APRIL 2014

CHRISTOPHER
CARTER
Page 36
APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 3
 MAGIC - UNITY - MIGHT
Editor
Michael Close
Editor Emeritus
David Goodsell
Associate Editor
W.S. Duncan
Proofreader & Copy Editor
Lindsay Smith
Art Director
Lisa Close
Publisher
Society of American Magicians,
6838 N. Alpine Dr.
Parker, CO 80134
Copyright © 2012
Subscription is through membership
in the Society and annual dues of $65, of
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All inquiries concerning membership, change
of address, and missing or replacement issues
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Send assembly reports to:

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4 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

M-U-M APRIL 2014
MAGAZINE Volume 103 • Number 11

S.A.M. NEWS
6 From the Editor’s Desk
8 From the President’s Desk
11 M-U-M Assembly News
22 Good Cheer List
23 Broken Wands
31 Newsworthy
69 Our Advertisers 26

52
cover story
page 36

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES

24 Illusions of Grandeur • by David Seebach
26 I Left My Cards at Home • by Steve Marshall 49
28 The Dotted Line • by Don Theo III
32 Hit the Road • by Scott Alexander
34 For Your Consideration • by George Parker
36 COVER STORY • by Christian Painter
40 From The Carter Repertoire • by Christopher Carter
42 Nielsen Gallery • by Tom Ewing
44 Messing With Your Mind • by Christopher Carter
46 Not Just Kid Stuff • by Jim Kleefeld
49 Tech Tricks • by Bruce Kalver
50 The High Road • by Mick Ayres
52 Mysteries of the Houdini Grave • by Dean Carnegie
54 Ebook Nook: The Award-Winning Magic of John Cornelius
58 Cheats and Deceptions • by Antonio M. Cabral
60 Informed Opinion • New Product Reviews
68 Salon de Magie • by Ken Klosterman 42
69 Inside Straight • by Norman Beck
70 Basil the Baffling • by Alan Wassilak
70 The Dean’s Diary • by George Schindler

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.

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 5

Photo by fivebyphotography.com

fact that you tend to visualize the entire thing can overwhelm you
and render you incapable of action. You see the big picture and
the goal seems unattainable. I have experienced this.
Editor’s Desk Instead of seeing the big picture, ask yourself what are the
essential components of your desired goal. Then figure out a way
Michael Close to achieve a smaller version of that, a creation that still encom-
passes the essential components you desire. In doing this you
Last month I told you that Christian Painter was ending his give yourself a feeling of accomplishment and this good feeling
mentalism column, Mental Breakdown, but will continue to con- energizes you to continue the process.
tribute to the magazine with a different column that will begin For example, suppose you watch Mac King’s act (which Lisa,
in May. I am very happy to announce that Christopher Carter, Ava, and I did last weekend). You see this seamless construction,
the gentleman lighting up the front cover, will be taking over the with all the great magic and the myriad of jokes and callbacks,
mentalism column, and he is eminently qualified to do so. and you think, “I’d like to construct an act like that, but how in
If you don’t know who Christopher Carter is, don’t feel bad. the world would I go about doing that?” The answer is, you can’t
Chris doesn’t spend a lot time at magic conventions or writing write an act like in one shot, and neither did Mac. It was the slow
for magic publications; he’s too busy working as one of the up- accrual of little bits and finesses and refinements over many years
per-echelon performers on the college circuit. Christian Painter that got the act to that point. If you tried to write it all in one shot,
suggested Chris to take over the mentalism column, and he also you’d get frustrated and overwhelmed, and you’d give up.
wrote this month’s cover story. In addition, Chris contributed You’d be better served by asking what components of a
three tricks; two can be found following the cover story, and the Mac-like act you’d like to include and then designing just one
third is in his first column. routine – a routine that contains those elements. This is doable,
I am delighted that Christopher Carter has joined the M-U-M and if you can accomplish that, you will gain satisfaction and it
team, and I know you will find his column to be useful and in- will energize you to continue.
formative.
Speaking of tricks (yes, I am the Prince of Segues), consider
this scenario. You are invited to a small party at a friend’s house.
The conversation turns to psychic phenomena. You offer to
demonstrate a few interesting experiments. Using a borrowed
deck of cards, a borrowed handkerchief, some borrowed writing
materials, and a borrowed cat, you are able to perform a thirty-
minute show that includes design duplication, the psychic sorting
of cards from a genuinely shuffled deck, a manifestation of a
ghost under a handkerchief, and a spooky rising card effect in
which the selected cards rise from a glass. Everything you need
to accomplish these effects can be carried in your pockets: a
small stack of business cards, a peek wallet (if you want to do the
trick with the cat), and two very small gaffs.
Here’s my question to you: Considering that all these effects
can be done with a minimum of sleight-of-hand ability, how much Michael with Mac King and his newest fan Ava Close
would this set of effects be worth to you? Twenty-five dollars?
Fifty dollars? With the way magic is marketed these days (and the That’s my take on George’s article. I look forward to seeing
plethora of one-trick DVDs that sell for thirty bucks), you’d pay a how he applies this technique to a magic trick in his column next
hundred bucks or so for this information. month.
Here’s the good news: You’ll find all these routines in this RVP Eric DeCamps is doing a terrific job with his North
issue of M-U-M. Where are these effects in the magazine? I’m not Atlantic Region Newsletter. The Spring 2014 edition was
going to tell you. Read and you’ll find them. I urge you to carefully eighteen pages long and contained articles on holiday events and
read through each issue of M-U-M. In addition to practical advice Margaret Steele’s shows in China, a review of Nothing to Hide,
that will make you a better magician and interesting discussions and a trick from Steve Cohen. The articles on the Houdini grave
on magic theory, you’ll also find some great tricks. site on M-U-M this month on page 52 came from this issue of the
And speaking of magic theory (the Prince strikes again), take newsletter.
a look at George Parker’s For Your Consideration column this Compeer Dave Eisler emailed me with the suggestion that
month. The suggestion George offers may be a little difficult to assembly secretaries include information on upcoming special
wrap your head around, but I think I understand what he’s getting events in their assembly reports. In this way, a compeer traveling
at. Stop for a moment, turn to George’s column (page 34), read in the neighborhood of an assembly could make plans to attend
through it once or twice, and then come back. I’ll wait. those events. I agree that this is a fine idea. However, don’t
I had to go through George’s column a couple of times before plug events that will happen within thirty days of submitting
I began to understand what he is going for, and I think he’s on to your report. The information will be outdated by the time the
something. His point is that when you want to bring something magazine reaches our members. 
into existence (a magic show, a vacation, a book, or whatever) the

6 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 7
 of the group and they regularly have over thirty people attending
the weekly meetings…yes you read that right, this university-
sponsored magic club meets weekly.
I am happy to report that President-Elect Ice McDonald,
S.A.M. Assembly 136 officers Michael DeSchalit and John
President’s Desk Redmon, and I got to visit with this club to promote The Society
of American Magicians. Thanks to Emory Williams for setting
Dal Sanders this visit up for us. Moving forward, Assembly 136 is going to
“adopt” the University of Arizona Magic Club. It was refresh-
ing to see this group of young people who were so excited about
This month I am writing this article in a hotel in Tucson, magic.
Arizona. We have just finished the Spring National Council John Apperson is stepping down as Convention Chairman. He
Meeting and I am happy to report that great progress was made has a lot on his plate and he needs to take care of other issues in
in planning the future of The Society of American Magicians. his life. John has literally turned our conventions around. It is no
There are many exciting things in the works, but before I mention secret that the national S.A.M. conventions had been losing money
any of them I would like to thank Tucson Assembly 136 for being before he took over. Under his leadership all of our conventions
such fantastic hosts. have been profitable. We are very sad to lose John as chairman but
I have a long history with Assembly 136. Twenty-five years the good news is that John has been training his replacement. I
ago I brought my illusion show to the Gaslight Theater in Tucson appointed Mark Weidhaas as the new Convention Chairman and I
for a two-week run. The owners of the theater had just converted am happy to report that the National Council ratified my appoint-
the old Jerry Lewis movie house into a theater, and we were to ment. We feel confident that Mark is the one S.A.M. member with
be the inaugural act. We arrived in Tucson a week early to hang the experience and energy to fill John’s rather large shoes. I’m
curtains and lights. I did not reach out to local magicians before sure that all of you join me in thanking John for a job well done
arriving and no one except the theater owners knew we were and congratulating Mark on his new position.
coming in early. Before the engine of our truck cooled, members Many other important things happened at the National Council
of Assembly 136 were there to welcome us to town, to help us Meeting. First of all, we are developing a mutually beneficial re-
unload, and to take us to lunch. The theater extended our run for lationship with a new television network that will make our film
eight weeks and my cast and I took advantage of that time to build and tape library available to S.A.M. members over a variety of
lifelong friendships with the Tucson magicians. platforms. This same network will also make other magic-relat-
When I was asked where I would hold our Spring National ed broadcasts available to S.A.M. members. There will be much
Council Meeting I did not hesitate to suggest Tucson. Assembly more information about this in the coming months.
President John Redmon volunteered to set up transportation for In other National Council news, we are developing training
National Council Members between the airport and the hotel and modules and opportunities for officers of local assemblies. We
everyone received gift bags when we checked into the hotel. They hope to work with some of the biggest names in magic to accom-
also treated the line officers to a wonderful dinner and I loved plish this. We are also moving ahead with our Mining for Gems
the way they split up and put different members among all of video project and several other new benefits for S.A.M. members.
the thirty National Council Members so that we all got to know This is a great time to be a member of the world’s oldest and most
various assembly members. Thank you to all the members of prestigious magic organization.
Assembly 136 for making our visit fantastic. I was also happy to
I have often said that the Tucson Assembly is one of the friend- represent the S.A.M. in
liest groups in the S.A.M. and they proved me right; but that’s England at the Blackpool
not all they do right. The Tucson Assembly also mentors young Magician’s Convention.
magicians. They have an annual public show that they produce, This is an amazing event
but just because you are a member does not mean that you will with a reported 3,800
get the chance perform on stage. The more experienced members registered magicians and
work with the newer magicians to help them develop their act. over 150 dealers. This
Many young members are asked to work backstage or as ushers convention is amazing.
while they are developing. This spirit of mentoring and appren- When I was in England
ticeship is a wonderful way to grow as a magician. I had the great privilege
We were also thrilled to be invited to Roland Sarlot and Susan of visiting the Magic
Eyed’s wonderful show, Carnival of Illusion. This top-rated Circle in London. I was Mandy Davis receiving
attraction is revitalizing magic by blending their international proud to recognize a UK presidential citation
travel theme with all the charms of a vaudeville-inspired road compeer and to award her
show. Carnival of Illusion is a night of magic, mystery and well, with a Presidential Citation. Mandy Davis certainly deserves rec-
oooh la la! ognition. She is the S.A.M. International Deputy for the United
Magic is very popular in Tucson; we also got to visit with Kingdom, Liaison to the Magic Circle, and a National Council
another magic club. The University of Arizona sponsors an in- Member. She has also helped out the S.Y.M. by working with the
dependent student magic club. The membership is diverse with kids on W.O.W. (Weekend of Wonder). I was able to take the stage
a wide variety of skill sets. There are card people, coin people, at the Magic Circle to present this recognition before their weekly
stage magicians, and mentalists, and their abilities range from meeting. Please join with me and thank Mandy for all of the great
beginner to those with years of experience. You shouldn’t be work she does and congratulate her for receiving the Presidential
surprised that they all work together and encourage each other Citation…the highest award offered by the S.A.M. 
to grow and improve their skills. There are over fifty members

8 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 S.A.M. National Officers

Dean: George Schindler, 1735 East 26th St.,

Brooklyn, NY 11229, (718) 336-0605, Fax (718)
627-1397, showbiz10@aol.com
President: Dal Sanders, 3316 Northaven Rd,
Dallas, TX 75229 (214) 902-9200,
Dal@MagicSam.com
President Elect: Kenrick “ICE” McDonald, P.O.
Box 341034, Los Angeles, CA 90034,
(310) 559-8968, ICE@MagicSam.com
First Vice President: David Bowers,
(717) 414-7574, David@MagicSam.com
Second Vice President: Jeffrey Sikora, (402)
339-6726 Jeff@MagicSam.com
Secretary: Marlene Clark, 274 Church Street,
#6B, Guilford, CT 06437, (203) 689-5730,
Skype: marlene.clark, Marlene@MagicSam.com
Treasurer: Eric Lampert, (215) 939-5555,
Eric@MagicSam.com

Regional Vice Presidents

New England: CT MA RI NH ME VT
Joseph Caulfield (603) 654-6022,
rvpnewengland@MagicSam.com
North Atlantic: NY NJ
Eric DeCamps, (718) 896-5861,
rvpnorthatlantic@MagicSam.com
Mid Atlantic: PA DE MD VAWV DC
Phil Milstead, (703) 481-5271,
rvpmidatlantic@MagicSam.com
South Atlantic: FL AL GA MS NC SC
Debbie Leifer (404) 630-1120
rvpsouthatlantic@MagicSam.com
Central Plains: KY TN OH IN MI
Steven A. Spence, (317) 722-0429
rvpcentralplains@MagicSam.com
Midwest: IL MN WI MO ND NE KS SD IA
Shaun Rivera, (618) 781-8621
rvpmidwest@MagicSam.com
South Central States: TX AR OK NM LA
Michael Tallon, (210) 341-6959
rvpsouthcentral@MagicSam.com
Southwest: CA AZ NV HI
Ron Ishimaru, (808) 428-6019,
rvpsouthwest@MagicSam.com
Northwest: WA OR UT ID CO AK WY MT
James Russell, (360) 682-6648
rvpnorthwest@MagicSam.com
Canada: Rod Chow (604) 669-7777
rvpcanada@MagicSam.com
Society of Young Magicians Director:
Jann Wherry Goodsell, 329 West 1750 North,
Orem, Utah 84057 (801) 376-0353.
bravesjann@comcast.net

Living Past
National Presidents

Bradley M. Jacobs, Richard L. Gustafson, Roy A.

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

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 9

 ASSEMBLY NEWS APRIL 2014 Volume 103, Number 11

Society of American Magicians Monthly News

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

1
BEN ZABIN RECEIVES PA 1
ment. A great end to our monthly
meeting.
On Friday evening February
placed inside of one cylinder. Then
Tamaka shuffled the cylinders
(ala NY street hustle style) and
to predict a card every time no
matter where the clock started.
Then Stu continued by showing
DAVID OLIVER SYM AWARD 21st Doug Edwards presented the asked someone to guess where us how a pair of Aces was able to
Workshop at the Gemini Dinner. the cylinder with the pellet had find its mates. Corky concluded
NEW YORK, NY— The SAM We bring old effect to show Doug landed. Low and behold, we could the evening with another variation
PA 1 Magic Table meets at the to stump him but it never happens. never guess correctly. Each time of Stu’s mate finding card routine.
Edison Café on 47th Street in Doug did An Aldo Colombini they were picked up and shaken, —Rob Shapiro
Times Square. We start around effect as a tribute to his old friend, we heard silence. Tamaka even- Golden Gate Assembly 2 meets
12:30 sharing magic. Many others performing a wonderful rope effect tually opened up all the cylinders first Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at
gather at Café Rustico on 35th Knotty Knot. He did a Dr. Jak’s and “shazam” (as Rob Shapiro Community Room of Taraval
Street off Fifth Avenue for lunch routine and some amazing effects cried out), each cylinder had a Police Station, 2345 24th Avenue,
and magic on Saturdays. using “loops.” He performed these pellet inside. San Francisco. Contact Tamaka
Our monthly meeting was on effects and then taught us all. His Tamaka3715@aol.com (415)
February 7th. First up was the workshops are terrific. 531-9332 https://www.facebook.
presentation of the PA 1 SYM On Saturday, February 22, a com/groups/249018441875771/ for
David Oliver Award to magician memorial for Georges Weill was more details.
Ben Zabin by President David
Adamovich. Ben got a great round
of applause and later performed
held at the UN Chapel here in NYC.
President Throwdini conducted
the PA 1 Broken Wand Ceremony
3
MAGIC FROM M-U-M
for the assembly. Also receiving after asking all magicians from
presidential awards were Rene the S.A.M. and I.B.M. to stand. It CHICAGO, IL— After our
Clement and Paul Hsiao for their was well attended. Past President January meeting was canceled
wonderful work on Magic Week, Ken Schwabe did the actual due to severe weather, Assembly
performing in a large show in breaking of the wand, saying a few 3 roared back in February with
Chinatown. Producer of this year’s words about his old friend. Behind “Magic from M-U-M” night. The
annual show, PP Ken Ferst, told us them on the altar were George’s evening started with a FaceTime
about this year’s Salute to Magic. fifty-year certificate for member- Hippo Lau levitates a dollar call from our RVP, Shaun Rivera.
The show will be on May 17th at ship in the Parent Assembly and Compeer Rivera shared with us
the Queens Theatre at the site of the playing cards he last used. We Walt Johnson first demon- several gems he found among the
the old World’s Fairs. That history will all miss him at our meetings strated the way corks pinched pages of M-U-M from the likes of
will be part of the six-person show and especially our workshops between fingers and thumbs of Bob Farmer and Chris Mayhew,
as well as the wonderful Jay Scott —Tom Klem both hands could pass through prompting several members to
Berry as the emcee and the closer, Parent Assembly 1 meets the first each other – great combination resolve to read through their back
Jeff McBride. Friday of the month at Mount Sinai of bar/impromptu magic. Then catalog of magazines.
Then it was time for the after- Hospital 1425 Madison Avenue in Walt showed how to print business
meeting event, which was a great Manhattan. Contact Tom Klem cards from blank cards using
lecture by Greg Wilson. His wit sampa1nyc@gmail.com (212) 725 his “palm” printer. Walt’s finale
and smart effects were a delight. 5258 www.sampa1.com for more revealed how to use a rubber band
His pickpocket routine using PP details. to pass between Terrie Cardoza’s
Ken Schwabe as a “victim” was
only topped by his chip on the
shoulder workings with Richard
2
BAR-IMPROMPTU MAGIC
clenched tight fingers with ease.
Rich Seguine displayed the way
three cups and some rolled up
Bossong for its fast pace, high toilet paper could be utilized to
energy, and sheer entertain- SAN FRANCISCO, CA— perform Cup and Balls. His encore
The theme of the night was bar employed bottle caps shifting from
or impromptu magic. Corky one pile to another. Rob Shapiro FaceTime with our RVP Shaun
LaVallee began the performances confirmed dice had many magical Rivera, teaching effects from
with a teach-in of Charlie Frye’s uses. He had Terrie place three M-U-M
ESPionage, a trick released by dice in a glass and then covered it
Card Shark. Corky asked Stu with a napkin. Terrie added up the The evening’s topic was inspired
Bacon “first” to put down one total of the dice displayed on the by and in tribute to Most Illustri-
card from a shuffled pile of ESP bottom of the glass and it matched ous President Neil Tobin on the
cards. Corky proceeded to match Rob’s prediction each time Terrie occasion of his appearance on the
up each card that Stu turned over opted to “roll the dice” into the February 2014 cover of M-U-M.
from Corky’s set of ESP cards. glass. Neil himself presented an original
We all could have predicted how Hippo Lau preceded his magic routine based on a Milbourne
things were likely to end up, but dollar levitation trick with a funny Christopher effect he called
Corky’s presentation wowed us joke that really made us “believe” Money Spell or Love Spell.
throughout to make it less predict- his trick. He left us laughing and Other presenters included Dave
able and very enjoyable. Tamaka amazed at the use of fairy dust. Lyons and his Bank Night routine,
Ben Zabin receiving the presented three brass cylinders. Stu’s first trick centered on a paper Nathan Colwell and his Linking
PA#1 David Oliver Award We saw and “heard” a pellet clock he drew that enabled him Rings, Gordon Gluff’s tribute
from President Throwdini

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 11

Assembly News
to Larry Jennings, and John Eric deftly executed an amazing while in the Navy. Guest Jefferson by Morgan covering: Spectator
Sturk’s 31-Day Coin Vanish (to be Four Ace routine as well as a fine Rose did one of the card routines Failure, Sympathetic Reaction,
continued next meeting). coin routine, both of which he he performs in a Springfield, VA, Thought Reading, Thought
We were excited to have two taught to the membership. Jeff then restaurant. Guest Jared Raitzyk Transmission, Predictions, and
new members sign up to join did his own variation on Twisted demonstrated Chris Kenner’s Hypnotism! Jill Schmitt(Silly
the assembly this meeting. We Sister and demonstrated just Rising Card App on an iPhone. Jilly), Larry Lucy, Adam Putman,
are fired up and energized, and how much fun one can get out of Prez Andy London (“sorry I’m Columbus Smith, Greg Lewis, and
looking forward to a big year for Mark Young’s Amazing Jumping late, just came from an animal Sandy Weis were willing partici-
Assembly 3! —John Sturk Arrow. Both mini-lectures were rights bull roast”) used his lucky pants on stage.
Assembly 3 meets the fourth full of practical, sure-fire material. number (13) to find all four Aces, Morgan followed this up with a
Monday of each month at 7:30pm After the mini-lectures, we had after which all the other cards rare lecture including a variety
at the Pilgrim Congregational our annual auction for which turned blank. of his own effects: Liquid Metal,
Church, 460 Lake Street, Oak S.A.M. National Historian Tom Three guests from the Johns Molten, The Closer, and Super
Park, IL. Contact John Sturk Ewing ably served as the auction- Hopkins University Magic Club Comic Comic, to name a few.
john@johnsturk.com (773) eer. Tom, who recently started (Mike Bledsoe, Trevor Plumer, You too can see what it was like
6339219 www.magicalchicago. his own magic auction online and Ronann Carrero) showed us at Assembly8.com and when
com for more details. with David Halverstadt, was the some fine card magic. Mike taught you visit St. Louis next, come on

4
ANNUAL AUCTION AND
perfect man for the job. He not
only provided detailed spot-on
information for each lot, but also
a nice fan flourish shuffle, Trevor
did the Biddle Trick, and Ronann
a nice card reveal. Howard Katz,
by and visit us too. We always
welcome fellow magicians.
See you all at the combined IBM/
TWO EXCELLENT MINI- infused the entire process with who generously provides his SAM/FISM convention here in
LECTURES his own unique sense of humor. Magic Warehouse as our venue, July! —Dan Todd
Over the course of the evening, performed a “just learned” Assembly 8 meets at Mount Tabor
PHILADELPHIA, PA— many great bargains were to be mental card reveal. Ralph Fowler United Church of Christ, which is
Our February meeting featured had including an original unused performed his Haunted Matchbox- located at 6520 Arsenal in Saint
our annual auction in addition Joe Carson Zombie that flew away es (which he hand crafts). Dean Louis, Missouri 63139. Contact
to two superb mini-lectures on for only $12.00. A vintage U.F. Joe Bruno treated us to his second Dick Blowers rmblowers@
close-up magic and silk magic. Grant Passe Passe Champagne ever showing of an effect he’s aol.com (213) 846-8468 http://
Prior to beginning the festivi- Bottle effect that was in mint been working on for six months Assembly8.com for more details.
ties, Assembly 4 President Brian condition was literally stolen for in which four pocketed Kings turn
Hurlburt conducted a brief
business meeting during which
he announced the sad news of the
$10.00. Also, a solid gold set of
unused walnut shells for the Shell
Game valued at over $100.00 went
one-by-one into the four Aces.
He followed with his excellent
improved version of A Royal
13
FOCUS ON YOUNG
recent passing of our friend Aldo for only $30.00. The bargains Exchange (originally by Edward MAGICIANS CLUBS
Colombini who was beloved by to be had were amazing and Victor, 1937). Mentalist Oneil
so many. This wonderful man and almost everyone walked away Banks performed a two-deck card DALLAS, TX— Vice President
his special magic will be deeply with something very special. prediction in which one spectator Frank Seltzer was out of town, so
missed by all. Our hearts go out —Peter Cuddihy predicted the card chosen by the Mark Jensen took the role of acting
to Rachel; both she and Aldo will James Wobensmith Assembly other. Our closing act was Peter vice president. The only visitor of
remain in our prayers. 4 meets third Thursday at 7:00 Wood, moving around a punched the night was Kris Slocum, who
Following the business meeting, p.m. at the Bustleton Memorial hole in a signed card. Huh? How’d was attending for the first time.
our members were treated to two Post, 810 (American Legion) 9151 he do that? Mark Jensen started the night by
excellent mini-lectures. The first Old Newtown Road. Contact () As usual, there was a substan- showing a rare Jinx subscription
mini-lecture on silk magic was Information: www.sam4.org for tial amount of card magic in the renewal postcard. The story was
presented by George Hample and more details. for more details. front room before the meeting that the customer would rub the
PNP Dick Gustafson. George started and still more magic in back of the black cat on the card
taught everyone his handling of
the Dye Tube as well as several
fine effects using colored silks
6
FRIGID WEATHER, HOT
little groups after the meeting
ended. If you’re in the area on
first Thursdays come join the fun!
three times and send it in, without
any message, and somehow the
subscription would be renewed.
and a rolled up tube of paper. Dick MAGIC —Eric Hoffman Mark discussed the rarity of the
then demonstrated such classics as The Kellar/Thurston Assembly cards, the history behind them,
Silk Through Wand, The Cords of BALTIMORE, MD— We had 6 meets every first Thursday at and some of the theories of how
Phantasia, and The Sympathetic a large turnout with many guests 8:00 pm at the Magic Warehouse, they worked.
Silks. The lecture was a whirlwind for our February meeting, wedged 11419 Cronridge Drive suite #10 The club then watched a docu-
overview of silk magic presented in between the bouts of winter in Owings Mills, Maryland. 410- mentary directed by Shelley
by two of the finest practitioners storms. Joe Harsanyi led off our 561-0777. Contact Andy London Jenkins on the Long Beach
of that genre of magic. The second performances with Fourtitude alondon@comcast.net or www. Mystics (thanks go out to Shelley
mini-lecture was a spirited presen- from Harry Lorayne’s Close-up baltimoresam.com for more for giving us permission to screen
tation on close-up magic presented Card Magic. We welcomed back details. the film). The Mystics were
by Eric Johnson and Jeff Carson. guest Les Albert, who demon-
strated his face-up classic force
(to find the one red-backer in a
8
GREAT MENTALIST AT THE
perhaps one of the most success-
ful young magician clubs in magic
history. Many of the members of
blue deck) followed by a two-card GATEWAY the Mystics went on to become
match and a tricky Ace routine. some of the most influential per-
Craig Feinstein showed us how to SAINT LOUIS, MO — formers in magic today. The
double your money with a paddle On February 3, 2014, Nathan magicians and jugglers inter-
(“no tricky paddle moves; it uses Kranzo gave us a great lecture. viewed thought that their time in
mirrors”). He followed with a Nathan performed his stand-up the club was invaluable. Despite
“close enough” card find. Jay coin magic, Mene Tekel effects, the unparalleled success of the
Silverman performed a four-card Tru-Test, and many more! We Mystics, many of the members felt
match he learned from George really enjoyed Nathan’s comedy that it is highly unlikely in today’s
Woo. Jeff Eline performed a magic and mind reading lecture environment that a similar club
stunning and mystifying rising and you will too. would ever be successful.
The Incomparable George card from within a silk. We Just ten days later on the 13th But that didn’t stop the DMC
Hample (left) and PNP Dick welcomed Dennis French as a (lucky for us), Morgan Strebler from having a discussion on how
Gustafson (right) Demonstrat- full member and he showed us a came to visit our assembly. We we as a club could get the Young
ing Silk Through Wand fine Chop Cup routine that he did were treated to a performance Magician’s Club both revitalized

12 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Assembly News
functions. Dal was great. of magic, Dylan Lasanti, wowed donated prizes were great as well
Our next lecturer was a very us with his comical version of as the magic.
pleasant surprise. Gregory Wilson the Professor’s Nightmare. Our Scott Wells began our perfor-
dropped in on a snowy Sunday own Jeff Pyzocha and his lovely mances as Miles Root read a card
evening. The word was passed assistant Lucy Godet closed the prediction written on a card box
to the magic community, but the evening with a beautiful version flap. After Miles’s selection was
threat of snow kept many away. of Snow Storm in China. seen not to match, the written pre-
Those of us who braved the Our monthly meeting had Bob diction did, miraculously. Jamie
elements were rewarded with great Caroll making us check our restau- Salinas correctly discerned guest
conversation and terrific magic. rant bill totals. Somehow he had Adrian’s car color, which he had
The session lasted till midnight the right amount $39.12. PJ did his not even driven to the meeting.
followed by a long snowy drive. version of a Dave Copperfield Ace JoHan McElroy had Marti Stein
Mike Williams proves his Well worth it. production. Ed Kazar used color- freely select a card from a pack.
pickpocket skills The following evening was the changing silks in three bags for a After much interaction, John
long awaited lecture by Kainoa prediction. Tom Gentile fixed his pulled out a silk with the card
and flourishing. Brainstorming Harbottle – this lecture had been wife’s Valentine necklace using printed in its center. David Hinken
included branding, electronic cancelled because of snow. Unfor- Scott Corel’s Whimsical Wonder penetrated the pips of a card
media including YouTube and tunately Kainoa did not get to visit Bag. Latest member Jonathan through a card America held in
Skype, and encouraging the kids the barn because the plumbing Mauterer showed us his card skills her hands.
by setting discrete performance was not repaired. Kainoa has a as well as Joe Bedar working with Jeff Lanes had a literal blockbust-
goals (such as a yearly show). very engaging personality and a rainbow deck. Dylan also did er start, a mystical card predic-
After the discussion and a break, extraordinary skill. He showed his spin on the Cups and Balls. tion middle, and a literal smoking
Derrell Allen stepped up to us his Pendulum Hanging Coins, Late night lots of fun as always. finish to his nice presentation.
perform. Derrel was assisted by Flying Wombat, Deja Flew, —Karen Gibson Caesar Trujillo’s attempt to find
audience member Geneva, who Daley’s Conformed Twins, Dr. I.R. Calkins Assembly 17 guest Kim Lampkin’s chosen card
was asked to provide her date of Trifecta, and Like Mike. A fast meets the first Friday of every resorted to magic as he changed
birth. Derrel then produced a small paced high octane entertaining month at 7 pm at Rich Pinsonault’s the mistaken card for Kim’s
fortune teller calendar book, and lecture. Fantastic!! RP Magic Shop: 69 East Street; chosen card, instantaneously and
turned to her birthday. The book Well the snow still falls and Ludlow, MA Contact Rich Gilbert in full view of everyone. Bob
described her personality and also one more winter lecture to look rgilbertmagic@yahoo.com (413) Smith showed that Miles Root’s
gave the name of a playing card, forward to. For those in the for more details. favorite miniature card cereal box
the King of Clubs. Interestingly, area, come visit Assembly 16. selection was the only choice that
when Geneva was asked to cut a
deck of cards, she randomly cut
to – you guessed it – the King of
—Joe Berman
Assembly 16 meets on the first
Monday of the month at the Magic
19
HOUSTON’S HOT
had a blue back, all others being
red backed. —Miles Root
Assembly 19 meets the first
Clubs. Barn in Ashland, MA at 7:00 FEBRUARY MAGIC Monday of every month at
Next up was Mike Williams. PM Contact Dennis Pimenta, the International Alliance of
Mike has been working on his pimentad1@aol.com (508) HOUSTON, TX— Houston’s Theatrical State Employees
pickpocketing skills, and wanted 883-3575 sam16.com for more February meeting was filled with Local 51 Meeting Hall, 3030
to demonstrate on visitor Kris. He details. magic and fun. Our “teach-in” North Freeway, Houston, TX. A
asked Kris to place a deck of cards
in his pocket, and then had the
audience randomly select a card.
17
WINTER MAGIC
session was on packet tricks,
but this month, we didn’t teach
them, we performed them. A
teaching lecture begins at 7:30
pm with the meeting beginning
at 8:00 pm. Contact Miles Root
Mike managed to secretly remove GATHERINGS contest was held for the top milesroot@aol.com (281) 3347508
the deck, reverse the selected card, three packet trick performances. houstonmagic.com for more
and replace it in Kris’s pocket SPRINGFIED, MA— S.A.M. Bob Smith was first, and had guest details.
without anyone observing. National President Dal Sanders Kim Lampkin and Marti Stein
The Dallas Magic Club, Assembly
13, meets the third Tuesday of the
month at 7:00 PM at Theatre 166,
arrived from sunny Dallas, TX, to
snowy Florence, MA, to present
P.J. Pinsonnault with a well
help out as Michael Close’s Clones
was performed. This “culture
media” shock performance was
21
ROPES, STRINGS, AND
Crosspointe Community Center deserved Presidential Citation. a wild ride with Bob at the helm, CORDS.
in Carrollton, Texas. Contact Congrats PJ! We appreciate all and a good one.
Reade Quinton reade.quinton@ you do. Afterwards, Dal installed Randy Stulken had Scott Wells HARTFORD, CT— A short
gmail.com (972) 4000195 www. our new officers: President, select a city from a series of month – a short meeting. The
dallasmagic.org for more details. Rich Gilbert; V. President, Len cards and was able to discern theme was to do a trick or routine
Nadeau; Secretary, Karen Gibson; which city Scott had chosen. Dick using a string, rope, or cord. Jason

16
DAL SANDERS LECTURE
Treasure, P.J. Pinsonnault; and
Sergeant at Arms, Ed Kazar.
Special guests, Past National
Olson showed us how “easy” it
was to read marked cards, as the
backs and then faces of a series
Abate started off with a good ring-
on-string routine. As a bonus he
treated us to a card trick: A blue-
President Rich Dooley, MI, Dan of playing cards changed in backed deck came out of a red card
WORCESTER, MA— It has Sclare of Assembly 21, and Jonas front of our eyes. Jamie Salinas box. A selected card changed to a
been a cold and snowy winter in Cain of Assembly 104 helped us held a Tarot card reading session red back, and then the entire deck
Massachusetts. Pipes broke in the celebrate. Peter Lenis did some with guest Kim Lampkin that changed to red backs.
Magic Barn, causing Assembly walk-around magic, while Rich had an unexpected ending that
16 to move its meeting to Peter’s Gilbert got the food set up. Thanks became the talk of the evening.
Raceway, a magical place of slot guys. You did a fantastic job, Scott Wells involved a miniature
car racetracks and on the night of as well as all the members who Mona Lisa painting to reveal a card
our January/February meetings a brought their favorite dishes. randomly chosen by a spectator.
wonderful place to meet. Next up was a silent auction and Dustin Grey was able to properly
During the January/February raffle. Just about everyone went discern the two cards removed
meeting we had three terrific home with some new magic. Dean from packets held by Shane Wilson
lectures. The first lecture was in Tom Gentile emceed the event and and Scott Wells. Shane Wilson’s
conjunction with a visit from visit introduced Dave Dimock, who very nice Oil and Water routine
from President Dal Sanders. Dal dressed up as a professor giving us was as smooth as ever. The winner
showed us many wonderful chil- a lesson in number magic. Jonas was Bob Smith and his crazy pre-
dren’s effects suitable for holiday Cain did an impromptu comical sentation. Scott Wells and Shane
school performances as well adult card routine, while a new student Wilson took second and third. The Jason Abate starts his routine

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 13

Assembly News
Soll Levine bought a lot of flower
magic recently and he showed us
some of his acquisitions. One of
Professor Hoffmann. The beauti-
fully made prop was constructed
by Mike in his woodshop.
32
MAGIC FUN FOR FEBRUARY
watching an episode of The
Avengers.) One of our members
will be appearing at the Magic
his articulating flowers found a John Engman opened the second Castle in the coming weeks. We
selected card. He demonstrated a half of the show with Sympa- Lynchburg, VA— There was a are certainly all waiting to hear
blooming flower, and a drooping thetic Match Boxes, a Chop Cup good turnout at our Assembly’s what that was like, and any other
one, and one that could change routine and John Fedko’s Ultimate February meeting; very good for magical news that he may have for
color under a hanky. Lastly, he Ace Routine. Harrison Lampert the small Assembly that we are. us.
produced a bouquet from a temple was next with several nice card President Patrick Hubble called Our speaker tonight was Mr.
screen. Jon Cap used a velvet effects. Our next performer was the meeting to order and Associate David Kaye, otherwise known
cord and a borrowed wedding Bob Bolivar, a frequent Magic Member Carl Hoegerl, visiting as Silly Billy. For those who may
ring to do a ring/string routine, Castle performer, who presented for the first time, was introduced think that entertaining children
but an entirely different one from several nice card effects and a to members. There was a discus- can be just an afterthought, we
Jason’s. It was Ring Leader by coin manipulation routine. New sion about an assembly objective learned that quite a bit of thought
Greg Wilson. —Dana T. Ring member Brian Regalbuto did a of performing public shows in the actually goes into enthralling the
Assembly 21 meets at Angelo’s nice job performing a set of card coming year. Then it was on to the wee ones.
on Main, 289 South Main Street, effects. Hugo Avila followed, also magic. He lectured on the different
West Hartford Connecticut doing some very nice card effects There wasn’t the usual monthly types of routines there are for
meets on second Mondays except in preparation for his Magic Castle theme this time, but an open forum children, then went on to explain
December Contact Dana T. audition. The thirteenth performer during which members shared what that all entails. With video
Ring dana@danaring.com (860) was David Yee doing an impres- their own choice of magic. Bob of him with an actual pint-sized
523-9888 for more details. sive act with sponge balls, the Wallin, in remembrance of Aldo audience, we could see just how
Gypsy Thread, and an Ambitious Colombini, performed Never Say this information can play out for

22
ANNUAL CLOSE-UP
Card routine. Closing the show
was Bill Yamane who amazed
everyone with his featured effect,
Dice, an effect with three cards
changing according to three dice
and a kicker ending by producing
real. A running gag, that for adults
can be repetitious, becomes even
funnier for children.
CONTEST Hitchcock, a Joshua Jay card a royal flush. Bob also demonstrat- He explained that action should
trick with some real surprises. ed Out of There, an effect by Gary occur quite frequently to hold
LOS ANGELES, CA— —Steven L. Jennings Plants. their attention. He broke down
Attendees of the February 17th Southern California Assembly John Jennings shared Mental the number of different elements
meeting of Assembly 22 were 22 meets the third Monday each Rescue a Vosburgh Lyons card that can go into a routine, which
saddened to learn of the very month at 8:00 PM, St. Thomas effect from the book My Best by are a lot more than you think.
recent and sudden passing of Aldo More Parish Hall, 2510 South J. G. Thompson. Glen Rae, our Knowledge is power, and with
Colombini, a one-time Southern Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, assembly’s resident mentalist ex- that reasoning, empowering the
California resident and a periodic California Contact Ed Thomas traordinaire, determined the name kids, whether they are actual as-
lecturer for our assembly. A short magicmred@earthlink.net (213) of a “thought-of” movie from sistants on stage, or just sitting in
business meeting included the 382-8504 for more details. numerous titles listed on cards set the audience, can make a world
second reading and election into out before a spectator. of difference in how they enjoy
membership of Brian Regalbuto.
Congratulations, Brian.
program for the evening was the
The 31
MAGIC WINTER
Mike Kinnaird performed with
a borrowed rubber band and
demonstrated an invisible force
the show. They turn from being
merely spectators to participants.
Mr. Kaye went on to explain a
annual close-up contest to vie for SPECTACULAR by showing a ring moving up the few different tricks, noting that
a coveted trophy won in years past band in defiance of gravity. Our kid’s magic can sometimes be a
by such as Dai Vernon and Albert INDIANAPOLIS, IN— This young member, Trevor Albright, bit “proppy.” One effect, titled
Goshman. Producing the program month the regularly scheduled performed next and was able to Sneaker Juice, would most likely
were last year’s dual winners, Tom meeting was replaced by our determine three selected cards be scoffed at by the Downton
Meseroll and Henry Springer. annual S.A.M./I.B.M. Magic through one quick dealing-down Abbey crowd, but it was funny
Fourteen members participated in Winter Spectacular. Producer of the deck. The entertainment for nonetheless. Sometimes you
the show and contest. compeer Barry Rice once again the evening finished as Bob Staton just gotta slip on the prover-
Opening the show was Michael put together an outstanding show. presented a cleverly done coin bial banana peel! Thank you Mr.
Mezmer with a unique and Jamahl Keyes performed a so- trick with a quarter and a penny. Kaye for a definitely fun evening.
original storytelling presentation. phisticated stage magic set timed As a final note, thanks Carl for —Darryl Bielski
Michael typically sets a mood and perfectly to music. Taylor Martin finding us and we look forward Assembly 35 meetings are held
performs effects with a hint of the performed several of his fan to seeing you again at future at the Milanese Restaurant in
supernatural. Jim Militello next favorite pieces as his 18th century meetings. This is a reminder that Poughkeepsie, NY. Typically,
presented a nice set of card effects. alter ego, Rodney the Younger. Assembly 32 welcomes all persons meetings are held every 2nd
Howard Hamburg, a Los Angeles Finally, the show was capped interested in magical entertain- Tuesday of each month. Contact
magician with a preeminent repu- off by Ryan Siebert, performing ment and encourages compeers to Joel Zaritsky jizdds@optonline.
tation as a card worker around some of his wonderful sleight- contact us if there are questions net (845) 546-1559 www.sam35.
the Magic Castle, performed of-hand magical miracles. or if directions are needed. com for more details.
next. Howard did not disappoint. Those of us who braved the —John Jennings
Act four was Bob Altman doing
some four Ace card effects and a
six quarter Coins Across routine.
cold wintery elements had a
wonderful time enjoying the
warmth of some hot magic.
Assembly 32 meets most months
on the third Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
at Tharp Funeral Home, 220
37
PLASTIC NIGHT HITS THE
Bill Perron was next up using his —Steven A. Spence Breezewood Drive, Lynchburg, MILE HIGH CITY
magic ray gun to vanish a deck of Assembly 31 meets the first VA. Contact John Jennings
cards while leaving a selected and Monday of each month at investigatefire@aol.com (434) DENVER, CO— The Mile
signed card that had been buried 7:00 p.m. at Irvington United 851-6240 for more details. High Magicians Society decided
in the deck. Our sixth performer Methodist Church, 30 Audubon to do something new for the month
was Matt Savin, who made a
valiant attempt to find a selected
card from a deck placed in a Telsa
Rd., on the east side of the City
unless otherwise announced. If
the first Monday conflicts with
35
A SERIOUS DISCOURSE
of February this year. President
Matt Brandt decided on Plastic
Night, because most magicians
Energy Bag. Our final act before a holiday weekend, we postpone ON SILLY start out with these inexpensive
intermission was Mike Perovich. the meeting one week. Contact magic tricks. So to celebrate
Mike performed a selection of Taylor Martin kazoo23@aol.com POUGHKEEPSIE, NY— Our these humble beginnings, all club
unique magic, as always, that (317) 432-1320 sam31.com for evening began with a jolly bit of members were asked to bring
included a coin box described by more details. good news (sorry, I just finished along their favorite piece of plastic

14 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Assembly News
Thursday of the Month at
Riverpointe Senior Center in
Littleton Colorado. Contact
49
ANY TRICK NIGHT
also thanked everyone for braving
the elements and coming out on
such a cold night. In spite of the
Secretary Connie Elstun connie@ weather, we had fifteen in atten-
comedymagicbunny.com (303) FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — dance, including members and
9334118 www.milehighmagicians. On Wednesday, February 12, 2014, wives.
com for more details. Assembly 49 held its monthly Tonight’s theme was Cast a
meeting. The theme was Any Shadow or Valentine’s Day.

47
WHAT’S IN THAT JUNK
Trick. After a moment of silence
for the passing of Aldo Colombini,
the meeting continued.
Starting off the performances was
Don Moravits, who performed a
card effect by Baskin Jones called
DRAWER? Selected cards were selected on Unbelievable. Ray Adams, with
Mark Strivings mesmerizing a couple of occasions and, sur- the help from his wife, Barbara,
young Preston Housely ROCHESTER, NY— (The prisingly, they were found. Henry did a Scotch and Soda routine.
members of Assembly 47 would Epstein found his spectator’s card Joe Libby had James Dusek
magic to perform. It gave a great like to give their sincere condo- by firing a gun at the pack being assist him with a book test, and
chance for enthusiasts to try their lences to Rachel Colombini for the held by the spectator and the San Manfredo performed a nice
hand at performing in front of the sudden loss of Aldo. We made a chosen card had a “bullet” hole Coin Penetration through a Brass
group. club donation and hope other clubs in it. Sid Marcus found a chosen Slug. Dwayne Stanton performed
Treasurer Dave Elstun said it follow suit.) card in a picture frame previously Pocket Change, and Michael
reminded him of his favorite trick After a brief discussion of shown with nothing in it. Tallon fooled us with the ubiqui-
from years past that was tied into upcoming lectures and our Al Callus did a card effect tous Four King Trick. Ed Solomon
the television program from the close-up contest at the April wherein ten cards counted out by told us a story about Cyrus Single-
1960’s, My Favorite Martian. meeting, we moved on to magic! a spectator somehow wound up as tree, and Doug Gorman closed
Uncle Martin’s spaceship would The theme was to pull something nine; some of the cards were then with Triumph.
float magically up and down on out of your junk drawer and do it. tossed aside and there were still Paul Mims delighted us all with a
a string and then stop on your What a cross section of magic! Jeff nine cards when the remainder marvelous fifteen-minute close-up
command. An act that was mes- Blood performed a fine trick using was counted. Billy Byron told a show. He began with the passage
merizing and memorable for a a 52-on-1 card as a prediction and story using cards. He called it The of silver, a Coins Across routine
child no doubt. Professional Mark the vanishing deck, so popular Jack Brothers. Four Jacks vanish employing the infamous Cross
Strivings had no trouble in mes- several years ago. Why was that from a “jail” cell which looked of India. He then produced four
merizing young child Preston in the junk drawer? Professor suspiciously like a plastic card box Aces ala John Scarne, and then
Housely with his favorite plastic Rem used what appeared to be and reappeared one in each of four used those Aces in his rendition
magic, the Snapper, that bullet- gummy bear planes to show how piles of cards, which also turn out of Hofzinser’s Aces. Next was a
shaped piece of plastic with the one and then several became lost to be not only the four suits but smooth and very deceptive per-
rubber bands that every beginner in the Bermuda Triangle. Joel they were in numerical order. formance of David Williamson’s
tends to avoid. It was actually sen- Greenwich, our newest member, Marvin Freed performed a Three Ring and Rope Routine. He closed
sational when performed well. had a card selected and put back Card Monte effect that started out with a wonderful Cups and Balls
The mesmerizing continued in a topsy-turvy shuffled deck. A as two red Aces and one black Ace routine, strongly influenced by the
as Gene Gordon took the lad’s picture was taken of a spectator and ended up vice-versa. work of Dai Vernon. Thanks, Paul,
hard earned quarter and made it holding it (with members in the Marvin Putterman predicted for a truly professional and very
disappear, only to have it reappear shot, too) and it was found that six numbers written on previ- entertaining show.
in a box tied up with rubber bands only the selection was right side ously selected cards only using Door Prize winners were Ray
and string in a bag set to the side of up. A triumphantly cheeky trick one or two numbers that were Adams, Joe Libby, and Dwayne
the room. His own father, Rodney with a camera phone! on the reverse side of the cards. Stanton. Ray won Aldo Colom-
Housely, had the boy rolling in Don Aman had several members Mark Horowitz demonstrated the bini’s CD Rope In, Joe won a
the isles with a comedy rendition shuffle a deck and placed a pre- Coloring Book effect, which was delicious box of Pecan Caramel
of Pen through Frame. Between diction on top of it. The last offered as a prize in our raffle. Clusters, and Dwayne won Throw
the three of them they had young member who shuffled opened the Kevin Chen tore a borrowed Streamers.
Preston delighted and giggling all prediction and it matched the top bill up and then restored it. Phil Brother John Hamman Assembly
for $2.99. It had been many years card of the deck. Vern Massey, Labush turned five one-dollar 52 meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first
for club member Glenn Prouix to soon to be our newest member, bills into different denominations Thursday of the month at La
try out his Shang-hi tube and he performed the Crazy Cube from using real bills. Vinnie Rosenblu- Madeleine Restaurant, located at
had a couple technical difficulties S.S. Adams fame. President JP th performed the classic Miser’s 722 N.W. Loop 410. The restaurant
with it. But when it was up and Lacey performed Tenyo’s What’s Dream and Coins Across. —Billy is inside Loop 410 on the access
running it was a plastic miracle to Next with a very interesting patter Byron road between Blanco Rd. and
say the least. theme, never really mentioning the Assembly 49 meets on the San Pedro. For more information,
Professional comedy magician dice aspect of it. Sante DiCarlo did second Wednesday of each contact douggorman@att.net.
and speaker Brad Montgomery a tribute to Aldo Colombini using month at the Northwest Focal
provided a little coin and plastic
combination while club members
Marty Jewell, John Luong, and
jumbo cards with Aldo’s famous
Pick Me, Pick Me Not. Check this
out on the Internet! Finally, Mike
Point Senior Center, 6009 NW
10th. Street, Margate, FL. 33061
Contact Billy Byron billybyron@
59
TEACH-A-TRIK (OR TWO)
Dale Clyncke had a wonderful Ihrig performed a Japanese Tenyo comcast.net (954) 522-1466 www.
evening of laughter not to mention trick, Tenyo Mahono (Magic) fortlauderdalemagicsociety.con PORTLAND, OR— February’s
supplying their own plastic along Scratch Card. I forgot how to do for more details. meeting of Assembly 59 featured
the way. We saw Cups and Balls it and was lucky to finish it! Hope Bob (“Paddlemove”) Eaton, The
done with little plastic flower pots
and pom-poms, not to mention
a killer routine of one snazzy
the weather favors your magic.
Spring will be here soon! —Mike
Ihrig
52
CAST A SHADOW OR
Man With Over 7,000 Perfor-
mances, displaying his collection
of hand-crafted paddles and crafty
Hot Rod. The evening was best Assembly 47 meets the third VALENTINE’S DAY hand paddle moves. Jay Freder-
summed up by television science Tuesday September thru May icks next taught a mentalism effect
magic guru Steve Spangler who at 7:00 PM in the St Joseph’s SAN ANTONIO, TX— based on the dual-reality principle.
said as he pulled a bowl of plastic School, 39 Gebhardt Rd, Penfield, February 6, 2014, Brother John Following the teach-in a brief
thumbs from an apparent paper NY 14526. Contact Mike Ihrig Hamman Assembly 52 held its (very brief) business meeting took
bag, “I feel like this is a bad ihrigmagic@aol.com (585) monthly meeting at LaMad- place. As composed and organized
Zeezo’s dream.” —Connie Elstun 377-1566 www.sam47.com for eleine Restaurant. President Don as ever, VP Brian Adams stood in
Assembly meets the second more details. Moravits welcomed everyone and for President Mel Anderson who

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 15

Assembly News
was recuperating from shoulder card (7C) was picked and lost some of her work on video that, on
surgery. in the deck. Daniel dropped the a whole, was right up there with
Showtime featured Randy deck into a paper bag and thrust the level of a university seminar!
Stumman doing a coin effect, a knife through the bag capturing One of the little known facts about
Glen Bledsoe doing a mind-read- the chosen card on the blade. He Ms. Herrmann: she even knew
ing effect, and Tom Waldrop per- concluded by placing a dime and the Houdinis. Of course Margaret
forming an effect using magical a penny into Alex’s hand. When finished her time with two of
silkworms. the hand reopened only the penny her favorite pieces: Her Linking
We had five visitors, who I remained and the dime was found Rings Act and her tribute to Tony
believe we thoroughly entertained inside Mio Rodriguez’s pocket. Slydini: The Paper Balls and Box.
if not completely baffled. In all Mio Rodriguez returned for an For more information on Adelaide Bill Brang performing
other ways a splendid and relaxing encore by having Dick Tansey Herrmann (if you don’t own a Linking Ropes
time was had by all. A good way cut the deck several times and time machine), is to have Margaret
to spend a rainy February evening. covering the resulting top card herself lecture for your club or has one long rope, asking how
—Glen L. Bledsoe with his hand. Mio was able to order her wonderful book on the many ends are on it, then shows
Assembly 59 meets on the fourth divine that Dick had selected the late Adelaide Herrmann’s life. it’s one circular rope with no ends,
Wednesday of each month except (6D). Mio then finished with an Before closing, The Long Island pulls out a short rope, to make a
Jul/Aug/Dec at The Beaverton outstanding book test with the Mystics are very saddened by the long rope with two ends, then
Elks, 3500 SW 104th, Beaverton, help of Daniel Espinosa. The loss of one of our S.A.M. brothers, three ends, then four. Showing
OR 97005. Contact Glen L. show was closed by Billy Byron Aldo Colombini. We had him and two ropes of equal length, Jim
Bledsoe glenbledsoe@mac. with his hilarious rendition of Rachael Wild Colombini here pulls one end to make it back into
com (503) 967-9151 http://www. lady’s nite out and finishing with to give their “Second Farewell” a single long rope!
sam59portland.org/ for more three cups of plastic beads that lecture a few short months ago Tony Saputo had a rope with four
details. mixed together and then magically and we had an amazing time. One knots on it, wrapped it around his
separated. —Ron Olmsted moment out of that happy time hand, when he unwrapped it the

76
AN EVENING WITH MIO
Assembly 76 meets the first
Thursday each month 7:30
PM at the South Miami Elk’s
was when Aldo said, “Everyone
is so sad about John Calvert
passing away. My God, he was a
knots were gone! We had a guest
with us, Don, didn’t catch his last
name, who also brought a Ring on
Lodge, 6304 SW 78th Str., South 102! He lived a very full life.” We a Rope trick, where he had a tied
NORTH MIAMI, FL — Miami, FL Contact Ron Olmsted all laughed at his insight on what rope and put a solid metal ring
Twenty three members and guests ronsted@aol.com (305) 235-2272 it was to live and to have a good on, then untied the rope, having
attended our February meeting. for more details. life. Although much shorter than a short rope, to show the ring on
After the business portion was any of us wanted, Aldo did live a continuous rope. Then Bill and
concluded Pres. Roy Allen Fischer
and Past Pres. Rick Del Vecchio
presented the I.B.M. Ring 45
77
STEELE: THE SHOW
an amazing and happy life. RIP,
Aldo. —Lou Johnson
Long Island Mystics Assembly
Karl Rabe with a comedy rope act
of a cut and restored rope trick.
Jim Folkl did another cut and
Magician of the Year award to (AND LECTURE) 77 meets at 7:30PM on the restored, showing a little different
Mio Rodriguez for his outstanding second Monday of the month way, where he pulls the middle of
magical career. Emcee Ronsted MASSAPEQUA, NY— at The Community United the rope up with his scissors. Jim
brought Mio back to the stage to Despite the cold weather and the Methodist Church. Contact Lou Ruth finished up with a Professors
open the evening’s entertainment. snow, the meeting went on this Johnson loucircus@aol.com (516) Nightmare, ending with one long
Mio invited Daisi Hernandez to month with a great turnout for 978-7735 www.limystics.org for rope! This was a very productive
think of a card and then proceeded our lecture by Margaret Steele. more details. meeting; I’ll just tie it up here!
to pluck it from his pocket. He Our esteemed member and RVP —Randy A. Smith
followed with a breathtaking
rendition of ambitious signed card.
Mio continued with Coins Across,
Eric DeCamps bestowed to Ms.
Steele an Award of Excellence for
her contributions she has given in
88
ROPE MAGIC
Hank Moorehouse Assembly 88
meets second Wednesday at 7PM,
Faith Lutheran Church, 1255 East
Matrix, and concluded by finding the field of magic for the S.A.M. Forest Ave, Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Daisi’s signed card (10H) inside a (pictured) ANN ARBOR/YPSILANTI, MI— Contact Randy A. Smith randy.
bowl of candy. Let me start this by saying we Our topic this month was Rope remarkable@gmail.com (313)
Our ring mentor Fantasio had were very pleased to have this Magic! Marvin Mathena started 562-3875 www.aamagic.org for
guest Alex pick a card (AH) wondrous visit from Margaret us off with a gospel rope trick. more details.
and lose back into the deck. He Steele with her discussion on the Marvin showed us four ropes,
produced a card (8H) from thin air
and asked Alex to identify it. When
that failed Fantasio snapped the
impact that the late, great Adelaide
Herrmann and her life, which
had a great and positive impact
yellow, red, black, and white, ex-
plaining with the song: “Jesus
loves the little children, All the
89
OFFICER INDUCTION
card and the pips fell off revealing on future magicians both male children of the world; Red, yellow, DINNER MEETING
it to be the original card (AH). and female. After many lecturers black and white, They are precious
Mentalist Richard Mark had two throughout the years, it was re- in His sight.” Then he went on to HONOLULU, HI— The
volunteers, Oswaldo and Rubin, freshing to have Ms. Steele give add that sometimes people may Jimmy Yoshida Aloha Assembly
each take an unknown quantity an amazing lecture filled with think that one color may be more 89 held its annual officer induction
of word/symbol cards and shuffle insights, rare photos, and later loved than the other, which would dinner meeting on January 8. Offi-
them. When asked to secretly not be true, Marvin then tied all ciating the ceremonial changeover
withdraw one card Richard was of the ropes together, explaining and installation of officers was
able to predict the word “love” God made them all the same, as Fred “Professor Fun” Ball, who
and the circle symbol. Richard he wrapped the ropes around his has been doing that job for more
repeated the effect with different hand and unwrapped them to show years than anyone can remember.
cards chosen and concluded by them all as one! Outgoing President Glen Bailey
divining the number of cards each Bill Brang performed Patriotic welcomed new President Michael
volunteer held. Ropes, with red, white, and blue “Kekoa” Erickson. Other officers
Our newest junior member ropes joining together as one. remained in their positions: V.P.
Daniel Espinosa delighted us by Then Bill did the Linking Ropes, Harvey Ouchi, Treasurer James
having guest Alex pick a card (3S) three ropes tied each in a circle, Lee, Secretary Mike Lynch, and
and return it to the deck. Daniel linking them together and taking Sgt-at Arms Robert “Bob’s Pizza”
held a flame under a blank piece Margaret Steele and them apart! Next up was Jim Festa. Mahalo, Glen, for your
of paper upon which the name of Eric DeCamps Placido with his great rope routine; dedicated service as President
the card slowly appeared. Another (photo credit Mike Maione) I never get tired of this one! Jim to the assembly and magic

16 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Assembly News
held in the Cheater likewise with foreign currency. 104’s beloved teacher, Len Lazar,
Floor at Rod Chow’s Jens Henriksen performed what himself nursing health issues.
new office in Vancouver he called a sawing a woman in Although not able to gather
Chinatown. Lon half by using a torn and restored together on February 5, Assembly
Mandrake remarked newspaper with the newspaper 104 compeers remained magically
that a previous meeting as the cabinet and the silk as active; a few kept gigs going
at Rod’s was in his woman. Juan Garcia had Ray despite the winter blasts. Vice
World’s Narrowest Roch volunteer his finger to insert President Ed Gardner, Sergeant-
Building and this time in Juan’s finger chopper, and Juan at-Arms J Hubbard, and Royal
it was in his “Shortest said if it does not work, Ray’s Sorrell all managed to make the
Building.” piece of finger would travel to snowy journey to Rochester, New
Congratulations to the floor. Anthony Young showed York, to participate in Twist and
2014 S.A.M. Assembly 89 Officer, L- this year’s Assembly travelling elastic bands on his Shout’s annual balloon extrava-
R,Sgt-at Arms Bob Festa, Treasurer 95 award recipients: fingers, and a floating US dollar ganza. Among the wonders J and
James Lee, V.P. Harvey Ouchi, Pres Dennis Hewson – Carl bill. Lon received laughter for Eddie reported were the balloon
Michael Erickson, SWRVP Ron Ishimaru Hemeon Award of his senior memory joke. Tony “fashion show” and the fifty-
Excellence, and Tony showed a stabbed card trick that he thousand balloon “Jack and the
community. President Kekoa Chris Kazoleas – Mandrake learned while traveling to Ontario. Beanstalk,” constructed by sev-
works with John Hirokawa at Trophy for Outstanding Show- —Rod Chow enty-five twisters. Eddie also con-
The Magic of Polynesia; we are manship. Thank you to Tony for The Carl Hemeon Assembly No. tributed that more snow fell during
excited about the year ahead that providing, setting up, and running 95 meets the first Tuesday of his seemingly longer return drive.
he planned for us. all his professional staging, each month at members’ homes. It was a frustration brightened
In 2013, we were fortunate to sound and lights for the fabulous Contact Rod Chow rod@rodchow. only by the sight of dogs alongside
have lectures by Mark Mason, Assembly 95 Magic Dinner Live com (604) 669-7777 www.sam95. the streets of Connecticut being
Kozmo, Losander, Jay Scott Berry, 2014, emceed by Shawn Farquhar com for more details. chipped off hydrants.
and David Ginn, who has been to and starring the Victoria Magic Jim Loscutoff, our most daring
Hawaii many times and joined us Circle: Murray Hatfield (emcee),
once again in January. Eric Bedard, Dave Atwood,
At our installation dinner show, Shane King, and Chris Yuill, and
104
THE ONE THAT
compeer, managed to turn his
back altogether on our wintry
misery, flying with wife Debbie
performers made the evening in- for the standing ovation Victoria GOT AWAY to South America. Freed of bulky
teresting. Yona Chock, magician exchange show starring the parka and mittens, with pockets
and storyteller, spun a Chinese S.A.M. #95 All Stars of Magic: WITCH CITY, SALEM, MA— stuffed with extra thumbs, Jim
fairy tale about a giant pearl and Ray Roch (emcee), Rod Chow, The Wednesday, February 5th, performed for market keepers
illustrated it with a large floating Lon Mandrake, Henry Tom, Steve meeting of Assembly 104 was and school children in Peru and
pearl a la Zombie Ball. James Dickson and Tony Chris. destined for something. Perhaps it Ecuador. He said the locals truly
Lee performed his tried and true Rod awarded S.A.M. insignia wasn’t greatness or lengthiness in enjoyed his color changing cards,
Linking Colored Ropes and Color gifts of marked decks, cleaning the annals of our sometimes time- vanishing salt, and rubber band
Changing Discs. Veteran profes- cloths, and rabbit stress relievers consuming indulgences. No, not magic. Jim also reported spotting
sional magician, writer, creator, to the top ticket sellers: Rod Chow, even tedium for those non-paste- a “Magic Tree House” on the west
and reviewer for M-U-M, Curtis Lon Mandrake, Ray Roch, Steve board lovers who fidget through side of the Amazon. Or was it just
Kam, introduced a new type of Dickson, and Henry Tom. Lon card lectures. This one was the water? —Bob Forrest
Chinese Sticks constructed from also received a Wolf’s Magic trick destined for whiteout, El Blanco – Assembly 104 meets the first
two Kendama toys (the latest craze for winning the special one week snow. With New England weather Wednesday of each month,
to hit Hawaii). Harvey Ouchi sales campaign. continuing to deliver snowstorms September-June, 7 p.m., at the
performed a Card to Pocket effect enough to freeze us First Baptist Church of Salem,
climaxed by a deck to pocket into a permanent 292 Lafayette Street, Salem,
ending. picture postcard, our Massachusetts. Contact Bob
Southwest Region VP Ron February meeting Forrest captainalbrightsq1@
Ishimaru performed an effect and had to be cancelled. comcast.net (339) 227-0797 www.
reading with Tarot Cards based on We credit President sam104.com for more details.
Tony Chris’s The Path Taken and Bill Jensen for the
cold reading. Kekoa performed a
unique and entertaining five-min-
ute rope routine with influences
prudent decision to
opt for safety and
keep us all snug in
108
WINTERTIME MAGIC
from Tabary and Richard Sanders. our beds. It was yet
He then concluded his perfor- another night when SOMERSET, PA— The
mance with an elegant take on Rod Chow’s Cheater Floor - (L-R) Jens even the snowmen Somerset assembly has had
the vanishing Coke bottle routine Henriksen, Anthony Young, Steve Dickson, turned blue. nice turn outs the past couple of
with a surprise appearance of a Ray Roch, Dennis Hewson, Henry Tom, While we continue months, which is very exciting.
full glass of wine at the end, influ- Juan Garcia, Lon Mandrake, Rod Chow and to swing our shovels In January, our theme for both
enced by Fielding West. In short, Tony Chris Kazoleas and an unrelenting the SYM and SAM groups was
a good time was had by all and no winter rolls on, there new magic. There was a lot of
one went home hungry. After enjoying some delicious remains good news on the magical new magic that was purchased for
The Hawaii group meets on the Chinatown food, the evening front. With our planned dinner Christmas that made their debut.
first Wednesday of every month. of travel-themed magic began. meeting at the Prince House For the adults we had an addition-
Please visit us if you are in town. Ray Roch started off by sharing being rescheduled and the March al discussion on the importance of
—Mike Lynch some travel knowledge on the 5 meeting now slated for pot luck sound systems in our shows. We
Assembly 89 meets 1st Wednesday proper use of a mic stand with feasting, Cambridge luminary all had our sound systems with
of each month 7PM at Kalihi- his demonstration of Professor’s Steve Kradolfer has stepped up us and there was good discussion
Palama Library. Nightmare. Steve Dickson showed to the party plate. Steve, formerly on MP3 players, music controls,
his technique for counting the booked for the Meeting that etc. A lot was learned and ideas

95
CHEATER FLOOR
ropes, and then finished with a Wasn’t, has generously resched-
travel joke. Henry Tom said that uled to perform at our March
he was just back from Hawaii, and meeting. Further good news
shared.
We are also looking at venues
that may be interested in having
then showed the travelling elastic comes from President Bill Jensen, our club put on a magic show.
VANCOUVER, CANADA— bands. Rod instantly changed recently sidelined by an ice fall. He Our February meeting sadly was
The February, 2014 meeting was US to Canadian currency and plans to attend in March as does canceled because of a snowstorm;

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 17

Assembly News
we look forward to getting back it was a great lecture and highly French Drop, finger and classic
together in March. We always recommended. palm, the Bobo switch, and some
welcome visitors to our meetings Joe Homecheck, SAM Assembly incredible retention subtleties, as
if you are ever in the area. 110 meets 2nd Thursdays, 7:00pm, well as performing his Chaotic
—Dan Miller at John’s Diner, 146 Sheraton Coins routine.
The James Swoger Assembly 108 Drive, New Cumberland, PA Our business meeting started
meets at 6:00 pm for the SYM and 17070. Email: Secretary@sam110. with George Buckley present-
7:00 pm for the adults every third com ing the second draft of our new
Monday at Wheeler Bros. Inc.
Contact Dan Miller millermagic@
centurylink.net (814) 733-4978 for
112
ANNUAL BANQUET
by-laws. The location of our
future meetings was next. Everette
Anderson has kindly volunteered
more details. the meeting room at the Pepsi-
PLEASANT HILL, CA— Cola Bottling Company for all

110
PAUL DRAPER LECTURE
January’s annual Assembly 112
installation banquet was held in
the Concord Elks Lodge to kick
Improbable ending to Phil
future meetings. This was gladly
seconded by all members.
The theme for February was
Ackerly’s hilarious
off the new year. The event was performance Productions. Wes Iseli started us
HARRISBURG, PA— On an enormous success thanks to off by showing us his coin case,
Thursday, February 13, 2014, four the efforts of several members – nition of his dedication to the a fishing tackle box that holds his
members and one guest braved most especially Bonnie Wright, art of magic and his hard work vast collection of coins. Wes then
a blizzard to attend a lecture by who did much of the organizing throughout the previous year. showed us an excellent Copper/
Paul Draper from Las Vegas. Paul and who arranged for the excellent Jerry Barrilleaux and Reggie, Silver practice routine. Wes then
had driven almost three hours catering. We were also pleased his wooden partner, were added set up his handmade table, made
through the storm to make it to to see a number of Elks in the to our assembly’s Wall of Fame. from a leaf bag holder from
our scheduled lecture, (the show audience as well as members of PNP Loren Lind was recognized Lowes. Next, he showed us his
must go on), so the least we could the Oakland Magic Circle. for his many years of service handmade card press and followed
do was give him an audience, even Pre-show amusements included with the bestowment of Honorary with his card manipulation routine
if it was the smallest audience he contests, a silent auction for Lifetime Member status. Awards from his professional stage show.
will probably have on this lecture several sets of coins provided by acknowledging twenty-five and He shared his method for back
tour. As is his normal practice, James Lind, and a raffle for some fifty years of membership in the palming and showed us his top
Paul let the attendees select the fantastic items, many of which S.A.M. were given to Lance Snead hat set-up for his diminishing card
topics for this lecture allowing were donated by our good friend, and Roy Porfido, respectively. routine, which he performed to a
each person to pick at least two Paul Gross, owner of the Hocus —Bill Marquardt rousing applause. Tom Olshefski
topics to be discussed. Because Pocus Magic Shop. Diablo Assembly #112 meets on the followed with his excellent inter-
half of the audience were profes- First order of business was the third Wednesday of every month at pretation of Joshua Jay’s Inferno
sional performers they opted to installation of the newly elected the VFW building in Pleasant Hill, and a wonderful explanation of
talk about a good mix of business board members for 2014. Larry California. Contact Larry Wright magician’s choice. David Clauss
and marketing techniques, the “Zappo” Wright took the reins Zappo@zappothemagician.com followed with Toastmaster, his
importance of perception in a from outgoing president Douglass (925) 685-5129 http://sam112.com/ production of a glass of wine from
client’s mind, and also the benefits Kovacich, who was later recog- for more details. an empty USPS Priority Mail
of marketing effects, teaching nized with a plaque for his five envelope.
videos, etc., to other performers
and the realities of doing that.
consecutive years as assembly
president. Dinner was then served,
and afterwards it was time for the
115
NEW MEETING LOCATION
Members then broke into
groups and worked on various
card and coin routines as well as
entertainment. exploring the evenings routines
Douglass the MagicMan started CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA— Our and methods. An excellent night
the show with several tricks, February meeting opened with of entertainment and learning was
including a bit of mind reading presentations of lapel pins and enjoyed by all. —Bethany Hall
with jumbo cards and his famous certificates of appreciation for the Assembly 115 meets on the first
Houdini-inspired handcuff S.A.M. Veterans’ Entertainment Friday of every month starting at
escape. Following Douglass, Program for George Buckley, Wes 7:00 pm at the Pepsi-Cola Bottling
magician Phil Ackerly, named Iseli, David Clauss, and David Company Building at, 1150 Pepsi
Best Magician in the Bay Area Feng. All four performed for Place, Charlottesville, VA 22901.
five years in a row by Parents veterans and staff at the Hunter Contact George Buckley
magazine, came to the stage to Holmes McGuire VA Medical gbbuckley@mac.com (434)
Paul Draper lecture entertain the audience with his Center in Richmond for National 409-2643 for more details.
mixture of magic, mentalism, and Magic Week.
We also discussed the realities of
getting a show in a place like Las
Vegas these days and the deals
comedy. In an amazing finale to
his performance, Phil removed
his outer clothing to reveal a mul-
Sergeant at Arms Daniel Hall
held the “Coins” teach-in for
our S.Y.M. members Ashley
118
GRANITE STATE
others have made to open shows ticolored gym outfit that perfectly and Elizabeth Schmitz. Daniel CONJURORS
there. Nothing was held back matched a drawing earlier colored gave hands on learning about the
and Paul answered all questions in by an assistant from the NASHUA, NH— New England
confidently and very articulately. audience, green socks and all. snow has not slowed down the
Because Paul Draper is primarily Festivities included the an- Granite State Conjurers. We have
a mentalist, we also discussed the nouncement of winners for the booked two upcoming lectures.
art of cold vs. hot reading, how 2013 competitions held at various On April 16, 2014, Sandy Rhodes
to rehearse mentalism, and a few times during the year, including will present his lecture, The Down
quick, yet simple and amazing, Erich Biggs, Ric and Kara Ewing, Home Mother Earth Approach
tricks to do on TV and radio. He Douglass the MagicMan, Bill to Magic at 7:00 p.m. at Black
also performed and explained Marquardt, Zappo, Carole Yvonne Sword Estate. And on June 18,
several other effects that fried the Kula, Roy Porfido, Bob Holdridge, 2014, Craig Browning will give
brains of all in attendance. After and a visitor from Assembly 72, his lecture, Understanding the
seeing his lecture and meeting Mary Mowder. Difference between Mentalism
him, it is easy to see why Paul Magician of the Year for 2014 Veteran’s Program and Magic at 7:00 p.m. at Black
Draper is so successful. All in all went to Roy Porfido in recog- Participants Sword Estate. For more informa-

18 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Assembly News
tion about either of these lectures, Newtown,” in Newtown, Con- Sharon. Adam Parisi, costumed
contact Assembly 118 at sam. necticut, after the December as Superman, helped Dave with
nashua@gmail.com 2012 shooting tragedy. Jeff did several rope routines. Dave even
Assembly 118 meets on the walk-around magic for “Voices brought his own coat rack on
third Wednesday of each month for Heroes” in Danbury, and in which to hang the clothes! Wyskiel
at 7:00 p.m. at Black Sword Hartford for the “Power of Peace” closed the show with a strong ESP
Estate, 126 Perham Corner Rd. festival. Adam Parisi performed at routine involving five spectators,
Lyndeborough, NH 03082. Our “An Evening of Pink” for a cancer including our waitress, Chris!
venue rotates, so contact us first. charity. We also had three lectures Our thanks to Dinner Chairman
Contact Robert Granville sam. last year and contributed magic Bill Hoagland, Dave Wyskiel,
nashua@gmail.com (603) 505 books to the Wallingford, Con- Jeff Doskos, and all who helped
8749 http://sam118.com for more necticut, Library during Magic make our dinner a success.—Dick
details. Week. Hodes

120
A VARIETY OF MAGIC
We held a short business meeting
during dessert. We had a moment
of silent prayer for the passing of
Assembly 127 meets on the
third Tuesday of each month
at the First United Methodist
Aldo Colombini. After a report Church, 941 Old Rock Hill Road,
CHAMPAIGN, IL— The from NEMCON Chairman Bill Wallingford, Conn. Contact Dick
January meeting opened with a Hoagland, National S.A.M. Hodes richardhodes@att.net (203)
discussion of membership benefits Secretary Marlene Clark (a 287-1635 www.magicsam127.org
of both the I.B.M. and S.A.M. at member of Assembly 127) swore for more details.
their standard and their discount in the 2014 Slate of Officers: Magic Marty Poster
levels of membership.
Jim Percy opened the meeting
with his version of Crazy Man’s
President David Wyskiel; Vice-
President Lisa Gagne; Treasurer
Michael Gagne; and Secretary
131
MAGIC BY MEMBERS
a la Kellar
block vanishes and re-appears in
Handcuffs. Chris Bontjes jumped Adam Parisi. a bag. Bongo the Silent Magician
in with his Jumping Rubber bands Dinner Chairman Bill Hoagland DANBURY, CT— President presented a number of circus
and wet our appetites with a introduced incoming president Magic Mo sid not make this photos. Tom Demoth Is a new
Joker Sandwich. Roy Stoutenbor- David Wyskiel, who provided meeting. MO’s ankle and heel are guest to our club and performed a
ough showed a routine he calls I the evening’s entertainment – still on the mend after a very bad few card effects. —Magic Marty
Forget. Professor Higgins took the “The Power of the Mind.” Dave’s break. Attending members signed Steinberg
stage with a Burning Bill, Bills assistant – “Haley Comet” – get well cards for Magic Mo and Assembly 131 Danbury Top
Across, and showed us the results was blindfold and the pair did a Russ. The meeting came to order Hatters meet Methodist Church,
of his finger exercise by tearing a comedy blindfold act with obvious and a silent prayer was said by our Clapboard Ridge Rd, Danbury
quarter in half, which would leave corny code words to identify members and guests for Aldo. RIP CT Contact Magic Marty
him with two-eighths, I believe. objects held by spectators. To Master Magician, Friend, and Hu- magicmarty@aol.com (845)
Mathew Hunter performed his involve everyone in the audience, manitarian. 7978363 for more details.
Four Pile trick and Andy Dallas each person was given a packet of Bruillo Durand presented a three-
closed out the magic with Missing
Think and a Matchless Matchbox.
As usual, the discussion was more
four cards; after mixing the cards,
all the spectators had the same suit
card face up in their packet.
four card Monte effect with cards
changing back to Queens and
then Fours. Vice President Magic
150
WHEN A MAGICIAN ACTS
varied, entertaining, and informa- Marty gave a
tive than I can do justice here. Ya few highlights FORT MYERS, FL — How
gotta come to the meetings for the of his Assembly miffed would you be if you sat
good stuff. 35, Al Baker through a two-hour lecture and
See ya at the meeting. Club’s lecturer watched the guy up front only
—Ken Barham Silly Billy. demonstrate maybe two or three
Assembly 120, Andy Dallas Empower your card tricks and a rope routine?
Assembly meets the third audience, adult Chances are you wouldn’t be
Wednesday at 7pm, (except Nov. or children, terribly impressed – unless the
and Dec.) For location call Jim involve them lecturer was Tony Noice.
Percy at 217-494-2222 or Ken in your Magic. He isn’t a “name” you know from
Barham Sec, 2318 Winchester Dr, The lecture write-ups in the magic journals,
Champaign, IL 61821. 217-841- Assembly 127 2014 Slate of Officers from left: was great; Silly or a pro making the club circuit
5616 email: Kebram@aol.com National S.A.M. Secretary Marlene Clark; Billy earned his with a table-full of props for sale.
President David Wyskiel; Vice-President Lisa lecture fee. A member of the Fort Myers

127
ASSEMBLY 127 INSTALLS
Gagne; Secretary Adam Parisi; Treasurer
Michael Gagne
V.P. Magic
Marty followed
thru with a Silly
Magicians Association, Tony
makes his living primarily as an
actor and teacher of acting, but
OFFICERS AT ANNUAL Billy Hot Dog also as a magician at corporate
DINNER After a spectator signed a playing pull out routine, a great sight gag gigs.
card, Dave caused the entire and finally showed off his new Some twenty-five members
WALLINGFORD, CT— Our deck to appear inside a blown-up poster and stand from Vista Print showed up to see Tony take a
annual holiday Dinner and In- balloon. He then visually removed Poster Photo. break from his instructor’s role at
stallation of Officers was held one card – the selected card – pen- Magic by members: Michael an Illinois college where he’s on
on February 12 at the Playwright etrating the balloon. Bochar presented a work in the theater faculty. Almost before
Pub Restaurant in Hamden, Con- Several routines Dave performed progress, first time performing, we knew it, Tony had everyone
necticut. After a delicious dinner, involved outfitting an assistant His true love, torn and restored mumbling “buh-duh-guh” to
outgoing president Jeff Doskos with appropriate costumes. Mike vintage photo, with a wonderful loosen up our tongues and saying
welcomed members and guests, Gagne played a Dickens character heartfelt story. A great routine. “good morning” to one another
and reviewed the accomplish- to Dave’s Scrooge in a wallet Tony Spiro presented a ballooned with different inflections to
ments of our assembly during and bill trick; Frank Karrass was twist really special three balloons indicate various attitudes.
2013, especially in reaching dressed as a snowman. Dave into a motorcycle. Des surprised The idea was to impress upon us
out to the community. In April, predicted which item of the us with a different way to present the truth of the familiar saying,
several members of Assembly 127 costume would remain after three an ABC effect using three blocks “A magician is merely an actor
did a charity show for “Healing were removed by Frank’s wife, in an antique piece of magic. One playing the part of a magician.”

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 19

Assembly News
So it’s necessary for anyone who effect. online viewing. up as he “scarfed up a trick” with
can do “magic” to be convincing Danny Eisen then asked yours In the open magic portion of our three silks in a tube with a clever
in his onstage role. That means truly to assist with a “Heavy meeting, Scott Berlinger started ending: they came down “Tide.”
having a reason in your mind for Pencil” routine that turned out to off with the Butterfly Effect. Les He then had a spectator slide his
every action. About to do a card be just too cool. Nice job, Danny! the Mentalist did an effect showing business card into a fanned deck
revelation? When you say such a Dan Warnke and Doug Latshaw the different thinking between the to select some cards. The card
simple thing as “Take a card,” you collaborated on a card effect right and left sides of the brain. selected was correctly predicted
should be thinking, “because in a utilizing the 10/20 Force and then Our Rocco went up front with a on a clock printed on his business
minute I’m going to do something Doug explained just how it all hole in his pants that suddenly dis- card. He thee made spots on his
amazing with it.” Noice explained fell in to place. The 10/20 Force, appeared. He followed that with Delben Domino change only to
that there should be real intention with which I was unfamiliar, an image duplication effect and end the “hole” thing in an amusing
behind everything that’s said or turned out to be rather efficient in the Ian Rowland effect, Thetalia. manner..
done. Effective magic requires its workings and very practical. Dean Hank Strasser followed the Walter Webb changed things up
more than merely going through Thanks, Doug. evening’s theme, which is not with a very sweet poem on a Val-
the sequence of moves needed for Harley Salas, one of our guests required during open magic, with entine’s theme he had memorized,
the trick. for the evening, presented several a rope effect. actually the lyrics from a song
If a routine is learned from a variations on the Ambitious from the Broadway musical
DVD, he stressed, the magician Card, went on to present Pulse, Wicked. Visitor Jon Meservy
has to be careful not to lazily start and then came back with another showed his impressive card skills
imitating Bill Malone, say, or Ambitious Card. Can’t wait to sign by performing Clutch by Oz
Tommy Wonder. Learn the moves, him up! The guy’s got talent! Matt Perleman. Steve Dawson vanished
yes; but work out a presentation Musgrave closed out the evening then reproduced a ketchup bottle,
that suits your own personality He with an Out to Lunch variation then another, then a ton of silks,
demonstrated with a performance utilizing his business card and followed by a giant two-foot tall
of Mexican Poker, a ten-card deal then finished with a very clean ketchup bottle.
that’s done by Harry Anderson and Card Penetration. Magical Dave Johnson performed
others. Noice’s version ends with And so the evening ended with an excellent torn and restored
the spectator having his choice of everyone thinking to themselves: newspaper while trying unsuc-
either one of two “Jonah” cards, so “That was a great meeting. Can’t cessfully to teach two spectators
the magician wins in any case. wait till February.” Neither can I! Mitch Geier creating along the way. Theron Christensen
All in all, it was a different and See ya there! —Dean F. Devitt performed a very different cup
thoroughly enjoyable evening – Assembly 172 meets the Reba showed an effect using the and ball routine using only two
and the only thing offered for sale fourth Tuesday of every Five of Hearts as a locator card brass cups, ending with a sponge
was Noice’s forty-five pages of month(except December) to find the selection. She was ball segment.
lecture notes. Since they included at 7:00pm at The Saint Lucie supported by both Les and Keith The very inventive Curtis
detailed explanations of the Lanes on US1 in Port St. Lucie with variations on that presen- Hickman showed his latest
various card and rope effects, they Florida. Contact Dean F. Devitt tation. President Stephan Sloan creation, a version of Out of This
were snapped up at $5 each. at quindar46@yahoo.com or call finished the night with two new World using coins instead of
Before the magic, a quick (772) 332-8412 for more details. effects he had purchased, Voucher cards, aided by a chess-themed
virtually unanimous election and Dean Dill’s Beads. It was a story. Cameron Smith showed
found President Tony Dunn
handing the 2014 gavel to Tom
McVey. —Don Dunn
181
AN EVENING OF
good night with a lot to learn and a
lot of magic to see. Moreover, that
is what assembly meetings are for.
his performance expertise with a
very novel Professor’s Nightmare
routine with many clever new
FMMA Assembly 150 meets at 7 NIGHTMARES Duane Laflin will be lecturing at moves and audience participation.
pm. every 2nd Tuesday at Myerlee our April meeting which will be He really showed a deep under-
Manor on Winkler Rd., Fort HIGHTSTOWN, NJ— Any open to guests. Hope you can be standing of the principles involved.
Naples. Contact Richard Payne professor would have a real there. —David Zboray He then wowed the crowd with his
richardhpayne@aol.com (239) nightmare watching this one. Assembly 181 meets the first amazing fork bending routine.
963-9104 for more details. Mitch Geier starts his routine with Thursday of every month at All in all a great night of magic, and
a large spool of rope and asks a the First United Methodist we hope our very talented visitors

172
HAPPY NEW YEAR
spectator to help him cut three
equal pieces. Between the cutting
and the by-play, Mitch sets himself
Church, 187 Stockton Street,
Hightstown, NJ 08520. Contact
Stephan Sloan lands10@
will return and join our assembly.
—Steve Dawson
Assembly 188 meets the second
up for the Professor’s Nightmare. optonline.net (732) 757-5337 Thursday of each month at
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL — After doing the standard handling www.magicsam181.com/ for more the Courtyard Jamestown,
January for Port St. Lucie’s Donald and a couple of snip snips, Mitch details. 3352 North 100 East in Provo,
E. Lea Assembly 172 started off
with Jack Durjan’s recommenda-
tion that future meetings start off
ends up with three ropes of the
same length, ungimmicked, and
ready to hand out as a souvenir
188
UTAH CLUB SHOWS ITS
Utah. Contact Brian South
brian@teachbymagic.com (801)
916-2442 utahmagicclub.org
with a thirty-minute workshop to the audience. This is the LOVE FOR MAGIC for more details.
starting at 7:00 p.m. We all agree;
it’s a great opportunity to exchange
ideas, work on projects, and a
best version of the Professor’s
Nightmare that I have ever seen.
Our February meeting was
OREM, UT— Our February
theme was “Magic You Love” in
194
A THANK YOU TO OUR
great warm-up for the mayhem dedicated to this effect. Mitch, recognition of Valentine’s Day, MONTHLY HOSTS
that follows (generally referred to who developed his skills from and the love of the art was fully
as “The Business Meeting”). years of performing comedy expressed. YONKERS, NY— Through the
That being said (and “The magic in Las Vegas, did a hands Jason Carling started off the gracious hospitality of the Catholic
Business Meeting” being out of the on, step-by-step workshop on the night with some nice manipulation Slovak Club in Yonkers, New
way) it was time for some magic. Professor’s Nightmare. A room involving flowers, billiard balls, a York, we have free use of their
James Offenhartz, our most recent full of magicians, each with three little juggling, and a silk fountain hall for our monthly meetings. In
inductee into the inner circle, ropes in their hands, followed to dove. In his hands, Tootsie return, we provide a performer for
led off the night’s entertainment along. This particular workshop Pops changed into a Sharpie pen, their Christmas party, their July
with his personalized rendition was videotaped and will be put on a cane changed to silks handker- picnic, and then a show for their
of a classic card effect, Cops and our assembly’s streaming video chiefs, and a large silk and paper adult members once a year. This
Robbers. James followed with library. Our video library is a streamers were produced from was the night (February 19) to do
another card trick, and ended with unique benefit and available to three other handkerchiefs. just that and it was a blast!
a broken and restored toothpick all of our assembly members for Mont Dutson got us all choked Fr. Brennan was the emcee and

20 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Assembly News
opened with his presentation of Wallace. Marc’s promo material still arrived on the right school There by Jamie Dawes. S. told
Metamorpho. Jim Stranges was states that “you have a lecture bus. Marty Bristow next showed a story about finding a strange
the first act and he began with like no other.” Unfortunately, us his card through bill wallet. picture in a home that always
a mental effect with multi-col- that turned out to be too true for We worked on different methods seemed to move. The picture
ored balls. Whichever color the the wrong reasons. His bus trip for making it more deceptive and was torn up and thrown out, but
spectator picked, he was able to from Memphis to Louisville was easier to work. Jerry was back the pieces seemed to come back
match it. He followed with the forty minutes late, the lecture got with a display idea for the Houdini the next day. When the picture
“34” prediction. started half an hour late, and Marc lock puzzles everyone seemed to pieces were put back together, it
The emcee offered with the was scrambling all evening to find have gotten for Christmas then was shown that one of the family
Chinese Sticks. Next up was Frank his props and needed items from showed us a neat effect where members in the picture actually
Reyes with a stage size version his suitcase and duffle bags with Marty’s card became scorched vanished. S. then told the rest of
of Clearly Mental, then brought his back turned to his audience. onto another card, including ac- the story, which explained that the
gasps of wonder when he had two In his own words, he was “dis- companying mysterious smoke. man who was missing actually did
visitors shuffle and cut a set of combobulated.” He did, however, Mike Peterson amused us with a vanish and was never found.
Jumbo split cards resulting in both graciously give free copies of his no-set-up version of the McDonald Joseph Raven is our psychic
people holding matching halves of lecture notes to the thirty-five or Aces with a borrowed deck that detective and showed us a routine
the same card. so members in attendance. went smooth as silk. he calls Restoring Families. It is
Ted Lee is a one-of-a-kind en- As for the lecture itself, Clean-up batter was scribe Al based on a Nick Trost card routine
tertainer who always seems to Marc shared his philosophy of D’Alfonso with his history lesson in which you take about ten cards,
get “lost” while doing an effect, mentalism and performed several on the bullet catch. The serious split them in half, mix them up,
only to conclude with a surprise effects, including the prediction talk concluded with a real demon- and have two spectators remember
ending. So his Five Card Repeat of the weather using the weather- stration with a marshmallow gun a piece. Then miraculously the
with jumbo cards, tossing the map page from USA Today, the shot by Navy Vet Ed McGowan. pieces match.
throw-away cards into a box with prediction on a printed receipt Al caught Ed’s signed marshmal-
three front sides (!), ended with of the cost of an item chosen and low in his mouth to the amusement
not five cards but fifteen cards left, priced by the audience, a version of the crowd. I think its safe to say
all tossed into the box which was of Bank Night using no gimmicks, the I-Hop hasn’t seen that tasty
promptly shown to be empty. Go and a couple of book tests (“the trick before. It’s also safe to say
figure! four-Ace trick of mentalists”). He that time in Central Florida would
Fr. Brennan then shared his closed his lecture by showing the be better with a trip to see the
version of Goshman’s Then There fifteen-minute segment of his wacky wizards of Assembly 266.
Were Four, then introduced our 60 Minutes performance and —Al D’Alfonso
youngest member, “Charlini” interview by Mike Wallace. No Jim Zachary Assembly 266 meets
who opened with the Needle thru one wants to give negative reviews the second Wednesday of the
Balloon, then a glass of water that of lectures; but comments by club month at 7PM at the Lakeland
turned into “Instant Snow,” and members as we left confirmed I-Hop at Rt 98 & I-4 Contact
finally his excellent presentation that this lecture was too long, too Al D’Alfonso keeper0499@
of a signed card that vanishes from rambling, and lacking in much embarqmail.com (321) 4373814 for The Mysterious Odes Odhner
the deck to appear in the perform- magic. Perhaps if Marc had taken more details.
er’s shoe. Charley is a natural and an earlier bus from Memphis, this The final spot on the bill belonged
we enjoy watching him grow.
The show concluded with
Andrew Beiber doing, among
review might have been much
more positive.
Upcoming events include lectures
277
PMMC MEMBERS DIG OUT
to Odes Odhner. Odes has been
going back through the original
Tarbell series for work on a
others, a brilliant book test by Bruce Amato on March 18th and FROM UNDER SNOW TO current project. In the first volume
followed by his timed straitjacket Eric Roumestan on March 31st. ATTEND MEETING! of Tarbell, lesson 15, page 297 is
escape done to music with a count- —Roger L. Omanson the Torn and Restored Chinese
down conclusion. And he made it! Assembly 215 meets at 7:00 p.m. STROUDSBURG, PA— The Papers, or the Chinese Laundry
The members of both the on various dates, but usually PMMC met again after everyone Ticket. Odes wove a story about
assembly and the host club agreed the first Tuesday of each month, dug out after the big snowstorms a man who was contemplating
that it was of our best shows ever at the Kosair Community that hit the northeast. We started selling his soul to the devil by
and well deserved by our hosts. Center on Eastern Parkway. our meeting with some clever signing the contract. He thought
—Fr. Dermot Brennan Contact Roger L. Omanson close-up performances, and then better of it, tore up the paper, and
Assembly 194 meets on the rlomanson@gmail.com (502) some business, which included threw it out. The mans son, eager
third Wednesday of each month 296-6577 www.lmcmagic.com for plans for our next telethon to show his dad that he learned
(except July and August) at more details. spotlight, and upcoming lectures to write his name in school, in-
7:30 PM at the Slovak Catholic
Club on Lockwood Avenue,
Yonkers, NY. Contact Fr. Dermot
266
MAGICAL TREATS
and conventions. “Torn And
Restored” was tonight’s theme.
Jimmy Pagan was our first
nocently took the paper out of the
trash, unrolled it, which magically
was restored, and wrote his name
Brennan mbrdermot@aol.com performer and it was great to see on the contract with disastrous
(718) 601-1030 for more details. LAKELAND, FL— Even him back. First Jimmy showed us results. —S. Patrick

215
MARC SALEM
though a bad storm threatened the
area, the Lakeland wizards were
out in force for another night of
his sponge ball routine, then he
performed his Split Two dollar
Bill effect, in which a two-dollar
The PMMC, Assembly 277,
meet every third Friday at the
“Art Space Gallery” at 18 N. 7th
LECTURE magic. President Jerry Kardos put bill becomes two one-dollar bills, St. Stroudsburg PA. 18360. We
us through our meeting with his and then back. He then did a bit of also hold a workshop meeting on
LOUISVILLE, KY— The usual efficiency. We discussed the Mentalism with El Numero. the first Monday of each month.
Louisville Magic Club met on Masters of Illusion show coming Jordan Benoit was up next and Visit - www.pmmc.webs.com for
February 18 for Marc Salem’s to town next week in addition to took us through his Aero Dynamic all the details. Contact S. Patrick
lecture “Why I Don’t Lecture to lecture options before starting the and Multiplying Sponge Balls. damagician@verizon.net (570)
Magicians and Mentalists.” Marc magic. This is Jordan’s own take on the 242-6821 www.pmmc.webs.com
is an award-winning mentalist Our “snowbird” member Larry sponge balls with a clever clown for more details.
who has performed on Broadway, Rose started us off with his nose bit at the end of the routine.
at the Sidney opera house, and
other places around the world.
The TV show 60 Minutes did a
magical wallet that changed from
ones, fives, tens, twenties, and
fifties with a flick of the wrist. He
Great job!
S. Patrick did his thing next and
showed us one of his creations,
291
FIX A TRICK
segment on him in 2008 in which then showed us a cute card effect Safety Dominoes. S. then switched
he nearly made a believer of Mike in which kids were mixed up yet gears and performed He’s Not LOS ANGELES, CA— In

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 21

Assembly News
February we had a wonderful tronics theme by using a phone Teagan Brown opened, perform-
turnout for our Anniversary. to call a prediction line. For ing three effects from Ellusionist:
Attending the meeting were further predictions, Rual read the Loyal (signed) Coin Vanish,
members from the UCLA Magic the mind of Emma (SYM), by and two ring routines by Justin
Club and some of our S.Y.M giving us predictions of her past, Miller, Divorce and Lightspeed.
members. The night began with present, and future. Mike from Paul Noffsinger gave a fascinating
a warm and heartfelt speech by UCLA Magic Club was reading presentation. He cut to the Aces,
our founder and secretary Les, ex- the minds of Emma and Roy. For a and then explained how. The long
pressing warm sentiments towards change of pace, Christopher, with side of each Ace had been subtly
the entire assembly and the people Dan’s assistance performed his shaved and was located by his
who make it happen, especially own rendition of You Do as I Do. thumbnail. He passed around his
with all the strength, love and After, Emma of SYM performed deck with its four almost-invisible
support from his wonderful wife the Color Block Escape. And the examples of the precision work his Gary Hickox (left) burns
Doris. night concluded with Bill per- new card cutter could do. Brian Teagan Brown’s ring effect
We started our night with cel- forming with his mystical ropes. Hallisey did an impactful card taught very well his combination
ebrating and announcing that —William Dow Jr. routine (Wayne Dobson’s Devas- of the Free Will billet effect and a
Satori of S.Y.M was accepted into Assembly 291 meets on the tation deck and wallet). Tim Pen- European Prediction Book. Then
the McBride School of Magic on a second Tuesday of the month dergast recommended both Joshua he exhibited the breath-taking
partial scholarship. To help make at the OPICA Adult Day Care Jay’s Magic: the Complete Course Tora Arm Chopper. Gary Hickox
the magic happen we were proud Facility, 11759 Missouri Ave., and the versatile iForce app for did a nifty Penetrating Straws.
to award him with a little magic of Los Angeles, CA 90025, on the smart phones. Jim Pope presented Alex Acosta closed with the
our own to make this dream come south side of the park. Please enter two effects, a napkin penetration, transposition wallet he uses in
true. Congratulations Satori! We through the patio area on the north and a nicely done Three Way Test presenting his stunning business
then went full steam ahead with side of the building. Contact Les one-ahead prediction effect from cards, which he designed
“Fix a Trick.” Everyone who Cooper Cooperl@ucla.edu (310) Mark Wilson’s Complete Book of himself. They are full color on a
performed was given gentle, but 473-1820 www.westsidewizards. Magic. black field, and with his tuxedo
helpful input on how to perfect his org for more details. In a change of pace, Ron Dutton jacket (over blue jeans) outlined
or her future performances. The enthusiastically recommended the in white to separate his image
first to perform was Sam from the
UCLA Magic Club. He showed
us his needle swallowing dem-
292
IMPRESSIVE IMPROMPTU
quality and wide range of prices
on the brand-new Haversat &
Ewing Gallerie magic auctions.
from the background. They
picture him in front of flames, in
dynamic, highly dramatic action.
onstration. So unless you know He described the two principals —Ron Dutton
how to do this, do not try this GREELEY, CO— During a and his recent experience buying The Dr. Ronald P. Dutton
at home! This set the stage and brief February business meeting from their inaugural auction. Assembly 292 usually meets
made everyone else step up their over lunch, three future meeting Jaret Anderson performed a at Kenny’s Steak House, 3502
bar. Next, Randall, also from the dates were changed: to April 19 card-reversed-in-deck effect. West 10th Street (corner of 35th
UCLA Magic Club, performed the for a lecture by Mark Strivings, to James Lopez contributed two Avenue) at 11:00 A.M. (lunch
thread through the needle. June 7, and to October 18. Under routines, a mathematical number optional), on the second Saturday
After all our needle tricks, we “Shows,” Lloyd Worley reported prediction revealed on Teagan of the month. Contact Jim Pope
were entertained by mentalism. being booked to give a library Brown’s cell phone, and a skillful jlp1616@comcast.net (970)
Our former president Frank did show. performance of an impromptu 339-3277 www.SAM292.com for
card predictions on his magical The program theme was broadly Coins Across. Lew “The Great more details. 
tablet. Phil expanded on the elec- defined “Impromptu Magic.” Loudini” Wymisner presented and

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. magicforfun60@aol.com
Roger Barr Bob King Nahmen Nissen Matt Savin
883 B Leverpool Circle, 304 Suburban Court, PO Box 1856 P.O. Box 7693
Manchester, NJ 08759 Rochester, NY 14620 Colfax, CA 95713-1856 Alhambra, CA 91802-7533

Daniel Cudennec Stanley R. Kramien Allen Okawa Sybill Simons

“Dany Trick” 11205 SW Summerfield Dr. 2101 Nuuanu Ave., Tower 1, 65 West 95 St. Apt 3A
225, Stang-ar-Veil- Apt 161 #2203 New York, NY 10025
d’an-Traon, Mellac-29300, Tigard, OR 97224-3391 Honolulu, HI 96817
Quimperle, France Mario Susi
Richard Laneau David Oliver 6 Bristol Rd.
Dan A. Dorsey 4020 55th St. N. 141 Audaubon Rd. #201 W. Peabody, MA 01960
98 Woodvalley Dr. St. Petersburg, FL 33709 Weymouth, MA 02188
Fayetteville, GA 30215 Jack White
George Gilbert Lott Larry Poague 4288 Arguello St.
Joseph H. (Ben) Grant 1725 Great Hill Rd. 34221 West 90 Circle San Diego, CA 92103
400 Commonwealth Ave, Unit 9 Guilford, CT 06437 Desota, KS 66108
Warwick, RI 02886 Jim Zachary
Frank J. McNaughton, Sr Jim Relyea 2801 South Creek Drive
Charlie Gross 1926 Apple Street, 241 W. Lakeshore Mulberry, FL 33860
16745 Gertrude Street, Williamsport, PA 17701 Rockaway, NJ 07866
Omaha, NE 60136-3023
James J. Morrisey Harry Riser
Roy Horn 24 Grove St. 11755 N. Michigan Rd #313
c/o Siegfried & Roy Wayland, MA 01788 Zionsville, IN 46077
1639 N Valley Drive,
Las Vegas, NV 89108 Anthony Murphy Pat Ryan
11 Angel Rd., 43 Fairbanks Rd.
North Reading, MA 01864 Churchville, NY 14428

22 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Broken Wands

GEORGES G. WEILL, PHD

In 1960 Georges immigrated to the United

States, where he received a doctorate in
mathematics from UCLA. He spent his pro-
fessional life in academia, doing research at
Harvard and Yale. He then spent thirty-five
years teaching at NYU Polytechnic, where he
was named Professor Emeritus.
Throughout all his academic work, his per-
formances of magic as “Magic Michael Edson”
kept him active on the New York magic scene,
where he attended all the magic clubs and
lectures.
He was a mild mannered, soft spoken
gentleman, who retained his French accent.
Parent Assembly 1 mourns the passing Georges loved to cook and was adventurous;
of Georges Weill, who was a fifty-six-year he collected DVDs and books on card magic.
member of the Society. Georges was born He died peacefully at his home in Roosevelt
in Strasburg, France, on April 9, 1926. He Island. A broken wand service was performed
received a degree in engineering from Ecole by MI David Adamovich at a memorial service
Polytechnique and later received his PhD in in February.
physics from Universite de Paris in 1955. –George Schindler

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 23

 by David Seebach

Fire! Fire!
more than a few youngsters worried that a person really had been
burned up before their eyes. Perhaps it taught some not to play
with matches.
The subject of this month’s column is not a recommended ac- This effect was used at every one of my university magic shows
quisition for the novice illusionist…or for just about any other il- in the 1970s and it caused a bit of a stir one year. A new assistant in
lusionist, either. It’s not the danger element. It’s more the practical the show was aghast at the first dress rehearsal when we actually
element, as you will understand as you read. lit the fire. She hadn’t comprehended what we were staging. She
Way back in 1970 when I was building up my repertoire of stage voiced her deep feelings at the post-rehearsal meeting. Nobody
illusions, it seemed only natural (!) that I would want a cremation supported her opinion and she became very angry, quitting on the
effect. Abbott’s Magic, in Colon, Michigan, was constructing spot, and stalking off without even removing her costume!
most of my props in those days, and their catalog had featured the She then went on a campaign to warn the public about the
item for decades, boasting they could supply the apparatus “just content of my show; our major daily newspaper called to interview
as Percy did for the Harry Thurston show!” (Remember that in the me. I explained I was doing nothing new; this was the illusion’s
1920s Howard Thurston was a more famous magician than Harry sixth consecutive year in the show. The campus newspaper also
Houdini. Howard’s brother, Harry, however, did not have the same followed up on her tirade.
performing skills of his brother, but he had that magic Thurston I learned a lesson: That was the first year that all our perfor-
name.) From vintage photos, it appears to me that spook show mances sold out. To this day I’ve looked for another gimmick to
performer Bill Neff used the Abbott model, too. stir up a “tempest-in-a-teapot” controversy about my show.
I saved and then sent $525 to Abbott’s for the illusion, request- A local casket company gave me four real coffin handles and
ing only that it be made long enough to accommodate the rather we added them to the Abbott prop. They added dimension and
tall assistant I had at the time. Borrowing my dad’s station wagon looked better than the stenciled suggestions.
some weeks later, I made the 250-mile (one way) drive to Colon As you might imagine, all that burning was hard on the prop.
to pick it up. Periodically the skull would explode, I assume from air expanding
It was a regular “black beauty,” a lacquered plywood box on in its sealed interior. I would call Recil Bordner at Abbott’s and
silver pipe legs with the indication of coffin handles stenciled on have them construct another “fireproof” skull for $25. And I had
its sides. It came with a fireproof skeleton, constructed – mostly no case for it. So by late 1977 I realized that this should be one of
– out of durable asbestos with a skull fashioned from the life-size the illusions that should be replaced with something a little more
plastic kit that has been a hobby shop staple for decades. A little deluxe.
pan between the skeleton’s legs was for a mysterious powder I contacted California’s Owen Magic Supreme and placed an
Abbott’s called “Red Fire.” When ignited it burned like a highway order for their version that they called Burning Alive – Cremation.
flare and, I suspect, that’s exactly what it was, a ground-up flare. It represented a $4,000 investment for me plus the cost of a sturdy
The hinged sides and ends came off, the skeleton on its panel ATA case and air freight.
could be inverted for packing, and, of course, the pipe legs could The unit I received was very similar to the Abbott model. The
be unscrewed. The lid had one-inch holes for smoke and flames to prop, though, was not painted. It was stained a rich color and had a
escape and there were multiple vertical slits on the long sides that nicely curved coffin-like top. That extra space in the lid concealed
would “glow” from the inferno within. the Owen-supplied skeleton (another asbestos and rope-asbestos
In addition to the “Red Fire,” we cut up old mattress pads sculpture), which allowed the openings on the long sides to be
and dipped them in something flammable (gasoline back then!), large ovals. The spectators could now see the victim sliding into
wrung them out, and then placed them about the skeleton. No one the casket. There was a sliding panel arrangement that masked
has ever doubted the reality of fire when I have presented this act. the drop of the girl and the lowering of the skeleton. We no longer
I’ve always employed plenty of flames. used “Red Fire.” Our fuel was now Coleman Lantern Fuel. It was

A Game of Categories
more deceptive than my previous version and it looked really
“classy.”
This illusion, with nicely designed wooden legs, comes apart
efficiently and quickly and packs into a single ATA case. I’d guess
If a Crystal Casket is a production and a Sword Box is a mu- the total weight to be about 200 pounds. I approached a local un-
tilation and an Aga is a levitation and a Mascot Moth is a disap- dertaker and bought a heavy vinyl, zippered, “body bag” from
pearance, what is Burned Alive? It’s a vanishing act, but you’d be him for the skeleton. I do not recall what that item cost, but I do
better off with a DeKolta Chair or a Phantom Cage if you need remember him asking me whether I wanted a new or used bag. I
someone to disappear. I learned early on that audience members chose new. He might have been pulling my leg.
expected the assistant to somehow reappear un-scorched, similar We all know now that asbestos is not exactly “user friendly.”
to appearing back in one piece after a Sawing illusion. If you un- However, the skeleton gets blackened pretty quickly from the
derstand the working of the cremation act, you already know that flames; we have repainted ours dozens of times with cans of cheap
she cannot pop up out of the casket. You have to strike the illusion spray paint. I’m convinced that those nasty particles of asbestos
for her to get out. have been thoroughly sealed in layers of enamel.
I liked the fact that she was gone. I usually put this at the end And, of course, this is not an illusion we use very often.
of a show (lots of leftover smoke you know) and then it was easy It’s a natural for Halloween shows, if you have a venue with a
not to see that assistant again. This did bother some folks; I recall curtain or a means of rolling the flaming illusion out of view to

24 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

retrieve the assistant. The fire, although intense, only burns for
seconds since the scraps of soaked mattress padding are quickly
consumed; when they’re gone, there’s nothing left to burn. The
person who prepares this illusion must squeeze the pads out so
that there are no little streams or trails of flammable liquid. Es-
sentially we have about a half-dozen “wicks.”
Owen’s Alan Zagorsky still offers this prop, but it now looks
even more like an actual coffin. He has made it so no real fire
is used. You’ve no doubt seen the torches that are a bit of wispy
fabric, a couple of focused colored lights, and a fan. They look
great, but I do like the act of having an actual flaming torch to
ignite the coffin’s interior with flames leaping up. For a torch I
bought a juggler’s prop designed for fire. Burning Alive - 2003
In the 1980s when I performed twice-nightly shows at Mil-
waukee’s Summerfest, I featured my Burning Alive – Cremation burning padding. Drop them in a bucket. Always wash the interior
at the end of the late show, which began at either 9:00 or 10:00 of the illusion before packing it up. Paint the skeleton with flat
p.m. It was like a sideshow “blow off” feature. I issued a warning white paint and use some flat black on the skull’s eye sockets and
that it “wasn’t for everybody.” They had already seen my full nostrils.

A Funny Failure
show. Sometimes I’d see parents gather up youngsters and hustle
them away, but most everybody remained. At the moment I lit the
torch (with the assistant already inside the illusion), all the stage
lighting would be turned off. These were outdoor shows so it was
always dark. We were on a stage without curtains. Everything was Back in about 1983 I was asked to appear in a New York City
masonry and cement. We had no fire worries. fashion show for the hair industry. They demanded this illusion
The only illumination now was from the fire of the act. It was and wanted it performed with one of their hair models. The show
dramatic and sensational. was at a big Manhattan hotel in their ballroom; there were TV
After the sides fell away and the audience saw the assistant’s cameras everywhere and lots of special effects. The model for the
supposed remains, we left the stage. Through an offstage micro- illusion was quite afraid of the fire element. I had arrived in the
phone I thanked everyone and then suggested they “take one last Big Apple with my male assistant, none other than Brett Daniels.
look at the best barbecued ribs at Summerfest.” At that point we We set up the gear and walked the model, the producer, and the
played Roy Rogers singing “Happy Trails.” director through it. Everything seemed fine. They did my hair,
Michigan’s outré magician, Bob Kramer, was famous for this too, and applied ghastly makeup to me. This was going to be
act. He had a fancy prop that employed a very deceptive base and some sort of “Bride of the Devil” scene. Guess who I played! I
he did the cremation everywhere. It must have been his signature remember walking out of the hotel on Broadway before showtime
effect. From time to time I’d be employed for a function that he’d with this gruesome countenance. But, it was New York; nobody
previously appeared at. “Are you doing that fire trick?” I was noticed me.
always asked. As we neared the time for the sequence, they carpeted the stage
But, times have changed. I don’t think audiences have with fog and we rolled the “gassed up” illusion to its position.
turned on this illusion, but few venues will permit a cigarette Then all the lights went out due to some power failure in the
or a candle, much less a flaming coffin. We have never had a ballroom. We were told to “freeze in place.” It took many minutes
mishap, but you cannot forget that it’s a real fire and – for at least to get rolling again with the lights back on. The model implored
thirty to forty seconds – there’s a lot of it! me to keep talking to her (I had no lines and wasn’t miked). I did,
I have performed it with two assistants, one who gets in and softly saying, “Everything’s alright. You’re safe. Don’t worry.”
the other who helps stage everything, but I prefer two outside The problem was that l-o-n-g wait. All the fuel had evaporated
assistants plus the “victim.” For years it was always at the end of away and some of the CO2 fog had gotten into the illusion as well.
the show, but we changed things at Halloween and put it in the When I lit the torch it sputtered a bit, but not much of anything
opening sequence. It was effective in the opening and allowed ignited inside the illusion. I finally dropped the torch in so there’d
me a very good laugh line. As the curtain fell, I spoke for the first be some fire. I recall Brett and I quickly packed up, found some
time. “What were you expecting, a happy ending?” Popeye’s chicken, and left Manhattan the same night, motoring
Of course, you should have a fire extinguisher handy. We’ve back to Wisconsin.
never had to use one. No one has ever suffered a burn, although This column won’t be useful to many readers, but I hope it
I’ve lost some hair on my hands and arms and suffered a singed offers an interesting lesson. It’s a sensational illusion that folks do
eyebrow from the initial explosive eruption when I place the torch talk about. I don’t think they figure it out. They’re stunned when
into the enclosed prop where volatile fumes had been accumulat- she’s gone and doesn’t show back up.
ing. If you’d like to add your own opinion, or memories of seeing
When the curtain comes down, or the prop is rolled off to an someone perform this, I’d be delighted to hear from you. 
out-of-sight area, the tray on which the skeleton lies is lifted up
and set down so the assistant can be helped out. And, you should David A Seebach
help her since it’s very likely she would grab onto the prop to get www.davidseebach.com
up and much of it will have a sooty residue. A pair of pliers, or david@davidseebach.com
tongs, will be all that you need to lift up any remaining bits of

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 25

 I Left My Cards at Home
By Steve Marshall
tronic ones), trying to figure out ways that
he can modify them to make them into a
magic trick. One of his best selling items, a Photo 1
toy police car with flashing lights and loud
siren sounds that go off when it is rolled
over a selected playing card, started out in
FUKAI a toy store; after Fukai’s modifications, it
became a product for magic shops.
Fukai is also well known for being one
half of the award-winning magic team of
“Fukai and Kimika.” Fukai and his lovely
wife Kimika have presented their amazing
parasol act around the world. They won
second place in general magic at FISM
Photo 2
in Madrid, Spain, in 1985, and have also
appeared on numerous television shows,
including the famous Paul Daniels Magic
Show in England. At this time the London
Photo credit: Sandy Chang Times praised Fukai and Kimika as “an
original magician who has never been seen
His full name is Hiromasa Fukai, before.” so the edges will stick out a bit. Photo 1
but most magicians know him simply as Today Fukai has his own studio in shows the “Z” fold and Photo 2 shows how
“Fukai,” the happy-go-lucky Japanese Osaka where he teaches young, up-and- the edge sticks out, about the width of the
magician who is well known at magic coming magicians and designs and creates border. (If you flip the bill over, the edge
conventions and gatherings around the his own original magic products. He is on the other side should stick out about the
world. Whether performing, lecturing, or also well known these days as an advisor same width.)
demonstrating his original effects behind for magic conventions and shows around Now the bill will be “Z” folded once
his dealer’s table, he exudes his brand of Asia. He is also a sought-after judge and again from top to bottom in the same
“happy magic” to all. advisor for the larger magic competitions. fashion so that the top and bottom portions
Originally from Osaka, Japan, Fukai’s As I write this Fukai is in China are slightly longer than the center portion
love for magic began when he was just working on some new products. Fukai (Photo 3). If you pick up the bill and
eight years old and his uncle made one shows no signs of slowing down; he will examine it in this folded condition, you
of his school pencils disappear. When his continue to spread his brand of “happy will discover that it is very easy to find the
uncle wouldn’t tell him where the pencil magic” around the world for many years top two corners of the bill; if you pull them
went, young Fukai decided to be patient to come. outwards at the same time, the bill will
and wait until he saw his uncle take off his completely pop open.
jacket. As soon as the coast was clear he CASH CALL
went and looked inside the jacket and dis- BY FUKAI
covered an elastic pull with a clip to hold
a pencil. “I made my own gimmick, put This is a fun and novel way to show
it in my Japanese school uniform jacket, both of your hands empty and then produce
and wore it to school the next day. I made several pieces of paper money instantly
a pencil vanish and the kids exclaimed, without the use of any gimmicks.
‘Wow, Fukai.’ It gave me a good feeling.” To do the routine that follows you will
Photo 3
The amazing thing about Fukai is need three pieces of paper currency that
that he still has the curiosity that he had are about the same size; one piece should
as an eight-year-old boy. Whenever I am be from a different country than the
in Osaka, I love hanging out and going other two. I will use a one-thousand yen Now place the two twenty-dollar bills
shopping with him. Although we have (Japanese) bill and two twenty-dollar (US) together and fold them, as one, into the
never been into a proper magic shop bills. same style packet.
together he makes every shop seem Begin with the single, odd bill and fold Place the two packets into your right
like it has the potential to be a magic it into a “Z” shape. Don’t do it proportion- hand in finger palm position, with the
shop – especially a toy store, where he is ately; you want the two outer sections to single folded bill on top and the doubly-
constantly picking up toys (he loves elec- be slightly longer than the middle section folded bills underneath (Photo 4).

26 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Photo 4

Photo 11
Photo 7
Bring your hands up with their backs
toward the audience as you say, “I find it
very interesting that in different countries you get the money!” As you say these
and in different cultures around the world, words, point your fingertips towards the
there are different hand gestures to convey audience, separating them a bit at the base
the meaning for money.” of the palms. Insert your thumbs into your
Bring the left hand up to your left side, hands so that you can peel the single bill
palm towards the audience; at the same out (Photo 8). Find the corners and pop it
time bring your right hand up and place open on the word “money.” (Photo 9 shows
Photo 12
the right fingertips (being careful not your view with the doubly-folded bills
to flash the bills) behind your left hand. back in right finger palm position.) Drop
Touch the palm of your left hand with your the bill onto the table.
right thumb (Photo 5). Say, “In Africa, wherever you need it.” Open the double
the thumb scratches the palm of the hand bill as one and say, “And as much as you
to signify money.” (Suit actions to words need!” As you say this last line, slide the
here and move your thumb back and forth Photo 8 second bill up from behind the front one
across your palm.) with your thumbs, showing you have just
“In Hong Kong, it is done like this.” doubled your money! (Photos 10-12 show
Bring both of your hands out in front of this last sequence.)
you as in Photo 6 and run your thumbs Note, when Fukai does this routine, he
uses two fifty-dollar bills at the end. When
he first opens the two fifties as one he says,
“In America I can even get a hundred
Photo 5 bucks!” When someone points out that it’s
only a fifty, he spreads the two bills apart
Photo 9 and says, “No, it’s a hundred!” (This is a
very nice finale for the routine but, unfor-
tunately, I could only find the two twenties
here in Japan to take the photos!)

STEVE’S STUFF
I think that a lot of people will find uses
back and forth across the tops of your fin- for the way the money is folded, making it
gertips. “In Japan the hands are placed You can now bring your hands back easy to open quickly. You could even start
together like this.” Bring both your hands together and bring the second packet into with a single “play-money” bill and then
up with the palms pressed together as in position as you say, “The great thing produce two real bills, or just use it as a
Photo 7. about knowing these international hand means to produce a few bills, rapidly, one
“But the most important thing is that gestures is that you can get money at a time. The thing I like most about this
routine is the very logical way (demon-
strating the hand gestures for money) that
you are able to ostensibly show both hands
empty without calling attention to the fact
that you are doing so. Also, since there
are no gimmicks involved, it lends itself
greatly to impromptu performances. Have
fun playing around with this one! 

Photo 6 Photo 10

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 27

 The Dotted Line
By Don Theo III

as you ask them questions that you know nice, but it would look so much better if
they will answer “yes” to makes it easier that spectator was a little more to the right
for them to give you that final yes at the and the other spectator was just a little
end. Swinging your head back and forth more center stage.”
in a “no” motion doesn’t just cut down In addition to scripting and our own
THE EYES OF on the “yes” momentum you hope to personal stage movements, little things
MARCH create, it also causes you to miss out on like proper stage placements of our new
the non-verbal facial expressions that your friends can transform a cute routine into
Blocking. That’s a word and idea that two prospective clients could be making a miracle.
we don’t often see in effect tutorials, yet it outside of your field of vision. You may I would like to offer some simple
can be vital to making a mediocre routine totally miss an eye roll or a smile, or even stage blocking nomenclature that I hope
into a memorable miracle. a thumbs-up gesture. will be of benefit to you whether you are
Blocking is not just a football With all of this in mind, blocking should performing a Cards Across routine for
procedure, it is also a theatrical term. It not be ignored as an important element your host and hostess or meeting with a
basically means where you stand and at in both theatre and sales. Therefore, as C.E.O. and event organizer while offering
what time you and your fellow actors stand mystery artists who deal with an art that your services for their upcoming holiday
or move during a performance. rests so much of its power on misdirection, party.
Many stage actors will not really learn blocking should be a vital part of our
their lines until they have gone through process of creating effects. Stage Left: A common stage direction
the blocking rehearsals, during which the In a theatre production, one character is is for the performer to “cross stage left.”
director tells them to “cross stage left” or told to go one way and stand somewhere, This simply means that wherever you are
to “cheat to center.” These moments of while another character stays put. Maybe a on stage, you walk to your left. “Extreme
movement during a scene make it much third character goes from standing in front stage left” would be the very left edge of
easier for the actors to learn the lines of a chair to sitting down upon it. Blocking the performance space.
because they have tangible “anchors” isn’t just about moving across the stage.
spread about the stage. For example, they It can also be about different levels while Stage Right: The same thing but in the
know that they need to say the line about standing in the same spot. Maybe an actor opposite direction.
Aunt Molly while they are walking toward will be asked to stand straight up out of his
the fireplace. or her chair at a moment in the script. A Upstage: This refers to the back of the
Blocking is also very important in sales blocking direction could also be something stage, or towards the back curtain.
situations. Let’s pretend you are attempting as simple as leaning over a table with the
to sell a home security system to a young palms placed openly upon it. Downstage: Again, this is the opposite
couple. You are in their home after doing As mystery artists, we are usually direction, so you would move towards the
an evaluation or estimate; when it is time blocking for one. That is to say, in scripting audience, or toward the front of the stage,
to seal the deal all three of you gather and and blocking, we only really consider close to the audience.
sit at the circular dining room table. where we are going to cross the stage, or
Here at the dining room table is where turn to the right, or gesture, or point to a Here is some fun trivia that will help
you are going to make the offer and (you prop or area of focus. you to remember Upstage/Downstage.
hope) win the sale. As a wise salesperson, Most magic and mentalism perfor- The theater stages in the beginning of the
you will have them sitting side by side with mances involve having volunteers or twentieth century were “raked,” meaning
you across the table. spectators from the audience join the they sloped downwards from the back
Many tableside sales have been lost performer on stage. The participants’ stage of the stage to the front. This gave the
because the two spouses are seated across movements should be an important part of audience a better view of the entire stage.
from each other with the salesperson the performer’s blocking, because with And as great of an idea as it was, the older
inadvertently becoming the apex of the appropriate instruction and management, or more portly the performer was the more
triangle. This creates the unfortunate they can become ersatz actors following difficult it became to saunter nonchalantly
“Ping Pong Scenario,” which means that your stage direction in real time, thereby around on what could be used these days as
while the salesperson is trying to maintain creating the stage picture that best delivers a skateboard ramp. In fact, the idea of the
eye contact with both people, he is moving the final moment and message of your raked stage totally killed that wonderful
his head in a “no” direction. effect. underground play Granny’s Special
One of the first lessons in sales is to We have all seen a stage or parlor effect Chair and the Lovely Family of Legless
build a “yes” momentum. Shaking your performed by one of our fellow brethren Chipmunks.
head in the up and down “yes” movement during which we thought, “Ah, that was Somewhere along the way, some

28 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

brilliant stage architect came up with the you. The good news is that this effect is something, put it in your pocket, and
idea of raking the audience members’ powerful, because it builds on something then, after a few seconds of hemming
seats and leaving the stage flat. And there your guests already believe in before you and hawing, a performer duplicates your
you have the origin of stadium seating. have even introduced it to them. The bad drawing, are you going to think it was a
(My friend Mick Ayres told me that card news is, you won’t be able to do it at every psychic experience? Maybe, but most
magicians will often “rake the table” by booking – but you will be glad to have it in likely you will think that in some way
using a couple of books to raise the back your arsenal. This is ideal for private house the performer was able to see what you
legs a little; this allows the audience to parties or for when an acquaintance asks drew. However, if there is this big, wide
easily identify cards lying flat on the you to do something. presentational chasm that involves a cat
surface.) Gathered around with a gaggle of placed in isolation, then the heat is drawn
While the terms I’ve included are attentive companions, the conversation away from the procedure.
quite rudimentary, one can probably sense lends itself to the powerful psychic There are many great impression
that they can provide the performer with abilities shared between pets and devices that can be used. Likewise, many
pretty specific movement architecture. An their owners. While talking about the other “peek” methods can be employed.
example would be “The actor says x line connection between pets and their owners, Personally, I choose to use an impression
and then crosses up stage left.” Set pieces you hand a pen and pad to the owner of device because I never make physical
and design can offer additional assistance an animal. I find this works best with contact with the original drawing. My
to make the movements more precise. cats and cat owners. Ask her to think of favorite device is John Riggs’s Beautiful
For instance, after a particular moment, something she can draw that might have Butterfly Notepad, which is an innocuous
a performer is directed to “cross up stage some significance to “Millie” (which, for memo pad. When handled well, it escapes
left to the bookshelf.” explanation purposes, is the name of the any notion of suspicion.
There are legions of books on the helper’s cat). There are several DIY impression
subject of stagecraft and books on such a The pet owner is asked to make the devices out there that you can find. The
subject should be an important part of any drawing so that nobody else can see the main thing to keep in mind is that it should
performer’s library—especially if you are image, and then to crumple it up before in no way look like a prop. So don’t pull
directing yourself or if you are blocking an placing it in a pocket on her person. it out of a velour bag or have it bedazzled
intimate performance. It is clear that there is no way anybody with plastic store gems.
There are a two other pieces of blocking but the original artist can know what has The rest, as they say, is acting – and
verbiage to briefly mention. These are not been drawn. The pet owner/artist is asked blocking.
used much in modern theatre, but will to take the feline into a separate room,
come in handy with what we do. unfurl the pocketed paper, and show it to NINJA TIPS
Millie, making sure she gets a good five
House Left: Think of it this way, it’s to seconds of eye contact with the image. This is a great example of using your
the left from the audience’s point of view While she is doing so, you tell a couple spectators as willing actors who adhere to
(and thus is the same as Stage Right). of quick stories about dogs, parrots, and your stage direction. You have Millie and
such to the rest of those assembled. It’s the artist exit stage left. You remain with the
House Right: To the right from the a great idea to ask those around you to rest of the spectators in the audience. This
audience’s point of view. tell a story of their own pet/owner eerie is a good time to engage them by asking
experiences. Trust me; if they have a pet, them to tell about strange experiences they
It’s rare for theatre actors to concern then they have a story. have had with their pets. If they are not too
themselves with “house” directions After a few minutes, Millie and the talkative, you will find a good resource for
because they normally remain on stage, human reenter the room. Ask the owner material at the end of this article. Either
well in defense of the fourth wall. However, to hold Millie up so that you can make way, you have plenty of time, thanks to
as variety performers, we often do find eye contact with her. After about fifteen your blocking, to take another piece of
ourselves offstage and among the audience seconds (seen the Notes at the end of this paper from the pad while getting the peek
members, so these terms are worth noting. write-up) of pure silence, you pick up a you need to complete the effect. This is
This information applies to all in piece of paper and draw an image, which where personal blocking comes into play.
this business; the performer who stands you then fold or crumple up and set aside. No need to rush it. (Remember, you are the
beside a restaurant table has to block his The pet owner is asked to bring her director.)
movements, even though his feet remain drawing out of her pocket and open it up. To add a level of intrigue and mystery
stationary. A good knowledge of tradi- Your own drawing is opened up by one to the routine, before Millie is sent off with
tional stage direction vocabulary serves as of the other spectators; they are shown to her keeper, it’s fun to ask questions that
an effective shorthand when blocking out match perfectly. make it seem as though you are doing a
performances. First, a brief method description, then a psychological reading on the feline before
Now let us put this information to use. little bit of extra ninja work. sending it away. Fun questions I like to use
The method employs the use of an are: “Is Millie active or is she more laid
CAT’S EYE impression device. back? Does she prefer chicken or tuna?
Put yourself in the shoes of a willing When was the last time she dismissed a
I have both good and bad news for participant or volunteer. If you draw male suitor? How old is she? How long

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 29

The Dotted Line
has she had insomnia?” You can play these should not try it.) a good ninety seconds staring into the cat’s
questions seriously or for comic relief, Obviously, you do not have to use a eyes after asking for silence from everyone
based on your character and the venue. cat. I’ve used iguanas, dogs, goldfish, and present. This is a moment worth building.
Here’s something that a mentor of an ex-wife. Another thing I’ve been doing They are thinking, “There is no way he is
mine brought to my attention. The pen lately is asking the artist/pet owner to hold actually doing this.”
that you use for the drawings can be one the animal up to a mirror and show it the And then you do.
of the common disposable ballpoint/biro mirror image. Of course when I do this, I If you are looking for some strong
pens. It’s an easy thing to keep the cap draw a reverse of the image for the reveal. evidentiary anecdotes to push the
(with a little bit of loose catnip within it) Whether or not you ever use Cat’s Eye conversation along, there are some very
on the non-writing end. Upon leaving as originally conceived, I hope this helps intriguing pet-psychic anecdotes within
the engagement, find an opportunity to to give you inspiration in how blocking, the works of Rupert Sheldrake, especially
uncap the top and sprinkle the catnip into whether traditional or tangential, can his book Dogs That Know When Their
a corner. Well after your departure, you help to add countless levels to your next Owners are Coming Home. This book
may get a phone call asking what you did experience in performance. is a treasure trove of short case studies
to their previously calm kitty cat. (Based of animals that seem to have exhibited
on personal experience, this works about Notes: One last thing, for the brave. psychic experiences between themselves
three times out of five, so you probably Before even picking up a pen, I often spend and their owners. 

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Newsworthy Updates From Our
S.A.M. Members

North Atlantic accomplishing something really great.

Award of Excellence The New York City premiere on March 21, 2014 at the
Presented to Compeer Alan Gene Frankel Theatre was sold out through Kickstarter;
“Ace” Greenberg two additional shows were added on March 22, 2014.
To learn more about the book and the show go to
www.exposedandfearless.com.

On February 11, 2014, distinguished compeer Alan

“Ace” Greenberg was presented with the North Atlantic
Region Award of Excellence by RVP Eric DeCamps. Photo Credit: Mr. D Photography/Krest Winchester
The award was given in grateful appreciation of his
forty-three years of service to The Society of American
Magicians, his advancement of the Art of Magic
for his twenty years of publishing the most highly
respected books in the field that document for future
generations the work of many of magic’s greatest
artists, and for his innumerable philanthropic
endeavors.
Congratulations to Alan “Ace” Greenberg for
exemplifying the S.A.M. mission statement and spirit.

Exposed & Fearless

PNP Vinny Grosso previewed his new show Exposed

& Fearless in Saratoga, New York, on March 3, 2014.
The show is based on his book project of the same name
that he successfully launched through Kickstarter.com.
Exposed & Fearless offers a different slant on a magic
performance. The routines are based on friends of
Vinny who really do some amazing things – not “tricks”
at all. The show also explores common fears and how
they can be used to motivate rather than deter from
APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 31
 Hit The Road
With Scott Alex ander, Puck,
Jenny Alex ander, and Adam Ace
this had happened and (having learned marketed it as Super Fly.
from my experience with Norwegian in With a linen table napkin, a twisted wire
Hawaii) I had the jump on putting together coat hanger, and a giant ball of aluminum
a guerrilla magic show. I’ll tell you what I foil I was able to construct a rather nice
did so if you find yourself in this situation Zombie ball. Since I had my music tracks
DISAPPEARING on the road, maybe you can use these ideas with me, I could do my Zombie routine. A
LUGGAGE for yourself. trip to the coffee shop was able to provide
me with two glasses that I modified with
This has probably happened to every THE SCAVENGER HUNT a pair of scissors borrowed from the front
performer who travels by air. You get desk. With the soundtrack I had and
off the plane and head down to baggage My hunting and foraging began. The these cups I was able to perform my Shoe
claim. All the passengers on your flight first priority was to get my hands on a few Business routine.
get their bags except for you. Your bag is decks of cards. If all else failed, I knew I Thanks to Bob Cassidy’s Memorized
lost somewhere in the land of misplaced could do forty-five minutes with a deck of Deck routine, I was able to play a really
luggage. Your show is in eight hours and cards. If I used varied tricks like Six Card big stand-up mentalism memory experi-
you have no props. What are you going to Repeat, Cards Across, Torn and Restored ment segment with cards. This type of
do now? Card, card in mouth, multiple selection, trick with its build and pacing always gets
There have been two times in my and Ambitious Card, it would at least be a a good reaction and made a nice closer to
career when I have arrived at my destina- decent show. But this was a big stage with the show.
tion and my show equipment did not. The a thousand people; since I’m not Ricky Jay,
first time this happened to me was when I an “all card show” would probably have PUTTING IT OUT THERE
was working for Norwegian Cruise Lines played flat. I began to think about what
in Hawaii. I got to the ship and, although really entertaining routines I had in my I figured I might as well tell the truth
my clothes bag had arrived, my show repertoire that I could construct “on the and get a little automatic sympathy from
stuff did not. It was one of my first times fly” with things I found in my surround- the audience. I walked out on stage and
working for this particular cruise line and ings. proceeded to tell them that my stuff had
I wanted to make a good impression, so I A trip to the medical center got me not arrived and that I couldn’t do any
was in a panic. Luckily, my clothes arrived some flesh-colored medical tape where, magic for them. They laughed and thought
so I didn’t have to worry about that part. when combined with some heavy duty I was kidding. I had to work to convince
I just had to come up with a show – but aluminum foil from the ship’s galley, made them that this wasn’t a set up. I then pulled
not just a show, an entertaining and varied for a rather crude but effective thumb tip out three oranges and said, “Instead of
forty-five-minute performance that would for the Cigarette in Coat Routine. A rubber magic, I’ll be doing some juggling.” I
leave a good impression. On cruise ships, glove served as a rubber cover for my glass proceeded to juggle the three oranges and
you live or die by the passenger comment production I do at the end of the routine. I said, “Let’s just try some magic with things
cards. So I had to deliver a good show. pull a full glass of water out of the sleeve, I can borrow from you guys.” I was off and
The second time it happened was in which makes a nice finish to the Cigarette running. I borrowed a jacket, a shoe, and
Italy. Jenny and I went to do a show on in Coat. some money; it looked like this was the
Princess Cruise Lines and none of our The onboard liquor store was able to way the show was supposed to go. They
checked baggage showed up. We waited at loan me a Crown Royal Bag, the front desk thought it was all part of the act. I couldn’t
the airport for our bags to come in until we gave me some envelopes, and the ship's believe how much reaction I was getting
could wait no longer and finally had to go galley produced a lemon and a table knife, with hardly any props at all. And at the end
to the ship. We were in Livorno, Italy, with so I was able to do the Steve Spill version of the show I received a standing ovation.
no clothes but the ones on our backs, and of the Bill in Lemon combined with I learned a valuable lesson out of these
no props to do a show. The next day we Seabrooke’s Bank Night. This became the two experiences. Always bring a change
had to search around the small Italian town heart of the show, because I knew I could of clothes and toiletries in your carry-on
where we ported to find clothes to wear. get a lot of time out of the comedy byplay baggage, and even though you may not be
This was not an easy task since European with the spectator. This Bill in Lemon able to carry all your props for your show
sizes are much different than US sizes. We bit eventually evolved into my Final Cut on the plane in the main cabin, you should
grabbed the essentials. I bought a black routine. carry some things with you that you can
jacket, dress shoes, a little black dress I also used the envelopes from the front use to bust out a forty-five-minute show if
for Jenny and the necessary toiletries and desk and two souvenir decks of playing need be. This is why I now carry what I
make-up to clean ourselves up and get us cards to construct a version of Zen’s Cards call my “emergency show kit.” Check out
“stage ready.” I wasn’t as freaked out about Across. This routine became a regular next month’s column to find out what’s in
the act because this was the second time part of my show and a few years later I it. 

32 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 For Your Consider ation
By George Parker

happen. Even before we allow ourselves to Find a way to prototype your own future
envision what we truly want to happen, we into your present life.
start to worry about what we would need to
make it come true. We start to get worked 4) Learn. What worked? What didn’t?
up about a lack of knowledge, skills, or Did the action change your vision?
TheSurvivalVersion® talent. Or we’re afraid that we may not have Start planning the next action including
the funds, time, or energy to achieve our everything you learned.
A Concept for Your goals. All of these things are only a means
Magic (Part 1) to an end. TheSurvivalVersion stimulates Two Examples
you to focus on the end result and act on
[This column is an adaptation of my essay it instantly without worrying about the Example 1: Suppose you crave for
about TheSurvivalVersion® that appeared ideal conditions. It combines two powerful a vacation. Start imagining the ideal
as chapter 16 of Gift Magic: Performances creative principles: vacation. Maybe you imagine going to
that Leave People with a Souvenir, edited Urgency is the mother of all invention. Barbados. You see yourself having great
by Lawrence Hass, Theory and Art of Limitation is the mother of all dinners, meeting interesting people, having
Magic Press, 2010, pages 135-141.] inventiveness. a couple of days at the beach, reading a
TheSurvivalVersion forces you to stick good book, keeping your own schedule.
Introduction to your essential vision and make it come Once you have done that, look at these
true using what’s already there. Here are pictures in your mind and ask yourself:
I am lazy. I like to binge watch the steps you take: What cannot be omitted? What elements
my favorite TV shows with a nice cup do I really need to be there for it to be the
of hot tea and cookies. That’s highly 1) Vision. Imagine having a hundred ideal vacation? Maybe you feel that having
inconvenient, since I also have a strong billion dollars, or living in a world where time on your hands is essential, and also
desire to perform at a high level. And money is no issue whatsoever. Or imagine reading a good book. Maybe you think that
that’s not going to happen without turning walking through a magical garden where wearing khaki shorts will add substantially
the TV off and taking action. I know I’m every fantasy immediately materializes. to your overall experience. Now create
not the only one who suffers from this type Then create what I’ve started to call “a a SurvivalVersion of that vacation. Plan
of procrastination. In the early ‘90s, this valuable memory of your own future.” This a day and a night off, and if you cannot
really started to bother me and I developed means that you fantasize about a moment do that, plan half a day and a night. Put
a strategy that helped me to overcome my in time in the future for which you truly on your shorts, pick up a good book, and
laziness. I called it TheSurvivalVersion. long, for something that you really want turn off your cell phone, computer, and
It will help you to dream as if anything to happen. Create a vivid picture in your anything else that could possibly interfere
is possible, which will get you highly mind. If you don’t feel an inner urgency, with your free space.
excited. You won’t compromise that vision adapt your vision. Delete anything you This may very well satisfy you. Your
by dialing it down. Instead, you will retain don’t want to be part of it. Add anything vision of spending a whole vacation may
the essence and become highly inventive that makes it more interesting and exciting. have just symbolized your need for some
in order to execute an essential version time off. Or maybe it’s just a pre-phase
of your ultimate vision with whatever is 2) Essence. In your mind, distill the of really spending a couple of weeks in
available to you now. essential ingredients in this movie or Barbados.
I will first explain the general idea. picture. What aspects must be present?
After that I will go into applying the What properties cannot be omitted? These Example 2: Someone told me, “I want
strategy to magic. Next month, in part two, essentials can be material in nature such as to spend more time with my kids.” I said,
I will offer you a description and some a specific object, a color, or a shape. But “Pretend you have a zillion dollars. What
illustrations of my SurvivalVersion of the also think of other kinds of properties such would you love to do with them?” After a
Torn and Restored Card plot. as a certain atmosphere, a specific person, while he said, “I would like to spend one
an emotion, or anything you feel cannot be night in the Sahara with them. I did it once.
The Concept left out. Limit it to five or seven items or Spectacular.”
you will lose focus. I asked, “What is essential in this
Many people don’t dare to dream up image?” He said, “My kids need to be
their lives, and so they cannot live their 3) Action – TheSurvivalVersion. Create there; the sand and the starry night; our
dreams. I’m not talking about huge dreams, a micro-version of this vision in your actual family atmosphere of playfulness. Oh, and
like putting a man on Saturn or anything life. Include all of the ingredients that you a few minutes of deep silence. I remember
like that. I’m talking about events you discovered in Step 2. Try not to spend that being very impressive.”
wholeheartedly want to happen in your life. money. Try to do it immediately. Look Now he needed to create a
We often shut down the process of freely around you and force yourself to use what SurvivalVersion keeping these elements
fantasizing about what we would love to see is already there. Be inventive. Improvise. in place, so I asked him, “What could

34 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

you do over the next few days?” He reactive mind generates ideas about the is essential will develop. When I came
answered, “Well, I suppose I could go to future based on past and current reality. up with my first theater show, The Fifth
the beach.” I started to limit him, “But A creative mind generates ideas based on Element, the effects, props, music, and
what if I wouldn’t allow you to leave your what it wants to be real. And it trusts that lighting were not essential. However, the
house?” “I could do something around the those very visions will start a learning non-linear structure was, as well as the
sandbox.” I pushed him even further, “And process that will make those visions come goal that it would be a one-man show. In
what if you had to create this experience in true. Both types of awareness look at the another project I’m currently developing,
your house?” He paused and then said, “I same world but have a completely different the challenge is to use one deck of cards;
could pick up some sand at Home Depot, experience of it. every effect should have a different
put up the Christmas lights, and create the In a reactive state of mind you will premise and use the cards in a different
right atmosphere for the kids.” always need compromises because you way; and I shall use progressively fewer
I told him, “Don’t think this is too are very attached to current reality. But cards.
weird. You will have achieved your initial in a creative state of mind you will keep Here is a list of some considerations that
goal in a very memorable way. And you inventing new realities, including rein- may help you determine what is essential:
can always decide to take it to the next venting yourself, until it coincides with
level. Or use this technique to actually do your vision. • the way it affects the audience (emotion-
something fun with your kids regularly.” TheSurvivalVersion of something, of ally, mentally, physically)
course, finds its roots in the creative state • a specific prop or quality of a prop
Discussion of mind. (weight, size, shape, etc.)
• the number of people for whom you
A SurvivalVersion may seem trivial at Applying should be able to perform it
first view. “I’m not going to pretend I’m TheSurvivalVersion to • a method you really want to use
in the Sahara while I’m in my sandbox. Your Magic • sound and music
How childish!” Or, “I really need my • a stage picture
vacation and I’m not going to take a day I first published TheSurvivalVersion • a certain category of effects (produc-
off and pretend I’m in Barbados!” You concept in my Big Book of Creativity tions, vanishes, transformations, etc.).
must understand that TheSurvivalVersion (published by Archipel, 2004); it is also You can use the works of Sam Sharpe or
allows you to think big and take action discussed in The Creation Game (2008), a Dariel Fitzkee as guides.
without compromising your vision. It helps card game I created to help people shape • a specific story you want to tell
you to get real with what you truly desire. their lives in the way they want. But I’ve
That usually generates much more energy been applying it to my magic from the very 3) Action – TheSurvivalVersion. Focus
than sitting around whining about what beginning. Here is the application: on the essential aspects of your vision
you can’t do. and create something you can do/perform
1) Vision. Visualize the ideal routine or within twenty-four hours. For The Fifth
Creation and Reaction show for you. Imagine what kind of magic Element I did a card routine that followed
you would perform if there were no limits, the non-linear structure I had envisioned.
To clarify this just a bit more, consider no technical problems, and no budget Further, I used a bunch of effects from
the difference between a reactive state limitations. This doesn’t mean to imagine my existing repertoire, but I disrupted
of mind and a creative state of mind. yourself as a real magician; I suppose you their previous structure. And for the
“Reaction” and “Creation” have the exact could go for that kind of a grand fantasy, “all card” show, I created a short routine
same letters. But the slight difference but for me, that’s not much of a creative including several different premises with
in the order of the letters amounts to an trigger. Instead, I try to think smaller and cards. When you are stuck and start to
enormous difference in how we live and more specific; for example, I want to mess rethink the whole thing, be aware that this
act. with the minds of my audience in a playful is an often-used and well-camouflaged
For example, a reactive sailor will first way. Or I want to create a suspenseful act, procrastination strategy. It appears you
listen to the weather forecast; then based or do a hilarious routine and juxtapose it are moving forward but most of the time
upon what he hears he will then determine with a creepy one. Or I want to invent a you are not. Doing is a great way of
his goals. But a creative sailor will envision David Lynch kind of storyline. Visualize thinking. Once you have created your first
his goal first, then listen to the weather whatever you like, but keep fantasizing SurvivalVersion you’ll see why.
forecast because it will provide him with until you are truly excited about it. It can
information he needs to determine his be a routine, a whole show, a single effect, 4) Learn. You will get reactions and
strategy. an outfit, a prop, or a method. new thoughts based on Step 3. Use this
In a reactive state of mind we look at feedback and everything you learned
the world as a collection of unchangeable 2) Essence. Just as a true alchemist, to take your act closer to your vision. If
facts that have to be coped with as they distill the essential ingredients. What is everything went well, rehearse your act
come. But in a creative state of mind we essential in this routine, effect, or show until it overlaps with your vision. If there
see the world as the ever-transforming that you have envisioned? This is not an were parts that didn’t work out as you
result of our individual and collective easy question to answer. The nature of hoped, refine or redefine your vision. Or
ideas and actions. the essential ingredients may vary. And refine/redefine your next action.
A reactive mind looks at one’s life and there will be a different set of essentials Next month I will describe an illustrated
perceives facts. A creative mind looks in every project. Also, after having done SurvivalVersion of the Torn and Restored
at one’s life and sees possibilities. A a SurvivalVersion, your idea of what Card. 

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 35

 CHRISTOPHER CARTER
Messes with Your Mind
By Christian Painter

A
few years back, my wife and I were sitting in a hip, The show was a whirlwind of impressive feats. Throughout
stylish theater in Chicago, waiting for the show to the show he used the posters as a road map as he explained the
begin. The show was produced by and starred Chicago history of mentalism. His command of the stage and his well
mentalist Christopher Carter. The stage was filled placed humorous quips endeared him to the audience. As the
with a sprinkling of interesting props; posters of show progressed, something went awry. A spectator, an elderly
various mentalists through the ages were hung behind, man, seemed unsure of the card he selected. Christopher tried
like a backdrop to the show. Christopher entered the to salvage the man’s memory, but to no avail. Would this piece
performing area and orchestrated a fast-paced, multi-phased end in failure?
mind reading revelation that used various people from the Christopher smiled and reached inside his jacket and pulled
audience. At its conclusion, he held the audience in the palm out a stack of envelopes. Assuring the man and the audience
of his hand. that reading minds is not an exact science, he continued to

36 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

work with the befuddled gentleman. Christopher kept the me. I enjoyed being a graduate student, and my grades were
moment light; if he was feeling any pressure it never showed good, but my heart just wasn’t in it. I began developing my
on his face. He joked with the man; unexpectedly, what looked close-up magic and my stage show. My close-up repertoire
like failure ended with booming applause – a demonstration of was primarily card magic. During this period I developed
a professional at work. and published a routine called Cold Fusion, which became the
The show concluded with a skillful blindfold act. Christo- inspiration for Doc Eason’s The Anniversary Waltz. My stage
pher stood in the middle of the stage; a strong beam of light show, however, was a mix of magic, mentalism, and hypnosis.
from above encircled his body. He eyes had been covered with “In 1990, weeks after finishing my course work for my
silver dollars, tape, and a blindfold. His fingers crunched up doctorate, my wife and I packed up and moved to Chicago. I
paper and his mind probed the thoughts of the audience. My had no intention of finishing my dissertation. My only intent
wife and I could hear the audible gasps from the people around was to go into magic.
us as he revealed their hidden secrets. At the show we attended
the audience gave him a standing ovation. But that was not the
end.
Afterwards, Christopher had a question-and-answer session
with the audience. More than half of the crowd stayed for the
intriguing after-show. Christopher explained to the audience
that his interest in all things mind reading came from his youth
and watching his uncle playing cards:
“I would stay up late to watch my uncle play poker; to put
it bluntly, he stunk! When he tried to bluff he would become
extremely nervous and twist his wedding band. When I
returned home, I described this to my mother. She, a therapist,
explained that what I was seeing was ‘body language’ at work,
and she gave me some books on the subject. Here was born
my lifelong interest in psychology and human behavior, which
later led to an interest in hypnosis, and eventually my interest
in mentalism.”
People peppered Christopher with all kinds of questions
and he expertly answered each one without committing to any
false notions; yet, he kept alive the mystery of what he just ac-
complished. It was very enjoyable to watch. At the time, my
wife and I did not know Christopher personally, so we simply
left without talking with him. However, we fully enjoyed the
show.
A couple of years later, while working the college market,
we did get to meet and become friends with this dynamic
performer, mainly because he is a juggernaut in the college
entertainment field. He has won numerous awards in his field
and is considered one of the busiest acts in the college market.
He logs in over one hundred and fifty shows a year just in the
colleges alone. This does not include his corporate, speaking,
and theater engagements. However, how this all began might
surprise you.
“Like nearly everybody of my generation, my interest in “At first I performed close-up in restaurants and did my
magic was sparked by a TV Magic Set that came as a birthday mentalism show for social events, primarily sweet sixteen
gift around the age of ten,” he recalled. “I was hooked. My parties and bar mitzvahs. This went on for three years, by
major passion as a teen was sleight of hand. I took the Chavez which point it had become clear to me that I much preferred
course via correspondence and also was passionate about stage performance to close-up; I made the decision to move
close-up card magic. When I was in seventh grade my parents into mentalism and hypnosis exclusively.
took me to see The Amazing Kreskin. He lived up to his billing, “At first, succeeding as a mentalist was extremely difficult.
but I didn’t think about mentalism for a long time after that. I did reasonably well with social events, but was too young to
My primary influence in the field of mentalism was Glenn be taken seriously as a corporate performer. So I put my greater
Falkenstein, whose blindfold act inspired me to develop my emphasis on the hypnosis show, and I kept very busy in the fair
own. and festival market. But my passion was mentalism; in 1994,
“Certain that I wanted to become a professional magician, I I made the decision to try to break into the college campus
took a double major in theater and business in college. Near the market.”
end of my senior year, however, I started to have cold feet about This career move was about to change his life. Christopher
going pro, so I applied for a PhD program in Theater History struggled the first year. Going it alone and booking your own
and Criticism, a track that would eventually lead to teaching shows is difficult work, especially at a young age. During his
theater at the university level. I spent the next four years second year working the college market he was picked up by a
pretending to be a scholar. small agency. This helped him get more traction in the market.
“It became clear early on that academia wasn’t the life for He was also was starting to get noticed by other colleges and

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 37

other agencies. In his third year, he caught the eye of a major “What I have learned from the diversity of performing situ-
agency. Under the larger agency he began to move at light ations is to be flexible. I have staged my show so that I can do
speed. He went from doing thirty shows a year to over one it surrounded if necessary, and one-handed if I need to use a
hundred and fifty shows a year. handheld mic with no stand. I have also learned to stage my
College campuses are a niche market, much like cruises. show so that I can expand to fill almost any available space.
The people who specialize in them tend to be not very well “Flexibility is important for another reason. College shows
known to the rest of the magic world. Added to this is the fact are mostly booked and planned by a committee of students.
that Christopher was simply too busy during those years to Not being professionals, they can easily be overwhelmed when
participate in any fraternal organizations; as far as magicians an act has a lot of technical requirements. My approach has
were concerned, he had dropped off the radar. been to keep things as simple as possible and to always make
However, he didn’t fall off the radar of the entertainment sure they understand that I can work with whatever they have.
world. In 1999 and 2000 he made a series of appearances on “As far as making a mentalism show play for a large audience,
daytime television shows, including The Martin Short Show there isn’t only one secret. Many years ago, a friend told me
and five appearances on the syndicated Donny and Marie that the problem with mentalism is that there isn’t anything to
Show. He also began to be nominated yearly for awards within look at. Around this same time, Jerry Seinfeld was selling out
the campus market. Over the next several years, he received the huge theaters with his standup comedy performances. I recall
Campus Activities Award for Entertainer of the Year, Best Male thinking, ‘I bet Seinfeld’s audiences don’t complain that the
Artist, Best Performing Artist, and Best Novelty Artist. Some problem with standup comedy is that there’s nothing to look at.’
of these he received multiple times. In the campus market, each So, while spectacle can be nice, the notion that you require it to
campus rates the artists who have performed. Christopher has play to a large audience is just silly.
been consistently ranked among the top five novelty acts for “What you need, above all, is clarity. The audience has to
eighteen years. be able to understand exactly what is happening, even if they
For those unfamiliar with the college market, or for can’t see it. I try to write my script as if I’m writing for radio.
performers who want to break into that market, the impression My goal is to have every audience member be able to follow
may be that it is all glamour and spotlights. I asked Christopher the effects, even if their eyes are closed. I want them to be able
to discuss the realities of this career choice. “Many performers to see the show in their mind. This means that the effects must
who think about getting into the college market imagine it to be be simple and direct, and that the language must be precise.
a glamorous field, where every night they will be performing It’s important to be both seen and heard, but if it came down
in a beautiful theater,” he replied. “That does happen – to a choice between the two, it’s more important for me to be
occasionally. Most of the time, the venue will be a ballroom heard.”
within the student union. Sometimes the venue will be a Because of his vast experience with the college market,
cafeteria or a gymnasium. Sometimes the audience will be in I wondered if Christopher had any insights about college
front of you, but sometimes you may be nearly surrounded. students as an audience. “One of the great pleasures of
performing for students is that, unlike audiences at corporate
events, they are at your show because they want to be there,” he
replied. “One of the great challenges, though, is that they have
a shorter attention span than older audiences. As a result, my
show has become faster-paced than most mentalism shows. I
also tend to be lighter and funnier than most mentalists. I’m not
a comedian, but I’m far from a mysterious or serious presence
onstage.
“College students seem to have a built-in ability to sense
pretense. If they think you are trying to be somebody you
are not, or trying to act like one of them, they’ll turn on you.
Because of this, I never use any stock lines or material, and I
make it clear that I understand, like, and respect young people,
but I don’t try to be one of them.
“In creating college shows, I find that I can be a lot more
theatrical than I can for corporate shows. College students are
willing to go on whatever journey I feel like taking them on.
Also, the humor can be a lot edgier for a college crowd than for
a corporate group.
“On the other hand, college students seem to be almost
incapable of appreciating more subtle material. It’s common,
for example, for a mentalist to deliberately ‘get close’ rather
than dead on when revealing a thought. Supposedly this makes
you more believable. I find that it works for corporate groups,
but many times college students simply think you got it wrong.
“However, the single biggest challenge in working for
college students is creating an authentic performing persona.
If your character is at all phony, if it looks to them like you’re

38 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Christopher Carter
on Stage Mentalism
and the College Market
All good mentalism is character based, so under-
standing your character is by far the most important
thing in creating a stage mentalism show. Since the
best characters are simply extensions of the perform-
er’s authentic personality, establishing your character
means understanding yourself, which is probably the
most difficult thing of all to accomplish.
trying to be something you’re not, they’ll rebel. In particular, Obviously, anyone planning on performing pro-
if you’re an older performer, you can’t act as if you’re trying fessionally should have a good grounding in the
to be one of the students. You can’t use their slang, or dress in classic mentalism texts, which including Annemann’s
their style of clothes. At the same time, they have to believe Practical Mental Effects, Corinda’s Thirteen Steps
that you understand and respect their culture.” to Mentalism, Bascom Jones’s Magick, Bruce Bern-
As with any working pro, along with finesse and polish stein’s Unreal, and Bob Cassidy’s Art of Mentalism.
that are acquired there are also stories from the trenches. I Competition in the college market is ferocious,
asked Chris if he had any particular favorites. “The craziest but that’s probably true for every market. What
things that have happened to me onstage revolve around the makes the college market unique, in my experience,
mind reading segment of my act. People secretly write down is that the buyers have seen all your competitors.
personal details about their lives and I figure out what they’re The members of the student activities committees
thinking of. This is a classic mentalism effect, but I have a go to conferences where they watch scores of acts
unique spin on it. Anyhow, it always amazes me how personal showcase. As a result, they know the key material in
people are willing to get with their information. I know it’s almost everybody’s show. To succeed, you have to
because they don’t think I’m going to figure it out. One time I offer something they haven’t seen before. You can’t
accidentally exposed that a guy was cheating on his girlfriend. go in with stock material and patter and expect to get
I didn’t mean to, but it ended up with both women aware of his anywhere.
cheating and the guy running out of the room. I have three suggestions. First, study what
“There have also been some rather touching experiences. material your competition is using, and then use
I once had a guy use my mindreading act as an opportunity anything but those routines. I wish I had done that
to propose to his girlfriend. He had written down, ‘I’m going earlier in my career; things would have progressed
to propose.’ Without going into detail about how I knew that much faster. Second, see your primary job as being
(I have my own methods for this), I responded by having him the personal entertainer for the committee that hires
stand up and turn to his girlfriend. I said to her, ‘I can tell you you. If they like you, they’ll have you back. Third, be
two have a really close relationship. He has something really so easy to work with they wouldn’t think of hiring
important he wants to say to you right now.’ Happily, she said anybody else.
yes.” As far as marketing your show, the best marketing
After two decades of dominating the college market, is always word of mouth. Luckily, student activities
Christopher is ready to branch out, from performing to advisors talk to each other frequently about who
speaking. “I developed a lecture program for college campuses they’ve had on campus and who was good; if you
called ‘Student Body Language.’ In the wired world that consistently get great reviews, the word will spread.
young people inhabit, nonverbal communication skills are Beyond that, attending conferences is the most
becoming increasing difficult to acquire. My program effective form of promotion. There are two major as-
exposes college students to the importance of nonverbal sociations in the campus market: NACA and APCA.
communication and teaches them how to use body language Both of these associations hold a series of conferenc-
to achieve success in their academic and social lives. My es during which student activities committees can
speaking engagements now account for around a fifth of my watch acts showcase; they can also meet the acts in a
presentations.” tradeshow environment.
Christopher Carter is a thinker. I’ve had many fascinating Having a good agent is also very important. It’s
conversations with Christopher over the years, ranging from extremely difficult to both tour and do the hard work
character development, show structure, billet work, to the best of selling yourself. I’ve been with one of the top
vacation spots, best whiskey or scotch, and the best movies to agencies in the business for most of my career.
watch. You can bet that he will always have an angle that you You should be aware that the conferences have
didn’t think about, which is why I wanted him to take over the a real meat-market atmosphere. Word of mouth and
mentalism column in M-U-M. It took some arm twisting, but I my agents’ marketing efforts have meant that I don’t
think you will enjoy the many years of his experience and the have to go to the conferences very often. I’ve been
clarity of his thinking.  very lucky in that regard. 

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 39

 From the Carter Repertoire
simple! Having asked her to concentrate something, just off the top of your head,
GeoPsycho on the image she has touched, I repeat the
procedure, this time forcing the triangle.
you might come up with something like a
smiley face or a stick figure. But you’ve
I first published this in the Linking Ring An important point is that I don’t just created an image based on random associ-
in 1993, although I had been doing it for show the images to the one person who ation, so there’s nothing psychological or
quite a few years before that. The effect is touches the business cards; I actually show predictable about it.” And then I silently
a design duplication in which nothing is them to the portion of the audience in laugh my ass off!
ever drawn. Instead, the design is merely the general vicinity of my helper. Having That’s the nuts and bolts of it, next
thought of. At its core is an elaborate done so, I say to the group, “You’re con- come the variations.
psychological force that occurs over two centrating on some random shapes. Can Variation 1: In one-on-one situations,
stages, resulting in a drawing so detailed any of you put them together so they make I will often hand a spectator a small pad,
that the psychological methods behind its a picture of something? Something rec- have her hold it toward herself, and ask
force are well hidden. ognizable!” Inevitably the first person to her to draw a simple geometric shape.
One virtue of this force is that it is, for nod will have created a picture of a house. If by pencil reading I see she has drawn
all intents, foolproof. It has never failed Usually it isn’t necessary to even say a square, I ask her to make another. This
me in performance, and I have used it “something recognizable.” Just look for time if I see she has drawn a triangle, I
thousands of times. Consequently, it can be the first person to respond without hesita- will continue with the GeoPsycho force.
effective both in real-time or as a pre-show tion. That’s the house! Otherwise, I’ll just reveal her shapes.
tool. I’ll describe its use in real-time. I have the person who has responded Variation 2: I draw the shapes with
I take a small stack of business cards stand up, and I ask her to look at me and marker on an 8½ by 11 piece of paper, and
(roughly twenty-five) and draw geometric imagine that there is a huge piece of paper then I fold each sheet into fourths. I place
shapes on them. I use as many different suspended in midair between the two of the square and the triangle in one side of
shapes as I can think of, including paral- us. She is to mentally draw her picture, a clear plastic change bag, and all the rest
lelograms, hexagons, rectangles, conic just as if she were a five year old making of the geometric shapes (drawn on similar-
sections, parabolas, and some I don’t even a drawing for her mommy’s refrigerator. sized paper) in the other side. I bring two
know the names of. Most important, I But, I tell her, add detail! Flesh it out. Add people onstage, explaining that each of
draw a square on one card and an equilat- whatever detail is necessary to make it a the sheets has a different geometric shape
eral triangle (with sides of the same length whole scene in her imagination. Picking drawn on it, and the audience will decide,
as the sides of the square) on another. I up a dry-erase board, I watch her eyes and via process of elimination, which they get.
then stack the cards with the square on top, begin to draw, describing at the same time Going through the audience, I ask people to
the triangle beneath, and all the rest below what I am drawing. First, I draw a horizon- remove sheets, ensuring that they all take
that. I should also mention that I draw all tal line across the bottom (this will eventu- from the side of the bag that doesn’t have
the cards by hand, very roughly. I don’t ally be the ground). Then I draw the peak the square or triangle. Going back up on
like them to look pre-printed. of the roof. Next, I draw a path leading up stage, I have my two helpers each take one
Pulling out the stack, I approach part the house, and then windows and a door. for him/herself, which of course will mean
of the audience and demonstrate that I’ve (With these, I say, “What are these, eyes? that they end up with the square and the
drawn every geometric shape I could No, I know what they are.”) Then I say, triangle. I tell the audience to open their
think of on the back of my business cards. “I see a sort of fluid shape off to the side. sheets and show them around, explain-
Spreading the cards, I ask an audience What’s this? A tree?” and “What’s this on ing that they have a random assortment of
member to touch one. I break the stack at top? Wispy. Is that smoke?” shapes. Turning my back, I ask the onstage
that location and allow her to peek at, and As I said, I am describing elements helpers to show theirs to the audience,
concentrate on, the image she selected. of the drawing as I make it, and as I look asking the audience to make a picture by
In reality, I have forced the image of the into the helper’s eyes, but I don’t show the combining the two shapes. From here I
square via an “under the spread” force. drawing to the audience yet. While all this continue to do the GeoPsycho force, and
For those not familiar with card sleights, it is happening, I am getting constant confir- I end by revealing my “divination” of the
goes like this: As I spread the cards from mation from the helper. Finally, I ask her picture the entire audience is thinking of.
my left hand to my right, I start by dealing to describe to the audience the drawing Variation 3: From a stack, I hand a blank
off the top card (the square). The next card she’s made in her mind, using as much business card to an onstage helper, asking
goes on top of it, but separated a little detail as possible. Usually she will say, “I her to make a drawing. The remaining
bit. All the remaining cards are spread drew a house, with two windows, a door, cards are set for GeoPsycho, so I go into
beneath this second card, in such a way a walkway up to the front, and a chimney the audience and do the force on another
that the square remains beneath the spread. on top.” She will almost always forget to helper. Returning to the stage (with the
When a card in the spread is touched, it is mention the tree. At this point I will say, stack in hand) I take out my Sight Unseen
a simple matter to break the stack at that “But you really were thinking of more than Case and I return the helper’s card (with
point, and square all the cards in the right that, weren’t you? Off to the side, didn’t you the drawing face down, of course) into the
hand, allowing the square to remain under- picture a tree?” She will say yes, at which case. In reality, I am holding the case on top
neath the entire stock. Then I lift the cards point I turn the drawing around, showing of the GeoPsycho stack and I secretly steal
in the right hand face on to the audience, that it matches her description perfectly. the helper’s card back out onto the top of
showing the square. If this doesn’t make A final note is that, when I have the GeoPsycho stack. I place a rubber band
sense, just ask somebody who does card her stand up and picture her drawing, I around the case and ask her to hold it up
tricks to show you the force. It’s really will often state, “If I asked you to draw to the light to verify that it is quite impos-

40 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

sible to see through the case. While she is the mentalist secretly touches two of the illusion is convincing, and it appears to the
doing this, my left hand (which is upstage volunteers on the shoulder. Once their audience that that person has been desig-
at this point and is holding the cards) drops eyes are closed, the mentalist moves to nated “number one.”
to my side; I secretly flip the top card face volunteer number one and quite visibly The mentalist immediately turns toward
up. As I go to my breast pocket to get taps him on the shoulder, saying “The the person in position two. This brings the
some markers I peek at this card. I leave person I touched, you are number one.” mentalist’s right hand, now hanging by his
the cards in the pocket and bring out the The language he uses is ambiguous, side, directly behind the man in position
markers. Handing her a drawing pad and causing not only the person who is being number one. With his left hand, he bluff-
a marker, we stand back to back and do a openly tapped to believe he has been des- taps the man in position two, but this time
standard drawing dupe. I then turn to the ignated number one, but also the other two he also uses his right hand to secretly touch
person in the audience who is thinking of volunteers, who were secretly tapped, to the man in position one. The wording this
the house and duplicate her “thought-of” believe the same thing. second time is a bit different from the first.
drawing as well. Luke’s effect is quite lovely, and (more He says, “The person I am touching now,
Sometimes (more often than you might important for my purposes) it suggested the you will be number two. Remember that.
expect) the two people will come up with possibility of mislabeling each volunteer And this is your job: When I say ‘go’ you
the same drawings. This is a gift, because so that each one believed he had been are to place both hands over your ears.
it can be built up to incredible effect. assigned a number different from what the For now, picture yourself doing this. See it
audience believes he was assigned. vividly in your mind.”
Three Monkeys Working: The three chairs should be
placed no more than about six inches apart.
From here the mentalist moves in the
direction of position three and repeats the
Effect: Three audience members are As the volunteers are seated, the mentalist identical bluff-tap procedure, but this time
recruited and seated in chairs. They are stands before them holding up his hand. secretly tapping the man in position two.
asked to close their eyes. The mentalist “Focus your eyes on the tip of my finger,” The mentalist states, “The person I am
taps each man on the head and gives each he says. “Take in a deep, gentle breath of touching now, you are number three. When
a number. To each number he delivers a air. Hold it. And as my finger drops, close I say ‘go,’ I want you to place both hands
different instruction. your eyes.” over your mouth. Right now visualize this.
To number one he says, “When I say Stepping behind the chairs, the See yourself with both hands over your
go, you are to cover your eyes with your mentalist stands behind the volunteer in mouth.”
hands.” To number two he says, “When I position three. (Assuming that the stage- In the eyes of the audience, each
say go, you are to cover your mouth with right chair is position one, the middle chair volunteer has been given a number
your hands.” And to number three, he says is position two, and the stage-left chair appropriate to the chair he is seated in,
“When I say go you are to cover your ears is position three.) The mentalist stands and also an instruction appropriate to the
with your hands.” As he says these things, in profile, facing to stage right. His left sign behind him. In reality the volunteers
the mentalist places signs on easels behind hand hangs casually by his side, while have been labeled 2, 3, and 1, from the
each of the volunteers. The first reads, ap- he gestures with his right. His left hand audience’s point of view. The effect will
propriately, “See No Evil.” The second, of is also, conveniently, directly behind the be brought to a conclusion by moving the
course, reads, “Speak No Evil,” and the back of the man in chair three. signage to the correct location.
third reads, “Hear No Evil.” The mentalist speaks, “From now on, Pointing to the signs, the mentalist says,
After the instructions are given, the pay attention to what you feel, because I “Each person now has a specific action to
mentalist addresses the audience, explain- will be giving you very specific instruc- perform. At this moment that action exists
ing that each person now has in his head tions.” As he says this, he simply extends only as a mental image. What if I could
a mental image of a particular action. His his left middle finger and pokes the man in wipe that image from one person’s mind,
goal, the mentalist declares, is to transfer chair three in the back. and transfer it to another. Let’s take this
that mental image from one mind to This poking action is done very one, and try to move it over here.” Here
another. The mentalist next mixes up the quickly, and no sooner is it completed, than the mentalist moves the “See No Evil” sign
signs on the easels behind the volunteers. the mentalist moves over to a spot behind to the easel at position three, and trades it
Each sign ends up in a fresh location, and position number one and seems to tap that for the “Speak No Evil” sign. Holding that
more important, since the volunteers’ eyes person on the head. He declares, “For sign, he says, “Now let’s take this one, and
are closed, there is no way they could know example, the person I touched, you will be move it here.” Suiting action to words, he
the new locations of the signs. Incred- person number one. Remember that. Now places that sign in position two, and picks
ibly, when the mentalist says, “Go,” each here’s your mission. When I say ‘go’ I want up the “Hear No Evil” sign. Continuing, he
volunteer performs the action appropriate you to place both hands directly over your says, “And let’s erase this memory and try
for the new sign behind him. eyes. Wait for me to say go, but for now, to move it here,” as he places that sign in
Underlying Method: When the volun- spend a little time visualizing yourself position one.
teers are given numbers, the audience is carrying out this action.” In reality the The mentalist says, “Go!” The
led to believe that each is given a different tap on spectator one is a bluff. Extending spectators perform the gestures they have
number than he really has. his index and middle fingers, the mentalist been told to perform, but these gestures
This effect was inspired by Luke brings his hand down behind the head of now match the position of the mixed-up
Jermay’s Touching on Hoy. In that effect, this volunteer, but stops his fingers about signs, thus bringing the effect to a
three volunteers are seated and asked two inches away from actual contact. successful conclusion. 
to close their eyes. During this process He then immediately lifts his hand. The © 2014 Christopher Carter

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 41

 The Nielsen Gallery Rodolfo - Skull and Eyes
Dimensions: Half-sheet - 23” x 33.25” • Lithographer: Kinc Lito, Budapest
Artist: János Sebes • Date: 1936 • Nielsen Rating: Rare

Magicians everywhere have at some time faced London, Lausanne, Paris, and Berlin. In 1957 he appeared
uncertainty and fear when stepping through the curtain in the Boxing Day Party on England’s BBC. Assisting
to perform magic. How much harder must it have been him backstage was his most famous pupil and fellow
for Rodolfo, the subject of this month’s column? His was Hungarian, George Kovari, who trained under Rodolfo.
the Iron Curtain. His opening effect was the Ribbon Fountain, in which
Rodolfo was the stage name taken by Rezso Gacs, hundreds of feet of colored ribbon cascade down on to
who was born in Budapest, Hungary (home of Houdini), the stage from a previously empty container.
on May 16, 1911. According to brief biographies of him, According to Kovari, Rodolfo was a hard taskmaster
he was born the son of a typesetter. There is no account when it came to learning magic. He insisted that Kovari
of which magic trick lit the spark that ignited a lifetime copy his moves exactly saying, “If there was a better way
career in magic, but it happened when he was thirteen of doing it, he, Rodolfo, would have found it himself!”
and was reportedly performed by a Chinese bead vendor. Dr. John Henry Grossman, magic historian and
Rodolfo mastered that elementary trick and while long-time columnist for M-U-M, visited with Rodolfo
performing it for his boyhood friends, he was observed in Hungary during a trip through Europe. He and his
by the Hungarian actor Arpad Odry, who also happened wife were feted at the Budapest Association of Hungary
to be the president of the Hungarian Magicians Magicians at the Actors Club. Later Rodolfo took the
Association. He took the young boy on as a pupil and Grossmans to the Jewish Hall of Records, where one of
trained him in the art of magic. the crumbling books contained the handwritten record
His magic career began in 1930 when he appeared of the birth of Erich Weiss in 1874. This was at a time
at the Municipal Grand Circus in Budapest; reports of when historians were still trying to disprove Houdini’s
his talent spread. His performing proceeded without claim of being born in Appleton, Wisconsin.
interruption until he was drafted for military service in Rodolfo performed mentalism, stage magic, and
1940. Soviet Union forces drove the Nazis out of Hungary pickpocketing; he would go through the audience
at the end of the war and occupied Eastern Europe. In shaking hands and greeting people and then proceed
1956, a spontaneous, month-long nationwide revolt back on stage with the watches, wallets, and jewelry of
against the People’s Republic of Hungary and its Soviet- audience members.
imposed policies broke out. After many clashes and Due to his extensive language abilities he was able to
deaths and the promised withdrawal of Soviet troops, the present his program in eight different languages, and so
Politburo changed its mind and crushed the revolution. was very popular with audiences throughout Europe. He
Hundreds were killed and many fled the country, but wrote several books on magic, produced and sold several
not Rodolfo, who continued to perform both within his magic sets for children, including ones featuring trick
country and across Europe. During World War II he cards bearing his photo, appeared on various television
performed for injured soldiers in army hospitals. After programs, and in 1962 was elected president of the
the war he worked as a teacher and professor in a school Hungarian union for performers/artistes. His obituary
for the performing arts. noted that in a country where magic is considered a
Behind the so-called “Iron Curtain,” performers were second grade art, he achieved every award ever given to
not allowed to individually book themselves. They had any entertainer.
to do so through a government representative, who also Even at the age of seventy Rodolfo still practiced
gave them their dates and pay. Thus any act, whether in four hours each day in front of a six-foot mirror, making
a circus or theater, was booked through, and payment sure his moves were flawless and invisible. He simply
made to, a communist government agency. The agency never stopped practicing. His creed was, “The artist who
then parceled out to the acts an amount of money they is satisfied with himself is not an artist anymore. He is
felt was necessary for the performer’s needs. Such was dead.” Rodolfo died January 26, 1987, at seventy-five
the world in which Rodolfo operated. years of age. 
Rodolfo never appeared in the United States, but if he —Tom Ewing
had, the Hungarian government would have taxed him
ten percent of his earnings. He did entertain audiences in

42 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Messing With Your Mind
By Christopher Carter

choices because you wanted to, or because Clubs with Clubs, and Diamonds with
I wanted you to?” Diamonds. This is easier to remember, and
Regardless of his answer, I spread it allows for an occasional miracle.
through the deck and show that one card When I tell the spectator that he will
is face down. Up until now, things have be able to change his mind, I actually limit
WHEN OPPORTUNITY progressed according to the standard the options to any card of the same suit. If,
KNOCKS presentation, but here the effect takes a for example, he chooses the Four of Hearts,
new turn. I say, “You can keep the Four of Hearts if
Mentalists constantly ask people if Addressing the followers, who may you want. But if you want, you can change
they want to change their minds. This is have seen me perform the standard version it to any of the other Hearts.”
annoying, because changing one’s mind of the effect at other tables, I say, “You The next problem is coaxing the person
usually has nothing to do with either the won’t be surprised if I have successfully to change his mind. My work on this was
premise or the outcome of the effect. But influenced his choice, but let me show inspired by watching a DVD of Chan
if the premise is “mind control,” if you’re you how much control I have over him. Canasta. There are a few strategies I use
trying to demonstrate your ability to guide Notice that the face-up card right next to to get a person to switch, but the most
or influence a participant’s decisions, how the face-down card was his first choice.” important ploy is to imply that I could
much more effective would it be if you Pointing to that card, it was, indeed, his easily have anticipated or forced his choice.
could predict not only the final decision, first choice. If I do that with a male, he will frequently
but the one the person originally made? “But he didn’t stick with that. Instead he change his mind.
To promote my college performances, changed his mind.” When flipped over, the Also, if there are two males at a table
I will do “teasers” in the dining hall; I face-down card is seen to be his second, and it looks like there will be some rivalry
go table to table performing close-up final choice. Apparently, I have influenced between them, I’ll say to one, “You will
mentalism. Some students will inevitably both his choices and the fact that he would choose the value of our target,” and then to
end up latching onto me, following me change his mind. the other, “Once he does, you get to change
around, in the hopes of seeing the same The effect is strong for the people who his mind. In other words, if you don’t like
effects over and over. Here is a fun wrinkle see it for the first time, but it’s devastating the card he comes up with, we’ll forget it;
specifically designed to mess with these for those who’ve seen it repeatedly. They you can change it to one you like better.”
hangers-on. go back to their original tables and spread This strategy will result in a change of
Most magicians will know the Ultra the word about what they’ve just witnessed. mind quite frequently.
Mental Deck as The Invisible Deck. It’s I have a confession to make. As If he changes his mind to a card that
such a standard effect that I’m almost impressive as that scenario is, it rarely will hit my target of thirteen (that is, the
ashamed that I use it. But if you take away works out that way. What I’ve described is value of the first choice plus the value of
the schlocky jokes, the effect is a powerful a “best case” scenario. I’m describing it to the second choice add to thirteen), I simply
piece of mentalism. I want to stress that make a point: some of the best mentalism say, “Are you satisfied? Then that’s your
I do not use Don Alan’s presentation. capitalizes on events that happen only by final choice?” If I do that, he will almost
Instead, I present the effect as subliminal chance. One of the most important skills always stand pat.
persuasion. a mentalist can have is the ability to not Here’s the weird part that I can’t explain.
I tell the students that when I left the only turn chance into magic, but also to tip On those occasions when a person changes
previous table I turned a card face down the odds so that otherwise chance events his mind, he will change it to a reciprocal
in the pack. My goal is to influence them happen more frequently. card (that is, one completing the total of
to come up with that card. I have one You won’t get the above scenario all thirteen) an astonishing number of times. I
person decide whether the card will be red of the time, or even most of the time, but find that slightly less than half of the times
or black; another then decides the suit. I you will get it far more often than you in which a person switches, he will do so to
tell the last person that he will decide on expect. When you do, you can make a real total thirteen. There is undoubtedly some
and name the value. However, he has the reputation. psychological explanation for this, though
opportunity to change his mind. In other First you’ll have to change the standard I don’t know what it is. The only thing that
words, if he chooses not to stick with his setup of the Ultra Mental Deck. Normally, matters is that when it happens, it’s miracle
card, he may change it to another of the the cards in the Ultra Mental Deck are time! When it doesn’t, well, the Ultra
same suit. paired so that they total thirteen. In the new Mental Deck is still a damn good trick. 
He changes his mind and tells me the setup, pairs will still total thirteen, but they
new card. I reiterate his choices and say will be matched with the same suit. Hearts
to him, “Do you think you made these will go with Hearts, Spades with Spades,

44 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Not Just Kid Stuff
By Jim Kleefeld

entertainment is tantamount, many good of childish thinking. As I mentioned last

routines get waylaid by extras added in the month, children do not think in the same
name of “it gets a good response.” Maybe way adults do. First, their brains are not
it is time to analyze exactly what stays in fully formed and developed, so there are
your show and what would be better left less neural connections. Second, their ex-
KEEP CLEAR out. While a great many standard Bits of periences are limited, so they do not have
STORYLINES Business are funny, often they derail the the necessary background to see things in
effect train. The sidetracks that you pursue a universal light.
Would you sit down to dinner and eat shift people away from your destination. Children slowly develop a sense of
a bowl of parsley? No? How about a bowl Preventing the inevitable wreck often time and sequence through natural events
of salt? Or a plate of curry? I’ve seen some comes down to one simple plan: Keep and predictable care-giving. Typically,
magic shows that put me in mind of that Clear Storylines. following a family schedule, they wake
scenario, and it’s all about Bits of Business. For each effect, try to establish a direct up in the morning, have three sequential
As a magician, your first step was to line through the beginning, middle, and meals, and sleep at night. Added regular
learn a few tricks. Then you bought some end of the effect’s plot. This does not mean events become habitual and a part of their
props and read the instructions. Eventu- that you quit using Bits of Business to sense of passing time. In the morning they
ally you learned hundreds or thousands of enhance your routines. It does not mean get dressed. Lunch is mid-day. Afternoon
tricks. At some point, particularly if you that you must sacrifice funny extras in means playing outdoors. A snack comes
read, watched, and studied, you heard the order to present nothing but straightfor- at 3:00, and a story is read at bedtime. By
veterans tell you that it’s not the magic ward magic, nor that you have to throw age four, they have begun to recognize
that counts, it’s the entertainment. And away all of your BoB and work with chunks of time and account for its passing
then you heard lots of show magicians go nothing but the primary props of a given or future with increasing language skills.
on about how much laughter and response trick. In order to keep your storylines “This afternoon we will play outdoors
they get out of those precious and all- clear, you simply need to decide whether after snack time.” “Tomorrow we go to
important “Bits of Business.” Did you any given Bit of Business will enhance see grandma.” “Last summer we went to
add BoB to your act? Probably so. Those or detract from the main sequence. In the zoo.” They begin to understand time
veteran performers were right. Their Bits that mode, you must examine not just the through sequences of events.
of Business gave their show character classic gags you have used to embellish the Another common way that children
and style and added many laugh points. A routine, but the trick itself. learn about the sequence of events is
good performer who gets them rolling in Start by examining the core effect. through stories. In most schools and many
the aisles with Bits of Business is a joy to Think about a good routine you do in homes, adults read books to children.
watch. your basic show. Can you describe it in Kids become familiar with stories and the
But many performers just keep adding one sentence? “A red silk vanishes and sequence of beginning, middle, and end.
those BoB until there is no time left for reappears tied between two blue silks.” A logical sequence is comfortable and
magic and nothing left to add to. They “Four solid steel rings link and unlink with expected. You bring your magic show into
show their audience an all-blank Coloring each other apparently at will.” “A nested this natural and universal world of linear
Book. Then they bring up a helper and cylinder and box are both shown empty, time and, in most cases, you bring along the
do three handshake gags, a trapdoor and many silks are produced from within.” same familiar and comfortable sequence.
joke, twice miscall his name, ask if he “A book is shown to have all blank pages, As a children’s magician, you are a story-
is married, hand him some Vanishing then all picture pages, and then all colored teller. Showing the red and blue silks is the
Crayons, then a Break-away Wand, then pages.” Each of these is a plot for an effect. beginning of your story. Vanishing the red
some Nesting Wands, then the Break-away Their plots are simple and direct. After silk is the middle of the story. Reproduc-
Fan…whew! By the time they get back to watching each effect, an audience member ing it marks the end. Because most magic
the Coloring Book, nobody remembers if it can easily describe what happened and is visual and shows change, it fits in with
was blank or colored to begin with. These why it was magical. This should be true the realm of stories. When you disrupt the
are the guys who will proudly tell you they for every effect in your show. storyline or plot with too many extras,
get fifteen minutes out of a Coloring Book. When you keep your storylines clear you have lost the connection between the
Yes, they do, but it is an act with way too for each trick in your show, you make beginning and the end.
much business and not much magic. Their the effect linear, thus easier to follow, Some time ago I watched a friend’s
show is made up of all added spice but no thus more magical. You can add Bits magic show on video. He had recorded a
main dish. It’s a dinner of parsley. of Business to the routine, but only if it performance specifically to send me for
So despite the plethora of magic enhances the effect and does not detract evaluation and coaching. In one routine, he
magazine articles extolling the virtues from the audience’s ability to follow the displayed red, white, and blue silks and a
of those valuable Bits of Business, and event. This premise is particularly true change bag. He offered to change the silks
despite all of the well-intentioned pleas that for children’s shows because of the nature into a flag and then brought up a helper.

46 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

Setting the props aside, he shook hands singular magical event. Your audience can
with the helper and repeatedly bent the laugh, wonder, and be amazed, but only
boy’s elbow as if the handshaking was to if they get the point of your presentation.
continue. Then he asked the boy’s name. Without a focus to your effect, all you get
He turned to the audience and announced is noise.
that the boy would be doing magic, but he It is not difficult to keep clear storylines,
announced the boy’s name incorrectly. The but you must use some discipline. First,
audience corrected him. He returned to the review the entire effect as it is designed.
boy and asked him to repeat his name. He Some tricks, while baffling to magicians,
repeated his announcement about doing are simply too complex for the audience Figure 1
the trick, but said the wrong name again. to appreciate. Some are poorly designed
Then he moved the boy to the other side of with a meandering plot. Take the classic it to the helper, let it break. Repeat that
the stage and asked him to hold a silk, but Dove Pan baking trick. You put several once. Then put it away and retrieve the
he dropped it on the floor before the boy ingredients into a pan, light it, cap it with trick’s props.
could grasp it. He repeated that. Then he a lid, and presto! A cake appears. The in- Golden Fun Shears (Figure 2): Hand
placed the silk on top of the boy’s head. gredients should be logical and show a your helper child some regular scissors.
I would use up all of my allotted column linear process that leads to the production. Have him cut the rope where you need it.
space if I continued to describe the rest Now, what happens if you add some more Restore the rope and get him a round of
of the antics, but you get the idea. Colors ingredients, then stir them with a magic applause. Before he leaves, mention that
were mis-called, silks went in and out of wand that breaks apart? It may be funny he must be good with scissors, so maybe
the bag several times, and flags came out in the moment, but the incongruity breaks he can help you with a pair that has been
in mixed-up colors. Lots of funny business the plot. If this is a quick bit and you im- causing you trouble. Bring out the Golden
occurred, but very little magic. Ironi- mediately add more ingredients, you have Fun Shears and have them stick closed,
cally, the Mis-Made Flag is a routine with brought the plot back on track. But if you stick open, and fall apart. Get the boy to
built-in magical tangents that actually continue to stop and start the process by agree that these scissors do cause trouble.
work, so the added bits were unnecessary. producing a baker’s hat, showing a bag that Vanish them magically.
Magically changing three scarves to a mis- changes into an apron, and vanishing your
colored flag is a funny extra bit, but it is in can of “vanilla,” very soon, there is no plot
keeping with the original premise of trying left to follow. Your audience will have lost
to make the silks into a genuine flag. track of the plot. You can produce a cake at
The point of this story is that when the end, but the impact becomes muddled,
that magician asked for my critique of his perhaps even lost.
show, he mentioned that I probably would So decide whether each action in your
not have any notes on his Mis-Made Flag routine is necessary or distracting. If, in
routine because he knew it was solid. He your Run, Rabbit Run routine, you decided Figure 2
has been using it for years and he gets “lots it would be fun to have the little guy vanish
of reaction.” I did hear reactions, but they a foam carrot while going between houses,
did not sound positive to me. What I heard rethink that. If you present a Multiplying
was a lot of simple screaming, plus some Bananas segment right in the middle of Handshake Gags (Figure 3): Ask if
kids yelling that he had screwed up, one your Farmyard Frolics presentation, try the audience wants to see one of their own
voice stating that he was stupid, and even another way. Yes, you can keep many of perform some magic. Choose someone to
a loud “get on with it.” The reaction was your beloved BoB, and still use them to come forward. Make a polite introduction
indeed loud and vociferous. But noise is engage children. But move them to the and do your handshake gag. Do it three
not appreciation. Although they might not front or between effects. Cut a few if you times and then drop it. Introduce your
have been able to verbalize it, a portion have many.
of the audience lost track of what was Here are some examples of standard
happening. The routine would have been BoB. Rather than place these bits into the
much better if he had been able to keep his middle of trick plots, separate each one out Figure 3
storyline clear. as a mini-bit in its own right. These pre-
I’ve written in a previous column about sentational suggestions will show how to
engaging children, and how important it is arrange them in order to keep clear story-
to allow them to interact. If you go back lines.
and reread that piece, you will see that Breakaway Wand or Multiplying
despite its many interactions, the routine Wands (Figure 1): Ask a helper to come
with six cloth bags follows a straightfor- forward. Tell her you will need her to
ward story line. Engaging children by help you with some magic, and ask if she
sidetracking with Bits of Business that do has ever used a real magic wand before.
not assist the plot will not help you or your Whatever she says, bring out the wand,
routines. Consider the endgame for each display it proudly, and announce that it is
of your routines individually. What is the an expensive and valuable tool you reserve
denouement of the piece? It should be a for special volunteers. As you start to hand

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 47

Not Just Kid Stuff
next effect, display the necessary props, introduce the prop and proceed with the prop. Return the puppet to his “quarters”
and let the child help make the magic trick. and introduce a new effect.
happen. Either do a different handshake Puppet (Figure 5): Use your puppet as There are lots of great Bits of Business
gag with every helper, or don’t do another a variety act break. Finish and close out in kid show magic: verbal, non-verbal, situ-
handshake gag in the show. Pick a good one magic routine. Introduce the puppet ational, common props, outrageous props,
one and let it stand on its own; more than as a friend or companion. Give a few solid children’s name gags, and more. Please
one iteration of the same gag wastes time minutes of great comedy dialogue. Have don’t take my inclusion of these specific
and loses the attention of the audience. him participate in a self-contained trick or effects and BoB as the best or only ones to
Feather Duster (Figure 4): Bring out routine, such as the Stiff Rope. Close the use. In fact, some are becoming outdated or
a closed Die Box or Square Circle. Blow effect and put away the puppet’s magic overused, and you may not want to put any
some dust off of it. Produce a feather of them in your show. But consider these as
duster and dust the prop. Ask a child up well-known examples and apply the sug-
to help you get the trick ready. Dust the gestions above to your own BoB. Rethink
child’s arms, head, underarms, and knees. what types of entertainment extras you
use and where you put them in your show.
Remember that each trick is like a story
and that you need to keep a clear line from
beginning to middle to end.
Like parsley, salt, and curry, Bits of
Business are added ingredients. They
Figure 4 Figure 5 are the seasonings that make an entree
of magic more interesting, desirable, and
Send him back to his seat with the duster tasty. Too little makes for bland fare. Too
inadvertently stuck to his back. Bring him much prevents anyone from enjoying
back up, dust the prop one more time, and the dish. But you can season your show
then vanish the duster. Find it on your own properly if you work to Keep Clear Story-
back and vanish it again. Now you can lines. 

48 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

Make Me Float! A creative magician can turn the pencil into a lady and the
floor magnets into a couch to have a traditional magic levita-
If you ever saw the shows tion. This is a fun project, not just for you, but also for your
of S.A.M. Ambassadors David kids. If you decide to try this, I’d love to see some photos of
Copperfield or Lance Burton your efforts.
in Las Vegas, you may have
had a picture taken of yourself The Matrix Force
being levitated by the master
magicians. Of course it was The first time I saw a forcing
just an optical illusion souvenir matrix was in an old Walter
photo. The illusion was accom- Gibson book. I know that you’ve
plished by use of a sideways seen these before. You show a 5
cutout of the performer and x 5 square of numbers. Circle a
turning the photo sideways after number and then cross off the
it was taken. If you want to see numbers in the same row and
David floats Erica Larsen the workings, go to: column. Circle another number
ht t p://w w w.de ce pt olog y. and continue until there are no
com/2012/10/fake-floating-magic-by-david-copperfield.html numbers to pick. Add together
It’s a great way to get people to spread the word about your all the circled numbers and that
show and to remember your name. You know that if they take will be your forced number. The matrix in the photo forces the
the photo, they will spread it on social media. If you do a lot of number 57.
public shows, it may be worth investing in this cool gimmick. The website deceptionary.com has a beautifully simple
I found a company that makes great personal cutouts in method to create your own forcing matrix. Follow their simple
any size; their pricing is not out of line for most magicians. For instructions and you will be able to do this in a matter of
around $100 you can have a clone of yourself. The company, minutes. I laugh at how easy it is to make. Tons of uses for this
www.partystandups.com, will take the photo that you send including book tests, predictions, and object choices. The link
and create a cut-out standup from it. They have lots of options, to creating your own forcing matrixes is: www.deceptionary.
such as cardboard or plastic, matte finish, and variable produc- com/aboutmatrices.html
tion time. It usually takes about a week to get it.
While you are there, look around at their other unique Time to Fool the Magician
products, such as eight-foot wall fabric graphics or custom
standups. I know how this works.
I think I do. Well, maybe.
Deceptive Fun Here’s a trick that will fool
many of you. You’ve seen
While you are looking at the David Copperfield floating, David Blaine riffle through
have a look around deceptology.com and put in the search term the cards asking a spectator to
“magic.” They have lots of interesting articles that are magic remember one. Then he tells
related. the spectator the card. He does
it really well. He’s the best at
Okay, Make My Pencil Float! this effect that I’ve ever seen.
This app does it better! The
If you’ve ever seen app flips through a virtual
the Levitating Pencil deck as you remember a card. Then it tells you the card. Mind
toy but didn’t want to Reader is fun to play with. When was the last time you were
spend the money on it, an fooled? There are many apps called Mind Reader so be sure
amazing scientist from to download the one with the logo shown. Thanks to Facebook
India, Arvind Gupta, friend Marvin Silbermintz for turning me on to this. I can’t stop
has figured out a way playing with it. Mind Reader is available on the iTunes App
to make one in minutes Store for free. 
with recycled products and some ring magnets. It’s a nice
thing to keep in your magic room or office. An old flip-flop Bruce is always on the lookout for computer magic, iPhone/
sandal, a broken CD, a pencil, and some ceramic ring magnets iPod Touch apps, and tech toys that can be used in magic
help the pencil float. The complete instructions are here: applications. If you have any suggestions for future columns,
www.arvindguptatoys.com/toys/levitation.html. write to Bruce at SAMtalkBruce@cox.net.

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 49

 The High Road
script writing, char acter
development, and act construction
for the modern conjuror

By Mick Ayres

makes you a magician and entertainer. guess and anyone is right half the time.”
That is what earns you a spot on the stage. Their reaction to the second card is less
CONNECTING When creating your own effects or indifferent, “Hmm – this guy is lucky.”
adapting an existing presentation to Their reaction to the third card is far more
In a perfect world, every new magician your stage character, the goal is to make focused, “Wait a minute. How is he doing
would be mentored by an experienced a connection. The conjuring market is that?” The deck is shuffled again, this time
entertainer until that youngster had a already flooded with far too many effects by one of the guests. The performer boldly
general but healthy knowledge of the and magicians that seem to serve no other declares, “Black, red, red, red, black.” The
various branches stretching out from the purpose except to declare, “Look at what I guest deals five cards face up to the table
tree of magic. In a more perfect world, the can do.” To be fair, there is a definite place and each color is in the correct order.
enthusiasts would be assigned a qualified for those effects when the performer needs In this simple example the conjurer
veteran who would advise on the nuances to make a surprising, quick impression – has, with little effort, hit the audience’s
of effective performing. In the most perfect perhaps as an opening statement. However, nostalgic buttons, tweaked their curiosity,
world, a cranky old taskmaster would lock to actually connect with people requires far drawn them in closer, and left them
the novice in a room with some props, more than one flashy stunt after another. baffled. The method is basic. When a fresh
paper, pencil – and perhaps a sandwich That is not performing; it is demonstrating. deck is opened the cards are grouped in
– and refuse freedom until it was learned There is nothing wrong with demonstrating their respective suits. Split the deck near
that a conjurer only becomes worthy of magic as long as you are standing behind the center and table shuffle the halves
the stage through the hard work of study, a counter. However, our discussion today together once. The pack now has the red
practice, scripting, rehearsal, and finally, is about respecting the people who have, cards in the top half and the black cards
performance itself. Until those dues are in one form or another, paid for the show. in the bottom – so cutting to any red or
paid, that little upstart is just faking it. So then, how does a conjurer connect black card is easy. Once the first phase
Yes, I am joking – a little. Still, there’s with the guests? Begin by adopting a is done, give the deck a few more table
a huge ring of truth in the idea. character role that is identifiable to the shuffles; then pick the deck up and give it
There isn’t a dancer, singer, actor, or audience. This isn’t to say your character a quick overhand shuffle as well. As you
musician worth his or her salt who steps has to be immediately familiar, but it must do, run the first five cards off the face of
on stage without devoting hours and be clear within the first few moments of the deck and note the color order. Jog the
hours to that same hard work. If they did your show. The identity of your character fifth card and continue to overhand shuffle.
not, then the lack of preparation would will help you choose effects for your act Look up at your guest and ask, “Do you
be obvious. Magicians, however, seem to that build upon one another in logical ways know how shuffle cards like this?” Square
believe they are the exception to this rule. until you reach the strongest, climactic the deck and use the jogged card to easily
Our stores and dealer’s rooms are packed finale. For now, just choose to be warm, palm off the top five cards. Hand the deck
with effects boasting of simplicity and friendly, and egoless while we explore to your guest for shuffling. When the deck
how owning the prop will make you a a simple example of connecting with the is replaced on the table, shift it closer to
star. Are we so foolish to believe there is audience. the center and replace the packet as you do.
such a thing as talent in a box? Acceptance The parlor conjurer unseals a new deck Again, ponder the deck then name the five
from an audience does not come because a of cards and shuffles it while reminisc- colors in order. The guest deals the cards
magician knows a secret or three. It comes ing about how we have all, at one point or face up one by one to show the accuracy of
because a magician has put in the time and another in our lives, made a game of trying your declaration.
work required to present that secret in a to cut to specific cards. By way of illustra- As a stand-alone magic effect, this
way that connects with the guests on an tion, the performer looks at the face-down presentation is not exactly miraculous.
emotional level. As a conjurer, you must deck, ponders it for a moment, and says the However, it does add considerable punch
tweak the audience’s imagination with an word, “Red.” He then successfully cuts to to the theatrical atmosphere in the room,
unbelievable proposal, show them proof of a red card. This is repeated twice more and and it makes a statement about who
your claim, make it relevant to their lives, each time the named color is the correct you are. Your character is revealed as a
and give them a reason to believe. That is one, even though the performer is making charming fellow who has learned he can
what fills their eyes with amazement and random cuts. Every guest’s reaction to do something clever and has discovered
their minds with wonder. That is what the first card is, “So what? Take a wild how to exploit this “thing” in surprising

50 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

ways. A little humility can go a long way growing pile on the table as they wonder begin with you. Listen carefully. Stare at
towards endearing you to an audience. what is special about those cards; it won’t the top card of the deck for a moment. If
Now is a good time to reinforce this be on the remainder of the deck. For now, you think it is your color, remove the card
small connection. What if you were to discard these remaining cards by placing and put it face down in front of you. If
somehow transfer this ability of yours them face up off to one side of the table. you are not sure, don’t worry; just make a
to the guests? What if they could divide Hand the pile of “practice” cards to discard pile right here.” Point to any spot
the colors of the deck themselves? A your guest with instructions to shuffle on the table. “Keep the cards face down so
presentation like that would exploit your them face down. Remove the top card of your decisions – right or wrong – will not
established theme. Blending the minor the pile and hold it up so your guest cannot distract you.” Wait until this guest makes a
effect seamlessly into the stronger effect see the face but everyone else can. Say, decision and moves the top card.
creates a grander showpiece presentation “First, take a deep breath and relax your Address the other guest and say, “You
that transforms a baffling mystery into mind. I chose you for this because I felt will now do the same thing for your color.
an emotional experience for everyone there were a couple of people in the room Go back and forth, each of you taking a
in the room. This isn’t just people sitting who would be good at this and you are one turn.” During this process, comment and
around watching some guy do a card trick of them. Trust me, trust yourself, and trust speculate about their choices. Since the
anymore. Now this is personal. This is the audience. We all want you to succeed, colors alternate in the upper half of the
theatre. okay? This card is either red or black. pack, each guest will only handle cards of
Obviously, Paul Curry’s classic effect Trust your instincts and call it as you will.” their chosen color.
Out Of This World would meet our Since this is a 50/50 proposition, your When the personal piles and the
needs; however, Curry’s effect (and its guest is going to be right half the time. The discard pile all have six or seven cards in
myriad variations) requires the pack to results are often surprising. I once had a them, stop everything and say, “That’s
be prearranged. Unfortunately, our pack fellow guess correctly on nine consecutive enough to know whether this is working
has been shuffled several times already. cards before he missed one; even I was or not. First, let’s see these cards no one
Furthermore, a presentation of Out Of This wondering if he had some kind of “gift.” wanted.” The discard pile is shown as a
World separates all the red cards from the Be encouraging with every hit. Discard random assortment of red and black cards.
black cards in the deck. We only need the the misses with little comment because Drop these cards face down on top of the
guest to separate enough cards to prove this is just a practice run after all. If the balance of the deck.
our point. guest gets far more wrong than right, you Look at the new guest and ask,
Here is a solution that features a can still salvage it by saying, “I’m still “Remind us of the color you chose to focus
shuffled deck, no sleights, and no switches. impressed, because instincts are tricky on and show us your selections.” All his
things. But now that you know feelings can cards match the chosen color. Get excited
WELCOME TO MY lie sometimes, you know what to do.” because this is a powerful and surprising
WORLD Assemble all the special cards together moment for him. Address the first guest
and give them to the guest. Ask her to mix and say, “Wow, think of the odds! How did
Pick up the deck and say, “I have them again and drop them face up on top you do with the other color?” These cards
learned that trusting my instincts is easier of the remainder of the deck. While she is are also direct hits.
said than done. However – if you’ll pardon shuffling, glance at the stacked portion and Spread the deck face up on the table to
another cliché – practice makes perfect. remember the color of the top card. Once show a well-mixed pack of cards.
I can’t tell you how many hours I spent she has assembled the deck, turn the whole You have delivered a baffling
saying ‘red’ and ‘black’ before I relaxed deck face down and shift it to a spot on her presentation that defines your character and
and started getting more hits than not. The side of the table. connects intimately with your guests by
truth is anyone can do this with practice. Say, “Let’s exploit your instincts even exploiting a bit of nostalgia and empowering
To be honest, some cards work better than further. We need someone else who can do them far beyond their expectations
others. I’ll get them for you.” this, too. Trust yourself and select someone – and no one had to pick a card. 
As you look through the deck, pause you think can do the job.” The new guest
when you come to the first red/black pair is brought up and introduced. Look at this Welcome to My World copyright 2006
of cards and remove all the cards before gentleman and say, “Since you are new to by Mick Ayres. Inspiration credits to
this pair. Now find the next red/black this, we’ll simplify the experiment even Lewis Jones’s Curry for Three published
pair and remove all the cards between further. Choose red or black.” The color in Seventh Heaven. Mick welcomes
these two pairs. Keep going and remove black is chosen. Say, “That is the only input and dialogue and can be reached at
any cards that interrupt the repeating color you will focus on. She will focus only www.mickayreswares.com.
red/black pattern. On average, you will on red.”
remove about twenty cards or so and leave Remember the color of the card you
behind half a pack alternating in red/black noted a moment ago? A card of the opposite
order; this is more than enough to meet our color is now on top of the deck. Look at the
needs. The guest’s attention will be on the guest who chose that color and say, “We’ll

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 51

 Mysteries of the Houdini Grave By Dean Carnegie

Photo by Dick Brooks

With the passing of another anniversary of the death of Harry (Photo 2).
Houdini, I thought I’d share some interesting information about Oscar Teale later served as the fourth president of The
his gravesite. His grave has been in the news most recently due Society of American Magicians and wrote a book called Higher
to the wonderful work of Dick Brooks’s and Dorothy Diedrich’s Magic. It was rumored that Oscar Teale was also Houdini’s
Houdini Museum located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The ghost writer on a number of projects including A Magician
museum took on the responsibility to restore the Houdini bust Among the Spirits.
at the gravesite.
Let’s take a trip back in time. It’s 1885 and Houdini’s half
brother Armin/Herman has died of tuberculosis. Young Erich
offered up his entire life’s savings ($10) towards his half-broth-
er’s funeral. Herman had a typically shaped tombstone with a
rounded top. Seven years later, in 1892, Houdini’s father dies
and is buried next to Herman in the Machpelah Cemetery in
Photo 2
Queens, New York. The father was given a tall, pillar-shaped
tombstone; to the right is Herman’s tombstone (Photo 1).

An interesting addition to the exedra was the inclusion on

each side of the monument of part of the original Weiss Grave.
On the far left is the gravestone face for Cecelia Weiss. On the
far right is the gravestone face for his father Mayer Samuel
Weiss. (See the map of the cemetery on the next page for details.)
Photo 1
Another unique feature is the emblem of the Society of
American Magicians which is in the center of the monument just
below the bust of Houdini. Harry Houdini served as president
In 1913, Houdini’s mother Cecelia Weiss passes away. of the Society for several years and was the current president
Those familiar with the Houdini story know how this affected when he died in 1926. I can’t help but wonder if the emblem was
him and altered the course of his life. Cecelia was also buried in added after Houdini’s death. It wouldn’t make sense to have
this plot and her name was added to the large pillar tombstone. it on there in 1916 when the monument was erected. Photo 2
Houdini was devastated by the loss of his mother. He shows Houdini sitting on the exedra as it was being built, and
visited the grave often and eventually came upon an idea of no circular hole is there for the emblem. So it was likely added
buying a larger family plot and erecting a monument to the later.
Weiss family. This was called the “exedra,” which literally Houdini had his family moved to the new site and made
means resting place. The design was done by noted architect arrangements for the rest of his family to be buried there upon
Oscar Teale, who was also an amateur magician and friend their individual deaths. However, the only spouse who was
of Houdini’s. The final cost of the monument was $40,000; it accorded a grave was Bess Houdini. Her name was added to
was installed at Machpelah Cemetery on October 1, 1916 Houdini’s gravestone, but in fact, she is not there. Because

52 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Bess was Catholic and Machpelah is a Jewish cemetery, she greatly to the gravesite and are responsible for the restoration
is buried in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New of the bust, which now adorns the site once again.
York, about thirty-five miles north of Machpelah. I do have a fear that Machpelah may someday end up like
Houdini did not want his brother Leopold buried there Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia. That is why I am very
because of the personal feud they were having. But apparently, pleased that the National Council decided to reestablish funding
Leopold is there, though his gravestone is not. Houdini’s sister for the maintenance of the gravesite.
Gladys is also buried there, but her gravestone is missing as There is no doubt that the S.A.M. and the general magic
well. Those two stones were taken out after being vandalized. community owes a great debt to the most iconic magician of all
time to care for his grave.

S.A.M. National Council

Unanimously Votes to Maintain
the Weiss/Houdini Gravesite
By Eric DeCamps
At the 2013 autumn meeting, the S.A.M. National Council
unanimously voted to provide financial funding for the mainte-
nance of the Houdini gravesite. Our national organization had
provided the financial backing to maintain the gravesite in the
past. However, that was mistakenly stopped in 2006. Thankful-
ly, the association for the cemetery still provided select services
to maintain the plot without compensation.
Interestingly enough, during his lifetime Houdini privately
funded the cleaning and restoration of many gravesites of
notable magicians throughout the world. It is only fitting that
the S.A.M. take the responsibility of maintaining his gravesite,
especially since Houdini is single-handedly responsible for
expanding the S.A.M. from a local club of magicians in New
York City into a strong and vibrant national organization of
magicians.
In addition, the Weiss/Houdini gravesite is the only
gravesite known to significantly display our S.A.M. Logo and
Seal, further proving Houdini’s commitment to the S.A.M.,
even after his death.
This recommitment by the S.A.M. to the Weiss/Houdini
gravesite would have not been possible if it weren’t for two
Here’s an aerial map of the Houdini gravesite in Machpelah people who showed the same tenacity as Houdini did when he
Cemetery in Queens, New York. It’s based on my visit to the helped expand the S.A.M.: Dick Brooks and Dorothy Dietrich.
site. - Tom Interval, Interval Magic (San Diego, CA). The With unrelenting passion they brought this issue to the forefront
photo of the Houdini exedra (seen at bottom of the illustra- of our national organization. We also need to thank S.A.M.
tion): Ron Chicken, Houdini Museum (Scranton, PA) National 1st Vice-President David Bowers for taking the
baton from Dick and Dorothy and bringing it to the National
There are nine members of the Weiss family buried in that Council’s attention. And a special thank you to Most Illustrious
plot: Mayer Samuel (father, 1829-1892), Cecelia (mother, 1841- Dal Sanders for his spirited backing of this important issue.
1913), Herman (1863-1885), William (brother, 1872-1925), I would be remiss if I did not thank our Most Illustrious for
Houdini (1874-1926), Nathan (1870-1927), Theo/Dash Hardeen naming me chairman of the newly formed National Houdini
(brother, 1876-1945), C. Gladys Weiss (sister, 1882-1959), and Gravesite Committee. I am fortunate to have the following
finally Dr. Leopold Weiss (1879-1962). compeers who have agreed to serve with me on the committee:
But there is a tenth person buried in the cemetery who is Joseph Devlin, Thomas Solomon, William Gleason, Joseph
never mentioned. Perhaps people have forgotten about her. Caulfield, Kathy Caulfield, Charles Siebert, and Peter DeLuca.
Hannah Steiner, Cecelia’s mother is buried there. Houdini An important thing that we all have to keep in mind, and it is
had her disinterred and then placed next to Cecelia sometime paramount to Machpelah Cemetery, is maintaining the sanctity
between 1913-1916 as a “birthday gift” to his mother. Strange, and dignity of the entire cemetery. While the Weiss/Houdini
sure, but this was Houdini. There is a gravestone there that gravesite is very important to us, the entire cemetery and the
reads “Grandmother 1821-1887.” This was Houdini’s maternal thousands buried there are just as important to the Machpelah
grandmother. She is between one of the marble benches and Association. We need to keep that in mind whenever we visit
Herman’s grave. the gravesite.
It is reported that Houdini paid for perpetual care of his I see this new obligation taken on by our National Council
family plot, but there are no records to support this claim. as a genuine humanitarian effort to preserve not only the legacy
Assembly 1 took on the duty of overseer of the plot while the of Houdini, but our legacy as an organization as well. It will be
national organization financed the upkeep. a real “mitzvah” for the generations of magicians to come. I am
But for reasons that remain “cloudy,” it was stopped in 2006. honored and very proud to be part of this new chapter in the
However, others, like the Houdini Museum, contributed history of the S.A.M. 

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 53

EBOOK NOOK
of their time balancing coins on their elbows. The challenge was,
Excerpt From: ostensibly, to bring the arm down and catch the coins in midair.
Increasing the number of coins in the stack made the feat pro-
The Award-Winning Magic portionally more difficult, until at last it became nearly impos-
of John Cornelius sible to balance the coins at all, let alone catch them. The greater
Written By: challenge may have been to avoid looking foolish while doing it,
but finally the fad subsided, along with disco, wide lapels, and
Lance Pierce
good customer service.
Description: Roger Klause, ever eager to throw the boys for a loop, began
Ebook, 194 pages doing the stunt on occasion – except with a minor variation: After
adeptly catching the coins, which clinked solidly as he snatched
Available From:
them from the air, he opened his hand to show it completely
www.llepub.com empty. The coins had vanished! His presentation has necessarily
changed with the times, evolving from “Have you tried the stunt
I met John Cornelius in 1976; we both worked close-up at the where...?” to “Remember when people used to...?”
I.B.M. convention in Evansville, Indiana. This was the first magic This is John’s variation on Roger’s effect – one of transforma-
convention I had ever performed at, and also the first one I had tion instead of a vanish. Here, when you catch the quarters in the
ever attended. My participation was due to the efforts of Indiana air, you open your hand to reveal a cluster of pennies instead. The
magicians Ray Mangel and Bob Hurt. The other four close-up effect is strong and sure to surprise.
workers were Steve Dacri, Ken de Courcy, Rick Johnsson, and To prepare, obtain three quarters and three pennies, some ma-
Scotty York. gician’s wax, and an instant bonding glue, such as Krazy Glue.
One of the real joys of this convention was hanging out with On two of the quarters, place a small dab of magicians’ wax
Cornelius; the magic he created was unlike any I had seen at the on one side. Put these quarters, separated, in your right trouser
time (or have seen since). At this particular convention he was pocket. Now take the
frying everyone with a demonstration of what he called a “slow third quarter and glue
coin.” This was his presentation for doing the muscle pass. No one it to your left arm
had seen anything like this. I immediately went home and began just above your elbow
practicing. A month later, I saw John again at the Midwest Magic (Figure 1). Use a very
Jubilee in Kansas City. (At this convention I met John Carney, small amount of glue
Roger Klause, and Larry Jennings.) John took me aside and said, and no one gets hurt.
“Here’s something cool.” He proceeded to show me “the coin that Don’t worry; it can
falls up.” He had taken the muscle pass, turned it ninety degrees, be removed later with Photo 1
and blew everybody away with it. Now, of course, this is consid- nail polish remover or
ered a standard thing, but forty years ago the ability to shoot a half some acetone-based
dollar into the air was something special. solvent. (If you happen to have skin allergies to these chemical
John created and sold some wonderful effects over the years. compounds, please don’t send us your medical bills.) The pennies
You can still find some of them at his website (www.johncornelius. go in your left pants pocket. Roll your sleeves down, button your
com/magic.html). Unfortunately, he has been ripped off cuffs, and you’re ready.
mercilessly; consequently, John has stepped back from the magic Later, when you’re hanging around (preferably next to a sign
world. This is the magic world’s loss. However, he does show up that says “No Loitering”), tell your prospective audience that you
at conventions occasionally, although it seems he rarely stays for would like to show them an amazing stunt. Unbutton your cuffs
an entire convention. and roll both sleeves up one turn only. Push your right sleeve up
The Award-Winning Magic of John Cornelius is a big collec- past your elbow; your left arm won’t come into play until later.
tion of most of John’s creative output up to the time of publication Place each hand into your pants pockets, searching for change.
(2001). In it you’ll find the complete workings of John’s Fickle Take all three pennies in your left hand, holding them loosely in
Nickel (used by Doug Henning to open one of his TV specials), finger palm. As this hand comes out, your right hand brings one
the Cornelius Card System, the Oh Calcutta Shuffle, the Winter of the quarters into view. Take this coin at your left fingertips as
Change, Spring Set, and his entire award-winning FISM card act. you raise your right arm
One routine that is near and dear to me is My Lady’s Ring, which in “cocked” position
I morphed into a routine that I called You Axed for It. (Figure 2). Place the
The effects excerpted for this month’s Ebook Nook will give quarter on your arm
some insight into John’s offbeat creativity. If you ignored this just above your elbow.
book when it first came out, you should definitely get the ebook. When ready, snap
Some wonderful magic awaits you there. your right arm out,
My thanks to L&L Publishing for allowing these excerpts to catching the coin in
appear in M-U-M. —Michael Close the air. The best way Photo 2
to ensure success is to
ARMED & READY spring from the knees
slightly just before the snap. This will cause the coin to move
There was a brief time, when a gallon of gasoline cost less upward a little, suspending it in the air long enough for you to
than a day’s wages, during which it seemed everyone spent much make your catch.

54 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Say, “I can even do it left-handed!” Take the quarter again and continue your social interaction.
with your left fingers and use your right hand to push (not roll) When you feel the time is right, ask for the loan of your friend’s
your left sleeve up past your elbow. Turn to your left slightly and cocktail straw. Looking around the table, set your attention on
take the quarter with your right hand as you bring your left arm your sword, pick it up,
up. As it rises, your right hand comes to meet it, to prevent the and thread the straw
quarter already there from coming into view too early. Pretend to through its handle.
place the quarter on your arm and bring your hand away, showing The minute fracture
the glued quarter instead. The waxed quarter is concealed in your in the handle is practi-
relaxed right hand and your left arm appears ready to catch the cally invisible and will
coin on its elbow. escape notice. Ask your Photo 2
Say, “I’ll even make it more difficult.” Reach in your pocket friend to hold the straw
with your right hand and apparently remove another quarter, really by its end, trapping the
bringing forth the one hidden in your hand. Place this coin onto sword on it (Figure 2).
the quarter on your elbow, firmly fixing the two with the wax. Reach in your pocket for your handkerchief, finger-palming
Reach in your pocket again and bring out the third quarter, placing the other sword in the process (if you’ve forgotten your hand-
it delicately on the stack. As you do, press the coins together so all kerchief, a cocktail napkin is an acceptable substitute). Open
three now bond the handkerchief and drape it over the sword and straw, leaving
to each other. the spectator’s hands uncovered (Figure 3). Say, “Now we know
Spring and that the sword is firmly
snap your left linked to the straw...”
arm out as if Reach under the hand-
catching the kerchief with both
coins. The hands and tug lightly
pennies in your on the prepared sword
Photo 3
hand create the as you put the shaft of
perfect sound the other sword through Photo 3
of catching the its handle (Figure 4, in
coins. Bring your which the handkerchief
right hand in front of you, palm up, and pour the pennies from is removed for clarity).
your otherwise empty left hand. At this point, since your right The spectator holding
side mainly faces the audience, you can turn the left hand over to the straw understands
show both sides (Figure 3). You will find that your arm will not that you are doing this
turn nearly as much as your hand, and the quarters will remain only to emphasize the
safely concealed behind. To end, lower your left arm, which will condition of the sword
allow your sleeve to fall down, covering the quarters. Button your and straw. Immediately
cuffs again and you have all the time in the world to clean up later bring both hands from Photo 4
at your convenience. beneath the handker-
chief, showing them
D’ARTAGNAN’S RELEASE empty. The swords
remain securely settled
In this routine, a cocktail sword is threaded onto a straw, together beneath the
which a spectator holds from both ends. Another spectator holds cloth. Finish your
the sword. Nevertheless, the objects penetrate each other and are sentence by saying, “...
magically released! and there is no way it
You will need an opaque handkerchief, a cocktail straw, can escape unharmed
and two cocktail swords. Because you want this to appear as as long as you keep a Photo 5
impromptu as possible, tight hold on the ends.”
when everyone at your Move one hand
table has received their beneath the handker-
drink orders, you have chief again and grasp
already obtained two the hilt of the unpre-
cocktail swords by pared sword. With the
some devious manner. thumb and fingers of
One goes in a conve- Photo 1 your other hand, locate
nient pocket, with your the point of this sword
handkerchief. Prepare through the cloth and Photo 6
the other by breaking ask another spectator
the guard between your fingers, creating a slit in the plastic to pinch it firmly here.
handle (Figure 1). This can be done furtively at the table, or you (Figure 5 shows what the spectators see; Figure 6 shows the actual
can retire for a moment to the restroom to “set the gaff.” Once the situation with the handkerchief removed.) Take both of your hands
work is in the sword, casually place it on the table in front of you away. Ask the spectator to pull gently on the sword to make sure

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 55

EBOOK NOOK
it’s still linked. mediately withdraw. This prevents the spectators from seeing
When you’ve built sufficient drama, reach under the handker- the object you’ve placed there. Fold the right corner over next,
chief with both hands, grasp the guard of the prepared sword, and followed by the far corner.
open its fracture just far enough to pass over the straw. As soon as “Now that we have the trap, all we need is to gather some
it is free, finger-palm the gimmick as you take the handkerchief ectoplasm.” Lift the top layers of the cloth with your left hand.
away. One spectator is holding only the straw, the other the hand- Reach into the air
kerchief and the sword, with no clue about how the penetration with your right hand, Photo 3
took place. Either pocket the gimmick along with your handker- showing it empty, and
chief or lap it at a relaxed moment. pretend to grab some
Walter Wilson contributed a method for the exact reverse of ectoplasm and place it
this effect, putting a sword onto a straw, in a Linking Ring parade within the folds of the
(Cocktail Sword and Straw, November 1982, page 58). Combining handkerchief. Repeat
the two could make for an effective routine and may establish a this action two or three
well-deserved reputation among your peers. times. On one of your
trips into the handker-
IMPROMPTU GHOST TRAP chief, bend the gimmick in half at its middle (Figure 3). Hold it
down like this, as your left hand takes over outside the cloth and
Here is an odd effect: The materialization of something solid holds the gimmick so you can remove your hand.
– we’re not sure what – inside the folds of a handkerchief. Yet, Use your flat palms to smooth out the fabric (Figure 4), which
when the cloth is opened, there is nothing there. This is an (appar- will make the cloth taut and continue the pressure on the Romex
ently) impromptu version of Glorpy, the Gerkulating Ghost, first sleeve. When your
marketed in 1963, and still available from dealers under various hands are near the edge
Photo 4
names. For an interesting history of this effect and its various of the hanky, slowly
permutations, see Max Maven’s article “A Brief History of ‘It’” in release the pressure,
the May 2000 issue of MAGIC magazine. allowing the gimmick
First, go to your local hardware store (a phrase that could to straighten up beneath
have become a subtitle the cloth. To your spec-
of John’s lectures as tators, the center of the
well as this book) and handkerchief will mys-
Photo 1 purchase some Romex teriously rise. “See,”
12/2 electrical wire. you say, “that’s a ghost, believe it or not, and contrary to what
This is a thick gauge people believe about ghosts, it’s really quite solid.”
wire in a protective Place your flat right hand on top of the gimmick and move it
coating; you only need around in circles (Figure 5). This gives the curious illusion that
about a three-inch whatever object may be under the cloth is spherical. To further
length. When you have emphasize its solidity,
the appropriate piece, take a pair of needle-nosed pliers, pull the take a spoon, pen,
copper wire out of the sleeve, and throw it away. It’s the thick comb, or some nearby Photo 5
sleeve you want, and this sleeve is the modus for the effect. John object, and tap it firmly
has found that aquarium or surgical tubing will also work well on top. The gimmick
(Figure 1). will not fall and you
Sit at a table with a tablecloth (to keep things from sliding appear to be striking
around later). With the something quite solid.
gimmick finger-palmed “But we have to
in your right hand return it to where it
(Figure 2), borrow a came from before we bring the forces of doom on us, so we take
handkerchief from out the ectoplasm.” Lift the top layers of the hank again with your
a kind spectator and left hand, reach in the folds with your right hand (pretending to
offer to show him a remove the “stuff”), and throw it back out in the air. When your
ghost. “You see,” you hand goes in the last
Photo 2
say, “there are always time, use your thumb
ghosts in the air ev- to kick the gimmick
erywhere you go; they’re made of ectoplasm. The easiest way to straight back, out of
catch one is to form a ghost trap.” Lay the cloth flat on the table, the hanky, off the table,
one corner nearest you, so you’re looking at a diamond-shaped and in your lap (Figure
polygon before you. Grasp this near corner with your right hand, 6). If you wish, you
folding it over and toward the center. Set the corner down in the can pretend to hand Photo 6
middle of the hanky, allowing the gimmick to fall from your hand different spectators
onto the hanky as you do. some ectoplasm, on the
With your left hand, fold the left corner over and onto the last stroke removing the gimmick and placing it in your pocket,
center, momentarily covering your right hand, which you im- “saving some ectoplasm” for yourself.

56 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 Many handkerchiefs will have enough body that they will
retain the general shape of the “ghost,” even after the gimmick
has gone. If that is the case here, slowly press it down, flattening
the cloth, then cleanly unfold the handkerchief and give it back to
the spectator, thanking him and reminding him to launder it as
quickly as possible. D. D. Home would be proud.

SUPER (BALL) CARD RISE

Photo 3
Just how many methods have there been for the Rising Card?
The amount of thought alone that has gone into the effect should
validate it; this version is nearly self-working yet quite baffling.
Here, three cards are selected and the deck is placed upright in a
drinking glass. In succession, each selection rises from the deck,
after which the audience may examine the glass and all the cards.
John first noticed years ago that the tacky surface of a child’s
rubber ball (commonly called a “super ball”) can be used to move
playing cards. He first showed his handling to Derek Dingle years
ago and since then it has become a very popular underground
approach to the rising card effect. [Derek’s handling appeared in Photo 4
The Complete Works of Derek Dingle, page 115.] His handling
(and all the others) put the upright deck in the hand with the ball
behind it. By squeezing slightly, the ball would roll, pushing the
rear card of the deck straight upwards. This new application of the
principle makes the handling even easier while possibly increas-
ing the deceptiveness.
First, obtain a super ball that is approximately one inch in
diameter, a length of strong black thread, a needle, and a button.
Tie the thread firmly to the button and, about four inches away,
secure the needle at its other end. Next, jam the needle into the
center of the super ball (Figure 1). If it comes out the other side,
that’s okay, just snip off the excess. Photo 5
Now place the
super ball in the
bottom of a dark
colored or opaque glass, tilt the glass back toward you slightly; this will ensure the
drinking glass. The ball rolls to the near side and ends up behind the pack (Figure 3).
thread and button To make the first card rise, place your right thumb on the
hang over the rim button while you magically wave your left hand around the glass.
Photo 1 behind the glass, Ask the first spectator the name of his card. When he tells you,
away from the audi- pull down on the button, which will pull the ball up inside the
ence’s view (Figure glass, dragging the top card of the deck with it (Figure 4). It helps
2). The glass rests to tilt the glass backwards again just a tad. From the front, the card
on the table in appears to rise from somewhere within the pack; the audience
front of you while cannot distinguish that it’s coming from the rear.
you perform other When the card has risen to its full height, take hold of it with
routines. When your left hand and tilt the glass forward a little. This way, you can
ready, have three remove the card without dragging the ball out of the glass with it.
cards selected and Keeping your thumb on the button, let it slide back up, lowering
returned to the deck. the ball to the bottom of the glass again. Place the selection on
Photo 2 You must control the the table.
three cards to the top For the second and third selections, repeat the mechanics
of the deck (dare we exactly, causing each card to rise. After you’ve removed the
say it?) by your favorite method. The cards can be placed simul- third selection, hold your left hand palm up and invert the glass
taneously in the deck and brought to the top by a multiple shift or onto it. The deck will fall into your left hand, the ball and button
returned individually and controlled with a variety of techniques assembly landing on your palm behind it (Figure 5). Show the
– just get them there. glass around and hand it out, then take the deck in your right hand
Once the selections are in position (let’s assume you’ve con- and fan it before setting on the table for examination. Your left
trolled them in first, second, and third order from the top of the hand continues holding the ball, button, and thread, which you
deck), pick up the glass with your right hand and place the deck secretly dispose of at an opportune moment. 
upright in it, faces to the audience. As you place the deck in the

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 57

 Cheats & Deceptions
(For Entertainment Purposes Only)
By Antonio M. Cabr al

or eliminating certain techniques. “No you, the performer. Being able to get back
force!” “No palming!” “No gaffs!” “Use into new deck order from the (apparently
your own deck!” What became apparent shuffled) arrangement, on the other hand,
to me was that, depending whether the is what Tamariz describes as “…one of the
STRENGTH VS. element in question related to the inner most powerful climaxes possible for a card
CONVENIENCE or outer reality, I could point to a part routine” – in other words, a tremendous
This month I thought I’d delve into of a trick and determine whether this strength.
something a little more conceptual. selling point was a strength, or merely a One place where the distinction gets
Whenever I’m pondering a trick – whether convenience. tricky is where the two realities overlap.
it’s something I’m learning from a book To me, a convenience is anything As Ascanio said, “There’s nothing more
or DVD, or something I’m in the process about the trick that improves it for the overwhelming than the truth.” The
of creating, or an item I’m reviewing for performer (easier sleights, no complicated audience needs to believe that the deck is
M-U-M – I have certain criteria in mind. set-ups, etc..). A strength, on the other genuinely shuffled, and it really is. They
Some are personal, and some I think are hand, is anything that improves it for the need your hands to be empty, and they
worth broader consideration. audience (impressive conditions, humor or really are. Magic is supposed to look
In his book Designing Miracles, entertainment value, maximized impact, effortless, and the best way to do that is to
Darwin Ortiz addresses the two levels of etc.). not expend any effort. However, the only
reality in a magic trick: the outer reality, Take performing Card to Wallet with way that works is if the element in question
which is everything the audience sees and a Mullica wallet. The fact that you don’t is something the audience actually cares
perceives, and the inner reality, which is have to palm or wear a jacket is convenient about.
everything the performer deals with to for the performer who doesn’t typically do Here’s an example from my own
make the trick work. On the surface, these either of those things. The real strength of experience. A while back I devised what
may seem like fancy-pants terms for the Mullica wallet, however, is the fact that I thought was a pretty clever (and strong)
“method” and “effect,” but there’s more to it doesn’t have to be out of sight or even on two-card mental effect. Part of the method
it. Darwin points out that any component the performer’s person to load a card into involved clocking the deck, which like any
of a method has two jobs to do: accomplish it. It can be in full view, isolated from both technique is hard to make look effortless
some secret goal, and to create an outward the proceedings and the performer, right if you’re not fluent with it. But I liked
illusion. In other words, the inner and up until you produce the card. the idea that it allowed me to do the trick
outer realities are acting simultaneously. The fact that you can show your hands from a shuffled deck, so I devised a script
At every point in a trick, you have to empty could also be a strength (offset that gave me funny things to say while I
consider what’s happening on both levels a little by the fact that you have to bring over-clocked my mental processors doing
at the same time. the deck over to the wallet or vice versa), the required math. Typically, I consider
but if you’re palming well and at the allowing the audience to shuffle the deck
right time, they’ll think your hands are in the beginning to be a strength, because
empty anyway. As far as the audience is I can emphasize my lack of control.
concerned, the fact that you’re not palming However, what I forgot was that this trick
shouldn’t make a difference. The fact that isn’t about control. It’s about divination. I
you can make the card appear in a wallet was emphasizing the wrong thing, because
that someone else has been holding the in reality being able to do the effect from a
entire time does make a difference. shuffled deck was convenient for me.
For another example, a lot of comments After a while, I realized I could
about the Tamariz stack are about how spare myself a lot of headache by doing
easy (or not) it is to get into from new deck the trick from my memorized stack.
order. Getting into the stack from a newly- The important part of the trick – being
opened deck is very convenient if you able to get the necessary information
happen to get handed a lot of unopened quickly and without veins bursting in my
decks. However, most memorized deck forehead – became much easier, and the
workers simply set the deck up ahead of trick became a lot stronger as a result.
After a while, I realized I’d started time. On top of which, there’s a whole It’s tempting to worry about someone
incorporating those ideas in my evaluation chapter in Mnemonica about how to get suspecting the deck is prearranged, but
of different tricks. Typically, a creator or into the stack (or any stack) on the fly, or as many practitioners of memorized deck
teacher of an effect will describe parts of back into the stack after having the cards magic point out, if handled properly there
the method as being important “selling shuffled. All three of these options should should be no difference to an audience
points.” Magic marketplace ad copy is full appear identical to your audience, so the between a genuinely shuffled deck and a
of these descriptors, usually dispelling only difference is in how easy it is for prearranged one. So while it was better

58 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

for me to feel like I could go into the trick of, but allows you to perform a follow-up of that particular stack. If I wanted to
at any time with any deck, it’s better for miracle that becomes that much more use the Zensational stack, I would do a
my audiences to use a method that allows powerful. terrific routine of Darwin Ortiz’s, Shark
me to divine their thoughts in the blink of For example, it’s convenient for you Attack (from Scams & Fantasies with
an eye. You might argue that I chose the the performer that a trick might allow Cards), that allows me to perform the trick
“easier” method; I prefer to think of it as you to have the deck shuffled, and then from a genuinely shuffled deck. As such,
having displaced the work from having to cull the Aces or a big group of cards for having the effect built into the Aronson
do it in front of the audience (clocking the the next trick. You might have the deck stack ceased to become a strength or a
deck) to having done it well ahead of time genuinely shuffled and still preserve convenience of that arrangement for me.
(memorizing my stack). It also freed me a large or full-deck setup for some (And, as I alluded to before, since the
up to focus on the funny script, which in blockbuster gambling demo or memorized trick is about controlling cards, allowing
this case became just as important as the deck miracle. Or a trick might allow the the audience to genuinely shuffle the deck
divination. deck to be spread on the table and seen before you produce or deal any poker hand
“Practicality” is a good concept to have to be normal and all one color, while also they ask for is a very strong feature of
in the mix. There are plenty of tricks in allowing you to switch it in for a Rainbow Darwin’s routine.)
which the effect is absolutely worth the Deck or a blank-faced deck. These distinctions aren’t limited to
work, but the effort involved is impractical These are all handy things to be able card tricks, of course. In coin magic, you
for everyday use. If I were getting set for to do over the course of a trick or two. might be in a position to choose between
a formal show for some CEO’s birthday But they don’t turn into strengths from a Coins Across effect that uses a shell, a
party or going on a late-night talk show, the audience’s viewpoint until you follow flipper coin, or some other gaff, and one
I’d absolutely take the time to freeze a those tricks with those other, whiz-bang that doesn’t. Since most coin workers work
card into a block of ice for a trick. It’s not killer climaxes. Likewise, those killer with their own coins, it’s no more or less
something I’m going to try to do whenever closer tricks might be very strong, but they convenient to carry the gaff as opposed to
I casually go out to the pub or to a party become stronger because, by preceding the extra coin. The gaff might allow you
with friends. In practice, there are only so those tricks with the others, you’re to cleanly vanish a coin or coins at some
many gaffs I’m willing to carry around or apparently ready to produce miracles, point in the trick, which is another point
ring in, and if you tell me I have to make anytime, anywhere, any deck, Bob’s your where the audience’s perception (the coin is
up a whole separate stacked and gaffed uncle, before you can say “Jack Robinson.” really gone) matches your actual situation
deck for one trick, forget it. But these are These aren’t hard and fast rules, but (the coin was never there, so you’re not
absolutely matters of my own convenience as I said they are criteria to help evaluate trying to hide it in a palm of some kind).
– barring the fact that the best way for tricks and methods. Sometimes the results So you might find yourself evaluating the
me to convince my audiences that I can will be different for different people. For trick on whether or not you want the coin
perform miracles with regular cards is to someone proficient with clocking the to vanish cleanly in your hand, or in an
actually use regular cards. deck, my original method for the two-card audience participant’s hand. (I’ll leave it to
Another place where the distinction divination I mentioned might be just as you to decide which is the stronger option.)
between an outward strength and an effective from the audience’s viewpoint Likewise, there’s an ongoing debate about
inward convenience blurs is when the as the memorized deck version. In that whether bill switches should use a thumb
effect is delayed. In card magic, there are case, since the effect would be the same, tip or not. I’m actually working on a tip-less
tricks that you can’t go into on the spur the differences in the methods become less bill switch myself, but I’m well aware of
of the moment, but along the course of distinct. why I made that decision (convenience)
two or three semi-related tricks, you can Another example is the Rusduck and what I’m giving up for it (strength).
set up for, and end with, a big climax of Zensational arrangement, which allows I hope this gives you a useful
some kind. This is related to something you to perform Mike Zens’s Any Poker perspective on judging new tricks. It’s
Darwin refers to in Designing Miracles as Hand Called For, a very powerful the most effective one: from the outside,
the “composite perfect method.” Here, this demonstration of card cheating prowess. looking in. 
one trick might have a benefit to you the This arrangement is built into the Aronson
performer that the audience is never aware stack, and as such is a very strong feature

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 59

 INFORMED OPINION
LATEST PRODUCT REVIEWS
Compiled and Edited by W. S. Duncan
Ridiculous 4-DVD Set tips for the old Rocky Raccoon spring puppet.
By David Williamson As mentioned before, the performance sequence took place in
Available from: www.essentialmagiccollection.com a theater in front of, as far as I can determine, a non-magician
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies audience. So one gets a feel as to how the material plays in the
Price $150.00 real world, and especially how this material plays if you’re David
Williamson. The explanation sequences are all shot in the now
REVIEW BY PAYNE (DISCS 1 AND 3) AND W.S. DUNCAN familiar Essential Magic recording studio. As with all of Essential
(DISCS 2 AND 4) Magic’s releases, it is a quality product featuring a multi-camera
shoot, excellent sound quality, and superb editing. All of the ex-
I am rather old school in that planations are clear and concise, allowing even ham-handed, fum-
I still prefer to learn magic from ble-fingered card workers like me to clearly see what I’ve been
the written word. And so my doing wrong all these years.
library of magic-related DVDs Also included on disc one is part of a four-part interview of
is rather meager when compared Mr. Williamson by Luis de Matos, a blooper reel, and a behind-
to the collections of my fellow the-scenes look at the taping of Ridiculous.
magi. I rarely invest in them, and Disc three is titled “Non Card Work.” This, I believe, is some
the lion’s share of the DVDs I do sort of code for “Coin Tricks,” because most of this disc concerns
possess were either gifts or review itself with tricks utilizing metallic currency. There are nine of
copies. So it must say something them in all. My favorites, or at least the ones that appeal to me, are
that, when I heard that the folks the Coin in Bottle and his handling of Michael Ammar’s routine
over at Essential Magic were for Pencil through Coin. Those more sleight-inclined than me
going to release a four-volume shan’t be disappointed, because there is plenty here for them as
set devoted to the magic of well, including a Matrix, a Coins Across, and a bare-handed coin
David Williamson, I didn’t think vanish to name just a few. For the non-coin guys, Mr. Williamson
twice about plunking down the cash and purchasing a tips his handling of the Gypsy Thread. He also shows us a unique
copy of my very own. And I don’t even do card tricks. handling of the thumb-tip silk vanish that will fool those in the
And that is the reason why this portion of the review will be know and a couple of great routines using silverware. He finishes
focused on volumes one and three of this set, leaving the remaining off the segment with his signature Saline Solution salt vanish.
two discs, which concern themselves to effects utilizing playing The routines are performed in front of an audience and then
cards and the requisite manipulation and sleights thereof, to Bill explained in detail in the studio. All of the explanatory segments
Duncan, a fellow reviewer better versed in the handling of paste- are presented in David Williamson’s irrepressible playful style,
boards than I. and are loaded with anecdotes and tips drawn from over thirty
So where to begin? Perhaps at the beginning would be best, a years of performing experience. These are DVDs that you will
situation made easier by the fact that I am tasked with reviewing watch again and again – not just for the tricks, but for the priceless
the first disc, which is devoted to the routines in Mr. William- insights Mr. Williamson has to offer on the performance of magic.
son’s professional show. While there is a card trick or four in this They’re just a lot of fun to watch.
section, all of the material presented is from Mr. Williamson’s The disc concludes with part three of the David Williamson
stand-up act, which features many of his signature routines. interview and also includes a gag reel from FISM 2000, and a
All of the routines are performed in a small theater in front of curious but highly amusing “travelogue” that documents Mr.
a live audience at an undisclosed location somewhere in Portugal. Williamson’s wild antics all amid the environs of Portugal. David
While there are some minor, albeit humorous, difficulties com- Williamson is a towering figure in the world of magic (yes, I’ve
municating with the audience due to Mr. Williamson's inability been trying to work in that height joke for the entire review) and
to speak or understand Portuguese, he valiantly overcomes this this excellent DVD set goes far in documenting his many contri-
minor handicap in his own capricious manner, clearly demon- butions to the art of magic. – Payne
strating along the way that magic is indeed a universal language. On rare occasions, a new product arrives that deserves a deeper
My interest in obtaining this set was primarily to see the per- dive than the usual crop of card tricks and clever gimmicks;
formance and handling of the Hindu Needle Trick and (being the something that requires multiple perspectives. Sometimes, as
Cups and Balls junkie that I am), Mr. Williamson’s two-cup Cups when Bill Malone offered an extensive look at the card work of Ed
and Balls routine. His stand-up set begins with the former and Marlo, it’s because of its historical significance. And sometimes
ends with the latter. Between the two I was regaled with perfor- it’s because the performer is expert in too many forms for the
mances of a ring and rope routine suitable for stage, a diabolically average magical reviewer to have an understanding of all of the
clever torn and restored card effect that, even though it’s a card subjects that relate to the material being taught. In this case, both
trick, is going to find a place in my repertoire, his take on the conditions apply.
classic card in mouth trick, two more card effects (Aunt Mary’s The historical significance part is that David Williamson has
Terrible Secret and Funner Color Stunner) as well as his handling for more than a quarter of a century been a force in magic, and here

60 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

is a comprehensive record of his work, professionally produced, was looking forward to seeing his
while he is at the top of his game. A quarter of a century from performances. The other part was
now people will not have to wonder why his name is spoken with genuine curiosity as to what was
respect. They will be able to see for themselves. going to be taught. While the set
And then there’s the variety of work. David Williamson moves fell short of being the encyclope-
effortlessly between simple, direct effects like spoon bending and dic resource I expected it to be, it
complex multi-phase tricks like his legendary Torn and Restored does manage to impart some very
Card routine. And he does it while he charms with his silliness and good and important information
his winning smile. He does kids parties, improvisational comedy, on the subject. Like the trick itself,
platform, cocktail party strolling, and hardcore card magic. the DVD set ends up being in some
And there is great card magic here, including tricks by a few ways more, and in some ways less,
of Mr. Williamson’s friends that he uses in his professional work, than the sum of its parts.
and an almost complete collection of his published output. You’ll The Trick That Can’t Be
find complex multiphase material like Cocktail Dazzler, a routine Explained is part of the amazing
designed for walk-around performance and based on classic legacy of Dai Vernon, and is, no pun intended, hard to explain.
themes. You’ll also find simple plots like Easy Aces, an assembly You can’t say what the effect is, because there is no set effect. You
that will fool anyone not familiar with it. You’ll also see David’s can’t say what the method is, because there is no set method – and
presentation for the trick many know as Two-Card Monte. It’s a in many ways, there’s no method at all. Simply put, The Trick
wonderful take on a standard trick that made me love Be Honest That Can’t Be Explained is the art of improvising with a deck
What Is It again. of cards. Maybe the performer makes a prediction, or maybe an
There’s also a full DVD of David explaining the methods he audience member chooses a card, or names a card, or a four of
uses in his card work. Card guys will find detailed professional a kind. Then the performer has to find a pathway to a miracu-
tips on classic moves like the top change, the pinky count, and the lous conclusion – matching the prediction or finding the named
diagonal palm shift. Getting the real work on classic methods like cards – based solely on the information that the order of the cards
these, from someone who uses them all the time, is invaluable to gives him. The performer (ideally) doesn’t handle or manipulate
anyone who aspires to master them. the cards at all, relying on confidence and a finely-honed ability
There are also “confessions.” I won’t spoil that surprise for to equivoque to pull a miracle out of literal thin air. Sometimes
you, but I didn’t expect to hear about Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s the result is a miracle, sometimes it’s a pretty good card trick;
Journey from silly old Dave, and it made me very happy. I had sometimes it’s merely a decent card trick. Sometimes it’s a bang;
the good fortune to see a midnight lecture Mr. Williamson gave sometimes it’s a whimper.
at Stan Kramien’s place in Oregon a few years back. He started For a trick that can’t be explained, there are actually quite a
his talk by saying that many contemporary lecturers like to few places to learn about The Trick That Can’t Be Explained in the
talk about magic theory, but that when he was a kid attending literature. The trick was christened in Dai Vernon’s More Inner
lectures a lecture would consist of “a guy who would do a trick Secrets of Card Magic, but there’s also Ed Marlo’s Unexpected
and then tell you how it was done.” He told us he would only do Prediction in Expert Card Conjuring (beautifully performed on
that, because he wasn’t much of theory guy. He then proceeded Bill Malone’s Malone Meets Marlo DVDs), Martin Nash’s A
to give one of the best theory lectures I’ve ever seen. He spent Hard Ace to Follow, and a few improvisational effects in Harry
about an hour on one trick, his Torn and Restored Card routine. Lorayne’s Close-Up Card Magic. More recently, Michael Close
He taught this complex and brilliant piece of card magic with such provided approaches using a memorized deck in the “Jazzin’”
detail and insight into how people watch magic that the kids who chapter of Workers Five, Roberto Giobbi has offered up some
clapped when he said he wasn’t going to talk about theory didn’t thoughts in his book Confidences, Darwin Ortiz discusses the trick
even notice they were learning concepts that they would someday in Designing Miracles, and Eric Mead contributed some outstand-
apply to all the magic they do. ing thoughts in his book Tangled Web. And yet, the only real way
So there, in fifteen hundred words or so, is a brief overview to learn the trick is to jump off the cliff and try it. The write-ups
of what you get in Ridiculous. We’ve only scratched the surface. offer up a lot of “there might be” and “maybe you could,” but you
There are still surprises to be had, music videos, interviews, just don’t know until the cards are staring you in the face and
and even David reviewing some of his favorite magic books. It you’re out there without a net. The Trick That Can’t Be Explained
probably goes without saying that both Payne and I recommend is The Effect That Can’t Be Described and The Method That Can’t
Ridiculous for pretty much anyone who likes to perform, study, or Be Taught. It just has to be done.
watch magic. So what are you waiting for? Get it. – W.S. Duncan So what does Henry Evans have to contribute on the subject?
For starters, he is very clearly an expert improviser with cards.
Opening Doors 3-DVD Set The first disc of Opening Doors features four different perfor-
By Henry Evans mances in four different settings, all largely improvised. Evans’s
Available from: www.vernetmagic.com facility with his improvisational toolkit is not a little astounding.
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies At no time do you ever get the sense that he’s thinking on his
Price $110.00 feet. Comparing the performances, you get to see what he does
the same way every time, and what he does differently, which
REVIEW BY ANTONIO M. CABRAL is a set of lessons on its own. Following those performances, he
sits down with another magician and attempts to detail exactly
I was excited to get my hands on Opening Doors, the new how he made his way through the first studio performance, which
three-DVD set from Vernet on what card magicians refer to as yields a few interesting insights. On disc two, he starts discussing
The Trick That Cannot Be Explained. Part of the reason was that some of his concrete techniques in detail and the theory behind
I knew of Henry Evan’s reputation as a master of this trick, so I them, and offers some specific, self-contained effects incorporat-

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 61

ing those techniques as well as some non-improvisational effects. rib will carry a performer far in the art of card conjuring. Much
Disc three discusses some of the presentational aspects of the like performing the trick itself, the valuable information is there
trick, where your audience’s reaction to the trick relies as much (if on the discs. You’re just going to have to tease it out. If you have
not more) on how you talk about it as it does on what you actually serious interest in this style of performance, this set will be a
accomplish. valuable resource.
Evans’s approach to these performances is very smart: he ap-
proaches it like a jazz musician approaches a solo, which is to Mayhew: What Women Want Book
say, he gives himself a framework on which to hang his impro- By John Lovick
visations. He starts with a non-improvisational effect, and tries Available from: www.HermeticPress.com
to build to his ending well in advance. (Michael Close and Eric Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
Mead have expressed similar thinking on the subject.) If I had to Price $40.00
pick a single most useful technique of his, it would be his ability
to very rapidly count quantities of cards in a spread, and to do so REVIEW BY CURTIS KAM
while speaking to his audience. He describes some tips on both
abilities, and while it’ll take a lot of experience to get as good as Finally, at long last, the big book of
Henry Evans with them, they’re abilities that will pay dividends Mayhew is here. Mayhew’s the bomb,
to the serious card magician. baby, and ain’t no arguing about it. I’ve
Another valuable skill discussed is the aforementioned pre- met the Mayhew, done card tricks with
sentational side. One of the first rules of theatrical improvisation him, and have laughed off valuable
is to say “yes” to anything and everything that comes your way. body parts watching him perform.
Nothing is “wrong” or a mistake. Evans’s confidence in present- If you haven’t had that last experi-
ing even the most minor of miracles is apparent in all of his per- ence, add it to your bucket list. Steve
formances, and is illustrated further with a trick that I at first Mayhew is one of those very rare per-
didn’t understand. He demonstrates the apparent ability to roll any formers who can walk the razor’s edge
number he wants on a pair of dice. I wasn’t sure what I was seeing, – he takes sleight of hand seriously, he
but it seemed impressive. As it turns out, Evans just rolls the dice takes comedy seriously, and the results
and whatever total he gets, he can immediately explain why he are both hilarious and magical. He
rolled it as if it was his intention all along. As a trick, it’s lame, but creates sophisticated sleight-of-hand
as an exercise in equivocal double-talk, it’s a valuable skill for the effects that are all about the audience and how he’s going to make
card magician who wants to appear to be in control at all times. them love him. Even while he’s dealing seconds and calling them
The biggest problem with the Opening Doors set is, in fact, one middles, or dealing bottoms and calling them seconds, or even
of language. The discs were recorded in Spanish and overdubbed before, when he’s at home coming up with a good reason for doing
with an English language voiceover. Unfortunately, there’s only something as dippy as either of those things, he’s doing it all for
one person doing the voiceover, and during the back and forth the audience. And, since you’ll actually find good uses for both
explanation segments it gets difficult to separate out who’s saying of these odd concepts in the book, it turns out he’s been doing it
what. On top of which, the translations employed are confusing for us, too.
more often than they ought to be. A prime example is right in the Steve has mastered just enough tough sleight of hand to be ab-
DVD copy, which states that “Opening Doors makes the impos- solutely fearless in front of an audience. This allows him to open
sible to show and teach you something that is (almost) impossible his shows with the offer, “I’ll do any trick you can think of with this
to be taught.” I have no idea what that means, but having listened deck of cards,” confident that he can make good on that promise.
to the explanations I can’t argue with it. In the book, he explains how he accomplishes this, and how one
I can’t say that this DVD is going to teach you The Trick can use that offer as a lead-in to a routine in which the spectators
That Can’t Be Explained any better than what’s already in print, find the four Aces. That said, you might be wondering if you have
because the best teacher of the trick is experience with the trick. the card handling (or audience handling) skills necessary to do the
I certainly wouldn’t recommend building an entire performance material in this book. The answer is…mostly. Most of the material
out of the trick the way Evans does. Few and far between are the requires a facility with the usual controls, palms, side steals, and
performers with enough knowledge and experience to not only double lifts, and some of it is nearly self-working. In fact, Steve
pull off a single improvised trick, but to build an entire impro- tips a sleight-less way to cull a four of a kind from a shuffled deck,
vised routine with the appropriate shape and build. When you while it’s being shuffled, His Old Lazy Fat Guy Deck Switch is
throw yourself on the mercy of fate and chance, you run the risk of pretty much as advertised.
delivering a performance that may be to the best of your abilities, To do the really good stuff, however, you’ll want to have a
but less than your potential, to deliver maximum entertainment workable classic pass, a second deal, and the ability to deal just
for your audience. (Rene Lavand has noted, “I never improvise one card, once, from the middle. You’ll also have to understand
out of respect for my audience.”) how to make an audience laugh. But none of this is any reason
On the other hand, viewing these DVDs I was reminded of to avoid this book. If you do not already have these skills, Steve
another classic card text, Charles Hopkins’s Outs, Precautions, offers valuable tips on most of them, and the magic provides
and Challenges. On those unfortunate occasions when improvi- ample incentive to learn the others. There are false deals and
sation is your only way out of a sticky situation, the techniques elaborate farces. Spectators cut to the Aces, and are made to hug
described on these DVDs will put you in position to walk away you. Brazen palming and passing are covered by presentational
from a crash landing when your parachute fails. The ability to gambits that are just as reckless. Not everyone can do this sort of
immediately read a deck and find a satisfying conclusion to a thing, but everyone should at least try.
botched trick, to perform mental tasks while talking, and the If you already have a Mayhew routine in your repertoire, it’s
sheer ability to sling baloney until they believe it’s grade-A prime likely Freedom (although you probably learned it under a different

62 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

name, since variations have been published by Allan Ackerman, and call you on. When you show that the Aces really are on the
Darwin Ortiz, Jack Carpenter, and others), in which the performer table, they are surprised and defeated. Whether they enjoy that
demonstrates his ability to deal cards from the middle, second experience enough to take the bait the next time depends on the
from the middle, “eleven-teen” from the top, and anywhere, while performer’s skill. Reasonable performers like Michael Skinner
he’s really dealing seconds, essentially performing Triumph, and abandoned this aspect of the routine, opting to perform just the
rallying the crowd to stick it to “the man” who’s keeping us down climax, in which the Aces vanish from beneath the spectator’s
by making us always deal from the top. It’s the sort of gambling hand. Only Bruce Cervon and Steve Mayhew have risen to the
demo that audiences understand and enjoy, even if they don’t challenge of foisting this experience, in all its mischievous glory,
gamble. It’s also simple to get into, easy to remember, and can on modern audiences. The way that Mayhew has constructed this
be presented in any number of ways. (Mayhew provides two pre- experience, and the small but important changes he has made,
sentations.) In addition, you get a variation by Allan Ackerman make this routine a master class in audience management. This
and Simon Aronson that adds extra impact for gambling savvy challenge has tempted me for many years, and now, thanks to
crowds. Mayhew, I am finally able to present it without coming off like
Another standout is Uber Ultimate Gardner-Marlo in which too much of a jerk. Like many of the other routines in the book,
Steve takes a serious gambling technique that he and Jack there is much to learn here even if you never perform this particu-
Carpenter came up with (which allows you to riffle stack even lar effect.
though the spectator is the one who’s shuffling) and applies it to a And then there’s his bill routine. This is a worker. There
routine in which the spectator gets to cheat (he actually shuffles are tips in here that will put money in the pockets of just about
the deck and then deals his hand off the bottom) and win. On the every strolling or table-hopping pro. The entire piece plays in
second round, he even deals a winning hand to his partner. Like close-up, parlor, or stand-up, and it’s not just good enough to fit
Freedom, this routine is also followed by an outstanding variation into your working set, it’s better. This is the routine that cost me
it inspired, this time by Jason England and Tomas Blomberg. the aforementioned body parts, the price of laughing so hard.
Mayhew’s penchant for turning tricks on their heads is also You schmooze a woman, and her date pays for it. You change a
evident in his take on Curry’s Out of This World. The participants single into a five, and give it to her. You change some poor sap’s
have no idea what they’re doing, as they offer the fanned deck to twenty into a one, and give it away. You offer to make the poor
each other so that cards can be chosen and placed on the table. guy feel better, and you do, but you don’t give him any money. In
Even though the deck was in their hands, it turns out that they the end, the guy’s out twenty bucks, but he’ll just laugh and hug
have unwittingly separated it into reds and blacks. you for it. (One hopes.) In the end, you toss a hundred dollar bill
About half of the material is gambling themed, and there are into the crowd, and it “disappears.” This is the best way to vanish
false dealing demos that are, in fact, false, and some that are real. a hundred, ever. Context is everything, and I won’t spoil the gag
If you’re drawn to this sort of stuff, you’ll be happy to hear that by tipping it here. You’ll have to get the book to see it, and apply
he has included Labyrinth Blackjack, in which the spectator deals it to your own borrowed bill routine.
out as many hands of head-to-head blackjack as he likes, he plays John Lovick’s writing is clear, thoughtful, and captures
as well as he can, and he always loses. You do nothing but sit Mayhew’s playfulness. The title, Mayhew: What Women Want is
smugly, play the cards dealt to you, and win every time. It’s all in a tipoff, and trick titles like A Balloon, A Cartwheel, and a Pony
the stack. Gambling fans will also be amazed by The Way of All Ride carry that tilted perspective all the way through. This book is
Flesh, in which Mayhew and Tony Cabral have combined Topsy as much fun to read as the material is fun to perform. The crediting
Turvy Aces with the Gilbreath principle and the mechanics of a is excellent, and while John Lovick is no slouch as a comedy
punch deal to create an effect in which the spectator shuffles and writer, I sense the presence of the Mayhew himself throughout
mixes the cards face up and face down, but when you deal out the most of it. The author(s) also give a large tip of the hat to Steven
deck, you get all the face-down cards, and they’re given the entire Hobbs, because many of the descriptions were first written by him
suit of Spades. Yes, it’s a sexy perfect bridge deal, perhaps the for inclusion in his now-vanished Labyrinth magazine.
only sexy bridge deal. All in all, the magic is magical. The comedy is funny. The
While we’re still talking about Triumph, magicians will methods are inspired, and inspiring. I don’t know what more you
enjoy Regressive Triumph, which is a Triumph in which the deck, could ask from a book, but whatever it is, you don’t need it. Buy
which is a face-up/face-down mess, rights itself gradually, about a this book and enjoy it.
third at a time, until it is all facing one way, except for the selected
card. Another favorite is Dolores in a Meadow, which is The Trick THE 100th MONKEY DVD with gimmicks
that Fooled Houdini, if it were painted by Salvador Dali. By Chris Philpotts
And everyone, even the mentalists, should like Wet or Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
Black?, which is (as far as I know) a new effect in card magic. The Price: $80.00
spectator freely cuts the deck into eight separate packets and then
makes one final decision, red or black. Whichever he names, and REVIEW BY DAVID GOODSELL
it is a free choice, the top cards of all the packets are that color.
The presentation is really funny, and the effect is stunning. If you watched Fox News Sunday one morning last February,
While all of that is weird and wonderful, the two standouts for you saw mentalist Gerard Senehi bewilder host Chris Wallace and
me were Full Frontal Conus and Das Kapital. The Conus Aces is others with a version of Chris Philpotts’s superb mental effect The
literally one of the oldest tricks in the book. Hailing from a time 100th Monkey, a baffling mind reading routine that combines ty-
when magicians dared to taunt and challenge their audiences, it poglycemia (the overlapping of two images so that one image is
is essentially a series of sucker tricks – a daunting test of a per- apparent at close range and the other image at long range) and dual
former’s presentational chops. You tell the audience that you’re reality (scripting that leads the audience to believe one meaning
going to deal the Aces to the table, but you don’t. You deal off the while a helper from that same audience believes something
bottom, or you cut the deck before the deal, actions that they see different). The 100th Monkey principle is a questionable but in-

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 63

 triguing scientific possi- E2 – The Extractor V.2 Gimmick and two DVDs
bility that the collective By Rob Bromley and Peter Nardi
learning of a group of Available from: www.alakazam.co.uk
people can be trans- Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
ferred to another person Price $80.00
by some form of extra
sensory perception. REVIEW BY ANTONIO M. CABRAL
Cool!
In The 100th Alakazam Magic’s Extractor
Monkey effect, a card gimmick has been around for a
with a single word on while and has generated some con-
it, such as the name of a siderable buzz, and rightfully so.
month or a country, is shown to the audience. A random volunteer It’s an amazing utility gimmick
from the audience, who was brought to the stage at the beginning that allows you unbelievable
of the routine and who has not seen the card, is asked to think of a control over a playing card cleanly
month or country by reading the collective minds of the audience; inserted into the middle of a cased
he is to write that information down. They match! deck by an audience member.
Philpotts has also used this with three people on stage at the Since I was unfamiliar with this
same time, each thinking of a different topic (country, month, gimmick before receiving the
etc.), which is very impressive. The concept is the same for all current version for review, I thought it would
three as for one. It uses special cards, some of which are provided, be useful to talk about the gimmick itself for those who might
and others are provided for, but it is not a self-working trick. It not know what the fuss is about, and then talk about the improve-
will require performance skills and showmanship on your part. ments in the latest version.
Maybe you have mastered those already! Most of us can improve, The inspiration for this gimmick is Daryl’s classic Ultimate
and Philpotts will help us do that. Ambition deck. Right away this justifies the expense, as like
In addition to the instructional DVD and the necessary props, Daryl’s effect this is not the sort of gimmick you can quickly
Philpotts has provided a forty-three-page PDF document with whip up at your kitchen table. And while Daryl’s deck is half the
excellent instructions, including several variations possible with price, it’s designed for one specific purpose. The Extractor, on
this effect, as well as the script he uses. Because what you say can the other hand, is designed to be a utility item. Also, one of the
make a big difference in the impact of the trick, it is crucial for you very nice features of the new version is that it can stand in for any
to study the scripting, and the accompanying commentary. You style of cards you choose to use in performance. It made watching
don’t have to use it, but you should use the principles explained. the second instructional DVD very amusing, as a considerable
Thanks for all that, Chris! This is some of the best writing on tips, amount of time is spent describing the delicate surgery that had
techniques, and the theory of presentation of mentalism out there been required to redress the gimmick in another style card case.
today, and should inspire us to seek more elsewhere. Indeed, this Now, you simply remove the gimmick from the box provided,
is so much more than a mere set of instructions. take whatever box you want and a cover card to match, cut a slit
But that’s not all. In a ten-page chapter of the PDF, Chris in the case, put the cover card on the gimmick and Bob’s your
discusses ways to use the 100th Monkey Principle with ideas from uncle. Heck, you don’t even need the cover card, really. A true
Banachek’s Psychological Subtleties series and ideas from Rich mark of a utility item is its versatility. This feature also allows
Bloch, Paul Draper, and others. Included is an essay on what to do you to pull the deck partway out of the case before having the
when a trick doesn’t work that is great reading. card inserted, which creates the nice impression that you’re still
Two other effects are included and demonstrated. In Speech- holding a normal deck of cards.
less, we are asked, “What would it be like if a spectator could And this brings me to what the darn thing actually does. With
read a word on a card one minute and then the next could not, for the Extractor, you have a card chosen in some manner, removed
the lettering had changed from a word to gibberish? Same card. from the deck, and signed. The card is then replaced into the
No switches!” This is an excellent concept, a clever variation on middle of the cased deck, and the gimmick immediately delivers
typoglycemia, and looks good on the instructional DVD. It will be the cards outside the case to be stolen away. It’s an incredibly
fun for your audience. guileless and honest-looking procedure, and at the same time as-
But that’s still not all. What if four audience volunteers each toundingly easy. I didn’t once have to fight with the card as it
use a card to think of something different, say a month, a piece of made its way through the gimmick. And you can have someone
furniture, an emotion, and a country. What if you could not only else insert the card wherever they like into the pack – the card is
reveal what the four words are but who is holding which card? in your total control.
You’re darn right that would be a great trick. And it is. Good stuff! A point driven home many times on the DVD is that, once
By the way, the DVD also contains a folder filled with a ton of that card goes into the middle of the cased deck, the flap shut,
JPG images that you can print out at home or at your local printer and the box put away, your audience is convinced that the card is
in whatever size works best for you. out of your control. This just makes the ease with which you have
If you understand really good mentalism you will appreci- control over that card that much more powerful. In fact, I’d more
ate the possibilities with the concepts presented here. Where the liken this to a good card-loading wallet, but in reverse. Not a lot
norm is to offer quick-and-dirty instructions, most often lacking of gimmicks are that strong or useful.
any performance motivation, yet alone subtlety, Chris Philpotts Having said that, unlike a loading wallet, you wouldn’t use
has not short-changed us in any way. This is some of the best this more than once in a given set; you’d use this as the control in
watching and reading you will find, and a gift to working mental- some big kick-’em-in-the-face closing trick. A loading wallet can
ists. Worth every penny! Bravo! be secretly used to reveal a prediction, or a mystery card, or as

64 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

an impossible location for the card to appear. The Extractor, first The disc includes about twenty
and foremost, is a diabolical card control. Most of the applications very stretchy rubber bands (which
offered on these DVDs are “card to impossible location” effects, you will need for the advanced
in which the card leaves the original cased deck and appears moves) and a practice ring
somewhere else: an opposite pocket, your wallet, an envelope, or (although almost any wed-
even another deck (including a very nice sealed deck application). ding-type band will do).
Of course, most of these impossible translocations could be ac- There is a four-phase ring and
complished with a normal deck and good old-fashioned palming. rubber band routine described.
In fact, almost all of the Extractor versions involve palming the The phases are called “strand by
card from one place to another. To be fair, these are probably some strand,” “slow motion,” “dangling
of the easiest palms and loads you’ll ever attempt, because they link,” and “lost link.” All of them are
happen inside your pockets, and the presence of the card case excellent. Following that is what Michael
precludes any way that you could be palming. And the routines are calls the “Master Link.” Any one of these will
structured such that you surreptitiously load the card way before stand alone if you want a quick, visual miracle.
the reveal, which creates a very strong impression. And obviously, There are also a couple of bonus sections that detail variations
at some point you have to switch the deck in play for the Extractor using borrowed key rings, hair ties, bracelets, and even pretzels!
gimmick, but the switch taught is probably the easiest and most Two additional routines are included. One is the full work on
powerful one available to the card magician, and the misdirection Arthur Setterington’s penetrating bands (commonly known as
involved is incredibly strong. Crazy Man’s Handcuffs) using rubber bands only. The other is
There are also a few more subtle things the Extractor allows Scanzello’s version of a borrowed ring in shoe, using a ring only.
you to do. For example, it allows you to glimpse the card as you Of course, you need to be wearing shoes.
put the case away. In fact, many of the effects offered throw in that Mastering the moves is not an easy task. You will have to
extra mind-reading element as another extra “hit” in the middle put in the necessary time and practice. Fortunately, the disc is
of whatever impossible translocation you’re performing. In actual extremely detailed, and the explanations are usually repeated with
practice, it’s probably best used sparingly depending on the effect. a different angle. The videography is about as good as it gets. And
More intriguing is the ability to secretly write on the face of the the credits, joyfully, are about as complete as possible, listing all
selection. These types of applications make this a gimmick worth sorts of contributors to rubber band magic related to the routines
exploring. presented.
Some of the applications offered are a little overwrought. For A lot of work went into this product, and the price is very
example, there’s a version of Darwin Ortiz’s Harry in Your Pocket reasonable. You can find the demo video on YouTube. Armed
that requires two decks (one a forcing deck), plus the Extractor, and with two DVDs, namely, Scanzello’s Pi: Ring on Band and Joe
happens in the performer’s pocket. The original requires only one Rindfleisch’s Jumper, you will have material that will put you far
ordinary deck and is performed in an audience member’s pocket; ahead of the curve in rubber band magic. You should have figured
I don’t see the Extractor version as an improvement. Also, taken out by now that the Pi in the title of the DVD does not refer to a
as a whole, the effects taught give an impression of sameness; you dessert, but rather to the ratio of the circumference of a circle to
employ the Extractor, then you figure out the wackiest place you its diameter. Now that’s irrational.
can think of for that card to end up, and, by the way, you can name
the card, too. Page: Voucher Trick
It’s a gimmick with a lot of immediate potential, and I believe By SansMinds Magic
even more creative potential. At $80 a pop, it might not be the Available from: www.SansMinds.com
sort of thing for the casual or even serious amateur, but for a Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
creative professional this could definitely be the foundation of a Price $35.00
reputation-making effect or three. And the versatility of the new
and improved version makes it even handier. I recommend it for REVIEW BY DANNY ARCHER
anyone looking to seriously gob smack his audience.
As usual with releases from SansMinds, the DVD is well shot
(Pi) Ring on Band Trick and disc navigation is nicely done. Here
By Michael Scanzello is the basic effect: The performer
Available from Philly Magic introduces a coupon book, similar
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies to the ones you find in many com-
Price $20.00 munities. The performer flips
through the book, showing many
REVIEW BY DAN GARRETT different coupons in several col-
or-coded sections. The performer
Ever since Bill Kalush created the borrowed ring and rubber looks away; the spectator is told to
band effect and Michael Ammar popularized it, this type of insert a finger into the book as the
routine has become virtually essential for the professional performer flips through the pages. The
close-up performer. It is a non-card, non-coin, impromptu sleight- book is opened at that spot and the spectator
of-hand effect with ordinary objects, yet the magic that can be is asked to remember some of the details printed on
created with these two objects is simply astounding. Philadelphia the coupon. The book is closed hiding the selected coupon from
wizard Michael Scanzello has researched almost everything in view. Bit by bit the performer is able to pull thoughts from the
print on the subject, developed his own handling, and created the spectator’s mind, revealing details of the coupon. Names, smells
“definitive” routine for Ring on Band. associated with the business, a menu, and more can be revealed,

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 65

eventually ending with the actual name of the business. gimmicked card is something you can deal with. If you like Monte
The effect is very easy to do from the performer’s perspective. effects, do not mind using a gimmicked card, and love visual card
I performed it for a friend and he was impressed. The specially magic, then you should invest the small amount of time needed
printed coupon book looks legitimate, but it cannot be examined to master this routine along with the expense of purchasing this
by the spectator either before or after the effect. While the book effect.
looks good, the coupons inside are all for sound-alike companies
(Burger Queen instead of Burger King and Orangebee’s instead of Cups and Eggs DVD and Props
Applebee’s.) However, they don’t get to examine the book and the By Leo Smetsers
speed of flipping probably prevents them from noticing this. Also Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
the book is much thinner than the coupon books I am familiar Price $85.30
with in my community. On the plus side, the book is of a size that
makes it easy to carry in your pocket. Another presentation is REVIEW BY MARC DESOUZA
included that ends up with two people each thinking of the same
coupon. While I don’t see this being used by professional mental- I’ve been a Cups and Balls nut for
ists, I think this is an interesting piece for magicians looking to years. I have collected not only sets
add a mentalism flavor to their magic and I can recommend it with of cups, but routines as well. I really
these caveats. enjoy cultural variations on the classic,
and began working on the Indian Cups
Simplex Monte Trick and DVD and Balls after reading Charlie Miller’s
By Rob Brumley routine many years ago in Genii
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies magazine. Finding the cups was not so
Retail Price $28.99 easy at the time, so I experimented with
several existing “found” cups. Among
REVIEW BY JAMIE SALINAS them were several different sets of egg
cups. Now, here is a new product by
It seems as if there Dutch magician Leo Smetsers that uses
are a million versions of the same props.
the Monte effect, a gam- On the DVD, Smetsers teaches his routine, which is fairly
bling-themed routine simple and direct. More important, Smetsers has provided a finish
in which the object is that I had never contemplated, eggs actually appearing in the
to find or follow the cups. This is both good and bad. On the good side, it is a very
“money card.” It’s a con rapid and surprising finish, because the eggs are sitting in the cups
made famous by the as they are turned upright. On the bad side, the handling is a bit
street hustlers in New cozy and, to me, a bit obvious. This may be because the camera’s
York City. Now make eye cannot be misdirected; in person it might fly by most specta-
that a million and one versions. Rob Brumley has created another tors. The techniques used for most of the routine are the same as
version of this effect using a special gimmicked card. in traditional Indian Cups and Balls, but the routine itself is quite
The effect is simple and the base routine is short and sweet. different in structure and presentation.
Three Jokers are shown along with one Queen of Hearts. One The DVD is well done from both the visual and audio point of
Joker is removed to make it easier for the marks to keep track of view. Smetsers is a good teacher and gets his points across well.
the Queen. The Queen is placed in the middle of the two Jokers, In addition to the DVD, all of the props you require are provided.
but as it is removed face down, it is turned over and shown to be These include three metal egg cups, all of the balls needed, and
a Joker. The process is repeated in a seemingly fairer manner, the three really nice fake eggs for the finale. All is contained
but again the Queen is found to be a Joker. For the final phase, within a burlap sack that you can use to transport the whole lot
all of the cards are held face up with the Queen in the middle of for performances.
the Jokers. As they are dropped to the table, the Queen visibly I found the routine to be of interest and, if you are a lover of the
changes to a Joker in mid-air, and the extra Joker that was placed Cups and Balls, you probably will, too. The price is a bit high for
aside from the very beginning is found to be the Queen. the curious, but considering that all of the props are provided, it is
Does it really look that good? Yes. Is the routine that direct reasonably good value for money. Recommended.
and simple to follow? Yes. Can the cards be examined? No. Well
three of them can be inspected, but not the gimmicked card. Is Faceshifter DVD and Gimmick
this a problem? It can be. This routine requires good audience From Skulkor
management to draw the attention away from the gimmick and to Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
the revelation of the Queen, which was previously shown to be a Price $29.95
Joker. This is not a difficult task, but there will be times when the
spectators will want to examine all of the cards. You’ll want to REVIEW BY NORMAN BECK
get to know your audience a bit before pulling this out, so you can
judge how grabby they might be. I made a promise to myself that I would never again say
Included on the DVD are additional handlings, and an addi- anything negative about a product; I would be nice. And I am going
tional change. The instructions are easy to follow, because this to hold true to that, and let the facts speak for me. Faceshifter is
is designed for the beginner and intermediate card worker. The the same gimmick that Mark Mason came out with over a decade
gimmick is well made and should last a long time. The visual ago. Mason’s trick is called 2wenty1, and is very good. Faceshift-
effect is fantastic, but you will have to decide if the heat on the er is a much weaker version. Faceshifter, and I quote, “is an im-

66 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

 possible two card transpo that you can sleeve to accomplish the amazing miracle. Many felt, rightly so,
easily carry with you anywhere. that the audience would credit the toy-like object, rather than the
The performer presents two skill of the magician, with the card’s transformation.
cards to his spectators and the So, if you’re one of those folks who, after a long afternoon of
switch happens right in front amusing themselves watching a card visibly change itself from
of the spectators’ eyes. The one to another and then back again before pitching the device into
card can even be on the spec- to the depths of your bottomless drawer of unused magic props,
tator’s hand when the switch go and dig it out because the folks at RSVPmagic have come up
happens! It is a jaw-dropping with a near perfect solution for use with the WOW Gimmick: the
effect that is easy to perform and Wowlett.
resets instantly.” Taking an idea from Luke Darcy, they have created a unique
You can’t do the trick the way card in wallet routine that employs the WOW gimmick. The
they sell it, because they only send you the Wowlett is a leather billfold in which the WOW gimmick acts as
gimmicked card and you must provide a second card the ID window. A cleverly hidden slot on the Wowlett’s outside
in order to do it. I think for $30 they could include the material to allows you to easily secretly slip a palmed card behind the
do the effect. The actual DVD clocks in at less than nine minutes, gimmick. This allows you to show one card in the wallet and then
with another 1:20 of instruction on how to make the gimmick. Did have it visibly transform into a second (signed) card right before
I mention it is Mark Mason’s gimmick? the spectators' astonished eyes.
The DVD has no audio, only subtitles with music in the back- The Wowlett is well made out of leather, and even though it
ground. This is a pet peeve of mine. If I want to listen to music I lacks a place to keep bills, there are slots for credit cards and even
will put in a music CD. If I want to learn magic I want to hear and a small change purse on the outside. So, if you live in a cashless
see the magic, not look at subtitles. world living off debit and credit cards, you could use the Wowlett
Along with the main effect they teach two other routines that as your everyday billfold.
have no presentation. Both can be done without the gimmick; The Wowlet is accompanied by a very well-produced DVD
one is a version of the coin effect Three Fly, and the other is a that walks you step by step through several routines, ideas, and al-
version of the Biddle Trick. Neither impressed me enough to write ternative handlings for the Wowlett – even one that doesn’t involve
anything more. having to palm the card. But, like all card to wallet routines, the
Oh, one last thing, did I mention that this gimmick is by Mark best, most baffling ones require you learn, if not master this
Mason, and that he put out a good trick called 2wenty1 (read it as valuable skill. So if at present you don’t palm cards, this would be
“21”) that he sells for $20? You should buy that trick. It’s a good a good trick to inspire you to learn. It’s not the best Card in Wallet
value. routine out there. But of all the wallets I’ve worked with this is one
of the easiest to load I’ve come across.
Wowlett Trick Now for the particulars: The wallet is well made and the reset
From a concept by Luke Darcy time is instantaneous. The angles are good. You should be able
Available from: www.rsvpmagic.com to do this surrounded, making it a great feat for strolling or res-
Price $114.35 or $147.03 with the WOW Gimmick taurant work. The basic Wowlett doesn’t come with the WOW
gimmick. If you don’t already own one, you’ll either have to
REVIEW BY PAYNE obtain one separately, or buy the more expensive Wowlett that
comes with one. The WOW gimmick just slips into the Wowlett,
In 2006, or thereabouts, the ever so it can be easily removed if you still wish to use it by itself in
inventive and exceptionally clever another routine. (We recommend the one Paul Gertner teaches in
Katsuya Masuda released the WOW his lectures.)
gimmick to the magic community. The only difficulty I had with this was getting the card to change
The trick was so named, at least smoothly with a minimal amount of fiddling. But then I have large
according to legend, because when thumbs, and I bite my nails, which hindered the operation of the
he showed it to fellow magician gimmick. However, after a bit of rehearsal, the leather softened
Lance Burton the single word up enough to allow even big thumbed me to operate it with ease.
response he received from him was, If you’re looking for a unique and visually stunning card to wallet
“Wow!” routine, the Wowlett might be just the thing. 
There was a good reason for
Lance’s response; magic rarely is as
visually stunning as this. For those
of you who have been living under a If you wish to have your product reviewed,
rock for the last few years and have
yet to experience WOW, the basic effect is the visually inexpli-
please send it to:
cable transformation of one playing card into another. It’s quite
amazing to behold – so amazing that you’ll find yourself doing it
over and over again, simply for your own amusement and delight. Bill Duncan
Unfortunately, as incredible as this effect is to watch, it has
a major setback. The transformation is achieved by placing the P.O. Box 50562
card into an odd-looking transparent plastic holder. For some this
wasn’t an issue. But for others it presented an un-scalable hurdle –
Bellevue, WA 98015-0562
the justification of having to employ such a strange looking plastic

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 67

 Treasures from
the Salon de M agie
By Ken Kloster m an

sounded whenever a spectator wished.”

Wraxall was either mistaken or telling a good story, for the
clock dial could be shown to the audience, but only the hand and
the bell could actually be handed out for examination. The
addition of the bell below the dial was apparently an innovation
ROBERT-HOUDIN AERIAL CLOCK by Robert-Houdin. Such bells were often presented by themselves
as mysterious signaling devices, especially in the late nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries when “spirit manifestations” were
a very popular feature. Given the ingenuity of Robert-Houdin’s
devices of all kinds, we can assume that his method of controlling
the Aerial Clock was highly innovative, if not an entirely new
invention.
Many methods have been used to control the movement of the
clock hand. The most basic
was thread wrapped around
a hub in the center of the dial
that received a spindle on
the back of an arrow-shaped
hand. Another was to edge-
rotate a front disk of glass
with the hand on it, laid over
a stationery second disk
with the numbers painted
on, much like some magical
French magician Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, the timepieces.
acknowledged “Father of Modern Conjuring,” also created an Others depended on
amazing array of what have come to be called “Mystery Clocks.” moving a concealed magnet
These clocks were deceptive because the means by which the to affect a magnetized
hands moved and the clock kept time was an utter mystery to the hand; controlling a coiled
uninitiated then, and even now. Many featured transparent glass spring by a start-stop brake
faces set atop ornate gilded bases. Others featured glass dials activated by a thread or an
atop a glass pillar. In both cases, the animation of the clock was electromagnet; concealed
completely hidden. clockwork activated by a
In his show, Robert-Houdin also used a second type, which hidden pendulum, spring, or descending weight; or a sliding
has been described as an “Obedient Clock.” He identified it counterweight on the back of the hand that was positioned to
in his program as La Pendule Aérienne, the Aerial Clock, also cause the hand to come to rest at a particular number after being
sometimes called the Cabalistic Clock. He was not the first to spun. This last invention, or at least significant improvement,
perform such an effect, even though he indicated in his memoirs is credited to Robert-Houdin’s contemporary, Johann Hofzinser.
that he introduced it in 1847. Examination of the apparatus in the Salon de Magie reveals
There are descriptions of such an obedient clock in Die that the hand is operated by a small key-wound, spring-driven
Gaukeltasche (The Pocketbag of Illusion) by Hofrath von clockwork motor concealed in the ball at the top of the dial.
Eckhartshausen, published in Munich in 1791. It is possible However, the starting and stopping of the clockwork is controlled
that Breslaw presented such a clock in 1778 and 1781, as did by an electromagnet, which is powered by wires running through
Katterfelto in 1782. each of the suspended cords to a hook that engages the ring in
Robert-Houdin’s presentation of the Aerial Clock was the ball at the top of the dial. When current is applied to the
succinctly described by Lascelles Wraxall in material he added electromagnet, it withdraws a post that allows a flywheel in the
to his translation of Houdin’s Memoirs: clockwork to spin, which rotates a narrow gear-driven drum.
“A transparent clock dial with a single hand was suspended by A loop of very fine thread wound around this drum runs to
two thin cords. Hanging beneath the dial was an attractive crystal a rotating collar in the hub on the dial that receives the spindle
bell. The clock’s hand moved at Robert-Houdin’s command to of the clock hand. When current is stopped, the electromagnet
any time a spectator chose, and the bell sounded the appropriate releases the post, which moves in to stop the flywheel.
hour. The clock and bell were passed among the audience for The clock in the Salon de Magie is definitely a Houdin-type
examination both before and after the feat. Finally, the magician clock, and appears to match a clock once in the Charles Larson
gave the onlooker one end of a short cord; a hook was attached collection. It is attributed to a French magic dealer of the period
to the other end. The bell was put on the hook. Yet the bell still 1860-1890, probably Voisin. 

68 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014

OUR ADVERTISERS
A House of Fire 4
INSIDE STRAIGHT
B. Happie Entertainment 30 BY NORMAN BECK
ABOVE AND BEYOND
Bob Kohler Magic 33
Burgoon Magic 9 Relationships – at the end of the day, that is what
it all comes down to. I have learned a great deal about
Christian Painter 48 relationships over the last four months, and I have found that
Concept Magic 69 some were better than others. There is a saying from Iceland
that makes the point: “You never know who your friends are
Genii Magazine 10 until the ice breaks.”
George Parker 31 I had many great things happen to me while I was off on
Hermetic Press 45 my medical “vacation.” I want to share a very special one
with you that involved two guys, Steve and George. Their full
IBM/SAM Convention 2014 72 names are Stephan Pyles and George Majdalani, and they own
Jim Kleefeld 3 and run two restaurants here in Dallas: Stephan Pyles and
Stampede 66. Stephan Pyles is my girlfriend’s favorite place
Joe Mogar - Magic Stars 59 to eat in Dallas. We go there for special events and whenever
LaRock's Fun & Magic Outlet 2 I need to get out of the doghouse; consequently, we eat there
a great deal. We have our own table, waiter, and captain. We
MiX16 Apps by Gregor Krasevec 3 know all the staff by name, as well as the two owners and their
S.A.M. Life Membership 71 families. When I say we are regulars, I really mean it.
S.A.M. on Twitter 9 Brain surgery, however, will put a damper on going out to
eat. Twelve hours in the operating room will knock anybody
S.A.M. on Twitter 59 down; per doctor's orders I was a prisoner in my own house.
Show-Biz Services 9 I was only allowed to be driven to the doctor’s office and
back home again. George told us that if we needed anything
The Magic Bakery 7 food wise to call him and he would deliver it. One night my
T. Myers 3 girlfriend suggested that we call George and order dinner.
Tony Cabral 23 We called and the next night George himself showed up; his
partner Stephen was out of town or he would have come as
well.
George came in, set up the table, and brought everything
that was needed to cook supper; he served us just like we were
at the restaurant. I eat out a great deal and have had many
great, memorable meals, but this one was at the top of the list.
Was the food outstanding? Yes. Had I eaten the same menu
prior to this? Many times. What made it so memorable? The
fact that one of the owners of one of the top places to eat in
the United States took the time to make a house call and cook
for two people who could not come to dine with him; this was
really special. Had it not happened, we would still eat there
just as often, but I can think of nothing that has ever happened
or could ever happen that would endear me to a business es-
tablishment any more than this gesture of kindness.
When it was raining in my world, George didn’t just bring
an umbrella; he brought a ray of sunshine that I will never
forget nor be able to repay. The nice thing is that no repayment
is possible. After the meal I asked George for the check; there
wasn’t one. I was told that he didn’t charge for his services,
and I cried. Please, if you do magic and you have a chance
to go do a magic show for someone under the weather, do so.
They will be thankful for your kindness and generosity more
than you will ever know. I know in my situation that we will
only ever have one special place to eat in Dallas, and that will
not be subject to change.
If you ever come to Dallas and want someplace really
special to eat, go to Stephan Pyles at 1807 Ross Avenue. Ask
for table 52; tell them Norman sent you and you will learn
what real customer service is. At the end of the day, this is
what we do as magicians; we provide customer service. 

APRIL 2014 - M-U-M Magazine 69

 The Dean's Diary
By George Schindler
Dialing for Dollars, Bowling for Dollars, Good Morning, and
dozens of early morning news shows.
At CBS in Los Angeles, I got a network spot with Dinah
Shore. We were doing magic on a breakfast set. I was asked to
check the table props, and as I did so, I cheated. I secretly shoved
TV OR NOT TV? a half dollar into a dinner roll, which saved me from having to
palm it and load it at airtime. I was off to Philadelphia that same
year, where we taped the Mike Douglas show. It was one of the
most memorable days in my life, as I met and appeared with Mark
Wilson, Johnny Thompson, and Harry Blackstone Jr. Douglas
was asked to wear a ring so I could borrow it for my Coin in Ring
effect, but being TV, the bit was cut; I ended up picking up a bottle
with a soda straw. Mike still wanted to know why he had to wear
the ring. On that same day I met Tom and Sherrie, whose bird act
was cut from the show entirely.
What prompted these memories was a 1099 tax form I received
from NBC. One Tuesday I got a call from the prop manager at
At the time that I made my first appearance on television, very Saturday Night Live; he needed an illusion for Saturday’s show.
few people had TV sets. I was on a Sunday afternoon children’s They were doing a bit in which actress Melissa McCarthy had to
show called Chiselcrimp in the Land of Anything. The eight-year- be changed into a ham. It had to be quick. I usually recommend
old emcee introduced me as follows, “Here is George the Mee-oo the rental of standard effects, but there was nothing like this that
Jishun.” we could have in a few days.
Let’s skip ahead to 1971, when I had the opportunity to do the I came up with an idea I often used at corporate sales meetings.
Dick Cavett show; the night before my appearance, I received a Working with the phone and fax I got the SNL fabricator to make
cancellation call. It seems that President Nixon had arranged for up a hula-hoop type of ring with a six-foot cloth hanging from the
the Chinese Ping Pong Team to visit New York, and they bumped top with a slit in the back. Melissa steps into the ring on the floor,
me off that show. two assistants lift it, and when they drop it, she is gone.
In New York, Joe Franklin was always kind enough to let the I was picked up by an NBC limo and arrived at the studio
S.A.M. plug our Salute to Magic on his local TV show; we had on Friday at 5:30 p.m. The prop had to be ready at 7 p.m. that
arranged one show on which I was to be his guest host. I got to the night for rehearsal. It finally arrived at 6:55 p.m. Melissa is a pro
studio in the morning, where I met George Kreskin in the green and is a quick study. Too much time was needed to ring in the
room. A few minutes later, Joe apologized and cancelled my spot, ham, so I changed the staging so that she was already in the ring
since Kreskin did not want to appear on a show with a magician. standing in front of the ham and the cloth, which was raised knee
In 1976, Reiss Games hired a remarkable lady named Estelle high to cover it. Rehearsal went great, and the trick fooled the
Endler, who set up some wonderful PR events; the company sent camera crew. I left (not by limo, but on the subway) and quickly
me around the U.S. promoting their magic products and my book. emailed, called, and sent Facebook notes to my friends so they
Estelle had me doing early TV morning spots in the major cities could watch the bit. You guessed right. The trick never aired. It
where there were department stores featuring the Reiss magic was two minutes too long. And all I have was the great memory
sets. I remember doing the rising cards and a sawing in half on and, oh yes, the check for my consultation. 

70 M-U-M Magazine - APRIL 2014