5,000 peso fine. If not, there’s no ticket.”

When I pull the chain this time, I allow the spectator’s finger to go free. Then I lay the loops down again. “Great! No ticket. There’s one more thing we need for our vacation: a man’s name. Choose a loop. If your finger breaks free, the man’s name is Octavio. If it gets stuck, his name is Xavier.”

When I pull the chain, I cause the finger to get trapped and I say, “Xavier it is. Your choices guided the bizarre twists and turns our imaginary vacation took. Please be honest. Were you able to consciously read my body language on any occasion?”

When the spectator says, “No,” I continue. “Then what you’re about to see is either dumb luck, or you’re extremely


By Christopher Carter

Messing With Your Mind

intuitive. Please pick up and open the envelope.”

When he opens the envelope, he finds a postcard from the Occidental Grand Hotel in Cozumel.

“That’s from my last vacation. I sent it to myself as a joke. Please read what is written on the back of it.”

The postcard reads: “Hello from the Occidental Grand in Cozumel. It’s been a strange trip. I met a girl named Olga on the beach, and we decided to go for a ride. All they had at the rental car agency was a

rusty old Yugo. We took it for a ride, and I got pulled over for speeding. Fortunately I got out of the ticket. Unfortunately, I spent the night in a Mexican jail. By the way, my cell mate, Xavier, says ‘Hi!’”

As you can see, this is a very light-hearted routine. Of course, you can create whatever options you want for your imaginary vacation. Or, if you prefer, use another theme altogether. The goal is to play it as if you’re making up the story as you go along, and the options are just crazy ideas you came up with on the spot. If you

can create this tone, the routine packs a surprising wallop in spite of its light heart-edness.

[If you are unfamiliar with the methods used in Fast and Loose, you can find in-formation in Lewis Ganson’s The Art of Close-up Magic Volume 1, Whit Haydn’s Notes on Fast and Loose, Johnny Thomp-son’s DVD Commercial Classics of Magic Volume 2, and on various Internet websites.]


http://www.mix16apps.com

http://www.joemogar.com

http://www.twitter.com/sammumnews

As was mentioned in the Editor’s Desk column in the January 2013 issue of M-U-M, I ran into Bob Farmer in 2012 in the small coastal town of Jávea, Spain. Bob was working as a tableside magician, using the pseudonym El Roberto Enigmatico. Although Bob was working for tips (and making pretty good money from it), he oc-casionally supplemented his income with the occasional bar bet. The following item, Bar-racuda, is one of his favorites.

What makes this bar bet work is the principle of nontransitive dice. Since this issue of M-U-M is dedicated to Martin Gardner, you might want to track down what he wrote about the subject. Check out Mathematical Games: “The Paradox of the Nontransitive Dice and the Elusive Principle of Indifference” in Scientific American, December 1970, pages 110-114, or in Martin’s book, The Colossal Book of Mathematics: Classic Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Problems. – R.D. Michaels

BAR-RACUDA

The Scene: The Hustler drops four “poker” dice (that is, dice with card values, Ace, King, etc., rather than numbers) on the bar and adds four coffee cups. He drops one die into each cup. Then he picks up a cup, covers the mouth with his hand,

shakes the die inside, inverts the cup, and slides it off his hand onto the bar, trapping the die underneath. The remaining three cups are treated the same, with the Mark being invited to join in.

There are now four inverted coffee cups on the bar. Under each is a poker die, with an unknown value up. Each player now throws an equal amount of money into the pot (this is an even-money bet). The Mark lifts any coffee cup and the Hustler lifts any other. The player with the highest card showing (Ace is high) wins.

The winner collects his winnings. The dice are placed back in their respec-tive coffee cups; the cups are shaken and returned mouth down to the bar. All the cups are mixed around and the game continues until the Mark runs out of money – which will happen sooner rather than later.

The G on the Joint: It’s tough to imagine a simpler or more (apparently) le-gitimate game. The Mark can handle all the props, shake all the dice, and choose any cup he wants. No one knows what value is under any cup at any time. Betting even money looks scrupulously fair, since each player appears to have the same chance of winning or losing. Cheating in any manner seems impossible.

But this is Farmer Town, and the im-possible and the landlord looking for the rent money are things we overcome every

day. You shouldn’t be surprised when I tell you that the Hustler will win this game two-thirds of the time. This advantage, combined with using even-money bets, means the Hustler will quickly accumulate a small fortune.

The Scam: The secret is in the alloca-tion of card values to the dice. Figure 1 below shows an unfolded layout of dice; A, B, C, and D. There are twenty-four different card values from Ace to King on the four dice and all four suits are repre-sented.

The first thing to notice is how the suits are dispersed. Clubs and Diamonds appear only on die A, Clubs and Hearts only on die B, Spades and Diamonds only on die C, and Spades and Hearts only on die D. This is easy to remember because the progres-sion of the suits from A to D is alphabeti-cal: CD - CH - SD - SH.

The next thing to notice is how the suits are arranged on each die. Note that on dice A and B, all the Clubs are in a row. On dice C and D, the Diamonds and the Hearts are in a row. Arranged this way, when a die rests on the table, it will display three of its six sides to you, and those three sides will allow you to quickly and easily identify which die is which.

If you have some foam craft cubes left over from your set of Monte Bones props (M-U-M, May 2014), you can easily construct the necessary dice for Bar-ra-


translated from the spanishBy R.D. Michaels

El Roberto Enigmatico The Magic of Bob Farmer

cuda. Simply follow the pattern of Figure 1. (Incidentally, the foam dice are great, because they won’t make noise when you use them; this avoids arousing the attention of those around you.) If you photocopy the diagram, you can cut out and assemble some paper dice to see how this works (and also test the amazing claim I’m about to make).

The dice are nontransitive. This doesn’t mean they’re not in a trance. It means this:

• Die A will beat die B two-thirds of the time.

• Die B will beat die C two-thirds of the time.

• Die C will beat die D two-thirds of the time.

• Die D will beat die A two-thirds of the time.

If this feels illogical or unintuitive, don’t feel bad. It is unintuitive. Look at that bulleted list again. If A has a two-thirds advantage over B (at the top of the list), how can D (at the bottom of the list) have an advantage over A?

This looks wrong – but it isn’t. You can prove it to yourself by spending some time rolling A and D together and logging the results. You could also just write out all thirty-six possibilities for the two dice.

Intuitively and logically, the Mark thinks that there must be a die that will give him an even chance of beating the Hustler’s die – but there isn’t! As he keeps trying to find it, he just keeps losing more than he’s winning. In math lingo, the Mark thinks he’s playing a transitive game, but he’s actually playing a nontransitive one. The use of card values and the rule that high card wins, reinforces this error because these are elements of familiar

transitive card games. (For example, in poker, which is a transitive game, an Ace beats a Seven, a Seven beats a Deuce, so, transitively, an Ace beats a Deuce).

Strategically, the Hustler’s job couldn’t be easier. The Mark picks a die and the Hustler picks the one that will probably beat it. For example, if the Mark picks B, the Hustler picks A. If the Mark picks A, the Hustler goes for D. The Mark takes D, the Hustler goes for C.

I know what you’re thinking: “But how can the Hustler use that strategy when the dice are hidden from view under coffee cups?” Read on.

The Coffee Cups: These are the final tools for taming fate’s whimsy, though they appear to be straitjackets for the cheater.

The cups are secretly marked to cue the locations of A, B, C, and D. At the beginning of the game, the Hustler drops die A in cup A, die B in cup B, and so on. (During the game, the Hustler ensures the dice go back into the correct cups.) The suits cue which die is which, and the secret marks on the cups identify which cup is which.

For the secret marks, I made some small decals with my computer that say, in very small print, “Made in China.” For cup A, I placed this on the bottom of the cup, near the edge. For B, I put the decal half way between the edge and the middle. C went right in the middle. For D, I put the decal near the edge, but at a right angle to the decal on cup A.

You could also use dice cups or small, metal shot glasses, but a choice that would let you perform this almost impromptu (as long as you’re carrying the dice with you) is to use Styrofoam cups. Use nail nicks to make identifying marks on the cups.

Background: I learned of the dice that

would form the mathematical basis for my dice in Las Vegas Dice (The Pallbearers Review, January 1971, p. 393). Created by Professor Bradley Efron of Stanford Uni-versity, the dice consisted only of numbers. I sent Professor Efron my version and he wrote back, “Thanks for your interesting idea...Hope it makes you more money than I ever got out of the dice.”

[Editor’s note: Should you choose to use Bar-racuda for anything other than en-tertainment purposes, you do so entirely at your own risk. Bar-racuda can easily be presented as an entertaining example of a very fair-looking scam by simply providing the Mark and yourself with an equal number of poker chips, tokens, matches, pretzels, or other item with which to bet. It will not take many rounds before the spectator’s pile is depleted.

Should you run into a string of bad luck and the spectator’s pile does not deplete quickly, you can offer the Mark another game. Have him discard three of the dice and one cup. You now perform Bob Hummer’s Mathematical Three Card Monte with these objects, betting all the chips that you can discover where the hidden die is. This trick can be found in Martin Gardner’s classic book, Mathemat-ics, Magic and Mystery.

If you would like to learn more about nontransitive dice, visit Colm Mulcahy’s website Card Colm (cardcolm-maa.blogspot.ca/) and search for the June 14, 2014 blog entry, Dicey Cards. This website is a treasure trove of mathematically based tricks. A Google search will also lead you to more informa-tion.]

Copyright 2000 Every Trick in the Book. All marketing rights reserved.

OCTOBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 51 OCTOBER 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 51

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The great jazz musician Charles Mingus once said, “Making the simple complicated is commonplace. To make the complicated simple – awesomely simple – that’s creativity.” That certainly is a maxim to live by within the world of conjuring as well. At its foundation, the creation of magic is about accomplishing a task in a manner few people would consider – the very definition of the phrase “thinking outside the box.” While the rest of the world sees a straight path from Point A to Point B, creators of magic study the roundabout paths, simplify the journey, and then reach Point B by following an unexpected trail. Poof! An illusion is born.

An entertainer who wishes to construct an interesting act or develop an appealing character or write a relevant script has no choice but to make friends with his or her creative muse. There are two meanings for the word “muse.” In Greek mythology the Muses are the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who inspire and preside over the creative arts and are responsible for epic history and tragedy, poetry, music, song, dance, and comedy; or one can muse by meditating on something in a deep and serious manner or by speaking of it thoughtfully. So, a muse is the source for that which motivates you. If you have ever been inspired by another magician’s act and felt stimulated as an artist to change your own, then that magician has been your muse, even if a temporary one.

In my life, Martin Gardner, Sid Fleischmann, and Lewis Jones have all held that title at one point or another. Martin Gardner’s love for spur-of-the-moment conjuring, Sid Fleischmann’s gift for putting the story in front of the magic, and Lewis Jones’s ability to add streamlined cleverness to every mystery puts them all squarely in the role of muse. What do these magicians have in common? They all embrace a collective focus on

simplicity. Read their works. Study how each of these men take an independent approach to the idea of “less is more” and apply it in precise doses to their methods and presentations until the results are consistently powerful and baffling.

A muse relationship is born of necessity and release. As we ponder and meditate about the best method for an effect and how to present it well, our muse kicks in. How? By digging deep into our subconscious mind and reminding us of things we may have otherwise overlooked. These recollections then let us consider all our options as we deliberate on how to reveal it to others. Over time, this relationship often becomes personal enough to cause many creators to speak of their muse like an old friend. For example, my muse keeps a fickle schedule, works best under pressure, and delivers results only when she’s good and ready. To her, patience is a good, vintage wine. Frustration gets me nowhere. I refer to my muse in the feminine because our relationship is like a never-a-dull-moment courtship with someone who has a keen appreciation for simple beauty with just a touch of sparkle and who loathes anything gaudy.

The voice of my muse is whisper-quiet and drop-dead honest. When contemplating new ideas, she fills my thoughts with snarky questions and critical commentaries: Why should anyone care? So what? Where’s the drama, the tension, the conflict? If that’s theatre, I’m a jet pilot. Really, that’s what you think is important? C’mon, show me a little emotion! I have learned to appreciate the directness, the honesty, and all the rewrites. In time, the trial-and-error always pays off. This confession would probably make a psychiatrist happily raise his fee but, even now, my muse is sitting on the corner of my desk helping write these words – and grinning at this description.

Performance artists believe that faith in your muse develops rapidly once you

begin enjoying satisfying responses to your presentations. That being said, even after you have thoroughly field-tested your scripted presentations into a complete and marketable act, you will discover the pokes and nudges from your muse never seem to stop – and so the endless tweaking of your show begins. You start to instinctively know which ideas will work and which will not. You learn to understand why lay audiences react to certain mysteries far differently than the fellows at the magic club. You develop confidence in your ability to adjust the details of your movements and words until just the right emphasis here and the well-timed pause there makes every person in the room feel like they should have paid more for that ticket. The point is, once you have learned to listen to your muse, do not stop. A successful career in conjuring relies upon it.

There are ways to practice listening to your muse. Try this the next time you pick up a new book on magic: peruse the pages and read only the effect descriptions until you find one with appeal and you can imagine a place for it in your act. Do not read the method yet. Instead, put the book aside and ask yourself, “How would I do that?” There is no doubt the effect can be accomplished, so the goal now is to come up with your own solution. This gives you (and your muse) a springboard into the pool of creativity. Over the next few days, ponder the effect and make notes about possible methods. Write down every idea no matter how outrageous or crazy. Nothing is sacred or worthless. Next, tackle these ideas one by one, take them as far as you can, and consider all your options. This is you and your muse having a conversation. Soon, this internal dialogue will result in one of two things: a method with potential or fodder for the trashcan. The important thing to understand is that none of this is wasted time. You are slowly training yourself to listen to your muse


By Mick Ayres

The High Roadscript writing, character

development, and act construction for the modern conjuror

while you begin to trust your ability to create.

Now is the time to compare your solutions to those in the new book. At first, your methods may not be as clever as those proposed by the author, but you may be pleasantly surprised to find your ideas are sometimes better or that your method fits your performing style more appropriately. Either way, you and your muse have made the effect personal and, perhaps, original.

Another muse-training technique is to carefully examine each method in that same book and check each one for any performance weaknesses. You and your muse consider the effect’s methodology with an intense, critical eye from a theatrical point of view. Can the weaknesses be eliminated, or at least be strengthened? Is it possible to perform this card mystery without stacking the deck? Can more guests from the audience be involved? Is there a way to end this effect clean? Lewis Jones, author of Ahead of the Pack and Seventh Heaven, is terrific at this sort of thing. His methods will often have you slapping yourself in the head and wondering, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

A third way to practice with your muse is to take simple, impromptu effects and find ways to exploit these demonstrations into feats of showmanship. There is no better source for ideas than Martin Gardner’s Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic. With entire chapters dedicated to stunts and mysteries using one specific prop, you and your muse will have a field-day exploring ways to thread the myriad of ideas into relevant showpieces. There are magicians who perform for ten minutes using nothing but a pocket handkerchief. Can you imagine doing something similar with a borrowed necktie? How about a ballpoint pen or a set of car keys? The challenge is to entertain by making the commonplace uncommon.

Listen to your muse and believe this: if someone else is doing it, then you can, too. Yes, it is a challenge – and it is work. Rise above it.

You now have several exercises in creativity and muse-training available and ready to be embraced. Unfortunately, this means there is no longer any excuse for the magician who despairs by saying, “I just can’t come up with any ideas for new tricks.” Look around the room. If you are like most conjurers, you have shelves of hungry books teaming with interesting

presentations and ideas that are waiting for you to feed them with tasty and original ideas.

Finally, while on the topic of putting old wine into new wineskins, here is a performance piece that was constructed using the techniques discussed above. The presentation has been field-tested often and warmly received in both stage and intimate settings. I hope that mentalists and magicians alike will find it of interest.

RESCUE 2000

Many decades ago, Paul Curry published a simple, yet brilliant, mind-reading effect titled Padding. Before his untimely passing, Michael Skinner republished Curry’s effect in his book Classic Sampler under the title Birthday Mentalism. Unfortunately, the effect was rendered useless by the passage of time; performing it after the turn of the last century ran the risk of making the method obvious. But, with a few simple adjustments to the presentation and handling, the effect is rescued from the discard pile and is once again available to modern-day tricksters.

You will need a deck of cards with at least one Joker in it, a piece of paper, and a pen. To begin, ask a guest to mix the cards. While she is doing so, ask if she has already had her birthday this year. If she answers no, say, “I’d like to give you an early birthday present.” If she says yes, then say, “I’d like to give you a belated birthday present.” In any case, this is an important question, so do not fail to ask it.

Say, “Please find the Jokers and remove them.” Watch carefully during her search. She will find the Joker quickly enough but will continue through the entire pack to confirm there isn’t another one. This dodge allows you to innocently note the values of the top two cards without the pack leaving her hands. The suits are not important.

Say, “If you are willing, I’d like to ask you a few questions during this experiment. Some questions will deal with some personal matters, but I promise no one will see anything you write down. The answers you give will be in the form of numbers…some of them with four digits. I’d like you to write your private answers in a column so they can be added together later. There will not be difficult or roundabout mathematics involved – just some simple adding, okay?” Once she agrees, ask her to

complete the following requests:“To begin, please deal as many cards as

you wish to the table. Next, write down the year you were born. Now, deal a few more cards onto the pile…or take some away. Next, think about the most significant event that ever happened in your life and write down the year it happened. Now, pick up the packet of cards and deal them into two equal piles. Next, write down your present age. Now, pick up the top card of either pile and write down its value. Next, think about how many years have passed since that significant event happened in your life and write that number down. Now, turn over the top card of the remaining pile and write down its value as well. Finally, add everything together. Remember: don’t let anyone see the special number you have created.”

While she is adding up her numbers, you work out an easy math equation in your head. Multiply the current year by two and then add the combined value of the two noted cards that were forced upon her. You now know your guest’s final number. This is much easier than it sounds, especially near the beginning of this century. For example, if the top cards were a Seven and a Six, you currently add: 2014 + 2014 + 13 = 4041. Bear in mind that it works this way if she has not celebrated her birthday yet. However, if she said yes to your earlier question, then you simply add one to the final number to get the correct answer.

The revelation of this final number is up to you. You could bring the presentation to a close by saying, “Your special number is a combination of several numbers to which you have an emotional attachment. Since all emotions are centered in the heart and the heart is on the left side of the body, take your left fingertip and touch it to the leftmost digit.” With a little acting, the final number is accurately revealed little by little as her finger moves to the right.

Say, “If you use your special number to play the lottery, I get half when you win, right?”

Rescue 2000 was previously published as Skinner’s 21st Century Miracle in The Holy City Session (2004). Credit for the new title goes to Steve Beam, who included the effect in his Semi-Automatic Card Tricks series. Mick is a conjurer, tunesmith, and tale-swapper. Reach him at: [email protected].


What you’re about to read is a very inter-esting trick. I’ve not seen anything exactly like it in the literature; no one that I’ve shown it to has seen anything similar (and I’ve shown it to some very knowledgeable people). The reason it’s a fresh plot is that the inspiration for this trick comes from outside the world of conjuring. This trick has also surprised and fooled everyone who watched it. The ending is completely unexpected. It is relatively easy to do, demanding only very low level sleight of hand. All it requires is that you take the time to print up the cards and practice the patter and the handling.

The tone of this routine is a bit dark; you’ll have to choose your audiences with discretion. However, the life-and-death premise of the patter is compelling and en-grossing; it invokes a “how is he going to solve this problem?” response in the viewer. The presentation and the final payoff can be altered, but try it my way in front of an audience first before you change it.

I never met Martin Gardner, but I think he would have enjoyed this trick. It has a genuine “Aha!” moment.

In an effort to dissuade as many people as possible from actually doing this trick, I’m going to explain the effect as I explain the handling. You’ll have to read through the whole thing to understand what’s going on.

Preparation: You’ll need to print out some cards using the templates provided in the YouBetYourLife.pdf file (which you will find in the members section of the magicsam.com website). These are stan-dard-size business cards, so you can use any blank, perforated business card stock. It is good if the edges of the cards are rela-tively smooth, so you may want to use a high quality stock.

Page one of the PDF file shows what will eventually be the backs of the business cards (Photo 1). You’ll want to print up at least three of these to try out the effect. Page two of the PDF file shows the faces of the business cards that will not be destroyed during the trick (Photo 2). When printed onto a sheet that already has the backs printed on it, you will end up with two square cards, two circle cards, one

each of crescent moon, plus-sign, triangle, squiggly lines, control-key symbol, and one double-backed card that shows “You Bet Your Life” on each side.

Page three will print two pairs of gaffed cards plus an extra two cards (Photo 3). Page four will print two pairs of gaffed cards plus an extra two cards that pair up with the extra set from page three (Photo 4). So, print three of page one and print one each of pages two, three, and four on the backs. (Make sure you orient the paper properly when you print pages two, three, and four.)

Before you tear out all the cards, take a look at how page three printed out. At the upper left of the page is a business card with the upper half of the word “YOU” at the left edge, a circle that is bisected by the perforation of the cardboard, and the upper half of the word “DIE” at the upper right edge. Below this you’ll find the lower half of the word “YOU” at the left edge, a square that is bisected by the perforation of the cardboard, and the lower half of the word “DIE” at the right edge. Remove these four cards; together they make up what I’ll refer to as one complete gaffed set. Orient these four cards so the half-words are at the top, and place them aside in a pile with the half-word/half-design side up.

Now punch out all the cards from page two. Find the double-backer and place it onto the four gaffed cards with the “You” of “You Bet Your Life” at the top (Photo 5). Arrange the other nine cards face up, from bottom to top as follows: control-key, square, crescent moon, circle, squiggly lines, square, plus-sign, circle, and triangle (Photo 6). Turn this packet face down. Place the other five cards on top of this packet. (Don’t turn over the second packet; the gaffed cards will be face up in a face-down packet.)

That’s the preparation. I snap a rubber band around the cards to keep them together in my pocket. Once you under-stand the setup, it is very easy to reset. To perform, you’ll also need a very small (but sharp) pair of scissors. These should be out of sight, so the spectators do not suspect that scissors will be used.

Handling and Presentation: As I

By Michael close

You Bet Your Life


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begin the story, I bring out the packet of business cards and I remove the rubber band. “One of the popular theories of quantum mechanics is the concept of alternate universes. This idea is the basis for what you’re about to see.

“Once upon a time, in an alternate universe, there was a very popular televi-sion show called You Bet Your Life. This show had no resemblance whatsoever to the TV show that aired on our planet in the 1950s: no Groucho Marx, no secret word, and no duck that came down and gave you a hundred dollars. The show on this alternate Earth was more somber; but even so, it was the most-watched program on the entire planet.

“The show was basically a guessing game; it used cards like this – cards with symbols on them. To show you how it worked, I’ll use four cards: two cards with a square on them and two cards with a circle on them.”

As I talk, I casually spread the cards between my hands, showing the various symbols. (I make sure not to spread past the card with the control-sign.) I then roughly square the cards and I spread through them again; as I do this, I up-jog the two cards with squares on them and the two cards with circles on them (Photo 7). As I up-jog these cards I tilt the cards so the spectators cannot see the faces.

As I up-jog the second square card, the control-sign card will be under my left thumb. I move my thumb down slightly, in-

jogging the control-card (Photo 8). When this is done, I roughly square the cards and flip them face down into my left hand.

The situation at this point is that there are four cards out-jogged from the front of the packet; these are two circle cards and two square cards. There is one card slightly in-jogged; this is the control-sign card. My right thumb presses down on the in-jog and squares the control-sign card into the packet. As this happens, I get a left little-finger break above this card. In the same action, the right hand grabs the out-jogged cards and strips them out from the packet. I flip them over onto the packet; they do not fall square but extend off the right-hand side of the packet. I spread out the cards using both hands; the spectators can see two circles and two squares. All this happens during the preliminary three paragraphs of patter.

“The game worked like this. A contes-tant came on the show. The four cards were mixed around, face down. The contestant would make a choice. If he chose a circle and a square, he won a billion dollars, tax free. That’s a substantial amount of money.”

From the spread of four cards, I remove a circle and a square and I display them. Then I replace them onto the other two spread cards.

“But, if the spectator got two squares or two circles, he was put to death – which explains the name of the show, You Bet

Your Life.”I remove either two squares or two

circles and I display them. I place them back onto the other two spread cards. As I say, “he was put to death,” (a line that always gets a reaction) I look up at the spectators. My right hand squares up the spread cards and in a continuing action I turn over all the cards above the little-fin-ger break (Photo 9). I immediately spread off the top four cards (these are now the gaffed cards) and I call attention to the backs and the words “You Bet Your Life.” These four cards are dropped onto the table and the other cards are placed aside.

[The audience management and the use of the double-backed card make this switch unsuspected and undetectable. The trick has not started, yet I am way ahead of the spectators. Because of the story they are about to hear, they will never catch up.]

“When the television network announced this game show and explained the rules, there was a lot of discussion about it. The first question was, ‘What are the odds?’ At first glance, it seems to be a fifty-fifty proposition. You have two winning combinations: square-circle or circle-square; and you have two losing combinations: square-square or circle-circle. It seemed reckless to risk your life on what was essentially a coin-toss, so nobody wanted to be on the show to play the game.

“Then some smart math guy wrote a blog saying that the actual odds were better than that, and here’s why. The first card you pick has no bearing on your chances. So let’s suppose you pick a square. Of the three cards that remain, two are winners for you – the two circle cards. Only one card is a loser – the other square card. So the real odds are two to one in the contes-tant’s favor. That got everybody excited, and a lot of people wanted to be on the show.”

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As I talk about the odds being fifty-fifty, I slide two cards to the right and two to the left. These cards are face down, but I refer to them as if they were face up. I then arrange them back into a face-down row of four. As I discuss the actual odds, I slide one of the four cards toward me. Again, I refer to the card as if we are looking at them face up, but the cards remain face down. This discussion of the odds is correct, but the emphasis on them is simply smoke. Even though I’ve never shown the faces of the cards, there will be a strong false memory that I did. This will make the ending even more surprising and astonishing.

“But here’s what happened. People went on the show, and even though the odds were in the contestant’s favor, when they got to the point when they had to choose, they froze. They just couldn’t go through with it; the penalty for failure overwhelmed the vast reward. Nobody chose, and nobody won or lost.

“Granted, this did create compelling television, but the producers were frus-trated that nobody wanted to play the game to the end. They were going to pull the plug on the show, when they got a call from one guy. This guy had carefully read the rules of the game, and he had discov-ered something. He told the producers, ‘I’ll come on the show, and I won’t chicken out. I’ll play the game to end, and you can promote that fact.’

“The producers were delighted and spent millions of dollars on commercials hyping the fact that someone was going to play You Bet Your Life to the end. The night of the show the Internet almost melted down from the Tweeting and social media posting. It was the largest viewing audience in the history of television. The guy was introduced and the four cards were mixed up. Do me a favor. I’ll play the part of the guy and you play the part of the host. I’ll turn away. You mix the cards around on the table so I can’t know which card is where.”

As I tell a spectator that I want him to mix the cards, I demonstrate by sliding around the cards on the table. I don’t want the spectator to lift the cards (he might in-advertently turn one over). He should just slide them around. When he announces he has finished mixing them, I turn back.

“Are you done? Is there any way I can know the order of the cards? No? You’re right. Any thoughts on what the guy did? No? Then I’ll show you. He did this.”

I bring out the scissors and immediate-ly begin cutting the four cards in half (Photo 10). This cutting is done widthwise; the center of each card lies just above the top of the word “YOUR.” As each card is cut I place the lower half (with “YOUR LIFE”) in front of me and I push the other half aside. My patter consists of saying, “I’ll take this, and this, and this, and this one.” After the cards have been cut, I put the scissors away and I focus my attention on the four half-cards that are in front of me.

“The guy had followed the rules; he made a choice and ended up with two complete cards. And because he had taken a half from each of the four cards, he had to end up with one circle and one square. And he won the billion-dollar prize.”

I pick up the four halves, keeping the faces of the cards away from the specta-tors. I shift them around a bit and then I toss them face up on the table. I continue to move them around, and then I arrange them so they form a complete circle and a complete square (Photo 11). (It is necessary to shift the pieces around a bit when they are face up so the spectators will lose track of how they should be oriented. Because of the way the cards are printed, the edges that line up are not the cut edges. However, no one notices this.

“The guy deserved to win the prize; his solution was ingenious and completely

counterintuitive. But the producers of the show didn’t want to give him the prize. They said to him, ‘That’s not fair. The way you did it there was no risk whatsoever.’ The guy said, ‘Of course there was a risk. I could have picked these four pieces.”

As I say the above patter I push the halves with the square and the circle aside and I reach for the other four pieces. I pick them up, keeping the backs toward the spectators, and I fan them so I can see the faces. Then I put them down on the table, arranging them so they say, “YOU DIE.”

This concludes the trick. I pick up all the pieces and pocket them. I snap the rubber band around packet of cards and I pocket them as well.

Please put in the effort to give this a try. The stunned looks that will greet you at the climax of the trick are very satisfying.

NOTESThis trick is based on a puzzle. The idea

of getting one of each type of thing when you have two each of two items that look identical came from one of the Puzzlers on the NPR program Car Talk. It was broadcast as part of the show on February 19, 2000, and was submitted by listener Scott Crass. You can find this Puzzler on the web on the Car Talk site. They have an archive of all the Puzzlers, categorized by year.

In the first version of the trick I came up with, the two halves of the word/symbol gaffed cards met at the middle of the card. The problem with this was that if I didn’t cut the card right down the middle (or if the printer was a little off when it printed the card) there might be a telltale extra bit of red or black on one or more of the half-cards when I put them together. This, obviously, could tip off the method. Max Maven offered the excellent suggestion of putting the split word/symbol against the ends of the cards. (This ploy comes from an old trick, Albert Spackman’s Newspaper Test from The Gen, October 1964. This principle was then used in a trick in which a strip of paper containing symbols was cut at a spot dictated by a spectator. The symbol that was apparently cut matched a prediction.) Using Max’s suggestion, it doesn’t matter if my cut is off-center, as long as it is a straight cut.

Copyright 2014 Michael Close. All manufacturing rights reserved.

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You Bet Your Life


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This month marks the centennial of Martin Gardner’s birth, on October 21, 1914. Martin was with us until mid-2010, and during his long life he produced an astonishing body of work. It is said that through his monthly column in Scientific American magazine, he inspired more young people to enter the field of mathemat-ics than any other twentieth-century figure.

It was via Martin’s seminal 1956 book Mathematics, Magic and Mystery that I first encountered the Matrix Force – a problematic title because there are two other well-es-tablished elements in magic that share the “matrix” appellation. Here, I refer to a mathematical principle with an extensive history, beginning with its earliest use as a means of informa-tion retrieval in Walter Gibson’s Date Sense in The Jinx #41, 1938. The first forcing application was published by Maurice Kraitchik in his 1942 book, Mathematical Recreations. Since then, dozens of applications and pre-sentational gambits have appeared in print, for several of which I will accept blame.

The application here is fairly straightforward: With suitable con-versation, the performer lays out a set of miniature posters from famous movies. Each film has a title that conveys a number, one through sixteen (Figure 1).

An additional poster, somewhat larger, is also brought out, but kept face down and set aside. This, it is explained, is a prediction.

Several spectators now choose posters. One person is asked to drop a marker on top of any of the posters. (This can be a coin or a token, or you might want to use something more germane, such as a ticket stub from a movie theater.) The posters that share the same row and column as the selection are eliminated from play, by the simple expedient of turning them face down. Thus, for example, if the spectator were to place the marker onto poster ten, the result would look like Figure 2.

A second participant is given the token, and asked to drop it onto another one of the still-showing posters. As before, the ones in the same row and column are turned face down. This will leave four as yet unchosen

posters.A third person is given the

token, which is dropped onto one of the remaining choices. Again, the face-up posters that share the row and column are turned face down. This leaves one untouched poster. The value of that poster is added to those of the three selected ones, to produce a total.

This is where the Kraitchik force comes into play. Despite the fairness of the proceedings, the total of those four numbers will always be thirty-four. Happily enough, there is a well-known (and beloved) movie to use as the prediction (Figure 3).

Some brief notes: Of course, there are alternative movies with number-related titles that can be substituted. Some browsing on IMDB.com or similar websites will provide such information, as well as images that can be downloaded and printed onto suitable card stock.

Note that printing and using these images falls into the “Fair Use” category allowed by copyright law. You have the legal right to make the poster cards and use them in perfor-mance. You do not have the right to put such a set up for sale. To do so would not only go against the rights

of those who created the images; it would also go against the rights of the fellow who came up with this trick, whose words you are reading at this very moment.

Figure 3

Figure 1

Figure 2

By Max Maven

Cinematrix


LATEST PRODUCT REVIEWSCompiled and Edited by W. S. Duncan

INFORMED OPINION

nukeS BookBy Doug eDwArDSAvailable from: vanishingincmagic.comDistributed by Murphy’s Magic SuppliesPrice $35.00

REVIEW BY CURTIS KAM

This is a book full of surprises, es-pecially to those who, like me, have known Mr. Edwards only through the advanced card material he has released. For while there is card magic included in Nukes, and it is up to the author’s known standards, there are also secrets, big and small, from famous others, and from Mr. Edwards himself, concern-ing a wide variety of things magical. Consider some of these and tell me you are not surprised.

Roy Benson’s routine with three sponge balls and a small bowl is a

modern classic. Everyone knows it, and many have some variation of it in their professional acts. But what if I told you that after Mr. Benson published that famous routine, he continued to work on it? Late in Benson’s life, Doug Edwards had a session with Mr. Benson and was shown the final version, which he teaches here. What changes did Benson make? Did he change the number of phases to the routine? Did he add a final load? All of these aspects are addressed in the book, and while I won’t give you the answers here, I can tell you that Benson made changes to many things, including the way that the wand and the bowl are handled, and that considering his choices here is an enlightening exercise. The handling touches described here do not appear in Levent’s book Roy Benson by Starlight.

Once upon a time, magicians made a feature effect out of a trick involving rope penetrating a big block of wood. You don’t see it anymore, but perhaps Doug Edwards’s routine for this classic will help bring it back. Mr. Edwards has added a human touch, causing the ropes to pass through the block and the hands of the spectator. I like this kind of small change that adds significantly to the effect, and I wonder if this could somehow be incorporated into a presentation of Dean’s Box.

Back in the 1920s to 1940s, Joseph Dunninger was able to ac-curately predict the telephone number that someone would choose from a randomly chosen telephone book, on a freely selected page. While others have approached this effect by sliding a metal plate,

a ring, or some other contrivance around on the chosen page, Dunninger used no such device. Years later, Edwards discovered a box of props under the sink in Dunninger’s home, and discov-ered the secret to this effect. He reveals his findings here, but I’m not convinced that this method will work, which also seems to be typical of Dunninger’s methods.

There is a method for performing the “smash your hand on the spike” effect safely. The spike is still there, and it’s still sharp, and you crush the harmless cups just as always. In fact, the effect works the same way as you’re used to. (It will work with most methods for performing this.) However, if (and when) you make an error, you will probably be spared an embarrassing and serious injury. It’s an extremely practical solution to protect yourself from the moments when your brain just fails you. I was doubly surprised to find this solution in Nukes, because it is something I had also come up with myself. Turns out, Mr. Edwards beat me to it, and we both recommend that this simple and inexpensive precaution be taken by anyone performing this effect.

In addition to these surprises, there is a very clever ring and rope routine, a full routine for the rigid rope apparatus, an unusual display technique from Roy Benson’s card manipulation act, and an ending for the Professor’s Nightmare (aka Equally Unequal Ropes) that allows the three ropes to instantly meld into one, without gaffs or other apparatus.

As to cards, there is the deck that Cardini used to cut to any card named, Edwards’s own handling of a Harry Lorayne effect in which a mentally selected card appears as the only card in a blank deck, several other routines by Edwards with an ordinary deck, and a routine Edwards accurately describes as “Almost Any Card at Any Number,” which is just that. Since the popularity of this effect has made the vocabulary so specific, I don’t need to tell you much more. This is not an impromptu method, but rather something you would do for a formal show. The handling is well within the reach of any card worker; there is a negligible amount of memory work, no estimation, and no shifting the cards around once they are removed from the case. Once the card is named, the deck is shown, and it remains in plain sight while the number is named. By the way, the cards are seen to be different, so it’s not a one-way force deck.

The highlight for card handlers will be a handling tip for the Zarrow shuffle, taught to Doug by none other than Herb Zarrow himself. While the claim that this technique has never been published before is accurate, the technique was shown on the Zarrow Shuffle video by Meyer Yedid, and it was also the subject of a video download (featured by Mr. Edwards) released previously by Vanishing Inc. Edwards’s writing style is terse, but this is what he says about this one change to the way you handle

Not much room for this, so I’ll be brief. After many months with little new material, we are happily in a place where there’s a lot to tell you about. In fact, a couple of reviews had to be cut for space. You’ll see them next month, along with full coverage of the new four-DVD set on Paul Daniels and Daryl’s magnum opus on sponge ball magic.

This month you’ll find an interesting collection of non-card stuff from hardcore card guy Doug Edwards, novelty items covered by Jamie Salinas, Jim Kleefeld, and Payne, and a wonderful three-DVD set (that I can also recommend) reviewed by Dan Garrett.

See you next month.


the top card of a standard Zarrow shuffle: “It’s the handling in which the audience can never see one half going on top of the other after the secret unweave.” Frankly, I like how this feels, however, I’m not convinced that handling the shuffle in this way accomplishes the invisibility claimed. And during the description of the move, Edwards says that the technique serves to make the unweave invisible, not the actual passing of one packet over the other. So while I’m intrigued enough to play with this, I can’t say that it delivers. Given its provenance, if you’re seeking the perfect Zarrow shuffle, you should at least give this a try.

This book is unique in a number of ways, and especially in the range of topics covered. In its pages it is possible to find that one little secret you’ve been needing to perfect your card manipulation act, your ring and rope routine, your telephone number prediction, your Zarrow shuffle, or just your collection of interesting facts about famous magicians. So I feel safe in saying that everyone will find something of interest in it. And if you do the Smash and Stab effect, do me a favor and check this out.

CAlCulAteD ChAoS BookletBy ChriS weStfAllAvailable from: www.vanishingincmagic.comDistributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies Price $20.00

REVIEW BY ANTONIO M. CABRAL One thing I miss in modern magic

shops is the presence of little booklets. Some of my favorite magic has come out of slim little volumes like Charles Hopkins’s Outs, Precautions & Chal-lenges, Jack Merlin’s …And a Pack of Cards, or the plethora of booklets Ed Marlo published through Magic, Inc. Not everyone needs to put out some huge, six-volume series of two-hun-dred-page tomes. Sometimes a few solid ideas in a small, economical booklet go a lot farther. Chris Westfall’s Calculated Chaos is a good example of that.

M-U-M readers will know Chris Westfall from his November 2013 cover feature in this magazine. I have the pleasure of knowing Chris from the annual Buffalo 52 close-up gathering. So I know he’s a worker, and a good one at that. Calculated Chaos is a small collection of some of Chris’s pet routines combined with a few short essays on the ins-and-outs of performing in restaurants or similar venues. I particularly liked the essays titled “Approach-ing Tables” and “Rejection.” They contain great advice for anyone who’s done time as a professional dinner-interrupter.

The material offered is short and to the point, and solid working stuff. Some of my favorites are Nested in Nothing, a short, magical, and funny introduction to your favorite sponge ball routine; Fifty-Two Backs, a great routine for a Rainbow or Prism Deck; and Time Cap, a great interlude you can perform with a Sharpie in the middle of your favorite signed card or marked coin miracle. He also offers a version of Triumph called Cheeky Triumph, which I feel is better from the method side than the effect side. It’s a color-changing-deck Triumph in which everything happens all at once: the deck straightens out except for the selected card and all of a sudden the backs are a different color. It’s too much all at once for my tastes, but if you bring it to your next close-up session, you’ll knock a few heads back for sure.

My one major complaint about this booklet is that it’s rife with errors. At first I noticed a few typos here and there, then I noticed a big error in the table of contents, and then I tried walking through the twisting routine that’s the first phase of Fifty-Two Backs and realized it doesn’t work the way it’s written. It was easy to figure out, but with three people credited as “editor” someone really should’ve spotted that before it went to press.

All in all, this is a solid piece of work – not heavy-handed or overwrought, and full of practical ideas at a good price point. Recommended.

toM AnD hiS Merry Menthe expertS At the BreAkfASt tABle leCture noteSBy toM DoBrowolSkiAvailable from: www.chicagomagicbash.com Dealers contact Tom Dobrowolski Price $15.00 for both PDFs (see website for printed copies)

REVIEW BY DANNY ARCHER

Most of my reviews have been of DVDs, so it was refreshing when I received this PDF of a set of lecture notes from Tom Dobrowolski. (I know Tom from lecturing in Chicago and from meeting him at convention.) These notes were written in February 2013 and in addition to the creations of the author, they also feature close-up magic from some of Tom’s friends: Jeremiah Zuo, Ed Oschmann, Jack Carpenter, John Carey, David Kuraya, and Curtis Kam. All of

the material from contributors is new and has not been published elsewhere.

After the foreword and introduction, Tom and His Merry Men kicks off with BBQ Ribs Three Coins Across by Zuo. While not earth-shaking, it’s a solid handling of the Visible Coins Across plot that is not too hard to perform. Unlike with video, where you can see exactly what the presenter is doing, at one point you are given the advice to do your favorite vanish. This is not a bad thing per se, but you have to have a favorite vanish to do the routine, so this isn’t beginner stuff.

With The Contest, Ed and Tom combine to offer a fun version of the classic Lazy Man’s Aces routine. Three spectators are each given part of the deck, and after much shuffling, switching, trading, and dealing, everyone ends up with an Ace on top of their packet. This is a self-working effect that should get a great reaction. Carpenter’s Poor Old Uncle Joe is a poker story trick with a Six-Card-Repeat theme that uses a count that is pretty easy to master for anyone familiar with the Elmsley count (which is almost everyone). The prolific John Carey contributes his Stream-lined Prediction in which the magician’s prediction matches the spectator’s selection. There are many versions of this plot and this one does the job nicely.

Kuraya from Hawaii offers Blackjack for Brother John. This has its roots in the Pinochle Trick by Brother Hamman and the skill level takes a big step up. The Gemini Count is used (and explained); if you can master this trick I think you will have a good solid piece of magic. Tom’s handling of the Out of this World plot is called Right Down the Street and was originally published in a manuscript the he and Zuo did on the Oil and Water plot. It’s based on a John Kennedy idea. Using two spectators to do the dealing (after the cards have been shuffled) makes for a direct and


quick handling that I think you will like. Hana Ho means “do it again” in Hawaiian and this simple

moving-hole effect can be used anytime you have a signed card, making the card even more memorable to the recipient. The hole moves from the center to the end, to the side, and is removed and then replaced. A lot of magic happens. This combines ideas from Dai Vernon, Don England, and Michael Weber. This is not self-working, but Kam’s construction has taken out most of the hard work. This is suitable for repeat performances. This is the only effect in the PDF that has any illustrations, in the form of photo-graphs.

So to sum up, you get six card tricks and one coin routine – some solid material in printed form instead of a DVD or download. As a guy who grew up learning magic from books and lecture notes, I was right at home reading and trying the material. Tom offers this PDF and The Expert at the Breakfast Table together for $15 – a real bargain. Printed copies are $15 each and include a gimmicked card for one trick in each set of notes. I like what I read and I think that you will like it as well.

The Experts at the Breakfast Table continues the theme set above and adds new contributors Trent Ketchmark, Patrick Flanagan, Richard Hucko, Benny Lau, and Jeff Prace to the crew above. This set of notes is forty pages filled with eleven effects. Naked Deck Opener by Ketchmark starts the ball rolling by having a blank deck magically print itself. Gaffs are used and you must be able to do a reverse fan. Tom’s Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater is an impromptu version of the classic lie detector plot based on a David Solomon routine. This is self-working and is a very nice effect to be able to do at the drop of a hat.

Jack Carpenter updates his trick with Poor Old Uncle Joe 2 from the first set of notes. Less fiddling and a cleaner handling make this already solid effect a winner. Zuo’s Portal adds an interesting bit into what is essentially a sandwich effect. After the card has been selected and lost, the performer holds the two Jokers about a foot apart; as the spectator throws his invisible card through them, the card becomes visible. This uses Zuo’s Playing Card Muscle Pass.

I (Heart Symbol) U from Flanagan has the magician drawing a stickman holding a heart on the back of his business card. The heart is visibly slid to the other side and then removed and given to the spectator as a souvenir. While this uses some extra props (special pens, a lighter, and Goshman hearts), this could be a winning routine for the tableside performer. Tom explains The Real Theory 11 with his essay on what and how magicians should aim for as they present their magic. After Effect by Hucko has the spectator selecting a card he claims will match the prediction he has shown and pocketed. It doesn’t, but then it is rubbed on the pocket and does, then it doesn’t but it now matches the pocketed prediction. Some more sleights are used to make this happen, but it’s a fast, fun effect.

Carey offers Neither Short Sighted or Mad, his handling of the Juan Tamariz classic Neither Blind Nor Silly. Not an improve-ment, but it can be done impromptu. Lau returns with Out of this World (Prequel) a handling of the color divination plot based on Pit Hartling’s Colour Sense routine, which is in turn based on an unpublished Michael Weber routine. This effect, while not tech-nically difficult, will stretch your brain a bit as it requires some memory work both beforehand and on the fly. The underlying Pattern Principle by Lewis Jones is taught with many charts. While not that hard, this is something that will require some serious study and practice (and that’s a good thing).

Things get easier when Prace describes his Earfun routine, which brings the Stiff Rope trick into the modern era doing it

with ear buds. A little work is required. You can’t do this with borrowed ear buds, but you should get a good reaction from the right crowd. Tom returns with Away We Go, his take on Cards Across. I liked this handling and it gets the job done very efficient-ly. Kam closed things out with Haunted Bolt, a self-unscrewing nut-and-bolt effect that is very different from the original. This was slated to be an online download, but it first saw the light of day here.

These two set of notes offer up a lot of good magic at a very good price. They were fun to read; I recommend these for others who want to do the same.

the heinouS ColleCtion VoluMeS 1-3 DVDSBy kArl heinAvailable from: www.karlhein.comDistributed by Murphy’s Magic SuppliesPrice: $35.00 each

REVIEW BY DAN GARRETT

Florida magician Karl Hein, aka Karl Koppertop, has been a rising star in close-up magic for some years; by now most of you should have heard of him, or attended one of his lectures.

This collection of three DVDs contains some excellent

material, parts of which will appeal to different levels of competence.

Volume 1 (False Shuffles and Cuts) runs approximately forty-two minutes. It contains explanations of ten false shuffles and flourishy false cuts, from easy to advanced difficulty. It is produced with the idea of actually teaching the viewer the material. There are very few fillers or distractions, and the detail given is superb, without bogging down in minutiae. The produc-tion quality is excellent, with close-up views from several angles and speeds. The explanations are done without speaking, using the visual views and English subtitles to convey the information. There is also a music soundtrack. Eventually, you will probably want to mute the sound as you study the video.

The full-deck, in-the-hands, false riffle shuffle that put Karl on the magical map was his Heinstein Shuffle. While not the first magician to create a false riffle shuffle that simulates a bridge, Karl refined the technique to create the perfect illusion of shuffling and bridging a deck of cards. It seems impossible to any observer that the cards could be anything other than completely mixed.

Karl offers many credits for others who developed similar false shuffles and cuts. In particular, he properly credits my late friend Ronald (Ravelli) Wohl, who created the first documented false shuffle to simulate a bridge by springing the cards. You will want to study the Heinstein Shuffle and the Heinous Shuffle, which are revisited here. I think that the teaching method in this collection shows more clarity and detail than any previous video, and this DVD will put Karl’s technique within reach of more magicians than ever before. Like Herb Zarrow’s well-known, tabled false riffle shuffle, both these methods require two shuffles to retain the full order, unless a slip cut is performed before the sleight.

Also on his volume is Hein’s take on Derek Delgaudio’s Truffle Shuffle, which eliminates the cover card and keeps the deck un-molested with just a single shuffle. Karl’s handling of this shuffle is at the pinnacle of false riffle shuffles. Karl’s variation simulates


the advantage of using a cover card very nicely, and puts a perfect finish on an already great method.

There are other nice false cuts and overhand shuffles as well. Some are classics but some are lesser known. The collection ends with the classic Charlier shuffle, which every card magician should be able to do. When done correctly it is very deceptive, and is a perfect method for using with ESP cards; it is a convincing mix that looks like the shuffle used by people who don’t shuffle cards often. I feel that all ten techniques on Volume 1 are worth careful study and can recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.

Volume 2 contains routines using false shuffles and runs about one hour. This volume gives six excellent routines and a bonus effect. Most of these routines showcase the false shuffles and cuts taught in Volume 1. The routines are very good, but with Karl’s false shuffles and cuts mixed in, they are devastating. It is en-tertaining to watch the live performances for a small group of lovely young women. Their reactions are terrific, and often quite amusing. I will touch on a few of the routines, but I liked them all.

Magic Square routines are not everyone’s cup of tea, but I quite like them. Square Deal is Karl’s take on the effect. What makes this routine appealing is that the only prop required is a deck of cards. Everyone probably has played with Bill Malone’s version of Sam the Bellhop, or Diamond Jack, or some sort of “story” routine with a stacked deck. Karl’s own Jack Spade offering is one of the best of this genre I’ve ever seen. It’s very funny, and entertaining. Hein’s shuffling and cutting the cards throughout takes this to new, unbelievable heights. Simply witness the pretty ladies’ reactions during the performance and you’ll understand why this sort of routine is so commercial.

The feature effect on this DVD is Every Card, Every Number, Every Time. This is Karl’s version of the ACAAN plot. It is not a true “any card at any number” effect, he admits, but it seems that way to the audience. The amazing twist at the end proves that the performer has openly predicted the selected card and the number chosen by the spectator before the revelation. While a false shuffle is not required in this routine (spectators can genuinely shuffle the cards), Karl does put the Transformer Cut to good use. This is strong and commercial card magic, folks.

Karl also offers a bonus non-card effect (explanation only) called Give Me Five. This is a hidden gem that will appeal to all close-up magicians. I don’t think Karl wants too many to know just how commercial this simple “why didn’t I think of that?” idea is. Whether you work for tips or not, you may find this one worth the price of admission.

Volume 3 contains routines for multiple spectators, and runs just over an hour. The five (plus two) routines on this DVD are specifically designed for an audience of three to five people. With multiple selections, more people are involved, and the skill level shown also appears multiplied. As with Volume 2, Karl performs each routine in a real-life situation and later privately explains it. Here he offers valuable tips and subtleties on how to structure the individual sequences in order to get the maximum impact out of each routine.

Grandmother’s BLT is the exception to the multiple-spectator motif. It only requires a single spectator. It is a wonderful multi-ple-phase sandwich routine with a very surprising finish. You’ll find it very tasty. The third sandwich phase is the one Karl uses to fool magicians. I’ll bet it fools you. The next routine is named Col-lecting Camaro after my good friend Jerry Camaro, who passed away. It is so named because it uses a multiple shift idea that Jerry showed Karl. Karl doesn’t know it, but I taught Jerry a lot of magic when he was getting started, including this move. It is not

my mine, either. It’s a small world, and I’m delighted that Jerry is still remembered. I have no comment on Breaking the Second Rule. It is just too darn good! Don’t ignore the three routines I haven’t mentioned. They are all workers. (Do you want a great card routine with sponge balls?)

I’ll just touch on one more routine, Sublime, simply because it is Karl’s favorite ending to any multiple-selection routine; a selected card appearing inside a lime. And this presentation makes it probably the strongest card effect you can perform for any group of non-magicians. Here is that one effect that will make a reputation and get repeat bookings.

Overall, the material is presented clearly and taught efficient-ly. Karl doesn’t waste your time. The Heinous Collection is what all DVD sets should be: outstanding magic by an outstanding magician. With proper work, most of the material could be gold for you, as well. Highly recommended.

Self-working CArD triCkS (worlD’S greAteSt MAgiC) VolS. 1-3 DVDSAvailable from: llpub.comDistributed by Murphy’s Magic SuppliesPrice $19.95 each

REVIEW BY DANNY ARCHER

As Eugene Burger is fond of saying, the house of magic has many rooms. One

of the biggest rooms in that house is devoted to magic with cards. Within that room there are many smaller rooms, (or closets), and one of those is dedicated to self-working card

tricks. A self-working trick has all (or most) of the hard sleight of hand removed from it, theoretically making

it easier to perform because you don’t need to do heavy card moves. Of course, we all

know that no trick is self-working; attention must be paid to the procedure, audience management, and presentation. There are some truly great self-working card tricks and some of them can be found on this three-volume set from L&L Publishing.

Most of these routines appear to be taken from video sets offered quite some time ago, judging by the hairstyles, fashion, and card handling in vogue at that time. When was the last time you saw a Hindu shuffle being used? But that doesn’t diminish the effectiveness of some of these routines.

The first disc begins with Harry Lorayne and his version of Al Koran’s Lazy Man’s Card Trick. Allan Ackerman follows with an expanded version of a classic Karl Fulves trick, and after him Daryl shows a very basic effect called The Whispering Queen.

David Regal has an audience member name her lucky card, which happens to match his lucky card that he removes from his wallet. One of my workers, when I was just starting down the path of card magic, was a Paul Harris effect called Overkill, here presented by Michael Ammar. Johnny Thompson teaches Birds of a Feather, a quick but effective trick. The 21 Card Trick gets kicked up several notches in the capable hands of Bill Malone. His three-phase routine will fool layman (and most magicians), and is one of the highlights of this set.

Daryl returns with a revelation based on a basic force and then Eugene Burger closes out the magic by demonstrating how a deck of cards can locate any card just by spelling to it. I perform a version of Eugene’s trick professionally (using a glimpse instead


of a force), and I can attest to its effectiveness. The second disc starts off with Allan Ackerman doing a

classic from Al Leech by finding not only the spectator’s chosen card but the four Aces as well (I taught this effect at magic classes for many years). Johnny Thompson follows with another classic effect in which the magician’s card finds the spectator’s selection. Daryl returns to show how his sensitive fingertips can remove cards from his pocket that reveal the identity of the selected card. This routine plays well and if you glimpse or force the selection you can make the trick play a little stronger.

Harry Lorayne does a quickie by causing a playing card to penetrate the card case. Michael Ammar shows and teaches a way to straighten out an impossibly mixed-up deck (Slop Shuffle). Allan Ackerman returns with a card matching effect, and is followed by Johnny Thompson, who offers his version of one of card magic’s all-time classic tricks, You Do as I Do. Daryl reappears with a small packet mentalism gem, the Eight Card Brainwave (with a nice display), while Larry Jennings performs and teaches one of his most-beloved effects (in spite of an annoying fly), an impos-sible location called Impossible (this will fool most magicians as well as laymen).

Disc three continues the self-working fun with Daryl combining birthday greetings with the discovery of a selected card (this uses some minor technique). Allan Ackerman puts a colorful twist on the venerable Clock Trick. The next two effects are poker themed. First, Michael Ammar shows how to cheat at poker by dealing himself a royal flush, and then Harry Lorayne shows how to win with the Ten Card Poker Deal (keep watching and Harry performs a bonus trick). The Ten Card Poker Deal has many improvements and variations, but you and your audience will be pleased if you learn and present Harry’s version. Marlo’s Perfect Stop Trick gets the Bill Malone treatment before Johnny Thompson plucks the four Aces from a spectator-shuffled deck while the cards are in his pocket. Daryl returns with a wonderful effect in which the spectator finds the four Aces from a shuffled deck. Lastly, Harry Lorayne returns to finish off the DVD by turning the deck of cards into a lie detector.

While not every effect is a killer (and there have been many new self-working effects created since the days these videos were shot), there is enough wonderful material that I think this set will appeal to anyone looking to add an impromptu (as most of these are) card effect or three to his arsenal. Each disc contains at least one or two items that, if learned and presented properly, will generate all the acclaim and reaction you can hope for from a self-working trick. I can recommend this set for anyone looking for a trick that can be performed when presented with a pack.

pAtrifieD DVDBy pAtriCk kunAvailable from: sansminds.comDistributed by Murphy’s Magic SuppliesPrice $34.95

REVIEW BY MARC DESOUZA

I first became aware of Patrick Kun when he released of a few items as online downloads. He seemed to have some good ideas for card guys, but nothing earth shattering. This DVD very pleas-antly surprised me. In it, Kun performs and explains seven items. In general, the length of the video and the number of items taught would leave me with the opinion that this is overpriced in today’s market, but such is not the case here. I feel the quality of the moves and routines, coupled with Kun’s teaching of the material, and the

quality of the video and audio provided by the producer, SansMinds, make this a good value.

The items are all card related. There are updates to some of Kun’s previously released material, such as Counterpoint Retouched, that are very worthwhile additions. Some gimmicked cards are provided in the package that will allow you to perform one of the effects, but you will need to provide a Blank Deck to perform Snowblind, which is one of the

highlights of the set. In it, a card is selected and replaced. There is a very visual transformation of the entire deck to a blank deck except the selection. I think this is one that a lot of magicians will be performing. One of my favorites was DIY Aces, which is an improvement of a Father Cyprian ace-cutting routine. The original has been one of my favorites for years, but Kun’s small changes in handling really kick it up a notch. I’ll be adding this to my repertoire.

Inflict Evolved is a terrific sandwich routine in which a face-up card appears between two face-down cards, but it is the wrong card. Suddenly, the face-up card visibly changes to the selection. In Morf, four indifferent cards change into a four of a kind in a very visual manner that is a real eye-popper. The other pieces include a really cool appearance of a selected card between two Jokers and an interesting, but slightly flourishy, one-handed double lift.

All in all, this is a very good effort and something that card guys are going to want to check out. Recommended.

teChint DVDBy yoShito kitAhArAAvailable from: penguinmagic.comPrice $47.00

REVIEW BY W. S. DUNCAN

Techint begins with three and a half minutes of black-and-white footage of card manipulations, performed to music that seems like it was taken from the coolest elevator you ever rode in. This footage appears on the brushed-metal and skinny-font menu as “Walkthrough.” It shows off all the material on the DVD so you can pick something and

jump right to it, which is nice, because watching this DVD from start to finish is a daunting task. Not to say it’s an unpleasant task. There is some very nice magic on this DVD, and if you like the sort of presentation-less style in which it’s performed, you may even be able to watch the entire thing in one sitting. I couldn’t.

Part of the reason for that is there is almost no instruction here, and what instruction there is, is incomplete or useless. For example, there is a very nice impromptu item called Thorndike in the bonus section. You apparently break your thumb and twist the end joint about 180 degrees around, and then restore it. The video shows you the effect, repeated a couple of times, and then offers the explanation, “simply twist your thumb: not thumb tip, not dis-location” as the full instruction. If you want more, you can turn on the Chinese subtitles, but I suspect they don’t have much more to say than that. The entire segment runs two minutes and twenty


seconds. I assume that I understand the method, since there isn’t much to see, but it sure doesn’t look as convincing when I try it, as it does on the video. Besides flexible joints, I suspect there are nuances that help the illusion, but you’ll have to figure them out for yourself.

The other bonus item, Porno Link, is a rubber band penetra-tion of a straw, which from its one really good angle looks quite nice. After that is demonstrated, the word “exp.” appears in the lower left corner of the screen as the method is displayed. I’m not sure if “exp.” means explanation or exposed view. Like the rest of the DVD, you’ll have to sort that out for yourself.

One of the more beautiful card effects, inspired by “Rene’ Levand” (as it is printed on the screen), involves stealing a card from the top of the ribbon-spread pack and inserting it, out-jogged, as the spread is turned over twice. It looks pretty darn good, even when you know the steal is happening; it really popped when I saw it for the first time. But simply knowing it’s possible to do something like this is not enough to motivate me to experiment and reinvent the method so that I can do it. The entire explanation for this one is a single sentence telling you to ask the spectator a question as you steal the card, and an overlaid arrow on screen showing where you insert the card back into the spread.

The rest of the DVD offers a fancy way to spread the cards that is part ribbon spread, part cascade, a couple of fancy double lifts, card changes based on flourish double lifts, visual color changes in which your hands look a bit arthritic for a moment (but no one will notice), and a very nice one-handed deal.

You can try to find the official trailer on YouTube, but my Google-fu landed me on Penguin’s site. I visited the homepage listed on the DVD case (http://www.script-m.jp) and found a trailer (which oddly, is hosted on YouTube). View that, and you’ll get a good idea of both the material and the instruction. Learning from this DVD is a bit easier than just watching a trick on YouTube until you figure out how it works, but only just.

So if you like flashy card magic, have fifty bucks burning a hole in your pocket, and don’t mind working things out for yourself, this DVD will provide you with some interesting and challenging stuff to work on. And if you manage to perfect that stuff, you’ll have some visually entertaining material that isn’t the same stuff everyone else is doing.

the MySteriouS AffAir Book teStBy JiM kleefelDAvailable from: JimKleefeld.comPrice $169.00 plus s/h

REVIEW BY JOSHUA KANE

Every once in a while, a product comes across my desk that raises the standard for all similar products. The Mysterious Affair, an exceptionally good book test and a very good value, is such a product.

My usual complaints about book tests are as follows: the books rarely look and feel like real books; they do not hold up under scrutiny; they have titles and authors which, if Googled, do

not exist; they require modifications to avoid the former problem; they are cheaply produced and do not hold up well in performance; and they require the participant to announce a page number. Most book tests end up being a lot of procedure and justification for the

revelation of what usually ends up being a single word and not one that is always of interest or appropriate to the audience.

Fortunately for the buyer, Mr. Kleefeld has solved every complaint I have ever had about a book test with this excellent product. (Please be aware that Mr. Kleefeld is a fellow reviewer and columnist for M-U-M.)

The books can be examined and read cover to cover. Kleefeld has obtained the rights to modify the text of specific books by the most famous and best-selling mystery writer in history. I will not name the author here to avoid Internet searches revealing the existence of such a product to audience members who Google. The first pages have been left completely intact, so if you call a fan onto the stage there will be no discrepancy in the style. The tests feel eminently fair and are clean and direct. Invite the spectator to pick one of the two books, open to any page, then ask her to read the first line to herself and look at the nearest illustration in the book. You are then able to reveal details about the scene or action and reproduce as a drawing the most salient images created by the illustration The participant does not need to let you know the page number; instead of revealing a single word, you are able to “receive” impressions of the actions taking place.

The books are well-produced hard covers with heavy-duty dust jackets. They have the look of subscription editions or books published in a series, the kind one often finds on the remainder table at a chain bookstore. The bindings have a linen finish and the type is large and readable, with a fine contrast on the page. A deluxe version is also available that includes a third volume. The only flaw is one not easily noticed. The spines (under the covers on two of the volumes) have the title of the book and the name Jim Kleefeld. This may be correctable in future editions and is my only concern. To mitigate this, I would suggest plastic wrapping the covers and making them look like library copies with stickers and such. Or, if you are going to depend on having the covers without plastic, scan the covers and print backups as needed.

The instructions are excellent and are provided in a hard-copy booklet. The method requires some memorization; a crib is hidden in each volume if you need to refresh before a performance or during one. Fans of Al Mann and Leo Boudreau will delight in the combination of methods employed. This is a fine tool for the professional and a delightful find for the amateur. Order them while they are available.

MArtin lewiS preSentS: Die-nAMiC triCkBy ken Allen Available from: www.MagiKraft.comPrice $29.95

REVIEW BY PAYNE Ken Allen, according to the blurb in

the back of the accompanying instruc-tions, was a magician, pitchman, acrobat, and tap dancer. He invented, among other things, the Chinatown Half, Jumping Gems, the Monkey Bar, Robot Coins, and of course Die-Namic – an effect that seems to have been off the market for far too long a time.

But thankfully for us, and the magic community at large, Martin Lewis has confronted this issue head on and has

rereleased this classic effect, which is good because: “Die-Namic can make you a better performer than you think you are. It can


make you the world’s greatest magician in the eyes of the person who saw you do it. You can do it, you will do it, and you’ll thank me for telling you about it.” At least that’s what the original ad for Die-Namic said about it back in 1962. But then it also proclaimed that it was: “Unquestionably and without peer the greatest close-up effect you will have the opportunity of owning and performing during your time.” So I would take the aforesaid hyperbole with, if not a grain of salt, a whole salt pours worth of the stuff.

That said, Die-Namic, even after all these years, is still a great little piece of magic. The effect is simple and direct. A dollar bill is draped over the side of a glass which is then given to a spectator to hold between the palms of his hands. A drug store die is then set atop the bill. While talking about the juggling feat of pulling a table cloth off a table without disturbing the items and objects on said table, the magician quickly whisks the dollar from the glass. Instead of being flung across the room or being left sitting undis-turbed atop the side of the glass, the die is seen to fall inside the glass, seemingly penetrating through its solid side.

If this isn’t exactly your cup of tea, you can perform Mr. Allen’s original presentation of having the die penetrate a coaster or playing card that has been set atop the mouth of a glass. Or you can have it penetrate through the lid of a sealed jar. All of these routines are included in the written (yes, actually written) instructions that accompany this effect. For those who are adverse to written instructions, fear not, there is a link to viewable video instruction online as well.

Die-Namic comes with everything you need to perform this feat. You get two gimmicked dice (finely handcrafted by Mr. Lewis himself) and a duplicate die that can be handed out for examination, which is something I find unnecessary because the gimmicked die will easily pass a rudimentary look-over. Also included are gimmicks to shim a bill for one version of the pen-etration. Instructions for a borrowed bill version are also included, if using a shimmed bill makes you nervous for some reason.

The die is nearly three-quarters of an inch square, making it a tad bit larger than the traditional size of drugstore dice. This size was chosen for ease of handling and better visibility. Even though you can keep this trick in your pocket and carry it around with ease all day, you could perform this trick for a small roomful of people.

The angles are good, but for the jar and coaster penetrations you’ll need the audience to be looking down on the setup. The angles are better for the bill version of the trick. It’s durable, well made, and should last for a lifetime of use. But buy two in case you lose one. Harry Anderson did.

DeCeptuS triCkBy JiMMy StrAngeDistributed by Murphy’s Magic SupplyPrice $35.00

REVIEW BY DAVID GOODSELL

It is not surprising that more than a few magicians have conceived of ways to pass a coin into a soda can. After all, Coin in the Bottle has been a classic for many decades, ever since quality folding coins were invented. But canned drinks far outnumber bottled drinks, and passing a coin (or any small object, for that matter) into a soda can is a natural for street magic, especially when the trick appears to be impromptu. The Deceptus method is one of the better efforts. Unlike folding coins, the objects used are not gimmicked – but the can is, in a clever and very convincing manner.

On the Deceptus DVD, host Ben Williams explains the method for using the gimmick (which is provided with the DVD), and then demonstrates the basic effect using coins, cigarette lighters, rings, and other small objects. The first method, throwing the object into the can, is not very convincing, perhaps because it suffers from the “too perfect” syndrome. With the can held in one hand, Ben tosses a cigarette lighter at the can and we see it go. He immediately shakes the can so the lighter can be heard

inside, and allows spectators to look into the pull-tab opening of the can to see the lighter. All sides of the can are shown, and ev-erything looks fair. But the action is awkward because we imme-diately think, “I don’t know exactly how, but I know what must have happened.” Too perfect!

Further demonstrations are far superior and remind us of the charm of the coin in the bottle. The coin, ring, or other object is held in the palm of one hand and is then slapped against the bottom or side of the can, which is immediately shaken to signify the presence of the object inside. The can and is then shown on all sides, including the bottom. Why is this more effective? I’m not sure… it just is.

Alan Rorrison’s approach, demonstrated by Ben Williams, takes the effect to a higher level. The coin or ring is placed in a spectator’s outstretched palm. Holding the can in one hand, Ben takes the spectator’s hand in his other hand and slaps the specta-tor’s hand (and the object) against the can. The object is inside, and the can is instantly shown all around. The object is seen through the pull-tab opening, and the spectator may even handle the can briefly (though it may not be minutely examined). Use good judgment here. The can is then cut open with a utility knife to release the object.

A magnetic gimmick is involved, which provides the plus of being able to combine Deceptus with a PK ring for variety in handling. On the negative side is that, to perform the trick as designed, you need to use a steel can – readily available in England and Europe. Most U.S. cans are aluminum, however, and have been for thirty years or more (although Coca Cola is actually currently considering a return to steel cans, as the price of aluminum steadily rises). This requires the performer to modify the gimmick, which Ben explains how to do. Internet reviews by those who perform Deceptus regularly indicate this is not a major obstacle, however.

The DVD is thorough, and Ben Williams shares many tips, ideas and stratagems, which the performer will find useful. For example, several ideas about how to make the trick appear impromptu are discussed, including crushing the can when through and tossing it into the trash. You have to retrieve it later, of course, unless you plan to use a $35 gimmick for each per-formance! Deceptus is a good trick, perfect for impromptu street magic or for a minor miracle at home when friends are sitting around the living room.

poCket one-triCk DVDBy Julio MontoroAvailable from: www.sansminds.comDistributed by Murphy’s Magic SuppliesPrice $29.95

REVIEW BY JAMIE SALINAS


Pocket is a hands-free visible card change that takes place with a card sticking out

of your jacket pocket. The effect is visually stunning. Without any cover and with all attention on the card in your pocket, it visually changes to the spectator’s selection. You may remove

the card and give it to the spectator as a souvenir. This sounds too good to be true, but it is not. The effect is simple

and direct.You are required to wear a jacket with an outside

breast pocket for this effect, but I think you could also set this up for use with a vest that has an outside breast pocket as well. The DVD begins with demonstration video clips that show you how amazing this looks. This is then followed by the construction of the gimmick that you will have to make for your jacket.

The process looks intimidating, but is simple to follow and uses common items; you can construct the gimmick yourself without the need of a seamstress. A few of the items needed are included with the DVD, but you will need some additional supplies which, thankfully, are readily available. Also included are a blank-faced playing card and a double-sided blank card that you can use for the card that is changed into the selected card.

Again, a jacket with an outside breast pocket is required to perform this effect, and you will have to construct the gimmick yourself. It is not very difficult to set up the gimmick and the effect truly is stunning. The fact that the card that is transformed can be examined both before and after the change is great! Did I mention that it looks stunning? Once your jacket has been con-figured for this effect, you will perform it often. This is not very difficult to do and is great visual card magic. It is well worth your investment of time, construction, and money for this effect.

CArD CuBe one-triCk DVDBy perSeuS ArkoMAniSDistributed by Murphy’s Magic SuppliesPrice $15.00

REVIEW BY JAMIE SALINAS

So what exactly is a Card Cube? Simply, it is a single playing card that has been transformed into a cube using a series of folds. This DVD teaches you how to make one, and includes methods to use the cube in a magic trick. The folds are an original creation of Perseus Arkomanis.

A playing card is taken from the deck; with one hand (and using just one hand), it is transformed into a

cube form in a very short time with some motions of the hand. The cube is folded with the backside of the playing card out, showing on all sides of the cube. With just a wave of a hand, the card cube changes to be folded with the face of the card showing on all sides on the outside of the cube.

After a performance of the routine, Perseus teaches you how to fold a playing card into a cube form. The instructions are very clear. With a playing card in hand, simply follow along and you will have your own cube in just a few minutes. You can make them either with the face of the card showing on all sides of the

cube or the back showing on all sides.After you learn the creation of the card cube, Perseus walks

you through his routine. You are taught the set-up and all of the steps needed to perform his effect. You will need to have some basic sleight of hand skills but it is not too difficult to perform. The apparent removal of the selected card to the hand that “folds” the card to a cube looks good and allows you to create the illusion of using one hand to fold the card into a cube.

In addition to the standard routine, a few variations are included as well. One variation has the selected card instantly being trans-formed into the cube in their hands. Another is where you toss the selected card from one hand to the other and it instantly turns into the cube while yet another variation has the card being pulled from one hand to the other and the card instantly is transformed to the cube form. The cube can be produced with the back showing; using some variations of a Spellbound move, the cube can be transformed to having the face showing.

Included on the DVD is a PDF file to further help you create the card cubes. The same principle can be applied to business cards to create the cubes as well. I have to admit, I was not very excited to perform the effect, but after testing the routine out on a lay audience, I received a stronger response than I thought I would get. This will not be your closing effect, but the reactions are good. Card workers will enjoy this unusual offering for card magic. If you are a card worker, this is something you may want to consider purchasing.

noteD 2.0 triCkBy gAry JoneSDistributed by Murphy’s Magic SuppliesPrice $24.99

REVIEW BY JIM KLEEFELD

First of all, do not mistake this for the identically titled trick by Richard James in which a rolled-up dollar bill is pushed through a flattened dollar bill. Noted 2.0 is a very simple idea for a very simple trick, but it looks pretty deceptive. You come forward holding a simple spiral notepad and a pen. You write something on the pad and then offer to make the pen disappear. The pen vanishes, and then the spectators discover that the notebook has vanished as well. In its place is a deck of cards.

What you receive is a well-made simple gimmick that visually changes from a spiral notebook into a deck of cards, and a skimpy DVD with a scant nine minutes of instruction. True, the concept and method are simple, but more routines or other handlings would have made the instructions more suitable.

When I opened the product, I was skeptical at how well the gimmick would be received. At a quick glance, it looks like a spiral notebook, but spend any more than a few seconds looking at it and you immediately perceive that it is a stand-in for a real notebook. However, after several trials in the real world with actual lay people, I found that the trick went over well. The visual discrepancy seemed to fly by everybody. So if you get this, don’t be put off that the gaff is not a perfect simulation. Try it out. In performance, the effect is so short that nobody will have time to inspect the props anyway.

I do think there are better ways to handle the transformation


other than the one Jones demonstrates. He literally turns his entire body away and then back to hide the move required to change the notebook into cards. As far as most spectators are concerned, you could simply be turning around to place an object aside while you pick up a different object. An in-the-hands method would be much cleaner. Consider this script: I am taking notes on what people want to see. Show the notebook. I wrote card trick, rope trick, cigarette trick. Which would you prefer? Whatever they say, reach into your pocket and remove an empty card box. Change the notebook to a deck of cards under cover of this misdirection. Drop the card box and show the deck. Well, let’s start with a card trick.

Another note: Jones says that you have to use this as an opener. You don’t. Simply keep a deck in your pocket and have the gaff in the same pocket, set in the open position. Reach in your pocket, grab what you need and bring it out.

Not a flaw, but for your consideration: The gaff you receive is still in play after the effect is over. In other words, you have a deck with a gaff in it. So if you want to go into a routine using a regular deck you will have to remove or ditch the gimmick. This would not be at all difficult, because you can either easily vanish it, or openly remove it from the deck and put it away. Neither act would be particularly suspicious. Noted 2.0 is a decent gimmick and one you can have some fun with for the price.

CArney 2013 StreAMing online ViDeoSBy John CArneyAvailable from: CarneyMagic.comPrice $18 for each lesson; $125 for all twelve

REVIEW BY MICHAEL CLOSE

Here is an odd question with which to start a review: How much is your time worth? If you are a magic hobbyist and I hired you to spend eight hours doing whatever your day job is, what would it cost me? If I said to you, it’s Saturday; instead of spending the day with your family, I want you come over and paint my house, what would you charge?

I ask this question because studying the art of conjuring (and I mean really

studying, in order to be a better magician) takes time. It takes years. If you don’t have the benefit of a mentor (as was my case during my first fifteen years of studying magic), you will spend a lot of time just trying to figure out which things to do and the best way to do them. You will read as many books as you can get your hands on, watch videos, and sift through the avalanche of magic product that overwhelms the marketplace these days. In the end you may discover what you need to know – the proper techniques, the sound principles, the best effects – but it will take time. And, as I asked in the first paragraph, what is your time worth?

I believe the answer to this problem (especially if you’re going it alone) is to seek out information from authorities in the field who have established their credentials through a long involvement of the study and performance of conjuring. Some examples would be Dai Vernon, Juan Tamariz, Tommy Wonder, and the man who is the subject of this review – John Carney.

During the past three decades, John has cemented his status as one of magic’s preeminent performers and thinkers. The first big book of his material (Carneycopia, written by Stephen Minch) was published in 1991. John’s introductory essay to that book, “Secret Philosophy,” is a concise exposition of the principles that are at

the core of John’s magic. This essay (and the entire book for that matter) is required reading for anyone who seeks improvement in the art of conjuring. Other books and DVDs followed, including the wonderful The Book of Secrets and Magic by Design. Again, I urge you to seek out copies and study this material.

In 2013, John undertook a new endeavor: monthly, streaming-video lessons. Titled Carney 2013: Twelve Lessons in Sleight of Hand, the lessons covered both close-up and stand-up magic (John has expertise in both fields). The set of twelve lessons cost $125; when the series was first offered, it was necessary to sign up for the entire year’s worth of information. Now John is offering the lessons individually, for $18 each. Considering the amount of time you will save by studying this information, John is offering you an unbelievable bargain.

Each lesson begins in a similar manner, with John providing background information on the topic at hand. These are extensive discussions, covering both historical and technical information, and they demonstrate how deeply John researches his subject matter. What follows next are performances, demonstrations, and explanations; generally, these are static, one-camera shots, sup-plemented by live performance footage and reverse angle shots. There are not a lot of bells and whistles here, but all the material is clearly shot and is explained thoroughly.

Half of the twelve lessons are devoted to stand-up material; you may be surprised to see how much work John has on these routines. The lessons are titled The Vanishing Bird Cage Re-imag-ined, Four Gone, Leon’s Haunted Doll House, Choptricks, Okito’s Elixir Silk, and Touches on the Classics (which includes discus-sions of the Egg Bag, the Linking Rings, and the Color Changing Hank, as well information on the Ambitious Card, Cards Across, and Card to Wallet). Because this is not an area of magic I spe-cialize in, I learned a great deal from these lessons. Choptricks comes straight from John’s comedy stand-up magic show, and I loved all the subtle bits of business that John has added to the Leon Haunted Doll House (including a great method for hooking up the gaff). If the Vanishing Birdcage interests you, you’ll learn a method that allows you to vanish the cage and then completely ditch all the apparatus during the course of a natural sequence of actions.

The lessons on close-up magic include The Mora Ball Routine, Eddie Fechter’s 8 to 12 (a wonderfully funny, commercial card routine), Time/Space Coin-tinuum (John’s variations on Fred Kaps’s Purse Routine), The Impromptu Collection (terrific routines that you rarely see performed), Commercial Cards, and a two-part lesson on Fixing Fundamentals. In my fifty-five-plus years of magic study, I have learned a great deal about close-up magic, but John still surprised me with information I was unaware of (for example, Louis Zingone’s modification of the grip for the Erdnase one-handed shift). You should be aware, however, that John does all his card moves left-handed, so right-handed viewers will have to adjust.

These lessons are streamed online via a program called Revizzit. This means you must be online to view the videos. Revizzit is available for many platforms. I had no problem install-ing it.

Whether you choose to purchase all twelve lessons of Carney 2013 or opt for purchasing individual lessons, you will be spending your money wisely. This is great information, presented by one of the modern masters of the craft. It has my highest recommendation.

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


Magic is an inextricable part of Chicago’s history, so it’s no co-incidence that the Chicago History Museum would be home to the 2014 Chicago Magic Competition. Co-presenting the com-petition was the Chicago Assembly of The Society of American Magicians.On Sunday, August 24, the museum set off the work of eight

Chicago performers. Event Chair Neil Tobin explained the nature of the contest: “Unlike other competitions in the magical world, this isn’t an event in which magicians stroke their beards and sit in judgment of other magicians. This is the Chicago Magic Competition, one of the few events in which the public gets to tell magicians what’s entertaining to actual audiences!”Eight performers were each allotted eight minutes to impress

the audience at large, which decided by secret ballot the recipient of the People’s Choice Award. A three-member judging panel decided the recipients of the first, second, and third place awards,

and provided all competitors with constructive written feedback.The judging panel included one experienced

magician, Don Wiberg, a past president of the Inter-national Brotherhood of Magicians. At the opposite end of the spectrum sat the Chicago History Museum’s Public Programs Coordinator and magic novice, Ani Schmidt. Balancing the two extremes was the magic-savvy executive director of the Mercury Theater, L. Walter Stearns.After the performers drew their performing order

at random, the magic began. Frank “Frankini” Glab hooked the crowd with a fast-paced Three-Card Monte routine set to ragtime music. Mark Presley skillfully produced a profusion of thimbles. Tori Noquez treated

two onstage participants to close-up card magic. Luis Carreon ma-nipulated coins and neckties before invisibly transporting cards across the stage. AJ Sacco provided offbeat comedic commentary when he wasn’t coughing up red sponge clown noses in alarming sizes. James Sanden inflated currency, transposed cards, and ma-terialized a full bottle of wine for one lucky audience member. Ryan Lawrence located a selected playing card with a hockey stick, and Kyle Bassett danced with a floating table.The winners were: Third Place, AJ Sacco; Second Place, Luis

Carreon; First Place, James Sanden; People’s Choice, Frank Glab. Each was awarded a handcrafted wand from Fortress Wand Works. All eight competitors were recognized with calligraphed certificates and complimentary tickets to the upcoming October revival of Supernatural Chicago at Castle nightclub.

The Chicago History Museum has already agreed to host next year’s competition. —Neil Tobin


MAGIC COMPETITION MAKES CHICAGO HISTORY

From left: Ani Schmidt, L. Walter Stearns, Ryan Lawrence, AJ Sacco, Frank Glab, Luis Carreon, James Sanden, Tori Noquez, Kyle Bassett,

Mark Presley, Don Wiberg, Neil Tobin

http://www.happieamp.com/mumdeal.html

By Ken Klosterman

THE BATHING BEAUTY

One of magic’s most talked-about, failed partnerships came into being just before the Great Depression, in 1928. America seemed to be brimming with economic opportunities, and Harry Blackstone Sr. smelled opportunity, too. Wanting to capitalize on his growing stardom in the world of magic, he thought it a good idea to attach his name to a new business, the Blackstone Magic Company.

The company was to be headquartered in Colon, Michigan, a small town where Blackstone and his troupe summered. Percy Abbott, an Australian magician recently settled in the United States, was to be the firm’s manager. He would stay in Colon and run the operation while Blackstone was out on the road with his full-evening show. Abbott had earlier experience in the magic business; he had run two shops of his own in Sydney, Australia, his home town.

The Blackstone business offered a few original products to the magic fraternity, including an early model of the now popular, me-chanical, jumbo-sized Find the Lady cards, and what were listed as Blackstone’s favorite card tricks. Standard effects, current pub-lications, and common accessories filled out the company product line.

For whatever reason, the Abbott-Blackstone partnership did not last more than eighteen months. Rumors circulated for years that after their partnership dissolved, the two refused to speak to each other again. While individually successful, these two strong personalities could not work together.

Among the tricks the Blackstone Magic Company offered, one, The Bathing Beauty, had a risqué appeal. The trick was the

invention of British magician Fred Culpitt. The concept was both funny and magical. A silk-screened picture of a bathing beauty was shown. Standing at the seaside, she was wearing the standard bathing costume of the day: a cape and a bathing suit – one-piece, of course.

Rolling up the 16” x 24” picture, the magician reached into it and pulled out the young lady’s cape. Opening the picture revealed that indeed the cape was now gone. She stood in the same alluring pose in nothing more than her all-concealing bathing suit. But the magician could solve that problem. Rolling up the prop again and reaching into it, he removed the suit of the bathing beauty with ease. The patter possibilities were many and audience anticipation was high.

But the trick concluded with a twist; the magician unrolled the picture for the final time to reveal the coming of the tide, which had preserved the beauty’s modesty.

The trick was not cheap. In fact, at a whopping thirty-five dollars (a tremendous sum for the time), it was the highest priced item the company offered. Even in times as good as the Roaring Twenties, the average worker’s income was seventeen to twenty-five dollars a week. This is probably why few other examples of the original Bathing Beauty have survived.

Blackstone Magic advertisements for the trick described a red cape and a green one-piece bathing suit, as in the prop in the Salon de Magie. When the trick was reintroduced by the Abbott Magic Company fifteen years later, in the middle of World War II, she was no longer the “Hotsie Totsie” as earlier advertised and cost ten dollars less. However, this more modern beauty wears a sexier two-piece suit. The colors of the cape and suit changed as well, but such details did not bother the tide, which unfailingly rolls in to squelch audience anticipation and prevent embarrassment.

The “magical pinup” was part of the Bob Ellis collection, which was purchased by Venture III and thus became part of the Salon de Magie.


Treasures from the Salon de Magie

A SMALL GIFT

You know sometimes you itch and you have to scratch it. I am certain that most readers know that I took a little medical vacation a year ago, on August 29. I was out for a brain tumor. I have spent a good part of the last year recovering from the removal of the tumor. Reading about magic, thinking about magic, and talking about magic were also a big part of my life. However, I haven’t really done any magic for real people in the real world under fire. It is one thing to do magic for other magicians or for family and friends and quite another to do magic for total strangers who you just cold called.

Last weekend I was in Ohio; I did a magic lecture for Penguin Magic and talked a bit about when I first started doing magic in the restaurant environment. The talk brought back old memories of working to live and living to work. I noticed a bit of an itch at the time and it just got worse; this Sunday we were at brunch and I had to scratch it. We were at one of our favorite places to eat in Dallas and a four-top came in with two kids, aged eight and ten. I could tell the manager knew them; I asked him if he would find out if the two kids would like to see some magic. Was I loaded for bear? No. Did I have a set routine in mind? No. Was I expecting a tip or to be paid? No.

I had an itch, plain and simple. I also have a face that droops, an eye that won’t blink, and a speech pattern that is not clear. The manager checked; it was okay with the parents and I was off to work. The kids were great and the parents were wonderful. I did about six minutes out of my pockets and was glad to finally scratch the itch. I had no idea who the people were. They looked like your normal family of four. I had no idea that he was the owner of one of the top places to eat in Dallas, a place called Nick and Sam’s. I assumed that when the set was over and I sat down, we were done. The kids got to see some magic, I got to scratch my itch, and the parents got to see the kids smile.

On the way out, the kids both came over to the table and shook my hand and thanked me for the magic. They had no idea what that meant to me. The dad also thanked me and gave me his card and asked that I let him know the next time I was in Nick and Sam’s. After they left, the manager came to the table with desserts that the father had ordered for the table as his way of saying thank you for the magic.

Please understand that I had no hidden agenda in doing the magic. I simply wanted (or rather, needed) to actually do magic for real people under fire. The only thing that I needed was to see the look on the kids’ faces. That was my paycheck and all that I was looking for. I got so much more than that. I got a new contact at a great place to eat in Dallas. The manager and the kids got to see the magic. Everything else was lagniappe.


OUR ADVERTISERSA House of Fire 4B. Happie Entertainment 67Burgoon Magic 9Genii Magazine 31Haversat & Ewing Galleries 3Jim Kleefeld 27Joe Mogar - Magic Stars 49LaRock’s Fun & Magic Outlet 2L&L Publishing 27Magic Summit 71MiX16 Apps by Gregor Krasevec 49Nielsen Magic 10S.A.M. Convention 2015 72S.A.M Facebook 41S.A.M. Gifts and Insignia 34S.A.M. Life Membership 7S.A.M Twitter 9Show-Biz Services 9The Magic Bakery 30T. Myers 10

Other solutions to the math puzzle on page 36

• 1 + 2 + 34 - 5 + 67 - 8 + 9 = 100

• 12 + 3 - 4 + 5 + 67 + 8 + 9 = 100

• 123 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 + 8 - 9 = 100

• 123 + 4 - 5 + 67 - 89 = 100

• 123 + 45 - 67 + 8 - 9 = 100

• 123 - 45 - 67 + 89 = 100

• 12 - 3 - 4 + 5 - 6 + 7 + 89 = 100

• 12 + 3 + 4 + 5 - 6 - 7 + 89 = 100

• 1 + 23 - 4 + 5 + 6 + 78 - 9 = 100

• 1 + 23 - 4 + 56 + 7 + 8 + 9 = 100

• 1 + 2 + 3 - 4 + 5 + 6 + 78 + 9 = 100

• -1 + 2-3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 78 + 9 = 100

INSIDE STRAIGHT BY NORMAN BECK

By George Schindler

NEEDED: AN OLD HANDThe casting company called me three

days before the shooting date looking for an active magician whose hands were over seventy years old. Hey, that’s me! The film called for a body double to do a short “hands” shot. I agreed on the money and as a member of the Screen Actors Guild, I was qualified to appear. I was to report to the studio in the Bronx, about an hour away from my home in Brooklyn. The time was 7 a.m. on the following Monday.

Sunday morning I got a quick manicure and was prepared to set the alarm to wake me at 5 a.m. The phone rang that afternoon with a cancellation! The director was ill; they would shoot again on Thursday. I worked out a noon arrival. I was to report to a parking lot, where there would be a van to bring me to the studio.

I set my GPS and on Thursday morning was off to do something with my hands. I arrived early at the lot and encountered a Spanish-speaking attendant who spoke no English; we were almost unable to commu-nicate. I tried to dial my contact number, but a jack hammer on the roadway above

me made it impossible to hear or be heard.My next step was to show the parking

guy the written address of the studio; in my best high school Spanish I said, “Cinema.” The word clicked and he made a call that brought a minivan to the lot. The studio, which was located about half mile away, looked like an abandoned factory refitted to house the sets, cameras, lights, and sound equipment.

I climbed the concrete staircase and entered a large room filled with fifty or more extras seated at tables, waiting to be called. Many had been there since early that morning. A large buffet filled with hot and cold food, snacks, and drinks covered one entire wall. I found someone to talk to and signed in, filled out voucher forms and other paperwork, and joined the throng in the makeshift cafeteria.

An hour later I was called and escorted upstairs to another set of large rooms filled with equipment. I met another extra who seemed to know what we were there to film. Luckily, I had taken a snack earlier, for it took another hour to be assigned a makeup tech who painted a few spots of color on the back of my right hand and updated my manicure. Things seemed to be moving when I met the wardrobe man who handed me a shirt, tie, and pants to wear.

There followed another hour of waiting

time; my new partner and I watched the filming of other spots. The director of our sequence finally got to us and we filmed the same moves over twenty times: one actor shaking hands with another. I won’t reveal the details of this half-minute bit, but when you see it, you’ll recognize my part, appar-ently done by the star of the film.

It may be months before the movie is out. Look for the gag handshake in the movie Interns. My right hand stands in for Robert De Niro. I got home after 7 p.m. that evening and was paid for both the shooting day and the day they cancelled. Now I’ll look for something to wear at the Oscars if they get an award. Not bad for an old hand!

Robert De Niro's stand-in hand


The Dean's Diary


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http://www.magicsam.com/annual-convention

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