Magic & Mentalism: page 375

A spectator card is floating over the deck instantly. This effect was inspired by several classic versions from different magicians but this one uses a different gimmick. Easy to create. Easy to perform. Requires some arts and crafts to construct the gimmick.

1st edition 2022, video 23:45.

Gregg Webb discusses some aspects of coin magic that have bothered him for a long time. How to best get rid of an extra coin without arousing suspicion? What is the problem with the Bobo Switch? Why do Jumbo Coins make no sense? What to do about the disappearance of the Half Dollar, the basis of so much classic coin magic?

1st edition 2022, PDF 3 pages.

The All Backs Motif is odd. For one thing, it casts a revealing light on we magician's claim (when it suits our purpose) that we use ordinary cards. That is our decks, which we prefer to borrow, consist of cards that have faces and backs on both sides. Therefore, if we show a deck that consists of all backs and faces we are admitting that such anomalies exist and the cards being used are probably gimmicked in some way. Why do this?

A better question may be - What motivated someone to create such an effect using this kind of deck? That "someone" was Dai Vernon and my guess is that he wanted to...

A combination of "Disposable Color" and "B'Wave", both classics by Max Maven, makes each trick stronger and more fool-proof with just the addition of some scripting ideas and a few simple handling changes.

1st edition 2022, PDF 25 pages.

Progressive anagrams

In Null Fraser shares his work on the progressive anagram. However, as we have come to expect from his previous releases, this is not the standard fare or typical approach to this system. In fact, you wouldn't even recognize the classic tool at play in these effects from the performance, unless their secrets were revealed to you fully.

This manuscript contains entirely new ideas and presentations that turn the basic concept of the anagram on its head to create a streamlined and efficient way to divine information.

No letters are spoken out loud and there is no...

The "Magic Ink" line of book catalogs.

Excerpt from the introduction:

Covering books published around the world on the subject of magic and allied arts.

1st edition ~1985; PDF 70 pages.

A comedy magic routine that really packs a punch. Plus bonus routine with a kicker-ending.

A terrific comedy routine with audience participation and plenty of laughs. Direct from Jay's one-man show. Different from the mainstream - you won't have seen a routine like this before.

The magician tells about a recent incident that led him to create his Criminal Catching System. A mock-mugging takes place between you and a participant. At the finale, you reveal your system worked with a brilliant prediction and a guaranteed laugh.

Plus a more light-hearted bonus routine with a kicker-ending. ...

Here is a small collection of automatic and semi-automatic out-of-hand card effects, empowered by the "chaos" philosophy brought forward by Lennart Green and Dani DaOrtiz.

The effects are easy to do and they don't require you to be another "David Wiliamson" or "Dani DaOrtiz" in order to perform them. Just a regular, normal magician. More important than the routines you will see and learn how the chaos handling is applied to this type of effects - you will be able to apply those ideas later in many of your effects to make them more fooling and fun.

The effects included are:

Mr. Green Goes Red:...

Excerpt from the preface:

A fascinating glimpse into Okito's (Theo Bamberg) life and creations. The Bamberg dynasty had magicians spanning seven generations. Okito was a prolific inventor, builder of tricks, and exceptional performer. Learn the details of many of his most cherished secrets.

From the introduction by Dorny:

An unexplored "classic": this has been for me, for many years, the "Australian shuffle". I learned it as a young man from Aldo Colombini, who often included it in his impromptu effects; later I studied John Scarne (and his wonderful idea in Phone Miracle, which we will comment on together later) and Max Maven.

Then I read Nick Conticello, and a new world opened up: I discovered that all the greats of card magic have tried their hand at the Australian deal; Nick, however, made me wonder a bit more: today I don't think there is more space to invent, but a lot to develop new routines, putting together various principles.

In my...

Update on the 'Azlan' Card At Any Number.

"F**k me!!! This is ridiculous! Mate it's so, so, so fooling! Even after knowing the original method and watching it play out countless times." - Nathan Chandler

"Just watched the demo you sent for the Card At Any Number and I have no idea how it works." - Dreygon Hibbler

"I can't wait to learn it. Owning your previous work on this, I feel like I should be able to work it out but can't get my head around it LOL." - Matt Overd

This is not the same update for 'Azlan' which was taught in God Mode Sui Generis 2.

A prediction envelope...

The contents of this series, for the most part, emphasize the history of effects and ideas. There are effects and methods in some of them, though.

• Proem
• About this Issue
• Excerpts Taken from a Photocopy of a Letter Written from Ed Whitford to Edward Marlo
• A Marlo Letter to Persi Diaconis
• Racherbaumer Letter to Charlie Miller
• Shall We Ask All The King's Horses and Men?
• Correspondence Between Jon Racherbaumer and Stephen Minch Regarding the So-Called Hide-Out Move
• Appendix: Paul Curry's "Out of this World"; a new version / Ed Whitford

1st edition 2014, PDF 30 pages....

The contents of this series, for the most part, emphasize the history of effects and ideas. There are effects and methods in some of them, though.

From the introduction:

"Art," according to Webster's New World Dictionary, is the human ability to make things - the creativity of man as distinguished from the world of nature. It is set apart from "craft" in that the latter applies to a lesser skill involving little or no creative thought.

The performance of mentalism is necessarily a creative process. To be successful the performer must tailor each presentation - not only to a particular audience but to the individual volunteers he uses in his program. No two performances of a mentalist are exactly the same. He must always be ready to capitalize on unexpected...

This can be done with a borrowed shuffled deck that does not have to be complete. (The only requirement is that the deck is in decent condition, but it does not have to be a new deck.) There is no stack or prior arrangement necessary. Somebody hands you a deck and you go right into the routine. You ask the spectator to take about a third from the deck, shuffle it at heart's content, then remember the bottom card and burry that pack somewhere in the middle of the remaining portion on the table. This all happens while you look away. You then take the deck behind your back and find the spectator...

Gestalt is a groundbreaking new propless principle that allows you to secretly obtain a cue from your spectator. It stays completely hidden from the conscious awareness of those who you perform for and is modular in nature, which means it can be utilized in other effects.

Inside this ebook is taught a propless star sign utilizing this principle, as well as other various applications for it. You will be able to guess someone's star sign in literally 20-30 seconds with very little process or scripting.

1st edition 2021, PDF 34 pages.

Ask the spectator to take any deck of cards, and to shuffle it well (it is useless, but it is very "magician"). Get a few cards, as many as the spectator wants, and then make another packet of the same size next to this one. You will ask the spectator to move, as desired, cards from one pile to the other, to divide one pile into two unequal packets, to look at a card of a certain number down the middle pack, and then collect the packets one on top of the other. Before concluding, remind the spectator that he made all the choices independently, he chose the number of cards to move from one...

"It's not easy to improve on a trick by Dai Vernon, but Ian Baxter has managed to do just that!"

A timely observation from reviewer David Jones, who has hit the nail right on the head. Here is an easy, clever new treatment of a respected Vernon classic. Don't be surprised if you find yourself performing Refining Vernon's 1-2-3 over and over again.

Jones continues: "This streamlined handling of Vernon's 1-2-3 is so much cleaner than the original, more magical in effect and far easier to perform. It's a winner!"

This familiar, fast-moving card mystery has been 'doing the rounds' for decades:...

A massive collection of information with a huge amount of beautiful illustrations mostly compiled from the pages of Scientific American magazine. The introduction is by Henry Ridgely Evans.

During the 1890s, Scientific American magazine published detailed explanations of magic illusions. The informant for the magazine was no other than William E. Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, who at that time was the stage manager for Harry Kellar. Kellar was upset once he found out that he had a mole in his company who would feed the descriptions of some of his most popular illusions to the magazine, including the rope tie that formed the basis of his Spirit...

J. Stewart Smith's third book on card magic, containing six more card masterpieces. Like his previous releases, all the work is accomplished without knuckle-busting sleight of hand. Only a few simple moves are necessary, easily within the grasp of the average magician.

PARTIAL CONTENTS:

• Our Cards
• False Cut
• Ascent of the Black Fours
• A Restoration
• Triple Alliance
• The Four Aces
• Double Cut
• A Prediction

Card workers the world over praise his beautiful effects and their methods. See below for a few brief quotes from experts in the field.

"The author has attempted to approach as...

Oculus 2 is an updated handling on the prop-less date of birth divination. Included are various direct prop-less methods, as well as a streamlined handling with playing cards.

1st edition 2021, PDF 38 pages.

Unpacking the Smith Myth and the Rashomon Concept.

This collection of tricks focuses on a similar motif because they fit the precise definition of that word and, in each case, the goal is to show what unifies and specifically defines each one. I'm also using the term "curate," because I sifted through lots of material so readers can compare and analyze everything. I consider this to be a contextualizing exercise that reveals the motif's history and pinpoints its rightful place in the Creative Continuum.

The two motifs compiled here are the Smith Myth and what's popularly known as the Rashomon...